Rin's 15th Birthday

Rin was thoroughly enjoying herself. Today was her fifteenth birthday and all her human friends had thrown a big party for her. In the village, a girl's fifteenth birthday marked her entrance into womanhood and was always cause for great celebration.

Sesshomaru had not shown up yet but Rin wasn't worried. He had never failed to come for her birthday before and she doubted he would now. For right now, Rin just wanted to sit back and enjoy her special day.

For the next several hours, Rin participated in dances, games, songs and all other assortments of fun activities. She could hardly believe how different her friends were than the people in her old village. Rin was so thankful that she had gotten out of that reached place. She knew that she was never going back to that place.

After a large dinner of meat, beans and buns, Rin was full and satisfied. There would be a final dance but it wouldn't take place for a while, so Rin decided to take a short walk.

She wandered on the path into the forest and stared out between the trees at the beautiful sunset. Sighing in utter contentment, Rin leaned against the pine staring at the dozens of colors painted across the sky. This bliss, however, did not last long.

"There you are Rin," came a sly voice behind her.

Rin spun around and then breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you, Joko," she said.

Joko was a boy in the village a year older than Rin with shaggy black hair and black eyes. Rin didn't really like Joko; he was always getting into trouble just to get attention. He was a sleazy young man but he wasn't what Rin would call dangerous. How wrong she was.

Joko swaggered toward her and said, "Some party you got going there."

Rin smiled uncertainly and replied, "Glad you are enjoying yourself."

The boy smiled nastily and growled, "Yes, and I'm about to enjoys myself even more." He stepped closer to Rin and slammed one of his hands on the tree above the girl's head.

Rin shrank back and snapped, "What do you think you're doing, Joko?"

Joko gave her another creepy smile and gripped her wrist with his other hand and whispered close to her face, "I would have thought that would be obvious by now."

Rin shrank back from him as she smelled the liquor on his breath. She struggled against him and yelled, "Let me go!"

Just then, Joko was torn away from Rin and the girl stumbled forward and crumpled to her knees.

After Rin caught her breath, she looked up fearfully and exclaimed in astonishment, "Lord Sesshomaru!"

There the great demon lord stood all spender and fury. He held the foolish human boy by his neck, several feet off the ground. Sesshomaru's eyes were alight with fury and Joko was slowly losing his breath from Sesshomaru tight clawed hand.

Rin struggled to her feet and, seeing that Joko was now unconscious cried, "Let him go, Lord Sesshomaru! Please!"

Sesshomaru turned to girl and seeing her suddenly serious face, opened his hand and let the boy slip to the ground. He then turned to the girl and picked her up, gently cradling her in his arms.

Rin clung to her lord's fur and said indigently, "I don't know what got into Joko! What a complete jerk!"

The demon looked down at Rin but the girl didn't catch the barely restrained anger in his eyes. "Well," he said softly, "you are getting to that age."

Rin looked up to question what her lord meant but the incident was forgotten as soon as Sesshomaru gently placed a small necklace with a beautiful pale pink shell on the end in her lap.

As Rin went on about the beautiful necklace Sesshomaru thought about what had just happened. Rin had turned into a very lovely young lady and the demon was sure that this would not be the last incident involving her youth and beauty.

Perhaps it was almost time to take Rin back with him. Until then, Sesshomaru promised himself that he would be making more… frequent visits to see his ward.

Things are getting interesting! Review everyone! Oh and…

HAPPY NEW YEARS!