Rin's Words
Blood. Blood and dead ogre. The wind practically spoke to Sesshomaru's nose as he inhaled several quick sniffs
Wait, he thought, continuing in the direction of the odor. This blood isn't just from an ogre, it's also mixed with that of a half-breed. He took another whiff. And Tetsusaiga? What could have - ?
"Lord Sesshomaru!" a young voice called, shattering the demon lord's thoughts.
"Slow down, you twerp!" This time it was an older, more shill voice that spoke.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" the little girl who first spoke chirped again. "Where are we going?"
Sesshomaru stopped and grumbled to himself. The winds had shifted.
"Huh? Where?" the child persisted.
"Rin, shut up already!" Jaken snapped.
"But I just want to know where Lord Sesshomaru is headed." She then took note of the stillness. "And why have you stopped walking? Is something the matter, my lord?"
"Quit bothering Lord Sesshomaru, you pest!"
As Jaken continued bickering, Sesshomaru lost himself in his thoughts again.
How did he come to find himself in this situation anyway?
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Pat, pat, pat, came the small tempo behind Sesshomaru as he made his way out of the woods. Of course, his own boots made no noise as he strode through the underbrush; he was no more than an apparition in the forest. As for Jaken, his pace was simply a soft scuffle in the leaves. The sound came from the pattering feet of Sesshomaru's new traveling companion, that puny human whelp he'd revived not a few moments ago.
The daiyokai risked a glance over his fur-wrapped shoulder. Sure enough the girl was still trotting after him
Sesshomaru's eyes took a quick reconnaissance of the girl; she was clothed in a raggedy kimono that was still bloody from her being mauled on by those wolves earlier, her hair was matted as though it hadn't seen a comb in days, and, from that good layer of dirt on her face, he was sure she was probably carrying a fair amount of her village with her. Then again, Sesshomaru wasn't much better shape either, his own garments and armor were in tatters from his battle with his half-brother, InuYasha, just a couple of days ago.
A pair of vagabonds, he thought mirthlessly to himself. Then regretted it. How dare he compare himself to a human? Where was his demonic pride? Where was his common sense?
Suddenly, Sesshomaru whirled around to face the runt. She froze dead in her tracks. Jaken heaved a mental sigh of relief as he realized he wasn't the target of his master's cold, amber gaze.
"Why are you following me?" Sesshomaru was well aware the child was mute, but maybe he could get her to leave him alone with some intimidation. He let her have the full weight of his blank stare, but she only met him with one of her own.
The girl's eyes were a drowning brown, wide, somber, and timid. Unease crept up Sesshomaru's spine, and the more he tired to ignore it the worse it became.
"Well?" Sesshomaru pressed. This was becoming more uncomfortable by the second.
Then the child did something Sesshomaru wasn't prepared for at all. She smiled.
"Hmph, do as you wish." Sesshomaru turned on his heel and strode onward.
Jaken looked the girl over. Why didn't Lord Sesshomaru just run his claws through her? The toad-demon stared off into the trees. M'lord's been acting so -
"Eeek!" Jaken leapt his height in the air as a tap on the shoulder brought him back to reality. The girl broke into a larger grin at his comical reaction to her touch.
"What do you want, twerp?" he snapped.
She pointed in Sesshomaru's direction, who was slowly fading from sight.
"Yes, yes. I'm aware he's leaving," Jaken grumbled trying, rather unsuccessfully, to cloak his embarrassment for lapsing off into dreamland.
I'd better keep my eye on this brat, he thought. Of course, the time Jaken glanced up the girl had already caught up with Sesshomaru, leaving Jaken to put his squat legs into over-drive.
"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru? How much farther are we going to walk?" Jaken could have sworn his blisters were getting blisters.
The Western Lord ignored his subordinate and continued at the same rigorous pace he had had since earlier that evening.
The small snore that filled the silence was like salt in a wound for Jaken. It only reminded the little imp of the loss of his place on Au-Un's back. The twin-headed dragon seemed to have taken a liking to his new rider.
Lucky little snot, Jaken thought bitterly. Who died and make her -
Jaken bumped right into Sesshomaru.
"Oh! A thousand apologies, my lord! I didn't know - I didn't mean - !"
"Jaken."
The toad-demon ceased his rambling. That one word by itself usually wasn't a good sign. He waited for perhaps a beating in agonizing anticipation.
"You will wait here tonight," Sesshomaru commanded.
"Yes, I know! But please don't kill- Wait. What?"
Sesshomaru ignored Jaken's idiocy for the moment. "I shall return in the morning. Watch the girl."
"Y-yes, m'lord." Jaken sat down next to Au-Un in the brush, still somewhat dumbfounded from the turn of events, as his master slipped off into the forest.
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"Clean yourself up and put these on," Sesshomaru instructed the mute the next morning, tossing her a comb and bundle of clothes.
The girl spared a moment to finger the garments. They were nothing like she had ever had the pleasure of seeing before. Such bright colors and intricate design! Something only a noble was privileged to wear! With yet another bright smile, she nodded and skipped off to the nearby stream.
"Um, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"What, Jaken?"
Jaken had been abut to inquiry his master about his strange actions of recent, but those three syllables seemed to bold more threat than if Sesshomaru had cracked his talons under Jaken's throat. Not to mention, now that Sesshomaru was back to his well-groomed, impeccably dressed (armor complete with tassels and all), icy-gazing self, Jaken was dubious as to whether or not he wanted to proceed into what might be considered interrogation.
"N-nothing, sire," was all the serf managed.
"Good." Sesshomaru scented the girl approaching. He shifted his line of vision in the direction, just over his shoulder.
She wasn't far off, and from what Sesshomaru could see, her hair was combed, face a shade lighter from a good scrubbing, and the checkered yukata and green obi seemed to fit perfectly. The child's mood appeared to be as bright as her outfit. Sesshomaru cocked his head, listening. Was she humming? That was new.
"We're going," Sesshomaru announced to no one in particular when she finally reached them.
As the day progressed, Jaken started to hear a strange noise coming from their latest traveling companion. What on earth was that racket?
"Are you hungry?"
"No, my lord, not - "
"I wasn't speaking to you." The dog-demon's eyes fell on the girl.
She didn't need to nod her assent as her stomach spoke for itself once more.
"Go forage for yourself." Sesshomaru had stopped moving all together and was apparently waiting for his foundling to get on with her task.
The Western Lord saw no need to repeat himself as the girl obediently dashed off into the forest.
"Lord Sesshomaru? Can we go on without her?"
"You, Jaken, will accompany her."
"But she's already run so far ah-"
A swift punt from Sesshomaru's boot saw to it that Jaken quickly caught up with his new ward.
.
"Well? How much longer are you going to take, twerp?"
The girl simply smiled at the funny, little imp as if she had all the time in the world. Then, she went back to feasting on the collection of mushrooms and citrus fruit she had gathered from local village; she and Jaken were sitting on a grassy knoll just above it.
"You do realize," Jaken proceeded to lecture, "that Lord Sesshomaru is not always so patient. Indeed, I remember how not three decades ago he didn't think twice about - now what are you doing, brat? Get off of me or I'll - "
Jaken suddenly saw what drove the girl to cringe behind him. Bandits, a horde of them, were raiding the once borne village below. The child whimpered.
"Hmph! Don't worry," Jaken was assuring himself as much as her, "they're down there. Those stupid brigands haven't spotted - EEEK!"
Jaken found himself dangling several feet off the ground. In his panic he had dropped his Staff of Two Heads.
"Well, what've we here, Zaku?" spoke the first bandit as he shook Jaken as one would a sack of potatoes.
"Dunno, Koji, but this brat's got an awful pretty kimono that would fetch a pretty price." Zaku held the girl up by the scruff of her clothes. She squirmed, this scenario was all too viciously familiar.
"Hey, Boss! And Koji!" an advancing voice called. "We've collected over eight bales of rice an' still going!" Another bandit and at least half a dozen others showed up, baskets o doubt loaded with their "earnings" strapped to their backs. "What's that 'cha got, Koji?"
Koji gave Jaken another shake. "Not sure yet, but if any of you wanna play a game of ball, I'm sure he'll join!"
The gang laughed as though it were the joke of the year.
"Just you wait, fools!" Jaken sapped. "My lord will come! He's the great demon of these lands!" He yelled out into the breeze, "Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!"
This only made the brigands roar harder. "Ha! Great demon, indeed!"
"C'mon," Zaku smirked, "let's get our while's worth out of these two."
The gang leader didn't get aa chance to lay his second grubby paw on the girl since that proved impossible, needless to say painful, when a pair of razor-sharp talons ripped through his spinal cord.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried naming the owner of the claws as Zaku's lifeless body and the freed child tumble to the ground.
"Who - no - what are you?" Koji, in his shock, released Jaken from his grip.
"He's your doom, idiot! Lord Sesshomaru will-"
"Jaken?"
"Aye, m'lord?"
"Shut up." Then a thought crossed Sesshomaru's mind. "Keep the girl down."
Second-in-command, Koji, found his voice again. "Demons! Kill them!"
The brigands began to rush Sesshomaru. Their swords were barely half-way out of their scabbards when the demon's light-whip snaked through them. Not one man was alive before he hit the earth.
"Pests," the daiyokai spat. He picked his way through the motionless forms and turned to leave.
"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"What now?"
"Ah..." Jaken let his liege follow his line of sight to the stagnant, huddled girl.
Sesshomaru shrugged. He figured this would happen, that she would be as all the other weak, stupid, frightened mortals were; keeping their distance, running away screaming, calling for exterminators when they saw what his was. Was the mass slaughter a bit much for her? Well, the cold logic of survival told him he couldn't let the reactions of some juvenile mortal call the shots for him. Yet why did he feel this twinge of guilt?
"She doesn't have to follow us. We're going." Sesshomaru was about to stride off when a new voice spoke up.
"Do you mind if I follow?"
"Girl, do as you - "
"Rin."
"Excuse me?"
"My name is Rin."
"Rin, then. Rin, do what -" Sesshomaru stopped. The child he presumed incurably mute had just spoken. He looked back at her as she stood up and dusted off her yukata. Rin then stared at him with those drowning brown pools again, waiting for him to continue his sentence.
Sesshomaru paused a moment, considering, before he responded, "Do what you want, Rin."
Rin blinked. He hadn't said yes. Or no.
.
Pat, pat, pat, came a soft monotone behind the demon. Although he thought he did it as discreetly as possible, Rin still notice when Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder to see if she followed.
"Well, my lord, where are we going?"
Sesshomaru lapsed back into the present. His amber gaze traveled down to Rin. Her brown eyes now sparkled and her smile shone of bright curiosity.
"Westward," was the reply.
"Then let's go!" Rin raced onward.
"Get back here, fool!" Jaken squawked, chasing after her.
"Yes, let's go." Sesshomaru followed.
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Author's Note: Thank you for reading my first fan-fiction. (Took me long enough to write it, too.) Being a border-line obsessive Sesshomaru fan, I mourned the fact that the magnificent mononoke didn't appear between episodes 35 and 44 of the "InuYasha" anime, and I was left wondering what happened to him and Rin during the break. The next time we see them again, when Sesshomaru is examining Goshiniki's fangs, not only is Rin donning a new kimono but she's talking again. If Sesshomaru's looking out for her, how did he come to accepting such a responsibility? These were my questions, here is my answer.