Her grip tightened on the sword on she unsheathed it & took up a fighting stance, her nerved standing on end. �Just leave me alone,- she thought. �Please don�t attack�-
�Why do you carry the scent of Inu Yasha?� Spoke a familiar voice from the woods where the eyes were. �And why do you raise a sword to me?�
Catriona felt her heart leap into her throat, while her breath became hard to find, when she recognized the voice. She pulled herself together & slid the sword back into its sheath. �I didn�t know it was you,� she answered as Sesshomaru emerged from the woods, his eyes shifting from red to the amber she knew so well.
�That is understandable,� he spoke as he stood before her. �So answer my first question� But also explain to me why you have been unfaithful to me with the houshi that almost killed you, Rin, & our son.�
Catriona lowered her head. �Did Jaken get to you with my message?� She questioned.
�No� He was killed by the late Lord Mottomorashii when he was returning to me,� he answered. �Now answer me,� he spoke, his voice taking on a deep tone of authority.
She closed her eyes & let out a deep sigh. �When I was at Koga�s den, there was a night when Inu Yasha used my body while I slept� I�m afraid I�m carrying his child; as you can tell.�
�And, what of Miroku?�
�I slept with him as a rebound from having the unfortunate chance of hearing you & Chimei-teki pleasing each other� I was hurt & he was there�� �Who are you to call me unfaithful when you were the one having an affair first?- She thought bitterly. �You�re a hypocrite Sesshomaru.-
�And what message is it Jaken couldn�t get to me?�
�Isamu� He dies after being bitten by a snake youkai�� She brought her gaze up to his face to see his eyes narrow at her. She shrunk back mentally, but physically, she stood her ground, not moving.
�You�re telling me that my son is dead, you have slept with someone who wants to have you to himself, & you are pregnant with the pup of my brother��
-At least he didn�t have to ask to make sure�- �I don�t want to keep your brother�s child,� she whispered.
�Yet you have lain with him?�
�I told you he used me in my sleep,� she spoke, her words dripping with acid. �I wouldn�t have had sex with him if I was conscious. I love you too much.�
�Yet you were awake when you shared your bed with Miroku.� Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow. �He must be a special case.�
�It�s not like that.� She growled. �And don�t forget, you had the affair first!� She snapped, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. �Who are you to call unfaithful when I slept with Miroku out of the pain from hearing you & someone else pleasing each other? You are such a hypocrite Sesshomaru. I left Koga�s den with the hopes that you would come find me after your battle, but there you were, having an affair!�
�It�s a common practice among youkai to take to bed the female of fellow youkai Lords that they have slain,� he spoke. �It solidifies that they now have control over the lands of that Lord they have defeated.�
�So if Lord Mottomorashii would have slain you, no matter what I said, he would have taken me to his bed?�
�Since you�re ningen, it�s more likely that he would have murdered you & Isamu. I was only following youkai practices, Catriona, after winning a battle that might have cost your life.�
�And when were you going to send for me to return to the castle?� She questioned, her voice calming down now.
�When it was certain she would be carrying my child,� he answered. �For a mate who claimed to love me so much, you don�t seem happy to see me; even after I have explained that I was following my nature.�
She had tried calming down for him, to understand what he was saying, but now with his new words, her anger returned. �I�m not happy, because my mate had an affair while I was away, & from the emotional pain of this, I have a rebound one-night stand. And all this time, my first son is dead, died right in my fucking arms, & now unfortunately I�m expecting a child that I do NOT want.�
�Don�t raise your voice to me Catriona.�
�I have before & you never spoke against it, so why start now?�
�Because you are doing so from an over emotional fit.�
�I�m being over emotional?�
�Yes.�
�Oh I�m sorry, great Lord Sesshomaru; I seem to have offended you by now having my emotions locked tight away after all I�ve been through. Being away from my mate, having my son die in my arms, being used by my supposed friend, traveling to my mate�s castle in time to have the chance to hear him cheating on me, & having him show up after I have a rebound one-night stand� I THINK I HAVE AN EMOTIONAL BREAK DOWN COMING MY WAY!� She screamed as she brought her hand across his face, leaving a faint red mark.
Sesshomaru watched Catriona�s retreating form as she walked back to the village. �She reminds me of my mother when she got angry at my father,- he thought as he turned & walked into the forest.
At the hut, Catriona laid down on her bedroll & chose to ignore Miroku�s wake up call in the morning so she could sleep in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Miroku walked beside Catriona as they made the small journey to Kaede�s village; having left the other village in the middle of the transition from morning to noon. He hadn�t been told why she felt the urge to return to this village, but he didn�t mind as long as he was with her.
Catriona had set her walking pace & she didn�t have plans to slow it down for anyone. She would ride the horse, but she felt it should get to walk instead of run for once. Her heart was a bit wounded & her mind was set. �I wish Isamu were still here,- she thought. �I could use his words of comfort right about now.- He thoughts turned to her son�s body, wondering what he would look like if given the chance to grow older, what he would be like in his emotional & personality traits; even wondering if he would have grown to be like his father. �He probably would have kicked his father�s ass, or try hard, & Sesshomaru would have damn well deserved it.-