3

After gaining her composure, Satomi stood up and shook off the feeling of being watched. His eyes were cold as ice and yet melted just barely with the sight of Rin. Looking at her like a loving father instead of a heartless killer it was difficult to put her mind around it all. Rin had mentioned how she found the demon wounded and had been with him ever since. There was so much going on that she skipped over the specifics which was out of the ordinary of the young girl. However, it was what it was and obviously he trusted very few and let even fewer into his circle.

Continuing her way around the forest edge, she noticed many medicinal herbs that Kagome said she needed more of earlier that day. Gathering as much as she could in her hands, she hummed to herself once more. It helped drown out all the worries and anxiety that she felt thinking about the demon and analyzing what any movement could mean. Her goal wasn't to destroy a demon out of revenge, she was trying to live a peaceful life of her own. However, she knew there was no way to have a new slate that was wiped clean of all the sins she had committed on her blind hunt for revenge. But if the day came where she was made to answer for them, she would gladly accept it.

Finding her way back to the edge of the forest just before the clearing, she looked around and could see the sun filtering through the leaves above. The sight of light dancing on the bark of the trees made her wish to dance. Looking around, she didn't see anyone and started to move in a traditional geisha dance as she sang a song quietly. Holding the herbs as if they were a fan, she was delicate and exact with her movements as she pictured an audience that yearned to be taken away by song and dance into a fictional world that only a geisha could provide. Not that she was a geisha, but the training of a concubine started with the knowledge.

Losing herself, she started to sing louder as she continued. However, there was a slight slant in the ground and she caught herself just barely, giggling at the startle it gave her. "Honestly… you'd think I would know better," she said to herself as her cheeks turned red and she continued towards the village shaking her ankle off and walking normally.

However, there were eyes watching. Sesshomaru had told Inu-Yasha what he needed to know and the priestess. The strongest priestess of her time and his half blood brother would probably be dragged in if they liked it or not. The impending war was weighing heavily on his mind as the northern demon tribes started to become restless. They would be useful to keep the damage to a minimum, but there would still be many casualties in the meantime. The Lord of the East, Koga would probably have to be involved as well. Kagome said she could help with that much.

He watched as the young maiden danced in the forest. The scent coming from her was familiar and he knew exactly why. Rin had a similar scent, but younger and more innocent. The woman smelled unique, but the line was still there. They were related, he could only presume sisters, and yet neither mentioned it and Rin seemed oblivious. She referred to her as a friend and someone fun, but not a sibling. Satomi seemed to have no clue either. For himself, he had his senses to tell him things, humans just had fading memories. Rin would have had to be young for this split to happen, so she wouldn't remember, and he was told the woman thought her family killed. It was interesting, but hardly his place to step in. Human problems were the least of his worries, even if it did involve his Rin.

As Satomi continued to dance, he could remember performances where his mother would take him to culture his future station as Lord of the West. Pleasant memories although they were far from exciting. He was far more interested at learning how to become stronger than his own father than dancing women with fans. However, this one was interesting. He would allow her to be near Rin, if only to see what happened as time went on. Perhaps she would be able useful to Rin as well, even if their nature was not exposed. No doubt Inu-Yasha suspected something by now if he paid attention. However, that would perhaps give him too much credit for now.

Lingering, he slowly descended to the ground as the young maiden walked to the village, unaware of his presence. Ah-Un could be seen flying down with a small imp on his back. Landing, Jaken could be heared heaving away as he ran towards him. The imp was useful, but rather bothersome when Sesshomaru wished to be lost in thought. "What is it, Jaken?" he asked not looking to the imp.

"Well, mi lord, I was just coming to inform you that a message appeared at your estate. The demon lords of the south wish to meet with you soon. Sounds like the young demon heirs were sent to see the north's condition and were wiped out. Rather powerful heirs too by the sound of it… not half as strong as you…," he drowned on as Sesshomaru was silent a moment longer.

"Interesting. Let them know I will meet soon. If they wish my aid, they will come to me," he said simply as he turned and walked towards the village. "Three days time," he added sharply.

"Yes, mi lord! I will inform the messenger immediately," Jaken said as he scampered away to fly on Ah-Un back to the estate. Sesshomaru hated the estate only because there was not much to do. He could do his duties in a day and then go back to monitoring his land which was far more preferred. Never would he allow a demon such as Naraku come from his land. The safest place for Rin would be his estate, however he was unsure about what her reaction would be. The last year made him realize what taking other's feelings into consideration was a little more in detail than before. However, if need be, he would make her see reason to stay there. She would not die again as he could no longer revive her, and he would be lost without her. Her life was already fleeting as it was, he would not make it shorter due to her own human error in judgement.

When he arrived back at the village, he saw Satomi speaking to Sango rather cheerfully as the children played at their legs. Hiding and then running from each other, he found it curious but remembered demon children did that too. Miroku joined the conversation and they all laughed looking at his expense before the couple shared a tender kiss and Satomi was left with color on her face. Had the woman not have a relationship with a man before? He smelled the air and he didn't smell any man on her. Even fleeting or distant, nothing came up to his sensitive nose. He didn't see her as ugly, she was quite lovely for human standards he supposed. Beneath his notice, but he wasn't a fool. However, it was her own business and hardly his.

By this time, he could feel something coming. A storm of some sort as clouds started to move in from the North. It didn't feel like a demon cloud, and yet it was ominous. Eyeing it carefully, he decided to go find Rin and keep close to her just to be safe. Everyone else could defend themselves, she was his to keep safe. However, he could not sense her in the village. Looking around momentarily, he noticed Kagome and Inu-Yasha running his direction with distress. Something had happened, something he didn't wish to hear.

"Sesshomaru, I can't find Rin anywhere," Kagome said with a small panic in her voice. If the priestess could not sense her then… that was trouble. By then, Sango, Satomi, and Miroku were rushing over to see what was unfolding. As Kagome explained to them the situation, they looked to the cloud as he had. There was a cause, and if they hurt Rin they would be destroyed. Even if they didn't hurt her, his mood was less than pleasant now.

Satomi heard Kagome, but it brought about a sense of urgency. If a priestess, demon slayer, a monk, and three demons did not sense her abduction, then it was by an abnormal being. Sesshomaru seemed lost somehow, and angry. If he couldn't sense her, then how would he find her? Destroying everything was what she thought of right away, but then he did seem powerful enough to find a way to do something.

As Satomi looked to the clouds once more, there was a vibrating sensation in the air. Inu-Yasha pulled at his sword to reveal the Tessaiga and Sesshomaru was now on edge reaching for his own Bakusaiga. A lightning strike hit down along a tree and it ignited into flames as a being stepped forth. Kagome reached for her bow and arrow as Miroku told Sango to go with the children for now. To keep them safe. The being was of childish stature, but menacing eyes that glared into each one of them. A young woman with short golden hair and an intricate lady like kimono. An orb was floating between her hands as she moved her hands around it slowly. There were demon markings on her forehead of three red diamonds and her eyes matched the color.

"Well, well, well," she said in a bell like tone. "It seems we finally meet. I am the demoness of the North, Kinoko. I was impatient to see the Lord of the West and I hear that you are rather drawn to a young girl." She needn't say more as Sesshomaru charged forward unseen by the human eye. However, he was stopped by a barrier that sent sparks of energy towards him. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the orb. "It seems I was not mistaken." Looking at the orb herself, the cloudy features it once had were now clear to reveal the young Rin shrunken and fainted along the bottom.

Looking around, Satomi could see the villagers go into their homes and refuse to look to the tense nature of the situation. They were only human, what could they do against a demon? What could she do? Lesser demons were no problem, but her drive to train any harder for revenge had dwindled since the day she woke up. However, that girl she had a desire to protect regardless. She would do what she could. Even if it meant being drastic.

"The barrier is unique, it isn't a demon barrier, more like an allowance of certain people barrier," Kagome said and Sesshomaru had to rethink his plan.

"Oh, aren't you a smart priestess," Kinoko said with a sinister smile. "Perhaps you should keep your mouth shut." A blast green in color came at her and Inu-Yasha unleashed his backlash wave. It did nothing against the barrier and he groaned in frustration.

"Damn it and we're too close to the village to do much else," he said already noting the grooves in the ground from that attack alone.

"Why don't we just talk, Sesshomaru? Then you may have your human girl back in one piece and we all leave happy?" Kinoko moved forward and the barrier with her. Keeping a distance from barrier, they all remained attentive.

"Then talk," he said clearly not in the mood to deal with her and yet hardly in a state to deny it either.

"Surrender your lands and I will allow your lands to be unharmed. You may rule them under my stead, but you would be mine to command. If you do not comply I will kill your human and everyone I can see in the West. It will be a wasteland. The choice is yours," she said as if she was asking him to pick what was for dinner.

Satomi could hear the growl that emerged from his throat. It was menacing. He was calculating his options, however… there weren't very many.

"Like Hell" Inu-Yasha said as he charged in with the red tessaiga to break the barrier. Everyone was surprised when there was nothing and Kinoko just laughed.

"Oh, my dear, half breed. This barrier is unique. It is attached to a human life, this human life. Your swords are not meant to kill a human… especially an innocent one. If you break the barrier you break her life and kill her," she said rather smug with herself. "Now, Sesshomaru, before we were so rudely interrupted… your choice?"

"I think you're hardly being fair," Satomi said sternly as she stood up straight and tried her best to be confident. Walking forward, she was at the crest of the barrier, she could feel its energy. "If you want to use someone, I hardly think an innocent girl is the way to go. There's more than one way to attain lands, but you demand no loyalty."

"His submission enough would be loyalty, and who the hell are you to question me, you human wench." Firing a blast at her, and before anyone could respond, it dissipated before it could even hit Satomi. "What?"

Everyone was silent, and that included Satomi but now was her chance. Charging full board, she knew she was fast, and she could feel her skin tightening up as she entered the barrier… it allowed her, but she had no time to think. Kinoko's face turned panicked as she blasted wave after wave and disappearing every time. As Satomi touched the orb, there was a wave of power that emerged between the demon girl and the human. Suddenly, there was an explosion of power and both were thrown back as Rin was freed and thrown with them. Satomi could only reach for Rin and take the brunt of the landing as they rolled in the dirt and grass for some distance before sliding to a stop.

Rin's eyes opened as they stopped, and she looked around. All she could remember was going to talk to Kaede and then nothing. Now she was on the side of what looked like a battle scene and in the arms of Satomi who lay unconscious. Everyone was coming to them and she tried to shake Satomi awake. Her savior's body was covered in small cuts from the impact and her clothes looked scorched around the sleeves.

"Wake up," she said as she saw a strange young woman in the other direction of the blast. She was getting up, but she looked mad. "Please wake up." Sesshomaru was the first to her and she looked at Satomi and started tearing up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked not sensing pain, but the tears forming for Satomi.

"No, but she's…"

He sniffed the air and she was still alive. Somehow… "Just unconscious."

Sighing with relief, Rin relaxed slightly but Sesshomaru stood before them. "Stay behind me." The others joined around him, and he was rather annoyed. This was something he could handle himself. Afterall, she was after him.

"You will pay for this defiance. I will not be surprised again, Dog Demon," she said as she disappeared as Sesshomaru ran to her at his lightning fast speed. Even still, missing her and her presence had vanished all together and same with the clouds. There was a small doting of blood where the demoness was, and he could tell she was a daiyokai of her own demon nature. However, the exact type of demon was not clear.

Looking back to Rin and Satomi, he wondered why the woman did it. A sense of need? It wasn't as if she owed Rin anything and now he was in her debt for doing what he could not. Although it pained him to admit it. He reasoned it had something to do with their lineage as potential sisters. If only one was allowed in the barrier and it was Rin, their similar blood could have something to do with it. However, what befuddled him more was the fact Kinoko's powers had no affect on Satomi. In fact, it was something he had never seen in a normal human as he sensed nothing outstanding about the woman. Obviously, she could be useful to his purposes with Rin after all.

Kagome moved to Satomi's side, as she tested her pulse and read her energies. "Well, she's weak and will need rest, but she will live. That was a brave thing she did, and I want to ask her about it when she wakes up. I have never seen a strong demon's attacks evaporate in front of a human before. Also, how she was able to enter the barrier."

Inu-Yasha and the others nodded. But for now they'd have to live with the unknown as Inu-Yasha carried the woman to Kaede's hut to recover.

"You've yet to learn what the pain

From true sadness is like

You've only had but a taste,

But you're a moth to the flame"

The song played over and over in her head as she felt her energy weak from breaking the barrier. How… why? Rin was in danger and she had to help. What other choice did she have when an innocent girl had no power to release herself?

But who helped you?

Waking with a start, she could see Sesshomaru looking at her curiously. She was drenched in sweat and her head hurt something fierce. He simply stood up and it took all of her courage to move. "Wait!" He stopped but didn't turn. She took that as permission. "Is Rin safe?"

"Yes, thanks to you," he said still not turning around, but it had a sense of gratitude and annoyance as he walked out of the hut. As he left, Kagome burst in with towels and a small wash bin.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake! You caught a fever as you slept, and you were sweating all night," she said with a start as she didn't waste any time trying to cool the young woman down. Sango followed with a small pitcher of water and they had her drink as they helped clean her off.

"How long was I asleep for? What happened?" Satomi asked curiously as she tried to remember herself but found nothing.

"Well, you broke the barrier and then everything went white. You were on one side with Rin and Kinoko on the other. She left and then you were sick soon after. You've been sleeping for one day, but I'm surprised it wasn't longer since you went head first for a demon."

They marveled at it, but Satomi spaced it out. Her dreams plagued her, and the last thought made her anxious, as if there was someone else saying it to her.

"Once you're feeling better, I can bring you to the water falls to bathe," Kagome finally said as they finished up with giving her a new under kimono to wear. Her others were nowhere to be found and she was covered in small cuts and bruises. "Sesshomaru is grateful, despite his cold nature. He's raised that girl for years now, but he's not very good at displaying his emotions at all. He would make sure you were alright while I had to attend to other duties around here. I think he feels it's the least he can do for you at this point. But that's just a guess, who knows for sure."

An Inu Daiyokai grateful? The thought surprised her, but then if he took care of a human girl for years, how bad could he really be?