The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Discovery

Chapter 24 - The Discovery *Oblivious* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

As they talked, the two continued to walk, and Sesshoumaru crept forward slightly so he could see them. Relief flooded through him as he recognized the uniforms they wore. They were soldiers of the West, and they were looking for him. Finally!

The large white dog rose and let out a thunderous woof, immediately catching the attention of the two inuyoukai that had been only yards away. They were right. He had been lying right there, and they had no idea of his presence. Snow made tracking so very difficult, and Sesshoumaru was thankful that he had been in the right place at the right time. Otherwise, they more than likely would have never found him, nor would he have found them.

"Is it really...?" The second soldier asked in surprise while the first panicked, remembering all that he had said.

Sesshoumaru barked again, standing tall and proud. His golden eyes flashed in the sunlight, his stripes bright against the pale background of his fur and the surrounding snow.

"My Lord," the two said as they fell to their knees and pressed their faces right into the snow. They rose only after he barked again, and they looked him over. "Are you well?"

Sesshoumaru barked again, inclining his head slightly, his answer to their inquiry.

"My Lord, we are supposed to escort you back to the Western borders. Everything is being done in an attempt to remove the barrier, but if it has not been accomplished by the time we arrive, the Lady Mother will meet us there to undo the spell."

The once-taiyoukai looked first at the well, and then at the village, thoughts racing. He couldn't very well go back to the village, soldiers on his heels, and explain that he was going with them. Since he couldn't communicate, he could not guarantee that they would not give away more information than he wanted to Kagome's companions.

He did not want Inuyasha to know the truth, and he also wished to keep Kagome in the dark, at least for a while. He considered confessing his identity to her at some point in the future, to both ease her worries and perhaps gain some trust, but not now. Not yet. He couldn't have her coming back from her time only to find him gone, and to be told that she had been caring for the enemy.

Though he held hope that the barrier would be gone when they reached it, he did not really expect success. If that were the case, then he would be returning to the village anyway, if only to check on the miko. He knew she would be devastated by his disappearance, and that she would likely blame her friends for not keeping closer watch on him. Every tear she shed, he would make up for somehow, but at the moment, his only choice was to leave with his soldiers, to make his way to the West and get his body back.

Sesshoumaru took one more lingering look at the well before woofing softly and beginning to walk in the direction of his lands. The soldiers scrambled to follow, the one that had questioned his survival running off ahead to announce that he had been found safely. It would take a few days to make it to the border, as he had no intention of running. His heart was far too heavy for that.