InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Less Star, Book 1 ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
Chapter 11   Jaken shoved back the shoji door with far more force and noise than necessary. As he had predicted, the human girl shot upright at the sound, looking utterly ravished with her hair in a tangle over her shoulders and the sheet pooling around her waist.   He cackled, pointing at her, until a shoe bounced off his forehead with resounding force and sent him hurtling back to land on his butt, hard.   “Jaken,” Sesshoumaru rumbled from where he lay sprawled across the bed, face down—how had he managed such accuracy in that position?—“leave, or I will slay you.”   “Again?” the toad-youkai muttered, standing and dusting himself off. “My lord,” he continued at a louder volume,“ Matsuko is here with news from the southern border.”   “Bring her,” Sesshoumaru directed, and Jaken scurried off after a last gleeful look at Kagome’s disarray.   Slowly, he rolled to his back, pulling much of the sheet with him, which meant that it was dragged off Kagome. She eeped and clutched at it, too preoccupied with her imminent nudity to notice the curl of his lips as he pulled just… a little… more.   “You are still feeling shy?” he asked, lowering his leg to the floor and sitting up. “I have seen all you have to offer, miko. There is little point in modesty.” To illustrate this, he stood and dropped the sheet into the corner.   Kagome flushed crimson, even as she felt parts of her perk to attention at the sight of him, naked and stretching, before her. “Kagome,” she muttered. “My name is Kagome. I’d think, after last night, that you could use it more than once a day.”   He ignored her and opened the door to his visitor. “Matsuko,” he said by way of greeting, “what news?”   Matsuko dropped to her knees to touch her forehead to the floor, seeming completely unfazed by his lack of clothing. She spared not a glance for Kagome, who shrieked in dismay and scrambled from the bed, reaching frantically for anything she could use to cover up. The closest thing was Sesshoumaru’s discarded haori with the red sakura blossoms, and she pulled it on with cold, trembling fingers.   “Forgive my intrusion, my lord, but there is trouble.” Matsuko was a bird-youkai, with a plume of bright scarlet feathers on her head instead of hair, darting black eyes, and pale blue skin. She waited a moment, and slowly sat up when met with silence. “A sizeable group of lesser demons has started to plunder the border villages. Several villages have been pillaged and razed, leaving many people and youkai homeless and starving.”   Sesshoumaru reached into the kimono cupboard and withdrew a yukata. He slipped it on with surprising grace for one with only a single arm, lips slightly pursed in thought. “I see,” he said after a long moment. “And neither you nor Kado have been able to stop this?”   She shook her head, bright feathers fluttering. “We have not, Sesshoumaru-sama,” she replied, bowing again before continuing. “Please forgive us, my lord. But they seem to be able to outmaneuver us no matter what we do; mindless beasts they might be, but they must have a crafty leader.”   He nodded. “Return at once. I shall join you soon.” She bowed deeply yet again, and was gone.   All this bowing had reminded Kagome that Sesshoumaru was a very powerful lord who commanded obeisance from thousands, and suddenly felt a bit funny that she’d just slept with someone who was, in effect, a king.   But there was time enough for her to think about that later. For now… “You’re leaving?”   The idea made her feel a little cold, which was stupid because he was Sesshoumaru; he was strong and could fight better than anyone—except for Inuyasha, another part of her interjected loyally—but still, no one was undefeatable, were they?   “Let me come with you,” she urged, clambering from the bed to stand by him. “I can help.”   Her suggestion made him stop in the middle of fastening the tie of the fresh pair of hakama he’d pulled from a drawer. “No,” he said, and finished the task before kneeling before his dresser. Plucking the comb from its surface, he held it out to her.   She stepped behind him, taking the comb, and began pulling it through his platinum locks. “Why not?” She was aware of the mulish, faintly grating whine of her tone but couldn’t help it. After months of waiting, they’d finally made love—that’s how she was thinking of it, in any case—and she was reluctant to be parted from him. “I can help, you know. Inuyasha’s wrong when he says I just get in the way. I—“   “No,” he interrupted simply, and that was that. Kagome sighed.   “What will you do without me to keep you pretty?” she joked nervously, trying to shake off her dismay at his departure as she combed his hair with trembling hands. “You know, you should let me braid this, it will stay cleaner and keep from getting tangled as you travel—“   He took the comb from her and pulled her around to face him. “What is the source of your disquiet? You cannot fear for my safety.”   To her horror, Kagome felt tears threaten again and blinked hard to contain them. “Just a little,” she sniffled. “I know you’ll be fine. I’ll just…” She sighed, her humiliation complete, and stared down at her hands. “I’ll miss you.”   A thousand other Kagomes nodded agreement, and their myriad recollections of times he’d left her to go to war, or even just on a simple errand, filled her mind. Parting from him had never been easy for her, no matter the dimension.   “You shall miss me, you miss Inuyasha and the taijiya and the houshi, you miss your family…” His tone was just one shade off from amused. “Are you never satisfied with what you have? Must you always concentrate on what you do not?” His teasing tone made her raise her head to look at him; she was amazed to see a glint in his eyes, and she realized with shock that he was trying to cheer her up a little.   Impulsively, unable to contain herself, Kagome took a step toward him and slipped her arms around his head, drawing him close to her, cradling him against her chest and bowing her own head over him until her cheek rested on his gleaming hair. She could scarcely believe how much he mattered to her, and how impotent she felt at having to stay behind. What if he needed her for… something? Anything?   She tried to think of something she could do, at his side in a battle, and came up blank. Her fighting skills were laughable compared to his, and even her talent with the first aid kit was unnecessary—he healed almost as fast as he was injured. Kagome sighed, even more depressed now than she’d been before.   Sesshoumaru stiffened in her embrace immediately. In spite of their night of intimacy, he was still not accustomed to physical affection. Sex was one matter-- merely two bodies grinding away toward a common goal-- and there was a selfishness to it, a greed to it, that preserved emotional boundaries. But this, this was treacherous ground. Sesshoumaru felt an insidious warmth, a welcoming of her tenderness and affection, and his hand came up to her arm to thrust her away.   Then she began stroking his back through the soft veil of his hair, and a tremor went through him. His hand tightened on her arm, almost bruising, but he didn’t push her away. Sesshoumaru had many questions about how she knew so well how to please him, how just to touch him in the ways he enjoyed and craved, but they would have to wait until he had more time. At that time, he would slowly strip her and take her, then take her again, then force her to answer each and every one to his complete satisfaction.   “Will you come home soon?” she whispered, unaware she’d referred to this place as ‘home’.   Now Sesshoumaru did set her back, but gently. “As soon as I have accomplished all I need to do,” he told her, his eyes molten with some indefinable emotion. “And you will be here when I do.”   “I might not be,” Kagome said recklessly, stepping back and wiping at her eyes, thoroughly mortified at her behaviour. “I might take the children—Rin too—and go into hiding. You’d never find us.”   He stood easily, gracefully, getting to his feet in a single smooth motion as her arms fell away from him. His hair tumbled over his shoulder, a shining curtain falling to his knees, as he leant down a little to make sure she saw his face, saw how deadly serious he was.   “I would find you,” he said quietly.   Terror and elation at that strange expression on his face rippled through Kagome, and she couldn’t decide if she were delighted or not when Jaken began howling for her help in the kitchen. She fled, leaving him to finish getting ready by himself, and went to wake the children.   Shippou sleepily trudged after Kagome and Rin, trailing Kohaku behind him with one hand on the boy’s belt. “Couldn’t you have just told Sesshoumaru ‘goodbye’ for me?” he asked grumpily.   Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but Rin took his hand from where it was rubbing the sleep from his eyes and curled her own around it, smiling at him. His posture relaxed, became almost sheepish, and Kagome marveled silently (and with not a little envy) at the power the girl had to sooth irritable youkai.   At the gatehouse, Sesshoumaru stoically endured Rin’s enthusiastic embrace and exhortations to come back quickly and safely. “Continue with your studies,” he told her, “I shall test you upon my return.”   To Shippo he said, “Your katas shall be smoother and less hesitant when I come back.” Turning to Jaken, he instructed, “Continue as normal, but do not antagonize the humans.”   “B-but my lord!” the toad-youkai squawked in protest, but his lord was implacable, as always.   Strangely, he also addressed Kohaku. “You shall speak before I come back,” Sesshoumaru decreed, flicking a glance in Kagome’s direction that told her this was her responsibility. “I tire of your wounded silence.” She absently wondered how she was supposed to work that miracle.   Then he turned to her. “You shall remain here, miko. If you try to leave, I will find you. And I will be… displeased.” A shiver of both apprehension and desire ran through her at his low, silken tones and she wondered what, exactly, was wrong with her for finding him so sexy even when he was threatening her life.   He walked a few steps, then halted, turning back to look at her. “Remember, Kagome,” he said. “I will always find you.”   Then, gathering a cloud of youki, he sailed up into the dimly lit morning sky. Kagome watched, a pang growing in her chest, until he was gone from their sight.   Aware the others were watching her curiously after this enigmatic comment, she blushed and refused to meet any of their eyes. The silence stretched until Jaken cleared his throat noisily.   “Well,” he croaked, “that’s that. With Sesshoumaru-sama gone, I’m the head of the household. And I say,” he continued with a rather evil gleam in his bulbous yellow eyes, “that now is as good a time as any for spring cleaning.”   That gleam was immensely worrying to Kagome, but she welcomed it as a distraction from her apprehension and unhappiness.   “But it’s not spring anymore!” she protested, following him back to the house. Wisely, the children scampered away with Kohaku trailing in their wake, clearly hoping they’d manage to get out of doing chores of this magnitude.   Jaken fixed her with a gimlet glare and began rummaging through the step-cupboard. “Did you have some appointment that precludes you from scrubbing?” he demanded, and began to toss jars of solvents, rags, sponges, and various other cleaning accoutrements over his shoulders at her. “Something more important to do besides repay Sesshoumaru’s unprecedented patience, kindness, and generosity to a lowly and undeserving human?”   Kagome sighed and began picking the cleaning supplies off the floor. “I used to think that being a miko meant I could get out of things like this. Aren’t mikos supposed to be important members of society? And actually, you know, respected?”   Jaken slung a fistful of rags over his diminutive shoulder and nodded. “In my youth, I never envisioned my future to be one of servitude and housekeeping.” He sighed and hoisted a bucket loaded with jars. “Life as a youkai isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, either. Demon or ningen, there’s always wood to chop and water to carry.” *   She took another bucket, tucked a mop under her arm, and followed him to the kitchen. “Jaken, are we bonding?” she asked, amused. “This certainly feels like bonding.”   He sniffed, his sizeable beak making the sound much louder than it would be with a humanoid nose. “Certainly not,” he snapped, and flung a small tin of furniture wax at her head. It bounced off her forehead and landed on the stone floor with a ping. “Get to work, ningen.”     *       &nb sp;   *           *   If Shippo and Rin thought they would be escaping housework because of Sesshoumaru’s absence, they were sorely mistaken. It was only after Kagome had deposited them in the kitchen with buckets of soapy water and scrub brushes that they realized that Kohaku’s ability to perform repetitive actions could be used to their benefit.   Shippo positioned the older boy on his hands and knees and placed the brush in his hand while Rin gleefully upended one of the buckets over the dirty flagstones. Then they took the blanket-padded box in which Kirara was recovering and slunk out the back door to amuse themselves until the task was done. Rin’s predilection for picking flowers meshed nicely with Shippo’s rather hyperactive inability to sit still for long, and they delighted in running around the back garden until the chime of a bell sounded in the distance.   “That’s the bell on the gatehouse,” Rin exclaimed. They darted to the corner of the house, peeking round it to see who had arrived.  “Is Sesshoumaru home already?” asked Shippo, squinting from under his unruly bangs.   She shaded her eyes from the bright sunlight. “No, he wouldn’t ring the bell,” she replied absently.   Distantly, they heard Jaken shouting from upstairs. “Go answer the bell, worthless human child!” he hollered. Rin and Shippo each rolled their eyes and scampered toward the gatehouse.   “That’s a lot of people!” Rin commented as they approached, seeing the line stretching from the gate all the way down the road and disappearing around the bend. “Shippo, are you all right?” His usually-animated face had gone quite still, and even she with her duller human senses could tell he was tense.   “These guys could be dangerous,” he muttered, unconsciously inching closer to her protectively. “I don’t like the look of them.”   The group amassed there were youkai, all attired like samurai. Some were quite human-looking, others more monstrous. All wore black armour laced with orange and gold, and Shippo could feel the weight of their stares as they were leveled upon the kitsune and ningen girl.   Rin, however, seemed unaffected by the menace and hostility in their gazes. “Hello!” she greeted them, bowing. “May I ask what business you have with Sesshoumaru-sama, taiyoukai of the West?” She said it very evenly, and Shippo was sure Sesshoumaru had taught her to say it precisely and without deviation.   The youkai warriors parted like two smooth waves, and down the centre strode a single figure. He was tall, well-formed, and in spite of the piercing silver-grey eyes and flaming-red hair that tumbled down to his hips, looked startlingly like Sesshoumaru.   He, too, bore a crescent moon on his brow, though his was bright gold. The four stripes streaking across his cheeks were jet-black. The upper stripe on each cheek was short and straight, but the lower curved down along his jaw line from ear to chin, tapering to a thin point.   “I am Takeshi,” he announced, “Lord of the North, and uncle to Sesshoumaru.” Shippo felt Rin jump with the same surprise he felt at the similarity in voice the newcomer shared with Sesshoumaru. “I wish to speak with my nephew.”   Rin shook herself free of her shock and bowed low once more. “I regret that this is impossible, my lord,” she told him, keeping her gaze fixed on the gold-braid-trimmed toes of Takeshi’s shoes. “Sesshoumaru-sama is not at home this day.”   His lips curved in a wide, beautiful smile. “Where is he?” he asked genially. “Off subduing unruly vassals, I imagine?”   “I do not know, my lord,” Rin answered, straightening and shooting Shippo a look of pure disbelief. It was utterly amazing to see someone who looked so similar to Sesshoumaru behave so unlike him. “He did not say when he would come back,” she added, turning back to Takeshi.   “Ah,” he replied, and stroked a fingertip pensively down the stripe on his jaw. “That cannot be helped then, I suppose.” He tilted his head to one side, considering. “No matter. We shall stay until his return. These are… dangerous times; it was irresponsible of my nephew to leave his home unprotected. My soldiers and I will remain.”   He gestured to two of his minions; they immediately began shouting orders to the others and before Shippo knew it, he and Rin were being pushed aside as line after line of warriors marched by them through the gatehouse and into the courtyard.   “But…” Rin began, her voice shaky as she turned to Takeshi. “My lord, I am sure we don’t have enough food for all these men.”   “Youkai,” he corrected pleasantly, but for a moment his eyes were like two razors. “They are not… men.”   “My apologies,” she replied, bowing so low her forehead almost touched her toes. Shippo felt a violent surge of dislike for Takeshi for making Rin debase herself so.   “Do not trouble yourself,” the taiyoukai of the North said dismissively, exchanging a glance of amusement with the two lieutenants who flanked him. “We shall hunt and fish. Your food is neither needed nor desired.”   Rin bowed a last time. “In that case, my lord,” she said with much relief, “will you come into the house?”   He nodded once and strode past them, leading the way. His lieutenants fell in behind him, leaving Rin and Shippo to bring up the rear. She started to speak to him but he shook his head, pointing to one of his own ears to indicate their demonic hearing. She nodded in comprehension, biting her lip worriedly.   Once inside, they heard a thump from the kitchen, and then Kagome’s voice was raised in admonishment. “Shippo, Rin, is that you? I can’t believe you made Kohaku do your chores! The poor boy’s been scrubbing the same square of floor for the past hour.”   Kagome stomped out of the kitchen. She was so preoccupied with leading Kohaku behind her and drying her hands on the apron tied around her waist that she remained unaware of their new company until she realized no answer was forthcoming.   “Shippo?” Kagome said, her head coming up, but her next words died on her lips when she saw the youkai standing there. “Oh!”   “This is Sesshoumaru’s uncle,” Shippo said hurriedly, eyes darting back and forth from one to the other.   “Oh!” Kagome repeated, her hands fluttering up to her hair to comb her bangs off her face. “Hello!” she said brightly, smiling as she bowed to him. “I’m so sorry, Sesshoumaru isn’t here right now. He had some… errands to run.”   “He’s going to stay here until Sesshoumaru comes back,” Shippo continued. “Because he thinks we’re unprotected.”   Kagome blinked. Between her miko abilities, Jaken, Ah-Un, Shippo’s burgeoning fighting skills, and the rapidly healing Kirara, she figured they were probably more secure than many places in Sengoku Jidai.   “That’s not necessary,” she told him, feeling unnerved by the way his pale eyes watched her so intently. “We’re perfectly fine here as we are.” She turned to where Jaken had begun stumping his way down the stairs. “Isn’t that right, Jaken?”   To her surprise, he did not answer, merely stared coldly at the newcomer before jerking his head in what could be loosely termed a bow.    “Nevertheless, I shall stay,” Takeshi replied, his tone disturbingly friendly.   He sounded so like Sesshoumaru that Kagome started a little in shock, yet the way he held himself-- the set of his mouth, his stance— all proclaimed him as different from her youkai as night from day. It felt wrong, all of a sudden, to have him here, and she wanted him gone. Words bubbled up within her, words telling him to leave, to get far away from them, to leave them in peace until Sesshoumaru returned.   “Oh,” is what she said, however, and bowed to him. “How… kind of you to think of us.”   He smiled at her, not at all fooled into thinking she was genuine in her gratitude, and she had to bite back a gasp at how it transformed his face. Was this how Sesshoumaru would look if he were to smile? Relaxed, handsome, happy? “Wow,” she muttered against her will.   Fully aware of the effect he’d had on her, his smile widened. “I am called Takeshi,” he said, and sketched a bow to her, much to the surprise of all present, especially his lieutenants. “I was not aware my nephew had taken a wife, let alone such a… charming one.”   Kagome stared at him, gaping. “I’m… I’m not Sesshoumaru’s wife,” she said faintly, one hand coming to her throat to hide the blush surging up toward her face.   “And yet you address him with such familiarity?” Takeshi said lazily. “His concubine, then.”   Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. “No! Not anything like that, either!” She fervently hoped he couldn’t smell the sex she’d had just a few hours before, though part of her was sure he could, and determinedly brushed away the questions that his comment had spurred: What was she to Sesshoumaru, now? “I just have terrible manners, that’s all!”   He laughed, showing lots of sharp white teeth. “I see,” he said, not fooled in the least. “If you’re not sharing his bed, why are you sharing his house?”   “Sesshoumaru-sama need not explain his motives to anyone, not even his esteemed family,” croaked Jaken in a strident tone, hopping down the stairs. “You dare to insinuate yourself into his home in his absence!” He thumped the Staff of Heads on the floor for emphasis.   Takeshi laughed again, and this time his lieutenants joined in the joke. “And all becomes clear,” he said, sending a glance of pure amusement over them, especially the blankly-staring Kohaku. “If you are still here, toad, I can see that my nephew’s pity for the feeble and orphaned has overcome him, and he has turned his ancestral home into a refuge for humans and misfits.”   Jaken’s little chest swelled with rage, and Shippo opened his mouth to say something that would doubtless get him maimed or worse. Rin prudently clapped her hand over his face and pulled him back until they were tucked into a corner of the room.   “No, Shippo,” she whispered in his ear. He could feel her trembling, and knew how dangerous this situation could be. If Takeshi were anything near as touchy as Sesshoumaru, he could decide to just kill them all.   Across the room, Kagome was restraining Jaken in a similar way, having taken his staff from him and holding it far from his reach with her free hand.   “Hahaha,” she said unconvincingly to Takeshi. “Jaken’s just a little uptight lately. All the soap fumes.” She nodded firmly. “Yes. Too much soap. Shippo, take him outside to… to clear his head.”   She thrust the tiny, impotently sputtering youkai at Shippo, who followed Rin in fleeing as quickly as possible, then bowed low to Takeshi. “I see,” she said, peering out the still-open front door, “that your troops are making themselves at home. Will you stay in the house, or out there with them?”   He stroked down his jaw with one elegantly clawed thumb, drawing her attention to the black stripe there. “In the house, I think,” he said after consideration. “Our journey has been long, and I shall relish the softness of a real bed once more.” Something in the way he spoke gave Kagome a quiver of unease, but she forced it away.   There had to be a hundred youkai outside, and the three in here with her were all strong and skilled demons. Even with her powerful abilities, she doubted she’d be able to even disable them long enough to gather everyone and make an escape. No, she’d have to do the best she could and keep things civil until Sesshoumaru returned. Which she fervently hoped would be soon.   “Why don’t you make yourselves at home while I fix you some tea?” she asked, forcing another smile to her face. “Then I’ll ready a room for you—“   “And for my lieutenants,” Takeshi interrupted smoothly.   Kagome bit her lip. The house was already bursting at the seams with the addition of herself and the boys-- where to put them? She and Rin could share Sesshoumaru’s room, perhaps, and each lieutenant could have their rooms, respectively…   She nodded. “Yes, certainly,” she agreed.   She showed them to the dining room and bade them sit, then bowed once more as she left to make tea. Kohaku stood just outside the kitchen door where she’d left him, and she dragged him with her. Inside the kitchen, the children and Jaken were there, the demon stomping around the kitchen and waving his little arms as he ranted.   “He’s always doing this!” Jaken exclaimed. “Dropping by without notice, infesting Sesshoumaru’s home with his foul minions, destroying the landscape with their destructive ways…” He shook his fist in the direction of the receiving room. “Mark my words! When they are gone, there shall be nothing left but an elderly badger and one stand of bamboo!”   The children giggled, but Kagome couldn’t see much humour in the situation. “Jaken, I need tea for them,” she said. Turning, she addressed Rin and Shippo. “I want you two to stay out of their way, and keep Kohaku with you. Stay in your rooms as much as possible until they’re gone.”   Rin, far too well-mannered to protest aloud, settled for pouting; Shippo suffered no such burden. “You’re worrying too much,” he stated flatly, but Kagome would not be moved. She shooed them upstairs and sat heavily beside Kirara’s box.   The fire-cat was healing rapidly; already her wound had closed completely, and it was only her internal injuries left to mend before she would be good as new again. Her soft fur was calming to Kagome as she petted the striped back and thought hard.   “Rin and I will sleep in Sesshoumaru’s room,” she told Jaken, “so Takeshi’s pals can have my room and hers.” She waited for his explosion of protest, and it was not long in coming.   “You presume to insinuate yourself even more into Sesshoumaru-sama’s bed than you already have! Are you not satisfied with polluting his life as it is?” he ranted. “Filthy lowly ningen blah blabbity blah…” Kagome only sighed and placed her hand over his beak, quieting him.   “Listen, Jaken,” she said tiredly. “we have to work together to deal with this until either they leave or Sesshoumaru comes back. I don’t want to leave Rin alone at night with all these men—“   “Youkai!” he squawked with great indignation.   “Youkai,” she amended, “hanging around. What would he do if he came back and one of them had done something to her?”   The silence that fell in the wake of her question was heavy with the knowledge of the havoc Sesshoumaru would wreak in that case. “Exactly. So just help me with this, ok?”   He narrowed his bulbous yellow eyes at her, and then nodded shortly. “Agreed,” he said, bustling around to get the tea tray ready, “but this truce ends when they are gone.”   Kagome rolled her eyes and took the tray from him, leaving without a word.


* “chop wood, carry water” is a very old and famous Zen saying: "Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water." It usually means that nirvana doesn’t change the basic nature of the universe and our place in it, that we won’t be supermen after gaining it.   In this instance, however, I’m also using it as a statement that species of demon or human is kind of irrelevant after a while—there’ll always be chores, no matter what. In other words, Kagome’s purpose—healing the rift between youkai and ningen—is moving along quite nicely. Yes, I’m all about teh obscure.