Chapter 25 | Decision

- THIRD PERSON POV -

~ - The Day Before -

The Priestess before Sesshomaru sat solemnly on the grass, letting the rain overcome her. She held herself, unmoving.

Walking up to her, she didn't flinch. Sesshomaru has been gone for a long time than he had ever been, and had journeyed to the west to deal with demons threatening the land.

Stopping a distances close to her, the priestess slowly lifted her head up moving her wet black hair back out of her face.

Starring at her, Sesshomaru's eyes widened some. The Priestess that he had begun to tolerate, had harbored a look he had never seen on any mortal before.

Burying those small thoughts, Sesshomaru was met with her stare as she now stood in front of him. Her wet Hakama revealing her chest. The priestess looked pale and tired, as if a small push might knock her over in an instant. For some reason he could not understand, he did not like seeing her that way.

Does she really have no regard for her health? Sesshomaru thought.

Picking her up, Sesshomaru questioned himself in that moment towards the cause of his actions. He then came to a conclusion. He felt a form of ... sympathy? How foolish.

Sesshomaru gazed down at the priestess, studying her new expression. Even the human girl he had taken a small interest in, had never shown these kind of emotions. How strange it was that he, a demon, would take some sort of interest in a human.

Suddenly, the priestess in his arms held her hands over his eyes, covering them as she spoke out a plea to be let go.

In all his years ... no mortal had ever gotten this close to him, or had ever dared to. This priestess ... was indeed different.

Her small hands had grown cold and yet ... they were somehow soft. Slowly taking her hands off his eyes, the priestess laid her hands over hers, sinking her face down. This gesture was indeed strange to Sesshomaru, but he decided to no longer pay heed to such questions.

He then let her go, seeing a look of anger appear on her face after she hit the ground. How ... amusing?

Extending his hand out to her, he offered to help her up. The priestess, though hesitant, took it. After doing so, the priestess gathered the belongings she had dropped. Then, she spoke.

" So ... how ... have you fared?"

"It does not concern you." Sesshomaru answered immediately. He didn't feel the need to tell her what matters he was taking care of in the west, because it did indeed, not concern her in the slightest.

After speaking, the priestess walked past him in a hurry. Is she ... upset? Following her from a distance, the two found shelter under the trees. Now wet, Sesshomaru decided he would look around the mountain again for a trace of demonic auras. Tatsumori could be among them ...

Ambling past the priestess, he strided along the mudded dirt path. However, the priestess followed him.

"Jaken did not accompany you this time?"

Sesshomaru's brows sank some by the question. Jaken had gone out on his own to search for Tatsumori and had disobeyed Sesshomaru's order to stay. He did not want to speak of him.

A unusual sound then caught his ears. A giggle. Glancing down towards the priestess, she held a few fingers over the smile harbored on her face. Why was she laughing?

~

Taking refuge near the Cherry blossoms trees near an edge of the mountain, the harsh and cold rain had turned warm and slow.

Standing under trees, Sesshomaru pondered questions in his mind. He had smelled faint whiffs of Tatsumori over the entire mountain, but they were faint and faded. He knew what he needed to do, he had to ask the priestess about Tatsumori. But for some reason ... he dreaded the act of doing it. If Tatsumori was not here ... Sesshomaru would have to continue his journey elsewhere and leave.

All of a sudden, Sesshomaru's skin tingled, sensing ... miasma. Flying up, he went towards the shrine near the top of the mountain. The demonic aura stung his nose making him frown in annoyance.

Unsheathing his sword, he scowled at the fact he felt a bit of fear. Coming to the shrine, the barrier that had been clear, was now black. This was the Muranagas doing. He had dawdled for too long. Tonight he was taking the Muranaga and getting an answer. He needn't care if the Priestess did not like what he had to do to get get them.

__________Authors Note - This is kind of Sesshomaru's prov too ... yay.