It was early in the morning, a little shy of the dawn when Jaken, Sesshomaru and Chiho decided to continue onwards with their journey.

Chiho took her spot next to A-Un, keeping a firm hold of the reigns while also permitting slack between them so she wouldn't feel fully restrained.

Jaken happily trotted next to Sesshomaru, waving his staff back and forth as he hummed a merry tune. Chiho on the other hand was not one of a morning bloomer. She hated getting up in the mornings, even though that was apart of her routine back at the castle, for her sector, the wardrobe sector, she didn't start her tasks till noon or when a noble needed clothing to be stitched. Before that she was assigned the wellness sector until it turned into a conflict between her and another concubine.

"Haaah," she yawned aloud, barely covering her mouth. Sesshomaru remained expressionless, his eyes only slightly shifting her direction before returning forward.

"You're in such a good mood, Jaken." Chiho pointed out. Her lips curled in an amused smirk. It wasn't too often she saw Jaken so chipper.

"Nonsense, girl." Jaken darted his eyes to Chiho, furrowing his brow. Chiho returned his glance with a cautious stare.

"Then? Since I've joined you you've done nothing but grumble and complain." Jaken turned his head at Chiho with his mouth open, his expression in utter disbelief. From his understanding, he thought they were making some progress together from fishing to building a campfire. Jaken and her even shared a laugh as she slipped in the pond trying to escape a frog.

"You're making up lies, girl!" He didn't want to show Chiho how upset he was at her minor accusation, "Can't a demon just enjoy the day for what it is?"

"You, Jaken? No. There's always a reason."

"Guh!" Sesshomaru's eyes slid down at Jaken's flustered disposition briefly before returning forward. There was an incoherent murmur under Jaken's breath as they continued to walk.

"Psst, Jaken," Chiho put her hand to the side of her mouth, imitating a whisper, "I'm only kidding." Jaken rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his staff in annoyance.

I am curious as to where we're going, Chiho thought to herself. She assumed it to be about a week or two since she accompanied Sesshomaru and Jaken on their. . "Journey.". She didn't fully understand where they were going, nor did she really try to remain in eye's sight after first running into Sesshomaru and secondly having him on top of her, mocking her previous life in such a way. She kept a goal in mind: to go back home. And if Sesshomaru and Jaken were to be here way to her parents to see them again then she just had to make due.

When nobody was watching, or when she assumed nobody was watching, she would take in Sesshomaru's face as best as she could before Jaken would notice. He had strong, distinguishable features alone that would differentiate him from a human. But when she looked closer, she would study the elongated curve of his eyes, the sharp point in his Cupid's bow, the distinct markings on his face and his arms. And, finally, the moon on his forehead.

What kind of demon was he?

Sesshomaru could feel himself being watched, but he continued to look forward, unphased and unamused.

"Ah!" Nearly tripping over a small log, Chiho jumped over onto Jaken's side, sending him nearly toppling over!

"Watch it, girl!" Jaken dusted himself off, grumbling another incoherent curse. "If you're going to follow us try not to topple everyone over!"

It wasn't like she tried to topple him over. She looked away from the two with a blush, dusting her kimono off nervously. For a split second, she felt a pair of eyes back on her. Whether it be Sesshomaru or Jaken she couldn't nor didn't want to figure out.

There was a long winded silence between the trio before Chiho decided to speak up again, "Where are we going, Sir Jaken?" He had to take a second glance her direction to make sure this was the same girl who almost set him on fire at their last camp. Why was she suddenly so formal?

"Hmph!" Jaken stuck his nose in the air, inhaling a tuft of breath with pride, "If you must know, we're going to Lord Sesshomaru's castle."

Chiho's face instantly paled. "Castle?"

"Yes. The castle given to Lord Sesshomaru that you will be a maid of until Lord Sesshomaru deems you fit to take back home."

She didn't like that response too much. She had just escaped a castle to go back to another castle? She felt a weight press down on her shoulders as they continued forward. Tilting her head downwards, her hair covered her eyes as they welled into tears.

She was never going home, she thought to herself.

"Girl." That familiar voice rang out in her ears. It was its usual emotionless and direct. And for whatever reason it made her attempt to wipe her eyes move much quicker.

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshomaru." His eyes wandered back her direction and right into hers. Her pale blue eyes refused to let him go as Jaken's face frantically bounced back and forth between the two.

"You're going to be my maid in the castle." He redirected the conversation to ease the tension. Eyes facing forward again, he maintained his pace as he continued to walk, "That means you tend to me and watch over the duties surrounding my day to day"

But what was his day to day?!

"You don't have to worry too much about any complexities." He responded to her unasked question with ease, "And that includes whatever "disposition" you maintained at the castle."

"You're a demon," he reminded her, "Compose yourself as such and you'll be respected as such."

That surprised both Jaken and Chiho. She felt riddled with an unknown wave of shame but felt no need to further agitate the situation.

". . . ."

"Yes," she breathed, "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

Chiho instantly played every possible scenario in her mind as they continued forward. She squinted ahead in the distance, seeing a large, eloquently structured castle coming up in the horizon. Was she expected to clean that?! She didn't know who to pray to, for she wasn't spiritual, but she hoped whatever was watching over her would protect her from whatever he had planned for her.

Demon blood or not, anxiety ran through her all the same.