BLOOD AND TEARS
By Reiycheru
Summer had arrived in earnest, and even the hours of darkness had become sultry and humid. There was barely a breath of wind; the canopy was virtually unmoving, tinted with silver and shadow in the light of the full moon. Even the night-sounds of the forest seemed dulled, the nocturnal creatures and insects struck with lethargy in the heat.
There was hardly a cloud in the velvety sky, the glowing iridescence of the full moon unconcealed. Shafts of silvery light filtered down through the dense canopy onto the silent campsite, falling upon the sleeping figures of the hiki sprawled on the undergrowth beside the two-headed beast, and dappling upon the form of the Taiyoukai sleeping silently with his back to the trunk of an aged Kaede tree.
Some time passed, and then the Youkais' eyelashes flickered slightly, a scent reaching him in the still night air, bringing him forth from sleep. Moonlight glinted on his gold irises as his eyes flickered open, already aware that something was wrong. Something was missing. Someone.
Rin.
The Youkai Lord stared at the place where he had last seen the girl, comfortably curled up in a gentle foetal position beside him on the undergrowth, fast asleep, but the space was empty now. A moment later, that scent came again to him in the warm, almost non-existent current of air, and he turned his gaze upon the trees at the opposite side of the clearing, where the path of scent went. The Taiyoukai rose in one silent, fluid movement. The scent belonged to his Ningen companion. But, it was . . . . . different.
Eyes narrowed slightly, the Youkai followed the scent trail where it led from the clearing. But just as he came to the edge of the break in the old trees he paused, staring down at the undergrowth where he could see a small, smeared mark of dark liquid. Eyes glinting, he continued on.
Following the clear scent trail, the Youkai paced quietly onwards through the trees, but his golden eyes were cast downward, following another trail at the same time as that of the scent. The stain of dark liquid had started out as just a small, smeared mark, but as he went on it changed, and now he was following a path of both fear scent, and bloody footprints.
The Taiyoukais' pace had quickened. The path was wandering, faltering, distressed. The scent of fear was strong, and the scent of blood was potent. But this blood was different from any that had come from the human before this, and the heady odour made his eyes narrow. A faint flicker of foreboding showed behind the Youkais' gold depths, and his slit-pupils had contracted. He knew what was happening.
And moments later, his eyes locked upon the girl as he approached. Rin was in a grimly desolate condition. The girl was slumped on her knees upon the undergrowth at the foot of a kaede tree, doubled over, shaking like a leaf, and reeking of fear. Little of her face could be seen, for her bangs and her long thick mane had fallen forward. She was crying badly, her slight form shuddering with forcedly silent sobs. Her arms were tucked tightly between her legs in a desperate attempt to use her yukata to stem the flow of crimson, but her effort was helping very little; Rin was kneeling in a puddle of her own blood.
His approach had been so silent that his presence was as yet unnoticed. The Youkai Lord stood watching, the heady blood scent attacking his nose. He was somewhat uncertain as to how to proceed. Yes, it was distressing seeing her in this state, but this was strictly a female matter, that was simply the way it was, and naturally, being male, he knew little of this subject, therefore he could not be much help. Was he supposed to simply leave her like this? He could remember being cautioned by his father and many others besides to be completely on his guard around females during their bleeding, for as he had discovered for himself like many other unfortunate young males, during this time normally pleasant Youkai women became near deadly, docile one moment and practically possessed the next, for the slightest things, back and forth. He was unsure of whether it was the same with Ningen. After a moment of indecision, he spoke.
'Rin.'
Rins' head snapped up at the sound of his voice.
' . . . S-Sesshomaru-Sama,' the girl murmured in a soft, frightened voice.
Shafts of moonlight filtering through the thick canopy overhead glistened on Rins' large, over bright brown eyes. Her distraught face was tear-streaked, and where she had obviously wiped the salty moisture away, her skin was marked with dried blood. A frightened flush had spilled over her normally pale face.
Sesshomaru stared down at his human girl. The second her hopeless, frightened doe-eyes had latched pleadingly upon his own gold ones it was as if his indecision had been erased. He slowly stepped forward.
Rin gazed desperately up at her Youkai Lord.
'S-Sesshomaru-Sama, I-I don't know what's . . .' Her soft, faltering voice broke. ' . . . Sesshomaru-Sama, Rin is dying!'
More tears formed in her large chocolate eyes as she spoke, and spilt, tracing pale streaks on her blood-smeared skin as they ran down her face. Her fear was almost palpable. Before the girl had even spoken, the terror-stricken look in her large doe-eyes said plainly that she thought she was about to die, that she would have to leave her Sesshomaru-Sama, and that she did not want to do that. Sesshomaru stared. Never could he recall feeling such pity for anyone before this. Rin gazed up at him hopelessly, tears streaming down her face, her slim form shaking badly, her yukata stained with so much blood that it was likely beyond repair.
Deciding, Sesshomaru crouched down beside the girl, wiping the blood and tears off of her face. Carefully, he took Rins' shaking, bloody form in his arms, rose, and sprang into the air.
Yeah, I know. It's an old and done concept, but I wanted to try it out. Like it?
Reviews are appreciated!
Oh, and, by the way? ME NO OWN INUYASHA!