Title 07/10/2011

-6-

The weeks of pointless traveling continued onward, no end in sight. One afternoon, Rin was off in the forest looking for food while Jaken sat by the pile of sticks, trying to light it. Sesshomaru lay against a tree, looking at the lazy sun above him. "Jaken." He said at last.

"Yes my lord?"

"Go and get A-Un and inform the staff that I will be returning shortly."

Jaken blinked a little but the bowed and nodded. "Yes my lord." He looked back at the fire and knelt to blow on the spark he'd managed but a cold void filled him. He looked back at the lord.

"Now Jaken." He added, his eyes narrow.

Jumping up, the imp nodded several times and ran off, the staff of two heads flying in his hand. Alone, Sesshomaru looked at the fire as the sparks grew and began to crackle.

"Alright Master Jaken, I got a couple of…" Rin staggered into the clearing, two dead rabbits in her arm with some roots on top. She looked around and settled her eyes on Lord Sesshomaru. "Where's Jaken my lord?"

"I sent him to get A-un. I plan on returning home soon."

Rin's heart skipped a small beat. Lord Sesshomaru's home? I wonder what it's like. I bet it's a palace. Then a cold fear filled her. What if I'm not invited. What if he doesn't want me to go there. What would I do without Lord Sesshomaru?

Her hand closed into a fist in the fur of the rabbits as she put them down by the fire and began to prepare them. The silence was murder but she could think of nothing to say.

"You can come with us, if you please."

Rin looked over at him but he was looking away from her. She smiled and looked down at her work. "Thank you my lord. I would like that very much."

After skinning one of the rabbits, Rin set it over the fire to cook. She then sat tending to her bow and arrows, wiping them clean and looking for damage. "Humm." She said, holding one to the fire light. "This one needs the fletching repaired." She sighed, apparently to herself, putting the arrow to the side. "And I saw an eagle earlier… knew I should have shot it."

"Rin." Sesshomaru said from his tree, looking over at her coldly.

Rin felt white as she met hit eyes. "I'm sorry, was I talking too much?"

He stared at her for a moment then looked away. "Why do you travel with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. Why do you travel with me? Why did you return to travel with me?"

The woman smiled, looking down at an arrow in her hand. "What kind of question is that? You already know why." she looked up at him and smiled a perfect sweet smile. "Because Lord Sesshomaru is Lord Sesshomaru. No one is like you. You know I will follow you anywhere."

Sesshomaru was still. He remained still.

After her rabbit was cooked, Rin ate and rolled out her blanket. "My lord… when will Jaken be back?"

"By morning."

"Oh… I'll get some sleep then. Goodnight."

Sesshomaru didn't reply so she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. As the moon rose, Sesshomaru went to Rin's side for his nightly control practice. He was getting better but still he struggled to stop. Recently he'd turned to using two fingers to pull her hair back, not one nail. This meant he felt it more and for longer but also made it harder for him to pull away. It was agony but he endured and stopped before it went further.

Tonight he was going to test himself a little further. He knelt and pulled her hair back. The desire to stroke her cheek grew but he just sat there, looking at her. He didn't move, he just sat there, watching as she took shallow breaths. He sat there for a good few hours, just watching, fighting the urge.

In his concentration, his senses heightened, not helping as he was so close to her. It didn't over power him but it did distract him. Enough that his hand strayed and reached out her cheek, holding it gently. Year ago, when he feared he'd lost her, he held her cheek like this. Then, her whole head fitted into his hand. Now, it barely reached her eye. He smiled at how time had changed.

He got control again and let go, turning his head away.

"Lord… Sessho…ma…"

He looked back down at her quickly, her smile having grown and she shifted slightly. Did she know? Or was she dreaming? Either way he moved away from her.

Morning broke before he knew it and he heard the muted roar of the two headed dragon and the cry of Jaken. "My lorrddd!" He sang as he landed. "I have A-Un for you."

Sesshomaru was silent as he stood but Rin ran over to the dragon and greeted him with a hug. "A-Un, it's been too long."

The heads nodded to her and nuzzled close.

"Rin, we're leaving."

Rin nodded as she collected her stuff and climbed onto the dragon's back. "Come on Master Jaken." She grabbed hold of his belt and pulled him up onto the dragon just as Sesshomaru took to the sky, A-Un behind him.

They flew westward for a few hours, the ground at least three days walk. Jaken was trying to tell Rin about what to expect and how to behave at the Lords home but she was too excited to listen. As they flew, suddenly Sesshomaru jumped to the south then returned to heading west. Jaken hardly had time to adjust course before he continued west as he had, not showing any sign of what had just happened.

"What was that about?" Rin whispered.

"I don't know and I don't care. I don't question my lords actions." It looked like he caught something… he mused as they flew.

The ride went on for a few more hours then Rin let out an existed scream and pointed up ahead to a large mountain town. "That's it isn't it! I knew it would be beautiful."

"Rin you fool, that's not it. As if my lord would have a house where mortals could find it."

"Then… where is his home."

Jaken pointed to the higher point of the mountain. "Up there you silly girl."

A-Un roared softly as he began to climb, following Lord Sesshomaru into the mountain clouds. The clouds soaked Rin but when they were though she spotted the palace. It was even more beautiful than the one below. It was taller, with red clay roofs and white walls, a large courtyard and a garden that stretched all the way around it. Lord Sesshomaru flew into the courtyard as gracefully as a cloud, landing on one foot and brushed his hair behind his head.

As Rin and A-Un landed, hundreds of little imps, fox, rat, lizard, mice and even a couple of fish demons bowed to him in harmony. "Welcome home Lord Sesshomaru." They all echoed.

Rin blinked as she looked over them. "Wow. This is amazing."

Sesshomaru looked back at her then at the closest servant. "You." The servant sat up from his bow. "You will see to the lady. See that anything she wants is seen to."

The servant returned to his bow and Sesshomaru turned back to Rin, pulling something out from his robe. "Here." He said, presenting her with a dead eagle, its neck clearly broken as it rolled around. Staring at it, Rin looked confused at the gift. As Sesshomaru turned away, he lifted his head a little. "For your arrows." He clarified.

Blinking, Rin remembered and nodded her thanks with a smile. "Thank you my lord."

He didn't say another word as he walked away and vanished into the palace. Rin looked at the eagle in her hands as the servant the lord had addressed came over to her. It was a little red haired fox demon, dressed in a dress with a pink bow in her hair. It reminded Rin of Shippo. She bowed lowly at her feet. "My lady." She said. "If you will follow me, I will show you to your room."

As she walked, the little fox told her about the palace, where she could and couldn't go, where the servants where and how to call one. She also told of how Lord Sesshomaru was the only person to live there apart from the servants. She asked about human food and what Rin liked to eat as they had never had a human guest before.

Her room was as elegant as the rest of the palace, dark wood, beautiful paintings on the walls, a bathroom and study available as well as a view over the gardens. She looked around then blinked. "Amazing."

"If there is anything you need…"

"No, thank you, this is more than enough for me." She smiled and the fox left. Rin smiled and sat down by the window, looking at the eagle before pulling its flight wings off and beginning the long task of re-fletching her arrows. When night began to fall, there was a knock at her door and three servants came in, one carrying a tray of food and the others boxes that soon turned out to be clothes.

"The lord hopes you are well and will like these kimonos."

Smiling she nodded at them and the servants left. The food was delicious and the clothes were of such high quality, she was almost scared to touch them until she'd washed her hands. She finished her work then got ready for bed, a hot bath prepared by the servants and a bed with feathered pillow and a warm blanket to cover herself with.

The next morning she changed into the simplest one she could find and put her traveling clothes away in the wardrobe, her arrows and bow by the door and headed off to explore. She soon found Master Jaken, giving orders to the other servants and trying to organise things. "Master Jaken, where's Lord Sesshomaru?"

Jaken looked at her. "You stupid…" he stopped, looking up and down her. She'd picked out a pink kimono with small stars across it, her hair tied up in a loose bun. It fitted and suited her perfectly. The imp held down a blush and looked away. "He's out at the moment Rin. He'll be back late. He asked me to tell you to look around the palace as you wish."

"Thank you." She said, a little disappointed then went off to explore.

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