CLAIMING KIN by Salome and Talon

Mother

By Talon (talonsage)

Author’s Note: This chapter gives the perspective of Kin’s human mother after Kin has been taken to his brother Lord Sesshoumaru.

She feels alone most of the time now. Even as she holds Nokimi's newest babe in her arms, and watches the puppies romp and play and tussle, even as the servants are as they always are, she is still alone.

She is not the only human concubine the great Lord of the West keeps, but she has the dubious honor of being one of the very few to have given him offspring. None of his children by his concubines and whores were given more than perfunctory treatment, but her own babe…she coos softly at the child in her arms. Nokimi had been summoned to their Lordship. Nokimi is youkai, a kitsune/neko cross. Surprisingly, they got along quite well. Their Inuyashas were close in age and played contentedly together, when they weren't being bullied by their elder half siblings.

She has not seen her Inuyasha…her Kin…since the day she was required to present him to his father. Kin had behaved himself perfectly, but he had been taken from her anyway. She had been sent back to the concubine's chambers without her child. That night, she could not stop sobbing.

Kin was hanyou…and as such the lowest of the concubine's offspring. In addition to that, he was the only offspring to have the perfect coloring of the inu Taisho. He had no youkai markings, his pale skin flawless. But his eyes were the deep molten gold of his sire and Eldest Brother, and his hair, while coarser and softer than the heavy, silken locks of the two, was the same bright silver. The puppy ears that peeked out from that gorgeous mane were supposedly a slap in the face, but Izayoi could not bring herself to hate them. They were precious and perfect. Just like her Kin.

All the unwanted puppies shared the same name and designation: “Inuyasha.” Their mothers were permitted to give them a small personal name of their own. She had called her precious one “Kin” for his golden eyes. The only other yellow-eyed offspring, aside from Sesshoumaru-sama himself had been a female, who recently had been mated to one of the Lord's young officers. She had considered naming him “Gin,” for silver, but the silver hair was a trait not nearly so uncommonly passed down as the golden eyes. And Kin's eyes were so big and solemn…even as an infant, he looked and assessed the world around him with a gaze that bespoke of years beyond his puppy self.

But where was he now? That first night, not knowing anything at all had been horrible. But gossip had brought her news on the morn that was almost worse than not knowing. That Kin…her precious, sensitive Kin had been given to the Inu Lord's heir, Sesshoumaru!!

She had pressed for any news, any details. The servants, who were usually more than willing to share the gossip, had little to give. Kin had been made to wait, a long time, for Sesshoumaru-sama to come to him. There had been some yelling, but no crying that anyone heard. Jaken-sama had woken Lord Sesshoumaru as he did each morning, and the hanyou was sleeping at the foot of the large bed. The hanyou was given to the care of servants for the day, with instructions to bring him to Sesshoumaru-sama in the afternoon.

And that was all.

And the days went by…and still no Kin. No new news. Nothing about where he was or what he did. Only that he woke in Sesshoumaru-sama's chambers, and returned to them each afternoon.

She prayed, constantly, that the eldest son would treat her little treasure well. That he would not abuse him or make him cry. He suffered too much of that at the hands of his other brothers and sisters, and some of their mothers as well. He was given to obedience, naturally submissive, and good natured. He did not hold grudges that she could tell, and would be content to play quietly with Hana, his closest half-sibling, were they not constantly interrupted so the older puppies could establish their dominance.
Kin rarely complained. If he did it was because he was hurt badly enough to need some kind of attention. She knew his ears were constantly being grabbed and bitten and yanked. She wanted to interfere when the older ones dry humped the younger ones, or made them suck and lick their genitals. But the other mothers, mostly youkai, wouldn't allow it. They have to establish their own pecking order, she was told. They have to work this out on their own.

Not to mention that the concubines needed to be ready to be called into service at any given time. Much of their life was devoted to being bathed and groomed and dressed and primped. Those with infants or younger toddlers had to consider their needs as well. That was why she herself was watching this little one today. She could nurse him, if necessary, and Nokimi would not have to worry about her babe being hungry or ill tended. Nokimi had done the same for her, with Kin, and she with Nokimi’s elder, Hana. Though the Lady of the West no doubt had many nursemaids for her single pup, the same consideration was not given to the concubines.

Was Kin being fed well? At least here she knew he never went hungry. He might not get the best food, but the Lord of the West did not allow even his unwanted and unfavored pups to be hungry. Meal times were yet another exercise in dominance. Kin loved eggs, but he rarely got them, because they were taken by the older, faster and stronger pups. If he was smaller than they, Izayoi blamed it on his human side, and not on his food. He never went hungry, true, but he did get less meat and vegetables than rice. She nursed him still, to make up for any lack, but…there was no denying his smallness.

She feared…truly feared that Sesshoumaru-sama would kill her Kin. If he did…gods…she could not even contemplate it. But why? Why was he taken from her to be given to Sesshoumaru-sama of all people? It made no sense.

And all she could do was wait. Wait and hope for more information. And watch the moon nervously as the days passed. Kin…