Rein had been traveling with Lord Sesshomaru and his companions for about a week. Well, it was more wandering than traveling. She had become a little less shy and a bit more talkative. But most of all, she insisted on helping in whatever klutzy way she could. She was one of the group, and, although unknown to even herself, a great fighter and asset.
Sesshomaru was walking through the woods when he heard a strange sound echoing through the trees. He followed is since he had nothing better to do. There were only two things on his mind. The first and more predominant of the two was one word, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat. The second was a plan to get his brother's sword. As he walked through the woods the sound got louder and louder, it was the sound of a waterfall. He peered around a tree to see an unexpected sight. Rein was in the shallow water… bathing, her clothes neatly folded on the bank! The water barely reached her hips! He felt so embarrassed. Luckily her back was turned and she didn't see him. Sesshomaru began to back away, but a twig snapped in the underbrush. She whipped her head around, her shoulders half turned with her. She didn't look alarmed, just confused. He swallowed nervously as his eyes ran up and down. There was a moment of awkward silence, and then he was gone. Rein cocked her head to the side in confusion. Why did he leave? Was it something she said?
Damn! That was so weird! That was the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him. Sesshomaru was half-running from the shallow lake, making his way through the forest as far away from her as possible. He shut his eyes, the image was stuck. He saw it all again. The gentle curves of her body, her deep eyes, and her soft breast. A shiver went up his spine, and he tried in vain to shake himself of the image. Back at the camp he bumped unexpectedly into Rin. "What's wrong?" she asked, sounding concerned, "You look like you've just seen a ghost." Worse! He thought to himself, Much, much worse…!
Sesshomaru was back at camp, still trying, unsuccessfully, to get the image of Rein out of his head, when she came into the camp and sat down next to him. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently, "Why did you run?" He didn't answer, just looked at her like she was an idiot. She cocked her head, "Are you okay?" she paused and a look of realization came over her face, "You must be sick! (master of deduction) Oh, I know what to do!" Rein promptly stood up, tripping over her feet in her haste, and dashed away. Sesshomaru looked after her for a moment then notice Rin smirking in the corner. "What?" he sneered. "Oh, nothing," she answered and walked away thinking, Except your blindness is hilarious…
Rein was out in a meadow by the edge of the forest. The wind was blowing up her hair in a way so her soft brown ears weren't visible. She was plucking herbs that Rin said, if brewed into a tea, could cure sickness. Rein's ear twitched, and she heard someone approaching. Looking up she saw a man in a blue robe with an earring and a staff. His black hair was pulled into a small ponytail, and his hand had a cloth and a string of beads around it. "Good day fair lady," he said politely, "My name is Miroku. May I ask yours?" Confused, she shook her head, Miroku looked disappointed. "Pray tell, good lady, what are you doing?" After hesitating she responded, "Gathering herbs for my Lord and Master." She concluded that, that was a good response, not being rude, but not being friendly either. Sesshomaru never taught her to be hesitant of strangers. "Ah, is your Lord ill. May I be of some service, I am a monk." Unsure what a "monk" was, she shook her head. "May I ask a favor of you m'lady?" He asked with such a polite and kind manor that she nodded. He suddenly grabbed her hand, "Will you bare my child?" Rein shook her head vigorously, "I'm sorry," she said shyly, "But I must go." Running off into the woods, she made one last glance behind her to make sure that the man was not following her. Making a mental note to ask Sesshomaru what 'baring one's child' was, Rein trudged slowly through the underbrush toward camp. She heard something overhead and looked up to see a white haired figure in red leaping through the trees. Strange, but it was probably nothing, she concluded and kept walking.
Rein emerged from the trees carrying a basket full of herbs. She stepped into the clearing, and immediately spotted Sesshomaru. Running over to him, she tripped over a rock and fell in him. "Sorry," she said quickly, "Oh, here," Rein handed the basket to Sesshomaru. "Can I ask you a question?" she said once he took the herbs. He nodded, fearing the worst, and she said, "What is 'baring a child'?" Sesshomaru recoiled in shock, what had put these ideas in her head… actually, a better question would be what was she implying… "Uh…," he started, scratching the back of his head and averting his gaze to the sky, "That might be a better question for Rin." He made haste to get away before she could pressure him for an answer because when she wanted to know something, she didn't stop till she found out, and she wasn't finding out from him… no way! Rein looked a little put out, but before she could ask again, Sesshomaru had left, so she decided to take his advice and ask Rin. "Rin?" she said when she found her, "Can I ask you a question?"
Rin shrugged, "Sure."
"What does 'baring a child mean' and where does a child come from?"
Okay this was weird. Rein was older than she was and she didn't know this. "Um… Why don't you ask Lord Sesshomaru?"
"I did!" she claimed, "And he said to ask you." Rin was looked taken aback, "Well, I think Jaken could answer that question better than I," she objected, then quickly made herself scarce. All well, Rein shrugged, and she began to look for Jaken. When she found him, he told he to ask Lord Sesshomaru. Was everyone going to avoid her! He wander toward Sesshomaru's tent, seeing his shadow inside. Rein went in, and Sesshomaru recoiled a little in surprise, "Um… uh… I…" She asked her question again. "I thought I told you to ask Rin."
"I did!" she nearly sobbed, "but she told me to ask Jaken, who told me to ask Rin, who told me to ask Jaken, who told me to ask you! Nobody will answer me!" Sesshomaru sighed, there was no way out of it now, she was blocking the exit, and the only way she would give him any peace, is if he told her. This was going to be awkward. "Well…" he started and she leaned in to hear better, "Have you ever heard to story of the eel and the cave," he asked taking a line from the Geisha class. She shook her head eagerly. He quickly summed it up, but that wasn't the end of her questions, "What's that?" she asked. "What? What's what?" he thought he had been pretty clear. "The eel? Can you show me?" He thought he was uncomfortable before, but this was ridiculous. "Uh… no." There was a finality in his voice that told her 'End of Conversation'. Her shoulders sagged, but she replied with and, "okay" and compliantly left. Okay he was wrong, that was REALLY awkward.
Rein and Rin were sitting under a tree having lunch. "Hey Rin, you know what an eel is? Can you show me?" Rin started choking and coughing, and Rein patted her on the back until she got over it. "What?" she sputtered, when she finally caught her breath. "Can you she me and eel?" Rin stared at Rein for a couple of seconds, "Um… I don't have one."
"Why not?"
"Because, I'm a girl, and so are you,… I hope."
Rein was now thoroughly confused, "Who had an eel than?"
"Boys."
"Like Sesshomaru?"
"Yes," Rin nodded, hoping she understood. Then it dawned on Rein, she had heard about this, it was called… gender. "Oh I get it!" she said triumphantly. "But, I wouldn't ask anyone to show you one," Rin continued. "Huh… why?" Rein asked. "It's just something you don't do."
It was midnight, and Rein still wasn't asleep. She had been pondering the mystery of gender, and was beginning to understand. Her instinct was coming to her, something that hadn't happen for years. Cats never get their instincts until puberty, which for them starts early. But since Rein was a cat demon it took a little longer. Her thoughts drifted back to the following morning, and she blushed. She must have seemed like and idiot. She was supposed to be a cat, graceful, knowledgeable, balanced. Rein vowed that she would start pulling her weight. She would learn how to use her sword, and she would start acting like someone that actually had more IQ than a piece of meat. Starting tomorrow, there would be a new Rein.
The sun rose and Rein was no where to be found. She was neither in her tent nor in any of her usual places. Sesshomaru even had Rin check the lake, where Rein had bathed the other day. They checked the trees and the ground, but there was not one trace of her. When they met back at camp Rin found something that greatly disturbed Sesshomaru. She bent to the ground and held up her find for everyone to see. It was a small red thread.