InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ An Intentional Solitude ❯ Explainations and Endowments ( Chapter 9 )

Sesshoumaru held the weapon curiously. Turning it over and over, trying to find the significance. The girl remained asleep in her cloth apparatus, her sword had been next to her before the demon picked it up. It was simple, and battered it would seem. Didn’t I tell the girl to get a weapon of strength and value? This looks as though it will break on the first cut! He frowned, turning it over once more. The hand guard was molded into the shape of a wave, otherwise it had no significant markings or distinctions. The deep blue of the scabbard was uncommon, but the sword truly did look worn. He brought his thumb under the guard and attempted to click open the sword. However, a small barrier erupted around the guard and the Taiyoukai was unable to open the sword. He watched as the energies of the sword gathered around his hand, all the while noting the tightening pressure around his fingers and wrist. It started to become painful and the demon scoffed. He dropped the sword on the ground next to the girl, and paced back to his spot under the tree. He lowered himself to the ground and sighed. This Sesshoumaru tires of swords rejecting his hand... He rested his elbow on his knee and stared at the sword laying next to the human. Why would she get a sword with a barrier? How will she use it? His eyes rose from the sword to the girl when she stirred. She moaned lightly and her eyes slid open slowly.

Kagome almost jumped out of her skin at that moment. There in the darkness of early morn, were two golden orbs staring quite intently at her. Her body tensed, ready for the demon but relaxed as she came to her senses. She’d been sleeping alone for so long, she’d slipped Sesshoumaru from her mind when she awoke.

He’d smelled her fear spike when she saw him, If I was going to kill her I would have done it, does she not realize this? He watched her head turn away from him as she rubbed her eyes and slipped the bag off of her. Sesshoumaru’s gaze returned to the sword at her side, I smelled nothing peculiar about the weapon, why does it have a barrier?

“Woman, tell this Sesshoumaru of the sword.” Kagome jumped a little at the sound of the Taiyoukai’s voice. She had to calm down first before she could take in the question, and then figure out what he was talking about. Sword? She blinked again, trying to wake up, and then glanced down at the ground.

“Oh...that sword...” She whispered to herself. Sesshoumaru was getting impatient. He knew she was not exactly competent having just woken up, though that was no excuse, but he still did not like waiting.

“Priestess, the sword!” Kagome jumped again, it was too quiet and too early at this time for people, or demons, to be shouting at her.

“Hey! Gimme a minute here!” Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the girl and Kagome knew it. His eyes were the only thing she could see right now, and as they thinned out she knew he was getting irritated. She picked up the sword and pulled it from it’s sheath. Sesshoumaru could have killed her right there, if only he knew how. For the second time in his life, this incompetent human miko had been able to break a barrier he was unable to. Dammit.

“Suishounami.” The girl responded quietly. She was looking down the blades length, though Sesshoumaru highly doubted she could she much in the darkness. “A seer in the market gave it to me. It’s a sword made only for priestesses.” That explained why he couldn’t remove it from it’s sheath. It was holy and he...was not. “It’s made with a magic crystal or something like that. I guess it’s like Tessaiga, I have to learn how to wield it and unlock it’s ultimate attack.” The girl clutched the hilt with both hands, brought it over her head, and brought it back down quickly. Nothing happened, but that was to be expected. She said she needed to learn how to wield it, and Sesshoumaru doubted that the human who gave it to her, told her how to do this. Much like Inuyasha and the Tessaiga. He heard her whisper, “Unabara...” before she returned the blade to the scabbard and looked up at him. The first rays of sun were peaking over the horizon and Kagome started to see the demon a bit more clearly. His eyes of course were the most prominent feature, glowing eerily in the dim light. His hair was next, glittering faintly in the setting moon. She could make out the markings on his face only because they contrasted so intensely with his pale skin. He was otherworldly, like a god, never for her to touch, but only to gaze upon, and fear.

“Miko.” His voice startled her out of her thoughts. She quickly blushed, realizing that she’d been gawking. She hoped he couldn’t see her cheeks flush in the faint light and turned away. “We will depart soon, get your belongings in order quickly, lest you be left behind.” Kagome sighed, Maybe he’s not a morning person... and her brain quickly added, He’s not an anytime person! She sighed heavier this time, and stretched her arms over her head. Her unbound hair spilled out around her and she looked over her shoulder at it.

“I really should cut this...” She mumbled to no one in particular and made to rise. The voice of the Taiyoukai rang out and she stopped her motions,

“It suits you.” He said, rising from his seated position and turning towards the trees. Kagome looked away from the demon, taken aback at the fact that he’d mentioned anything at all about her appearance. Let alone something nice! She looked down at her hair once more, and back at the Taiyoukai, but he had disappeared into the shrubbery. Kagome shrugged and moved out of her sleeping bag. She figured she would take advantage of the water nearby and take another bath. She grabbed her now dry Hakama and Haoris, her comb, and some soap, and cantered off into the trees.

Why did this Sesshoumaru say that? the mononoke paced hurriedly through the trees. He was vexed. Why does this Sesshoumaru even care, why did he even notice her appearance in the first place? He slowed his motions down, It does suit her though, the length adds years to her appearance instead of having the clipped hair of a child. Sesshoumaru stayed at that, before his thoughts traveled to places other than the female’s hair. Places that emphasize the mesmerizing and strange shade of blue that makes her eyes. Places that want to see if the lunar shaded skin on her face is as smooth as porcelain. Places that the Taiyoukai would stop traveling about this instant.

His ears perked up at the sound of singing, the girl, he assumed. She was nearby, as was the river. She is far too clean to be a ningen, perhaps bathing is a priority in the future? Before he could continue his musings however, a quick twitch of his wrist had his poison whip out quicker than any human could see. He felt it collide with his intended target and watched the demon that had once been perching in the tree above him fall to the ground.

“Another low-level, the cave is sending them out farther and farther...” He mumbled to himself. They were still many days away, yet the demon managed to get this far. He turned, feeling the sun hit his back as it rose, and headed out to find the girl. It would be easy enough, she was as loud as ever.

Kagome lowered herself into the water, humming all the while. It was cool, but felt nice. The air around her was heating up quickly as the sun ascended, and she knew they’d be leaving soon. She wanted to enjoy this though. The water slipped over her skin calmly, the current very weak. Her eyes closed slowly as she relished the feeling of it all. She sighed in a short lived-content as she felt Sesshoumaru near the area. She rinsed out her hair quickly and reached for her towel. She rose out of the water, wrapping the cloth around her. She turned around and watched as the taiyoukai emerged from the trees. Normally, she would have shouted “hentai!” and thrown some sort pf hard object at the offending male, but she knew he wasn’t here for a peep show.

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’m going.” Kagome knotted the towel and grabbed her things. She made her way back to the camp to dress and get everything else in order. She assumed he wasn’t going to let her make breakfast, so she settled for the little bag of dried fruit at the bottom of her backpack. She munched on that while she slid her under-kimono on and then her haori. After tying the knot of her hakama at her waist, she pulled her hair up into a bun as she had the day before. She threw her bag over her shoulders, then her quiver, and finally her bow. She stood and set out to return to Sesshoumaru.

He should have put two and two together. If the human was bathing, the human would probably still be bathing when he found her. If the human was bathing, she would not be wearing anything. If the human was bathing, he should not have set out to find her...bathing. And that was that. So perhaps he was rushing a bit, even as the sun started to heat him up. He wanted a decent smelling companion didn’t he? Not like there was anything too concerning that would make him feel a need to find the girl while she was in that state. No, there was something concerning, the demons were getting closer and he needed the lazy human to get in gear. He did not, however, need a full-body view of her endowments. Human endowments no less! He wanted to kick himself. He had watched as she rose from the water, and he saw everything just before she covered it with the garment. He watched as her dripping locks clung to her shoulders, watched as the muscles, toned through years of fighting, shifted under her skin. He watched the supple curves of her shape move as she turned from him. She had said something but he didn’t quite catch it. She may have been human, but her figure was perhaps something of fantasy.

Not that he fantasized or anything. Generally he didn’t have to; females threw themselves at his feet. It was not often that he indulged though. Many women was one of the signs of power, it didn’t mean he had to copulate with them. Matters of the flesh did not gain him power, perhaps even made him weaker. He could have spent the time training, or seeking suitable enemies to challenge. No, he did not keep women, or the way they looked, at the top of his mind. In fact, it was probably at the bottom of his list of things to think about. It didn’t change the fact that his companion was indeed attractive. So while this particular topic generally remained at the back of his head, each moment he spent with the girl it seemed to creep ever-closer to the front. This was not good.

His ears perked up as he heard rustling in the trees. She was humming again. He found the sound, once annoying and something to berate, was starting to grow on him. It meant his companion was in a good mood, that she had energy and was ready to move on. She was not as talkative, or nearly as annoying, as Jaken. Though she was chatty at times. She did not grovel at his feet, and she did not worship him as Rin seemed to. She acknowledged him as a great fighter and demon, and that was all he needed from her. Sure, sometimes she forgot her place as a human woman, but it’s not like he could do anything about it anyways. He had to respect her in a way, she was a great fighter, and immortal. She saw it as a curse, which confused Sesshoumaru. Wouldn’t this attribute make you absolutely invincible? He could conquer the world if only he didn’t have the inconvenience of death. Think of all the power you could obtain with immortality! Then again, her conquest is not power as mine is... he thought to himself. Her voice startled him, though he only glanced at her with a look of indifference.

“We gonna get going or what?” She stood, her belongings all situated on her back, staring curiously at the Taiyoukai. She had her hair in the bun once again. She would have looked like royalty had she not a hideous yellow bag strapped to her shoulders. Sesshoumaru considered her question momentarily before turning on his heel and heading back to the path. He heard her footsteps treading behind him, quieter than usual. Perhaps she is trying stealth for once? This hypothesis was destroyed right there as she started humming again. Her voice broke his thoughts once more,

“Hey Sesshoumaru?”

“Hn.”

“Can you train me?” This stopped him in his tracks. He turned to face the girl and eyed her cryptically. He looked her up and down. This Sesshoumaru? Train a lowly ningen? Plus the fact that she seemed to be able to take care of herself just fine. He said the only thing that came to his mind,

“Why?” Perhaps her conquest was one of power.

“I don’t know.” Kagome shrugged, “I’m not so good with a sword, maybe you could help me unlock Suishounami’s power thing.” She clasped the hilt of the sword at her hip, and looked up at the demon questioningly. Sesshoumaru was the best sword fighter she knew, if she wanted adequate skills in swordsmanship, he’s the one she would go to. She waited patiently, the demon only staring at her silently. He turned around and continued walking, Kagome followed and inhaled quickly at his small reply,

“Perhaps.” She smiled and padded quietly behind him until they reached the path.