He was like the wind, she decided one morning as she hung laundry on a line to dry. Blowing through her life with no ties and no way to know when he would appear and what he would do. Ever since she'd been left here he would sweep through on occasion leaving expensive gifts for her in his wake, but never staying long enough for her to voice some sort of protest. To tell him how she felt about this treatment. How his gifts meant so much to her, yet at the same time meant nothing at all. All she wanted, all she'd ever valued was his time. His presence. The way he would protect her from harm even while denying he cared about her at all; the way he would take her needs into account even when they were chasing a demon, or a rumor.
Kaede promised he would come back, though she conveniently left out when that would be. So every morning she would stand at the highest point she could find, watching.
Waiting.
Knowing that when he came back for her, he wouldn't wait for her to be ready, but would instead she would just be swept up and carried along behind him. Just like she always had been. So she was ready, ever since he'd first informed Kaede that he was leaving his human charge with her for a while. She was always packed, waiting for him to appear so she could grab her small bag of possessions- they didn't really matter- to follow. To chase after the wind.
Time and time again her lord would appear, filling her young heart with hope and childish excitement, only to leave her with a new gift and depart again. His words from so long ago fading with each time he let her remain in the village. She grasped at them every now and then, trying to remember exactly what he'd said, but years had passed and the memory had dimmed.
Seasons turned, she lived on, wondering.
Hoping.
Waiting.
A child was born, its shrill cry piercing through the crisp morning air. She wiped sweat off her brow as she washed her hands. The delivery had been a long one; she had remained with the new mother for three days assisting Kaede. Leaving the hut she felt a small twinge of regret inside her heart that she'd missed three days of waiting for her lord, and what if he'd come for her and she hadn't been there? But she also knew he hadn't come, because part of her was old enough now to realize if he hadn't come for her by now, he was probably never going to come.
A sigh passed between her lips; so much time had been stolen by waiting. By chasing the wind. Looking up she was startled to see a face as familiar to her as the back of her hand. Eyes roved over her, checking to see if she was whole, probably wondering why she smelled of birth but not wanting to ask.
"Rin, it is time to go." And with those words she was back to basking in the presence that was so similar to the wind.