*Disclaimer. I do not own Sesshoumaru, Rin or even Jaken. They belong to
the wonderful and Talented Rumiko Takahashi, may she keep creating
wonderful works of art forever.*
Sesshoumaru's Thoughts
Sesshoumaru walked silently through the forest. He could hear the sounds of the night all around him. The soft sound of an owl's feathers as it swooped, the squeal of the mouse that it caught, the bark of a fox. Jaken padded along behind him, his little toad feet making a rustling in the dry leaf bed. Jaken was leading Ah and Un, as the human girl had started calling them. The large two headed youkai had a steady rhythmic gate. Rin rode on their back, her head nodding sleepily.
What a strange creature she was. He had never met a human who had shown him anything but aggression, fear or mistrust. After the fight, where his mongrel brother had cut his arm off, she had found him lying prone on the forest floor. The little girl had brought him offerings of fish, or mushrooms, and water. Anything edible the girl could find, she offered to him on beds of leaves. He did not eat such human food of course, but the girl kept coming. She wore a very old, ragged yukata, and her face was smudged with dirt. Once when she came back, she had been badly beaten. When he asked her why, she had just smiled. Such a strange thing, Sesshoumaru thought, how could this girl who has obviously had such a retched life, have a smile that outshone the sun. He had never had a human smile at him before. Her face was battered, her clothes in tatters, yet she smiles like she has never been hurt, known a day of hunger or a moment of fear in her life.
When he found this little human dead, he actually felt regret. As useless as her actions had been, she had still tried to offer him aid, at expense to her own self. Maybe this useless sword that his father had given him might be good for some small thing. Drawing Tenseiga, he slew the death imps.
He knelt, and gathered her in his arm, resting her head on his knee. She opened her eyes and blinked up at him; then smiled. There was something in her smiles, something that Sesshoumaru had never seen in human or youki before; an innocents, a pureness. Pleased with his decision to save the girl, he stood up and continued on his way. Soon he heard her foot steps behind him, following him, and again he was pleased.
Sesshoumaru came to a stream, and stopped. Rin blinked sleepily and yawned, "Are we stopping for the night, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru sat down against a tree facing the stream. "Of course we are stopping here for the night. Do not pester Sesshoumaru-sama with your silly questions.
Ah and Un settled down to the ground, and Rin nestled against the beasts side. Soon Sesshoumaru could hear her rhythmic breathing that told him she was asleep. Jaken had sprawled out on some soft grass and was soon snoring. Sesshoumaru sat motionless against the tree, staring out into the night. The moon was almost full, and its light danced on the water. The sweet smell of night blooming flowers drifted on the warm night air, and crickets sang to the night sky, accompanied by the deep thrum of a bull frog. Before Rin had joined them, Sesshoumaru would have traveled all night, rarely stopping. But Rin needed rest, and this would be a good place for her and Jaken to catch fish for her in the morning. The moon made its slow track across the sky.
Rin stirred in her sleep. She moved restlessly murmuring, and then gave a small cry. Ah and Un raised their head and looked at the girl. Sesshoumaru stood and walked over to her. He could smell the salt of her tears, as she dreamed. Gently, he picked her up and cradled her against his body. Walking back to the tree he sat down. Rin grasped his Kimono in her hand, and opened her eyes. "Rin had a bad dream," she said. Sesshoumaru looked at her, but said nothing. She gave a sleepy smile, "Rin is glad Sesshoumaru-sama is here." Her breathing became regular again, as she drifted back to sleep, her hand still clutching his Kimono.
Sesshoumaru leaned his head against the trunk and closed his eyes. The sounds and smell of the night surrounded him, and the little girl felt warm on his lap, as he drifted to sleep.
Sesshoumaru's Thoughts
Sesshoumaru walked silently through the forest. He could hear the sounds of the night all around him. The soft sound of an owl's feathers as it swooped, the squeal of the mouse that it caught, the bark of a fox. Jaken padded along behind him, his little toad feet making a rustling in the dry leaf bed. Jaken was leading Ah and Un, as the human girl had started calling them. The large two headed youkai had a steady rhythmic gate. Rin rode on their back, her head nodding sleepily.
What a strange creature she was. He had never met a human who had shown him anything but aggression, fear or mistrust. After the fight, where his mongrel brother had cut his arm off, she had found him lying prone on the forest floor. The little girl had brought him offerings of fish, or mushrooms, and water. Anything edible the girl could find, she offered to him on beds of leaves. He did not eat such human food of course, but the girl kept coming. She wore a very old, ragged yukata, and her face was smudged with dirt. Once when she came back, she had been badly beaten. When he asked her why, she had just smiled. Such a strange thing, Sesshoumaru thought, how could this girl who has obviously had such a retched life, have a smile that outshone the sun. He had never had a human smile at him before. Her face was battered, her clothes in tatters, yet she smiles like she has never been hurt, known a day of hunger or a moment of fear in her life.
When he found this little human dead, he actually felt regret. As useless as her actions had been, she had still tried to offer him aid, at expense to her own self. Maybe this useless sword that his father had given him might be good for some small thing. Drawing Tenseiga, he slew the death imps.
He knelt, and gathered her in his arm, resting her head on his knee. She opened her eyes and blinked up at him; then smiled. There was something in her smiles, something that Sesshoumaru had never seen in human or youki before; an innocents, a pureness. Pleased with his decision to save the girl, he stood up and continued on his way. Soon he heard her foot steps behind him, following him, and again he was pleased.
Sesshoumaru came to a stream, and stopped. Rin blinked sleepily and yawned, "Are we stopping for the night, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru sat down against a tree facing the stream. "Of course we are stopping here for the night. Do not pester Sesshoumaru-sama with your silly questions.
Ah and Un settled down to the ground, and Rin nestled against the beasts side. Soon Sesshoumaru could hear her rhythmic breathing that told him she was asleep. Jaken had sprawled out on some soft grass and was soon snoring. Sesshoumaru sat motionless against the tree, staring out into the night. The moon was almost full, and its light danced on the water. The sweet smell of night blooming flowers drifted on the warm night air, and crickets sang to the night sky, accompanied by the deep thrum of a bull frog. Before Rin had joined them, Sesshoumaru would have traveled all night, rarely stopping. But Rin needed rest, and this would be a good place for her and Jaken to catch fish for her in the morning. The moon made its slow track across the sky.
Rin stirred in her sleep. She moved restlessly murmuring, and then gave a small cry. Ah and Un raised their head and looked at the girl. Sesshoumaru stood and walked over to her. He could smell the salt of her tears, as she dreamed. Gently, he picked her up and cradled her against his body. Walking back to the tree he sat down. Rin grasped his Kimono in her hand, and opened her eyes. "Rin had a bad dream," she said. Sesshoumaru looked at her, but said nothing. She gave a sleepy smile, "Rin is glad Sesshoumaru-sama is here." Her breathing became regular again, as she drifted back to sleep, her hand still clutching his Kimono.
Sesshoumaru leaned his head against the trunk and closed his eyes. The sounds and smell of the night surrounded him, and the little girl felt warm on his lap, as he drifted to sleep.