Going into the small quarters they shared with the imp demon, Jaken, Rin placed her bounty onto the makeshift table before heating the small hearth.
"I wonder where Jaken is." Rin stated with a hint of worry in her voice. "Lord Sesshomaru, before I went to work one of the dragon steeds was in the throes of labor. The poor thing was having a terrible time of it."
"Is that so?" He queried less than interested but enjoyed having someone to talk to other than the imp.
"Yes. Jaken was assisting Koga but they doubted she would make it." Sighing she turned to him. "My lord, why is it there are so many of us without mothers in this world?"
"It is what a mother does; protects her young even if it costs her her own life." Standing he assisted her up to sit farther away from the fire. "Your mother, however, is alive as far as we know."
"Yes." Nodding Rin gave a small sad smirk. "Do you think that I will ever see her again?"
"I do not know." He answered honestly. The shabby door swung open as Jaken made his way in with a bundle of something. "Jaken."
"Sesshomaru, Rin." He said clearly struggling. Jumping up Rin went to him relieving him of his burden.
"Baby dragons." She sighed out. "Two of them?"
"No. One with two heads." Jaken stated. "A deformity that is seen as unfit for service."
"Is the mother alright?" Rin questioned worriedly.
"For now. Bereft that her young had to be taken away but alive."
"And you saw fit to bring them here?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"Forgive me Sesshomaru, if I hadn't then Koga would be forced to drown them in the river."
"No!" Rin clutched them to her tightly sitting beside the fire with them.
"There is no guarantee it will survive. Normally creatures born this way do not."
"Rin, don't get attached." Sesshomaru said watching her as she coddled the dragons to her.
"They will survive, the same way we all have." She coo'd to them rubbing her nose to their small snouts. "I will make sure of it."
With the peaches Rin made a purée that she mixed with some rice that she mashed together to make a concoction to feed the newborns.
They seemed to eat it and settled down beside her as she fell asleep.
"I had thought for certain I'd find you in a miserable state after being summoned by Sango." Jaken said. "Yet here you are with no marks on you."
"There are. They are just not visible." Sesshomaru stated.
"As are so many of ours." Jaken replied. "Do you know how I envy the humans? A few decades if that and their lives are over. For us we serve for centuries."
"Do you remember what it was like before the war?" Sesshomaru asked suddenly.
"Absolutely but I try not to think of it. It only makes this reality harder." He said.
"Hm." Sesshomaru hummed out.
"Sesshomaru, it has been a long day. You should rest." Jaken could be annoying but he always had their best interests in mind.
"Thank you Jaken. Oh and if the dragons do survive they will be eating your portion of food." He smirked as he stood. He never tired of teasing the older imp.
"No good deed goes unpunished I suppose." Not being bated into the trap that Sesshomaru loved to set for him they turned in laying on their respective pallets.
Staring up at the ceiling Sesshomaru inhaled the smell of cooked peaches leading his thoughts to Kagome. Her words and actions were more genuine then he had ever seen in a human.
Placing a hand to his chest he sighed. She was still young and time would change her just as it did with everyone.
For now though he would enjoy the warmth and kindness she exuded.