Sacrifice
In The Beginning
No matter how much I love the Inuyasha series, as do us all, I have no ownership of anything from Inuyasha.(sigh)
Chapter One
Rin watches from the shadows, silent. Beside her Master Jaken watches also, both their attentions locked on the scene before them.
The demon across the clearing from them is huge; it's mass striking shadows across the entire clearing. A somewhat smallish head and long neck lead to a heavily muscled body, two stout arms pulling the long tail along behind it as it shifts from one side to the other. Thick scales cover its body, making it appear almost like a dragon if not for the human-like way it chuckles. Its evil laugh rings across the clearing as it studies its opponent.
Rin shifts her gaze away from the immense demon to the other, more important focus of her concern. Standing planted firmly between the demon and where Master Jaken and she crouch is her Lord.
He stands at ease despite the demon across the clearing. At least he looks at ease from her practiced eye. Any other person looking upon the scene would not be able to see any change in the demon lord, but she does. Her travels with him that had started so many long years ago have educated her on the ways of determining her lord's attitudes and emotions. Though Master Jaken often scolded her for it, she somehow knew that she is right about her observations.
Long, fine white hair hangs motionless down his back, unbound. His expression varies little, almost uncaring gold eyes fixed on his opponent. His right hand hangs at his side, his slim, delicate fingers flexing slightly from time to time as if he is thinking. Two stripes of purple curl around his wrist, matching the twin stripes on either side of his face.
Rin sees movement across the clearing and she jerks slightly as the demon across the clearing suddenly lunges, using its two arms to launch itself into the air, intending to pounce on the demon lord. Just as quickly the demon lord strikes.
The air in the clearing fairly sizzles with demonic energy as the Tokijin is released. Rin ducks down behind the tree, shielding her face from the brilliant blue glow. She hears Master Jaken's frightened yelp as he ducks as well. Wind blasts out from the direction of the clearing and above the sound of the wind she hears the death cry of the demon.
The attack soon fades and Rin cautiously peers around the tree trunk, now partially stripped of its bark. The clearing is now empty of the dragon demon, only her lord stands in the middle now, calmly sheathing his sword beside the other at his waist. She stays in place, waiting as he turns to her. Gold eyes fix on her and she grins despite herself as he nods his head slightly.
"Come Rin. We're leaving." She nods once, tapping Master Jaken's shoulder where he still cowers beside her.
"Come Master Jaken. You don't want to get left behind!" Calmly she stands, nearly leaping over the bush near her and racing across the clearing after her lord.
"Coming Lord Sesshoumaru!"
Later that day the three walk silently through the woods, Master Jaken carefully keeping two paces behind his lord. Rin walks behind them a bit, the reins of the two-headed demon Ah-Un in her hand. With the other hand she toys with an errant flower she had found near the path, twirling it slowly in her fingers as her mind drifts, humming softly to herself. The white petals spin slowly, mesmerizing her as the dark red inside of the flower draw her attention to the center, the few stalks shooting up from the center still heavy with pollen giving off the heavy scent of the flower.
Lord Sesshoumaru does not hesitate or show any outward sign as he picks up the scent of demons. Several from what he can tell. The woods they walk through is thick, the large, old growth trees blocking out the dying sun. The gentle breeze throught he trees carries the scent of the demons, large cat demons, and the scent of water. He continues to stride forward purposefully until he reaches a suitable place, a small clearing within sight of a large field. Across the field and further up the distant hillside he picks up the scent of his half brother but ignores it, instead turning slightly to Jaken.
So absorbed in her find she does not notice when the two before her stop, a tug on Ah-Un's reigns the only thing keeping her from stumbling over Master Jaken. Looking up quickly she finds that they had reached the edge of the forest. Ahead of them is a field stretching as far as she can see.
"We will stop here for the night." Lord Sesshoumaru states. Immediately Master Jaken begins gathering up twigs from around them, mumbling under his breath about a fire as Rin takes Ah-Un toward the fields, intent on letting it loose outside the forest.
"Rin." She immediately stops, turning back to her lord. He is watching her intently, his gold eyes narrowed slightly. He meets her gaze for only a second before sliding away, staring out in the direction of the field. "Stay inside the trees." She nods once, not questioning her lord as she guides Ah-Un back into the trees a bit before dropping the reins.
"Of course my lord."
After Rin has wondered off in search of food Lord Sesshoumaru calls on Jaken, the small demon instantly scurrying to his master.
"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru?" He doesn't look down at his vassal as he watches the fields.
"Stay here." Jaken nods, returning to the fire where he can see Rin a short distance away as his Lord heads off into the trees toward Rin.
Rin doesn't even notice how close Lord Sesshoumaru is to her, fully intent on gathering the berries she had found, though she felt that he was near. Only when a shadow is cast over her does she look up, smiling up at her lord.
"You need to be more observant Rin. I could have been someone else." He says quietly, softness in his voice he only used for her. She smiles wider, standing and turning to him.
"I knew it was you, my lord, so I was not worried." He doesn't reply to this at first, watching her as she pops a few of the berries into her mouth. She holds out a hand, offering the berries to him. To her slight surprise he takes one.
"Come with me." Without waiting for a reply he begins walking, Rin immediately falling in step behind him, eating her berries as she goes.
"If I may ask, my lord, where are we going?" She asks after a time, finishing the last of her berries. He doesn't reply, only continues to wind his way through the trees. She shrugs, following quietly.
Soon she can hear the sound of water and she glances ahead of Lord Sesshoumaru as he stops. Ahead of him lies an immense hot spring, a thick mist hovering over the waters surface. A short wall of rock divides the spring into two sections, a small waterfall spilling from the first upper pool into the second, a mere two feet lower than the first.
"A spring!" She exclaims as she catches herself, Lord Sesshoumaru glances back at her. "I'm sorry, my lord, for my outburst." She says quietly, folding her hands before her and bowing her head. He merely looks away.
"You need a bath Rin." He stated. However, others would have taken offense to this she merely nods. She had long ago become accustomed to her lords keen demon senses, learning quickly that smell was one of them. He pauses, glancing back at her again. "We both do."
Rin nods, sitting herself on a nearby fallen tree.
"I shall wait until you are done my lord." He turns back to her slightly, shaking his head.
"Don't be foolish girl. I have no such time to waste. You take the lower pool." Startled she looks up at her lord. Never in all the years that she had followed him had they bathed at the same time.
"My...lord?" He doesn't spare her a glance as he begins to walk away, following the edge of the pool toward the upper section.
"I have no such time to waste. You can't see in the dark and Jaken will undoubtedly get himself into trouble if I'm gone to long." Rin giggled, standing.
"In deed he would, my lord." Without another word she sets off, heading toward the lower pool.
Lord Sesshoumaru sheds his armor and clothes easily, despite having only one arm. It hadn't taken him long to adjust to the loss of his arm at the hand of his younger half-breed brother. As he steps into the warm water he pulls his thoughts away from his troublesome brother and that mortal girl he is always with and turns his attention back to the matter at hand.
Well within the western lands now Lord Sesshoumaru knows undoubtedly that word had reached his home that he was returning. Inwardly he groaned. It had been at least two years since he had left, and with out fail there would be troubles and problems and demands of him upon his return. With each absence the issues became more numerous. Petty quarrels especially.
A breeze catches his nose again and he picks up the scent of the cat demons again, but thier scent was faint, old. Thier aura's barely registering on his senses he dismisses them from his mind.
"Hot!" He looks up, his gaze turning toward the lower pool. The rock wall obstructs his view but he can easily pick up on the sounds of his ward in the lower pool. He smiles slightly despite himself as he hears her muttering under her breath, a trait he suspects that she picked up from Jaken. He relaxes once again when he hears her begin to hum. The constant sound coming from her almost seemed a comfort to him, something he never let anyone know. Not even Rin knew what her constant singing or humming did for him.
After a time of simply soaking and listening to his ward he glances up at the sky, noticing the darker hues of blue etched across the sky and sighs.
"We should head back." He says aloud, more to himself than anyone else.
"What was that my lord?" He glances up; surprised that Rin had heard him. Her voice came directly on the other side of the wall.
"We are heading back." He says louder, rising from the pool and heading for the trees and his clothes.
"Yes my lord." Content he leaves the pool, disappearing into the trees where he had stashed his clothes nearby.
Rin stands at the waterfall, relishing the feeling of the hot water cascading down from the first pool onto her shoulders. She tips her head back, letting the hot water flow into her hair as she combs her fingers through it, working all the dirt of travel from her waist long hair.
Something in the bushes across the pool alerts her and she freezes, lowering her gaze from the sky to stare at the edge of the forest. Her heart skips wildly as she listens, the sudden silence of the forest unnerving her. After a moment the rustling comes again and she sees something moving swiftly through the bushes, approaching her. She catches sight of bright red eyes fixed on her and she instinctively backs up against the rock wall behind her as the demon emerges.
It resembles a large cat, its short muzzle open wide, displaying white, glistening fangs. It avoids the water, eyeing her hungrily as it speaks.
"Well. Look at the human." Rin jerks as another demon suddenly appears on her right, another cat demon smiling eagerly at her.
"We shall eat well tonight." It says, smiling widely and looking past her. Rin turns, her entire body shaking as a third cat demon emerges.
"Indeed we shall sister." Rin keeps glancing between the three, trembling. Instead of attacking they make no move toward her, just watch her.
"What are they waiting for?" She whispers to her self, staring at the first cat demon. Lord Sesshoumaru!
The water flow at her back, shortly forgotten, is interrupted as a shadow casts itself over her. Relief floods her as she looks up, expecting to see her lord above her. She nearly screams when she sees a fourth cat demon standing on the rocks directly above her, its feral teeth grinning at her as it eyes her terrified expression.
"Indeed my daughters, we shall eat well tonight."