InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sesshomaru's Ponderings ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Sesshomaru's Ponderings

It was a beautiful day in the Feudal Era. The sun was shining brightly and the birds in the area were feeling brave enough to sing even though they felt the presence of a potentially dangerous youkai. Sesshomaru leaned casually against a tree, thinking how brave those mere birds were being considering he was leaning against their tree, but decided that it must be Rin's presence that made them feel it was okay. In fact, maybe they were doing it for her, music to go with the song she was singing quietly to herself as she ran around in the field of lush flowers, gathering those she thought were the prettiest.

Sesshomaru long considered that maybe it was the fact that Rin was so full of joy and happiness, instead of fear, in his presence that her surroundings were also made comfortable. Before Rin, when he walked through these woods all forms of animals would run for safety, weak or strong, youkai or non-youkai. It irked him that a little human child could change something that was only natural for him, simply by doing nothing other than being happy, singing, and picking flowers.

Though he would never say it aloud to anyone, for it was known how much he despised humans, he was quite fond of the girl, at least that was all he would admit to even himself. She was no trouble, he rarely had to order Jaken to find food for her for she seemed able to fend for herself, might have something to do with the fact that before she meet him she was all alone. She obeyed without argument, he simply had to say do this and it was done, even if she was crying. Even though she could talk non-stop she appreciated the art of silence, which was something he held dear. His father taught him long ago that a Lord's power was in his presence not his words. "Your presence alone should always be able to be enough." He used to say. "Observation and a clear understanding of the situation are more important than you carrying on while being played for a fool." Sesshomaru remembered the words his father told him at age 10 so much so that he became a master of silent observation.

The innocent laughter of Rin brought Sesshomaru out of his thoughts of his father. Rin had was chasing after some butterflies and having a marvelous time. A small smile pulled at his lips. It was hard to believe sometimes that she was the same mute girl who was determined to feed him, even to the point of getting herself beaten by the villagers. It was even hard to imagine that she was the same child that was lying lifeless after being killed by a pack of wolves. Because of that, he always made sure to stay clear of any wolves that he sensed in the area, granted he would kill any idiot wolf that decided to brave an attack on him, but he respected and understood her fear enough to spare her the reminder.

He could still vividly see in his minds eye Rin, slain by the wolves, with eyes open yet seeing nothing on the forest floor. Though he didn't like to think about it he found that he couldn't keep the image from popping up every now and then. When he would observe the child sleeping next to the fire he would see flashes of her lifeless body and though it has happened many times before it always makes him flinch just as it did the first time. When he first smelled the blood of wolves and humans, he cared not, when he smelt HER blood he decided without hesitation to go and see what happened to her. He could tell that she lost a lot of blood because she dominated all other smells. Tracking her down was not a problem but despite what he told himself the whole time that he had been in her presence and when he came to find out what became of her, that he cared not what happened to any weak human, he couldn't help but hope that she was alright, that nothing horrible had happened to her.

But she wasn't weak, she was brave, actually. She was willing to aid a demon that told her that her help wasn't needed nor wanted. He told her to stop being useless and yet she was determined to help him. After she had been beaten by the villagers and came to him the next morning offering some sort of twig he smelt blood on her but not any tears. She had not cried during or after her assault, and by the smell of her more than one human took the pleasure of beating on a child. He had to admire the fact that even at such a young age she was unwilling to let others see her cry or make her cry by abusing her. To know such things about her in such a short time to only see her dead because of some hungry wolves was enough for Tensegia to pulsate to life, offering his assistance. Was she not worthy of his help? Had she not shown that she was independent and would survive the harsh life that she was forced to live do to circumstances beyond her control? Could he not easily help her? And so he did. He, Sesshomaru the Lord of the Western Lands, saved a mere human child because she had proven herself to have a strong will and a good heart.

But he wasn't the type of youkai to say "You, human, have earned my respect and may come with me if you choose." No, that would be more than beneath him, it would be an embarrassment, so he left it to her to decide if she was willing enough to come with him without an invitation, and she did.

To this day he still can't begin to describe the delight, yes delight, that he felt when he realized that she was going to follow him. He was so delighted that he didn't even hear Jaken complain about the bloody human following them. He only acknowledge anything he said when the words "And she is a smelly human to boot." Came from his toad like mouth. He had just been thinking the same thing; there wouldn't be anything wrong her following him but she had to keep herself from smelling like all those lowly humans.

"What is your name, child?" Sesshomaru said, coming to a halt and looking back down at her.

Silence was golden to this child but after a few moments she softly said, "Rin."

"Rin, I am Sesshomaru and this is Jaken. You are in need of a bath and a change of clothes and Jaken is going to see to it so I want you to follow him and do as he says." When she looked worriedly at Jaken, he added. "No more harm shall come to you and if it does I shall take it out on Jaken to make things fair. When in his care, he is completely responsible for you. And when you are finished you shall find me waiting here."

Sesshomaru ignored the fact that Jaken's mouth was hanging open and that high pitched squeaks were coming from him, showing his obvious contempt to the very idea of such a responsibility. But he had any silly ideas of protesting he wisely kept them to himself and headed off in the direction of the stream he had seen earlier while looking for Sesshomaru.

"I got you." Floated into his thoughts, and he looked to see Rin holding, very carefully, one of the butterflies that she had been chasing. Delighted with herself she ran over to Sesshomaru for him to see. "Look, Sesshomaru- sama, Rin has caught the butterfly. Isn't it beautiful? My father told me that a butterflies life is short and to hold one in your hands and watch it go free to live its life to the fullest while it could was a moment to capture in itself. He said it's a lesson to be learned, because when we die it shall seem like we only lived the length of a butterflies life." She smiled up at him brightly but the frowned after consideration. "Rin's father was right, when you know you're going to die you feel like you haven't lived at all."

"Do you feel like you're living your life to the fullest now?" Sesshomaru questioned, unable to help himself.

"Yes." Rin said, as she released the butterfly from her tender hold. "Since Sesshomaru-sama gave her back her life."

Sesshomaru looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before he too turned to watch the butterfly carry on his duties. Yes, he thought, his father would approve of the fact that his silent observation had lead him to acquire a worthy companion.

Deciding that he had enough nostalgia to last him for the day, he straightened from the tree and announced, "Lets go." Before turning to continue his hunt to the bastard Naraku, who dared to make a fool out of him and his feelings for the child.