Chapter 12: Fortresses

Mao strolled through the gardens of the Western fortress, pondering her options. So despite her efforts to persuade him, Sesshoumaru was still intent on protecting that human creature. What's more, he appeared to be training her for some kind of combat.

The she-demon curled her claws convulsively around her palms, pricking her own skin in her disgust. For decades, Sesshoumaru had been promised to her. He was meant to be her mate. Why did he persist in indulging this vain fantasy with a human woman? Like father, like son, she thought bitterly. But Mao wasn't going to give in as easily as Noriko had done. Of course, she wasn't Sessoumaru's mate yet, but she had succeeded in depriving him of his inheritance. She would give it back, though, if he were to relent.

The human must die, Mao thought. If Sesshoumaru planned to take a weak human for his mate then it was her duty to stop such nonsense. If the human was dead then perhaps the hold the little girl had over the taiyukai would vanish, and he would begin to see sense. Now that this Rin character had skills to defend herself, her extermination would be at once more difficult and more urgent. Mao stopped at the edge of the garden and hissed softly under her breath. First, to find the human, then to kill her. If all went well, she herself wouldn't even have to leave the fortress.

The fire burned low in the night and Rin began shivering. She could feel Inuyasha's eyes on her, and she expected that he wanted to crawl over to her and cuddle. She resolutely attempted to stop the shivering and will herself to sleep, but her mind was still whirling over the hanyou's confession.

What is it about that girl? Rin thought to herself. She cast her mind back to see what she remembered about Kagome. She had been tall and slender, a little delicate, with dark eyes and dark hair. In comparison, Rin was shorter and less willowy, a little harder in body and tanned in skin. She spent so much time outdoors that often in summer her hair lightened a little bit. It always seemed to tangle around her in an unruly mass. Rin wasn't under any kind of impressions that she was beautiful. Kagome had been beautiful. No wonder she had caught the eye of not one, but two dog demons.

Should I have told him? Rin felt a little guilty but told herself that the girl was gone so it didn't matter. Sesshoumaru had never confided in her, but she remembered the way his gaze would linger on the miko and she had her own suspicions about his decision to join his half-brother. What's more, Sesshoumaru had never taken a mate, even though he was in his prime and should be fathering pups by now. Knowing that he would have had competition for his miko wouldn't change anything for Inuyasha, so she kept her peace.

Rin shuddered and quickly tried to stifle the motion. Damn, but it was cold in the forest! A rustle of a breeze caused her to open her eyes, and she saw Inuyasha stealthily adding wood to the fire and trying to blow the embers to life. In a moment he had the fire crackling again. Rin felt it would be rude not to speak.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She said seriously.

"Keh." He settled down across the fire, propping himself up with tetsusaiga.

"You don't have to stay here, you know." Rin pointed out. "Go on back to the village."

"Can't." He said. "I promised my bastard brother that I would keep you safe."

"Has it ever occurred to you that in this family you are the bastard?" Rin said angrily, then immediately regretted it when she saw the stunned look on the hanyou's face. He looked down and his face reddened in the firelight. Rin's own face burned with shame, realizing how insulting she'd just been. "I'm—Inuyasha I'm sorry. That was out of line." She said up on her pallet. "I don't know what got into me..."

The hanyou didn't move, nor did he wipe the look of consternation off of his face. Rin cast around for something to try to mollify him, wondering dimly at herself for even trying. Finally she settled on something she knew he wanted. She opened up her pallet invitingly to him.

"Do you want to lie down with me?" She asked softly.

Inuyasha refused to look at her but she didn't miss the pinched look on his face. "Come on, I'm sorry okay? Come here. I know inuyukai like to sleep in packs."

Inuyasha huffed a little bit and mumbled something that Rin couldn't hear. Suddenly her pallet felt very cold. She rubbed her arms, and surprised herself with her plaintiveness. "Please, Inuyasha?" She asked, "I'm cold. I need you to warm me up."

Inuyasha still wasn't looking at her but his ears turned towards her voice, almost hopefully. Taking a greater risk, Rin said, "I'll...rub your ears for you if you like?"

That got his interest, Rin noted, watching his body language soften as he leaned impercebtibly towards her. Then he stiffened again.

"Just taking pity on me." He mumbled. Rin was losing patience with this show. He obviously wanted to come over; he was just being stubborn.

"So what if I am?" She said defensively. "I can see that you want to, and I really am cold. Just get over yourself and come over here. Besides," She said with a small smile, "You haven't let me touch your ears since I was a child!"

Inuyasha woofed and laughed softly. "Wench, it's a different offer when a woman asks to rub your ears." Rin's face colored again.

"I wasn't offering that—" She sputtered, "I just, oh...forget it." She flopped back down onto her pallet and rolled over.

A moment later a warm body lay tentatively down at her back as an arm came up over her waist, drawing her closer. She felt warm breath on the back of her neck and a little thrill went up her spine, but she ignored it and closed her eyes again, intending to go to sleep.

Apparently Inuyasha had other ideas. He tugged her side gently and snuffled the back of her neck. She swatted at him.

"Go to sleep, dog-breath." She mumbled.

"You said you would rub my hears, girl." Inuyasha said in a low tone that made her belly do flip flops.

"Yeah, that was before you interpreted as a sexual advance." Rin shot back. Inuyasha rolled her over onto her back.

"I was just kidding, okay? And you owe me this one." He said as he loomed over her, smiling a little arrogantly.

"I owe you this one?" Rin repeated dangerously.

"Yeah, after three doses of poison for me just trying to keep you safe like my brother asked me to, I think I deserve a little ear rub. Besides, it was your idea."

Rin thought for a moment and bit back a retort. "Good point. Okay I'll do it." She reached up towards the furry appendages, but Inuyasha ducked his head.

"Not like that!" he said with a grimace. "My arms'll get sore. Let's do it like this." And before she could protest, the silver-haired hanyou had sat them both up and buried his head in her lap. He grinned up at her and Rin had to stifle a giggle, he looked so much like an actual dog wanting to be petted. Slowly she circled her hands around the soft, fleshy base of his ears and began rubbing. The downy fur was delightfully, deliciously soft under her fingers, and the deep purr that came from Inuyasha's chest as he rolled his eyes closed in pleasure made her feel so warm. She massaged his ears thoroughly, stopping every few strokes to run her hands down his shaggy silver mane. Inuyasha's sighs and small moans made her think he hadn't been entirely truthful when he'd said he was kidding about the sexual aspect of ear-rubbing, but she was a big girl. She could handle him if he tried anything.

Inuyasha fell asleep in her lap, and when Rin's eyes began to droop she scooted around experimentally to try to lie down. Inuyasha woke enough to scoot back so she could dig into her pallet, then sleepily curled his whole body around her. Rin accepted the warmth, if a little stiffly, wondering at the hanyou's obvious affection.

"Sesshoumaru is going to murder you, dog-breath. Your scent is all over me." Rin whispered to the slumbering boy. He just grinned into her belly and snuggled her tighter.

"Mmmm, worth it." He said groggily. "It's the ears."

Rin looked up at the stars for a moment as she puzzled out his meaning, then realized with a jolt that Inuyasha could probably had smelled just how much she had enjoyed rubbing his ears.

I hate dog demons, Rin thought to herself. Now that he had smelled her attraction, her very, very mild attraction, he wasn't going to leave her alone.