Title 07/10/2011
Chapter 8; Ryuu
Sesshomaru had done his best to keep the war away from the No Forest. He even gave up some territory to the humans in order to keep it safe. His fellow commanders were not pleased with this decision and demanded an explanation. He simply said it was none of their concern.
Rin was forever in his mind. He wrote to her sometimes over the years but his letters were returned unopened. It was irritating. Years had passed. She should have forgiven him.
Enough was enough.
I have to see her.
He flew across the forest, heading to the house. He landed in the trees and walked towards the buildings. Rin was out front, seeing to her flowers but she stopped as he came closer. Her eyes narrowed on him. "What are you doing here?" she said, cold and filled with hate.
The demon looked at her then stepped forward. "I have had enough of your treatment of me Rin."
"What treatment? I have returned what you have given me. Why should I care about you?"
His hand closed into a fist. After everything I did for her…
"Mom!"
A voice called out and the two looked to see a young boy running out of the house, holding a large bunch of herbs. "Mom, look I did it!"
Rin smiled and knelt down, picking the boy up in her arms and hugging him tightly. "Well done Ryuu, I'll make a healer out of you yet."
Sesshomaru looked at the child in her arms and went stiff. The boy was about five years old, with white hair and dark blue eyes. He could tell from the smell that he was a half demon. He thought back five years. That was when he lost control.
He swallowed.
Never before has such an action taken so much out of him. But then he smelt the air again. The boy was a half demon… but he was not his. The boy smelt of a tiger, not a dog. Rin blinked at him. "Lord Sesshomaru. This is my son, Ryuu."
He smelt the air again. She was lying. The boy was not hers. Ryuu blinked as he looked at the lord, wiggling in his mother's hands to be released. Once on the floor he walked over to Sesshomaru, looking up at him from the floor, smiling and laughing. "Are you a demon?"
"Ryuu, come back here." She looked between the demon and the child. "Don't bother him. He will be gone soon. Now, go back to your practice. I need to talk to him alone."
Ryuu nodded then went inside, giving Sesshomaru one last look then vanishing. Rin stood and stared at him. "Why are you here Sesshomaru?"
"I wanted to see you." He walked over to her, looking into the house then at her. "He isn't yours. I can smell it."
Rin didn't flinch, she just looked at him with the same distaste. "No." she walked away from him, towards the forest with him following. "His mother was attacked by demon and became pregnant. She was forced from her home. I found her in the forest, dehydrated and on the edge of death. I took her in and a few months later, she gave birth to Ryuu. But when I woke up the next day, she was gone. And Ryuu was still here." She looked at the demon as he walked alongside her. "She was so ashamed of him, a beautiful little boy… but she ran away from him."
The trees surrounded them as they walked, Rin with her head high. "But I realised something. Demons are different to humans but you're all the same. You don't care about anyone. That little boy… will forever believe I am his mother… because his real one couldn't stand the sight of him." She stopped and was still for a moment. "All my life… it has been the same thing; I tend to sick and wounded. I live in the forest, away from the world with only myself as company with my patients as occasional visitors, often never to be seen again. But… every few years… every now and then… you come here." She turned her head over her shoulder to look at him. "I never know when you will arrive or what state you'll be in but I waited for those days. When I would see you again… ever as brief that they are." She stood still for a moment then sighed. "But when I looked at that woman's face… when she looked at Ryuu… I realised… humans hate demons… for more reasons than the war. And that you were right… you could never care for me. Not that you'd want to."
The demon stood, frozen, staring straight ahead away from her.
Rin lowered her head and began playing with her hands. "Basically, Sesshomaru, I never want to see you again. I want you to leave me, and my son, and the No House alone." She turned around and began back. "Just let me deal with my patients and my life."
He stood as she walked past, her hair lifted in the wind until it swung around to face him.
Rin looked at her wrist then at him but he just stared out before him. She pulled her hand but his grip was too strong. "Let go of me! Sesshomaru, let go of me!"
As she pulled to get free, the demon tightened his grip more and more. Eventually she stopped struggling from the pain. She could feel her wrist bones beginning to struggle under his power, preparing to snap. The pure agony kept her still. She just stared at him, pain and anger and sorrow keeping her silent. Finally his grip loosened slightly but kept her still.
The demon blinked as he turned his head to her, using the grip to pull her into him. His arms wrapped around her, pinning her down even as she fought to be free but he was still too strong.
He pushed his head into her shoulder. "You're wrong."
"Let go of me!"
"Not until you have listened to me." His hand moved up her back and to her shoulder, pulling the fabric aside. He gave the scar a brief look. "Do you know what this is?"
"It's where you bit me. It's never properly healed."
"Do you know what it means?"
Her eyes widened at the memory of the old priestess who'd asked the very same question. "No… why?"
The demon was silent for a while. His eyes closed as he chose his words. "It means I chose you my mate."
Rin shivered. "What…" she let out a laugh. "It must have been when you were… 'Lacking in control' if I'm correct."
Sesshomaru held in a sigh. "I was wrong to say that to you."
"It was true, wasn't it?"
"No. I was in complete control of my actions… it was my desires I had so little control over. I knew what I was doing."
"Is that so?"
"Rin… you are all I ever think about. For years… you have been on my mind. I use to think that it was the herbs that made me return to this place but… it isn't. It's you… it was you and your mother. All this time, it was you that soothed the anger inside me."
She took a deep breath and blinked. "You don't mean that."
"I have never said a more honest word in my life. Yes, I am a demon. And you are a human. But that does not mean I am incapable of caring for you." His arms squeezed her a little tighter. "Rin, I would protect you to my last breath."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I can't cope with you shunning me like you have been." He leant back and stroked her cheek gently. "Forgive me. I never should have said what I did."
The deep anger she had been nursing for over three years slowly faded away as she leant into his shoulder. "Lord Sesshomaru." She sighed, closing her eyes.
He stood and held her, stroking her hair. He felt at peace and smiled at her before lifting her head and lightly kissing her lips. Her hands crossed his hair, smoothing it backwards off his face. As she leant back, her eyes opened and her hand pulled his hair over his shoulder. She smiled up at him and he smiled back but then she sighed. "I… I have to get back. Ryuu will be worried about me." She turned away from him and began on the walk back, the demon behind her.
He looked at her as they walked. "Tell me, that boy is at least five… I was here just two years ago."
Rin smiled at him. "Well, you were in no state last time we met and… and you did leave quite quickly. I did hope you would stay… so I could introduce you to him."
"I see."
They were silent for a while then she gave a laugh. "You should have seen your face though. When he called me mother…" she laughed again and covered her mouth. "Oh it was priceless."
The demon fought down a blush at his own stupidity. "Do you know much about half demons?"
"Nothing."
"Do you know that many half demons had problems controlling their demonic side?"
Rin gave a shallow laugh. "Oh I know about that!" she looked at him, her eyes wide with understanding. "I thought children were bad at the best of times. I was telling him off for breaking one of my urns. He changed all of a sudden… his eyes changed… they were narrow and… well, I only even seen that look in a demon about to kill something. He ran off into the forest, coming back a few hours later. I followed his tracks and found a family of rabbits that had been… well, I was only just able to identify them as rabbits."
Sesshomaru didn't say anything, his mind thinking.
Returning to the house, Ryuu came out and smiled at them. "Mommy!"
"Hi sweet, I'm sorry. Did you get on with your work?"
"Yes but I'm still no good."
"It will come in time." She pushed him towards the house then looked at Sesshomaru. "I guess you're leaving now."
The demon lord looked at her for a moment then took a step forward, stroking her cheek. "I will stay."
"Aren't you needed at the frontline?"
"Maybe. But I will stay here… with you. As long as you will allow me."
She kissed his fingers on her cheek and smiled. "You are always welcome here. Come on inside."
The two entered the house and the demon lord watched as the two went around the house on their normal day. Rin looked at him and smiled. "You could help."
He looked up from where he sat then stood up. "How?"
"Could you get some firewood?"
The high and mighty Lord Sesshomaru, leader and chief of the western forces, was being asked to do household chores. Anyone else he would have killed. Rin… he smiled and nodded.
He did as asked and as the sun began to set, Rin sent Ryuu to bed. The demon held her shoulder and lead her outside, sitting down and pulling her close to his shoulder. Blinking, Rin pulled herself into him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"I have control." He said, pulling her even closer.
The warm sunlight pressed against them both as it began to set below the trees. Rin smiled as she looked up at him while he looked at the sun. "How long are you staying?"
His eyes shifted slowly to her. "As long as I wish."
"Come on, you can't stay forever."
"I know. But I will stay as long as I can." He held her closer, playing with her hair. "I have no intention of leaving anytime soon."
Smiling a little more, she pulled herself onto his shoulder and in the nock of his arm, closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
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