Chapter 4: Delicate Fingers

Rin felt in all her pockets. Her comb! It was gone! She ran to the pack on Ah-Un, undid the knot, and searched through it frantically...soap, herbs, cloths...no comb. She must have dropped it at the warm spring last night after those three men had approached her.

"Rin, what is the matter?" Sesshoumaru wondered why the girl was so fidgety.

"Gomenasai Sesshoumaru-sama...I have lost my ebony comb! I must have dropped it at the warm spring last night after the disturbance." The girl looked upset.

"Foolish, careless girl!" scolded Jaken at once, "That is a family heirloom worth hundreds of pieces of silver! It was made by fine youkai craftsmen on Mt Fuji! I always said it was a mistake to give such nice things to this ningen brat!"

Tears came to Rin's eyes. A family heirloom! Why didn't anyone tell her! How could she have lost it?

"Gomenasai Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin didn't know it was so precious! Rin will run back this instant to find it!" Rin brushed the tears from her eyes and turned back.

"Rin."

"Nani, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"After I gave it to you, it became your comb. You do not owe it to anyone to find it."

Rin halted, confused. "B-But Rin misses that beautiful comb. It was her only comb."

"This Sesshoumaru will give you another comb when we return to the palace."

Jaken squawked internally. Such indulgence! Such pampering of the brat!

"A-Are you sure it's all right, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hai."

"How will Rin comb her hair till then?" Rin ran her fingers through her waist length brown hair, which had come out of her purple ribbon. It was soft and silky and fell around her like a mantle, making Sesshoumaru catch his breath.

Rin chattered on.

"Rin wants to look beautiful for you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Like the flowers, and the moon, and the snow..."

"Vain girl!" shrieked Jaken. "As if Sesshoumaru would find you beautiful!"

"But Jaken-sama, last night..."

"Jaken will comb your hair every night." Sesshoumaru interrupted her. "He will undo the knots with his fingers."

Jaken squawked in annoyance at this task. The girl had such thick, long hair...it would take him ages!

"And if you pull one strand too hard and hurts her, rest assured that I will know, understand, Jaken?"

"Aaawk! Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Rin clapped her hands with joy. This was just like when she was young, Jaken would pluck the knots out her hair for her.

"Arigatou, Jaken-sama" Rin said patting the toad on the head, "I will catch you a mudskipper whenever we reach a pond in gratitude!"

Jaken's eyes lit up at the prospect of is favourite fish every night. "Hmph!"

"Be quiet, we are nearing the palace."

Sesshoumaru's companions obeyed him without hesitation. In silence, the party journeyed on. Sesshoumaru lifted his nose in the air.

Blood.

So much blood.

The smell was faint in the air two days back, but here, it was thick and foul. Jaken must have smelled it too, the little green toad began to sweat and moved protectively closer to Rin.

Rin hugged her arms to her chest as she followed silently behind Sesshoumaru. She didn't like this place. It wasn't like the Western Lands at all. The Western Lands were always green and lush, birds sang and villagers shouted to each other in the fields. Sometimes she could see ningen children playing games. Although she had no desire to join them, she liked to watch them from a distance. Here, the land was dry and lifeless. A cold wind blew in the air and smoke rose from the distance. The smell of the smoke wasn't like the pleasant woodfires of human habitation which always brought the delicious smell of fish and rice to her nose, this smoke was harsh, bitter, and made tears form in her eyes. With it was the smell of decay and blood.

No wonder Sesshoumaru-sama never came to the South. This Nibori-sama must be a very careless Tai-youkai to let his lands fall into such a state. She thought proudly of her Sesshoumaru-sama: how he would relentlessly patrol his lands, killing rogue youkai and any bandits who threatened his lordship. She knew that Sesshoumaru particularly disliked bandits, his eyes would turn red when he killed them. Rin was glad. She hated bandits too, her whole family had been killed by bandits when she was six. Sesshoumaru-sama had found her a year later, mute, beaten, malnourished, and he had looked after her. Rin glanced at the back of the Tai-youkai. It was a familiar sight. Once, she had only been level with his knees, now fully frown, she reached up to the middle of his back.

He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. More beautiful than the moon, or the flowers, or the snow. His white hair trailed down his back, his movements were strong and lithe. She could see the tip of one pointed ear beneath his hair. She took a deep breath, smelling the comforting sea-scent of Sesshoumaru-sama, it was much preferred to the smell of death that surrounded them. She would be with him, forever, Rin told herself fiercely.

When she was younger, Jaken-sama had told her that demons lived much longer than humans. A hundred years was nothing to them, but she would be dead and gone by then. Stupid Jaken. Rin had no doubt that Sesshoumaru would protect her from death itself... he could do anything, her Sesshoumaru-sama! At first, she had been afraid she was growing old when her body started changing. Her breasts grew full and round and her legs lengthened. Then the monthly bleeding began. Was this old age or death? But Kyoko-chan, a fox demon servant at the Western Palace, had explained to her that this was not old-age, but youth. Rin was now a young woman.

For many years, no more changes had come to her body. Maybe she was immortal after all! Her figure remained full and rounded, her monthly cycles never changed...Rin had no concept of time or eternity. She believed she could continue like this forever. She was happy like this. She was now strong enough to look after herself properly. Her taller height and new strength allowed her to run faster, dig deeper, swim better, walk further. Best of all, Sesshoumaru-sama now spoke to her more often and more seriously. As a child, he was kind to her, but awkward and distant. Now that she was grown, they would spend hours in each other's company...he would teach her to write, or read, or the names of things around her, and as was becoming more often, would talk with her at length about his thoughts and plans.

On winter days, they would sit side by side in his garden as they used to...and though she still enjoyed building snowmen, what gave her more pleasure now was listening to Seshoumaru-sama recite poetry about the season. Last winter, he had come to her room one evening when she was reading alone, and stood in her doorway.

"Nani, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The dog demon was silent for a few minutes before speaking. "It would be good for you to learn to play the shamisen. Kyoko can teach you."

"I would love to, but, may I ask why this sudden request, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"This Sesshoumaru-sama misses the music in the palace."

"Who used to play here, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He was silent again for a while. "My mother was the best shamisen player in the Western Lands before she died."

The next day a beautiful rosewood and gold shamisen was delivered to her room by an ecstatic Kyoko.

"This is the most beautiful shamisen I have ever seen!" screamed the fox-demon in delight. The kitsune ran her hands over the strings as Rin touched it gingerly. "Go on, touch it! It's yours! Lord Sesshoumaru ordered it specially for you six months ago, but I was not allowed to say anything as it was meant to be a surprise! I can hardly believe it's here at last. Those craftsmen must have worked day and night on it!"

"Oh Kyoko-chan...I must go and thank Sesshoumaru-sama at once!" Rin felt tears come to her eyes.

"Yes, yes...hurry and come back then we can begin your first lesson. I can only teach you the basics, then you must go to a better teacher after that!"

Rin gathered up her kimono skirt and ran from the room, her white socked feet flying over the tatami mats. She found him in the main hall, writing on a scroll. Out of breath and red in the face, she threw herself at his feet and bowed deeply.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I am so deeply honoured by your beautiful gift! Arigatou gozaimsu! Arigatou gozaimasu!"

Sesshoumaru-sama put his brush down and took her small fingers in his.

"Prove it by learning to play. Your fingers are slim and delicate, I can already hear the music coming from them." He held on a moment longer than usual. "I have been thinking for some time that you would be a good shamisen player. Your delicate fingers are just like my mother's"

Rin felt a surge of happiness at the memory of his warm hands on hers. Her Sesshoumaru-sama cared for her. She would be with him forever.

She stepped on something soft...Jaken's foot.

"AAAWK....Rin! Why are you staring at your hands and not watching your step?"

Jaken's harsh voice cut into her thoughts.

Rin stuffed her hands into her the folds of her kimono and stuck her tongue out at Jaken.

"Jaken no baka."

"I told you two to be QUIET." Sesshoumaru-sama growled. The foul stench of blood and death were more than he could bear now, they were close to something terrible.

Rin gasped as she saw the hair begin to stand around the ears of her master. Something had put him on high alert. They were at the crest of a hill, Rin ran to the edge and lay flat on her back to look over.

The sight made her want to vomit.

Orochi and youkai bodies were strewn across the valley, many were already rotting. It was a battlefield that was a few months old at least. It was heaped with bodies. No one had bothered to bury the dead. The wind blew the stench over to them and Jaken put a hand over his nose.

"Jaken, take Rin and stay among the caves and rocks behind us. I will go on alone from here."

"H-Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Rin's knees felt weak as she wobbled to her feet. She felt her gut heave.

"Come, Rin" Jaken said gruffly as he gently pulled her hand towards Ah-Un.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...abunai. Be careful."

Sesshoumaru gave the faintest of nods. With a flash, he surrounded himself with light energy and flew off across the battlefield. It was a flashy and unsafe way to travel, using up that much jyaki called lots of attention to himself so he only traveled that way when in a hurry. Rin knew that he was very concerned about the situation.

She followed Jaken and Ah-Un away from the hill crest back to the low shrubs and rocks. They found a small cave to shelter in. Night was falling.

Rin began to shiver.

"Silly girl, keep warm!" Jaken used his staff to light a bundle of firewood in front of her. If anything happened to Rin, he knew Sesshoumaru-sama would be most displeased with him. "Now turn around and let me unknot that messy human hair of yours!"

Rin sat patiently as Jaken's fingers quickly combed through her hair.

"Jaken-sama...all those bodies...what do you think happened?"

"A terrible battle, what else?"

"But why? I thought the Orochi were peaceful youkai, who would want to attack them, or why would they want to attack?"

Jaken gave her a sly look. "Never underestimate the nature of youkai, Rin. Even peaceful youkai can't be trusted."

"But I can trust you, right Jaken-sama?" Rin huddled close to the little toad.

"Aawk? Of course, you baka!" Jaken looked surprised. "I didn't me, or Sesshoumaru-sama! Stupid girl."

Rin grinned at him. In the firelight, she looked at her fingers again. She mimicked playing the shamisen in the air. The very first song she learned properly, she would play for Sesshoumaru-sama.

"What are you doing girl? You were doing the same thing earlier."

"I was trying to remember my shamisen training, Jaken-sama. That's all."

"Hmpf." Jaken swallowed his vegetables in a large mouthful before he spoke again. "Akemi-sama was the best shamisen player in the West. It was her beautiful playing that made Inutaisho interested in her. That, and her great beauty."

"Akemi-sama?" Rin asked, "Who was that?"

"Sesshoumaru's mother, of course. Yes, her playing could bring tears to your eyes."

"What was she like?"

"Eh? Akemi-sama? Well, she was also a inu-youkai, one of the last females of the line. She had long blue hair and golden eyes..."

"No Jaken-sama, I mean what was she like as a person?"

"Oh! Well, Akemi-sama was as different from Sesshoumaru as possible. She was always laughing, singing and dancing. She made everyone smile just to be near her. Her voice was sweet, soft and never raised in anger. She was very a kind youkai, even insisting on protecting humans."

"Why does Sesshoumaru never speak of his mother, Jaken-sama?"

Jaken sighed. "Akemi-sama died a tragic death when Sesshoumaru-sama was very young. She died trying to save him from a terrible fire in the palace when your father was away. She covered his body with her own, you might say she burned to death right in front of his eyes." Jaken sniffed dramatically. "If Inutaisho had been at home, all might have been different...but he was far away. Akemi-sama had insisted he visit his human villages on the east border, to try to relieve the hardship the poor crop that year had brought to the humans."

"That's why Sesshoumaru hates humans." Rin said matter-of-factly.

"I suppose," Jaken said. "In his eyes, Akemi-sama was the ideal woman. Izayoi, Iuyasha's human mother, paled in comparison to her."

"Well, I'm not too fond of humans myself." Rin said suddenly, "My whole family was slaughtered by them. Mother, father, brother..."

"Stupid girl, you yourself are human! One day you will be married to a human and go to live with them."

Rin gave a start.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Jaken beat her lightly with his staff. "Yes, yes yes! You will be married, no doubt Sesshoumaru-sama will have you married well to a local lord or head-man, and you will have ningen brats of your own!"

"NO!" Rin was shouting now. "I am going to stay with Sesshoumaru-sama forever!"

"Well, don't think that Sesshoumaru-sama will let your husband stay with us, he's already been uncommonly tolerant letting you into the palace!"

"I DON'T WANT A HUSBAND!" Rin felt tears sting her eyes. "Don't you understand, Jaken? I just want to stay with Sesshoumaru-sama forever, whatever it takes!"

"That's what you say now." Jaken sighed, "One day a handsome boy will come along who will turn your head and it'll be goodbye to old Jaken-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama."

"There's no one as handsome as Sesshoumaru-sama. No one." Rin whispered fiercely, and felt herself start to flush.

Jaken gave her a curious look.

"Aaak...Rin, what are you saying?"

"I'm tired, Jaken-sama. I'm going to sleep."

Rin turned her back on him and curled into a ball.

Jaken eyed her still form for a few minutes. The girl didn't look restful or asleep. Suddenly, she spoke again, "Sesshoumaru-sama said my fingers were just like his mother's. Good night, Jaken-sama."

Watching Rin's slim frame curled in the darkness, Jaken couldn't stop thinking how much she reminded him of Akemi-sama. Why hadn't he noticed it before?

There was a rustle outside the cave. "Found her."