The Taisho fire

Epilogue

18 months

Gwen sighed in satisfaction, half sprawled upon rocky ground and patches of grass. The sun, today, was playing hide and seek with fluffy clouds, and the breeze just mild enough. May came in with interminable days – the sun set at an insane hour – and beautiful lights. Rainy days gave way to milder weather, where Gwen could offer her skin to the light.

Their life, here, had settled nicely. The house was fantastic, all polished wood and Nordic feel, too cosy to leave it when the wind howled. The past months, storms had washed ashore their little island, fierce and powerful, rising waves a dozen meters high, trapping them inside for days. Then, snow, and freezing temperatures way below zero. Sometimes, even, the sea froze around their little island. An amazing sight.

But neither Toga nor Gwen minded being trapped inside their nest. It felt like a never ending vacation. And even though they had now enrolled in the kystvaken – the Norwegian coast guard – their life wasn't so different than before. At the end of the day, they reconvened at home, bringing supplies from the continent on the way. There was more firewood than they ever would burn on this little island, and winter days were so cosy that they christened every surface of the house with their lovemaking.

On a normal day, Gwen would have been at sea, navigating the many tiny islands to reach shore, and report for duty. But today, as for many days to come, Tōga would go on his own. Even from afar, she could see the budge of his muscles as he pulled on the rows. Her stubborn dog – erm, husband – refused to light up the engine, claiming he needed to keep up with his training.

Given his daily amount of physical activity, there was no risk of going soft. Gardening, chopping wood, sex, hiking through their domain, sex, fishing, sex... But the regular visits of his sons kept him on his toes, as they insisted to spar. Even Towa could give him a run for his money when she decided to pop by. Those days, Gwen always filled the bath tub with scalding water, and prepared arnica oil.

She was already jealous of Tōga; the 'official' Doctor Sesshōmaru had planted ashore to care for them had put her on undetermined sick leave, with the approval of her team lead. Sulking, unfortunately, was useless as she felt her energy levels dangerously low. That she was able to walk out of the house to tour the southern path was already an improvement compared to the past weeks.

As he disappeared behind a rocky mount, Tōga raised his hand in farewell. His white hair gleamed in the light, ever ethereal compared to the slight tan of his skin. Gwen smiled, knowing he would be able to discern her expression, even from afar, and responded in kind. Only for him to point to the skies. Frowning, the young woman lifted her hands in the universal sign of 'what the heck ?"

A rush of air, followed by the prickling sensation of raw power betrayed another's presence; at once, she understood what her husband meant. Beside her now stood their protector, the head of the Taishō clan. Long hair catching the light, Sesshōmaru watched his father duck behind a tiny island. Standing still like a stone carving, he looked as regal as usual in his plum blossom hankimono.

Then, once there was no hair or tail of the Inu no Taisho left to spot, he sat beside her with movements so graceful it shouldn't have been possible. His long hand draped over a white-clad knee, claws proudly displayed. For a moment, he said nothing, tilting his head to the sky where clouds chased each other. Gwen did not welcome him; she knew he loved silence more than anything. Except, perhaps, for the mate he had lost.

A soft hum left his lips, and she relaxed by his side; the more Sesshōmaru visited, the easier his presence felt. With her gift, Gwen could still sense him keenly. Whether because she'd got used to his pressing power, or because he had included her in the pack remained to be seen.

"Are you happy here ?" he eventually asked in Japanese.

Memories flooded her mind; Tōga clumsily throwing a glass of water at a bird that kept picking at new sprouts. Glass included. Touring the islands with the lifeguards, people who had welcomed their no-nonsense attitude, and the dedicated worker that was her husband. That time they had met, by chance, in a supermarket, and he swept her up in a dance between shelves. And now... now, there was an even more precious memory carved in this place.

"We are," she responded without hesitation.

A golden eye observed her a moment, his attention even more unnerving than the slit pupil. Was he trying to discern whether that statement came from the heart, or stemmed from pride ? After all, the daiYōkai himself had been a wandered for so long; Gwen saw how relaxed he became when he visited their island.

Sometimes, he even stayed outside, in their forest, roaming the island in his true form. She doubted there were many other places in the world where this was possible. Except, perhaps, in the mountains behind InuYasha's sanctuary. To think she had seen him transform, only for the joy of the children of the hidden village, in Colombia.

"You don't feel isolated ?"

Gwen cocked her head aside slowly, mindful not to invite another dizzy spell as she considered the daiYōkai's words. Isolated ? They were, geographically speaking, but the island wasn't so far away from the shore. And several bodyguards roamed its paths; a dwelling had been built a little further south to house them.

Should any matter arise, there were many, many agents of the Inu clans scattered across the islands, and at shore. This was the extend of their devotion to their all father, Tōga Inu no Taishō.

And it would, no doubt, be passed to his descendants. Their future baby would be well taken care of and perhaps, one day, he would be able to climb on an oversize dog's back. Setting a hand over her slightly swelling belly, Gwen smiled brightly.

"No, Sesshōmaru-sama. We are not alone. And neither are you."

To be honest, I had so many more ideas about this, and I might post them as side dishes someday. But the core of the adventure is here, and I need to start working on the sequel.