InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ That Which Shines Brightest ❯ 09: Eyes of a Child ( Chapter 9 )

That Which Shines Brightest

 

 

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

 

Rin hummed softly to herself as she wrung out the last piece of wash and stood up from the stream. Gently shaking out the wrinkles, she headed towards the line she'd strung between two stout trees. The rest of her laundry was already hanging here shifting in the breeze, the white and scarlet pieces gleaming so brightly that they almost seem to be glowing when the sun hit them.

What was it about the crispness of freshly washed clothes? she mused with a satisfied sigh. For some reason it always made her feel better, but then, coming to this particular spot always made her feel better.

For most, wash day was a day of toil, but not for her. For her it was a time to come to one of her most favorite places, and one of the few times that she didn't have the heavy responsibility of guarding the Shikon no Tama. The scenery more than made up for the work, and though the respite didn't last long, she always savored the sound of the water and the hushed stillness of the forest around her while she scrubbed.

And today, she got to share it with her special, new friend Atsuji, she thought with a smile just as her eye caught his where he sat on a huge rock under the shade of the trees, his legs sprawled out in front of him, and the smile on her face widened.

“You know, as comfortable as you appear to be, Atsuji, I don't think your hakama are going to dry while sitting in the shade like that,” she pointed out as she neatly arranged the last piece of her miko kimono over the line. “Perhaps it would have been better to sit on the ground closer to the stream where the sun is shining. Your clothes would dry faster that way.”

Atsuji made a wry face and ran a hand down the length of his dark blue hakama, feeling the soggy, heavy folds. “Well if I'd thought that I might not get in your way, or somehow jinx you with my bad luck I might have done so earlier, but it would've been terrible had you also fallen in and gotten soaked,” he told her.

Rin tilted her head and gave him a considering look. “You were only trying to help,” she told him with a suspicious twinkle in her warm brown eyes, “Although I couldn't quite believe it when you told me that you'd never seen anyone do laundry before.”

“Well, it's true,” he replied a little peevishly, heartily wanting to forget how he'd come to be in his current condition. “In the Gyousei clan which is my clan, the servants take the laundry and bring it back. I never knew where they took it - only that it was clean when it returned - and since I'd never actually seen how it got that way, I thought it might be interesting to try cleaning it for myself.”

“A noble endeavor to be sure,” Rin agreed with a nod, “but usually the first rule of thumb to observe when you're washing something is not to let it go when you've submerged it into fast moving water!” She couldn't help but tease and watched his mouth pucker as if he'd just tasted something extremely sour.

“Yes, yes,” he waved his hand at her in a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation, climbing up from the rock to amble towards her with loose-legged strides, “I realized that immediately when it started to float away. I did try to grab it.” He pointed a long finger at her, “I just didn't realize that the bottom of the stream was so slippery. It didn't look that slippery.” His voice held a plaintive note, and then he added with a sigh, “Although I suppose it would be, considering how slippery fish are.”

There was a moment of silence and then she burst out laughing, and watched his lower lip protrude into an adorable pout. “What does fish being slippery have to do with the bottom of the stream?”

“Why are you laughing at me?” he demanded petulantly, not answering her question.

“Because you're funny!” she replied, still giggling.

“I am not!” he grumbled, crossing his arms, watching her cover her mouth and stifle another giggle, thinking how pretty she was with her long, glossy hair drawn back, and her golden brown eyes sparkling so brightly.

“You know what?” she told him kindly, patting his arm, her head tilted to the side as she smiled warmly at him, “I think you try too hard. If you just relax, everything will be okay.”

She was touching him! he thought excitedly. Immediately he wondered if he could get her to teach him another way to kiss. All at once his ill-humor vanished, but as he watched, Rin's smile faded and was replaced by a look of disconcerted surprise.

“What is it? What's wrong?” he demanded, a faint frown worrying his brow.

“N-nothing,” she replied self-consciously, pivoting, and walking towards the huge rock where he'd been sitting.

Just for a brief moment she thought she'd seen that same sly, crafty look from the night before reflected on his pretty face - the one that had gotten her into so much trouble, and it somehow made her nervous. Perhaps it would be best if she tried to stay busy while she waited for the laundry to finish drying, she mused judiciously.

“What are you going to do now?” Atsuji followed her, peering curiously over her shoulder as she knelt down next to her bow and quiver full of arrows. She reached inside the quiver, and he wondered what she was rummaging for, further intrigued when she pulled out a small cloth-wrapped bundle.

“Well --” Rising to her feet, her eyes searched the trees. “I thought I might play with Suzu for a while.”

“Play?” he echoed, surprised and a little disappointed as he continued to eye the small packet.

If she was going to play with the bird, then Atsuji didn't see how he was going to bring up the subject of another kissing lesson. Birds and kissing… he just couldn't think of a way to put the two together in a conversation. But it didn't matter now anyway because the moment of sweet opportunity had passed and she was busy looking for her bird, he concluded regretfully.

“Suuuuuzuuuu!” Rin called, her fingers pulling at the knot on the bundle.

The trees were quiet until she set the bundle on top of the rock and slid the knot free to expose a small pile of shrieking mushrooms. Then there was the sound of rustling from overhead, and a trill of high pitched laughter. Atsuji turned and looked up in surprise, but then swiveled back around when he heard a note of Rin's own laughter echo softly next to him. Its resonance was much softer and sweeter than the bird's, and he sighed at the sound of it.

“I thought that might get your attention,” she murmured softly.

“You did?” he sighed again, and then realized sheepishly that she was talking to the bird.

“Yes,” Rin nodded. “She always comes out of hiding when you offer her a treat,” She explained in a confidential whisper, turning her head to direct a knowing smile up at him as if she were departing a special secret just for his ears alone.

The feeling of closeness, of an intimacy between them at that moment, like they had known each other for a long time instead of just mere hours, gave him a warm feeling in the middle of his chest and he felt a broad smile break out across his face.

Rin wondered if he had any idea of just how beautiful his smile was. She was caught off guard by the sheer radiance of it, absently thinking that most women would be envious of such a smile. Suddenly she realized that she was staring at him and that he knew it, for his smile widened. She blinked, feeling a little flustered and embarrassed and let her gaze slide away from him to the little grey bird that had floated down from the trees. Suzu was now perched upon the rock, and she sat chattering at Rin, waiting patiently to be fed.

“So how exactly do you play this game of yours?” Atsuji asked in a breezy voice, breaking the awkward silence that had developed between them, “because I do believe she thinks it's lunchtime.”

“Well, she's right, it is,” Rin replied, trying fairly successfully to match his relaxed air. “I tried this game with a kemari** ball, but she seemed to lose interest pretty quickly. So I switched to Shippou's mushrooms and they worked better. So now she gets to play before she eats, and hopefully, while she plays, she'll learn to better focus her scythes.” And then with a mischievous glint in her eye, she picked up a mushroom and asked. “Do you want to play too?”

Atsuji nodded, so Rin reached out and grasped his hands, gently cupping them together. Then she dropped a generous amount of the mushrooms into them before taking the rest in her own hand.

With a raised eyebrow she asked, “Are you ready?”

“I suppose so,” Atsuji replied easily, and then watched in dismay as Rin walked towards the stream. “Oh, but, do we really have to play over there? It's much…. dry -- er -- shadier… over here!”

He didn't want to face the possibility of again ending up face down in the stream.

“Shade?” Rin echoed with a ghost of a smile, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him reluctantly forward. “You don't need shade, you need sunshine! Sunshine is good for the soul, and it's good for your clothes too!” she added facetiously. “You're still not dry, and on top of that, you've not recovered your full strength yet. It would be bad for you to catch a chill right now. So standing in the sun for a little while will do you some good.”

Atsuji groaned, anxiously eyeing the fast moving water of the stream. He just knew something bad was going to happen if he got too close to it.

But Rin seemed to understand his fears, for she stopped a few feet away from the rushing water and stepped in front of him.

Looking up at him over her shoulder she pointed to the ground and said, “You stay behind me right there, and we'll time our throws so Suzu really has to work to bounce them back to us, okay?”

Atsuji nodded in relief and Rin turned and held out her arm, calling for the little bird who transformed into her larger form. Suzu spread her wings and fluttered over to perch nimbly upon the young miko's arm. Her long talon's curled around Rin's forearm like small sickle blades, and yet Rin seemed unalarmed.

“Are you ready to show Atsuji what a good flyer you are?” Rin asked her, flicking a quick glance back over her shoulder at the aqua-headed youkai standing a few feet behind her, his beautiful eyes watching her with open curiosity.

Lifting her arm, Rin sent the Shrike into the air where the bird circled watchfully overhead, waiting for them to begin. From the very beginning, Atsuji could see how Rin's praise affected the bird and even though Rin had said mushrooms held her attention far longer than the ball, he personally believed it was Rin's effervescent personality that kept the bird interested in the game. It made her chatter happily and try harder to control her scythes enough so that the shrieking mushrooms came volleying back to them instead of getting smashed into the dirt or sent plopping into the stream.

At the start of the game, they both just tossed one mushroom. After a few throws however, Suzu's aim became so precise that they had to laughingly dodge the flying fungus because it hurt too much to try and catch them. Eventually they began to toss more, making it as high as eight before Suzu's scythes became too aggressive and she tried to volley all of them at once.

“Watch out!” Atsuji warned as he saw the force of the scythes cutting hard into the stream, sending up spikes of water.

It happened so fast that Rin barely had time to move. The ground in front of her exploded upwards beneath the force of Suzu's wind, and she hastily took a step back before she felt Atsuji's arm snatch her up and jerk her sideways to avoid the scythes. Closing her eyes, she stiffened, bracing herself for the ground but she was spared the pain. Instead, she collided against the hard wall of his chest as he held her tightly. Together they slid a short distance before finally coming to a halt, a strange gurgling sound rising in the back of his throat.

Dimly Rin was aware that Suzu was back in her smaller form, crying mournfully and that she had landed not far from where they were. But she was less concerned with that at the moment and more concerned with the twisted grimace on her friend's countenance. He had taken the fall flat on his back, and she worried about what had happed to the lacerations she had stitched up the previous night.

With the way they had slid across the ground, all his wounds could very well have been ripped wide open. Frantically, she struggled to sit up, but found she couldn't, locked close to Atsuji by the circle of his arms.

“Atsuji! -- Atsuji!”

Her urgent cries were met with silence and she straddled him, planting her knees on the ground for leverage to help pull herself upright and free from his restraining grasp. Now in a better position to see, she hurriedly yanked open his kimono, noting with rising concern the pasty color of his face and how he'd broken out into a sweat.

“Can you hear me?” she demanded, a hint of panic beginning to creep through her when he failed to open his tightly clenched eyes.

Please be all right! she thought desperately. She let her fingers methodically move across his chest, checking each and every wound. She noted with relief that, thanks to his youkai abilities, most were already closing up and well on the way to healing.

“Atsuji,” she tried again.

Her concerned gaze moved back to his face, and she caught her breath in surprise to find his luminous, aquamarine eyes wide open now. They were staring at her with an unusually intense expression, but as soon as he realized she was looking at him, the look was gone, and she felt his hands, which she hadn't realized were still wrapped around her waist, tighten.

“Are you all right?”

With her fingers, she gently wiped at the perspiration dotting his brow, and watched a crooked smile bend his lips.

“I think so,” he croaked after a moment. “What about you?”

“Me?” Slowly she nodded. “You've saved me yet again,” she mumbled gratefully, even though her expression still mirrored her concern. “But I'm beginning to think the price of my safety is much too high to pay though… your back--?” She bit her lip. “- Can you sit up so I can look at it?”

“… I think so,” he replied hesitantly.

Before she realized what he meant to do, his fingers tightened even more, clutching her in a grip that bordered on being painful, and with a groan escaping his lips, he struggled to a sitting position. He had moved so quickly that Rin didn't have time to react, and thus, she found herself straddling his hips, her thighs thrown wide on either side of him in what felt like an indecent pose. To make matters worse, his head was slumped forward, resting squarely against her breasts, his face hidden by the long silky strands of blue-green hair that had tumbled across her chest and shoulders, floating away from the confines of the loosened cord at the back of his neck. His breathing had become uneven and it fell across the opening to her kimono, slipping inside to brush against the skin of her neck and chest, making her extremely aware of just how close they were.

With his arms around her and his breath against her, Rin felt like a terrified bird trapped in an unexpected cage.

It was all too intimate, too uncomfortable and she wanted to pull away, to put some distance between them, her body stiffening as his arms slid more firmly around her, holding her in place, pulling her closer to him so that she could feel the heat of him through her clothes.

“I'm… sorry, Rin,” he gasped. It was then that the agony in his voice made her realize that their current position had not been intentional on his part and she felt her tension began to ease... “Let me just stay… for a moment, until it subsides,” He murmured against her breasts.

Rin swallowed convulsively.

“Where -- where does it hurt?” Her voice didn't sound too bad, she thought with relief as she tried to hide her remaining discomfort behind the mask of ministering miko.

Her arms went around him to examine his back, but she ended up inadvertently pushing his face more firmly against the softness of her breasts. She would have been mortified had she not been distracted by the sound of his soft, indrawn breath. She worried that she had hit a tender spot as her fingers tentatively explored his back.

“There?” she asked anxiously.

“No,” he gurgled after a moment, her scent making him slightly giddy despite the pain slicing through him.

His sister was called the Lily of the Gyousei Clan, but Rin; he thought as his senses swam with her incredibly flawless scent; she was more the Lily than his sister, Atsuji thought deliriously, breathing in her pure, clean smell.

Completely oblivious to how her closeness was affecting Atsuji, Rin slid her hand slowly down his back and knew the minute she'd found the spot that was paining him. His kimono was soaked through with blood, which meant he must have reopened one of his wounds when they'd fallen, and Rin's throat tightened at the realization.

“I'm so sorry, Atsuji,” she mumbled remorsefully, “I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“It's not your fault,” he replied weakly, as the pain began to subside, and he was able to speak more comfortably. “Suzu just got a little excited that's all. And she needs practice… I know all about that - I seem to have the same problem - Apart from having no talent with weapons, I also lack the ability for strategizing and I can never seem to do exactly the right thing in a crisis - both of which I really need to practice…a lot… The only thing is, how do you practice strategy in a crisis?”

There was a trace of self-derision in his voice and it made Rin feel even worse for some reason. Rin didn't know how to respond to such a remark and she paused, giving herself a moment before she spoke again, not wanting him to know how much it had upset her.

“Can you sit on your own now? I really need to look at your back.” Rin was proud at how reassuringly normal she sounded, glad that she'd managed to keep her tumultuous thoughts and emotions from creeping into her voice, especially when he shifted his face restively against her breasts, making her want to crawl out of skin from sheer unease.

As proud as she was of her feigned composure, she was completely unaware that her body was fairly screaming what her voice wasn't. She was stiffer than an iron rod, and Atsuji had regrettably become aware of the fact that she was not comfortable with their closeness. Realizing that this would perhaps be the last time he would ever get to touch her this way, he was reluctant to let her go.

“Atsuji?” her voice sounded weak and uncertain, and he knew he could no longer put it off.

“Aye,” he mumbled heavily.

Rin waited as patiently as she could while Atsuji inhaled deeply several times as if steeling himself against the pain, and then after another long moment, he finally let his hands slide away from her. Had she chanced a look at his face and seen his bereft expression before she moved away, she might have realized that what he was experiencing went deeper than any physical pain.

But she didn't look. She was too concerned with his physical condition along with trying to regain some of her lost composure. So, instead, she immediately went behind him and asked him to pull his kimono from his shoulders. What she saw made her gasp softly. One of the deepest wounds was a mess, torn open when they had skidded across a tree root that lay half exposed upon the ground. And now the wound gaped, looking almost as bad as it had before she'd stitched it up last night, she thought in dismay.

Returning to her laundry, she took several linen cloths and an obi drying on the line and brought them back, soaking one of the cloths in the stream.

“I think it will be okay,” she told him optimistically as she pressed the cold, wet cloth to the oozing wound. “It's just this one spot - the rest look like they're healing nicely. But this one was the deepest, and the one that I was most worried about last night too. You must have hit it especially hard when you landed.” Her voice trailed away, guilt and remorse again washing over her at being the cause of his suffering.

“Ah, poor Suzu,” Atsuji sighed, suddenly seeming to sense the weight of Rin's thoughts and wanting to alleviate them somehow. “Look at her,” he gestured dramatically to the little bird who was perched on the ground not far from them, watching them in patent concern, aware that something had gone terribly wrong. “I think she realizes that we squished her lunch,” Atsuji noted glumly, pointing to the trail of sadly sobbing mushrooms that lay covered in dirt now. “Oh wait, here's one, that doesn't look too mangled” He picked it up and dusted it off, and then looked at Suzu with a raised brow. “What do you say, Suzu? Does it look edible?”

Immediately the little bird began to chatter at him and then landed on his shoulder where she fidgeted, shuffling her feet in anticipation as he held the mushroom out at arm's length, unsure of what to do with it.

Rin took one last look at Atsuji's back and saw that the bleeding had mostly stopped. So she pressed the dry cloth to it and tied the obi around it to hold it in place. Then she stood up, watching with a smile as Atsuji soothed the ruffled feathers of the shrike, just as he had tried to do for her. Her smile widened when he turned his head and directed a helpless stare at her.

“How do I give this to her without losing a finger? She seems rather… bloodthirsty!” he gulped.

“Put it in the palm of your hand and she'll take it from you without taking anything else,” Rin told him with a twinkle as she walked back towards the laundry which had finally dried.

She assumed that the mushroom was gone for the next thing she heard was a loud, “Ita! She - she bit me!” followed by the flutter of wings as Suzu took off towards the trees while Atsuji stood up and hastily shrugged his kimono back onto his shoulders. Turning away from the stream he moved towards her with long, purposeful strides, a wounded look on his face as he clutched at his ear.

“I thought you said she wouldn't take anything else, and yet I'm sure there's a piece of my ear tucked in her greedy, little beak!” he complained again, his aqua eyes focused reproachfully on Rin's face as he retied his obi.

“Oh?” Rin inquired mildly repressing a grin as she pulled the wash off the line and carefully folded it, putting it in the basket at her feet. “But you see that was not a bite, Atsuji,” she teasingly pointed out, “that was her way of showing affection, so it was more like a nibble. I bet it's not even bleeding!” Rin paused, and stood up on tiptoes to make a show of looking at his long, pointed youkai ear, and then smiled up into his eyes. “Nope, not one speck of blood -- not even a red mark. Just a little love nip.”

“So, what you're saying is that, she… kissed me?” he asked with dawning comprehension. Aha! So there WAS a way to get the bird and a kiss in the same conversation together, he thought gleefully.

Rin continued folding the laundry, and laughed a little, before she replied, “I guess you could say that. She was showing you her happiness for the treat.”

There was a long moment of silence while Atsuji pretended to think about it and then finally he casually remarked, “So this would be another one then?”

He watched her take down the last piece of laundry and then remove the line and place it in the basket on top, waiting eagerly for her answer.

“Another what?” she asked absently, not really paying attention to the direction the conversation had taken as she bent down to pick up the basket.

“A nibble on the ear - it's another kind of human kiss?” Atsuji clarified as he reached out and took the basket from her, his eyes locking with her startled ones.

“Oh… Well, yes, I suppose you could classify it as a, as a k-kiss,” Rin mumbled, suddenly disliking where the conversation was headed.

“Would you teach it to me like you did the other one?” he promptly demanded and watched as her face filled with intense color.

“N-no! Atsuji! ” she replied vehemently, avoiding his gaze and stepping around him towards the boulder where she'd left her bow.

Perhaps now would be a good time to head back to the village, she concluded hastily.

“Please, sweet miko, I just want to learn!” His plaintive voice begged as he followed her with the basket.

“And I've already told you, there are just some things that are not suitable for a miko to teach you!” she staunchly insisted.

“Well… aren't you…. aren't you also my friend?” he sighed with dogged persistence, his eyes searching her adamant profile.

Aha! he thought again.

Her expression had wavered a bit at that, becoming uncertain. Being a miko was important to her, and she would never relent as a miko, but as a friend, he might be able to sway her. He liked her much better as a friend, anyways, he happily reflected. She was just as soft and sweet as a friend, and much more approachable, much more than some stuffy old miko!

Slowly he put the basket down at her feet and took her hand.

“Don't friends show affection towards one another?” Boldly he held her gaze, willing her not to look away.

Rin grimaced, feeling extremely awkward with this whole topic. “Of course they show affection, but not like that!” she gestured in embarrassment, lifting her shoulder in a fidgeting motion. “I would never kiss Inuyasha or - “

“What about Shippou?” Atsuji interrupted, raising his finger to point it at her, “I bet you've kissed him, haven't you?” and knew he was right when her gaze flitted guiltily away from him.

Rin tugged at her hand, a small furrow forming between her brows and Atsuji let her go, watching her turn on her heel and take a few agitated steps away from him. But he was quick to follow her and get back in front of her with that same dogged persistence.

“Shippou is different,” Rin exclaimed defensively, coming to a stop as she once again found Atsuji barring her path, staring relentlessly down at her with those pleading aqua eyes. “I've only kissed him tucking him into bed at night, and sometimes when he's sad - But it's completely different! You're completely different!” Her voice had risen, and her eye had taken on a defiant sparkle until Atsuji gave her a bewildered look.

“Why do I have to be different?” he asked in a wounded voice.

Rin could feel the dismay welling up inside of her. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but how was she supposed to make him understand? This was not something that was just a casual thing? Okay, well… for some people it was a casual thing, Rin silently amended, but for her, it wasn't!

“You're different because you're older, Atsuji,” she gently explained, laying a hand on his sleeve. Shippou is still just a baby -“

“He's not a baby,” he interrupted in a sulky voice, “Seventy five is hardly a baby!”

Rin paused, a shocked expression on her face. Was Shippou really that old?

“He can't be - he only acts like he's six!” she observed weakly, and Atsuji could see that she'd never really given much thought to the aging process of a youkai.

“He's seventy five at least, if not older,” he reiterated, his voice less annoyed now. “Perhaps as humans go, he acts like he's six, but if he had to, Rin, he could survive on his own, given that he is a youkai.”

Rin looked doubtful at that. He didn't know Shippou the way she did - but… she did have to admit that Shippou had taught her many of his useful kitsune tricks that had saved his and her life on countless occasions over the last ten years; things that, had he been on his own, would have indeed saved his life had no one else been there to protect him.

“H-how old are you?” Rin asked disconcerted, looking at Atsuji, thinking that if he were human, he would be about twenty one.

“I'm over two hundred and forty years old,” he told her after a slight hesitation.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and her expression didn't change but he knew that it had affected her. She was looking away from him, towards the trees as if she were trying to collect her thoughts and Atsuji wished he knew exactly what it was that was on her mind.

“I - I wonder how old Sesshoumaru-sama is,” she murmured softly to herself.

“He's nearly four hundred years old,” Atsuji replied without thinking and then watched as Rin's head jerked around in surprise towards him.

“How did you know that? Do you know Sesshoumaru-sama?” she demanded anxiously, her hand going to her chest as her heart thumped just a little harder.

“Oh, well, I uh, -- “ Atsuji paused, that same crafty look from before flitting across his face, and Rin knew what was coming. “--I'll only tell you if you teach me the kiss!” he declared and watched Rin's mouth twitch in irritation.

“Atsuji!” she exclaimed in aggravation, clenching her hands at her sides and watched as a mischievous grin spread across his face. “You think this is a good way to get what you want?!”

“Yes I do,” he replied, his grin widening.

Rin threw up her hands and growled. “Okay fine! If you want a bite then a bite is what you'll have,” she declared, “let me just get Suzu back down here and -“

“No wait,” he interrupted, his hand going up in alarm, “I didn't mean I wanted a bite, I only wanted a kiss!”

“Well, Atsuji, to be perfectly honest, I'm not that much of an expert on kissing, and I don't know how to perform the kind of kiss you're asking for. So Suzu will have to fill in for me on this one since she seems to have had more practice at it!”

Rin's eyes were flashing and her cheeks were flushed. Atsuji could see she was quite irritated with him.

Perhaps retreat would be best, he cautiously deliberated. But she made that impossible by putting her hand out and grabbing him by the wrist.

“Where are you going?” she asked with a placid smile while her eyes continued to shoot sparks, “Isn't this what you wanted? A little affectionate nibble between friends?”

“Well…not…precisely.” Atsuji winced, tugging on his arm, surprised by the strength of her grip. “At least not from a bird! But you know, even though you might not know how to do that kind of a k-kiss,” he stammered, still determined to talk her into it, “you could at least try! Surely it's not that hard! I could even help a little!”

And then he had a brilliant notion. He decided to stop resisting, and let her pull him forward. Rin was surprised when her nose nearly collided with his chest. Almost at once he put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down towards her.

“See,” he said, a buoyant sparkle in his eyes, “I've learned what you taught me! I'm close to you, leaning down, with my hands on your shoulders the way they're supposed to be. Now all you have to do is deliver the kiss!”

He tipped his head sideways in an exaggerated movement, displaying his ear prominently in front of her face, and Rin began to squirm, feeling awkward and shy despite his playful attitude. When she failed to move or speak, Atsuji again turned his head, his face closer to her this time, the sparkle in his eyes fizzling out.

He looked so downtrodden and he'd done so much for her. Suddenly her resistance melted away, and she found she no longer had the heart to keep refusing him. After all, what was a little kiss?

With a small, hesitant nod, she let him know she would do it. The sparkle in his eyes reignited with a vengeance, and again he turned his head, eagerly waiting.

But how exactly was one supposed to do it? She wondered. She hadn't lied when she'd told him that she didn't know how to perform this kind of kiss and she hoped that he wouldn't know if she did it wrong. Eyeing his ear with a great deal of trepidation, Rin leaned forward, and placed an awkward kiss just below where his jaw met his earlobe, and she felt his fingers tighten on her shoulders. The next thing she knew, she was being crushed against his chest in a tight embrace, and she found it difficult to breathe.

Somewhere above her head, she could hear his ecstatic howl of, “Thank you! Thank you so much! That's two now! Two kisses!”

“--Atsuji! You're smothering me!” Rin's choked voice was barely audible, muffled against his kimono and drowned out by the sound of his excited barking.

“I - I can't believe it!” he waxed on, completely ignorant of what she was saying as she shifted against him trying to move away, the hands on her shoulders preventing it.

“Atsuji!!” she tried again, tugging harder

“—two incredibly, soft,--“ he blathered on.

“Atsuji!!!” she gasped.

“—Exceptionally wonderful, joyfully sweet kisses!” he sobbed in utter bliss.

“Atsuji!” Rin screeched against his chest, and finally he let her go.

“Oh, I'm terribly sorry!” he bleated, noticing the flurry of color in her cheeks and the strands of dark hair that had come free from her hair cord while she had been smashed up against his chest. “I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't hear you.”

“Hardly a moment… it was more like a second!” she muttered under her breath, feeling exasperated with him and how excited he'd gotten. But then she was distracted from her irksome feelings when she heard the strange baying of an animal not too far away. “Did you hear that?” she asked breathlessly her eyes wide and disbelieving, and Atsuji gave her a puzzled look. “It sounded almost like…”

It couldn't be though, she told herself. Why would Aun Un be here?

The answer came into view a few seconds later as Jyaken emerged from the trees, a very disgruntled frown on his face as he looked from Atsuji to Rin.

“Jyaken-sama!” Rin exclaimed, her eyes rounded in shock to see the little green imp who had been her constant companion as a child standing just a few feet away from her with his Nintoujou staff in one hand and the reins for Aun Un in the other.

“Jyaken,” Atsuji greeted him in a deflated sounding voice, “you're back.”

“Yes, numbskull, I am back,” Jyaken grumbled repressively, “and I'm not alone, as you can very well guess, Atsuji.” His lamp-like eyes narrowed as they slid from Atsuji's pretty face to Rin. “Sesshoumaru-sama will not be pleased to know what you've been up to since you've been here, you young fool -- and your sister won't be too happy about the human attachment you've formed either.”

He sniffed disdainfully, his beak drifting into a frown, patently ignoring the utter shock on Rin's face. Her head swiveled between Atsuji and Jyaken as she realized that these two knew each other very well, while she tried at the same time to discern what their exact connection was.

“Sesshoumaru-sama is here then?” Atsuji asked, casting a swift, calculating glance at Rin, not missing her excited hiss of indrawn breath when Jyaken gave an abrupt nod.

Why would Sesshoumaru-sama come here after all these years? To see her? That couldn't be possible, could it? But the more likely answer came with Atsuji's next statement.

“He came with my sister, didn't he,” he asked hollowly and Jyaken nodded. “I knew it! I knew Mizuna would come!” he fretted.

Rin's eyes darted between Jyaken and Atsuji as Atsuji carried on about his sister's arrival, and she realized with a sinking feeling that Sesshoumaru-sama must be betrothed to Atsuji's sister. Why did that make her feel so depressed? she wondered, bewildered.

Shouldn't she be happy that he'd found someone that would be the perfect mate for him? He'd always seemed so alone when she was a child, even though he'd had her and Jyaken. And she hadn't wanted him to be alone. She'd always thought that one day, he would find someone special and that they would all live together in a big fortress as a family - the silly dreams of a child, she knew now - but still, they were dreams for his happiness too.

So why would she be sad that part of that dream had been fulfilled for him?

Rin didn't understand it, but she didn't have time to ponder it either as Jyaken voice broke into her thoughts.

“I was sent to find you and bring you back to the village. Your sister wants to see you. She was most unhappy to find you weren't in the village,” Jyaken informed Atsuji as he paced near the boulder, and then after a slight hesitation, his eyes moved to Rin and he grudgingly added, “Sesshoumaru-sama sent me after you as well, Rin-chan.”

“I guess we'd best hurry,” Atsuji muttered darkly, very unlike the Atsuji Rin was used to seeing as he picked up her basket, adding grimly, “it's never a good idea to keep Mizuna waiting.”

 

 

High up on a thickening branch Inuyasha sat, reclining against the trunk of the tree where he'd seen Kagome standing as he'd returned from the falls. A forbidding frown weighed heavily upon his brow as he looked out past the bridge towards the empty road, down the path that she would be returning on. It was the same path he'd helplessly watched her take with that troublesome Shirogane so they could return through the well to their own time to gather supplies.

When Inuyasha had realized their intent, he'd wanted to argue about it. He'd wanted to ask Kagome to wait and let him take her himself. But she wouldn't even meet his gaze after Kikyou's little performance today.

Kikyou.

Gah! Why did she have to return now? Inuyasha thought in agitation, so suddenly? He hadn't even gotten a chance to spend time with Kagome, to try and smooth things over from when she'd left the last time. But then hadn't Kaede-baba told him that Kikyou would make sure that he would never have Kagome to hold? And hadn't Kikyou taunted him over that as well? Telling him that he wouldn't be able to ask Kagome to stay?

And then there was Shirogane. His disturbing presence and the fact that he looked so much like Inuyasha didn't help one bit. Nor the fact that he seemed to hold the Kotodama prayer beads that should be Inuyasha's.

Just how the hell had he gotten those? came the resentful thought.

Kaede-baba had removed them then for Inuyasha ten years ago, just a few days before Kagome had left for her world, and he'd put them away, swearing to himself that he was glad to be rid of them. But because they were the last link that he had with Kagome, the last vestige of what remained of her presence, he would sometimes get them out, just to touch them. He would close his eyes, and picture her hair, her smile, her eyes. And while he was holding those beads, he could almost pretend that she was still there.

That was why he'd known when they'd gone missing.

Three years after she'd left, they'd disappeared. He'd looked frantically for them, knowing that there couldn't possibly be anyone who'd want to steal them for they had no real intrinsic value, nor did they have any real purpose other than what Kaede had designed them to do: tame Inuyasha. So who would want to take them? Or better yet, who would even know where to look for them in the first place? For he kept them in a tansu** inside his home, and nothing else had been taken except for those beads.

And when those beads were gone, his last link to Kagome had disappeared. It had hurt for a long time, but he'd eventually gotten over it and had somehow managed to forget about it.

Until today.

Until he had seen those damnable beads attached to that damnable Tama in that damnable man's hand. The man that, if he had his way, would usurp Inuyasha's place and claim Kagome's heart for his own.

But where had he gotten those beads? The plaguing question went round and round in Inuyasha's head, and he was utterly baffled over it. Shirogane couldn't be responsible for the theft as much as Inuyasha would love to blame him for it.. That had occurred well over seven years ago. Someone else had committed that crime.

And when Shippou had come right out and asked him about the Kotodama beads once Kikyou had left, the explanation Shirogane had offered was they'd been in his family for as long as he could remember. He'd even pulled them from his pocket for everyone to see. Although he didn't offer to let anyone touch them, or get too close to them. He used the excuse that the barrier he'd created could be weakening and the youki of the Tama could affect them all, since it was quite strong.

Everyone seemed to believe him -- everyone except Inuyasha, who tended to think that Shirogane somehow knew more than what he was telling. But Inuyasha could hardly prove that, and so here he sat, stewing in his own misery, waiting for Kagome to return, worrying over the fact that she was avoiding him, thinking about those stupid beads, positively sick about the time that Shirogane was spending with her, knowing the priest would use every minute to his advantage to try and get closer to her.

“Inuyasha-sama!”

Inuyasha looked around. He could have sworn someone called his name. And then he felt a tiny prick against his face. Inuyasha's hand automatically came up, slapping hard against the side of his cheek and he looked down at it in mild surprise to see the tiny, partially balding youkai head of his sometimes fair-weather-flea-friend.

“Ita… It is so…good… to see you… Inuyasha-sama!” gasped Miyouga, reeling from Inuyasha's blow.

Miyouga's arrival usually meant one of two things: rumor or news. Inuyasha wondered which it was today.

“Miyouga-jiji? What are you doing here?”

“I'd heard that a human resembling Inuyasha-sama had come through the well--” he replied, staggering around in Inuyasha's palm for a few paces before finally recovering, “--along with a strange and powerful Tama. I came to see if the rumors were true.”

“I see good news travels fast,” Inuyasha noted with a sardonic twist to his lips.

“There's even a rumor that this human is a reincarnation of Inuyasha-sama-“ Miyouga began.

“Hell no!” Inuyasha spat angrily, resisting the urge to ball up his fist, forcibly reminding himself that he'd squash Miyouga like a bug if he did. “Like I would reincarnate into a pompous, arrogant, jackass! -- I don't think so!”

Miyouga looked down at his hands and thought it best to remain silent on that one, saying instead, “I also heard that Kagome has returned. Is it true?”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha huffed, adding acerbically, “is there anything you haven't heard?”

“The Tama, Inuyasha-sama, can you tell me more about it?” Miyouga requested eagerly scooting forward to the edge of his palm.

“Well I don't know much myself,” Inuyasha admitted, “but I'll tell you what I know.”

After he was done, Miyouga sat ruminating deeply for a few minutes and then declared, “We need to consult Toutousai.”

Inuyasha looked disconcerted at that. “What for?”

“Shirogane needs a weapon, obviously,” Myouga explained.

Inuyasha gaped at him. “What for?” he reiterated belligerently.

“Well, he is an ally,” Myouga pointed out as he put his four arms behind his back and paced along Inuyasha's head and heart line down the center of his palm “If what you're saying is true, and Shirogane came through the well, then he would have to have some youkai blood in him, even—“ Miyouga held up his hand to stall the argument he could see ready to fly from Inuyasha's lips “—even if he is of no relation to you. Just because it's not Inuyasha-sama's blood does not mean that it's not youkai blood flowing through his veins. It would have to be for him to travel through the well without the aid of a Tama. He will definitely need a weapon - one that doesn't pierce or cut, as you have pointed out -- and the only weapon smith I know of that might be capable of producing such a feat is Toutousai.”

“I suppose you're right,” Inuyasha admitted grudgingly, momentarily distracted from his conversation with Miyouga by someone yet again calling him by name.

“Oh, yes, that's right,” Miyouga muttered jumping out of Inuyasha's hand and onto the trunk of the tree as Inuyasha leaned forward to look down beneath him. “I meant to tell you earlier, but I just forgot,” Miyouga laughed uncomfortably, “I also came to inform you that Sesshoumaru-sama is on his way to see you…”

Inuyasha turned his head and directed a baleful glance at Miyouga, who just grinned sheepishly and waved.

“So sorry!—“ The words were left hanging in the air as Miyouga disappeared.

Off to find a nice, safe place to hide, no doubt, Inuyasha fumed, staring down at his brother who stood just beneath him looking up at him with thinly veiled impatience.

“Come down, Inuyasha, I want to talk to you.” His voice was smooth and seemingly unconcerned, but his words were couched in the form of an order nonetheless, and Inuyasha's jaw tightened mulishly at the high-handedness of it.

Sesshoumaru flicked a cursory glance at Mizuna who leaned petulantly against the tree trunk, examining the tip of her boot, and he felt the antagonism he'd held in check for their entire journey begin to break free.

Back in Hokkaido he'd warned that he wouldn't wait for her. But she'd managed to make him wait nonetheless by brow beating Jyaken into doing her bidding. She thought her tactics were so clever, Sesshoumaru reflected scornfully. By using Jyaken to pander to her complaints for food or for something to keep her warm as they'd crossed the mountains, Sesshoumaru had indirectly allowed her to do what he said he wouldn't. He wouldn't wait for her, but he would wait for Jyaken and thus, they'd arrived here much later than he'd anticipated.

Emboldened by what she deemed were successful acts of defiance in demonstrating to him that she could indeed make him wait; she'd lost the false air of penitence she'd adopted to gain his help, wearing instead a mantle of smugness for the latter part of the journey, feeling she'd succeeded in getting the better of him.

Sesshoumaru had refused to acknowledge what he considered was the latest manifestation of her increasingly duplicitous nature and had done his best to stifle his hostilities and ignore her. But now he let all the irritation towards Mizuna that he'd held in check during their trip bubble to the surface, directing it towards not her, but at his brother who seemed bent on ignoring his presence.

Moving with incredible swiftness Sesshoumaru bounded upwards, landing with easy grace on the limb in front of where Inuyasha was slouched, and stared imperiously down at him.

“Did you not hear me?” he inquired coldly, raising his foot and swiftly applying it to Inuyasha's side, knocking him out of the tree. “I said I want to speak with you.”

Inuyasha landed on his side with a thud, and bounded to his feet, but he wasn't up quick enough before Sesshoumaru was back on top of him, his fist in his face, knocking him back to the ground, flat on his rear.

“Jeez!” Inuyasha exclaimed, leaning back on one hand to glare up at Sesshoumaru, while he rubbed his jaw with the other. “What the hell was that for?”

“Get up,” Sesshoumaru demanded frigidly. “I'm not finished yet, Inuyasha.”

“Finished with what? What the hell did I do this time? This can't be your grudge about Tetsusaiga still! Get over it already! Jeez!” Inuyasha exclaimed, climbing to his feet.

Again Sesshoumaru moved forward, and Inuyasha managed to dodge the first punch, throwing a few of his own punches. Sesshoumaru easily dodged all of his swings like they were in slow motion, but Inuyasha wasn't so lucky. Again he went crashing backwards, this time a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth from the force of his brother's blow.

“Are you gonna tell me what the hell it is I did that's got you so pissed?” Inuyasha grimaced, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, “or wait, let me guess - this is about the rock I threw at Jyaken isn't it? … Jeez, if I'd known you were going to be so sensitive about it, I would've tried throwing one at him a long time ago…” he muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Sesshoumaru stared impassively down his nose at his little brother and ignored his jibe.

“It's not what you did,” he autocratically intoned, “It's what you didn't do. Ten years ago, I gave you guardianship of Rin with the full understanding that you would protect her.”

There was a moment of silence as the implications of what Sesshoumaru was saying sank in.

“I have protected her!” Inuyasha exclaimed caustically, “but what the hell would you know about it! You've never even been here once to see how she's been!” Again, Inuyasha slowly clambered to his feet, “So don't even try to pretend like you care! Hell I really SHOULD have thrown that rock sooner to get your aristocratic ass down here, instead of seeing you sit back and send that ugly, green toad of yours as a substitute! I know it would have made Rin happy to see you since she thinks she's guarding the Shikon no Tama for you to help you establish a dynasty or a kingdom or whatever the hell it is you're trying to do! - not like you really care, or anything!”

Inwardly Inuyasha winced, immediately regretting his words. He'd allowed his temper to override his common sense which was often the case for him and spoken mainly because he was heartily sick of remaining silent regarding Rin's unwavering devotion to Sesshoumaru when the slouch did nothing to deserve even one small sliver of her respect. Unfortunately, the one person he should have never said anything to was the one that was hearing all his gripes. He just hoped to god Rin never found out; otherwise she'd feed him his liver for breakfast, or worse, feed him someone else's liver for breakfast in one of her homemade teas.

Inuyasha really didn't expect much of a reaction to his verbal outburst. But something he said must have hit a nerve for Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed at his words.

I have no interest in mingling with the human world.” He gestured dismissively towards the village “I left her here because she needed to be with her own kind, and you were perfect to protect her, Inuyasha. A hanyou like you.” There was no mistaking the subtle note of distaste in his voice, “who seems to delight in cavorting with humans seemed ideally suited for the task - unlike a full-blooded youkai like me who has no place in the human world. But I should have realized that being a hanyou meant that you were destined to fail me sooner or later.” As he spoke, his voice became harsh with rising anger and his amber eyes churned with a pent up violence. Reaching for Toukijin, he withdrew it from its scabbard, declaring icily, “I will not make the mistake of relying on you again.”

“I still don't know what the hell you're talking about!” Inuyasha snarled. Taking out his own Tetsusaiga, he crouched down, his eyes focused watchfully on Sesshoumaru's blade.

“Last night, you failed Inuyasha. You failed to protect her,” Sesshoumaru stated and watched as Inuyasha's mouth dropped open in incredulity.

“Ten years, and she gets wounded once… just a few scratches… and you want to beat the living hell out of me for that?” Inuyasha's brows shot up in sheer amazement, truly stunned that his brother was so furious over a few minor scrapes.

But his reaction didn't go over well with Sesshoumaru, for his face darkened, and he watched as Sesshoumaru drew back his arm and swung Toukijin, releasing a torrent of youki. Inuyasha quickly dodged the rain of energy, but found it more difficult to deal with the barrage of feints and thrusts as his brother rapidly attacked, driving him across the ground away from the tree and along the bank of the stream.

They fought for some minutes, the clang of their swords the only sound, until in the distance Inuyasha heard a woman's voice calling out to them. She was screaming his name and Sesshoumaru's as well, but Inuyasha was too busy trying not to get sliced in two to pay heed to what she was saying. And then, out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw a bolt of light come racing towards where his blade was locked with Sesshoumaru's. Sesshoumaru must have seen it too, for together they both broke away from each other, jumping back and out of range of the light.

As the light struck the ground, Inuyasha recognized it immediately as one of Rin's arrows. He turned his head and saw her standing just beyond the bridge next to Jyaken, Aun Un and Atsuji, her bow in her hand, another arrow nocked in place, just in case the first had failed to do its job, he supposed.

“Are you mad?!” Rin screamed in alarm at Inuyasha.

His lips quirked sourly at her question, wondering why she'd directed it at him. Sesshoumaru was the one that had started the whole thing! Inuyasha watched her as, after a brief hesitation, she put her arrow back in her quiver and rushed headlong across the bridge towards him. Peering up at him, her eyes reflected her horror as she pedaled to a stop in front of him, her bow still clutched tightly in her hand. Errant wisps of black hair straggled around her face while she gasped to catch her breath from her desperate run.

Tilting her head, she looked back over her shoulder, momentarily gazing at Sesshoumaru who had retreated to stand next to Mizuna by the tree. Then she redirected her gaze back to Inuyasha, and demanded apprehensively, “Why are you fighting with Sesshoumaru-sama, Inuyasha?”

Before Inuyasha had a chance to say anything, Sesshoumaru spoke up, his voice cold and condemning as he eyed his brother and the dark headed miko who had so audaciously interrupted their fight.

“You and your interfering, human, women-friends,” he derided. “Tell her to move, Inuyasha, or I shall cut her in two along with you.”

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he stared incredulously at his brother.

Did he not recognize her?

He heard the soft hiss of Rin's indrawn breath and knew that she'd realized the same thing as well. Inuyasha would make sure his brother paid for his cold cruelty. There was no excuse for hurting her so deeply, he thought, heatedly. Feeling for her, Inuyasha laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and opened his mouth to hurl a few insulting words at his brother, intent on beating the snotty look off Sesshoumaru's face.

But Rin obstructed his objective by speaking first, and, embarrassingly enough, pleading on his behalf completely undermining any vindictive thing he might have said.

“Please, Sesshoumaru-sama,” she beseeched, taking a few steps away from Inuyasha so that his hand slid away from her shoulder, “Surely you did not come all this way just to fight with Inuyasha?”

As the disheveled miko stepped forward, something about her nagged at the back of Sesshoumaru's mind. Her wide brown eyes, pointed chin and long dark hair didn't seem especially familiar to him, and yet he felt like he should know her. And then the wind caught her scent, carrying it to his nose and he reeled in shock as he recognized it immediately.

Rin.

Awareness reverberated through his body like an unpleasant shockwave as he mechanically returned Toukijin to its sheathe.

But where was the face of the child that he'd left? The sweet smile of the innocent that had followed him around so faithfully all those years ago? And then he remembered that humans aged rapidly, and it felt like someone had dropped a lead weight into the middle of his chest.

Of course, he'd known that she'd grown. His keen sense of smell had told him that a long time ago, told him that her body had ripened and was capable of childbearing now. But his eyes had still been looking for the face of that innocent child, the smile of devotion from the one that had once loved him so.

It was with a horrible sinking feeling that he realized the child he sought had slipped away and was gone forever.

When Sesshoumaru just continued to stare at her, his features immobile and his voice silent, Rin tried again, saying awkwardly, “I don't know why you're fighting with Inuyasha, but surely whatever you're differences, they can be settled in some other manner beyond the sword—“

Then she broke off uncertainly as the incredibly beautiful youkai woman standing next to Sesshoumaru-sama suddenly stepped forward, muttering under her breath. Her full lips were pulled into an impatient frown and her aquamarine eyes were cold and hard as they gazed at Rin.

Who was this little tart? she thought furiously, addressing Sesshoumaru with such familiarity? Mizuna wanted to get this over with, to get her brother, who was standing just a few feet away from Inuyasha now, and go home. If Sesshoumaru wanted to kill his brother, then she would get this little tart out of the way to hurry things along, for she had become heartily sick of this tiny, flea infested village long before they had even gotten here.

“Did you not hear Sesshoumaru, girl?” Mizuna's velvety voice demanded sharply as she sashayed a few steps forward. “He said get out of the way, —“ she paused and reached over her shoulder for her yari**, “—or face the consequence of being cut in two!”

“Onee-chan! No!” Atsuji bellowed in alarm.

Well versed with the tenor of his sister's moods, he'd begun sidling towards Rin, warily watching Mizuna as she got closer to the young miko. The minute he saw her hand go up, he knew she was reaching for her yari, and he immediately broke into a sprint. Leaping madly towards Rin, he knocked her to the ground, protectively shielding her from his sister's deadly weapon.

Atsuji cringed, his eyes welded shut as he waited to feel the cutting force of Mizuna's Tidal Strike against his back. But there was nothing. No youki strike. Nothing but the flutter of the soft breeze ruffling through the length of his hair and the tiny frame of Rin's body beneath him as they huddled against the ground.

“At- Atsuji,” Rin stammered in a strangled whisper. Her cheek was pressed against her bow and with Atsuji's weight bearing down uncomfortably against her back, the long scratches on her face began to smart. “Atsuji, please,” she called again, catching her bottom lip with her teeth in pain, unable to move her head.

Her voice finally prompted him to open his eyes and he chanced a peek, peering beneath the shelter of his arm to see Sesshoumaru-sama tightly gripping Mizuna's wrist, holding her yari in mid-air and keeping her attack at bay.

“This is taking far too long, and I'm tired of waiting for you to finish your business! Besides, it's not like you didn't warn that impertinent shrine maiden!” Mizuna hissed as her eyes locked with Sesshoumaru's, a slow burn igniting in her cheeks at being so publicly humiliated.

“I don't recall asking for your help, Mizuna,” he informed her arrogantly, his amber eyes blazing down at her as he forcefully pushed her arm to her side and yanked the yari from her hand.

He stepped behind Mizuna who stood stiff and wooden, her breasts heaving as she heard him advise her with soft menace, “Don't meddle in my affairs again unless you're invited.”

And then he unceremoniously shoved her yari back into its sling across her back, noting the stain of color along her aristocratically high cheekbones as he did so. She should feel fortunate that it was only her pride that had suffered from this little incident considering how enraged he was. However he knew that such a thought would never occur to her as narcissistic as she was. Perhaps it was fitting then that her pride was what had been wounded most, he concluded with savage satisfaction.

Then without another word or look, Sesshoumaru stepped away from her. He glided towards Inuyasha who was just behind Atsuji and Rin, gaping at the aqua-headed idiot in front of him.

Inuyasha had been completely rendered speechless at Atsuji's display of heroic stupidity, and he wondered if the young youkai had even considered the fact that Inuyasha could have easily picked Rin up to carry her to safety without the need for Atsuji's lunge towards the ground. If Sesshoumaru hadn't stopped Atsuji's hot-headed sister from using her weapon, Atsuji could be dead, and for no good reason too! Inuyasha opened his mouth to yell at the idiot about thinking things through a little more, but then stopped when he spied his brother heading their way.

Thankfully Sesshoumaru's focus seemed to have shifted away from him. All of his attention now seemed to be reserved for the two young figures lying entangled en masse on the ground at Inuyasha's feet.

Glad to see the end of his brother's temper tantrum, Inuyasha quickly sheathed Tetsusaiga. Then he lifted his foot and nudged Atsuji in the side with it, muttering lowly, “Get up, you moron, unless you want Sesshoumaru to step on you.”

But Atsuji didn't even manage to get one elbow propped up on the ground before Sesshoumaru was there, grabbing him by the scruff of his kimono and dragging him to his feet.

“S-sesshoumaru-sama,” Atsuji stammered with an awestruck expression as he stared up into the face of his sister's betrothed. Atsuji was tall, but Sesshoumaru-sama was taller still. “I - I - I…” Unable to string a sentence together, he ducked into a bow, his head level with Sesshoumaru's waist. “You saved Rin,” he mumbled gratefully towards Sesshoumaru's black boots. “Thank you.”

Inuyasha noted that Sesshoumaru's amber eyes flickered appraisingly over Atsuji as he impassively ignored the young youkai's stammered words of thanks. Sesshoumaru's silence only seemed to overwhelm Atsuji all the more and he began to incoherently babble about how great he thought Sesshoumaru was.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and with a snort of disgust he immediately bent down to help Rin to her feet. With a grateful smile she took his hand, but when he tried to lead her a few steps away, she immediately disengaged herself. Her eyes brightened with concern and she made a beeline for Atsuji as she spotted the wet crimson patch on the back of his kimono.

“Oh no! You're bleeding again!” she gasped in dismay.

Rin pointed to the new stain and Atsuji momentarily turned towards her. But then Mizuna's cloyingly sweet voice called to him and he immediately pivoted in his sister's direction. Her beatific smile was fixated on her brother and she patently ignored everyone else as she slowly approached the small group. Atsuji tensed, and suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to get to her, as if he was afraid that she would do something outrageous.

But Rin reached out and caught him by the sleeve, worried about the blood, and her fingers made him pause. He turned his head and their gazes met for a brief moment. It was the first time she'd seen such a serious, mature expression in his eyes, and it took her aback. It made her realize that she didn't really know him that well at all. Something of what she was thinking must have shown on her face, because all at once, his eyes lightened, and he gave her a charming, boyish smile that was meant to reassure her. It didn't. Then he tuned and without a word, pulled away from her grasp to head towards his sister. Mizuna had paused a short distance away and was waiting impatiently for him, eyeing Rin with open hostility.

As her gaze followed Atsuji, Rin couldn't stop the worried frown that pulled at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes lingered on the wetness slowly spreading across his back and without fully realizing it; she started to take a step forward, intent on trailing after him. His second dive to the ground must have further damaged his wound, she surmised. And that was why it had soaked through her makeshift bandage. There was no telling how much blood he was loosing, she fretted, but Inuyasha put a staying hand on her arm, and held her back.

Casting a glance up at him, she opened her mouth to protest but he gave a warning shake of his head not to interfere. Looking away she bit her lip and closed her mouth, her brows drawing together in frustration.

“He's a youkai, Rin,” Inuyasha said in a low voice, almost as if he knew what she was thinking. “he can handle it.”

Again, her eyes were drawn to her friend as he walked with his sister. His head hung in a pose of shame as Mizuna gesticulated sharply at him, her head tilted close to him quietly berating him; for what, Rin was not certain.

Why was she so worried? Inuyasha was right. He was a youkai. He could handle it.

But for some reason despite the fact that Rin had told him that he was different than Shippou, in reality he seemed very much like Shippou: so helpless in so many ways -- like an overgrown child, and she was afraid for him, afraid that something might happen to him. And even though he'd saved her, she felt like she needed to watch after him, like she should protect him if she could.

Then her eyes flickered to Mizuna who continued to motion sharply at her brother and Rin squelched the urge to again step towards them, knowing that Inuyasha was right -- it would be wrong to interfere and that she mustn't act on the words echoing through her head - those words should be a mantra for his sister and not Rin…

I only want to protect you…

Feeling frustrated, her eyes remained fastened to Atsuji, a strong maternal outrage building within her. Rin clenched her fist, wishing he would stand up for himself and not just sit there and take his sister's verbal abuse. But then she calmly reminded herself that she didn't know much about his relationship with his sister either. There could be a very good reason why he didn't say anything to Mizuna…

Rin paused in mid-thought, the image of Atsuji's distressed countenance from last night rising before her as she remembered how upset he'd become when he'd realized his sister would most likely be coming here. Perhaps he was afraid that standing up to her would invoke more of her wrath. Rin recalled that he'd said Mizuna had a terrible temper when crossed… And she did have a terrible temper. Rin could see that for herself. Perhaps that was why he didn't stand up to her, she thought sadly, suddenly feeling sorry for Atsuji.

On the heels of this last thought, Rin gradually became aware that Sesshoumaru-sama was studying her and her thoughts became muddled as she grappled with a sudden self-consciousness - an issue she'd never experienced with him in the past.

Why had he come?

And then she remembered, and her eyes left Atsuji to again study the incredibly provocative figure of the aqua-headed woman standing by Atsuji's side. This was his bride to be, this beautiful, temperamental youkai who had lashed out at her.

He had come because of Mizuna, and she was here for Atsuji.

A horrible sense of shame assailed Rin as she felt the stirrings of a deep anger under lied by an unfathomable longing to see this woman disappear.

I should be better than this, she thought, disconsolately. She put her hand to her chest, feeling a heaviness that she didn't like and tried to let the feelings go. They were beneath her as a miko.

No, she silently amended, closing her eyes determined to be rid of them, they are beneath me as a person.

 

Sesshoumaru stood silently watching Rin, his eyes moving intently over her face. It intrigued him how openly she displayed her emotions. That had not changed about her at least. Even as a child her emotions had been easy to read, and he could see that having grown to full womanhood, she had not adopted the habit many youkai and mortal women had of trying to shield her feelings behind a mask.

But although he might be relieved to see this aspect of her personality hadn't changed, he wasn't at all pleased to see the concern that openly flooded her countenance. And he was even less pleased to discover the one responsible for it.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered briefly to Inuyasha. The obvious closeness she had with his brother; Sesshoumaru had come expecting that. Indeed, in a way, he was glad for it, because he knew that friendship had been important to the light-hearted child that Rin had been. Also, it was only natural for a closeness to develop between them. After all, Inuyasha had been her guardian and protector for these past ten years.

And the fact that Inuyasha was in love with another human woman ensured that their relationship would always remain supportively neutral and purely platonic - whispered a nasty little voice in the back of his mind, a voice that Sesshoumaru sharply ignored.

But the pretty boy Atsuji… Sesshoumaru's critical eyes swept to the foolish brother of his vainglorious betrothed and he felt the stirring of a very dark emotion that wasn't exactly hate, for he found he couldn't hate Atsuji.

Just how exactly had Rin formed such a strong attachment for this foolish boy in such a short amount of time? He reflected grimly. From what Jyaken had told him, Sesshoumaru already knew that Atsuji was infatuated with Rin, so it came as no surprise that Gyousei's first born son had formed protective feelings for her.

But that Rin seemed just as protective of him made Sesshoumaru scowl.

How was it that an incompetent pup like Atsuji could insinuate himself into her affections, within just a matter of days?

Sesshoumaru let his gaze trail away from the brother and sister whose heads were still bent close together and return broodingly to Rin. It troubled him to think she would bestow her loyalties that easily, especially to one so lacking in abilities as Atsuji. His gaze became speculative as he continued to eye her while she watched Atsuji and Mizuna, her face continuing to reflect a myriad of emotions. He had no idea how Atsuji had managed it but he certainly intended to find out.

 

Rin had finally managed to empty her heart of the simmering anger that threatened to boil over inside her. But when she finally opened her eyes, she found she no longer had a clear view of Atsuji and Mizuna. Sesshoumaru-sama had moved quietly in front of her and now all she could see was the mantle of fur coiled around his right arm and shoulder and the v-shaped neck of his pristine crimson and white kimono. Disconcerted, she blinked and slowly looked up to find his amber eyes focused intently on her face as if he was trying to read her thoughts.

Color flooded into her face for no apparent reason, and she suddenly felt very shy and awkward. Confused, she looked away from him, down at his armor plate, and tried to get a grip on her emotions.

What is wrong with me!? she silently berated herself.

Sesshoumaru-sama was her second family! He was her hero! She'd loved and admired him for as long as she'd known him! But then her stomach filled with butterflies on the heels of this last thought and her grip tightened convulsively on her bow. Completely bewildered by the chaotic emotions swirling inside her, she pushed them away.

“Come, let us walk,” he murmured. Without waiting to see if she followed, he turned on his heel and headed towards the bridge, moving away from Inuyasha, away from the village and away from Mizuna and Atsuji.

Rin looked uncertainly at Inuyasha who just shrugged at her and after an infinitesimal pause in which her eyes flickered towards Mizuna, she followed Sesshoumaru-sama, wondering where he was going.

The sun was just beginning to set. Once they crossed the bridge, Rin immediately spied Jyaken-sama right where she'd left him, crouched patiently next to Rin's laundry basket with Suzu perched on his black hat, and the reins of Aun Un in his hand. He broke into stammered speech when they approached, but Sesshoumaru-sama didn't even look his way, and the voice of his faithful servant petered out as Sesshoumaru-sama blithely strolled by, heading north of the rice fields. Rin gave the green imp a sympathetic smile and a wave as she too passed him, noting that they were moving in the direction of Inuyasha Forest.

As they continued onward, Rin turned her head, and watched their shadows spill across the ground, Sesshoumaru-sama's stretching long and tall and hers trailing after, much smaller and slighter. It somehow reminded her of their past, a faint echo of the carefree child who used to walk in his footsteps and went everywhere with him or waited faithfully for his return. How she missed those days, missed being with him, hearing his voice, seeing his calm face, feeling his reassuring presence…

But he was here now, a little voice whispered to her. Then she put her hand to her chest and felt her heart fluttering around like a bird, knowing it wasn't the same, that it never would be the same.

Back then, when they'd walked in silence, it never seemed as uncomfortable as it did now, and as a child it never crossed her mind to worry about anything. That they were together and that she was happy: that was all that had mattered at the time.

What had changed? Was it her? It had to be her, she mused, for he seemed almost unchanged, she reflected, studying his long, moonlight-colored hair and his broad shoulders, the only parts of him she could see at the moment from her vantage point.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru-sama turned and it startled her a bit but then she looked around. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't realized that they were this near the forest. Sesshoumaru-sama abruptly veered from the road, cutting through a field of high grass towards the line of trees that signaled the entrance to Inuyasha Forest.

He was walking slower now as if feeling his way, and once or twice he paused. Rin remained silent behind him, stopping when he did. She tried to keep her eyes on his back and her mind blank at the same time, but it was difficult since his overwhelming presence was what seemed to be spawning her confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Rin tried to distract herself by attempting to identify the smells of the sweet grasses and the late-blooming flowers in the meadow, as she walked. Then she briefly looked up at the sky, observing that it had gone from light blue to dull grey. It would be dark soon, and she began tracing all the faint stars she could see, watching their glimmer brighten as the sky got darker. Finally when the stars were no longer visible through the trees' canopy once they entered the forest itself, she resorted to counting the steps they were taking to try and keep her thoughts busy, idly wondering at the same time how far Sesshoumaru-sama intended to go.

After a while though, she had a sneaking suspicion that she knew where he was taking her, and a few minutes later, she knew she was right when they broke through the trees and into the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well stood.

Sesshoumaru-sama's steps again slowed and Rin stopped following him and began watching him instead. He was very beautiful, she observed in something approaching awe. She'd always loved his pale, silver hair ever since she was a child. It was so long and it glistened vibrantly like an egret's feather in the light, and shimmered like the moon's soft glow in the darkness. But there was more than just his hair that made Sesshoumaru-sama beautiful. The dark crescent moon centered on his forehead, a mystical symbol of what Rin knew not, drew the eye to his well shaped brows, and the crimson marks on either side of his face accentuated his high cheekbones and called attention to the slant of his beautiful amber eyes and their long dark lashes.

It could easily be said that he was more beautiful than Atsuji, she realized after a moment but beautiful in a different way, for Atsuji's beauty was far more feminine than Sesshoumaru-sama's. Sesshoumaru-sama could never be mistaken for a woman. His shoulders were much too broad, his chin much too defined, and he walked with a sensual grace that was unmistakably masculine.

Rin watched him now as he prowled around the clearing, his eyes focused and sharp, but seemingly looking at nothing in particular. Her gaze followed him, uncertain of exactly what it was they were doing here, but after he had made a complete circuit of the clearing he finally turned to her and spoke for the first time.

“Atsuji's blood-scent hangs in the air all around this area,” And it finally dawned on Rin that he'd been checking the clearing not just for visual clues but for those that he could inhale as well. “I could smell it even as we flew over this region on the way to the village. I know this is where he was wounded last night, but many other scents linger here as well, so it is hard to tell what else happened. I will rely on you to tell me that.” Sesshoumaru-sama gave her an expectant look.

So that was it, she thought. He wanted an explanation for Atsuji's injuries. Perhaps to appease the worries of Atsuji's sister, she thought heavily. Although, come to think of it, she didn't appear to be all that worried about him when they'd left the village…

“Rin—“

Sesshoumaru-sama's sharp voice dragged her out of her reverie with a start and she hastily apologized.

“Atsuji, well h-he, you see, yesterday…” Rin couldn't seem to put her thoughts into words, for Sesshoumaru-sama's eyes suddenly seemed so brutally cold.

She didn't remember his gaze ever being like this as a child and a sense of loss began to steal over her. Had much of it been an illusion, those happy memories of her childhood? Had his eyes been filled with coldness even then, but she'd been too young to see? Had she been just a burden for him to carry - is that why he had turned her over to Inuyasha? So he would no longer have to endure her presence? That thought was an extremely painful one, and she didn't want to believe it. But somehow it was beginning to feel as if something precious was being stolen from her, for she could no longer be comfortable in Sesshoumaru-sama's presence. Avoiding his gaze, she looked down at the bow clenched in her hand and nervously shifted it to her other hand. Anything was better than having to face the coldness in those eyes, she thought miserably.

“Ats-suji, appeared here yesterday and acted very bravely. He was very helpful, Sesshoumaru-s-sama,” Rin murmured dutifully. “Although, he isn't very skilled with his weapon -“she broke off and shook her head in confusion. She was sure this would reflect poorly on Atsuji with Sesshoumaru-sama, and she tried to think of more positive things to tell him, things that he could proudly tell his betrothed. Drawing in a deep breath she tried again, “H-he is very strong, and v-very brave. When we were in trouble, he did not h-hesitate to step forward and jeopardize his own life for the sake of mine… and e-even after y-yesterday he has tried to do his best to help me no matter what.”

Again Sesshoumaru-sama called her name sharply, this time, taking several steps closer to her, and she looked up in surprise to see his countenance dark with anger.

“I do not wish to hear you sing the praises of Atsuji,” he told her in silky accents and he was surprised to see her mouth drop open in confusion.

“But I thought you wanted to know about Atsuji, Sesshoumaru-sama,” she murmured, a faint questioning tone in her voice. “Isn't that why we came here?”

The look in her eyes told him she didn't understand at all what he wanted so it was up to him to make her understand.

“What I want to know,” he paused and brought his hand up. Gently he cupped her chin, tilting her face so he could better see it in the gathering darkness before his fingers slid softly across one of her cheeks, pushing a few wisps of hair behind her ear. Instead of moving his hand away when he was through, he let his fingertips trace the thin, red, scar-like lines that crisscrossed her cheekbones, noticing how her eyes widened as he did so. “What I want to know,” he reiterated his voice getting softer and his eyes losing some of their coldness, “is how you got these marks--” His probing gaze trailed slowly away from her face, across her jaw and down her neck toward the v-shaped opening of her kimono and he let his hand lightly follow in its wake as he spied a few more tell-tale scratches there, “--and these as well,” he murmured as the tips of his fingers grazed the exposed flesh watching in curiosity as her chest rapidly rose and fell in reaction to his touch.

In a purely defensive reaction Rin took on step back and put her hand to her chest, clenching the folds of her kimono tightly together as she struggled to catch her breath, a bewildered expression on her countenance.

In that moment, Sesshoumaru caught a glimpse of a child hiding in her eyes, and it struck a chord somewhere deep inside him, for it was the same child that he'd known all those years ago. But now he was seeing her from a much different perspective. This was a lonely child, a vulnerable child, and this child was waiting to be loved.

It hit him hard, and a strange hunger began to gnaw at him, a reflection of the emotions he felt when he took part in the Hunt and yet it was different at the same time; not as cold or as brutally savage as those feelings. As he stood there, he wasn't sure what to do with them. The only certainty at the moment was how troubled he was by the fact that he'd let himself be affected by a mortal- even if that mortal was one that had traveled with him and had walked faithfully by his side.

“Th - these marks are a result of a battle that took place here last night,” Rin finally responded in a slightly wooden voice, her gaze roving towards the well. “There is a new Tama, and a man who possesses some of the Jewel's powers now…”

Rin went on and tried to relate the entire story to Sesshoumaru without leaving out any of the pertinent details. Sesshoumaru listened without interruption, not at all surprised to find out that it had been Atsuji, in the end, who had shed his own blood by invoking the youki of his Chigi-riki in order to save Rin.

At last Sesshoumaru thought he was beginning to comprehend Rin's attachment to the helpless fool - a hero who she was indebted to and yet in need of constant saving himself. With Rin's giving nature, it made perfect sense now; while at the same time it served as volatile ingredients for a perfectly dangerous relationship between the two...

After she finished her explanation, Rin paused and despite the absorbed expression on his face mustered up the courage to broach a subject she wanted settled before they returned to the village if at all possible. “Sesshoumaru-sama may I ask you something?”

There was a slight pause but then Sesshoumaru grunted his assent, not really paying attention as he stared off into the distance, lost in his thoughts concerning Rin and Atsuji before he became increasing preoccupied with trying to understand his own reaction to the entire situation. Her question, however, made him turn his head and look at her.

“Why were you fighting with Inuyasha?” she asked in concern.

“Because he failed to carry out his duties as your guardian.” Came the simple reply. “And in doing so, he has failed me one too many times.”

“-- But then you could also say that I failed to carry out my job as a miko,” Rin quietly pointed out after a moment. “And I have failed you as well.” Sesshoumaru-sama's brow soared at that, mystified by her illogical reasoning.

“I never expected you to be able to fully protect yourself, Rin,” he replied somewhat dismissively, “you are, after all, only human.”

Rin felt her cheeks redden at the slight sting of the unintended insult, but she doggedly went on. “Well, so was Inuyasha at the time, so how could you expect him to protect me?” She watched his expression harden at her words, and she hastily apologized, “I only meant that if I been stronger, then perhaps I could have broken the spell of the Ijin on my own.”

Sesshoumaru shrugged. “Perhaps,” was all he said and he turned and began walking away.

Rin assumed that their little chat here was over, so she followed him out of the clearing and back into the trees.

But she couldn't stop herself from querulously asking, “So, S-sseshoumaru-sama, could you p-please not blame Inuyasha anymore?” There was a lengthy silence, and Rin grimaced, timidly eyeing Sesshoumaru-sama's long, silver hair, thinking how it swayed like flowing silk when he walked. “What I m-mean, is perhaps you will not fight with him anymore because of me?”

Sesshoumaru's lips quirked into an wry smile at her awkward sounding request, while he continued walking forward without pause, but she couldn't see it since she was behind him, and there was no sign of it in his voice as he gave her the noncommittal response of another, “Perhaps.”

They continued walking and after a few more minutes of prolonged silence, Rin sighed and murmured, “I suppose now that Atsuji's sister has found him, you will be returning home.” Sesshoumaru could hear the regret in her guileless words, and felt an answering pang well up inside of his own breast and he scowled. “It was so very nice to see Sesshoumaru-sama and Jyaken-sama after so long, -- even if you didn't recognize me -“

Rin mumbled these last words half to herself, almost falling over when he suddenly stopped and rounded on her. She foundered into him then, her bow getting tangled in his empty left kimono sleeve, while her nose actually brushed the soft white fabric covering his chest. From the corner of her eye, the spikes on his shoulder armor loomed dangerously close to the side of her head. Instinctively she shrank away from them, trying to take a step to the side, and tripped over his boot.

She would have fallen had his arm not caught her and held her close against the soft, white fur pelt wound around the crook of his arm and up his shoulder. She made a slight noise of surprise as he settled her back to her feet, letting her find her balance before he moved his arm away and slowly stepped back.

“I'm sorry,” she apologized, flustered, the feeling of his fingers still lingering pleasantly against her waist and she almost wished he hadn't let her go - a notion which sent her heart beating out of control. “I didn't mean to—“ she mumbled in a muddled way.

“You're wrong,” he spoke loudly, firmly cutting through her confusion.

“I'm, I'm wrong?” she echoed helplessly, wondering when exactly his eyes had lost their coldness. Now they were gazing at her, a strange glow in their depths.

“I recognized you,” he murmured, his hand coming up to rest warmly against her neck. Again he used his thumb to tilt her chin higher. “I recognized you, just not with my eyes.”

Slowly, he leaned forward, his eyes drooping half-closed and hers widened as his face came closer, angling towards her neck. Her heart was beating so hard now that she was sure he could hear it, a fluttering sensation expanding in the pit of her stomach as she felt his breath fan across her neck. Her mouth fell open in shock as she heard him inhale, the skin from his cheek and lips almost touching her throat as he moved towards her jaw and then across her cheek.

“I knew the minute I smelled your scent, who you were,” he whispered, his breath brushing against her as he spoke, his mellifluous voice running through her head like some kind of arcane magic weaving an ancient spell. Again he breathed in, and Rin clenched her hand tightly at her side, feeling like she needed to take a deep shuddering breath herself, but she couldn't for her heart was beating too rapidly. “No matter how you might change on the outside, your scent will always be the same,” he breathed softly.

With these words he let his hand slide from her throat, but he leaned just a fraction closer and deliberately let his lips brush against her cheek for a long moment, wanting his scent to mingle with hers before pulling away with a dissatisfied look on his face. He didn't say it aloud, but he could smell Atsuji's scent mixed together with hers. It lingered on her clothes, near her throat, and even on her face. It was a fact he found especially disturbing.

And when he'd been leaning down next to her, his face so close to her soft skin, he'd wanted to override the pup's scent with his everywhere he'd found it. Another fact he'd found equally disturbing. In the end, he'd been unable to stop himself from pressing his lips against her, to mark her, as if that one touch would make a difference. It had only been a brief, grazing contact, not enough to blot out Atsuji's scent. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it, other than the fact that her scent even when mixed with that of another youkai's was incredibly sweet and he'd been spurred on by the strange hunger gnawing at him.

Feeling disturbed by the whole incident, he pulled away and turned on his heel. He began walking again, his thoughts continuing to be centered on his turbulent emotions, Rin and disgustingly enough, on Atsuji who was most likely not going to go away given Rin's overprotective attachment to the fool.

Her eyes wide, a lost expression mirrored in their depths Rin mechanically trailed after Sesshoumaru-sama, feeling shaken, her body still unsettled from what he'd just done. Had he!? Had he just kissed her? Her heart felt like it would explode through her chest and go tumbling to the ground, and her cheeks burned with heat. This was not at all like the reaction she'd had to the kisses she'd shared with Atsuji, but - had it even been a real kiss at all? she mused uncertainly.

Somehow she didn't think so. After all, he had the beautiful Mizuna, so why would he want to kiss someone as unsophisticated and inexperienced as her? With that lowering thought her heart settled back into its normal rhythm and her eyes slid away from his back. She peered out through the darkness of the trees as they passed them by and she sighed deeply, almost dismally.

Sesshoumaru, who had been caught up in his own thoughts, heard it and turned his head to direct a sharp look over his shoulder at her. His brows pulled together at her dejected expression. Immediately he pulled to a stop and began to wonder why she was suddenly so upset.

“What's wrong?” he demanded.

The question was completely unexpected and she started in surprise. Her head jerked towards him and away from the dark forest to find him studying her intently with a forbidding frown

Immediately her expression cleared.

“N-nothing's the matter!!” she replied, but she could see that this was the wrong answer for his frown deepened, and so she stammered, “I am just a little concerned about Atsuji - he was wounded and - and -“ her voice trailed off and she inwardly cringed. This was not the correct answer either, for now he was positively scowling at her, and she'd wished that he'd never even asked her. But she'd already launched into her excuse, so now she had to finish it. “—he re-injured his back today - twice as a matter of fact, both times while trying to keep me safe, and I am certain it needs to be attended to… I'm hoping Inuyasha has mentioned it to Kaede-bachan, but knowing Inuyasha, that most likely hasn't happened.”

“Then let us by all means hasten back to the village so you can take care of Atsuji …” Sesshoumaru-sama's words were solicitous, but his eyes were again cold, and Rin felt that she'd done or said something horribly wrong.

“Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama,” she murmured feeling a trifle miserable.

Sesshoumaru negligently waved away her thanks, feeling far from benevolent as he turned and again started walking. If he had his way, Atsuji would be sent back to his own clan where he could no longer pose a threat to Rin.

Threat? that nasty little voice whispered again. Just what kind of threat was he concerned with, for Atsuji was incapable of bodily harm to most everyone, save himself of course…

Sesshoumaru scowled and tried to ignore the sly, taunting voice, but he knew he was going to have to answer for the emotions driving his actions concerning Rin sooner or later. Until then, however, he was fast concluding that the situation between Atsuji and Rin would require very close scrutiny in the future to ensure that their friendship remained just that: friendship and nothing more. It was a job he would most likely relegate to Jyaken. But the insignificant pup seemed to constantly be in Rin's thoughts - a sign that did not bode well at all, he reflected darkly, which meant that it might require his interference as well.

But no matter what, Sesshoumaru had every intention of keeping a very close eye on Gyousei's first born son. The Gyousei clan was known for their promiscuity, even though, as far as he knew Atsuji was the exception to the rule so far. Still, Rin was not a toy to be played with and Sesshoumaru had every intention of making sure that Atsuji knew exactly that.

 

 

Yari** Spear

Kemari** a ball game that is believe to have arrived in Japan from China during the Yamato era. It was a game popular with the court classes up through kamakura period after which time, the warrior classes also began indulging in the game. It's popularity decreased during the Meiji era and it is no longer played.

Tansu** Storage Chest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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