Following his footsteps ( Inuyasha fanfiction)

The child

The smell burning wood came with the wind, from miles away smoke rose from the forest into the indigo sky but Sesshomaru knew his prey wasn't there anymore, He sniffed the air, the scent of blood was even stronger and was slowly moving west. A snarl tugged at the corner of his mouth. So the woman planed to flee deeper into his father's... no, his lands?

She actually thought she'd be safe with that hanyo. He took another long sniff of the air and realized that the scent had stopped moving. His golden eyes scanned the surroundings and finally came to rest on a small village in the distance.

He had no trouble identifying the hut the that the woman was in. Only a few candles burnt throughout the house, and all the servants were fast asleep.

The woman rested in a separate room, clearly exhausted but turning fitfully in her sleep. Sesshomaru thought he heard her call out to his father, and a low dangerous growl raised in the back of his throat. How dare she speak his name when she and that wretched child of hers were the cause of his death? Sesshomaru's jaw was locked with determination, and his hand went for the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly he heard it. The faint cry of a child. Sesshomaru quietly entered the room where a woven crib  hung from the hut's ceiling.

Inside lay a whimpering infant wrapped in red swaddling cloth, but as soon as Sesshomaru looked inside, the child's cries subsided. He opened his eyes, Sesshomaru eyes widen with surprise, the enfant's eyes were golden just him and his father there was no mistake, this was the son of Lord Inutaisho. Unaware of the danger, the child reached up with tiny hands that showed the faintest hints of claws, expecting to be picked up, but of course Sesshomaru did no such thing, merely staring back at the infant. Disappointed, the baby began to fuss again, kicking at the blankets.

"Silence" Sesshomaru chastised him. "You'll wake your exhausted mother." But child kept kicking. Annoyed, the young demon drew his sword, fully intending to put the half-breed out of his misery, but once again his hand was stayed. There was no cry of hunger or discomfort only the look of fear in the golden eyes. Sesshomaru knew the infant didn't fear him he looked around the room.

Demons of all sorts surround him and the the child. They were drawn to this place by the scent of blood , Sesshomaru narrowed his golden eyes, he made a low dangerous growl, this was his kill, this child will die by his hands only. He drew his sword out, these worthless things dared to claim the life of one who had his father's blood flowing in his veins? They were sourly mistaken if they thought he would let them take the child.

"You are not welcomed here," he told the mass of demon, pointing his sword at them. "Return from whence you came or suffer the consequences." The hideous demons chattered and hissed amongst themselves, unhappy that their dinner was interrupted but knowing full well that they didn't stand a chance against the full-blooded demon. With a snarl in his direction, the creatures vanished.

Satisfied, Sesshomaru returned to the where the child had stopped his cries, tear streaked cheeks now pulled back to reveal a toothless smile. He reached out again, hoping that his savior might pick him up this time but was once again met with disappointment.

"I didn't do it for you" said Sesshomaru to him. Imagine how Father would feel if he knew his son met his end at the hands of mere scavenger demons. "Pathetic." He leaned closer to the crib. "Know this, little brother: when your end comes, it shall be at my hands and my hands alone. I suppose, if only for our Father, I owe you an honorable death."Sesshomaru told him.

Sesshomaru reached into the crib and pulled the red cloth that the child had kicked off to tuck it around the baby, but before he could retrieve his hand, his little brother grabbed it. A frown creased Sesshomaru's brow when he realized that the child was trying to pull it into his mouth. He already managed to slobber all over his knuckles, and Sesshomaru growled in disgust. He only had to extend a single finger and his poisoned claws would end this hanyo's miserable existence, but somehow the idea of the child's death no longer seemed satisfying. Well,at least not at the moment.

"Listen well, little brother," Sesshomaru pulled back his hand, wiping it on the blanket. "You will grow strong and proud, and you will do nothing to bring shame to our father's name, or I will hunt you down myself, understand?" The baby didn't seem to pay attention, only focused on reaching for Sesshomaru's hand which had apparently had become his new favorite toy. "But until you are of age such that you may defend yourself, no harm shall come to you. I'll see to that, little brother."

The child no longer heard him. Having lost interest, he wasn't willing to give Sesshomaru any more attention and promptly fell fast asleep once more, but amidst the sounds of nature from outside and those of the child's soft snoring, the demon lord could hear a pair of approaching footsteps from the other room. He growled; the human woman was awake. Slipping into the shadows, he watched her rush into the room, franticly searching for any sign of trouble. She approach the crib with caution so as not to wake the child. Satisfied that he was still asleep, her eyes drifted to a singed pile on the bamboo floor and widened in horror. Against his better judgment, Sesshomaru rose his voice.

"They were no threat," he told the woman, remaining concealed by the shadows. "Your child is safe."

The woman's head snapped up and if it was possible, her eyes grew even wider. She took a step forward" Inutaisho?" she whispered, and Sesshomaru inwardly flinched at the sound of his father's name. "No, your lover is dead and I strongly suggest you put him out of your mind. Your concern now should only be the child" said Sesshomaru strongly to her. The woman bowed her head "Thank you whoever you are".