The Hunter
Chapter Twenty
Morning light cascaded through the window, illuminating the blank canvas before her. Her brush hesitated and then made its first light stroke across the fusuma. As an aging cedar, gnarled but strong, began to take shape she felt a sense of peace settle over her. All that existed was her brush and the canvas; her vision and the paint.
A winding river with wildflowers lining its shores followed the cedar, then birds flying in pairs to unknown destinations. Each element held some personal meaning, and in their own way they were all reminders of him. Her brush mixed a shade of brown on her palette, the same colour as his eyes, and she added it to the trunk of the cedar. Even here, she couldn't escape the constant reminders of him.
Closing her eyes with a tired sigh, Rin set down her palette and sat back. The fusuma was nearly half done, its natural landscape adding life to the otherwise dreary hall. Perhaps she might eventually add in the mountains of her village, but was still undecided on that part. For now she was satisfied and hoped the daimyo would be as well. Sesshomaru had assured her that if the daimyo liked her first screen, she would be given freedom to paint every fusuma in the kamiyashiki.
Though he made no sound, she knew the moment Sesshomaru had arrived. His presence changed the atmosphere of the small space, charged it like lightening until the hairs on her arms stood on end. She glanced back over her shoulder and found him there, as she knew he would be. His eyes lingered on her painting, and then fell to her.
"Hello, again," he greeted with a smile and a short bow.
"Hello."
"You have been busy this morning, I see."
"Has it been time well spent?"
He stepped closer to inspect her work and she nervously held her breath. Other than Kohaku, no one had ever taken the time to notice her paintings before, much less scrutinize them the way he was doing now. She doubted those sharp eyes of his missed much – they would find every flaw, every unfinished space. His gaze lingered on the birds in flight and then he stepped back to give her his full attention.
"You are more talented than I expected," he reassured her with a smile. "I am certain his lordship will be pleased."
She blushed and looked away, momentarily stunned speechless by his praise.
"These birds, are they swallows?" he asked with a lift of his brow.
She nodded. The birds were her private homage to a night in Kyoto when a boy she'd never met became the first to notice her paintings. The painting Kohaku had taken with him had featured swallows as well.
"I wish to show you something," Sesshomaru said and she noticed a secretive smile tugging at his lips.
Curious, she followed him down a series of halls and then out a hidden door which opened onto a narrow veranda. From there, he led her to a small private shrine hidden at the back of the residence.
"What is this place?" she asked, eyeing the small stone fox standing on guard at the shrine's entrance.
"It is the Uesugi family shrine. Here, look."
He moved aside and she followed his gaze to a small piece of polished granite carved with the Uesugi mon crest – two swallows in flight, wreathed in a bamboo circle. She stared at it a long while, then finally reached out to trace the slope of a bird's wings.
"It's beautiful," she breathed.
"Perhaps it is something more than unfortunate circumstances which brought you here," he suggested.
At his words, she lifted her fingers from the crest and slipped her hand into her sleeve.
"Perhaps," she answered noncommittally.
"If you are willing to take a break from painting, it would be good to have some company for breakfast," he offered.
Rin felt her head nod in agreement. Though the breath disappeared from her lungs every time his gaze lingered on her, he was the only person in this place to offer her the slightest bit of kindness. And if she were being honest, the way he spoke made her feel interesting and important. What reason did she have to say no?
When they reached the door to his quarters, he pulled the fusuma open and gestured for her to enter. There were no servants hovering this time, but an elaborate morning meal had been laid out on the table.
"How long have you been a painter?" he asked, while she poured tea into his cup.
"My whole life," she replied with a light shrug of her shoulders.
He was just being polite and she was being evasive, but she couldn't bring herself to share more just yet. Sesshomaru may be kind, but experience had shown her that kindness did not always equal good intentions.
His sudden interest in her was enough to make her pause. Surely an Edo-garo had more pressing demands on their time than entertaining the daimyo's newest whore. What was he after? Rin smiled, sending him a flirtatious look from beneath her lashes, and resolved to learn his true motives.
"Tell me, what sort of hobbies do former samurai have? Do they paint as well? Or perhaps practice ikebana?"
Sesshomaru chuckled at her tease. "Samurai do not often have time for hobbies," he lamented. "But I hunt every now and then."
"Is that what you were doing in the woods that morning?"
He tilted his head curiously to the side, as though not entirely sure he understood the question. He took a measured sip of his tea and by the time he'd set the cup back on the table his pretence of confusion was gone.
"Ah, so you remember," he observed with an odd tone in his voice. It wasn't disappointment exactly, but… Her brow furrowed as she realized she was unable to place it.
"Yes, I suppose I was hunting that day," he finished with his eyes on his plate.
"You are a skilled hunter. You moved so qickly I could hardly see you at all…"
It didn't escape her notice that rather than comment, he chose that moment to begin eating. Clearly he was not interested in talking about what he had been doing there that day or what she had seen, but she wasn't about to let that deter her from getting answers. After all, she had so many questions. Why had he been in those woods so far from Edo? Why had he disappeared so abruptly, leaving her and Kohaku to the mercy of the wolves?
She realized that if she pressed too hard too soon, he might cut off their tentative friendship and then she would lose the one connection she'd made within this awful place. Deciding to momentarily put her questions on hold, she abruptly changed topics.
"Have you long been his lordship's Edo-garo?"
"Ages," he sighed. "To be honest, I would rather hear about how you came to be here."
Her expression clouded over. "I am afraid that is not a good topic for breakfast conversation."
"I assure you, nothing you say could be any worse than what I have heard from my men."
She doubted that, but could tell by the determined look in his eyes that he would not relent without an answer.
"Would you like the long version or the abridged version?" she wondered while lightly swirling the tea in her cup.
When he didn't answer, she took one last bite of her breakfast and then began telling him the abridged version of her story, leaving out any mention of Kohaku. Sesshomaru listened in silence as she spoke, never once interrupting her. His expression darkened as her story unfolded and by the time she was finished his mood had changed considerably.
He sat in stony silence, his eyes focused firmly on the table in front of him. Eventually he looked up, those stunning golden orbs meeting hers, and uttered a lethal promise that the bandits who had taken her would not survive the year. It was just words, but something in his eyes, a flash of murderous intent perhaps, made her believe him. She nodded in thanks, a faint smile of relief touching her lips.
Breakfast was over after that, but neither of them seemed to notice. They spoke a little more and then he was called away by his duties. Before he left he promised to return again to watch her paint and she nodded in agreement, doubting very much that he would actually do so.
A servant appeared at the door and showed her the way back to her canvas. She stood for a long while, studying her work. There was something missing, something not quite right about how it all came together. She took up her brush and swiped a stroke of grey paint across the sky. It was the beginnings of a mountain range – unwavering and unbreakable. It was exactly what she needed.
oOo
The village of Komono-mura was alive and bustling in the early morning light. Kohaku paid little heed to the bright sunshine or the children playing in the snow in the street. He stared sullenly at the stick in his hand that he'd managed to whittle into nothing recognizable. Irritated, he tossed it away and returned his new knife to its holder.
"Enough already!"
The voice belonged to his older sister, Sango. She looked cross as she sat down next to him.
"You've been moping around like this for weeks!"
"Sorry," he groused, turning away. He was in no mood for one of her lectures, no matter how well-intentioned.
"What happened in Edo?" she prodded, her tone softening. "You haven't been yourself since you got back."
He thought of Rin and the moments they'd shared together along the road from Kyoto. He remembered the way his throat had closed up at the sight of her in her new kimono, knowing that she had absolutely no idea how beautiful she was. And the night they'd joined as snow fell over Edo. But the memory that struck him most was the look of fear that'd been in her eyes as the guards had led her away. She'd called out to him, terrified, and he'd done nothing.
What began as an easy mission had wound up turning his world on its head. He was supposed to find a girl and give her to the daimyo, not fall in love with her. The regret and the guilt, the long nights he lay awake feeling sick at the thought of what the bastard might be doing to her - they were all penance for what he'd done. He'd earned every last one for leaving her there.
"I think I made a mistake…" he managed, keeping his eyes on the ground.
"Tell me what it is. I can help."
"You can't," he said with certainty. "I don't think anyone can. I don't even know if it can be fixed."
"You never know until you try…" Sango offered with a light touch to his shoulder.
He nodded and turned the thought over in his head. Was it even possible? He glanced down the row of houses, noting the sacks of rice sitting outside each one. The daimyo had kept his word. There was enough to get them through the winter and maybe even into spring. Rin's sacrifice had been worth something, just as she'd hoped, but he couldn't let it go on any longer.
With enough planning he could return to Edo and take her back. He'd buy her back if he had to. It wasn't his village's custom to charge money for demon slaying, but perhaps if he went to another province he could find enough customers…
As the plan began to form in his head his eyes lit up with determination. It wouldn't be easy, but any sacrifice would be worth it for the chance to spend his life with her. Even as young as he was, he knew that feelings this strong were something worth fighting for.
Inspired, Kohaku jumped to his feet and hopped down the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Sango demanded, looking bewildered by his sudden burst of energy.
He grinned back at her over his shoulder which only seemed to confuse her more.
"I'm going to hunt! Don't wait up!" he called to her with a wave.
Sango stood with her hands on her hips and slowly shook her head. Kohaku felt a laugh bubble up in his chest at the sight of her and then headed for the stables. His feet travelled three paces before they began to pick up speed. He'd swear he never ran so fast in his life and even then it didn't feel quite fast enough.
Author's Note: Hope you've all enjoyed this latest installment! Thank you so much for your support and reviews last chapter. It's great to know that everyone's still reading this little fic. Kohaku has returned with this chapter and Rin and Sesshomaru are getting closer. What do you think of Kohaku's bold new plan?
Until next time,
Langus