Disclaimer: In no way is any affiliation of Inuyasha mine.
Chapter One:
Returning to those who followed him late that afternoon Sesshomaru caught the distinct scent of youkai blood staining the air, though Rin's scent played healthily to his nose. Emerging into the clearing where he had left them he stood still for a moment as he took in the sight.
A strange female sat at a fire that he had distinctly remembered Jaken building. Rin's face was lit up in a smile as the woman took the cooking meat off the fire and served his young human ward. Jaken sat against AhUn with his arms crossed, hurrying to rise the moment he noticed his inuyoukai-sama's return.
"Sesshomaru-sama." Jaken bowed awkwardly, clutching the staff to his chest.
The woman's head rose. Long auburn hair fell over her shoulders as large dark eyes finally registered his presence. She wore a plain midnight kimono over her small figure and no shoes, as barefoot as Rin.
Unusual.
Rin set her meal in her lap. "Sesshomaru-sama! You're back!"
Who was this woman who dared to come near his ward? And why had Jaken allowed her to do so? He knew better than to trust errant travelers, his retainer was certainly not so foolish.
"Jaken."
"Milord… the woman was being chased and she brought the oni here to Rin! I managed to dispose of it in your stead…she desired to see to it that Rin didn't go hungry." Jaken said nervously. "Should I shoo her away now milord?"
Eyes watched him calmly, flickering between him and Jaken quickly as the woman listened to his retainer's nervous speech. He looked past her to Rin.
The woman had managed to catch a rabbit, it seemed. Rin did not usually partake of meat unless it was fish. His young human ward was required to mainly hunt food for herself. Perhaps for a child she was a bit thin. He knew nothing of children. Certainly he would not lower himself to hunting for a human. Jaken preferred to allow her to scavenge the forest for whatever she could find, under his supervision.
"Where is your home, woman?"
Confusion washed over her face for a moment. "My home?" Tucking a single strand of hair behind her ear she let her eyes wander to Jaken's stiff form for a moment. "I have none."
"We leave, Jaken." Proceeding forward his troupe immediately began to scurry after him. Rin giggled at something Jaken did even as Ah and Un made a low sound at the human girl's voice.
"Wait," the woman spoke up. Stopping he cast an eye back to see her approach. "Where are you going…Sesshomaru-sama?"
"My lord is searching for the hanyou Naraku." Jaken said proudly.
"May I…follow after you? I don't know what help I could offer, but…" her voice trailed off. Curious, he maintained his current position while she found her words. She did not speak again but he could read the question in her gaze.
She was female, inuyoukai. One female would likely know the needs of another better than he. Rin did not bathe as often as would befit a ward of one such as he and it did not sit well with him that he was now considering that. Bathing her embarrassed Jaken to no end-after all the girl could not be permitted to go alone-and it was somewhat improper for her bathing chaperone to be the old youkai anyway. She played often enough, as he assumed most children required, but certain basic needs exceeded their knowledge. Another female would release him from thinking about the girl once more and leave him to the task of hunting down the one who had insulted him.
Being inuyoukai she would certainly understand the unspoken laws of pack; perhaps she would keep the others in line as a female should, even if she wasn't a fighter. And if she proved herself unworthy of such a task then he would simply kill her.
"You may attend Rin." Looking at the little human girl she nodded at that moment before he continued forward.
"You're coming with us?" Rin's voice chirped happily.
"It would appear so," the woman spoke quietly. Perhaps Rin would spend her time chattering to the female instead of Jaken now.
"This is really nice of Sesshomaru-sama! He has such a kind heart!" Rin bragged proudly of him. He heard Jaken snort.
"You should respect milord more, girl! He is not some beneficiary of all wandering souls! Another silly girl."
"You should be nicer, like Sesshomaru-sama, Master Jaken! Maybe then you would not be so loud." Rin giggled.
OoO
The day was darkening though he did not cease traveling. Rin walked with the woman in favor of Jaken as she pestered the creature of every question that popped into her brain in the twilight.
"What's your name?"
"Shaya."
"What is in your bag Shaya?" The red-haired lady had a small bag across her shoulder, swinging with every step she took.
"A few of my things."
"Like what?" Rin persisted.
"My comb, some fruit, a bit of money…"
"Where did you live?" Rin interrupted, curiosity sated for now.
"In a village with my father a long time ago."
"Oh. So where is he now?" Rin said quietly.
"He's dead." Shaya said as quietly.
"My father's gone too. My family was attacked by bandits." Rin admitted to the woman quietly.
"I'm so sorry, Rin." Shaya let out a small breath.
"It's ok. Sesshomaru-sama found me after we were attacked by wolves and Master Jaken has been taking care of me. We travel a lot so Rin gets to see pretty flowers and mountains and clouds and…Oh! Ah and Un fly so Rin gets to see everything! Isn't that right AhUn?" The dragon youkai answered her with a small breath, making Rin giggle.
The questions continued. "How old are you Shaya?"
"Old enough," she said with humor in her voice.
"Rin is only little. Master Jaken is very old though. He is wrinkly." Rin said cheerfully.
"Wrinkly, you disrespectful human! You should only dream to serve Sesshomaru-sama as long as I have!" Jaken huffed.
"Why is your hair that color lady? Rin has never seen red unless it was blood, or flowers, or the sunset…which Jaken-sama says that I shouldn't look at, or kimonos, or the…"
"My mother was from the continent." Shaya interrupted gently. "Are you always so curious, Rin?"
"This girl never shuts up," Jaken snorted. "You may as well reconcile yourself to it."
"You are so rude Master Jaken!" Rin giggled again.
"Onna," Sesshomaru did not turn around.
Assuming that he meant her, Shaya responded. "Yes?"
"You shall take Rin to wash," he stated. Turning only his head the taiyoukai sama fixed her with an intimidating gaze.
"I shall build the fire," Jaken's voice wavered a bit. Sesshomaru-sama meant that they would be camping here in the forest tonight. The smell of the oni lingered on them both and an inuyoukai's nose was very sensitive. He probably didn't want either human to reek of it anymore. "The water is through those trees, onna."
She nodded her head. Sesshomaru went to sit underneath one of the trees nearby while Jaken ran around gathering wood. "Come along Rin. We'll go get cleaned up."
"Ok!" the girl beamed up at her. Racing over to stand in front of Sesshomaru the girl cleared her throat to gain his attention. "I'll be right back with Shaya, ok Sesshomaru-sama? Do not leave without Rin please!"
"Go, Rin." Sesshomaru urged quietly. Jogging back over to Shaya the two left for the nearby pond.
It was still warm enough in the season that the water was not cool quite yet, though it soon would be in the night air. "Come on Rin." Helping the girl out of her orange kimono the child went to climb into the shallow water, slapping its surface. Laying the clothing on a nearby boulder she removed her own dark blue clothing to join the girl in the water, taking two small washing cloths from it.
"Here you go Rin." Handing the playing girl one she ducked down into the water to soak her own hair. Wringing it out once she emerged back from the water she saw that Rin had put the cloth on her head and was spinning around in the water, creating waves. Smiling at the sight she couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out of her. "What are you doing?'
"Rin is being Master Jaken when he catches fish." Falling back in the water dramatically the cloth floated as Rin reemerged. Rolling her eyes she began to scrub away the faint scent of youkai that the male inuyoukai must have been able to smell. Rin stood back up again and mimicked her motions in the water. "Does Shaya know how to catch fish?"
"Yes, I do." Splashing water on her face she looked up to see the girl watching her. "Is something the matter?"
"Sesshomaru-sama doesn't like fish. Do you like fish?" Her little black head tilted as she watched her new friend.
"Of course." Her words brought a new smile to Rin's face.
"That's good. I would not want you to catch fish with us and not eat. That would be sad."
Going over to her new charge she took hold of her chin, wiping dirt off of her face. Rin smiled and let her clean off her hands. "Be a good girl and wash off for your Sesshomaru-sama ok?"
"Here we go." Dipping it gently in the water she rubbed the cloth over Rin's face, who was stunned by the smell that emerged from it.
"That smells like flowers Shaya!"
Shaya laughed, untying the string that held the cloth together at the top. Red and orange flower petals lay inside. "You like flowers Rin?"
"Rin loves flowers! Now Rin will smell pretty for Sesshomaru-sama!"
They dried out on the shore of the pond for a moment before redressing, Shaya shouldering her bag, and going back to the waiting youkai. Sesshomaru had not moved from his spot but Jaken had been busy. A large fire roared under his care as he awaited their return. "Lazy girls. Haven't you been playing long enough? Anyone with ears could've heard your laughter."
"You should laugh too Master Jaken." Rin went over to give him a brief hug. Spluttering he escaped from her embrace to scurry to the other side of the fire.
"And enough of that too, girl!" he blustered. He obviously did not mean it though. Blushing red cheeks gave him away.
"Shaya! You should put your bag in AhUn's saddle, you don't need to carry it!" Rin saw the woman sit with her bag still worn.
"I'm all right Rin." She shook her head lightly.
"Do so onna. No one has any desire for your things." Sesshomaru said quietly. Stunned at his speech she rose to do as he bid her. Removing her comb before she did so she went to dry her hair by the fire, warming her toes in the chilly air.
"Rin? Would you like me to brush out your hair?" The girl came to sit in front of her so that she could do it, tilting her head back so that Shaya could do it. She felt Sesshomaru's gaze on her as she did so temporarily but he soon became bored and looked elsewhere, to her relief.
"You have such pretty hair, Rin." Shaya said quietly. The girl's chest puffed up at the compliment and she beamed at Jaken.
When Rin's hair was once again formed into its normal do she set to straightening out her own long mess as Rin moved to sit next to her instead of in front of her.
"Do you know lots of people from the continent, Shaya?"
"No. I grew up here."
"So your father brought your mommy here?"
"He was at sea as the captain of a ship when he met my mother. He fell in love with her, and they came back here when he passed on his ship to his second in command. She died when I was very small."
"He was a captain?" Rin asked with large eyes. Shaya nodded. "Wow! That's exciting."
"Perhaps," she said with a smile.
Rin yawned suddenly, falling back on to the earth with a plop. "Are you sleepy girl?" Jaken huffed.
Twilight was fading to darkness quickly with the autumn weather. "Yes, Mast Jaken," Rin said brokenly.
Shaya lay down beside the fire a little while after Rin had drifted off herself. Self-conscious over the fact that she was in the midst of near-strangers she found it nearly impossible to sleep. Jaken had laid himself down to sleep shortly after she had but…
"Sleep, little onna." Lifting her head she found his near ghost-form on the outskirts of the camp under his tree, the glint of gold flashing in the darkness as he turned his head to meet her eyes. Nodding her head she turned over and away from his gaze, laying her head down on her bent arm.