Chapter 8 - The House on the Hill

Chapter 8

The House On The Hill



Sesshomaru remembered an abandoned house on the west coast. It was a grand home, a manor house. It did not seem in too bad disrepair so it was strange that it had lain empty for so long. He traveled by night by the moonlight until just at daybreak the house came into view. It sat atop a fairly high hill overlooking the ocean. At the bottom of the hill was a village, a fairly large village. It seemed a bit shabby which, Sesshomaru felt, might work to his advantage. If the village was down on its luck they would respond more favorably to him and the potential of gold.

He brought A-Un down in the court yard of the house. It was a little worse for wear but the roof looked good and the wood was intact. It would not take too long to bring this house back to its former glory. Sesshomaru walked around exploring the rooms. He could see the potential of this house and it pleased him very much. He had not lived under a roof since he was a small child. He found an elegant room overlooking the ocean with a small servant's room adjoining it. Obviously a room meant for a gentleman and his valet. This would be kept as his rooms for when he visited. He found a room overlooking what would be the interior garden.

“Yes, perfect for Rin,” he thought, “she can walk straight from her room into the garden.”

Right down the hall from Rin's room was what looked like the master suite. One large room looked out over the ocean, it adjoined a smaller room that overlooked the interior garden. These would be Catherine's rooms. He envisioned her running the business of the house from the room overlooking the garden.; sewing in the room overlooking the ocean. It made him smile to think of it.

The interior garden was a large area surrounded by the house. It was private and protected. The house had everything that was needed. It had a beautiful reception room, dining area, servants quarters, a bathhouse fed by a small stream. It was perfect. Two noble ladies could live very well here. He had just to purchase the house, get it fixed and set them up in it.

He took A-Un out of the garden and landed just in front of the house. It would be best to walk to the village. That way the villagers might not be as frightened of him. As he reached the edge of town he noticed children watching him from the protection the rocks. He was sure that A-Un was of greatest interest to them. As he walked into the village some adults ran, others followed at a distance. By the time Sesshomaru reached the village square there was a fairly large crowd gathered. In the fore front was a strong looking middle aged man. This was obviously the town leader. Before he could say anything an ancient Priest pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

“Be gone Demon!” he shouted as he pelted Sesshomaru with little pieces of paper. “I banish thee!”

“That's right,” thought Sesshomaru, “this is why I avoid humans.” Luckily the old Priest had no power and his sutras no effect. This was unlike Miroku a skilled Monk who could actually do some damage with a well placed sutra.

“I will do thee no harm Priest,” said Sesshomaru.

“Why are you here, What do you want, Demon?” said the middle aged man Sesshomaru had meant to talk to first.

“I am interested in the house on the hill. Who owns it?”

“It belonged to a Shogun; about fifteen years ago he and his entire army left and never returned. We heard they had all been destroyed. The house has laid empty ever since.” Said the man.

“I wish to purchase it,” said Sesshomaru

“There is no one left to purchase it from.” Said the man.

“Then I shall purchase it from you.” Said Sesshomaru. He went to A-Un's saddlebag and took out a large bag of gold coins. He emptied the bag in front of the man.

The villagers gasped when they saw the gold pile on the ground.

“I am Nobu,” said the man bowing low, “one of the town elders.” You may have the house, but it is in grave disrepair.”

“I am Sesshomaru-Inu-no-Teicho ruler of the western lands,” said Sesshomaru. “You may keep the gold provided it is used to help the entire village.” There was an excited rumbling amid the villagers at that. “Are there men here who can make the necessary repairs on the house?”

“My father was foreman of the crew that built the house for the Shogun,” said Nobu, “I myself was on that crew.”

“Then I shall hire you Nobu to be my foreman,” said Sesshomaru. “you can check the house and report to me what you need in men and materials. I will pay all well.”

“No, no, no!” It was the old Priest again. “He is a Demon! Shall we have demons living among us?”

“Silence Priest!” said Nobu, “We have fallen on desperate times. This Demon means us no harm and may provide us with work and pay.”

“So, great Lord,” sneered the Priest. “Why would you want so modest a house by our poor village? A great Lord like you would surely want a great Palace!”

“I have two palaces,” said Sesshomaru calmly, (he did). “The house is not for me, it is for two noble ladies under my protection; a woman and a child.”

“Your mistress and half breed child?” sneered the Priest again.

“I will not tolerate you insulting those under my protection!” said Sesshomaru sternly. “The woman is a noble lady from the lands far west; the child is my human ward! If you cannot accept my terms I will go elsewhere!”

“Please Sesshomaru- sama” said Nobu, “The Priest means well, we the villagers will welcome those under your protection.”

“For this you will have my pledge that I will protect you to the best of my ability,” said Sesshomaru, “Tell me, Nobu, what is it your village needs the most?”

“My Lord,” said Nobu, We were a prosperous fishing community for many years. The ocean was abundant with all sorts of fish and shell fish. About five years ago the ocean became barren. Our village has suffered greatly ever since.”

“When the house has been put to my liking, I will see what I can do to restore your ocean.” Said Sesshomaru, “Nobu, I will leave and return in a fortnight. Assemble your crew and look over the house. When I return we will talk about what is needed, how much it will cost and what I will pay you and your people. Now take the gold I have left. Use it to make life a little better for everyone here.”

Sesshomaru remembered how his father could charm human women with just a smile. He looked over at a group of women and smiled at them ever so slightly. They all smiled and giggled to each other. “So Charming!” he could hear them say to each other.

“how about that?” he thought, “My father's technique works for me too.”

The weeks passed peacefully. Sesshomaru found, to his surprise, that Nobu was a logical, analytical and literate man. When he had returned four days after their first meeting, Nobu had been ready with a plan and cost estimate all written out with neat lines of figures. So the work began, Sesshomaru divided his time between guiding his party west and checking on the progress of the house. Keeping a secret was something that came naturally to Sesshomaru.

It was a fine warm summer. All was quiet and peaceful for a change. Sesshomaru felt he was handling things quite well. He would make sure the girls had what they needed and scout out good places for them to stay. It gave him a lot of pleasure to think of how surprised and pleased they would be when he showed them the house.

Catherine knew Sesshomaru was up to something. She didn't know what , but he was certainly up to something. He seemed almost, well, giddy, for him at least. He also seemed to be avoiding her yet they always seemed under each other's feet. She'd turn a corner and there he'd be looking perturbed to see her. She would be taking her morning bath and he'd emerge from the trees looking shocked and surprised.

Sesshomaru was trying to avoid Catherine, she frankly drove him crazy. Wherever he went she seemed to be there. In the morning he always blundered on her as she took her bath. She was modest and would quickly crouch down into the water revealing only her white shoulders. That was almost worse because his imagination would fill in the gaps all day.

Catherine thought her heart would break. She realized that she had fallen in love. She could hardly understand why. Sesshomaru was aloof, cold, sometimes downright nasty yet she knew he was not evil. She could feel that he kept his feelings to himself that he fought not to reveal himself. He did not care properly for the child who loved him, but he did protect her. He made his brother think he wanted to kill him, maybe he did, yet sometimes he protected him. Worse of all he had kissed her. Catherine realized she was his, there nothing she could do. She would follow him like Rin with a broken heart and no hope. She sat by a stream in the late afternoon and prayed.

“Please God,” she prayed, “help me sort his out. If it is impossible help me stop loving him so much. If it is right, help me understand him better so I can give him what he needs.”

Catherine looked up to see, to her surprise, Sesshomaru standing next to her. He sat next to her on the stream bank.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I'm praying,” said Catherine.

Sesshomaru reached out a slender finger to the gold chain around her neck lifting the cross attached.

“You pray to your God?” he said.

“Yes,” she replied.

“I have seen this shape before,” he said, “It is an instrument of torture and death. What kind of God uses such a cruel devise as his symbol?”

“It is more a symbol of triumph over pain and death.” Said Catherine. Sesshomaru was quiet as he contemplated her cross.

“Do you pray Sesshomaru?” she asked.

“Yes I do,” he said letting the cross fall off his finger. “I pray to my ancestors, to my mother and father, to the spirit of the moon which sustains me and to the one who created us all.”

“Perhaps we are not so different,' said Catherine.

Sesshomaru smiled, he moved his finger down her cheek and under her chin lifting her face a little. “Perhaps,” he smiling.

He got up abruptly and walked away leaving Catherine a bit confused.

“He cares,” she thought, “but he's fighting it, I wonder why he's fighting it?”

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