InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Teaching Rin ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Disclaimer - It’s not mine. Never was. The only characters I own are the ones not familiar to the Inuyasha anime or manga.

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Teaching Rin

Chapter 17

A Light in Darkness

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Dawn’s light had yet to cover the pristine forest around the Western fortress, but Sesshomaru was already tracking the presence of a particular demoness who had been a thorn in his side for the last few days. He had seen the Southern noble only briefly since Rin’s abrupt declaration of their childish behavior, and had yet to speak with her.

She had left the castle nearly two hours ago, and since he could not sleep himself, decided to follow. He had tracked her from afar, not wanting to be seen or sensed by his prey. She had taken directly to the forest, sending out a shrill whistle that was immediately answered by a brassy bugle. He recognized the sound as that of Kaida’s dragon steed Ishika, and judging by the tone of the bugle, the huge reptile was not happy.

Sesshomaru followed her to a small ravine that ran near the forest edge. There, he found the huge dragon circling overhead. Kaida called her down into the small enclosure, and patted her head when she let out a low grumble of welcome. Kaida smiled warmly at her in return, and signaled something to the beast that had her taking off into the predawn light to the East.

Once the creature was out of sight, Kaida took to the treetops and headed Eastward into the denser parts of the forest. Sesshomaru waited until she was on the very border of his senses before following suit, still unsure of what she was doing.

The Southern noble was an enigma to him. She reminded him of some sort of creature that had two different personalities. To him, she was coarse, rude, crude, and an all around nuisance that he could do without. But there were a few times when he had seen another side to her; a patient, caring side. Her instruction time with Rin and her rare moments of gentleness with Ishika had thrown him for a loop when he’d witnessed them.

Sesshomaru had though he understood the demoness, the way she thought, and the reasons for her actions; but a few careful observations had skewed his initial assumptions about her.

She was different from the handful of women he had ever come into prolonged contact with. She was confident, proud, independent, things that were not present in many females of the time, whether they be human or demon. Of course, if he was honest with himself, the only basis for comparison he had was to Rin, and the Shikon miko Kagome. But comparing Kaida to the two of them was almost comical.

The human miko Kagome shared Kaida’s hot temper and strong sense of justice. Kami knew he had seen the young woman’s wrath come avalanching down upon his half brother’s head during their brief tenure as alliances in the quest to destroy Naraku. And his trips onto the ground usually stemmed from something to do with the wolf prince Kouga, or Inuyasha being overly obtuse, which was the norm as far as he was concerned.

‘The mongrel was slammed into the ground often enough. I am surprised his head remain straight on his shoulders.’ he thought grimly, jumping from one tree to another as he silently trailed his ward’s instructor through the thick canopy.

But unlike Kagome, and Rin it seemed, Kaida lacked the gentle disposition the other two women shared…or so he had thought. She was beginning to throw more and more surprises his way, whether she realized it or not. To be brutally honest, the Southern demoness reminded him of the wind sorceress Kagura, one of Naraku’s many incarnations. They were both strong fighters in their own right, but they were bound to a person they could not stand. Kagura to Naraku by a physical bond, but Kaida to Kiyoshi by the rules implemented by their own society. Kagura had eventually escaped Naraku’s clutches by death.

But how would Kaida manage to escape Kiyoshi? Would she have to die as well, if only to be free of the egomaniacal neko?

She had exhausted every possible means of escape already, short of killing the neko and bringing on a civil war that would tie the land in knots and have the ruling Lord’s at each other’s throats.

He honestly did not understand her, and her need to protect the ones around her. To him, it made perfect sense to just kill the bastard cat and get it over with. But Kaida, she would not do that and risk throwing her homelands into a war with the North. She cared too much. And that is what he did not understand about her.

Demons looked out for themselves before anyone else, at least until they were mated. But Kaida seemed to put the concerns of others around her before herself. This sort of selfless attitude was unlike what other female demons had.

‘Of course her human blood probably acts on its own accord and influences the way she behaves and thinks.’ he thought. ‘I have been comparing her to full demons, and not taking into consideration her human blood. Perhaps that is where I have made my mistakes in trying to understand her actions.’

His anger towards her was misplaced, and he realized that now. It was not because she had pinned him to the dojo with his own sword, and it was not because she questioned his every order to him. Inuyasha had done that for years, even gone so far as to cut off his left arm, but Sesshomaru had never been so angry with his half brother as he had been with Kaida. He had concluded that his anger towards her was simply because he did not understand her, or the way she thought.

So he had taken to covertly watching her movements around the fortress, and especially during the times she worked with Rin. Anyone else would have considered the Western Lord to have an unhealthy fixation on the Southern noblewoman. But he considered it observation in order to learn more about an unknown enemy. So ever since Rin had accused them of being hypocrites, he had watched her carefully, picking up little nuances and habits that he had not seen before. Like how she would slightly cock her head to one side when thinking about a question Rin had asked her. She also had a wicked sense of humor, and would have Sakaki laughing his head off when he was supposed to be on guard duty.

But her attitude towards him remain cold and distant, not that he really cared. But she spoke to him only when forced to, and had refused to stay within yelling distance of him since the altercation in the courtyard.

What had him the most annoyed with her though, was not her avoidance of him, or any of the other things she had done. It was because she refused to stay placed in the little box he had made for her. Every time he though he had her figured out, she would go and do something completely out of character and scatter his assumptions and expectations to the four winds.

It was really starting to annoy him more than anything else he had ever come across. He’d heard many times that females were complicated and complex creatures. But he had disregarded that pearl of wisdom, thinking it would never have a baring on him.

Now he was beginning to see exactly what they had meant, and understand the wisdom inherent in that warning.

=

The cool fall air felt amazingly refreshing to Kaida as she sprinted further and further away from the walls of the Western fortress, away from the overbearing responsibilities she had, and away from the ever present aura of Sesshomaru.

The overbearing dog Lord had been on her mind constantly lately, especially after the incident in the courtyard where Rin had proclaimed them hypocrites, and then stormed away from them. Kaida remembered thinking Sesshomaru had been a bit surprised to find that Rin could be so blatant and demanding, and was going to explain the change in the girl’s attitude to him. But when Sesshomaru had turned around and blamed her for Rin’s change, she had gotten angry and left in a huff, only to come back later that evening to find a very upset Rin crying in her room.

It was then that her respect for Sesshomaru began to chip away. But his accusing amber colored eyes were lodged in her memory no matter what she done to get rid of it.

‘If he would stop long enough to see what is going on with her, it would help.’ Kaida thought, reaching out to push a branch out of her way. ‘Humans and demons are different, and Rin is not like a female demon.’

Kaida knew that Rin was the only reason she was still alive and in one piece. Rin needed to be taught to be acceptable to the demon court, and Kaida was the one to teach her. There was no doubt in the noblewoman’s mind that if Sesshomaru had any say, she’d have been dead a long time ago.

The Western Lord had never been known for his patience with people who would not obey his orders and commands, and Kaida had questioned practically everything he’d told her to do since she’d gotten there. She had argued, fought, insulted, and condemned him more times than any other living creature, including his half brother Inuyasha. Hell, she had even ran him through with his own sword! But she was still alive, despite it all. Sure, he was angry with her, of that she had no doubt. And he would probably take out his anger on her during their next spar, but she didn’t care. If she did get her behind kicked, she’d have fully deserved it.

But it seemed like Sesshomaru had withdrawn his aggravation with her and disposed of it somewhere. He was back to his normal routine of ignoring her when he could, not speaking to her unless it was out of necessity, and glaring at any given point in time. No big change there. However, she had noticed that he had started to follow and watch as she went along her routine with Rin during the day. Apparently he thought she had not noticed, but she had none the less.

At first, she had thought he was simply watching her in an attempt to find something she was doing wrong in order to ship her back to the South. And she was fine with that, she really was. So she ignored him unless he came forward, but he never did. After three days of constant surveillance, she was getting antsy and angry. And in an effort to find out what exactly was going on with him, she’d taken to leaving the safety of the fortress walls for early morning runs.

Up until now, he had not risen to the bait to follow her. But she could vaguely sense his familiar energy following a ways behind her this morning, and she was determined to find out what all the cloak and dagger hiding was about.

A loud bugle pulled Kaida out of her musings about the Western Lord, and she looked up to see Ishika flying high above her with some sort of man-sized fish in her claws. The great demon circled a few more times, and Kaida rushed to the small clearing that she had found the morning before during her run. Ishika was already happily munching on the oversized fish, and Kaida only shook her head at the beasts enthusiasm.

Kaida jumped down from the upper branch of the towering tree after sending Ishika off to finish her meal. She dropped quickly to her knees and then stood, scanning the area by expanding her senses. She had felt Sesshomaru stop abruptly at the same time she did, and guessed that he was slowly working his way towards where she was in order to satiate his own curiosity.

She took up the first moves of a few of her warm up katas, figuring that he would not show his face for a while. So imagine her surprise when she felt his aura flare slightly about twenty minutes later.

“You might as well come out.” she said, relaxing her position only slightly to indicate that she had not intention of attacking him. “You’ve been following me since I left.”

“You are beyond the safety of the fortress.” he stated, keeping his voice forcefully calm as he walked out of the underbrush.

“Ishika needed to hunt.” she said, as if that answered all his future questions. “Dragons have to eat as well.”

“And that requires you to disobey my orders?”

“I did not realize I was relegated to the inside of the fortress walls.” she said crisply. “And correct me if I am wrong, but you said I was not to leave the grounds with Rin. And as you can plainly see, Rin is not here.”

“I also said Sakaki was to accompany you at all times as extra protection.” he pointed out. “Where is he?”

“Sleeping in the watch tower?” she suggested innocently, shrugging. He glared at her, but she said nothing else, only walked a few steps before taking up the beginning stance of the kata she had been in the middle of when she’d called him out. She was aware of his scrutinizing gaze, but did not let it deter her from what she was doing.

“What form is that? I have never seen it before.” he asked after a few minutes, breaking the silence that had come upon them.

“I’m not sure what it is called exactly, but it is an off shoot of kendo.” she offered as a vague explanation.

“Where did you learn it?”

“A friend of my father’s.” she answered, wishing he would just get to the point. “It’s a bit more obscure than other forms. Not really well known. I do not use it all that often, but it is good to keep in practice with it.”

“I see.” he said, circling her as she kicked and punched at an imaginary opponent in front of her. “The primary focus is defensive?”

“Mostly. It also focuses on grappling and throwing, or even pinning your opponent.”

“Moves to disarm and secure your enemy as opposed to killing them?” he asked. She nodded and relaxed completely from the kata. With Sesshomaru being in a talkative mood and suddenly questioning something she’d done for years, she couldn’t concentrate.

“Exactly.” she said. “After all, you can’t kill everyone you come across, at least not before you weasel information out of them first.”

“How far along in this particular training are you?” he questioned.

“Far enough along to throw you around if I had to.” she stated easily, with no hint of maliciousness or teasing in her voice. She’d already decided it was time to try and make amends with the cold demon lord, if only for Rin’s sake.

“Unlikely.”

“It’s the truth.”

“I do not believe you.”

“I did not expect you would.” she said, a small grin on her face.

“You seem confident of your abilities.” he stated. Kaida felt a cold chill run up her spine, and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the slight breeze in the air.

“I know my limits.” she answered calmly.

“Well then, let us test those limits, shall we?” he asked.

“Let’s.” Kaida said. “On one condition.”

“And that would be?”

“Rin goes to the Southern harvest festival if she does accordingly at the guard inspection today and I manage to throw you into that tree.” She pointed to a rather large sized oak tree with gnarled roots some fifty or sixty feet away. He just frowned and shook his head once.

“You are asking me to allow her to leave the fortress after she has been so disrespectful? Absolutely not.” he said coldly.

“She’s been moody, not disobedient.” Kaida pointed out calmly. “She doesn’t mean it, but she can’t help it.”

“She can not help the way she is acting? That is unbelievable.”

“She’s going to start her monthly cycles soon.” Kaida said with a sigh, finally telling him what she had tried to the last time they had spoken in the courtyard. “Her body is changing into a woman’s. Every human female does this around her age.” Sesshomaru seemed absolutely stunned, and Kaida hid a snicker at the somewhat confused expression on his face.

But she figured she’d put the poor demon out of his misery and tell him the one thing all father’s dreaded hearing about their daughters, in terms he was a bit more familiar with. “She’s about to start ovulating, Sesshomaru. She’ll have her first fertile period in a few weeks.” A sudden spark of understanding shown through before his normal poker face fell back into place, and Kaida could have sworn she saw his eyes widen a fraction.

“She’s not leaving the fortress.” he proclaimed stiffly. “No festival.”

“You’re joking, right?” Kaida asked. “Her fertile period is still at least two weeks away. She’ll be fine, and I’ll be with her.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not? She’ll be safe.”

“Because I do not trust other males to control their urges towards an unmarked, unmated human girl.” he remarked.

“Woman.”

“Excuse me?”

“Rin is a woman now.” Kaida said. “At least she will be once her cycles start. Having that much blood coming out of you every couple of weeks will toughen anyone up!”

“Blood?” he growled. “What is this you speak of? Rin will bleed?” Kaida bit her lip in another attempt to stifle a snort. It seemed like the high and mighty Lord of the Western Lands was utterly clueless about the female body. But that really should not have come as much a surprise considering the only other female around the entire fortress was Keisha, and the headwoman’s interaction with Sesshomaru was sparse at best.

“You have no idea what’s about to happen to her, do you?” she asked, forcibly keeping her face straight.

“I have never encountered this before, no.”

“I thought so.” Kaida said. “Let’s give you a quick explanation.” And so she did. By the time she finished telling him that Rin was going to be even moodier than usual, and bleeding profusely for a couple of days, the Western Lord seemed a little shell shocked.

“And this will happen every month?” he asked.

“Give or take a few days, yes.” she answered. “That’s why she has been so moody lately.”

“How long have you known this?” he demanded.

“I’ve suspected it for a few weeks now.” Kaida said. “But what convinced me was her little outburst in the courtyard a few days ago when she called the both of us walking hypocrites.”

“How so?”

“I found her crying afterwards.” Kaida answered. “She told me that she’d been feeling off, along with a few more things. After that, I knew what was wrong. It’s not hard to spot once you know what you’re looking for.”

“I trust you have explained this…occurrence to her?”

“It’s taken care of. She knows what to expect.” That seemed to reassure him a little bit, although it was hard to tell whether he was relieved or not considering there was barely enough moonlight left to see anything.

“When will her normal disposition return?”

“She’ll be fine in a few more days.” Kaida answered. “As long as things stay calm, her uncontrolled fits of crying and random angry outbursts should subside.”

“Calm?”

“Our fighting upsets her, greatly.” Kaida explained. “I didn’t realize it before now, but she honestly thinks we are trying to kill each other when we spar. I tried telling her that it is nothing to worry about, that we’re just letting off some steam, but it did not help.”

“And?”

“I’m not training in the dojo after it is rebuilt.” she answered shortly. “I’ll take to the forest to train.”

“Why?”

“It upsets her to see us fighting, especially when we draw blood.” Kaida answered easily. She told me that when she met you, you had been beaten up and were in the forest outside her village. It scares her to see you hurt, no matter how insignificant you may think it is. She gets scared.”

“That is ridiculous.”

“Yes, well, she worries. I do the same thing with Kentaro.”

“You go through this ‘cycle’ as well?” he asked warily.

“Not every month, but yes.” Kaida said. “My demon blood regulates them to ever few months as opposed to every month like a normal human.”

“So you are refusing to spar with me?” he queried.

“Yes. Unless we’re away from the fortress, and Rin doesn’t see it.” she answered firmly. “I won’t upset her if I can help it.”

“Then we will train elsewhere.” he said simply.

“I already told you that I was not going to use to dojo….Wait, what did you say? We?”

“That is correct.”

“We?” she questioned again. “I already said I was leaving the dojo. What’s with this ‘we’ business?” The sun’s rays began to filter over the tree tops then, and small shafts of light were beginning to filter down through the surrounding tree canopy.

“You are a worthy opponent, and adequate training partner.” he said.

“In other words, you’ve pummeled Sakaki too many times to count and I’m the only one who can put up a half decent fight.”

“Some of your techniques are foreign to me, and it makes for an interesting fight.”

“I think you just want a place to hide my body if you do manage kill me.” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “Either that or you want to learn the techniques and then turn around and use them on me.”

“That would be an accurate observation.”

“Which one?”

“Both.”

“Figures.” she scoffed. “Truce? No fighting where she can see or hear us?”

“No. But a voluntary lack of open hostility towards each other should suffice for the time being.” he said. “I still don’t like you.”

“Big surprise there.” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re no picnic to live with either, you know.”

“So I’ve been told.” he replied. Kaida only shook her head and reigned in a comment that would more than likely take them down the well worn road leading to a fight.

“You want to start training now? I think Ishika’s still eating.” she asked.

“Very well.” he said, drawing Toukijin from its sheath and waiting for Kaida to pick up her own blades, but she never did. “What are you doing?”

“Practicing the disarming techniques I told you about. I still say you should let Rin go to the festival if I throw you into the tree.”

“You are delusional.”

“Let’s make a wager then. If I can toss you, then Rin goes to the festival with me.” Kaida said.

“Fine.”

“Fine? That’s it?” she asked. “You agree?”

“I agreed simply because I know you are not capable of throwing me anywhere, let alone up against a tree that is nearly sixty feet away.”

“We’ll see about that.” she said with a grin.

-

About ten minutes later, after Sesshomaru had been disarmed and knocked down more than once, and Kaida had taken a number of direct hits to her stomach and a few roundhouse kicks to her head, the Lord of the Western Lands went flying head first straight into the thick trunk of the ancient oak tree, hitting it hard enough to partially uproot it from the ground. There was a dull thud and a sickening crack and he slid down to land on the ground with a grunt. Kaida doubled over with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

Sesshomaru shook his head to clear the stars he was seeing, and got to his feet, ready to resume the fight when he saw her collapse onto the ground with a grimace and a curse. He walked over and roughly used the toe of his boot to roll her onto her back.

She had proved her point, and managed to throw him into the tree using only the techniques he was unfamiliar with. But it had taken its toll on her as well. Since the techniques were unfamiliar, and as such, her fighting was not as fluid and effective as normal. She had been forced to constantly think about her next move and react accordingly. This left her open to many attacks while she tried to coordinate her attacks.

He would walk away with bruised pride, but he had no doubt that he had left a considerable number of marks on her in their short spar. He kicked out at her again, not sure whether she had passed out or not. But she quickly rolled to her feet with a frown.

“Take it easy already, will you?” she barked.

“How did you do that?”

“What, throw you into the tree?” she asked absently, rubbing her backside fervently.

“No, fall on your face with all the grace of a dying wombat.” he replied. Kaida’s face immediately went shock still and she blinked a couple of times.

“Did you just make a…joke?” she asked cautiously, looking at him like he was some unnatural form of life.

“It seems I did, if your reaction is any indication of such.” he replied.

“Who are you and what have you done to Sesshomaru?” she demanded, utterly serious. “Sesshomaru doesn’t crack jokes, even if they are at my expense.”

“It seems I do when the time is correct.” he answered. “Now answer my question before I throw you into that tree and finish uprooting it.” Kaida continued to watch him closely, but eventually took a seat on the ground, apparently satisfied that she was not dealing with some sort of imposter. By now, the sun was above the eastern horizon and flooding the land with it’s rays.

“The techniques employ a few concepts of counterbalancing against your opponent.” she explained. “Like other forms, you use your own body weight and momentum to throw your opponent. But with this technique, you have to infuse the right amount of your own energy into the throw, and you can toss someone three times your size.”

“So you simply have to infuse your own energy into the throw?” he asked. “That seems simple enough.”

“There’s more to it than that.” she said, shrugging. “But it is the basics behind the techniques. Anyone could be taught how to do it.”

“Why do you fight?” Sesshomaru asked suddenly, before he could think about what he was saying. She seemed to know a great deal about different forms and techniques, even some he did not know of, but he still did not understand why she learned to fight. He knew that with three sons, Ryu did not need her as a soldier of such caliber. And it had been bugging him to find out why. ‘Perhaps if she answers, some of these lingering questions I have will be put to rest.’ he thought.

“Excuse me?” she asked, the abrupt change in topic startling her somewhat.

“Why do you fight? Your brothers, I can understand. Why you?”

“I wasn’t always like this, Sesshomaru.” Kaida said honestly, fidgeting with a few blades of grass in front of her . “I never intended to be a fighter when I was younger. That‘s why I know enough about court manners to teach Rin. I had learned them all by the time I did start learning to fight.”

“What cause did you have to become what you now are?”

“Kiyoshi?”

“The neko?”

“Yes.”

“How so?” he questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“It’s a long story.” she warned.

“There is time.” he countered.

“You’re nosey, aren’t you?” Kaida asked skeptically, her eyes narrowing at him in aggravation. “Digging for information, just like you’ve been doing for the past few days, following Rin and I, watching her lessons.”

“Perhaps.” he said nonchalantly. Kaida shook her head and leaned back on her hands.

“When I was born, I was originally to be promised to the son of one of my father’s advisors; his name was Kaze. But Haruto’s mate, Lady Koto, talked my parents into promising me to Kiyoshi. They said it would help the ties between the North and South if we were to mate.” Kaida said. “I was a few years old, maybe eight or nine, when Kiyoshi and I started to spend large amounts of time together. Of course, since Kaze was always around the castle, he was there as well. One day, Kiyoshi and I were walking around the grounds, and he attacked me, saying that he needed a practice dummy. At that time, I didn’t know anything about fighting. When Kaze found me a few hours later, he was so angry that he refused to be separated from me anytime Kiyoshi was around. Father was none to please either.”

“So you learned to fight in order to protect yourself from the neko?”

“Basically.” she said, nodding. “I began to train after Kiyoshi beat Kaze into the ground during one of his visits. It was a few years later, and Kaze and I were playing in the gardens, chasing each other. I fell and he tripped over me, landing right on top of me. We got up and Kaze apologized, then kissed my cheek. Kiyoshi saw it and went crazy. He caught us off guard and nearly killed Kaze, probably would have if I had not gotten between them. Kiyoshi wound up knocking me around a bit in the process, saying if I didn’t have enough sense to stay out of a fight then I deserved what I got. I realized then and there that I had to do something, and Kaze made me swear to find a way to take care of myself. I told Kentaro what happened and began training the next day.”

“What happened to this Kaze person?”

“He’s a trader who oversees the majority of our import/export business to the Eastern and Western Lands and territories. I haven’t seen him in years since his work keeps him gone for long periods of time. Wish I could see him again, though. He could help me out.”

“How so?”

“Kiyoshi hates him with a passion.” Kaida said. “And I got a letter from the Southern Council members yesterday saying that my union with Kiyoshi is to be consummated no more than two months after Rin’s court presentation.”

“And how will this Kaze help?”

“He’s a charmer, and a conniving one at that.” she answered with a laugh. “He could convince the Council that the sky was green and the grass was blue if he had to.”

“And he will not assist you to grant your freedom?”

“He can’t. The Council refuses to see him. And they’ve overruled ay attempts by my father to grant him an audience. It’s a big mess that could have easily been avoided.”

“Arranged unions are common. It is the way things are done.” Sesshomaru said.

“I don’t see you with a woman hanging off your arm.” she pointed out dryly. “And now that I think about it, I remember hearing something about an inu demoness from one of the larger clans having something to do with you? What did you do, destroy the agreement papers after your father died? ”

“Something like that.” he answered stoically. “I am in no need of a mate.”

“You and me both. But you can tell the Council to go piss off. I’m not so lucky.” Kaida said with a dejected voice. “I don’t have much more to teach her, Sesshomaru. I’m running out of time.”

“Indeed you are.” he said, nodding.

“Well aren’t you just a mountain of moral support?” she asked sarcastically. “Just out of morbid curiosity, is Rin promised to anyone?”

“No.”

“That’s a relief. I was wondering what she had told Kentaro.” Kaida said, getting up from the forest floor and brushing her training gi off.

“What has the kitsune to do with this?”

“Nothing at the moment. But I have a distinct feeling he will be playing for Rin more as time goes along.”

“His plans for Rin will not take form.” the Western lord said firmly, and Kaida could feel a small, angry spike in his energy.

“Let her chose, Sesshomaru.” Kaida said softly. “She’s the one who has to live with her mate the rest of her life. Not you. If she’s happy, then let her go.”

“I will do as I see fit.” he said stiffly.

“I do not doubt that.” she said, shrugging. She stretched her hands up towards the sky and yawned, letting the touchy subject drop. “What time is the inspection of the guard going to start today?”

“Noon.”

“She’ll be ready.” Kaida said, walking away into the forest towards her dragon. “And we’re leaving in the morning for the South.”

“Agreed.” he said, turning in the other direction and heading back towards the fortress without another word. Not all of his questions had been answered, but the information he had gained would suffice for the time being.

-

The main courtyard of the Western fortress was lined with row after row of demons in battle armor, each one completely motionless and as stone faced as if they were carved from granite. Along the courtyard walls stood the Western Council members, along with a number of lesser vassals who owed their allegiances to Sesshomaru for one odd reason or another. As she walked out of the living quarters, she could feel hundreds of eyes settle onto her. Beside her, a formally dressed Rin was trembling.

“You’ll be fine.” Kaida said quietly, ignoring the looks she was receiving from the other demons. “All you have to do is walk beside Sesshomaru and look like you are searching for something wrong in the ranks of soldiers. It’ll be over with before you know it.”

“So I just follow him and look around?” Rin asked skeptically. “What’s the point in that?”

“It’s more of a traditional ritual than a necessary action.” Kaida explained quickly. “Supposedly, since women are not to mingle with the soldiers, it is easier for them to spot something wrong in the guard line up. They are unfamiliar with the men, and therefore more likely to tell when something is out of place or incorrect.”

“Familiarity breeds problems.” Sesshomaru said solemnly as he walked over to them.

“And there in lies the problem.” Kaida finished, patting Rin on the shoulder. “I do not doubt that Lord Sesshomaru has his officers in perfect order, but having an unfamiliar face inspecting keeps the men on their toes.”

Rin nodded in understanding and Kaida left them to begin their trek around the rows and rows of soldiers and officers lined up in the courtyard. She thought about going where the Western Council was sitting, if only to see how Rin managed to get through the ritual. But she quickly decided against it when one look towards the group of demons showed that the majority of them were glaring daggers at her.

So instead, she discretely jumped into a small tree that was out of the way and then onto the wall surrounding the courtyard. She watched as Rin followed beside her Lord, head held high and looking at one demon critically before sweeping her gaze to the next. She was going perfect, just like they had rehearsed. And she looked just as regal as any other ruling Lady Kaida had ever seen, especially in the formal kimono and her hair done up in some kind of complicated knot courtesy of Keisha.

She set back and watched as the Rin and Sesshomaru walked along the rows of soldiers together, looking at each and everyone of them. By the time they were a little of three-quarters of the way through the rows, Kaida noticed that there was someone coming towards the gate of the fortress. She peered down closely and saw that it was Kentaro, and he looked more than just a little frantic.

‘What is he doing here?’ she thought, watching while he was let in and quickly disappeared into the crowd of Council members and other dignitaries on the outskirts of the courtyard. ‘Sesshomaru’s already told him to leave Rin alone unless he is formally coming to present himself to court her. Maybe he has news of Haruto’s movements along the borderlands. Ronin did say that he would keep Sesshomaru informed about what they found.’ She dropped down from the wall and slowly began to thread her way through the crowd towards the ever resentful Council members.

‘Please let him be here because of Haruto.’ she begged. ‘The fight in the dojo will be nothing compared to what he’ll do if Kentaro has decided to ask permission to court Rin, and I don’t feel like trying to separate the two of them if he pisses Sesshomaru off.’

The spar they had earlier than morning had seemed…painless. And now that she had time to stop and think about it, the whole morning had seemed off. That was the first conversation she’d had with Sesshomaru that did not end up with one of them unconscious on the ground, or at least bleeding profusely from some random body part. In fact, that was the first time they had spoken more than two minutes since they’d blown the dojo to shreds in their last spar.

It even seemed to her like Sesshomaru had made an attempt to refrain from instigating another fight, which in itself was shocking.

‘He’s got something up his sleeve.’ she thought glumly. ‘I can deal with Sesshomaru at his worst, biting, slashing and killing. But having him act like a civilized being is starting to make me concerned about both our sanity.’

Once the inspection was over with, and Sesshomaru had spoken to the Western Council members and she sent Rin to change, Kaida headed for the spot where she had spotted Kentaro. But it seemed as though Sesshomaru had already beat her to him. The Western Lord had pulled the kitsune to the side and was interrogating him when she walked into the conversation.

“..doing here, kitsune?”

“I’ve come to relay some information to you that we have found concerning Haruto.” he said, bowing to Kaida as she took a stance beside Sesshomaru.

“What is the news, Kentaro?” Kaida asked quickly.

“Haruto’s forces are completely mobilized along the Northern most borders of his lands.” the demon said. “And there are rumors of his plans to intercept your trading ships to the mainland, Lord Sesshomaru.”

“How did you find out this information?” Sesshomaru asked suspiciously.

“Surveillance, sir.” Kentaro said.

“You and Hoshi have been spying again.” Kaida said, tamping down a small grin.

“Spying sounds so….tactless and undermining.” Kentaro said, puffing up proudly. “I prefer to call it additional affirmation of existing knowledge. And I‘ll have you know that it was Hoshiki and Yuri that found this out, not me and Hoshi.”

“So you’re sending your sisters to spy? That’s not much of an improvement.” Kaida said.

“They wanted to go, so they went.” Kentaro answered with a shrug. “They do good work, don’t they? Not as good as me and Hoshi, but still.”

“Of course.” Kaida said dryly, shaking her head. “What else can you tell us?”

“Haruto refuses to move any closer to the Southern territories. So for the time being, your home is safe, Lady Kaida.”

“And my lands?” Sesshomaru asked.

“Rumor has it that Haruto is preparing to attack your soldiers stationed along the borderlands. Apparently he means to storm your lands in an attempt to overthrow your power and set up base here. He’s thinking hostile takeover, my Lord.”

“And where is Kiyoshi and his older brother?” Kaida asked.

“My sister Yuri heard that Saburo is away on the mainland, hammering out diplomatic ties with some Chinese demons. I don’t think he even knows what is going on here.” Kentaro said, frowning. “And Kiyoshi is traveling with a battalion of elites, headed for the seaport checkpoint along the borderlands with the West.”

“Is there anything else?”

“No, sir. But we will keep you informed to any changes.” the kitsune said seriously. “All four of us are about to head North for a few weeks to see what else we can find out. None of us want a war to break out, so we’re doing all we can.”

“You’re assistance is appreciated.” Kaida said.

“If you would inform your father, Lady?” Kentaro asked.

“I will see to it immediately.” Kaida said with a nod.

“Is there anything else?” Sesshomaru asked, apparently in a hurry to get this conversation over with.

“No, sir.”

“Very well then.” he said, waving the kitsune off.

“Sir.”

“Go inside and rest a while before you leave.” Kaida said. “Rin will see to some sustenance for you.”

“Thank you, Lady Kaida. Lord Sesshomaru.” he said, bowing deeply to the two of them. He took off towards the living quarters of the fortress, meeting Rin as she was coming out.

“This seems more serious than I expected.” Kaida said. “I figured something was going on. Haruto’s been to quiet lately.”

“Indeed he has. I have been wondering myself what he was conniving.” Sesshomaru said quietly.

“What are you going to do about this?” Kaida asked.

“My presence for an early border patrol should prove distracting enough to flush out the lead culprits.” he answered smoothly.

“I take it you will be leaving soon?” Kaida queried.

“As soon as the kit is gone.”

“Why wait for him to leave? He’s not hurting anything.” she said. “I can handle the Council members if you need to go now.”

“It is not the Council I am concerned about.” he said stoically. “Observe.” Kaida looked over and saw that Kentaro was talking with Rin. The human girl was smiling and flushing slightly pink, a tell sign that she was embarrassed. And the big grin on Kentaro’s face left no question as to who was responsible for the blush.

“Not this again.” Kaida murmured. “Leave him be, Sesshomaru. I think it is sweet.”

“I will do no such thing. The kit is a nuisance to me.” he said firmly, his hand slipping to Toukijin’s hilt.

“So am I, but I’m still here.” she dead panned.

“Your departure can easily enough be arranged.”

“True, but who would you spar with?” she countered.

“Point taken.” The two nobles watched a little longer as Kentaro and Rin conversed in hush tones. Then the kitsune pulled a small rose bud from a nearby rose bush and gave it to Rin, who looked absolutely amazed when the bud gently opened in her cupped hands. Kentaro took the blossom and secured it in the knot at the top of her hair, similar to a way that the Eastern noblewomen wove roses into their own hair during court. Kentaro’s mother and sisters done that, as well as his brother’s mate. It was a sign that one belonged to the Eastern Courts, whether by blood or by mating.

Kaida grimaced, knowing that such a move would likely through Sesshomaru into a fit of anger. But the Western Lord only growled slightly and continued to glare at the pair. Whether he recognized the meaning behind the placement of the rose and chose not to comment on it, or he just didn’t realize what it meant altogether, she was thankful he wasn’t going to do anything to Kentaro.

“They are cute together. And they make quite a pair.” she continued on, which only caused Sesshomaru to growl angrily. “Let them go. Kentaro’s not going to hurt her. He’s a good demon!”

“He is shifty.”

“He’s a kitsune.” Kaida pointed out. “His inherent ability to manipulate was practically bred into him. You know what Ronin is like when he wants something; he’ll do anything to get it. Be glad that Kentaro has not resorted to challenging you and trying to decapitate you to get to her yet. That’s what Ronin did to get Lady Yoshe from that clan leader when he refused to grant his permission for their union.”

“And that is precisely why Rin will not get involved with him.” Sesshomaru said with an icy glare in her direction. “Kitsune are unstable. And you are encouraging her to formulate a friendship with him, no less. I thought I made my opinions perfectly clear as far as he is concerned.”

“He’s not that bad, Sesshomaru.” Kaida said. “And he really does like her. You know how flighty his breed’s dispositions are. Kentaro’s had his eyes on her since the Lord’s meeting, and that was almost six months ago! He wouldn’t still be trying to charm her if he wasn’t serious about having her around.”

“His intentions remain ambiguous. And until he confronts me, he will have no part of Rin’s favor.” Sesshomaru stated coldly.

“Too late for that.” Kaida murmured, rolling her eyes.

“What?” he demanded.

“Nothing.” she amended quickly. “Nothing at all.” He just glared at her, but she refused to say anything more on the matter. “If you will excuse me, I need to tell Rin to pack her things so we can get going in the morning. The sooner we get there, the better. We’ve already missed the first two days of the festival waiting for the guard inspection to get over with. Excuse me.”

Sesshomaru watched as she walked away and towards Rin, who was doing an impressive impression of a cherry at the moment. He saw Kaida easily turn the attention towards herself, and then tell Kentaro something that he did not hear. The kitsune glanced in his direction a moment later and frowned, apparently feeling the displeasure rolling of him in waves. And with a quick grin and a kiss on Rin’s cheek, he jumped into a nearby tree, then onto the wall. He gave the two women a cheeky grin and a wink before falling out of sight.

Sesshomaru thought the little display was utterly ridiculous, and completely unbecoming of a Lord‘s son. But one glance towards Rin and Kaida showed they thought it had been quite entertaining, and were laughing quite animatedly. When the two calmed down, and the flush on Rin’s cheeks had receded, Kaida grinned and said something to her that brought the redness back in an split second.

Sesshomaru just shook his head at their behavior.

He didn’t want to know.

-

A/N - Hey everyone! What’s going on? Hope you all enjoy this chapter. The next one should be out shortly, so hang in there.

Until next time, take care.

A.A.

Oh, and remember to review. I want to know what you think. ;)