sitting in the grass a few meters from the tree where Sesshoumaru was now sitting with Kimie and watching the youkai closely.
Kimie and Sesshoumaru apparently just kept silent.What should they have talked about? Apart from the fact that he probably didn't want to talk to her at all. But that one particular question burned her tongue that she really wanted to get rid of. However, she wasn't sure how he would react to that. Maybe he could get angry or something. Finally Kimie managed to get through to the question, but spoke very carefully: "Um ... There is something I would like to know. May I ask you how that happened? I mean about your arm . "
No Answer.
Kimie immediately looked down. "Sorry. Of course you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Forget I asked."
She didn't want to go into the subject and already regretted starting it in the first place. But to her surprise, an unexpected answer came back after a while: "Inuyasha is responsible for that."
Kimie looked up at Sesshoumaru with a mixture of surprise and irritation.She hadn't expected that he would answer, but what he had said was very unexpected. "Inuyasha?" She asked incredulously. "But how...?"
"With Tessaiga.", The youkai answered in the usual tone, even before Kimie could finish her question. Then he continued with an indifferent undertone: "But what the heck? That was a long time ago."
"But ... doesn't that limit you?" The girl asked carefully. Sesshoumaru still didn't look at her, but replied again: "After all, I'm a demon. That would affect you humans, but definitely not me."
Kimie slowly averted her gaze from him. "Hmm ... if you think so." And with that subject, her work came to an end. She had gotten the sleeve of the kimono back and the result was pretty good. She now cut the remaining thread. "So, done. Please don't take it against Inuki."
And while Kimie was still thinking about what to do with the needle, Inuki continued to watch suspiciously what was going on with his mistress and Sesshoumaru.The mongrel had a pretty good look at everything so far, always keeping his eyes on the youkai. Of course, this was not hidden from him.
"Your dog is either quite brave or rather reckless that he dared to attack me. And only to protect you.", Sesshoumaru said with a scrutinizing look at the dog. Kimie listened up and looked over at Inuki. "Inuki has known me since he was a puppy. He protects me like I would protect him," she replied calmly. “While we're at it, I'd like to answer another question.” Her voice suddenly took on that cautious undertone again and with a slight glance at Sesshoumaru she asked, “Did you want to kill me?”
She still only saw Sesshoumaru's face from the side, even when he answered her again: "Let me ask you a question: What if I confirm the question and tell you that I will try again if necessary?""Hmm, then I can hardly defend myself against it. Then I also wonder why you spared me this time.", Kimie said and averted her gaze again. "I'm sure not strong enough to beat you, any more than Inuki couldn't beat you."
And that's true too. Why should she fool herself? Kimie knew full well that there was nothing she could do in an emergency. Sesshoumaru looked briefly at the girl out of the corner of his eye. "Your fear of me seems to be limited when I think about what kind of rebellion you always made with the other demons.", He said suddenly. "In any case, when we first met on the river, I couldn't perceive any fear from your side. I can sense that you are a little unsure at the moment, but you are not really afraid. Why is that?"
Kimie stared at him in disbelief. "I found our second meeting scary enough for that. I almost had a heart attack when you suddenly attacked me.Still to your question: Have you ever looked in a mirror? "
Sesshoumaru turned his head to the girl after all. His look was the same as usual, but he still gave the impression that he was a little confused. "How am I supposed to understand the question?"
At first Kimie wanted to answer, but then refrained from doing so and shook her head. "Oh, forget it. It doesn't matter that much." As if that wasn't obvious! Sesshoumaru really looked anything but scary when you looked at him like that. If, on the other hand, you looked at a few other demons. > But he probably doesn't think of that at all. <, thought Kimie with a touch of tiredness.
Inuki was still sitting in the same place and looked extremely skeptical. Maybe it was because his mistress had spoken to this youkai for so long.
"He distrusts me.", Sesshoumaru stated and Inuki pricked up his ears attentively. He had heard his name exactly. Kimie looked first at Inuki, then at Sesshoumaru."Can you read his mind or what?"
"No, but I can see it in his eyes."
A new question occurred to the girl. "Tell me, you're a dog demon, aren't you?"
"Yes that's right."
Kimie couldn't help but take a closer look at the youkai. So she got up and then crouched back on the floor in front of him. She eyed Sesshoumaru closely, which seemed to get on their nerves a bit over time. "What is it?" He asked coolly. Kimie put her head on her hand. "You really don't look like a dog, if I may be honest," she said dryly. "When I think of Inuyasha, he somehow looks like a human, but at least has these typical ears."
"That is also not my true form, what you see now.", Sesshoumaru replied and looked away from her again. It was starting to seem silly to him. What was that supposed to mean now? It didn't look like Kimie was going to stop asking.On the contrary, now she seemed really interested. "Uh ... what now? Do you actually look any different?"
"Shark."
That really got Kimie thinking. How should she understand that again now? What did Sesshoumaru look like in reality? After a while she scratched her cheek, uncertain. "Um ... I don't know what your real form looks like, but I have to say, the way you are now, I actually like you very much." Abruptly, Sesshoumaru's gaze was directed back to the girl. He raised an eyebrow, and looked a little surprised too. When she realized what she had just said, Kimie hastily waved it off. "Now don't look like that! I meant that as a compliment! I don't know what you were just thinking."
At that moment Inuki came over and stood between Sesshoumaru and Kimie. The dog pressed his body against his mistress and nudged her repeatedly with the head, as if he wanted to push her away from the youkai."Inuki! What are you doing? What is that supposed to be?" Kimie stroked her dog soothingly. He was acting really weird. Not aggressive, but completely different. > Is he jealous of Sesshoumaru because I'm talking to him? <, thought Kimie irritated. At least that would be possible, especially since Inuki probably never liked the youkai very much.
"Your dog is different from the others.", Sesshoumaru said and rested his eyes on the mongrel. Kimie, still stroking Inuki, looked up. "Different? I don't understand."
"Before that, no dog has dared to threaten me so obviously, let alone attack me without hesitation.", Sesshoumaru explained. Kimie scratched Inuki behind one of his ears and considered. Maybe Inuki was really a little different, but it was natural that he wanted to protect his mistress. But she found it much more strange that she had actually talked to Sesshoumaru normally for the first time.
> Well, maybe I won't end up as animal feed anytime soon.<, thought Kimie with a touch of irony, but felt a lot better now than at the beginning.

Nothing unusual happened on the way from Inuyasha, Kagome and the others. Every now and then a demon would appear from the nearby forest, but it was pretty quickly yesterday's news.
Now the friends went into the forest and that didn't change at first.
"I just don't want to get into my head what Sesshoumaru could want from Kimie.", Kagome thought hard and was definitely not the only one.
"Who knows, maybe the two of them are just enjoying their intimate togetherness to the fullest. Why else would Sesshoumaru keep Kimie alive for so long?" Miroku said thoughtfully and put a hand on his chin. The others just grimaced at such a performance.
Sango immediately waved it off. "I don't think Kimie would play there ..." And Inuyasha agreed: "Neither does Sesshoumaru.Before he gets involved with a person, he probably prefers to bite his tongue off himself. "
"That must hurt.", Shippo said and put his hand over his mouth, examining it. He didn't like that idea at all, but something else bothered him more. "But tell me, Miroku, what did you mean by 'intimate togetherness'?"
With an innocent smile and raised his index finger instructively, the monk began to speak: "Well, I mean that Kimie and Sesshoumaru maybe ..."
"Stop!", Kagome interfered indignantly. "Up to here and no further! Shippo is still too small and doesn't even need to listen to it!"
Miroku looked innocent while Sango just sighed and shook his head. Shippo looked a little confused from one person to the other, only Inu Yasha seemed to be busy with something else. He held his nose up in the air, examining it.
"Inuyasha? What have you got?", Kagome finally asked the hanyou. "Did you discover something?""I smell blood." Inuyasha answered seriously and pointed with his hand straight ahead. "It's coming from that direction."
The group quickened their pace until everyone could hear the rush of a river. When they finally arrived at this, they were not presented with a very pleasant picture.
"That's terrible! How could something like that happen?", Kagome wondered, horrified, while her gaze wandered over the dead men who were now lying on the floor in front of the friends.
"That was Sesshoumaru, that's why I put my hand in the fire.", Inuyasha said confidently and Miroku added: "It seems to me that these are robbers."
"This is where the trail ends at the same time.", Inuyasha continued and stepped directly to the river. "You must have crossed