InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ War's Shadow ❯ Patience ( Chapter 13 )

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

13 - Patience

It was unbelievable how poor his luck was turning out to be lately. The other night had been proceeding entirely to his liking … until the start of those ungodly shrieks that had completely ruined his comfortable respite. Since then, his home and the females inside of it had centered themselves around a hanyou brat. His enemy's hanyou brat, of all things.

Was Ashitera hungry? Was she tired? Was she lonely? Did she want to play? Sesshoumaru did not care. If she was hungry, then feed her. If she was tired, then make her sleep. What was the obsession with pleasing this ill-born creature? When he had been a child, he had not been so coddled and cajoled. It was ridiculous. But, apparently, her well-being had become the supreme concern of Rin and Kagome, who catered after the girl completely.

Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly to find that the face was still staring at him intently. He was nearly certain she had not blinked in hours. The hanyou girl's hands were folded around her knees, head tilted, as though contemplating something, and she was just staring in an eerie, unnerving manner that was beginning to seriously annoy him.

At least he could be thankful that she had taken his demand for quiet seriously. She had not uttered a word since she had planted herself there after having wandered through the house in another apparently sleepless night. And, since he had no idea of what to do with her, with Rin having been lost to sleep on the bed behind him some hours earlier, Sesshoumaru decided to do what he did best. He pretended she wasn't there at all.

Dawn was just beginning its slow, pink creep outside when she finally opened her mouth, as though having summoned either enough courage or boredom to speak to him.

"I think you burned the house," she whispered, eyes slitting in deep thought, as though trying to remember something.

"Hmm?" he murmured distractedly at the foreign sound of her voice, as he read through something that had just caught his eye. A mountain … "evil", in what way? Jyaki? Superstition? By whose standards? Youkai? Human? He had never heard of any such thing, but then again, Sesshoumaru was not prone to fearing inanimate objects.Whatever it was, it had to be in wolf territory, because he had absolutely no idea of what the girl had been talking about.

"Ashihei-sama's house. You were there, I remember," she went on, interrupting his thought process yet again.

"Ah. Yes."

"You should say sorry."

This was enough to make Sesshoumaru stop trying to ignore her long enough to fix a cool, golden stare on her. "To whom?" he asked icily, withholding the much ruder comment that had first come to mind. He was having to continuously remind himself that he was dealing with a child; snapping at her, as he wished, would likely only start up more of that horrific racket she was so skilled in producing. Being "nice", however, meant that she would continue to be his personal gargoyle.

"Ashihei-sama."

He did not even try to mask the look of incredulity he was sure had just spread across his face. What was wrong with this child? She spoke as though he was in for some sort of punishment for bad behavior. Ashihei was a flea that had been squashed, and he considered telling her that, but, again, was much more interested in keeping one of those fits of crying from developing.

"It's polite," she prompted him with a self-satisfied nod, reaching out to let her fingers trace the intricately-carved dragon's head on the desk's leg. She looked at him expectantly.

Is she lecturing me? he thought in amazement. "I am not concerned with being polite."

She seemed taken aback by that and blinked at him as though she could not understand why someone would forgo their manners. "Your mama didn't teach you? Where is she?"

"She's dead," he muttered, turning back to his reading, but the girl was relentless.

Ashitera got to her feet and moved to stand next to his seated form, perching on tiptoe in an attempt to see what he was so carefully studying. "She and my mama are in the same place," she said with cow-eyed sympathy.

"I sincerely doubt that," he replied with a sarcasm she missed. He perked his ears up to listen on the off-chance that Rin might be waking up. The heartbeat across the room was a slow, steady thud, however, so his rescue was not going to come from that corner anytime soon. And "rescue" was exactly what he would term it. He was out of his element. How did one get rid of a pestering child? When she had been little, Rin had always seemed to know when he wanted her to be quiet and when it was acceptable to speak. This girl obviously had no idea of such proprieties and he realized, with deep dismay, that his options in dealing with her were limited. Does she ever sleep? he wondered wearily.

"You won't tell Ashihei-sama?" Ashitera questioned then with what looked to be some worry.

Sesshoumaru's skull began to pound. "That my mother is dead?" he questioned dryly at the absurdity of the conversation. She was such an audacious little brat. He was beginning to wonder if all hanyou were preordained to being infuriating.

"No. I'm not supposed to talk to you," she said conspiratorially.

"Because I am his enemy?"

"Because you're a youkai. I'm not supposed to talk to youkai unless they talk to me first."

"Ah," Sesshoumaru replied disinterestedly, preparing to tune her out once more.

"I think you don't like me," she stated wisely.

"Huh?" he asked, looking up again, and fully aware that he had just come off sounding stupid.

"Inuyasha said you don't like hanyou. I'm a hanyou, too."

"I wouldn't like Inuyasha even if he was a full youkai."

"I like Inuyasha."

"Good for you," he muttered.

"Do you know where Ashihei-sama is?"

How ridiculous, he sighed inwardly, fighting the urge to go shake Rin awake. Surely there had to be someone, out of all the creatures in this home, to …. He smiled wickedly then, eyes flickering toward the door. That little boot-licker was always lurking about somewhere ….

"Jaken!" he called, fully prepared to shove the girl off onto his retainer. Almost instantly, the sounds of the toad's running feet became audible.

Ashitera sighed pitifully, a pouting expression coming across her face. "He doesn't like me, either."

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Typically, a prison was not meant to be inviting, so Sashe had had no expectation that her comfort would be seen to, but she had decided that she had officially reached a level of misery that surpassed anything she had experienced in the past.

It wasn't physical pain that bothered her as much as the sheer inactivity and her decimated sense of smell. The place was damp and overrun with mold and small, dead animals, and animals that came out to eat the dead animals. It was filthy, it was cold; it was oppressing and dark. And she was pretty sure she was forgetting what her own voice sounded like, but had yet to reach the point where talking to herself seemed a dignified option.

She wondered if it was a sign that she was terribly spoiled, the fact that one of the most horrible aspects of this life was being unable to bathe. She was sure her hair was disgusting by now, since sitting down meant it trailed into various brackish, half-congealed puddles that contained liquids she wasn't sure she wanted to identify. Her other option was to stand and move three steps to either side before the chain halted her movement. They had kept her close to the wall, likely not wanting to give her much leverage to try anything. Apparently Kawahira had not felt satisfied enough with just securing her ankle, because now her wrists had thick slabs of chained metal clamped around them as well. Bastard.

That meant she was left to wait for someone to come get her and she hated it. She had been taught how to take care of herself, that the best person to rely on was one's own self. Self-interest ruled in her father's household. Perhaps that explained why her father had yet to come for her. If she was going to have to wait until his interests coincided with hers, Sashe believed she would be rotting in this hole for a while.

It wasn't surprising that it hadn't occurred, but there was that childish part of her that had completely expected him to come tearing up to Eizan's home in one of his rages, intent on retrieving her. But … that was not Kanaye. He always did precisely the opposite of what she expected him to do.

She watched as the cell began to lighten some with the rising sun, listened as the guard outside walked away, likely to find his replacement who was late in showing up. At least the guards were becoming comfortable and starting to slack off some. That might be useful soon, but they rarely gave her a lengthy enough absence to try to do anything worthwhile.

Footsteps … lighter footsteps that caught her attention and brought her head up toward the door. There was a jangling sound outside as someone fidgeted with the lock, and then a loud, dry creak as the door was opened and a slender form slipped inside.

Sashe blinked her eyes, recognizing Zadi, who appeared to be behaving furtively as she sat down on the heels of her sandals and eyed Sashe speculatively.

"They'll come back," Sashe warned, the words coming out with a croaking sound from disuse.

"Not soon. The replacement guard is still drinking with the others."

"How do you…?"

"I've been watching, as I told you I would and as I promised your father," Zadi reminded her, reaching over to inspect the chains that were attaching her to the wall. The girl had clearly not been sitting idly by, as the claws on her hands were broken and her wrists and ankles were rubbed raw. Zadi shook her head. "You can't keep doing this. Stop struggling because you'll need those claws on your way out."

"You're helping me to escape?" Sashe asked hopefully, brightening up at that possibility.

"Not now. I don't have anything to remove these with nor do we have the time." Zadi felt badly when the girl's face instantly dropped into disappointment. "It's all right, though. Things are going well for your father and Sesshoumaru. They'll come for you soon."

"I'm not going to count on that …."

"Kanaye has not come because he cannot. It is imperative that they stick together right now and charging blindly up to Eizan's fortress leaves the west completely open to an invasion. It would be much more difficult to remove them than it is to repel them and force them backward. They don't have large numbers, as it is. Just your father, Sesshoumaru, the half-demon, and a couple of human women. They have to do it in steps and there is no one to spare for an individual rescue."

Sashe watched as Zadi's head turned toward the door. She then reached inside one of her long sleeves and withdrew some paper and ink. "I think he would feel better if he heard from you. Write something quickly and I'll take it to him."

Sashe's innate suspicion reared up then. "I still don't understand why you're doing this. If you think I'm going to write down anything important for you to take to Eizan, you're wrong."

Zadi smiled grimly. "If Eizan knew where I was right now, I would be joining you. Now hurry, please."

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Rin woke up to a bedmate other than the one she was becoming accustomed to, but she was not surprised. Ashitera was beginning to cling to her and had yet to get through a night sleeping on her own. Rin supposed there was no harm in it, and decided that if she was lonely and afraid and in a houseful of people she did not know, she would likely try to find comfort where she could.

Rin allowed her mind to clear itself from sleep, listening as the wind swirled around the edges of the house with a low moan. Ashitera was curled up within arm's reach, soundly asleep, and very peaceful. It made Rin dread the mess that had been made of her life and her discovery that her world was completely and permanently changed. Both of the girl's parents were gone, and that was a displacement Rin could identify with. After this, who would she go to? Zadi? Elif? What if neither of them survived? What if no one survived?

Her heart began a more anxious rhythm at these thoughts. It was a terrible thing, being little and completely defenseless and having nothing to rely on ….

But I found something to rely on …. She thought, recalling that day, that completely life-altering late afternoon when she had been wandering a forest and had come across an injured youkai lord. He had been exactly what she needed, even if he had not consciously tried to be at first ….

Is … this my chance to pay that back? she wondered, sitting up and watching the child's sleeping face. I can do that for her … until we find out where she needs to be, until it's safe for her to be there ….

Rin knew that Sesshoumaru would not be at all pleased at the idea of her becoming any more attached to the girl, and really, it might not be the best idea, since it would be harder to let her go once all was said and done … But this is not about me, Rin thought resolutely. It's about her.

Rising from the bed, Rin quickly dressed herself and stepped outside in the cool, early morning air. She looked out over the railing and jumped at the unexpected sight that was the wolf seated out on the dewy grass, eyeing her expectantly. The wind rolled through again, ruffling its thick fur, and it yawned one of those disconcerting, open-mouthed, sharp-toothed yawns.

"You're really going to follow me everywhere, aren't you?" she asked miserably. She received a low, throaty bark of assent, and rested her arms on the wooden railing. "Is Kouga at least going to come get you when we're done? Because as cute as Ashitera thinks you are, I think you're likely to forget your friends if you get hungry enough."

No reply from him this time, and Rin frowned.

"You're purposefully not answering me. I know you can understand every word I say."

The wolf stretched its long body and stood, tail giving her a half wag.

"You make me very nervous. If you would just stay out of sight, I could at least pretend you're not here at all," Rin sighed, then moved around to the other side of the house. It was here that she found Sesshoumaru and Kanaye speaking to each other, the wind whipping their hair into a frenzy that nearly matched their conversation. Kanaye wasn't happy, whatever it was.

Rin noticed a pair of big, dangling feet hanging from the roof and called a greeting, "Ohayo, Inuyasha." She listened as the hanyou grunted a response from above her head, then moved further out and shielded her eyes so she could see him. "Do you know what that's about?" she asked him, pointing to the heated conversation that seemed to be taking place between Sesshoumaru and Kanaye. To a casual observer, one would not have thought they were doing anything but discussing something, but Rin had learned enough about youkai body language to tell when a conversation was about to come to blows.

"Yeah, I can hear 'em," Inuyasha replied noncommittally.

"And…?" Rin prompted.

"You're not going to like it. I'll be around, though, so it shouldn't get too ugly."

"What's that supposed to---?" she demanded, but was cut off when the hilt of a knife was thrust into her field of vision. She reached out and took the proffered weapon, looking up at the face of the one who had handed it to her. "What's this?"

"You're going to learn how to use it," Sesshoumaru said authoritatively.

Rin blinked at him. "But I have my bow and---"

"That does you no good when a fight comes into close range. You are not always going to be given an opportunity to shoot at something that is at enough of a distance for a bow to be useful, as was displayed the other day near the river."

"It's certainly … sharp enough," Rin commented, turning her wrist to eye the long, serrated blade. The edges glistened in the morning light, showing off the obvious fact that they had recently been sharpened and polished. "When are you going to teach me?"

"I am not," Sesshoumaru replied calmly. "I'm leaving for the day. Kanaye will teach you."

"What?" Rin asked incredulously, looking from Sesshoumaru to the looming form of Kanaye who was eyeing her without expression. At that moment, Rin thought she would have preferred the customary smirk to that blank look he was giving her. She turned back to Sesshoumaru with some desperation. "But Inuyasha would---"

"Inuyasha has had very little formal weapons training. He is mostly self-taught, which is why his fighting style is so sloppy---"

"My sloppy fighting style has owned your fluffy ass enough," Inuyasha reminded him from above their heads.

Sesshoumaru felt a sudden compulsion to yank the boy down from the roof, but relied on his self-restraint, instead ignoring Inuyasha as though he hadn't even spoken. "Inuyasha would not hurt you, which also makes him less useful as an instructor," he explained to Rin.

"And Kanaye would," she mumbled, eyes flickering distrustfully toward her prospective instructor.

"Precisely, which is why it is best for you to learn from him. He is exactly what you need to train against. He fights dirty."

"Filthy would be a better description," Kanaye corrected.

Rin gave a laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "So … you want someone who wants me dead to teach me how to keep him from killing me?"

"Trust me," Sesshoumaru said sincerely. "His knife is blunt. Yours is not. And he understands what will happen if he gets out of hand."

"Don't worry, Rin, I'll avenge you when the old man finally loses it," Inuyasha called casually from above.

Rin reluctantly agreed to do as she had been asked, but once Sesshoumaru was gone out of scream range, she found it very difficult to quell her instinct to run back inside the house and stay there until he returned. Kanaye, however, seemed to take his new role seriously. She watched with some trepidation as he began peeling off the numerous pieces of armor he wore, piling them neatly as he removed each in turn. Rin decided he was somehow even scarier without the armor.

"What are you doing?" she questioned nervously as he finally pulled the last of it from around his shoulders.

"If I leave it on, I won't be able to feel it if you actually succeed in hitting me. Not with those scrawny arms of yours," he smirked at her, glancing forlornly down at the dull weapon in his hand. "And he expects me to fight with this? This couldn't slice through water." He glanced up at Rin's obvious hesitance. "Come on. I'm going to make you learn something worthwhile."

"Why are you doing this?" Rin questioned carefully, hoping to hear a better reason than the one she had come up with on her own.

"Why? Because Sesshoumaru asked so nicely," he said with obvious sarcasm, running a finger alongside his knife's blunted edge. He moved toward her, keeping a very loose stance. "I will leave myself open to an attack. You will have to find that weak spot," he told her.

"And … what if I hit you?"

"If I am in a good mood, I won't retaliate."

"Are you in a good mood?"

"No."

I'm gonna die, she sighed in silent resignation, trying to copy the way he was positioning himself. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Kagome exited the house and questioned Inuyasha about what was going on.

"I think Kanaye just got permission to beat the crap out of Rin," Inuyasha explained.

"You're not helping!" Rin complained, waving the knife in Inuyasha's direction.

"Rin-chan …" Kagome called nervously.

"I can teach you, too, miko, although I'm probably a little rough for you and your brat," Kanaye called, sounding very amused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha barked back.

"You are as stupid as you are ugly," Kanaye told him before turning back to Rin. "And you have three seconds to correct your stance."

"Huh?" she asked, but an instant later she was flat on her back in the grass, the knife flying from her hand, Kanaye's blunt edge pressing against her throat.

"Deceased," he said grimly. "Get up."

"You didn't give me three seconds!" Rin exclaimed furiously, fumbling for her weapon before getting back to her feet.

"What opponent is actually going to give you three seconds?" Kanaye questioned contemptuously, face falling into a frown of disbelief as he watched her fumble for a comfortable grasp on the hilt. "You don't even know how to hold it properly. I am humiliated for you."

"If you would stop mocking me long enough to teach me, maybe I'd do it right!" she exclaimed in frustration, eyeing his hand and moving her own fingers to match his.

"Is that a comfortable grip?" he questioned in a congenial voice that made Rin even warier.

"Yes …" she said uncertainly.

"Then come at me," he invited with outstretched hands.

She did as she was told, but he never allowed her to get near him. He reached out when she was within an arm's length and twisted the knife right out of her hand.

"That grip was weak. It left you exposed for an easy break."

Rin exhaled a breath and bent to retrieve her weapon again. This time she asked him to hold out his own hand so she could see what he was doing. Surprisingly, he did as she requested.

"Do not give me an opportunity to turn your arm, because I'll pull the damned thing off," he warned sincerely.

Rin cast an uncertain glance toward the audience of Inuyasha and Kagome, but her face was quickly grasped and turned back toward Kanaye. She blinked up at him to find that he was staring back at her with an expression that was completely dispassionate. His words, however, dripped with animosity, "I am the only thing that exists right now. The next time you look away from me, I'll plant you six feet into the ground."

Rin nodded and he released her. She was reminded now of just exactly why she detested Kanaye so much. He was mean just for the sake of being so, he thrived on humiliating and hurting others. He was a horrid, detestable excuse for a living, functioning being. Domineering, overbearing, hateful ….

"I won't look away," she promised him.

He inclined his head in response. "I trained both of my girls this way. I know what I'm doing. And if you don't lose the attitude that's staring back at me, you're going to be very sorry."

Rin blanked her face into something she hoped was expressionless.

"Find the weak spot," he reminded her, and Rin lunged at him again.

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At first, Sesshoumaru wondered if Toutousai, having taken his previous threats seriously, had packed and run to safety. When he approached the old swordsmith's home, the usual haze of smoke from the ever-burning fires was not hovering over the place and the sun was shining down on the barren landscape with far more cheer than was present in Toutousai's visitor.

As he stepped inside the shadowy abode, it was to find the old man snoring loudly in his bed on the floor, sprawled out as though embracing sleep. Only the faintest whisper of smoke poured up from where a large fire normally roared. This time there was no oppressive heat pouring into the small dwelling, just the lingering smells of metal that had been heated into molten, malleable globs.

"Toutousai," Sesshoumaru called in a less-than-friendly tone.

Apparently there was some mode of self-preservation that followed Toutousai into sleep because suddenly he was awake, sitting up, and spluttering over Sesshoumaru's unexpected arrival. "What … you're back here already?" he asked in a raspy voice, scratching at his head.

"I want my swords."

"Ah."

"I want them now, Toutousai," Sesshoumaru added, patience quickly fleeing.

"Is someone dead?" Toutousai mumbled around a yawn.

"No."

"Then what's the rush?" the old man questioned with a shrug of his shoulders. "You really need to learn to loosen up some, Sesshoumaru. One day you're going to snap and it's going to be ugly."

"Today sounds like a good day for that," Sesshoumaru threatened. "Why are they not repaired?"

"Repaired? You mean rebuilt!" Toutousai corrected. "I can't repair what you brought me."

"How much longer?"

"Your father was so much more patient. He understood fine craftsmanship and that it takes time to---"

"Toutousai."

"I'm not even convinced you'll be able to use this one, Sesshoumaru," Toutousai claimed, standing and stretching as he made his way over to restart the fires. "Tenseiga's desire to save came from your father's heart. I'm having to rebuild the sword with one of your fangs. You don't have the same charitable disposition."

"When will it be finished?" Sesshoumaru repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. His fingers flexed involuntarily, as though craving being allowed to wrap themselves around the ancient swordmaker's throat. Why his father placed so much faith in this incompetent creature was beyond Sesshoumaru's comprehension. Talented he may be, but Toutousai was often more aggravation than he was worth.

"I'll need another week or two, likely," Toutousai finally revealed. "More like a month, actually. Maybe longer. But if you ever actually want to make use of it, you're going to have to learn to rely on your own heart. Not your father's."

"That is my concern, not yours," Sesshoumaru growled, feeling his head pound with the old man's obvious attempt at a stall.

Toutousai shook his head grimly, as he absently stoked up one of the fires. "I feel sorry for the poor soul that has to count on your shriveled heart to save them."

"Pray that it is never you, old man."

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She had finally overcome her intimidation when she had reached the conclusion that Kanaye was indeed not using these lessons as an excuse to encourage her demise. That didn't mean she liked him any better, however. He had spent the entirety of the day barking orders at her, humiliating her when she got something wrong, and sending her to greet the ground whenever she made a mistake that would have been fatal in a real fight.

She was hurting from head to toe by the time night came around, but his sadistic training was doing something. Painful retaliation was a great motivator, she had come to realize, because her brain was trying to save her some injury by making her body react without thought. Without thought came reflex, which was precisely what he was, quite literally she supposed, trying to beat into her.

Find weakness, she mentally repeated her new mantra, watching for when he would drop his guard. He was eyeing her in that very cool and calculated way he fell into when he was fighting, as though waiting for his own opportunity to show her, again, how totally incompetent she was. He dropped his arm some then, and she took that invitation to attack, getting in a swing that actually felt as though it made contact with something. In her moment of triumph, however, she didn't pull back quickly enough and suddenly felt her feet swept out from underneath her.

This time when she hit the ground, Rin just lay there and stared up at the darkening, star-streaked sky, her lungs heaving for air. She really didn't want to get back up. In fact, she was entirely prepared to sleep there for the night. They could just step over her body on the way inside, because she was completely against moving another one of her muscles.

"Get up," came that demanding voice, but she chose to ignore it this time.

"I … think I may have gotten you that time," she exhaled in a breath, blinking as Kanaye moved to loom overhead, blocking out her peaceful, starlit view. He extended his middle finger in what she supposed was also meant to be an offensive gesture, pointing out the shallow cut that slid across the skin. It sealed itself back up right before her eyes.

"For all the damage you just did, you had better hope your opponent has only one finger."

"It's a little difficult with you constantly knocking me into the dirt," she said angrily.

"That is my only source of amusement," he replied calmly. "Get up."

Rin wiped some sweat-plastered hair out of her eyes, but made no move to do as he had instructed. "I'm---" she began but she never got to finish her sentence, because he suddenly looked away from her and disappeared so quickly that Rin wondered if he had just been an illusion to begin with. She was certainly weary enough to believe that.

"Rin-chan?" Kagome asked, walking over to kneel down next to her.

Rin exhaled another tired breath. "Is he gone?"

"Yes, he left."

"Good, then I can die in peace."

"Not too shabby, kid," Inuyasha added, crouching down on his feet beside Kagome. "He's a soulless goon, but a pretty good teacher." The hanyou's head came up then and he fanged a growl of annoyance. "And speaking of goons, yours is back."

Rin forced her protesting muscles up into a sitting position at that, preferring to retain some of her dignity. She rubbed at her elbows from where they were now lacking skin thanks to Kanaye's "corrections", certain that if he hadn't gotten bored, they would have been at it until morning. She looked up at Sesshoumaru's approach, not sure whether to be thankful that he had insisted on her learning something that would probably be very useful in the future, or angry at him for leaving her at the mercy of his demented uncle.

"Where is he?" Sesshoumaru questioned suspiciously, his head turning toward the direction in which Kanaye had gone.

"He fled," Inuyasha declared. "Probably picked up your intolerable smell and ran for it."

Sesshoumaru extended a hand and pulled Rin back to her feet, taking note of the fact that the grass in the front of his home was destroyed, completely turned up from all the activity. And Rin didn't look much better. "It doesn't look like he went easy on you."

"Does he ever?" she sighed, making an attempt at brushing the dirt from her arms. "I need a bath." She could not recall ever having felt so disgusting, but in a strange way, she felt good. Pleased with herself in a way. She had kept up with him for that entire day. Granted he had had to personally haul her back to her feet for the last hour or so, but the fact remained that she had learned something, she was better. Kanaye was right. Jerk though he may be, he knew what he was doing.

Kagome grabbed her arm. "Come on, we'll go get one," she suggested, and Rin did not protest at all as she was led back to the house.

"He kept his word," Sesshoumaru stated, as though to himself. "He didn't harm her."

"I think he finally figured out that you'll flay him to pieces if he pisses you off enough," Inuyasha commented.

Sesshoumaru turned to regard the hanyou. "And why is it that you are too hard-headed to learn that same lesson?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Someone's gotta keep your ego from spilling out of your ears."

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Strangely, he felt a mixture of dread and relief as he followed her scent down to the river. That was quite a change from the usual mixture of irritation and dispassion that one of Zadi's unexpected arrivals often engendered, but the reason for that change in himself was easily understandable.

She was his link to Sashe for the moment. She could be near when he could not, and it bothered him. The only feelings that came easily to Kanaye were usually sparked by anger or vengeance or ego, so it was odd that a wretched human woman had him waiting for her; watching, listening, looking for her arrival with a hopeful expectation he was unaccustomed to.

As he headed through the woods, surging toward her location, Kanaye felt that old restlessness come back to him. Why was it that he was sitting still, waiting for his brat nephew to call the shots? Why were they lingering when they could be going straight to Eizan, directly to the source of the problem? Cut the head off of the snake and there is no more snake.

It was becoming more and more difficult to repress the urge to just show up on Eizan's doorstep, have it out, and take the girl back. But his desires were overridden by his own calculation. Strategy was always something that had been thumped into his skull from the time he had been a boy ….

And strategy said now that the most prudent course of action was not to screw up the one chance he would have to snatch her out of that nest of vipers. As highly as Kanaye thought of himself, he was not certain that he could single-handedly take on Eizan's fortress. It would not be like Ashihei's. Eizan was smart enough to keep his best people around him, and though he felt sure he bested them all in skill, the sheer numbers would be a problem.

He was going to need help to get her out and it absolutely killed him.

Zadi turned at his approach, her long hair swept back and tied, attired once again in the strange clothing she had been wearing that first night when she had come to attack him. He was quick to notice that she had just put her back to the water that was rushing behind her and instantly categorized that as a mistake, a weakness. One should never do such a thing, turn their back to vulnerability. A shove was all it would take ….

Or perhaps it shows a trust that she really should not have placed. She is becoming much too comfortable with me ….

"I have something for you," she announced without greeting, pulling something from behind her back. She took note when his posture stiffened as though in preparation for some assault and irked him by laughing. "You're very high-strung, aren't you?"

His glare became molten. "I have dealt with you enough to know that one should never trust where you put your hands." He glanced down at her hand as she extended a folded piece of paper to him.

"Read it," she prompted.

Still suspicious, Kanaye accepted the offered letter and unfolded it, frowning in surprise at the odd lettering. He immediately recognized the perfect, precise writing, however, and it instigated an unnamed discomfort. She had written in her mother's language.

"She distrusts me so much that she refused to write it in Japanese," Zadi revealed with an amused smile, folding her hands together as she watched him.

"She is more like me than she cares to admit," he murmured distractedly, scanning the words. The thoughts expressed in the letter were scattered and disjointed, but contained repeated apologies and explanations. It was not like Sashe, this confusion that ran rampant across the page. She was normally quite calm and well-spoken ….

"Is she all right?" he asked carefully. "She seems …."

"I think she feels better now that she has explained herself to you. I think she's worried that you won't forgive her."

"There is nothing for me to forgive," he said in gruff dismissal, refolding the letter. "You can tell her that."

Zadi watched as he then promptly unfolded it again and read it once more. She had a sudden urge to console him, because for that instant, he looked as uncertain as the girl Eizan was holding prisoner. Or maybe she was feeling particularly sorry for him because he didn't appear to be nearly so threatening and hostile without the addition of armor and weapons. He seemed more like her somehow, and less like that detached, self-proclaimed god.

"Give me a reason why I should not go get her now," he said, sounding more like he was speaking to himself than to her.

"You know why. It's exactly what Eizan wants you to do," Zadi reminded him calmly. "He will be more than prepared for that. Sesshoumaru's doing the right thing. The longer you delay rescuing her, the more positive Eizan will be that you don't intend any such thing. He'll become lax eventually." She smiled at him again, trying to keep her voice light in an attempt to cheer him up. "Eizan's pretty positive that you are a heartless creature. I can tell you that he has already lessened the number of guards for her."

"I am a heartless creature," he muttered, eyes falling once more to the letter.

"I think you're also a liar, Kanaye."

His head came up at that, but he did not seem to be in much of a fighting mood, so the challenging expression faded as quickly as he summoned it. "You will likely be the first person to ever say that to me and walk away." He raised his eyebrows. "For one of my future victims, you've allowed yourself to become excessively familiar with me."

"Would you prefer Kanaye-sama then?" she questioned.

"Mock that title again and it will be the last word you speak."

She smiled widely at him. "Such idle threats. I don't think I have to worry about you at all."

"You're an overconfident little witch, aren't you?" he asked, debating whether or not to wipe that grin right off her face. Who the hell did she think she was …?

Zadi shrugged and then, as though reading his mind, said, "I think I'm the closest thing you have to a friend, at this point. Quite sad, but true."

He scoffed at that, looking at her as though she had just unleashed a salvo of gibberish. "Friend? You do think highly of yourself, don't you? That is laughably absurd … and completely unnecessary."

"Liar," she breezily claimed again.

----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------

After their bath, Rin and Kagome parted company … Rin to bed, where she promptly went into a comatose sleep that not even a body composed entirely of screaming muscles could prevent; and Kagome to find the person she wanted to speak with while she finished gathering her nerve.

He was difficult to miss, even with it being as dark outside as it was. The moon was being shielded by dozens of ancient trees, their swaying leaves hinting occasionally at the raw white light that hung low behind them. Sesshoumaru was standing and staring straight ahead, clearly in thought over something, or perhaps just pretending to be for the sake of ignoring the chattering Jaken, who was busily prattling out the events of the day.

"Sesshoumaru," she called lowly, hugging her arms around herself as an unseasonably chilly breeze blew through.

He didn't respond, just acknowledged the fact that she had spoken by tilting his head slightly in her direction. Jaken immediately stopped talking and turned to stare at her, as though not quite certain exactly what sort of business she could possibly have with his master.

"Is … Inuyasha around anywhere?" she whispered, sure that he would be able to hear her. She looked guiltily around, as though prepared for him to come popping out of nowhere.

"He is not within earshot, if that is what you are asking," Sesshoumaru said. He then glanced down at the toad. "Go away, Jaken."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, jerk that he was so capable of being, Sesshoumaru was at least intuitive enough to know when someone was trying to speak with him privately. Kagome folded her hands together nervously as Jaken pierced her with a jealous look before trotting off into the house.

This is so uncomfortable, she thought as she moved to stand awkwardly next to him, trying to discern exactly what it was that he was watching so intently.

"Sesshoumaru …"

"Yes?" came the drawled out reply, as though he was already tired of the conversation.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

He glanced at her, the barest hint of a smirk crossing his features. "You're going to have to be more specific than that. As good as I am, I'm not a mind reader."

"About the baby, I mean."

He lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Or were you actually just trying to get rid of me that night?" Kagome expelled the words in a rush. "Because if that's the case, it was a horrible thing for you to do, since I've felt awful about not telling---"

"I," Sesshoumaru interrupted meaningfully, "was indeed trying to get rid of you."

"Then you were lying!"

"I was entirely truthful," he answered, noting the utter silence that greeted his statement. "Are you actually speechless? A rare occurrence, indeed. I intend to enjoy every second of it."

Kagome finally nodded, trying to ignore how rude he was being. "That's all I needed to know. I'm going to talk to Inuyasha about it tonight."

"You will probably have to give him a full explanation as to how it happened," Sesshoumaru said derisively.

"He's probably going to try to send me home …."

"Good."

Kagome exhaled a shaky breath. It was bothering her that something she would normally be thrilled about was causing her so much worry. Inuyasha would not allow for her to continue with them, not unless she repeatedly osuwari'd him into senselessness, but he was committed to this conflict with Eizan now. He would continue on without her. He would be forced to rely on two people who intensely disliked him; two people who didn't want him with them.

"Can I ask you something else?" she asked slowly, hoping for some type of reassurance, but not happy at all about the person she was trying to get it from.

"What?"

"Do you honestly hate Inuyasha still?" Kagome asked carefully. "You used to want him dead. You say you still do, but …."

"Yes."

Kagome frowned in genuine bewilderment, her mind running through everything that completely contradicted the answer he had just given. "But … you showed up to save him that night at the village, and the other night at the fortress you helped him again."

"You could look at it that way," Sesshoumaru said in a bored, non-committal tone.

"So … it's just that you want him dead, but no one is allowed to kill him," Kagome thought aloud in an attempt to understand the enigmatic youkai.

"Something like that," Sesshoumaru admitted. "Only I am allowed to kill him."

Kagome blinked at the strangeness of that statement. "Will you?"

"No," he said after a moment's hesitation.

"That makes absolutely no sense."

"Did I make the claim that it did?" he asked, turning to eye her. "Do not try to understand the mind of a youkai, girl. One day Inuyasha will die, and I will be the cause, but until I decide when that will be, he is free to run around in all of his meager glory."

Kagome sighed and shook her head at him in consternation. "I'm trying to like you. I honestly am. I think it would be better for all of us, but you don't make it easy. You go out of your way to be as infuriating and horrible as you can be. How does Rin live with you?"

"Good question," he acknowledged, "and one that only she can answer." He fell silent again, hoping that she would take the hint and wander off to find someone else to pester, but when she did not speak again, nor move to free him of her company, he glanced at her once more. "What is this about, miko? Are you wanting assurance that he will return to you? I am not his keeper, nor will I take on that role. If you want him around to raise that unfortunate little mixed-breed, I suggest you convince him to leave with you." He turned to face her and added seriously, "As is typical, Inuyasha has gotten in over his head. If you can beat that into his thick skull, we will all be better off."

------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------

Sesshoumaru remained alone outside into the early morning hours. He listened without shame as the conversation between Inuyasha and Kagome started off quiet and subdued, then rose in tone until a deaf man could have heard what they were arguing about. She finished him off with a few sit commands, but when it started to become cute, Sesshoumaru couldn't tune it out quickly enough. With luck they would both be gone by sunrise.

He watched as Kanaye came back from the woods, caught the smoldering glance that was aimed his way. He was clearly unhappy, and Sesshoumaru assumed it had something to do with Zadi, as he had picked up her scent on his return trip to the house earlier that evening. He would not be surprised if the hot-headed Kanaye was gone by sunrise as well, off to commit suicide in an attempt to get Sashe back from a fortress that was waiting for him to do just that.

"Kanaye," he called.

"What?"

"Are you about to do something stupid?"

"By whose standards?" the elder demon challenged before disappearing around the house.

Am I the only one with any sense? Sesshoumaru wondered as he let him go without further comment. Suddenly restless, he rose and made his way back to his room and the comforting scent that was a scrubbed-clean, sleeping Rin. He supposed the house could explode around them and the girl would not wake up. From what he had heard, Kanaye had drilled her mercilessly, but it would be for her own good. The next time something or someone snuck up on her as that youkai had done, she would be more prepared. Panic bred mistakes, and she was allowed far fewer of them these days ….

He sat down beside her, arms folded, not tired, not really certain what to do with himself. It's time to move on. We've rested here long enough. He needed to find the mountain Eizan was interested in, and his "followers" could do as they pleased. Perhaps now would be a good time to separate. If Inuyasha and Kagome left, then he could send the hanyou girl with them and his life would return to something he was more familiar with: just himself, Rin, and the obnoxious toad. Especially if Kanaye decided to regress into a half-wit and go after Sashe.

Rin rolled over in her sleep and draped an arm across his leg, a movement which seemed to wake her up. Her head came up groggily, and Sesshoumaru realized that she was still not at all accustomed to rolling over and finding herself in contact with another person.

"He's a bastard, isn't he?" Sesshoumaru questioned wryly.

"He? Oh … he taught me a lot … I'll show you …," she mumbled, head dropping back down, asleep before she finished the sentence.

He supposed he would find out in the morning how well she had done. He knew first-hand that Kanaye was good at this sort of thing. That dog was an unforgiving tyrant, which made him good at forcing needed skills into someone who had very little time to learn them. There was also something slightly more underhanded in Sesshoumaru's motives for pairing them up. Kanaye thrived on violence, which meant the best way to bond with him in some way was through conflict. He had no illusions that Kanaye would ever come to like Rin, but forcing their interaction would hopefully bring them to a point where Sesshoumaru no longer worried about turning his back to them.

An absolute, encompassing silence descended over the house, one that was finally broken by a set of small, hesitant feet that made their way steadily toward his room. Displeased, Sesshoumaru turned his head as his door was slowly slid open to admit a fearful-looking Ashitera, who wasted no time in clambering over to join Rin on the bed.

She stopped short when she noticed he was there, froze instantly as though caught, and then promptly presented him with the most pitiful look he had ever seen. He exhaled a frustrated breath and got back to his feet.

Tonight will be a good night for wandering ….