InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Teaching Rin ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer - The characters in this story do not belong to me. The only ones I own are the ones not originally introduced during the anime or manga.

----------------------------------------------------------- < p>Teaching Rin

Chapter 6

First Day on the Job

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"Okay , Rin. Time to start your lessons for today." Kaida said, nodding towards the girl sitting across from her in one of the castle's libraries. "We're going to be covering the basics today, posture, manners, things like that. Although I'm relatively sure Jaken and your other tutors have already drilled you in some of this, I want to see how you execute what you've been told."

"We have went over some things, but not in too much detail." Rin answered, fidgeting in her seat.

"Well, let's start at the beginning then." the demoness said. "What did Jaken tell you about posture?"

"Always stand up straight. It keeps nobles from looking down on you as a weak ruler who does not belong in the position that you have been born into." Rin recited perfectly, remembering the tiny retainers never ending monologue on how wonderful demon nobles were, and how humans could never measure up to them. Kaida blinked in surprise and felt the beginning of a scowl on her face with what Rin had told her. 'That ignorant little toad would say something like that, wouldn't he?' She thought absently.

"Well, that's partly correct." Kaida said, running her hands through her hair distractedly. "Although it's a little more crude that what is normally taught."

"That's just the way Jaken is." Rin said, coming to the aid of Sesshomaru's faithful retainer. Kaida smiled and shook her head.

"As I am have come to be well aware of, Rin." Kaida answered. "So, let's get this lesson started then, shall we?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, first thing to remember is posture." the demoness said, looking intently at the human girl in front of her. "Your posture is a direct indication of how you carry yourself when in the presence of those who are your equal and those of higher rank. Slouching is frowned upon because it is considered improper and rude. It also causes physical problems later on in life." The demoness stopped for a few seconds and took a quick look at Rin, assessing the way she was sitting straight up in her chair. "And considering you have good posture already, I see no reason to harp on a subject that you seem to have a good grasp of already."

"Okay. What's next?" Rin asked, seemingly eager to learn what Kaida was willing to teach her.

"Mannerisms." Kaida said simply. "This is perhaps the most important lesson I can teach you, so it will be covered every single day that we see each other. Especially manners and etiquette when in the company of other nobility. This is where things get a little complicated. It's also the part of my own lessons that I did not agree with when I was being instructed. And to be blatantly honest, I still don't believe they hold any credit."

"Well, let's give it a try anyhow." Rin said, wondering what could be so bad about this part of the lessons. Kaida nodded and sat down across from Rin, drawing a piece of parchment and a brush in front of her in order to give the human a visual representation of what she was about to explain.

"The manners that you use when in the presence of the demon nobles is varied depending on exactly who you are with and where you are." she explained. "For example. when in the presence of nobles at gatherings, especially a Lord such as Sesshomaru or my father, you should always stay quiet and out of the way. Many of the older male demons believe a woman's place is to be seen and not heard. You are completely subservient to your Lord and master. What he says, as far as you are concerned, is law."

"I can see why you didn't like these lessons." Rin said with a grimace, taking in what she was being told. She had never reigned her speech when in Sesshomaru's presence before. He had always seemed somewhat glad to hear her chatter on about nothing of great importance as they traveled through the Western Lands, and even when she was just following him around the castle. They even had had a number of long conversations about varying subjects as she grew older. The only times he had ever silenced her was when they were in some type of danger during their little outings, which was not all that often anymore since Naraku's defeat all those years ago. She sighed and sternly reminded herself that she was going to do force herself to do this, if only to make Sesshomaru proud of her in the long run. "Okay, I stay quiet when I'm in front of a bunch of nobles and with Lord Sesshomaru. Got it." Rin said, nodding in acquiesce. "I usually don't have much to say then anyways."

"Few people do." Kaida answered. "I'm the same way unless it directly involves something with my father's standing army battalions."

"But you hand out orders to your brothers and soldiers easily enough." Rin pointed out, remembering how the demoness seemed so at ease with the males in her own family. "It's like they don't take these 'rules' into consideration when you are concerned. Why is that, Kaida?"

"I've already told you that I don't consider myself a 'proper lady' of my father's court, Rin. Neither does anyone else in my family." Kaida said, shrugging in indifference. "I've discarded many of the things I'm going to be teaching you simply because they seemed to restrictive to me. Besides, my father has two other 'proper' daughters to take care of. I figured three would be too much. As for my brothers and soldiers, I'm their commander, and they know better than to cross me."

Rin smiled and Kaida winked at her, pointing to the paper where she had written down the names of all the ruling lords of Japan, as well as their families. "You, on the other hand, are going to be presented at court as Sesshomaru's ward, and most likely his heir, at least until he takes a mate and has a son of his own. So, you need to know all about this stuff that I don't do. You are going to be a 'proper' little lady by the time I'm finished with you."

"I get the point." Rin said. "So, what do I do if I'm just with a bunch of other Ladies?"

"That actually happens more often than you may think. And I'm glad you asked. When you are with the women, you act according to rank." Kaida said, showing Rin the parchment she had wrote on. "The mothers of the ruling Lords command the most respect when in mixed female company. Next come the Lord's mate, then his eldest sister down to the youngest sister."

"You mean like Kentaro's mother?" Rin asked.

"Yes. Lady Yoshe is a good example." Kaida said, nodding. "Now, after mates and sisters come the head consorts and concubines of the Lord."

"Concubines?" Rin asked. "The other Lords keep concubines? I thought they were all mated?"

"They are." Kaida said. "The only one who I know who actually keeps them still is Lord Haruto, of the North." Rin grimaced, remembering how Kaida had told her that Haruto and Koto, the northern lands Lord and Lady, were not exactly the nicest of demons to deal with.

"Okay. Let's see if I got this right." Rin said, trying to recall the hierarchy in her head without looking at the paper Kaida had drawn. "Mothers of the Lords are highest up, but since none of the ruling Lord's mothers are alive, I don't have to worry about that." Kaida nodded, signaling for her to continue. "Next come the Lord's mate, and then any sisters he may have, right?"

"Correct."

"After that, the head concubines and consorts." Rin repeated. "And I'm guessing the daughters are the last on the list?"

"Exactly." Kaida said. "And they are ranked from eldest to youngest. And the only way to for a female to change her status is to marry a Lord or a Lord's son." Rin nodded, but frowned when she thought about Kaida's position in her family. Kaida was the youngest daughter, she knew that, and a mixed blood, at that; but it seemed like she commanded more respect than her eldest brother, who should technically be ranked right below their father.

"So, exactly how are you ranked within your family then?" Rin asked, wanting to know how it worked in real life instead of just in theory on paper. "You are the youngest daughter of your family, so does that put you at the bottom of the list?"

"Well, my main position is a General in my father's standing army." she said. "So, although I'm the youngest female of my family, my actual rank is that of one of my brothers."

"They are also Generals?" Rin asked.

"Yes."

"So marriage is not the only way to move up the hierarchy, then?" Rin asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Well, no it's not." Kaida conceded uneasily. "But it is the only conventional way a 'proper' Lady would attain a higher rank."

"I see." Rin said, shaking her head. "This stuff is confusing when you get to thinking about it."

"Oh, this is the easy part." Kaida said with a grin. "The male hierarchy is based on territory size and other little factors that add up to a whole lot of nothing."

"Wonderful....."

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About three hours later, Kaida was finished explaining the complex social and political hierarchies of the noble's court. And Rin was more than completely confused. When she finally reached the end of her patience with the subject, she begged Kaida to move onto something else, which she readily did.

"Rin, since Sesshomaru is not mated, and you are not responsible for any duties, who oversees the castle's domestic aspect?" Kaida asked.

"That would be Keisha." Rin said happily. "She's the headwoman of the castle and is responsible for pretty much everything that deals with the day to day comings and goings around here."

"Do you know where to find her? I think she would prove helpful during the next part of our lesson." Kaida said, wanting to find any reason to get out of the stuffy library they were still in. They had been in there most of the morning and she was starting to feel claustrophobic.

"Yes." Rin answered. "She's usually down in the kitchens, overseeing the food preparation for the next meal, or something else. She's always busy. Are we going to go see her?"

"Well, there's no better person to teach you the way around this place than the one running it." Kaida pointed out. "Let's see if we can find her, shall we?" Rin nodded enthusiastically, more than happy to get out of the cramped confines of the library. She lead her teacher down a number of twisting hallways until they reached the hanging mat that served as the doorway into the kitchen area. Rin pushed the mat aside and Kaida followed behind her.

"Keisha?!" Rin called out, scanning the large room as she walked into the cavernous area. "Where are you? I need some help."

"Coming, Lady!" came a strong female voice from their left. Kaida looked to her side and saw a demoness walking out of what was apparently a storage cave, wiping her hands on a cloth. She appeared to be a raccoon demon, sporting the black hair that was liberally streaked with white and gray, and the deep brown eyes of the breed. The demoness wore a simple red kimono and exuded a homely comfort that seemed almost serene. "What can I assist you with, my Lady?" she asked, bowing slightly to Rin and Kaida.

"We need your help, Keisha." Rin stated plainly.

"How so?"

"Keisha, this is Lady Kaida, my new instructor." Rin said, motioning towards the demoness standing to her side. "She thinks you might be able to assist her in one of my lessons since you are the one who practically runs this place."

"Lady Kaida, of course." the other female said, bowing slightly once again. "We had heard of you arrival. It is good to see you have come to us safely."

"I thank you for your concern." Kaida said. "Is there anyway you could spare a few moments of your time. I'd like to speak with you concerning Rin's lessons."

"Of course. What can I be of assistance with?" she asked, smiling gently.

Kaida explained that Rin needed to learn how to handle the responsibilities normally given to the Lady of a castle. After a brief explanation, Keisha was more than willing to allow Rin to shadow her and learn what it took to run the castle. The two women agreed that Rin would go with Keisha for an hour or two after breakfast so that she could learn what the headwoman done. "Once you learn what to do, it is really more up-keep than anything else." Keisha pointed out as she ushered the two women into the dining hall for lunch. "But you'll see what I mean soon enough. If you two will excuse me, I will bring you some your food."

The raccoon demoness nodded and took her leave as Kaida and Rin settled themselves down for lunch. Neither had realized that the time had practically flown by, and they were both getting hungry. Keisha came back quickly, carrying a large tray of food and setting it down between the two of them.

Rin and Kaida ate quickly, knowing that Sesshomaru was unlikely to join them since he had said that he was going to be busy earlier that morning. After lunch, Kaida headed back to the library, much to Rin's chagrin.

"Do you write often, Rin?" Kaida asked. "I know you are ahead in your studies, but it never hurts to keep your mind fresh."

"Yes, I do." Rin said. "Jaken made me start keeping up with everything I write, especially any 'pathetic attempts at prose' as he likes to call it." The human girl quickly retrieved a small bound book from one of the nearby tables and handed it to Kaida. "Lord Sesshomaru also said that it would be good exercise for me to keep the stuff I wrote." Kaida flipped open the book and scanned the contents quickly, noting that most of the pages consisted of poetry of some sort. She read through a few of the shorter poems and was surprised to find that Rin's hand at writing was not bad at all. She grinned and handed the book back to her pupil after a few moments.

"Wonderful. I have a poet on my hands, now." she said. Rin blushed profusely and shook her head in denial. "I'm not kidding, Rin. Some of those poems are good. You should keep writing. In fact, now that I think of it, I was required to do something similar to that while I was under the tutelage of the court teacher."

"You wrote poetry?" Rin asked, not quite believing what the woman in front of her was saying. Kaida just did not strike her as the type who would write anything, let alone poetry.

"No, actually, it was supposed to be a diary type thing." Kaida said, remembering the assignment with a hint of annoyance. "Needless to say I drove the poor teacher nuts when he found out all I kept doing was drawing and doodling in the book instead of writing."

"You were not exactly a very good student, were you?" Rin asked, eyeing the woman in front of her and daring her to dispute the accusation.

"Amongst other things." Kaida said, shrugging. "Not a good student, not a good Lady, not a good daughter, not a good sister, I've been accused of being everyone of them. The list is categorical, and I've heard it all before. Which is exactly why I still say that I'm not the one you should be learning this stuff from because I do not follow half of it, and I don't even believe the other half. Kind of hypocritical, don't you think?"

"A little." Rin answered. "But I'd rather have a hypocritical teacher that can put up with me than have a snobby one who thinks I should just go jump off the face of a cliff." Kaida actually laughed at the face of annoyance Rin had made. It reminded her of the same expression Sesshomaru seemed to keep giving her anytime she was forced to converse with him for longer than ten seconds.

"Yes, well, what can I say?" she asked, chuckling as she looked out the window and onto the grounds. She took note of the sun's position and sighed slightly. "I think our lessons for the day can safely be concluded now. Lord Sesshomaru said that I only needed to keep you busy in the mornings and an hour or so after lunch. So, I guess you are free to go, seeing as lunch was an hour ago." Rin looked up at her and smiled, glad that her lessons were over for the day.

"Oh, that's good." Rin said. "I wanted to send a letter to Shippou and Kagome. If I finish it today and send it with a messenger, he should get it by tomorrow."

"Well, I'll leave you in peace to write your letter then." Kaida said, rising from her seated position to exit the library.

"Where are you going to be?" Rin asked, wondering how the other woman was going to spend her time until the evening meal.

"I'll find something to do." Kaida said. "I wanted to check on some things around the castle, and there were a few other servants I wanted to speak with. I also need to go check on Ishika."

"Your dragon is still here?" Rin asked, surprised. "I thought she went back to your homelands after we got here yesterday?"

"She's hiding out in the forest." Kaida said with a grin. "Just because Sesshomaru doesn't want her near the castle doesn't mean she can't hide out in the forest, right?" Rin just nodded and grinned. Kaida smiled and bid her farewell until later that evening. Rin pulled out a clean piece of parchment and a brush and ink. She had every intention of telling Shippou everything she was learning from Kaida. And she also wanted to see if Inuyasha remembered Kaida from his own childhood.

Well, she would get her answers soon enough.

--------------------------Much later on that evening, after dinner....------------------------

Kaida's training in the dojo that evening was interrupted unrepentantly by none other than Sesshomaru himself. When she noticed the demon Lord's appearance in the entrance to the building, she stopped her kata and faced him, wondering what he wanted. She had seen him during dinner just an hour beforehand, and he had not said anything to her, so she was curious as to why he was searching her out now. Rin had excused herself after dinner, saying she was going to bathe and then go to bed early, so Kaida had taken the off time to do some training.

"Lord Sesshomaru." she said, acknowledging him with a nod. "Did you need something?" The white haired demon's scowl seemed to get even more severe as he looked at her. Kaida suddenly felt the anger rolling off of the Lord in heavy waves, and she was starting to get a little concerned.

"It has been brought to this Sesshomaru's attention that Rin and yourself were in the kitchens earlier today, inquiring about the servants." he said coldly, walking to the center of the practice area. "Is this true?"

"Yes. We were." Kaida answered, sheathing her katana, a small frown on her face. "Is there a problem with that?"

"The servants are instructed to stay out of sight." he said coldly. "Why are you searching them out?"

"You want Rin to know what to do as a proper Lady of your family, do you not?" Kaida asked. "One thing women must be familiar with is the daily domestic goings and comings of their home. Seeing as how there has been no other female to teach her, it makes the most sense to find the head demoness who directs things, considering she alone has the information we needed."

Sesshomaru looked at the dragon-woman in front of him carefully, taking in her training gi and the twin scimitar blades at her sides. She exuded confidence from her very soul, and it showed through brilliantly, even during his chastisement. Shaking his head to dismiss the errant thoughts from his head, Sesshomaru reached for the hilt of Toukijinn, causing Kaida to unconsciously move to a more defensive position.

"You did not clear your intentions of bothering the servants with this Sesshomaru." he said simply, waiting for her to take the nonverbal command for a spar. Kaida dropped down into a more defined fighting stance, her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to piece together exactly what she had done wrong in the Lord's eyes.

"I did not know you wanted to know every step I took." she answered simply, waiting for him to make a move. "Am I going to have to get your permission to take the girl outside anytime we leave the castle?" She rushed the Western Lord, trying to get the spar started, seeing as how he expected her to make the first move.

Sesshomaru dodged the downward swing of the two blades easily enough, stepping to the side and blocking the back swing of Kaida's right hand as she spun to around to keep from opening her back to an attack from him.

"Fraternizing with low class servants will teach her nothing." he said, quickly taking the offensive and driving a some what confused Kaida away from him.

"Well, considering I haven't been here long enough to know how things are done here, I figured going to the next best person would suffice. And you had said earlier today that you were going to be busy, so I left you alone." Kaida said, dancing out of the way of his half-hearted attacks on her. "Besides, Keisha seemed eager enough to help us."

"That is not the point of this conversation." Sesshomaru answered coldly, arrogance dripping from every word coming out of his mouth. "You did not heed this Sesshomaru's words." Kaida blinked in confusion for a split second, trying to figure out exactly what the dog Lord in front of her was saying, but Sesshomaru did not give her the time to formulate a response before he brought Toukijinn's power out full force and used his amazing speed to disappear and reappear behind her. He brought the now cackling blade to the demoness throat, silently threatening her to stay still or lose her head for her momentary lapse of concentration on the battle in front of her. "This Sesshomaru should kill you for such insubordination and blatant disrespect of my rules."

Kaida froze immediately, feeling the dark power that radiated off of the blade at her throat. Instead of feeling the cold bite of the blade cutting through her skin though, she felt a sharp pain in her legs when Sesshomaru kicked the back of her knees, forcing her to drop to the ground at his feet. Her hands twisted instinctively to keep her from running herself through with her own blades, and she tucked her body into a roll, allowing her to get out of the immediate swinging range of Sesshomaru and his sword. She quickly got to her feet and turned to face the white headed dog once again, her anger starting to build.

"If I remember correctly, you said, and I quote, 'What you teach and when you teach it is at your discretion.'" she pointed out firmly, regaining her grounding in the fight. "So what's the problem here?"

"If you feel the need to have someone other than yourself teaching Rin, this Sesshomaru must approve it." he said. Kaida frowned, shaking her head and waiting for him to make the next move. She did not have to wait long.

The next few minutes were intense as the sounds of ringing swords filled the air. Kaida managed to drive the arrogant Lord onto the defensive after losing one of her blades and using her free hand to punch Sesshomaru squarely in the jaw. His only response was to blink in surprise and take a step backwards. But she paid for it dearly when he recovered and easily knocked her across the dojo and into the wall with one good punch to her stomach. She slid down the wall and landed in a small heap on the floor. Without giving any thought to her aching body, she pulled herself up in time to bring the flat of her sword up with both her hands to stop Sesshomaru's downward swing of Toukijinn that would have undoubtedly cut her in half.

She was honestly beginning to think Sesshomaru didn't like her.

Sesshomaru turned his cold amber glare down onto the woman kneeling below him and, surprisingly enough to him, holding off his attacks far better than he'd previously given her credit for. He looked at her carefully and saw the first hints of anger starting to take over in her jade colored eyes, causing them to spark and flare.

"So this whole conversation in because I didn't tell you I was going to be asking for Keisha's assistance?" she said, glaring up at him and waiting for an answer while she tried to think up a way to get out of the vulnerable position she was in. "Or is there something else this is about?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed even more at the disrespectful tone of her voice, and kicked her square in the chest; once again sending her flying across to the other side of the dojo and causing her to slam up against the wall.

"You should learn to be more respectful to your superiors, you weak, half blooded wench." he answered icily. "You are not even an adequate challenge to this Sesshomaru." Kaida pulled herself up when she heard the cackling of energy, expecting another attack from Toukijinn, only to find a green, whip-like energy line curled at Sesshomaru's feet. He raised his left hand and flicked it towards her, causing the energy whip to strike her on the top of her shoulder, cutting through the training gi and into her skin.

Before it could make contact with her a second time, Kaida was on her feet and sprinting to her lost blade. The spar was starting to get to her, and her breathing was beginning to become uneven. She was sure she had bruised a couple of ribs with that last landing on the floor, and there was no telling how many bruises Sesshomaru had already given her. But it made her feel better when she realized that no matter how temporary it was, Sesshomaru would be sporting a significant number of bruises himself, courtesy of herself.

She managed to get to her fallen blade and snap it to her side in rapid succession, finally stopping on the opposite side of the dojo and reaching into the band of her pants to pull out a half dozen throwing daggers that were no bigger than her palm.

"Weak, half-blooded wench, am I?" she asked angrily. "Not a challenge, am I? Well, try this on for size, you arrogant bastard!" She threw two of the daggers at him, fully intending on him dodging them. She snapped the restraints on her swords and waited for him to reappear behind her. As she had suspected, he did, using his speed to once again reappear behind her in an attempt to disarm her. Only this time, he used the energy whip as a restraining device and coiled it around her body from her elbows to her neck, causing her to drop the blades again when her arms were pinned to her side. She was stuck and could feel both the energy of the whip eating through her clothing, and Sesshomaru standing a hair's width behind her.

"You will refrain from using such language in my presence, wench." he said coldly, grabbing her shoulders none too gently and turning her around to face him. "You are as uncouth as my half-breed bastard brother." Amber fire met a jade inferno when the two combatants locked eyes, and Kaida used the glaring contest as a cover as she inconspicuously reached into a hidden pocket on her pants to palm a few throwing stars. She wasn't out of options yet.

"Let's leave dear Inuyasha out of this, shall we?" she growled. "Besides, he's only half demon. I've got him beat on that, or did you forget that I'm three-quarters demon, Sesshomaru?" She gave him a cocky grin and with a flick of her wrists, sent two of the throwing stars right into his unprotected stomach. "And you really should watch what you call your younger brother, Sesshomaru. Such tension between siblings is not a good thing."

Sesshomaru released his hold on her instantly and Kaida bounded away when her binding disappeared. Sesshomaru used his now whip less hand to pull the stars out of his bleeding abdomen. He threw the blood soaked blades behind him and glared across the room at the defiant form of Rin's instructor. He could already feel his demon energy repairing the damage done by the throwing blades, but it still stung when he moved.

"You have a commendable spirit, woman." he said disgustedly. "Surprisingly enough, that is."

"You say that like it's supposed to be an insult." she countered, readying for another attack. "But I think I'll take it as a compliment. I mean, after all, how many people have been able to draw blood from the most feared dog Lord of the West, and live to tell about it, none the less? More credit to me considering I'm nothing but a weak, mix-blooded wench, huh?"

Sesshomaru's blood boiled at having his own words thrown back at him like that. He was starting to lose his temper with the proud creature in front of him. His instincts were telling him to strike her down in her weakened state, seeing how her gi was torn, her hair pulled out of it's ponytail, and her breathing labored. Her body was covered in a film of sweat, yet she would not concede defeat.

"Your tongue is going to get you into trouble." he said, his left hand glowing an eerie green color as the energy whip began to form again at his command.

"Let me worry about that, you arrogant, son of a bit...."

"Lord Sesshomaru! What happened?!" came Rin's concerned yell from the entrance into the dojo. "You're bleeding!" Kaida instantly dropped her guard and turned to face Rin, taking in the little human's ashen colored face and trembling hands as she looked at her guardian and teacher.

Big mistake.

Sesshomaru used the lapse in concentration to rush her and knock her to the ground face first, securing her hands behind her with one of his own and sitting on her feet to keep them pinned beneath him.

"Don't let your concentration waiver in a battle, no matter what the distraction." he growled, tightening his already painful grip on her wrists when she began to struggle to get loose. "You have done that twice in only one evening. It's a good way to get yourself killed." Kaida growled in frustration, but was forced to stop her struggling when Sesshomaru pushed her arms up, causing pain to shook down her back. She mentally cursed Sesshomaru and every single one of his dead ancestors for catching her in an unguarded position.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Oh, m'Lord, what has that wench done to you?" Jaken's squeaky voice asked from Rin's side. Kaida's attention was immediately brought back to the entrance to the dojo where Rin, and now Jaken, was standing.

"What is going on?" Rin asked quietly, looking from one to the other, confusion obvious in her eyes. "Why are you fighting?"

"It was merely a sparring match." Sesshomaru answered evenly, getting up and allowing Kaida to pick herself up off the dojo floor. He sent a cold glare in the direction of Kaida, silently telling her to keep her mouth shut in front of Rin. "Nothing to concern yourself about, Rin. And what are you doing out of the castle at night?"

"An urgent letter just arrived with a messenger from the Eastern Lord." Rin answered meekly, thinking the glare on his face was for her, when it was directed solely at Kaida. "The carrier said it was important and asked me to tell you immediately." Sesshomaru sent a glare in Jaken's direction for letting the girl out of the castle after sun down, but the toad only quivered in his boots.

"Where is the letter?" he asked, sheathing Toukijinn.

"I put it in your study, on the table nearest the western window." she said quietly. Sesshomaru only nodded and walked out of the dojo with Jaken at his heels. The toad's squeaky voice could be heard as they walked across the courtyard as he apologized profusely for his inability to keep Rin in line during Sesshomaru's absence, however temporary it was.

"Are you okay, Kaida?" Rin asked gently, coming to the demoness side when she was sure Sesshomaru was out of hearing range. "He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?"

"No, I'm fine. Just a little sore from being knocked up against the wall." she said with a grimace, touching her sore ribs where Sesshomaru had kicked her. "I'll be fine in a couple of hours."

"What was that all about?" Rin asked.

"Nothing. We were just sparring." she said easily, not telling Rin exactly why her guardian was angry in the first place.

"Really? He looked angry. Lord Sesshomaru hardly ever looks like that unless something is very, very wrong or someone has went against his orders." Rin said, shaking her head.

"Looked angry, did he? I didn't notice." she said absently, obvious sarcasm tinging her voice. "I figured he always had that sour expression on his face. Kami knows he hasn't let it drop since I got here." Rin just smiled and tried to help Kaida steady herself.

"Well, now that you're done trying to kill each other, let's get into the castle before he sends Jaken to get me." Rin said. "Kami knows I don't want to hear his grumbling about not following rules. Although I'm afraid he's liable to try and get your for fighting with Lord Sesshomaru."

"Let the little midget gripe." Kaida said, strapping her scimitars to her sides. "I'll just do like I normally do when he starts yapping at me."

"Argue with him?" Rin asked.

"No. Ignore him."

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A/N - Okay, here's the latest chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Sesshy and Kaida get violent, don't they? ;) Can someone say stress relief?

Okay, anyhow, please remember to review. I really want to know what you think.

Later,

A.A.