InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wandering Souls ❯ Sesshomaru's ward ( Chapter 14 )

Sesshomaru stood staring up at the night sky his thoughts in turmoil. Something was wrong but he did not know what. Outwardly he appeared cold, distant to whoever happened upon him, but inwardly he was feeling emotions that he did not understand.

He stood there long moments just staring upward letting the breeze play with his long silver hair and ruffle the fur along his pelt. Thinking over the events that had occurred several moments before.

He had felt something; a twinge of fear, an unheard scream, and then a tight knot had formed in his chest almost making it hard for him to breath. Along with these unusual feelings he had felt the tingling run though his arm once more as if the miko had been there touching it all over again.

What did it all mean, he wondered silently. Surely, a demon lord such as himself were not permitted such emotions. What unknown event had happened that brought such longing to him?

Behind him, Jaken fumed, muttering something about humans and Sesshomaru glanced back to see that Rin had fallen asleep on Au-Un's back, knocking Jaken off. The twin-headed dragon seemed to be silently laughing at the small toad's plight.

Rin tossed restlessly in her sleep and Sesshomaru found himself wondering how the small human child was able to stay on the dragon's back. When he heard her muttering in her sleep he leaned closer, barely catching her whispered pleas even with his acute demon hearing. He drew closer, trying to understand what was unsettling the usually cheerful child, but he could only catch incoherent and jumbled sentences that barely made sense to him. The most he could understand were "Marie" and "Please, don't go".

Inwardly, Sesshomaru sighed, Marie had worked her way into the girl's heart over the past few months and strangely he, himself felt something towards the human miko. She was different, he realized thinking back to the few days Marie had spent at his keep.

Rin had gotten sick and Sesshomaru knew nothing of human illnesses, but Marie had taken charge the moment he brought her back to the keep. Marie had looked the fevered girl over and turned into a human whirlwind on him. As he sat watching in disbelief as Marie began commanding his servants around. They had looked to him for guidance and when he nodded they rushed off to do whatever she had told them.

At first his Lordly pride burned at the indignation of the girl before him. No one showed authority over his but instead of taking immediate action like he would normally have, Sesshomaru watched her every move. Biting down his fury he suddenly realized that everything Marie had asked for was indeed for Rin.

When Marie had requested mulled wine, Sesshomaru questioned her about it and she quickly explained how bitter the herbs she was using would be and that she needed the wine to mask the flavor. The reason she asked for it to be warm was that it would add a benefit to help the weakened child sweat out the fever that had gripped her tiny frame. He had nodded his understanding and left to attend to other matters. Leaving instructions with his servants to get the healer anything she needed, he left to patrol his lands. It had been a bit of a shock to him that he had not left her with his usual death threat where Rin was concerned thought and it made him wonder if somehow his ward had weakened his nature.

He returned well into the night but his first concern was for Rin as he headed into her room only to find that Marie slept on the floor beside Rin's bed. She looked tired, a twinge of power still hung in the air and he knew that she had used her Miko powers. Marie opened one eyes briefly to look up at the Western Lord then closed it back falling quickly into a light slumber.

Sesshomaru stood for a long while watching the two and gave a silent sigh as he found Rin breathed easier, the rasping in her chest gone. Her color was almost back to normal and she rested peacefully. A small smile escaped Sesshomaru and he left the room. That night, though awake or asleep, visions of Marie and Rin together plagued his mind, troubling him deeply. No matter how hard he tried, Sesshomaru could not push the thoughts away and he was not sure he really wanted to.

The next morning had found Rin jumping around and asking Marie millions of questions. Marie watched the girl closely; answering everything she could while not letting her over excite herself.

When Sesshomaru had later come in and found his human ward back to her old self, he decided to take her outside. All hell broke loose the moment Marie became aware of his decision.

"You are not taking Rin anywhere!" Marie had shouted at him, "You'll get her sick again!" She had positioned herself in the doorway effectively blocking their way out of Rin's room. She glared defiantly up at the demon lord. His anger at her commanding him shone in his golden eyes as the woman stood in his way.

Rin had stared wide-eyed up at Marie from behind Sesshomaru, her tiny mouth agape in the form of an O. She had never heard anyone stand up to her lord before and it frightened her. Her wide ebony eyes shone with unshed tears as she saw the anger in Marie's gaze and began to shake slightly when she heard Jaken's words.

"Impudent human!" Jaken hissed angrily at Marie. "Do not speak to the great Lord Sesshomaru like that!"

"The great Lord Sesshomaru brought me here to look after the child," Marie spat back at Jaken, her blazing eyes glowing with anger. "And that's just what I intend to do even if that means going up against him."

"W….what!" Jaken sputtered angrily, "You dare go against Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I dare for Rin's safety." Marie refused to back down from either the toad or the demon Lord. She had a job to do even if that meant her death, and she was determined to do it just right.

"Why I'll teach you to learn your place pathetic human!" Jaken shouted raising his staff to strike her.

Marie flinched ever so slightly and braced herself to be struck, but Lord Sesshomaru saw it. He also saw her fight down the urge to throttle the toad and some other unknown emotion flash though her eyes and decided to intervene.

"Jaken," he said quietly with a hint of threat to it.

"B…but Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken stammered but lowered his staff.

"That will be enough." Sesshomaru said watching the miko intently.

"Yes, lord Sesshomaru," Jaken glared at the human woman, murder playing in his bulging toad like eyes.

"When may, this Sesshomaru, take Rin abroad?" Sesshomaru asked his anger gone from him as curiosity began to surface.

"Tomorrow if the fever does not return." Her eyes held nothing to them now, but her body visible relaxed when Jaken had lowered the staff.

Strange she expected him to strike her, yet she did not attempt to use her powers on either of us. Sesshomaru thought admiring her courage. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he had never met anyone like her before, neither human nor demon.

Sesshomaru turned to the child behind him and gave her a small smile, "Tomorrow then."

He turned back to Marie then, quietly waiting what the healer would say next.

Marie sighed softly as she stared up at him gracing him with one of her rare smiles. "Rin can go anywhere in the castle she's allowed to but the moment she tires she needs to rest. But no outside, Lord Sesshomaru, till I know the fever has let go of her."

Sesshomaru nodded then and Marie stepped aside unblocking the girl's bedroom door. She knew she had won a great victory over the demon Lord but was not quite sure why she still lived.

Sesshomaru started down the hallway with Rin and Jaken following him, but was stopped by Marie's soft, weary voice once more.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" her voice held a deep concern to it as he turned to face her once more, silently waiting for her to go on. "May I speak with you on your return, concerning Rin's illness?"

Sesshomaru nodded once more and left, the others following right behind him. Marie left alone tiredly collapsed into the large chair that sat in a corner of Rin's room. She had lightly slumbered through the night, but was awake everything the child shifted in her sleep. Marie kept watch over her, only letting the light sleep claim her for a few moments at a time. Swiftly she let herself fall into a deep sleep knowing that she would need her rest for the night ahead.

Sesshomaru had found her that way hours later. Curled up in a tight ball snuggled deep within the chairs cushions. She had not stirred when he'd entered the room, not even to open one eye. Carefully, he had laid Marie on Rin's bed and the child had curled up against her falling asleep quickly.

To Sesshomaru it had almost been as if Marie had trusted him to protect her. Perhaps the human has more faith in me then she should, he thought as he walked out of the room. Only Rin had even shown that type of faith before though a few others had tried. They had claimed they felt the human emotion called love for him, but every one of them had wanted love in return. Something he believed himself incapable of.

Upon waking Marie had sought him out, telling him about her fears of someone having tried to once more harm Rin. He'd become angry, but some how the Miko had soothed him by telling him that Rin would fully recover. She had explained that some how Rin had come into contact with some very potent herbs and that there had been a deep sense of magic being used against himself and Rin. Marie however could not explain where the herbs that made Rin sick or the magic had come from.

"It's almost as if they come from a different world," She had told him in her concern but warned him to stay on his guard as she did not know what it was.

Marie had stayed on a few days more after that just to make certain Rin remained healthy, but never once did she deny him after that first day, asking only that Rin be brought home at night to rest till her body had fully healed.

After Marie had left to return to her sister and that half brother of his, Sesshomaru had found himself thinking even more about the miko and they way she had smiled at him when he had given in, instead of killing her for her important act of denial. He also kept watch for whoever had dared harm his ward but he was unable to obtain any information on the subject.

"Marie," he whispered quietly and Sesshomaru lowered his gaze from the stars as his mind snapped back to the present. He had decided to travel to the human village to check up on the human girl. Silently, his servant and the dragon trailed behind him.