Jin stared disbelievingly at the sight before him as his hopeful face fell. Touya's sad expression returned as he placed a hand on the other Shinobi's shoulder. What the two demons had found was what appeared to be a pile of cloth and sheets...most likely the remains of a crude bed. The sheets themselves were charred badly where the fire had caught on...but on top of the sheets clearly lay the marred body of a young woman. She was clearly long gone.
The sex of the demon could be determined by the deformed contours of the body...even in death her shape held a distinctly feminine form. Her flesh was black, malleable, and looked like tree bark...the scent of her death wafted up to Jin and Touya as if mocking them for having any hope at all. She lay on her front, knees drawn toward her stomach with her back raised in the air...as if she had been curling up into a fetal position before she died. The smell of blood and semen was strong here, and it appeared that the fire had stopped burning around the area of her hands, which were near her face, for they only had second-degree burns upon them. It was mostly the posterior portion of her body and her legs that were burned to a blackness, molding her extremities together reminiscent of Pompeii's victims. Some heat still radiated from the corpse due to the only recently doused fire.
"...The piles of wood must have kept her from getting wet in the rain...that would explain why she is still warm after all this time..." Touya said very quietly to himself. Though he could not discern what sound Jin could have possible heard besides the crackling of some still lit coals near the body. 'He must have heard the hissing of the embers being put out; to someone as hopeful as Jin that sound could have been the exhale of a still breathing creature.' He thought while kneeling to look at the corpse more closely.
'How horribly she must have died,' Jin thought. 'To think that this could be done to someone for no other reason than to cause pain...'
He simply stared helplessly at the dead and violated woman...his hopes had been raised then crushed even more potently than ever before. A light had been shown to him and foolishly he grasped for it thinking in all vain hope that he might actually find someone alive. He silently reproached himself for being so naive and also for bringing Touya's hopes up...Jin knew better than the other Shinobi that Touya would have been just as happy to find some survivor after all this death and despair. He squatted down next to Touya who was examining the woman's back.
"...I..." Jin started in a sorrowful, nearly cracking voice. Touya looked over at Jin with a helpless look in his eyes. He had no idea what to say or do; nothing would ever make Jin feel alright about this and certainly nothing would make any difference at this point. "...I...am sorry to you...for not bein' able to...protect you Miss..." he said directed at the body. "...If I had only come sooner..." he sighed looking up to the cloudy sky. Touya was afraid for Jin at this point. He had never heard the demon talk with such seriousness or sorrow. Whatever joy Jin had in his soul, his partner feared was now extinguished. "...Oh gods...please give me something to hold onto...there must be some...some purpose in this world for us...besides staying in the dark," his voice broke at this and Jin was unable to go on.
Then the rain ceased...and as if on cue, a mewl was uttered from beneath the dead woman's body. Though this time it did not stop, but continued. Jin snapped his gaze back down to the woman as Touya jumped back at the sound, almost afraid to hope. It was music to Jin's ears and he pushed aside more rubble near the woman's hands and moved to the right side of her body. He leaned down and peered underneath the front of her. There he found an answer to his prayers.
A small dark bundle of rags squirmed under the chest of the woman. Jin watched in awe as a small hand with second degree burns, reached out to touch the body above it. Jin was amazed that it was still able to move its arm with so many burns. This small bundle was warm to his senses and he reached through the woman's arms and under her carefully, clasping the small baby in his hands like he were holding the most precious of breakables. Touya moved back to give Jin some room. He looked on in awe that was plainly written on his face, at the now bare infant in Jin's trembling hands.
For a time all they could do was look at this baby girl. She was covered in darkened red and grime, and it was obvious she had not been touched by the flames, but by the sheer heat of the fire, that had once engulfed her. Her small body had some boils, patches of dirt, and wet soot. The rag she had been lying in was very damp. Touya looked again at the dead woman.
"She protected her baby from the fires by covering her in wet rags, then shielding her with her own body." Touya started to say. Jin looked up him. "They must have been trapped in here after the hoard set the village ablaze...that would explain the debris on top of them...the fire stopped after it had killed the mother." Touya stopped at this and leaned into Jin's side to look at the single survivor of this travesty.
"She seemed to think her mother was still...alive; with how she reached for her and all," Jin said sadly.
He looked back to the squirming baby who only appeared to be months old. The redness on her skin was a combination of blood and burns. They would have to clean her soon to prevent any infections. Then Jin noticed she was trying to make more whimpering sounds but something was impeding her. He became slightly panicked and turned to Touya.
"Touya, she's not breathin' right! Like she's got somethin' stuck in her throat," Jin said obviously worried. Touya with his calmer demeanor offered to take her from Jin.
"Here give her to me so I can check her," Touya said reaching out to hold the infant. Jin was reluctant at first then reminded himself that this was his long time partner and carefully passed the girl over to Touya's capable hands. He removed his cloak and lay in on the ground not far from the dead mother. The baby sounded like she was trying to cough something out, in all of her muffled moaning. Touya placed the girl on top of his cloak and positioned her head so that it created a clear path for air to flow in. Jin watched this in apprehension...he had no idea what Touya planned to do and hoped to the gods that it would work.
Touya took the smallest finger on his right hand and gently swabbed it through the baby's mouth. He was reaching down into her throat to try and dislodge whatever was stuck there. She coughed and gagged at this, and Jin started to become more worried.
"Touya what are you doin'? It sounds more like you're chokin' the poor girl!"
"Jin I am trying to clean out her throat without having to do any rescue breathing...this is the only safe way to do it." Touya continued his work until he felt something like mucus at the base of her throat. It was lodged all the way in the back and Touya reached in further to get it out. After a few more seconds of fidgeting the infant finally coughed it far enough so that Touya could clean it out. Once Touya had the offensive material in his hand the infant began to wail. Jin immediately took her back into his arms.
"Don't forget to support her head," Touya said absent mindedly, looking closely at the mucus like substance in his hands. Jin listened to his partner and readjusted the crying baby in his arms.
"Shh...it's alright little one. I know it must've been scary not breathin' and all but you're fine now. We have you safe and sound," Jin said quietly to the little girl. He did not seem the least bit embarrassed by his affection toward the infant in front of his friend. But Touya would not have even noticed; he was focused on other things.
"Jin, she needs to be thoroughly cleaned right now," he stated standing up while also looking down at his hand. His tone bridged no argument but Jin looked up at him in surprise.
"But Touya she's real upset right now...don't you think we should calm her first? The cold water can't be good at all for a child this little," Jin said still holding the crying babe.
"If it were just mucus I found in her mouth I would agree with you, but..."
"Well, what is it then?" Jin asked, wondering what else could have possibly been inside of the baby's throat.
"Jin..." Touya stopped unsure of whether or not to tell his comrade. 'This news might break what ever shred of faith he has left in his kind...but on the other hand I would want to know too.' Jin looked expectedly at Touya while he had begun to calm the infant in his arms. He stood up to look Touya in the eyes. Touya sighed inwardly.
"Jin...take a good hard smell of the scent around you." Jin complied and took a long whiff of the air. It smelled the same as before to him with blood, burning flesh, and semen in the air, but the scents themselves were a bit stronger near the dead woman.
"Smells the same to my nose...except the mother's body is a little more potent with us being so close and all."
"...The scent is not coming from the mother alone..." Touya said holding up his hand to Jin's face. The wind master took a look at the substance on Touya's fingers. Jin's eyes opened wide in shock then shifted to rage.
"The demon who raped her mother must have also..." Touya began, but was stopped by Jin's next outburst.
"Don't!" Jin yelled. Touya took a step back his eyes widened a bit. "I don't wanna hear this!" Jin was thoroughly disgusted. 'How could someone do that to a child no less...a baby? A pure, innocent little girl who had no choice in the matter. No wonder she's cryin' so hard.' He thought angrily. He clutched the infant closer wrapping her in his cloak protectively. His gaze softened a bit to hear her whimpering.
"She must've been so scared...I can't even imagine what her mother felt knowing what she was being put through," Jin said finally. Touya looked like he was about to throw up again, knowing what he had to do, but maintained his focus at the task at hand.
"Jin she has to be cleaned...there is no telling what diseases she could be catching from all of this filth. Let's take her to the stream in the woods over there and see what we can do," Touya persuaded, guiding his friend by the arm. This time Jin complied with the request and started off toward the stream with an unreadable look on his features.
They reached the stream and both decided that leaving her out of the water would be best since it was so cold. Jin and Touya took handfuls of water and showered them over the girl's body. Immediately the dirt began to clear away revealing her burned skin. Jin grimaced when he clean off the most offensive substance of all from her small stomach and chest. Touya meanwhile focused on her face and mouth, gently cleaning out whatever blood or semen could be found. Once he was satisfied with the condition of her face the baby was able to open her eyes again and look at Touya for the first time. He became a little uncomfortable with her intently curious gaze and turned to Jin to ask why he had stopped cleaning her. His words died on his lips as he saw Jin's expression. The wind master's eyes here half lidded and an emotionless mask lay on his features. But Touya felt an under tone of apprehension coming from his friend.
"Jin, what's wrong?" Jin just looked at Touya. He was quiet for a time clasping his hands in his lap looking at the lower half of the girl's torso.
"...I think the bastards may have...gone in..." Jin stopped at this utterance, unable to say anymore with out cracking his voice. His hands were trembling as if afraid of what they would have to do next. The infant had stopped crying, but was now whimpering and shivering slightly from the cold. Touya knew what Jin was saying and did not push him to say anything else about the infant's condition. Touya clenched his fists in anger...not one to really show his true feelings, he let them out here.
"Damn them to hell. Jin...do you want me to finish this?" He asked. Touya felt he could handle this responsibility though he half wished Jin would not let him. He got his wish.
"No," Jin said quickly. "If it is to be anyone to do this...part, than let it be me."
"Why?" Touya asked incredulously. He had always known Jin to be a rather modest person when it came to things like this...not that Touya wasn't but he hid feelings well and tended to take on the job regardless of his opinions.
"Because..." He started. "If she should ever find out what...happened to her, I never want her for one moment to think that...I was ashamed of her. She should never feel ashamed about something she could not control."
Touya's eyes widened at this. Though he was silently touched by Jin's tenderness toward the little girl he also began to worry about what Jin was thinking in his head. 'He speaks as if he is going to be with her in the future, to see her grow up...surely he must realize this is impossible. I am confident he would never want her to share our lives in the darkness...so how could he ever even be near her?' Touya's thoughts halted immediately when he noticed Jin standing and walking down the stream a bit with the girl wrapped in his warm cloak.
"Jin, where are you going?" Jin turned to give him this pleading look.
"Don't follow me...for her sake I want to finish this in private," he said before turning once again to sit behind some bushes thirty feet from where Touya was standing. The ice master at once understood and sat on the shore of the stream with his back to the pair. He once again contemplated what Jin could have meant when he spoke of being around to tell the girl what had happened to her. 'Jin must either be planning some sort of future escape or the possibility of taking time off...humph, like that has ever been given freely before. Surely he knows his request will be turned down the second he brings it up with Reisho. He despises not only the both of us but also half-breeds and mixed ones as well.' Touya thought. All he really knew was that whatever Jin had concocted, no matter how insane or dangerous, Touya would most definitely be following him till the end.
While Touya pondered Jin's mental state diligently thirty paces away, Jin had finally finished cleaning all of the young infant's body. Except for red skinned burns and some scrapes here and there, she was rather well considering what had been done to her. Jin had placed her down on the ground in the bundle and simply watched her for a few moments. His face showed hateful thoughts toward the demons who had done this. His expression was accentuated by his furrowed brows and deep frown; unlike what less knowledgeable Shinobi thought, Jin was not always the playful imp in a fight. He silently pictures the exact actions that would be taken if he ever found her violators. When the little girl cooed questioningly at Jin he cocked his eyebrows and softened his expression. 'I'll drop my hatred for those bastards for now...if only to be cheerful for her. She has had enough drear and grayness for one day,' he thought as he bent to the ground into her little face.
"Shh...we wouldn't be wantin' Touya to come over here and spoil our fun, eh?" he said mischievously, winking at the child. The infant cooed again in a questioning tone and so Jin answered, "Don't get me wrong; that guy is the greatest friend I've ever had, and there is no one I trust more with me life...but he can be a big old stick in the mud at times; won't even go flyin' with me when I ask real nice and all! I figured you and I could get better acquainted before he figures out just how long we've been sittin' here." The baby giggled at his smiling face and patted his nose with her tiny hand. He smiled even more an twitched his ears watching her face light up in amazement at them. He dipped his head even more so that she could grasp one in wonder. Jin lifted his face once she had finished and grinned.
"I think you and I will have a great deal of fun in the future, eh? Oh, but where are me manners? My name is Jin...pleased to meet you young lass," he said jokingly putting his hand out to the girl. She looked a little confused but then grinned and cooed happily patting his hand softly with her own. This made Jin's ears twitch even more. "By my ears, you would have to be the most adorable thing I have ever seen...hmm," Jin said before getting a perplexing look on his face. He held out his finger for the little girl, which she grasped quite strongly, to play with while he thought for a bit. 'She can't really do well without a proper name can she? But would it be alright if I named her myself?' Jin questioned in his mind. He then looked back with a smile to the girl and sat against the tree. He pulled his knees up nearly to his chest and placed the baby against them facing him.
"Lass, would you mind terribly if I were to pick your new name?" he asked half joking, but half seriously. She giggled at the funny motions his ears were making and grabbed his thumb to squeeze lightly. "I'll take that as a yes then!"
TBC