A/N: I am terribly sorry for the abysmally short chapter three. I just
wanted to give you something until I am able to get back on track. Grrr.
Now I'm all messed up on my chapter scheme. I promise, this one'll be extra
long.
Sess: Stop whining, Jade.
ToJ: I'm not whining.
Sess: Yes, yes you are.
ToJ: Sesshomaru?
Sess: Yes, Jade?
ToJ: Should I buy another glass box?
Sess: Neko, I promised you I'd put a hole in your sister's chest. You put me, whom you shall NEVER OWN, in a glass box; the deal is null and void.
ToJ: Ok. ::sighs:: I guess...
Patience
Chapter Four: Humanity. Ha.
Rin sat patiently beside the pond, staring into the glistening depths of the water. She searched the planes of her face for anything that might displease her Lord Sesshomaru. She couldn't see anything wrong with her, other than the fact that she was a weak human. "Argh!" She slapped at the image on the surface of the water and watched as the ripples extended outwards and some lilies bobbed frantically to and fro. She sighed and drew herself in, wrapping her arms around her legs and looking into the pool once more. Tilting her head a little, she heard the grass rustle and smelled faintly the scent of parchment and...blood. Fresh blood. She turned her head slightly and the sight that greeted her was unpleasant.
"Sumisu!"
There stood Sumisu, his court robes torn and bloodied, with claw marks across his back and face. His tawny hair was loosened from its ribbon and surrounded his face. He bowed low.
"Lady."
He approached with complete composure. Not one muscle twitched in pain or discomfort. He moved as if he was completely unharmed and he was still in the great house. He stood before Rin as she gaped openly at him, her eyes wide in shock.
Sumisu bowed once again. "Lady, I came as you asked. May I sit?" Rin nodded frantically and scooted herself to face his seated form. "I will answer all your questions except for the ones pertaining to my injuries. Those, I cannot tell you of other than that they were well deserved. What do you wish to hear, Lady?"
Rin looked down at her lap, a look of upset crossed he face. She shook her head and focused on Sumisu again. "Are you Human? And if you are how did you get here? And how can you stay? Lord Sesshomaru-sama says I can only stay if I mate a youkai. Did you mate a youkai? How long have you been here? How old are you and...?"
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down. One at a time. Yes, I am human, and I came here by Sesshomaru-sama's good will. I am here because I am his personal emissary to his political equals. I do not know my age and I am from Musashi. And no, I am not mated. I have been a slave for almost as long as I can remember. I do not know how long I have been here. Truly, I have lost count. Anything else?"
Rin bit her lower lip and set her chin in her hand, leaning towards Sumisu. "Yes. Why are YOU a political emissary. What would make any youkai listen to you?"
Sumisu smiled, "Because Sesshomaru-sama has given me sanction, any youkai that kills me will be struck down. Plus, Sesshomaru-sama would rather waste a human life than an Inuyoukai any day. The negotiations I do are often dangerous. He wouldn't want to send a trusted friend or needed warrior when an expendable human would do. Anything else I could tell you would be pertaining to my injuries."
Sumisu watched as Rin's face fell, and she looked pensive for a moment. 'She's pretty happy for a girl who has spent most of her time with the most ruthless youkai of our age. I don't think it registered that Sesshomaru did this to me. If the rumors are true, then he's brought her everywhere for the last several years. Did she see nothing?'
"Lady," Sumisu focused his eyes on Rin, "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure. What do you want to know?" Rin shrugged her shoulders and her gaze strayed to a small blue flower in the grass. She reached out and plucked it. "Oooh. Sesshomaru-sama will love this!" Then she looked over at Sumisu, who had an odd look on his face. "What?" She sweat dropped and smiled. "Sesshomaru-sama loves flowers. Even more than I do! Which is hard to do, because I love flowers an awful lot. When I was little, right after he found me, he used to clear whole fields of flowers of bad youkai and let me play in them. I'd make flower chains and try to put them in his hair."
Sumisu's jaw dropped. "You put flowers in Lord Sesshomaru's hair?!!"
Rin smiled and nodded her head vigorously. "Uh-huh. He'd always brush them out, though." Rin frowned. "Well, what do you want to know?"
"How long have you been with Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Oh, I've been with him since I was seven, almost eight. So, about ten years. I've been with him longer than I've been without him. Hmm. That's so odd to think about. I can't imagine how I ever survived without him."
Rin suddenly sat at attention and looked over Sumisu's shoulder. Sumisu turned around. "What is it, Lady?" Rin hardly moved at all. "Lady Rin? Rin?"
There was a soft rustle of silk and a crunch of grass. "Oh, good. Lord Sesshomaru-sama is coming!" She turned her eyes on Sumisu and frowned. "Hmm. Maybe you'd better leave. From the looks of you, he wasn't happy with you when you left him anyway." She looked intently in the direction of the house and Sesshomaru.
Sumisu's jaw dropped. 'She knows?'
"Yeah. You'd better go. His footsteps are heavier than usual. That means he's not happy." She looked down at the flower in her hands, "I hate it when he's not happy." Suddenly she stood and bowed shortly to Sumisu. "Hurry. I don't want to see you beat again."
Sumisu stood, eyes wide, and bowed deeply. "Hai, Lady. Thank you, Lady." He turned to go when Rin reached out her hand and grabbed his arm.
"My name is Rin." She smiled.
"Thank you, Rin." With that, Sumisu turned and ran towards the garden wall, away from Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru smiled as he walked in the direction of Rin's scent, which was a rare thing indeed. As he approached, though, he smelled blood. He started, and then began to rush in her direction when he realized that it wasn't her blood. And it was male.
'Who would DARE to challenge what is mine! She is in my pack! She is Mine to give. Mine to have' His eyes began to glow red, as when he became enthralled in a battle. He recognized that blood. It was the same as he had washed from under his nails moments ago. 'Sumisu! Didn't I give the whelp a beating enough for his lack respect for the females of my court? How dare he even approach my Rin.'
He settled into a heavier stride and soon reached the clearing around the pond that was occupied by Rin and Sumisu's recent scent. Rin stood there waiting for him, looking eager as always. She didn't smell afraid or guilty, but he could see she wasn't pleased about something. Still, she greeted him in her usual fashion.
"Sesshomaru-sama," she yelled and then proceeded to run up to him and throw her arms around him in a warm embrace. "How I missed you! Did you know I was bored all day without you?" She smiled up into his cold gaze.
Usually Sesshomaru would wrap his arms around her softly and then remove her gently from around his neck. But this time he did no such thing.
"Rin?"
She looked up into his eyes warmly and openly. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Why were you alone with Sumisu?"
Rin's eyes widened and she lowered her head and blushed. "I made him promise to meet me here and tell me about why he lives in the Inuyoukai stronghold. I am sorry if I have displeased you, My Lord." Rin began to extract her arms from around Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru suddenly panicked at the idea of rejecting her. He quickly, yet gently, embraced Rin. "Wait, Rin. Do you want to know why I was displeased?" He looked down at her and released her, ready to mete out punishment to Sumisu if she contested his authority. "I do not want you to be alone with Sumisu. Ever. He is more dangerous than any youkai."
Rin looked confused for a moment. Sesshomaru felt a growl begin at the back of his throat, but before it reached Rin's ears, she brightened and said, "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. If you think that is what's best. I shall avoid being alone with him. But do you mind if I ask something?"
Sesshomaru sat down under a tree a pace away from the pond. "No. Go ahead." 'You know you can always ask me for anything, Rin'.
Rin walked over to him slowly, pondering the small flower in her grip. "Why did you have to beat him so badly? I'm sure he deserved it, but he's only human. He can't withstand that kind of beating. I know you only do what is right and just, Sesshomaru-sama, but did you need to use the poison on his face?"
Sesshomaru shook his head and a smile threatened to creep onto his face. "He'll heal, Rin. I have done worse to him before." He watched Rin give him "the look". He hated that look. It meant she wasn't happy with what he had done. He sighed. "I would never kill him. He's too useful." When she continued to stand before him, staring at him imploringly, he began to growl.
On hearing his growl, Rin dropped to her knees and placed her head beneath his. "I understand, Lord Sesshomaru. I trust you." She turned and sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. 'Sesshomaru-sama, I love you.'
She reached up and placed the little blue flower in his hair. "I picked this for you, Sesshomaru-sama." She knew he would remove it, and he did. But she also knew he kept almost every single one. She had seen the boxes of dried flowers he sent to the den.
When Sesshomaru reached up and removed the flower from his silver hair, he discreetly tucked it inside the cuff of his silk hakama, part of him hoping Rin didn't see him, and part of him longing for her to see. 'Keeping these things is making me weak.' But even as he thought about discarding it, he knew he was just fooling himself. 'So what if I am weak for her. She is different.'
Sesshomaru settled back against the tree and sighed inwardly. 'Rin, how can I give you up?' He settled his head on hers and they fell asleep the way they did every night; with her in under his protection and a sly smile creeping ever so slowly onto the Great Lord's face.
A/N: Well, that's all folks for a while. It's gonna take some time to rearrange the chapters into manageable amounts for a while. But, hey, anything for my beloved readers! Right, Sesshy?
Sess: Yes, yes. Could someone please review her so she keeps this up and finishes this story? The sooner she does, the sooner I get to kill her. Unfortunately, I will be forced to see you all in the next installment of Patience. Pray to the Kami that my supply doesn't run out.
Sess: Stop whining, Jade.
ToJ: I'm not whining.
Sess: Yes, yes you are.
ToJ: Sesshomaru?
Sess: Yes, Jade?
ToJ: Should I buy another glass box?
Sess: Neko, I promised you I'd put a hole in your sister's chest. You put me, whom you shall NEVER OWN, in a glass box; the deal is null and void.
ToJ: Ok. ::sighs:: I guess...
Patience
Chapter Four: Humanity. Ha.
Rin sat patiently beside the pond, staring into the glistening depths of the water. She searched the planes of her face for anything that might displease her Lord Sesshomaru. She couldn't see anything wrong with her, other than the fact that she was a weak human. "Argh!" She slapped at the image on the surface of the water and watched as the ripples extended outwards and some lilies bobbed frantically to and fro. She sighed and drew herself in, wrapping her arms around her legs and looking into the pool once more. Tilting her head a little, she heard the grass rustle and smelled faintly the scent of parchment and...blood. Fresh blood. She turned her head slightly and the sight that greeted her was unpleasant.
"Sumisu!"
There stood Sumisu, his court robes torn and bloodied, with claw marks across his back and face. His tawny hair was loosened from its ribbon and surrounded his face. He bowed low.
"Lady."
He approached with complete composure. Not one muscle twitched in pain or discomfort. He moved as if he was completely unharmed and he was still in the great house. He stood before Rin as she gaped openly at him, her eyes wide in shock.
Sumisu bowed once again. "Lady, I came as you asked. May I sit?" Rin nodded frantically and scooted herself to face his seated form. "I will answer all your questions except for the ones pertaining to my injuries. Those, I cannot tell you of other than that they were well deserved. What do you wish to hear, Lady?"
Rin looked down at her lap, a look of upset crossed he face. She shook her head and focused on Sumisu again. "Are you Human? And if you are how did you get here? And how can you stay? Lord Sesshomaru-sama says I can only stay if I mate a youkai. Did you mate a youkai? How long have you been here? How old are you and...?"
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down. One at a time. Yes, I am human, and I came here by Sesshomaru-sama's good will. I am here because I am his personal emissary to his political equals. I do not know my age and I am from Musashi. And no, I am not mated. I have been a slave for almost as long as I can remember. I do not know how long I have been here. Truly, I have lost count. Anything else?"
Rin bit her lower lip and set her chin in her hand, leaning towards Sumisu. "Yes. Why are YOU a political emissary. What would make any youkai listen to you?"
Sumisu smiled, "Because Sesshomaru-sama has given me sanction, any youkai that kills me will be struck down. Plus, Sesshomaru-sama would rather waste a human life than an Inuyoukai any day. The negotiations I do are often dangerous. He wouldn't want to send a trusted friend or needed warrior when an expendable human would do. Anything else I could tell you would be pertaining to my injuries."
Sumisu watched as Rin's face fell, and she looked pensive for a moment. 'She's pretty happy for a girl who has spent most of her time with the most ruthless youkai of our age. I don't think it registered that Sesshomaru did this to me. If the rumors are true, then he's brought her everywhere for the last several years. Did she see nothing?'
"Lady," Sumisu focused his eyes on Rin, "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure. What do you want to know?" Rin shrugged her shoulders and her gaze strayed to a small blue flower in the grass. She reached out and plucked it. "Oooh. Sesshomaru-sama will love this!" Then she looked over at Sumisu, who had an odd look on his face. "What?" She sweat dropped and smiled. "Sesshomaru-sama loves flowers. Even more than I do! Which is hard to do, because I love flowers an awful lot. When I was little, right after he found me, he used to clear whole fields of flowers of bad youkai and let me play in them. I'd make flower chains and try to put them in his hair."
Sumisu's jaw dropped. "You put flowers in Lord Sesshomaru's hair?!!"
Rin smiled and nodded her head vigorously. "Uh-huh. He'd always brush them out, though." Rin frowned. "Well, what do you want to know?"
"How long have you been with Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Oh, I've been with him since I was seven, almost eight. So, about ten years. I've been with him longer than I've been without him. Hmm. That's so odd to think about. I can't imagine how I ever survived without him."
Rin suddenly sat at attention and looked over Sumisu's shoulder. Sumisu turned around. "What is it, Lady?" Rin hardly moved at all. "Lady Rin? Rin?"
There was a soft rustle of silk and a crunch of grass. "Oh, good. Lord Sesshomaru-sama is coming!" She turned her eyes on Sumisu and frowned. "Hmm. Maybe you'd better leave. From the looks of you, he wasn't happy with you when you left him anyway." She looked intently in the direction of the house and Sesshomaru.
Sumisu's jaw dropped. 'She knows?'
"Yeah. You'd better go. His footsteps are heavier than usual. That means he's not happy." She looked down at the flower in her hands, "I hate it when he's not happy." Suddenly she stood and bowed shortly to Sumisu. "Hurry. I don't want to see you beat again."
Sumisu stood, eyes wide, and bowed deeply. "Hai, Lady. Thank you, Lady." He turned to go when Rin reached out her hand and grabbed his arm.
"My name is Rin." She smiled.
"Thank you, Rin." With that, Sumisu turned and ran towards the garden wall, away from Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru smiled as he walked in the direction of Rin's scent, which was a rare thing indeed. As he approached, though, he smelled blood. He started, and then began to rush in her direction when he realized that it wasn't her blood. And it was male.
'Who would DARE to challenge what is mine! She is in my pack! She is Mine to give. Mine to have' His eyes began to glow red, as when he became enthralled in a battle. He recognized that blood. It was the same as he had washed from under his nails moments ago. 'Sumisu! Didn't I give the whelp a beating enough for his lack respect for the females of my court? How dare he even approach my Rin.'
He settled into a heavier stride and soon reached the clearing around the pond that was occupied by Rin and Sumisu's recent scent. Rin stood there waiting for him, looking eager as always. She didn't smell afraid or guilty, but he could see she wasn't pleased about something. Still, she greeted him in her usual fashion.
"Sesshomaru-sama," she yelled and then proceeded to run up to him and throw her arms around him in a warm embrace. "How I missed you! Did you know I was bored all day without you?" She smiled up into his cold gaze.
Usually Sesshomaru would wrap his arms around her softly and then remove her gently from around his neck. But this time he did no such thing.
"Rin?"
She looked up into his eyes warmly and openly. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Why were you alone with Sumisu?"
Rin's eyes widened and she lowered her head and blushed. "I made him promise to meet me here and tell me about why he lives in the Inuyoukai stronghold. I am sorry if I have displeased you, My Lord." Rin began to extract her arms from around Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru suddenly panicked at the idea of rejecting her. He quickly, yet gently, embraced Rin. "Wait, Rin. Do you want to know why I was displeased?" He looked down at her and released her, ready to mete out punishment to Sumisu if she contested his authority. "I do not want you to be alone with Sumisu. Ever. He is more dangerous than any youkai."
Rin looked confused for a moment. Sesshomaru felt a growl begin at the back of his throat, but before it reached Rin's ears, she brightened and said, "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. If you think that is what's best. I shall avoid being alone with him. But do you mind if I ask something?"
Sesshomaru sat down under a tree a pace away from the pond. "No. Go ahead." 'You know you can always ask me for anything, Rin'.
Rin walked over to him slowly, pondering the small flower in her grip. "Why did you have to beat him so badly? I'm sure he deserved it, but he's only human. He can't withstand that kind of beating. I know you only do what is right and just, Sesshomaru-sama, but did you need to use the poison on his face?"
Sesshomaru shook his head and a smile threatened to creep onto his face. "He'll heal, Rin. I have done worse to him before." He watched Rin give him "the look". He hated that look. It meant she wasn't happy with what he had done. He sighed. "I would never kill him. He's too useful." When she continued to stand before him, staring at him imploringly, he began to growl.
On hearing his growl, Rin dropped to her knees and placed her head beneath his. "I understand, Lord Sesshomaru. I trust you." She turned and sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. 'Sesshomaru-sama, I love you.'
She reached up and placed the little blue flower in his hair. "I picked this for you, Sesshomaru-sama." She knew he would remove it, and he did. But she also knew he kept almost every single one. She had seen the boxes of dried flowers he sent to the den.
When Sesshomaru reached up and removed the flower from his silver hair, he discreetly tucked it inside the cuff of his silk hakama, part of him hoping Rin didn't see him, and part of him longing for her to see. 'Keeping these things is making me weak.' But even as he thought about discarding it, he knew he was just fooling himself. 'So what if I am weak for her. She is different.'
Sesshomaru settled back against the tree and sighed inwardly. 'Rin, how can I give you up?' He settled his head on hers and they fell asleep the way they did every night; with her in under his protection and a sly smile creeping ever so slowly onto the Great Lord's face.
A/N: Well, that's all folks for a while. It's gonna take some time to rearrange the chapters into manageable amounts for a while. But, hey, anything for my beloved readers! Right, Sesshy?
Sess: Yes, yes. Could someone please review her so she keeps this up and finishes this story? The sooner she does, the sooner I get to kill her. Unfortunately, I will be forced to see you all in the next installment of Patience. Pray to the Kami that my supply doesn't run out.