"Dawn and Her Embrace"

Chapter 2

The Engagement

"What do you mean I have to marry him?" Rin looked at Kagome in shock, she clutched her dress, nervously. Kagome nodded solemnly. "It is true, my grandfather says Lord Sesshoumaru and you are to be married next month, and there is nothing you can do about it." She looked pityingly at Rin. "I'm sorry, Rin."

"But I know nothing about him, I heard he was a short, balding old man, from what everybody says," she wailed miserably.

Kagome stuck her tongue out. "Blech, my brother says he looks like a green toad. Of course, I've never seen him before myself so I wouldn't know."

"I want to marry for love, not this!" She stamped her foot furiously down on the ground.

The two girls stood on a hill overlooking Lord Higurashi's castle and his lands. There was a jousting tournament going on below and warriors from all over the land came to participate. Later a night there will be great dancing and merrymaking. It was a day of great celebration, but Rin was not feeling up to it now that she heard of the news. She had only been here for a few months but she felt like it was her home. The thought of leaving Higurashi Castle was awful. Kagome's father had died when she was a young child and now she lived with her grandfather, mother and brother. Her brother was going to inherit the lands and Kagome would have to be married off soon too. Girls did not really have a choice in where their life would end. Kagome's family had taken her under their wing and made her feel like she was a part of them.

"Is he mad, why has he not spoken to me of this?" She sat on the tree stump and kicked her foot in the dirt, dirtying her new shoes.

"He didn't want to upset you. It's not his fault, Rin. You were engaged to Lord Sesshoumaru since you were a baby. It is written in your father's will. You have to marry him. You want to honor his wishes, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Who knows? Look on the bright side; maybe you'll even learn to care for the old man. I heard he's extremely wealthy; you'll have everything you've ever desired. He is a duke, after all. It's not like you're in love with somebody else, right?"

Rin was silent on this.

"What, don't tell me you do?" Kagome's eyes widened. "Well, who is he?"

"I don't know," Rin said mournfully.

"How can you not know?"

Rin began telling her about the mysterious stranger who was wounded and saved her life from the werewolf. She smiled, remembering his face and the way he looked at her with those beautiful golden eyes.

"You took care of him and yet you never found out his identity?"

Rin made her way to the castle and into the Great Hall. Everyone was feasting on turkey and deer and she saw Kagome's grandfather and mother sitting at the head of the long table.

"Ah, Rin, there you are. We've been waiting for you." He gestured for her to take a seat in the empty chair by him.

She shook her head and went straight to the subject. "I'm not marrying him."

The Great Hall turned silent as the knights and servants craned their heads to look at her. Everyone stopped what he or she was doing to see his or her lord's reaction. He raised himself up from his seat and gazed down at her with a frown.

"You are going to marry Lord Sesshoumaru, and that's final." He gazed sternly down at her from his seat. "Young people these days, they don't know what's good for them," he muttered.

How can an old man be good for me, she thought. She turned from him, furiously, and walked out of the Great Hall to her bedroom.

Rin couldn't sleep that night, for her mind was on other matters. She kept turning over and over in her bed, tossing and turning. I can't stay here; if I do I'll have to marry that old toad. I don't love him. I'm going to find that silver haired man, he is my destiny, I can just feel it. Thunder clapped outside her window and jolted her up from her bed. She pulled the covers off and went to the window, looking outside. The room was chilly because the fire had gone out. The skies were dark with the gray storms clouds that were beginning to form above her head. She looked down at the courtyard below, were the guards were standing watch.

I have to get out of here, she thought. I can't stay any longer.

She sneaked to Kagome's room across the hall and slid open the door

"I'm going to run away," Rin whispered in Kagome's ear.

"What? Are you crazy? You can't!" Kagome sat up from her bed, her hair in wild disarray. "There's a storm coming and you'll drown out there!"

Rin leapt off the bed and ran to the fireplace, warming her chilled hands. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

Kagome followed her out of bed, clad only in a thin shift, her feet bare.

"But where will you go?"

"Rin, please don't," Kagome pleaded with her. "I can't bear it if you get hurt."

"Don't worry about me. I'm tougher than I look."

"Here, take this." Kagome handed her a basket of fresh food.

"Thank you."

"Are you sure you have to go?"

"Kagome, I've had a good time with you. You're like a sister to me. Thanks for all your kindness, but I have to follow my heart." She smiled tremulously and wrapped her arms around Kagome's neck.

They hugged each other for the final time and Rin promised to write to her. She departed down the secret staircase. She stepped outside of the guarded walls into the rain. It was like icicles against her face and she pulled her hood over her head, running as fast as she could away from the castle she had held so dear. She had to choose her own destiny, and marrying an old toad was not one of them. The wind blew fiercely, pushing her back. She tripped and fell, landing in a deep puddle of mud. The basket of food rolled away down the steep hill. She uttered a cry of dismay and tried to go after it, but it had spilled the contents everywhere. Everything was ruined.

Tired and hungry, she finally crossed Lord Higurashi's borders into the foreign land. Feeling faint, she decided to rest under a tree. She was soaked to the skin now, and it looked as if it would be raining for days on end.

A man wearing a black hood riding his horse saw her, and stopped. He got down from his horse, dashing to where she was sitting.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" He sneered at her, coming closer. It was his evils, black as the blackest ebony; she saw such evil and malice in them. Was he one of them?

She uttered a cry and slid away from him until her back bumped against a tree trunk. She was trapped and there was nowhere to run.

"Leave her Naraku, she is mine." That voice, it sounded strangely familiar. A tall figure came forth out of the fog, draped in a dirty white cloak, the fur lining on the collar stained a muddy brown. Lightning flashed and she caught a glimpse of its eyes, golden orbs set under white furrowed brows. Sesshoumaru, what was he doing here?

Naraku backed away, glaring at Sesshoumaru's back with silent hatred. Sesshoumaru bent down and took her into his powerful arms, and carried her to his waiting horse. He mounted and settled her firmly on his lap, riding away to where she had no clue. All she thought about was that she was saved from that horrible man. She clung to him desperately, wanting something strong and stable to hold onto. He pulled his cloak over her head to shield her from the pelting rain. He was warm, so warm and comforting. She cuddled close to his chest, her eyes beginning to droop in weariness. "Thank you," she whispered before falling into a deep careless slumber.

He smiled.

Author's Note: Um, I feel that this is going to be a very stupid story that makes no sense whatsoever, so I might stop writing this one. I'm not feeling up to it. I'm focusing more on "Beneath the Howling Stars." I don't know, do you think I should stop this one?