Chapter Eight: A Languid Waltz
A/N: Sorry for the lateness, I've been sick like you wouldn't believe. In exchange, you get a little extra dosage of backstory! I have had lots of time to ruminate over which way to take this chapter so I hope you enjoy.
Rin gingerly placed the flowered wreath upon the tigress' head, perching it just so amongst her onyx tresses with infinite care.
"Rin likes blue on you," the girl stated. "Does Li like blue?"
Lixue did not have much of an opinion about the color blue, but she definitely did not like the shortening of her name. Wasn't it short enough already?
"Blue's fine, I suppose. Why are you calling me Li?"
Rin did not answer her directly, choosing instead to leap further down the flower-drenched hill in pursuit of a butterfly that had teased her moments before. The girl's giggles, ever perpetual, rolled from her in the same waves as her joy. Such an easy happiness, to be drawn forth so fully by flowers and insects.
That morning, Sesshomaru had taken his leave with Jaken. At first, she was compelled to follow, carrying a sleepy Rin in her arms as she was compelled to be with her also. He had had to rehash his statement to include a period of time and the order to not follow in addition to staying with Rin – even with so many stipulations, the compulsion to follow him was barely satisfied. It settled grumblingly into a dull itch at the base of her spine, a tension drawn up through the marrow in her backbone. It was not a feeling that inspired patience or pleasure at being left behind, as it began to intensify again the further he strayed.
The grumpy tiger pushed herself up from the sun-warmed ground to follow the smallish human as she bounced into the shade-spotted copse of trees, darkly considering if destroying the girl would anger Sesshomaru so badly that his yokai would push their binding apart. She considered it with some seriousness before remembering the Tensaiga with a resigned sigh. Even if she did manage to get away alive with her power weakened so, he could bring the girl back and then have lost nothing of his own – she would have made a very dangerous enemy with nothing to show for it. She'd probably not even succeed at releasing herself from the binding, being not only compelled to obey a taiyoukai hell-bent on destroying her while she was already in an unfamiliar land, but also be hunted by some half-wit blinded priest without an ally in the world. Ah, well. It had been fun to imagine disemboweling the creature, enticing an unappreciative growl from her neglected stomach.
"Rin," she grunted. "Come. We're going to go to town."
Rin propelled herself from the bushes with an excited squeak. "Yay!"
Lixue pried the girl's fingers from her clothing.
oOxXxOo
Sesshomaru did not want to leave Rin alone with Lixue, but he needed to speak with an old friend. He had sent Jaken off by himself to fetch Ah-Un and take him back to Rin and Lixue. This left him free to pursue his quest, tearing across the sky toward the demonic magnolia tree Bokuseno.
Sesshomaru landed a respectful distance away from the ancient tree. Bokuseno's bark curled away to form a wise and mossy face, an invitation for the inuyoukai to approach.
"What brings you before me, Sesshomaru?" The tree's voice drew from the bark, the roots, the leaves; its very essence was one of power and all-encompassing wisdom, the voice summoned warmly from the wells of ancient knowledge.
"Lixue." Sesshomaru's voice was carefully deadpan, a tense relaxation in his hands.
"Ah," the tree chortled. "The cub has returned. Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
Sesshomaru avoided the question. "She's different than she used to be. She isn't Lixue anymore."
"People – and demons – change as they age, young one."
"Lixue isn't the demon that's come back. This Lixue is a wildfire barely contained, and I was bound to her against my will with a demon slayer's knife. I need to either sever this bondage to her or return her to who she used to be before her father was killed." His voice grew in volume the longer he spoke, ending his last sentence with a sudden softness, vision turned inward.
The tree rustled in thought. "I do not know of a way to sever the bond between you."
Sesshomaru did not respond. It was a long shot, after all.
"You believe her change is from the loss of her father." The tree stated this as if it was a question, but they both knew it to be an accurate assumption. "A shame that he passed. How long was it between Xing Chao's death and your last meeting with Xing Lixue?"
The alabaster bones grasping up from the ground, an fleetingly eternal monument to suffering forgotten and overgrown. She set between the bleached ribs, perched contentedly on the worn spine, feet swinging as she smiled at him. Her hair had been shaken loose from its formal buns, a testament to her wild flight from the confines of the castle and high society to the freedom of the trees. Vivid stripes in the moonlight, casting shadows and shadows again… he crossly ordered her to return, to show his father the respect demanded of her, but she poked out her pink little tongue and refused. It was not the last time he would see her, but it was the last time he remembered her smiling so sincerely at him.
"Two days after she met you."
"Ah. This was quite some time ago… before your father met Izayoi, if I'm not mistaken. How can you be sure that she did not change on her own? Tigers are notoriously hot-blooded."
Sesshomaru didn't answer Bokuseno, though whether because he didn't have an answer or didn't want to believe the tree, he kept his own counsel.
The boughs above him sighed in unison with the face before him. "I can help you bring her back if it is as you say. Take blossoms from my branches and make her a tea from their petals. Her soul will be brought to the surface, with all of her fears and regrets. She will need to be guided, Sesshomaru. If you can save her from herself, your cub will be returned to you over time."
"How long will it take for her to return?"
"That's up to her. If she wants to be returned, it could be a matter of weeks. If she's intoxicated with her anger, trapped by her regret, she may fight it, and it could never happen. It's your duty to draw out the poison from her soul if you want to save it."
"You make it sound as though she's going to die."
"Make sure you take blossoms that are not fully open so they do not fall apart on your journey. Good luck, Sesshomaru." Bokuseno's face receded, and would not resurface from the smooth bark despite the taiyoukai's demands he come out and explain himself.
oOxXxOo
"So how old are you anyway? Did you grow up with Lord Sesshomaru-sama? Are there lots of tigers like you in China? I've only ever seen orange ones, in the storybooks at the castle. Did all your color go away?"
Lixue clenched her teeth a little tighter. It had been this way for the entire trip. She would much prefer to be conquering a well-manned fortress, alone and wounded, than constantly field the questions machine-gunned at her by the miniscule mortal. Alas, no fortresses were in sight; her only salvation was the promise of smoke on the horizon, a prim white cluster of plumes rising lazily into the blue, a promise that she intended to see fulfilled with every quickening step.
"Sesshomaru-sama told me about you once. I remember because I had found a fish that had all sorts of pretty colors and I couldn't keep it because it's a big responsibility. Jaken-sama said he would hit me if I tried to keep it, and said he'd eat it too. Jaken-sama—"
Lixue tilted her head to look at the girl. "Weren't you telling me something else?"
"Oh! Right!" Rin grinned. "Well, I was exploring the castle after Jaken-sama took away my fish and I found a secret hiding spot in the moon dial that goes under the gardens with lots of neat stuff inside. Lord Sesshomaru found me and told me that I shouldn't be in there because it could collapse and hurt me. I peeked when I went back outside and he was looking at something. I couldn't see what because of the dust but I heard him say something. I think it was your name, Li-san." Rin began hopping on one foot, chanting about dust and hidey holes with secrets inside before asking Lixue if it was a good story.
"That was, Rin." Lixue's steps slowed. She had forgotten. Every decade or so her father would take her on trips of diplomacy to Japan, spending the summer in the Inutaisho's castle while the lords hosted and attended various balls and feasts. The servants' children were boring and meek, and she had been disallowed to leave the castle grounds. It hadn't been very long at all before she decided that she would entertain herself with the lord's son.
"I bet you're too high and mighty to get a little dirt under your claws, Sesshy." The cub tossed a clump of hard dirt at the irate puppy, slow enough to be dodged. "Don't call me that!" Sesshomaru growled in a high tenor. "Or what? You gonna come get me, or make your daddy do it?" She grinned as the puppy's chest swelled in indignant pride. "I'm the great Sesshomaru and I will not tolerate such disrespectful behavior." "If you're so great, prove it. I bet you can't dig a half-decent hole. Even the mortals' dogs can dig." The cub had goaded the puppy into games this way, teasing him until his pride wouldn't allow him to ignore her challenges.
Over the years, the amount of goading dwindled away until they had begun to genuinely enjoy each other's company instead of tolerating it, digging secret forts together and practicing their hunting, gnawing on each other's tails and swatting with clumsy paws. They grew slowly as the long-lived are wont to do, her teasing losing its fangs and his tension releasing in response. They began to solidify, her into a shy (yet sassy) tigress and he into a proud and aloof dog, dipping their toes into their juvenile lives. It was then that their mutual childish affection began to be noticed by the court. An embarrassment, they said, glaring down their noses at the idea of an inuyoukai and a torayoukai. After that final summer, her father told her she was old enough to learn to take care of their castle on her own while he was gone on business. She hadn't stepped foot on Japanese soil since that day, following her father's instructions to put her childhood behind her and Sesshomaru with it.
The pair strode into the bustling town center, Lixue taking care not to lose Rin in the crowd. It was apparently market day; merchants cried out about their wares, infant wails and children's laughter, hagglers arguing the price of a bolt of cloth or a basket, the sharp canto of horse hooves, drums and bells of performers. Lixue missed the quiet of the forest, wishing she could dull her hearing as she grasped Rin's hand to lead her to the allure of roasted fish.
The street cart in question stood at an angle to the crowd, offset from the road enough to be seen but not obstruct foot traffic. Lixue pushed aside the curtain, allowing Rin to sit down before entering, the faded red fabric swinging shut behind her. Spread before them were noodles and broths of great variety, roasted fish and onions and mushrooms, cuts of roast piglet and cabbage. The kitsune (disguised as an elderly man) coolly acknowledged the tigress with an incline of his head before asking what they would like. Rin looked up at Lixue with pleading eyes. Lixue placed a few coins on the worn counter and told her to have whatever she wanted, ordering a bowl of pork and fish ramen for herself.
Rin rivaled the tigress herself with the voracity in which she inhaled the noodles, eating what seemed to be her body weight in the warm and salty noodles, chicken and vegetables, drowning it in a sea of white tea and broth. When they had eaten their fill, Lixue paid and asked the kitsune where she might find armor and weapons from the mainland for sale. He pointed her to a shop a few streets over, voicing a recommendation on the human's character and quality of goods.
The shop was open-air, facing the stream hung with paper lanterns and tiny metal discs, catching the light and tinkling gently over the sound of running water. Rin crouched by the water, watching her broken reflection and dipping her hands into the cool wetness. Lixue was warmly greeted by the shopkeeper, a thin man with a wispy mustache and slender fingers but a witty shine in his eyes.
Lixue was pleased to hear that he had several sets of Chinese armor in stock, and asked what she had in mind. She showed him the remaining amount of ill-gotten money in her pouch, and he frowned slightly.
"This is not much to go with." He counted the coin again and pursed his lips. "I do have a set of armor from the Jin dynasty that was traded to me yesterday. If you don't mind its age, it's solidly built. Mountain-pattern." He shuffled into the back room, and she looked at the weapons on offer, pausing before a sword-and-hook. She picked it up to examine it more closely.
"Ah, that one." He had returned, holding a package wrapped in oilcloth. "That sword and hook weapon has been here for years. Has a reputation for attracting demons. Tried to get it exorcised once, but the monk couldn't do anything about it. Half off." He set the package down and began to unwrap it, revealing a set of medium armor that had obviously been well cared for, with only a few spots of rust on the otherwise pristine metal. The plates covering the chest and shoulders were a deep green color, accented with striations of blue and gold along the edges and the faint raised image of a tiger stalking across the chest. The arms and leg pieces were the same deep blue and gold as the accents, green and dark leather fastenings glinting with the metal. The boots and gloves appeared to be made from black-dyed leather, hiding a plate of solid metal behind the fabric and golden studs.
She stroked the armor appreciatively. It was of exquisite make, and the tiger gave her no small amount of amusement. She glanced at the sword again. She had been attracted to it as the shopkeeper had said demons tended to be. She unsheathed the weapon and scrutinized the dark metal, smelling and feeling out its history as best as an untrained youkai could. If she had to guess, it either had a long history of use by evil hands or was crafted from metal found in corrupted soil. From its lack of rust, she leaned more toward the second possibility.
"I would like to take both the armor and this weapon. Will you accept this katana in exchange for the hook sword?" She untied the sheath from her hip and proffered the sword to the merchant, who appraised it with a masterful eye.
"This sword has been abused, but is salvageable." His tone was disapproving.
"I assure you that I was not the one to treat it so," she intoned. "Is it acceptable payment?"
He thought for a moment more. "The sword and the coin are sufficient payment for both."
She thanked him and she gathered her newish items together. He offered a side room to her to change in, saying he would keep an eye on Rin. She smelled no lie on him, and told the girl she would return soon.
She stepped into her new boots, finding with pleasure that they fit fairly well. The original owner must have been a petite officer, for the gloves and shoes were just this side of roomy, even more well-fitting when she found that the gloves did not have fingers but ended at her palm. She used the jade ribbon that had held the gloves in a pair to tie her hair up into a simple ponytail, showing off her pointed ears and keeping her hair out of the armor. She emerged from the room, tying her new sword to her hip and winding the hook-chain into neat coils near its hilt, the handsome black sheath bumping lightly against her thigh as she strode out proudly.
The shopkeeper's eyes flew to her ears and widened slightly, but only just barely so, and he graciously accepted her request to dispose of her old clothes however he saw fit. Rin gasped at Lixue's change of clothing.
"See, Li? I told you that you look good in blue!"
"Why are you calling me Li?"
A/N: Finally out of those ratty, sweat-stained man clothes into something a bit more befitting a tigress! I'm working on the next chapter now, my pretties, so expect another update in the next 48 hours as an apology for my long absence.
