To court a miko Ch 5

Strolling down the dirt path following after Sesshomaru, Kagome and the children were playing games and running around next to Jaken and Ah Uhn. Sango and Miroku strolling in the back. They had been on the road for several days, stopping when needed for the pack to eat.

Coming up to the crest of the hill they were currently climbing, they saw a village in the distance. Kagome expanded her senses, trying to feel the area around them and see if there was any danger. When she expanded her senses to include the village, she discovered that it was a youkai village. As they neared the village, Rin finally took notice.

"Look Sesshomaru-sama! It's a village! Can we go look milord?!" Rin exclaimed excitedly, pointing and bouncing as the village became clear in the distance. Their other companions looked towards him in silence awaiting his answer.

Sesshomaru didn't need to reply with any more than a slight nod in the affirmative.

"YAYYYY!" Rin squeeled happily as she began running circles around the group.

"Rin-chan" Kagome called after her softly. Rin stopped running and looked at her with happy eyes and a wide smile showing off her missing teeth.

"Yes Kagome-nee-san?"

"This village is a youkai village. You must stay with Sesshomaru-sama and I at all times. I will not risk your safety. You too Shippo. Do you two understand?"

"Yes okaa-san." The two replied as they nodded their heads. Kagome gave them a wide smile as she bent to tickle each of their sides saying "Im going to get you!" Laughter and squealing filled the hilltop as the three playing chased and ran from impending tickle doom.

'Woman is good with pups..' Sesshomaru's beast whispered through the barriers he was trapped in.

'Hn.. Perhaps this Sesshomaru shall gift her with something she finds endearing in the village.. More appropriate kimonos perhaps..' He glanced over at the woman chasing the pups around the group and observed her discreetly. She had ceased wearing her indecent 'uniform' several months before and had adopted some kimonos and an outfit similar to the slayers uniform. The kimonos she wore however were illfitting and far too small for her person. They clung to her chest, ended just below her knees, and her make shift obi was a thin strip of cotton almost too short to tie in a crude knot.

As the group prepared to head into the village, Sango and Miroku opted to stay behind on the grassy hillside with Ah Uhn and Jaken. There was a stream nearby and they were going to prepare lunch and a fire for tea.

"Sesshomaru-sama this is going to be so much fun! Perhaps Rin could purchase a new kimono, or a new hair band?" Rin called out as she walked hand in hand with Kagome.

Sesshomaru continued walking ahead in silence. Nearing the village gates, Kagome was sure that both children had a secure hold on her hands and the quiet lord placed himself behind his small group as they admired and shopped to watch over their safety. The group walked through the beginnings of the village and Kagome stopped at the stand closest containing many fruits and vegetables.

"Oh yum, there's oranges and apples! They have so many different foods.. Oh there's even grapes! Shippo, hold Rin-chan's hand so I can look at them better alright sweetie?"

"Yes okaa-san." Shippo nodded as he let go of her hand and went to hold Rin's free one. Meanwhile Sesshomaru purchased a large basket from the stall next door to the stand Kagome and the pups were shopping at, the shop owner handing it to the young woman.

"Escuse me miss, perhaps this will help you carry your goods." She said while bowing deeply as her body let out a slight tremble.

"I couldn't just take it ma'am, it would be helpful though.. How much would you like for it?" Kagome said, while slipping her hand inside her pocket to pull out the coin purse that Miroku had given her.

"No milady, it has already been paid for. Please, take it." The poor woman's body was visibly shaking now as she looked up at Kagome from her bow.

"Oh, alright then. Thank you very much! It is very beautiful handiwork." Kagome gently took the basket from the woman with her open hand and slid it to her elbow. She glanced over at Sesshomaru as the woman scampered back to her stall, noticing he was sending a glare towards the woman. Giving the woman a sympathetic look, she waved and said "Thank you again, you did a wonderful job on this. I'll be back another time to purchase more." With that Kagome turned back to the fruits in front of her, giving each a thorough look through as she placed them one by one into the basket.

'She handled that well. Will be good mate. Caring Lady for lands.' Sesshomaru's beast wriggled the thoughts into his mind, making sure they were discussed.

'She handled it very diplomatically, and attempted comforting the shopkeeper when she noticed my look. She will be a caring Lady, all shall know it and come to love her. Perhaps I shall keep her.' Sesshomaru pondered this. Was he willing to keep a ningen as his alpha female, let alone as the Lady of the Western Lands? He had much to think about. Being the demon that he was however brought the attention of needing courting gifts while traveling if he did choose to keep her, and so he focused his attention back on the workings of the tiny woman in front of him.

Rin and Shippo, while they were listening to Kagome by not letting go of hands and staying with their adults, their eyes and minds strayed as the eyed each shop ahead of them. Rin spotted a stand with wooden toys displayed down the row next to them and motioned at them to Shippo. They began to quietly ponder what kind of toys the vender had and what they enjoyed playing with. Shippo enjoyed balls, and hoops, as well as some toy carts and animals. Rin expressed interest in those toys but looked longingly at a beautiful doll the stand had displayed up high. The doll had a white kimono with red flowers, and a yellow obi. She had her hair down with her chopsticks tucked into her obi and wore a reed hat.

Sesshomaru glanced at the children and saw that their attention was directed towards the toys, allowing some mirth enter his eyes as he gained their attention by calling out to Rin. "Soon Rin. Patience." The children smiled back at their lord and turned their attention back to Kagome, tugging gently on her kimono to ask her a question.

"Mama, can we go stand with Sesshomaru-sama? Then you can use both hands to shop." The children gave her a pleading smile.

"Yes, but do not wander away from him. I do not want to lose either of you." She watched the children run over to Sesshomaru, before going back to picking out fruits to go into Ah Uhn's saddle bags for their meals.

Shippo tugged on Sesshomaru's sleeve when he saw his mother turn back to the fruit. Once he had the lords attention he spoke quickly "Can Rin-chan and I sit on your shoulders Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru regarded the children closely before nodding his head once in assent. Stooping down he lifted Rin, placing her on his shoulder while Shippo climbed and clambered onto his other.

After some time Kagome had a basket with a large variety of fruits. She gained the attention of the shop keeper asking what the cost would be.

"About 20 small coins miss." The shop keeper nodded towards the amount in her basket.

Kagome pulled out her coin bag and began pulling out coins. Counting, she realized she wouldn't have enough for all of the fruit. "Well, how much fruit can I get with this much sir?" Holding up the money to the vender she sighed as she looked down at the basket full of fruit and began pulling out her favorites. "About 15 pieces of fruit miss." He nodded at her as another customer came up to his stand and he went to assist them. Sighing, Kagome continued taking out the fruit that the group did not care for, that she enjoyed so that they had more for everyone.

Shippo was watching his mother take out the fruit he knew that Miroku and Sango didn't like. He didn't want her to keep putting the group first, he wanted her to get things she'd like too. Leaning over he whispered in Sesshomaru's ear. "Sesshomaru-sama?" Sesshomaru glanced at Shippo, shifting his ear to let the kit know he was listening.

"Could you help my mama pay for those? They're her favorites but no one else really likes them, so she's putting them back so everyone else gets what they like.." Shippo looked down somberly trying to hide his trembling lip and glistening eyes. "Mama doesn't have a lot of money for things.. Only what we get when villagers give her things when we help them. She always spends it on us. That's why her kimono is so small.. because it was one of the ones Kaede had and we couldn't buy one for her."

Sesshomaru looked to the woman in front of him, saying her name loudly enough for her to hear but not to bring onlookers. "You will not worry about payment onna." Kagome's face lit up in surprise, her eyes going wide and her mouth forming an o.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I couldnt ask you to-" She started to argue before he cut her off.

"This Sesshomaru has said it is so, and so it will be." Eyes drifting shut in a slow blink of finality. He didn't miss the small smile on her face or the pretty rose colored blush that dusted her cheeks.

"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama."

The rest of their time in the village went smoothly. Sesshomaru paid for everything that Kagome even glanced at with interest. He insisted that she pick out several kimonos for herself and Rin when they passed the kimono shop, as well as several shawls and socks. He guided her towards a few he particularly liked. Kagome attempted to stay with cheaper kimonos by constantly asking what the price was, but he just had the shop keeper begin folding many expensive kimonos for purchase until she agreed to look at all of the kimonos and not just the prices. They picked up several toys and books for the children to keep entertained with as well.

When they returned to their make-shift camp, Kagome's arms were laden with baskets full of a variety of fruits and vegetables, kimonos, books, blankets, and some rice and rice flour. Rin and Shippo carried their new toys proudly with excited smiles. Kagome set down her load as gently as she could when she reached the group, smiling as she wiped her forehead.

Sango and Miroku stared at Kagome, astonished with all that she was carrying.

"Lady Kagome, I thought you only had a small amount of money with you, how in the world did you afford all of this?" Miroku asked with wide eyes looking over her bounty. "Surely you did not perform an exorcism in a youkai village!"

Kagome giggled slightly as she kneeled down in front of her baskets, beginning to unload some fruits for the children along with all of their other purchases so she could organize what was going where in packs. "No Sesshomaru-sama paid for all of this for us, I didn't have to pay anything."

Miroku and Sango turned their astonished faces to look at the quiet lord as he sat against a tree behind Kagome as he observed her unpack their purchases. "Kagome" he called. Stopping her work, Kagome turned her body to look at the lord. "Yes Sesshomaru-sama?"

"You will change into one of the new kimono's. We are near the stream. You may bathe before if you wish." He let a little emotion slip into his eyes, showing that he would be very happy and proud if she would wear one of the kimonos he had purchased. Sango and Miroku glanced at each other, silently deciding that it was time to begin to go look for more firewood and gather herbs.

Kagome sent a bright smile his way as a small blush dusted her cheeks. "Is there any particular one you would prefer Sesshomaru-sama?" The lord stood from his spot and strode towards her. Crouching closely to her and reaching around her body, he pulled a dark blue kimono out with a gold obi. He placed it in her lap and watched as she inspected it.

Kagome held the kimono in her lap. It was a beautiful dark blue kimono with a silver embellishment. The kimono depicted a scene on the back with an inu-youkai in their true form sitting on the hem, howling at the moon located on the shoulder. It had embroidered stars throughout the night sky with moon flowers around the hem. The obi was a simple gold that went well with the kimono. "Sesshomaru..?" Kagome looked up confused, a silent question in her eyes.

"This Sesshomaru wishes for you to wear his colors." He stated quietly. He reached around her again, her attention following his arm, and pulled an apple out of the basket. Taking a bite of it, he stood and walked back to his tree and sat down. Her reverie broken, she set about arranging for her short absence.

"Ah Uhn, will you keep an eye on the children? I'll be right back. I'm just going to change." Kagome stood when Ah Uhn nodded their affirmative and she walked a few yards into the trees.

Kagome slipped off her small cotton kimono, hanging it on a tree branch. She slipped on the new kimono, and after many attempts at tying the obi she got frustrated and decided to grab her clothes and head back without the obi tied on properly.

Kagome walked back into the clearing and Sesshomaru's eyes roamed over her body. She looked lovely in his colors. As she turned to place her old cotton kimono in the pack, he noticed her obi was not tied on, but hung loosely in a bow.

"Kagome, come here." Kagome placed her discarded clothes on the ground and walked to the lord.

"Yes Sesshomaru-"

"Turn around." He softly commanded as he stood. She did as he asked and began stammering.

"Im sorry about the obi, I tried to tie it but I'm not very good at it. I usually ask Sango to tie them for me…" She fiddled with her hands as she blushed hotly in embarrassment and shame.

"It is of no worry Kagome." Finishing tying her obi properly, he backed away. He instructed her to turn. She did, in a slow circle. "There is nothing to explain. Rid yourself of the shame. The smell does not become you." He looked at her with pride and fondness, took her chin in his grasp and made her look up at him. "Beautiful."