InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ War's Shadow ❯ Allies ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Two – Allies

It was a simple matter to locate the Siberian tribe. For a people that preferred to remain aloof and separate from the world outside their own, their village managed to stick out from the barren landscape like a beacon. Eizan descended to touch down on the slushy, rough terrain, the fierce glare of the full moon’s light casting itself down on the strange homes of these previously nomadic people. He walked steadily down the sloping, mountainous landscape, hearing the light trilling of some foreign instrument coming from near the center of the village.

Again he did a mental check of his weapons, noting that he had remembered to discard them all back at his home. These people certainly did not respond well to even the appearance of force. Eizan knew that from his past experiences with them. The crunching of his boots against ice and gravel quickly brought out the welcome he had been anticipating. Almost without obvious movement, he was quietly surrounded by four blank-expressioned, intense faces, their stares boring into him with anything but a suggestion that they were glad to see him. They held no weapons, but Eizan knew fully well that these people did not need them.

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I have no weapons. You are free to check, though we all know they would do me no good in this place."

"What are you here for?" asked the tallest male of the group; his long, pale hair was twisted and beaded in a bizarre array that Eizan would have characterized as feminine ... though certainly not aloud.

"I am here to see Zadi. That is all. I will speak with her and leave."

As though prompted by an unspoken signal, the others withdrew once more into the darkness, leaving Eizan alone with the yellow-haired man. "Come with me," he ordered Eizan, turning his back to lead the way further into the sprawling village.

Eizan trailed wordlessly behind the man, pausing to return the stares he received as people halted whatever they were doing to glance at him with cautious curiosity. He wondered again how it was that these humans, strange though they were, were able to scrape out their survival in this bleak land. There was nothing here, not at this elevation, not in this rocky environment. They could not farm here, there were few animals to hunt. They could all drop dead for all he cared, but it was still a mystery ....

And yet they clung to this place with a ferocity he was not willing to challenge again. When these people had first found their way over the sea to the extreme north of his border nearly a century earlier, Eizan had met these invaders with an army intent on repelling them; an army that had been immediately, thoroughly, and painfully disarmed ... some literally so, all without the Siberians having to lay so much as a finger on any of his people. It had been disconcerting, but not nearly so much as the response from their leader. Zadi had emerged from the ranks of her "warriors" with a look of such placid calm that one would not have thought her people had just been threatened with extinction. She had told Eizan that they would be occupying this area, a statement that had galled him for its simplistic confidence, but one that she had backed up with effortless force until Eizan had been able to do nothing else except withdraw his army and leave them there unharmed.

They were humans, yes ... but odd humans that could do things that unsettled him, and that was precisely why he was here now. Continuing to pace behind his guide, Eizan glanced from side to side at the unfamiliar statues that stood erect every few feet, some showing the faces of vengeful-looking men with wild eyes, others the serene smiles of beatific women. He looked up ahead as his guide gestured with his hands, igniting two torches on either side of a long, hut-like building.

Eizan was gestured inside and was instantly ensconced in an interior that radiated immense warmth, completely untouched by the chill outside. An unidentifiable scent lingered in the air, assaulting his sensitive sense of smell until he felt an intense desire to plug his nose. It was woodsy ... flowery ... and overpowering. He frowned at the thin figure that remained standing with her back to him across the room, obviously concentrating intently on something she was doing with her hands.

"Are you going to speak or simply stand and gawk, Eizan?" came Zadi’s smooth, strangely accented voice, hinting at her native and utterly foreign language.

"I came to offer you a proposition,” he replied, finding it difficult to ignore that rude greeting.

An amused sound issued from her throat, but she did not turn to look at him. He moved a few steps forward so that he could get a better look at her as she placed clay lids on top of a group of small pots before moving them to a shelf. Then she turned to him, her long black hair spilling over her shoulders, adorned with the same beads and jewel-like objects her people seemed to find so attractive.

"In other words, you need my help and want to know my price,” she guessed.

Eizan kept his face level, but found that he could almost respect the straight forwardness of this woman. Unfortunately, she was a human and it made his skin crawl just being near her. "Yes, that is correct."

Zadi moved to seat herself on a plush, colorful rug, seemingly ignoring him again for a moment as she moved to shut several leather-bound books that were filled with foreign handwriting. "You have very little that interests me. You have also learned by now that threats of force only lead to harm for you and yours."

Frowning internally, but resolutely keeping a straight face, Eizan knelt next to the woman who, though delicately built and small of stature, radiated the qualities that prompted her people to call her their leader. The Siberians were bizarre, intensely religious, excessively passive, but no-nonsense when threatened. They were indeed the strangest humans he had ever encountered.

"I do have one thing that interests you,” he reminded Zadi.

She lifted her head to watch him, jewel-like blue eyes scouring his face as though for signs of deceit. "What do you want of me?"

"I would like your assistance in a coming war. I want this over swiftly and with finality."

"And you need the aid of mere humans for that?" Zadi questioned with a trace of humor.

"We both know that you and your people are anything but an average group of humans. As I have been unable to get any information out of you in the past, I cannot discern why that is, but ---"

"We are an ancient people, Eizan. We originate from a place that is far from here. You have neither seen nor heard of it in your lifetime, I am certain."

"And why stop here?"

"This place suits us," Zadi replied. "But I assume you want me to disarm your opponent? Does he or she have a weapon you fear? Is that why you have come to me?"

"'Fear' is too strong a word, I think," Eizan answered, his tone ringing of offense. "The demons I want to destroy are skilled, I do not deny that. They have humiliated my family in the past and I intend to return the favor."

"And the targets are?"

Eizan leaned forward, his purple eyes turning almost gray, so serious were they as he answered, "Kanaye, a dog youkai who has recently returned to Japan. He tends to linger near my southwestern border. He holds onto some ancient fortress there. I need you to kill him, as he is a nuisance. There is a half-demon as well, by the name of Inuyasha; he wields a sword that can destroy one hundred demons with only a swing. I need him out of the battle for that very reason. I will not lose an army to a boy. My main target is that hanyou's older brother, Sesshoumaru, have you heard of him?"

Zadi's delicate eyebrows rose. "I don't keep up with your demon political structure," she commented with an airy tone of boredom.

"He rules the west. He has few allies, but has managed to maintain that control on his own. As I have said, he is a strong opponent and must be dealt with unconventionally."

"You are asking me to fight your war for you?"

"No. We will be involved in the battle. All I ask is that you revoke their weapons. Kill Kanaye, but I will attend to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru myself."

Zadi nodded slowly. "And you know what my price will be."

Eizan shook his head in agreement. "Ashitera."

"Now that her mother is dead, she belongs with us. As she is a hanyou, I know that you, even as her grandfather, have no true interest in her.”

Making no attempt to even deny that accusation, Eizan replied, "She is yours as soon as these tasks are fulfilled."

“Will her father agree to that?”

“Ashihei is barely aware that she exists. He’ll agree to it,” Eizan assured her with a confident smile.

"Then I will return with you immediately,” Zadi said stiffly, looking highly displeased by what Eizan had just revealed.

"Only you?" Eizan inquired, watching the woman as she got back to her feet.

She graced him with an enigmatic smile before moving to assemble the belongings she intended to take with her. "For so small a task, all you'll need is me, Eizan."

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Standing stiffly apart from the two conversing demons, her normally pleasant features overtaken by a dark, sullen expression, Rin held Ah-Un's reins in a clenched fist as she listened to Sesshoumaru and Kouga's discourse. The both of them were standing near the treeline of the hovering forest, with Rin waiting at what she felt to be a more comfortable distance.

She could understand Sesshoumaru's motives. Kouga was strategically important in this and it would be unwise to allow him to be blindsided by Eizan due to lack of knowledge. The wolf tribe's territory was firmly situated in the mountainous region between Sesshoumaru and Eizan's border and, because Kouga was still undermanned from the slaughter of his tribe at the hands of Kagura eight years earlier, Sesshoumaru had felt it necessary to find the wolf demon and warn him. Rin knew he felt certain that Kouga's weakened ability to maintain that area would be exactly to Eizan's advantage.

Yes, Rin could understand why they were here, but she did not have to like it ... or him. At the moment he was wearing an ugly smirk on his face, as though brushing off Sesshoumaru's advice as something he did not need to be concerned about. Let him handle it all then, she thought venomously. He'll get what he deserves for being such a ….

She stopped that line of thought there, reminding herself that Kouga's loss would be, in essence, Sesshoumaru's, too, as far as this fight was concerned. Her ears tuned in once more to what the wolf demon was saying.

"So then you're actually asking for my help in this?" Kouga asked incredulously of Sesshoumaru.

"No,” came Sesshoumaru’s certain reply. “I am telling you that when this attack happens ... and it will ... that you are to send for me and I will come. It is that simple."

"I won't need your help. My people and I can handle this," Kouga replied confidently.

"Then I will come to fight in your graveyard. It will be your choice," Sesshoumaru said with a grim set to his tone.

Kouga paused upon hearing that last sentence, looking ambivalent, his dark eyes moving from Sesshoumaru’s stoic form to Rin, who was standing as still as a statue and glaring maliciously at him.

"What's wrong with her?" Kouga muttered, not at all liking the murderous look he was getting from the human girl.

Sesshoumaru turned to regard Rin and as he did, she turned her back to them and began furiously stroking one of Ah-Un's heads. Sesshoumaru’s gaze settled on Kouga again, eyebrows upraised. "She doesn't like you,” he said, feeling that the wolf demon was stupid for needing such a translation.

"Still?"

Sesshoumaru eyed Kouga with a trace of surprise, having never heard the wolf actually admit that he knew what lurked behind Rin's venomous behavior. "Yes. Still."

Looking vaguely uncomfortable, Kouga glanced over at Rin again and called quickly, "My wolves don't do that anymore, you know. I don't allow it." He then turned to look back at Sesshoumaru. "I'll let you know." With that assurance, the wolf demon practically evaporated in a trail of dust.

As the air cleared again, Sesshoumaru looked speculatively at the highly-elevated, rocky landscape. This would indeed be a perfect starting point for Eizan to begin an offensive campaign in the west. Scent did not adhere to rock as well as it did to grassier areas, which would be a help to a prowling army. This place was eaten through with old caves and tunnels, and Sesshoumaru did not know them well, as this area had belonged to the wolves for as long as he could remember. He would have to believe that Kouga knew what to look for; he had other places to watch carefully in the meantime.

Moving to rejoin Rin, he watched her body language, which was giving off signs of a fight instinct. Does she fear Kouga that much? he wondered. Or is it just a base reaction from her prior experience? Humans have so much to fear. It takes nothing to destroy their fragile lives.

He pulled Ah-Un's looped reins from around her fingers, thinking all the while that though she often complained about how complex and unreadable he was, she was complicated enough in her own right. He could read a lot from her face, her posture, but often could not understand the causes of her thoughts and actions.

"Kouga is no threat to you," he finally told her, turning Ah-Un around to walk with them and then dropping the reins so that the beast could make its own way with them.

"I know," she answered, but her tone was as brittle as the rest of her. She tugged her long sleeves down over her cold hands, wondering vaguely how much longer they would have to put up with this accursed weather. For Rin, the half-melt the land was caught in at the moment was worse than any blizzard. The bright sunshine was misleading, beckoning people outdoors when it was still far too cold to be very comfortable.

"I could kill him easily,” Sesshoumaru added, as though feeling around for what would pull her out of this dark brooding.

"I am certain of that,” she agreed with confidence, her brown eyes flashing angrily as she continued, “but you'd have to wait until I got finished with him."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at this declaration and a subtle, amused smile began to cross his lips. This girl is certainly gaining confidence in her fighting skills. "He moves a little too quickly for an arrow," Sesshoumaru advised, keeping his tone serious even as his mind played out the ridiculous scene that would be Rin versus Kouga.

Rin suddenly seemed to find the humor in their discussion as well, because she smiled as she held out one hand and wiggled her long-nailed fingers. "These work for me, too."

"Dokkasou," Sesshoumaru murmured, extending his own hand to look at the fingers that were capable of such a lethal attack. "That I cannot teach you, Rin."

"Who was talking about poison? I'd just claw his eyes out," she answered confidently, forgetting that fierce vindictiveness of only a few minutes earlier when his hand circled around to rest lightly on her back, fingers extending over one shoulder until she could feel the barest pricking of claws against the cloth of her heavy winter kimono.

"Hai. I believe you," he answered in a warmer tone. "And such an action would be followed immediately by profuse apologies.”

"You think I'm that weak?" she almost sighed, knowing that his statement did sound very much like her. I’m such a hardened warrior, she berated herself sarcastically.

"Not weak. Sympathetic and soft-hearted. There is a difference."

She accepted those words for the kindness they were meant to convey, and moved to walk closer to him. She assumed that he intended for them to be alone for a while without Jaken, as the squalling retainer had been left behind (with no shortage of caterwauling) and Sesshoumaru was making no suggestion that she return to Ah-Un. Is there something he wants to talk about? she wondered. Or does he just want to be alone with me? That last thought was a nice one. Her relationship with Sesshoumaru had changed over the last few months, though slowly and in subtle ways. This bond was developing into something that was very sweet, exciting, heartening ... and distressingly awkward a lot of the time. To Rin it was often as though Sesshoumaru couldn't quite figure out exactly what he was supposed to be or do with her, so she had learned to appreciate moments like these when he was more relaxed with what they were. Whatever that was ….

"You need to consider returning to Kameko's village until this is finished," he finally spoke, bringing up the subject Rin had been anticipating for a while now.

"I'm going with you," she said firmly. She had no clear idea of what to expect in a war between two demon lords, but could guess that it would be an ugly conflict.

"If it is a safety concern, then Inuyasha's village is another option. Inept though he may be, he somehow manages to wield Tessaiga accurately enough to save his own skin. I am reasonably assured that he would be able to do so on your behalf as well."

"I'm not leaving you,” Rin repeated with even more sincerity. “I won't be a distraction. I'll stay out of the way, but I'm not leaving you on your own to do this. It's scaring me how stubborn you're being about trying to find people to help you."

"I have managed to handle this sort of conflict on my own for a long while now. This is nothing new to me,” he reminded her. He had expected this sort of reaction from her, but had felt the need to remind her that it wasn’t necessary for her to see the things that came with war. She was better off in some obscure village with the dull hanyou and his equally tiresome friends for company, than in a bloody battlefield surrounded by corpses or a massacred village with wailing, orphaned children. He was accustomed to such sights and was not affected by them in the slightest. Rin, on the other hand, would surely find such things extremely distressing.

"Not on this big of a scale,” Rin answered his earlier statement.

"I have never actively searched out the aid of an army. In the past, western demons have shown up on their own to assist me in the more expansive battles. When they did not show up, I took care of it myself."

"But they can't help you this time if you don't tell them what's coming,” she argued.

In truth, Sesshoumaru was not overly fond of the idea of an army showing up. The last time that had occurred, during the conflict with the cat demons some sixty years earlier, western youkai had involved themselves only to be all but wiped out by the battle’s end. Sesshoumaru despised the idea of relying on the help of another, he hated even more the prospect of being in that person’s debt. It was better to see to it himself.

Quiet fell as the two walked on, Ah-Un lumbering heavily behind them. The sun’s strengthening rays were warming the top of Rin’s head, but doing little else for the rest of her. Her nose was now numb, but she wasn’t going to complain. It was pleasant being alone with him despite the cold, this looming problem, and his obstinate nature. Finally, Rin broke the silence. “Since you brought up the subject of Inuyasha ---“

"No."

But ---"

"Rin."

"He's good at this type of thing,” she argued in defense of the hanyou. It would still only be two of them then, but Rin was confident that Inuyasha would be an immense help and she would feel much more reassured if he was there to back up Sesshoumaru.

"He's brainless, irritating, and abrasive." Sesshoumaru turned a skeptical look on Rin. "And you assume that he would be on my side in this."

She gaped back at him as her ears registered those words. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"He has a warped thought process and a long list of problems with me. It would not shock me to see him among Eizan’s ranks.”

“He doesn’t want to see you killed.”

“Perhaps not, but he would take great pleasure in seeing my status depleted.”

Rin went silent for a moment as she considered that statement. Was Sesshoumaru refusing to ask for help because he genuinely believed he did not need it? Or because he was afraid it would not come if he did request it? Certainly, his relationship with his younger brother was strained, but Inuyasha would come to help ... wouldn't he? But, then again, it would be horribly damaging to Sesshoumaru's pride for him to seek out Inuyasha’s assistance only to be laughed at or denied. Rin found that she could understand some of Sesshoumaru's reasoning, though a deep feeling of isolation was settling within her. She wondered how he had become so used to this sort of loneliness.

"Even if no one else shows up, I'll be with you," she assured him, not realizing that she had uttered those words aloud until they had left her lips.

I am certain of that, he thought, but only nodded his head in quiet acknowledgment.

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"Do you see them, Inuyasha?"

"See them? Are you kidding? I could smell them a mile away," Inuyasha complained, looking down as Shippou scrambled up next to him in the cherry tree. The kitsune's auburn head tried to poke its way around Inuyasha for a look before grumbling slightly and moving up to another branch. Inuyasha slapped a dangling paw-like foot out of his face, registering the muttered curse that came from Shippou's mouth.

"Say that word in front of Kagome and she'll kick your ass," Inuyasha warned half-heartedly. He peered intently into the distance, making out the roving dust cloud that was moving steadily in their direction. This was definitely an army, or at least part of one. From what he could see, they were armed to the teeth and looked to be nothing but trouble.

"Who are these guys?" Inuyasha wondered aloud, his mind already ticking away at possibilities.

"I don't know, but they're not human,” Shippou offered, perching awkwardly overhead and squinting at the incoming riders.

"That much is obvious, moron."

"Who's the moron? I'm the one that had to come tell you they were riding through!" Shippou exclaimed, kicking Inuyasha in the back of the head.

With an almost casual movement, Inuyasha reached up and gave Shippou a hard push that nearly sent the young fox demon careening out of the tree, ignoring the stream of colorful insults he received for doing it. The scent he was picking up was ... unfamiliar, but distinctly canine ….

"They're dog demons," Inuyasha finally said confidently. "Invading dog demons, from the look of it. Heh ... baka Sesshoumaru's gonna love this."

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Shippou inquired.

"Nah ... they’re not coming toward the village, so they’re not my problem. Besides, Kaede-baba wanted something earlier and I told her to save it for later. Now I'm bored enough to go see what she wanted." Inuyasha moved to jump down from the tree, bare feet landing in a puddle of cold slush, ears automatically perked up and turned toward the direction of the oncoming army.

It was then that it suddenly occurred to him … the expression on Sesshoumaru's face when the almighty jerk discovered that these invaders had been taken care of by a lone half-demon before he even knew what was trampling across his territory. It would be priceless.

Yeah ... just for you, Aniki ... you self-righteous bastard, Inuyasha thought meanly, a fanged smile spreading wickedly across his face.

As Shippou swung down from the tree to land beside him, he eyed the suddenly gleeful-looking hanyou with obvious suspicion. “What’s with you?”

Inuyasha nodded as though coming to an important decision. "On second thought, I've changed my mind. You go check on Kaede-baba," Inuyasha ordered, poking the boy in the shoulder. "I think I'm going to go have a chat with these guys."