InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stronger ❯ The Price of Vengeance ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

A/N: Sorry if this takes a whie to update. For whatever reason, this fic isn't reviewed much on this site and, as a result, i tend to forget its here. Which is odd, to me at least, because it gets a decent amount of attention on both adultfanfiction dot net and fanfiction dot net. So, not too much to say, but if you're one of the few people who return to this story time and again on this site, thank you. To the rest who are going to glance at it and walk away; Enjoy your stay...


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Chapter Eight – The Price of Vengeance
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Rin sat with her back against a random tree, shivering. Neither the night nor the rain was particularly cold, but Rin was freezing. Abjectly, Rin tilted her head back and rested it against the trunk of the sturdy oak she was using for shelter, and tried to recall how she had gotten here. After the scene with Sesshomaru and Alina in the garden, Rin had run. Initially, she had gone to her chambers, nearly flew there in fact, she was so upset, but had soon enough left, cloak and a few essentials, like a comb and a change of clothing in hand. From there she retrieved her sword and her small bow and arrow set she sometimes used for hunting, as well as a small piece of flint. The next bit was hazy, but she had procured a horse from somewhere. Looking back, she was glad that she had enough sense to choose an average, everyday horse, rather than running directly to Ah Un. Taking an average horse would help hide her better - a two-headed dragon would have been somewhat more conspicuous.Growling low in her throat, completely unconscious of the gesture, Rin tried to recall the past few hours. She had tied her bundle to the horse and left. She had made certain to cover her tracks - mostly out of habit; it was painfully obvious that her Sesshomaru-sama would not be coming to look for her this time. However, Atoki might, and if he did, he was fully capable of making her go back...there. Her mind shied away from the unwanted thought of what had been her home for the past eleven years, instead focusing in on the flight and her covering her trail.The rain would aid her, she decided, in further hiding her trail and scent-trails from and pursuers, demon or human. The rain had begun soon after she left, a steady downpour meant to nourish the summer blossoms and provide small children with puddles to play in, not intending to aid a terrified and heart-sick human in her phenomenal flight. It had come almost literally out of nowhere - the skies had been perfectly clear on her ill-fated stroll through the gardens, but clouds had started gathering almost as soon as she had fled. Had she been more coherent she would have found this nothing short of amazing, as she would've the speed at which she departed. It had taken her a third of the time it normally would've to reach her room from the garden, and less than that to get to the armory and stables, yet she hadn't given the phenomena a second thought. She had considered, however, that she was headed north, upwards into chillier climate and rougher, more treacherous landscapes. It was the last thing she would be expected to do, she who hated cold and winter and the death of the flowers. Hence it was the most logical choice. She would continue on this way for a few days, she decided, and then alter her course for... Here she trailed off. Where? Where did she want to go? It had never really been her choice, she decided. When she was little, she had followed her parents and brother. When her parents had been killed, she had followed the village. When she had found Sesshomaru, she had followed him. Now that the choice was hers, she was completely at a loss.'I'll go north for a few days,' She decided, 'and then figure it out from there.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----The next day dawned with clouds still hanging low in the sky, the sun breaking through in no more than an occasional glimmer. Climbing down out of the tree she had slept in - she wasn't fool enough to sleep on the ground unprotected in the woods - and stretched to try and ease the aches from her back. The horse looked up from where she had tethered him and snuffled a soft breath in greeting. Rin scratched his neck absently, trying to dislodge the intense feeling of wrong that plagued her. She felt...empty. Like a vital piece of her was missing...Her stomach grumbled loudly. 'When was the last time I ate?' she wondered absently, effectively side-tracked from her previous musings. Thinking back, she realized she couldn't really remember. Not last night, she had been too grief-stricken and her stomach twisted into too many knots to even entertain the idea of food. Maybe...yesterday's mid-day meal? Shrugging a bit to herself, she decided it didn't much matter - she was no longer...there and couldn't go back. So she would provide for herself now, big deal. She had gone on many hunts, and knew she was a good hunter and marksman. She had also gone on a few campaigns with the army and on those treks there was no ever-obliging Hakashi or hearth stew. Running her comb through her hair and tying it back with a scrap of leather, she gathered her weapons and set off. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------Sesshomaru growled. Upon hearing what had transpired, his initial thought had been to kill the bitch and be done with it. However, a desperate need to find Rin had dominated, and despite Atoki insisting that she was fine, he had left to find her. Only she was nowhere to be found. She was not in the gardens, not in the stables nor the dojo, armory, kitchens, baths, or village. After a scant two hours of looking on his own, Sesshomaru had gathered a group of people to look for her.By nightfall she still couldn't be found, and Sesshomaru was frantic. He couldn't smell her anywhere, couldn't see her nearby, and that small thread in the back of his mind had yielded no information on where she might be. The mental block had pulsed and throbbed in an almost painful manner when he had pushed, and after a few minutes, had finally rebounded with a mental thwaak that had left him to sit still for another few minutes while the world righted itself. The search had mostly stopped, but for a select few volunteers had continued throughout the night. Hakashi had caught a faint trail which headed northeast just before dusk, but by the time others had arrived to help track it, the rain had pretty much washed it away. However, they now knew from the two sets of prints - one human and one equine - that Rin had procured a horse. A quick search of the stables had revealed that a roan stallion, a battle-trained steed named Janku had been taken.No, not taken. Sesshomaru corrected himself. This was Rin's home, and the horse had been one that she herself had helped train, she couldn't take him. It did, on one hand, give Sesshomaru a measure of relief to know that wherever Rin was, she had a war-horse with her, who would and could fight to protect her rather than a wispy, cowardly pleasure horse that would spook and try to dislodge her at the first opportunity. However, the knowledge that Janku had been taken also served to prove that Rin had every intention of leaving and not returning. A quick search of her rooms, which yielded a travel-cloak and comb missing, as well as finding her sword and a set of bow and arrows missing had done nothing to refute that assumption.
Sesshomaru growled low in his throat and stood from the sitting position he had taken in his study. Upon his hasty departure, Atoki had ordered Alina sequestered in her quarters under guards who had strict orders to not let anyone in the room, and to only let her out to relieve her self in the water closet down the hall. Alina's general - Kenji - had been placed in the dungeons and interrogated further when Rin was nowhere to be found. Atoki himself had done the questioning, and he had ordered a trial at first light. Growling a little louder, Sesshomaru paced towards the window. He would not have wanted a trial, and years ago, he would not have had to put up with this nonsense either. He was the Lord, his word was law, and he could easily have beheaded first and asked questions later. And the bitch deserved it. For scaring his mate, for plotting against him, for this gnawing, relentless emptiness that was twisting his insides. He felt strangely disconcerted, like a part of himself was missing. He hadn't felt like this since his arm had been lost all those years ago...but arms grew back. At least, demon limbs regenerated themselves, unless they were vital organs, like the heart, lungs and a few other internal organs. Those ones didn't regenerate - if a wound was sustained to any of those, you were dead almost before your body could register the need to begin recreating the tissues. But this. This empty, gnawing, echoing resounding feeling of loss. It was nearly unbearable, and Sesshomaru didn't want to be subjected to it any longer then he must.Snarling once more, Sesshomaru glanced out the window.Dawn.--------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------Hakashi sat in the kitchen Island, holding a mug of tea, contemplating what was going to happen, and the information he had received the evening prior.Rin was gone. Without a trace, without a warning, Rin was gone like a thief in the night. And who could blame her? He wondered idly. When your mate rutted with another woman in front of you, then proceeded to tear you apart in front of that woman, tell you were useless and unworthy, it was perfectly understandable for the woman to leave. Especially when one considered that Rin, for all of her mature appearances, sweet disposition and capable handlings of many matters, was only eighteen. An adult by human standards, but only a child by demon ones. Rin may seem capable and in control, and in most cases she was, but she was still young and naïve, and Sesshomaru had been her world.
Sesshomaru had been upset. 'More than upset.' Hakashi corrected himself. He had nearly been out of control. It had triggered something in Hakashi’s mind…something similar that had happened when Ino was born…

Fog was thick, covering the world in a uncompromising blanket of white, the tall trees of the forest nothing more than ghostly specters in the night. The moon, hanging heavy an full overhead, placed an eerie cast on the trees and illuminating the fog to something ethereal.
She was struggling. Hakashi knew it. Benjiro knew it. She was too small, to tiny and frail to give birth. But she had wanted this child more than breath, and Benjiro had never been able to withstand his mate’s pain.

“She was dying inside.” He had confided to Hakashi once. “It was eating away at her that I would deny her the one thing she wanted most.”

Hakashi had been confused. Though his own mate had wanted children for quite some time, they hadn’t been able to conceive until just a few moons ago. Though he knew his mate had been saddened by heir lack of progress, he hadn’t know just how much until he had felt her rush of europhia upon learning that she was expecting.

“Its part of the soul bond.” Benjiro had explained. “There’s a connection between the two of us more intimate than any other in the world. When I say I cannot live without her I am not waxing poetic – I mean it.”

Those words had been rather poignant at the time but in the months to come, as Nagoya’s pregnancy had progressed and she had gotten sicker and more pale, they had returned to haunt Hakashi more than once.

‘So it comes to this.’ Hakashi thought dully, glancing around him. His mate was in the hut assisting with the birth, but from what he understood, I wasn’t going well. Nagoya was simply to frail to have carried a child, and the birth was wearing her out. Sasika had slipped out of the hut briefly earlier to confide in him that she wasn’t sure Nagoya survive the birth.

“She’s so weak,” she had fretted.

“Hush,” Hakashi had said gently, pulling his mate into his arms and cuddling her close. “Don’t think such things.”

But his mate’s terrified premonition had come to pass. Nagoya had gleaned enough strength to birth her child, but had not survived the birth. In the end, Benjiro had been with her, holding her hand, telling her that they had a beautiful little girl and that she had to get better so she could see her.

“I already know what she looks like,” Nagoya had murmured, a small, contented smile gracing her lips. “She’s beautiful..” Visions of a tiny, cheerful girl with sky-blue hair and indigo eyes danced about in her mind, picking flowers with another girl, the two of them giggling conspirationally.
Her hand moved, trying to lift to caress her mate’s cheek, but her hand refused to obey her command and instead shifted over the blanket before stilling once more and she closed her eyes wearily.

She was so tired…

“Koishi? Koshi?” Benjiro murmured frantically. He could feel her sinking, falling away from him…

“Take care of our baby.” Nagoya murmured, forcing the barely audible words past uncooperative lips. “Promise.”

“I promise koishi. Please don’t leave me… I need you.”

“…Love you…” Nagoya breathed, as her eyes closed for the final time.

Pandemonium had broken loose immediately afterward. As Nagoya exhaled for the final time, the newborn girl let loose a terrified wail, almost as if she knew what was happening. Benjiro too let loose with a cry of his own, calling for his mate before he collapsed.

Hakashi shuddered at the memory. Benjiro had been comatose for days, completely unresponsive unless his pup was placed near him. When he had come around eventually, he had changed. Gone was the happy, shy demon who was so desperately in love with his mate. In its place was a man who was only half-there, a ghost of his former self, in this world only because of his last promise to his mate. He had been unable to maintain the farm and Sesshomaru had accepted him into the castle as a stable-hand, work that was varied enough to hold what little attention he could spare.

As for their part, Hakashi and Sasika had almost had the raising of the tiny girl, whom was named Ino in accordance with Nagoya’s wishes. Even after their own pup, his sweet Sakura, had been born, thankfully with no complications. Benjiro was most responsive when Ino was around but was always only half-there. He wandered around in a daze, partially aware, partially responsive, but always incomplete."Shit." Hakashi swore aloud as the vague, nagging sense of foreboding solidified into a crystal clear spear of realization. Turning, he glanced out the window.It was nearly dawn.---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------The study seemed…full, Raidon decided. It was dawn and the proceedings were scheduled to begin any moment. In addition to Sesshomaru, Alina, and Kenji, Kouga and Ayame were here, as well as Atoki and Jiro. Ino, Sakura and Lei had been forbidden to come, because it could very well get nasty. Hakashi however, was supposed to have been here already….Raidon shifted, subtly placing himself between Alina and Sesshomaru. What Alina had done was inexcusable to be sure, but Sesshomaru’s reaction had seemed all together too extreme. While Raidon had certainly wanted to shred something himself, he felt that it shouldn’t be Alina. And allowing Sesshomaru to do so could very well be the start of a war between the East and the West, contracts be damned. Sesshomaru angled a glare at him, fully aware of what he had done, but didn’t deign to say anything. A tense silence filled the room, broken only by Jiro shifting nervously in his seat. Finally, Atoki rose and cleared his throat."Well, we’re all pretty much here, so I’m going to go ahead and begin. Everyone knows pretty much everything that happened, but just in case, I’m going to run through it one more time…."Raidon zoned out, listening with only half a mind, already knowing everything that had happened. He understood why Sesshomaru was upset - he had no mate but was sympathetic to the Lord’s plight. Honor demanded that he avenge his mate, who saw him as being the dishonored one, but to kill a Lady could very well result in a war. Nekoyoukai didn’t take well to their kin and ruler being murdered because she had tried to break up a bonding couple. Behind him the door creaked open, and Hakashi slipped in, another demon treading softly behind him. Atoki glanced at the newcomers, but continued his dialogue, recounting the events of the past day, ending by proposing the question of what the Lady’s punishment should be, making it a council matter.Nekoyoukai, no matter how proud and stubborn, wouldn’t go against a council decision and risk annihilation by the other three provinces. Sesshomaru sat back, not bothering to voice his opinion - everyone present knew he was inclined to simply kill the offending parties. He also knew the repercussions of such actions if he wasn’t backed by the council on the decision."I now open the floor for comments." Atoki stated, officially beginning the sentencing. "Wait." Hakashi said, rising. Every head swiveled to face him. "Before you begin, you should know there’s more to the situation then what you see.""Explain." Kouga commanded, raising an ebony eyebrow in inquiry. Next to him, Ayame nodded her agreement."You’ve said that as you were taking Lady Alina and General Kenji to Lord Sesshomaru’s study, he was already on his way out to find Rin.""So?" Raidon queried. "Any bonded couple, no matter how new the bond, can sense their mates' distress.""True enough." Hakashi acknowledged. "But Lord Sesshomaru, what did you feel that alerted you to your Lady’s upset?""Like I had been drenched in an icy river, but was simultaneously burning in a fire pit." Raidon narrowed his eyes. Having never been mated, he couldn’t be too sure, but this didn’t sound normal at all – normally a mate’s distress was described simply as a tingling sensation, a shiver across the spine, or a general sense of foreboding. Raidon had never heard it described as something as driving as what Sesshomaru was saying. Across the room, Lord Kouga was also furrowing his brows in puzzlement."But how did you know it was Rin?" Hakashi pursued."I just did." Sesshomaru snapped, not liking the line of inquiry. "I could feel the snap as the bond was severed.""You can feel her?" Hakashi asked. His next answer would determine whether his theory was true or false. "Of course. I’ve felt her for years." Sesshomaru snapped, becoming irritated. Just what was he getting at?Mentally, Hakashi groaned. ‘I was right. Why couldn’t I have been wrong? This is much, much bigger than a Lady trying to interfere with a bonding couple…’

“Lord Sesshomaru, that’s not normal.” Hakashi stated quietly, not bothering to voice that fact that not only was it not normal, it was highly unusual. ‘One in several hundreds unusual.’ He added to himself"Sesshomaru-sama." The newcomer spoke quietly, barely audible in the echoing chambers. His entire demeanor was diminutive and ethereal, and he had a far-off look in his eyes, almost as if he looked through a person, rather than at them… "The bond between yourself and Lady Rin is not a normal one. Bonding couples should not feel each other for years before the bond takes place, and a mate’s distress is rarely felt so strongly, lest under special circumstances. Can you remember any other…" he paused, appearing to think for a moment before continuing. "unusual occurrences?"Sesshomaru considered it. If it was true that bonding couples didn’t "feel" each other before the bond then… "Yes.""How many?" Atoki pursued. He knew Sesshomaru was an intensely private person but, egads, it was akin to pulling teeth when he didn’t feel like giving a straight answer."Countless." True to form, Sesshomaru shot him an irritated look, then relented, aware the information was important. "Ever since she was young, she’s been able be to track me, even without demon senses. She also seems to have a sixth sense where I’m concerned, often showing up when I needed a distraction.""Have you been able to track her as well?" Benjiro asked."Hai.""Are you able to track her now?" Raidon asked leaning forward eagerly. This was getting interesting.Sesshomaru glanced his way, icy disdain apparent. "Obviously not." "My Lord." Benjiro said, speaking a bit louder, so as to gain his Lord’s attention. "This is not a normal bond. This-""Of course it’s not normal!" Alina snapped irritably. She had heard just about enough of this, and it was going to end here. "That little tramp is a human whore who has been sleeping around and just happened to entice Lord Sesshomaru into bedding her. She-"
Whatever she had been about to say was abruptly lodged in her throat, just underneath Sesshomaru’s palm, which was currently constricting her windpipe. "One more word bitch." He growled low in his throat. "Say one more derogatory word about my mate and I swear that I will rip you head off and present it to her as penance for my sins against her." His golden eyes, always so remote and cold, were now smoldering with a barely-leashed rage, scarlet bubbles rising from their depths to spread in a crimson stain across their surface. His breath was hot on her face, the beating of her heart thudded out a sharp counter-measure to the rush of blood in her ears. No one moved. Even Atoki, who had started towards her at the same time as Sesshomaru froze at the tone in his voice. Alina’s eyes cast about wildly, finally settling on Kenji, standing a few feet away, wondering why he wasn’t trying to help her when normally he would have fought tooth and nail to free her. ‘He looks…ashamed.’
Abruptly she was released and sent crashing to the floor, not even realizing that she was falling until her legs collapsed under her. ‘When did I leave the ground?’"Sesshomaru, you should listen to what Benjiro is trying to say," Hakashi inserted as Sesshomaru released the erring female."My relationship with Rin is not normal. I know this." Sesshomaru snapped torn between the rage of the Inu at the female and his own sense of loss that he couldn’t feel his mate."No, you don’t understand." Hakashi snapped, losing patience with the demon Lord. "It’s a soul bond."--------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------With a soft thwack! an arrow embedded itself solidly into the hare's side. Lowering the bow, Rin strode out of the bush and plucked the rabbit up, removing the arrow for cleaning and adding the small hare to the brace she was gathering. 'A few more and I should be able to take them to the market.' She mused.It had been roughly two weeks since she had fled the Taishou fortress. She had traveled north for a few days, making sure to cover her tracks lest Atoki try to follow, then had doubled back, veering off to the East. Now, give or take fourteen nights later, she was relatively sure that any pursuers had been lost, and had recently started venturing into villages, only to discover that fresh game was highly prized, not only for the meat, but housewives would purchase the furs and make clothing and blankets out of them.So here she was five rabbits and two bucks later, almost ready to call it a night and head back to camp. She rolled her shoulders, trying to work the tension knots from her muscles and wearily closed her eyes, stifling a yawn. 'One more rabbit,' she thought, 'or I could just call it a night now and take the loss of profit?.'Another yawn, followed closely by another wave of weariness decided for her. Lifting the brace of skinned rabbits, she strode towards the clearing she had chosen to house her kills in, some half-kilometer outside of camp. Once there, she chose a rabbit for herself from the ones on the brace and returned to camp to start a stew and take a bath.'Tomorrow I'll head out.' She mused to herself as she walked. She had spent long enough in this town; it was time to move on to another. She would miss the money the hunting brought in these parts, but it couldn't be helped - she had to keep moving until she was sure that nobody form the Taisho fortress would be able to locate her. It wasn't just a matter of not facing Sesshomaru and all the hurt he had caused, it was imperative that she stay a step ahead of him should he attempt to locate her. She wasn't sure why this was so, but something deep down told her it was, and Rin trusted the gut feeling. A slight noise caught her attention to her right, and Rin's head swiveled to face the sound, immediately going on the defensive at the slight noise. Light flashed across gossamer wings as a small, luminescent form flitted around behind a butterfly which was idly carousing among the mid-summer blooms. The trail dissipated as the tiny being stopped behind the butterfly, who continued on, oblivious. Putting a tiny hand to rosy lips, she reached out to lightly tap the butterfly on a sensitive antenna, giggling madly as the butterfly started at the intrusion and took flight once more, the tiny girl chasing behind.Rin snorted lightly and continued on her way. Silly faeries. Entering the clearing, she made short work of the rabbit meat, adding it to a stew she had prepared and leaving it to simmer while she bathed. Yawning, she gathered up her spare outfit and a bar of rough lye soap before heading down to the springs.Disrobing, Rin knelt by the springs and went to work on her clothing, scrubbing them with the soap and beating them against the rocks, wishing she had a proper tub of water and a ringer. After she was finished, she lay them over a convenient branch, slipping into the warm waters for a soak. A few mInutes later a disturbance in the underbrush caught her attention. Not even pausing, she made a show of picking up her soap and stepping out of the water to put her clean clothes on, listening for the noise again and was rewarded with a small rustling of leaves on her left.Snap.That was all it took. Leaning down, Rin palmed a nice sized stone and lobbed it into the bushes, once again thankful for her improved hearing.Thunk.'Paydirt.’ Rin stood, angered, and donning the haori, she snatched up her sword and strode into the clearing. There lay a boy...'Almost a man really,' Rin mused, noting the dirt stains on his cheeks and the raggedness of his clothing. Drawing her sword from the scabbard, she pointed it at his throat and waited patiently.She didn't have to wait long.With a small groan, he opened an eye and squinted up at her. Rin knew perfectly well that her features weren't visible, silhouetted as she was with the sun at her back."Owww..." He complained lowly. "What was that for?"Rin quirked an eyebrow. "I don't take kindly to people spying on me bathing. Care to explain yourself?"The young man started and belatedly Rin realized that it wasn't until that instant that he had even identified her as female."I- I'm sorry!" He stammered, blushing furiously. "I didn't realize anybody was at the spring!"Rin snorted, lowering her sword but not sheathing it."Truly!" The boy exclaimed, looking offended. "What kind of person do you think I am?""I wouldn't know," Rin stated wryly. "What kind of people usually roam the woods, dirty and ragged and spying on bathing women?" The boy blushed. "I told you, I didn't mean to." Noting that all the boy carried on him was a dagger, firmly clasped in its sheath, Rin sighed and sheathed he sword."What's your name?""Ebisu.""Well Ebisu," Rin said, stepping back and allowing the boy to stand, "you’re not very well prepared for traversing out in the woods unattended.""I left my stuff in a clearing." Ebisu muttered, standing and retrieving the staff he carried. "And what about you? You’re a girl after all. Where’s you escort, and why is he so lax?""My escort is back at the campsite," Rin said, deciding that if anyone qualified as her "escort" it was undoubtedly Janku, "and what does being a girl have to do with anything?""Well, girls are supposed to be…you know.." Ebisu stuttered, casting about for a word that would get his point across without being offensive. "Helpless?" Rin suggested."Yeah!" Ebisu seemed to realize his mistake and immediately started backpedaling in a desperate attempt at redemption. "I mean, erm, no. Uhmm…" Ebisu stuttered. Finally he quit trying and looked up at Rin. "Are you sure you’re a girl?""Fairly certain." Rin said dryly. "Where are your companions boy?"Ebisu drew himself up, his chin jutting out proudly. Even though the gesture was meant to make him look taller and more capable, it only served to show Rin how short he truly was. He stood only to her shoulders and appeared to be no more than fourteen. His clothes were ragged and dirty and he looked like he hadn’t had a good meal in several days."I’m traveling by myself.""Is that just so?" Rin said. ‘He’s a runaway.’ she realized."And I like it that way." He affirmed, nodding decisively.‘Defensive little brat.’ Rin thought, even as she admitted the boy a grudging sort of respect."Okay," she said turning and picking up her stuff to head back to camp. "I guess you wouldn’t want some rice then." She started away, mentally counting.‘Five…four…three…two…’" Rice?"‘Bingo.’

"And some rabbit." She said, casting the last bit over her shoulder as she went. "It’s not much, but I’m willing to share."

‘A good square meal in his stomach should do him some good.’"I guess I could go..." the boy said, ambling along behind her. "Because your escort is so lax and all. I'd feel bad if I just let you go and you got hurt." Ebisu smiled a little, pleased at being able to justify a reason to accompany the lady back to camp...and food. He grimaced slightly as his stomach cramped at the thought. He hadn't had a good meal in several days. Mostly just what he could scrounge from the forest - early berries and nuts and the like. Some rice sounded awfully good...and she had rabbit too? Rin moved ahead of him and into a clearing a little ahead of her, allowing and obstructing bush branch to swing back and obscure his view of the clearing. Ebisu paused, listening intently for any rustlings of people moving into position to grab him. Hearing none, he cautiously moved into the clearing. It was...cozy, he decided. The area was open and cleared of any debris that might catch on fire, and a small fire pit was built in the middle, lined with rocks, and a small spit was fashioned over it holding up a small iron pot out of which appetizing aromas drifted, teasing his nose and making his stomach twist in demand. A horse, reddish-brown with a black mane and tail, grazed contentedly on the other side of the clearing, only looking up once and giving him a cursory glance before returning to his meal. A tall tree was situated at the Northern end, with other trees and bushes forming a rough circle around the area where the lady chose to camp."Hey Lady." Ebisu looked towards the young woman, who was hanging her damp clothing over a bush. "Yes?""What's your name?"Rin turned, genuinely startled. She hadn't given him her name? "My name is Rin." She said. Turning back to the camp, she approached the fire and sat down next to it. "I'm sorry I don't have proper utensils for you, but you can have half, and I'll eat the other half. We can just share a pair of chopsticks." She added at the confused look on his face.The boy snorted contemptuously and pulled a pair of chopsticks from the satchel at his hip. He held them up triumphantly. "Or we could eat together," he offered, also revealing his small bamboo water-holder strapped to his hip, out of sight, just behind the pouch. "Damn boy," Rin said, "how do you do that?"Ebisu’s eyes widened at the lady’s rough language, but decided to answer her. "It’s what I do.""What do you mean?"Ebisu shrugged. "I can’t really explain it. I can just hide things really well. I have a pretty good head for numbers, and I’m okay at finding things I need." He smiled a little. "I just have a touch is all." "I guess," Rin muttered, using a bit of cloth to pull the small pot off of the fire and bring it to rest between them so they could eat."Oi." Ebisu said sometime later, around a mouthful of rice and rabbit meat, "Where’s your escort Lady?"Rin gave him a sullen look, pointedly finishing chewing and swallowing her mouthful bfore speaking. "Over there." She said, pointing towards where Janku was now dozing, his tail swishing irritably at nothing in particular. Ebisu’s eye’s popped. "That’s your escort?" He squeaked."He is male." Rin muttered defensively. "But...but.." Ebisu sputtered. "He's a...""Horse?" Rin supplied, continuing at the boy's wary nod. "Yes he is. He's a very good horse, and his name is Janku. You can introduce yourself properly tomorrow.""His name is junk?" Ebisu squeaked. "Why would you name your horse junk?" "Well," Rin said, mulling it over for a moment, "when he was born, his dam died, and to top it off he had a twisted ankle that the head groom said couldn't be corrected - said he was junk and should just be shot. I had been fond of his dam, and didn't want that to happen, so a few friends and I got together and managed to keep him alive until he was weaned." Rin said, remembering the long hours she and Atoki had put in, with help from Hiroshi-sama, Ino, Sakura and Lei when they could. Even Sesshomaru himself had brought them blankets and such when they had to stay overnight in the stables with an ailing foal, and Hakashi had often sent someone out with restorative tea or had brought them out food himself. "However, the head groom still maintained that he would never be more than just a pleasure horse at best. So Atoki and I worked with him, and, it took him a bit longer because we had to pay special attention to his ankle, but he eventually became on of the best horses in-" Rin hesitated momentarily, before continuing on. "That had been raised in the stables."Ebisu noted her hesitation, but decided not to say anything. "Introduce myself properly?" He asked instead. Rin nodded. "Janku is a war horse, and he gets a little wary if you walk right up to him and try to touch him. So I'll take you up to him and stand there while you two get acquainted. Surprisingly enough," she chuckled "he does well with small children.""Are you calling me little?" Ebisu asked, vaguely insulted. He was short, but he wasn't that short!

"Hmm?" Rin asked, pulling herself out of her memories of Ino and Lei trying to crawl up on the grown horse's back and promptly sliding down the sides, while a tolerant Janku stood there, tail flicking in mild annoyance, none of them knowing that Atoki and Rin were off to the side, sides nearly splitting in their laughter. "Oh!" She exclaimed, realizing how it had sounded. "Oh no, I'm not at all. I was just remembering something that happened." At his questioning look, she contInued. "Most war-trained animals don't deal well with small children - they see them as threats. You know, something small rushing about your legs that you can't see too clearly and all. Anyway," She contInued, "Atoki and I thought that Janku would be the same way, until we found two of the local children out in the pasture trying to climb up on his back." She started giggling. "But they weren't tall enough, and they were trying without using anything to climb up on, or a saddle, so they kept leaping up, scrabbling on his back, then sliding off. And poor Janku was just standing there taking it..." Rin left off as a fit of giggles hit her."Anyway," she continued once she had regained her composure, "Atoki and I were standing there watching them the whole time, trying not to die laughing. Just as we figured that we had better go help them before Janku got annoyed and snapped at them, the girl, Ino, told Lei to give her a boost up. Lei," she said, eyes sparkling merrily, "was just a bit suspicious. 'How do I know you won't ride off into the sunset without me?' He asked." Rin started giggling again. "Of course, it was the middle of the day, but that didn't really seem to matter. Ino glares down at him tells him, in this very superior-sounding little girl voice 'Why would I do that? The commander can't go attack the army without her second!'" "Lei huffed a bit more, and then gave her the boost. She reached down and helped him onto Janku's back and the two of them rode around the pasture for a bit, brandishing sticks and yelling at the "army" they were attacking." Rin laughed again. "They never knew we were there."Ebisu laughed lowly, wishing that he could've been there."So tell me about yourself." Rin asked, turning to him."Not much to tell." Ebisu commented, as they got up and walked to a nearby stream to clean their bowls. "I've been wandering awhile. I was raised by my grandfather - or, at least I called him grandfather. He found me when I was a baby and fortunately for me, he didn't believe in that crap about foundlings being elves children or devil spawn or whatnot. We had a small farm, and a cow for milk, so we did okay for ourselves. Then, just recently, he died.""I'm sorry," Rim murmured sympathetically. She knew how it felt to have loved ones leave...Ebisu shrugged. "It wasn't something that could be prevented. He was older, and getting sicker and weaker daily. By the time he died, I was managing the farm nearly on my own. However, when he died, the local daimyo said that he was taking the lands back as part of the debts that grandfather owed." Ebisu's eyes flashed in momentary anger. "I'm certain that grandfather didn't owe any debts, but since I can't prove it..." He shrugged. "So for these past couple of weeks I've been wandering around." Rin sniffed delicately, thankful once more for her contInually emerging youkai powers. Though she knew that her sense of smell wasn't that much better than a human, and still less than a hanyou, she could smell the faint musk that came with betrayal. Finding no signs of deceit or falseness in his scent, Rin spoke."Well, you're with me now. I'm not sure where I'm going, just east, but you're welcome to journey with me for as long as you like."Ebisu studied her critically for a moment, and then smiled a slow smile. "I guess...but only because your escort is so lax."---------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------The next few weeks took them through several villages, trading their kills for rice or cash, whatever they needed. Rin, finding that Ebisu's hunting skills were less-than-stellar, took it upon herself to teach him how to wield a light bow, and to clean his kills. Ebisu was never particularly fond of killing, but he did what had to be done without - much - complaint. Rin also tried teaching him a little of how to use the kantana, but he didn't take to it nearly as well as he did the bow. However, Rin came to find when they were attacked by a small group of bandits one evening; Ebisu was deadly efficient with his staff and small knife. After the last of the bandits had been driven off, Rin had turned to him in amazement. "I didn't know you used your walking stick as a weapon!""Only when necessary." He had replied grimly. Finally, one morning as they were wandering through a new village, and had stopped to trade in their latest kills for some needed cash, Rin heard a passerby comment on the local lord and how he was running the Musashi district.'Musashi...' The name struck a chord in her mind and she turned to the vendor that Ebisu was currently haggling with. "Sir," She asked politely, "can you tell me which district this is?""Musashi." The man replied, looking a bit perplexed. "How were you not aware where you are at?""We're wanderers," Ebisu explained, shooting Rin a perplexed look. Why did she want to know where they were all of a sudden? "and don't often pay attention to where we're at during a particular moment in time.""Ahh." The man said."Would you happen to know where Inuyasha's village is?" Rin queried further."Approximately two days travel from here, south by southwest, on horseback." The man replied. After their business had been completed with the vendor, and Ebisu and Rin were heading to the stall where rice could be purchased, Rin pulled Ebisu to the side. "Would you mind heading to Inuyasha's village with me?" She asked as they walked, speaking low so as not to be overheard.Ebisu looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Why there?"Rin shrugged. "I know someone who would probably be willing to help me." She replied.Ebisu nodded sagely; he knew about Rin running from her husband. After a few days of traveling, and him noticing that she always made sure to cover her trail and never used her real name in the villages, he had asked about it. It had taken a while, and he still wasn't sure what the entire story was, but he knew that Rin had found her husband cheating on her and had run - a dangerous move on her part, since more often than not, a woman was her husband's property, and if found, he was perfectly within his rights to kill Rin. Rin seemed to think that her husband (who remained nameless, but Ebisu was sure that he was a daimyo or some other important person.) was tracking her, and always made sure to cover their trail, up to and including using a false name in the villages, using a different one for each village they did business at.Ebisu shuddered. Rin was loving and kind, sharing all she had without reservation, and was quickly turning into the sister he had never had. Ebisu couldn't imagine why someone would want to harm her, or why a man would sneak around behind her back with another woman. "Okay." He agreed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------Two days later they rode into a small village on the outskirts of the Musashi district, well known as "Inuyasha's village" for being protected by a hanyou named Inuyasha who had, if the rumors were correct, defeated the hanyou Naraku with a group of renowned and fearsome warriors. Nobody was sure exactly what had happened to the (reputedly) reluctant allies since Naraku's defeat, but it was well-known that the hanyou Inuyasha had returned to the village as it's guardian.Ebisu, upon recounting this tale to Rin, had been surprised when she laughed outright."Fearsome warriors," She had cackled. "Fearsome. Oh, I would love to have seen their reactions to that."Ebisu had merely stared in bewilderment. Did she mean to say that she knew these people...?"Yes I do." She had responded when he had asked. "Inuyasha is a violent, ill-tempered ill-mannered jerk who," her teasing face softened with her next words, "dearly loves his mate and is fiercely protective of those he considers 'his.'"Mate?" Ebisu asked."The miko Kagome." Rin had responded."The miko?" Ebisu squeaked. "The same one who helped defeat Naraku? Who is the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyou?""The very same." Rin had responded. "Kikyou however...she was killed in the final battle." When Ebisu had merely looked at her expectantly, she had sighed and proceeded to tell her tale. "In the end, all of them, even though they didn't like one another, set aside their differences and taken on Naraku as a group. The miko Kagome, the demon exterminator Sango, the monk Miroku, the kitsune cub Shippo, the fire cat Kirara, the wolf-prince Kouga and his tribe, the demon Lord Sesshomaru, and the hanyou Inuyasha." She stared ahead, her eyes far off and her face serious.

"Together they attacked Naraku during his period of weakness and took him down. There was no real killing blow, but together the Tensagia and the Tessigia were enough to weaken him and crack open the portal to hell. From there, the undead priestess Kikyou leapt in - no one knew she was there until that last second - and wrapped her arms around Naraku, holding him while she took him to hell..." Rin trailed off, her face grim. Everyone had been shocked by the miko's actions, especially Inuyasha. Despite grave injuries to himself from the hanyou's swinging tentacles, he had tried to reach Kikyou, and drag her out of harm's way. However, the priestess had stubbornly evaded his grasp and had continuedon her course. Kagome herself had been the one to, somewhat reluctantly, close the portal, knowing that if it stayed open, Naraku could climb out, and if it closed, Kikyou was trapped.Surprisingly enough, Inuyasha had been the one to, roughly and in a strained voice, bark out that final order. Rin could still remember his voice, weary and worn and thick with unshed tears; "Close it.""B- But Inuyasha..." Kagome had protested."Do it. Now!"And so it had been done. Sesshomaru had left soon after - he had very discreetly made sure everyone was okay before leaving, though Rin knew that he wouldn't thank her if she ever mentioned it - and, with a last insult about how Inuyasha was too weak to kill, and needed the sword more than he ever would, had left. In her wanderings with Sesshomaru, they had come close to the village from time-to-time, even though it was on the far corner of the Western Lands, really, it was closer to the Lord Raidon's territory, and Rin had always been permitted to go into the village and visit Kagome-sama and her mate Inuyasha-sama. Over the years, the children had come along, first Hiroshi, the oldest, and first-born son, then Mai and Keiko, twin girls. All three of them had looked more human than hanyou or demon, and Rin was anxious to see how they were doing."Rin?" Ebisu's voice shook her out of her thoughts."Yes?""What happened to them after the final battle?" Ebisu asked for the third time as Rin let out a huge yawn. 'She's tiring more and more easily...' "Oh." Rin said. "Well, as you know Inuyasha and Kagome are now mates, and live in a village in the Musashi district..""The one we're in?" Ebisu asked wryly."Ummm...yup." Rin affirmed, blushing slightly. "The monk Miroku and the demon exterminator Sango were wed, and are currently rebuilding the exterminator's village somewhere in the Southern Lands. Shippo lives with Inuyasha and Kagome, Kiraria went with Sango and Miroku and Kouga went back to governing the Northern territories.""What happened to the Shikon?" "It's gone." Came a voice from behind them.Ebisu spun to face the voice, shocked to see a man clad entirely in red facing them. Amber eyes shone out from underneath heavy silver bangs and triangular dog ears were perched atop his head. Also, he was barefoot and carrying a sword.'Not the least bit conspicuous.' Ebisu thought wryly. "Inuyasha-sama!" Rin cried happily, sliding off of Janku and into Inuyasha's arms. "How long have you been following us?""Just since you came into the village. And, I'll have you know, I am fearsome. Very Fearsome." He scowled at Rin as she giggled in response. "And don't you forget it. So," He said, changing the subject, "how are things with Sesshomaru? I'm a little surprised that he would let his mate wander around Japan like this." He said, casting an eye at Ebisu as he blanched. "What's the matter with you?" He asked."M-mate?" Ebisu squeaked at Rin. "You're Lord Sesshomaru's mate?" Rin pressed her lips together. "Mmmm. Yes."Inuyasha's eyes narrowed."How did you know?" Rin asked him.First of all," Inuyasha said, still eyeing Rin speculatively, "Your bangs fluffed out a while ago, so I saw the mark."'Eh? What mark?' Ebisu wondered as Inuyasha reached out and casually smoothed Rin’s heavy bangs back from her forehead. Then Ebisu saw it, and wondered how he could have not seen it once during all the weeks he was with her - a jade green crescent was visible on her brow. Letting her bangs fall back into place, Inuyasha casually pulled back the locks of hair the Rin wore religiously over her ears and revealed ears, just a little pointed, not sharp like a youkai’s, but enough to be noticeable to a casual observer. ‘So that’s why she never wore her hair pulled back…’"Secondly," Inuyasha contInued, "your scent has changed. Drastically." He added with an odd hitch to his voice. "What happened?"

"Ano... Do you think we might speak of this elsewhere? Maybe a little later. I need your help, but here and now are not the best times to speak of it.""Sure." Inuyasha said easily, his eyes flickering to a small blue blur which was weaving through the marketplace, making a beeline for the forest... Unfortunately for the blur, it was also angled just behind him."Kagome will be happy to see you." He added, and, without so much as batting a lash, or even looking away from Rin, reached out and snagged the blur as it sped behind him and towards the forest.The blur resolved itself into a small girl, dressed in a hakama and haori identical to Inuyasha's except for the fact that they were a navy blue instead of vivid scarlet.'This is getting weirder and weirder...' Ebisu thought to himself. Inuyasha nonchalantly held the girl up so the two were face-to-face and studied her intently. The two were nearly identical - both had silvery-white hair and dog ears atop their heads, both were in a hakama and haori that were one, solid color. The only difference was that the small girl had eyes that were a vividly pure, startling sapphire. The girl's eyes caught the light, held it, and simultaneously reflected it back in a way that made her already startling eyes nothing short of ethereal. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Inuyasha asked her in an almost bored tone.The girl's ears drooped dejectedly. "Maybe...?"Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow."In the forest?" The girl asked hopefully."Try again.""With mama...?" She said, one ear rising slightly in a surprisingly hopeful look."Very good." Inuyasha said in that same, almost indifferent tone. Then his demeanor softened. "You need to learn your numbers and letters. You don't want to wind up like papa do you?"Both of the girl's ears perked up and she launched herself into his arms. "I wanna be just like papa!" she cried, nuzzling her nose under his chin, and Ebisu thought he saw her give it a little lick. Inuyasha cuddled the girl for a second before putting her down and turning her towards Rin and Ebisu."This is my youngest, Kimi." He said by way of introduction. "Kimi, this your Aunt Rin and..." He looked at Ebisu."Ebisu.""Ebisu," Inuyasha said, acknowledging him with a nod."Hello." The little girl said, bowing politely. "C'mon, let's go find mama. She's going to be happy to see Aunt Rin." Inuyasha said, taking Kimi's small, clawed hand in his own. Turning to Rin and Ebisu, he said. "Bring your cow there and follow us.""Cow?" Rin and Ebisu said simultaneously, turning to look at Janku, who merely flicked an ear in annoyance and continuedlipping at the grass.
---------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------Later that evening, after a good meal, Ebisu sat drowsily with everyone while they conversed around the fire. Inuyasha, he had come to realize, was indeed as gruff and testy as Rin had claimed. However, he was unfailingly gentle with his mate and children, and his entire demeanor screamed protectiveness. Ebisu had also been surprised to see that his other three children really didn't look very much like him. Isamu, the eldest, was seven years old, and had his mother's black hair and his ears were on the side of his head, and looked perfectly human. However, he had his father's amber eyes and muscular build and, as Ebisu would see later when their mother accidentally dropped a bowl that Isamu caught, he was far quicker and stronger than your average human. He was extremely loyal and fiercely protective of his family, and was patient and gentle with his sisters.
At six years old the twin girls, Mai and Keiko, were identical right down their toes, the only distinguishing feature being that Mai had a dimple in her left cheek, and Keiko's was in her right. Both also possessed black hair but had a single silver streak at their temples and had big brown eyes with small, amber flecks in their depths. Both had human ears positioned on the sides of their heads. Mai was cheerful and friendly, while Keiko was very shy and contemplative.Kimi, Ebisu would come to learn, was in another league altogether. Unlike her siblings, she was not quiet, she was not patient, and she couldn't sit still unless you forcibly restrained her. She was sweet and inquisitive, always underfoot and always asking questions. She was also in trouble for trying to skip out on her lessons this afternoon so she could go play in the forest.It was something she often did, or rather, attempted, they would come to learn. Kimi was a right squirrel, climbing, jumping, swimming, running, hunting...you named it, and she had or soon would attempt it. Inuyasha often took her hunting with him in the mornings, and, at the tender age of five-and-a-half (she had announced the half very proudly) she was already learning to wield a sword, in addition to her small but razor-sharp claws. She was also easily the strongest of the four, with the best hearing and sense of smell. "This one's mine, the rest take after their mother." Inuyasha had said by way of explanation. Now it was full dark, and the children had been sent to bed, and the adults were talking around the fire, Rin having just finished her tale.Inuyasha was fuming. "That son-of-a-bitch." He ranted. "What the hell is wrong with him? The fucking sleazebag, he ought’a know better...honestly, cheating on your mate.." Kagome placed a restraining hand on her mate's arm. "What's done is done." She temporized. "And it cannot be undone. Rin," She said, turning to the girl, "what makes you think Sesshomaru might try to track you down?""I'm not sure." Rin responded honestly. "I just get this really strong feeling that he is looking for me. And even if he doesn't, his general, Uuchai Atoki, would.""Would Sesshomaru think to look here?" Kagome asked her mate."Keh." Inuyasha sniffed. "Of course he would. I'm just surprised he hasn't shown up before now looking for her. She's his," Inuyasha emphasized at his mate's perplexed look. "Once he has something he wants, he's not likely to let it go." He turned to Rin with a sorrowful look. "As much as I want to, you won't find sanctuary here." He said. "This place is well-known, and Sesshomaru knows that you'd probably come this way.""What about the exterminator village?" Kagome asked. "Not many people know where it is, it's out of the way, Sango and Miroku would be more than happy to take them in, and with her hunting and tracking skills, Rin would easily make a good exterminator."Inuyasha scratched his head thoughtfully. "That could work..." he mused. "I'll leave first thing in the morning to ask. Rin should be safe here for three or four days."--------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------True to his word, Inuyasha left with first light, tenderly kissing Kagome goodbye and nuzzling his pups. The next few days passed uneventfully, Rin helping Kagome keep the hut tidy and teaching the children. Ebisu, per usual, gathered berries, nuts and showed a surprising knowledge of herb lore and medicinal plants, often assisting Kagome in her shrine duties despite his young age. Three days later, Inuyasha returned in the early afternoon with an affirmative that Sango and Miroku would be more than happy to have them and they could set out at first light. That evening at dinner, Kagome extended a private invitation to Ebisu, offering to allow him to remain at the village and train with the priest in charge of the shrine and eventually take over those duties. Ebisu, after speaking briefly with Rin, agreed, and the next day when Rin left the village, Ebisu moved into the priest's spare bedroom. The trip took a little under seven days on horse back, and though Rin thought they could have easily cut the ride down to six, but Inuyasha insisted that they stop relatively early each evening and they go and hunt. Since it was just the two of them, the meals were usually fish and rice, but once or twice they ate hare, and no matter what the meat, he seemed insistent that Rin eat plenty of it, especially the liver. Rin wondered over his protectiveness, but thought little of it in the worry of making sure their trails were adequately covered. The route they took to the village was convoluted, twisting and winding and looping until, despite Rin's excellent sense of direction, she was completely lost and found herself relying almost entirely on the hanyou's superior knowledge of the route and terrain. Finally, early in the evening on the seventh day, they arrived at the demon exterminator's village, with its high wooden walls and formidable-looking gate. A tiny blue-eyed, black-haired boy who introduced himself as Hiroshi eagerly led them through the small village and, after placing Janku in the capable hands of a groom who was used to dealing with war horses, to a large official-looking building. Stepping inside and removing their sandals (except for Inuyasha, who just wiped his feet on a mat at the entrance), Hiroshi led them through a second door, down a long, narrow hallway and into - surprisingly enough - a dojo, where Sango was instructing a class in hand-to-hand combat skills. They waited patiently until Sango broke her students into pairs before approaching her."Inuyasha!" Sango called out by way of greeting at their approach. "Good to see you again. Hiroshi found you alright then?" At his nod, she contInued. "Excellent. You must be Rin." She said, turning to Rin and bowing politely, which Rin returned in kind. "It's good to see you again," Sango said warmly, "and we'll be pleased to have you, especially if you're as skilled as Inuyasha says.""I trained with Lord Sesshomaru's army for the past eight years." Rin said, her voice catching slightly on Sesshomaru's name as a painful squeeze was felt in the region of her heart. Sango nodded, pretending not to notice the catch in her voice and let the subject drop with an evasive "We'll test your skills at a later date." Excusing herself in the necessity of instructing her students, she instructed Hiroshi to escort Rin and Inuyasha to their hut before going about his duties. Inuyasha walked with Rin down a hallway to a small room, he instructed her to leave her things there, and the two of them would go find Miroku.Miroku, it seemed, was helping repair a fence in one of the pastures, and was more than pleased to see them."Inuyasha!" He called happily, waving them over, "It's good to see you - can you help me lift this rail?""Bozou," Inuyasha growled, even as he hefted the long piece of wood onto his shoulder, "you never change.""Of course not." Miroku muttered distractedly, abandoning the rebuilding of the fence in favor of greeting Rin. "And you must be Rin-chan." He said, taking one of her hands in between both of his. "You have grown much since the last time I saw you. I must say, as enchanting as you were as a child, you are twice as captivating as an adult." He grinned, favoring her with a smile as warm and glowing as it was charming.Rin stared at the former monk as a blush crept up her cheeks. Wasn't he married?At that precise moment Inuyasha decided to turn and look over his shoulder, the rail he was balancing on it cracking Miroku soundly on the side of his head. "Is that Sango I see over there?" He asked innocently.Out of reflex, Miroku winced. Not so much from the pain in his head - he'd felt far worse from Sango's Hirakotsu many times before - but the remembrance of his wife's ire was enough to cause him to flinch. "Ah, well then," He said, straightening from where he had been bent over Rin's captive hand before patting it and subsequently releasing it, "It's certainly good to have you here Rin. You'll be staying with us for a bit until the empty hut is readied."The conversation continuedthus, Inuyasha and Rin helping repair the fence where a few horses had broken out when startled by a storm a few days earlier. Later, as the sun was beginning to set, Rin and Inuyasha followed Miroku back to his house, greeted by the smell of rice and miso and the chatter of all seven of Miroku's children and his wife Sango. Hiroshi, the eldest, was nearly eleven, meaning that Sango had actually been pregnant with him before Naraku's defeat all those years ago. Kaemon was nine, a male child who lived up to his name, smiling happily and promptly crawling into Rin's lap and regaling her with stories of his day and all the things it entailed.

Amaranete, an eight-year-old beauty, was already showing that she would, barring any unforeseen catastrophes, become a virtual goddess as she grew older. Her hair was the deepest shade of brown, and smooth as silk. She had a sweet, heart-shaped face with large, heavily-lashed blue-violet eyes and a serene, competent air. And, if Rin was to guess by the set of her chin, she had inherited her mother's stubbornness.Michi and Seiko, the eight-and-a-half year old twins, were without a doubt two of the most adorable children Rin had ever laid eyes on. They had gotten their mother's coloring, Brown hair, eyes, and skin, but their father had undoubtedly supplied the shining smiles and endless supply of charm she received upon entering the house. Uta, the next to youngest, was only five, but already her eyes held great secrets. Uta was quiet, nodding in Rin's direction when she entered the house, but otherwise ignoring her, instead sitting very quietly next to Hiroshi. Kohana, the youngest, was barely eight months old, but was toddling along happily with Seiko, and was extremely upset when separated from her beloved sister. Rin didn’t fail to notice that Inuyasha watched her carefully throughout the meal, making sure she got enough to eat, and insisting that she eat the liver of the buck he had killed earlier in the day. Finally, her weariness got the better of her and she retired to her quarters, where she was bunked with Aaranete and Seiko, the two oldest females. As she rolled out her futon and collapsed under the light blanket, her last thought was that Kohana would probably be joining them in the room too, if only to stay near her sister.The next day was a bustle of activities and preparations as Inuyasha left and the normal training schedule commenced, Sango sending Inuyasha off with a pack of roasted deer meat, a full container of water and a letter for Kagome, telling him to have a safe journey and imploring him to allow Kimi to come train with her when she came of age to do so.Smirking, Inuyasha asked Sango if she thought that Kagome would honestly be willing to let her baby go like that. Leaving her to think on that, he bid farewell to Miroku and the children, promised Sango that he would bring Kagome and the kids to visit soon, and bounded off into the forest, waving over his shoulder to Rin, who had been trying to thank him again for all of his help. Realizing that the hanyou man had most likely done that on purpose, Rin sighed and turned to face Sango and Miroku with a new determination. This was her new home, her new life, and what would probably turn out to be a new family. And she wanted to do her best to make sure that they wouldn’t regret taking her in.Sango assigned her to help Hiroshi and a few of the village ladies clean out Kohaku’s old hut, assuring her that it hadn’t been used in over a year, and when Kohaku did stop by on his increasingly frequent visits, he chose to stay with Sango and her family rather than the lonely hut he had built in his younger days. Later, after her lessons, Sango would meet with Rin and they would determine her skill level in the arts.And so things went, day in and day out as a pattern, a comfortable routine developed; Rin would wake up each morning in her hut and, after performing her morning absolutions, go to Sango’s hut and help prepare breakfast. When the family split up, Hiroshi taking all of his siblings except Uta and Kohana off for a few hours of lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic, Sango would nurse Kohana briefly and then leave to teach her hunting lessons to the littles. Sometimes she would take Kohana and Uta, other times Miroku would. Miroku and Rin would then go and help out around the village with whatever needed to be done, and Rin quickly learned the art of disinfecting and bandaging wounds on returning demon hunters, mending broken fences and planting rice patties.

She still felt that aching, empty sort of hollowness where Sesshomaru used to be, but was largely able to ignore it, instead filling her days with playing with Sango’s children, helping around the village and aiding the sick hall. When she did lapse into melancholy, Miroku was almost always there to pull her out of it with his gentle flirting and teasing, always inspiring her to laugh with his antics and wry comments. The only times that the loneliness got to her was late at night, when she was alone in her hut. Then it was awful. The ache was so vast and lonely she felt numb yet suffered an almost excruciating pains at the same time. She would cry and weep, the sound muffled against her pillow, and would wake in the morning to find her blankets tangled around her legs, as if she’d been running away from the night terrors which she could never fully remember upon waking, but left her with a vile taste in her mouth nonetheless. Irregardless, she would up and await the coming of the dawn, when the shadows would recede and she would go about her day as if nothing had happened. It was a good routine, a comfortable and comforting thing, she decided. The people were friendly and accepting, and thought little of what normal people would consider to be her "outlandish" behavior. Sango and Miroku were warm and caring, readily accepting her into their home and helping her in whatever way they could, and their children were just the same.It was a good thing, something she was slowly learning to accept.Two moons later she found out she was pregnant.

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