Part VI
Rin had been making her way from the fields when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. Kin'u and Gyokuto, who had been walking alongside her, turned and Gyokuto wrinkled her nose at the sight of Hiroshi waving to her. Rin nudged her, giving her head a slight warning shake as they paused at the edge of the village, waiting for Hiroshi to join them. Not for the first time, Rin found herself inspecting Hiroshi. She knew that most of the other girls found him handsome, which was also why the majority of them put up with him sneaking kisses or teasingly tugging at their kimonos. He had a bright-eyed, innocent stare that was beguiling and if it were not for his aggressive pursuit of her, she might have liked him better. He reminded her of Kohaku in some ways and outside of that, she had liked him well enough. He was dependable, friendly, and willing to help the elders when needed.
"I was waiting for when you were done," Hiroshi explained. "Do you have some free time right now? I wanted to show you something."
"Well, I'm watching the twins since Sango and Kohaku are gone," Rin told him, gesturing towards the two girls that were staring at Hiroshi with such intensity that Rin was surprised he did not cringe away. She was not sure why the girls did not like him, as they would never tell him. They were similarly aloof towards Takashi and Shinobu, as well.
"It won't take too long," he assured her. He beamed down at the two twins. "You don't mind, right?"
"I'm hungry," Gyokuto informed him with a frown.
"I'll get you something to eat on the way back."
This did not seem to placate Gyokuto, but the twins had been raised too well to speak up against their elders, even if Hiroshi was not much older than them. Instead, she looked to Rin, who patted her head reassuringly.
"We'll only be a minute," she told her quietly.
"Great!" Hiroshi cheerfully said, hearing Rin's words. He rushed ahead of them, gesturing for them to follow her. Rin and the two girls followed at a slower pace.
"He's just going to show you his house," Gyokuto said to Rin with a tiny little scowl. "Uncle Kohaku told him to not bug you when he was away. I'm going to tell on him as soon as he gets back."
"He told us to tell him if anything happened while he was away," Kin'u piped up, "so it's not like we're really 'telling' on him. We're just following instructions!"
"Exactly!"
Rin stifled a smile at this bout of logic. She knew that Kohaku had set the twins to watching Hiroshi because of what she had said to him at the beginning of summer about his friend's advances. It comforted her to know that Kohaku was keeping an eye out for her, but she did wish that more of the boys would do the same for their friends or daughters. It was not just Hiroshi that had a bad habit of pressuring girls and, because Rin had seen it happening and had dismissed it, she had never wanted to mention it to anyone. All the other girls seemed similarly accustomed to such violations and had handled it in their own way. She suspected that by the time Kin'u or Gyokuto were old enough, Sango would be teaching them how to properly scare off boys from being so unwholesome.
She almost laughed aloud at this thought, recalling stories Miroku would tell them about how frightening Sango was when they had first met. She hoped that the twins would be just as intimidating.
Hiroshi had led them some ways out from the village. They could still hear the bustle of villagers and were within eye distance of the other homes. They went up newly set steps that led up to his house that sat atop one of the hills. His house, it seemed, was nearly completed. From Rin's vantage point, it appeared he only needed to thatch the roof and complete the building of his engawa. It was a stoutly built home, one that she knew would suit the son of the blacksmith. His father's house was set upon one of the other hills that surrounded the village. Outside of Kaede and him, only a few of the wealthier merchants had houses built on the higher ground in the village to signify their rank in the hierarchy. Of course, this was how it had been until Inuyasha and the others had moved to the village. Out of respect for their role in protecting the villagers, the village had pitched in when they built their homes and offered them plots of land upon the hills.
The twins broke away from the pair, running inside to examine Hiroshi's handiwork. Rin watched them for a moment before her attention was diverted by Hiroshi.
"It's not bad, is it?" he asked her, eyeing her anxiously. "Do you like it?"
"Oh, um, yes," Rin replied somewhat awkwardly. "It looks like you did a good job, Hiroshi. Did anyone help you with it?"
"My dad helped set up the beams," he admitted, "but I've done everything else myself." He propped his hands on his hips, his face glowing with pride as he looked upon it. "I never thought that I'd be able to do it, to be honest. There were times this summer that I wanted to set the thing on fire. My dad said that I needed to be more patient with it. He's always telling me that I tend to rush into things." He laughed, dropping his hands and rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe I do. I dunno..."
"You should learn from Kohaku," Rin said to him. "I don't think I've met anyone as patient as him. Even when we were kids, he was always so careful about everything and thought things through." She clasped her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels a bit. "I don't think that's something easy to learn, though."
"No," he agreed, "Kohaku's another breed entirely."
A silence fell between them. Rin could not think of what else to say. She was not unaware of why he had wanted her approval of his house, but she was not brave enough to address it. Like with Mei, she could not voice a reality that she wanted when she was unsure of what would happen in a few years' time. Even she knew the foolishness of rejecting a suitor that was so well off. She knew that many of the girls married men that they did not love, but the concept still felt strange to her. Her only example of marriage had been Sango and Kagome's, both of which had been love matches. Perhaps it had left her with an unattainable standard; regardless, no matter how much time she spent with Hiroshi, she could not see him as anything more than a good friend and the idea of laying with him in the marriage bed was repulsive.
"Listen, Rin," Hiroshi broke the silence at last, "you've got to know why I'm building a house, right?"
Rin watched as Kin'u and Gyokuto exited the house, giggling to each other and holding hands as they made their way back to them. "I guess so," she answered.
"Well...what do you think?"
Rin raised her eyebrows at him, looking away from the two girls. "About marriage? I think it's great that you're thinking about it. You're the blacksmith's son, so you'll have the pick of any girl in the village. You're my friend, Hiroshi, so of course I want you to be happy."
Rin had tried the friendship route multiple times to dissuade him, but it often did very little. If anything, it only made him more obstinate.
"That's not what I'm asking," he said with a frown, his jaw setting in that familiar, stubborn way she had begun to recognize. "What do you think about marriage to me? You have to know that I'm interested in you."
Rin made an attempt to laugh away this question. "You're interested in a lot of girls."
"That's just fun," he dismissed. "All the guys are like that. It's who we want to settle down with that's important!"
"Rin's going to marry Lord Sesshomaru," Kin'u informed him as they stopped next to them, having heard the conversation.
"Kin'u!" Rin scolded, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"Everyone thinks so," she continued on, ignoring Rin entirely.
"I like Lord Sesshomaru," Gyokuto added. "He has pretty hair."
Rin stared at them, at a loss for what to say to this sudden conversation shift. Outside of being mortified at the village gossiping about the possibility of marriage to Sesshomaru, she could imagine Sesshomaru's expression if he heard someone complimenting his hair.
"He's a demon," Hiroshi snapped, glaring down at the twins. "Demons don't marry humans. It's unnatural and disgusting, so don't be spreading that kind of horrible lie around the village."
"We didn't!" Gyokuto protested, her own tiny face glaring up at him. "And we don't like you, anyway! You're a jerk! You don't deserve Rin!"
"You little brat! Wait until Sango gets back – "
"Oh, give them a break, Hiroshi," Rin cut in, exasperated. "They're just children. Why are you getting so worked up?"
"Because it's revolting!" He took a step towards her, drawing in close and searching her face anxiously. "You don't actually want that, do you? Doesn't it bother you that people are saying that about you?"
"I don't care what people say," she told him, now also frowning at him. "Everyone gossips, so what's the big deal?"
He looked stunned. "I don't want someone saying that kind of thing about the girl I want to marry, that's the big deal!" Hiroshi dragged his hands through his hair quickly, clearly agitated. "I know you and Kohaku respect Lord Sesshomaru – I'm not arguing that he's not a powerful demon. But he's known you since you were a kid, Rin. It's like...like someone raising an animal for slaughter. That's all humans are to them, you know. We're just food."
Rin bristled at this comparison and straightened her spine. "I don't appreciate you talking about him like that and I'm not going to sit here and listen to you insult him."
"I'm a demon slayer, what did you expect?" he shot back.
"Kohaku doesn't talk about demons like that," she said in a cool tone. "He gives them a chance, at least, and he's been a demon slayer all his life. Both him and Sango trust Lord Sesshomaru."
Hiroshi made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat, as if their opinion of the demon lord meant little to him. Rin had quite enough of the conversation. She made to step away, but he had grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her close. His expression was unlike anything she had seen. There was an ugly, angry look contorting his features. It was an alarming sight to behold.
"Let go, Hiroshi," she told him sharply, attempting to shake his hand off.
"Just listen to me – ""
"Let her go!" Gyokuto had thrown herself onto his legs while Kin'u looked on with a fearful expression. The twins had been quiet during their heated exchange, though it seemed like even they could sense the change in him.
"Get off, kid!" Hiroshi yelled, attempting to throw her off. While he was pre-occupied, Rin attempted to tug her arm out of his grasp, but he was holding on too tightly. She could feel the pain of his bruising grip, the sting of her skin being pinched between his fingers.
Abruptly, there was a blast of fire just above Hiroshi's head and, startled, he released Rin and stumbled back, whirling around. Gyokuto had lost her grip on his legs, falling onto her back. While Kin'u helped her sister up, Rin pulled up her kimono sleeve and rubbed her arm. It was already beginning to bruise where he had been holding her. She looked around, fearing that the dragon demon had materialized and caught them unawares.
"Impudent boy!" Jaken's angry voice sounded from some feet away. He came storming towards the group, brandishing Nintojo threateningly. "How dare you grab Rin like that? Lord Sesshomaru was right to send me after you!"
"Is he watching me?" Hiroshi demanded, patting at his hair that had been slightly singed. "You better tell your demon lord to mind his own business!"
"I'd like to see you say that to Lord Sesshomaru's face," Jaken sneered, smirking unpleasantly. "Or are you too afraid, lowly human?"
Hiroshi's face turned red with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. Without a word to either him or Rin, he strode past Jaken, shooting him a dirty look as he did. Jaken watched him go, his own eyes narrowed into a glare, his fist clenched tightly over Nintojo. Only once Hiroshi was long gone did he turn back and approach Rin, who had not bothered to get to her feet. She was staring at the bruise on her arm, shocked that the conversation had stirred Hiroshi into violence. He had never used force against her before, nor had he ever hurt her, not even when they were kids. Jaken, catching sight of the bruising on her arm, shook his head in disgust.
"Lord Sesshomaru will have his head for that."
"I don't think we should tell Lord Sesshomaru, Jaken," Rin said quietly, pulling her kimono sleeve down. The twins had rushed over to her, Kin'u appearing near tears. She smiled at them and ushered them forward, giving them a hard squeeze. "You two were great. Thanks for trying to help, Gyokuto."
"I hate him," Gyokuto said with feeling. "Him and Takashi are the worst in the village!"
"Shinobu isn't very good, either," Kin'u quietly said to her sister, rubbing at her eyes.
Rin released the two girls, a puzzled frown on her lips. "Why do you say that?"
Neither of the girls said anything, looking at Jaken suddenly and then dropping their gazes. Rin stared from them to Jaken, who was rubbing his chin meditatively.
"Anyway," Jaken interrupted, "Lord Sesshomaru sent me after you. Miroku and Kagome have returned with the old priestess."
"But – "
Jaken waved an impatient hand, as though knowing her next words. "Yes, yes, after we drop them off." He gestured towards the two girls. "Look at them! They've had enough for one day."
Rin had to admit the twins did look as if they had endured too much excitement. She got to her feet, brushing off her kimono, and allowed the two girls to each grab one of her hands. The group trudged off back to the village, Rin inwardly praying that they did not encounter Hiroshi again. Thankfully, he seemed to have disappeared elsewhere since storming off from them in a rage and by the time they had gotten back to Miroku and Sango's home, the twins were ready to have some food and nap. Kagome was still there and welcomed them with a smile. She had begun cooking, anticipating their return. The twins ran to her, crying in delight at the smells in the home. Miroku, however, caught sight of Rin's expression and approached her and Jaken.
"Did something happen?" he asked in a low voice.
Knowing the twins' proclivity for honesty when it came to their parents, she released a tiny sigh and nodded. She explained to him what had happened in a voice to where Kagome could also hear. Kagome had dished out food for the two girls, who ate gratefully while Rin told them the story. Kagome's warm expression quickly turned to one of alarm that matched Miroku's own worried countenance.
"If Sesshomaru hears about this, he's going to tear the village apart," Miroku said to Kagome, who had gotten up to join them.
"As he should," Jaken chimed in loyally. "That boy shouldn't have even been alone with Rin – it's improper."
"You seem to be mistaking demon customs for human ones," Miroku replied with a gentle smile. "But he does seem to be rather...prejudiced, doesn't he?"
Jaken was frowning to himself, watching the twins eat. "Him and the other two boys – what were their names? Takashi?"
"And Shinobu," Rin added promptly.
"They made the foolish error of attempting to attack me when these two were with me a few years ago," Jaken explained, nodding towards the twins. "Of course, what human can compete with Nintojo?" He snorted derisively. "I warned them away and told the girls here not to say anything. They tried to steal Nintojo another time, but Inuyasha was nearby and shouted them off. They're too cowardly to make an attempt at Lord Sesshomaru's life."
"But that's horrible!" Kagome cried in horror. "It's because of demons like Sesshomaru, Kouga, and Inuyasha that this village has stayed safe for all these years! That they try to go after you just because you're a demon – "
"Is normal," Miroku intercepted calmly. "Think about the stories that Inuyasha has told us about his upbringing, Kagome, and he's only a half-demon. We've encountered some horrible humans over the years that have treated demons and half-demons terribly. It's why they live in their own villages away from humans. It's going to be a long time before either humans or demons are able to live in harmony." He released a long sigh, his shoulders drooping. "I had hoped that living with Inuyasha would at least make people here a little more open-minded, though."
Kagome chewed on her lower lip, her mind apparently occupied elsewhere.
"We should go," Jaken announced to the room. "Lord Sesshomaru will be expecting us."
"Yes, alright," Kagome replied distractedly, though she was eyeing Rin with a tense, worried expression that the other girl could not interpret.
After they had left and were some ways from the home, Rin quietly asked, "Why didn't you say anything to me about that, Master Jaken?"
He cast her a disapproving frown. "Why should I? You're not my keeper!"
"Obviously you didn't tell Lord Sesshomaru, either."
"I'm my own demon," he told her with a slight scowl. "I can take care of myself when it comes to humans."
Rin decided not to prod him further. She would not say as much to Jaken, but she was perturbed at the behavior of her friends. She knew that if Kohaku had ever known about this, he would have nothing to do with any of the boys. Like herself, Kohaku had travelled with Jaken extensively and knew him well. Jaken respected Kohaku on some level, as they had always gotten along after the initial complaints that Jaken had voiced about adopting another child to their group. Here was yet another thing that Rin would have to decide whether to conceal from her friend or not. This time, she did not think that she would bother to keep Hiroshi's secret. If she had any say, she would not allow Hiroshi to accept any demon slayer contracts. What use was there of having a demon slayer that could not differentiate between demons that are causing harm and those who wish only to pass through? It made her uneasy to imagine.
"You won't tell Lord Sesshomaru about what happened today, will you?" Rin asked him after they had begun to walk the forest path towards where she knew the demon lord would be waiting.
"What makes you think he doesn't already know?" Jaken returned.
"Well...I don't know."
"What did that boy even want?"
Rin sighed and decided to deflect slightly. "He wants to marry me."
Jaken snorted so loudly that it was amazing that nothing flew out of his nose. "Him? What a joke!" She giggled, forcibly sucking in her lips to halt the laughter when he glared at her. "He's not only immature for his age, but far too naïve about the world."
"Everyone keeps telling me I'm getting to that age," she remarked.
"If I was going to see you with a human, I'd much rather see you with Kohaku than him," Jaken grumbled.
Rin almost laughed aloud at this suggestion until she reprocessed the sentence and recognize the first part of it. 'If I was going to see you with a human,' she repeated, blinking to herself. That almost sounds like he'd rather not see me married to a human at all.
Instead of addressing that, she chose to speak on the part that she thought was safer. "Kohaku's basically my brother, Master Jaken," she said in an amused tone. "How could even suggest something so weird?"
He ignored her altogether at this, stomping ahead of her a bit and not responding to any of her teasing remarks after that about him being married or having little imp children. After several minutes of this, Rin finally ceased trying to make fun of him and followed along behind him, smiling to herself. Jaken's energetic responses to everything always put her in such a good mood, regardless of what had happened in the day.
They eventually broke out of the trees into a small meadow that was surrounded by the forest on all sides. Sesshomaru was standing in the middle of the swaying grasses and turned upon their arrival. Rin's good humor faded somewhat and instinctually she put a hand on her arm where the bruise was located. Jaken had not answered whether he intended to tell Sesshomaru, instead steering the conversation in another direction. Jaken, however, after successfully leading her there, promptly turned around and meandered back into the forest, mumbling something about food to himself. It was though he suspected her to be scolded and did not want to be present. Rin watched him anxiously before turning back to face Sesshomaru.
"Rin," Sesshomaru said, a slight frown appearing on his lips. His gaze had found her hand and she hastily dropped it to her side. He stared at her, saying nothing, and she felt her shoulders creep up towards her ears in shame. "What has happened?"
"It's really nothing, Lord Sesshomaru," she mumbled feebly.
He cocked his head slightly. "It was I who saw that boy take you outside the village," he reminded her. "That is why I sent Jaken to find you." He held a hand out, waiting patiently for her to approach him.
"I'd rather not," Rin said to him quietly.
"What would reassure you?" he asked in a mild tone.
"I don't want you to attack the village because of this."
His eyes narrowed slightly, the only sign that such an idea had already occurred to him. Like Kagome had suspected, he was ready to burn the entire place to the ground without even knowing what damage was caused upon her person.
"Very well," he said at last and gestured with his fingers for her to come closer. Uneasy, she did as he bade, pulling up her kimono sleeve and offering her arm for him to inspect. Sesshomaru took her arm in his hand, examining the bruise without a change of expression. When he released her, she covered her arm again and watched as he closed his eyes, though his brows knitted slightly. Something about his countenance made her remain quiet to avoid disturbing whatever inner meditation he had begun. Only when he had opened his eyes again did she dare to speak again.
"It's just a bruise," Rin said, offering a tiny smile.
Sesshomaru directed a hard stare at her. This was clearly the wrong thing to say. "Don't defend scum, Rin," he told her. "There are too many men in this world that owe you your life right now. It gets tiring. Next time, I won't be so forgiving."
"Who...who else owes me their life?" Rin stammered, unnerved in spite of herself. It was not often that he directed his annoyance towards her and certainly not in recent years when he had visited. It had been more often when she was a child.
Sesshomaru ignored her question, saying, "You were supposed to have learned some basic self-defense. Have you been practicing some of the things Jaken taught you?"
"Oh! Well...yes, some of them."
"Did you use any of them today?"
"I couldn't," Rin reluctantly told him. "Gyokuto was in the middle of us. She threw herself at Hiroshi trying to knock him down. I would have hit her if I tried going for his legs and I was afraid of hitting his arm in case he hurt her."
Sesshomaru accepted her explanation without question. "I was under the impression this boy was your friend," he said. "What were you fighting about?"
Rin should have expected the inquiry. If Jaken had asked it, it only made sense that Sesshomaru would also make follow that same thought. She could not have imagined Jaken's response if she had been more honest and, while she was sure she could give the same answer to Sesshomaru, something that Mei had said returned to her memory.
"Well, have you asked him about it recently?"
I guess this is the only time I could kind of talk to him about it without looking stupid, she mused.
"Hiroshi's been listening to gossip too much lately," she said, averting her gaze and frowning. She watched the sway of the grass, catching sight of a deer grazing some ways in the distance. The creature straightened and craned its neck this way and that, as if listening before bowing its head again. "People have been saying that I'm going to marry you. He doesn't even like that they're saying that and started going on about how the only reason demons keep humans around is to eat them. He tried to justify it by saying it's because he's a demon slayer, but I know that's not true. Kohaku's never been like that! And now I found out from Master Jaken that he's been bullying him, too, and I can't stand it!"
Without realizing it, her voice had risen and she felt angry tears pushing at her eyes. She knew it was stupid to get emotional about how close-minded the villages had always been, stupid to be upset that Hiroshi was so prejudiced, but she could not help it. She had dealt with so many of the villagers being unwilling to give her a chance because she had traveled with a demon, had seen them turn their backs and ignore Jaken, had witnessed some of them talking ill about Inuyasha and even Kagome behind their back. She knew that people spoke poorly of Sesshomaru, as well, though it was always in hushed tones.
"I don't like when people talk bad about you," Rin said at last after she had successfully blinked away her tears.
"Why is that?" Sesshomaru asked her, having remained silent during her tirade.
Surprised, she turned to face him. "Why?" she repeated. "Because they don't know you, Lord Sesshomaru! It's not fair. They're judging you just because you're a demon."
He considered her for a long moment, as though he could read her thoughts just from her expression. "You haven't changed much," he observed in an approving tone. "Even so, don't get into fights on my behalf."
"That's not why I got in a fight. He said it's disgusting," Rin added in a fierce tone, "but I don't think it is. There isn't any reason that humans and demons can't be together if they want to – Inuyasha and Kagome work just fine. Don't you...don't you think so?" She had faltered in her question, fearful of what he might say. If not for what Mei had said, she might have not ventured the question. In her mind, it had always been a risky topic to broach with Sesshomaru. She had not wanted to inspire any of his sharp glances towards her, let alone an angry rant regarding muddling one's demon blood with that of a human.
Sesshomaru had turned away from her again, although she could clearly see his profile. At first, she thought he was intending to ignore her question again. After a few moments, however, Sesshomaru quietly said, "I will answer your question, but why do you think it bothers him? Do you think he feels threatened?"
Rin grimaced, realizing she had dived into her rant without starting from the beginning. She made a dismissive gesture, glancing away again at the deer. Two other deer had joined it, the trio clustering together and seemingly happy and oblivious of anything else in the meadow. "He wants to marry me, so I guess that could be it."
Sesshomaru chuckled slightly, albeit in a rather humorless way. "And he thinks I'm his opponent?"
"I suppose so."
He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "And am I?"
She turned to him, startled. "What?"
"You asked me if humans and demons should be any different than any other partnerships. It has its risks. I'm no longer ignorant to the appeal, even if there has yet to be room in the world for such an allowance. It's not an easy life." Sesshomaru turned back to face her and although he had not taken a step closer, she felt as if the distance between them had grown shorter. "Do you understand?"
"I...I'm not sure, Lord Sesshomaru," she admitted softly. Her heart was stuttering too loudly in her ears, her cheeks too warm, and her brain was having trouble grasping what he was trying to say to her. Even as her heart soared hopefully, she was wary of admitting more than what she had already said. He was being so purposely vague and it seemed like he was giving her a hint to something that she herself could not see. Usually, she could see through Sesshomaru's cryptic remarks and pick up on his current attitude. The only thing that her mind jumped to, however, was a concept that she could not let herself believe. No matter what Mei had said, what the rumormongers were spreading, or what her own mind was telling her, she wanted something more solid and tangible. If she was wrong, she could ruin any type of companionship or the possibility of leaving the village.
Sesshomaru, it seemed, was not planning on saying anything more clearly than that.
"You will," he told her calmly. "After today, meet here every day in order to practice. You should be able to overcome a village boy, at least temporarily. I don't expect you to defend yourself against demons."
"Hiroshi isn't just a boy...Kohaku trained him, so – "
"Then he should have had a better mind to train you half as well," Sesshomaru cut in and while he had not said it unkindly, she could hear the displeasure in his voice. He then made to pass her, making his way into the forest. Rin hastily followed him, jogging behind him until she had caught up.
Once they were back beneath the forest trees, they made their way back to the clearing of trees where Sesshomaru and Jaken often camped. Jaken had roasted fish and was chewing on a skewered one, looking quite pleased with his feast. Rin hurried past Sesshomaru where he had settled himself against a tree root, almost immediately closing his eyes. Jaken squawked indignantly as Rin took one of the roasted fish and bit into it.
"He's not very happy, is he?" Rin whispered to Jaken, sitting next to him by the small fire.
Jaken looked around and, after gazing across at Sesshomaru for a bit, he turned back to her, saying, "What did you do now, you brat? He looks angrier than when I left."
Almost immediately a rock came hurtling towards Jaken. He immediately threw himself to the ground, panting slightly as the pair of them looked over to where Sesshomaru had lowered his hand, his brows snapped down in an irritated expression.
They exchanged a look, not needing to speak the words aloud.
Yes, he was most definitely not happy.