Blood is Thicker than Water

1. Into the Western Lands

Kagome and Inuyasha had returned from her time nearly a week ago, and they were on the trail of the wind witch Kagura. Their pursuit of Narakus' incarnation led them to the western lands which Inuyashas' brother Lorded over. The group was uneasy about another battle with Sesshomaru, all but Makkura who went along happily playing with his best friend Shippo. Inuyasha knew the minute they stepped into his brothers' lands there was going to be trouble. By rights of the eldest the lands of their father went to Sesshomaru, not that Inuyasha had any want to Lord over the lands as his sire did, but Sesshomaru being the aristocrat, fit into the position easily, loving the fear and respect the title demanded. Inuyasha was uneasy; the entire group could feel his tension. They were in the territory of his brother and they needed to be on guard. No one would mention Sesshomaru, but they were all wondering how long they could be in his territory without being found out.

Makkura was sniffing around the river, hoping to flush out some sort of game for their afternoon meal, if no rabbits or squirrels there were always fish. Shippo was out gathering firewood so Makkura was on his own. He traveled upstream becoming a bit unsettled he kept getting whiffs of a human that was not from his new pack, the scent grew stronger as he walked on. Then singing, very pretty singing, Makkura rounded a boulder in his path stumbling upon a girl knee deep in the river singing to her self, she stopped in surprise as their eyes met. She looked as if she was going to scream, but stopped short. Her deep chocolate eyes innocently watched him, why she wasn't screaming or running away puzzled him, most humans would flee from him, but this one simply smiled. Makkura' curiosity was growing, she didn't smell dangerous, and she was only a human after all, his alpha was a human and she was the kindest he'd ever known. Running a hand through his mess of black hair he smiled back, she giggled at him. What should he say?

The girl took care of speech for him. "Hello. Are you lost?"

Makkura dumbly shook his head 'no' to answer her.

"Can you talk then?" Makkura again shook his head 'yes'. "Then say something."

"Something?" This drew another laugh from the female child.

"You are a wolf youkai so where is your pack?" The girl unexpectedly seemed nervous around him; she glanced into the trees searching for signs of other youkai.

"Don't worry, I am alone. My pack is mainly human; I guess I will be fishing for lunch. I'm Makkura." The young pup leapt in the water splashing his new fishing companion. She squealed as the splash soaked her yukata.

"Well that just scared all the fish away." She scowled at the wolf. "You do not fish often do you? I'll help you, as long as you do no more splashing all right? I am Rin, a humble vassal of Lord Sesshomaru, I am pleased to meet you Makkura of the human pack." The two smiled at each other, Makkura watched as Rin moved to a shallower spot in the river.

Less than a minute later she had a fish lying on the bank. After five minutes she had successfully caught four wriggling fish to Makkura's one. He scowled, losing his patients, wolves were hunters not fishermen. Growling he drug himself from the river collapsing to the river bank, the fish had beaten him, and they knew it, worst yet the girl Rin knew the fish had beaten him, Makkura was humiliated and what male pride he had was swimming down stream with the fish. The afternoon sun was the only solace for him, closing his eyes he enjoyed the rays warming him, this would be one of the few days remaining so warm, fall was rapidly approaching, and with it the cooler and shorter days. A shadow fell over Makkura, as the scent of youkai filled his nostrils, opening his eyes he looked up into the face of a pure inuyoukai. Makkura leapt to his feet trying to scramble away from the person before him, however his feet refused to move as fast as he wished, tripping he found himself face first in the river. Finding his balance once again he rushed forward to put himself between the youkai and Rin. She was all smiles holding yet another fish in her hands.

"Oh milord Sesshomaru, I have caught my lunch." Rin showed her master her catch.

"How do you always find such rabble Rin?" Pointing the staff of two heads Makkuras direction, Jaken came out from the forest Ah and Un in tow. "Let me get rid of the lowly wolf master."

"No Master Jaken, this is my friend Makkura. I was teaching him to fish, but he really is no good at it." Rin waded to the riverbank, laying her catch with the others. "I really need just one, you take the others Makkura for you human pack."

Makkura stood dumbfounded in the water as the girl stood beside the imposing inuyoukai. This youkai, Lord Sesshomaru stood watching him with a look unreadable, his eyes were cold, and his long silver hair reminding him of the hanyou he traveled with.

"You reek of my brother boy. But this Sesshomaru cares not, as long as he stays out of my way."

"Inuyasha master?" Jakken looked around for the hanyou.

"Yea what of it you festering wart." Inuyasha leapt from the trees before the group. Makkura breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Inuyasha. "You seem to find trouble don't you runt." Inuyasha cast the pup a mischievous smile, there was no anger in his voice, Koga would have hit him for annoying him, but not this hanyou.

"Why are you in my domain Inuyasha." Sesshomaru spoke with no feeling to his words; a puppet would be more of a conversationalist.

Sesshomaru flexed the clawed fingers of his right hand; it was then that Makkura noticed his entire left arm was gone from his body. Makkura pulled himself once again out of the water, unsure what to do; he stayed behind Inuyasha for fear of the youkai with his friend Rin. He shook the water from himself thoughtlessly, the droplets flying in every direction.

The seemingly harmless action appeared to annoy Sesshomaru, Makkura wished to apologize but the situation was already intense. Making matters worse Kagome breathlessly came into view a few feet from Jaken. With her entrance Sesshomaru spun, turning his back on Inuyasha, his frosty gaze fixed upon Makkuras' Alpha.

Rin smiled and waved to Kagome. "Hi Kagome."

Kagome panting waved back. "Inuyasha, you've got to stop doing that to me. At least take me with you!"

Finally drawing in a deep breath she realized Sesshomaru's' eyes were upon her, and he actually wore a frown, the glower itself frightened her, Sesshomaru was not one to show emotions easily, and because he was scowling at her it made her skin crawl. Sesshomaru stepped toward her taking her by the wrist twisting her around to face Inuyasha once again, the movement so fast Inuyasha could do nothing to keep his brothers hand off of her. Jaken had quickly taken Rin away from the riverside; he could see his master's anger begin to flare, even if the others stood in confusion.

"Master Jaken what is wrong with milord?" Rin wished to stay; however Jaken forced her into the woods with the two-headed dragon Ah-Un.

"Go Rin, head back to the castle, you should have not ventured out so far. The Master is angered, you do not need to be here." Jaken's consideration for the girl surprised even him, he was getting used to looking after the child, and if she should come to harm it would be he whom received discipline from his Lord.

Makkura could smell the tension in the air something was very wrong, and he believed it to be his fault. He sprinted to the trees following after Rin; maybe she could give him some answers. If Inuyasha and Rin's protector were brothers why did they detest one another? And why was Sesshomaru so interested in Kagome? He hated to leave her side, but his inquisitiveness was getting the better of him. Makkura knew full well that Inuyasha could protect his Alpha, they were mates, it was in his blood to protect her.

"Let go of me Sesshomaru!" Kagome surprisingly pulled her wrist free, receiving yet another glare from Sesshomaru, his eyes, loosing their white to the red of the youkai. Kagome stepped away from him wondering why he was so wrathful towards her. "Sesshomaru?"

"We will be out of your territory soon enough Sesshomaru. You don't need to get all upset about it. The old mans lands are yours, we're just traveling through." Inuyasha noticed the change in his brothers' eyes. "No need for a fight Sesshomaru. But you touch Kagome again and you'll get one."

"You fool Inuyasha." Sesshomaru gave his attention completely to Inuyasha. "You defile what noble blood you have to take this human as your mate!" Sesshomaru's' voice echoed his disgust. "I should kill you both for such dishonor to our fathers blood."

"So that is what this is about?" Kagome was now getting angry herself, why would Sesshomaru even care? Not like he himself had a mate.

Sesshomaru ignored Kagome; his anger fixed on his little brother. "Why do you and father have such weakness for pathetic human women? It is unnatural, I will not allow another generation of fathers blood to be tainted."