InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In The Beginning. ❯ THE HEART OF THE GIRL ( Chapter 1 )

THE HEART OF THE GIRL

 

The sky was flushed with fiery orange as the sun continued its gradual descent toward the horizon. The gold light filtered down through the canopy, and the girl's large eyes glinted with it as she stared.

Rin stood unmoving, her brown eyes fixed upon the likewise immobile figure she was watching through the foliage. Her pupils had dilated. Her heart was being racked with such an intense sympathy as she had ever known in her sad eight years.

He was lying motionless on the undergrowth, spread-eagled on his back at the foot of the tree, his head resting upon his pelt. His long, snowy hair was spilt over the pale fur. He was dressed in white, the material of his haori scantly embroidered with a little red. His garments were those of a warrior's, and once, she knew, the attire must have been proud and beautiful, for even in its current state it struck her. But it had been sullied, his armour shattered, his sash shredded, the fabric of his clothes torn and marred with dirt and also with dark brownish stains, and Rin immediately recognised it as dried blood; for she had seen it before.

He was plainly injured, and badly. His lean figure was lying completely still, and he had not moved at all since she had first set eyes on him. Whatever clash he had been involved in had certainly not taken place here, for there were no bodies or even signs of a struggle; and she deduced that after being injured in battle, he must have dragged himself here and collapsed at the foot of the tree. However, alongside her powerful compassion for him, Rin felt some fear, for she knew.

His head was turned away from her, and she could not see his face. But she could see one of his ears. And it was narrow, and tapered into a point. She knew.

Rin knew he was Youkai.

Youkai were frightening. She knew about them, for like all human children she had been taught strong caution of them from an early age. They were dark creatures, who delighted in evil deeds and the tainting of souls and the slaughtering of humans.

Though, Rin was very much aware that her own kind was capable of such evil too.

Despite the fact that some demons had human-like forms, it was believed without a doubt by the people of her village that demons had no souls. When the men went to travel or to gather wood in the forest, they often brought back with them dead Kitsune or some other lesser woodland demon which they had come across, proudly displaying the bodies for all to see and praise. They told horrible tales of Youkai, and very rarely was a story of a kind-hearted demon heard.

Though Rin knew one. One she had been told when she was very young. A story about the late Lord of the Western Lands, the great Inu no Taisho. This noble and majestic Youkai had been possessed of true compassion, and a fondness for Ningen. When she was alone at night, trying to sleep, and she could hear the frightening noises of the forest demons, she thought about this story over and over again. Sometimes, in her loneliness, she even imagined that her rough, dirty little blanket was the elegant material of the Inu no Taisho's clothing, and the great, kind Lord himself was telling her the tale as she lay curled up in his lap, until her fear was soothed and she was lulled into sleep.

And now, as she stood frozen in the brush, she realised that this injured Youkai, lying upon the dappled forest floor like a fallen angel, was somewhat reminiscent of what she had imagined the great Inu no Taisho to look like. What was she to do? Seeing him there wrenched her heart, but even if she attempted to help him and he accepted, what could she do? How could she be any help to such a Youkai?

But she could not leave him without even trying.

Rin's heart refused to do so.

After a minute, she stepped forward.

The foliage rustled as she moved, and she paused briefly. Nothing happened. Rin stepped forward again, moving around the tree she had concealed herself behind and taking a better look at the motionless figure.

It did not stay motionless for much longer, though.

Rin baulked, her heart leaping against her ribs, her breath catching in her lungs as the Youkai without warning whirled and snarled lividly, straight at her, showing sharp fangs and glaring at her with vicious, red-burning eyes.

Rin was frozen, unable to move for several seconds as the wild crimson glow in the Youkai's eyes faded and instead he was glaring at her with intense, gold, intelligent eyes, though his gaze was no less hard.

Rin blinked and stared at him anxiously with her large brown eyes, but within seconds her compassion overcame her fear again as she looked at him, sitting up on one arm, glaring at her, his pose threatening, yet it was clear despite this that he could not move much further. Gathering her courage, she swallowed, and after a moment, moved forward.

The Youkai's deep, tawny, contracted slit-pupil eyes burned into her, cowing Rin's body language into submissiveness, and she was sad, for she did not want to be afraid of him. She wanted to look him in the eye and say something to him, but Rin's habit of not looking any man in the eye had been literally beaten into her by those of her village, and her words had left her some time ago. She disliked thinking of it. She swallowed again and avoiding his eyes, she looked him over, scanning his body for any visible injuries. There were none. The damage must have been internal.

Rin bit her lip, keeping her brown eyes upon the Youkai's chest as his gaze still smouldered at her, wondering what she could do, and how to show him she wanted to help. A moment later an idea came to her. She opened her mouth and mouthed in the faint hope that words would come out, but apparently she was not ready, for none did. Rin once more bit her lip gently. After a pause, she bowed deeply in respect, then turned and ran from the clearing.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The woman sat outside her home, watching fondly as her husband was teaching their two sons mock swordplay with long sticks. The man was laughing, as were the two boys, but they all paused to look as Rin pelted past their hut at quite a speed.

The younger of the boys, who was in fact only about a year older than the girl, picked up a stone and hurled it after her, calling `Where ya goin' so fast, Chibi?'

Rin neither stopped nor looked back, and the stone missed.

After a minute, the man and the boys went back to their mock battle, but the woman stared after the girl, mildly interested.

`What's the matter with her?' she wondered aloud.

`Hmm,' said her husband. `Ah, hai. I don't care.'

The two boys snickered at his words. After a moment they rushed forward and playfully tackled their father, and the man laughed as he went down. His wife turned her attention back to the brawl and laughed gently, her interest in the little orphan gone.

 

Panting, Rin skidded to a halt inside her hovel. The interior was dim as the sun set outside.

She paused for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, and then knelt down and took up her flask. She took the top off and peered inside. There was only a little water left in the end. She would have to empty it out and refill it with fresh water at the canal. Getting to her feet, Rin took the cup and left to do so. She decided to take a different route back out of the village afterwards, lest she be seen, interest was aroused, and she was followed.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Rin hurried back through the forest, emerging into the clearing beside the same tree as last time. She stopped, blinking nervously.

The Youkai had moved.

A little.

In her absence, he had shifted backwards, so he was now resting back against the tree, his long pelt around his shoulders. His amber eyes were again silently boring into her.

And Rin could not bring herself to meet them. She kept her gaze upon the lower part of his face. After a nervous pause, she took a tentative step forward. The demon did nothing, and said nothing. She moved forward again.

About four or five paces away from him Rin stopped, feeling the Youkai's golden glare burning into her. Slowly, she knelt down, and placed the flask in front of her, in plain view of the demon, if he needed it.

Rin looked up, smiling gently to show that was what she meant, and at the same time forgetting her old habit in her haste to get that message through and show that she just wanted to help him.

And a second later, Rin's large brown eyes and the Youkai's intelligent gold ones locked.

There was a silence.

A minute later, the white-haired Youkai looked away as if she wasn't even worth his attention, and turned his profile on her.

But Rin took no offence. She knelt stationary in her spot, staring at him in awe of what she had just done, and in awe of the immense depth she had just seen in the Youkai's eyes. Never had she seen anything like that before. Her eyes travelled slowly over the demon's face curiously, taking in the crimson markings on his skin, and the indigo-coloured sickle moon she could just about see from the side upon his forehead.

Several minutes passed, the sky growing duller and the light fading, but the Youkai did nothing, said nothing, and did not look at her again. Rin watched him the whole time, finding it was difficult to look away.

After a pause, she glanced up at the sky. It was beginning to get dark. Perhaps - perhaps he was hungry . . .

But she had already been given her rations for today.

An idea came to Rin after a moment, and she gulped at her own gall.

If she were caught, she would pay for it. She looked at the demons face again.

For him, though . . .

A minute later she got to her feet. Rin bowed deeply, and then smiled at him shyly, but still he did not look at her.

She turned and left the clearing the way she had come, glancing back at the demon who did not look back at her. She turned and ran, a small smile tugging on her lips.

Rin knew she would never be afraid to look into the Youkai's eyes again.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The water was cold where it had splashed onto her worn, grubby yukata. Rin had rolled it up while she had been wading around as quietly as she could in the hatchery, but she was so little the water splashed up and got on her clothes anyway.

Rin squeezed the moisture off of the rough material, glancing out of the doorway of her hovel at the dark night. No one could be seen. Sighing in relief, she took up her large leaf and again began to fan at the smoke coming from the little fire she had built. She was anxious not to be noticed, for skewered on a stick in the centre of the little fire, was a fish she had taken from the preserve.

She would pay dearly for this if she were discovered.

But that did not matter. This was much more important than the risk of getting a beating. No matter how badly. Rin's heart and mind were set.

A moment later she paused in her fanning, sniffing at the strong aroma of the fish. It was done. Smiling slightly, Rin set the leaf down, removed the fish and lay it upon it. She hurriedly put out the little fire, and then carefully took up the little meal. She exited the hovel, eyes and ears cast around intently for any sign of activity in the night, but the village was silent. Quickly and silently, Rin crept back to the dark forest and hurried on, pausing only to pick a few mushrooms and add them to the fish.

 

Rin stopped just as she came to the clearing, tentativeness slowly rising inside her.

After a pause, she moved again, looking around the same tree as last time, her large brown eyes landing on the Youkai's own.

The demon stared at her as she came around the tree. His gold eyes glinted in the light from the moon filtering down through the canopy, and his expression said nothing. He had not moved from his spot.

He watched her as Rin slowly took a few steps forward. She stopped beside her water flask, and saw that it was untouched. After a moment, she knelt, and placed the little meal she had prepared for him beside it. Thinking he would rather eat alone, she got to her feet, bowing her head gently. She turned to leave, feeling a little happiness in her chest and stomach. She was helping.

`Mind your own business. I don't eat what Ningen eat.'

Rin stopped, her heart beating hard.

He had spoken.

He had spoken to her.

But, what he said . . . made her feel . . .

Sadly, Rin turned her head to look him in the eyes, but the Youkai had looked away. His face was unreadable, and he said nothing more.

 

*

 

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