InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yume ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I think I may have owned Sesshoumaru for about...oh, I don't know...three seconds. It was after I showed him the draft for the first battle scene (you know, Ch.7). His eyes lit up and he looked like a kid at Christmas. Then I showed him the final proof for the lemony dream sequence. *shudders* I don't think he appreciated it very much, but I don't understand why...

Previously:

"I will give you a moment to gather your things and say your farewells," and with that unexpected courtesy, he turned abruptly on his heel and stalked to the edge of what remained of the forest, putting his back to the brother he had just saved for the sake of a weeping human female.

The troublesome thing was, his mind kept inventing subjective reasons for seeking her out. His pursuit wasn't so much about her power and usefulness as a tool anymore, but was evolving into an obsession with her beauty and grace, passion, intoxicating scent and courageous nature.

Even as he ruthlessly squashed those vexatious, unsettling thoughts, he couldn't suppress the relief that welled up in his chest at the sound of her soft footfalls approaching, then stopping beside his tense form.

Without a word, he started off into the woods, suddenly relaxing and breathing easier than he had in a month when she followed where he led without protest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Chapter 9

Why do I not have Tetsusaiga in my grasp at this very moment? Sesshoumaru wondered to himself. I had the perfect opportunity to take it from the hanyou at the same time I took his wench.

It was most unlike him-unprecedented, even-to willingly leave a prize behind. Inuyasha obviously had been rendered unable to fully control the fang, if the battle just past was any indication. But some distant corner of his mind supplied the reminder that without the fang's sealing power, Inuyasha's demon blood would overtake his feeble mind and he would go insane. Sesshoumaru did not relish the thought of having to destroy a rabid mongrel, brother or not-it was too much effort. So, he rationalized, he would let the halfling keep the sword...for now.

And in the meantime, I have the miko, he reminded himself, a feeling of satisfactions sweeping through him.

Kagome, his mind supplied her name, whispering it through the long, lonely passages of his soul.

The demon lord shook himself out of his thoughts, anger beginning to rise anew at his preoccupation with the human wench. Inuyasha's human wench. He fought back the urge to growl.

She is mine now! The bargain has been struck and cannot be undone.

Sesshoumaru had led Kagome but a few hundred yards into the tree line when he stopped suddenly, scenting the air. Without a word to the startled miko, he flashed off to the side, leaping over a tangled stand of prickly bracken to delve a hand inside. He was completely mindless of the bloody scrapes and cuts the long, vicious thorns left behind on his pale skin. They would heal soon enough.

Pulling a kicking and struggling bundle of quivering rags behind him, the demon prince stalked back to Kagome's side and roughly deposited it on the ground, practically at her feet. Sesshoumaru noted with amusement she jumped at the `gift'.

"What is your business here?" Sesshoumaru demanded imperiously, glaring coldly down at the shaking form crumpled in terror before his imposing presence.

Dry leaves rustled from the frantic movements of the terrified...being was the best Kagome could come up with while it had it's face pressed to the forest floor. Her tender heart took pity on it, even as her mind screamed at her that this was most likely an associate of Naraku's, therefore an enemy and a danger. But Kagome was never able to ignore the promptings of her gentle nature, so spoke, not unkindly, overriding the ruthless demon lord's intimidating address.

"What is your name?" she inquired in as friendly a tone as she could manage.

When the youkai lifted his head and the miko caught sight of it's face, she gasped despite herself, recoiling in remembered horror. It was one of those frog youkai who ate human souls! She shuddered and took an involuntary step closer to Sesshoumaru's side, unconsciously seeking out the promise of his strength and protection.

Sesshoumaru was inordinately pleased at the human's display of trust in him-well, his claws and fangs, anyway-even as he was disgusted by the sudden disappearance of the backbone she displayed during battle.

"Answer!" he barked out to the still-silent youkai. He was secretly pleased at the sudden appearance of an outlet for his not-quite-released frustration, uncharitably hoping the scum would resist his demands so he could...persuade him to tell all of his secrets.

The demon lord had no illusions that what crouched before them was an innocent youkai wandered onto the battle scene by accident. The stench of recent contact with Kagura and Kohaku clung to him like a dirty cloud. He resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose at the odor, instead settling on cracking his knuckles theatrically, noting with amusement that the frog youkai wasn't the only one to jump at the sound in apprehension.

So, she remembers the effects of my poison claw, does she? He smirked inwardly at the thought, but then sobered. Suddenly, the idea of the feisty little female cringing in fear of him wasn't as amusing as it had been before.

Then again, maybe it never really had been such a fun thought-he didn't know, as Kagome had never really shrunk from him before. He remembered the time she stood, straight and proud, pointing the rusty blade of a recently-freed Tetsusaiga at his chest as she ranted on about his attempt to melt her bones into slag.

A warmth crept into the area around his heart at the recollection, and the demon lord growled. Now was not the time for useless ruminations! He turned his attention back to the hunched form groveling on the ground at his feet.

The thing still had not answered either of the questions put to it, so Sesshoumaru leveled his coldest, most menacing stare upon the top of its green, moist head.

As if feeling the weight of that glare, the youkai finally managed to croak out, "Rou...Routarou, waka-gimi."

Sesshoumaru continued to stare down at the unfortunate frog, who began to sweat even more profusely than before. Finally, after a seemingly interminable stretch of silence, the demon lord spoke.

"You know who I am," it was not a question, but the frog nodded anyway. "Since that is so, and I smell Naraku on you, then you were part of the army that attacked us."

Kagome noted with surprise that Sesshoumaru included himself among the group of shard detectors with that statement, but before she could do more than fleetingly wonder at the sense of happiness that the taiyoukai would so admit to an alliance-of any sort-between himself and Inuyasha, he was continuing.

"Therefore, you are an enemy," he paused threateningly, and the air seemed suddenly dark and oppressive with the force of his rising youki.

The young miko shivered at the sensation his dark energy caused to course along her nerve endings, and fought the instinctive urge to release a burst of her purifying power. It would not do, though, to purify Inuyasha's brother out of existence...not right now, anyway.

Not ever! A small voice asserted from deep in her mind. Kagome brushed it into a corner to deal with later and concentrated on the scene before her instead.

If this was one of Naraku's henchmen as Sesshoumaru asserted, then she would need to know everything possible about him. Besides the usual need to find out where the villain was hiding and how far he was to completing the Shikon no Tama, this Routaro might have information on what was happening to Tetsusaiga. Perhaps Naraku had a hand in that, as well?

"N-No!" Routarou denied association with the evil hanyou, "I'm not an enemy! I-" the rest of his prevarication was cut off by a clawed hand at his throat, lifting his kicking, struggling form several feet off the ground.

Kagome gasped at the light of violence that had kindled in Sesshoumaru's eyes.

"You dare tell lies to this Sesshoumaru?" the irate demon lord ground out, a flash of scarlet entering his eyes briefly, "You presume to claim you are not here on that bastard Naraku's orders?"

He shook the frog youkai to emphasize his anger, and to prompt some sort of response. None was forthcoming, though, and Sesshoumaru felt the poison seep into his clawed hands at the temerity of the low-born trash to deny him what he demanded.

Before he realized what was happening, Kagome had placed her fragile hand on his forearm, which was pulled back, poised to strike with the corrosive agent already seeping from his fingers in a green cloud. He snapped his head around to pin her with a cold glare, opalescent hair whipping about his shoulders at the movement. Surprisingly though, he saw no signs of fear from her, only a worried crease between her dark, slender brows.

Shaking her head slightly, she reminded him, "Sesshoumaru, he can't answer with your hand around his throat." Did he detect a hint of amusement at her tone?

Looking down at the frog, now an unpleasant shade of puce from lack of oxygen, the youkai lord's pale brows rose slightly in mild surprise at the truth of her statement. Slowly easing the pressure of his locked fingers, he let the little toad drop from his dangled station.

Landing in a heap, Routarou gasped in great gulps of air, thanking the gods for the beautiful human who had just (insanely) stepped in front of one of the most dangerous beings alive to rescue him. He ignored the fact that she did not insist the Lord of the Western Lands spare his life-only that he be released so he could answer their questions.

Surely what paltry answers he could give would earn him a slow and hideously painful death at the hands of the cold, predatory youkai towering over his quaking, shivering body! Routarou could see it in his golden eyes: death waited there. Unless...

Unless, he thought to himself, mind working frantically to find a way out of this mess, Unless I can tell them something that would earn mercy...

The frog youkai would spill his guts-figuratively speaking, of course-if it would gain him release from the promise of ruthless violence blazing out at him from Sesshoumaru's topaz eyes.

And if I don't, then he'll most likely spill my guts anyway-literally, Routarou thought with a deep shudder.

"My Lord," he began, once again pressing his face into the forest floor, unheedful of the dirt and leaves that clung to the wet and perspiring skin of his forehead.

"I have information you may find useful," the frog waited with hopeful, bated breath for the youkai prince to give him leave to speak again...or to slash him to ribbons with his deadly claws. He released a sigh of relief when Sesshoumaru growled a single word.

"Proceed."

Taking a deep breath (thankful he could still breath at all-through his mouth and not his throat), Routarou began to speak of all the happenings at Naraku's fortress he could dredge from the depths of his memory; it's location (though he could not pinpoint it exactly due to a spell), the barrier, force size, weapons, how there had been no recent movement in months...until the order for this attack.

Sesshoumaru listened to the frog rattle on aimlessly with barely suppressed annoyance, only holding back his desire to crush the life out of the irritating insect by focusing on the bits and pieces of actual useful information slowly trickling through the wandering speech. When the slimy youkai mentioned a Shikon shard, though, Kagome jumped on the new topic.

Sesshoumaru had no use for the jewel, but he was well aware of his half brother's obsession-and the human miko's strange ability to see the shards. He didn't know what her exact relationship to the Shikon no Tama was, but his recent dreaming made it obvious she was intimately related to it in some mysterious way. Of course she would be interested in any mention of it, especially given Naraku's penchant for chasing her down to gain more of the aggravating things.

"You mentioned Naraku is searching for a jewel shard...?" she broke in, prompting the still-rambling frog onto a more productive path.

At the mention of the Shikon, Routarou froze as if suddenly realizing what he had let slip past his quivering lips. His round eyes shifted uneasily from side to side, as if searching for an avenue of escape. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed to golden slits at the telling reaction of the groveling scum.

Why does this subject make him want to flee? I can smell his utter terror, he speculated.

The demon lord had no interest in hearing about Naraku's search for the Shikon, but Kagome was suddenly animated, even going so far as to crouch down before the little blob to repeat her question.

Has the woman no sense? Sesshoumaru wondered, not for the first time.

Ignoring the cold sweep of fear that she would disregard her own safety so easily, he reached down and hauled her up by her arm, creating a safe amount of distance between herself and the youkai who, despite his seemingly harmless appearance, was still an enemy.

Unfortunately, his hard yank caused Kagome to stumble and fall into the youkai lord's chest. At the contact with his hard armor, she gasped in pain, positive she would be sporting a bruise on her cheek tomorrow from the harsh knock against a (thankfully rounded) spike.

Sesshoumaru went rigid the instant he felt Kagome's lithe body against his, but he couldn't make himself release her. Her warm, comforting scent wrapped around his senses, and it was all the taiyoukai could do not to give in to the urges of his suddenly clamoring male instincts.

A host of memories and sensations, experienced in a dream night after night, swirled and eddied through his mind, heating his blood to dangerous temperatures. With a last, supreme effort of will and a low growl of frustration, Sesshoumaru managed to shove the human woman away from him, ignoring how delicious the reality of her had felt against him.

"Do not be so foolish as to step close to him again," he snarled, the individual words barely audible amid the animal growl clawing up from his chest, "He is still the enemy. Do not forget it, for I will not be pleased if I have to come to your assistance...again."

With that, he stalked a few paces away from her and turned his back on the temptation she presented with her raven hair fluttering around her flushed cheeks, eyes sparkling with suppressed desire...

Has she been dreaming, as well? He wondered, not certain if he enjoyed the possibility that they may have shared such heated dreams. He had acted most unlike himself in them, after all.

Sesshoumaru dismissed these thoughts in favor of concentrating on the conversation she was carrying on with the amphibious runt.

"Routarou," she began in a tone of gentle coaxing, trying to put the terrified youkai as much at ease as possible, "you said Naraku is still searching for shards. Does that mean the Shikon no Tama is still not complete?"

At the frog youkai's nod of agreement, Kagome pursed her lips in thought for a moment, analyzing the possible meanings, thankful that this new information seemed to point to the probability that Naraku had nothing to do with the problems they were experiencing with Tetsusaiga. She was also ecstatic that the race to complete the Shikon no Tama was not over...yet.

"Ano..." Routarou cleared his throat. Seeing as how the human was interested in information about the jewel, he had one last piece to offer. It just may be the one to save his life...or prevent a maiming.

"If you want to know about shards, I do have some information given to me by my partner. My former partner, that is," he corrected himself sullenly.

Just the memory of Shino's gory carcass made Routarou rethink his plan to tell these two all, suddenly fearful that Naraku could hear every words he said, would know of his betrayal and hunt him down... But one more glance at the stiffly elegant figure of the Demon Lord of the Western Lands settled his mind.

This was the most immediate danger to his own hide, and he had no doubt the pristine prince would slice him in half if he so much as breathed wrong. Decided now, Routarou continued.

"Shino was sent out by Naraku to gather information on any possible location of the last Shikon shard. I believe it is the last one Naraku needs to complete the jewel. Shino traveled for a long time, following rumors, and finally returned to the castle three days ago," the frog paused in his recitation, uncertain how his vague offering would be received, but decided he had nothing to lose.

Taking a deep breath, he blurted out in a rush, "Shino heard only one rumor that he could not disprove. A strange wise man-a youkai-who lives in an enchanted lake said he knew the location of the last piece, but that he knew of only one who could actually reach it. The wise man said, `The final Shikon shard lies between this world and the next world. Only the one who has crossed the border before can reach it'. "

Silence reigned in the forest while Routarou's words sank in to Kagome's brain. A terrifying and exciting idea began to form in her mind, but she was interrupted by Sesshoumaru's cutting voice.

"If Naraku knows the location of the final shard, then why did he attack the miko?"

Routarou jumped at the demon prince's sudden resurgence into the conversation-which was no doubt soon to revert to an interrogation if he didn't answer quickly.

"Naraku believes Inuyasha has it," he stammered out, then offered another tidbit, flicking his eyes apprehensively to Kagome, "and Kagura-dono and Kohaku-dono were under orders to bring miko-sama back to him-alive."

Sesshoumaru's gaze slid over to Kagome, who suddenly paled at the reminder of how Naraku's kugutsu had almost captured her. He felt the rage rise again within him that the bastard would dare to lay claim to anything that was his.

Restraining himself with great effort, he instead concentrating on squeezing as much intelligence from the toad as possible. Then he would slice him into mulch. The taiyoukai's eyes narrowed and he moved closer to Kagome in an unconscious movement of protection.

"For what purpose does Naraku desire the miko?" he demanded silkily.

"I d-don't know, waka-gimi," Routarou stuttered, shaking and sweating anew under the burning force of the demon lord's glare, "He didn't say why, only that he had plans for her."

Sesshoumaru was incensed at this lack of knowledge, and Routarou could see his own death in the youkai prince's glowing eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and waited to feel the burning slash of claws across his nape, severing his green head from his lumpy body, eyes round and bulging sightlessly while his body twitched in its death throes...

But none of that happened. As he became aware of his surroundings once again, Routarou heard the human woman-the miko-arguing with the taiyoukai. He sucked in a breath at her incredible courage-or her increadible madness. Surely the Western Lord would silence her impertinence by ripping out her tongue?!?

But none of the bloody violence he was certain would be forthcoming happened. Before his amazed eyes, Routarou saw the tiny woman square off before the towering demon, standing toe-to-toe with him as she argued some point with increasing volume. The top of her head barely reached the tall man's shoulder.

"We have to get to that shard before Naraku does!" she was crying impassionedly. "You know what will happen if he completes the Shikon no Tama before we can stop him. Besides," she continued in what she hoped was a persuasive manner, "I think I know where it is."

"I care not for the jewel," he returned dispassionately. "Once you fulfill your bargain with me, you are free to go your own way and waste your time and energy for the sake of a worthless piece of stone."

He wanted to say `for my worthless brother', but bit back the scathing-and revealing-words.

"If you want to defeat Naraku, then it's in your best interests, as well, to stop him from completing the Shikon!" Kagome cried.

She didn't understand why the taiyoukai couldn't see what a danger Naraku with the full power of the Shikon would be. He would become undefeatable!

"As it is, you barely escaped him last time, when he tried to absorb your body. And you wouldn't have if it wasn't for Inuyasha!" she twisted that particular knife a little, hoping to elicit a reaction from the stoic man facing her.

She didn't expect the form that reaction would take, though.

`Be careful what you wish for', isn't that what Mama always warned me of? She thought wildly, positive her mother did not have irate youkai princes in mind while tendering that bit of homespun wisdom.

An irate youkai prince who was suddenly looming over her, hot breath fanning her cheeks.

He had backed the reckless miko up against a nearby tree, and his face was so close to hers she could clearly see every detail of his features.

His eyes aren't completely gold, she realized, suddenly and completely distracted by the sight of six feet of provoked, beautiful youkai looming before her. They have darker rings of bronze around them...and flecks of silver...And his markings...

Kagome was powerless to resist the urge to reach up and trace the smooth curve of ultramarine decorating the pale skin under his white hair, then the vermilion stripes that swept gracefully along each lean cheekbone in pairs. She knew the stripes were some sort of natural markings for Inuyasha developed a rough version of them during his transformations to full youkai. The crescent was a different matter, though, and Kagome wondered if it had been forced upon him by some means of magic or tattooing, like the demon variation of a caste mark.

Sesshoumaru was enraged that she would doubt his prowess in battle-and entranced by Kagome's nearness. He was completely undone, caught in a trap of his own making. He had forced his body into dangerous, achingly close proximity to hers by leaning in entirely too close. He breathed in her delicate scent.

Just as he had been able to gain the tiniest shred of self-control to pull away, she had reached out a hand to brush delicate fingertips against his skin. She followed the path of his birth-mark, engraved upon his skin during an ancient ceremony when he had reached his manhood. The special, enchanted pigments had been mixed with his father's blood as a proclamation to all who saw him of his status as eldest son and heir to the Great Demon Inutaisho.

While the proud taiyoukai inside him roared in fury that the wench would dare touch the proof of his lineage, Sesshoumaru couldn't resist the urge to close his eyes and savor the sweet feel of her skin on his.

He knew that her caress was motivated less by desire and more by curiosity, but he still allowed himself to revel in the rare moment of tactile contact. Not even Rin dared to touch him in such a manner.

Of course, he reminded himself wryly, she is not tall enough to reach my face. Yet.

The reminder that Rin was a growing child-a growing human child with a short life span-drew an unfortunate parallel to the woman-again human-tracing gentle patterns across his sensitized skin.

Human. She is human. The thought did not act like the bucket of ice water he had hoped it would, but it did give him just enough strength to pull back from her touch slightly.

When her hand followed, as if loath to leave off exploring his fine brows and smooth skin, Sesshoumaru could not resist giving in to one more demand of his subconscious desires. Turning his face into Kagome's small palm, he pressed his lips to the soft skin there, more a brush across the center of her hand as he pulled away than a firm and deliberate kiss.

The miko felt his intention, however, and her wide, startled eyes locked onto his molten gold ones, the deep, liquid pools threatening to reach up and drown him if he did not distance himself-quickly.

The youkai lord took one more step back, his armor no longer brushing against Kagome's chest, leaving her free to move away. She did not, but remained rooted to the spot, a warm blush staining the alabaster skin of her cheeks.

At the sound of a rustle of leaves, Sesshoumaru snapped his head to the side, noting with a sinking feeling that the groveling frog Routarou had been silent witness to his deplorable and highly embarrassing lack of restraint around Kagome. He considered simply lashing out with his youki whip, thus ending the threat to his reputation.

`Dead men tell no tales', he thought maliciously, isn't that what humans are fond of saying?

But one sideways glance at Kagome, still gazing up at him with a slightly glazed expression, and Sesshoumaru knew he could not kill the wart in front of her. Some unknown emotion shimmering in her eyes stayed his hand, and it reminded him uncomfortably of the way Rin looked up at him after he had done some unknown thing which the child viewed as a great service for some reason. Like he was a hero instead of the self-serving man he knew himself to be.

As a result of his damnable and completely unexplainable debilitation in the face of the miko's silent plea, Sesshoumaru waved a hand at the trembling frog, wordlessly dismissing him from his presence.

Routarou wasted no time second-guessing the youkai lord's sudden magnanimous act and quickly scrabbled to his feet, dashing headlong in whichever direction took his rotund little body the polar opposite of the notoriously merciless Western Lord.

Watching the furtive and desperate retreat of what should have been his rightful prey, the taiyoukai shifted slightly on his feet, sighing inwardly at his growing weakness, first for Rin's huge eyes, and now for this aggravatingly argumentative wench.

Which reminds me...weren't we discussing something a moment ago?

To think that he, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, could give in to distraction to the point of losing track of a thought...! In retaliation for something the youkai was entirely certain was the fault of the woman standing, still a bit dazed, before him, he narrowed his amber gaze on her. He was certain the gold glare would intimidate and impress upon her his dangerousness.

Kagome simply raised her brows slightly and cocked her head to the side, saying, "What?"

Frustrated-and somehow not surprised-that his patented menacing scowl did not seem to affect the fresh beauty before him, he allowed a low growl to slide up his throat. That would be certain to remind her of his superiority, thus putting the bothersome wench firmly in her place: behind him by three paces at all times.

"Does this mean that you are going to help us find the last shard?" she asked unexpectedly.

This was not the reaction she was supposed to give! She was supposed to be quaking in terror and addressing him with all of the respect due his station-if he gave her leave to address him at all!

Did you really expect her to bow down before you, as a servant bows before her master, after the way you just plastered yourself to her body? A snide little voice nettled him.

Damn, he thought in annoyance, that is a valid point.

And, as much as he would have liked to instruct Kagome forthwith on the errors of her attitude, he couldn't bring himself to actually break the fragile bond that was burgeoning between them. He wasn't sure what that tenuous tie was, but it comforted him and excited him in ways he never thought possible. He wanted to see if it would grow with a need bordering on desperation.

Not that he intended to nurture or encourage it, mind you, but if it happened, and if it helped him to control the miko...then who was he to argue? It would only better serve his purposes later on.

Relaxing his tense stance, Sesshoumaru deigned to give Kagome a brief nod, acknowledging his intent to help her find this final Shikon fragment. He had one thing to say on her assumption that he would be accompanying the entire group on this unexpected detour.

"I will locate this jewel shard, but," his severe tone cut off Kagome's birthing smile of relief, "this will be a task for you and I only. I refuse to suffer Inuyasha's idiotic company, as he would only complicate matters and get in my way."

`My way', Kagome noted with disappointment, not `our way'. And I thought that maybe we could be friends...especially after what just happened.

She had a brief moment of depression, then her usual optimistic nature asserted itself and she perked up.

But I can always try, try, try! She nodded to herself in determination, then turned to start back to the battlefield.

In an instant, Sesshoumaru was before her, a fierce expression on his face.

"Just where do you think you are going, wench?" he demanded icily.

Kagome sighed at his reversion back into Ice Prince mode, but said patiently, "To tell Inuyasha and the others where we are going, and to see if maybe they have some insight into the new information Routarou gave us."

A bubble of rage rose in the youkai lord's chest. She would run back to his thrice-cursed half brother at the first opportunity? She did not trust in his ability to fulfil this task without the hindrance of the hanyou, and instead felt the need to have Inuyasha as backup in case he failed? She was his! She had struck a pact with him that made it so!

He knew he was probably overreacting to her natural inclination to share information with her companions, but the youkai lord could not seem to stop himself from asserting his claim over her-by demonstrating his control over her.

It seems to be the only control you are able to display when it comes to this one human female, that damned annoying, snide little voice whispered in his ear.

He imagined impaling it on Toukijin. It shut up...for the time being.

"You will not," he stated concisely. "Do not forget, miko," the taiyoukai stressed the word, as if to place emphasis on their differences, "you have an obligation to fulfill." And you are mine. "Be grateful I am allowing this ridiculous errand at all."

"That's another thing," she huffed in rising aggravation, "just what do you need me so desperately for, anyway?"

A multitude of different answers exploded to the forefront of his mind at her unconsciously suggestive phrasing, but none of them held any bearing on his actual goal so he held them back. Instead, he turned a silent, yet intense, gaze on her flushed face, his repressed longings clearly visible in the depths of his topaz eyes. They blazed with a fierce heat.

All he said, however, was, "That is not your concern at this moment."

When the incensed miko stuttered out, "Not my concern-?", against his usual nature he conceded a small allowance.

"I will, of course, instruct you on your responsibility to me when the time is right."

If he were a lesser being, the chilling look Kagome sent him would have turned him to ice-or stone, but he simply shrugged it off as he shrugged off the unease he experienced at being so harsh with her. He didn't want to be harsh with her. He wanted to be gentle, to prove to her that he wasn't the ruthless, cold-blooded predator she thought him to be. Well, not always, anyway. But his pride and circumstances demanded nothing less than her full cooperation with his objectives, and the easiest path to gain that cooperation was to instill obedience.

A small piece of him wilted at that necessity, but all he had to do was remind himself of his goal, control of Tetsusaiga and peace in his lands, to squelch the intensifying weakness.

He ignored that snide little voice he had just murdered, which whispered something along the lines of `if you had truly killed that weakness, you would not have given in to the girl's request to find the shard at all'.

Dammit, it was right-again. And he couldn't find more than a shred of remorse over his capitulation, either.

I have been cursed, he realized bleakly, a curl of sardonic amusement moving through his mind.

But as he turned once more into the depths of the forest-heading toward the destination Kagome gave-her scent wrapped around him and he couldn't help but notice that his step became lighter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Endnotes:

. Waka-gimi: Young lord, or prince.

Sess: What was that all about during the legal notice? I have not, and never will be, a `young goat'. *looks confused* And what is a `mass of christ'?

TT: What are you talking about, you lunatic mutt?

Sess: *growls* The disclaimer, woman!

TT: Oh, that! You mean the `kid at Christmas' comment? *shrugs* I was just telling it as I saw it.

Sess: And that explains everything, you delusional-

TT: Hey!

Sess: *smirks* `Hay is for horses'.

TT: Huh? *rolls eyes* And they say I'm crazy...