Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha

Sesshomaru's body was engulfed in pain. Pain was something almost unknown to him. And yet, he, the heir of Western lands was in so much pain he could barely move. Sesshomaru gathered all of his strength and opened his eyes. Raven hair, pale skin and light blue eyes. They are so clear it felt like they could see right trough his soul. They were

(beautiful)

hideous. Such an unnatural eye color.

Sesshomaru tried to say something, but the woman next to him did not allow it. She put her slender cold finger on his swollen lip. It was painful yet almost sensual feeling.

''Shhhhhhhhh, you must not try to speak. You are too weak for that'', she said.

Her voice was so clear and melodic, eyes full of worry. What insolence! Human woman worried for him, great daiyokai of the West! Just when he opened his mouth to insult her, she poured something in his mouth. It tasted terrible.

''Drink this, it will make you feel better.''

He tried to resist but could not move. He had no choice but to drink all. I will make her pay for this insult. He heard the woman sing, he was falling into slumber yet again, but before he did, he heard her singing something about waves? Or was it fate? Those were his last conscious thoughts.

When he awoke the next day, it was already past noon.

''Oh good, you are awake. Your body did not reject the cure.''

The voice came from the same woman he saw the day before. Sesshomaru was still engulfed in pain, but this time he could move his head in the direction the voice was coming from. The woman was wearing traditional clothes that priestesses wore. He observed her. She stared at him almost curiously, her face so close to him. She looked right in his eyes. Blue eyes staring in his yellow, piercing into his very soul.

''Your eyes are hideous'', he said coldly.

She started laughing wholeheartedly at his statement. He did not expect that reaction. He was hoping to see a hint of pain in those eyes, forcing her to remove her eyes from him.

''Yes, they really are unusual color. But, out of two of us, your eye color is more unusual. It is enough for one to just look into your eyes and realize you are not something of this world. '' She finished her statement with mischievous smile.

Sesshomaru did not like that, he wanted this woman to react just like every human reacted to him. Fear and submission those are emotions humans must show to him. And not stare at him like they are his equals .He was getting angrier because the woman kept staring in him curiously.

''Why did you help me?'', he asked feeling the bitter taste of the word help on his lips.

With an enigmatic smile she responded:'' Because now, I have reached the full circle.''

She chuckled at his confused face.

''I guess that answer won't satisfy you'', she continued , '' Well, let's just say I know who you are Lord Sesshomaru, and I know why your father has sent you to me. You were still sleeping when the messenger from the West came. Your father is overjoyed for your glorious victory and he is grateful that I saved you from certain death. He also said that he hopes this will be the beginning of future cooperation between South and West.''

Saving me from certain death? My father uses my injury and my victory as stepping stone to further alliance of South and West? Insult after insult. I will not allow that.

He observed his surroundings. He was in the forest. It was past noon. The woman seemed unarmed and had petite figure. He was in great pain but it was tolerable. He could not move his right leg or his left arm, so using poising was out of question. Maybe to lure her to come closer and then choke her? It should be over fairly quickly even in this state. She is half breed, just like Inuyasha. No, she was even worse than him. Inuyasha at least had my honorable father's blood in his veins, this woman is the daughter of an insane and dishonorable demon lord. She looks like a human, is not respected as ruler of the South and she insulted me repeatedly. She will not live.

''So, you are the Demon's whore daughter?'' He asked in hope that this will provoke her enough to come closer.

''Yes, yes I am. I am Kagome, ruler of Southern land, also known as Demon's whore child and The Beast of South . Use whatever it is to your liking. And I believe I have the honor of speaking to Sesshomaru, potential heir of the Western lands.'' She said with a normal tone.

How dare she mock me?!

''I am the heir of West.'' He responded with seemingly cold tone, while trying to see when the opportunity to strike her will arise.

''Is it not true that your father has another son? Son he fathered with human princess? Was not your mother cast aside in favor of human princess?''

All of these questions were asked with neutral tone but he could see the mocking smile on her lips.

That was enough. The woman dies now. Swift as ever despite his pain, Sesshomaru striked with his claws at her. She dodged the attack quite easily. His yoki started to rise. And then, he almost blacked out. He felt as if all of his life energy was dried away. He fell to his knees, suddenly drenched in cold sweat.

''Good, your yoki will recover. Sorry about that, I had to provoke you to react strongly in order to see if the damage on your yoki is fixable. ''

She started walking towards him and placed hand upon his back. She looked at him and smiled gently.

''Everything is going to be fine.''

Sesshomaru was beyond disbelief. That woman, trapped him, seemingly emotionless demon lord to react so strongly with just saying so few words. And now she is looking at him with kindness in her eyes. Those unnatural blue eyes. He would erase that look from her eyes, it disgusted him.

Sessomaru removed her hand from his back and squeezed as hard as he could. He looked at her coldly and almost spat the next words.

'' I came to the South to kill you.''

She nodded.

''I presumed that much.''

And yet again he was surprised with her response.

''If you assumed that why did you help me?''

''Unlike my father I have honor. I would never kill an opponent who could not defend himself properly.''

Every word was a wound to his ego. He continued squeezing her hand. He felt her fingers were on the verge of breaking and yet she did not even try to free her hand.

''Lord Sesshomaru'', she started talking to him with sudden serious expression on her face, ''I will accept your challenge but only when you are fully recovered. By the beginning of next month I will completely heal you. My honor will not allow any other way. You have my word that I won't lay my finger on you, until those conditions are met. I have no heirs. If you kill me southern lands will join the western ones. The territory which will one day you are going to inherit will expand.''

''And why do you get from that?'', he interrupted her.

She bitterly smiled.

''I am hated and with no heirs. Every other day someone challenges me for my lands. I am tired of killing. They are not even good enough opponents. If I kill you, the attacks on me won't be as often as before I am certain of that. And if you wait one month for our fight, I am certain that you will have more than enough time to study me as an opponent and get familiar my weaknesses, and your father will be pleased because he will think we are working on friendly relationships between South and West. We both have to gain from this deal. Do you accept my proposal?''

He did have only to gain with this proposal. And even though Sesshomaru was certain he would have no problems killing her even now if he waited for one moth he would be in even better mood for slowly killing her, punishment for all of the insults she served him.

''You have one more month to live half breed'', he said with a wicked smile.

A/N When I published the previous chapter, it slipped my mind I had to study for finals, so this chapter was written in that very limited free time I have. Next chapter will be longer I promise T-T Thank you all for reading and following story/me you have no idea how that makes my day 3 In the next chapter, we will discover more about Kagome, the origin of her nickname and go on further with the plot J As always critiques are welcomed ^^