Chapter 2: The Hooves of a Mare
Part 2a.
More than once, the Lord had deigned to think about the taiji-ya and her brother. Not in any moment of… affection, obviously. But he would admit to a certain dull curiosity. When he had resurrected the boy at Rin's request, he had expected to see Kohaku regain consciousness almost immediately after the ordeal, like Rin. That was not the case—in fact, it took the boy nearly two hours to awaken. And all the while, his eyelashes had fluttered sporadically against his pale face, his eyelids nearly translucent. He was possibly even fighting consciousness as it was. What would induce a puny mortal to such a reluctant return to life? Would they not cherish it more due to their shortened lifelines? The boy was certainly odd. There was also the bond between Kohaku and Rin to take into account—one that the mighty youkai suspected to be stronger and deeper than the one he had initially brought upon them both with his own hands. It had probably already taken root since their first meeting, when the brat had still been under Naraku's influence. Sesshoumaru also could not forget the words his ward had given to him in her farewell, nor could he deny the boy's silent acquiescence. A promise… only mortals would come up with something as foolish as that. Youkai were not tied down by time, morals or… promises.
And the female taiji-ya?
He had to admit that her bravery was most unexpected from her… a female mortal, at that. There were all sorts of battle sentiments that often were mistaken with true courage. His hanyou brother often depicted a foolhardy attitude towards fighting that left him inclined to classify it as stupidity, rather than conscientious valor. But nothing in this wench's actions had been thoughtlessly acted upon, as of now. The act of breaking the vow she had made had been deliberate; in fact, it had probably been calculated from the start. The mere notion of a mortal standing up to a youkai was laughable, and she must have either been mad, stupid or completely desperate in order to do such a thing, and, as she seemed to be neither of the first two, he reluctantly admitted that her desperation made her brave.
He knew, as instinctively as he had known how to use his claws in his first hunt, that it was not the last time he would set his eyes upon the taiji-ya and her haunted brother. The promise… how come it always came back to the idea of promises? Yet, he could not ignore the power that the concept held over mortals. It was because of this wispy concept that the youkai exterminator came back year after year. Why Kohaku would come again. And it was because of the same promise that Rin would continue to wait patiently for him, her dark eyes full of expectance and… something else he could not identify. She had also disobeyed him once for this promise. Whatever it was, it must have meant a lot for her—she had not disobeyed him conscientiously like that for years. He would have to investigate further on this notion. Surely it was not so whimsical and weak, if humans would bet their lives upon it.
The short yet violent crunching of the leaves beneath his feet seemed to punctuate his thoughts, and the demon lord briefly halted, waiting with an air of practiced patience for his two companions to pick up their speed and catch up with him. It was time again to head northwest and scout his lands. The act of inspecting his terrain had been at first dutifully yet dully done, but with the added company, Sesshoumaru found that there was almost a lingering peace that gathered from within, even if the source of that calmness was ephemeral within herself.
*
She sensed the chill through her toes and anticipated the coming of snow: When the sun is up, I will ask Jaken-sama to get me some shoes. Curling up into a tighter ball, Rin let out a sigh and clung to the cloak that covered her, willing herself to control her shivering. It wouldn't do for her to awaken Sesshoumaru-sama with all her fussing. She would just have to wait until daybreak. The moon still hung high in the sky, its pristine eeriness glistening in the midnight sky. Sleep would not come back to Rin—not that she craved it much; she had a lot to think over. Or rather, a lot of consuming thoughts about one particular person.
Kohaku…
the name soothed her with its woody strength. She brought a trembling hand to
the moonlight, letting a simple, woven bracelet catch the nocturnal light. She
had his word—the embodiment of his promise. He had bade her farewell… and she
had let him. Yet, his eyes had told her that he would keep his promise, and she
had only called out to him only to quiet her own doubts, to finalize their bond
by voicing it aloud, and he, in his usual steady reticence, turned to reassure
her with a nod. That was enough to wipe away her tears and urge a smile of her
own accord. It was only then that she turned back to follow Sesshoumaru-sama.
Her thoughts shifted from one
male to another as her countenance changed from wistful anticipation to certain
regret at the idea of having to one day part with her youkai savior and father
figure. Although she had not mentioned any change of matters between them, he
had instinctively known something had been tweaked the day she had come out of
the woods with Kohaku. They had done nothing to warrant his suspicion, but he
had sensed a little of the truth out with his uncanny awareness. The truth had
finally been brought out in the open the day Kohaku took his sister's offer.
First, she had disobeyed his order to follow him, and second, she had
specifically reminded Kohaku and notified the others of their promise. When she
had turned to follow the demon lord, she had to erase her smile and walked over
to him in an apprehensive manner—would he punish her for disobeying him? For
engaging herself in secrets that she would not share with him? Few people could
go against his authority and live to tell the tale. The only ones she could
think of were his half-brother Inuyasha and his mate Kagome, as well as Kohaku
and Sango. Would she be as fortunate? As she mused over her fate, a thought
flitted somewhat vaguely through her mind: Odd that the only individuals he
had allowed to live, or couldn't bother punishing were all mortals or partially
so.
And she had to wonder how much Sesshoumaru-sama had allowed himself to be influenced by her, and if this had anything to do with the surprisingly large number of humans who had survived what would surely be an extremely painful death.
**
The fact of the matter was that men could ill spare their time and money entrusting the extermination of bothersome youkai to a mere slip of a girl and her adolescent brother. When she had been a taiji-ya under her father's careful eye, there had been little protest and much honor in her profession. Now, without a father, she was forced to take the blatant truth into account: no one would hire her, not as a lone professional, especially once her gender was considered. Once she had successfully retrieved Kohaku, she knew she would have to work hard to settle down as an ordinary woman—something she had never had to worry about until this instant. Now that she had her brother to care for, she knew that she would have to reach for the extraordinary in order to become "ordinary".
The slender, raven-haired woman let out a frustrated sigh; her shoulders tense as she stepped into the sunlight. Kohaku automatically brought a hand up to shield his eyes from the sudden burst of daylight, dutifully following his sister into the clearing. He was a mere boy, but he had learned a myriad of things that most grown men would never experience. Sin, morals, redemption, and guilt… his youthful gait and fresh face could not hide the aged weariness of his worn, russet eyes. At the promising age of sixteen, Kohaku already bore the eyes of an old man. And, like an old man, Sango could see that her younger brother was worn—inside out. She could see the first signs of yellow and ginger in the forest—she would have to find refuge fast so they could beat wintry hostility behind the comfort of steady village walls.
Days seemed to pass painstakingly as the two lumbered on. Finally, the solitary figures of a woman and a slender boy stumbled upon the bearings of a valley near the north. With their cheeks glowing rosily, and their noses numb from the impending winter, their wide eyes drank in the splendor of the flaming lands before them and the glacial mountains beyond. Noble, dark trees filled the valley, with interspersed villages taking up space in the clearings. A robust river coiled entwined between what seemed to be an unusually formidable fortress and a small-sized, yet orderly-seeming village on the other side. All stood colorfully beneath an aggressively raw blue sky. Awed by the splendor that only nature could lend to weary travelers, Sango murmured in the faintest of whispers, "This will do just fine."
Author's note:
I just realized something…
In all my stories (not just this one), I'm always hard-pressed and utterly lethargic with my plot (if I have any). It's just a lot of introspection and reflection, with an ample dose of angst, WAFF or even humor, but not much else. Hmmm… let's see if I can make this go at a steadier, faster pace.
Again, thanks to those who have reviewed. Constructive criticism and reviews are always most appreciated!
Also, the thoughts of my characters are a little skewed (as in Sesshoumaru thinking that Inuyasha is not purposefully courageous, rather, he is stupid or reckless), and they are oftentimes most certainly NOT shared with me. In my opinion, I think Inuyasha has a lot of guts… he just doesn't think things through often… making it seem like stupidity.
Will Rin get punished? Nah. Sesshoumaru is more bemused (not amused) than anything.
I solemnly swear that I will get part 2b out before I leave to Europe.
Oh, and there is a reason for why there is a part a and part b. It's subtle, but it's there.
