A Scaly Situation

"You haven't come across any yokai of recent, have you?"

Kagome paused in hanging up the laundry to consider the question Rin posed, fingers twined through hair and lips pursed. She sighed, pushing her memory.

Well, don't make a project out of it! Picking up and resetting the ivory comb in her hair, Rin regretted asking at all. It's a "yes or no" question, simple as that. She didn't want to draw the Kagome's attention where it wasn't due.

But what if she really did run into Kichiruka by accident and mistook him for dangerous? Picturing the clumsy yokai who had barely mastered walking on his own two feet in a menacing light just didn't fit. Rin had a hard time believing anyone could take him for a serious threat. Even when his face stretched in its creepy, saw-toothed grin that only was if he was transforming like most demons. If he's a fish or whatever, it definitely wouldn't do him any good to transform on land. Idly, Rin wondered exactly what Kichiruka's real form was supposed to resemble. Do fish have teeth like that?

"Nope," Kagome finally pronounced.

Rin blinked out of her reverie. "Huh?"

"No, I haven't seen any yokai around. Should we be on guard?" she added as Shippo scampered from Sango's house, the twins in hot pursuit. Rounding a barrel, he lost them then headed toward the priestess, sanctuary.

"Nope, just curious," Rin chirped, brushing off the subject and hoping the distraction would lead Kagome's mind elsewhere. When Miroku's daughters approached she pointed in the opposite direction.

"Is it safe to come out now?" Shippo poked his head out from under Kagome's heavy, red skirts. Rin snickered, until he resumed the thread of conversation. "Actually, even though I can't say I've seen any strange demons about, I've been smelling something salty, like the sea," the young kitsune opined, oblivious to Rin's scowl.

Kagome canted her head to one side. "Why would anything smell like the ocean this far inland?"

Rin shifted from one foot to the other. "Here, let me help you with that quilt, Miss Kago—"

"I know what it is!" Kagome's eyes lit up.

Rin froze.

"You're missing the beach, huh, Shippo?"

Rin collapsed to her knees in gratitude.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know what I smell…" Then the little fox-demon considered the chance to run around on sandy beaches again, collecting shells and skipping rocks like they did last summer. "Yeah, that might be it. We should go again sometime."

As the conversation ambled along Rin let a little phew escape. She wasn't sure why but now it felt like the more time that passed the more difficult it was becoming to introduce Kichiruka. How did you go about introducing someone you've known about without telling your friends for so long? And if he had a bad experience with some other village's miko it was small wonder as to why Kichiruka was so skittish about meeting other humans. What if he got frightened and accidentally hurt someone? Kagome might be nice to him, but what about the neighbors? While Inuyasha had been around forever and Shippo and Kilala were small, harmless-looking even, Lord Sesshomaru still made them uneasy after all these years.

Rin remembered the raw scorch marks on Kichiruka's face from earlier that afternoon. So why didn't you at least give them something to be scared about? she thought angrily. Kichiruka, you're such an idiot.

Pulling the sword at her side a little tighter, Rin wondered if it protected soft-headed demons, too.

oOo

As summer struck with warmer temperatures that riled human blood and spurred on battle plans, local lords would start seeking wives to ensure an heir for future generations. Sesshomaru growled under his breath. He would not have his hand forced by humans.

Keeping a girl-child is expensive…

If neighboring demon clans deemed him insane or, worse, soft, they so far demonstrated the sensibility to keep it to themselves. Everyone knew the situation, but at least yokai – for all their pride – would mind their distance and not give a second thought to courting a human. They'd sooner wait another stretch of centuries for the Western Lord to sire a legitimate successor and thus claim a longer contract with him.

But if he could find a strong enough match, or if Rin continued to improve, it was one less hurdle to deal with. Even after Jaken returned from scouting the premises, Sesshomaru diligently searched the wind currents a second time before he continued his walk to Rin's village. No one would follow him today.

Little grin imp in tow, Sesshomaru pushed off lightly from the ground, clearing the brook marking the village outskirts in a single bound. The season's heat was gradually encroaching upon the region and, he splashed couple of claws through the cool, clear waters. Hand cupped, he dabbed at the sides his neck. Then grimaced at a saline scent.

Salt? In a freshwater brook?

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin bounded over the moment she spotted him. In the little recess since her promotion she was excited to see him again. He arched a brow. Oops, guess 'grown-ups' curb their enthusiasm. But switching from bounce to glide in mid-step just made her feel dizzy.

Arms crossed, the daiyokai observed his charge's antics and the last vestiges of childhood that clung. There was still more to cover than a little self-dense. Should he tell her about the suitors? He had fended off the few from last year well enough, and had only hinted about the situation. Now, months later, Rin certainly never broached the subject if she remembered at all.

And she's just as happy without, he realized. With one hand resting on the hilt at her side, Sesshomaru easily recognized the imitation. She grinned up at him, just adoring. Caving to his instinct, the dog-demon offered the length of his arm. Rin hugged him tight enough to cut off the circulation. Armor was never any trouble.

When she hung on longer than three seconds Jaken started fussing about submitting Lord Sesshomaru to innumerable indignities and how dare any human get so close, yadda, yadda, Rin had the speech memorized. She made sure to squeeze Jaken twice as long.

"You're his representative," she oozed over his squawking protests.

"Rin," Sesshomaru droned when she finally unclasped his retainer. "There are other matters to discuss." Tilting his head toward the forest, he beckoned her to follow.

Do I tell her? The idea made Sesshomaru uncomfortable. Up until now, he had seen that Rin's responsibility to herself and others be kept within the village. Anything beyond her day-to-day activities was his to mediate. But this is a life-altering decision. And, where her welfare wasn't in immediate jeopardy, Sesshomaru did his best to provide Rin her options.

Keeping his eyes adhered to the trees, he decided to ascertain once more. "What would you say to an arranged marriage?"

"No," Rin said, chin tucked in and looking mildly insulted. "I'm working toward my own independence, aren't I?"

"Yes." Though the daiyokai found that only slightly less discomforting. Rin, out in the world, alone. At least now she would last longer than fifteen seconds in a fight. He smoothed a hand over his fur.

While Sesshomaru fell silent, Rin bit her lower lip, giving some further thought to the question. "Do I have suitors?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but not out of personal reservation. His nose crackled, and he stopped moving to get a better whiff. The winds shifted before he could be sure.

Still lost on the subject, other odd questions sprouted in Rin's mind: Do I have a lot? How many? But it was the last that slipped out. "Are any of them handsome?"

"Rin," he warned with a hurried glance over one shoulder. Jaken joined the uneasy search.

"Yeah, I guess I shouldn't go there," she smirked, misinterpreting the admonition. "But what's the point of marrying if I'm expected to be a room ornament?"

"Rin," Sesshomaru said more sternly, claws cracking to the ready.

"Pah!" Arms akimbo, she stuck out her chin. "Give me four contending lords and I'll bet any one I pick won't–"

"Shut up!" Jaken shrieked, but it was too late. In their midst stood a brightly attired servant, now beaming with a smile he obviously didn't expect to have when delivering his message scroll.

"Well, perhaps this young lady need not look further than one lord," the courier said, oblivious to Sesshomaru's deepening frown for speaking out of place. "I carry a marriage proposal from Saito of your holdings in the east, Lord Sesshomaru."

Rin clapped a hand over her mouth. Crap! She didn't look at Sesshomaru's face, which she knew would be swept perfectly blank, but instead watched the thumb of one hand individually touch each of its knuckles, methodically popping every joint.

Saito. He would have recognized the crest on the vassal's lapel. Admittedly, Sesshomaru recalled with a greater degree of chagrin than conscience, this was a family he had been looking into as a "safety" plan some years ago. He now half wished this were Matsuka's persistent lackey before him; he would have been far easier to send away than a lord for whom Sesshomaru had once deigned a personal correspondence.

Like a hound with blood whetting his palette, the dog-demon thought grimly. "She has not yet chosen to wed." Sesshomaru drew himself up to his full, imposing stature, the bangs framing the crescent on his forehead parted with the rise in yoki.

Undeterred, a lavender sleeve gestured in Rin's direction. "But she has spoken for herself, asking for four contending lords." The comment was followed up by an irritating chuckle that caused Sesshomaru to wonder just how one-dimensional a human's fear for his life could get. Wrist curling, he prepared to slash. Only a light voice stayed his hand.

"That is correct," Rin interjected. "I have spoken for myself."

Amber eyes widened and the Nintojo nearly slipped from numb claws. The messenger smiled smugly.

As though the situation were too surreal to bear, Rin could feel herself walking to accept the proffered scroll, conscious of every weighted step she took, but it was like being a third party observer. She could have been Sesshomaru or Jaken or even the merciless courier. Anyone one but the stupid girl with the loud mouth.

I have to own my word or hold my tongue. Otherwise the whole adult thing was just talk. Even if Sesshomaru would over look the matter in Rin's favor she knew that she wouldn't.

But if this was the adult thing to do – Rin felt the silken knot that tied the scroll like a chain in her hand – then why do I feel so small?

oOo

From the comforting waters of his brook, Kichiruka pressed the polished end of the conch staff to the bank, focusing on making the puddle he'd seen earlier in the field during his lesson grow and contract with every other twist of the rod. Remote Control he remembered the section titled. Over the past weeks he'd gotten pretty good with it.

Abruptly, Rin hissed and Kichiruka quickly looked up to see if he'd missed something. He didn't. She all but ignored him. From the way Rin prattled it sounded like she just wanted an acknowledging presence more than actual input. Kichiruka remembered to sprinkle in a few "ums" and "uh-huhs" every so often. When her voice hit the "wrapping it up" pitch – as the closings of Tensai's lectures did – he set down the staff and looked up for any points she might recap.

"So, that's the long and short of it," Rin concluded with a tired little huff after relating yesterday's entire fiasco. "The scroll-runner's probably returned to his Lord Something Or Other – I think it's Saito, that's it – by today, so I guess we're setting out on in three days."

Kichiruka quirked his head to one side, pulling together the gist of matters. In his world, matrimony was a cause for festivity and most women did get married around Rin's age, or whatever the equivalent was. He made a mental note to figure that out sometime soon. "But you don't want to get married?"

"No! Not right now, anyway." Rin idly tore at the grass around her, sorting it into neat little piles. "And definitely not to some sort of stuffy overlord."

"So what're you gonna do?" Propping his chin in his hands, the water demon made a study of his coach; her brows drew together and her mouth was upturned in an unhappy little frown that no amount of jesting would reverse. Absentmindedly, she chewed her lip, nibbling on possibilities.

"In order to grow up I have to be accountable for myself. That means owning what I say." Rin bowed her head, conceding. "So…I'll check it out."

"And if they are suitable?"

"Tch, like any one of those self-absorbed popinjays are worth it!" Rin's bravado quieted and she pulled her knees up to her chest. "To tell the truth, I just want out."

Tracking the hiccupping flight of a short-winged sparrow as it sought the refuge of a branch, Kichiruka carefully formed his next question. "How would one…disqualify a suitor?"

She laughed and the water demon was relieved to hear it chorus again. "Oh, I doubt that's very difficult." Rin rolled her eyes. "Betcha most of these guys are so puffed up with their own egos just about any foul up on their end would shame them from trying for a second go."

Claws tapped to a spotted chin.

And a little help never hurt.

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A/N: To the readers who have just picked up "Hooked," welcome aboard! To everyone, thank you all for reading and I hope you're enjoying this little story for the summer. More to come!