Sesshomaru and the Forgiving Soul

Chapter 2:

Kagome stretched as her eyes fluttered open. She was greeted with the sun rise spilling over the open sky. The group had moved on after the encounter at the village. By the time she got back to the village Inuyasha was throwing a fit. Kagome giggled as she remembered…

(Flashback)

Kagome walked back to into the village and everyone that she walked by bowed deeply to her. She approached the headman’s house confused about receiving all the attention. The headman came forward and also bowed very deeply to the young girl.

“Thank Kami that you came today, priestess. The Lord Sesshomaru came to the village seeking his ward and when he was informed that she had a cold he became very upset. I then told the lord that a young miko took his ward to the river to try and cure her fever. We were promised death should anything be amiss with her. Shortly after he came back through with his young ward and departed without a word. We have you to thank for our lives priestess.” Again the old man bowed to her. Kagome blushed and bowed back.

“There is no need to thank me. I was just doing what any miko would have done and helped the little girl. Gomen, can you tell me where my other company-“

“Kaogme! What the hell happened to you! Why do I smell Sesshomaru all over you?” Kagome sighed and bowed once more to the headman.

“Gomen, Kirio, I think I have found them.” Kagome turned toward Inuyasha with a sweet smile on her face. “Inuyasha, nothing happened. I was helping Rin when he showed up and then they left.” Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed on her neck and he began growling low.

“Then tell me what the hell happened to your neck!” Inuyasha started to bellow and it was drawing unnecessary attention. Kagome found herself once again sighing as she raised a hand to her temple to drive off an oncoming headache.

“Inuyasha, sit boy.” A familiar crash was heard as the hanyou face planted into the soft earth. “I said something I probably shouldn’t have and Sesshomaru took it as an insult. It’s no big deal it was straightened out and I am still alive so everything is fine.” After he managed to pull himself out of the hole he insisted that we leave the village to continue on.

(End Flashback)

So instead of waking up on a semi-soft futon Kagome was stretching on the very hard and unforgiving ground. Kagome sighed once more before getting out of bed. Glancing around she saw that the only one awake was Inuyasha and he was staring at her from under his bangs. Kagome shook her head and began to get things out of her pack for breakfast. She was so predicable that everyone knew that when they got up she would have everything ready and start making breakfast. The group slowly began to stir. Sango was the first one up and she quickly excused herself from the group. Miroku was the next one awake. He glanced around and when he realized that Sango was nowhere near by he sighed and moved into a meditation position. Next were Kilala and Shippo. They woke up long enough to cuddle with each other before falling back asleep until breakfast was ready.

Kagome was used to this morning ritual that she didn’t even pause in her preparations when the others began to stir. Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she began to cook. By the time Sango drifted back to camp breakfast was ready and Kagome was waking up the sleeping forms on her sleeping bag. Once breakfast was served the group sat in relative silence as they ate their first meal. Suddenly their breakfast was interrupted as a small figure flew from the tree line to barrel into Kagome. Inuyasha tensed and stood, drawing the Tessaiga.

“Sesshomaru!” Inuyasha tensed waiting for his brother to make a move. Sango and Miroku stood as well awaiting the demon lord’s appearance. Sesshomaru gracefully stepped from the trees and stood there giving Inuyasha a bored look. Kagome quickly untangled herself from Rin and stood bowing deeply.

“Lord Sesshomaru. I was unaware that you would be making an appearance today. What can we do for you?” Kagome stood waiting on the Taiyoukai to respond. Sesshomaru glanced over at the miko before making a small gesture with his hand. While Inuyasha tensed more Jaken stumbled from the trees carrying a large box. Jaken grumbled to himself about ‘gifts for lowly ningens’.

“Miko, this is for you.” Jaken stepped forward and gently laid the box down at the girl’s feet before backing off grumbling to himself again. Kagome looked down at the box with interest before kneeling before the box. It was white and made of a thin wood. Carefully raising the lid Kagome peeked inside. There lay a beautiful Kimono. I was so like the one that she had bought for the young girl in the future. The only difference was that on the back instead of the great dog demons form she found a blue rose on top of a crescent moon. Kagome looked at her gift in shock.

“Now you can look like Rin and we will be ladies together!” Rin spoke for the first time she had been here. It knocked Kagome out of her stupor. Kagome bowed very low to Sesshomaru before speaking.

“Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. I am very honored by this gift. Unfortunately I can not accept it.” Kaogme kept her head down while she spoke. Sesshomaru growled low in his throat.

“You would decline such a great offering from the Lord of these lands?” Kagome bowed again before replying.

“I would love to be able to accept such a great offering but I can not wear it. I travel all over the lands and such a beautiful kimono would only become ruined. I would hate to see such a thing happen Lord Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha took the opportunity to step closer to his brother.

“Feh. Why would you give Kaomge something anyway, bastard?” Sesshomaru flickered a death glare at Inuyasha before reverting his attentions on the miko still on her knees.

“You will accept it and you will wear it.” Sesshomaru’s word was law in these lands and so Kagome sighed heavily before nodding her acceptance. “You will go and change.” Sesshomaru walked to a tree before elegantly sitting against its base. Rin smiled up at her before going and sitting next to Sesshomaru on her knees. Kagome sighed once again before grabbing her bathing supplies and the kimono.

“Sango, I’m going to take a bath before getting into this. You want to join me?” Sango looked at her sister and nodded. “Miroku, don’t even think about following us. Just stay here and make sure Inuyasha doesn’t do anything stupid, okay?” Miroku nodded before settling into a meditative position again. Sango and Kagome walked to the spring in silence. Once they had disrobed and were settling into the warm water Sango finally spoke.

“Why could he have given you such a beautiful kimono?” Kagome shrugged and closed her eyes to try and relax.

“I don’t know, it could be because the kimono that Rin is wearing was a gift from me.” Kagome said as she opened her eyes to begin washing. At Sango’s gasp she stopped at looked up at the taijiya with a raised brow.

“You gave the child that kimono?” Sango almost shrieked at the future girl.

“Yeah, what’s so bad about that?” Kagome was confused. Was a gift such a terrible thing?

“The picture on the back looks just like Sesshomaru.” Kagome nodded. “You gave a symbol of the west as a gift to a child.” Kagome nodded again getting frustrated. Sango sighed. “When someone gives a gift it is usually in payment of something that was done for them. When that gift also has a symbol of one of the lords on it, it means that the one giving the gift bows to that lord’s law. You just told Sesshomaru that you would do what ever he says as a subject of the western lands.” Sango finished her explanation in a whisper.

Kagome tilted her head a bit, pondering the new information. Was this a bad thing? Sesshomaru didn’t really seem to care what she did. Yes it grated her nerves a little that when he said jump she was expected and now required to ask how high as she was jumping. But at the same time he wasn’t around very often. Before yesterday he hadn’t made an appearance since the final battle with the hanyou Naraku. No, it couldn’t be that bad really, could it?