InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unforgettable ❯ Dawn ( Chapter 9 )

The golden sun crested the dark horizon, signifying the beginning of a new day in the Sengoku Jidai. In the middle of a forest clearing surrounded by towering thick trees, a little girl lazily opened her dark brown eyes. Yawning widely, she raised tiny hands to rub the sleep from her eyes. Peering blearily across the dying embers of a forgotten campfire, she let out a sharp squeal, startling the dragon that her back rested against.

 

Ah-Un gave a great snort as the little girl jumped up, fully awake and intent on questioning her Lord. Before she could so much as take two steps away from the pack animal, a thick long tail wrapped around her middle and pulled her back to the dragon's belly.

 

Ah-Un had been awake for many hours before the sunrise, and had already paid witness to the scene that had so frightened the little girl. He had watched the taiyoukai that he followed sleep peacefully with his sharp fangs pressed against the slender throat of the newcomer. He too had been worried for a time, knowing all too well Sesshomaru's violent tendencies, until he had watched as the woman tried to pull away from the great demon. The taiyoukai had voiced a soft growl in his sleep, and used the arm that was wrapped around the woman's small waist to pull her more tightly to his chest. Though the dragon had noted the slight clench of Sesshomaru's jaw on the woman's neck, he had smelt no blood. The pair had relaxed into one another and resumed their tranquil sleep.

 

Both heads looked down into the face of the little girl that also traveled with the taiyoukai, and at her questioning look, they both shook their heads. Rin narrowed her big brown eyes at the beast, and Ah-Un made a sound almost like a chuckle. In that moment, the frail little human child had looked so like her Lord that the dragon could not help but to be amused.

 

Casting a final scowl at the heads of the dragon, Rin turned her head to look at the taiyoukai she thought of as her father. His fangs were pressed tightly to Lady Kagome's throat, and he seemed to have the little miko in a vice-like grip. She wanted nothing more than to ask her Lord why he was biting the nice woman, but she knew that although many thought of Ah-Un as simply a beast of burden, the creature was actually quite wise. If he thought that nothing was amiss, then she would trust his judgment.

 

Her eyes remained filled with worry until a small movement from the miko caught her eye. One of Kagome's small and delicate hands that had been clenched so tightly in Sesshomaru's undershirt slowly released it's hold. Rin stared with unblinking eyes as that hand slid up to wrap around Sesshomaru's neck. Slender fingers wove their way into thick and glossy white locks and formed a new hold. The taiyoukai began to make a soft rumbling sound at the touch, and Rin's face split into a wide smile. She looked back up into the faces of Ah-Un, and the dragon nodded both heads in unison at her joyful expression.

 

Pulling free of the dragon's tail, Rin stood slowly and tip-toed over to the sleeping pair. Sesshomaru was still making the deep rumbling in his chest, and as she crouched behind Kagome, Rin studied the taiyoukai's face. Smooth pale skin was stretched beautifully over high cheekbones, Sesshomaru's features so peaceful that not a single crease marred his visage. His eyes were lightly closed, and thick lashes dusted his cheeks. Though his bright white fangs were pressed tightly to the woman's throat, there was not a single hint of violence to the scene. Rin was shocked to realize that she had never before witnessed the taiyoukai sleeping. It was a rare moment indeed to even catch him with his eyes closed. But here he was, in the arms of a mortal miko, soothed into slumber. The little girl grinned openly.

 

Sesshomaru's eyes flew open immediately, and he was momentarily lost. He so rarely slept, that when he did, he was always confused upon waking. His vision blurred by slumber, he realized that not only had he somehow managed to fall asleep, he had done so in the middle of the woods. The low growl that he released at the thought was instantaneously halted when he heard a soft hissing noise from above. Golden eyes reflecting the first bright rays of the rising sun, he looked up at his ward.

 

The little human girl had one tiny finger pressed to her lips and was making a soft shushing sound. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the little girl, but she seemed to ignore him as she moved the finger from her lips to point down in front of her. Sesshomaru's honeyed gaze followed the little digit's path, and his eyes met the sleeping face of the miko.

 

His jaw clenched, and he felt the soft give of tender flesh from between his pointed fangs. The warm flow of blood into his mouth shocked and startled him, but the taste was sweet, and somehow electrifying. He heard the miko give a soft squeal, and only then realized that it was her long and slender neck that was caught between his jaws.

 

Kagome felt the sharp prick of teeth, and her eyes shot open. She felt a bolt of panic course through her veins as her deep cerulean eyes met gold. For a beat the two merely stared at each other, Kagome still and not breathing. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't understand why. Seeing the gold eyes so close to her own coupled with the sharp bite of fangs made her wish for nothing more than to bolt in fear. But she could do nothing but lay still and helpless, like a rabbit caught in the eyes of a wolf.

 

Sesshomaru felt the woman's entire body tense against him, and her heart begin to pound even before he caught the thick scent of her fear. Maintaining eye contact, he gently pulled his fangs from her flesh. With his teeth removed from her person, he pushed his tongue forward to lap at the wounds he had inflicted.

 

Kagome refrained form all movement until she felt the fangs withdraw from her throat. She tensed every muscle in her body, poised for an escape, until she felt something warm and rough drag slowly over the sore bit of her flesh. Her eyes opened wide, and focusing more deeply on the golden gaze mere inches from her own, she felt her self relax. These were not the eyes to fear. As the rough tongue drew across her throat again, she breathed out a deep sigh.

 

Satisfied that the wounds no longer bled freely, Sesshomaru pulled away from the miko and without a second look to her or his young ward, stood gracefully and walked away from the embers of the forgotten campfire. He was enraged with himself for succumbing to something so simple as sleep, and for the circumstances surrounding his awakening. He desired nothing more than to distance himself from the troublesome miko.

 

Kagome watched the taiyoukai's retreat curiously. She didn't understand what had just happened, or how the two of them had come to be in such a strange position. It seemed to her that there was a lot happening lately that she couldn't understand or remember, and it was frustrating. She looked up only to catch the look of confusion that passed through Rin's soft brown eyes. The little girl stared at her Lord's back and her face was marred by an intense frown.

 

“This Sesshomaru leaves shortly. You will be ready should you wish to follow.”

 

The sharp and detached baritone rung out through the small clearing. Kagome and Rin both jumped to attention at the words, and began to ready for their departure. When Sesshomaru stalked out of the clearing and into the thickly grown trees of the surrounding forest, two mortal women tailed him.

 

Ah-Un watched as the trio made their way from the bright sunlit clearing into the dark tree cover. Beginning to plod slowly after them, both heads thought it somehow depressing that the great taiyoukai was always walking away from the obvious source of light.

 

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