What's A Dragon to Do?

Chapter 31

Inuyasha walked back to the infirmary and glared at Juria when he entered the room, "What are you doing here wench?"

"I told you not to call me that." Juria started walking toward him.

Inuyasha stood his ground and when she swung at him he caught her hand in his and pulled her against his chest.

"I will call you what I want. Now stop acting like a spoiled brat. And go get your mother so that I can return to my room." He threw her away from him and strode over to a chair and sat down. He crossed his arms and glared at Juria as she scowled at him before turning to leave the room.

He waited a little while before Uzuki strode into the room and smiled at him, "Can you hurry this up?"

Uzuki watched the young prince and smiled at him. She had decided that she liked him. Her daughter Juria was use to getting her way and her looks usually aided her in this. But this young prince brought out a side of her daughter that she rarely saw. With him she didn't bat her eyes and sway her hips. No she punches him and actually raises her voice to him. Her daughter who never raised her voice before had screamed and yelled. Uzuki heard the hanyou growl slightly and turned to face him.

"Settle down pup. I am going as fast as my old bones allow. When you turn five thousand years old let me see how quickly you move." She mixed up the ingredients of the tea and then added the hot water. She walked over to the hanyou and handed him the cup.

"This is the last cup that you should need. I no longer smell the herb on you so it must be clear of your system but we don't want to take the chance that any of it lingers." She stood back and watched the hanyou drink the tea.

Inuyasha glanced down at the cup in his hands and put a sleeve of his haori over his nose, "Couldn't you make it smell better than this? We could have used this against Naraku. Just the smell alone would have made him beg for mercy."

Uzuki sighed and shook her head. "How ever did the miko get you to drink the potion that poisoned you. It had to smell worse than that tea does."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know."

"Just drink it down. It is easier to take that way. And the longer you take to drink it the stronger it gets. Not to mention that it is rancid when cold." She put her finger under the cup and guided it to his mouth. "Now drink it all."

Inuyasha sighed and downed the tea in one gulp. He shook his body as the last of the tea went down his throat, "That stuff is horrible."

"Try not to let any more miko's poison you and you don't have to worry about drinking anymore of it." Uzuki took the cup from him. "You may go now young prince."

Inuyasha stood and left the room. He was tired and wanted to retire but his mind was so busy thinking about Kikyo that he was sure that he wouldn't be able to sleep no matter how hard he tried. He went out to the garden and found a tree and jumped to the highest branch and made himself comfortable. He always felt comfortable in the forest. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree and looked up to the sky. He used to hold Kikyo in his arms as they stared at the stars from a tree he had chosen.

He was almost asleep when a loud howl sounded throughout the gardens and it was soon followed by another louder howl. He knew the second howl and could guess whom the first one belonged to. It was bad enough that Kagome was mated to his brother now but now the picture of why she would howl that way was floating through his mind. He didn't want to picture his brother and Kagome mating. But no matter how he tried he couldn't get angry with Sesshoumaru. If he made Kagome howl that loud she must have enjoyed herself and if he could bring her happiness he could not get angry with him. He had done so many bad things to Kagome over the years and now that he was out of Kikyo's control he realized just how bad he had treated her. He would make it up to her some how. He settled back down and went back to sleep.

~*~

Kitaro led Miroku to the sitting room where their mates were located. He walked over to Sango and picked her up. He bowed his head to the Ookami that had been watching over her and then turned and left the room.

As he left the room he felt Sango's arms go around his neck and she leaned into him. He was glad that he hadn't worn his armor tonight.

"How are you doing Sango?"

"I am so very sore. I don't think that I will be able apply the salve that Uzuki gave me. It doesn't matter what part of my body that I move pain shoots through my whole body. I could move my finger and my whole body turns into one big ache." She leaned her head softly against his shoulder and closed her eyes. In truth she didn't feel any pain since Kagome healed her but Kitaro deserved a little punishment for not telling her about the blood bond.

Kitaro held her so that her body wouldn't get jarred as he carried her. He came to his room and opened the door with his tail and then laid Sango on the bed. He picked up the jar of salve and sat down on the bed beside her.

"I will apply the salve for you Sango." He parted her kimono and since she couldn't wear a loincloth it was easy to get to her center. He gently moved her legs so that her knees were bent and her center was fully open to his view. Her skin looked much better than it did earlier. To him it looked healed but since he wasn't the one in pain he said nothing. He gently applied the salve to her skin. When he was done he went and washed his hands and then returned to her. He settled down on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms.

He lightly growled at her as he nuzzled his head into her hair and drew back when he smelled a new scent on her. He sniffed her again and it was still there. She didn't smell so much like a ningen anymore. Her body was changing. He smiled and settled down beside her and continued to comfort her while her body started changing.

He watched as her ears became pointed and then he took her hand in his and watched the nails grow into delicate claws. She was changing right before his eyes. Her hair grew slightly longer and took on a gold-ish tint. He continued to whine and growl at her as her body was racked in pain due to the changes that were happening. Sango appeared to be changing more rapidly than it appeared Kagome was. If she kept changing this rapidly she would be an inu by morning. No wonder her body hurt so badly earlier. He held her throughout the night and only found sleep himself when her whimpers quieted and she had passed out from the torment of having her body change.

~*~

Sango awoke to find herself locked tightly in Kitaro's arms. He was holding her so tight that she could barely breath. She moved gently trying to get him to loosen his hold on her and stopped suddenly when he growled at her.

She looked up at his face and found him looking down at her like he was shocked that she was in his arms. "Are you ok Kitaro?"

Kitaro laughed and nodded his head. "Perhaps I should ask you that. I was not the one that spent the night changing into a Inu."

"What are you talking about? I was just sore because of your beast. Not because I was changing." Sango shook her head at her mate and tried to get out of his arms again. "Kitaro could you please release me?"

Kitaro removed his hands and arms from Sango and rolled over onto his back and watched as she climbed over him. He was going to enjoy what was about to happen.

Sango climbed over Kitaro and slid off the bed. She took a couple of steps away before she was forced to stop. She looked behind her to find Kitaro's tail wrapped around her leg. "Kitaro take your tail away from me."

Kitaro started laughing and moved his tail to show Sango that it wasn't his holding her.

Sango gasped as she saw that it was her tail that was holding her to Kitaro. Her tail was wrapped around his thigh and it didn't seem to want to be released. Then she raised her hands so that she could look at them and found claws instead of nails. She touched her ears and found that they were no longer rounded but pointed. She looked at her wrist and found a single green stripe running up her arm.

"How did I change so quickly? And how do you control these tails? You and Sesshoumaru make this look so easy."

Kitaro sat up and unwound Sango's tail from his leg and wrapped it over her shoulder and then cut the band holding her hair back with his claws. Her hair fell down onto her shoulders and reached just below her knees. He took Sango's shoulders in his hands and steered her toward a door. He leaned around her and opened the door and turned Sango so that she could look into the mirror.

"Now my beautiful mate, see what you have become."

Sango looked into the mirror and saw her hair had blond streaks running through it and the stripes on her face matched the green stripe on her wrist. The tip of her pointed ears peaked out of her hair. When she smiled she could just see the tips of her fangs. She had grown just a little taller and her breast had grown a full size and her hips were fuller. "But how did this happen to me so quick? Kagome was mated before me and she is only partially changed."

Kitaro laughed and pulled Sango back against his chest. "The best I can come up with is that since Kagome is a miko it is taking her body a little longer to change completely. And since you have just a small amount magical powers your change it happened all at once."

"I guess that makes sense and do you know my body doesn't hurt at all." Sango turned in his arms and hugged him tightly before leaving him to run to the hot springs. "I am going to bathe I will join you at breakfast."

Kitaro sighed but since he was still under orders from Uzuki not to touch Sango he just growled slightly and turned to get dressed for the day. When he was done he left the room to report to the dojo. He had a couple of students that should be waiting for him.

He walked into the dojo to find Inuyasha and Juria standing toe-to-toe yelling at each other. "Now children we must learn to over come our differences."

Inuyasha turned and growled at Kitaro and Juria just glared daggers at him.

"Now sit down. We have a lot to go over and very little time in which to do it. You will learn how to meditate and how to control your anger. Now sit down and face each other. Now take deep breaths and clear your minds of all thought. From what I saw last night that shouldn't be hard for either of you." Kitaro controlled his laughter as both his students glared at him before shutting their eyes. "Now I want you two to stay like this until I say otherwise." He turned and walked away. He removed his haori and put it over the back of a chair and quietly walked out of the dojo.

He returned to the palace and found Sango, Kagome and Sesshoumaru sitting down to the morning meal. He took the seat beside Sango and nodded to Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

"Inuyasha and Juria are practicing meditation so I thought I would join you all for breakfast." Sesshoumaru nodded his head and took a bite of meat. When it was gone he looked to Kitaro. "Do you think it is a good idea to leave the two of them alone this long?"

Kitaro laughed and nodded his head. "I put my outer haori on a chair so my scent would remain close to them and then left. They won't even notice I am gone."

Kagome started laughing and was soon joined by Sango.

Sesshoumaru shook his head in disbelief. Leave it to his general.

Everyone resumed eating and when the meal was almost done a loud explosion shook the table where they were sitting. Everyone jumped up and ran outside.

Sesshoumaru looked down the hill at his dojo to find the roof missing and smoke billowing out of the hole in the roof. A large dragon reared its head out of the hole and blew fire at the hanyou that jumped away from the dojo. He had his sword drawn and batted at the huge head that snapped its razor sharp fangs at him.

Kagome looked from the disaster of the dojo and then back at her mate. "I thought you said she was small."

"As far as dragon's go she is. You should see her mother or father. They are twice the size of her. I am surprised that I still have a dojo left." He grabbed Kitaro and dragged him toward the dojo with him. "You two stay here. We will get them calmed down and will be back in a few minutes."

"You take care of Inuyasha and I will deal with Juria." Sesshoumaru walked to the dojo and entered it through the now door less entryway. He stepped in front of the dragon and let his beast take over. He growled loudly at her and saw her shocked face and when he stomped his foot and growled again he saw her eyes narrow at him and she snapped at him. He lunged at her and knocked her down onto her back and jumped on her chest. He held her down and growled at her again. He saw her nod her head and he moved away from her. He waited till she had changed back into her humanoid form and then he changed back into his. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the dojo.

Kitaro came up behind Inuyasha while his gaze was locked on the dragon he hit him over the head with his sword. He watched as the hanyou slumped to the ground and then he picked him up and carried him up the hill to the girls.

"That was really easy." He laid him down in front of Kagome and Sango and watched as Sesshoumaru exited the dojo with Juria being dragged behind him.

Sesshoumaru dragged the dragon to his mate and general and saw his brother lying at their feet, "Pick him up Kitaro and bring him along." He turned to Juria with a quick flick of his fist she was laying on the ground in front of him. He bent down and picked her up and started toward the palace. He turned to the stable and found Ah Un.

"Ah Un can you do these two like you did Kagome and I? They will fight you every step of the way and Inuyasha's sword can break barriers."

Ah turned to Un and then they both turned to Sesshoumaru. They shook their heads and waited for their lord to place them onto their backs. When they were secure Ah and Un left the stable and took to the air. They looked down and found their lord following them. They quickly reached the cave and with their lords help he had them quickly placed in an orb. This one had to be quiet strong due to the dragon youkai and the hanyou's sword.

They turned and walked with Sesshoumaru to the opening of the cave. Sesshoumaru turned to Ah and Un; "I will send a servant with food for you everyday. Do not leave them alone in the orb."

Ah and Un shook their head at Sesshoumaru and turned to lie down beside the orb and when Sesshoumaru stepped from the cave they erected their barrier. They looked to each other and sighed.

Ah heard Un laughing and turned to look at him, "What do you find so funny?"

"I just think it is ironic that we are back in this cave."

"I am glad that you are so happy about it. I am really growing to hate this cave. I would much rather be in the stable. At least there we can get fresh air and can eat the fresh grass in the fields." Ah laid his head down and closed his eyes. With nothing else to do he decided to take a nap.

Un let his brother sleep. It was going to be a long day.

~Western Palace~

Sesshoumaru returned to his palace to find workers already repairing the dojo. His mate was standing on a hill with Kitaro's mate watching the work being done. He landed beside them.

"They are secure for now. If Ah and Un can keep them in the cave then we should have some peace for a little while." Kagome laughed and turned when Miroku came out of the palace toward them.

"Good morning Miroku."
~*~

Miroku awoke and found Masumi still sleeping. He turned his head to look out the window and quickly closed his eyes. It must be close to noon for the sun to shine that bright. He quietly got out of bed and gently covered Masumi up. He would let her sleep as late as she wanted. They had a very busy evening because Masumi had kept her promise to show him how much she loved the night and him. They didn't fall asleep until the sun was rising. He grabbed his robe and put it on then went to find some food. He went to the dining room but didn't find anyone there. After eating he asked a servant about everyone's whereabouts and went to the garden to find them all. He found Kagome, Sango, and Sesshoumaru standing on a hill looking down toward the dojo. As he neared the top of the hill he saw the ruined remains of the dojo's roof.

"What happened?"

Kagome's mouth dropped open in shock. "Don't tell me you missed the explosion a little while ago?"

"What explosion. Was anyone injured?" Miroku watched as the workers repaired the hole in the dojo roof. At the rate they were gone it would quickly be done.

Kagome shook her head back and forth then turned back to Miroku, "I don't know how you managed to sleep through the explosion. Only you could do that Miroku. From what we gather Inuyasha and Juria were training in the dojo and they must have gotten mad at each other again and when we ran out here after the explosion rocked the palace Juria was in her true form and Inuyasha was doing his best not to get fried or eaten. Sesshoumaru got Juria to change back to her humanoid form and Kitaro knocked Inuyasha out since neither one wished to quit fighting. They are now resting in a place that they can't destroy and escape easily."

Miroku looked toward Sesshoumaru, "Does this mean that the quest will be postponed?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No I will let them out in two days. Hopefully by then they will have learned to get along."

Sesshoumaru took Kagome's arm and led her back into the palace. "So what are you going to be doing today?"

Kagome stopped and smiled at her mate. "I am taking the children to the garden to play. Sango and Masumi will be joining me."

"I have work that must be done. I will be in my library should you need me." Sesshoumaru bowed his head slightly to Kagome and turned and left her in front of the garden doors.

Kagome watched him disappear and then went back outside to find Sango heading toward her.

"Where's Miroku?" Sango looked behind her to find the monk gone.

"I don't know he was just there a minute ago." They walked over to the hill and found Miroku laying down unconscious. Kagome called for a servant and had them take him back to his quarters. They followed behind the servant and opened the door to his room for them. They allowed the servant to go first and directed him to lay the monk on the bed beside his mate. Kagome leaned over and woke up Masumi. "Masumi, something happened to Miroku."

Masumi quickly sat up when she heard what Kagome had said. She looked around to find her mate beside her on the bed. "What happened to him?"

Kagome and Sango shook their heads. "One minute he was watching the dojo being repaired and I turned my back for a second and when Kagome came back out we found him passed out on the hill next to the garden." Sango handed Masumi a wet cloth and turned to leave the room. "I will find Uzuki and send her to you."

Kagome sat and took the rag from Masumi and wiped Miroku's face with it, "I will do this while you get dressed. Then you can resume your nursing."

Masumi had forgot all about her having no clothes on. She jumped up and ran for the hot springs. "I have to wash off then I will be right back." She ran out of the room after throwing on a robe and a little while longer she returned to find Uzuki looking after her mate. "How is he doing?"

Uzuki turned to look at the wolf youkai, "Tell me my Lady did you do the blood sharing with the Houshi?"

Masumi nodded and then rushed to Miroku's side, "Is that what is wrong with him?"

Uzuki smiled and nodded her head. "He is having a little difficulty adjusting that is all. He will be fine once his monkish powers adjust to the blood sharing. Like Lady Kagome he will take longer to change than Lady Sango did. But he will be fine in a day or so." Uzuki picked up her tray and then left the room. "Let him sleep as long as he can it will help his powers adjust."

Kagome turned and left the room after hearing a moan coming from Miroku. She hurried to the study to find Sesshoumaru reading a scroll.

"Sesshoumaru, Masumi did the blood sharing with Miroku and his body is having a tough time adjusting to it. Uzuki said he needed to sleep until it adjusted. I was wondering if you could use your poison on him to make him sleep like you did me?"

Sesshoumaru took her hand and drew her to him and when she was close enough he pulled her onto his lap, "It would not work for him Kagome. My poison would kill him. It only left you unharmed because you were my mate."

"Well it was worth a shot. Anyway I am sure that Miroku wouldn't appreciate the headache you get afterwards anyway." Kagome snuggled up to Sesshoumaru and laid her head on his chest.

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and looked down at Kagome, "I thought you were going to go to the garden?"

"Well I was going to but then Miroku took ill and Juria is in the cave with Inuyasha and Sango said something about Kitaro and Nichie took the kids to the village for the day so now I am at loose ends." Kagome looked over to his desk and picked up one of the many scrolls littering the top of it. "Is this how you spend your days cooped up in here?"

Sesshoumaru nodded his head to her, "I receive many scrolls a day. Villages in the West send reports to me about their crops, any attacks, livestock and numerous other tidbits of information. Sometimes they request things from me and if it is in my ability I see that they receive it. I do this for the youkai and ningen villages in my land. I take care of my villages and in return they pay me tithes. But I get weary of all the paper work."

Kagome got off of Sesshoumaru's lap and took the seat across him on the other side of the desk. She looked at the different piles on his desk and picked up the top scroll closest to her. She read it and handed it to Sesshoumaru.

"This one can wait." She sorted through all the scrolls and divided them into three piles. Ones that can wait, ones that needed attention but could wait a little while and urgent. When she was done she handed Sesshoumaru the urgent pile and leaned back to watch him.

He read over them all and then turned to look at Kagome, "You are much better than Jaken."

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms and glared at Sesshoumaru across the desk. "I should hope so. Speaking of the imp where is he. I haven't seen him since we got back."

Sesshoumaru sat up straight and then headed out of the library. How could he have forgot about the troublesome imp? He stopped and turned back to Kagome. "He is in the dungeon. I forgot all about him. Would you like to come with me to talk to him?"

Kagome nodded her head yes. She had a few things she wanted to say to the imp and this could be her last chance to do so. She hurried after Sesshoumaru and followed him to the dungeon.

Sesshoumaru stepped down the last stair to the dungeon and had to put a sleeve over his nose to keep the stench at bay. He found a guard sitting in a chair fast asleep and walked over and kicked the chair out from under him.

Sesshoumaru watched the guard become alert as he fell over and came up with claws bared. He raised an eyebrow at him and once the guard saw who was standing in front of him he fell to the ground bowing and asking his forgiveness for falling asleep.

"You are to report to Kitaro immediately. He will deal out your punishment for sleeping on duty. Now before you go where is the imp Jaken." After hearing the guards answer he walked down the row of cells and found the imp sitting in a corner of the cell. The cell was covered in the imp's waist.

He glared at the filthy imp before him. He heard a noise from the other end of the dungeon and turned to see the commander in charge of the dungeons. "How did the imp come to be so filthy?"

Dai bowed his head to his lord and lady before he spoke. "All I know my lord is that the other day he started mumbling about specters and ghost. Ever since then all he does is sit in the corner of his cell shaking. He won't move to eat, sleep or relieve himself. We move him everyday to a new cell and had the servants clean the old one. We have even tried to bathe him but nothing seemed to get him clean. If I didn't know better I would say he makes himself this dirty."

Sesshoumaru turned to the commander. He could tell he wasn't telling him the whole truth. He walked away from the cell and motioned for Kagome to come along with him then turned to Dai. "Come away from the cell we will talk over here." Once the guard and Kagome were beside him he turned to the guard. "Now tell me the truth of what happened and should you ever lie to me again you will join the imp in his cell." Dai groaned and nodded his head.

"Yes my lord. But I did not lie to you. I just didn't mention all the facts. Now here are the facts that I didn't tell you. The children came down here the other day and the fox kit used his fox magic to make him and Rin appear as specters. I didn't want the imp to know that the children still lived and that is why I did not say anything in front of him."

Kagome started laughing when she heard what the children had done. Leave it to her children to something like that. Sesshoumaru just shook his head and turned to look back at the cell. He still had to punish the imp and he didn't want to do so in front of Kagome.

"Kagome why don't you go see if the children have returned. I would like to know why they would do such a thing? I will deal with Jaken."

Kagome faced Sesshoumaru. "He harmed my kit and you expect me to go away while you punish him. It is my right as Shippou's mother to take my revenge on the imp and you will not refuse me my rights."

He should have known better than to deny Kagome the right to take revenge for her kit and now that she saw Rin as hers also she had every right to her revenge the same as he did. He nodded to her and then took her arm and guided her into another room. He looked back to Dai and with a nod of his head to the cell where Jaken was he said.

"Bring him." Sesshoumaru opened the door and stood back for Kagome to enter. He walked over to the table lying in the middle of the room. He replaced the large shackles with small ones and then hung the large ones on the wall beside the door. He turned to find Kagome looking around the room and noticed that she looked two shades paler than she normally appeared.

Sesshoumaru walked over to her and took her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she looked into his, "Kagome, trust me to take care of this. You do not have to see what I am going to do to Jaken. Trust in me that I will deal with the imp for trying to hurt our pups."

Kagome looked at her mate and smiled. She stepped back and walked out of the room grateful to be out of the torture chamber. She could still smell the scent of the last occupants' blood in the room and it made her sick to her stomach. She walked past the cell with Jaken in it and sent him an evil glare as she hurried past. She would go to the gardens. She was in need of fresh air.

Sesshoumaru was glad that Kagome chose to trust him. He knew she wanted her revenge but she was too good hearted to do what he was about too.

He heard the door open and Dai brought the imp in and laid him face down on the table and shackled him to it, "Remove his haori." Sesshoumaru waited till the imp's back was bare to him before walking toward him. He knelt in front of the table and grabbed Jaken's head with his claws.

"Jaken, I have heard tales about your harming my pups that was placed in your care. For the pain they suffered you will likewise suffer." He stood back up and flicked his whip behind him. He lowered the amount of poison in his whip so that it wouldn't kill the imp. It would be just enough to make Jaken wish for death.

Jaken lifted his head and stared at his master. "Lord Sesshoumaru, you have no pups that I have harmed."

Sesshoumaru brought the whip down across the imps back and was delighted when he heard Jaken cry out in pain. "Don't lie to me Jaken. I have heard what you did to Rin and the Kitsune Shippou."

"But my Lord she is not your pup. She is nothing but a worthless human child. She deserved everything I did to her. And why should I take care of a worthless Kitsune who has no parents or power." Jaken couldn't believe that his master was whipping him because of Rin and the Kitsune.

"Wrong Jaken, my mate and I consider them our pups and as such they should only be treated with respect. That you tried to kill them tells me that you do not trust my decisions. I will not overlook such treason!" He brought the whip down once again on the imps back. He used enough force this time to bring the imp off the table.

"My lord I only tried to protect them. It was the youkai invaders that killed them." Jaken groaned as he felt the whip on his back once again.

"YOU DARE LIE TO ME! I KNOW THERE WERE NO INVADERS! IT WAS YOUR DOING!" Sesshoumaru brought the whip down five more times before walking back to the table. He leaned down to whisper in the imp's ear. "I know this because the kitsune and Rin both told me what happened that night. I will believe my pups over you any day." He stood back and started whipping the imp again and again.

When Jaken's was laying lifeless on the table his back raw and covered in blood he stopped the whipping and walked back to the table. He looked down on Jaken's lifeless body and drew Tenseiga and with a quick flick of his wrist he returned the imp to life.

He had expected the imp to be unconscious by then but was surprised to find him still alert. "So my punishment was not hard enough for you then I must take more drastic measures." He walked to the side of the table and brought his claws up over the imps face. He released some of his poison and adjusted it so that it wouldn't kill the imp but would still cause him great pain. He took a claw and marked the imps head with the symbol of the Western Lands. Only slaves to him carried this mark.

He listened as Jaken's screams filled the room as his poison ate at his face. And Jaken was the first in centuries to earn the mark.

"This mark gives me control of you Jaken. I will know everything that you do and think. You can hide nothing from me. You are now my slave and will serve me as I see fit. Till you are well enough to serve me again you will remain in this dungeon." He stepped to the end of the table and cranked the handle that was attached to the shackles on Jaken's hands and ankles. He turned the lever until the imp was stretched as far as he could be without being torn in half. Then he went back to Jaken. He used his claws to mark the imp on his arms and then cut his hakama's to do the same to his legs.

When all the marks were in place he turned to Dai. "I want the imp left alive. When my poison runs it's coarse then you may have his wounds doctored. Till then leave him be. Leave him here in the dungeon. See that he only has bread and water to eat and drink. Inform me when he is well until then I leave him in your hands." Sesshoumaru glared at the imp one last time before he left the room. He had to go to the hot springs and wash the imps blood off his body. Jaken's normal stench was horrible but his blood smelled ten times worse. He just hoped that it would wash off in the water.

Sesshoumaru managed to make it to his rooms without running into Kagome or one of the children. About an hour later when Jaken's blood and stench was removed from his body he sighed in relief and stepped out of the spring. He donned a black hakama and silver haori and went to find his mate.

~Western Cave~

Inuyasha woke up with a pounding head and a weight lying on his chest. He looked down to find Juria lying almost on top of him. Then he looked around and saw a forest surrounding him. He heard Juria moan and was relieved when she moved away from him.

Juria woke up to find herself lying almost on top of Inuyasha. She groaned and moved off of him quickly. She looked around her and couldn't place where she was. The last thing she remembered was being in the dojo with the hanyou and then he had to open his mouth and call her wench again. Then Sesshoumaru was before her. He must have knocked her out and had them placed in the forest. "Where are we?"

Inuyasha sat up and held a hand to his head. Why did they have to knock him out? He hadn't done anything. It was Juria that destroyed his brother's dojo. He had nothing to do with it. "How the hell am I suppose to know?"

Juria glared at the hanyou and stood up. She grabbed a hold of his ear and almost giggled at the softness of it. Juria shook off that thought and pulled the hanyou up to face her. "Your the inu use your nose and see if you can tell if we are still in the Western Lands."

Inuyasha jerked his ear away from the dragon's claws and growled at her. "Well your the dragon, can't you fly up and see where we are?"

Does he always have to be a baka? How could the brother of her lord be so dense? "I would have to change forms to do that and I used up too much energy earlier to do it again." She snapped at him.

Inuyasha smiled at Juria and leaned back against a tree, "Well all you had to do was say that you were a weakling and I would have helped you."

Juria put her hands on her hips and with a stomp of her foot turned and started walking away from the hanyou, "I refuse to stay with you any longer. You are insufferable." She turned and walked into the forest away from him.

"Hey where are you going? You can't just leave like that. Who is going to protect you since you are so weak?" Inuyasha took off after the troublesome dragon youkai. Kagome would S. I. T. him until his back broke if something happened to Juria. He saw how they got along yesterday at dinner. And he wasn't about to do anything to make Kagome mad.

Juria just kept walking. She refused to stop and look at the hanyou behind her. As the day wore on she continued to still walk and she had yet to see anything familiar. Where in the world did Lord Sesshoumaru put them? She was grateful that Inuyasha had finally decided to be quiet. His constant questioning was beginning to fray her nerves more than they already were. She found a stream as night began falling and drank her fill. She sat up and wiped her mouth and finally turned to face the hanyou. She found him staring at her.

"Why are you staring at me like that for?" Inuyasha shook his head and smirked at her. "I am just surprised that someone as pampered as you could walk so far with out taking a break."

Juria stood up and walked till she was toe to toe with the hanyou. "I AM NOT PAMPERED!"

"Yeah what ever. I wasn't the one who was raised in a palace and had everything given to me. If that isn't pampered I don't know what is." Inuyasha jumped away from Juria into a tree and settled in for the night.

Juria scowled up at the hanyou. "Just because I lived in the palace doesn't mean that I was pampered."

"Oh yeah then tell me the last hard thing you did to get something you needed?" Inuyasha stared up at the sky waiting for her answer.

"I helped mother with the sick to get a new kimono." Juria resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the hanyou above her.

"Wow you helped your mother for a new kimono. I am sure that was a very difficult task." Inuyasha shook his head and leaned back further into the tree. "Have you ever had to work just to get something to eat? Or work to put a roof over your head?" At her silence he turned his head and smiled down at her. "Just like I said, pampered."

"It is not my fault that I never have to do things like that so you can't hold it against me." Juria put her hands on her hips and yelled at the hanyou.

"Yeah right. I bet you couldn't survive a week without anyone helping you do anything." Inuyasha was enjoying making her angry.

"I could too." Juria stomped her foot and sat down beneath the hanyou's tree.

Inuyasha jumped down and landed in front of Juria. "Glad you accepted my bet. Now here are the rules. You have to get your own food and if we are at the palace you have to cook and serve it yourself. You are not allowed to accept help from anyone and I mean that. If you need a new kimono you will find some other way to earn the money besides helping your mother. You will clean your own clothes and room. Think you can do all that?"

Juria glared up at the hanyou and nodded her head. "That's all you want me to do. This bet will be so easy to win. And when I win what do I get?"

Inuyasha smirked down at her and crossed his arms in his haori. "What do you want?"

"How about never hearing the word wench come out of your mouth again. And you have to be nice to my mother." It was Juria's turn to smirk as she watched the hanyou squirm.

"Fine, but if you loose I get to call you wench or anything else I feel like, anytime I want and you can't get mad at me. You will also become my servant instead of my brothers for the rest of your days." Inuyasha smiled when the smirk disappeared off her face. "What is the payment to steep for you?"

Juria shook her head no. "Fine, but if I win you have to agree to have manner lessons. And I will be your instructor."

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to scowl at Juria. "Fine, it's a deal. It's not like I am going to loose anyway." He jumped back into the tree and pretended to go to sleep.

Juria leaned back against the tree and started thinking of all the manners that he needed help with. She finally came to the conclusion that there were too many to count. With a heavy sigh she settled down and a little while later she fell asleep.