The Hunter

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The sound of the horse's hooves was deafening, like thunder rolling down the mountainside. She crouched low, ducking her head beneath her arms. All around her men were in the throes of battle. Swords clashed against one another, sparking in the early morning light. Blood sprayed from the wounded while others howled their final death cries.

It wasn't difficult to find him in the middle of all that chaos. His white robes stood out from the muted palate of the other warriors. Even outnumbered as he was, he moved gracefully cutting down one man and then the next. He showed no signs of exhaustion, but she knew the awful truth - even a demon as powerful as he couldn't fight forever.

Anxious pleas slipped from her lips in desperate cracks and whispers. They were hardly words at all, but a mantra, a prayer. Let him live. Please, let him live. Her arms wrapped tight around her body, holding her in place as she rocked back and forth. Please. Please. Please. Amid the chaos his eyes met hers. They glowed like fiery amber in the morning's light. She was still watching when an enemy's sword found home in his chest. His body jerked unnaturally forward, pulled by the blade as its owner sought to dislodge it. She watched, unblinking, unmoving, as he fell to his knees. Her legs refused to move, refused to run to his side. They may as well have been made of stone and rooted to the earth for all the good they did her.

The soldiers surrounded him, blocking her view of those eyes that reminded her of liquid honey, and lifted their swords to deal him a final blow. There was no time. No time to run. No time to scream. The enemy's blades descended and in that moment her world stopped its motion. Her lungs drew no breath. Her heart dared not beat. And her throat closed up tight, silencing her cry. His guttural groan and the sickening thump of his lifeless body hitting the earth echoed across the battlefield to haunt her for countless nights to come.

He was gone. Sesshomaru…he was...

Rin awoke with a start, her lungs gasping for air. Still caught up within her dream, she squirmed and fought against the arms that held her tight, hitting any soft place that she could find. The arms tightened their hold and a voice shushed softly in her ear.

She recognized that voice. The sound of Kohaku's gentle reassurances soothed away the fear bit by bit. She focused on the sound of his voice and the soft caress of his breath against the side of her neck. Little by little her breaths slowed and became even. When she felt like herself again, she lifted her head to find him studying her with a concerned furrow in his brow. His gaze was piercing, even in the dark.

"You had a nightmare," he explained and she glanced around their small campsite. Ryo snored loudly and turned over, muttering in his sleep. She exhaled a quiet sigh and settled back down next to him.

"What was it about?" he whispered.

"I don't remember," she lied and drew small patterns on his chest with her fingertip. His hands moved slowly down her back, soothing her as she'd seen him do to his mare when she became restless.

"How do I know this isn't a dream?" she asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"What if I wake up in the morning and find myself back in Edo?"

"Do you mean to say that you dream of having me beaten within an inch of my life?" he teased and she could hear the grin behind his words.

She snickered quietly and poked his ribs with her finger. "Only sometimes."

"Well, I suppose that is better than all the time. I'll have to see if I can do something about that."

She smiled at his words. If this were a dream, she never wanted to wake up. She was content to stay at this makeshift camp for the rest of her days if it meant she could be surrounded by the people she loved most.

Kohaku shifted and wrapped his arms more fully around her.

"Rin, I promise you this is no dream. Tomorrow when you wake your brothers and I will be here."

"How can I be sure?" she asked, feeling her throat close up. She couldn't bear the thought of waking up alone. It frightened her more than the nightmares. More than any bandits or soldiers or frozen rivers.

Kohaku motioned for her to lay her head atop his chest.

"Listen closely," he said softly. "Do you hear it?"

She closed her eyes and listened. Beneath her cheek his heart beat a steady rhythm, its measured counts a reassuring reminder that he was alive and well despite all that her brothers had put him through.

"I hear it."

"Good. Keep listening. As long as you can hear that beat, you won't have to be afraid."

The sound of his heart and the warmth of his embrace soothed her until her head began to swim.

"Kohaku?" she whispered, when her mind was on the edge of sleep once more.

He 'Hmm'd?' in response and she smiled at the way the sound reverberated through his chest.

"I never did thank you for saving me from the Shogun's men."

The hand that had been gently stroking her back paused and he exhaled softly before continuing.

"You're welcome," he answered, but she was already asleep.

oOo

The trek to Kohaku's village felt relatively easy compared to their near-death experience at the river. The winter snows abated enough that they were able to make a good pace the rest of the way on horseback. The smell of wood smoke was strong in the air when Kohaku suddenly pulled their horses to a stop. A sudden anxious look crossed his features and he shifted the horse's reins from one hand to the other. He stared down the narrow dirt road that would lead them into his village as though he weren't entirely certain he wanted to go down it.

"Are we here?" she inquired, though she was certain she already knew the answer.

He nodded and attempted a reassuring smile. "Stay close and don't say anything," he called over his shoulder to her brothers. "We don't often have visitors, so the others will be wary of strangers."

Her brothers obediently moved their horses to fall in step behind his. Since the river, neither had questioned Kohaku's orders. Ryo seemed eager to hang on just about every word the demon slayer said, but Takanori's love was not so easily won. Though he was grateful to Kohaku for saving his life, that one act alone did not make them friends. Still, there had been a marked change in his attitude since the river. He no longer spent long hours glaring daggers at Kohaku across the fire or making disparaging remarks about him under his breath, and that was something of an improvement.

It had always been that way with her brother. From the time they were children he was always the more serious of the group. Takanori was focused, loyal, and deeply sensitive. Making friends for him was a chore fraught with anxiety, stress and awkward social encounters. It wasn't easy for him like it was for the others. His mind judged too quickly and his words never seemed to come out the way he'd hoped they would. Things improved remarkably as he became older, but there were some parts of Takanori she was certain would never change and his stubbornness was one of them.

Until he decided otherwise, nothing would convince him that Kohaku was worthy of his favour. No amount of pleading or tears or violence would work. It was aggravating beyond all measure, but she knew better than most how his mind worked. He would come around in his own time. And they were sure to have plenty of it once they were in Kohaku's village for the winter.

Clucking softly, Kohaku nudged their horse forward in a slow walk and tightened his arm around her waist.

"Should I be worried?" she asked softly enough so that only he would hear.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Whatever happens, stay on the horse."

She kept her eyes ahead, fixated on the wooden palisade walls of his village. It was rare to see a village so well protected, but perhaps there were many demons this far north. Or perhaps they were not all that fond of outsiders. The village appeared empty. With the exception of a few huts trickling grey smoke into the air, there wasn't a single sign of life anywhere. Then they heard it.

"KOHAKU!"

Kohaku stiffened behind her and turned in his saddle toward the voice. Before them stood a woman dressed in attire unlike anything she'd ever seen. She wore pants like a man that were tight to her skin, and armour that protected her shoulders and chest. Mystified, Rin stared at the large yellow object the woman held in her hands. It was larger than her by nearly a head and looked as though it weighed a ton. Was it some sort of tool? Something to help irrigate the fields, perhaps? It didn't take long for her to find out.

Reaching behind her, the woman tossed the object at them. It spun end over end, rushing towards them at an alarmingly fast rate. Her brothers shouted and then she was falling backwards off her horse. She landed solidly atop Kohaku in the dirt and struggled to catch her breath. Despite breaking her fall, Kohaku was much quicker to recover than she was and scrambled to his feet.

"Are you insane?" he shouted at the woman who was once more swinging her large yellow weapon above her head. "You could have killed us!"

"Serves you right," she shouted back and tossed the weapon at him a second time. Kohaku's reaction was instinctual. He drew his short sword and deflected the boomerang upwards, knocking it off its path. The woman scowled and drew her own sword from the sheath at her side and crouched into a fighting stance.

"Sango," he pleaded, even as they circled one another. "Is this really necessary?"

"I don't know, Kohaku. Was leaving us months ago without so much as a word really necessary? Was leaving me here to wonder after you, sick with grief at the thought you might be dead, really necessary?"

Sango didn't wait for Kohaku's reply before launching at him. He defended himself well, but she managed to knick his shoulder with her blade deep enough to draw blood.

"I didn't plan to be gone that long," Kohaku protested, even as he fought off her next flurry of attacks.

"Oh, so you're just an inconsiderate dolt then? How lucky am I to have such a brother!"

"I'm sorry, Sango! I wanted to contact you, but I didn't have the chance."

"You didn't-" Her face contorted into an angry scowl and she dropped low, kicking his legs out from under him. She was on top of him less than a second later, pinning his arms and legs to the ground.

"What was so important that you couldn't let your sister know you were alive?"

Kohaku glanced over to where Rin stood in awe next to their horse. Sango's gaze followed and her features immediately flushed with embarrassment. She got up slowly, freeing Kohaku from beneath her, and brushed her hair back off her face.

Rin flinched as the girl headed straight for her, nervously eyeing the katana held menacingly in her hand. So much for first impressions! The girl came to a stop in front of her and slid the blade neatly into its sheath with a sharp 'click'.

"I'm Sango," she said sounding far calmer than she had only a moment ago. "And you are?"

Her voice was smooth and rich when not tainted by the shrillness of anger. Up close she was very beautiful, taller than most women, with high cheek bones and large dark eyes. She kept her hair tied up high on her head and Rin admired the rich, dark strands that skimmed the metal shoulder plates of her armour.

"Rin."

Sango nodded and her gaze swept over her, assessing her from head to toe. When she was finished she cast a dismissive glance at Takanori and Ryo, deciding they were either not a threat or not worth her time. Her mouth flattened into a thin line and she stepped back. Rounding on Kohaku, she stalked past him to collect her large weapon from the dirt. She strapped it across her back and then turned to the four of them with an impatient sigh.

"Well, you're here. You may as well come in."

Her brothers exchanged nervous glances. One thing was clear – the only reason either of them were still standing was because Kohaku had chosen not to kill them when they'd ambushed him in the forest. If they thought his skills were impressive, they were nothing compared to the raw power of his sister.

Their horses went on ahead and Kohaku helped her back up into the saddle. Sango drew close as he took hold of the reins and gave him a stern look.

"You better have a damn good reason for bringing outsiders into our village," she warned.

Kohaku shrugged off his sister's warning and watched her storm ahead of them through the gate.

"It seems we both have siblings with tempers," she said, hoping to ease the tension.

He gave a noncommittal grunt, but she saw the hint of a smile on his lips. Taking hold of the reins, he clucked softly and led their horse towards the village.


Author's Note: I was beyond flattered by the reviews I received after the last update. Thank you all so very much. I will be responding to them individually wherever possible. I hope you enjoy this latest update. I must say, I'm a bit excited to finally introduce Sango back into the story.

Until next time,

Langus