As Kagome reflected upon this remark, the skies above began to darken once more. While Rin gasped in surprise, Kagome slid her eyes shut, praying to the gods for restraint. When she opened them again, it was as though a second storm had descended upon the valley. Unnatural lightning split the churning, thunderous clouds, the sharp scent of ozone laced with a virulent sting. In this apocalyptic darkness, Sesshoumaru’s spiked, ghastly figure seemed especially menacing as it appeared through the pall of shifting shadows. At the sight of him, the armed men muttered and tensed, reaching for their swords.

But Ren’s wolfish eyes were fastened on Kagome. “This demon,” he said, “you know him.”

“He’s Rin’s guardian,” she replied, holding his stare for emphasis. “And my brother-in-law.”

The captain’s shrewd look hardened a fraction, his smile drawing tight as he considered the demon lord instead. “…I see.”

As Sesshoumaru advanced, Ren signaled to his men, who warily made way. Not sparing any of them but the captain the most brisk and cursory of glances, the daiyoukai paused before Rin, who had run ahead to meet him.

“Are you well?” he asked her.

Beaming, the young priestess bowed her head. “Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

At this acknowledgement, his cold, narrowed gaze shifted to Kagome. Just as coldly and narrowly, she met it, before glancing away.

“Rin-chan, we should be getting back to the village.”

Rin’s face fell, but that particular tone of voice brooked no argument. Tossing Sesshoumaru one last grateful smile, she spun on her heel and returned to her grazing mare. At the prospect of being left alone in the daiyoukai’s baleful company, Ren turned as well, looking significantly to Uetsugi and the others.

“We, too, should be on our way,” the captain said, bowing low at the waist. “Thank you for coming to our aid, Miko-sama—we shall not forget it.”

With that, the rounin and his band of mercenaries marched off toward the north, a few of them throwing dark uncertain glances back at Sesshoumaru as they went. Refusing to give her brother-in-law another ounce of her own consideration, Kagome reined her horse swiftly around and set off at a trot. Catching up with her a minute later, Rin sighed in relief.

“How lucky we are that Sesshoumaru-sama arrived,” she murmured. “That captain…I don’t like his eyes one bit.”

“There’s something uncanny about them,” Kagome agreed, vaguely irritated. “But we were never in any real danger, Rin-chan. You know that.”

The girl frowned, but said nothing in reply. In this uneasy silence, the pair of mikos re-entered the forest, following the faded, meandering path of the hunting trail back to Edo proper.

As soon as they broke the treeline, Rin announced shortly, “I should go check on Kaede-baa-chan.”

A bit surprised at her coolness, Kagome nodded nevertheless. It seemed that she had overtaxed Rin, asking her to come along on this particular mission. Riding a little farther with her unhappy apprentice, Kagome parted ways with her at last on the dirt path outside her home. As she slipped down from her horse and handed the reins over, Rin accepted them without a word—and without a word, continued on toward town.

Troubled despite her reasoning, Kagome looked after her, until the girl’s slight figure disappeared beneath the crest of a hill, and a dark stirring of the air behind her had her turning back with a glare.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

This chapter was a bitch and a half to edit for some reason. May continue to make some tweaks – but nothing major of course 🙂

<3