As they were making their trip back to the West, it was very uneventful. Rin yawned as she walked down the dirt beaten road. The sun was hanging lazily in the sky, and the bugs were not pestering the three as much as they could. There was barely a wind and the sky was a lovely hue of blue. It was a gorgeous day but still monotonous. It had been a few days for traveling, and nothing had happened. It was the Feudal Era, and usually there was some war going on around, but there was no disturbance what so ever.
All of a sudden, there was a rustling in the bushes nearby. Rin and Jaken stopped dead in their tracks, and Sesshomaru slowed his pace. Sesshomaru turned to the two and looked at the imp, "Jaken, stay here and protect Rin."
Jaken nodded his head and places himself in front of the girl as their master stalked over to the rustling bushes.
"Come out and show yourself, or soon meet your fate," Sesshomaru demanded at the vegetation.
The intruder jumped out with speed and clawed at Sesshomaru's shoulder as it jumped around. Sesshomaru winced and spun around to see the demon he presumed because it was so fast. He sniffed a faint scent in the air. The being was not fully a demon, but mixed with human blood. It was all very familiar to him, but it had slightly changed. The half-demon reeked of Inuyasha, but something was different. There was a shriek from Rin and a grunt from Jaken that finished with a thud.
Sesshomaru looked over in that direction and stared at the young boy who stood behind Rin, with a dagger to her neck. Jaken was lying on the ground in a heap. The young boy, who was not much older than Rin, held the girl captive. He smelt a little like Inuyasha, but his features were skewed. His hair was black but long, and he was taller than Sesshomaru's younger brother. The boy standing there was also slightly more built for his age. His eyes were a piercing ice-blue though. They stared into Sesshomaru's soul, as the boy grinned smugly.
"Let the girl go, you fool. Do you know who you are dealing with, you filthy half-deamon." demanded Sesshomaru.
The boy tightened his grip on Rin and pressed his dagger closer to her neck. He was even more pompous than his father. "Yes, in fact, I do know who I am facing, Lord Sesshomaru of the West." The boy inclined his head a little. "But it does not matter. You are getting weak and slow Old Man. You are nothing compared to what my father and mother had had said about you."
Sesshomaru clenched his fist and teeth tightly. How dare he say such things to me
"What? Does the cat-demon have your tongue, Sesshomaru?" taunted the boy.
"No, I was just thinking how foolish you are being, boy. You are just like your mangy father, Inuyasha. He also never backed down on a challenge, even when he knew he was no match for his opponent," he tossed the words out. "Now run along and go back to your father before you get hurt."
The boy narrowed his eyes at his uncle. "I am not a boy. And do not even call me that. I am Kaori, son of the man you have mentioned." His grip had gotten tighter on Rin, and she cried out.
"Father, help me!" Rin cired.
"Quiet you! You shall meet your fate, like your so-called father did to my older brother Tsume." Yukiko barked at the girl.
"I do not know what are you talking about, half-demon. Let go of the girl, or die!" Sesshomaru said.
"No! She will die, like you murdered my brother! You will soon see what it is like to loose someone you care for so much!
"Don't you even remember the poor boy you slaughtered? Heh, that is very typical of your Sesshomaru. It has been five years, Old Man, five years since Tsume's death! He carried shards of the Shikon Jewl, and your killed him for them!"
As Kaori worked himself up, the blade dug deeper into Rin's neck and slowly was cutting her porcelain skin. She wimpered silently and tears rolled down her cheeks. The blood was slowly drizzling out around the blade.
"Stop, Kaori! You're hurting Rin! Do not shed anymore blood for a past argument. Leave Rin alone!" Sesshomaru yelled in a worried tone to the boy.
"Ohh, someone actually does have a tender spot for us mere humans." Kaori taunted.
Sesshomaru made a low growl in his throat and advanced on Kaori. The boy then jumped back, still with the girl in his arms, and ran away like the wind. Sesshomaru tried to catch up with the boy but failed. The boy was abnormally strong for his age and mixture of blood lines. He had to give the boy some credit that Kaori was better than Inuyasha. Sesshomaru continued on his trail, but again, Kaori and Rin were no where in site. He followed until he hit a large lake, and Kaori's sent was missing. Damn, where did they go?