Traveling with a Dog (VI)

Without her quite realizing it, Han had already traveled a long way with Sesshomaru. As they emerged from the forest, fine white snowflakes began drifting from the sky. Han held out her hand, and the flakes melted at her touch. It was her first time seeing snow.

"Han, aren't you cold?" Nestled on the girl's shoulder, Yunai Rabbit gave a little shake to dislodge the snowflakes settling on its fur.

"Mm, not very," Han said with a smile.

Ever since discovering that she did not grow hungry even without eating, she had gradually stopped taking food.

By then, she had also finished all the rice balls the shrine maidens had made for her.

Perhaps it was just as Sesshomaru had said: only humans needed human food. Monsters needed only power, and that power could come from the light of the sun and moon, or from other parts of nature. These days, the girl drank only a little clean spring or stream water each day, and that was enough for her.

Although the weather was gradually turning colder, it had no effect on the three of them.

Apart from the slight nuisance of snowflakes melting on their bodies, walking through the light snow was actually rather pleasant.

Climbing a mountain in snowy weather, however, was another matter.

They had walked for two days after leaving the forest, and by that afternoon, they had reached the foot of a mountain.

The mountain was not particularly tall, but the range stretched on and on, its peaks joining together in the distance.

"This is Sui Mountain," the silver-haired Dog Demon said, looking at the range before them. "It's an active volcano. Totosai lives here, but he often wanders from place to place, so we may not find him."

"We'll definitely find him," the white rabbit said confidently.

"Why?" Han looked at the rabbit in curiosity.

"Because I bring good luck," the white rabbit said as though it were obvious, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

"I see. Then thank you in advance, Yunai." Han stroked Yunai's soft fur, her thanks not entirely serious.

"..." Hearing the disbelief beneath her soothing words, the rabbit quietly sulked for a while, then secretly bit the clothing on her shoulder to vent its frustration. A cold glance from Sesshomaru made it release the fabric, feeling thoroughly wronged. The girl noticed nothing.

Sui Mountain was low but long, so some stretches were almost level and not especially tiring to walk through. Since it was a volcano, however, there were many places where they could see exposed lava and steaming fumes. Walking through the mountains felt warm, as though this place and the cold outside were two different worlds.

In the distance, they could make out a long, narrow volcanic opening in a rock face. The wall was not particularly steep, only slightly uneven. Astonishing firelight shone from the opening, as though the lava were constantly boiling and vaporizing, while gray smoke curled upward.

Once they drew closer, Sesshomaru walked inside without a change in expression, and Han followed without hesitation. The moment she stepped in, heat washed over her, far stronger than the warmth outside the opening. If it had felt like spring outside, it was as hot as summer within. Han sighed comfortably, but Yunai found it somewhat unbearable.

Although Yunai was a monster, it still possessed a rabbit's natural traits. Long winter fur covered its body, yet it was enduring summer temperatures. Its breaths came in audible huffs, completely unlike its usual faint breathing. Its long ears were far hotter than normal and kept trembling to shed what little heat they could. Yunai remained quietly well-behaved, but Han stroked its back with concern.

The first thing they saw inside was an enormous monster's skull. It was damaged and incomplete, but its long teeth were still sharp. Suddenly, an old man in a black-and-green striped kimono emerged from the monster's mouth, leading a three-eyed ox. A large pack rested on his back, with the handles of a hammer and other tools protruding from its opening.

At the sight of Sesshomaru and Han, the old man's leisurely movements became hurried, and he tried desperately to mount the ox. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was faster. He caught the old man by the back of his collar, leaving him no choice but to surrender.

"Totosai, it's been a long time. This is the first time I've managed to find you since my father died," Sesshomaru said with cold sarcasm.

"This is Totosai, the legendary swordsmith," he told the girl, offering only that brief introduction.

"Come in." Once Sesshomaru put him down, the dejected old man invited them inside and led the way through the monster's mouth into his dwelling.

"Thank you for having us." Han felt a little nervous. This was her first real visit to someone's home. In the past, she had usually gone to deliver medicine or treat people, which probably did not count as formal visits. Still, this monster seemed unexpectedly amusing and endearing, and she smiled.

"Oh, oh, oh!" The old man suddenly turned around, staring openly at her with eyes as large as light bulbs, as though he had seen something extraordinary.

"Um, is something wrong with me?" Han was very unused to being stared at so directly.

"Of course not. Nothing at all." The old man abruptly grew enthusiastic. "Come in, come in!"

After a brief moment of bewilderment, Han obediently went inside.

The interior was not especially bright. The glow of the lava illuminated the entire cave, but it still fell short of daylight. I really do prefer warm sunlight, she told herself silently.

The cave's simple furnishings were almost all visible at a glance: a large pool of murky water, a black forging bench, and the various materials and tools scattered across it. Together with the hammer and other implements in the pack on the old man's back, these seemed to be all his tools.

Sesshomaru silently watched the old man's uncharacteristic behavior, recalling how he had avoided him on every previous visit. He had either already left or been in the process of leaving, always just beyond Sesshomaru's reach, leaving him to watch the old man escape. This time, not only had he caught him, but the old man was being remarkably welcoming. It was truly strange, even if that welcome was not directed at him.

The habitually aloof Dog Demon felt inexplicably irritated and found the old man more disagreeable than ever, even though he was a renowned swordsmith of the Demon World, his father's close friend, and a great monster who concealed his abilities while seeing through everything.

"Sit down, sit down." The old man settled casually onto the floor and waved for them to do the same.

Unlike the old man, who sat loosely cross-legged, the Dog Demon and the girl knelt with proper posture. Once they were both settled, the old man spoke first. "Don't ask me about Tessaiga. Tessaiga was your father's secret alone, and his wish was to leave it to Inuyasha."

"A half-demon?" The silver-haired Dog Demon's voice remained cold. "Can my half-demon brother control Tessaiga, a demonic sword that can slay a hundred men?"

"It's precisely because he's a half-demon that he can control Tessaiga." The old man's expression turned solemn.

Sitting beside them, Han began to piece things together. Apparently, Sesshomaru had a half-demon younger brother named Inuyasha, and their father had left a demonic sword called Tessaiga to Inuyasha rather than to his elder son. Sesshomaru very much wanted that sword. She did not quite understand what "half-demon" meant, but vaguely sensed that it was not a favorable term.

"If all you want is to ask about Tessaiga, you can leave." The old man waved a casual hand.

"Totosai, you once said you would forge swords for people you liked. The last was my father. Then this time..."

"I won't forge a sword for you." The old man shook his head, interrupting Sesshomaru. "Your mother was of noble birth, and your father never lost a battle. The powerful, noble blood of great monsters flows through your veins. You will have a sword of your own, not one forged by me."

"..." Sesshomaru closed his eyes briefly, struggling to calm his anger before saying, "I meant for her."

"Ha-ha, did I just say something?" The old man laughed foolishly twice, as though he remembered nothing. "Oh, a sword for her. But this girl's weapon isn't a sword, is it?"

"That's right. I use a bow and arrows," Han answered.

"Then do you know how to use a sword?" the old man asked, seemingly offhand. "What I forge are real swords."

"Would this sword do?" Han took the Wakizashi made of demon bone from inside the front of her clothing. She had never used it since she began carrying it. She had intended it for close-range self-defense, but throughout her travels with the Dog Demon, his tall figure had always stood before her, never retreating a single step. All she needed to do was loose her arrows without distraction.

The old man shook his head. In his eyes, this was not even a real sword, merely a piece of demon bone that had been ground into shape.

"Do you truly want a sword to protect yourself?" the old man asked seriously.

"I..." Han hesitated. Naturally, she wanted a sword for protection, but to her, the bow and arrows were more important weapons.

"She needs one," Sesshomaru's calm voice suddenly cut in.

Both the girl and the old man looked at him in surprise, but his expression did not change.

Since Totosai was willing to forge her a sword for protection, she should not miss the opportunity. Perhaps she trusted her bow and arrows, but once her arrows ran out and an enemy closed in, she could only wait helplessly for death if she had no sword to defend herself.

Sesshomaru was not someone who took the initiative to consider others' needs. It was merely that traveling together over these past few months had allowed him to notice the girl's shortcomings. That was how he saw it, unaware of how unusual his behavior was.

Totosai noticed.

"If she needs one, of course I can forge a sword for her protection." Totosai turned away casually, secretly flashing a smug smile, then picked up a large pair of pincers. "But as for the material..."

Before he had finished speaking, he plucked a tooth from Sesshomaru's mouth with lightning speed.

"Hss-you!" Sesshomaru sucked in a sharp breath and sprang up in fury. He had not been this angry in years! The pain and shock of having a tooth suddenly pulled were not something even he could calmly ignore!

"It's nothing, nothing at all. For you, it'll grow back in no time." Totosai waved with a smile, his attention fixed solely on the canine tooth in his hand. He spoke with easy nonchalance, as though it were too trivial to mention. "Oh, right. Come back for the sword in a month," he added casually.

For the first time, Sesshomaru's brows drew tightly together. Still, he needed Totosai to forge the sword, and this close friend of his father was probably the only one who knew any clues about Tessaiga. The powerful regenerative ability of a great monster already let him feel a new tooth slowly growing in, so he said nothing more.

Han had already risen in shock and walked over to Sesshomaru, looking at him with concern.

The girl was so small that, standing before him now, she was scarcely taller than he was seated.

Sesshomaru gave her a slight shake of his head to indicate that he was fine. Seeing her remain before him, unwilling to leave, he knew she wanted to look at his wound. But was the gap left by Sesshomaru's pulled tooth something he could simply show to anyone?

At last, seeing how persistently she stood before him, Sesshomaru placed a hand on her head in something like a compromise and gently stroked her hair, just as she usually stroked that rabbit.

Han stood there in a daze. After a while, she lowered her head, revealed a small, delighted smile, and returned to her seat.

Totosai's eyes, previously focused on the canine tooth, silently shifted to Han. Seeing that she had not noticed at all, he turned his gaze to Sesshomaru. Already deeply irritated by the old man's casual extraction of his tooth, Sesshomaru could barely contain his murderous aura when he saw him continuing to stare.

Yet the old man, who had fled at top speed every time they met in the past, now sat there perfectly at ease, immovable as a mountain, as though all his previous fear had been an act. It had indeed been an act, and Sesshomaru knew that perfectly well. Totosai was a monster of his father's generation, perhaps even older, and should never have feared him in the first place, although Sesshomaru was confident that he would eventually surpass his father.

"Didn't Hakuōju give you one of his branches, too? We'll use that for the scabbard," Totosai mused aloud.

"..." Sesshomaru remained silent. This old man really did know everything.

"Yes." Han quickly took out the branch Hakuōju had given her last time and offered it to Totosai with both hands.

"You can keep the flowers," Totosai said.

"All right." Han plucked the flowers from the branch and put them away, then offered it to Totosai again. "Sorry for the trouble."

"Don't worry about it." Smiling, Totosai spoke as though making an offhand remark. "Your own power shouldn't be limited to weapons. And only you understand yourself best. Follow your heart and feel your own power."

"Yes. Thank you for your guidance." Han felt that his words carried a deeper meaning, so she thanked Totosai earnestly.

What exactly was her power?

Was it demon-slaying or purification, sealing or barriers?

At Kiyomori Temple, she had learned almost every technique available to her, including all of those.

If those were not her own power, then what was her true power?

"We're leaving." Sesshomaru had already risen and headed out. Han stood as well, said a final farewell to the endearing old man, then followed the monster ahead of her, gradually leaving the sweltering volcano behind.