Flowers In The Snow
Chapter 9: Live
Sesshoumaru arrived at the Palace of the WesternLlands first. He was still carrying Rin in his arms. Ignoring the dismayed and curious faces of his servants, he carried Rin to her room and laid her on her futon. He growled for his servants and Kyoko and Reka, two of her kitsune handmaidens, rushed to the room.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," the two kitsune bowed low before him, "What has happened to Rin?"
"That is not your concern. Take that ridiculous fire-rat cloak off her and cover her with a silk sheet. Do not move her too much. A miko will be arriving shortly... you are to do everything as she says."
"A human miko?" Reka asked.
"Yes."
Sesshoumaru left the room quickly to allow the handmaidens to do their work. He waited at the palace gates for the Kagome and Inuyasha, who could not be far behind. He was not surprised that his younger half-brother had chosen to follow his woman to the Palace of the West rather than take off after Naraku's shouki. He could smell the reason all over the miko – a familiar, thick scent that he had not smelt for a long time.
Back in Rin's room, Kyoko was already pulling the fire-rat cloak off Rin. Her poor mistress! Something terrible had happened to her...she appeared to be in some kind of fevered coma, one shoulder was dislocated with the joint at a crazy angle, and all her pretty fingers appeared to be broken! Kyoko exclaimed in horror at Rin's bloodied hands, each knuckle was black and swollen and the bone even stuck up through the skin at parts.
Reka, the other kitsune, was equally horrified.
"Kyoko...what do you think happened to Rin?
Kyoko bit her lip. Everyone in the Western Lands knew that Sesshoumaru treated Rin like his own daughter, she was his precious jewel...who could have dared harm her in this way? Sesshoumaru would surely have killed them!
Before the handmaidens could react further, the screen door was pulled back. A human lady dressed in a simple yukata entered the room. Sesshoumaru stood behind her.
"This is the human miko...you will do as she says, or lose your lives."
"H-Hai Sesshoumaru-sama."
Kagome smiled at the two kitsune in front of her. They reminded her of Shippou with their green eyes and red hair.
"I am Kagome, pleased to meet you."
"I am Kyoko and she is Reka, we are Rin's handmaidens."
Kagome nodded. She had no doubt that Rin lived the life of a princess in Sesshoumaru's palace. The obvious care he had for Rin would allow him to give her nothing less than the best.
"Please, Kagome-sama...what happened to Rin?"
"She was kidnapped and tortured." Kagome answered, quickly going over to Rin.
The trip to the palace had been a blur for Kagome, Ah-Un flew faster than Kirara and she and Inuyasha had had to cling on for dear life. The dragon appeared distressed, as if it knew what was going on. Now and then it let out heavy moans, as if of pain.
In about six hours, Kagome and Inuyasha had arrived at the Palace of the Western Lands and they found an impatient Sesshoumaru waiting for them at the main gates. Kagome could easily tell hat the palace was sumptuous. The gold panels set in rosewood walls and the elaborate filigree ironwork flashed by her as she hurriedly followed Sesshoumaru down corridor after corridor. So this was where Inuyasha's half-brother lived...this was where Inuyasha had grown up...But aside from noting that the place was lavishly decorated and huge, Kagome did not notice anything else. In fact, if asked to retrace her steps, she would have been at a loss.
But there was no time to think about the palace now. Rin's life was at stake. The first thing to do would be to take note of the injuries. It would help the handmaidens to hear this as well.
"Kyoko, Reka...listen as I list her injuries. It will help you nurse her later on."
Kagome lifted the blanket off Rin.
"High fever from Orochi venom, dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs, ten broken fingers, a poisonous bite-wound on the left breast..." Kagome stared at Rin's lower stomach...someone had used some sort of knife to carve a word there... "Deep scratches on lower stomach..."
"The word is 'jun'" whispered Reka, "It means...'purity'. Which sick person would do that?"
"But thankfully, she is untouched," Kagome murmured, inspecting the girl's private parts carefully. "Now I know why Sesshoumaru gave up tenseiga."
"Tenseiga? Of course Sesshoumaru-sama would up tenseiga before Rin was hurt any further, everyone in the palace knows that Rin is precious to him," Kyoko barked softly.
"Listen, Reka, please boil a tub of hot water for me, get a stick of bamboo and five long strips of your strongest silk. Kyoko, bring me honey, sake, feverfew, ginseng, tang kwei, and cordyceps from the the kitchen. Be quick!"
When the things were brought to her, Kagome expertly set Rin's dislocated shoulder. Although it gave a sickening crack, it popped easily back into the socket. Kagome was glad that Rin was unconscious through it all. The girl had already been through enough pain. Then she applied medicine to Rin's bite wound and bound up her torso tightly with the silk. It would immobilise her and help her ribs set. Then Kagome set to work on Rin's little fingers. Kyoko wept silently as Kagome set each finger in a bamboo splint and bound it tightly.
"She was learning to play the shamisen!"
"She is young, they should set again," Kagome said grimly, some doubt in her mind.
Finally, she turned to the injuries on Rin's lower body. That disgusting word 'jun' cut into her flesh...Kagome swabbed it gently with sake and honey. That should stop it turning septic.
Kyoko almost couldn't take it anymore. "Who did this! What type of monster would do this?"
"Ssshh! Control yourself!" Kagome hushed the kitsune. Reka put an arm around her friend.
"I watched Rin grow up! Since she was nine years old, she called me 'sister' and I told her nothing would ever harm her..."
"We are not done yet. Kyoko, you must hold Rin's head as I pour this other medicine down her throat."
Kagome slipped a rubber tube which was in her first aid kit down Rin's throat, attached a funnel to it, and poured down a large amount of fever medicine. Rin hardly moved through it all. Her eyes moved under her eyelids but her body remained paralysed.
Finally, satisfied that she had done all she could for now, she sat back and wiped the sweat off her forehead.
"Thank you, Kyoko and Reka. You were very helpful."
"When will Rin-sama awaken?"
Kagome shook her head, "I do not know. It could be a day, it could be a week. All we can do it pray."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"We have to pour soft food and medicine down into her stomach using this tube every six hours." Kagome said.
The demons stared at the curious contraption. They supposed it was a common miko's tool.
"And I would like to pray over her frequently as well. Her injuries are not only of the body, but of the spirit."
This, the kitsunes understood.
"Hai..."
Kagome smoothed Rin's hair. She could barely associate this young woman with the barefoot little girl who had run screaming around Sesshoumaru ten years ago. The babyish cheeks were gone, replaced with the sharp cheekbones of adulthood. Her figure was full and fine. Rin's skin, hair and nails were in immaculate condition, showing years of careful grooming and breeding that Sesshoumaru must have lavished on her in this palace. As it was, the futon she lay on was of fine soft cotton, silk drapes hung about the walls, Every luxury and convenience a young girl might desire was in this room – jewellery boxes, books, writing equipment, flowers, embroidery kits, and even a rosewood shamisen finer than any she had seen before... Silently, Kagome took the ebony comb from her sleeve and put it beside Rin on her futon. The Inu-tachi had thought it was a comb worthy of a princess. If they could see how Rin was treated in Sesshoumaru's palace, they would not even think it fine enough for her.
"Poor Rin," Kagome muttered. "Poor Sesshoumaru."
There came a knock at the door. The two kitsunes stood as Sesshoumaru walked in. They excused themselves and ran away with the basin of bloodied water and dirty rags.
Sesshoumaru closed the door behind him.
"You did well." He said, not looking at Kagome, he was only looking at Rin.
"I did my best, I only hope it will be enough."
"It will be." He said, still looking at Rin, "This Sesshoumaru will not let Rin die again."
"Again?"
"I revived her as a child with Tenseiga. She had been killed by wolves."
"I'm sorry this happened to Rin."
"It was not your fault." He paused, "It was mine."
"No, Sesshoumaru..." Kagome's kind heart went out to the cold, white demon beside her. "...It was Naraku's."
"Naraku was the one who hurt Rin. I was the one who failed to protect her."
Kagome decided it was pointless reasoning with the tai-youkai. "I will need to stay to nurse Rin back to health."
"Your rooms have already been prepared."
"Arigatou."
Sesshoumaru turned back to Rin. It was clear he did not wish to speak any more. Kagome left the room quietly and shut the shoji door.
Sesshoumaru knelt on the tatami next to Rin's futon. Her breathing was deep and peaceful, though her face was deathly white.
"I failed you, Rin."
He lifted her crushed, bandaged fingers gently and held them tenderly with one hand. Then, he released them and brushed her silky black hair with his claws. Startled, he saw her ebony comb beside her, the one Rin had thought lost. It smelt like Kagome, the miko must have found it on her way to the South... Again that familiar, thick, smell from long ago came to his nose. Kagome smelt so strongly of it...and now, Rin did too. Silently he picked it up and ran it once through her tangled hair, keeping Rin's bangs out of her eyes. His eyes lingered over her white skin, now robbed of the blush of life.
Winter, trapped in Rin's skin. Cold, ice, frost...never had Sesshoumaru hated the thought of snow so much before. If he could bring the summer blush back to those cheeks of hers...He ran a clawed hand over her cheeks. Though her skin was like winter, it was burning hot. She was running a high fever, still in the throes of deadly Orochi venom.
Winter, but burning within.
"I will stay with you forever, Sesshoumaru-sama...itsumo demo."
If only he knew a way to preserve her brief life. He would have her by his side for all eternity. Her laughter and song would fill his empty heart with joy forever. He treasured such happiness. He treasured his Rin. He was already making plans to retrieve tenseiga...if he could not extend her life, he could at least protect her from early death with that sword of his father. But now tenseiga was in Naraku's hands...
Rin gave a soft sigh and her long lashes fluttered, but she did not awaken. It was strange to smell Kagome's condition on his Rin. That thick, sweet smell meant only one thing – Sesshoumaru knew it, and he knew Inuyasha knew it too, which was why he had been so protective of Kagome, even following her to the Palace. Sesshoumaru stroked her cheeks and found his hands touching her fair neck. The smell on his Rin was frightening and odd, a mixture of demon and human life...he had not smelt it since Izayoi first came to the Palace a century ago. His hands wandered to the soft the base of her throat where male demons made their mating-mark on their females.
His fingers stroked the base of her throat. Kagome's special scent was fading, but the sweet smell had started him thinking if one day, his Rin would smell like this too...What would it mean if she did? He felt a flash of possessiveness, and immediately pushed it away. It could not be. Sesshoumaru growled in confusion. What would happen if he actually succeeded in making her immortal? He had never thought beyond that moment...of course, they would continue as always. Rin would tend to her gardens and he would read poems to her. She would accompany him on his patrols and look after his house when he was busy, as she already did. When winter came, she would build snow-men and beg him to throw snowballs at her.
He stroked the base of Rin's neck again, pleased at those memories.
The thought she might suffer and die had been unbearable... Hours ago, for the first time in his life, he had allowed himself to be blackmailed because of his weakness for her.
"Chichiue...Once again I wonder why you left me Tenseiga."
Very gently, he traced the outline of her lips with his claws. The image of Rin as a little girl faded in his mind, as he stared at her, he saw clearly the sharp contours of her face that marked her as a woman, the curve of her breasts and hips, the softness of her skin. He smelt the fading but still sweet scent of fertility on her. He had never considered her from this new angle before, but he would very much like to begin exploring its possibilities.
"Live Rin. Even if not forever, live now."
