For Curiosity's Sake

It had been a while ago that he’d noticed the girl’s aura vanished altogether periodically. Not simply slipping away as one would expect when the target moves away, but disappeared. His attention was drawn as he passed near the village that served as the group’s base. He heard the high-pitched shrieks of the girl directed at his half-brother, and Inu-Yasha’s gruff replies.

About to continue on his way, Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks as the presence of the girl vanished. He whipped around and headed in the direction he last felt her in, immensely curious. No one moved that fast, not even he.

Staying downwind, Sesshomaru stalked around the clearing that his brother was stomping away from. When Inu-Yasha had gone, Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing, scenting for the girl, for curiosity’s sake. Had she the ability to teleport? A spell, perhaps?

He stopped as he reached a battered and decrepit old well. Her scent was present, though it ended there. He studied the well, not seeing or sensing anything of interest. Irritated at the puzzle before him, he left the clearing, but patrolled the area for a day or so, poring over the implications. She could be a powerful ally. Or enemy.

Her presence popped up again a couple of days later. He made his way over to where it was emanating from to find her striding across the same meadow with a huge, odd-looking bag slung over her shoulders. Inu-Yasha arrived shortly and took her bag, walking at her side and griping that she’d been away too long.

Where had she gone?

The wind picked up and blew her scent towards him. It carried many things that he had never encountered, quite a few burning at his nose.

Where had she gone, indeed.

He strode away, deciding to leave further investigation for a later time, so as to remain entirely unnoticed. He continued to monitor her disappearances, stretching his youki to feel for her. The girl never left for more than a few days, but did so frequently. As the winter worsened, she left for longer periods and then stayed, uninterrupted for two weeks.

As he crossed paths with her group, he sometimes caught snippets of conversation regarding strange things. The hanyo carried some of the same scents as she, on occasion.

His curiosity grew. The hanyo went with her! His pride rankled at the idea that the half-breed could know anything that he did not, even something so trivial as the girl’s travel methods and destination. He decided to remedy this and keep closer watch on them.

After all, they were in his territory much of the time. He had to study all possible threats to his lands.

For some time he kept notes, as it were, on the group. He watched them grow as fighters from familiar to truly cohesive; the girl progressed exponentially. She seemed not to have come from any place like the slayer that trained women to fight, yet she possessed none of the fear characteristic of the human women of the area. She faced each battle, regardless of size, with bravery and honor. When humans became involved, she stood by them, ensuring their safety.

She faced his half-brother when his animalistic side held sway, showing only fear for his safety, and none for her own. She had even faced himself without flinching or cowering.

All of this, and she would still shriek at the sight of insects. How very odd.

The girl seemed to be the heart of the band. When she disappeared to wherever it was that she went, the group became listless. Inu-Yasha bristled more, and the kit moped. He followed Inu-Yasha one day, as he said he would go and fetch the girl.

Sesshomaru watched at the edge of the clearing as the hanyo jumped straight into the old well. His eyes widened in shock as the well emitted a burst of power and blue light. The half-breed’s aura vanished, and no scent was present inside the well. He stood by and watched, transfixed on the well.

Not much time passed before the hanyo jumped out with the girl and her strange bag draped over his back. She was prattling on about something called ‘Cram School’ and its difficulties. Inu-Yasha motioned for her to stop as he scented the air.

Sesshomaru froze. Had the mongrel found him out? Before he heard the end of their conversation, Sesshomaru turned and left. At least his theory of the girl being educated proved correct.

In the back of his mind, he noticed that she bore the scent of fruits and flowers, much as she had the last time he had seem her return from her home. She bathed more than the villagers, that was certain, so while she never carried their scent of sweat and dirt, neither did she smell as sweet as when she came from the other side of the well.