Inu Yasha ran as quick as his legs could carry him, trying to catch up with Miroku & Catriona; though he didn't have the first clue of where to look. He couldn't think of where they could be, & there was no scent for him to follow. He would have followed the tracks of the horse that has been taken from the village, but the snow that had fallen had covered the tracks.
He had finally awoken from the sleep-inducing liquid sometime the previous night, & once he discovered the absence of Miroku & Catriona, took off in search of them. Having no leads, this made it hard for him to decide on a direction, but when he did decide on one, Koga's den, he stuck to it. He had another day or two's worth of travel ahead of him, but all that mattered was that he was almost certain she would go there; if she had enlisted Miroku's help.
-Then,- he realized, -he might try to take her in a different direction than where she wants to go...- He came to a skidding stop, kicking up dirty snow in the process, & took a look around, sniffing the air. He sighed & began running to Koga's den again, more determination in his step this time.
From the beginning of his search for Catriona & Miroku, he had found that he could keep running non-stop if every now & then he took running leaps & stayed in the air for moments at a time. He decided now was one of those needed times.
He gained speed before putting strength into his legs to push off from the ground. Once in the air, he kept his gaze set on the mountains that he could see now without trees obscuring his view. Using his youkai energy, he pushed off against a gust that came from behind, pushing him ahead a couple of times.
When he came back down to the ground, he kept running, not even pausing to catch a breath. �Not much longer & I�ll be with you again, Catriona,- he thought to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Catriona stood for Miroku holding onto her waist tightly as the horse ran at top speed across the snow-covered lands. When she woke at sun break, she took a good look around & had realized that they were camped where Koga had made her & Kagome stop during the first night of travel to Koga�s den. Now that she knew where they were, she knew it would only take an hour or two, four at the very most, to get to Sesshomaru�s castle.
�Catriona,� Miroku spoke, above the wind rushing around them, �are you sure about where we are?�
�Absolutely!� Catriona answered, shouting to be heard. �I know well of where we are!�
From behind her, Miroku could hear the smile in her voice & he felt his heart clench in his chest as a wave of nausea washed over him. �I�m glad I was able to help you,- he thought. �Once I leave her here I won�t have to see her again & live with the pain of having her here, or near to me, & not be able to have her.-
Catriona�s heart leapt for joy when she could see the dome of the eerie green barrier surrounding her mate�s castle. �Not much longer,- she thought. �I hope that he�s fine�-
A bit of realization made her give the command for the horse to slow, & then stop, & when the horse obeyed, she slid from Miroku�s hold & slid off the horse�s back.
�Catriona, are you alright?� Miroku asked.
�What if he won�t take me back?� She answered his question with a question of her own.
�What are you talking about?� Miroku slid from the horse�s back & stood beside Catriona, looking at the barrier dome.
�His heir from me is gone. What good am I to him after proving any future heirs wouldn�t be safe with me?�
�But you said it yourself; Isamu�s death was not your fault,� Miroku spoke, putting his hand on her shoulder.
�He might not feel that way, Miroku.�
�There�s only one way to find out, & that�s going to him & finding out.�
�If Jaken got the message to him, then he already knows� He might not even want me in his Lands��
�And if he does?�
�Then I�ll be relieved��
�The only think to do is to go to find out if what you fear will come true. Or, will your fears have been for nothing? Only way to find out is to go to him.�
�Will you wait for me outside the castle?� She asked. �So I can go with you or let you know to go?�
As Miroku nodded, Catriona hopped back onto the horse, & then helped Miroku onto the horse. Sliding his arms around her waist, & holding his staff within the pit where his arm & shoulder met, Miroku refrained from sighing. -She will tell me to go & I can be free of this pain,- he thought.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Upon arriving at the castle owned by Sesshomaru, Catriona looked at the blood staining the ground where no snow fell. She wondered the reason for it at first, but then remembered that Sesshomaru�s barrier kept out everything seasonal; except heat, cold, & wind.
Glancing around, Catriona could see that almost the entire area in front of, & around, Sesshomaru�s castle was stained with a deep crimson hue. The sight made her heart leap to her throat.
Sitting behind her on the slow-moving horse, Miroku looked at the blood-stained ground & grass, & he found himself wondering how much was Sesshomaru�s & how much was Lord Mottomorashii�s. �Is this all blood from just the battle, or is most of it from the fatal blow one of the youkai Lords were rumored to have received?- He asked himself.
When she finally got the horse to the main entrance of the castle, she hesitantly slid to the ground after bringing the horse to a stop. An eerie silence filled her ears despite the wind that rushed around her, & a chill went through her spine. There was something wrong about this, something that made her frown & set her lips straight. She slowly moved to the entrance, walking inside, & began walking around, looking for any sign of her mate.
As she walked through the castle, she could hear the wind rushing around outside, & she wished she could hear Rin talking like normal so she could follow her voice. When she heard a noise down the hallway, she tensed, standing still.
When she could no longer hear the noise, she continued in the direction of the noise, not realizing it was from Sesshomaru�s bed chamber until she was at the door.
�Lord Sesshomaru,� was the female moan from within; the sound making Catriona�s heart skip a beat. �You�re so thick.� The moan was replaced by a loud cry of what sounded like pleasure.
�Lady Chimei-teki, you are wonderful in the act of pleasuring the opposite sex,� answered a deep, throaty reply from Sesshomaru.
Catriona felt tears welling up in her eyes as she backed away slowly from the door & moved down the hall, not looking back at the door. Once she was out the door & standing out on the ground, she made her way to where the horse & Miroku were waiting for her.
Miroku was surprised to see her return, & it was showing on his face. His eyebrows were raised & his eyes were slightly wide. �Catriona?�
�Miroku, scoot up, you�re directing the horse,� she spoke. �I don�t care where you take me, let�s just go.�
Without a word, Miroku slid up the horse�s back & helped Catriona climb up. Once she was settled behind him & had her arms wrapped around his waist, Miroku set the horse into a trot. �What went on within those walls within such a short amount of time?- He thought as he felt her put her head against his back.