The night was cold and silent. Even the insects refused to allow their shrill chirps to be heard as the demon passed through the woodlands. Lord Sesshomaru was in no hurry as he walked along the dark and twisting path. A small child was asleep in his arms and did not wish to wake her. She held no fear for the demon and slept peacefully against his chest. There was no danger there and he kept her nightmares of wolves safely at bay. Even his steps were silent as he passed by the still trees and frozen animals. If the demon lord wanted silence there would be none to challenge it.
Rin stirred in her sleep and Sesshomaru blinked down at her with pale golden eyes. Any other creature would shake with fear if they awoke to such a sight, but not this small child. As she opened her dark eyes she smiled at the demon, called him softly by name, and snuggled closer to allow sleep to claim her once again. A ghost of a smile tugged at Sesshomaru's lips and he continued his slow walk.
Ah-Un and Jaken followed their silent master, not quite as softly as he, but softly enough not to startle the frozen beasts of the forest. Their lord and master made camp in a small clearing. He sat down with his back to a towering oak tree. To others, the tree would seem ancient; not to him. Not to him. He was older than many of the trees here. He rested his silvery head against the rough bark behind him and allowed his eyes to slide closed. Slowly, the night regained its voice and the insects began to sing.
Morning arose and with it, Sesshomaru. He allowed Rin to keep sleeping on the fur he wore on his person. He unclipped it from his shoulder and rose from his seated position. He stretched quietly and worked out the kinks in his back and neck. He would need to take Rin back to the village soon, but not quite yet. He watched her sleep a few moments, and then slipped into the woods to find her breakfast.
Rin woke a little while later and yawned. She looked around and spotted Ah-Un and Jaken. Lord Sesshomaru was not around. She frowned and threw a rock at Jaken to silence his snoring. He squawked and jumped up looking for Sesshomaru. He was nowhere in sight so the imp settled back down to sleep. Rin giggled and began to pick flowers. Once she had picked a fair amount, she settled back among the soft furs that Sesshomaru left behind. She began making a flower crown out of her assorted flowers.
Sesshomaru entered the clearing a short time later with his recent kill. He woke Jaken abruptly and ordered him to cook. He then sat down beside Rin. She smiled up at him and gently took his flowing white hair in her hands. She gently began to braid her left over flowers into it. Sesshomaru blinked as he felt the tickling sensation on his scalp. He looked back at his young ward, then smiled softly.
"Rin what are you doing with my hair?" he asked gently.
"Well, I just thought your hair could bring out the colors in these flowers." She said smiling happily at him.
"Hmmm…" he said turning away.
The next morning he took Rin back to the quiet village she lived at. He promised to visit again soon and that he would bring her a present next time as well. She hugged him tightly and bade him goodbye. He felt sad as he left her there; he enjoyed her company immensely, although he was never quite good at showing it. He walked silently under the clear blue sky. The sky was something that, although it constantly changed, roughly remained the same after all these long years. As the slow hours passed, fluffy clouds began to build. It would rain that night. Sesshomaru gathered Jaken and Ah-Un from the clearing he left them in and searched for a shelter.
An abandoned cave server as the shelter he was seeking. He built a small fire for the imp and sat down to gaze at the rain that was beginning to fall. Far below the cave, a small figure began to stir and climb the hill side. The rain fell harder and the figure continued its climb, slower, but just as determined. Sesshomaru's keen eyes picked the figure out of the rain and gathering darkness.
It was a small fox. She was soaking wet and underfed. Sesshomaru didn't move. He knew she could make it. Even if she didn't, her life would be even shorter than a human's and he felt no desire to help this fleeting creature. Soon the fox climbed, trembling, into the cave. She could not believe where she stood. Sesshomaru watched her silently. She was hardly more than a pup. She shook at the mere sight of the demon and slid down to her belly. She crawled towards him with her ears tucked flat against her skull. She begged for a place by the warm fire with soft whimpers and whines, all the while hoping the demon lord would not decide to eat her.
Sesshomaru merely nodded his silvery head and closed his eyes. Flicker, the young fox, inched over to the fire to warm her soaking fur. She watched the demon quietly. He was not like the other demons of the forest; older, calmer, but all the more deadly. His appearance was more human than many demons, but again, the less obvious the demon, the more powerful. All that betrayed him for what he was were his pointed ears, teeth, and claws. The golden eyes and white hair could be attributed to many other things in a human's mind.
Sesshomaru shifted, the floor of the cave was not all that uncomfortable, but his thoughts were restless. He needed something to occupy his time, but what? He opened one golden eye and watched the now dozing fox. Jaken was snoring once again as well as one of Ah-Un's heads. The other head regarded his master silently, then yawned. It would be asleep soon. Sesshomaru returned his gaze to the rain laden skies and watched the storm until it passed them by.