I followed Sesshomaru through the forest until we reached a small clearing close to a small pond. I played with the sleeve of my kimono as I stared at him nervously.
"I did not find your father at the cave." Sesshomaru said, "I did however followed his scent and found him in a village."
Did he speak with my father? Does he know what deal he made with Naraku? Did he even tell him I was alive and looking for him? So many questions ran through my mind.
"Did you speak with him?" I asked Sesshomaru and he nodded his head.
"Yes, he noticed my scent. We spoke about my father, and then he asked if I had seen you or your mother. I lied telling him I didn't." Sesshomaru said and my eyes went wide.
He lied to my father!? Why?
"W-Why?" I asked him.
"He is being used by Naraku." Sesshomaru said, "It is dangerous for you to be around him in your human state."
"And why do you care what happens to me? I'm just some girl who you owe a debt too." I asked him feeling my blood begin to boil with anger.
"You are a inu-youkai. We protect our own." Sesshomaru said.
"What about your brother? He's part inu-youkai." I told him.
"He is nothing, but a half-breed. A disgrace to our kind." Sesshomaru said, "We are leaving."
With that said Sesshomaru walked back to camp. I followed him wondering about my father and what plans Naraku had for him.
"What does Naraku want with my father?" I asked Sesshomaru as we walked.
"I do not know, but your father has made a deal with him." Sesshomaru said.
"Do you know what the deal is?" I asked looking up at him.
"If Naraku can find you and your mother, he will hand you over as his bride." Sesshomaru said and I paled.
Was my father that desperate to find Mama and I? To make a deal with that evil demon to hand me off as his bride.
"I-I don't want to become his bride." I said raising my hand to my chest, "I just want to complete my mother's final wish. Find my youki and father."
Tears came to my eyes as I thought about it. I would rather die than marry that monster. I heard many tales of his evil ways. From Jaken, and a few villagers in the village. My eye sight became blurry and I couldn't really see the path in front of me. I tripped over a rock that was in the path and began to fall, until I felt a hand grab my wrist before I could reach the ground.
"T-Thank you." I said holding in a sob.
"Do not cry, Kaori." Sesshomaru said and I looked up at him.
It was the second time he said my name. I blinked the tears away and nodded my head as I straightened myself up. When Sesshomaru let go of my wrist we continued.
"I don't know what to do, Sesshomaru." I said looking down at the ground, "I want to find my father and youki, so I can become what I truly am and follow my mother wish. But is it the best thing to do? That Naraku guy is looking for me now, and that means trouble for you, Rin and Jaken. I don't want you all to get hurt because of me. I should just go back to my own time."
"Do not worry about Naraku, he will not lay a hand on you." Sesshomaru said, "This Sesshomaru promises you."
I looked at Sesshomaru shocked by what he had said. He takes the whole protect our own, serious, but I am grateful for what he is doing.
"Thank you for everything, Sesshomaru. I wouldn't know what I would do if I was all alone here without your, Jaken's, Rin and even A-Un's help. I would have surely died when those wolves had set me free." I told him and he stopped looking at me.
"Wolves?" he asked and I remembered he didn't know about me being taken by Koga.
"Well it was when I first got here. Inuyasha had said something that hurt my feelings, so I ran into the forest to get away from that dumb dog. That's when I was snatched by these wolf demons and taken away." I told him, "Once they found out who my father was they let me go. I then left, passed out and well I ended up here."
"Did this wolf have a name?" Sesshomaru asked and I nodded my head as we began to walk.
"Koga." I told him, "Do you know him?"
"Yes, he killed Rin." Sesshomaru said and I felt a chill go down my spine.
I couldn't believe that Koga was the one who had killed Rin and her village. I would had been killed by him too if it wasn't for the fact that he knew of my father. I'm so glad he did.
When we reached back to the camp, Rin, Jaken and I got onto A-Un, and took off following Sesshomaru on his cloud. As we flew by the village I looked down at the village and wondered about Okimi, and her son. I hope he finds a wonderful wife one day and for Okimi to finally get the daughter she has always wanted.
"So you're not going to marry Mitsuo?" Rin asked me and I looked down at the child who sat in front of me.
"No, Rin." I told her.
"That's good. I didn't like that old woman. When you weren't around she kept complaining about you and your weird ways." Rin said and I felt a little angry at the old woman.
"That old hag! I hope her son marries a girl that she hates!" I shouted and raised my fist up while looking down at the village, "You hear me ya old hag!?"
"Oh, I got a head ache." I heard Jaken say from behind me.
"Human, be quiet." Sesshomaru said and I let out a angered huff crossing my arms.
"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru! Thank you!" Jaken cried and I glared at the imp.
A week has passed since we left that village. We had stopped only a few times at night to rest, and then walked or flew the rest of it. Jaken and I still argued, but a little less. Sesshomaru has even spoken a sentence to me, but only to tell me that there was a lake close by where Rin and I could bathe.
I was getting use to the traveling life in the feudal era. Even seeing demons and battles when one was stupid enough to challenge Sesshomaru. None of them had ever won against him.
"I am off. Jaken watch over them." Sesshomaru said all of a sudden as we camped one night.
"Where to my Lord?" Jaken asked and froze when the demon gave him a glare, "Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru! It was rude of me to ask!"
I rolled my eyes as I roasted a piece of meat over the fire pit, while Rin sat next to me roasting a piece of fish as Sesshomaru flew off on A-Un.
"I am going to go take a walk." Jaken said leaving the campsite.
"Shouldn't you stay, Master Jaken? Lord Sesshomaru told you to watch over us." Rin said.
"You'll be fine. I don't sense any demons around here." Jaken said as he walked away.
"Don't take to long!" I shouted to him as I bit into the hot cooked meat.
I let out a hiss of pain and glared at the smoking meat. I blew on it a bit before taking a bite from it. When we were done eating, I stood up.
"Let's go, Rin." I said to the little girl.
"Where too?" Rin asked me as she stood up.
"I seen a stream not to far from here earlier today. We should wash off, while we have a chance." I told her.
"But it's dark. We can get lost or run into some demons or bandits." Rin said and I looked down at the child.
"Quit being negative, Rin. We'll be fine." I told her and took hold of her hand.
We walked through the forest in silence trying to find the stream. After twenty minutes of searching, tripping and falling, we finally found it. However instead of just finding an empty stream, it was surrounded by five huge men drinking from it.
One of the men noticed Rin and I. He then pointed it out to the others. I gulped and took a step back pushing Rin behind me.
"Look at what we got here. A woman and a child." a man said stepping towards us.
"We did not mean to interrupt you. We will be leaving now." I told them as I took another step back.
"Please stay, you weren't interrupting us at all. Why don't you join us." the man said with a creepy grin staring me up and down.
I shook with anger at the man and felt something inside of me that wanted to break free. I would not let him or any of those men get near me or Rin. I'll fight to the end to make sure Rin would be okay.
"Rin, I want you to run. Go find Jaken and what ever you do don't look back." I whispered to the girl as the man took another step towards me.
"B-But, I can't leave you." she said with teary eyes.
"Rin, listen to me. I will be fine, just go find Jaken quickly." I told her and pushed the girl away from me as the man was only a few feet from me, "Go, Rin!"
I turned around and punched the man in the face as Rin ran off.
"Go get her!" the man shouted as he back hand me in the face.
I fell backwards, but stood up quickly. I noticed a sword was leaning up against a tree. One of the men must have set it there when they were getting water. I grabbed the sword and hit one of the men running towards the way Rin had ran off to in the leg. He fell to the ground and I kicked him in head as hard as I could knocking him out.
"Leave her alone." I growled at them as I tightened my grip on the sword.
"She took down Jieun!" one of the men shouted.
"Shut up! It was a lucky shot." the man who I had punched said angrily, "Now put that sword down before you hurt yourself, woman."
I glared at the man.
"Such a sexist pig." I spat at him, "You don't deserve to be called a man."
"What'd you say to me?" he asked angrily.
I smirked and ran at the man with the sword. Before I could reach him, I tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. Just my luck, great.
The men began to laugh at my fall. I pushed myself up and was about to stand when a foot pushed me down. I let out a surprised gasp when I felt a hand on the back of my kimono. I looked up to see the man glaring down at me.
"What should we do with her boys?" he asked the three men.
"Kill her!" one shouted and one of the others smacked him on the back of his head.
"Are you stupid or something? She's a woman." the man told him.
"And there's a much better way of doing something with her instead of killing." the other said grinning evilly as he looked at me.
My eyes went wide and I began to struggle as the man who must have been the leader pick me up from the ground.
"Who says we kill her?" he asked them.
Only one raised their hand up, and he was rewarded with two punches to the head.
"And who says we should have our way with her?" he asked and the two raised their hands up.
Oh God, I hope Rin found Jaken and they're on their way. I should had listened to Rin and stayed at the camp site.
"All right, two against one." the man said and I gulped when he tossed me to the ground.
I shook with fear as one of the men pulled out a dagger, while the other watched me with an evil glint in his eyes.
"Please, don't hurt me!" I told them with tears coming to my eyes.
The man with the dagger laughed at that. His eyes closed as he laughed. I felt something inside of me snap. I quickly got up grabbing the dagger. I moved it across his throat quickly like I've seen on movies. I took a step back as he fell to the ground.
"Sh-She killed Hari!" the man shouted drawing his sword.
"Don't kill her!" the leader shouted at the man.
I tossed the dagger at the man who had his sword drawn face as hard as I could. Hoping it would hit him in the face. However he quickly dodged it and ran at me. I ran from him and was soon caught by the other man, that I've forgot about.
"Damn, she's feisty." he said and I slammed my head backwards to his face.
He let me go and held his nose while crying out in pain. I kicked the man between the legs making him fall to the ground. I grabbed his sword and spun around blocking a hit from the man with the sword.
"Give up already." he growled angrily, "You can't win."
"Don't tell me what I can't do!" I shouted at him and kicked him in the gut.
He backed off and I swung my sword hitting him in the side. He fell to the ground holding his side and I turned to the leader. I froze seeing a hand through his chest and a surprised look on his face. But that's not what had made me freeze. Instead it was the person who belonged to the hand.
He was tall with long black hair that was placed in a low ponytail. He had golden eyes much as my own. Three red jagged marks on both his cheek, and a crescent moon on his forehead like Sesshomaru. One look at this person and you could tell he was not human, but a dog demon.
The man removed his hand from his chest and let him drop to the ground as he walked around him towards me. I shook as I looked up at the man with wide eyes that filled with tears. I was going to be killed now.
"Do not fear, I will not harm you." he told me, "Are you hurt?"
I shook my head as he stood in front of me.
"I am Kashikoi Kariuki, and you are?" he said and I felt a cold.
He was my father? My father, I couldn't believe it. I finally found him. I-I can't tell him who I am though. He's being used.
"I-I am Kiku Sato, sir." I lied.
"Hm, you remind me of my wife." he said looking down at me and I froze.
Please don't recognize me! Please don't figure out that I am your daughter!
"She is missing, along with my daughter. Have you met a woman named Tomoko Kariuki or a young woman named Kaori Kariuki?" he asked and I shook my head.
"I'm sorry, sir. I have not met anyone with that name." I told him looking down.
"Mm, your scent is familiar somehow." he said sniffing the air and I gulped, "You smell like a young demon I know. He is named Sesshomaru."
"I am traveling with him, sir." I told him.
"You are? I thought he hated humans." Father said.
"He does, but I am a exception along with a young orphan. I should be going sir. I have to find her." I told him.
"I will help you." he said and I mentally cursed.
The longer I was around him, the more of a chance that he would find out who I really am.
"That is to much, sir. You already saved me from those bandits." I told him.
"Nonsense. You did most of the work, I only took out the leader. Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked me as he began to walk towards the way Rin had taken off too.
"Er, I watched some men in my old village training." I told him, but in reality I just did what they do in the movies, plus I did take a class in self-defense once with Mama. So I knew how to fight with my bare hands.
"I see. The child is not far from here, and I smell another demon. A toad?" he said and I bit my bottom lip trying to hold in my laugh.
I was defiantly his daughter.
"A imp, sir. He's Lord Sesshomaru servant." I told him hating how I had to call Sesshomaru Lord, but I had to act respectful.
"Hm, he seemed more like a toad to me, sounds a lot like one. Complaining a lot." he said and I bit the inside of my cheek hoping he was calling me human and not my name.
"I can't believe that stupid girl would walk away from the camp like that! If Lord Sesshomaru finds out he will have my head!" Jaken shouted and the two stepped out from behind a bush.
"K-" Rin began to shout, but I ran to the child hugging her tightly to make sure she wouldn't plow my hidden identity.
"Oh, Rin! I was so worried that you had been caught by those men or worse!" I said.
"How could you have leave the camp like that!? You stupid stupid human! I don't see why Lord Sesshomaru is taking you to the K-" Jaken began, but I quickly kicked him in the face making him fly into some bushes.
I let go of Rin and turned to my Father.
"Thank you so much for helping me find Rin, sir." I told him bowing my head.
"It is nothing, Kiku. Please give Sesshomaru my greetings. I shall be off." he said and began to walk away.
"I will and good luck on your search, sir." I said as he disappeared into the forest.
"Why did you kick me!?" Jaken asked jumping out from the bushes.
I kept quiet until we reached the camp.
"Sorry, but you would have given up who I really was." I told him, "That man was my father."
"Your father!" Rin gasped and I nodded my head.
"Yes, he saved me from the leader of the bandits. Well finished off the leader, while I took care of the others." I told them.
"You took off four bandits?" Jaken huffed, "Unbelievable."
I glared at the imp picking up a big stone. I tossed it at the imp making him fall onto his back.
"Believe it." I told him and laid down on the ground facing away from the fire.
I closed my eyes and soon fell asleep thinking about my father. He had seemed like a good man. He finished off the leader of the bandits and even helped me find Rin. I smiled as I fell into dreamworld glad that I had finally met my father.