Rin's bare feet pounded upon the soft earth, the indentures from her footprints leaving a tattoo upon the grass as she scrambled up the cleft. She paused on the top of the hillock, scanning the terrain beneath her briefly before descending into the deeper regions of the forest, spear clutched firmly in her right hand.
She batted away at the inhibiting shrub as she cut a crooked path between the trees. The evening sky was descending upon her, an unwelcoming sight, and in the brief time left of afternoon light she hurried along to find her dinner, scowling at the treacherous orange tinge that lined the clouds as she went.
Her hunting schemes proved to be erratic even at the best of times, and living on her own to wander the wilderness endlessly had done little to force her into any kind of credible regime.
She had a small store of vegetables and dried fish back at the cave that served as her latest temporary home, but she liked to keep those for traveling or emergencies. Plus she didn't mind the idea of a freshly cooked rabbit.
Rin slowed her pace as the ground leveled out; deftly stepping past forest debris as she silently stalked the woods. She had become quite the huntswoman over the years, having spent the majority of her life an orphan set to fend for herself after her parent's early deaths, and for the past three years she had traveled on her own, away from the villages to the solidarity of a wanderer's brood.
Once she had dreamed of joining up with a wolf tribe to live much the same kind of life she ventured through now; hunting, gathering and living free off the mountains. But a wolf demon tribe would likely never allow her to join them, thinking her more food than comrade. So it was thus that lead her to a hermit's life now, hunting to provide her food for the belly.
Just as she was about to give up her last desperate search and return home a rustling in the undergrowth caught her attention. She dropped down into a crouch, her legs sliding across the ground silently as she crept up on her anticipated prey.
She rounded upon the thick trunk of the nearest tree, taking a moment to try to calm her excited breath. She bit her lip to stop the sigh that threatened to escape her; she knew this feeling of regret for the life she was about to take was only momentary. Still, the moment her spear leaves her fingers she can't help wish its recall. This world was too harsh for feelings of remorse against the natural order to hunt or be hunted. With these thoughts firm in her mind, Rin risked a peek out from the safety of her cover to survey the clearing. The dim twilight and sheltering trees obscured the scene before her and it took a moment for her to realise that the animal she had tracked was not what it seemed. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips as the glint of silver strands flittered into the dappled half-light.
He rounded to face her with a snarl, raising one bloodied arm to point the sharp curve of his sword at her menacingly. He was crouched on his knees, seemingly exhausted yet his movements still bespoke of a danger that set the hairs on Rin's arms to stand.
In the intensity of his barking gaze, Rin could do little more than stair stupidly as his blood dripped from him perpetually to soak into a darkened mess on the earth beneath him.
She gathered her courage and stepped out from the cover of the tree to openly gape at her discovery. He was magnificent, no other word could really sum up the awe she felt strike at her as she gazed into his stern golden eyes.
He was unmistakably a demon; his formal garb and menacing armor were far too regal for the average wondering warrior. Claw like fingers clutched desperately to his outstretched blade that trembled under the obvious strain. His cheeks were marred with twin indigo gashed tattoos and a small crescent moon adorned his brow.
She watched intently, unable to summon the wit to move as those piercing golden eyes rolled back and the regal demon fell forward to meet the soft earth beneath him. She stood stock still for a few minutes more, not brave enough to venture forward just yet; his hand still gripped his blade with a deathlike sturdiness.
Eventually though, she did creep closer, holding her breath as she crouched down beside him to brush at the stark white strands that had fallen across his face.
When he did not stir to her touch, she reached out a trembling hand to sit it just a few centimeters from his parted lips, shivering as his breath tickled her skin. All right, he was alive and still breathing at least but what of his wounds?
Blood stained his pristine white robes in wide moron patches, one stretching across his side and the other darkening his shoulder, rivulets of blood running down to dirty his left arm.
The wounds looked serious, if the blood loss was anything to go by, but for now it seemed its crimson flow had stopped. She examined his shoulder cautiously, pushing tentative fingers in to feel the wound and rub at the congealing blood that clotted the gash rent to his flesh. But despite her prodding inspections the man didn't move nor awaken, making Rin bold as she rolled his prone body over onto his back.
She pulled mercilessly at the yellow and purple sash adorned at his waist until it came free, and then bound his side, the deeper of the two wounds, tightly.
Un-slinging the water skin from her shoulder, she pulled the folds of clothe from his chest to expose the weeping skin beneath then bathed the wound gently. It wasn't so bad; it was a clean tear that seemed to have missed the bone and any major tendons or muscle.
She quickly cleaned the blood from his limp hand before arranging him comfortably. She had done all this without much thought at all for what it was she was doing, in reality she was helping a demon, they're kind more prone to violence against humans. She sat for a while, hands resting on crossed legs to ponder what she should do with him now. She could leave him here, but she didn't want to, nor did she want him to die. But how to transport him home for care? She bit her lip, mulling over the possibilities that seemed beyond her reach. She couldn't do it on her own strength alone she would have to have help. There was nothing she really had back at the cave that would be suitable for moving a grown man, but there was a village a few miles off. If she ran there she could make it in fifteen minutes to find something to help.
With a resolution in mind she stood, looking apprehensively at his still body. She had nothing on her that would make him more comfortable, nothing to pillow his head or cover his body for warmth. But he seemed surprisingly content enough lying on the bare earth under the moonlights steady gaze.
It was then that Rin caught a glint out of the corner of her eye. She bent down to grope along the ground for a moment before her fingers came into contact with something smooth and cool to the touch, her fingers tingling from the contact. She brought the object up close to her face, her brows furrowing in puzzlement at the small pink marble that lay in the center of her palm. She could feel the little jewel seeping into her hand, spreading a hot murmur whistling through her veins and riding up into her lungs. For a moment she felt like screaming as a horrible ache sliced through her heart, but almost as soon as the sensation began it was over and she was left with a strange lingering feeling in her bones, as if her body had somehow gotten heavier from the interaction. She contemplated leaving the thing where she had found it, but an unfathomable feeling that she should keep it safe saw that she slip the little jewel into the pouch at her waste. It is probably something of the demons, I will just carry it with me till he awakens and I can return it.
She rose to her feet, putting the strange occurrence down to the excitement of the afternoon. She gave the demon a last lingering glance, fearing that he might disappear as suddenly as he had come before she returned. Rin gave him a weak smile before turning on her heel and making a dash for the village.
-//-
The shaggy mule snorted unhappily as Rin guided him over the small shallow ravine. His legs could easily make the distance but the stubborn animal disagreed with her hast and had struggled against her most of the way.
She pulled tight on his reigns as she tried, most unsuccessfully, to control her patience with the spirited creature. It had taken her longer to decide on a course of action, sneak the beast out of its holdings and journey this far back than it had to get to the village in the first place. She tugged on the reins impatiently, please be there when I return. She pleaded silently as she trudged doggedly through the woods with her offensive companion in tow. She brushed away any thoughts of fear towards being found whilst escorting away her 'borrowed' companion, her conscious not being entirely convinced it was a great wrong to have taken him in the first place. To her it was more morally wrong that though there was an abundance of food and shelter and warmth to share amoungst all, she and others like her had to struggle on their own. What kind of insanity was it that her stomach went to sleep hungry most nights whilst others were wasteful and spoiled their bounties as if it were no more than dust? She had thought being beaten for taking food from those that had more than enough to share was wrong. But this felt right, saving this man, or be it demon, was what she had to do and if it meant taking a poorly mule from a lord who could spare him without hardship then that was what she would do.
Rin held her breathe fearfully as she came upon the clearing, the air whooshing out in a sigh as she spotted the radiant illumination of his silver and white body.
It was just unfortunate that the next part of her task was more excruciatingly tedious than her trip back had been. Although the demon was much lighter than a fully grown man of his height should have been it was still a great burden for Rin to have to lift him onto her shoulders and navigate his limp body onto the mules back, a job that would have been far easier had the stubborn ass been more complacent. But as it were every time Rin managed to lift the injured man up high enough for her to be able to lay his body across the mule's back it would shift from its kneeling position or buck irritably and she would lose her grip on the youkai to have to start all over again. This process was made all the more troublesome as Rin began to lose her patience with their progress, and when at last she managed to slump the stranger, most unceremoniously, over the mule she wore patches of sweat and blood over her body like medallions and the true darkness of night had set in.
The trip back to the den was mostly uneventful, Rin lead the mule with its precious cargo using the nub of her spear to navigate them all safely through the darkness. But despite her role as leader, Rin's gaze constantly drifted towards the rear. Each time her eyes focused through the shroud of twilight she was surprised again by how surreal the whole situation was; yet she couldn't help feel a sense of déjà vu, the strange dreamlike familiarity strengthening her resolve.
She stopped twice on her long trek, the first time to move a particularly large piece of forest debris from the path and once more to braid his hair back and tuck it beneath his kimono's collar to keep the long strands from snagging, and it was not without a deep resounding gladness that at last she pulled the mule forward to tie his leads around the small willow that sheltered the opening to her home.
Her weary arms sought out a strong grip under the demon's arms and, with the last of her strength; she pulled him free from the creatures back, struggling to keep his legs from dragging too harshly in the dirt. The opening to the cave mouth was low and she had to kick at the wooden screen that served as a door aside before dragging him in after her.
The cave was not especially large so it took only a small amount of struggling to place the man's unconscious body on her thin pallet. She scurried around in the dark to set about lighting her cooking fire to spread some warmth and light through the makeshift room. She ignored her growling stomach as she set the cooking pot to boil over the fire for bathing water and pulled out her meager supply of medicinal herbs. Her fingers sifted knowingly through the different clumps of leaves and extracts that were bound with a small length of string, careful not to dislodge any from their simple hold. Pulling free a few cuts of heather and willow she threw them into the boiling mixture, making sure to be generous with some myrtle bark as well for a sedative.
Crawling back on dirtied knees, Rin bent back over the still body, her hands hesitating on the folds of his shirtfront. She could feel the warmth radiating from his living, breathing form. Tales of the wraith and temper of demons coming to mind instantly as her fingers hovered just centimeters from his injured chest. The reality of the situation was that she had brought a demon into her home and, injured or not, he was obviously one of some power. What if he awoke to her crude hands undressing him? Would he be offended by her presumptuous actions? Would he kill her?
Despite her fear she pulled back his kimino recklessly, lifting him up gently to pull it down further exposing his bare chest and back. She looked sadly upon the messy hole that tore mercilessly into the soft flesh of his stomach and instantly forgot her hesitations.
Not even sure where to begin on that horrid wound she moved her attention to his shoulder, finding the familiar injury more reassuring to work upon. She cleaned the wound more thoroughly this time, bathing it than pasting on a slimy antiseptic she had received a while ago with tentative fingers. The usually creamy coloured concoction was dyed pink by the time she began to sew the gash shut with a thin bone needle and twine. She refilled the small bowl of cleaning water afresh before attempting the next injury. There was a turmoil of rendered flesh within the deep wound, and even more horrifying was that the skin around the edges was burnt. Rin shuddered to think what kind of attack could cause such a malicious wound, or even who could have caused it.
Eventually she gave up, losing faith that she was being more helpful than damaging. She wiped a bloody arm across her brow, admitting this wound was too serious for such unskilled hands. I will have to take him to go see Granny. She thought with a grimace at the anticipated journey. It wasn't that far, but neither had their earlier journey been and look what a hellish task that had become.
With little else to offer she picked up his yellow sash, loathed to use such a beautiful thing to bind such a ghastly wound, but tying it securely around him nonetheless.
Her dinner was a solemn affair of weak broth and tough fish pieces. She sat opposite the small fire, chewing absently on her meal as she watched the fire light dance across his porcelain skin. She wondered for a moment if his rose painted lids would flutter open to reveal the golden orbs that laid beneath his thick dark lashes, but he stirred not once as she watched silently over her mysterious patient. In the morning I will take him, but I hope it will not be too late.
-//-
His mind was an inky black mess, splotches of hot liquid that ignited the pain that had racked his body for what seemed like an age. He tried to pull himself free from the darkness but his mind reeled back.
Soon, but not just yet.
He receded back into the darkness to wait.
-//-
"I think he is stirring." A voice sounded near him, gruff from old age but still surprisingly firm. He tired to open his eyes but they refused to obey his will. His limbs felt like lead, but he had been expecting that. His body always felt so after entering into a healing sleep, it was like waking up after of season long hibernation and he wasn't even back to his full strength yet. The voice sounded again, only a little closer this time. "Don't make such a worried face, as I said before the youkai is still healing himself."
He frowned mentally, where was he that such a woman would know his kinds habits? He summoned his will back to him, commanding his eyes to obey this time and sure enough, millimeter by slow millimeter they opened to the harsh light of day.
The sight that greeted him made a low growl form in his throat. An old woman was bent over him, one good eye looking down at him haughtily. "Tche." She spat at him as she went back to her previous task, grinding down on some spindle cuttings that set off a thick aroma in the hut, "Don't look at me like that youkai I didn't bring you here."
He turned away from the old hag, she was inconsequential, instead he lifted one heavy arm to the wound at his shoulder. He frowned as his fingertips met with a course object embedded into his skin. He brushed at the foreign item but it did not budge. He looked down disdainfully at the stitches that lined the freshly healed wound. He returned his gaze to glare at the old Miko. "Did you do this?"
She scoffed at the indicated handiwork. "I know better than to bother with such thins for your kind. No, Rin did that, and you should probably thank her, though I know you won't. With your wounds open to the summer night who knows what manner of foul beasts and demons would have come for the feast."
Sesshomaru ignored the woman's drabble as he sat up stiffly, disappointed at the sight of the red swell at his side. He should have been completely healed by now, what was going on? Was something affecting him, it couldn't be…his thoughts were interrupted by a movement at the hut's door. A young woman pushed past the bamboo screen, peering uncertainly in the door jam as her eyes met his.
His annoyance flared as the girl's mouth dropped open at the sight of him. "Pathetic." He snarled before pushing himself up off the ground. His hand reached round to the small-concealed pouch at his waste, elongated fingers prodding at the empty space. "Where is it?" he asked as the girl finally sidled into the room. The old woman stopped her incessant grinding of the mortar and looked up. "Where is what?"
Sesshomaru unsheathed one of the swords that still hung at his waste, lifting the sharpened edge up in threat. "Don't fool around with me old woman, my patience is running thin. Where is the jewel?"
He swung his blade towards the girl as she started forward, something clasped in her raised hand. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in shock as he looked down upon the cursed shikon jewel sitting neatly in her palm. His gaze returned to the girl as he studied her more closely, she seemed normal enough, if not a little straggled. Her hair was the usual dark ebony but it was cut short to fall in jagged uneven lengths to fall just short of her shoulders. On the right side there was a single braid, a red ribbon woven in amoungst the thick strands. Large eyes peeked out from underneath her messy bangs and there was a deep scar running across her cheek. She was slim and wiry, her skin darkened from over exposure to the sun and her dress was a mismatched shift that had been patched over many times and was dirty with use. The youkai was baffled, for all the world she looked like an ordinary, young human girl. So how then was the cursed shikon jewel, which had caused even him great difficulty, be sitting so neatly in her open hand?
"Ah, so you find it strange too do you?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed on the old woman's face, but she only laughed at his hostility. "She is definitely special, in what way I can't be sure. But she can resist the evil the that has corrupted it, moreover she seems to be healing it."
Sesshomaru looked skeptically at the girl. She seemed to him like a half-wit staring back between him and the Miko, and why hadn't she said anything yet?
He snatched the jewel from her hand, the girl flinching at his sudden movement. He rolled the shikon no tama between his fingers, closing his eyes to concentrate more closely on the jewels pulsing presence. As before the jewel's inner powers riled up against his intrusion, its warped manner an obvious impression from Naraku's long hold upon it. He snarled slightly, breaking contact with the jewel and lifting it up to stare at its smooth surface. Such a deceptive item with its cherry-pink, glistening façade. But he knew better, within broiled an immense power, once pure and raw in nature but now twisted into this demented medium that refused to offer him the secrets it held, the power he wanted. But he could feel it now; the chaos of the jewel had lessened somehow since he had held it thus, its patterns changing ever so slightly to a new order. Could it really have been from this girl's guardianship?
His perpetual frown deepened, this was not what he had planned. He held the jewel out before the girl, but all she did was stare at it, mouth slightly agape. Half-wit.
"Take it girl." Her head shot up as he addressed her, taking the proffered jewel from him slowly with a nod. He scowled at her before turning back to the pallet, grimacing in contempt as he lowered himself onto its course surface. When had he fallen so low as to have to rely on human's hospitalities? "Leave me to rest now; I haven't yet regained my strength. And keep that jewel away from me, it thwarts my regeneration."
Without bothering to await any kind of reply he laid his head down upon the makeshift pillow and dropped into a restorative sleep.
-//-
Rin patted the mule's hide absently, letting the short hair on the animals back tickle her palm. Granny Kaede had said she would handle the explanations for when the villagers came looking for him, and it suited her fine to avoid them. It felt like her life had more to worry about now other than food and sleep, it was a strange sensation to know that someone else might actually need her.
She let her hand slip from the creatures back to retrieve the small jewel that he had placed in her care, squeezing her hand in around it.
'His name is Sesshomaru; he is a very powerful demon Rin and a merciless one at that. I'm not so sure you should be glad about having rescued him.' Rin frowned at the remembered words from Granny Kaede. Despite the old healers warning, Rin couldn't help but feel a glow of pride swell within her at the thought that he had entrusted the jewel, an obviously precious item, into her care. She hadn't understood what Kaede had said about her 'healing' the shikon no tama though. She could feel some of what they had spoken of about the swirl of chaos within, but it felt more to her like an immense sadness trying to weep its way out of the jewel. But was she really helping it at all? Did she have such powers?
Rin rose to her feet, brushing off her tattered skirt before heading off towards the forest, spear now in hand. She hadn't really eaten since last night and she could almost taste the cooked rabbit she had forfeited last night. She stretched her legs into a jog, enjoying the feel of the undulating forest fauna beneath her bare feet. She leapt over a fallen tree, using the momentum to leap from rock to rock, her toughened souls clapping loudly against the stony surfaces.
Barely pausing from her excited progress, Rin threw her spear with practiced precision into a thick oak before her. She used the embedded weapon to aid her as she climbed its rough surface, stepping up from spear to branch to survey her surroundings.
To the south behind her was her forest home, most parts of the north she had barely infringed upon being notoriously wolf territory. She squinted her eyes against the suns glare, noting that a way up ahead there was a river and some falls and a little east of that, much closer to her, was a nice grassy expanse of meadow, probably brimming with feral rabbits.
Destination in sight, she jumped down nimbly from her perch, retrieving her spear before heading off towards the fields at an exuberant pace. She burst through the tree line a little while later, her chest heaving after her exertions. She paused to catch her breath for a moment, unable to resist the huge smile that spread across her face. She stalked up the nearest hillock, stopping into a frozen stance midway up at a flash of brown fur towards the top. She turned to face the hare with as little movement as possible, raising her spear slowly back behind her head before letting it fly. It soared through the air at a deadly speed, but the rabbit had seen her and darted off a second too soon, as her spear embedded itself into soft earth.
She clicked her tongue at the near miss then sprinted to retrieve her weapon. She darted into the valley in pursuit of the getaway rabbit, standing upon a large boulder in stillness to await her next shot.
A rustling of grass behind her made Rin turn sharply, ears perking up to the movement. It had sounded much bigger than a rabbit, a dear perhaps. As Rin jumped down from the lip of the valley into the gulf she wandered distantly if Sesshomaru would be impressed should she return with a stag. A quick hint of brown hide brought her out of her daydream, barely catching the movement as it rounded a bend in the earth up ahead. She hefted her spear up in readiness, knowing speed to be fundamental in this hunt, and charged round the bend. Her feet skidded across the damp earth to halt her upstart, feeling slightly dumb founded as she stood facing a dead end. Around her boulders rose up fifteen to twenty feet high to effectively cut off the dried ravine into a small cul-de-sac. Rin's brow furrowed at the sight, a dear or elk could not have skirted those rocks, half of the wall was compacted earth and it was fairly steep.
A low whistle echoed from the top of the rock wall, sending a shiver of foreboding down her spine. It couldn't be…
She spun round to flee only to meet with two members of the wolf demon tribe. They were tall and broad of shoulder with golden lean muscles. Wolf pelts swathed their hips and their angular shrewd eyes peeked out at her hungrily. Rin gripped her spear in both hands, ready to defend when they came for her, and it didn't take them long. The wolf demon on her right lunged forward first, his clawed hands outstretched to take her. Rin swung the spear behind her back, distracting the demon enough so that when the flat of the spear came for him he was unprepared to guard against it. The sturdy wood struck him a harsh blow to the softer expanse of his chest just below his ribs. Her opponent's breath gushed out from his lungs in a great gasp and his knees buckled beneath him. Thinking her unguarded, the second foe rushed in from behind but Rin's foot lashed out to swipe just inches from his face. The surprise retaliation stilled his onslaught and Rin used the opening to thrust the butt of her spear into his exposed stomach, but she was not done just yet. She spun her spear in an arc to hit the demon still on his knees a glancing blow to the temple.
Rin knew she had been lucky to win the upper hand, they had probably expected such a small ragged girl not to pose as such a tough opponent and let their guard down, but they would not make that mistake twice. She had good dexterity and well-honed reflexes from her time alone in the wild, and she had had to face off with many opponents in her time, even rogues and bandits that were low enough to try to attack her. But these were demon warriors, and she liked not her chances against two wary wolf youkai.
She turned to run as a shaky hand shot out to clutch at her skirt. She growled down at the second demon as he spat, "You…little bitch…" Rin hit his hand away and started to flee back the way she had come. But at the issue of a second whistle four more of the wolf tribe appeared, effectively cutting off her escape route. She gritted her teeth at their triumphant smirks. No good, I can't fight them all.
"End of the road sweetheart." A wolf demon purred, a thick red tongue coming out to lick at his chops hungrily.
Rin made her decision then, turning towards the dead end she hurled her spear with all her might. The point embedded itself into the earth of the wall about nine feet up. She sprinted past the two recovering demons, building up as much speed as she could before she hit the wall. Her feet stepped up; one, two then three as her fingers reached out to grab onto the embedded spear. She hauled her body up, grunting under the strain. After finding a secure purchase she reached down to yank her spear free, raises it up above her head and shoved it back into a spare space of earth at arms length. She didn't look back only concentrated on her hurried scramble up the wall. If she could just get to the top she could make a dash for the forest, once in there it would be much easier to lose them amoungst the dense foliage. It had taken her only a few seconds to find her purchase, but the demons recovered from their shock quickly.
Something whistled through the air behind her, Rin turned her head but not in time enough to see the sling that soared towards her, the stone connecting with her shoulder with a sickening thud. Her head bounced forward, forehead cracking against the rock she gripped.
Winded by the stone and dazed from the head injury, Rin let go of her purchase to clutch at her aching chest and struggle for breathe. She didn't realise she was falling backwards until it was too late and she fell, one arm outstretched towards the safety of the wall as she plummeted back to the ground.
She struggled simply to breath in her confusion, knowing that they were coming for her but unable to even move just yet. A hand gripped her hair and hauled Rin to her feet. She cried out in shock and pain.
"Feral mutt almost got away, hah! Can't believe she bested you two! Look at her." Rin's captor shook her by the grip on her head and she gritted her teeth against the pain, tears starting in her eyes. When she did open her eyes, her vision was blurred not just by tears, but by the small flow of blood that had wept from her head wound and poured down over her eye. Her captor sneered down at her, the tip of his gray Mohawk tickling her forehead irritably. "Hoi! Koga! Are you sure this is the one?"
A man stepped forward to the name, he was tall and bronze like the rest of them and his long black hair was pulled back into a queue at the top of his head, fury wolf tail swaying behind. He took Rin's chin in his hand and tilted her head up to look into his face, and after turning it left then right he let it fall again. "She doesn't look like anything but an ordinary girl, but I am sure that power is coming from her." Koga reached out a hand to pat down the folds of her skirt, and then her waste before his large palm began inspecting the swell of her breast.
Alerted to the unwanted touch, Rin let fly a low kick to his shins as a harsh red blush tinted her dirty cheeks. Koga leapt back out of range with a whoop, "Haha, feisty little stray cat."
The demon holding her up raised his hand as if to strike her but Koga batted him away and Rin crumpled to the ground without his support. Reflexively she lifted a hand to clutch at Sesshomaru's jewel that hung from a small pouch strung round her neck. Koga, not missing the action, bent down to seize her hand and with his other, reached in to pluck the pouch from its security down her shift. His fingers thrummed as he gripped the leather satchel, grinning triumphantly. Koga ignored Rin's pained expression as he reached in to pull the shikon jewel from its hold.
The second his fingers touched its bare surface he felt it, the well of power stored within but his cry of elation turned to horror as the twisted evil surrounding it pierced into his mind, and the physical contact burned his fingers. He dropped the jewel to shake his singed skin and watched as Rin plucked the tumbling gem from the ground, unhindered.
"Oi!"
Rin's head snapped up to his call, "Can't you feel the evil within the jewel?" he asked. Rin considered her options, it seemed useless to lie to him it gained her nothing, and so she nodded gravely in answer.
"It doesn't hurt you?" this time she responded with a quick shake of her head.
"Why not?" he continued, "You are not a demon, so how can you withstand it at all?"
Rin looked down at the jewel, a furrow creasing her brow. She gestured to the shikon jewel then herself, moving her hands to make her meaning clear. Jewel, me, reaches.
Koga watched her movements closely then nodded. "The jewel seeks you? Why?"
Rin shrugged, I don't know.
The wolf demon leaned in closer to her face, searching within her eyes for something, an answer perhaps that she didn't understand. "Alright." He said, rising abruptly. "Bring her."
Rin flinched back as the demon beside her with the Mohawk drew his sword, but a rap over the head from Koga saw he re-sheathed it quickly.
"Alive you dolt!"
Rin struggled as a pair of hands gripped her shoulders and tried to haul her up off the ground. No please, let me go! I have to return to Sesh- her thoughts were severed as a club connected with the back of her head and she fell forward in a faint. Koga glared at the perpetrator who only shrugged nonchalantly, "She will live."
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This is really my second fanfic, but the first one I have published so far. It's a little fast paced, almost rushed I suppose in the way you read it but hey I guess that is just the way short fanfics are huh?
Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing, till next time ja ne!!