Chapter 1
Three sunsets later saw me finally at a river. They aren't hard to track unless it has been raining. A-Un scared the crap out of me causing me to turn around quickly with my o tanto. That was two nights ago. I guess he didn't want me wondering off by myself. He follows me silently. Kind of makes me feel like Sesshomaru-sama. The thought brings a touch of a smile to my lips. I somber up as I undress. I gently lay my orange kimono folded on a rock. It is light orange that fades into crème at my knees and wrists. Large white flowers gather at my hem. They grow smaller in a diagonal motion as they reach my pale pink obi. Small pink and red flowers accent the large white ones. The same goes for my arms. Only the flowers rise up to my elbow on my right arm. The white flowers travel up my left arm though, right across my left shoulder and a bit down the front. When Sesshomaru-sama first presented it to me I fell in love with it. Maybe because the silk is so nice, maybe because orange is my favorite color. I constantly tell myself it is not because it looks like I have a mokomoko too. That would be foolish. I scoff at the idea that I could be a demon. I tell myself to get serious and stop thinking about Lord Sesshomaru while changing my red Haneri for a thin white one. I wade into the water waist high. A-Un settles down close enough that water laps up his sides as he is laying. Even with A-Un near I keep a hand on my o tanto. It has a thirteen-and-a-half-inch blade. Orange ribbon encases the handle. Lord Sesshomaru was none too pleased to discover Kagome had given it to me. I believe his exact words were "That stupid mutt and his wench." I snorted at the memory causing A-Un to look up at me. "Nothing." I answer and he promptly lays his head back down in the water. Cleaning myself quickly I hasten out of the water and replace my Haneri with a red one. I start a fire and go off to collect some fish.
I have both my feet in the water, my Haneri rolled up, and bent at the waist trying to catch a Chinook Salmon. It's a slippery little thing, but I learned a trick after watching a few fishermen fail. I set up a small net attached to two long wooden stakes. I scare the fish into the net, and pull the draw string. Pretty impressive right? I know. Except I didn't plan on a red headed woman to be screaming and running out of the forest to my left. A-Un and I immediately jump into action. She stops and turned around to face the demon. A boar demon. This one has an armored plate on his chest (more like a gut) and a metal helmet. He was grunting on all fours but stood up on his hind legs. Fat stubby hands reached out to grab the woman and drool dripped out of his mouth. Not the cute little dribble of a baby. No, this was fat nasty globs dripping down his chin. This thing stood seven feet high and five feet wide. A roar comes out of his mouth, yet I don't betray my fear. He starts to charge at her. I run behind him to strike him in the back. I manage to only give him a thin cut on his calf. He turns around more irritated than hurt. His breath is bitter and he raises a fist. My eyes widen in terror. My heart hammers in my chest. I start to panic. Let's face it. I'm no Kagome with spiritual powers. No Inuyasha with demonic powers or a Tessaiga. And to even compare to Lord Sesshomaru has to be the greatest joke ever told. Behind the boar as he steadily advances on me (more like staggering really) I hear a bit of chanting. The wind picks up around me whipping my hair into a frenzy. Then leaves, hundreds, no thousands of them come flying at me and the boar. I clutched my o tanto to my chest by the handle with my blade pointed skyward. I squeeze my eyes shut and hope and pray and then hope some more. I hear the boar squealing, still stumping, and then silence. Blissful silence. I chance a peak. I squint my right eye open. I don't see the boar so I completely open both of my eyes to survey my surroundings. I immediately notice the boar deteriorating. Surrounding trees have leaves stuck in the bark. A few branches have been scattered. I look up in awe.
I am even more surprised to recognized the woman adjusting her skirt. "Ayame." I stammer. Her head jerks in my direction. She looks confused. "It's me, Rin." She walks into arm's length to smell the air. "It certainly is. I can smell Sesshomaru." Her lack of friendly greeting annoys me. We aren't the best of friends, barely even acquaints but still. I did just try to help her. Didn't really help much but still. Her lack of honorific for Lord Sesshomaru bites too. I shove that deep. Tucking some hair behind my ear, I walk over to collect my things from the rock. As I pass her I hear "What was that pink thing?" "Not sure." I throw over my shoulder. I find A-Un waiting for me by the rock. Ayame bounces up behind me. "You must have some idea." "No, not really." "One does not simply produce a pink translucent shield without knowing how." She has moved around me to the other side of the rock with an eyebrow raised. I sigh. Is this how Lord Sesshomaru feels with all the unnecessary questions? I shrug "Not sure how it happened. One day Kadae presented it to me before she passed. Then When Lord Sesshomaru came for me Kagome blessed it. Truthfully I have no idea what it does." The more I explain it the more confused I become myself. "I have a question of my own. Why are you out here fighting boars?" She sits down on my rock. "I was distracted, and just bumped into him." Now I have an eyebrow raised. What could be weighing so heavily on her mind that she didn't notice a seven-foot boar demon. I don't voice my thoughts though. Years in Lord Sesshomaru's presence has taught me to keep my questions to myself. Life has an uncanny way of answering you. I return to the river. As I am setting up my fish trap again then my stomach growls. Ayame's soon follows. She is in the water helping me now and we both chuckle. Once enough fish is gathered we head back to camp. I rekindle the fire while Ayame skewer the fish. The breeze blows gently and we roast the fish. We settle into an easy silence. I get comfortable and lean back against A-Un. I listen to the fire crackle until sleep over takes me.