: Thanks so much! ^.^ Hope you like this next chapter.

BatmanForPresident : Hmm. I sure hope it's interesting ^-^' I hope I was successful.


Chapter 3

Stench of Death

I had to bite down on my lower lip and cover my lips to keep my laughter inside but it proved to be difficult after witnessing the male throw rocks at his rather small green companion. It was absurd and a much needed comedic relief after last night and the past few months for that matter. "You have great aim," I said behind my hand, struggling not to laugh. His golden eyes turned to me. I wondered what I must look like to him.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the green youkai started as he marched towards me, "Want me to get rid of this pest for you, M'lord?" His hands were gripped tightly around his staff, ready to attack.

"Yeah, good luck with that," I said to him, thinking about the larger, more powerful youkai that had attempted to kill me before. The imp seemed to be ready to retort but our attention was to the male that I now knew was named Sesshomaru.

"I recognize this blood," I heard him say as the wind made his white hair flew around him.

"Blood?" I questioned before my body became stiff with worry, "Rin!" I felt the Hikage wrap around me in the familiar armor. With its power, I willed it to bring me to Rin. I felt my body dematerialize away in a black mist only to materialize in front of her body. My blood went cold as I looked into her lifeless eyes. The Hikage shifted back into my body as I fell to my knees. I wrapped her body to my own in an embraced. I felt my tears burn down my cheeks. She was dead and I had done nothing to prevent it. I should have stayed by her side instead of following a youkai that did not need my help. I had been so stupid. I was so lost in my sadness that I didn't realize that Sesshomaru had followed me.

I only realized his presence when his companion spoke, "What is that? She's a goner. That's for sure. She must have been attacked by wolves. Look at the teeth markings. Do you recognize this pathetic human?"

I turned to glare at him through my tears, "Show some respect! She has a name!"

He looked startled that I would speak to him that way, "How dare you!"

We both stopped as Sesshomaru took a few steps forward. I looked up at him with Rin still in my arms, wondering why he had come. He was looking down at us as if in thought. His arm went to the hilt of his sword as he unsheathed it. I was confused as to why he would do so. I didn't feel any intent to kill. What was he thinking?

"Step aside, woman," he said to me, "I will do another test." I heard the imp saying other things as Sesshomaru continued to look at me, expectantly.

I wasn't sure why but I looked at Rin one last time for gently placing her on the ground to do as he told me to do. I stood up, stepping aside as he took a step towards her lifeless body. He swung the sword down as if vanquishing something unseen. To my utter amazement, Rin was not cut by his blade.

"What did you…?" my words trailed off as he kneeled down to take her in his arms. The sight made me feel something. This youkai wasn't like the power-hungry other youkai who've tried to kill me and devour me. I just couldn't quite understand what. His outward appearance seemed cold and emotionless but there was something lying underneath all that. Just like when he had told Rin that he didn't care like he was making up excuses as to why he would show concern for her. It was like he denied even having a heart when it was clearly visible to me. And I felt that Rin has felt that way too.

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard him uncharacteristically gasp in surprise before Rin's body moved. I could hear her breathing as her eyes slowly opened. I was so relieved that she was alive that I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around her. In doing so I kind of hugged Sesshomaru along with us. "Oh, Rin," I let out, so overjoyed as new tears fell from my eyes. This time they were happy, relieved tears that she was alive. I pulled away to give her a good look, even her bruises were all healed as if they had never been there, to begin with. I turned my gaze to Sesshomaru, "Thank you." I didn't feel like those words were enough. He moved to stand as I kept my arms around her. I looked back down at her with a warm smile. I thought I had lost her but he had somehow given her a second chance at life. I didn't even care how he had done it. I was just happy that he had.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you resurrected that human girl with the power of the Tenseiga?" the imp questioned, in shock. Sesshomaru did not so much as acknowledge him. He merely began to walk back to where they had left the two-headed dragon. "Hello? Lord Sesshomaru? Lord Sesshomaru saving a human girl's life is surprising enough. But then again, more importantly..."

I stopped listening to him once Rin took my hand and began to pull me along with her in the direction the youkai had wandered off to. I guess we are now going to be traveling with them. I wondered if that was the best option. Would he even want me there knowing the dangers I brought along with me? And I didn't want to pull Rin into my issues. I had been around her long enough. I didn't want to endanger her any further when she had just been given a second chance.

Yet, I was still walking alongside her as she held my hand with a smile on her face. I wanted so terribly to stay with her. The mere thought of ever leaving her was heartbreaking. In those short days, I had grown so fond of her.

"I…" I looked down in surprise. Rin had said something. She looked up at me, "I want to… know your name…" It was like she wasn't used to speaking. Her voice was low and scratchy but with more use, it should be back to normal.

I smiled down at her, "Ah, yes. I guess I never did tell you what my name is. My name is Hayami."

"Hayami," she said as if to try it out on her tongue. She smiled brightly up at me, "A beautiful name! It suits you!" I smiled down at her, grateful for the compliment.

The imp scoffed as he walked in front of us just behind his lord, "That pathetic human woman is not beautiful in the slightest." Where was a rock when you needed one? He turned to me with his rather comical angry face, "Do you even know who you are in the presence of, you ungrateful woman!?"

"Um, Sesshomaru?" I offered.

His beady eyes bulged out of his head, "How dare you speak his name in such a familiar tone! Do not disrespect M'lord! It is Lord Sesshomaru to you!"

I blinked at him, "Except he isn't my lord and I am not his underling."

"What?! Do you think yourself equal to Lord Sesshomaru? He is a powerful and feared Inu Daiyōkai. You should show your respect."

"Why does it really matter if I call him 'Lord'? Just because I would call him that wouldn't mean I respected him. I'd be doing it because it is required of me instead. And anyway, I do respect him. Not because he is some powerful lord that I should bow down to but because he is Sesshomaru."

The imp looked speechless before he huffed, looking away, "Do not think yourself so highly. You are just a weak little human. You should still call him-" He was cut off.

"Jaken," I turned my gaze to Sesshomaru's back. He wasn't looking at us as he continued walking ahead. His voice sounded like a warning.

"Y-yes, M'lord?"

"Let the woman address me as she wishes," he said to his servant.

"R-right. Yes, M'lord." I grinned in satisfaction as I childishly stuck out my tongue at the green youkai. I heard Rin giggle from beside me, finding my actions funny. "How childish," Jaken said, peeved off that he did not get his way.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin started, "Where are we going?" I was surprised that she would ask that question.

"Stupid child, you know nothing," Jaken said.

I rolled my eyes, "And that would be the reason why she would ask such a question, Toad."

He gaped at me, "You will address me as Master Jaken, woman."

I smirked down at him, "Until you can address me by my proper name I will call you whatever I want, Toad." The poor guy was fuming. Rin found it so amusing as she giggled at us bickering. And that was the beginning of our beautiful friendship.

XXX

The days seemed to blur together as we traveled together. I had come to realize that I could only sleep when Sesshomaru would be around. It was almost as if I trusted that he would keep me safe while I slept. I didn't understand why I would depend on his protection when I wasn't even sure that he would protect me if I were ever in any danger. Would he even choose to protect me? As the days went by, he would scarcely talk to anyone. He would only speak when he deemed it necessary. He was not one for meaningless conversations. But I did witness the way he would carefully watch over Rin even though it was barely noticeable. It was heartwarming to me to see that she hadn't only caused me to grow fond of her but she had somehow captured his attention as well. This small girl was special.

Sesshomaru would often leave us to wander off on his own or with Jaken. There was even a time that we had been attacked by moths and we witnessed Sesshomaru speak to a Miko. But the times when he would be away from us were the times that I would be attacked by weaker youkai thirsting for the power that dwelled within me. They were easily discarded but I had to admit that I had grown even more concern for Rin. It was difficult to protect not only myself but her as well. I started to wonder if I should leave this group in order for them to be safe and away from the constant threats.

"Woman," I heard from behind me. I turned to see Sesshomaru walking up to stand beside me. It had become night, the stars shining above.

"Welcome back," I greeted him as I looked up with a smile. He had gone off somewhere unknown, only to come back in the middle of the night when the moon was up at its highest.

"You are injured."

I blinked, wondering how he could possibly know. I looked down to my left thigh that a bruise was clearly visible from how short my kimono was. Though, it wasn't like I was not wearing shorts underneath to prevent anything else to be shown. My clothes were not the point. The fact of the matter was that he could see the bruise that had formed on my thigh from the youkai who had attempted to take my life a few hours prior to his return. Generally, the Hikage would have prevented me from becoming injured. But I was mortal. There was a limit to how much power my body could take. I had been lucky that I had gotten just a mere bruise. Usually, I would have been able to heal quickly but something had prevented the Hikage from healing me. Perhaps, when I had reached my limit it meant that even the power to heal was lost to me.

I touched my tender flesh with my fingers, "Yeah. I do have limits. It seems that I reached them tonight." I turned to him, "I take it that you were successful in bringing that severed youkai head to the blacksmith to be forged into a new sword?"

To my surprise, he moved to sit next to me on my left on top of the cool grass and ignored my question, "Does it pain you?" His eyes were directed in front of him and not at me. Jaken, who had come back with his lord, was already fast asleep by the fire.

"It would be a lie if I denied that it didn't bring me some discomfort," I replied to him, moving my head to look up at the sky, "But I've been hurt far worse than this before. It's not anything new." My eyes winced as I felt his hand squeeze my thigh on top of the bruise, "It hurts when you do that!" I sent him a glare as I felt my thigh sting.

His hand recoiled as he spoke, "You humans are fragile creatures."

My brows furrowed as his eyes moved to look at me, "Oh, bite me."

His brow quirked up as mild amusement crossed his features, "Is that an invitation?" I stared at him. Was he teasing me now? Something told me that he was.

"No," I looked away from him with a frown, "It's an expression I use when I get frustrated with someone that says something that irks me."

"Hn. You should not use this expression of yours," he told me as if to advise me it wasn't the best of ideas. He did make a point. There were a lot of things that wanted to eat me after all. Inviting them to do so was not that smart of a thing to do.

"I will keep that in mind."

"Where did you get that scar?"

I turned to look at him to see that he was still staring at me. What was the sudden interest in my injuries both new and old? He never asked me questions like these before. It had caught me off guard. I looked down at my left calf where the barely visible scar was. "Hm," I thought about it, "I broke my leg falling out from a treehouse when I was little. I was probably about six years old. Well, it was more like I was pushed out but either way, I broke my leg in the fall."

"Hn."

"My mother was not at all happy with the boy who had pushed me," I remembered her being so angry. She only ever got angry when I'd gotten hurt.

"And your father?" he was being very chatty tonight.

I shook my head, glancing back up at the stars, "He died before I was even born. I never met him. All I know is whatever my mother would tell me about him." I thought about how she would describe him, "She would often say, 'Your father was an honorable man that I loved very deeply. There is not a day that goes by where I do not miss him.' And she never did remarry or even looked at another man while she was alive." It was true, she would often tell me that you would find only one great love in your lifetime and she had already found hers. No one else would ever come close to compare. I guess in a way my mother believed in a soulmate. I guess now she could be with him for eternity, wherever they were in the afterlife.

I wanted to ask him questions about him. I found that I was curious to know more about him but I stopped myself from doing so. I even stopped myself from asking him why he had a sudden interest in knowing more about me. Though, it was kind of nice to know that he had been interested enough to ask me. I was slightly startled as something warm wrapped around my body. The fur that hung over Sesshomaru's shoulder had moved to be around my body. It was soft and comforting. I couldn't help but gingerly brush my fingers against it. I could tell it had a life of its own. It made me wonder if it was its decision to wrap itself around me or Sesshomaru's.

"Sleep," the Inu Daiyoukai ordered. I turned to look at him as he sat with his eyes closed, his arm leaning on top of his lifted up knee. I guess I had my answer. I couldn't help smile at this. It was like he was silently telling me that I was safe to fall asleep because he would be watching over me. Or at least, that is what I liked to believe.

"Goodnight, Sesshomaru," I sunk down on the soft fur, letting its heat help carry me into a peaceful sleep.

But not before hearing his simple reply to indicate that he acknowledged my words, "Hn."