InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Young at Heart ❯ Plots of Lesser Men ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

By: Cierah

Chapter Five: Plots of Lesser Men

Inutashomaru walked well into the night, carrying his small son in his arms. Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep earlier, when the sun had first disappeared over the horizon. Currently, his son was curled up, clutching his fur close to him, snuggled up against his father's chest. The Daiyoukai knew he would have to soon leave his son to find food for them, but his first task was to find a place to camp for the night.

The woods were thick around them, and the path he walked on was over grown from lack of use. Night creatures scurried about, hunting for their own meals, and Inutashomaru shook his head. To him it appeared there would be no rest this night, having been walking for hours carrying his boy, looking for a place that would comfortably fit the two of them.

Taking a deep breath, he continued on through the darkness, still looking for somewhere he could rest, even for a moment. He wasn't tired, nor was he weary, but he wanted to eat, and he couldn't hunt with his son clutched in his arms. Growling low in his throat, he looked up at the blackened sky littered with stars. The moons light couldn't penetrate the thick brush, and left him feeling as though he were missing an important part of his evening.

Looking back down into his arms, he smiled slowly, seeing Sesshoumaru's golden gaze meet his. “You slept awhile.” Inutashomaru murmured.

Sesshoumaru responded with a wide yawn that broke across his face. Inutashomaru felt his brows crease, seeing tiny fangs coming in. He stopped walking and knelt down, seating Sesshoumaru into his lap, smiling. “Open up for me.” Inutashomaru nudged his son's chin with his finger.

Sesshoumaru was confused, but did as his father asked and opened his mouth. He felt his father's fingers prodding at his teeth, but more especially the ones that had been aching for a few days now. They throbbed dully, but it was still there. He winced when his father pushed on one, and he pulled back hissing. “Ow.” He whined.

Inutashomaru smiled. “Your fangs are coming in.”

Sesshoumaru blinked in response. “Like yours?”

“Not yet, in a few years. They are still baby teeth. But they are coming in.”

“Oh.” Sesshoumaru frowned disappointed. He had seen his father bare his teeth before, and saw the astounding fangs. Sighing, he felt himself placed on his feet and he looked up.

Inutashomaru looked up at the trees, then down at his son. “Are you hungry?”

Shaking is head, Sesshoumaru pouted. “Tired.”

Inutashomaru nodded. “Follow me.”

“Father?” Sesshoumaru didn't follow him, but stood rooted in place. He looked around him in the darkness, nervously.

Inutashomaru stopped, and glanced back. “What is it?”

His eyes still trying to penetrate the darkness, he whispered. “Where are we?”

“Come. It is no matter where we are.” He was beginning to get irritable. Inutashomaru wanted to eat. Turning around he began walking again, walking slowly until he heard frantic padding of feet on the ground. They came across a large oak tree sitting on the edge of the path, and Inutashomaru stopped. Bending down, he picked up his son, placing him on one of the trees roots, so that they stood eye to eye.

“Remain here, I will return shortly.” Inutashomaru peered into his son's eyes making it known that he meant what he said.

Sesshoumaru nodded. “Yes, father.”

Inutashomaru narrowed his eyes. “I mean it.”

Sesshoumaru nodded again.

Nodding in satisfaction, he about faced and raced into the thick brush.

Sesshoumaru stood rooted where his father had placed him. He lifted his hands and pulled his fur pelt from over his right shoulder and placed it close to his heart. He backed up slowly, and leaned against the large trunk of the oak and slid down into a sitting position. Yawning again, he curled up against the tree and waited. It was so dark his eyes couldn't penetrate it. Shivering, he realized it was almost like someone had taken a black cloth and tied it around his eyes.

Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he curled up even more. He didn't like this forest. The trees were large, and old overgrown leaves hid the light from everything within the woods. Sesshoumaru didn't want to see anymore of these woods. Opening his eyes into narrow slits, however, against his better judgment, he looked at the blackness of the forest.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced around him curiously. Barely lifting his head up off his fur, he caught whispered words. Freezing instantly, he scooted further back trying to mold himself into the trunk of the tree, hoping it would swallow him up. Blinking rapidly, trying desperately to convince his eyes to focus through the thick blackness, he shivered as the words got closer.

They sounded familiar, the whispered words that reached his keen hearing. Sniffing, he wrinkled his nose. It was those smelly men again. He whimpered, despite trying not to, he clamped his hands over his mouth.

The black around him, the eerie feeling, being alone, with smells and sounds bombarding his senses didn't help him to remain calm and brave. Shivering against the cold that seeped through him, he tried harder to get closer to the trunk, pulling his fur to cover his face. Whimpering into it, he tried to muffle the sounds. The voices stopped.

Holding his breath, he pulled his pelt from around his eyes and tried urgently to see if he was safe. He still smelled them. They were there, he could feel it. Swallowing, he remained still. “Father.” He hissed into the night, hoping that the hushed word would reach his father's incredible hearing.

Sesshoumaru didn't know how good the men's hearing was, so trying to be as quiet as possible; he shifted further back into the tree trunk. He couldn't get any closer. All he wanted to do was to crawl inside it and hide.

A hand sounded near him, and he bit his lip to keep the startled cry from escaping. Shuddering, he clamped his eyes shut. `Father!' He shouted in his mind. Something touched his fur and he yelped, jumping up to his feet. “Ah!”

Something grabbed him from behind, and something yanked him downward. “Ah! Father!” He cried out. A hand clamped over his mouth, and he flinched at the roughness of it. It stunk, and he couldn't get away. He was firmly pulled down off his tree, and he felt something grab his hair pulling it forward. Snarling out of panic, he struggled with everything he had. Kicking, trying to loosen the hold on his mouth so he could call out for his father.

Sesshoumaru felt tears fill his eyes, his father would come. He knew he would. `Father can sense everything.'

“Shut the kid up!” Someone whispered urgently. “The sounds will alert his parents.”

Sesshoumaru froze. Something cold slipped against his neck, and he felt his eyes widen in surprise. Something warm trickled down his neck and he felt it drip onto his Hakama. Struggling again, something stung his neck and the hand shifted slightly off his mouth. Immediately, he bit down as hard as he could.

The hand was yanked away and the voice cursed.

“Father!” Sesshoumaru cried, scrambling backwards. “Father!” He tripped over his feet and fell hard onto the ground.

“We need to get out of here, now!” One voice hissed. Retreating feet was all Sesshoumaru heard.

In a panic, he wailed into the sky. “Father!”

He heard running, and he knew instantly it was his father. Inutashomaru darted out of the trees. Having heard is son's first cries of panic and distress, he had about faced, and leaving his catches for dinner, and ran as fast as he could.

Inutashomaru held his sword, having been the first thing he had done after hearing his son's wail into the sky. Sniffing the air, he cursed his ill luck. Those humans had followed them. `But why didn't I smell them?' He angrily cursed himself. Sheathing his sword, and reaching down to grab his son, Sesshoumaru struggled. “Ah!”

“Easy. It's me.” Inutashomaru whispered. His boy whimpered, and then jumped into his arms. There were no tears this time, only whimpers and shivering. Rubbing his son's back, he snarled low in his throat. Looking into the trees, where he had heard the human's retreating forms, he lowered his chin to rest on top of Sesshoumaru's head. “Can you be brave for me?”

The shivering form froze, and then the small head nodded. The small sound that came out of his son wasn't a yes, but more like air blown out of his nose, with a small vocal sound softly escaping.

Kneeling down, Inutashomaru sniffed his son. The scent was of blood. His son's blood. Growling enraged, he pulled Sesshoumaru forward. Sniffing, he found the blood on his neck. His growling grew louder, and Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. “Wait here, can you do that?”

Inutashomaru heard the gulp, but his son nodded.

“See those bushes, there?” Inutashomaru pointed beside the tree. The small boy nodded. “Hide there, no one will find you. It is concealed.” Sesshoumaru moved quickly, ducking into the bushes.

Without another thought, Inutashomaru began his hunt of these men who dared cut his pup. Enraged, he raced through the trees and bushes in a frenzy. Hearing the men racing a head of him, he jumped into the trees and practically skipped from branch to branch getting a head of them to stop their retreat.

Seeing them below him, he jumped out of the trees, twisting in mid air, drawing his sword in mid flight. Landing with a thump, he growled. “Bastards!” He dropped his sword, and it flew into flames, licking the earth angrily. The men froze, both jumping out of the way of the fire that raced towards them.

They got up, drawing their swords facing the furious youkai. “Who are you?” One man shouted.

Unable to speak through his fury, he snarled loudly, jumping forward instantly. Slicing the first one down was quick and the man had no time to even raise his sword in defense. Spinning around, his long silver hair flying around him making him look even more menacing made the other man jump back, fearfully.

Golden eyes deepened to amber through rage, faced glazed brown ones. Snarling, Inutashomaru faced the man. Jumping forward, he hefted his sword and the metal clanged off one another. Looking at the sword at close range, he saw red blood, sniffing the air furiously; he detected that blood to be his son's. Shoving his full weight into the man, he knocked him off his feet.

“You planned on killing a youkai this night?” Inutashomaru snarled. “This is your chance human! Get on your feet.”

The man scrambled to his feet.

The youkai looked at the man hard, and noticed it was not the same one he had seen in the camp with the girl. Slashing his sword again, the swords met in a loud clang, the man's sword reverberating with a ting at the impact.

Barring his teeth, Inutashomaru growled.

The man was shoved back again and lost his sword as his body connected with the earth. Getting up in a panic, he turned around and raced off down the path.

Smirking, and snorting through his nose, he hefted his sword. Racing after the man, he leapt into the air and landed in front of the terrified human. “This is what my son felt when you raised your sword to his neck!” Inutashomaru growled, without another thought, he swung his sword and took the man out.

Stepping back, he gritted his teeth together. Looking down at himself, he noticed he was covered in this human's stench. “Keh!” Lifting his head, he strolled down the path calm now that they were dead. “Stupid humans.” He snarled to himself, as he walked past the first one he had killed. Lifting his head to the moon, which could barely be seen through this part of the forest, he sighed. “I will be glad when this cycle of day is over.”

Lowering his head again, he slipped into the darker woods silently.