The walk back to our camp was a quiet one. Rin hummed along to herself a few lines from a song a reed player had been piping. I was thinking about how to approach the subject of the demon with Sesshomaru. The dinner we had saved for Sesshomaru and Jaken was warm against my side, while the clothes we had purchased was in a bag on my back.

Rin excitedly took off when she caught sight of the fire. I listened as she ran up to the fire and danced before it, her voice a dim murmur as she probably showed off her new dress to her Lord. I continued walking at the same pace, unconsciously adjusting the dress so it looked more appealing.

". . . And when we got into the store, there were so many different kinds of fabric I didn't know which one to pick! But Akime helped me with that, and this is only one of them. I have two others but Akime says I'm not allowed to wear one of them 'cause it's for fancy parties and stuff only." She spun around, feet dragging in the dirt as she showed off her dress with great pride and enthusiasm. "Akime got some pretty dresses too. I even helped to design one, and it has-" She stopped upon sighting me close enough to hear. "I'll tell you later." She whispered in that way that kids think only the listener can hear, but it was loud enough for others to hear.

I gestured for Rin to take the food from my hand and, once she took it, carefully set our pack with the others in a pile next to Sesshomaru's mount. I passed Ah-Un each a carrot that I had brought along and added them to their feed bags. They both watched with interest and gave a slight snort of approval as I withdrew my hand.

"Tah-Dah!" Rin squealed happily, revealing the food for Sesshomaru to inspect. Rin continued to explain what it was as I settled on the other side of the fire, rune bag in hand. I carefully drew an outline in the stone, a shape that I would be able to read with my fingers and a visual for my customers to see.

The night went on the way it had the days prior, everyone sitting around the fire, working on individual projects. Tonight, Jaken was away, washing Ah-Un's saddle at the grotto. Rin was playing with her new doll, but had fallen asleep a little while ago. Sesshomaru was quietly eating the food we had brought and I was gently scratching away at the rock surfaces.

I blinked my Inner Eye open, looking through my eyelashes at Sesshomaru. He was bathed in the firelight, casually looking around the area, taking in its growing beauty. His eyes roamed over everything, taking in the details the way I had always wished to. Suddenly, his eyes landed on me. I froze, not daring to move my head and show that I was watching him as he watched me. Slowly, his head tilted to the side, as he thought about something.

"What are you thinking about?"

His voice in the silence surprised me and I jumped. I closed my Inner Eye and concentrated on my work. "What makes you think I was thinking about something?"

"Your hands stopped working on the stones. It looked like you were thinking about something."

"We are always thinking, though. Consciously or unconsciously." I said, evading his question.

"But what were you thinking about?" He insisted.

A thought ran through my head. "Well, while we were at the village today . . . did you know that the nearby village is nocturnal because of a Demon?"

"You don't say." His voice was bland, but it held a hint of curiosity.

"I was thinking about how much they miss out on, because of this Demon. No sunrises. Summer heat. Butterflies."

"But don't they have moons? Fireflies?"

"I suppose, but not by choice."

"So why are you worrying about them? They have access to their land and resources enough to live."

"Well what if some unknowing traveler comes around during the day and, while all the others are safely sleeping, bring the town into notice to the demon?"

"Then it's their problem." He said simply. The fire crackled as a pocket of air in the wood imploded.

"What if you helped them, though? Won't they be forever in your debt just for freeing them and giving them back the gift of Sun?"

He thought for a moment as the fire settles again, throwing sparks of heat up into the air. "Why do you care so much?" He asked.

"I don't know. Because they don't have anyone to help them? Because if I was in that situation I would be grateful to anyone who helped? Because nothing feels worse then being helpless to a greater power?"

"You're relating the villages problems back onto yourself, you realize that?"

I was shocked. Was I? I suppose the circumstances were quite similar. And if you really looked at it, the village could be my own helplessness against a sight filled world. "What do you mean?" I asked instead.

"You feel that I'm overpowering you and making you helpless, don't you?" He asked, surprising me again.

I snorted, "You really think I-" I stopped. So he didn't know I couldn't see? "Well, if you see it that way, I suppose it is. So why not turn the tables for a whole village and set my mind at peace?"

"I suppose I can think on it. We'll stay one more day. There are some things I need you to get me tomorrow from your little village. Day after that, we leave. For now, I'm turning in." His clothes rustled as he stood up and walked away, creating a soft swishing sound with each paced step. I sat before the fire for a time longer, letting the blistering heat soak into my skin.

Sometime later, Jaken came back, muttering to himself as usual. He paused when he noticed me before the fire, still slowly carving a symbol into my runes.

"You're still up?" He asked after a moment of silence on his part.

"I've always preferred the night to day." I said, gently setting the finished rune into the bag with the others. I closed the bag and slowly stood, stretching out cramped muscles.

"You are a very odd human, you know that right? You don't even smell fully human." He pocked at the settling fire, starting up a few lazy flames.

"You don't even look like a real demon," I replied, dusting off my new skirt. "More like some mutant frog thing. Sure you aren't a Kappa who was abandoned at birth?"

He snorted and started to mumble again, adding logs to the resting fire.

I stretched up toward the sky, a little squeaky groan escaping my lips. It was definitely time for sleep.