The sun peeked shyly through the great sycamore trees. The wind blew through their leaves making a calming swish sound. An old woman sat at the edge of the bank, letting her feet dangle knee deep into the water. Her long silver hair glistened against the day's new sun. She looked down at the water and smiled at the sparkling sight.

"Grandma, grandma!" Came a little voice from the distance. The old woman turned her head to see who was coming her way. She grinned brightly at the sight of her granddaughter running towards her.

"My, Luka, you've gotten so tall," The little girl giggled at her grandmother's remark.

"You've grown too grandma." The old woman smiled again at her granddaughter's innocence. The woman made her way from the water and onto the damp bank. She wearily sat down and motioned for the girl to join her. "How're you today Grandma?" Luka always asked her grandmother this. She cared for her a lot.

"Oh I'm doing fine my child," She replied in a fragile voice, "How about me and you go inside and make treats?"

The little girl's eyes brightened and she jumped to her feet with excitement, "Last one in is a spoiled egg," and with that the little girl darted across the green grass towards the little cottage on the hill. The grandmother laughed at Luka's contagious energy and hurried to catch up.

"So, Luka, what story do you want to hear about today?" Luka always loved to hear her grandmother tell stories. Luka's eyes would always twikle whenever she was into the story being told.

"You never did tell me how you and Grandpa met," She took a long sip from her hot tea.

"Hmm, I didn't?" Her tone was sarcastic yet playful.

"Come on Grandma! I want to hear the story." Luka's voice was whiney and agitated.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you the story of how we met." Her Grandmother took her usual story telling place by the hearth and Luka sat at her feet; she poked the dying fire with a flimsy stick. But soon she tossed the twig aside and sat up to hear her grandmother's tale...

"I was a servant girl in the great Southern Castles of a distant land. I worked hard and long to gain things that I wanted, like food or a place to sleep. My master wasn't a very bright man so he didn't keep up with his debts to other Lords and demons. So, my master, Jaken, had to start selling things in his home to earn money. He sold artifacts, documents, paintings, tapestries, he even sold the horses. One day a very powerful demon came to the castle demanding Jaken to repay his debt. Jaken ran out of things to sell and settled on offering me as a servant to the demon lord. He wasn't too happy about the payment, but decided I was better than nothing. So, I packed my things (which wasn't much at all) and went with him to begin my new life. I never had any grudges against Jaken. I understood that in those times debt was one bad place to be in, for a demon, of course. I still loved him as a friend and I completely forgave him of his wrong doing..."

"The camp I had arrived at wasn't a place for a girl at all. It was a demon soldier camp. I had heard nothing about the war until arriving there. I didn't quite understand why everyone was getting so worked up over nothing. I didn't get to sleep in my own tent. I slept with my master, on a mat, positioned on the floor. The first night spent there was the worst. All through the night I could hear the agonizing groans of the injured soldiers. It was terrifying, and I still remember that first night as if it happened yesterday…"

"RIN, GET OUT HERE!" Rin rushed from the bed on the floor and scrambled outside to her waiting master. He was pressing his clawed hand down on a deep wound, inflicted on a commander. The demon was important; otherwise, he wouldn't be trying to save his life.

"Kruga, we were ambushed on the main dirt road. 15-20 soldiers came out of nowhere. We barely had time to blink," A foot soldier was trying to explain the situation as he grasped the howling demon's head so he wouldn't jerk about.

"RIN!" Kruga shouted again.

"I'm here my lord."

"Don't stand there looking stupid! Go get some towels and water now!" Kruga growled at Rin and she stumbled backwards startled at his viciousness. She dashed inside the tent and gathered the things he asked for. Rin struggled with the heavy pale of water. It sloshed around as she slowly made her way to the injured demon. Kruga, hurriedly, wet the towels and pressed them down hard on the wound at his abdomen. Now, of course Rin wasn't a doctor or a medicine man, but she didn't think the commander had long to live. The gash was too deep and his lips were already turning blue. Rin jumped back as his hand flung out to clasp the armored chest of her master. He drew his ear close to his mouth and weakly mumbled a few words. This took all of his energy to do, and once he was finished with what needed to be said, he collapsed back on to the ground and quickly grew quiet. She knew he was dead. Rin was only 14.

Kruga withdrew from the man with bloody hands. He hung his head shamefully low. In a sense, Rin felt sorry for her master. She followed Kruga into the tent. She watched him wash his hands of the blood. Rin stood there staring. She was at loss for words. Rin had never seen someone die before.

"Try to get some sleep," Rin jerked her head at the sound of his deep voice. She hadn't realized that he had been looking at her, "we've got a busy day tomorrow." He finished. Rin simply bowed her head and returned to her place at the floor.

That night was long. Rin had never had trouble going to sleep. Never. She always went to sleep fast and rested long. But this night was different. This night her mind was caught on the dreadful memory of the dying commander. She couldn't stop thinking about it, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself, her mind kept returning to the same place. Death. Rin tossed and turned and switched positions. Nothing seemed to work. But, at least she wasn't alone. Kruga, in the bed next to her, was doing the same thing.

Grandma paused to take a long sip from her tea. Luka waited impatiently.

"Summer slowly turned into fall and fall eventually turned into winter. Ice had not yet reached the ground but on some nights it sure did seem like it. I remember huddling next to my lantern in some hopes that I might get some heat off of it. It didn't work very well. The war had died down a bit but there were still a lot of injured people that I had to take care of. Kruga never talked to me either, unless there was something to be done or someone's life that needed saving. By then I had become quite good at stitching injuries or giving out medicines to sick soldiers. I grew a tolerance for all of the blood. I had to. I couldn't be treating sick people if I myself were sick. Even though I didn't mind my place at the camp, I sure did miss my old home. I missed playing in the flowers and the sweet green grass. I missed all my friends, and most importantly I missed my old bed. Over the last few months I had grown sad and weary. I moped around camp unhappy and depressed. One day I was walking to the stream to gather a pale of water. As I bent down to fill the bucket I slipped on a glob of mud and slid against the bank. I had accidently cut myself on a sharp rock. I remember seeing the blood against my forearm, but I never remember it hurting. In fact, it felt kind of nice. I dipped my arm into the river and washed away the trickling blood. There was a sting, but unlike a bee sting or a slapping sting, this sort of pain felt good. I closed my eyes to take in the feeling that rushed up my arm. I couldn't describe it. So, I started my new obsession: cutting."

"Rin, you should start cleaning up after yourself. We can't be living like pigs." Rin felt a shove against her back and before she knew it, she was on the ground. It was Kruga ordering her to make up her blankets and bed. Rin sat up and wiped the dirt away from her face and dusted off her ragged clothing. She could feel his eyes on her back. It turned her on. She bent over more so she could pull her covers up over the mat. Rin knew he could see her back side but that's what gave her such a rush…

"Luka, I don't think you should hear this part." Rin's old eyes smiled at her young granddaughter.

"Ahhhhhh, come on, I wanna hear it." Luke made a child like pouty face. Her grandmother gave her a questionable look. She wearily turned her head towards the window. It was getting dark outside.

"It's nearly your bed time. Your parents would get mad if I let you stay up."

Luka groaned loudly and stomped off to her bedroom. Her grandmother chuckled at the child's nonsense and sat back down in her chair. She turned to look at the small fire. She watched as the light flickered and the flame danced. She looked in awe as she began to recall what happen that night….

"You know, Rin, I've been watching you lately," His deep voice made her cringe in submission. Rin shuddered violently as she felt the heat of his groin against her skin. She started to feel the light tickle of his finger tips as they slid up her thigh. His hand was hot against her flesh. Rin felt his muscular frame draw close to her as he slowly bent down to coo at her ear, "and I've never wanted you more." His hand gripped at my outer thigh and she melted at his gesture. His hot lips drew lines across the top of her neck. Rin's arms locked beneath her as she clenched the covers on the floor. His wandering hand grazed preciously over her smooth skin. Rin felt two of his fingers press at the cloth over her flesh.

"Master," She begged lightly. He crashed his lips onto her's. She felt his tongue pry at her mouth. He tasted like wine. Rin opened her mouth to allow his wet muscle inside. He twisted his upper body beneath her and lifted my leg to straddle him. Their lips continued, locked together as they both adjusted to the new position. Rin arched her back so she could lie on his stomach, but her crotch would hover slightly over his. Rin felt so small and puny against his bulging muscled physique.

Rin sat up some to pull her tattered kimono from her body. Rin was wearing white cotton underwear, as Kagome put it "panties". They were all that was between her and Kruga. Once Rin's kimono fell to floor she felt his arms around her torso. She felt his mouth linger at her chest. Rin leaned her head back and rested her hands on his shoulders as he kneaded her breasts with his mouth. Rin moaned aloud as he drew her nipple into his mouth. Everything was feeling so good when, suddenly, it stopped.

"What's this?" Rin heard his deep voice at her throat. She lifted her head up and connected with what he was looking at, her arm. She shook with embarrassment at the awful sight of her numerous horizontal stripes.