New Master

Kuroihi nearly blanched at the news Fuyutoka spat at her as he dug out a fresh set of garb for the hanyou.

'I'm... wait...what? Lord Sesshoumaru's...what?'

She did not argue, though, and resisted raising a brow to Fuyutoka's less than subtle hints of pleasure at the thought of Kuroihi being under the cruel command of the young lord. Her mind raced with the possibilities and perils of such an assignment. She was pleased to be wriggling out from under Fuyutoka's thumb but judging from Fuyutoka's comments, and some of the stories she'd heard about the young lord, would she really be any better off under Sesshoumaru's?

Others that had been, or were, his attendants bore marks of their service from what Sesshoumaru had considered 'appropriate admonishment' for their failures and still flinched at the sight or sound of him. Kuroihi could not deny her uncertainty as she considered her future, examining the crisp set of clothes Fuyutoka plopped into her hands.

He gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"Go...take the rest of the day off and make yourself presentable. You're disgusting."

Kuroihi, used to this particular insult, bowed and gladly took her leave of the irritating overseer.

"That means take a real bath! Licking yourself doesn't count!" he called after her.

'Witty, Fuyutoka. Real witty.'

Kuroihi was actually more than happy to sequester away for the rest of the day, tending to her own appearance. She took stock of the usual scars in the usual places as she scrubbed, and was pleasantly surprised to find a few marks she had thought were scars were, in fact, only dirt. As was her 'tan', apparently, for as she dried her freshly cleaned and polished skin, she noticed it was much lighter than she was used to; and for a moment, she marveled at the lush beauty of it.

She allowed herself the indulgence of inspecting her reflection in the water. Her hair fell in waves of ivory, some of it splayed across her shapely shoulders. She smoothed the tufts of fur at the tips of her ears, wringing the drops of water from them and found they were actually quite lovely, at least in her view. Her features were delicate and tapered, as was to be expected in a female, and she found herself amused by the sweep of her brow.

It was her own eyes, though, that mesmerized her.

She'd never had the chance to really examine them, and she leaned until her breath sent soft ripples across the water's glassy surface. They were more of a yellow‐gold than the honey hue of Lord Sesshoumaru and his father, though not quite as yellow as Fuyutoka's hawklike eyes. A ring of black seeped in around the edges and flecked across the yellow expanse like an inverse of a starry sky.

She felt like she could drown in them.

Even more rapturous to her was the feel of her new clothes as she dressed. The soft, crisp cotton felt wondrous in comparison to the ragged filth of her former attire, and as she finished tying her sash, she promised herself that she would never go back to anything less than this. She took a bit of time to try and get used to the feel and flow of the slate gray kimono, and already she knew she would have trouble with the hakama. They only fell to her ankles, but they were still long and loose, compared to her knee‐length, close‐fitting uniform from before. She suddenly wondered exactly how people like the Taishou moved so quickly and gracefully in such garments.

'I'll learn.' She promised herself as she practiced. 'I'll learn to move like that, to be better than I am.'

Indeed, she had so much to learn.

Suddenly, as the glory of her new state wore off and the reality of her circumstances settled in, she was terrified. She clenched her hands to her forehead, sinking slowly to her knees with the weight of her fear, and prayed to whatever ancestor‐gods would hear her to give her strength and fortitude in the coming days. Even they knew that Sesshoumaru was not a merciful lord. Ignorance would be no excuse.

The following morning, Sesshoumaru sat lounged against the wall of his room, gazing out to watch the rising sun illuminate the gathered rain clouds. He could sleep no longer, due either to the chill or the wet in the air, and so had given in to the wandering thoughts that plagued his mind. He returned to the delicious recollections of the battle only days before, which pleased him, but his delight was dampened by the words of his father. He ran his fingers through his fur as he contemplated their deeper meaning.

He also took the time to review his goals for the day concerning the half‐breed. That part did not take long. He would have to analyze its abilities and potential for improvement before formulating a true plan, which meant another trip to the practice fields. He didn't mind it, though he did notice a wispy wall of black approaching in the distance, signaling the impending downpour. He would not wear his good kimono today.

His attention shifted to the sounds of someone approaching his room and kneeling outside. He realized that speaking of clothing, he was still wearing only his shitagi. He shifted to rise and dress, but a thought crossed his mind and he paused.

'No. Let us see how this hanyou reacts.'

He allowed himself a slight smile for a moment as the silhouette against the paper squares fidgeted and shifted, as though rearranging its clothes. Atop its head flicked a pair of dog‐like ears. His own ears picked up the sounds of the creature's uneven breathing and racing heartbeat. The predator within him snarled with glee at the thought of such easy prey.

'No,' he chided himself, not yet. 'Not until I have finished with it.'

He ran his tongue to part his delicate lips, finally commanding the creature waiting nervously outside.

"Come."

****

Kuroihi was still having trouble with her new clothes. Despite all her practice the night before, she failed in her attempt at a graceful kneel outside Sesshoumaru's quarters. She'd forgotten to tug slightly at her hakama, and now her knees strained the cloth taunt. She tried her best to adjust it quietly as she waited for his summons, but found it pinned by her shins.

'Damnit.'

She was about to shift her weight to fix it when he spoke.

"Come."

Her heart stopped. This was it.

She steadied her hand as she reached to slide the door open just enough to permit her entry, eyes to the floor as she tried to keep her feet from tangling in the waves of cloth. She'd been in his room enough times before replacing tatami mats and the like to have a sense of where she should situate herself and did so after closing the door.

She had slightly more luck with her hakama this time, tugging just so at the knees to avoid straining them in the waist, but found they were now piled under her shins in an unsightly manner. Certain that the same fidgeting she'd done in the hall would be found unacceptable here, she instead settled the lengths of her sleeves to cover the exposed part of her legs as she slipped into the expected bow.

Sesshoumaru analyzed the creature's every gesture, not missing the subtle adjustments to try and hide its clumsy movements. As he had observed before, it was loud and ungraceful, though he was satisfied to see the thing had managed something resembling an appropriate appearance. Still...

The sash was tied in almost the proper way, but was somewhat uneven in its lengths and bunched around the waist. Its hakama sat too high on its form, the kosode neckline was too high on one side and hidden on the other under the kimono, which was wrapped too tightly around its neck and bunched here and there along the shoulders. Its hair, while smooth and delightfully clean, sagged unevenly in its styling. In fact, the only thing that seemed to have been done correctly was the donning of its tabi; though, to be fair, how did one error in putting on socks?

Kuroihi felt his eyes upon her and focused on keeping her breathing soft and steady despite her sudden acute awareness of every part of herself. She did not speak, for she knew it was the right of the elite to make their wills known, not that of their inferiors to question; but she could not resist letting her eyes creep along the floor. She found the edge of his futon and judged that it was empty. She glanced left and right, finding the usual furnishings one would expect someone of his station to have. She even found the edge of his kimono stand, still occupied by the garment.

Where was Lord Sesshoumaru himself?

She lifted her head just slightly, enough to shift her periphery to take in more of the room and found the shitagi covered knee of the leg he had folded in underneath himself. Realizing his improper state of dress, she immediately re‐fixed her eyes on her own knees. Why hadn't seeing his kimono still on its stand been her first clue?

Sesshoumaru tilted his head a tad as he observed the half‐breed's subtle search with its eyes, nearly smirking as it seemed to find him and adjust its gaze accordingly as etiquette dictated. He didn't miss the soft flush creeping across its cheeks as its pulse increased and wondered for a moment if the coloring was a trait from the human blood and how far it would spread. The discomfort in his stomach, however, brought the short game to an end. Amusing as this was, he hungered.

"Fuyutoka has appraised you of your duties." He said softly, both seeking confirmation that his commands had been appropriately carried out as well as to communicate to the half‐breed his desire for food; which, should the overseer have done his job, the creature would know.

Kuroihi licked her lips and had to swallow before her voice would work.

"Lord Sesshoumaru's servant was instructed to arrive here at dawn to begin her duties attending to the desires of your honorable self."

"I see."

Sesshoumaru rose a brow, surmising that the overseer had not, as he should have, immediately acquainted the hanyou with his other attendants for proper instruction. He reassessed the creature with a new view, and while he found its errors no less grating, it helped him begin to sketch out what was nature and what was conditioning from its time in the castle. He fixed his gaze squarely on its back, as though that alone would brand his will upon its very soul as he spoke again.

"You belong to this Sesshoumaru now. My commands are the only ones you will accept."

Her mouth worked, but no sound came out, and the lack of response made him narrow his eyes.

'Is it daft after all?' He wondered.

"Servant," he said, his tone colder than before, "Acknowledge when I speak."

She quickly nodded, finding this simple motion somehow freed the invisible hold on her throat.

"Yes, my lord." she said quietly.

"Good." His tone was slightly mocking. He glanced back out the window, gauging how long he had until the rains arrived. "Fetch Kazawa."

Kuroihi waited a moment to see if there was more to the command before slipping as quietly as she could out of the room in search of this 'Kazawa' person. Temporarily free of Sesshoumaru's stifling presence, she now realized that she had not been breathing properly. Somehow, she avoided imitating a landed fish as she drank in her fill of air.

As he awaited the return of the hanyou and his long‐time attendant, Sesshoumaru lay his face against his fur and mused. At least the thing had a decent sense of proper etiquette. His irritation with its lack of preparation did not lie with the creature itself, but instead the one whose responsibility it had been to prepare it. He would have words with Fuyutoka about the incident later. It was one thing to tease and undermine an inferior, but when those antics interfered with the will and progress of a superior, as these had, they were being taken too far.

He did not have to wait over long for the return of his attendants, and soon enough he was dressed, had finished his interrogation of Kazawa, and was half‐way through his morning meal. He considered what Kazawa had told him of the half‐breed's exploits to locate him and was satisfied that it'd had the sense to search first the kitchens and question the overseer.

'Yes,' he thought, 'the overseer. One who shall soon be made aware of this Sesshoumaru's displeasure...'

It was the exchange between Fuyutoka and the hanyou that gave him more of a positive view on the outcome of his little experiment with the thing. Fuyutoka had sneeringly inquired how the creature was taking to its new assignments, which made sense for one as petty as Fuyutoka, who had arranged the failure in communication and preparation in the first place.

The hanyou had apparently responded with a satisfied expression and appropriate bow, stating it found honor in its duties, which had not pleased Fuyutoka. As Kazawa told it, the thing had said 'I' instead of using an indirect way of indicating itself. Sesshoumaru saw this as a sign that the half‐breed had adapted quickly to the higher station, meaning it was well aware of its own status.

He allowed himself a slight smirk.

There might just be hope for the creature yet.