InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Leaving the Past ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

Kaede's brow was creased in concentration.

The child whimpered softly as the old miko probed the wound in her leg with her bone tweezers. Rin knelt behind the two of them, holding a bowl of purified water.

"Here," said Kaede finally, and lifted the tweezers into the air. A tiny pair of insect pinchers were gripped between them. She placed the tweezers in a small dish, then lifted a wet rag from the bowl Rin held, wrung it out, and began to dress the wound.

"I have extracted the mouth of the demon." She placed her hand on the child's forehead. "The injury will heal," she said kindly. "You are fortunate that Ichiro found you."

Ichiro stood behind the group, watching intently.

"Wakako was attacked by a demon then?"

"Yes," Kaede answered. "A small demon, no larger than the size of an insect."

"Fire ant demons," said Rin. "Sango told me about them. They live in hives. A colony must have moved into the forest. I'll go - they're easy to exterminate."

"Are you sure that you shouldn't wait until Inuyasha returns?"

"No, I'll go myself," Rin answered, allowing a little more stubbornness into her voice than she had intended. She had not been herself since Jaken's visit - since she had found out that Sesshoumaru had decided to choose a demon companion. She swallowed and tried to will that thought out of her head. She wanted the time alone in the forest, and for once she actually looked forward to exterminating some demons.

"She was attacked by the river. I should take care of these before anyone else gets hurt. Besides, I know the forest better than anyone."

Kaede grunted and nodded.

"Very well."

"I'll get ready," added Ichiro.

Rin started to tell him that his help would not be necessary, but he was already strapping on his shoulder guards. She sighed.

"Okay. I'll meet you in few minutes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two reached the river where Ichiro had found the girl.

"I don't see anything," he said, scanning the riverbank.

Rin stood looking downstream.

"It's Wednesday," she said.

"Huh?"

"It's Wednesday. The women will be doing the washing down river."

A look of concern crossed Ichiro's face.

"We can't leave them unprotected. You go. I'll take care of the hive. I'll be back before nightfall."

Ichiro looked at her and nodded, and began to hurry in the direction of where the women would be. Rin couldn't help feeling a little relieved. She gratefully entered the forest alone, scanning the ground for signs of demon. There were older, hollowed out trees further in - the ideal place for a swarm of low-level demons to settle. No doubt that was where she would find the colony.

As she made her way deeper into the forest she thought about Kagome. The baby was wonderful news. I wonder how Inuyasha is reacting? Rin smiled. She tried to imagine what a quarter demon would look like. Would he have white hair like his father? Like Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru, who might be having children of his own soon. Her smile disappeared and she felt the sense of loss and unhappiness rising in her throat again.

The baby also meant that there would be another person living in the home. She had no intention of getting married to anyone, but she knew full well that she couldn't live with Kagome and Inuyasha forever. She was an adult now, and she wasn't even family. Rin blinked back tears. Sooner or later she would have to leave. And then she would be alone. Again. Like the horrible silent days between the time when her parents were killed and the time when Sesshoumaru had found her. Only this time she would have to be alone with the knowledge that her protector was still out there, but had given her up. That he didn't want her.

Her thoughts were broken by a quick flash of red caught in the corner of her eye. Rin's body tensed. A demon the size of her fist, shaped like a large ant with wings. Slowly bringing her mask up to her mouth, she reached into her side pouch for the poison that would exterminate them. As she stepped closer the sound of buzzing grew louder.

Rin made ready to attack. Suddenly, a larger demon the length of her arm flew out from the branches above towards her head. She fell backward and screamed in pain as her leg was pierced by a small broken tree shoot. She screamed again as she pulled the impaled limb off. The wound was vicious but it had missed the bone.

She had made a fatal error. A swarm of demons like this never lived alone - larger creatures would live nearby, feeding off the smaller but also providing them protection. Rin, you're an idiot. She wasn't good enough an exterminator to keep from walking into a trap, but at she was at least competent enough to know that she was now in serious danger.

She pulled her dagger out and cut her sash in two, quickly wrapping and securing the material around her leg. Gritting her teeth, she tried to stand.

Her head was reeling. She managed three or four steps before she heard the demons behind her. Whipping around she hurled a compact of poison towards the group and clapped her mask to her mouth. Two large demons dropped to the ground choking, their tails thumping helplessly on the ground. The others retreated a few yards away, some crouching, some hovering, watching her from lidless red and purple eyes.

They would attack again if she turned her back to them. She crawled towards a large gnarled tree and rested against it, panting and weighing her options. If she used it sparingly, she had enough poison to keep the demons away for a while. But not forever. She couldn't get away on her own -- her only hope was that someone would find her. Ichiro would be sure to go to Kaede at sundown when she did not return, and Kaede would organize search parties. But she was deep in the forest, and the villagers would be reluctant to go far in at night. Inuyasha would be able to find her - but he was away, and would not be back until tomorrow at the earliest. She would have to survive on her own until tomorrow.

Rin gathered together all the sticks and branches within reach, cutting down the larger ones with her knife. She drew out several more containers of poison and laid them in front of her. Then she settled down to wait.

Night came, with no rescue. The sun warmth dissipated, leaving the forest cool and muggy. Her small fire provided little warmth but the light kept the demons circling at bay.

Sleep was out of the question and Rin's fear only increased with the dawn. She was down to three doses of poison now. She held her dagger up towards the demons, challenging them with her eyes, letting them know that she would not be easy prey. Just buy yourself more time she repeated. Hold them off. Just buy time.

Soon the afternoon sun was high in the sky, filtering down through the leaves and warming the air around her. Thirst was beginning to make her dizzy and her leg throbbed with pain. Though the blood had now stopped seeping through the bandage, the tourniquet was dry and stiff with it. Rin could smell her own blood through the heat, and she knew that what her dull human senses could detect was only a fraction of what youkai miles away would be picking up. Her injury had been drawing larger demons by the hour, in twos and threes she watched the menacing pairs of eyes and shifting bodies multiply in the shadows around her.

She wondered if Inuyasha had returned yet. Inuyasha. Kagome. She might never see either of them again. She might never see the baby. The full reality of her situation began to sink in. She would never see him again. She fought back tears. Memories flooded her mind, the sound of her parents' voices. She thought about the moment she had first seen Sesshoumaru - lying injured and dangerous against the bole of a tree. She remembered his gold eyes intent with concern when he brought her back from the land of the dead and then his subsequent look of utter surprise - surprise that she had revived, shock that he had done such a thing. She remembered the day they had finally defeated Naraku... Naraku! A feverish idea began to form. Naraku, the thief who had become a demon!

She was going to die anyway. If she gave herself to the demons her life would continue. Not only would it continue, she would be a demon! A demon with a demon's life, a demon's power. She would live, she would present herself to Sesshoumaru. The idea caught fire in Rin's mind. What would the expression on his face be? What would Jaken say? She knew that he had cared about her once. If she were no longer human, he might let her stay with him again.

"Demons!" she screamed madly, dropping her dagger. "Devour me! I willingly give you human flesh and bones to consume, in return give me the life of a demon, make me a youkai!"

She covered her head with her arms. She would not watch them come for her. She could not bear to see the teeth and tongues that would burrow into her body and soul.

Nothing came.

There was a sudden cacophony of shrieking and beating of wings. The sickening thud of a body hitting the ground.

Rin opened her eyes.

The demons were scattering, cawing and screeching in fear as they tried to escape. A tall figure in white was standing a few feet away from her, sword drawn, his head inclined slightly in her direction. A quick glint of narrow golden eyes that focused on her for a moment, before he turned and Toukijin slashed forward through the few remaining demons too stupid or scared to flee. Long silvery white hair that swayed with his movements.

Rin drew in a sharp breath.

Sesshoumaru.