She stood on the hill before the Shrine, framed by the red torii gate. The grass was stirred by the wind, and the scent of cherry blossoms reached her nose, easing her rankled nerves just a little. She searched for the smell of smoke or blood, but scented nothing of the sort. Good. So far, the war between the West and the East had stayed distant from the Shrine and the village behind it, but it seemed their luck had run out. She could feel the group of powerful youki moving towards her, and she could see the flags on the horizon. With some relief she saw the white field and geometric red flower design on the flag, and knew that it was the West approaching. The village and the Shrine were on the border between the West and the North, but they were still very much a part of the western territory. She frowned when she glimpsed a gleam of armor, and bright silver hair.
Gripping her bow and with holding her gasp, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. The Lord of the West. The Inu No Taisho. Kami help us.
Gesturing to the small contingent of soldiers that was escorting his family, the Great Dog General turned his gaze to the preistess at the top of hill. Framed against the blue sky, he marvelled at how small the woman seemed. Raven hair that fell in waves down her back, swayed by the wind. White and red clothing, marking her for what she was. Bow in hand, arrow at the ready but not in a threatening way. Blue eyes that watched his cautious approach. He kept his smile to himself, but he admired her bravery. If she would not cower before a Daiyoukai of his power, then hopefully she would be up for the challenge he about to set before her.
He walked until he was eye to eye with her, gold meeting blue. Silence greeted him for a several moments, before she dipped her head in a warrior's acknowledgement. He returned the nod, pleased.
"Greetings, Lord of the West."
"Well met. Are you the priestess Kagome?" he asked, his voice a rough baritone to her ears.
"Yes. May I ask what brings you so far out this way, my Lord?" she asked, glancing to the knot of youkai that were approaching at a slower pace.
He liked how she skipped over more pleasantries. This was obviously not your usual type of woman. He beckoned the group forward, and Kagome noticed they stayed close knit, marching foward in ranks. Her muscles went tense, the grip on her bow tightening. Were they being attacked?
Then there was a yip, a scuffle, and a blur of red jettisoned from the group. There were shouts as another form bounded after that one, but the Inu no Taisho only groaned softly under his breath. Then her vision was filled with red anda white as a small child violently attached himself to his father's shoulder. She felt herself relaxing as she took in big gold eyes, chubby hands, and quivering puppy ears. Even in her awe of how adorable this child was, she still noticed the silver hair and tiny fangs as he scowled at her. A hanyou.
She did not have long to marvel over this however, before a strong aura made her spiritual powers sparkle without her say so. She quickly repressed them, hoping that it had gone unnoticed, and met the third set of gold eyes in a row. She smiled wryly. Strong bloodline.
Her smile was not met warmly. The stare this third Inu gave her was icy. Even with the magenta face stripes and the obviously flawless breeding that left her clueless about his true age, she could see the resemblance between this pure blood youkai and the hanyou in the Great Dog General's arms. Brothers. Half-brothers.
"Lady Kagome, these are my sons. Sesshomaru," he nodded to the tall, younger daiyoukai next to him, "and Inuyasha." He jostled the hanyou gently.
She bowed to them both, and then straightened and looked their father in the eye.
"What brings them to my village, my Lord?"
He rumbled, "The war. And the need for protection."
She stiffened, suddenly understanding. The Shrine and the village behind it were protected by a Holy barrier that had been strengthened and reinforced for centuries by each new generation of miko and monk. Not only did it keep unwanted visitors out, but it erased all scents, all power signatures, and even aura imprints. Yes, she knew what the Western Lord wanted. She eyed the icy young lord and the hot headed hanyou uneasily.
"Why should I do that, my Lord?" she said softly.
Sesshomaru opened his mouth to say something, but he was quickly cut off by his sire; "I have been unable to give my full attention to this war because of my fear for my family."
Everyone was suprised to hear the confession of fear from the most feared Daiyoukai of the age, and Kagome realized grimly that he must be very desperate.
"I ask that you take my sons, and my mate, into your village for safe keeping. With the knowledge that they are safe, I will be able focus on pushing the East from my lands," finished the Dog General.
Kagome frowned, looking away from the trio of Inus, thoughts flicking through her mind wildly. She saw, in the center of the soldiers that stood waiting at the foot of the hill, layers of luxurious silk and flowing ink black hair that shone in the sunlight. The mate of the Lord of the West smiled at her tentatively, and Kagome found herself smiling back before she could stop it.
The General resumed speaking, his voice calm; "If you were to accept, not only would I leave these soldiers here to help protect them, and the village, but when the war is over I would make sure the Shrine and the village was reward handsomely. With food, money, supplies...anything you needed."
Later, when pressed for answers, Kagome would say hotly that when offered the chance to provide for her people for the rest of time, how could she possibly refuse. But when alone, she would know the truth. She would know that as she looked into the eyes of a small hanyou child and saw worry that didn't need to belong to a child that small, she had wavered. When she had looked into the eyes of Sesshomaru and saw how much responsibilty had already been put on his shoulders, she began to crumple.
And she would know that when she looked into the eyes of the Western Lord and Lady, and saw the stress and concern and love they had for their children, that that was when she had given in.
"I accept."
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A/N: Yes, I know I have other stories to work on but... this idea just came to me, and I thought I'd like to try an honest chapter story. As always, I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 1/4/13