Disclaimer: I don't own Inyuasha, but one can always try

AN: Bold faced, underlined, bold and underlined, ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, and other letters mean that the characters are talking in a different language. This may play a big part, but I don't know yet.

Chapter 3: Standing Oblivious

It had been at least a week since Rin left her village in a mad dash. She didn't even look back. She had this feeling, that if she did, she would never be able to leave. She was originally afraid that something would try to attack her, but it seemed she had someone looking out for her. She met no one on her long ride through the Demon Lord's territory. She had gone through a small village and bought herself arrows, a bow, and a small knife. She used all these on the journey to the mansion, sometimes shooting a rabbit, or catching a fish. By the end of the second week, Rin was wondering if she would ever see this Lord's mansion. She had heard it wasn't that far away. Yasuo had told that a wolf demon inhabited the area, and ruled it as Lord. Rin suddenly felt a pang of sorrow at her heart. She had hoped that Yasuo would be okay, but she had this feeling that he wasn't. She had wanted to go back when she first felt it that night when she left, but her mind told her that she was being scared, and needed to press on.

It had suddenly gotten a lot darker than it had been a few minutes ago. Rin decided that it was time to find a place to spend the night. She kept on until she found a small clearing in the forest. She dismounted Gin and got busy making a fire. After the fire was up and roaring, she took the time to take all of her things off of the tired Gin. With all her supplies now on the ground, Gin walked over to the middle of the clearing and started grazing. Rin became lost in thought as she remembered how nice Gin had been to her when she was still in the village.

'No!' thought Rin in her head, 'You have to get the village out of your head.'

A crack of a twig alerted Rin to the fact that she was still in a forest with lots of dangerous creatures around her. She went and grabbed her bow and arrows, and got ready for something to come bounding out of the forest. With the arrow aimed high, Rin was surprised when a rabbit came out of the forest. Smiling to herself, Rin took aim at the rabbit. She hadn't had any fresh meat in two days. The rabbit didn't even see it coming. Rin let the arrow fly, and it killed the rabbit in one clean hit. Rin decided that she would make a quick jerky as she started to clean the rabbit. She put all the extra meat on a hot rock next to the fire. She was glad that she had learned ways of preserving meat while on the road. She remembered when Yasuo had taught her that little trick…

Flashback:

Rin had been learning how to make jerky by cutting pieces of meat into small strips and placing them on hot rocks near the fire. She was putting the last piece on a rock when her hand slipped and burned the side of her wrist.

"OW!" exclaimed Rin quickly has she pulled her hand back.

"Let me see," said Yasuo as he looked at the burn. It wasn't that bad, but it still hurt. He went into that back of the room where he had herbs hanging up. He looked for a while until he broke off a piece from what looked like a birch tree. He went a ground up that small piece of bark until it was a fine powder. He added a small amount of water and some kind of sap. Rin really didn't care what kind of sap that was, it was a funny green color, so she didn't think it was from a tree. Yasuo took the concoction and put some one Rin's burn.

"That stings," said Rin complaining, but letting him put the odd smelling ointment on her wrist.

"Its ground birch from the North forest," said Yasuo spreading the mixture carefully. "There is also a little daisy milk and some jelly from a clam."

'I really didn't need to know that," said Rin not taking her eyes off the slightly green mixture, disliking it more and more.

"Yes you do," said Yasuo putting the mixture away. "You need to know this, so you can fix yourself if you burn yourself away from the village or when you're alone."

"Well, if I ever burn myself while I have some clam jelly on me, I'll know exactly how to use it," said Rin sarcastically.

Before Yasuo could respond, the cottage started filling with smoke. Yasuo quickly took the smoking meat off the rocks.

"I hope you like your meat well done," said Yasuo laughing.

End Flashback:

A rustling of leaves brought Rin immediately out of her memories. She picked up her bow as a white fox jumped out of the bush. Rin was apprehensive as she watched the fox. White foxes were considered signs of calamity. She needed to get the fox away from her as fast as possible. She looked at a piece of jerky, and she threw it in the opposite direction of her. The fox didn't go after the meat right away, but for a moment just looked at her. Rin thought that the fox was assessing her, but had this odd look of dislike in its eyes. The fox ran off, just as Rin was thinking about aiming the bow at it. Rin hoped the fox wouldn't come back with any more friends. The old saying was that black fox was good luck, a white fox was calamity, and three foxes together signify disaster. Rin took the jerky off the rocks as she let her mind wander over the tale her mother told her when she was little.

Deep inside the forest, the white fox was running towards a specific point in the forest. It seemed to know exactly where it was going. It stopped in an open clearing filled with wild flowers and logs.

"Misa!" yelled the white fox, which was no longer a white fox, but was now a beautiful woman with pointed ears and short white hair and pale skin. She was standing barefoot in the grass. She was looking around her, trying to find someone.

"What?" asked a woman with olive colored skin and long black hair that hung down her back and swayed in the wind.

"I saw that Rin girl," said the white fox demon with contempt.

"So, she isn't as plain as they say, is she, Amarante?" said Misa, entertained by how her friend was acting.

"Well," said Amarante trying to explain herself, "I was expecting someone who was…"

"Old, wrinkled, and withered?" asked Misa, finishing her sentence.

"Well, Yasuo said it was one of his close friends, so I guess that is what I was expecting," said Amarante with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, you know better than to assume what is going on, don't you Amarante?" asked Misa.

"Yeah, yeah," said Amarante glaring at Misa. "But, Lord Hiroshi won't like it too much, either. You know he was expecting an old hag too."

"I know, but he'll understand," said Misa. "He has to understand." Misa was truly wondering if Lord Hiroshi would really understand.

"Well?" asked Amarante

"Well, what?" answered Misa.

"You didn't hear anything of what I was saying, did you?" asked Amarante becoming angry.

"Do I ever listen to anything you say?" replied Misa. "I see you mouth move, but nothing of intelligence comes out."

This made Amarante angry. She hated not being the center of attention, and right now, Rin was the center of attention everywhere Amarante went. Rin this and Rin that, and do you think Rin will be able to do the same job that Kimi did, and what do you think Rin would like to eat? All these questions that weren't about her. Even her lover, Natsu was part of the people who were asking lots of questions, and trying to make it all nice and comfy for Rin. 'Not if I have anything to do about it,' thought Amarante to herself. She would make Rin's life a living hell, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Everyone knew that Amarante was the one who trained all of the new servants. She would just have to be the one to get Rin to leave the mansion and go back where she came from.

"Are you listening?" asked Misa, seeing that Amarante was in her own little world.

"What?" asked Amarante dazed and confused.

"Oh nothing," said Misa walking back towards the mansion. "You do know that you will never be Lord Hiroshi's mate."

"What are you talking about," said Amarante blushing.

"Oh, nothing," said Misa as she turned into a black fox and ran towards the mansion.

"I wonder what she has up her sleeve, said Amarante, looking back into the dense forest. It always seemed that Misa knew exactly what everyone was thinking…sometimes even better than the Lord himself. She had to admit it to herself that she wanted to become the Lord's mate. It would make her life happy to be called Lady Amarante and be able to get rid of Misa once and for all. But she wasn't the type that Lord Hiroshi liked, but Rin was.

Angry for making herself think of that stupid girl again, Amarante changed into a white fox, and ran after Misa.

Rin continued to ride in the morning, and by mid afternoon could see the Lord's home in the distance. She was finally in sight of the mansion, and she was very happy about that. She could see that there were flowers around the front doors, under windows, and around patios. Rin sighed as she thought of the flower gardens at home. She loved flowers. She could see the hydrangea and the azalia in full bloom under all the windows. Blossoms for Cherry trees showered the ground with their white petals near the front gates. Snow willows and peach trees stood tall and proud near a patio with a man standing in the doorway.

He was a tall man, with long silver hair. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts as he heard something and turned around. Just before he went back inside though, he looked over to where Rin was riding her silver mare. He paused for a moment and went back inside.

Rin let out a sigh of relief. Her heart was beating like a drum. She didn't even know the guy and she already felt like this about him. 'It must be my imagination,' thought Rin to herself.

She started on her journey again, when that same white fox ran in front of her. The white fox growled and Gin reared and threw Rin from her back. The fox made a sound like it was laughing, and ran off. As Rin started to get up, a black fox was at her side. Well, it didn't stay a black fox. An olive hand was on her forearm and a woman with long black hair was helping her. Rin seemed to have forgotten her manners as she didn't say thank you or anything else like that. She actually didn't say anything. She was so stunned that words seemed to leave her for a moment. The woman, on the other hand, was talking nonstop.

"I can't believe she did this," said the mysterious lady as she finished helping Rin to her feet. "She can be so immature at times." She looked at her confused state, and smiled. "That fox that just passed by you and startled your horse was Amarante." She helped Rin onto her horse. The woman was still slightly confused as Rin still had this look of utter disbelief on her face. "What?" asked Misa, "Didn't Yasuo tell you anything? I'm Misa."

"Oh," said Rin, her voice coming back to her. "You are the one that I'm supposed to meet. I'm here to take the place of Kimi."

"Yes, I know," said Misa absent mindedly. "Lets get you to the mansion."

"Okay," said Rin.

"So, how are you Rin?" asked Misa looking up at Rin from the ground.

"Oh, very good," said Rin having the need to be very proper.

"That's good," said Misa, noticing her nervousness.

"What am I going to do at the mansion?" asked Rin, trying to make it less polite.

"Well, you won't do what Kimi was doing, because Kimi was Lord Hiroshi's personal servant," said Misa with a smile.

"I don't understand," said the very naive Rin.

"Kimi was Hiroshi's personal servant," said Misa, using her fingers to emphasize the hidden message.

"Oh," said Rin,"…OH!"

"Yeah," said Misa with a smile," Glad you get it, cause I really didn't want to explain it any farther."

"Well, what am I going to do?" asked Rin.

"Well, before Kimi became a…," said Misa clearing her throat, "servant, she was in charge of the plants and gardens in the area. We never had anyone after her give the gardens any justice, so I'm hoping to see what you can do with them."

"Alright, so anything else?" asked Rin, glad that she might be able to do something she liked to do.

"Well, I don't really know. You'll have to train with Amarante before you can really do anything, unless the Lord says you don't have to," said Misa pulling a flower from a tree and placing it in her hair.

"I…I… have t-t-to meet L-L-Lord Hiroshi?" stuttered Rin.

"Yeah," said Misa, getting a little freaked out by the way Rin suddenly changed her attitude. "He's the one you have to convince to let you do something. I don't think you'll see him today. He has a guest."

"Oh?" said Rin not trying to be too nosy.

"Yeah," said Misa, "It's Lord Sesshomaru from the north. Lord Hiroshi's father originally owned the land that Lord Sesshomaru now has, so if Lord Sesshomaru has a question, he comes to Lord Hiroshi."

"Oh, I think I get it," said Rin, whose mind was only on the silver haired man, and wondered if that was Lord Sesshomaru.

"It's getting dark," said Misa looking around her. The two had been walking for hours and were finally at the gate. "You'll sleep with me in my room, and I'll have someone take care of your horse."

"Thank you," said Rin finally realizing that she was really tired.

Rin dismounted as Misa went to find someone to take care of Rin's horse. Misa came back to find Rin leaning against a tree sleeping with all her luggage.

"She is going to be very good for this place," said Misa almost to herself, "She is going to lighten the mood since Kimi left."

Misa carried Rin to her room, oblivious of Lord Sesshomaru standing in the hallway, and the sudden slowing of steps as she passed him with Rin in her arms.

To be continued…

What do you think… this was a really long one. 6 pages and I really wanted to stop it a long time ago. I'm thinking about writing a more modern setting one, but it might get into my way with writing this one… I don't know… tell me what you think… I'll give you a preview…

Preview of Unnamed present-ish time one

Beep Beep Beep

The body under the blankets didn't want to get up. She would do anything not to have to get up and go to school today. It was the first day back to school, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Rin pulled a little of the blankets away from her head as she listened to the beeping, positive that the noise had gotten louder. 'Just close your eyes,' said Rin to herself, 'and you won't remember where you are.'

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Rin was just about to turn the alarm clock off when a hand beat her too it. Rin looked up into the face of Mrs. Johnson, the "House Mother".

"Rin," yelled Mrs. Johnson, "If you don't get up and dressed NOW, you'll miss breakfast and the bus, and you'll have to walk, cause I'm not driving you."

Rin grumbled something about Mrs. Johnson being a fat toad, before she left and almost instantly felt a wooden spoon hit her square on the head.

"Don't you say things like that, you ungrateful orphan," said Mrs. Johnson from the doorway. "You are in a nice place and there are many children who would love to be in your shoes." With that the woman left the doorway.

Rin looked up to see seven beds already made, and no one around. Rin got dressed and watch a mouse run out of her closet. "Yeah, such a nice place," said Rin in a grumble.

She put on her shoes and watched as one of her toes could be seen through both the shoe and the sock. "Who would want to live in my shoes, you old hag!" yelled Rin. She always wondered how that old hag had ever married.

Rin hurried down stairs to see 20 other children eating breakfast. Rin was the oldest, and the only one in high school. They all lived in Madam Carol's House of Orphans. Basically, they lived in a dilapidated boarding house from the 1900s with a crotchety old hag that only wanted the money. What really bugged Rin was that Mrs. Johnson's name wasn't even Carol, it was Prudence.

She sat down and began eating when a bell rang and everyone stood up. Rin put down her spoon that was covered in yesterday's oatmeal, and stood. 'So goes another day in the life of an unwanted orphan,' thought Rin to herself.

So, what do you think?