Sesshomaru had been traveling nonstop for the past two days. When he had arrived at the village the day before, the villagers told him that she had already left.
"How could a human be so damn hard to catch?" thought Sesshomaru as finally stopped to rest under a tree.
He looked down at Rin and was filled with pity. Her breathing was becoming more and more labored. She was deathly thin because she could barely keep any food down, and she was burning up with fever.
"Jaken."
"Yes milord?" squeaked the toad.
"Fetch Rin some cold water. We need to try and keep the fever down until we can find Kotori." said Sesshomaru.
"Right away milord!"
He returned a few minutes later with a small amount of water. Sesshomaru tore off a piece of his kimono and dipped it into the water. He dabbed Rin's forehead lightly and tried to get her to drink. Her lips were cracked and bleeding, but she looked up at Sesshomaru and smiled weakly. She only took two sips of the water before she turned her head to his chest and slept.
"We have to hurry Jaken. She won't last much longer."
"Yes milord." said Jaken glumly.
Kotori watched the sun sink behind the trees. She hadn't had two minutes peace for the past two days. They had fought off at least five demons, with no shards to show for it.
"Well, what did I expect? I knew this wasn't going to be easy." she thought to herself.
Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her waist. "What's wrong, my love?" Miroku's voice whispered in her ear.
She sighed, "Nothing. It's just nice to have a moment's peace after all that fighting. I'm really tired."
He kissed her neck and brought her closer to him, "So am I. Why don't we have some dinner, then we can go to sleep? Kagome is making rice balls."
"Mmm. Sounds delicious."
He chuckled, "Come on. Let's go."
They walked hand-in-hand towards the camp. Shigure was sitting up in a tree. He had been watching Miroku and Kotori talking.
"You are my enemy, Miroku. My rival in love. I love Kotori with all of my heart, but you snatched away any chances I could have had with her. I swear I will do all that I can to keep you two apart." vowed Shigure under his breath.
He jumped down from the tree and joined the others in dinner.
"Kotori, I was wondering," said Shippo in between mouthfuls, "What's so special about the Kenakari? I mean, why does everyone want it?"
Kotori took out her sword and placed it on the ground. "Well, as you can see, it is a double-bladed sword. Very unusual for a samurai sword. It is said that everything that lives has a good and an evil side. This blade is included. It also is made up of good and evil. The good side is represented by one side of the blade, evil is represented by the other." She ran her fingers on each side of the blade.
"But how can a sword be alive?" asked Kagome.
"My master once told me that whoever possess the Kenakari, shares their life force with it. Virtually, giving life to the sword." replied Kotori.
"What about the good and evil sides? What's all that about?" asked Inuyasha impatiently.
"Well, like all living things, this blade possess a good and evil side. The bottom edge of this blade is said to have enough power to slay one hundred demons, or humans, in one swipe. That makes it the evil side of the sword."
"Wow, sounds like the Tetsusaiga, doesn't it Inuyasha? Only your sword can't slay humans." said Shippo.
Inuyasha said nothing. Kotori continued, "The top edge of this blade is said to have extraordinary healing powers."
"There are even rumors that it can bring people back from the dead. But it could just be local lore." said Shigure.
"Sounds like an amazing sword." said Kagome.
"I've heard tales of that sword. Actually, I had planned to steal it after I had used the Shikon Jewel. But that was before I met Kikyo." said Inuyasha.
Everyone was silent for a moment, then Miroku spoke up, "I think I'm going to turn in for the night."
"Yeah, me too. And it's bedtime for you two." said Kotori as she pointed to Kita and Shippo.
"I'm tired too. Well, good night everyone." said Kagome as she went over to her pack and got out her sleeping bag.
As usual, Inuyasha had taken the first watch. He laid his back against a tree and closed his eyes, listening for any sounds that might suggest an attack. All he could hear was the chirping of cicadas and the bubbling of a nearby spring.
"How could a human be so damn hard to catch?" thought Sesshomaru as finally stopped to rest under a tree.
He looked down at Rin and was filled with pity. Her breathing was becoming more and more labored. She was deathly thin because she could barely keep any food down, and she was burning up with fever.
"Jaken."
"Yes milord?" squeaked the toad.
"Fetch Rin some cold water. We need to try and keep the fever down until we can find Kotori." said Sesshomaru.
"Right away milord!"
He returned a few minutes later with a small amount of water. Sesshomaru tore off a piece of his kimono and dipped it into the water. He dabbed Rin's forehead lightly and tried to get her to drink. Her lips were cracked and bleeding, but she looked up at Sesshomaru and smiled weakly. She only took two sips of the water before she turned her head to his chest and slept.
"We have to hurry Jaken. She won't last much longer."
"Yes milord." said Jaken glumly.
Kotori watched the sun sink behind the trees. She hadn't had two minutes peace for the past two days. They had fought off at least five demons, with no shards to show for it.
"Well, what did I expect? I knew this wasn't going to be easy." she thought to herself.
Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her waist. "What's wrong, my love?" Miroku's voice whispered in her ear.
She sighed, "Nothing. It's just nice to have a moment's peace after all that fighting. I'm really tired."
He kissed her neck and brought her closer to him, "So am I. Why don't we have some dinner, then we can go to sleep? Kagome is making rice balls."
"Mmm. Sounds delicious."
He chuckled, "Come on. Let's go."
They walked hand-in-hand towards the camp. Shigure was sitting up in a tree. He had been watching Miroku and Kotori talking.
"You are my enemy, Miroku. My rival in love. I love Kotori with all of my heart, but you snatched away any chances I could have had with her. I swear I will do all that I can to keep you two apart." vowed Shigure under his breath.
He jumped down from the tree and joined the others in dinner.
"Kotori, I was wondering," said Shippo in between mouthfuls, "What's so special about the Kenakari? I mean, why does everyone want it?"
Kotori took out her sword and placed it on the ground. "Well, as you can see, it is a double-bladed sword. Very unusual for a samurai sword. It is said that everything that lives has a good and an evil side. This blade is included. It also is made up of good and evil. The good side is represented by one side of the blade, evil is represented by the other." She ran her fingers on each side of the blade.
"But how can a sword be alive?" asked Kagome.
"My master once told me that whoever possess the Kenakari, shares their life force with it. Virtually, giving life to the sword." replied Kotori.
"What about the good and evil sides? What's all that about?" asked Inuyasha impatiently.
"Well, like all living things, this blade possess a good and evil side. The bottom edge of this blade is said to have enough power to slay one hundred demons, or humans, in one swipe. That makes it the evil side of the sword."
"Wow, sounds like the Tetsusaiga, doesn't it Inuyasha? Only your sword can't slay humans." said Shippo.
Inuyasha said nothing. Kotori continued, "The top edge of this blade is said to have extraordinary healing powers."
"There are even rumors that it can bring people back from the dead. But it could just be local lore." said Shigure.
"Sounds like an amazing sword." said Kagome.
"I've heard tales of that sword. Actually, I had planned to steal it after I had used the Shikon Jewel. But that was before I met Kikyo." said Inuyasha.
Everyone was silent for a moment, then Miroku spoke up, "I think I'm going to turn in for the night."
"Yeah, me too. And it's bedtime for you two." said Kotori as she pointed to Kita and Shippo.
"I'm tired too. Well, good night everyone." said Kagome as she went over to her pack and got out her sleeping bag.
As usual, Inuyasha had taken the first watch. He laid his back against a tree and closed his eyes, listening for any sounds that might suggest an attack. All he could hear was the chirping of cicadas and the bubbling of a nearby spring.