I actually didn't expect to finish this part of the story today, but homework really wasn't that enticing of an option at the time XD. So, here it is! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with a weekly release system =) Most chapters will probably be shorter than this one, but I had some good momentum with this, so I figured I should just carry on!

Quick Vocab Lesson:

-sama - a very formal suffix in Japanese that, in this context, would mean lord, etc.
-san - a more informal suffix that can be used with people you're relatively comfortable with
kotatsu - a Japanese table used in winter that has a heating system underneath (sounds wonderful, doesn't it!)
gyoza - Japanese dumplings (yum!)
yukata - a lighter form of kimono that's made out of cotton (who would wear silk at work!)
shoji- those super cool sliding doors you see in Japan
katana - a Japanese blade

hai - yes
-sensei - used as a suffix for teachers
obi - belt that secures the kimono

As always, I do not own these characters! They are the great invention of Rumiko Takahashi. (Well I guess I own Daitokage and Takahiro and whoever else I decide to create, but whatever.)


Five years later…

Rin clutched the bars of the iron gate in front of her, its icy metal burning her hands. Another freezing gust of early winter wind whipped her long dark hair around her face and forced her eyes shut against the biting frost. The sun was setting now and the night would only a deeper chill. Rin finally loosened her grip on the gate in defeat and turned back to Sesshomaru's estate. He obviously wasn't going to return today. Heart crestfallen, Rin entered Sesshomaru's castle through the kitchen cellars and headed down the stone steps to warm herself with a cup of tea.

"Have you finished your chores for today?" chided Azami, the head housemaid who was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. A stubborn old shrew of a half-fox demon, Azami stood short and plump in stature, adhering to every rule down to the last letter. She was dictator of the kitchens, and anyone who touched her famous gyoza before they were served could rest assured that they would find themselves a finger short after a meeting with her.

"Yes, Azami-san," Rin replied as she poured the piping hot tea into a cup.

"I don't suppose Master has returned as of yet…" Azami stated, the slightest hint of a supposition tinting her words.

Rin shook her head while sipping from the steaming cup as way of reply.

"That youkai works himself to death," Azami asserted while brushing sweaty strands of copper hair streaked with gray from her face. "I always mention to the lord that he should stop pushing himself so hard, but does he even pay me one bit of attention? No! He never sleeps or eats enough, constantly traveling to other lands for only God knows what business…."

Rin's mind drifted as Azami continued her "Sesshomaru overworks himself" rant. She had performed this speech so often that Rin could nearly recite it by heart. Sesshomaru-sama was to have returned five sunsets ago, and the sky outside had already darkened under nightfall's cloud. It was not unusual for Lord Sesshomaru to return late, sometimes even two or three weeks so. Although his absence was only a fraction of that time as of yet, Rin persisted in staring out the castle windows in the brief moments between chores for any sign of his tall figure; mostly, however, she was only rewarded with the disappointing view of the ashen trees of late autumn.

"Are you listening to what I am saying to you, child?" Azami said, frowning at the glazed look in Rin's eyes. Rin mirrored Azami's frown as a response. She objected to Azami's calling her "child," because she was no longer such. At the age of 17, Rin was on the brink of womanhood.

"Are there any tasks left to be done in the kitchen Azami-san?"

"There is always so much to be done," Azami stated with a dramatic sigh, "but you may go child. There is nothing that you could be of help with."

Rin gratefully took her leave and made her way to her quarters. She had had a long day of cleaning, and her exhausted muscles were thankful to have the gentle softness of the futon under them. Without even changing out of her working yukata, Rin climbed into the futon's covers and tried to read by candlelight. However, the prospect of sleep weighed heavy on her eyes and she soon fell asleep with the scroll still resting in her hand.

(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)

Sesshomaru made his entrance in the middle of the night. He strode past the night guards without even giving acknowledgment of their presences and waved through the inquiries about his journey by the servants. Without saying a word to anyone, he slid the shoji of his office shut.

The talks between the Lord of the Northern Wolves and himself had not gone as he had anticipated, despite the fact that his expectations had been set exceedingly low. Wolf demons were incredibly frustrating to deal with, and the nobility of their kind even more so. Stubborn, aggressive, uncivilized: these qualities were all amplified when put into a position of power. The wolves personified all the characteristics Sesshomaru hated in an adversary and even more so in a prospective ally. The wolves reeked of unwashed, sweaty bodies and rotting meat. It would take him weeks to be rid of the stench. As much as humans enjoyed expounding on the numerous "similarities" between wolves and dogs, the respective youkai were worlds apart.

Sesshomaru settled himself behind his desk to look through the proffered treaties. None of them were to his satisfaction. For years, the wolves had been attacking humans on his northernmost lands, eating and mauling them as a sadistic sort of fun. To Lord Sesshomaru, of course, the fact that humans were being devoured did not bother him. What agitated him was the fact that they were encroaching upon his lands, the barbaric parasites, even daring to attack some of his generals. He continued contemplating whether or not he could just annihilate the whole race of the mangy mutts and be done with it until he became too disgusted to continue. Just thinking about the vermin made his nostrils fill with the remembrance of their putrid odor.

Rising from his desk, he swept out of the office. At this late hour, all of the servants were sure to be asleep. He glided with silky, soundless steps, stopping at the barrier marked by Rin's door, and he listened intently. The rhythmic whooshing of air as she inhaled and exhaled, told him she was safe, free of troubles, and unharmed. Her pure scent revealed she was at complete peace. Unlike other humans, her fragrance wasn't tarnished with the dried sweat of a week passed or the slick oil humans were coated in when they went without bathing. She smelled of the forest, of damp earth and fresh rain, and slightly of gardenias. Sesshomaru let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding.

She's safe.

Sesshomaru lingered for only a moment longer before turning and walking away with equally silent steps.

(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)

In the morning, Rin was woken one of the maids who was also her closest friend, Keiko.

"Psst," hissed Keiko into her ear." "It's your turn to help out with the morning duties. Be quick! Azami's in one of her moods. Master returned last night and now she's fretting away as usual."

Rin groaned as she dragged herself away from the warmth of the futon into the chilly winter air, though a small flame of excitement lit in her chest at the news of Sesshomaru's homecoming. She hastily changed into fresh work clothes, tied her hair back with a spare ribbon, and followed Keiko out into the main hallway and down the cold stone steps which marked the path to the kitchens. When she had first come to the castle, the frozen steps had numbed her feet, even through socks. However, after having lived there for five years, she had grown accustomed to the morning ritual that was led through the icy halls and rooms.

When she had arrived at her lord's estate five years ago, she had sworn to be of help. Sesshomaru-sama had not asked her to do so, but she felt it the best way of repayment for all the many years he had taken care of her. So, when requested by Azami who basically directed the entire running of the castle on a daily basis, she helped to clean, cook, and wash when and where it was necessary. Furthermore, on the occasion that one of the nearby villages needed an extra helping hand at the shrine, Rin was able to use the medicinal knowledge she had garnered under Kaede's care.

"Rin!" Azami called to her. "Take this to Sesshomaru-sama. He returned in the late of night. He must be starving." She held out the ornate tray filled with heaping bowls of steamed rice, natto, and meats of many varieties. As much as Rin sometimes disliked Azami's meticulousness, she had to admire the kitchen maid's extreme attention to her Lord Sesshomaru's wellbeing.

"Master will be dining in his study this morning," Azami said as Rin proceeded back up the steps.

"Hai," Rin called behind her as she mounted the stone stairs.

She continued climbing until she had reached the fifth floor on which Sesshomaru's office was located, adjoining his personal room. It was a strictly forbidden floor that was never to be entered by anyone other than Lord Sesshomaru and his personal guests. Even the cleaning maids weren't permitted to perform their duties unless explicitly instructed to do so by Sesshomaru himself. Rin perhaps was the one exception to this as she was neither maid nor guest, but frequented the floor by Sesshomaru's request. After she arrived, when he took meals in his study or tea after dinner, she was the only one allowed to bring it to him.

Rin set the tray down, kneeled and bowed in the proper position on the floor, and rapped three times against the tatami mats outside Sesshomaru's door as was protocol. He slid the shouji open and nodded his head to indicate that Rin may rise. She picked up the tray once more and he took it from her hands.

For one instant, their hands brushed as the tray passed ownership. Her heart skipped a beat. In that moment, she felt as if time had slowed to a standstill. She could feel the warmth of his hands, their smooth texture, their strength, their impeccable balance and the fingers, so dexterous, and finally, the deadly claws. Rin suppressed a shudder, but she could hear the rattle of the china on the tray shaking gently.

Her master, however, did not seem to have any reaction whatsoever to this accidental touch. Instead, he simply cocked his head so slightly to imply that she was free to leave.

"Milord," she mumbled as she bowed out of the room.

As soon as she was out of sight and had heard the door slide shut, Rin allowed the emotion to wash over her. She knew that this was inappropriate to be feeling. She was an underling to her master, not quite a servant, but still… It was all the same. Rin sighed and leaned against the wall, imploring herself to be practical, to be reasonable. A human and a youkai… how repulsive he would find her thoughts if he were able to hear her innermost wishes.

There was no place for her in his world other than the one she had already occupied for twelve years. To wish for anything else was ludicrous.

She lifted her body away from the wall and proceeded back down the tatami mats of the hallway, back down the stone steps, back to the kitchen to continue her daily chores.

(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)

In the early afternoon, Rin walked out onto the grounds in her training armor, preparing herself for the fighting lesson. Sesshomaru-sama had taken a special interest in Rin's education and training when she came to the castle for he would not tolerate an illiterate village girl to live in his residence, and accordingly, tutors were called for. Likewise, her master felt the necessity of Rin's being able to protect herself and become self-sufficient, so she had been assigned a master of the martial arts with whom she met nearly every day.

Today's lessons were scheduled to be defensive tactics, a weaker area of Rin's. For the occasion, she had donned her light armor used for such training and her hair was tied back into a high ponytail. Rin tapped her foot to an unidentifiable beat while she waited for Daitokage-sensei to arrive. He was always late, she thought, but today, he seemed to be tardier than usual.

Then, she saw it.

It was an imperceptible signal: the air wavered for the briefest moment. Had it been summer rather than fall, Rin probably would have mistaken it for a heat wave. The colors seemed to shift abruptly for half a second before returning to its tranquil, windless state. Rin's stance tightened and fell into its proper form. She knew what was coming, but not when. Then, from behind her, she heard a soft thud on the ground hardened by the coming of winter.

She whirled around to face her master, katana drawn and breath steady, grinning at the lizard demon who stood behind her.

"Good, Rin-chan," he cooed for a moment, "but your stance…" He moved his hand like a flash and tapped the pressure point in her knees, causing her legs collapse instantly, despite how soft the touch had been. "It needs work," he said, frowning slightly.

"'Kage-sensei!" Rin whined as she struggled to get up with numb appendages. "Must you do that every time?"

The camouflaging demon grinned back at her. "Why, of course! How else will I get such a stubborn student to learn?" He and Rin often shared playful banter such as this while the lessons progressed, though Daitokage always managed to sneak in painfully accurate criticism every other word.

Daitokage-sensei was a chameleon youkai who easily disappeared and then reappeared out of thin air on a regular basis; it was a handy advantage that led him to come out better in every mishap he faced. His ability to blend smoothly into any landscape also made him a fiercely clever enemy, able to manipulate any situation, even sometimes causing demons to think they'd gone insane. For a demon, he was not that old; he only appeared to be 18 years old, though he could boast having actually about 250. He stood at about average height for a demon which was rather taller than the typical human male and possessed hair was so white it was virtually transparent. His misty gray eyes were very narrow and slanted, pointing sharply up towards his hairline. Simply put, every detail about Daitokage's appearance made him look as if he might disappear any second.

He pulled Rin by her hand back to her feet and examined her. "Really though, Rin-chan, you have got to work on your stance. You know all too well that a strong stance is the key to a-"

"Strong warrior. I know, I know," Rin finished with a slight scowl. "You know, instead of disabling me, you could just correct my stance," she said, finally regaining feeling in her legs.

"My little grasshopper! I expect you to practice your stance outside of class! Instruction time is not practice time."

And so the lesson continued, Daitokage chiding her incessantly for her shortcomings and focusing on teaching her ways to reroute her enemy's attacks. Rin was slightly on the small side, even for a human female, so Daitokage found it crucial that she be able to utilize her brains in most situations rather than trying to build up an unattainable brawn.

It was midafternoon by the time Daitokage called an end to their day's practice. Rin was out of breath, sweat plastering her bangs flat against her forehead.

"Not bad, Rin-chan, but do work on stretching and flexibility. You'll never be able to fend off even a simple rat demon if you're as stiff as a board."

Rin lay down on the grass while the chilly air froze the perspiration on her face, forcing her eyes closed and steadying her rapid breath. She knew she'd have to return to the castle soon to make the necessary preparations for dinner, but she couldn't make her sore muscles budge an inch.

"I assume her lessons are going well?" a deep voice half-growled from behind her. Rin's eyes snapped open and she jumped into a standing bow.

"M-milord!" Rin sputtered as she quickly composed herself.

"Of course, Sesshomaru-san, my old friend," Daitokage-sensei replied calmly as he too bowed, though with infinitely more composure than Rin had been able to muster in the split second when she had realized her master was among them. "Sly as ever, I see."

Sesshomaru ignored the lizard youkai's comment. He was one of the few people who could address Sesshomaru with the suffix "san" without losing his head. They had known each other for over a hundred fifty years according to what Daitokage-sensei had told Rin.

The Western Lord turned his gaze upon Rin who was looking rather disheveled. Rin's heart began to pound against her ribcage again and her breath caught in her chest. For the past year, his looks had been causing the strangest reactions within her. A mere glance from Sesshomaru could make her feel like she was bound to sink through the floor on which she stood.

A flicker of something, recognition perhaps, passed through his crystalline amber eyes. She hoped he hadn't noticed that she had stopped breathing. A second later, the focus of Sesshomaru's attention had shifted back to Daitokage-sensei.

"How is she progressing?" Sesshomaru inquired passively.

"Much better than expected. Most humans have no such competence in the arts of fighting. She shows great promise, with practice." A ghost of a grin slid onto Daitokage-sensei's face.

"This Sesshomaru expects you to follow his instruction," Sesshomaru stated flatly as he turned to face Rin again, who was now blushing in mild embarrassment. "Do not neglect your studies." With this final word of advice, he turned and returned to the castle.

Daitokage stepped to Rin's side. "That's right!" He teased. "You are to listen to me, little grasshopper!" For this, Rin elbowed him playfully in the side.

"No need for violence! Also, may I offer a piece of advice?"

"Sure," Rin mumbled. She was still recovering from the shame of being caught lying about in the middle of what should have appeared to be a training session.

"You shouldn't roll around in the grass so often. You're turning into a weed."

Rin cast her sensei a puzzled expression until she saw the smirk on his face and his eyes on her hair. Groaning, she pulled ponytail hair to her side and saw that it was matted with pieces of dead grass. There was even a small bug climbing up one of the long strands.

Fantastic, Rin thought sarcastically. It's just what I needed: more ways to embarrass myself.

Rin bowed to her sensei as a farewell and started walking back towards the castle. "See you in two days," Rin called behind her. It was getting late and she most definitely needed to bathe before dinner. The cold, while refreshing during a training session, now stiffened her every muscle and joint, causing goose bumps to rise on her forearms. A bath in the hot springs would be the very comforting she needed for her sore body.

(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)

Sesshomaru's estate was one of, if not the most regal and elegant in the land, far surpassing that of the human emperor's. The extent of the numerous towers was astounding, not even taking into account the sprawling grounds that extended as far as the eye could see. One of the benefits of such opulence was the hot springs enclosed on the far side of the eastern and western towers. The eastern spring was strictly for guest use while the western was reserved for private use, specifically for Sesshomaru and, when she desired it, Rin.

This evening, Rin took advantage of the hot springs, letting their medicinal waters soothe her tense muscles. She was disappointed to have to bathe so quickly, but she was required at dinner tonight. So, after swiftly shampooing her hair and scrubbing her body down with a pumice stone, she rose to get dressed. Most evenings, unless otherwise told, she, Sesshomaru, and whatever demons were guests that night dined at the long table that was used for every formal meal. Tonight, it would simply be herself, her lord, and his adviser Takahiro whom she had yet to meet.

Rin stood, letting the water drip from her skin and used her favorite wooden comb which was scented with lavender to detangle the mess of her dark hair. Returning to her room, she found Keiko waiting anxiously to help her dress.

"Milady," Keiko smiled and bowed as Rin entered.

"Oh stop that!" Rin laughed and playfully pushed Keiko. Her friend loved teasing her about being a "lady of the house," even though they both knew that while inside the castle walls and to all those who worked there, Rin was relatively below the status of a "lady."

Tonight, Rin was to wear a deep violet silk kimono embroidered with golden lotuses. As Takahiro, one of Sesshomaru's closest and most essential advisers, would be attending the dinner this evening, she must appear with in her finest clothing.

After Keiko finished tying the obi and pinned part of Rin's hair back with a butterfly shaped comb, Rin turned to face herself in the silver mirror which hung on the opposite wall. Dressed in attire such as this, she almost could pass for being a lady of the house.

"Oh Rin-san," Keiko sighed with admiration. "You look positively stunning!" And Keiko was right. Rin's silky, dark mahogany hair fell to just above her waistline, accentuating her pale, unblemished skin. Although Rin was slightly short by nature, her posture suggested that she was no more deficient in height than any other woman of class. Her hazel eyes, framed by long lashes that so many women craved, shone with all the spirit and vigor of her warm personality. She was indeed lovely.

Rin blushed a little at her reflection in the mirror and turned to face Keiko. "I suppose I should be going down to the dining hall now…" she trailed off.

"Just try not to make Lord Sesshomaru stare at you!" teased Keiko. Rin shot her a glare, but it was half-hearted at best. Keiko liked to speculate about the supposed secret feelings that Sesshomaru-sama harbored for Rin, but Rin knew it was nothing more than a running jest.

When Rin arrived in the dining room, she found that Takahiro, was already kneeling at the heated kotatsu set out for winter use.

"Milady," he said, rising to his feet at the sight of Rin. "It is an honor to have the pleasure of meeting you."

Takahiro was, like Sesshomaru, an inu youkai with considerable power. All resemblances stopped there, however. Instead of shimmering silver, his hair was a light brown, long and tied into a low ponytail. His sharp, energetic eyes were, instead of gold, a deep blood red, so dark that they almost seemed black.

Taking her hand in his, he bowed low before touching his forehead to her knuckles as was custom.

"I trust all is well?" Takahiro inquired politely.

"All is well indeed, Takahiro-sama," Rin smiled as she returned his bow before taking her place at the kotatsu opposite Takahiro.

A few moments later, Sesshomaru and Jaken entered, and again Rin and Takahiro rose to bow to their lord. Finally, Sesshomaru took his place at the head of the table and his guests were allowed to resume their positions.

Dinners at Sesshomaru's palace were always of the highest caliber. Even if there were only three dining, an ample feast was provided that could feed fifteen. Rin, however, could never partake of much during these meals as the obi belt restricted her stomach from comfortably expanding past a certain point. So, while Sesshomaru-sama and Takahiro-sama discussed politics and the latest series of talks with the Lord of the North, Rin allowed her mind to drift away from the conversation which she had no part in to the food she might return to the kitchens for to steal away from under Azami's watch later that evening.

"What thoughts have you on this subject, milady?" a warm voice posed in her direction.

Rin's eyes fluttered towards Takahiro in slight confusion. She hadn't the slightest idea of what they were speaking about.

"Y-you must forgive me, Takahiro-sama." Rin fumbled for words. She knew she should have been paying acute attention, but hunger had easily pried her concentration away from the conversation at hand. "I am sure that my thoughts have no weight in the matter."

"Oh, but I am sure that Lord Sesshomaru would be highly interested to hear your opinions on this most important subject," Takahiro said with a devilish grin. Rin blinked. He knew she hadn't been listening. He was playing with her!

"Well, I…" Rin searched for something to say. But in a moment of blissful serendipity, a servant arrived with a message for Sesshomaru. After scanning it with unreadable eyes, Sesshomaru rose to leave the room. "We shall continue our discussion later, Takahiro."

Rin and Takahiro rose to their feet and bowed as Sesshomaru quit the room, Jaken trailing close behind. Rin faced her lord's adviser and bowed. "It was a pleasure to have you as a guest, Takahiro-sama."

"As always, milady," he replied.

Just as Rin turned to leave the room, she felt a hand close on her shoulder. Rin froze as she spun to meet the eyes of Takahiro which were shining with mischief. "I believe you dropped this," he said, holding out the butterfly comb.

Rin stared at it for a moment. She hadn't felt its loss, but she supposed it must have come loose at some point during the meal. Reaching to take the comb from his outstretched palm, she started to thank him for his attention when his hand closed around hers and he pressed her gently against the wall.

"May I have the honor of reinstating this comb in your beautiful hair?"

Rin's heart thumped nervously, her hands growing cold. Without waiting for an answer, though, Takahiro took her hair in his hands, running it through his fingers like water and gently pinned the comb back into place, letting the rest of her hair cascade down her back. As he did so, though, his claws grazed her cheek and neck; not enough to leave a mark, but enough to intentionally remind her of their presence. Rin mumbled a quick word of thanks before she left the room, even forgetting to bow in her agitation.

Shaking with trepidation, Rin pulled the comb from her hair the instant she was out of sight of the dining room. She entered her room at a near sprint, slamming the sliding doors shut behind her. Leaning against them, she forced her breathing to steady and her hands to cease their trembling.

Just who was this Takahiro?


Okay guys! Well, the next chapter will have more of Sesshomaru's POV and will continue to pick up pace. Sorry, I'm a bit of one for laying (perhaps what is too much) groundwork before I really throw in the action. I'm excited to see how this goes! Remember, reviews are very much appreciated. I suppose I might start handing out cookies if people are good about reviewing! Remember, you can talk about anything you feel about after reading this chapter!

I'll update soon!