Morning is a Long Time Coming
Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Rin, Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Ah-Un are hers, as well as any other characters mentioned here that are from the series. This story is written purely for the enjoyment of fans and completely non-profit.
(Note: For impatient Sess/Rin fans, you can probably skip this chapter and go to the next, if it's uploaded. This chapter may be a bit confusing. And no, Mykas never shows up again.)
~The most pristine and selfless emotion can only be seen when the mettle of a love unrequited is tried and found to be unblemished.
Chapter 1: Golden is the Evening
Rin smiled as she often did, reaching into the water to pluck out a fish. Jaken was standing in the water with her. Both had their kimonos rolled up past their knees in a vain attempt to keep their clothes dry. In a slower stream, perhaps, the cloth would have been safe, but the spray generated by this mighty river soaked them both from head to toe.
"Look, Jaken-sama!" she exclaimed happily, "Rin got a big one!" She held a huge silver fish in her hands somehow, even though it was so wide that both her hands could not have encompassed it. Since her skinny arms were obviously not covered with muscle and she was not unusually strong for a seven-year-old, the only thing that could have kept that fish in her grasp would have to have been the strength of her heart.
"Awk!" Jaken squawked, staring wide-eyed at the struggling thing. He had never caught a fish yet, but Sesshoumaru always insisted that he accompany Rin on her food gathering operations, and Rin was never content to let him sit around while she got her food. She always dragged him in to 'help' her, despite his incompetence.
Rin tried to toss the fish to the bank with a mighty heave of her arms. Its slimy scales slipped through her hands and she almost lost it, but she caught the tail at the last moment and flung it to dry land, where it flopped around, sputtering and gasping its last.
"Okay, Jaken-sama," she said with a smile, "now you catch one and then we can get back to Sesshoumaru-sama." There was something different about the way she said 'Sesshoumaru-sama', something which always distinguished it from 'Jaken-sama'. Both titles were technically the same, but there was a greater respect in her voice for Sesshoumaru. A sort of awe and sweetness that Jaken's name would never take on. Sesshoumaru was her protector, he savior, her idol. She would love her Sesshoumaru-sama forever.
"Bah, Rin, you know this Jaken cannot catch fish," he replied grumpily. He had to admit, that was a fine catch, and he resented her a tiny bit for it. "Besides, that one is more than big enough to feed us."
Rin knew better than to argue. Jaken was, after all, correct, on both his estimation of his own skills and on the adequacy of the meal. She carefully picked her way back to shore and started to wring out her kimono. Jaken did the same.
As she placed her hand into a gill of the now feeble fish, she asked Jaken, "Will Sesshoumaru-sama want any?" It was a wistful, foolish question, and she knew it, but she still asked it every day. Sesshoumaru never ate anything she found. In fact, as far as she could tell, he never ate at all. But that was impossible; all living things had to eat. She'd just never seen him doing it. Jaken, who had heard the question countless times, didn't bother to reply.
Rin picked the fish up and slung it over her shoulder, and she and Jaken headed back to their camp.
~*~*~*~
The fish, which Rin had stuck on a stick by the fire, took nearly an hour to cook. Rin had cleaned it and was now sitting by the flames, turning the fish every few minutes to make sure it was evenly done. The smell that was coming forth was heavenly, and she couldn't wait to sink her teeth in. It wasn't every day that she had time to catch any form of meat-- most of the time she had to make due with wild fruits and mushrooms.
It was alright though. She was never stuffed, but she didn't starve. Sesshoumaru would always find her food if she was incapable of locating any. And Sesshoumaru kept her safe. He killed all the youkai that sometimes attacked her. He rescued her when that Naraku person tried to hurt her. He got her a new kimono. For all that Jaken said about Sesshoumaru hating humans, Sesshoumaru always took good care of her.
Rin sighed. Sesshoumaru was late again. It was almost dark and still he had not returned. Where had he gone this time? Sometimes he went off to fight with his half-brother, or so Jaken said. Sesshoumaru never told her where he was going. He never told her much of anything. In fact, he never talked very much at all.
Suddenly, Jaken, who had been grumbling about how bothersome she was, fell silent. Rin looked up, surprised. It was not like Jaken to be quite at all, except when Sesshoumaru was around. Jaken didn't really dare to speak much around Sesshoumaru. It was almost as though Jaken feared Sesshoumaru. Rin did not understand why. Sesshoumaru-sama was wonderful.
"Ne, Jaken-sama, what--" she began, but Jaken cut her off.
"Quite, Rin," he commanded, for once his voice more grave than shrieking. "I hear something coming."
"Sesshoumaru-sama is coming?" Rin asked hopefully, but she could see something was wrong. Jaken was concentrating and looking upset. And Jaken never warned her when Sesshoumaru was coming back.
"No! Foolish girl, as if I, Jaken, could hear Sesshoumaru-sama approach. This is..." He frowned, sniffing the air. A disgusted grimace settled on his face. "This is a human!" he spat.
Jaken raised his staff menacingly at the woods around the clearing while Rin scurried back. True, the human could be a good human like that nice old herb lady who told Rin where to get the medicine for Jaken-sama, but the human could also be a mean human like the ones from Rin's old village. Or even worse, it could be a controlled human. Kohaku was so nice, but Rin was always afraid that Sesshoumaru-sama would kill him, especially if Kohaku got that dazed look again. And then there was that doctor who seemed good and then turned really evil and... Until Rin saw what kind of human this was, she would just stay back, where it was safe.
After a few seconds of waiting, Rin finally began to hear the human. She could hear branches snapping and leaves crunching. She could also hear a cheerful whistling. Perhaps this was one of the good humans.
Just as she was thinking this, a man broke out into the clearing. Rin looked up to see a slim, clean shaven man with kind eyes and wrinkles that could only have come from much smiling. He was dressed for traveling, though the bundle on his back was a bit odd in shape.
"Back, human!" Jaken shouted as he waved his two headed stick menacingly. Rin remembered vaguely that the stick had a name, but it was a big long word and she couldn't remember it.
"Ho! What's this?" the man said in a light, fluting tenor. He turned to look at Jaken, who was currently looking rather mad.
"This is the camp of the great Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru-sama! I, Jaken, Sesshoumaru-sama's faithful servant and retainer, command you to leave at once or face the consequences."
The man lifted an eyebrow. "I, Mykas, am a bard who is looking for work," he said, mimicking Jaken's style of speech in a way that could only be interpreted as mocking. "Seeing as I, Mykas, have been kicked out of my previous lord's manor, I, Mykas, have little to live off of. Surely," he continued in a more ordinary style of speech, "you do not plan to eat that entire huge fish by yourself?"
Jaken lifted his stick up threateningly. "If you do not leave now, I, Jaken will--"
Mykas was completely ignoring Jaken because he had now caught sight of Rin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation. "What's this? A human? I thought this was the camp of," Mykas puffed up his chest, once again making fun of Jaken, "'the great Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru-sama'. What's a human doing here?"
Rin looked up at the man and smiled. He didn't seem so bad at all. And anyone who mocked Jaken certainly got points in her book. "Rin is Rin," she said, still smiling. "But Jaken-sama is right. You better leave before Sesshoumaru-sama gets here or Sesshoumaru-sama will be mad."
"So this is Sesshoumaru's camp?" Mykas asked softly. Then he frowned. "He's not keeping you here against your will, is he?"
Rin blinked. "No, Rin follows Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Why would you follow a youkai?"
"Because Sesshoumaru-sama saved Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama is nice to Rin." Then she paused for a second and added in a soft voice, "And because Sesshoumaru-sama is all Rin has."
Mykas continued to frown, but he did not press the point. He was, after all, hungry. It was the scent of cooking fish that had attracted him here in the first place.
"Leave, human!" Jaken screeched, trying to turn Mykas' attention back to himself.
Mykas steeped forward and snatched the staff from Jaken's hands. He then whirled the stick around and soundly whacked the toad on the head. Jaken fell over, dazed swirls forming on his eyes. Rin giggled.
"That ought to shut him up," Mykas muttered under his breath. "So, are you going to eat that entire fish?" he asked Rin. Rin shook her head and walked over.
"No, Rin and Jaken would have eaten some of it and maybe saved some for later, but if you want some, there is enough for you too." She plopped down next to where the fish was cooking. "It's done now."
Mykas sat down next to her and watched as she pulled the fish expertly from the fire and peeled it from the stick onto a leaf without getting burned. "So you really stay here with two youkai?" he asked as she blew on the steaming fish.
"No, Rin travels with three youkai."
"Oh, is the third out traveling with this Sesshoumaru?" he asked.
"Hmm? No, Ah-Un is right behind you," Rin said, pointing.
Mykas looked back and jumped, remembering just it time that he was right in front of a fire and that if he moved back, he would catch his pants on fire. "A dragon," he whispered, awed. Then the 'Un' part of Ah- Un stuck his head out of the woods. "A two-headed dragon," Mykas amended.
He glanced over to Rin. "You really willingly follow a toad, a Taiyoukai, and a two headed dragon?" he asked in disbelief.
"Hai! They are Rin's family," she chirped. "Rin loves them all. Well, Jaken-sama is sometimes mean and annoying, but then Sesshoumaru-sama just kicks him or steps on him, and then Jaken-sama is quiet. Just like what you did, actually," she added thoughtfully.
She brought up the fish on the leaf and offered him some. It surprised him that she trusted him so much. He was a stranger and he had just knocked out her companion, after all. But then how much harm could he do her with a dragon at his back? No doubt the dragon would protect her should he try to hurt her. And she was just a child, and sometimes children could be very accepting of strange people and things. Come to think of it, if this had not been an accepting child, she would not be traveling with a group of youkai.
Gratefully, he took a piece of the fish and began to eat. She did the same, and after she had taken her piece she placed the fish between them so that either could take any whenever they wanted.
They ate in silence. When both were full, Rin set the remainder of the fish next to the unconscious Jaken and went back to the fire.
"I can't pay you for the fish," Mykas started.
"That's okay! Rin doesn't need money. Sesshoumaru-sama has lots!"
"But," he continued, "I can offer you a story, or a song, if you like. I am a bard, after all."
Rin stared at him, a little surprised. It had been a very long time since anyone had told her a story. Sesshoumaru and Jaken certainly never told stories. Ah-Un didn't talk. The nice man should really be going before Sesshoumaru found him, but maybe there was a little bit of time. This man wasn't like the other humans. He was easy to talk to. Sometimes she froze up around others, but she liked listening to him. It had been such a long time since she'd had real human contact...
"Okay! Rin will hear a story, or a song! Rin doesn't care which."
"How about I sing a ballad which is both a story and a song?" he asked with a light chuckle. How incredibly energetic this child was.
"Hai!"
"Then here is the story of a girl name Aurora, who fell in love with Darkness and went through a thirteen trials in one long night to get the one she loved, only to find her love fading with the sunrise."
"Sounds sad," said Rin.
"Yes, very sad," Mykas replied, reaching for the lute strapped to his back. He looked at Rin, strummed a sweet, but minor chord, and started to sing. "Aurora, the Morning Light,/ Aurora, with wings alight!/ Fell she, in love with Tarlyving/ in the golden light of the evening,/..."
So he continued with the story while Rin listened with rapt fascination. She was crying by the end, though she did not understand every last word of the story, she got the general gist, and it was beautiful in its sadness. A love searched for, but never found. Rin sniffed sadly and wiped her nose.
"There now, it's not all that bad," Mykas said warmly as he patted her back.
"But she sounded so miserable and lonely..." Rin whispered.
"Yes," he said, "that's why most people consider it a tragedy."
"But you don't?" she asked.
Mykas was surprised. He hadn't expected her to be so perceptive. "No, I don't. Because, if you remember, Midnight was merciful and let her be with her love for a time. And at the end, the last line is 'Aurora has Broken.' If you think about it, that can be taken two ways. One is that Aurora's heart and soul broke, and that is the common interpretation. The other is that 'Aurora has Broken' actually translates to 'Morning has Broken', since Aurora means 'morning', and that is a far more cheerful thought. It means that night has passed, that the darkness is over for her. She may not have her shadow- lover, but at least she has the light of day. And perhaps she is better off that way."
Rin looked at him skeptically. "Rin doesn't think so," she said stubbornly.
"Well then, believe as you will. Can I stay here for...?" There was a gust of wind and the rest of his words were lost.
Rin gasped and looked up. The story had been quite long, and she'd lost track of time. In front of her, glowing white in the darkness, was a tall figure with a crescent moon on his forehead.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried happily as she rushed up to greet him.
Sesshoumaru ignored her, glaring at Mykas. His hand began to glow green. Rin looked down and swallowed nervously. She really should have gotten Mykas to leave earlier. She certainly didn't want to see him killed.
"Ano, Sesshoumaru-sama, Mykas-san has been really nice. He's been telling stories and keeping Rin from being lonely. Please don't hurt him, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Mykas stared at the obviously powerful youkai. The little toad hadn't been lying after all. Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. What was he doing with a human girl anyway? Not that Mykas really had to know. Interesting that she dared speak to him like that, asking him to spare a life when he was obviously angry, but Mykas really didn't have the leisure to contemplate such things. He knew he'd better concentrate on saving his skin somehow.
"I was just leaving, My Lord," he said as he stood up and bowed deeply.
Sesshoumaru looked at him. Then glanced down at Rin, who was staring up with pleading eyes. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sesshoumaru looked at Mykas again and commanded, "Leave."
Mykas, who was no fool, scampered off as fast as he could.
"Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said with a smile.
"What happened to Jaken?" asked Sesshoumaru as he lazily turned to look at the prostrate toad.
Rin contemplated not answering, fearing for Mykas' safety, but then again, she didn't want to upset Sesshoumaru. When it came down to choosing between the bard's life and her Lord's ire, the choice was not so difficult. He was Sesshoumaru-sama.
"Jaken-sama was yelling at Mykas-san, so Mykas-san hit Jaken-sama on the head, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin replied.
"Did he now?" An ever-so-slight smile found its way to Sesshoumaru's lips. It was not quite what Rin had expected. She'd thought he would be angry, but now that she thought about it, he'd never cared much for Jaken anyway. Perhaps if Jaken had actually been injured or killed, Sesshoumaru would seek revenge, but Jaken was only unconscious, and Sesshoumaru himself had done worse at times. But Sesshoumaru almost never smiled. Rin had never expected him to be so... amused.
Since Sesshoumaru didn't look like he was going to say anything else, Rin went to sit by the fire again. It was getting cold out--winter was coming. But the fire would keep her warm enough for now. She watched as Sesshoumaru settled down against a tree trunk, pulling his armor off to get some rest. Rin sighed contentedly. This was where she belonged. Here with these youkai was more 'home' than anything ha been in a long, long time. Here with Sesshoumaru-sama, her powerful and perfect guardian.
These cozy thoughts filled her head as she fell asleep.
~*~*~*~
Rin woke a little while latter, shivering. The fire had died down and a chill wind had picked up. She was very cold, now. Evidently, the fire was not enough. She would have to ask Sesshoumaru for a blanket of some sort when they reached the next village. Trembling, she looked around for something to cover herself with, but could find nothing.
"Rin."
Rin turned around and focused on Sesshoumaru, who was still resting against the tree. His eyes were open and glowing a rich gold in the dark of night. Had she woken him up with her stirrings, or had he never been asleep?
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Why have you awakened?" There might have been something akin to concern in his voice, but Rin was shaking too hard to trust her ears on the finer points of emotion. He was more likely just annoyed.
"Ano, Rin is cold, Sesshoumaru-sama." She curled her knees in towards herself and rubbed her arms and legs briskly.
Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment. He did not want to see her catch a cold. Human bodies were so weak. He knew she could become sick and die, and that was not a good thing. He did not want her to die. He had come to terms with that a while ago. After rescuing her for the umpteenth time, he had stopped wondering why he cared for her so much. He just accepted that he did. He did not want her to die because he wanted her to stay with him. Now, wouldn't it be stupid if he saved her all those times from youkai only to have her die because her body couldn't handle the wintry weather?
He said, "Come here, Rin."
Rin got up and hastily walked over to Sesshoumaru. She did not know what he was planning, but she hoped it would make her warm again. She did not like being cold. As she neared, he surprised her by pulling her down into his lap and wrapping his fluffy tail around her.
"Are you cold now?" he asked, seemingly nonchalant, but Rin knew he worried about her well being, and that was a comforting thought.
"No, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin is not cold anymore. Rin is fine now. Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama." Indeed she was not cold at all. The fluff around her acted as a blanket finer than she'd ever had. With it around her she was perfectly warm, and with his chest under her, breathing and beating, she felt perfectly safe.
"Sleep, Rin," he commanded, and it was her joy to obey.
Warm, protected, safe. That was what her Sesshoumaru-sama was. It was what he would be forever. Rin cared for nothing else, so long as she was with him. Yes, it was enough, more than enough. She was with her Sesshoumaru-sama; what greater delight was there in the world? This was the most flawless evening in best of all possible worlds.
~*~*~*~
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Author's Note: No, Mykas never shows up again, Yes, Rin does fall in love with Sesshoumaru... next chapter. See ya there!
Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Rin, Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Ah-Un are hers, as well as any other characters mentioned here that are from the series. This story is written purely for the enjoyment of fans and completely non-profit.
(Note: For impatient Sess/Rin fans, you can probably skip this chapter and go to the next, if it's uploaded. This chapter may be a bit confusing. And no, Mykas never shows up again.)
~The most pristine and selfless emotion can only be seen when the mettle of a love unrequited is tried and found to be unblemished.
Chapter 1: Golden is the Evening
Rin smiled as she often did, reaching into the water to pluck out a fish. Jaken was standing in the water with her. Both had their kimonos rolled up past their knees in a vain attempt to keep their clothes dry. In a slower stream, perhaps, the cloth would have been safe, but the spray generated by this mighty river soaked them both from head to toe.
"Look, Jaken-sama!" she exclaimed happily, "Rin got a big one!" She held a huge silver fish in her hands somehow, even though it was so wide that both her hands could not have encompassed it. Since her skinny arms were obviously not covered with muscle and she was not unusually strong for a seven-year-old, the only thing that could have kept that fish in her grasp would have to have been the strength of her heart.
"Awk!" Jaken squawked, staring wide-eyed at the struggling thing. He had never caught a fish yet, but Sesshoumaru always insisted that he accompany Rin on her food gathering operations, and Rin was never content to let him sit around while she got her food. She always dragged him in to 'help' her, despite his incompetence.
Rin tried to toss the fish to the bank with a mighty heave of her arms. Its slimy scales slipped through her hands and she almost lost it, but she caught the tail at the last moment and flung it to dry land, where it flopped around, sputtering and gasping its last.
"Okay, Jaken-sama," she said with a smile, "now you catch one and then we can get back to Sesshoumaru-sama." There was something different about the way she said 'Sesshoumaru-sama', something which always distinguished it from 'Jaken-sama'. Both titles were technically the same, but there was a greater respect in her voice for Sesshoumaru. A sort of awe and sweetness that Jaken's name would never take on. Sesshoumaru was her protector, he savior, her idol. She would love her Sesshoumaru-sama forever.
"Bah, Rin, you know this Jaken cannot catch fish," he replied grumpily. He had to admit, that was a fine catch, and he resented her a tiny bit for it. "Besides, that one is more than big enough to feed us."
Rin knew better than to argue. Jaken was, after all, correct, on both his estimation of his own skills and on the adequacy of the meal. She carefully picked her way back to shore and started to wring out her kimono. Jaken did the same.
As she placed her hand into a gill of the now feeble fish, she asked Jaken, "Will Sesshoumaru-sama want any?" It was a wistful, foolish question, and she knew it, but she still asked it every day. Sesshoumaru never ate anything she found. In fact, as far as she could tell, he never ate at all. But that was impossible; all living things had to eat. She'd just never seen him doing it. Jaken, who had heard the question countless times, didn't bother to reply.
Rin picked the fish up and slung it over her shoulder, and she and Jaken headed back to their camp.
~*~*~*~
The fish, which Rin had stuck on a stick by the fire, took nearly an hour to cook. Rin had cleaned it and was now sitting by the flames, turning the fish every few minutes to make sure it was evenly done. The smell that was coming forth was heavenly, and she couldn't wait to sink her teeth in. It wasn't every day that she had time to catch any form of meat-- most of the time she had to make due with wild fruits and mushrooms.
It was alright though. She was never stuffed, but she didn't starve. Sesshoumaru would always find her food if she was incapable of locating any. And Sesshoumaru kept her safe. He killed all the youkai that sometimes attacked her. He rescued her when that Naraku person tried to hurt her. He got her a new kimono. For all that Jaken said about Sesshoumaru hating humans, Sesshoumaru always took good care of her.
Rin sighed. Sesshoumaru was late again. It was almost dark and still he had not returned. Where had he gone this time? Sometimes he went off to fight with his half-brother, or so Jaken said. Sesshoumaru never told her where he was going. He never told her much of anything. In fact, he never talked very much at all.
Suddenly, Jaken, who had been grumbling about how bothersome she was, fell silent. Rin looked up, surprised. It was not like Jaken to be quite at all, except when Sesshoumaru was around. Jaken didn't really dare to speak much around Sesshoumaru. It was almost as though Jaken feared Sesshoumaru. Rin did not understand why. Sesshoumaru-sama was wonderful.
"Ne, Jaken-sama, what--" she began, but Jaken cut her off.
"Quite, Rin," he commanded, for once his voice more grave than shrieking. "I hear something coming."
"Sesshoumaru-sama is coming?" Rin asked hopefully, but she could see something was wrong. Jaken was concentrating and looking upset. And Jaken never warned her when Sesshoumaru was coming back.
"No! Foolish girl, as if I, Jaken, could hear Sesshoumaru-sama approach. This is..." He frowned, sniffing the air. A disgusted grimace settled on his face. "This is a human!" he spat.
Jaken raised his staff menacingly at the woods around the clearing while Rin scurried back. True, the human could be a good human like that nice old herb lady who told Rin where to get the medicine for Jaken-sama, but the human could also be a mean human like the ones from Rin's old village. Or even worse, it could be a controlled human. Kohaku was so nice, but Rin was always afraid that Sesshoumaru-sama would kill him, especially if Kohaku got that dazed look again. And then there was that doctor who seemed good and then turned really evil and... Until Rin saw what kind of human this was, she would just stay back, where it was safe.
After a few seconds of waiting, Rin finally began to hear the human. She could hear branches snapping and leaves crunching. She could also hear a cheerful whistling. Perhaps this was one of the good humans.
Just as she was thinking this, a man broke out into the clearing. Rin looked up to see a slim, clean shaven man with kind eyes and wrinkles that could only have come from much smiling. He was dressed for traveling, though the bundle on his back was a bit odd in shape.
"Back, human!" Jaken shouted as he waved his two headed stick menacingly. Rin remembered vaguely that the stick had a name, but it was a big long word and she couldn't remember it.
"Ho! What's this?" the man said in a light, fluting tenor. He turned to look at Jaken, who was currently looking rather mad.
"This is the camp of the great Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru-sama! I, Jaken, Sesshoumaru-sama's faithful servant and retainer, command you to leave at once or face the consequences."
The man lifted an eyebrow. "I, Mykas, am a bard who is looking for work," he said, mimicking Jaken's style of speech in a way that could only be interpreted as mocking. "Seeing as I, Mykas, have been kicked out of my previous lord's manor, I, Mykas, have little to live off of. Surely," he continued in a more ordinary style of speech, "you do not plan to eat that entire huge fish by yourself?"
Jaken lifted his stick up threateningly. "If you do not leave now, I, Jaken will--"
Mykas was completely ignoring Jaken because he had now caught sight of Rin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation. "What's this? A human? I thought this was the camp of," Mykas puffed up his chest, once again making fun of Jaken, "'the great Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru-sama'. What's a human doing here?"
Rin looked up at the man and smiled. He didn't seem so bad at all. And anyone who mocked Jaken certainly got points in her book. "Rin is Rin," she said, still smiling. "But Jaken-sama is right. You better leave before Sesshoumaru-sama gets here or Sesshoumaru-sama will be mad."
"So this is Sesshoumaru's camp?" Mykas asked softly. Then he frowned. "He's not keeping you here against your will, is he?"
Rin blinked. "No, Rin follows Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Why would you follow a youkai?"
"Because Sesshoumaru-sama saved Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama is nice to Rin." Then she paused for a second and added in a soft voice, "And because Sesshoumaru-sama is all Rin has."
Mykas continued to frown, but he did not press the point. He was, after all, hungry. It was the scent of cooking fish that had attracted him here in the first place.
"Leave, human!" Jaken screeched, trying to turn Mykas' attention back to himself.
Mykas steeped forward and snatched the staff from Jaken's hands. He then whirled the stick around and soundly whacked the toad on the head. Jaken fell over, dazed swirls forming on his eyes. Rin giggled.
"That ought to shut him up," Mykas muttered under his breath. "So, are you going to eat that entire fish?" he asked Rin. Rin shook her head and walked over.
"No, Rin and Jaken would have eaten some of it and maybe saved some for later, but if you want some, there is enough for you too." She plopped down next to where the fish was cooking. "It's done now."
Mykas sat down next to her and watched as she pulled the fish expertly from the fire and peeled it from the stick onto a leaf without getting burned. "So you really stay here with two youkai?" he asked as she blew on the steaming fish.
"No, Rin travels with three youkai."
"Oh, is the third out traveling with this Sesshoumaru?" he asked.
"Hmm? No, Ah-Un is right behind you," Rin said, pointing.
Mykas looked back and jumped, remembering just it time that he was right in front of a fire and that if he moved back, he would catch his pants on fire. "A dragon," he whispered, awed. Then the 'Un' part of Ah- Un stuck his head out of the woods. "A two-headed dragon," Mykas amended.
He glanced over to Rin. "You really willingly follow a toad, a Taiyoukai, and a two headed dragon?" he asked in disbelief.
"Hai! They are Rin's family," she chirped. "Rin loves them all. Well, Jaken-sama is sometimes mean and annoying, but then Sesshoumaru-sama just kicks him or steps on him, and then Jaken-sama is quiet. Just like what you did, actually," she added thoughtfully.
She brought up the fish on the leaf and offered him some. It surprised him that she trusted him so much. He was a stranger and he had just knocked out her companion, after all. But then how much harm could he do her with a dragon at his back? No doubt the dragon would protect her should he try to hurt her. And she was just a child, and sometimes children could be very accepting of strange people and things. Come to think of it, if this had not been an accepting child, she would not be traveling with a group of youkai.
Gratefully, he took a piece of the fish and began to eat. She did the same, and after she had taken her piece she placed the fish between them so that either could take any whenever they wanted.
They ate in silence. When both were full, Rin set the remainder of the fish next to the unconscious Jaken and went back to the fire.
"I can't pay you for the fish," Mykas started.
"That's okay! Rin doesn't need money. Sesshoumaru-sama has lots!"
"But," he continued, "I can offer you a story, or a song, if you like. I am a bard, after all."
Rin stared at him, a little surprised. It had been a very long time since anyone had told her a story. Sesshoumaru and Jaken certainly never told stories. Ah-Un didn't talk. The nice man should really be going before Sesshoumaru found him, but maybe there was a little bit of time. This man wasn't like the other humans. He was easy to talk to. Sometimes she froze up around others, but she liked listening to him. It had been such a long time since she'd had real human contact...
"Okay! Rin will hear a story, or a song! Rin doesn't care which."
"How about I sing a ballad which is both a story and a song?" he asked with a light chuckle. How incredibly energetic this child was.
"Hai!"
"Then here is the story of a girl name Aurora, who fell in love with Darkness and went through a thirteen trials in one long night to get the one she loved, only to find her love fading with the sunrise."
"Sounds sad," said Rin.
"Yes, very sad," Mykas replied, reaching for the lute strapped to his back. He looked at Rin, strummed a sweet, but minor chord, and started to sing. "Aurora, the Morning Light,/ Aurora, with wings alight!/ Fell she, in love with Tarlyving/ in the golden light of the evening,/..."
So he continued with the story while Rin listened with rapt fascination. She was crying by the end, though she did not understand every last word of the story, she got the general gist, and it was beautiful in its sadness. A love searched for, but never found. Rin sniffed sadly and wiped her nose.
"There now, it's not all that bad," Mykas said warmly as he patted her back.
"But she sounded so miserable and lonely..." Rin whispered.
"Yes," he said, "that's why most people consider it a tragedy."
"But you don't?" she asked.
Mykas was surprised. He hadn't expected her to be so perceptive. "No, I don't. Because, if you remember, Midnight was merciful and let her be with her love for a time. And at the end, the last line is 'Aurora has Broken.' If you think about it, that can be taken two ways. One is that Aurora's heart and soul broke, and that is the common interpretation. The other is that 'Aurora has Broken' actually translates to 'Morning has Broken', since Aurora means 'morning', and that is a far more cheerful thought. It means that night has passed, that the darkness is over for her. She may not have her shadow- lover, but at least she has the light of day. And perhaps she is better off that way."
Rin looked at him skeptically. "Rin doesn't think so," she said stubbornly.
"Well then, believe as you will. Can I stay here for...?" There was a gust of wind and the rest of his words were lost.
Rin gasped and looked up. The story had been quite long, and she'd lost track of time. In front of her, glowing white in the darkness, was a tall figure with a crescent moon on his forehead.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried happily as she rushed up to greet him.
Sesshoumaru ignored her, glaring at Mykas. His hand began to glow green. Rin looked down and swallowed nervously. She really should have gotten Mykas to leave earlier. She certainly didn't want to see him killed.
"Ano, Sesshoumaru-sama, Mykas-san has been really nice. He's been telling stories and keeping Rin from being lonely. Please don't hurt him, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Mykas stared at the obviously powerful youkai. The little toad hadn't been lying after all. Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. What was he doing with a human girl anyway? Not that Mykas really had to know. Interesting that she dared speak to him like that, asking him to spare a life when he was obviously angry, but Mykas really didn't have the leisure to contemplate such things. He knew he'd better concentrate on saving his skin somehow.
"I was just leaving, My Lord," he said as he stood up and bowed deeply.
Sesshoumaru looked at him. Then glanced down at Rin, who was staring up with pleading eyes. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sesshoumaru looked at Mykas again and commanded, "Leave."
Mykas, who was no fool, scampered off as fast as he could.
"Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said with a smile.
"What happened to Jaken?" asked Sesshoumaru as he lazily turned to look at the prostrate toad.
Rin contemplated not answering, fearing for Mykas' safety, but then again, she didn't want to upset Sesshoumaru. When it came down to choosing between the bard's life and her Lord's ire, the choice was not so difficult. He was Sesshoumaru-sama.
"Jaken-sama was yelling at Mykas-san, so Mykas-san hit Jaken-sama on the head, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin replied.
"Did he now?" An ever-so-slight smile found its way to Sesshoumaru's lips. It was not quite what Rin had expected. She'd thought he would be angry, but now that she thought about it, he'd never cared much for Jaken anyway. Perhaps if Jaken had actually been injured or killed, Sesshoumaru would seek revenge, but Jaken was only unconscious, and Sesshoumaru himself had done worse at times. But Sesshoumaru almost never smiled. Rin had never expected him to be so... amused.
Since Sesshoumaru didn't look like he was going to say anything else, Rin went to sit by the fire again. It was getting cold out--winter was coming. But the fire would keep her warm enough for now. She watched as Sesshoumaru settled down against a tree trunk, pulling his armor off to get some rest. Rin sighed contentedly. This was where she belonged. Here with these youkai was more 'home' than anything ha been in a long, long time. Here with Sesshoumaru-sama, her powerful and perfect guardian.
These cozy thoughts filled her head as she fell asleep.
~*~*~*~
Rin woke a little while latter, shivering. The fire had died down and a chill wind had picked up. She was very cold, now. Evidently, the fire was not enough. She would have to ask Sesshoumaru for a blanket of some sort when they reached the next village. Trembling, she looked around for something to cover herself with, but could find nothing.
"Rin."
Rin turned around and focused on Sesshoumaru, who was still resting against the tree. His eyes were open and glowing a rich gold in the dark of night. Had she woken him up with her stirrings, or had he never been asleep?
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Why have you awakened?" There might have been something akin to concern in his voice, but Rin was shaking too hard to trust her ears on the finer points of emotion. He was more likely just annoyed.
"Ano, Rin is cold, Sesshoumaru-sama." She curled her knees in towards herself and rubbed her arms and legs briskly.
Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment. He did not want to see her catch a cold. Human bodies were so weak. He knew she could become sick and die, and that was not a good thing. He did not want her to die. He had come to terms with that a while ago. After rescuing her for the umpteenth time, he had stopped wondering why he cared for her so much. He just accepted that he did. He did not want her to die because he wanted her to stay with him. Now, wouldn't it be stupid if he saved her all those times from youkai only to have her die because her body couldn't handle the wintry weather?
He said, "Come here, Rin."
Rin got up and hastily walked over to Sesshoumaru. She did not know what he was planning, but she hoped it would make her warm again. She did not like being cold. As she neared, he surprised her by pulling her down into his lap and wrapping his fluffy tail around her.
"Are you cold now?" he asked, seemingly nonchalant, but Rin knew he worried about her well being, and that was a comforting thought.
"No, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin is not cold anymore. Rin is fine now. Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama." Indeed she was not cold at all. The fluff around her acted as a blanket finer than she'd ever had. With it around her she was perfectly warm, and with his chest under her, breathing and beating, she felt perfectly safe.
"Sleep, Rin," he commanded, and it was her joy to obey.
Warm, protected, safe. That was what her Sesshoumaru-sama was. It was what he would be forever. Rin cared for nothing else, so long as she was with him. Yes, it was enough, more than enough. She was with her Sesshoumaru-sama; what greater delight was there in the world? This was the most flawless evening in best of all possible worlds.
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Author's Note: No, Mykas never shows up again, Yes, Rin does fall in love with Sesshoumaru... next chapter. See ya there!