章 6: Stargazers

Kagome found him standing on a ledge that overlooked the sprawling trees below. Gentle breeze swayed his long white hair and billowed his fur, his face angled towards the full moon in the starry sky. With eyes closed and mouth shut, he looked… ethereal.

"Rin's fever has gone down, Sesshomaru-sama," she said quietly, standing at the tip of his long shadow. The feudal lord did not respond, did not even spare the merest of glances. Stepping forward but careful not to invade his personal space, she lifted her eyes and gazed at the glittering stars. "It's so beautiful here… so calm, so serene," she murmured.

The daiyoukai seemed prepared to ignore her existence completely, but she wasn't about to give up. I have to tell him, she thought determinedly.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" she ventured after letting what seemed a long moment of stillness pass. To her small delight, narrow golden eyes finally met hers. She cleared her throat nervously. "I wanted to thank you."

He raised an eyebrow. She knew what he meant. For?

She smiled faintly. "For bringing me home when I needed it the most."

If Sesshomaru acknowledged her gratitude or not, she had no way of knowing. But he let her stay beside him as they gazed at the stars in silence.