Chapter 3:
Dried Sugar with your Tea
A pair of aspen-wood sandals strode the dirt roads located between stretches of family huts and stale buildings dedicated to local businesses. After the unanticipated memory of her brothers infiltrating her mind, Rin kindly took her leave from Sango's humble company; even in spite of her friend's offer to stay for dinner she politely declined, and insisted on getting back to sorting through Kaede's old things.
The recollection had sent her into a world of diverse feelings and emotions; all things she didn't want to burden anyone with – especially a busy mother of six children. Besides, she thought to herself, no matter the grief there was absolutely nothing she could do about her dead relatives. The sorrow would pass like it had done before, and they would soon be a distant memory as they were before…Or so she hoped; heartache was not a mood she wanted to familiarize herself with.
The sounds of her wooden clogs created a rhythmic tap as it bounced from the heel of her foot to the dusty ground below. Now that summer was gradually dissolving it became more apparent to the typically, bare-footed woman that due to the drop in temperatures the soles of her feet would need some form of protection against the chill of nature's elements. Her beloved Lord had gifted the sandals to her last winter along with an extravagant kimono that was currently tucked away in storage until needed once more; the footwear – however – found its purpose earlier in a season rich with colorful flora, and crisp evening nights.
Rin stopped in her tracks as she felt a gentle updraft breeze through the chocolate crevices of her hair, and her fingers lifted to tuck a few wild locks behind her ear. The fall season was a beautiful time of the year, and this year marked the second time spent with Sesshomaru amidst large masses of tree-leaves tinted with the faded hues of reds and yellows. It brought about some of her favorite vegetation along with wonderful memories filled with past lantern festivals, and strolls alongside her favorite demon who, unsurprisingly, looked good sporting a crown of red koyo leaves.
In the middle of her hair twirling from the playful gust, Rin noticed a wobbly barrel off to her side tip over from the persuasive draft, and from the container rolled a couple of orange, plump persimmons. After the light wind had passed, and she situated her tousled hair, Rin knelt down to pick up one of the ripe fruits from the ground. Its size was a perfect fit for the center of her palm, and its bright color was a nice compassion to the leaves drifting along the dirt path. Autumn truly was a beautiful time of the year, and holding the persimmon in her hand took her back – far back – in time when this particular season had been a milestone in the lives of her and her family.
She remembered plum blossom flourishing when her father made the decision to leave their old village near the bamboo grove; thus meaning they had left around the spring time. Their travels lasted much longer than anyone anticipated; she remembered the spell of the summer season barring its merciless waves of heat upon her and an exhausted travel party. How they managed to survive those grueling, hot days was beyond her, but the time spent scavenging the forests left her with some helpful skills in how to catch fish by hand, forge for edible roots, and notice the signs in a poisonous mushroom. Thankfully, once the first ginkgo leaves were in sight they knew some cooler days were ahead.
By the time the leaves began to shift in color she remembered her family – as well as the rest of those migrating beside them– had found a suitable village with more than enough room to spare for a few more additional family's to settle down. That was when she first became aware of the tainted malice that dwelled within the hearts of people she shared a species with.
A small set of hands carefully dove within the scrunch of orange leaves that sprouted from dark, wooden branches in search of well-rounded produce to pick. After a few more moments of careful probing Rin soon smiled in delight at having felt fresh persimmons within her little fingers, and she briskly removed them from their stems to hold them high above her head in triumph.
"I got them," she happily announced to her awaiting company below.
"I got them, Papa!" Rin looked down at her father's delighted features as she presented to him her little treasures to put in the basket clutched by the hand currently not occupied with keeping her steady atop his bulky, wide shoulders.
"That 'a girl," her father praised as he looked down to the accumulated amount of persimmons picked from a tree a few miles down the road from their new establishment, "That's enough now, we don't want to harvest the whole tree. Let's be heading back so your Mother can start drying these out. Pretty soon you and your brothers will have something sweet to eat after supper."
Rin nodded her head with joy at the thought of a sweet treat. She clamped her fingers under her father's chin as he spun on his heel to head back to their new hut. Her father was the kind of man with a voice as gruff as the mountain terrain, and his tan skin perpetuated hard muscles beneath his shabby clothing; nearly his entire life was spent cutting and carrying bamboo stalks, and the labor showed through his strong physique. The back of his short mane was lifted into a low ponytail, he demonstrated a mild growth of facial hair, and the tops of his choppy bangs accentuated the similarity both she and Haru inherited from his wavy tresses while Jun had taken more after their mother with his thin hair growing into a smoother texture.
"You're good at finding fruit trees, Papa," the six-year old complimented as she pulled a lengthy twig from her hair.
"You can find anything if you search hard enough," he sensibly told her.
"Really?" Rin probed, intrigued by his response, "Where did you find me?"
The former bamboo-cutter chuckled at his middle child's innocence, and lifted his hand from atop her little foot to gently caress her fleshy cheek, "Hidden behind your Mother's smile."
True to his words, his only daughter enchanted him with a sunny grin that none of her siblings could duplicate to their mother's likeness as well as Rin's could. With her father's daring nature, wild hair, and sing-song tune in the back of her throat complimented with her mother's gentle eyes, kind disposition, and communicable smile; the humble workhand foresaw a lively future for his daughter. A future that, without his knowledge, none of her family ever imagined to occur in terms of the supernatural.
"I miss Mama's bamboo sprouts," Rin casually felt the need to inform as she playfully swatted the skinny branch in her hand. "There's no bamboo groves here…Just a lot trees, and too many fish."
"Now, now," her father gently chided, "Fish are a better source of meat than any bamboo sprout, and they're easier to cultivate," he informed her, but even from his position below he could sense the doubt in her little body.
"If that's true," Rin innocently countered, "Then why do the other villagers keep us away from the fish preserve? They have plenty, but they never seem to want to share with us or our neighbors that we came here with."
Her father kept a steady pace on the dirt road; trying at all cost to avoid her perceptive question.
"I don't think they like us that much. They don't like that we came here…" Rin inoffensively alleged to her sire, "Why is that, Papa?"
Even to a child the discrimination between the early settlers of the village and the new arrivals was noticeable. Upon the first few days Rin paid no mind to the human's wary attitude toward unacquainted families taking up unused space around their district, but once rules were set by the village elder for certain families (including hers) not to step on the preservations without their approval that's when she noticed her father starting to regret every leaving their previous home – a home with more than enough space to house his modest family as well as his prosperous craft.
Aside from a few odd jobs cutting down trees, it was a difficult task for her father to find stable work in a village where most of the head families had no intention of sharing their farming land, thus meaning there would be no share of the crop. Now, they currently dwelled in an old hut too small for their family of five that was located on the outskirts of town; too far from any preservations, and left to be seen as the outsiders everyone perceived them as.
Rin saw it; she just didn't know why.
"You need not worry about things like that, alright Rin," he responded; after all, to him she was too young to understand. Too young to understand that certain people preferred a certain way of life, and when that life is reformed to the point that people have to make altercations to their daily routine they can become quite nasty about it. Though Rin didn't know it, her father only wished they could have found a friendlier community; with winter fast approaching he thought it best not to take a chance with his family's welfare.
Along with a wary fear of frostbite, there was also the impeding possibility for their group to befall a raid from other humans, or worse, become the next meal for a demon. Coincidentally, their few months of travel brought about no such unfortunate events, but if they kept traveling it was only a matter of time. Their small group of neighbors agreed as well, and despite the disapproving glares they settled into the new village knowing the headman had little say on their stay considering the land was owned by a higher power.
"Cheer up, once we're home we can-"
Rin nearly flipped at his sudden standstill, and turned her head in the direction her father was facing to watch as a skinny, older man approached them with a dull farming hoe in hand. His scowl expressed his irritation, and his dirty, gritted teeth exemplified his anger.
"Those persimmons be from my plot of land, ya hear," the farmer told them, "So unless ye want an altercation thief, I suggest ye drop that basket and be on ye way."
Rin narrowed her brows at the threatening man, and tensed upon feeling her father lift her off from her shoulders. She found herself placed behind one of his legs; her head barely reaching the back of his kneecap, and his hand prevented her from seeing anymore of the farmer's hateful face. However, from her positon she clearly saw her father's opposite arm as he cautiously placed the basket of persimmons on the ground, and coaxed it towards his assailant.
"I meant no harm," her father affirmed, "I wasn't aware that those trees belonged to anyone. I'd gladly work to pay off what I already picked-"
"Ye just be on ye way. Be lucky, you are, that I don't cut off yer hands where ye stand," the other man rigidly cut in, "I see ye on my property again, and I'll see to it the elders banish ye and the family from this village. Now go on, scat!"
The tip of the farmer's hoe lunged at Rin's father, but when the attack fell short just a few inches of her father's nose the look of resilience in her sire's face showed her how fearless he was in that moment. Her father didn't flinch, not once, and the farmer cursed his failed attempt to dominate a man he looked down on. Rin could tell just by the man's thin frame that her father could take him on with just his bare hands alone, but instead she felt those very same hands dip underneath her armpits as he lifted her over his chest, and continued down the dirt road without another word spoken.
Despite his efforts in trying to keep her head down, Rin still managed to peek back at the abandoned basket of persimmons. The back of her eyes stung with fresh tears; tears of sadness in not having a sweet snack to look forward to, and tears in anger over seeing the irate farmer lift his hoe into the air until he swung the heavy piece of metal down, and beat the bamboo basket till it was left covered in the blood-red juices from the persimmons.
It was the first she'd seen another human turn a weapon on her family; the first she's ever witnessed such unexplainable hatred in someone's eyes over something she could not comprehend.
Sadly, it would not be the last.
"What are you doing?" a shy voice called out to her; ultimately breaking her from her thoughts and aging memories. Rin looked down to see a young girl a few years short of her own age looking at her with a kimono packed with the previously fallen persimmons, and her dark eyes currently immersed with the squished piece of fruit in Rin's shaky hand. Living in Kaede's village for as long as she had Rin finally recognized the hut beside her, and immediately acknowledged the face of the girl in front of her to be the daughter of one of the leading families in the village.
"Ayumi, is everything alright?" a woman's voice rang from within the hut until the bearer of the call stepped out, and smiled instantly at the sight of Rin's presence.
"Hello, Rin," spoke the middle-aged woman as she walked towards her dressed in a casual work-apron and headscarf, "To what do I own the pleasure of this visit?"
The woman before her was the wife of Rikichi; a leading figure of the village, and a reliable helper to Kaede throughout the years. His reputation in their community was regarded with respect; a fortunate case considering the man was one of the partial few in the village that found Inuyasha's role amongst them to be a good thing. Lady Kaede expressed many times to the head families that some demons were worth bestowing trust to, and Rin was thankfully Rikichi and his family were some of the few that opened their minds to that philosophy.
"Hello, Satomi," Rin greeted; bowing lightly, "I'm just…passing through." She looked down to the once, well-wounded piece of produce in her palm – now – a mess of sticky juices all over her hand. Rin swiftly lifted her head, and held out her hand in apology.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't aware what I was doing," Rin raised her voice from its prior, whispered tone, and spoke clearly to the one she was apologizing to.
"Sorry? For what, this?" The woman she asked forgiveness from took a brief glance at the persimmon in her hand, and just as quickly brushed the topic aside, "There's no need to apologize, those pesky things are as fragile as can be. You should see how many Ayumi has had to toss aside."
"Mother!" Ayumi reproached her parent's embarrassing comment, and swiftly stomped an angry foot back inside her hut.
"Oh, goodness," Satomi sighed as she placed the tip of her finger on her lower lip, "My apologies for her behavior. I'm not sure if you noticed his absence at the funeral, but her father has been away on business, and having him gone for so long can put her in such a mood. With our eldest son grown and out of the house, I know my husband and I are having a difficult time seeing our little girl for the young woman she's becoming."
She offered Rin a hand-rag for her sticky fingers, a gesture that was graciously accepted as Rin wiped her palm clean of any remaining residue. "You needn't worry about Ayumi," Rin reassured her; smiling, "She has a strong head on her shoulders, and Kagome…I-I mean Lady Kagome always told me there's nothing wrong with a woman finding support in her own backbone."
Satomi chuckled behind her hand, "I suppose you're right. I remember when you were young, and worried Lady Kaede at every rain shower you ran through, and tree you climbed. I recall Inuyasha once having to chase you half-way around the village just to put shoes on you."
Rin forcibly laughed over the fact that such amusing humiliation was remembered by her neighbors, and it would seem that no matter where she went she was bound to come across someone who insisted on bringing up one thing or another about Lady Kaede. In all honestly, Rin felt she could have gone a few more days without hearing about her deceased guardian, but she understood well that she wasn't the only one allowed to mourn over her. If remembering all the good she's done was their way of coping with the grief than Rin knew better than to say anything.
"Please, excuse me," Rin said as she took another bow, "I best be getting back home. Please stop by anytime you'd like; Lady Kaede requested some of her possessions to be distributed evenly throughout the village."
"That's right," Satomi suddenly remembered; she motioned for Rin to stand her ground as she vigorously reentered her hut, and in just a few short seconds she reemerged with a bamboo package in hand.
"Here you are," she said upon kindly handing it to Rin, "I'm sure sorting through a priestess's belonging must take its toll, so here's a little something to snack on. My husband and I have been meaning to give them to you ever since you helped our Ayumi recover from that awful fever."
Rin looked down to the carefully wrapped bundle, and curiously unwrapped a small section, exposing a generous amount of sweetened, dried persimmons.
Meanwhile, atop a steep hill that overlooked a majority of the village there lay a sizable shrine that complimented the small memorials dedicated to two, preceding priestesses. The shrine was built to offer a suitable place for dedicated prayers, offerings for the dead, and proper grounds for purification.
For nearly the entire afternoon Kagome had devoted her attention to the devious antiquity before her. She prompted the mirror's manageable weight into the shrine's wooden opening, and allowed it to lean back until the item was standing upright, and facing Kagome's guarded frame with the face of its reflective surface covered by sturdy leather. She promised herself she would not investigate too deep into the relic – otherwise she feared the same outcome would occur as the last time – and thought it best to wait on Inuyasha and Miroku's return.
"There," the young priestess stated while rubbing her hand over her final talisman, "That should do it."
A majority of the mirror's borders were covered evenly with pieces of rice-paper Kagome had transmitted some of her spiritual energy into, and marked with a complicated streak of ink as shown to her by both Kaede and Miroku. Once her administrations were done Kagome allowed her gaze to linger on the covered entity a while longer.
Her interest was piqued, that much was certain, but there also arose a fearfulness she hadn't felt since the overbearing evil from the (once) tainted Shikon Jewel – back when Naraku's wicked aura tarnished the lives of all he came into contact with. It was the same feeling now.
It must be hard to be away from them for so long…
Don't you miss them?
"Rin," Kagome inaudibly muttered to herself; remembering how the unknown voice had suspiciously mimicked her friend's words. Kagome couldn't place her finger on it, but everything she came into contact with from that archaic mirror practically foretold her something terrible was about to befall one of them, and she regrettably didn't know how to stop it.
A colorful figure mirrored the surface of water that filled the developed rice fields, and Rin found yet another reason to smile when her eyes landed on a few villagers helping one another pick the remaining rice shoots. Her hut was soon upon her; she was half-way though the wide range of narrow passages that trailed over the empty ponds of nurtured rice. The sun was due to set within the next hour, and with her parcel of sweet treats safely tucked away in the folds of her kimono Rin strutted through the cooling wind.
The end of summer had initiated the harvest for a variety of plants and vegetables. That included a hefty piles of rice stalks that was to be picked, dried, and dispersed throughout every needy family in the village; even for those that didn't partake in the cultivation. Living here amongst friendly neighbors and selfless offerings opposed the cruel treatment she endured in her last village. The people here – while not all may share mutual understandings – respected one another to an honorable degree, and gave ample opportunity to any newcomers that sought a better life in their district.
In the middle of her observation Rin caught the distant wave of her dearest friend, Saki, who was seen helping her mother pick a few remaining stalks near the edge of the fields. She was an underprivileged, young woman with a mind set on marrying a wealthy suitor that would grant her body the idle lifestyle she desired, and gift her with clothing as rich in quality as Rin's.
Indeed a needy individual; often irresponsible, and prone to complain about the cruelties of life, but Saki proved to Rin the value of their friendship the day Rin decided to introduce her to Sesshomaru. Aside from Inuyasha's gang, Saki was the only human in the village to encounter the full-blooded demon, and while her frightened reaction wasn't the most promising – neither did that stop Saki from keeping a steady friendship with the human that silently claimed her love for the mystical warrior.
Rin waved back at the laboring pair, and couldn't help wondering if…perhaps…if her family had come across this village first than what would have become of them? Would that have instead been she and her mother picking the last few stalks of rice from the paddies, or handing out dried persimmons to their neighbors while her father was away providing a stable income for the family?
Despite the memories of suppressed resentment over the people in her previous village; the dried persimmons near her chest was proof that not all humans were as unkind as those that eventually found their end at the mouths of hungry wolves. The sudden death of her family had stilled the rhythmic beat of her heart, and silenced the songs her father had taught her. Her orphaned situation, and lost voice had thrown her – an outsider's daughter – into depths that shadowed her as a pitiful outcast barely worthy of a name very few could remember.
If they had only come across this village first…
Or…
If they had never left the sanction of their peaceful bamboo grove her family would not have been killed, and then-
"Then…" Rin whispered against the brittle air, and her hand absentmindedly reached for her necklace as it shifted with the wind. Before she could think twice on the subject, before her thoughts could go a step further to analyze her life had it played out differently; she heard him.
It was a whispered call, like the way the forest beckoned an adventurous soul. Rin turned her cheek until her eyes widened at the far-off figure at the end of her pathway. A tall body awaited her clad in durable armor, and dressed in white with hair the color of the descending sun.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called out, the excitement in her voice disembarked her thoughts from her sorrowful memories, and her eyes lit up upon seeing the demon she loved so dearly walking towards her. She quickened her pace along the slim trail until she was but a few feet from him, and the calming liquid that filled the rice paddies surrounding them reflected an image of the pair through its mineral, clear waters.
"You're back," she spoke between breaths, "I'm so glad."
Her demon lord regarded her with a silent reply by curtly titling his head toward her winded frame, and the hardened gaze that frightened many of the villagers inside for an early end to their day had softened once he met the look of adoration that glistened within her eyes. He had expected the worst when it came to seeing her behavior since the funeral, but the smile she gave him was perceived as genuine. So, he opted against questioning her further than his usual queries.
"Rin," he coolly spoke, "How have you been fairing?"
"Fine," she simply retorted before realizing her tone wasn't so convincing; thus she broadened her smile and repeated, "I'm doing fine."
A sting of guilt sizzled along the system of her nerves when she recognized the lie she just blatantly told him. In retrospect it may not have been a catastrophic lie, but withholding the truth of her dilemma from someone she placed so deep within her heart felt like a sense of betrayal on her end. Keeping the subject of her dreams a distant topic from Kagome was one occurrence she already felt remorseful performing, and seeing as Sesshomaru was already in line receiving that very same act, it turned the innards of Rin's stomach.
"You?" she quickly added once she noticed the slight tilt of his brow expressing doubt in her statement.
"You've returned unharmed, I hope?" she incisively asked; hoping a bundle of questions may keep him from trying to pry answered out of her; answered she could not find the words to explain quite yet.
"Per usual," he replied to her outlandish question that anything could ever make him return to her in a wounded state. His eyes ran over the poorly hidden shivers that jolted around her body. "The temperatures have dropped," he stated to her.
"Yes, the harvest period has arrived," she said, and waved her hand over the empty rice fields to further exemplify what the village undergoes during this time in the year. He may have been present during the last fall season, but back then he never would have treaded so deep into the village to seek her out for anything other than an emergency. This time was different; their relationship has grown stronger since. She took a bold step toward him, and her wrist rose to lightly tug at the edge of his extensive sleeve. Her act would have otherwise been daring had it not been for their increased relaxation within each other's company over the last year.
"Let's return to the hut, I'll make us some tea while you tell me about your journey," she cheerfully suggested.
She respectfully coaxed him into pivoting in the opposite direction he was facing so that they could walk back to her hut together. The sun was drawing to an evening light, and the surface of water in the fields shimmered with an auburn hue. The reeds that sprouting along the edges of the river waved peacefully with the wind, and the flutter of a dragonfly's wings mixing with the croaks from the bulging throats of river frogs became a musical symphony for them.
…
"You were gone a few days longer than usual," Rin conversed from her station near the sunken hearth; a boiling tea kettle hung above a crackling flame that brightened the hut only she and her Lord occupied.
"I hope your patrols were a success?" she asked as she turned to him, and found their privacy excitingly abnormal considering Kaede was usually within hearing distance. Even Kagome's absence was considered surprising to her; usually her friend had a knack for permeating a couple's solitude. Rin found herself flustered at the realization that it was just them; alone.
The walk back to her dwelling was short, but nevertheless enjoyable. Rin kept the air around them filled with guileless conversation about the village's prosperous crop, and the well-being of Sango's recent babe. Upon approaching the entryway Rin sent an appreciative look as Sesshomaru held the bamboo screen ajar for her, and once inside she removed her feet from her sandals so that she may try to ignite the fireplace. The remains of black soot along with broken pieces of charred wood were a reminder that she would need more kindling for a successful fire, and just as she turned to lift herself up from the floorboards she caught a sight by the doorway that anyone else would have gasped over.
True to his character Sesshomaru excelled in numerous skills – particularly in weaponry and combat. Additionally, though she rarely saw it, Rin had an inclination that his hunting skills were topnotch, he possessed an insight in dressing wounds that most men never bothered to learn, and his resourcefulness was demonstrated through centuries of survival. In due time, it seemed he picked up even a few domestic skills; a common practice he's exhibited thus far has been bringing in firewood.
He's done it before; the first time Rin continuously apologized for making him go to such uncharacteristic lengths (even Kaede was taken aback by his assistance) but by the second time around she began to realize it was an act he insisted on doing for her. He was capable of lifting far more than she, and the amount he carried within just one of his arms was twice the load she managed in a single trip to the pile of lumber outside. Just as before she kindly thanked him, and watched attentively as he placed the chopped wood on the ground level of dirt where she then fulfilled her part in starting a fire.
"The travels were uneventful," he informed; opting to inform her of his recent discovery when – and only when – he felt it safe enough to consider using. Sesshomaru keen observation could easily see though Rin's noticeable façade, but her smile struck him in all the rights points near his heart. Her happiness seemed sincere, and suggested that whatever was tormenting her on the inside was something she was working through on her own. He had faith that she would reveal her troubles to him when she was ready, and by then he'd like to think he'd have the solution to ease her worries. A heart-to-heart conversation was a difficult task for someone who still dealt with a woman's feelings on a beginner's level.
Sesshomaru sat as close as he could near the recessing ground level so as to keep his boots from infiltrating too far into her clean floors, and he removed the swords near his hip to a more comfortable location near his side. Kaede's hut has undergone much improvement since the shabby, little square space it once was. Thanks to the villager's generous aid the head priestess's lodging has doubled in size; a simple shogi door divided the modest room giving both Rin and Kaede their privacy in separate spaces. Since her passing Rin has felt an overwhelming pressure of emptiness in her home. It all seemed like too much space for one person, and once Kaede's possessions were sorted through Rin felt it was time to reconsider her own place here; no matter the attachment she's made to the people in this village.
Her eye inattentively glanced at her Lord's relaxed form, his furry pelt facing her, and she wondered how much longer she had left to call the four walls that surrounded them her home.
"That's a shame, but I'm glad everything is well," she replied while reaching for Kaede's stone mortar. It was one of her more personal belongings she claimed her own mother once gave to Kikyo – passed onto her. It took some time before Rin was bestowed enough trust to use it, and it was one of the final lessons taught in how to produce teas and herbal remedies.
Circling the pestle in the nook of her palm reminded her of the days when she was younger, and Kaede would place her aging fingers above her youthful ones to guide her inexperienced hand. While Rin found sentiment in the abrasive, stone bowl she thought it was a tool best passed down from priestess to priestess, and considered Kagome the best candidate to receive her mentor's most valuable possession.
Rin briefly left the kettle to grab a small, leather pouch located in a small contain near the side of the hut, and after untying the strings she gently emptied a handful of gyokuro leaves into the mortar. It was an expensive type of green tea leaf, and a gift from Jinenji who had taken a liking to Rin's approachability ever since she was a child. In the recent months during Sesshomaru routine visits Rin discovered he had a taste for tea; primarily smoother teas, and Rin thought it amusingly characteristic for him that he'd fancy only the costlier kind.
For a few minutes all was pleasantly silent aside from the sounds of tea leaves scraping against grit, and the sounds of crackling embers from the fire. By the time the leaves were finely crushed, and placed in the boiling water Rin looked over a stack of towering boxes that she would have otherwise been currently going through had it not been for Sesshomaru's unpredicted return. In the middle of mentally envisioning the piles of sanctified garb, medicinal journals, and household possessions; Rin didn't expect a deep voice to pierce the stillness in the air.
"Rin," she heard the sound of her name point her attention to the corner of her home, and blushed when she found a look of concentration replicate off eyes the color of combusting flames.
"Yes?" She smiled before carefully grabbing the teapot to place atop a round, wooden tray. She grabbed the ends to lift the platter, and walked the few short steps until she kneeled beside a bent knee covered in silk that illuminated the fire's pomegranate shade.
"What is it, my Lord?" she asked upon filling a small teacup with green, steaming liquid. Her question was left unanswered, and she thought it unusual for him to cast silence when he was the first to call her name.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" she wondered; one of her hands served as a platform for the hot teacup while the other balanced it as she extended her arm to offer him the first serving.
"Sesshomaru," he corrected; his tone was discreet, perhaps even a tad coy to her human ears. Rin was grateful for his nimble fingers retrieving the clay pottery from her hand that had fallen upon his unexpected adjustment to the way she addressed him. Hearing his own name spew from his lips was always a surprise.
"We're alone," he pointed out to her; his lips a breath away from the rim of his cup, "Are we not?"
Rin took a noticeable gulp, and nodded her head as she tried to uphold a steady hand, and secure eye-contact. No matter how many months have passed she's never forgotten the night he declared her capable of speaking to him without formalities. When Kaede's mind began to fade it had caused Rin to find solace within his company, even if it meant her disembarking to the skies atop Kirara until she found the air to breath amidst his presence in the abandoned woodlands.
The conversation wasn't routed on one topic – nor was it leading to anything particular – but Rin remembered how naturally it all enveloped when he declared that she was a person deserving to drop the priestess's honorific after all Rin's done for her. Then, he surprised her even more when he told her she earned the right to do the same with him.
Of course, not a word needed to be vocalized for both of them to know that his untitled name would only be spoken in seclusion; just as it had been that night. That night she had pronounced his name to him; the name that implied the demon beneath centuries of battles and legendary victories. She caught his response in the reflection of dawn's daylight in his eyes; they looked to her with something akin to appreciation, as if he's almost forgotten what his birth name sounded like when it wasn't spoken in mockery or hate.
Since then, too many happenings have kept them from finding a moments peace together; even in what appeared to be a private forest Sesshomaru was familiar with his impudent, little brother's sense of hearing. Tonight proved different, not a priestess or half-demon in hearing range, and Rin basked in the allure that he hadn't forgotten his assertion that night.
"Sesshomaru."
She started his name out in a whisper – her tongue was tickled by the vibration – and she gradually heightened her tone as she poured herself a cup of tea, "Was there something else you wanted to discuss?" Her eyes rose to just in time see his lips recede from his tea, and her eyes were once again caught in his irrevocable gaze.
"Are you happy here?"
His question drew the tilt of her cup to an abrasive halt, keeping the tea's green liquid just a few inches away from her awaiting lips. Her hands soon retreated the dry clay from her mouth, and Rin folded her fingers evenly over the cylinder shape. There was a notable trace of curiosity behind his husky voice, and his eyes focused solely on her bewildered reaction. She did not expect the particular question to come so suddenly, but knew the absence of a certain, elderly companion was due to spark the beginning of an impending discussion.
A discussion that would hopefully reveal to her when her time in this village would be up.
"I am," she lightly responded; attempting once again to take a sip of her tea. Her tongue briefly indulged in the bitter-sweet taste, and once satisfied she reached within the folds of her kimono to retrieve the parcel gifted to her earlier in the day.
"Although," she added as she carefully unwrapped the bamboo packaging to pick up a sugar-dusted persimmon, "It's the people here that make me happy."
She knew the rule of hostess required she offer her guest the first serving, but the little girl inside of her couldn't resist having a small bite. The unique texture swirled within her cheeks, and her body shuddered in delight at the sugary taste sizzling along her tongue. Everything about what she was experiencing made her eyes close, and turned her head down to envision her legs thinning out to the scrawny limbs of a child as she heard her father's gruff laugh erupt from her positon atop his broad shoulders.
"The humans?" Sesshomaru questioned; idly doing his part to keeping the conversation he had started at a steady pace, and unknowingly separating Rin from the visions of her past. She opened her eyes at his comment, and after mouthing an apology for becoming distracted she eagerly nodded her head.
"I learned long ago that it's the kind of people you live with that can determine whether a place feels like home," she sweetly replied.
She offered him both a smile, and while she was at it the bamboo platter of persimmons. She watched attentively as he looked to the pieces of dried fruit within the package, and momentarily sought confirmation within her selfless gaze. Rin quickly caught onto the wordless notion that he hadn't any idea what kind of food was offered to him, and she quickly showed him all he needed to see when she picked yet another piece of fruit with the tip of her fingers. She took an impatient bite to convince him it was worth sampling.
From day one she was crudely informed of his distaste for human food, and during their travels she concluded he never seemed to have a need to eat – he never seemed to go hungry even when Jaken often did. The recent development in their relationship bestowed upon her the courage to offer him plenty of chances to taste copious amounts of human dishes. Most he inaudibly declined, but when it came to her cooking he made small, bite-sized, exceptions.
A few samples of cooked beef, raw fish, and the occasional brewed tea were all flavors accepted by his finicky tongue. He didn't even attempt at anything that grew from the ground; she should have realized that beforehand from Inuyasha's pickiness towards vegetables. The excitement was almost too much to hold back as she saw him reach for the first sweet thing she's ever see him try.
"Then, the humans here have made this such a place to you?" He asked upon talking a persimmon between fingers. Of all the variety of sizes to pick from, Rin blushed more feverishly then she did before when he picked the one from her own hand; the one she had formerly taken a bite of. The realization set her back a few moments before she found the voice to answer.
"They have…" she sheepishly replied as she saw him place the rest of the persimmon in his mouth; his pearly fangs glistened against the fire. As opposed to gawking at him like she had done the first time she saw him eat, Rin instead turned her head down to find some interest in the excess tea leaves that reflected at the bottom of her brew.
"Yet…" She continued; her eyes glanced in his direction just in time to see him chewing his snack. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't strange to see him eat, it was strange to even see him drinking tea. All things she'd never see him do until recently, and her heart soared at the thought of being able to see firsthand his reaction to numerable things she wanted him to try: foods for him to taste, festivals she wanted him to see up-close, things she especially wanted to share with him together.
"It's a demon that I'm happiest with," she smiled at him, and her pink tongue nudged its way past her mouth to leave a moistened trail along her lips. Her eyes caught the sight of sparkling sugar that coated his lips, and in turn her face turned hot at the mere thought of tasting it. There was one thing in particular she desperately wanted to try with him, and him alone.
Could now be the moment, she asked herself.
Not even a second had had passed before a distressed sound alerted her, keeping her thoughts from going any further. Rin attentively looked to Sesshomaru's hutched position, and felt her body jump in shock when she heard him struggle to stiffen a cough from erupting past those same sugar-coated lips. His head shifted until his face was removed from her view, and his body continued to shudder with every attempt he made to cease gagging in front of her. In the end it was no use, and his hand reached to cover his mouth as she heard the diluted sounds of a few, rough coughs breezing passed his throat.
"What's wrong?!" she exclaimed with worry as she bid to reach for him, but his body moved away from her as quickly as her hand sought him out. She was in complete shock at what she was witnessing; she's never heard him cough before, it was quite the coarse sound. What was wrong with him?
She couldn't help but ponder if her previous declaration was so sappy it – literally – made him gag?
In an instant she jerked her body back when Sesshomaru abruptly straightened his posture, and quickly brought the rim of his cup to his lips as he tilted his head back to ease his shaken throat with the rest of his tea. Rin was impressed with the way he endured the hot liquid all at once; she herself could barely tolerate a few minor sips. When all that remained in his cup was the left-over tea scraps Rin saw him gently place it down between them, and beneath the shaded hood of his bangs she could see his parted, wet lips take in some steady pants. All the same her shoulders fell limp with relief; for a minute there he looked like he was about to vomit.
"Lo-I…I mean," Rin corrected herself, "Sesshomaru, are you alright?"
His reply was imperceptible at first, she barely could make out what he was saying until his head turned to peer violently at the package of persimmons, along with the dried sugar that naturally formed over the exterior of the dehydrated fruit. The viciousness in his gaze settled when he caught wind of her troubled state, and softened his eyes to show there was no real harm done. In fact, if she could just pretend like the whole incident had never happened that would be much more preferred.
"Sugar," he spoke passed his raspy throat; his brow twitched at the sight of his newest enemy in food groups.
Rin mouth formed an oval shape as she looked in the direction he was facing, and when he finally talked clear enough for her to comprehend his situation she mentally reprimanded herself for overlooking the fact that she offered him such a confectionary snack without realizing that sugar makes dogs sick. Plus, it apparently didn't blend well with such a sensitive pallet.
It was no wonder he didn't seem accustomed to dried fruit before. She could feel a drop of cold sweat fall from the back of her head, and her brow turned upright as she cracked a guilty grin.
Oops…
If there was ever a moment to share a kiss…it certainly wasn't right now.
End of Chapter
AN: My apologies for the late update. I had much of this written out a little over a week ago, and had plans for posting the chapter last week until I came down with a nasty cold. This is the allergy season for me though, and I'm just glad the fevers and aches have passed. Major thank you for all the reviews/followers/pm in the past few weeks! They brought a smile to my face even when I felt like crap lol
In case any were wondering I do plan to follow the last part of this chapter with a continued scene in the next chapter. In other words, there's more Sess/Rin moments to come – I just felt comfortable making a stopping point here because while I take as much opportunity as I can to write I have to return to my job soon, and I'm not sure when I'll find the time to update again. I'm seriously hoping to have this story reach its first climactic turning point by the next chapter; I realize at this point something big needs to happen already. It always seems like I get too carried away with certain paragraphs or moments that I don't realize how much I'm adding on until I see that the word count is growing rapidly, and I haven't written the most important scene in mind yet. It's a habit I feel I need to work on to see to it this story has an ending; I don't want a repeat of MM.
Btw: I have tasted dried persimmons before at a local market (it was also mentioned in the anime in an episode of Shippo's first love) In case any who haven't tried were curious they're actually pretty good, but in some cases – I'm told it's dependent on how they're dried – they can be overbearingly sweet and grow a sugary coating on the outside. Aside from that, they kind of taste similar to dates or prunes.
Anyway, thanks again for any who took the time to read this chapter! A bigger thank you for any who give me a follow or feedback. Till Next Time!