The sky was dim, the forest quiet. Everything still slept in the pre- dawn, curled into their borrows, nests, and huts. The only sounds in this otherwise silent forest were bats calling to each other, the wind rustling the plant life, and the sound of a giant beast stomping through. Sesshoumaru sat atop this beast, otherwise known as Ah-Un. Jaken was behind him near the tail end, fighting the sleep that threatened to claim him. Rin, on the other hand, had easily succumbed to the sleep. She now reclined in front of Sesshoumaru, snuggled up between his chest and tail. How this child managed to sleep so comfortably sitting atop a Youkai beast and snuggled into the bosom of one of the most ruthless and powerful Youkai lords in the land, Sesshoumaru could never figure out. Sesshoumaru raised his eyes to the sky, trying to pinpoint the time. It would be dawn soon...and followed dawn was another day of blistering heat and humidity, eventless riding, and Jaken and Rin's pointless arguments. Oh, how he grew tired of those damn arguments...His gaze swept mechanically through the trees around them, searching for any sign of a threat. Of course, there was nothing. Everything was either sleeping or too afraid to face the lord of the land on which they lived. He smirked. He loved the smell of fear. Youkai fear, human fear...it was a satisfying stench. His gaze drifted down to the slumbering child. Why didn't he ever smell it on her? She was fragile, small, weak, and naive. She--he stopped his thoughts abruptly. He had just realized she was no longer sleeping soundly. No, just the opposite. Her brows were drawn together in--was that fear?-- she was whimpering softly, squirming, and tears were working their way out from under her eyelids. A nightmare. She could be fearless and brave when awake, but she couldn't control her dreams. He inhaled softly, locking the smell of her fear in his memory. Since he couldn't get it out of her, he damn well hoped whatever yume youkai was in her dreams would visit again soon. She shifted her position, turning to bury her face in his chest, her small hands searching for something to cling to like a life support. How was he this comforting to her? His ears perked up when she started mumbling.

"..Akaa..."

That was it.that was why she was afraid. She was dreaming about her mother. He momentarily tried to remember how her family died, but put that search away when she started mumbling again.

"No, Otousan...no..Rin..doesn't wanna..Akaa...said..said..NOO!"

She screamed the last word, making him jump back in surprise. But that wasn't the only result of her sudden yelp. Hundreds of birds were jarred from their slumbers, taking to the sky as a mass of flapping wings and screeching. Ah-Un reared up, frightened in their dumb minds that something was attacking. Jaken rolled off the back and hit the ground when the beast reared. This was fine, it happened plenty of times. But this time, Ah-Un stumbled backwards and sat on him. Sesshoumaru tugged on the reins harshly, barking fiercely at his stupid beast to get off Jaken and continue moving forward. After two or three minutes, Sesshoumaru was starting to lose his well kept cool. Whether it was the birds or Ah-Un's loud huffling and mooing, the whole forest was in a damn uproar. He yanked on the reins again, gagging the youkai into silence. That would stop at least one of the hideous noises going on there...

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru blinked, looking down at the sleepy-eyed child in his lap. She rubbed one eye, yawned and pointing at Ah-Un.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is hurting Ah 'an Un."

He tugged on the reins again when Ah-Un started making noise. "They are stupid, Rin. They do not know what pain is."

She frowned, obviously not liking that answer. She turned her gaze towards Ah-Un's heads. "But Rin can calm them down without those..." she pointed to the reins.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow. How could she calm them down?

"Onegaiiii, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

No. Noooo...she was doing -that thing...she somehow put on this look of complete despair by puffing out her lower lip and making her eyes big and watery. Not this...he always lost to this... He sighed, dropping the reins. "Fine. But be quick."

Her expression changed in an instant to a happy one. "Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

She leaned forward and started crawling towards the junction between their necks. "Ah-chan! Un-chan!"

'She adds chan?' Sesshoumaru mentally slapped himself for going along with the girl's silly plan. Then all at once, the beast's noises stopped. Sesshoumaru looked up to where Rin was patting Ah-Un's necks.

"Good Ah 'an Un! Rin'll give you apples later, kay?"

Un snorted in approval. Rin turned to Sesshoumaru, wearing a cheesy grin; which showed off a recently lost tooth. "Ah 'an Un are good youkai now!"

She started crawling back to her original spot when an annoying screech broke the rapidly quieting forest.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

"Hai, Jaken-sama?"

"Look! Look at ME! I'm bloody and dirty thanks to your silly screeching!!!!"

"But Jaken-sama, Rin didn't screech!"

"NANI!?!?!?! YOU JUST YELPED, THAT'S WHY THIS STUPID YOUKAI SAT ON ME!"

Rin started having a giggle fit at the fact Jaken was sat on while Jaken continued to yell at her. Sesshoumaru looked up at the rising sun. This was going to be a long day.