InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In a Different Light ❯ Distractions ( Chapter 18 )

In a Different Light

Chapter 17: Distractions

Four . . . Straight . . . Hours . . . Of sword practice.

Those six words summed up Rin's entire morning. Four. Straight. Hours. Of lunging and dodging. Blocking and thrusting. Striking, swiping and parrying. Over and over and over again.

"Harder, Rin."

"Faster, Rin."

"Deeper, Rin."

Throughout the lesson, Sesshomaru kept his comments to those three clipped words-harder, faster and deeper. If she ever hoped to excel as a swordsman . . . or simply keep herself alive, she had to get those three words through her head.

Harder. She wasn't bringing down the blade with enough force. She was bending her wrist too much, and she wasn't following through properly. More than likely her anonymous attacker would be wearing armor. If her attack wasn't strong enough to pierce his armor, it was useless. If the force behind her sword arm wasn't strong enough to hold back her attacker's blade, defense was useless. So, in short, if she couldn't do those two things properly, she would die.

Faster. She wasn't transitioning quickly enough between offense and defense. He taught by example and proved there was no time for hesitation. If she saw an opening, she was to take it. There was no room for mercy, no room for self-doubt, no time to show weakness. If she couldn't transition more quickly and more smoothly between defense and offense, eventually her defense would break down, and she would die.

Deeper. Her strikes were too shallow. They weren't connecting with the body of her opponent. She either had to lunge further forward or move closer to her intended target. Lunging was fine if you had good balance and strong legs . . . like she did. Moving closer was trickier, more dangerous . . . especially if you couldn't smoothly and quickly transition between offense and defense. You could thrust forward to land a blow to your attacker's stomach, but at the same time, he could use that same opportunity to take a swipe at your neck and claim your head. If you didn't duck or you didn't block, you were dead.

Rin shook the growing tension from her muscles and laughed dryly to herself. There were so many ways you could "die by the sword."

But she really shouldn't complain. Learning these new techniques put enough strain on her body and required enough of her concentration that she barely had time to let her mind wander to her . . . other lessons from earlier in the morning. Barely.

She fought back a sly grin as she prepared to execute another attack on her "new" Master.

His eyes focused in on her, traveling the length of her body in an attempt to anticipate her next move. She knew that if she waited too long, he would attack, and she'd again be put on the defensive. And as this was the time he'd allotted to teach her offense, she intended to take full advantage of the situation. She drew in a deep, but unnoticeable breath, and moved in to strike his left side. He blocked effortlessly, giving her a slight nod of approval.

"Good," he spoke softly against her lips. "But I know you are capable of much better."

Faster, she scolded herself. If you don't move faster, he'll turn the tables on you. You remember what that was like, don't you?

He swept her feet out from under her, sending her sprawling to the ground, the sword knocked from her hands, the wind knocked from her lungs. "Yield." He stood over her, his feet straddling her hips, Tenseiga's point aimed at her throat.

"No."

She pulled back and made an upward slash at his chest.

He dodged and made a quick swipe at her left side.

"Dueling your intended. What the hell is this?"

"You . . . frightened me today, Rin."

"My lord fears nothing," she said stoutly.

"No." He looked away from her as he clenched and flexed his claws. "That creature . . . came that close . . . to taking away the one thing that . . . matters most to me in this life, Rin." He drew in a deep breath and pushed it out. "I was frightened. And I didn't like it . . ."

"You need lessons in offense."

She stepped back and pivoted on her left foot, bringing her blade down to block the blow. Faster. Harder. She then shifted her weight forward and used the elbow of her sword arm to deliver a strike to his neck.

"How is it that you always manage to surprise me in some way?"

Rin shrugged. "Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think you do."

He acknowledged the blow, feigning as if he were a mortal opponent, and took a step back.

Deeper, she reminded herself. And harder. As he stepped back, she lunged forward, aiming for his stomach.

He dodged, stepping back with his left foot, then used his sword to take a backhanded swipe at her neck. She ducked, then, much to her own surprise, made a successful swipe at his left side. Her arm vibrated from the force of the strike as her blade connected with his armor.

They stayed frozen like that. She looking up at him; he looking down at her, the edge of her sword notched into his armor.

Rin swallowed hard. "Is my lord . . . angry?" She looked on with doubting eyes. She seemed convinced that he was fully prepared to toss her aside and feed her to the wolves, so to speak.

"No, Rin, I am not angry. I am . . . interested."

"That's enough for today," he finally said.

She let out a sigh of relief, planted her sword in the ground and sank down to one knee.

Sesshomaru re-sheathed Tenseiga. "You did well for your first time."

She swept her damp bangs back from her forehead and tossed her braid back behind her shoulder, giving him a self-satisfied grin. "It wasn't my first time, Master, and you know it. Master Li's been teaching me sword techniques for the past year."

He gave a dismissive sniff, then turned to leave. "It's time to bathe."

"I need to stretch first."

He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"If I don't stretch, my muscles will tighten up, and I'll be sore the rest of the day."

He nodded, then sank to the ground where he stood, his back towards her.

"You don't have to wait for me, you know."

He gave no reply, made no motion to move.

Rin sighed with a smile, then began her stretches. She pushed herself to her feet using her sword as leverage, then assumed Mountain Pose. Head high, feet together, spine straight, shoulders back, eyes forward, and her arms hanging loosely, but closely to her sides. Muscles relaxed, breathing even-in and out through the nose-lips slightly parted. Power, discipline and meditation.

She breathed in through her nose and out again, letting her mind wander over the events of the past few days, the past few months, the past few years . . .

Jakken . . .

"He knows I HATE onions."

"Brat."

"That's Lady Brat to you."

"Not yet, it isn't."

"Sesshomaru said so," she put on mock airs. "And if you don't obey him, he'll beat you within an inch of your life."

"You're the one who needs a beating," he retorted.

"Oh? And will you be the one to give it to me?"

A sly smile crossed his misshapen mouth. "That is the job of a mate, not the job of a servant."

Her jaw dropped. "Jakken!"

"Don't play dumb with me, you dumb girl."

"You'll be the death of us all."

"Get down, Rin!"

"Jakken!"

"R-Rin?"

Rin scoffed. "How can I stand by and let someone be killed when I know I can stop it?"

"So, tell me, friend Jakken . . . What can we do to put our lord's mind at ease?"

"Groom him."

"Groom him?" she repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rin laughed to herself and changed positions. Groom him, indeed. She lunged to the side with her right foot, pointing the toes of her left foot in the opposite direction. She then raised her arms to her sides, shoulders relaxed, back straight, and stomach in. Find your center and sink down. This was the Warrior One position.

Yes, Jakken had given her hell in the beginning, but so had Master Sumida.

The Master sighed and crouched down in front of her. "Rin, you are by far, the worst student I've ever had. You can't handle the simplest of poses. You get mad when I try to correct your mistakes. You can't even pretend to be polite to me, and now you're just refusing to do anything."

She scowled at her, then looked away.

Master Sumida stood; she wore a black training uniform, similar to Rin's pale blue one. "You know what I think, Rin? I think you're weak, you're worthless and you're overly willful. You're clumsy, you're oafish, and self-important. You are the lowest of the low, the dumbest of the dumb and the dullest of the dull . . . You are a human female, and your life means absolutely nothing to anyone . . . No one cares what you do. No one cares what you think. And no one would notice if you were to disappear entirely from the face of the earth."

Rin changed positions, stretching her opposite leg.

"I'm better than that," she'd muttered.

"Are you?" the Master asked.

At that point she'd lost complete control and launched herself at Master Sumida's legs, bringing them both down to the dojo floor.

"Feel better now?" the Master asked calmly.

"You bitch!" Rin screamed. "Who do you think you are coming into my house, making me look bad, making me feel stupid! He'll make you leave," she insisted. "I'll tell him how much I hate you, and he'll make you leave . . . He'd do anything for me. I am not stupid! I am not worthless! And I am not . . . dull!"

Master Sumida smiled. "No, you're not. So why are you acting that way?"

She straightened both of her legs and balanced her weight in the center of her body. She then bent forward and pressed her palms flat against the ground.

The Master gently pushed her away from her and sat up. "The world despises weakness, Rin. Physical weakness, emotional frailty, mental instability . . . And, unfortunately, the world looks upon us-upon females in general, and human females in specific-as carriers of all three."

"I can't help it," Rin said. "I'm not a warrior."

She smiled to herself. "Nobody's asking you to be a warrior, Rin. Just . . . be a better representative for your species, for your gender."

She straightened her spine then leaned over to the side, pointing her right toe, sliding her hand down to her ankle. She bent her left arm and rested the hand on her hip; this completed the Triangle pose.

She was powerful, elegant and graceful. She was beautiful, calm and reserved. She could sit for hours on end and do absolutely nothing and still look like she's having the time of her life. She had sleek black hair, a clear bronze-like complexion and brilliant black eyes that reflected everything, but showed nothing . . . Master Sumida was the perfect complement to her Lord Sesshomaru, and Rin was deathly afraid of being replaced.

Sesshomaru nodded, eyes closed and a barely noticeable smile on his lips. "Can you not see those same things in yourself?"

"No," she giggled. "I can't see them. But . . . if you say they are there, then they must be."

"I do say," he said. "Master Sumida thinks you're an excellent student."

"Really?" she smiled.

"Does she not tell you so herself?"

"Well, she does, but . . ."

"But?"

"I dunno," she said. "Maybe she's just trying to be nice. Trying to encourage me instead of discourage me."

"Isn't that what a good instructor does?"

She stretched to the opposite side. And thinking about good instructors . . .

"Do not run off, Rin," he'd said. "You never know what could happen to you."

"I'm waiting, Rin."

"You plague me, Rin."

"Don't dawdle, Rin."

"Humans belong with humans," he said simply.

"It's okay," she said. "I am what I am, and . . ."

He silenced her with a gaze. "I do not know what you are, yet, Rin. I only know that . . . I would rather be with you than without you."

"Because," he said simply, "you desire me as much as I desire you."

"But I suppose I should expect no less from a demon's whore."

Rin stood and brought both of her legs together, proceeding to stretch her arm and chest muscles. What a tease he was sometimes . . . Who would have ever thought the "Lord of the Western Lands" could be so silly . . . or so sweet.

"You've grown quite attached to that child, haven't you?"

"It displeases me to tell you that we can't keep this one, but I can give you one of our own if you'd like."

"I would like."

"Yes, Rin, I can live without you. The question is: do I want to?"

"The answer is no. No, I do not wish to live without you."

"There is no other female I desire, or have desired as much as you, Rin. To attempt to compare yourself to them is to compare manure to a bed of roses. . . You are my rose. My single, perfect, beautiful rose."

"Lovely."

"This Sesshomaru will always want you, and nothing anyone can say or do will change that." A small smile curled the edges of his lips. "Time has no effect on true beauty such as yours."

"Always and forever . . .You and I are always and forever, Rin."

By the gods, she'd gone and done it again. How was it that he so easily excited her?

Not even him. Just thoughts of him.

And the way he made her feel this morning . . .

She let her eyes drift closed, so she could . . . revel in those fleeting sensations. The way he kissed and caressed her, touched her and teased her. Licking and nipping and sucking. His warm, wet mouth traveling over every inch of her bare body. His lips and teeth and tongue . . . And the feel of his skin against her skin. Sliding and gliding, writhing and rubbing. His hard length pressed firmly against that secret place between her thighs . . .

A low chuckle worked its way up from the back of her throat. But that place wasn't so "secret" anymore, was it?

She forced her eyes open and cleared her mind of her "meditations." She definitely needed a long dip in the cold river this morning.

She sighed and dusted herself off, straightening her uniform. She should know better than this; he could probably smell her from all the way over there. But . . . that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. An impish grin appeared on her face.

"I'm ready," she finally announced. She plucked her sword out of the ground and headed towards his still-seated figure. "Sesshomaru?"

He didn't seem to be moving at all. His eyes were open, but . . .

She crouched down beside him to get a closer look. Perhaps he was meditating, as well. "Sesshomaru?" She waved her hand in front of his face. She sighed after she got no reaction and was about to stand up when his hand suddenly shot out and pulled her into his lap.

He buried his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. "Thinking of me?" His warm breath tickled her outer ear.

"Always," she shuddered.

He slid his hand to her lower back and gently pushed her to her feet.

She raised a questioning eyebrow as he rose to his feet.

"Not here," he said simply.

She fell into step beside him, and they left the clearing together in search of a more secluded spot.