Disclaimer: I do not own anything Inuyasha.

Changing Winds

Chapter 1 The Celt

Sesshoumaru was waiting in the gray of early morning. The salt surf splashing a couple hundred feet below. He hated the smell, and he hated waiting. However, she was someone you waited for. Her aura had woken him out of a dead sleep 3 days ago, he could feel the aura moving quickly towards his homeland. There were few immortals who knew of her, and no mortal had ever heard the myth of the High Priestess.

The myths were all lies. He squinted his eyes against the break of dawn and sighed. 'Now', he thought, 'I know how the servants must feel'. Sesshoumaru frowned deeply, a youkai of his power should never have thoughts such as these. If he didn't personally know the truth behind the myth, he would let the power flying across the ocean come to him.

The legend says she came from the mainland, Sesshoumaru knew it was from much farther away. An island covered in mist. She had said on her last visit they now called it Eirinn. Long before mortals traveled to the northern regions, and fought wars on the lands there, a small tribe of immortals made the land their home. They could call on the power of the earth itself, it was why they were not only so few, but also so incredibly powerful.

The High Priestess had traveled the land many millennia ago with one of the great dogs of the north. When she came to the region now known as Japan, she found the same kind of power and magic that surrounded her homeland.

The myth said she taught mortals the way of the miko, Sesshoumaru grunted out loud, 'this is something you can not simply teach, you are born into great power', he lifted his head a little higher in offense to the thought that mortals could be taught how to use great power.

After the High Priestess had been here for a few centuries, she was ready to return. Her great companion however, was not. Upon the day of her departure she granted him the wisdom to use his own great powers to change his form. He passed on the knowledge and became the first ancestor into what would one day become the great Taisho family line.

The High Priestess was literally an old family friend.

Just as the sky turned a beautiful tinge of pink and orange, the wind picked up his hair in a flurry of movement, and she came into view.

Dark green came flying from the west, fast. It wasn't long before he could see her dark red hair sailing out behind her like a banner.

She gracefully landed beside him and looked straight into his eyes. "High Priestess Miore", he greeted with an unusual deep bow. Sesshoumaru was bowed to, not the other way around.

"Hello Sesshoumaru", she greeted cordially, and simply nodded.

She leaned up to him and gave him a friendly kiss. It was tradition, he frowned.

She broke all his rules.

Sesshoumaru sized her up, and as always she hadn't changed a bit. She stood only as high as an average human, and looked like one too. She wasn't a demon, but she wasn't a mortal either. Her face looked quite like Sesshoumaru's, high cheek bones and a defined jaw line. A thin face, though not gaunt, held eyes shaped like his only leaf green, and her ears were not elven shaped. Her features, unlike his, were softer and more suited to a woman. She was an hourglass figure, and wore her traditional long dress of leather and woven material. It was trimmed with symbols of her heritage. Her leather belt hung loosely around her waist and on the end hung a charm, her symbol. Her long straight hair hung to her knees and was unbound with the exception of a small braid behind each ear.

As a warrior, she was second to none. She carried two large swords on her back in a leather sheath that held them almost side by side. She could easily grab either one with her right hand. He was sure she had more weapons on her, though he never tested his theory.

"Shall we young Lord", Miore said as she motioned towards the forest ahead.

"h'm", was all he said as he nodded in agreement.

"How long did it take you to get here?"

"Three days walking, I only stop at night", he replied.

"Good, I could not feel your fathers' aura and I feared you had moved away from the western lands."

"My father is dead."

Miore immediately stopped, her mouth slightly open in shock. "Impossible, he was the greatest youkai in these lands."

"He let himself protect a mortal and a hanyou", venom practically seeping from his voice at the words.

"And you did not protect them as well!", she cried. Fury was beginning to edge her voice.

"It was not my business." Sesshoumaru was beginning to get angry that she should think he needed to be involved.

"Why young pup to you think I am here!", Moire snapped, her voice strong and even.

As she whirled around to yell at him she brought out her sword and struck him with the broad edge across his mid-section, effectively knocking the wind out of him.

He missed his step, but didn't fall, and he never made a sound. She was faster than he was, and suddenly all the years of training with her came flashing to his mind, which only brought forth a sickening thought.

Sesshoumaru's eyes got slightly bigger, 'she only comes here for the matings and births of powerful demons, certainly she is not here for that hanyou!'.

Her voice suddenly came into his head, 'of course I am here for him, his destiny is great'.

And with that she turned and walked away, sheathing her sword.

A drawing to my version of Miore's dress and symbol is on deviant art. A link can be found on my author page. I truly can't draw people, so maybe someone with greater talent that I can put a body in the dress. Maybe I will tackle her swords next.