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The Hot Springs	By : kuronekosama Category: InuYasha > General Views: 17152 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Author Notes:

kami: short, curt form for �God�
fushichou: phoenix
kisamara: a plural, �mature� form of �you,� said in a very rude way
karasu: crow
gomen-nasai: polite form of �I�m sorry�
okaasan: mother
aniki: older brother (or one�s senior)
hakama: Japanese male formal split skirt
Toukijin: Sesshoumaru�s sword, not the reviving one but the one crafted by the evil apprentice
kumo: spider
kowai: scary
Goyou Trail: a proper name that I made up: �Five-Leaf Trail�
Tenrai: a proper name that I made up: �thunder�
Ikkatsu: a proper name that I made up: �roar�

Chapter Fourteen of The Hot Springs

~~~~~~Two Hours Later~~~~~~

The mare that Sesshoumaru and Rin were riding began to tire after about an hour of running at a moderate speed, so they slowed for another hour, watching the scenery pass as the horse caught its breath. The forest was thick around them, but Sesshoumaru knew all of the animal trails very well, and they made quick time as they transferred from one to the other. The sun was warm and golden that day, and though not much of it penetrated the forest canopy, small and large shafts of sunlight slanted diagonally through the air beneath, giving the forest a magical feel to it. The two riding the horse spoke very little, keeping their thoughts to themselves, although Sesshoumaru did comment that they would eventually break free of the forest for about half an hour before entering another.

Rin was on edge, worried about what the ceremony she would have to perform with the Shikon no Tama required of her. Do I need to sacrifice something? Cut myself and offer blood? She winced, hoping that she simply had to wish hard enough and her dreams would come true, but she knew that her simple hope had a slim chance of coming to fruition. Wondering about Inuyasha�s mate, Kagome, Rin wondered if they would perform the ceremony together. That makes me feel a little better, knowing I don�t have to do it by myself. Kagome, who helped her birth all of her children, came to be one of her few outside friends�and Rin liked to think that she had befriended Jaken and Inuyasha, too. She had not thought of it much, but her only companions were ones with whom she rarely met�her family was all she had. She smiled to herself, thinking of the times when her family was too much, but�

I wonder how Okashi is doing�is Yoichi-sama eating well?

Her life, before Sesshoumaru re-entered it, was a bit demeaning, especially with Kagatsu constantly hovering over her, but Okashi and Yoichi-sama�the housekeeper�they made life bearable. They let her life be enjoyable each day. And she missed them�

�Rin, are you alright? Do you need a break?� Sesshoumaru asked, jarring her from her thoughts. She took in a deep breath, looking around for a bit as the forest�s natural but ancient scent filled her nostrils. He had not slowed the horse from its fast walk, but Rin could see that they were about halfway through a small clearing, most likely made from a fight between youkai a few months before now. The area looked like it had been charred, but grass and small saplings were starting to grow again.

�Iie, I�m fine. But, Sesshoumaru-sama� this clearing�� she began, hinting at her confusion. The new clearing was made only a couple of hours from their home. Are warring youkai this close to us all the time? She did remember that she rarely left the house in her previous life, perhaps only to visit Kagome and Inuyasha, or to mingle with humans in the nearest village, but more often that not, Rin was at home.

�As Jaken and I set out to check the borders again, about three months before I came to retrieve you, a fire demon challenged my seat in the Western Lands. Fire demons are very rare and unusually powerful, but he was too young. Stupid fool�� he finally whispered, obviously still angered. She wanted to ask how he had managed to defeat such a creature, but decided to stay her question until he had calmed down. Patting the horse�s shoulder, which was still a bit slimy with sweat, she reassured the mare since it started neighing as they passed through the clearing.

�Do you need water?� he asked, changing the subject. Rin swallowed, her throat a bit dry, and accepted his offer. She felt his body twist behind her as he reached back for the gourd of water that Toku had packed onto the horse�s right side. Suddenly self-conscious of how she was feeling, Rin realized that the insides of her thighs were starting to chafe against the saddle. This certainly doesn�t make personal matters much better. Her mate�s hand gripped her hip and his other came in front of her, holding the water gourd. She thanked him, tipping the gourd up and taking a few small swallows. Licking her lips, Rin stopped up the gourd again and handed it back to her mate. His hand stayed upon her hip as he twisted around again to put the water gourd back in its place.

When he turned back around, the horse entered the forest again, following a deer trail that traced the side of the mountain up ahead. The horse began to move a little more quickly, still careful of its fog, bg, but it bounced her passengers quite a bit. Rin tried to hold herself still, wondering if her thighs would be okay when they stopped that night or if she�d find a red rash all along the insides. Why a horse?

Sesshoumaru was for the moment unaware of Rin�s dilemma. He was keeping watch since he had been concerned that something might find them hey hey passed through the clearing, despite the fact that his nose could not detect anything. They made it through without incident, though. Letting his guard down only a tad, he relaxed his body, letting it curve around the woman in front of him. Using his connection through his hands, he checked to see if she was feeling any better, and his eyes widened in surprise. She�s in even more pain. Needing to stop the horse, he reached his left hand forward to gather more of the reins while his right hand curved over the front of her belly, pressing back to keep her in place. The horse obediently stopped, and Rin straightened in the saddle.

�Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?� she called back over her shoulder.

�Are you in pain, Rin?� he asked, feeling a nagging in the back of his mind. He had felt the cancer growing in his mate in her previous life, all the while asking if she was pained, but she never said she was until the final days when it consumed her completely. Literally enraged that it might take her away from him again, Sesshoumaru was determined to make sure that she had not contracted the horrid disease.

�It�s just that I have never ridden a horse before in this life, and�my�my thighs, Sesshoumaru-sama�� she whispered, looking down at the hand over her lower abdomen. It was practically two inches from being a very intimate touch. �And I�m also still sore from our love-making, so the two together are not very comfortable.� Sesshoumaru breathed a sigh of relief, dropping his chin a few degrees downward. That�s actually good to know� Sniffing in the fresh scent of her hair, a sudden urge came over him. The hand over her stomach slowly drifted downward, and the sound of his skin sliding over the soft hakama cloth was very audible in the silence of the forest around them. Rin took in a deep breath, a blush rising to her cheeks. He set the reins on the horn of the saddle and brought his arm back to wrap around Rin�s torso, just below her breasts. The pads of his fingers pressed into Rin�s pelvis, right at the top of her thighs.

�You�re sore right here?� he asked, scooting just a bit closer to her backside. She felt her heartbeat quicken, thudding wonderfully against her ribs, and sighed almost inaudibly, having missed the excitement of her mate�s different methods of seduction. However, his question reminded her that she couldn�t mate with him just yet, since she was very sore. But�it was too much of a temptation to let their little interlude continue for another minute. She laid her head back on his shoulder, setting both of her hands over the one pressed to the juncture of her thighs.

�Hai, right there�it�s sore right there, Sesshoumaru-sama,� she whispered, closing her eyes. He closed his eyes as well, leaning his head down to suckle the skin on the side of her neck and breathe in her fresh scent.

�What would make it feel better?� He held his fingers still, but his did raise his left arm, pushing her breasts up a little higher. She turned her head towards his ear, feeling her braid move underneath the back of her skull.

�Could you rub it, master? �Please,� she breathed, only needing her words to carry an inch into her mate�s ear. His loins flinched in reaction to her voice, soft and feminine, as it asked him to touch her.

�Aa�for a while, love,� he replied, pressing his fingers against her body and slowly moving them in a circle. Rin took in a quick breath, which left her lungs in a ser. er. She pinched her lower lip between her teeth, feeling her womanhood heat up beneath her master�s deft hand. He knew that they could not go much farther than this, so while she enjoyed his attentions, he thought of how they could continue without chafing the insides of her thighs.

�Uhh�uhhhhh�� Rin sighed. Her thighs were shaking a bit, as if they wanted to move. A solution appeared in Sesshoumaru�s mind, but he knew that it would kill him to do it. However, if he wanted to mate with her again�she had to get better first�and the horse ride wasn�t helping. Damn it� He indulged her for another minute, vainly attempting to not react to the sensual moans she made. Lifting his face to the canopy above, he brought his nose away from the scent she was emitting. Kami�no more�

�Rin, can you turn around?� he asked, halting his hand. Rin�s shoulders sagged, realizing that he was stopping already. She brought her hands away from her abdomen, letting him set his hand on her thigh.

�Hai�ano�all the way around?� she asked, bringing her left leg over the mare�s neck, which was still obediently standing still. She heard Sesshoumaru�s affirmative answer, and got seated sideways before preparing to get her right leg back over the saddle without falling off. Holding onto his shoulders, she kept her leg bent as she squeezed it between them, bringing it over and then dropping her foot back down. Her inner muscles were protesting, but Rin ignored them as she adjusted.

Their position was awkward for the moment. Rin felt like she had nowhere to put her legs since they now had to use the space that Sesshoumaru�s legs were using. And it was as if she were riding the saddle way too high. He made sure she was steady before turning left to find a blanket, certain that she would see a certain protrusion from his hakama. If she noticed, though, she made no noise that told him so, and he tugged a thicker wool blanket from the front of a saddlebag. Turning back around, he set the blanket behind her on the neck of the horse, which didn�t react beyond the restless stomp of a foot.

Looking down into Rin�s deep brown eyes, Sesshoumaru slid his hands beneath her thighs, and she automatically gripped his shoulders for support. Pulling her towards him, he brought her legs over his thighs until her body was pressed flush against his own. Her eyes widened, indicating that she definitely noticed his arousal now, but he merely leaned down to hold her tightly against his chest, forcing Rin to break eye contact with him. Lifting her rear high enough to slide the blanket beneath, he set her back down, having cushioned her backside and brought her abused flesh into contact with a much more pliant surface. She lifted her feet, crossing her ankles behind him, and wrapped her arms around his torso as she set her cheek against his neck. The spikes in his armor had been temporarily removed, so Rin didn�t have to worry about them poking her. However, his chest was still covered with the thick metal, so she was a bit disappointed that she couldn�t come into more direct contact with his skin.

Sesshoumaru, having settled his mate, reached for the reins and touched his heels to the horse�s flanks. The mare, having grown anxious to move again, neighed and immediately took a fast walk, making her way down and around the deer path as it followed the curves of the mountain.

Now that she could hold him, and now that her thighs no longer troubled her, the gentle rumblings of the horse�s movements beneath her couldn�t stop Rin from feeling drowsy as she absorbed her mate�s body heat and took in the masculine scent of his skin and hair. The sun even couldn�t wake her since it had a hard enough time peeking through the forest canopy. Though once in a while she was jarred enough to keep her from slumber, she eventually felt her eyelids sag shut with finality.

Feeling his mate fall asleep, Sesshoumaru kept one hand on the reins and held her close with the other. Though nothing threatening was nearby, he felt a sudden surge of protectiveness, realizing that his mate had to feel exceptionally safe with him if she was able to fall asleep in such a place. He had not thought of it when they camped at night so many times in Rin�s previous life, but here and now, he knew that she had an incredible trust in his ability to protect her, and it somehow put a pressure on him that made him tighten his arm.
~~~~~~Back at the Mansion~~~~~~

Genbu and Inutaisho looked towards the secret door of the wall of the complex, watching Toku return a bit wearily. Genbu made an angry noise, gritting his teeth and looking down at his feet. Inutaisho remained silent, waiting for his younger brother to walk to them.

�Are they off then?� he asked when Toku was within a few feet of them. Toku merely nodded, not looking too pleased. Inutaisho, however anxious he was himself, had come to a realization when his mother had hugged him. �What are you two so worried about?� Genbu and Toku looked to their eldest brother, not understanding. �We know the requirements of the ceremony�but we forgot that okaasan is the one who will be going through it. Just by spending a day with her, anyone could see that she would have no problem meeting the requirements.� He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head slightly cock to the left as he folhis his arms inside his sleeves. �We�re all just getting worked up for nothing.�

Toku and Genbu gave each other a blank stare.

�There�s still some food left, if you guys want some,� Genbu announced as he easily hopped onto the porch. His two brothers rubbed their stomachs at the same time, following him inside as they talked of inconsequential things.
~~~~~~Two Hours Later~~~~~

Having packed the fushichou youkai with a bit of food, the two youngest brothers made ready to leave again. Inutaisho, however much he hated his brothers� nagging, was sorry to see them go. Toku and Genbu always did stick together. Inutaisho spent more of his time with his parents or alone, but he now wished that he had gotten to know his siblings a little better.

�Do you know when you�ll be back?� he asked them as they mounted their beasts of burden. Genbu flipped his long mane behind his shoulders, pulling it into a ponytail and looked to his brother to give their answer.

�Send for us when okaasan has returned. We�ll come visit then.� Toku took hold of the reins, sending his brother a farewell salute as he lightly kicked the sides of his ride. Genbu finished tying his hair back and flashed a grin at Inutaisho.

�Give Yokiri-san a kiss for me, ne?� he called, bringing a quick angry blush to Inutaisho�s face. Genbu chuckled at his own joke and nudged his fushichou youkai, which followed the other one into the air.

�You�ll get a broken nose for that one when you get back, Bu-channnn!" Inutaisho hollered, brandishing about his fist.
~~~~~~Deep in the Forest~~~~~~

Rounding a bend in the deer path, their small party was now merely a hundred yards from a small valley, the large clearing that Sesshoumaru had spoken of earlier. His arousal had thankfully gone down a few minutes after Rin fell asleep. She seemed to be comfortable enough, but he had to wake her, and gently shook her shoulder.

�Mm�Sesshoumaru-sama?� she whispered, her voice a cracking a bit. She cleared her throat, bringing one hand up to rub at her eyes.

�We will soon enter the clearing between our forest and the Weeping Forest. The mare is going to run through while she has a clear open path, so you had best prepare yourself,� Sesshoumaru warned her. Rin, of course, realized that moving with the horse would be difficult in this position, making it harder on the mare, but she wasn�t sure how she was supposed to sit without just returning to her original position.

�Should�should I turn back around, Sesshoumaru-sama?� she asked, looking up at his alert features. He shook his head, and she felt his hand leave her back as he gathered the reins in both hands.

�Sit as close to me as possible and try not to let your legs move too much.� Rin felt like rolling her eyes, wondering why they couldn�t have borrowed the fushichou youkai from their two sons. Why a horse?

�Ne, Sesshoumaru-sama?� she called up, tightening her arms and legs around him. He made a questioning noise, not looking down at her as they neared the edge of the forest. �Why are we going to Inuyasha-sama�s home on a horse?�

She waited for an answer, but heard none for a few seconds, until she saw a smirk spread across his face.

�Because this is more fun,� he answered. With that, they felt the sun spill over their shoulders, having reached the valley floor. He kicked at the mare�s sides, galvanizing her into a fast run. Rin gasped, very much jostled, and held onto his body for dear life. The mare whinnied, glad to be sprinting across the open field.

The wind immediately blasted against Rin�s back, tossing her braid over her shoulder. She felt Sesshoumaru lean down a bit over the horse, forcing her to hold onto him to keep from falling back. The horse�s hooves clomped loudly against the grassy field as they shot through, and Rin shut her eyes, tucking her nose against his neck. However, as the shock wore away, she became aware of something else.

Something was growing beneath her, and the motion of the horse pressed her directly upon it. Over and over again�

Oh, goodness�

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, having hoped that this wouldn�t happen but knowing that it was going to, anyway. He bent his mind to making it go away, but the fact that Rin was almost bouncing against him, even if she couldn�t help it, only made matters worse. Despite his best intentions, though, he was enjoying their drawn-out foreplay, however odd it was�and it was certainly very pleasant. He felt her move her arms, gripping his shoulders from behind so that she could get a better hold on him. Having somewhat settled them into the much faster pace, he left the reins in one hand and brought the other down to hold her against him, keeping his eyes ahead.

Rin tried to ignore the obvious bulge repeatedly being bumped against her, and opened her eyes. She looked off to the side, watching the scenery blur past them. From her perspective, she could see the line of open field that separated the two forests, dotted with rocks both large and small. Perusing her past life�s memories, Rin recalled that the Weeping Forest was much darker beneath the canopy than their own forest. Very little wind entered the forest, so the air was supposedly thick with the scent of tree sap and decaying leaves. The forest earned its name because the sounds of weeping could supposedly be heard after dark. Rin had once asked her master if a troubled soul or a youkai were haunting the forest, but he didn�t respond at the time. They had never traveled through the forest, only flying above it, but now it seemed that they would have to hear the weeping for themselves.

Rin clenched her jaw, realizing that hery way was reacting to Sesshoumaru�s thrusting hips. Well, at least my thighs won�t become chafed. Riding forwards put her legs at a different angle, forcing her thighs to rub very uncomfortably against the saddle, but riding this way merely exposed her womanhood to certain distractions, however enjoyable they were.

His hand underneath her back let Rin relax her arms somewhat, which eventually would have tired. Setting her chin on Sesshoumaru�s shoulder, she felt the wind blowing past her, a warm strong wind that reminded her of her mate. Closing her eyes, Rin recalled last night, letting his distracting hips work with her memories. Though he had shown a great deal of emotion several times when they made love before, especially for a demon as serious as he was, last night was so much different. She had never heard him beg her, never heard him as tense with sexual need as he was last night. It had made her feel incredibly powerful, and she only wished to give him more of thee. e. She wanted to hear him beg again, and to reward him with as much pleasure as her body and his own could produce.

She smiled to herself, feeling a warm churning in her stomach as they rode along. Taking a deep breath, Rin opened her eyes to look up at the sky, and gasped in shock. Fisting her hands over Sesshoumaru�s shoulders, she frantically whispered,

�Above us, Sesshoumaru-sama!� Three large karasu youkai, high in the sky and perhaps a quarter mile away, were plainly visible from Rin�s perspective. The brief thought questioning why he had not smelled them flitted through Rin�s mind, but it was quickly dashed as she heard him grit his teeth next to her ear. She gasped in fright, clinging to him as he suddenly pulled up on the reins of the horse. The mare stopped immediately, neighing with anxiety and rearing up once. Rin tightened every limb around her mate, her heart pounding as the crow demons rapidly descended upon their party, shrieking in delight. The horse landed on its front feet again, and Sesshoumaru quickly disentangled himself from his mate, landing on the ground in a mere couple of seconds.

�Kisamara�� he growled, drawing his sword. Toukijin, however evil, had chosen Sesshoumaru as its master simply because of his power and strength. Rin didn�t like to think of her mate as being evil�but powerful�that was definitely a word to describe him. as ias incredibly strong, a fact that Rin was reminded of almost every day. However, since she couldn�t seem to think for a few seconds, she simply watched him leap from the ground to meet the crows halfway. She knew that she should at least turn around on the horse, but she was scared that it would suddenly turn tail and run just as she was trying to turn around. One of the crows screamed in pain, and Rin whipped her head up to look. Having had its right wing chopped off, the crow floundered for a couple of seconds. The wing fell to the ground about ten feet in front of Rin, followed by the splash of demon blood. Next came the rest of the crow, landing in a heap a couple of feet away from the wing. Still alive, it continued to flail around, squawking in pain and dismay. A noise to her right drew her attention then, and she saw Sesshoumaru, who had just landed and leapt again right when her eyes landed on him.

I saw him fight so much in my past life, especially while I was still very young, and he even fought against Naraku, perhaps the toughest enemy any of us had ever faced. After Naraku�s defeat, life settled down, pretty much until the surprise attack of the kumo youkai. Sayo was the last of their troubles until Rin�s own death. And now�something else was after them. Why can�t we be left alone?

Another screech of agony, and the second crow died before it hit the ground, having been severed vertically. The first crow was still flapping its one good wing, obviously trying to do something. Rin watched it with bated breath, hoping that it would die very, very soon. Sesshoumaru landed once again, and the third crow dived at him, missing entirely as he deftly evaded the dumb bird. The first crow, however, had a mission in its death throes, and was slowly making its way towards Rin. Frozen, she watched it as it came towards her, and she felt the horse anxiously stomping its feet underneath her. Realizing that she desperately needed help, especially since she couldn�t seem to move, her mouth attempted to say something. As she was about to call for Sesshoumaru, who was currently spinning back to slice the last crow in half, the first crow jumped at the back end of the horse, squawking loudly. Rin screamed, covering her face even as she pressed her chest to the saddle and gripped the sides of the horse tightly with her legs. The crow missed his target, too short, and ended up pecking the horse�s rear. She felt the mare jerk underneath her, and it immediately broke into a run, whinnying with fear.

Sesshoumaru looked to the horse as soon as Rin screamed, and felt his heart drop into his stomach. Rin� Sprinting after the horse, which was running at its fastest, he only hoped that his mate could stay on long enough for him to catch up. Rin�

Rin�s mind was yelling but her voice was silent, and the horse showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, having a dog demon chasing it only made it run faster. Moreover, several boulders lie ahead about one hundred yards, blocking the horse from running much farther unless she turned a full ninety degrees to find a break in the line of rocks. Sesshoumaru prepared to leap forward, now only aple ple horse-lengths behind. He could feel the intense fear in his mate, and it made his heart pound with an extra dose of adrenalin. Expecting the horse to suddenly stop or to turn, his mouth fell open when he saw it prepare to jump instead.

Rin could feel it, too, and her voice finally unlocked itself. Screaming at her loudest, she grasped for something to hold her to the horse, but the force with which it launched its front end in order to clear the rocks was too great for Rin to overc Fe Feeling her body leave the solid saddle beneath her, Rin saw large rocks beneath her as she too flew up in the air, moving in the same direction as the horse since she still had a bit of momentum. Her fingers clasped at thin air, finding nothing to save her, and she shut her eyes. Feeling her body slowly flipping, meaning that she would land directly on her head, only a single word popped into her mind�

She ran out of breath quickly, having screamed until her throat was sore, and her voice fell silent as she quietly waited for the last second before she would land and most likely die from impact. When her body suddenly jerked in the air, she thought for a split second that she had hit the ground, but nothing on her body hurt. Two strong arms tightly pressed her side and legs against a hard metal surface. Her upper body was flipped up, and she felt gravity lose its hold on her.

Sesshoumaru landed cleanly on his feet, skidding to a stop as he bent his knees to take the impact. Once they had completely stopped, he quickly looked her over, searching for any part of her body that was feeling abnormal pain. Finding nothing out of the ordinary besides a racing heart, fast breathing, and high adrenalin, he set her on the ground. Her eyes, clenched shut, opened slowly and stared at the space in front of her with her mouth ajar. She�s okay�she�s okay� Rin seemed to be in a trance for a few seconds, not moving, not even blinking. Then suddenly gasping, she looked up at her savior, realizing that she was still alive and uninjured. Finding his face full of concern, she felt relief spread in her chest, and tears began to well up. A frown creased his lips, and he wondered why moisture was gathering over her warm brown eyes. Rin�you�re all right�

She sobbed once, blinking a few tears out, and then threw her arms around her mate�s neck, holding him as tightly as she could. He returned her hug, comforting her as best as he could. She sobbed against his neck, but he felt her fear quickly dissipating, being replaced by what had to be relief. She choked out her gratitude, pressing closer to him. Damn those meddling bastards�

Sesshoumaru almost turned his eyes to see if the horse had stopped running yet, hearing that Rin was starting to quiet down, but she abruptly pulled back and cupped his face between her small hands. Wondering what she was up to, he looked at her face with confusion. Her cheeks were wet with tears and flushed red, and she was still breathing heavily. Her lashes were spiked from being wet, and her lips were especially red and pouty. Another sob came out, though it was obvious that Rin was trying to stop, and another tear squeezed out from the corner of her eye, following a wet path on her cheek.

Don�t cry�

Just as he was about to reach up and wipe the moisture from her face, Rin leaned forward, taking his lips in a heated kiss. Sesshoumaru blinked, confused as to why she suddenly needed to kiss him in the middle of a chaotic moment. His eyes refused to stay open, though, and he took in a quick breath through his nostrils. She eventually brought her lips away, only to shower a multitude of kisses onto his face: his chin, the sides of his mouth, at least two kisses to each cheek, and then repeat. He felt a chuckle bubbling up inside his chest, but managed to suppress it.

�Rin�� he rushed to say, having a hard time finding a second when she wasn�t about to land another kiss on him. She didn�t listen to him, though, fitther her mouth to his again and blatantly shoving her tongue inside. He felt her slink her arms around his neck, holding him to her as she let the raw emotions from the past five minutes drain from her body. The way she kissed him reminded him of the woman who made love to him last night. Though it somewhat hurt his masculine pride to say that she made love to him, he couldn�t deny that it was true. Rin had complete control over him for that hour of their lives, and it had been the most soul-shattering pleasure he had ever felt. He only hoped that it could happen again soon�

Squeezing his free hand between them, Sesshoumaru found the lapel to her haori and slipped his hand inside, searching for a soft mound of flesh to curve his fingers around. Rin gasped once his hand fit itself to the slope of her right breast, and their kiss broke off, though their lips still touched. She achingly sighed, feeling pleasant little shocks of sensation as his fingers brushed the sensitive tip. Just as she was about to continue their kiss, she heard an impatient neighing only a few feet from her left ear. Looking towards the source, she saw that the mare had dutifully returned, having finished from its panic-attack. Blug ang and turning her face back to Sesshoumaru, who still had his hand inside her clothing, Rin realized just where they were�

She�s beautiful when she blushes.

�Ahh! Gomen-nasai, Sesshoumaru-sama! I�I didn�t mean to drape myself all over you!� she said, flustered. She pulled back, forcing him to remove his hand from her haori. Shakily coming to a stand, she crossed her arms, huffily looking off to the side. He smiled to himself, knowing that she was hiding her body�s reaction to his hands. �And�gomen-nasai�for the trouble I caused you because of the horse,� she added, scuffing the bottom or shr shoes. She saw him gracefully rise to his feet from the corner of her eye, and her blush became all the more intense.

Of all the times and places for me to�

She flinched in surprise, feeling his hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she dolefully noted the arrogant smirk on his face, and half-pouted, squinting her eyes at him.

�Let�s get going, love,� he said, nudging her towards the horse. Rin began to move towards the mare, which almost looked apologetic, as Sesshoumaru glanced around for the blanket that had come off of the saddle with Rin. Seeing it a few feet away, he retrieved it and dusted it off before re-folding it. Looking to his mate, he felt his heart skip a beat. She�s all right.

But that was close.
~~~~~~Twenty-five minutes later~~~~~~

After re-settling themselves on the horse, they had kicked off again towards their destination: the Weeping Forest. Rin was a bit nervous to be entering the forest, now that they were so close. She wondered how she could be afraid of just a bunch of trees, considering the demon who was personally escorting her through them. No matter how nervous she was, though, she was still greatly distracted by the same bulge repeatedly bumping against her. Even when they first re-mounted the horse, she had immediately noticed that his arousal had not faded in the slightest. She had somewhat unsuccessfully ignored it, thinking about the attack that had just occurred. However, her mind eventually began to think of the future, and of their inevitable jaunt through the Weeping Forest. She wondered if they would have to stop there for the night.

�Ne, Sesshoumaru-sama?� she said, her voice bouncing with the horse. Feeling that they were going a bit downhill, she tightened her legs around him.

�What is it?� he answered, breathing a bit heavily. Why is he out of breath? She stumbled her words for a couple of seconds, having been put off guard by confusion, but she let the thought pass and asked her questions.

�How much longer will it be until we�ve reached the Weeping Forest?� Since she couldn�t look behind her without disrupting the rhythm of the horse, Rin had been facing the way they had come the entire time.

�We have only�half a mile to go, love,� Sesshoumaru replied, still breathing heavily. She felt her confusion again, wondering if it was really that strenuous to hold her up and ride with the horse at the same time. If he were human, I would understand, but�

�Do we have to stay the night inside the forest?� she asked. His breaths were becoming a little heavier, and she wondered if she was becoming too burdensome for him.

�Aa,� he said. It was a blunt answer, and though she was used to it, she eventually came to suspect that he was being blunt for another reason. Feeling a blush on her cheeks, she shyly smiled. She believed she was mean for feeling it, but she was glad that he was having such a difficult time due to his aroused state.

For another couple of minutes, the mare ran all out, quickly approaching the tree line of the Weeping Forest. As they approached, Sesshoumaru told Rin to hang onto him, and gripped the reins in both hands. Pulling back, he slowed the mare down, which was huffing and puffing from exertion, but still antsy to keep moving. It neighed a couple of times, swinging its head from side to side, but it otherwise stood still. Once they had stopped, Rin twisted her torso around, looking in front of them at the entrance to the forest.

�K-kowai�� she softly stated, summarizing exactly how the forest felt to most of its visitors. Even from the very edge of the forest, she could see that it was ancient. The trees were enormous, stretching high to the sky and affording a very tall canopy beneath the treetops. The corpses of fallen trees were covered with moss and halfway-decayed leaves, and the extremely narrow deer trail that they were about to follow had its own obstacles already clearly visible further into the forest. The leaves of the gingkoes and oaks were very dense, sucking up the sunshine and leaving little for the space beneath�meaning it was very dark inside. And at night, no moon would be visible unless they found a clearing.

She wasn�t sure if she imagined it or not, but a guttural yawning noise emanated from the forest, as if it was preparing to swallow them up.

Looking back to Sesshoumaru, Rin was about to ask him if it was at all possible to go around, already knowing that her question was futile. However, the pinkish stain on his cheeks made her pause. He�s�blushing�

�Sesshoumaru-sama?� she quietly asked, bringing her left hand up and hooking it over his bicep. He looked down at her, and Rin, digging her fingers in a little, could feel that he was agonizingly aroused. �Do y-�I�� she stuttered, not knowing what to say.

�We�ve no time to waste until nightfall when the horse can no longer guide herself,� he said, pointedly bypassing her scattered thought. She lightly bit down on her lower lip, wondering if that was okay. He�s in some pain because of it� Flexing her thigh muscles, Rin pressed herself a little closer to her mate, and watched his jaw tighten and his cheeks redden even more.

�I can make it quick�� she whispered, hoping to find them a tiny bit of privacy among the trees. Though it was highly unlikely that anyone was even remotely near them, she remembered how often it was that someone they knew happened upon them as they traveled in her past life. That would be so embarrassing! Remembering the incident with the tree demon in her past life, she inwardly cringed, still mortified.

Though her kneere ere still bruised, she didn�t care about dropping down onto them if it would help her mate.

�Rin�� he roughly said, holding her closer. We have to keep moving. Kicking at the horse�s sides, he galvanized it into moving forward, entering the dark recesses of the ancient forest. Rin lost eye contact with him, but did not feel rejected, surprisingly enough. He�s in a hurry. She curled as close to him as she could, though, feeling an incredible trepidation as soon as the shadow of the trees passed overhead.

Her mate could sense that she was afraid, and it made him even more protective of her. That Rin should even feel fear was something that made Sesshoumaru angry. She�s had enough fear to last her the rest of eternity. His guard was up, as well as other things�

The horse carefully picked its way through the forest, following the deer trail but sometimes needing to step over or jump over a fallen tree. It seemed that they were moving slowly, but the ground passed underneath them quickly. For the first hour that they traveled, they heard absolutely nothing besides the loud crunch of the horse�s hooves as it struck the forest floor, pointing out that the air around them was as silent as the grave. Rin couldn�t hear any birds, and she only faintly heard the wind above the tree canopy as it rustled the leaves. It felt as if something ominous were hanging over them, breathing hot air on her neck and groaning with surprised delight over the fact that they were passing through.

�Sesshoumaru-sama�� Rin whispered, feeling as if she needed to elbow the air behind her in order to shoo away the ominous presence.

�You�ll be alright, love,� he said, speaking against the crown of her head. I wonder if she�ll be able to sleep tonight.

The end of the forest was a great river, crossed by a large bridge that human craftsmen often fortified. The other side of the river was mostly clear for about a mile. Humans had thinned the trees and created a large road that connected two large villages. Once the trees thickened again, they would be in Inuyasha Forest, appropriately named for a half-demon, who was sealed to a tree within it for fifty years. Seems so long ago.

Sesshoumaru could feel the energy of the evil presence within the forest. It was strong, and very, very old. It was no surprise that no animals could be detected beneath the canopy. Whether it was a twisted human soul, having warped into a wicked manifestation, or an ancient demon that ate anything living, the evil atmosphere of the forest had killed everything inside the forest except for the trees. His father had told him long ago as to the nature of the creature that haunted the Weeping Forest, but Sesshoumaru wished to leave it be.

It greatly discouraged humans from the south to spread north and westward, which kept their little part of the country relatively free of humans.

Having fallen in love with and mated a human, Sesshoumaru could not tell himself that he still hated humans. He only wanted the rest to stay away while he kept one very close by his side.

Smirking to himself, he wondered if it was even worth it to fight such a power.

Either way, he hurried the horse through the forest, for Rin�s sake, if for nothing else. Getting into a fight now, no matter how trivial, was wasting time. He had certainly thought to request the use of the fushichou youkai, but his sons� hold in the north was very fragile. And he was too proud to ask them for help�

Sesshoumaru felt angry with himself once again, knowing that his mate should come before his pride. Though he tried to rationalize to himself that getting to Inuyasha�s home a day later than they could have, after sixteen long years, shouldn�t make much of a difference, but he couldn�t help the nagging feeling that time was running out.
~~~~~~En Route to the North~~~~~~

Toku led the way, flying north to the castle of the former Demon Lord of the Northern Lands. He and Genbu had not spoken of it much, but neither was sure how to determine which of them should become the new Demon Lord. Toku certainly wanted it, but he loved his brother so much more than he wanted the northern throne, and knew that only a fair contest of some sort should determine the winner.

This year was his fiftieth birthday. Genbu would be forty-four, certainly not young, but younger than him. Would their ages decide it? He then thought of his human side, and how most human males were grandfathers by the time they were his age.

I haven�t even found a mate yet.

Genbu had told him of what their mother had said about finding a mate to him earlier that morning: that they had much more time�in fact, they had all of eternity to find the one that fit them best. But he found himself more and more lonely everyday, wishing that he had his soulmate now to spend the rest of eternity with. He felt jealous of Inutaisho, who, despite the obstacles currently in his way, had found someone he truly loved.

The phoenix demon grunted beneath him, jolting Toku out of his self-pitying thoughts. Looking down at the ground almost two hundred feet below them, Toku could make out what had to be a wide trail in the forest. He surmised it to be Goyou Trail, judging by their approximate location. Demon tribes normally used it to access hunting paths further inside the forest, though humans sometimes used it as well. They were well beyond the boundary of the Western Lands by now, so weaker, small demon tribes existed throughout the entire region. Back in his father�s domain, tribes simply didn�t form.

Wondering what had bothered the fushichou, he searched along the path for any sign of movement, and finally found something. Between the overhanging branches that blocked most of his view, he could discern a single figure�no, two, running along the path. Bringing his head down, he took a long, careful smell of the air below him, hoping to catch the scent of the creatures below.

Rearing back in surprise, Toku looked back at Genbu, who had been watching him curiously.

�What is it, aniki?� he called forward, looking down at the ground in confusion.

�Fire demons! Below us,� he yelled back, earning a startled reaction from Genbu. Neither of them was scared, but they were rather surprised. Finding one fire demon was a rarity. Two or more was practically a miracle. Fire demons rarely ever mated with one another, so their population was particularly miniscule. Also, they normally stayed to the south, perhaps wandering as far north as to trickle into the eastern and western lands, but this far north was not heard of. Steering the fushichou youkai to land on the trail below, Toku and Genbu made to intercept them. The phoenixes didn�t like being near the fire demons, but followed where they were bidden to go. The pair landed with a loud thud, swirling about tiny twigs and fallen leaves before things settled down again. Toku and Genbu dismounted, and though Genbu placed his hand on his sword, he didn�t draw it out�at least, not yet.

They waited for the fire demons to round the bend, wondering what they were doing this far north. Toku and Genbu both realized that the demons could be coming to challenge the latest holders of the northern throne, but decided to stay cautious before they simply ran at them with swords at the ready.

Hearing fast, uneven footsteps, as if the two demons were running, Toku laid his hand on his sword as well, preparing to draw it if need be. The gentle chirping of birds seemed out of place at such a time, and he wondered why he noticed it. Their demon hearing could pick up rapid heartbeats and labored breathing, and Toku realized that they might be running from something. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.

Genbu glanced askance at his brother, noticing the hard set of Toku�s jaw. So�he realizes that they must be frightened of something. Though he could barely make it out, a faint noise reached his ears, like the heavy thumps of a large drum. Seeing Toku smirk, Genbu asked him what was so amusing.

�Never a dull day around here,� he replied with a grin. Genbu chuckled at that, fisting his hand around the handle of his sword.

At last, the fire demons rounded the bend, not seeing the dog demons in front of them since their eyes were to the ground. Toku was struck dumb for a few seconds, as well as Genbu. Both were female�he had never heard of anyone seeing a female fire demon.

He wondered if that meant that the females killed any witnesses to their passing The The one in front limped badly, but still ran at a moderate pace. She wore black hakama and a black haori, meticulously embroidered with bright red thread that had shaped itself into a dragon. He could see an awful wound on her left thigh, and the blood that practically poured from it splashed onto the trail. Her build was tall and lean, like the one behind her. Her skin was a pale, pale olive, and he could see part of her red demon marking beneath the lapels of her haori. Her long, blazingly bright red hair was woven into an enormous braid that hung over her shoulder and down to her hip. He watched as she raised her gaze to him, showing him the dark red irises of a fire demon.

She was beautiful.

Toku could see that the pain of her wound was making her cry, for the wet trails of spent tears were on her smooth and pale cheeks. Surprise and terror was immediately in her eyes, seeing what was obviously an older male dog demon with his hand on his sword.

Genbu was eyeing the other female. She had much the same coloring as her companion, but she was a hand shorter and he could tell that her nose was a little more upturned. She wore blood red hakama and a matching haori, similarly embroidered with silken black thread that weaved the image of a tiger.

Her wounds were more serious. There was one on her right arm and her left side, both bleeding profusely. She had her left hand clasped to her wounded side as she jogged along, huffing with exertion. Her cheeks were also wet, but both Toku and Genbu noticed that neither of them was sobbing�simply crying silently as they ran from their pursuers. Genbu watched as the female further back noticed her companion slowing down and looked up to see what was the matter. Gasping with surprise and fear, she stopped next to her friend, edging closer to her as if it would make them stronger. They stood only ten feet from Toku and Genbu, breathing heavily and eyeing the ones in front of them.

�Who are you?� the taller one asked. Genbu noticed that her gaze was directed only to Toku, and smirked as he realizedt sht she preferred to speak to him. Don�t I look amiable?

�I believe that we�re allowed to ask the questions here,� Toku replied. Genbu�s eyebrows rose. Good one, aniki.

�Do you even know to whom you are speaking?�

�A fire demon, obviously. I want to know why you are this far north,our our territory.�

�Y�your territory?� she asked, a little surprised. Looking back, the taller female exchanged an odd glance with the shorter one.

�Are you the demon brothers who overthrew Kurokuma?� she asked, finally bestowing her gaze to Genbu as well.

�Answer my question first,� Toku answered, flicking his left thumb up and bringing his sword an inch out of its scabbard. The fire demon in front of him eyed the sword warily, but then brought her eyes back to his own.

�If you are the demon brothers, then it is you who we came to see.�

It was Toku and Genbu�s turn to look at each other, and Genbu imperceptibly nodded.

�Aa, we are the current holders of the northern throne, and we intend to keep it. What business do you have with us?� Toku asked, taking his hand away from his sword. Genbu didn�t remove his hand, looking at the shorter fire demon as she visibly became paler. The pool of blood gathering at her feet was getting rather large.

�Onegai�can�t we speak elsewhere�after we can tend our wounds?� the taller one asked. Toku looked to her thigh, and noticed that her knees were shaking.

�We can bring you with us,� he acknowledged, looking to Genbu for confirmation. �Give us your names, though, before we leave.� The taller demon chanced a glance behind them, and Genbu ears picked up on the heavy drums again, which were most certainly closer this time.

�I am Ikkatsu. She is Tenrai,� she submitted, begging him with her eyes to make haste. Toku knew very well how far the danger was, though. And he had an idea as to what it was if it had made such wounds in these two lovely females.

�I am Toku, and this is Genbu,� he said, setting his hand on his brother�s shoulder. Genbu kept his eyes on Tenrai, though. Her eyes were beginning to droop. Ikkatsu nodded, burning their names into her mind as she took a hesitant step forward. Tenrai had been leaning on her companion, using the tenuous support to keep her upright, but it was gone once Ikkatsu took a step, and she began to pitch forward, seeing gray at the edge of her vision. Ikkatsu barely had time to react before she saw Genbu at her feet, catching her sister easily.

Genbu was amazing by how light the fire demon was. He hefted her up in his arms, seeing that she had fallen unconscious. Her hair, tied simply into a ponytail like his, fairly dripped over his arm, and he could already tell that it was as soft as a candle�s flame.

�Tenrai!� her companion gasped, stepping towards Genbu. Hrectrected a reassuring smile to her, informing Ikkatsu that the girl had merely fainted. Turning to bring her to his fushichou youkai, Genbu brought the girl up into the saddle with him, looking at his brother with one raised eyebrow.

�You will ride with me,� Toku fairly commanded, looking at Ikkatsu. Not sure why he suddenly was being rude, Toku wondered if it was a mistaken attempt to look masculine. Ikkatsu only nodded, though, looking behind her again. �Quickly now,� he reminded her, gesturing for her to come towards him. Ikkatsu slowly made her way to him, the pain in her leg becoming more of a hindrance. Standing next to the phoenix, Toku turned Ikkatsu away from him and took hold of her hips. He felt her stiffen a little, but ignored the movement as he bulged his arms and brought her over the saddle easily, as if she weighed no more than a pitcher of water. Seeing that Genbu was working on wrapping a bandage around Tenrai�s arm, he hoisted himself up to the saddle, sitting close behind Ikkatsu since the saddle wasn�t itself very large.

Nudging the phoenix with his feet, he managed to turn it around just as Genbu tied off the wrapping for Tenrai�s injured arm. Toku inclined his head to Genbu, who tossed him some of the cloth, and Toku caught it with one hand, transferring it to Ikkatsu for safekeeping so that she could apply pressure to her wound once they had lifted off. Genbu�s phoenix jumped into the air, catching the wind currents with its giant wings, and rose as it made its way north again. Toku followed him, looking back as the dust from a traveling army became visible to his eyes about a mile further south on the trail.

Gunshots.

Looking forward again, he knew that the army would never catch up to them, but he worried that they would eventually find the castle of the Northern Demon Lord, if that weren�t their ultimate destination already.

Hearing an arduous sigh in front of him, Toku turned his attention to Ikkatsu, who had made a neat fold of the cloth that he had handed to her and was pressing it down against her wound. He saw that her left hand was trembling. Knowing that it must be painful, and that her will to make it stop bleeding was failing because the pressure hurt even more, Toku wordlessly brought his hand over hers, pressing down. He looked across to Genbu.

The arm he had dressed lay behind him as Tenrai sat limply in his arms. Her head was set against his shoulder and he supported her back with one arm, which held the reins, while his other hand held a cloth to her side. It was already soaked, and he bore an angry frown as he watched the scenery go by.

Toku himself was distracted, though, as Ikkatsu obviously relaxed against him.

�Are you alright?� he asked, wondering if she had herself fainted.

�I�m okay now, arigatou. �You�re�you�re very kind, I can tell,� she said, placing her other hand over his as it rested on the horn of the phoenix�s saddle. Toku was aghast to realize that he was blushing.

Over with Genbu, he spared a couple of seconds to check Tenrai�s pulse, thinking that he had been too late. She was still alive, but her heartbeat was slow and her breathing was shallow. Angrily tossing away the soaked bandage to fall to its doom, he applied another to her side, pressing hard and hoping just as hard. This one didn�t immediately become saturated, which meant that the bleeding was slowing down.

Hang on�

After about ten more minutes, he applied a new bandage, throwing away the old one even though it wasn�t completely soaked. He looked over to Toku, seeing that Ikkatsu�s wounded thigh was bound, and that she was in an exhausted sleep with her head back against Toku�s shoulder.

It�s amazing they�re alive at all. Humans are easy adversaries�when in small groups. An army is another thing.

Wondering why the army attacked them�or vice versa�Genbu made a mental note to ask Ikkatsu or Tenrai about it later.

He was about to check her pulse again when he felt her move in his arms. Her injured arm loosely wrapped around his waist, and she made a small moan of pain. Nuzzling closer to him, Tenrai curled her fingers into the back of his haori and set her lips against his neck. She remained still after that, obviously only half-awake.

Genbu had been frozen solid during the entire thing, for some reason embarrassed. And all his mind could think about was how soft her lips were.

Okaasan�you may be in for a surprise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Fifteen coming soon!!!

~~Sincerely,
The Black Cat
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The Hot Springs