It was an eerily quiet night as Sesshoumaru and companions crossed the ever-winter forests on their way to Furudoriyama, the forbidden mountain. Rin had gotten tired and was being carried by Sesshoumaru as she fell asleep in his arms. The moon was full yet their surroundings were unusually dark, almost as if the moon had something to hide. The air was still and not a sound was to be heard except that of their footsteps crushing the snow and dead branches underfoot. "Something doesn't seem right, lord Sesshoumaru. I have a feeling we're being watched" whined Jaken. Sesshoumaru remained silent as they continued on the unmarked path. Jaken searched the environment with his eyes nervously unable to pinpoint the anomaly. "I think maybe we should turn back, master. I don't like this. I don't like this at all. Maybe we should go back and attempt our travels in the light of day when we can at least see where we're..." before Jaken could finish his thought, he felt a sharp slap to the back of his head. "Ow! My apologies! I meant no dis--" suddenly Jaken had a realization "L--l--lord-- lord Sesshoumaru. If you're holding Rin, then how-- how did you..." as Jaken struggled to speak, Sesshoumaru stopped walking without any indication to his thoughts or emotions.

Suddenly Jaken rushed Sesshoumaru and grabbed him by the leg biting him on his thigh, seemingly unable to control his actions as if affected by some sort of madness. A muffled cry of surprised pain escaped from Sesshoumaru's lips as Rin woke up confused and frightened. "What's happening! Jaken! What are you doing? Let go of him!" exclaimed Rin and without any warning, Sesshoumaru kicked Jaken and slammed him against a nearby tree. Sesshomaru fell to one knee and Rin left his arms as tears began pooling in her eyelids. "What is wrong? Are you okay?" Rin held back tears as she tried to get a response but Sesshoumaru was having difficulties getting back up. "Like a wounded dog, are you ready to be put down?" a female yet powerful voice emanated from the darkness. "Do you feel the venom slowly make its way through your veins? You won't have long to live if it is allowed to take its course...". Sesshomaru struggled to speak "Who... who are you. What do you..." an intense pain struck him in his abdomen making it difficult to breathe. Though he tried, he was unable to hide the pain as he fought to remain conscious "It burns, doesn't it? Trust me when I say this is only a small taste of the kind of pain and torture you will find in the flames of the underworld if you die by my hand." "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Rin screamed at the unknown assailant with all of her anger, tears streaming down her face, now unable to control them. She wanted to be strong but was unable to control her emotions as much as she wanted. She turned her eyes to look at Sesshomaru and tried to regain her composure as she spoke "Leave him alone. He has done nothing to you! We were only passing through here and don't want any trouble. I wont let you hurt my friends! I don't care who you are!!". Silence ensued like a void that could not be filled, then the mysterious voice began to speak once more "Why do you protect this demon? What spell has he cast on you which keeps you bound to him? You indeed are a human child, am I correct?". "Of course I am. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be alive. Who do you think you are attacking us when we didn't do anything to deserve it! You coward! Show yourself! If you have something against him you should at least fight him face to face. Or are you scared?" Rin replied promptly clenching her fists in rage.

"Very well." From the darkness a black figure of a woman materialized. She wore the darkness like a cloak, and suddenly, all at once, the darkness faded. The void of shadow was filled with silver moonlight as it reflected off of the powdery snow and now instead of the black figure stood a strikingly beautiful woman in white. At first it was difficult for both Rin and Sesshoumaru to focus on her as she was enveloped in a cloak of moonlight, but as their eyes adjusted, they could not help but be stricken with awe. Her long, luxuriously curly silver strands of hair fell delicately down her back, down to her waist, her face framed by layered strands of silver. Her garb was not familiar to them and she seemed as foreign as she did familiar. Her eyes were slitted and silver like those of the wolves of the ever-winter forest. She had markings on her face but not the kind found on any demon and on her forehead there shone a silver crescent of a moon. Something about her was a bit demon-like, as her smile hosted a pair of delicate fangs, but apart from her pointed ears, she almost seemed divine. Both Sesshomaru and Rin found themselves unable to speak. Then Sesshoumaru grasped Rin's hand and pulled her behind him, protecting her from potential and unknown danger. "Whatever grudge you bear against me, leave my party out of it. They are not to be held responsible for any of my actions. Whatever has motivated you to attack me, I don't know, but if you dare to harm this child, I will kill you even if it kills me". Surprised, the mysterious woman stood silent once more. Then as she moved closer she spoke "This cannot be. This is the great Sesshomaru? Protecting a human child?" She moved closer and keeled down in front of Sesshomaru spotting his blade. She placed her hand on the hilt as Sesshoumaru helplessly struggled to protest. "This isn't it. Where is Tensaiga?".

Sesshoumaru remained silent. The woman placed her hand gently on his forehead and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru's eyes began to lose focus as a soft light emanated from her crescent. "You lost it. You lost the sword... I see that you used it to save this child from death. You indeed are the one I seek, but in good conscience I cannot come to do what I had set out to. You may be the great Sesshomaru, but you are no longer the man I was looking for. I am sorry. I won't bother you any further". The woman moved her hand towards his wounded leg and inaudibly recited a few indistinguishable words, and then as suddenly as it afflicted him, the pain dissipated. She then stood up and turned towards Jaken and lifted his curse with a blanket of soft moonlight. Sesshomaru stood up seemingly unharmed as Rin peeked from behind his leg, curious and no longer frightened. Sesshomaru spoke "Who are you and why have you done this?". The woman stood with her back turned toward him as Jaken stood up dazed and walked back toward Sesshomaru to cower behind him. "My name... is Artemis. I had come here to seek revenge and retrieve the Tensaiga, but it seems things just got a little more complicated than I had originally thought."