Chapter 46

The paths part




"Shinji?" Mai asked, surprised to see the young samurai here. The man also stared at her with disbelief.

"You are alive." He stated with relief, smiling widely.

"I…" Mai didn't know, what she should say to him. "I have to go now." She said flatly and turned around to go. However, before she even made a first step, she felt Shinji's hand on her shoulder. She glanced at the young man, her friend.

"Amayami-hime, you are still in the youkai's captivity, are you not?" He asked with concern all over his face. Mai didn't respond, but her silence was enough for an answer to him. "Come with me, I will protect you from him! You don't have to be his prisoner anymore."
Mai set her gaze on her feet. Escape? Now? Earlier she planned to run away, she had almost everything prepared, she lacked only an opportunity. And now it presented itself. Logically thinking, escaping with Shinji was perfect – she would be relatively safe in the Asakura castle and undoubtedly well treated. The herbs still masked her scent from both Sesshomaru and Naraku – and she was almost sure, that the last one didn't know about the castle. She would be safe there and could lead quite a normal life. If she wanted ever to escape, she had to do it now. That was what she wished, and yet…

Mai unknowingly touched the silver hairpin, hesitating. Making this decision was harder than the last time. She would miss Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un… she couldn't just forget, that Sesshomaru risked his life to save her again. And today he was really kind for Rin and her too…

"Amayami-hime!" Shinji hurried her.

Mai furrowed her brows. It wasn't so bad being with Sesshomaru, but what would happen to her if she decided to stay? She will probably continue to serve him like Jaken till the day she dies of the old age, unable to find a man, she would love, marry him, have children – just lead a normal life. No… she won't end like Jaken, she will live like a normal girl.

"Shinji." She lifted her head, having made a decision. "I will come with you."
The young samurai nodded and led her to his escort. They mounted the same horse, Mai behind Shinji. As they rode away from the town, accompanied by a dozen of samurais, she felt a stab of guilt in her heart. Did she do the right thing?



Sesshomaru wanted to frown, disgusted by the stench. The scents of humans, domesticated animals and other filth mixed, irritating his youkai sense of smell. The woman was taking her time, making him and Rin wait in the middle of human town. Annoyed by just being in such place, the demon grew restless, not being able to track the insolent woman. With his nose he could find her scent among multitude of others, but she kept masking it with some herbs. Why did he let her keep them anyway? There was no need for her to hide her presence from the youkai, now when he was there to protect her.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin spoke up, averting his attention from the thought of the idiot woman. "Maybe we should look for Mai? Maybe something happened to her?"

Without a word, Sesshomaru set off and the little girl trotted right behind him. Rin could be right. It was highly possible, that the woman got herself involved in some dangerous situation again. The mere thought of someone harming the woman made the demon restless – why would it not? – she was his servant after all, a useful one, and Sesshomaru prized the things, he could had use for. He even decided to reward the idiot woman with the piece of jewelry, she desired, for aiding him in battle again. There was no other reason. The inu-youkai cursed inwardly, as he recalled her charmingly flushed face, when he gave the hairpin to her. Why must such a pathetic human linger in his thoughts?

Focusing on track Mai down, Sesshomaru followed the scents to the place, where she bought vegetables earlier. However, there was no sign of the girl anywhere.
"Sesshomaru-sama, I'll ask, if the seller saw her." Rin offered and Sesshomaru nodded. The child ran towards the stall.

"Excuse me, mister!" she called. "Did you see my friend? She is a pretty lady in a green fancy kimono!" Rin asked the seller. The fat man scratched his oversized belly, deep in thought.

"Hmm… I think, there was a woman like that here. She was buying carrots here." The seller remembered. Rin gawked at him and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"What happened with her after that? Please, help us, we lost her!" Rin exclaimed, worried.

"She walked away with a young man." The seller answered, shrugging his shoulders. Rin gasped and Sesshomaru cast the seller an angry look. In a heartbeat, the demon found himself by the fat man and grabbed his neck, effortlessly lifting the seller of the ground.

"Did she go willingly?" he asked calmly. The fat man kept struggling desperately, unable to free himself from Sesshomaru's grip. The villagers around noticed the situation and began to run away in panic.

"DID SHE GO WILLINGLY?" the demon bellowed, repeating the question. The fat man widened his eyes.

"Yes." He answered at last. Sesshomaru growled, infuriated and threw the seller across the stall. Panicked people were running from his way, when he was stalking from the town, his powerful demonic aura swirling around him. Rin trotted a few steps behind him, a little bit scared but the inu-youkai's reaction. The child thought, that now Mai was done for.
The demon felt pure wrath. The wretched woman planned this all along – masking her scent, lowering his guard with this innocent face of hers. How a demon like him could let himself be deceived by a human? Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
If he ever meets her, he would do, what he should have done all along – this Sesshomaru would put an end to the woman's miserable life.



Mai cursed, as she felt, that she would have nasty bruises on her butt from the crazy horse ride. Shinji and his samurais were galloping for long hours, even after the nightfall. Finally, her friend ordered to stop for the night. Relieved Mai jumped of the saddle. After the camp was set, she sat with the young samurai by the fire. It was quite awkward meeting him after over three months. She couldn't not notice, that he was staring at her with pity and worry.

"Amayami-hime," he started. "I can only imagine, how hard the captivity must have been on you."
"Umm… Not really." Mai answered, according to the truth. Right, there were many tough moments, fights and kidnappings, but it's not that she was chained to the wall in some damp dungeon for the three months. Almost instantly Mai scolded himself. If she was going to steal the princess's identity, she must behave in character. She made an unhappy face. "Actually, it was horrible. I'm happy, that you saved me, Shinji."

The young man smiled sheepishly and averted his gaze. In the light of the fire Mai couldn't tell for sure, but she was almost certain he blushed.

"It's my obligation, Amayami-hime…" he mumbled. Mai sighed – the girl almost forgot how wishy-washy her friend was. She decided to change the subject.

"Those men, are they under your command?" she asked pointing at the samurais. Shinji nodded.

"Umm… yes. I am the Lord's general now." He boasted. "Some things changed, while you were away."

"Oh? What's new?" asked Mai, thinking, that it would be the best to gather some information before the arrival in the castle. Shinji scratched his chin.

"I think, that the most important matter is that Kaga province declared war upon Echizen." He said. Mai furrowed her brows, trying to recall the lectures of Aiko and history classes.

"Kaga? So you mean the Maeda clan. Isn't that Gorouza's family?" she asked, surprised, that the clan of the princess's fiancé would want to attack the former allies. Shinji nodded, casting a wary look at the girl.

"Yes, it is. After Lord Gorouza was killed in the youkai's attack, his uncle declared war. He blamed the Asakura family for this, saying that there was the plot to assassinate the young lord and that you, Amayami-hime, was working together with the demon. Of course no one in Echizen believes that."
"Oh. That's bad." Mai commented on the political situation. She was wondering, what Lord Asakura was going to do with that.

"Tomorrow new lord will be proclaimed." Shinji continued. "He is the younger brother of Lord Gorouza and is rumored to be a gentle and wise man. All hopes lie within him - he will arrive shortly to your father's castle to negotiate the truce."

It seemed, that the human world wasn't any different from this of the youkai in the era of warring provinces – this weren't exactly the peaceful times. Mai sighed heavily. Hopefully she would be able to find happiness despite the turmoil.