InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.

Chapter nine: In HereRin sat on a table in the kitchen. Her elbows were on the breakfast table and her cheeks cradled snuggly in the palms of her hands.

She looked out the window, watching the darkness invade her flower garden and listening to the crickets singing by the back porch.

Normally, she spent her evenings swinging on her hammock, surrounded by the scents and sounds of her floral sanctuary.

But on this particular evening, she sat pondering over the day's events and her current situation.

The episode only a few minutes ago weighing heavily on her mind.

The tips of her fingers lightly traced the area where he had kissed her. Her heart thumping at the memory of his lips on her skin.

His touch had felt so warm.....and soft....and tender......and...

'no......No' The young girl shook her head. 'I can't think like that.... It isn't right'...

His intentions were to serve her. His actions were based only on his assumption that she wanted him to pleasure her.

Suddenly Rin felt ill. What if.......he had done that before?What if others had made him.........

She mentally kicked herself. She should have known better than to touch him while he was bathing. The world outside wasn't always peaches and roses.

But his reaction to her objection was what bothered Rin the most. What had made him fear her so and the possiblity of punishment?

Suppressing a shudder, she could not even imagine what had been done to him to instill such a fearful response.

Was it the spell? Did that word render a discipline so severe that over time and numerous masters, the torture inflicted on him had eventually crushed his will?

Rin grimaced, sometimes people could be so cruel. Cold hearted ignorance fueled the actions of some men and they diluted the harshness of their deeds by branding them justified and necessary. But she knew their punishments were nothing more than malicious humiliations.

Rin sighed then took a sip of her tea. Sesshomaru's spirit was broken.

And from what she could tell by his behavior, the ghost of past torments held him tightly in its bonds.

Could she do it?

Could she take on the task of recovering his drowned spirit from the depths of its imprisonment?

Could she set him free?

Legally....yes.

Physically....with Kagome's help, possibly.

But emotionally.....she was uncertain.

It would take time and trust to heal him and break the chains holding his soul captive.

Rin climbed out of her gloomy thoughts. She needed to look on the bright side of the picture. She had him now, not some uncaring slave owner. He would be well taken care of and protected here. Right then, Rin made a promise to herself, she would do everything in her power to make sure he was never abused again.

Rin was brought out of her contemplation by the very person of her musings.

"Mistress....?"

He was standing there in the doorway, hair damp and dripping on the tiled floor, dressed only in her father's dark blue robe.

He was looking directly at her with a mixed expression of confusion and curiousity.

She gave him a welcoming smile then gestured to the chair across from her. "Sesshomaru, please sit down."

The youkai did as requested.

They sat together in comfortable silence as Rin traced the rim of her teacup.

"Sesshomaru...we need to talk...I need to tell you a few things."

Rin sighed. "I did not purchase you to keep you as a servant."

At this statement, the youkai wilted somewhat.

"I bought you because I want to free you."

He made eye contact with her but said nothing.

"I will go to the courthouse and pay the fee for your social status, but you and I both know that will not be enough."

"The spell placed upon you must be broken."

"Only a trained miko can remove it with my permission."

Sesshomaru's gaze was now centered on the table between them, an unreadable mask guarding his features.

"Sesshomaru...my sister Kagome is a miko."

"She said she would help."

Rin waited for his response.As he seemed to be struggling with some inner battle, he whispered almost too faint for her to hear...."Why......would you .......do that?"

Rin let out a heavy breath..."I did not like seeing you suffer."....she searched for words to say...."I don't believe someone should have to endure a life of servitude against their will."

"In here" She pointed to her chest. "I do not own you."

"In here...........you are already free."

Silence reigned as she waited for him to say something...anything...but his honeyed eyes remained fixed on the table between them.

The young girl continued.

"You also need to know that this home is now ours. It will remain that way until you are able to leave and decide to do so."

"You are free to go anywhere you want in and around the house. The kitchen is open to you.You can have anything you want to eat, within reason, I don't think I can afford caviar" she snorted playfully.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, Mistress? his voice was dry and unsteady.

"Talk to me....Do you want to be free?"

"Yes...Mistress."

When he returned her gaze, Rin found.....something...in his eyes that was not there before...an emotion she had hoped would be there.

Rin smiled.."We will start tomorrow. My sister is coming over to study your collar and determine a counter spell. Then we will go shopping, O.K.?"

He slowly nodded his head to her..."Yes, Mistress Rin."

"You should go to bed now...We have a long day ahead of us." Rin rose from the table and went to the washroom to fetch his clothes.

"Here," she handed him the garments.

Sesshomaru stood, then politely accepted his clothes but remained unmoving before her.

For several minutes he just stared at the clothing, silent and motionless.

His gaze traveled from the bundle in his arms to meet her brown eyes... "Thank you...Rin."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sesshoma ru entered his new room quietly. After placing his clothes on the dresser by his weapons, he proceeded to the bed and undressed. While slipping into the covers, he marveled at the softness. It had been some time since he had slept in a bed.

Even though he needed sleep, he fought to stay awake. He wanted to think.

The lace curtains fluttered as a light breeze floated in from the bedroom window. 'This place...feels...peaceful. Rin...she is...different...from the others. She is innocence and light.'

He felt ashamed of his actions earlier. He had deserved to be put down.But she did not use the word.

Why?

For the life of him he could not understand why she would treat him like this; This room, freedom of her home, and most importantly a chance at freedom from his servitude.

Why?

She had nothing to gain from it. Her reasoning baffled him.

No human had ever given him so much before.

Did Rin really care?

As Sesshomaru drifted off into slumber, he felt the spark of something which had been taken from him nearly four hundred years ago.

..

..

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