InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kotone ❯ The Inu and His Mercy ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Kotone awoke before even the sun, and stirred slowly as not to disturb the still sleeping Rin at her side. Sesshomaru was standing at the entrance of the cave, talking in a low voice to a small, ugly, imp.

“My Lord, I don’t think that we should let that wench stay with us. It’s bad enough that we have to worry about that human while we search out Naraku,” said the imp.

“She will take care of Rin, now that her life is indebted to her.” Sesshomaru looked back at her, casually as though he knew that she had been awake the entire time. “Jaken,” he said, addressing the imp but not looking back to him. “You brought what I asked you?”

The imp made a great show of bowing and puffing out his chest with pride as he presented Sesshomaru with a large brown paper package. Sesshomaru took the package and then, without a word, tossed it in her direction then left, Jaken running along behind him.

Kotone looked at the package and wondered what it was, or who it was intended for. She considered sniffing around it, to try and see what it was, but Rin began to stir at her side and she eagerly turned her attention to the child.

“Lord Sesshomaru?” The girl asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up.

“He’s just left, little one,” Kotone said to her. Rin blinked her sleepy eyes, then stared at her in surprise before she let out a cheerful cry and threw her arms around Kotone.

“You’ve woken up! I was afraid you never would and we’d have to leave you here!” Rin laughed, with what Kotone hoped was relief, and released her. “Lord Sesshomaru said that I could take care of you, since you rescued me. You’ll stay won’t you? So I can?” The girl smiled broadly and Kotone felt herself nod.

“Yes. I would like to stay with you. As long as you’re sure that your Lord Sesshomaru permits it to be so,” She said, watching as Rin climbed out of the furs and skipped towards the package she had spotted.

“Of course it’s alright. If Lord Sesshomaru hadn’t wanted you to come along, he’d have left you in the meadow for the villagers to find,” Rin said, plopping back down beside Kotone as she began to open the package.

She watched as beautifully colored silk came spilling out of the package, golden orange in color, with a carmine pattern of what looked like small sakura blossoms. There was also a black obi in the package, and a long carmine colored sash.

Rin smiled up at her, holding the silk in her hands and Kotone realized that the package was meant for her. The girl seemed happy to help her dress, and Kotone found that the kimono seemed to change to fit her body as she dressed, hugging against her curves. The kimono was even made so that her tail had a place to go through. The sleeves were wide and long, and seemed to flow as she moved her arms to tie the sash in place at her side over her obi.

She smiled at Rin as the girl circled her, looking for anything out of place and then presented her with an ebony comb and pin so that she could pull up her hair. Rin laughed and clapped when she finished and grabbed her hand.

“Come, let’s thank Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin said excitedly. Kotone caught herself before she frowned and nodded, allowing the girl to pull her outside the cave where Sesshomaru was standing with Jaken.

“Rin,” he said, acknowledging her as she came running up to him. He looked down at her, ignoring Jaken as the imp began to reprimand the girl for interrupting their very important conversation. Kotone frowned at the imp, begining to like the little creature less and less.

“Ah!” Rin grinned at Sesshomaru, and tugged on Kotone’s hand, looking back up at her, then to Sesshomaru and back and forth again. Kotone looked up from Rin and saw that Sesshomaru was looking at her with cold displeasure.

Kotone bowed her head at once, her very blood freezing from the look in his eyes. “Thank you for your kindness, Lord Sesshomaru. I am eternally in your debt,” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. The Taiyoukai was terrifying without even trying to be so.

“Rin,” he said, as though he hadn’t heard Kotone speak. “Go to the river and fetch clean water, we’re leaving soon. Jaken, pack the furs.”

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!” The two of them said in perfect unison. Kotone turned to go after Rin, intending to help as she ran off to fetch some water skins from inside the cave.

“Kitsune,” he said, catching her before she could walk away. “That kimono you wear is not a gift. Should you fail to care for Rin, I will strip you of it, and leave you at the mercy of some other demon.”

She looked back at him, surprised and frightened all at the same time. She had no choice but to stay and take care of Rin; surely this demon would kill the human child if the girl was left alone with him.

“Come, let’s hurry!” Rin called, waving the water skins over her head. Kotone, waited, but Sesshomaru seemed to be finished with her so she left to follow Rin down to the river.