Promise by Kelsey

A Promise Made

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with it.

The night held promise. It was not completely dark out; through the tops of the leave laden trees pale slivers of moonlight shone through, casting haunting iridescent glows upon the surface of the forest, making passage through the area easier. Well, easier for humans anyway.

Sesshomaru strolled through this area silently, a white spot among the shadows that one-demon or human-did not dare approach. The Lord was out on a late night walk after sleep had eluded him, and walked meaningless paths through his forests in the west. A part of him, the lordly part instilled by his father, was half heartedly patrolling the area for rogue demons, although he doubted that any demon would dare enter his lands now, after the years he had spent diligently defending it. His forests were meant for demons of higher status only, and occasionally he allowed humans to inhabit areas within it.

But he did not, absolutely did not, tolerate his younger half brother being in his lands. That was one of the main reasons why he was out at such a late hour anyway, even though the time hardly mattered to him. His little imbecile of a brother needed to know just whose lands he had entered, and needed to know just what a grave mistake it was. Even though, in actuality it was not Inuyasha he sensed, but his little wench, his almost mate, that infernal female that traveled with him. But oh well, to him they were the same-both were annoying and hardly traveled without each other, so he knew that where his wench was, Inuyasha ought to be.

Although the lack of Inuyasha's stench did disturb him...

But no matter, he'd investigate soon. He was already quickly approaching the campsite and the scent of Inuyasha's female and two other companions was getting closer. He sped up slightly, feeling irked at the lack of caution in their auras. Really, did they not expect to be attacked? He flared his own aura in warning to them, and could not help but be slightly puzzled by the lack of caution they still displayed. In fact, Inuyasha's wench's aura was calm, her admittedly alluring scent soft and carefree, as though she did not mind that he was about to attack her and her friends.

He growled in annoyance; he had always found pride in the fact that he could frighten almost anyone with his aura alone, but this girl and her friends...He'd just have to show them then.

He saw them before they saw him as he emerged from behind the line of trees beyond their camp. He was slightly startled to find that the two humans-the monk and the slayer-were sound asleep on the ground by a leaping fire, guarded by the large fire cat, and the miko was sitting beside them with her back turned to him. The circumstances, he concluded, were just odd, especially considering his dearest younger half brother was no where in sight.

As he approached the miko finally turned to glance back over at him, and he was taken aback, although he did not show it, by the lack of fear in her brown eyes. In fact, the girl looked almost...happy to see him. It did nothing for his pride, and his hand found the hilt to his sword, preparing to draw it and slice her down.

"Miko" he intoned, glaring at her down his nose. "Why do you lack fear of me?"

She blinked at him, quirking a black brow as she slowly stood slowly, her hands behind her back, to face him.

"I don't, believe me" she replied, "I fear you very much Sesshomaru..." His eyes narrowed at her lack of respect. It was Lord Sesshomaru dammit! "It's just that, this time, I believe I have the upper hand over you."

He stared at her in hidden disbelief, sizing her up with cold golden eyes. He could not help but smirk at the awkward way she shifted as his eyes trailed over her lean but frail body. She had determination and courage, that was for sure, but her body was weak, her mortal life hopelessly easy to end. His eyes flickered back up to meet her dark ones again, and his smirk widened. "Do you really think so?"

"Yes!" she scoffed, taking offence, "I do. It may not look like it, but..." She shifted, her eyes flashing in some secret thoughts. He eyed her up, laughing internally at the glare she tried to bestow him with, felt her trying to gather her courage.

"But, miko? Do continue this amusing charade of strength." He was still smirking at her, amused, when she suddenly pounced, her tiny body slamming into his with a surprising force. Shocked, Sesshomaru was not able to maintain his balance, and fell back to the forest floor, the miko on top of him clutching his armor and pushing him down. He was blinking off the after effects of his shock when she felt her slide something around his neck, and with a feral snarl he pushed her off of him and jumped to his feet, looking down at what she had bestowed upon his person.

Red rosary beads adorned with tiny fangs hung around his neck, and as he lifted a hand to try to pry them off he found that some force stopped him from doing so. They were stuck firmly in place around his neck. His eyes were bleeding with read when he glanced back at the miko, clearly furious as he snarled at her. "Miko, what kind of foul play is this?"

When she only smiled he took a threatening step toward her, intending on wringing her little neck, when she muttered one word.

"Sit."

Instantly he felt the beads she had placed around his neck grow heavy, and even though he fought it with all of his strength, the rosary succeeded in dragging and slamming his body into the ground, where he found himself getting a face full of dirt. For a second, he lay there in shock, startled by the power of the beads, until he heard that cursed woman's giggling, and all of his rage flew back.

In an instant, before she could blink, he was on his feet and grabbing her neck, flying across the clearing to slam her petite body into the rough bark of a nearby tree. His eyes were edged with red again as he leered down into her pained face, squeezing his hand on her windpipe as he leaned down to hiss, "Miko, what is the meaning of this?"

She gasped for breath, staring up at him with wide brown eyes that were slowly becoming glazed from her lack of air. She struggled to whisper something, and Sesshomaru, believing it was an explanation, loosened his hand a little to allow her to breathe. That, he realized too late, was a mistake.

With a quick inhale of breath, she rasped that command, and an instant later Sesshomaru was back in his self made crater at her feet. As he struggled to get up again, eyes blazing completely red and intent on just killing the girl, she, still gasping for breath against the tree, managed to bring him back down several times.

"Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit! God, sit! Sit!"

By the time she was done, and had regained her breath, he was immobile in the crater he had made with his body, panting slightly for breath and golden eyed again, the rage having fled him under the pain that now echoed through his body. The ground really wasn't that soft after all.

"S-Sesshomaru?" he heard her stutter, and growled in response. That stupid human... He had already hated her, but now, he loathed her. Subduing him, the lord of the west, a full taiyoukai, in such a humiliating way...

"Sesshomaru, I promise not to subdue you any more if you listen to me, ok? I just want to talk."

He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, noticing how she quickly backed up to eye him wearily. As he stood up, staggering slightly to glare at her, he saw her relax when she noticed his eyes were golden again; he was back under control...for now. He was definitely planning on killing the girl, he just had to get her guard down first. Her death would be so long and slow...

She awkwardly cleared her throat, running her hands nervously down the front of the indecent green cloth she wore around her bottom half. "Sesshomaru, would you like to sit by the fire? There's a lot to explain..."

He gave her a look, flickering his eyes back over to her sleeping companions in a silent question.

"They're asleep," the miko mumbled sadly, "Lost in deep sleep. They won't wake up..."

"And why is that, miko?" he asked in that bored tone of his, and watched her chew her bottom lip.

"Um, let's just sit down ok? I put up a barrier so we won't be heard..."

"Heard?" he repeated, arching a brow. "Tell me miko, who do you fear?"

"It's..." she began, then stopped herself with a sigh, running a hand through her black hair as she moved over back to the fire, Sesshomaru watching her every movement with keen eyes, wanting to see what she would do. The miko still had her guard up; what a shame, he really wanted to see her blood flow at this point. As she stood over the fire, stared down into it with dark eyes, he again saw that she did not fear him; to take her eyes off of him, her enemy, like that was far too trusting. It made him want to try strangling her again.

"Um, where do I begin..." she murmured, almost to herself, biting her lip again.

"Tell me what this thing around my neck is." He did not ask-he demanded.

She looked up at him almost sheepishly, and giggled nervously to herself. "Oh, the rosary beads were for my protection and to get you to listen to me, because I doubt you would have willingly."

"Indeed" he drawled, "I would never waste my night talking to such a pathetic human reeking of my brother's stench."

He saw her flinch at that and at the mention of Inuyasha took notice to the brief flash of pain that filled her aura. He could not help but feel another tug of curiosity, even though he kept his face perfectly devoid of emotions.

"Well, the purpose of the rosary was to subdue you with my command, and only I can remove them from around your neck."

"Only you?" he growled, taking a step towards her threatening. "Then I suggest you take them off soon miko; you are trying my patience."

"I will once I talk to you and have your promise not to kill me!" she scowled, not backing down as her back straightened and her dark eyes flashed. Sesshomaru studied her for a moment, this young woman who dared challenge him, and felt the stirrings of something in his heart. There was something about this girl that he regretfully had to admire; not only did she not reek like so many others of her species, but she had courage, a hell of a lot of it. Perhaps his brother had not been so foolish as to keep her as a traveling companion as he had thought.

But she still was infuriatingly annoying.

"You want me to promise not to kill you?" he quirked his eyebrow again, cocking his head slightly to regard her.

She nodded slowly, shifting nervously again. "Y-Yes and I also want you to...to promise to help me."

Now this was interesting.

"Help you?" he repeated coldly, "Help you with what?"

"Well as I'm sure you notice, Inuyasha's not here because he was..." She stopped for a moment, and he felt her aura flare in pain again. "Because he was captured. These...These bandits came and grabbed him. He couldn't fight them because his demonic powers wouldn't work and...and he was helpless. It was horrible..." she ended in a whisper, and he saw her eyes film over in silent, pure tears. He however could not share her pain.

"So the half breed was captured was he? Good, that's one less nuisance in the world."

As he had expected anger replaced her pain, and the fiery miko's tears immediately vanished as a bright light of fury entered her cinnamon eyes. "How can you say that!? He's your brother!"

"Half brother, miko, half brother."

"Oh, big deal!" she scoffed, "Either way he's still your brother and it's your duty to rescue him!"

"I will do no such thing. The half breed got himself caught, he can get himself free."

"No he can't! They took him away somewhere and I fear...I fear they took him to Naraku."

"Hn, interesting. Somehow I knew that spider would be involved. What can I possibly do about it?"

"Help me. Travel with me, help me find him" she all but pleaded, her liquid dark eyes boring into his. "Please, I'll give you anything you want, I promise! I just...I just need to find Inuyasha..."

"And what about your friends?" He looked back over to the monk and slayer being guarded by the fire cat.

"They were placed under some sort of deep sleep spell. I don't know, but they won't wake up..."

"How were you not affected miko?"

"I don't really know. I guess cuz I'm a, uh, miko or something? But what does it matter, I'm awake and here and I need your help!"

"Why my help? Could you not have gone to a more reliable source?"

"I...I think Tensaiga may be able to protect you from Naraku's minion's powers. It has holy powers in it, right?"

"Some, but very few. You are taking great risks in coming to me, miko."

"I...I know but you're the only one I could think of, turn to. Sesshomaru...Please, I'll do anything, I promise anything..."

He raised a brow. Anything? Well, that certainly made things far more interesting. He studied the small miko before him, staring up at him with those dark eyes, the firelight casting shadows over her delicate features. Could this girl really give him anything he wanted? Yes, he realized, she could, because the one thing he desired most was the Tetsusaiga, and as his brother's traveling companion...Yes, that could definitely work. The only flaw was that he'd have to saddle himself with this human, who had control over him through the damned rosary around his neck. He was, unfortunately, at her mercy, and there was no way he could break it...yet.

"So, will you?" she inquired breathlessly, staring up at him. He looked at her, showing nothing on his face as he sized her up. She was pretty for a human, and he could not help but feel a slight sense of intrigue for her. She dressed so oddly, talked so differently...Yes, he'd use this as an opportunity to assess the little miko and find out her origins and what really made her tick. One could call it sizing up the enemy, but he did not consider her an enemy; she was his prey. She may think she was in control for now, but he'd show her. He smirked, and his eyes, unseen to her, darkened. Oh yes, she'd see...

"I agree miko; I will aide you in finding my whelp of a brother."

She let out a huge sigh of relief and beamed up at him, her dark eyes softening. "Thank you Sesshomaru..."

"It's Lord Sesshomaru to you, miko." He replied, turning away from her to regally walk back towards the trees.

"What are you doing!?" she yelped, hurrying after him. He stopped to look back at her with a faint expression of annoyance shadowing his stoic face.

"I am to return to my castle and tell them of my whereabouts. They need to know of my departure." Especially Rin; he silently added in his mind. He could not just leave Rin-she was the main reason he was going back in the first place.

"But you'll be back, right?" the miko cautiously inquired, and his look of annoyance deepened.

"I do not go back on my promises miko," he replied coldly, turning back to walk towards the trees. Just as he was about to disappear into the forests shadows she called his name again, and he looked back to see her smiling at him.

"Well then, I'd appreciate it Lord Sesshomaru, if you could call me Kagome; not bitch, wench, girl, or miko, ok?"

He stared at her for a second, wondering why he should obey her until he remembered the rosary beads around his neck, and inwardly groaned. He nodded to her once before stepping toward the shadows, mumbling under his breath for only her to hear her name. "Kagome..."

And then just like that he was gone, leaving the miko Kagome behind with her sleeping companions to wait for him.

Please review, I'd love to hear what you think! Is there anything wrong with it? Anything I can makes better? Please speak up!