(Unnecessary disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.)

Chapter 1: Following Him

Silence. It was something she had become used to in all of her years with her Lord and Master. He was a tall and beautiful creature with lily white skin and amber eyes. His nobility shone through his elegant dress and armor. He was strong, yet always seemed to be able to keep his calm demeanor. That is, almost always. He was the great dog demon Lord that watched over the Western Lands. Time did not phase his magnificent beauty, like it would to her someday.

"I will follow you to the end, My Lord.. Sesshomaru" She thought as she gazed at his figure walking ahead of her. She was a tall and thin girl with olive skin and wild black hair that flowed everywhere.

"Rin, you dawdling child, pick up your feet! You are slowing us down, again!" cried the little green toad demon that accompanied them.

He was a loud, unattractive, and bossy creature but Rin had come to love him as a child loves their nagging mother. It had been many years since she began traveling with him and their Lord but she had become accustomed to his chastising. Lord Sesshomaru was not much of a parental type so it was usually up to Jaken to make sure she was taught this from that, which made him sometimes unpleasant. But, he almost always had her best interest in mind, and that was enough for her. Although she was 13 now, and paid less heed to him than she had when she was small, which made the little old demon angry.

"Master Jaken" she addressed the toad. "Might I been born with wheels for feet, I could go as fast as you wish." She made sure her tone was sarcastic and defiant. She pulled the sleeve of her rosy pink kimono over her mouth, to hide her smile.

"Impossible child! Spoiled brat!" Jaken chastised.

"This girl shall be the end of me." He thought. Jaken was not mislead in his beliefs that his Lord had spoiled his human companion over the years. Every time she grew out of a kimono, a new, more splendid one would take its place. Every year on the same day she would awake to find a gift on her lap. "My Lord, isn't this the day I found you in the woods?" She would ask him, to no answer. Rin would smile and graciously thank him, also to silence. Lord Sesshomaru was not one to accept gratitude or even admit to gifting.

The demon Lord broke his silence then. "It is getting late. Rin, climb upon Ah Un so we may reach our resting spot sooner."

Rin stopped in her tracks and nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

The demon lord had never had to ask the human girl anything twice since their time together began. Not out of fear, but out of admiration and respect. She climbed atop a large, fearsome dragon with two heads. One of the heads went to nuzzle her face before leaping into air. She giggled and embraced the dragon around his neck.

"I hope things are like this always, Ah Un." She whispered to the beast, holding him tight.

When they reached their destination, Rin climbed off Ah Un. A nice spot this was. There were lots of beautiful trees with blossoms, and a large body of water that steamed. She saw the hot spring and beamed. "A bath! Perfect."

Sesshomaru rested his body against a tree next to the water and looked blankly into the sky, as he often did. His faithful Jaken almost immediately found a nice close spot to sit for a nap. Rin removed her kimono, leaving her underclothes on as to get to the water faster, being the impatient wild thing she was. The sun was setting that moment and a quietness fell over the group. That is, until Rin took a running start into the springs and splashed water onto both Jaken and Sesshomaru.

"Rin! This is unacceptable!" cried Jaken. Sesshomaru hadn't moved at all and made no sign that he was even paying attention.

Rin blushed and hid part of her face under the water before speaking. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru…and Master Jaken." She replied.

The toad demon huffed and walked further away from the water. Sesshomaru remained unmoved and undisturbed. He seemed to have his mind on other things. And what was being wet to one such as him? He felt no discomfort.

Rin began to remove her underclothes while swimming in the water. This was the perfect opportunity to wash them. She winced as she felt a pang in her stomach regions. She had had these pangs all day long but as they were on the dull side and most likely related to bad fish, she had been ignoring them until now.

The next sound that came made Sesshomaru jump from his trance. A loud scream came from the water. It was Rin. He looked over to the water and saw blood on her underclothes as she held them in shock. She was looking under the water, there seemed to be blood flowing in the water too. Had she been bit? He leaped into the water and grabbed the naked Rin out and now was sitting next to her on the side of the springs. She dropped her underclothes on the ground and a single tear fell from her cheek.

"I am bleeding, my Lord. I don't know why."

Rin must have been naked in front of Sesshomaru a million times before as she was a child. When she was younger she would rip her kimono off and run around feeling the warm sun on her tiny body, much to the dismay of Jaken. "Child put your clothing on at once! Nobody wants to see that!" He would shout, chasing the buck naked girl around with her clothes in his grip. One time, Rin could have sworn she heard the sound of her Lord laughing at them. But this was different. Rin now looked embarrassed of her nudity. She covered her lower regions with her hands shamefully as a little blood trickled down her thigh. "It keeps coming," She said with her head looking down. "I wasn't bit."

Lord Sesshomaru didn't say or do anything immediately. Her thin lanky body leaned against him. He had no clue as to why she bled. He was a demon, and had no experience with humans before her, especially female humans. "We have no choice," he thought. "I will take her to the old woman."

Sesshomaru grabbed Rin's underclothes and told her to hold it where she bled as he wrapped her body in her kimono. He lifted her onto Ah Un before he looked over to the toad demon.

"Come, Jaken." He said. "Rin is ill. We must leave to take her to the human Kaede's village for assistance."

Thank you for reading Chapter One. More to come very soon.