Murmurs rippled throughout the servant body in the weeks following the prince’s flight from the castle, always behind sleeves or in dark corridors. Lord Sesshoumaru had been cast out, they said, and they each had their own imagined reasons. However, none discussed this recent development more avidly than Aoki or Kazawa.

The manner of Sesshoumaru’s departure indicated it would be a significant span of time before he returned; if he returned at all. In the meantime, the General was without an heir, something they were sure would be rectified. Would the Inu no Taishou mate again with Sesshoumaru’s mother, they wondered? Or perhaps take a new mate? Either way, would the new pup be different from Sesshoumaru, or daresay worse? The two veteran servants argued over which scenario to hope for.

Kuroihi was even more lost than they. With Sesshoumaru gone, she was again on her own without the sway of her master over the other denizens at the castle-base. Knowing nothing else, she resumed some of her former assignments. As she stuffed logs into the fire pit for the baths once more, she tried desperately to plan for her future here at the castle. Would Fuyutoka now be as cruel to her as he had been in the past? Nothing could be worse than Sesshoumaru, she figured, but she had more patience for the prince’s antics than for Fuyutoka’s. How long could she last? Surely there was more for her to do than the same old menial tasks she’d assumed once more.

Watching the flames dance in the pit, a thought struck her: What about Rekkonji? Should she ask if she was allowed to continue her training under him? Perhaps, transfer to the foot soldiers? Even if she could, to what end would it be? She couldn’t exactly waltz onto the battlefield with the General or on his behalf. Not only were his enemies and their minions far stronger than she, but to have a hanyou publicly represent someone as an underling even in battle was more shame than even the General would take on, she was certain.

Still…it was either give it a shot or resign herself to continuing her former life until Sesshoumaru returned. ‘Anything is better than serving under Fuyutoka again…’ she thought, brushing shards of bark from her hands and making her way back inside. She could not approach the Warmaster herself, her rank being too far below his, but she knew someone who could. She had only to convince him to speak on her behalf; but how?

The trees in the grove surrounding the castle had all but shed their leaves for the Autumn season by the time Kuroihi approached Kazawa. The two hadn’t spoken for weeks, since the prince’s flight, and she made sure to approach him when he was alone and unwatched by prying eyes. At first, Kazawa ignored the hanyou, expecting her to pass him by as she worked; but she paused within conversational distance, head bowed appropriately. Finally, he chose to recognize her.

“Yes?” He asked, his tone neutral as he carefully folded a set of hakama.

“Kazawa-san seems relaxed these days.” Kuroihi said kindly, opening the conversation with the expected niceties.

Kazawa grunted in the affirmative, but did not return them. Instead, he took his time to finish folding the clothing and tucked it neatly away before turning to face the female.

“What is it you want?” His tone hinted at impatience.

She hesitated for a moment. “Those such as myself have not the freedom of speech in the way those such as yourself do. Even were I to wish to speak with the Warmaster, I could not.”

Kazawa rose a brow. “And what words could ‘one such as yourself’ have for the honorable Warmaster?” He continued to hint at his impatience with his tone.

Kuroihi bowed her head lower. “Were I so crass as to speak to that gracious one so directly…” She hesitated again, letting it sink in that she understood her position very well, “I would perhaps offer my efforts to him and his warriors. Were it that I was completely lacking in propriety, I would request, at the very least, to continue under his expert tutelage.”

Kazawa considered. “It is perhaps for the better that you are not so arrogant as to approach the Warmaster with such words.”

Kuroihi remained bowed as Kazawa swept past her and down the hall toward his next task. She was left wondering whether he would mention anything at all to the Warmaster in the end.

As Kuroihi waited for the outcome of her discussion with Kazawa, she decided she would not allow herself to again become Fuyutoka's go-for and scapegoat, as he was attempting to make her. He tried to order her into the bowels of the castle where she would be hidden as she repaired tatami mats and shouji doors, but Kuroihi did not respond to his command, choosing instead to retort.

"There are others more skilled than myself to see to such things, are there not, honorable Overseer? If I recall, in the past, I have often erred in my attempts at such work." Kuroihi chose her tone carefully, trying to avoid seeming imprudent.

Nevertheless, Fuyutoka's lip curled. How dare she talk back to him! "You'll do as you are commanded, insolent whelp!"

Kuroihi wittily took advantage of the opening Fuyutoka had given her. "If such is the case, then I should tend to Lord Sesshoumaru's quarters and possessions." She argued. Fuyutoka's face flushed with anger, but Kuroihi continued. "My currently standing orders are to care for Sesshoumaru-sama, his needs, and his possessions. While his lordship has departed for now, his rooms and items remain. With Aoki under your command once more and Kazawa under the honorable Warmaster's, none remain to fulfill that task."

Kuroihi thought Fuyutoka would burst with rage, and she could see the internal war in his eyes. He knew she was right, but she was the one to say it. Eventually, he growled. "I see your attempt to worm your way out of work for what it is, half-breed. Those quarters had best be spotless!" Without another word, he turned sharply and stomped away.

Kuroihi could only smirk. For once, she had won.

She returned to Sesshoumaru's quarters to take stock of what needed to be done, and to select a more permanent closet in which to sleep. Even with the monster away, she doubted the other servants would dare venture anywhere near his lair anytime soon. Once again, her hell became her safe haven.

----

The days trickled by, and every time Kazawa laid eyes on Rekkonji, the hanyou's words rang in the back of his mind. No, he would not bring such a thing to the Warmaster! It was not his responsibility to make requests of his superiors on behalf of his lessers; especially not a half-breed. ...But, he could not ignore that she had weathered Sesshoumaru's torture far better than any others thus far aside from himself and Aoki. Perhaps having her in his debt would prove to be useful for him? Yes; and it was not so grandiose a request to make. Practice ended soon after he made his decision. He was preparing his words for the Warmaster when the jackal approached him.

"You are alone again today, I see." Rekkonji mused. "Where is the half-breed? Was she not ordered into combat training?"

Kazawa scrambled mentally to improvise. "Well... That is to say... She was unsure as to whether she would be allowed to continue and chose the more appropriate path for one such as herself."  'Damnit' Kazawa cursed himself mentally. Rekkonji had caught him off-guard, and Kazawa had spoken more truthfully than he had intended to do.

"Is that so?" The Warmaster stroked at his goatee for a moment. "Bring her tomorrow."

Kazawa bowed in acquiescence and departed for his afternoon meal break. Did this scenario fulfill his side of the silent bargain he'd struck with the half-breed? He decided it did, that she was now in his debt, and he was sure she would agree when he fetched her the next morning to return to the training fields.

Kuroihi was pleasantly surprised when Kazawa arrived to deliver the words of the Warmaster. She understood and accepted that she was in debt to Kazawa for something equitable to her request, which could be almost anything. However, she didn't allow herself to be preoccupied by such thoughts once she had fitted into a proper gi and joined Kazawa and the others.

Already, she could feel the seasoned fighters sizing her up, her tufted ears catching their whispers of cruel jest and disbelief. This would be nothing like working with Kazawa and Rekkonji had been, but she would have to find some way to endure it. She still desired to leave this place, and she knew quite well she was not ready to brave the open wilds on her own and have any hope to survive. To Kuroihi, this was about more than an interest in combat; it was a matter of life and death.

------

The weeks passed slowly at the castle-base as Autumn gave way to Winter's embrace. Soon, the fighters were having to don a second layer just to be outside, and Kuroihi was often 'asked' to assist some of the other servants in bringing home more trees for firewood. She was used to having to manage the cold, however it seemed this year's chill was sharper than any before it.

            Sesshoumaru still had not returned nor sent word to his father. The Winter solstice was upon them, and still, nothing. Kuroihi began hearing ghosts of voices and footfalls beyond the painted shouji doors that delineated the entry to Sesshoumaru's wing; the servants were growing brave in his extended absence. She was certain that they would soon abandon all caution and venture beyond the barrier, for whatever reason. So, she began emptying the closets of Sesshoumaru's things and stashing them away deeper inside his quarters. She hoped that if they found nothing, they would lose interest. Unfortunately, that would not be the case, and Kuroihi soon found herself nestled tightly in one of the corners of Sesshoumaru's inner sanctum to avoid being caught.

Winter melted into Spring, and finally what Kuroihi feared finally happened. As she settled into her usual corner after returning from her day of rest, she heard the inner shouji doors slide open and several hushed voices. Panic twisted in her chest. She didn't recognize the voices as either Aoki or Kazawa, or any of the General's attendants. Who would dare trespass in the prince's quarters? She cared less for Sesshoumaru's opinion and more for the fact that this was her last safe haven. Thinking quickly, she took up a rag from her bedding and fetched an empty oil bowl from its stand. Pretending to polish it, she approached the breached tatami room. A pair of Fuyutoka's favored servants were just stepping inside when she came to face them, still in the shadows of the innermost sanctum. She steeled all her nerves.

"Good evening." Kuroihi said flatly, continuing to run the rag along the oil bowl.

The two demons started and made to run until they realized it was only her. One began to speak, but Kuroihi cut him off.

"These are Lord Sesshoumaru's private quarters. What business do you have here in his absence?" She did her best to add a growled undertone to her voice.

The demons sputtered, then chuckled, hands raised as they backed out of the room. "It was only a jest," one claimed.

Kuroihi could tell their 'retreat' was insincere, and she followed them all the way back through the painted shouji doors, watching with sharp eyes until they rounded the corner down the hall toward the rest of the castle.

'Damnit...' she thought. Her final sanctuary had been invaded, and with her heart in her throat, she realized this would only be the first of several attempts. To what end, however, she was unsure. A week later, it happened again, and once more a few nights after that. They were growing braver, as she’d predicted, and Kuroihi's minor blustering had less and less effect.

'Sesshoumaru-sama,” Kuroihi thought desperately, “where are you?'

----------

“What do you plan to do, my friend?” Rekkonji asked Touga as they studied the maps of a southern territory the General wished to conquer.

Touga paused and lifted his gaze to his companion. “What do you mean?”

“Concerning Sesshoumaru.” Rekkonji clarified. “It has been nearly two years since his departure. He has never been away for so long.”

Touga hummed with comprehension and thought for a moment. “He is young, but a grown pup. He may do as he pleases so long as it is under his own name.”

“And what of him as your heir? Do you still plan for him to inherit your domain?”

Touga pursed his lips. “...As he is, I do not. However, I hold out hope that he will one day come around. Whether it is another year from now, or several decades. These things take time, as you know. The finest blades are those slowly and thoroughly tempered.”

Rekkonji nodded in agreement. “Then you plan to wait for him to come around?”

Touga smirked. “If you are asking if I plan to mate again, I do not. One pup is more than enough.”

Rekkonji chuckled with his friend, then paused, uncertain of how to broach the next subject of interest for him. “Insignificant though she may be, perhaps something should be done with the hanyou in the meantime.” Touga again spared his friend a glance to show he was listening. “Aoki and Kazawa have both been reassigned, yet the hanyou remains under Sesshoumaru's command, as well as yours. She continues to tend to his wing as though he were present. Is it wise to allow this? Should she not be given a more important task?”

“Have you a place for her amongst your ranks?” Touga asked.

Rekkonji shook his head. “She is still weak and untalented where battle is concerned, and would not even serve well as a scout or distraction.”

“And Fuyutoka has no want of her either. To where should she go, then?” Rekkonji nodded as he came to understand, and the General continued. “Allow her to remain. It keeps her out of trouble, and when Sesshoumaru does return, it will be a humbling realization that only she is present to tend to him.”

Rekkonji nodded again, but frowned. “I still do not understand why you insist on keeping such a creature around. She is barely useful.”

Touga chuckled. “Her uses are not so easily defined, but she does have them. Besides, I would be remiss to cast aside a gift of recompense.”

“You are speaking of the encounter with her parents those decades ago?”

The General nodded.

Rekkonji opened his mouth as though he had more to say, but then closed it and simply shook his head. “So many centuries and I still do not understand you sometimes.”

Touga just smiled. “I know.”

--------

The days dragged by as the young Lord continued to be absent. Kuroihi maintained her schedule of training, avoiding the other servants, and keeping up Sesshoumaru's quarters. The servants continued trying their luck venturing deeper into the prince’s wing, scrounging for any luxuries he had left behind. Try though she might, Kuroihi found she could no longer defend the place. She tucked what items she could salvage into protective wrappings and hid them away under the floorboards. At the same time, the fighters continued their own regimen of torments. Their strokes fell harder on her than on each other, and their tactics became cruel. Whatever it took to bring her to her knees in defeat, they did. Such antics would have gone unnoticed and unaddressed by Fuyutoka. Unfortunately, things were similar with Rekkonji. While he commented on the fighters’ ‘dirty tactics’, he did not reprimand them and always told Kuroihi to ‘try harder’.

Gradually, Kuroihi began retaliating against the other fighters in the same ways they bullied her. As with the other fighters, Rekkonji scolded her for the dirty tactics, but otherwise said nothing. The more she retaliated, the harder the other fighters were on her, Kazawa included. And the more they bullied her, the harder she fought back. Through it all, Rekkonji said nothing. Kuroihi barely realized just how much stronger the ordeals were making her, how they tempered her. She steadily grew to be a challenge for some of the lesser fighters, and then began defeating them. She could hardly believe it any more than they. Slaying a human was one thing, but to defeat even a lesser demon, for her, was poignant.

The other fighters mocked and shamed the ones she managed to defeat. Had something similar occurred while Kuroihi was under Fuyutoka’s command, the Overseer would have lashed her for her audacity. But as the trainees laughed and Kuroihi began lifting her chin with pride, Rekkonji continued to say nothing.

It was well into the Summer of the third year that Kuroihi felt a change. Something about that day felt wrong, foreboding, and she found herself distracted. She was pinning laundry to the drying line when she felt a familiar weight on the air. A chill ran down her spine, and she sprinted to the window which faced the front gates. She suspected she knew what she would find there, and her insides twisted as she saw she was correct.

Making his way leisurely through the grove toward the front gates was Sesshoumaru.