Calm

Chapter 4: The Devotion

"My Lady," Sesshoumaru said softly, his hands encircling an unsuspecting Kagome's waist. Although her back was pressed against his chest, he could still see her, feel her, jump in surprise. He smiled slightly. "Are you alright?"

He could sense the happiness coming from Kagome, and knew she was smiling. She turned in his arms, and he could see that, of course, he had been right. "I am fine, my Lord Sesshoumaru. A bit confused, my Lord," she added truthfully, "but fine."

"What confuses you, my Lady?"

"The…Shinidamachuu."

Sesshoumaru looked down at her, unblinking. It was only natural. One should be curious of anything concerning an enemy.

"I am concerned with their activities as well, my Lady," he said. "Jakken is to leave at dawn tomorrow to acquire information of their whereabouts…"

"He is?" Kagome said. "Tomorrow?" she was not accustomed to Jakken or Rin being absent, only Sesshoumaru at certain times.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We will get to the bottom of this…dilemma. Do not fret, my Lady."

Kagome smiled again. "I won't." she said, kissing him lightly.

"I do not like it when my Lady is unhappy…" Sesshoumaru said absently (or as absently as the Lord of the Western Land could possibly say something).

Jakken passed them without a glance, used to the sight. He made his way to Rin's room, where the Human had packed his things for his departure.

"I cannot see what Lord Sesshoumaru sees in that filthy Human," he muttered.

"I think it's cute." Rin said, entering the room behind him. Jakken jumped with a squeak; he never did like the silence in which that child walked. "Lord Sesshoumaru is happy."

Jakken snorted. "I doubt that a filthy Human makes our Lord 'happy'. Our Lord cannot be 'happy', for one."

"He can too, and watch who you call filthy. You look more disgusting than most Humans."

Jakken gasped. "How dare you—"

Rin backed the small demon into a wall. "Don't you dare insult our Lady Kagome," she said. "She does make Lord Sesshoumaru happy, and just because you don't like it doesn't make her any less our Lady!"

Jakken swore that for a moment, Rin's eyes flickered read. "Don't insult Lady Kagome!"

Jakken looked down, both out of an instinctive fear of Rin, and simply because he knew he was wrong to voice his opinions out loud. Sesshoumaru would have his head if he heard any of that.

So, to avoid conflict with both Rin and Sesshoumaru, he simply grabbed his pack from Rin's bed and left.

As he descended to his own room, the cellar, which he had chosen for it's seclusiveness as well as it's silent atmosphere, he did not see Sesshoumaru or Kagome. He sighed.

"Damn Human. He's only becoming more and more weak, can't he see? Whether he acknowledges it or not, he's developing Human feelings. Next thing he'll hesitate to kill a living thing…"

Jakken grumbled deep into the night, until he fell asleep.

The next morning, Jakken prepared breakfast as usual, and—also as usual—they ate in silence, Kagome retreating to her room with Rin to prepare for the day.

Sesshoumaru, who stood after Kagome had gone, spoke to Jakken.

"You are prepared for the journey?" he said.

Jakken nodded, his anger at Sesshomaru for bringing Kagome into the castle—and not to mention their lives—beginning to boil within him…Maybe the trip away from home would help…

"I am ready, my Lord Sesshoumaru," he said.

"Then take your leave. Return immediate if a discovery is made. Return in two days if nothing significant is found. Rin, I believe, has prepared a basket of rations for you in case there is none to be found. She awaits you in her room. I will accompany you upstairs, since I must join Lady Kagome."

So Jakken traveled with his Lord to Rin's room in a silence they both were accustomed to. After her display the day before, Jakken wasn't too pleased with the prospect of being alone with her again. Why was she so loyal to Kagome, anyway?

"Hello, Rin, he said upon entering her room, in a disgusted tone.

"Why are you so upset, Jakken? You get to go outside. I haven't been outside in ages. Not since our Lord captured the Tetsusaiga."

"I am displeased for the same reason I was yesterday." He shouldn't have said that, shouldn't have even alluded to the subject, but he wasn't going to shut his mouth for a Human. No Human deserved the respect of a demon.

Rin puted. "Can't you just accept Lady Kagome? She's done nothing to you. In fact, she tried to get you to let her wash dishes the other night…"

"See? She's such a commoner that she can't let the servants do their own jobs."

"I'm not a servant, and neither are you! We are loyal followers of our Lord Sesshoumaru, just like Lady Kagome!"

Jakken snorted. "Simply because we chose to follow Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't mean that we aren't servants. We're simply agreed to out servitude, that's all. Not that I—"

"Take that back! How dare you insult the intentions of our Lord Sesshoumaru?" This time, Jakken didn't imagine it—Rin's eyes really did flash red. "After all that he's done for you, how helps you. He gave you a home, and a place at his side. And don't you dre even argue with me."

She slammed Jakken to the nearest wall. "Take it back, you ungrateful wretch!" Her eyes flashed red again, and this time they stayed red. "Take it back!"

Jakken's eyes widened. What was wrong with this child? "Rin…" Jakken sputtered in fear, "W-what are you?"

"What is happening here?" Came the voice of the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru. Rin's eyes turned back to normal, brown once more. She faced Sesshoumaru. Jakken slumped to the floor.

"Jakken was complaining," Rin said truthfully, "and I became annoyed at listening."

Sesshoumaru's eyes darted from Rin to Jakken. Something was stranged, different. He could feel it in the air. "Jakken," he said sharply. "Leave. Now. Wait at the castile entrance."

"Y-yes, my Lord," Jakken glanced fearfully at Rin before he left, not forgetting to take Rin't ration's with him, for fear of her wrath. Was it poisoned? He would check later.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said after Jakken left, just at sharply. "Is there something…you would like to tell me?"

"…No, my Lord Sesshoumaru."

He stared at her for a long time, like he was searching for something inside of her. "You started this…disturbance, yes?"

Slowly, Rin nodded. "I apologize, my Lord Sesshoumaru."

"As punishment, you are to accompany Jakken. Without any more preparations than the ones that have already been made."

"Yes, my Lord," she said, walking past her Lord to meet Jakken at the door.

"I am to travel with you," she said.

"No," Jakken said. "Absolutely not!"

"It was Sesshoumaru's order."

Jakken cringed. Two days with that…Human? He would never survive…

Sesshoumaru watched from the window of Rin's quarters as the pair departed. Kagome gazed through the window from behind him.

"I didn't know you were sending Rin, too…" Kagome said.

"Neither did I, until minutes ago. Something…is occurring between the two of them, although I could not see what. They are…fighting amongst themselves, my Lady. I will not allow squabbles in my midst. Those two are unwanted, distracted the way they are."

At the word 'distracted', Kagome sighed, and hung her head slightly. The last time she had heard that word, Jakken was commenting on how much of hinder she was to Lord Sesshoumaru.

Kagome sighed. Maybe the fresh air would do them good.


Hey, people. I know that it's easy for you to figure Rin out (I hope it is…I think it is…). If you don't figure it out, it'll be revealed soon. Yeah…

I hope I didn't insult anyone by my relatively "new" conception of Jakken and Rin's servitude to Sesshoumaru. Although I define it differently here...I know it's servitude, you know it's servitude...y'know, except when it's not...goes into a corner and pulls knees to chest Bloody leave me alone, will you? It's FIVE FIFTEEN IN THE MORNING AND I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU PEOPLE! ISN'T OBVIOUS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU! ARE YOU GUYS QUESTIONING HOW MUCH I LOVE MY READERS SIMPLY BECAUSE IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET THIS UP! YOU CAN'T QUESTION ME!YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION ME...?

Sorry...starts to cry I need coffee...I really need coffee...

yeah, but I really do love my readers, even though I know I lost some during that long wait. A lot of people took me off of their author alerts after Tranquility ended, I'm sure...sniff

but YOU guys are still here...does happy dance there are still people who love me...and I've beeen waiting for treelovr to review since chapter one went up...I'm going to cry if she doesn't review...

I still really, really need coffee...

or a really nice fuck. (Yes, I had to say it.)

...By the by, I know that there is like, a bunch of stuff left open from Tranquility that needs to be taken care of. And I assure you, some of it is solved, some of it isn't. For sure, though, I know that one of the most wondered about unsolved parts of Tranquility was how Kagome never said goodbye to Shippou, Kaede and the others. And also, what of Kohaku?

I've definitely solved the Shippou thing, hands down. I think you'll be happy with the explanation…at least I hope.

Now about Kohaku…I need some suggestions about what to do with him…as per my manuscript, he doesn't play a part at all, and unless you guys have some ideas, it might stay that way…he was never really the main part of the plot, anyway… yeah…sorry kohaku fans…

"I will return, for I am the darkness…"