To the Readers: Oh. I think I forgot to add a disclaimer to the beginning of this story. Consider it disclaimed. I do not own these characters. I am just a fan. As always, thank you all for your kind reviews. Hopefully, this chapter will answer some of the questions you may have.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 3: ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ayaaaa. Rin-chan! Hurry up! At this rate it will be tomorrow before we even get there," Meiko said, stamping her foot impetuously.

"Oh. But, this beetle is so interesting, Meiko-sama," Rin replied, looking up from where she had crouched down at the side of the road. And indeed, it was truly an interesting beetle, being a lovely iridescent blue and possessing exceedingly long legs, but that isn't what had caused Rin to hold up their trip. Quite simply, she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach about travelling to a human town.

"Feh. I know you, Rin-chan. Don't be frightened. I know most of the humans in this village, and I have known their parents, and grandparents. You don't even have to talk to anyone if you don't want. We'll get the things we need, and take them back to the estate. Trust your Meiko-sama."

"Alright, Meiko-sama," Rin said as she stood up and dusted off her yukata.

Rin had never travelled so far out of the estate without Lord Sesshoumaru at her side. She felt exposed, unsure of herself without her master's steadiness to lean upon. 'This would be what life would be like without him,' her mind whispered, 'A constant uncertainty about what the next moment might bring.'

After some time, Rin spoke up, "How is Reiko-sama? Is he doing better?"

"Ah yeah, he's a tough one, my brother. And he will heal quickly. But, he was so excited, did you know that Sesshoumaru-sama even came to visit him?"

"He did?" Rin's eyes twinkled in pleasant surprise.

"Yes! He said to Reiko, 'This Sesshoumaru is pleased at the actions of his servant, Reiko, for attempting to protect our household. But, in the future, perhaps you should be a bit better prepared before foolishly rushing headlong into such situations.' That is -exactly- what he said. And then Sesshoumaru-sama laid a very nice katana down by Reiko's side!"

Rin touched the collar of her own yukata in an expression of shock as she whispered, "How wonderful."

"Reiko thinks so. He certainly won't stop chattering on and on about how as soon as he is well, he will learn swordsmanship, and then be even more effective in fending off his sister's suitors," Meiko revealed with a scowl before adding, "As if I am not perfectly capable on my own of fending off those unworthy to be my mate."

The lanky human giggled merrily at her companion's words, for the moment forgetting the village ahead. 'Sesshoumaru-sama gave Reiko a katana. And he thanked him, in his own way.' It seemed very unlike her master to do such a thing, to go out of his way to bestow such kindness on a servant. But then again, she did not personally know her master to be a cruel man. Although his words of praise were rare and sparing, he knew how and when to place them when they were required. Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru's enemies would never understand, not like Rin did. He had fought and killed many humans and many youkai, but never for selfish purposes, never for sport. He only did so out of the duty and responsibility put upon his shoulders by his lineage. Rin now felt that she had to believe this firmly, that somehow, Lord Sesshoumaru needed her to believe in him and that this had been his unspoken wish all along.

'He needs Rin to believe in him,' Rin repeated in her mind, 'So that he can continue to exist on a plane far above any other youkai. It must be true. It simply must.'

Rin's thoughts were interrupted by Meiko, "Thanks again, Rin-chan, for helping me out while Reiko heals. Oooh. Look!"

In the valley below, the human village bustled with activity. Colorful banners were strewn across streets and bright flags hung from poles. Children danced in circles, and ran from house to house, laughing and singing. The older residents milled in the roads, speaking to each other with animated expressions beneath large round paper lanterns.

"Oh! It must be a festival!" Meiko squealed.

"A festival?"

"Oh yes. Those humans, they've all sorts of celebrations for any number of reasons. I'd suppose they'd have to, what with the rest of their lives being filled with so much confusion and suffering," Meiko opined as the pair begun their descent into the valley, "All the better for us, though. As drunk as the shopkeepers will be, they'll unlikely be in any state to drive a hard bargain."

Rin didn't really feel she understood Meiko's explanation, but followed the chatelaine nonetheless. Rin had few memories of her own regarding humanity, most of them dealing with fear and pain and sadness. But, as they entered the village, Rin noticed how exuberant her fellow humans seemed to be. She almost felt mocked, hurt that she had been denied the gift of happiness which humans -did- obviously possess. Like stingy hosts, they had waited until Rin left humanity before consuming the wine of joy.

As they approached the town, several children ran past, a kite trailing high in the sky above them. A little girl broke off from the group upon seeing Meiko and ran towards the raccoon youkai.

"Aie, Meiko-sama, have you come for the festival?" The girl asked. Her gaze darted from Meiko to Rin, and the girl's eyes grew wide and questioning. "Ooo, Meiko-sama, is she another of your kind? A youkai?"

Meiko seemed a bit flabbergasted by the question, turning to look at Rin for a moment before answering, "No, Fujima, she is not."

The child scratced her own cheek while thinking on this, "Oh. Then she must be a kami(1)!"

"No, Fujima, she is a human, like you, can't you see that?"

The child scowled, scrunching her face up as if this position would allow her a more perceptive view of Rin. "Doesn't look like any human -I- have ever seen, Meiko-sama." Fujima then realized she had fallen far behind her kite-flying comrades, and ran off in search of them.

As the pair walked the crowded streets, Rin noticed more of the same. All around her, people whispered. "What a strange girl!" "Why, do you think she's a foreigner?" "No, I'm betting she's some sort of priestess." "I've never seen a priestess that looks like that. Something is wrong with that girl." "She can't be human, look at how tall she is, how long her limbs. It is unnatural for a woman to look like that." "Her hair seems like a flowing river of darkness. She must be enchanted." "Nay, an oni..definitely an oni..."

Rin felt as if she might suffocate. The bustling people who hurried around the streets, yelling to each other, whispering about her, caused her mind to become dizzy with confusion. As Meiko inspected some linens, Rin asked, "Meiko-sama, why do they stare at Rin?"

"Oh, pay no attention Rin-chan. They are often mistrustful of newcomers, that's all."

"But..."

"Oh, look at this cloth Rin. Very fine, no? Would make excellent bedding..."

"Rin doesn't...feel so well...Meiko-sama."

And with that, Rin fainted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oi, she's awake!"

A wrinkled but smiling face swam into Rin's view. Automatically terrified of seeing anyone besides Sesshoumaru, Jakken, or the raccoon twins standing above her, Rin let out a frightened yelp. This caused the woman to stumble backwards slightly and clutch at her chest. "My goodness, child, but you've got lungs on you."

"Who...." Rin began as she tried to sit up.

"Don't worry Rin, this is Kasumi-san. Her husband is the local incense-maker, and they are good friends of mine," Meiko's voice said reassuringly. "I've arranged with her to let you wait here on her porch while I finish buying the things we need. You fainted, you see. Probably just too much stimulation."

"Thank you, Meiko-sama," Rin replied, finally managing to push herself up. "And thank you very much, Kasumi-san."

"It's not a problem at all, child. Why, I remember the first big festival I attended. Nearly knocked myself clean out when I wasn't watching and ran into a fruit stand." The old woman laughed at herself with a shake of the head, "Now, my old raccoon friend, you run along and trust Kasumi here with this bairn. And you, little Rin, why don't we get some tasty food into that belly of yours. I bet that will make you feel a whole lot better."

Rin nodded, the woman's good nature drawing the natural smile from the teenager's face. 'How strange,' Rin thought, 'This human is not at all like the humans Rin has seen or remembers. She's even jovial. But then, Kasumi-san is friends with Meiko-sama, so she must be special enough to at least realize a few things about the world.'

After Meiko left, Kasumi fed the girl yudofu (tofu hotpot) and rakkyo pickles. They sat together on the porch of the modest home, watching the festivities in the street beyond. Music had begun to waft through the street, as a travelling band sang songs both of inspiration and tragedy.

"So, tell me Rin, have you a man in your life?" old Kasumi asked as she brushed a wrinkle from her weathered yukata.

"A man? Oh, you mean like a mate?"

Kasumi chuckled, the child sure had a strange way about her. It wasn't hard to believe the girl had hardly ever been among humans. "Sure. I suppose you could call it that."

"No. Rin has no mate. But, then, there are no other humans where Rin lives."

"That must be terrible," the old woman replied. "Say, Rin-chan, I bet you have never tried sake before, have you?"

"Rin does not think so, what is it?"

Kasumi chuckled lightly as she said, "Well, it is a drink that will put warmth in your heart and in your belly. Here, you should try some. It may be too strong at first, but after a few sips, you'll get the hang of it."

The drink was, indeed, very strong. But, so as not to be impolite, Rin drank as instructed. The warmth of the sake slid down her throat and made the girl feel as if her whole body glowed. The entire world seemed to shine with a newness and freshness, as Rin finished her third...or was that fourth...cup.

After some time, Kasumi's huband Chisato, and her two sons, Goke and Hasi, joined the ladies on the porch. Rin noticed that both the sons were much older than her, but noticed little else in between her sake-induced fit of giggles.

When Rin would later recall the next few minutes, they would blur in her mind like flashes of a nightmare. She had stood, meaning to dance lightly in the yard to rid herself of some of the excess energy which now be burst from her every pore. One moment, she twirled and skipped, the next, a grip crushed each of her delicate wrists, and Rin felt herself being forced backwards between two storage rooms.

"Kasumi-san?" Rin whimpered, realizing her attackers were none other than Goke and Hasi, the old woman's sons. As Rin looked towards the porch, she witnessed that Kasumi's friendly smile had disappeared, to be replaced with an empty scowl.

"I told you some good would come out of befriending that stupid raccoon-youkai one day, eh anata?" Kasumi said, crossing her arms and snarling in Rin's direction. "Don't hurt her too badly there Hasi, we do eventually have to give her back, and if you break her arm, our story won't be believeable."

"Right, ma." The thug lessened his grip slightly.

"Kasumi...but why...why....?"

The incense-maker produced a wooden bowl and a knife as his wife replied, "Stupid child. They really should have never brought you to this town. Sure, with the festival, this town looks like good times have befallen all, but the truth hides beneath those banners. The people in this town struggle every single day to have food and shelter. And my family and I are no different. Until today. You'll be able to give us something that will ensure we'll eat for a very long time."

"Rin....Rin has nothing to give, Kasumi-san, no money so...if you let me go...Rin promises to help in any way she can..."

"Oh, you have something to give alright. You have blood. The blood from the breast of an untouched maiden makes a powerfully magical incense, sought by nobles and priests across this land. And your blood, well...a girl raised by the youkai, that would be doubly magical, we are betting," Kasumi answered. Her husband walked towards the girl. He was a slight man, Rin noticed, who almost trembled at his own wife's words.

"Meiko-sama...the others...they will find out about this, Kasumi-san," Rin reasoned, betting the humans would rather not go up against a gang of powerful youkai.

"No. No they won't. See, afterwards, we'll burn out special Forgetting Incense. It is unlikely you will remember most of the afternoon. Then I will tell Meiko that you drank too much sake and slipped in the kitchen on a knife while helping me prepare dinner. You and I, we'll be great friends again, you see. Maybe you'll even come back here and give us more blood next time."

Kasumi's husband, Chisato stood in front of Rin. The look in his eyes told Rin that he felt at least some compassion for the girl, but survival dictacted he indulge in the deed his wife dictated. With one swift motion, he cut away the left collar of Rin's yukata and tore downards, exposing Rin's supple breast.

A single tear of humiliation ran down Rin's cheek as she whispered to the man before her, who seemed almost as frightened as she did. "Chisato-san, please. You do not need to do this."

"I must," he replied. "Goki, go and find the Forgetting Incense, and some bandages, too. Hasi, hold her arms behind her back."

"No....no....don't...."

Rin was almost sure she heard the man utter an apology as his sharp knife bit into her flesh, tearing a gash into the underside of her breast. But the pain of the cut didn't hurt nearly as bad as the pain in her heart. Fooled again. Fooled into thinking that humans might be anything besides savage creatures bent on hurting one another for any advantage they might gain, for any reason and at any time.

Blood flowed into the wooden bowl.

For once, Rin felt, rather than sadness, a rising fury. Perhaps the sake had forced some long pent-up aggression out of a cage deep within Rin. Perhaps a trapped creature can always tap into some hidden reserve of strength. But, at that moment, Rin screamed a way cry that startled even herself, and quite certainly startled Hasi, the man holding her wrists. It startled him enough that his grip on one wrist loosened enough for Rin to twist free, swing around, and kick the man where...instinctively...all females know to kick a man. Directly in his crotch.

With one son off looking for bandages, one cradling his rather sensitive bits, and a husband trying to steady a bowl of blood that had been upset in Rin's escape, Kasumi stood no chance of recapturing Rin alone. In a flash, the youkai-raised human had jumped the gate of the incense-maker's house and ran madly down the street, her strong teenage legs propelling her forward. Rin clutched the torn flap of her yukata as she sprinted through the streets, the sake and the loss of blood causing each face, each building, she passed to seem monstrous. Every human had suddenly become the undead, screaming, snarling, gnashing at the girl who ran past in terror.

Rin ran and ran, and when she reached the edge of town, she ran some more. 'The estate must not be too far,' Rin reasoned, 'It took us only an hour or two to walk here, and I have been running...running so long.'

Finally, Rin could run no more. Both the sake and her wound required sleep. Her leg muscles pulsed and ached. Surely she could sleep now and walk the rest of the way after sundown. Or perhaps Meiko would come by on her way back to the estate.

With her last bit of strength, Rin climbed the largest tree she could find. As she fell asleep, Rin wondered if she would ever feel safe among her own kind, if she would ever find joy in being human.

Unfortunately for Rin, the human girl hadn't noticed that she had run from the village in exactly the -opposite- direction of Lord Sesshoumaru's estate.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meiko ran as fast as her raccoon speed would take her, and then ran even faster. The forest became a haze around her as her speed increased. Something was wrong. Something about the story that Kasumi had told her was wrong. But, what could she do? If she attacked the woman and beat the truth out of her, the rest of the human population of the village would likely turn on Meiko. And she and her brother had toiled so hard for so many years to establish a working-relationship with the people.

Meiko hadn't found Rin anywhere along the road back to the estate. And now, she hoped desperately that she would find Rin inside the estate's confines, even though she knew instinctively that she would have no such luck. If Rin had passed this way back to Lord Sesshoumaru's estate, Meiko should have been able to pick up her scent.

When she finally arrived at the mansion, Meiko ran from room to room, desperately dearching for some trace of her Rin-chan. Finally, she came to the last, and largest room.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama, are you in there?"

The door opened in answer, and the Great Lord of the Western Lands looked more than a little perturbed to be disturbed during his evening contemplations. Meiko noticed that his strong claws dug into the wood of the door, splintering it slightly, as he waited for her to state her business.

"My apologies, your lordship, for disturbing you. Might I inquire if Rin is...in there with you?"

"She is not," came the cool-toned reply.

"It's just...you see...she's gone missing!" Meiko blurted. As his chatelaine related the entire story, Sesshoumaru's face gazed forward impassively. The more Meiko told, the more unexpressive her master's visage became. Finally, when she finished, she bowed her head slightly, waiting for reprimand at losing her master's favorite pet.

Instead she heard the dispassionate reply, "Indeed. This Sesshoumaru suggests you continue looking for what you lost."

As Sesshoumaru stepped away from the door and returned, ostensibly, to his evening duties, Meiko noticed that the marble floor of the hallway had become littered with fist-sized chunks of the door. She'd been so focused on her master's face that she hadn't realized that his claws had been contracting against the fragile wooden door, tearing it to pieces.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rin. Rin. Rin. The name pounded in Sesshoumaru's head with every step, with every breath. 'Why does she cause such effects on this Sesshoumaru?' he pondered as the forest flew past. 'What trickster god is laughing at this entire situation? But, I...for some reason I must not lose her. No. She is merely a pet. I've merely grown accustomed to having her nearby, and am a creature of habit. That is all. If only I could still convince myself of that. Perhaps madness has me. Perhaps I went mad on that night, that night that Daishirou came to call. Or, no, maybe it is Tenseiga. Maybe whatever Rin did with the sword has had an effect on this Sesshoumaru as well.'

These torments continued as the Great Lord of the Western Lands found himself outside of a human village only minutes after leaving his own estate. He should have never let them settle so nearby, he concluded, he should have destroyed the town and its inhabitants long ago, when they first began to gather there. Why didn't he? Sesshoumaru tried to rack his mind for an answer, but finally gave up, shaken from his reverie by the unmistakable smell of Rin's blood.

Sesshoumaru felt as if the same jade-colored poison that he oft used upon his enemies now gnawed at his own innards. Rage boiled in his mind, causing his golden eyes to become crimson. He had to find her, and any being that stood in his way would most definitely find itself in a private apocalypse.

How? How had she done this to him? Even Inuyasha could not raise Sesshoumaru's ire to such levels. That thought, too, added to the fury that fueled his search. No human should be allowed to have so much control over the Great Lord of the Western Lands. He would kill her. That had to be the only solution. He had to kill Rin to stop this madness from continuing.

Every time she was hurt, every time she was lost or in trouble, he found himself a little less able to hide the fact that he couldn't stand losing her, a little less able to keep the all-important control over his actions and emotions. The very thought sickened him, he felt ill at his own weakness. He had to prove his strength, if not to the world, then to himself. He must kill her. He must.

Forest creatures scattered. Trees and obstacles all but literally melted from the great youkai's path. The smell, the smell of her blood. It tore through his mind more powerfully than a katana, ripping at his sanity.

He found her, finally, miles from the village. At first, Sesshoumaru saw only Rin's pale arm, an arm that hung limply from a tree above a pool of stagnant blood. Dried rivulets of blood encircled her arm like vines.

Sesshoumaru easily jumped to the branch above Rin's, looking down at the girl to assess the situation. What he found drove him even farther from his desired state of detachedness. The teenager's yukata had been ripped open, exposing a breast from which blood now flowed freely, soaking her yellow yukata. Even from his distance, he could smell the alcohol on Rin's shallow breath, and the faint odor of a human male still lingered as well. Tiny cuts riddled Rin's face and clothing, from briars and bushes, from escaping and climbing.

Someone would pay. Someone would pay in blood.

Sesshoumaru's claws pressed into his hand, drawing his own blood from his palm. He had to focus. He had...to remain...in control. He, Sesshoumaru, great youkai lord of the Western Lands, was -always- in control. Even when Daishirou had attacked, he had known. He had been prepared to do battle. He had controlled the lesser youkai's actions and had outsmarted him. When Rin was ill, he had been able to make her better. But this...this had happened...outside of his control. She had been hurt, and he hadn't been there to stop it.

And at the moment of that realization, something inside Sesshoumaru broke.

He let out a cry that caused every noise in the forest to become still in fear. Every bird. Every cricket. Every blade of grass froze as Sesshoumaru's yell echoed throughout the land, coating the forest with his horror.

"Ses...shou...maru...sama..." Rin whispered, her eyes still closed. Her bottom lip quivered with pain as she attempted to lift her arm in his direction.

She'd lost so much blood, he noticed, the wound exacerbated by her running. No doubt the sake, as well, had played its part in thinning her blood and quickening her heartbeat. As he scooped her from her branch and jumped gently down to the forest floor below, Sesshoumaru felt Rin's warm breath brush past the hairs on his neck, the coolness of her blood-drained cheek against the side of his face.

He couldn't carry her back to the estate. The trip would be too jolting, and in his own state he doubted he would be able to make it less harsh. He'd have to dress her wounds here and let her rest until morning.

'Or you could kill her. Kill her now and be done with her. Be done with this madness. Control everything, as it should be,' Sesshoumaru's mind commanded as he tore the left sleeve off of his garments and began to bind Rin's wound.

'It would be so easy to kill her now. You wouldn't even have to look at her eyes, those eyes which seem to know everything about you. Those terrible bright eyes that see through every wall you put up. You could escape wordlessly, soundlessly, escape the weakness that you -know- she will inflict upon your psyche if you let her live one more day, one more hour.'

"This Sesshoumaru will not..." he began, realizing his inner turmoil had finally brought him to speaking to himself.

'You are weak, Sesshoumaru. Weak as that hanyou brother of yours. What is wrong? Can't you kill a simple human? Can't you put down this pet of yours, like you always said you could? This weakness will permeate your soul. Every youkai will sense it soon. They will sense your doubt, your feelings for this girl, if you can not control yourself. And this night has shown, where Rin is concerned, you can not control yourself. Kill her.'

"This Sesshoumaru can not....can not..." he murmured in reply to himself. He let one claw gently slide across Rin's forehead and over her right temple, pushing errant strands of hair behind her ear. A tiny sigh escaped Rin's parted lips.

And, in her sleep she murmured, "Sesshou...maru...sama...Rin believes...I believe...in you..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A stoic forest and ancient stars played the only witnesses to the scene of that night, when a powerful youkai lord lay against a mighty oak tree, cradling a slender human teenager in his arms. His feral eyes glowed brighter than fireflies, piercing the darkness as keenly as a hawk, a warning to any that might come near. And if trees and stars could talk, they would tell you that as the moonlight burst from the clouds, illuminating the grove in a bluish glow, the youkai lord buried his face in the human's hair and...quite audibly....sighed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a legend in a small village somewhere in the west, that upon one holy festival day, an incense maker, his wife, and his two sons tried to steal something that belonged to a youkai lord. The very next day, they awoke to find their house and massive stores of incense ablaze. Although all four of the family members escaped the fire with their lives, the many incenses which burned with the house were forever absorbed into their skin. It seems that somehow, these myriad incenses (when mixed and burned with a certain rare jade-colored poison) produced a stink that rivaled even the most pungent skunk.

And no matter how much they washed or scrubbed, that particular smell clung to their skin for the rest of their lives.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You sent for Rin, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin chirped gaily as she entered her master's private quarters. He stood motionless, as he often did in the morning, gazing from his window across the lands he claimed by birthright.

Rin had been up for some time already, clipping flowers in the garden to set in vases around the mansion. She'd gotten quite good at flower arrangement, and rarely left a decorative container unmolested. Morning flowers were best for clipping, she knew it would be best to gather them before they had wasted all their energy on the midday sun.

"Hai," the answer came after some time. "Your wound, it is healed now?"

"Oh, oh yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin replied, "Thank you for inquiring."

Rin remembered little of that evening two weeks previous. She had run from Kasumi's house, run madly through the streets and through the forests. The next thing she remembered, she awoke to find Lord Sesshoumaru carrying her up the many steps to the manor. He didn't come to visit her while she healed, but Meiko did come by and give her quite an earful of a lecture about the dangers of sake.

"There is a wakizashi on the table to your left. Pick it up."

Rin did as commanded, without questioning the reasoning. Certainly, all would be made clear in good time.

"Unsheath it."

Rin did so. She wasn't quite sure how to hold the drawn short sword, so she pointed it downwards. Less likely to hurt someone that way. Sesshoumaru turned to face Rin, and she noticed that his own sword, Toukijin, was drawn. A myriad of scenarios ran through the young woman's head, none of them containing sense.

"Defend yourself."

Rin's eyes grew wide at these words. She must have heard incorrectly. No. No. Lord Sesshoumaru was definitely coming towards her. Rin shrieked and dropped the wakizashi, which barely missed stabbing her in the foot. He hands flew to her face, instinctively covering her eyes. Any moment now. Any moment now she would feel the blow. Pain. It should feel something like when Kasumi's husband cut her, she figured, only deeper, more penetrating.

But, the only thing she felt was a sharp sting on her right ear, as if she'd been bitten by a bloodthirsty bug. Slowly removing her hands from her face, she found she stood very close to Lord Sesshoumaru. His good arm held the sword Toukijin at her temple, and its fine edge had nicked her ear.

Impassive golden eyes stared into her own. He stood silently for what seemed an eternity to Rin, scrutinizing her face.

'Why isn't she afraid? She should be afraid. Fear will motivate her. If I smelled fear on her, then I could relax somewhat,' Sesshoumaru thought.

"If you do not wish to be a victim your entire life, Rin, you should learn to defend yourself."

"If that would please you, Sesshoumaru-sama, that is what Rin shall do!" the young woman said with a genuine smile.

'I just all but tried to kill her, and she smiles as if it were nothing. How? But, at least she will try to learn some sort of defense. Maybe, maybe if she learns to defend herself, this Sesshoumaru will have less reason to...lose...control...'

Sesshoumaru sheathed Toukijin and turned away from Rin. He couldn't allow even the possibility of her noticing the struggle which raged within him. 'Nonetheless, Sesshoumaru, you know very well that there are many things from which she can not protect herself. She may be able to learn to fend off one or two humans, maybe even the very weakest of youkai. Past that, she will still be as vulnerable as a lamb. Something...must...be...done.'

Rin daintily picked up the wakizashi and struggled to put it back in its sheath. At that moment, Sesshoumaru chose to speak.

"When spring comes, this Sesshoumaru must make a great journey to the realm of the fox youkai lasting several months," her master pronounced.

Rin felt an odd sense of deja-vu wash over her. Oh yes, he had said those words before, before he left all those years ago, before she had fallen ill. The seventeen year old searched for the proper response.

"May Rin attend Sesshoumaru-sama on his journey?"

For some time, the youkai remained silent. Rin wondered if she had somehow overstepped propriety without knowing.

"Yes."

Sesshoumaru noticed the thick scent of Rin's joy, like the perfume of cinnamon and earthy spices, permeated the air. And even though he had his back to her, he could tell that she all but leapt from her skin in happiness.

"Rin has always wanted to see the lands of the noble fox youkai. Oh, thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru merely held up his hand slightly in both acknowledgement of her words and dismissal. And with his signal, Rin ran from the room, clutching her wakizashi as she might a bouquet of flowers.

"This Sesshoumaru knows, Rin, he knows," the master of the house murmured to himself after the young woman had left earshot.

'And besides,' he thought, 'What would be the harm in granting one or two final wishes for Rin?'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In our next episode: Rin and Sesshoumaru take a trip -without- Jakken. The author actually writes a chapter where Rin neither gets ill NOR attacked by anything. Sesshoumaru continues to cling to sanity! We hope you look forward to it.

(1) From a relevant webpage I found: In Shinto there are eight million kami, however the number eight was also used to denote many, so lets just say their are lots of them. Every rock, animal, spring, emotion, quality and even person has a kami associated with it. The spirits of the dead are even kami. At some point it would be useful to define exactly what is a kami. There are number of possible answers to this, from the western perspective the easiest answer would be just to call them gods...