Elvish eyes watched as the small child scampered ahead of them, picking wildflowers as he went. A small child with dog ears on the top of his head instead of on the sides, like a human or an elf.

Of course, Tanis knew about the boy's heritage. Sesshomaru had been rather forthcoming about it, had even taken a bit of gleeful pride in telling him.

That had been a few days ago. Since then, there had been no more attacks against their group and it had Tanis worried. Not only did they have a staff of healing in their possession but they had the half-demon child that someone had wanted. Badly. Enough so that an army of strange lizard creatures had completely ignored Goldmoon with her goddess staff when they first attacked.

'Why, though?' he wondered as he continued to watch the boy. 'What's so special about this child? I know he's of demon blood. So is his brother. Why go after the younger one and not the older? It doesn't make any sense.'

From what he'd observed, Sesshomaru possessed the greater power out of any of them. He could cast spells yet wield a sword where Raistlin could not. Out of all of them, Sesshomaru would have no problems surviving on his own or in defending his brother.

'Yet he stays. Why?'

A thousand questions, it seemed, swirled around in the half-elf's mind and he couldn't make any sense out of them. The more he tried, the more confused he became. He tried not to think about such things but found they wouldn't leave him alone. It gave him headaches just thinking about it.

"He isn't going anywhere, elf."

His heart leapt into his throat at the sound of Sesshomaru's quiet tone and Tanis found himself trying to refrain from yelling at the demon. Carefully, he turned his head so that his eyes landed on the silver-haired male.

"I know that," he replied evenly.

"Then why do you insist on watching him as if he's going to disappear any moment?"

Tanis opened his mouth to protest but found that the words wouldn't form. He had been watching the boy closely, moreso since the attack.

'And why is that?' he wondered. 'What is it about this child that has me intrigued?'

He found that he couldn't really answer that question, either. Tanis simply knew that the boy had him intrigued. The child was simply carefree . . . and happy. For being someone of mixed blood, it was strange.

"It isn't because I'm afraid he'll disappear," Tanis began, not even realizing the full extent of his words. "He's of mixed blood, like myself. And I can't help but notice how happy he is. I was never that happy as a child . . . not growing up as I did."

"You are of mixed blood? How . . . unusual," Sesshomaru murmured, almost as if he were amused by something in Tanis's confession.

"Yes," Tanis found himself wincing. "I am. Half-elf, half-human. My father . . . raped my mother."

"Your father was the human then."

"Yes," the half-elf nodded, noting the faint hint of disgust in Sesshomaru's tone. Others may not have noticed it but he had. "He did. Inuyasha . . ."

"Was created and born out of love," Sesshomaru stated succinctly. "Our father possessed more honour than most humans could even begin to comprehend. He wouldn't stoop so low as to rape a female. Our father loved his mother greatly. So much so that he died for her. Foolish of him but it was his decision."

"Foolish of him?"

"She was my father's only weakness. Anyone who knew of their relationship could attack her and anger him. Only a fool would get involved with a mortal."

"Are you sure about that?"

"He's dead, isn't he?" came the cold reply.

To that, Tanis winced. Not so much for the factual statement but the coldness in Sesshomaru's tone. Most people would not have had such a view.

'Of course, he's demon. Demons have a different sense of the world than everyone else,' he told himself. 'Maybe that's how come Sesshomaru can be the way that he is.'

"That may be," he murmured, "but I'm sure he found something greater than what you or I could even begin to imagine, Sesshomaru. Love does funny things to people, after all."

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied slowly, his own gaze landing on Inuyasha. "Indeed it does."

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The flowers tickled at his nose and he found that he had a hard time refraining from sneezing. Still Inuyasha continued to pick wildflowers. He didn't know why he was doing so. He really didn't have anyone to give them to. Goldmoon seemed to be the only one who appreciated such little gifts.

'She's such a nice lady,' Inuyasha thought, scampering forward the moment another flower caught his attention. 'She's not Mama but she's still nice.'

He hadn't really expected anyone to be nice to him after his mother's death. Most humans threw stones at him and tried to beat him with sticks. The humans he and his brother were traveling with didn't seem to be so inclined to do so. Of course, there were only six humans. The others in the group were like humans but they weren't. Even at his age, Inuyasha could tell that they weren't. Two of the companions were nearly as tall as he was but they weren't children. And the red-headed man that talked to his brother . . . he was half-human, same as Inuyasha. The boy found that to be quite intriguing.

'Maybe he'd like some flowers,' Inuyasha thought, grabbing the violet-hued blossom that had caught his attention. 'He always looks so grumpy. Same as that Flint man.'

An image of the two men with flower wreaths wrapped around their heads popped into the youngster's mind at that moment, causing him to giggle. It wasn't something he did much of, giggling or envisioning silly things. His life, so far, hadn't afforded such tiny luxuries.

'One day,' a little voice promised him. 'One day, you will. Things will get better. You'll see.'

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'Everything's good so far,' the old mage thought, relief washing over him. The half-demon child, from where he was watching, was picking wildflowers and staying within a safe distance of the companions. As long as the boy didn't stray from sight and as long as the Dark Queen's servants couldn't find them, the half-demon child was safe.

'Don't worry, little one. You will be protected. Even if you don't know about what hunts you.'

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Above her, the stars glittered brightly against a dark blanket of sky. Soon, her forces would be mobilized and another city would be conquered. She could celebrate another victory at long last.

'Too bad, Tanis isn't here to see this,' the dark-haired woman thought with a wistful sigh. 'I would have liked to have known his answer.'

So many things were going to change and it was going to be all for the better. Kitiara knew as much. The lands would be united under the Dark Queen.

It was a glorious quest, to be sure. The only thing that saddened her would be the loss of one of her friends.

Sturm would die. She knew as much, if only because he wouldn't stand for what she was doing. He'd die defending others. He was a Knight of Solamnia, after all.

'At least he'll have a death worthy of someone of his status.'

With that thought to console her on her friend's imminent death, Kitiara poured herself another glass of wine and drank it down. Then she called her lieutenant to her. She had a victory to celebrate, after all.

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'Pathetic,' Raistlin thought as he watched the young half-demon child handing flowers to the barbarian maiden. 'So pathetic. She's going to eventually die anyway. Just like those flowers he's picked for her. Why does he even bother?'

Unlike their fellow companions, much to Raistlin's surprise, Inuyasha and his older brother, Sesshomaru, appeared to him as they did to his companions. Young, vital . . . full of life. No hints of death about them. Their silver hair, their golden eyes . . . Sesshomaru wasn't so much of a surprise as Inuyasha was. The boy, from what he'd heard, had been birthed by a human mother. He was half-human, same as Tanis. Why Inuyasha appeared so youthful to him, Raistilin didn't know. He should have appeared as a decaying youngster . . . like everyone else.

'Maybe I shouldn't begrudge him that,' the mage thought momentarily. 'He's a small boy. He can't help what's been given to him.'

Still, every time the boy came near him, or at least Caramon, Raistlin felt his hackles rising. Something about the boy felt off. He couldn't explain it, he couldn't even begin to describe it. Something wasn't right with the boy, and Raistlin could tell. He didn't want Inuyasha anywhere near him and Inuyasha, it seemed, appeared to have picked up on it. The boy hardly drew close to the mage.

'All the better,' Raistlin told himself. 'In fact, the further away, the better. If only Tanis would send him and his brother away . . .'

'He can't do that,' a little voice whispered. 'The child needs to be protected from those who would harm him.'

'Who could harm a half-demon child?'

'The Dark Queen, of course.'

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Goldmoon felt a blush creep onto her face as Inuyasha presented her with a fistful of wildflowers. Why the child was being so affectionate towards her, she couldn't quite say. She knew that she was the only female in the group so she attributed his affectionate behaviour to that. After all, she hadn't seen him approach Sesshomaru with any wildflowers.

"For you!" came the chirp.

"Thank you," Goldmoon murmured, accepting the blooms. Inuyasha immediately beamed at her then scurried to where his older brother stood. The moment he reached the older demon, Inuyasha's demeanor changed. He became quiet and stoic, much like Sesshomaru. It saddened the chieftain's daughter to see it.

'The world needs more little ones like you, Inuyasha,' she thought to herself. 'Not more like Sesshomaru.'

Still, she knew she couldn't say anything to the boy about it. Inuyasha was not her child, not her responsibility. Sesshomaru had coldly informed her of much when she'd said something to him about it. Goldmoon believed his attitude towards the boy to be wrong, though, and nothing would change her mind.

"He's taken a liking to you," a soft voice commented. She turned her head towards Riverwind and she gave him a slight nod.

"So he has, though I'm not sure why."

"Because he can sense you have a kind heart," he stated. "The child is not a fool. He's wiser than what he appears to be."

"I know he isn't a fool," Goldmoon smiled faintly, tucking the flowers into her shirt. "And I'm sure that he can sense a great many things. It still doesn't mean I understand why he's showing me the affection that he has and no one else."

"You are the only one who expects nothing of him," Riverwind said in their own language. "I've seen him with the others and I have seen him with you. You do not shy away from him, even though you know what he is. Perhaps, in some small and strange way, you remind him of his own mother."

"That could be,"she nodded. "That could very well be."

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His brother was at his side once more. Sesshomaru didn't even have to look down to know as much. Despite his tendencies to try and not make his presence known, Inuyasha still subtly let him know that he was there.

Not that Sesshomaru minded much. After his revelations, he knew that he needed to protect the boy, just as he had known he'd need to protect Rin once he took the girl into his care. Children, he noted, had a funny way of affecting adults that way.

'Rin,' he sighed to himself. 'I hope nothing's happened to you. If something has, Jaken will not live to see another day.'

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There was something strange in the air. What it was, Tasselhoff couldn't say. He only knew that he could sense, almost taste it, as if it were tangible.

'What's going on?' he wondered, turning his nose towards the sky. 'Is something changing?'

Somehow, he felt he knew the answer to that question. How or why, he couldn't say. He just knew, and another voice screamed at him.

'Tell Tanis.'

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"My Queen, I have some good news."

"What is it this time?"

"Our little army has found the boy."

"Good. Inform me of when they arrive with the boy. Any more failures will not be tolerated."

"Yes, my Queen."