Chapter 10
Sesshoumaru felt a strong need to rest. It was not very unlike times when he had been in a fight. Like a throbbing wound stealing and dragging his youkai power away from him. Only the wound was something he could not quite understand and the feeling made him uneasy, which only triggered the feeling of being tired. And it made him frustrated, so he ignored it.
He had wandered the woods for some time, trying to catch the smell of the girl child he had met before. It was a task that normally would take very little time but his mind was split and his thoughts diverted and therefore when he finally found his way to her it was nearly dark. She sat by the stem of an old tree, only some hundred meters from where he had first met her, and she was playing with a small doll made from sticks and rope. When she saw him her face turned brighter and a smile found its way past her chapped lips.
"Youkai!" she called to him and stood up. He didn't give her an answer but stood scrutinizing her shabby clothes and her small body marked with bruises and bloody patches. She offered him her doll and he felt the tension inside him floating away. He opened his mouth to begin to speak but then he sensed movements coming through the woods, and then angry shouts. The taiyoukai's calm was instantly stirred and he left the girl in the same manner he had come there: she couldn't see him leaving.
Away from the girl his thoughts were once again pestered by the face of his former ward and he had hardly thought about going back to the house where she now resided before he already had reached it. This time he was expected and it took only minutes before the boy, the man and the woman stood before him.
"We should go into the woods", said the boy, leading the way as the man and Rin followed him in silence. Sesshoumaru felt tension and aversion coming from the man that was careful not to make a sound. However, once they had reached a more secluded part of the forest the man was all of a sudden the man in lead.
"Youkai", said he. "My name is Tao Hayato and I am the husband of Tao Rin". The two of them, Hayato and Sesshoumaru, stood still for a while, watching each other. The feelings running through the taiyoukai's mind were such as he had felt before, but only ever in matters concerning his ward: feelings that he much rather suppressed. Then the man cleared his throat and continued. "I have been told my wife once walked with you". Sesshoumaru nodded his head up and down, once, collectedly. "Tell me, youkai, why have you come?"he said at the nod. Sesshoumaru gave no answer.
"Sesshoumaru-sama", said Rin suddenly and took a step forward. Her husband stretched his hand out to hold her back. "Rin", said he. "Let me take care of this". Hearing this, and seeing his ward treated in such a diminutive manner stirred the taiyoukai's emotions. "You lowlife will treat this woman with respect", he said sternly. Rin turned to him with a surprised look in her eyes and pushed her husband's hand away. "Sesshoumaru-sama", she said again and began moving toward him. "Sesshoumaru-sama, do you want me to come with you?" His face betrayed no emotion at the words and silence was her only answer, though her husband's face was twisted in a nasty grin of disagreement. She smiled, part sadly, part nostalgic and nodded her head lightly. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you know I can't come with you. I have a family here, a family that needs me and I need them. I'm..." She was interrupted by a growling coming from the taiyoukai's throat. The lining of her yukata was suddenly grasped by claw-equipped hands and she was nearly pulled of her feet, but with a quick reaction she tore away from him and took an extra few steps back, to regain her personal safety. It was something she had never before witnessed in her warder and it scared her. She was half-way met by her husband coming in such a quick step that to make her realize how fast it all had happened. The front of her clothes had been ripped apart.
"You bastard!" Hayato said between his teeth, pulling Rin in a tight embrace. He turned his attentions to her for a moment and once asserted that she was nothing but a bit shocked he turned once again to face the lord of the Western Lands.
Sesshoumaru looked at the scene, surprised with his own behaviour and actions but determined to show nothing. However, this was the very moment he realized something he should long have known: the feelings for his former ward, that he had for so long suppressed. Although he had never in his life owed to such a thing he had no choice but to now confess it to himself. He loved his ward and he needed her, apparently more than he could have thought possible, had he even been aware of his feelings before that moment.
"Youkai", continued Hayato again. "I see you want my wife for yourself. I fear you will find me disinclined to engage you. However, I have a deal for you".
Sesshoumaru's eyes would have narrowed, had he been a human being, but now they only swayed to observe the woman's. Her eyes were filled with surprise and he could also see her eyebrows furrow in feelings of confusedness, but she said nothing.
"My deal is this: in a village some hundred ri from here there is a demon going berserk. I and my daughters were just gone to kill it but I fear we did not prevail. If you can kill that demon and bring it back for me to see then I will consent to Rin's going with you". Rin gasped and grabbed onto the man's clothing. "Hayato!" she shouted with her voice filled with something between anger, fear and light-headedness. Sesshoumaru could also well hear with his youkai-ears the twitching and fumbling coming from the boy now standing behind his mother and father but Kohane seemed determined to not intervene.
A long moment passed, during which Sesshoumaru – calmly ignoring the pair of humans, now shouting violently at each other – contemplated whatever reasons the man might have to make him this offer, or what the implications, or at least the most important ones, would be. However, his thoughts soon departed from the doubting and questioning manner and instead took on a new style. He found, as he searched his inner mind, that although he himself would never have given Rin away, were he in the man's shoes, it was still very possible the man did not love Rin the way the taiyoukai did. Sesshoumaru found this thought disturbing; how could any man not love Rin the way she ought to be loved and be allowed to live through it and he let out a growl, thinking how the man did not deserve this creature of perfection. The woman's eyes, as they met his, grew wide in fear at the growl and the taiyoukai continued contemplating. He thought he could never snatch Rin away against her will and so he thought that if he did her mate the small favour of bringing back the monster then she would doubtlessly come with him, be it from gratitude or love or obligation, though he would of course prefer the former options.
"This Sesshoumaru agrees to your terms of conditions", said he calmly, his insides raging with a warm feeling.
"Good", said Hayato with a nod, turning to watch his wife's wide-eyed expression.
As Sesshoumaru turned around to leave he could smell emotions of fear, confusedness and a kind of sadness spinning in the air but as he put one foot in front of the other and instantly felt the wind pressing his hair in the shape of an arrow behind him the only emotion that was left to smell was his own. And he was much surprised upon finding that it smelled quite like... joy.