InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Woman & Child ❯ Come Back ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Most troublesome indeed...

Rin was quiet as of late. Except for that damn sad song she wouldn’t stop singing. Sesshoumaru had to endure her distraught scent for days now. And it just wouldn’t let up. Sesshoumaru assumed that Rin had knew the woman for as long as they were in that region. Which was about six moon cycles. And now they were moving on, following Naraku’s scent. Rin had become attached to the unsufferable woman who dared to stand up to him. Besides for scent wasn’t all that great anyway. Sesshoumaru snorted. That woman had bewitched his Rin and now he had to suffer for it. He didn’t know how to comfort the girl that’s why he needed a woman in young Rin’s life. A woman not that woman. He be damned if he had to watch his back at every turn in his own pack.

Rin was crying again as she shifted through the clothing in the brown pack belonging to the woman. Sesshoumaru allowed curiosity to push him forward.

“Rin.” Sesshoumaru said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence the group was accustomed to.

Rin looked up as if startled. “Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?”

“What are you looking for?” The taiyoukai asked.

Rin smiled. “The present Shori gave Rin.”

Sesshoumaru sat in front of the girl and pulled the pack from her hands. He sifted through the bag and fingered a hard object. He pulled out the object and Rin’s eyes lit up. It was a tiny carving of a woman. She had long hair that fell past her knees and holding her small hand was a child that closely resembled the girl with the half moon smile looking at him.

“This is you.” Sesshoumaru said with his stoic tone.

“And Shori!” Rin’s smile quickly faded and she plucked the small object from his hand and ran off. Sesshoumaru sat in stunned silence and looked down on the scattered clothing. They were child sized and obviously meant for Rin. Had the woman really been so kind. Sesshoumaru picked up a small brush that was tossed in with the clothing. He inspected the thin bristles and envisioned Rin sitting patiently as that woman gently brushed her hair and sung that damn song...

He could smell her tears again, when wasn’t she crying these days? Sesshoumaru tried to remember the last time she cried, he couldn’t. She was so brave and strong for a ningen. And then this woman comes and dashes all that away.
Very, very troublesome indeed.

Jaken was left in charge of the youth again. The shinwa youkai was guaranteed of his demise if Rin was lost again. Jaken knew that his master meant business. He wasn’t a inu youkai with a sense of humor. Sesshoumaru made his way back north. To the place where Rin met the woman. It took him no time to reach the north where the snow was already beginning to fall. He was grateful to Naraku for moving south, at least Rin wouldn’t have to endure the harsh winter the north had to offer. And now to find the woman. There was a mountain where he knew a pack of ookami had resided. But no longer, a sickness if he remembered correctly wiped out the pack. The wolves of the north were far more socially accepted than the ookami of the east. Kouga’s clan. The wolves of the north were tamed by the humans of the villages and coexisted quite well. That is until the inu youkai of the land came and poisoned the ookami. Sesshoumaru didn’t know or care about the inu youkai’s reasoning for killing of the ookami. But Sesshoumaru did want to know how the inu youkai were killed soon after the wolves. It is said that a few of the survivors of the sickness, refined the poison and killed the inu in retaliation. But that theory was never proven.

The sickening scent of a human village assaulted his senses. But he continued on, intent on finding Shori. The ningen scurried into their huts at the sight of the approaching tai youkai. Mothers hurried and led their children away and men reached for their swords. Sesshoumaru had not been in a human village in many years, he forgot how cowardly humans could be sometimes. Sesshoumaru noticed that like the woman all the villagers there had brown skin. It must have been the region he was in. He glared and the men who had the audacity to reach for their swords. The men dropped their hands in fear and scurried away. Most likely to hide with the women. Pathetic.

Sesshoumaru scanned the area. Not one person was outside their huts. They just waited for death. The youkai sniffed the air and searched for the scent of waterfalls. But the scents of the village hindered his senses. Sesshoumaru inwardly groaned and continued to step deeper into the village. Then to his utter surprise a short, round man approached him and bowed low. With his forehead still pressed to the ground, the man spoke.

“Forgive me, for my delay. Youkai-sama, I am the village headsman here.” The man sat back on his knees and refused eye contact. Sesshoumaru frowned, that annoyed him. “What can we do for you, Milord?”

Sesshoumaru glared at the shaking man. “I’m am looking for a woman.” Sesshoumaru said after a frightening long silence.

The headsman shot his head up. “You wish to take one of our women as your bride!”

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws and resisted the urge to rip the man’s offending throat out. “Do not insult this Sesshoumaru. I seek out a woman who has cared for my ward.”

Sesshoumaru could see the man relax slightly. “Maybe I can assist you? What is the woman’s name?”

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment. What had Rin called the woman. Ah yes.

“Shori.” Sesshoumaru said with a slightly annoyed tone. He was sick of the smells and whispers of the village. It all just made his anger rise, and he wanted to be out of the revolting place.

He could hear the man on his knees gasp and look up with a deeper fear in his eyes than before. “Shori-hime?” The man stood and took a step back. “You are looking for the wolf princess? You are inu youkai!”

Wolf Princess? That human was a princess of youkai? Damn, this day was just getting better. Sesshoumaru noticed that the man took another slow step back. Sesshoumaru inaudibly chuckled. The foolish human was going to try and run. Before the man’s foot could touch the ground Sesshoumaru had the man by the throat.

“Where is she?” Sesshoumaru said in a calm voice that was even more menacing than if he were yelling.

The man could feel the claws around his throat tighten and pierce his skin. He tried and failed to swallow, which caused him to choke further. He was going to die if he didn’t tell the beast what he wanted to know. He just hoped the Princess would forgive him.

“T-the ook-ami dens... further... north!” The headsman managed to choke out. Sesshoumaru dropped the man and turned and left the village without another word.

Sesshoumaru floated through the air toward the dens. ‘Princess.’ He thought to himself. How did a human end up a princess of wolf youkai. It was quite the enigma.

Sesshoumaru touched down at the entrance of a large den. Her scent was everywhere. Sesshoumaru stepped into the darkened cave and found piles of fur arranged neatly around the den. A futon with a large pelt was next to a fading fire. Sesshoumaru noticed something interesting, carvings. They were all around him. Mostly of wolves and wolf youkai. Sesshoumaru walked around the den and studied his surroundings. One of the larger carvings caught his eyes. He reached down and picked up the wooden object. It was Rin. She was dancing on a flower. On one of the petals was a kanji inscription. Musume. Daughter. Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened and he dropped the statue. The sound of humming came from the back of the cave, that damn sad song that Rin had sung everyday for the last eight days.

Sesshoumaru walked towards the humming and exited the cave. The moon shined brightly and cast everything in silvery glow. Including the beautiful hime who was bathing in a hot spring. Sesshoumaru said nothing as the woman ran her hands slowly over her arms and allowed the water to trickle down her skin. She had her eyes closed with a slight smile upon her lips. Sesshoumaru couldn’t help but notice how soft they looked. Sesshoumaru didn’t want to end that moment when he spied a celestial maiden bathing. But all good things must come to an end.

“Woman.” Sesshoumaru said casually.

Shori shot her eyes open and was shocked to see the tai youkai she hated staring at her naked form. To Sesshoumaru’s utter surprise the girl sank down deeper into the water.

“So, you’re here to finish what your filthy kind started?” The hime sighed. “You want revenge?”

“I have nothing to do with your battle with the inu youkai. I have come to take you to Rin.” Sesshoumaru said.

Shori sat up straight her round breasts just below the water line. Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to quickly scan her features. The girl didn’t notice this.

“You’ve brought back Rin!” Shori forgot her anger for the moment.

“No, you will come to the south.” Sesshoumaru said with authority.

There was that anger again. “The hell I am! I will not leave my dens to Inu youkai!”

Sesshoumaru growled. “That is none of my concern. You will do as I say willingly or by force. I’m giving you a choice.”

Shori had heard enough she lifted herself from the water and stared Sesshoumaru down. He was awestruck but refused to let it show. She was breathtaking, and the moon’s reflection only flattered her curves. He could see every soft line of her moist skin. He was half tempted to swing her over his shoulder before she had the chance to get dressed. But he allowed her to keep her dignity and watched as she slipped on the thin yukata that was hanging on a branch nearby. Then he followed through with his plan and slung the struggling girl over his shoulder. He grasped her kicking legs and began to walk back through the cave and out to the mountains. But Shori had other plans. She twisted her body with ease and pressed her lips against Sesshoumaru’s ear. He froze to a stop. His eyes fluttered slightly as her soft as silk lips brushed against the sensitive areas of his ear. Then she took a deep breath. Every logical bone in his body told him to let her down, but logic didn’t have his attention as much as those lips at that moment.

The scream she laid out was deafening. And Sesshoumaru was in immeasurable pain. He could of sworn that he even nearly went blind for the briefest of seconds. Suddenly is legs gave out from under him as the ringing in his ears completely over took him. When he opened his eyes the girl was gone. The great inu taiyoukai was brought down by a mere human woman. On wobbly legs Sesshoumaru stood and put a hand over his ringing ear. He shook his head and tried to end the damnable noise. Soon the disorientated youkai felt his sensitive ear healing and he had the strength to go and kill that bitch.

Shori was waiting for him, and with the stealth of a wolf she attacked him with her repaired spear. Sesshoumaru was still shaken but dodged her attack easily. He took her by the collar and brought her face to his. He didn’t take her by the throat like he thought he should have. Maybe he had some kind of strange respect for the woman, but that didn’t stop him from being royally pissed.

“Bitch! I should kill you!” Sesshoumaru snarled.

Shori angry expression never faltered. “Then do it, you filthy beast.” She bit out with more courage than she deserved. Sesshoumaru’s hardened his features more.

“You would leave Rin without a Mother?” Sesshoumaru finally said. That struck a nerve. Shori’s eyes welled and tears fell freely.

“Rin?” Shori whispered. Sesshoumaru dropped the girl and she fell to her knees crying.

“Gather what you need, only what you need. We will leave by sunrise.” Sesshoumaru said before leaving the cave.

He found himself back at the spring. He gazed into the warm water, and thought of the woman so bold to defy him. He shrugged off his clothing and dipped into the spring. It really was a wonderful feeling. His silver hair seemed to glow as it skimmed the surface of the soothing water. His ear still hurt and he lowered his body deeper into the water. He felt eyes on him and he sat up. Shori was staring at him. Their eyes locked with each other then she simply walked away. Sesshoumaru settled back into the water and closed his eyes. He would not let that woman get to him. The princess wasn’t a princess of anything anymore. Her clan was gone and she was alone. Why would she want to stay there, there were no wolves?

Sesshoumaru reveled in the warm water for a moment longer before reentering the biting cold. He didn’t dwell on the girl in the cave. He was there for Rin and nothing else. Sesshoumaru stepped into the cave and saw Shori packing some things.

“I told you to only pack essentials.” Sesshoumaru said.

“I am packing what I need. This is my home and I won’t part with my father’s pelt.” She picked up the large pelt on the futon and rolled it up. She also pack a few small carvings and her small tools. She sifted through her clothing and only took a few articles. Sesshoumaru scoffed.

“The ookami fur makes your scent disagreeable.” Sesshoumaru sneered.

Shori ignored him and put a fur over her shoulders. She turned to him and put her pack and father’s pelt on her back. “We should leave now, I do not want to spend anymore time alone with you than necessary.”
Before she knew it she was against the wall. Sesshoumaru pressed his body against her to stop her movements. Her glared down on the defiant girl. “Your not a hime anymore! You will respect me!” Shori didn’t move, she only glared at him.

“Get your hands off of me!” Shori said angrily.

Her scent spiked and Sesshoumaru found himself strangely inching closer to the woman he was pressed against. Without warning Sesshomaru shot his head forward and sunk his teeth into her collar bone. The pain was blinding and Shori cried out. Sesshoumaru heard her cries and shot his eyes open. Slowly he slid his teeth from her wounds and backed away. The girl fell to the ground and held her bleeding wound. Sesshoumaru was stunned, he let his animal take over and he couldn’t control himself.

The hime stood up and held her head high. “Never touch me again.” Shori didn’t seemed shocked by Sesshoumaru’s actions, she knew enough about inu youkai males to know not to push one too far. She was foolish and chastised her own temper. She reached into her bag and pulled out some herbs. “We will leave at sunrise like planned, I need to tend to my bite. Get out.”

Sesshoumaru wasn’t a youkai who took orders from anyone but he couldn’t be around her now. If he was he might do something he would regret when he looked at Rin everyday. Rin loved the woman for reasons he couldn’t understand. And he cared about Rin enough not to kill the woman who treated her like a daughter. No matter how much he loathed the hime. He left without a word, he would come back at first light.

The sun hit the vast horizon and coated the freshly fallen snow in a marvelous glow. Sesshoumaru had found a tall tree to spend the night in. The cave wasn’t far from where he slept and he jumped gracefully from rock to rock. He was sure the woman would be awake if not he would just kick her awake. Sesshoumaru smiled to himself. He hoped she wasn’t awake.

Sesshoumaru stepped into the freezing cave. No wonder the woman had so many furs, she would likely freeze to death if she didn’t. He wondered how she survived alone during the winter. He then remembered that she was Princess of the wolves. The ookami obviously raised her as they’re own. But why? Sesshoumaru looked around for the sleeping girl but the cave was empty. Sesshoumaru growled and turned to follow her scent. She was running. The taiyoukai turned so fast he ran right into the elusive hime.

“Watch it, youkai!” Shori exclaimed as she lost her footing. She couldn’t catch her balance easily with the large travel pack she carried. Before she could complete her fall a clawed hand caught her arm and pulled her back up. Shori looked up into Sesshoumaru’s cold golden eyes and almost blushed. She instead snatched her arm from his grasp and glared at him. “I thought I told you not to touch me, youkai.”

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and turned quickly away effectually tripping her with his mokomoko-sama. The girl squeaked and fell with a heavy thump. She looked up and growled. “Damn youkai.” She muttered under her breath. Sesshoumaru chuckled to himself and continued down the path away from the dens.

The silence was sickening, even to Sesshoumaru who was now used to a female travel companion. He wanted to hear the soft humming or petty bickering behind him. Sometimes he turned and looked at Shori just to confirm she was still there. The sun was high above them now and they traveled non stop. Sesshoumaru didn’t bother to slow his pace for Shori who hadn’t once spoke a word since the mountain. Then as if she heard his prayer for some kind of noise Shori began humming that song. Sesshoumaru stole a glance at her. She was playing with a flower she had picked and she looked as if she didn’t have a problem walking so close to him. Suddenly Sesshoumaru stopped. It went unnoticed for a moment. Shori realized she was walking alone and turned to Sesshoumaru with a confused look.

“You should eat.” Sesshoumaru said remembering that this was usually the time when Rin stopped to eat.

Shori actually smiled and turned away. “Thank you, I was getting a little tired.”

“Why did you not say anything.” Sesshoumaru raised a brow.

“Because I don’t like you.”

Sesshoumaru smiled. Shori had prepared a plump rabbit and a few fish. Sesshoumaru noticed that the rabbit wasn’t fully cooked before she tore into it. In front of him was a piece of meat and fish. Shori wasn’t paying attention to him, but she did give him food. Maybe she wasn’t that much of a bitch after all. Sesshoumaru reached for the meat and bit into it. He felt the warm blood slide down his throat. He didn’t eat in front of Rin, because he knew she would be sick just watching him tear into a bloody uncooked rabbit or any other animal for that matter. But it was okay with Shori, besides she was eating the same thing.

“They killed my family.” Shori said suddenly and softly.

“The inu youkai.” Sesshoumaru responded. It wasn’t a question.

“I’m sorry, I acted that way. It’s hard to forget the past.” Shori continued as she picked off some flecks of meat from her bone. It was clear she was done eating but Sesshoumaru didn’t push the issue of leaving right then. “I suppose we should get along for Rin’s sake.

“I suppose your right.” Sesshoumaru agreed.

“Do you love her?” Shori looked up. “I mean is she your daughter?”

“Rin...is my pup.” Sesshoumaru confessed.

“I’m glad.” The hime smiled.

“You are a human princess of the wolves.”

Shori sighed. “I was the human princess of the wolves.” She looked down. “I’ve had many bad experiences with the inu youkai. First my human family offers me as a sacrifice to the inu when I could barely open my eyes. Then my wolf family were poisoned because the inu were jealous of the relationship we had with the humans.”

“The wolves rescued you from the dogs?” Sesshoumaru questioned. “Why?”

My parents lost a pup to the inu. When they learned of the children sacrifices they rescued me and raised me as they’re own. I became a princess, my marriage was arranged to a ookami warrior. Naota-kun.” She seemed to grow sad when she said his name. “I didn’t want to marry him at first but then I fell in love with him. He died in my arms.”

“Everything dies someday.” Sesshoumaru said not realizing how heartless he sounded.

“That just like a inu youkai to say.” Shori smiled sadly. “But wolves are very close, and we take the deaths of our comrades hard.”

“But you are not a wolf.” Sesshoumaru pointed out.

Shori sighed. “Yes...I am.”

They continued the rest of the day in silence, and this time Sesshoumaru didn’t mind.


End Chapter Two
Next Chapter: Getting to know you


Chapter Two is finished, I know Shori may seem kind of bitchy and stuck up. But she’s just misunderstood. Who knows maybe Rin will soften her unforgiving heart. Read and Review!!