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Sesshoumaru awoke feeling refreshed before the dawn, and before she did. The sky was dark, and shadowed by the trees overhead. He looked down at the girl, who was still curled up next to him. She was cleaner and didn't look as bad, but was still just as pathetic as any human. So weak. She was taking slow, sleepy breaths, and he could hear her heart beating in the stillness of the night. Sesshoumaru wondered how she could feel so safe and secure sleeping next to a youkai such as himself. He could kill her with no effort at all before she even woke up from her dream. Or not.
For the first time, the girl slept until long after the sun had risen. Then she began to move in her sleep, and in a few minutes more, she was awake. She looked up at him, but didn't move right away. Then she put both her hands around the arm draped over her, and sat that way for a moment, before she sat up. He watched her, curiously. When he did nothing, the girl held his limp hand out, turning it over in her own. She held one of her small hands up to his palm, before she turned his hand over and ran one of her fingers over the top of his claws. She pulled a finger up and looked at the underneath of the claw.
"Those are sharp."
The girl glanced at him and left the claws alone, just looking at his hand more. She pulled his sleeve up when she noticed the edge of one of the magenta marks, and looked at his wrist. She traced over the marks with her finger. Then she looked at his face and did the same thing with the lines on his nearest cheek. He raised an eyebrow at her, before frowning slightly. Was this why she was following him? Because he looked different? She stared into his eyes for a moment, looked at his forehead, and then at the other side of his face. Then she hesitantly reached for his other sleeve, as if unsure of what she would find. She pulled it taught toward her, and waved the sleeve several directions that it would not have gone if an arm had been inside. Then she stood up, her head almost level with his. She pulled a strand of his hair forward, and watched it shimmer in the light as she moved it. She held it up to her own hair, looking at the dark against light. Then she dropped her hands and smiled at him, seemingly satisfied.
Sesshoumaru watched her, unsure of what to think. Then he reached for the bag that they had gotten from the house and handed it to her. "Pick one thing. Save the rest." She did as she was told, and he stood up. "Let's go." They began walking through the woods, Sesshoumaru making for a spot where they could meet Jaken. The girl happily walked beside him, in front of him, behind him, almost dancing circles sometimes. They crossed the forest in silence, Sesshoumaru not having anything to say, and the girl not saying anything. They found the path once more, and continued on it until Sesshoumaru parted with it again, leaving its winding turns to cut across the rest of the woods. By the afternoon, he had found a place suitable to wait, with the trees at his back and the land beginning to clear ahead.
He sat down, as did the girl. At least she wasn't staring at him, instead playing with some flowers at her feet. Perhaps she had gotten all the curiosity out of her system that morning. But that meant that that wasn't the reason she was following him. If she had only been curious, she would have left already. He looked at her again, and then turned his attention to the countryside. A few travelers passed as the day drew on, and they looked at the two by the trees oddly, some with curiosity at the pair, but most with fear, only caring that one of the two was a youkai. Sesshoumaru didn't acknowledge any of them, but the girl by his side smiled and happily waved at everyone who went by.
Sesshoumaru surveyed the area. There was nothing around them, not even anything that would harm the girl. "You know how to fish, do you not?" he asked, remembering the food that she had brought him in the woods. "Go to that stream and get some if you are hungry." The girl smiled at him and ran off. A stream ran at the far bottom side of the slowly sloping hill that they sat on. It was a short distance away, but she could still see him from its bank. The child waded in and stood in the stream, rather unsuccessfully trying to catch fish.
Sesshoumaru watched her, somewhat amused. She was so intent in watching the fish that she eventually stopped looking back at him, and even disappeared from view as she waded downstream. It didn't matter, she was just over the hill and he could still smell her, and there wasn't anything around. He rarely confronted other youkai, in fact. Most sensed him well before he was in the area, and retreated. Those that he did come across were usually territorial youkai, and either hid in their holes or made their presence known without conflict. Only truly stupid ones attacked him.
"Sesshoumaru-saamaaaaaaa!"
The girl screamed? That voice was certainly not Jaken's, and no one else would be calling. There was also a large youki suddenly in the area, practically appearing out of nowhere. Not nearly large enough that it would be a challenge to him, and small enough that it should have known to keep its distance when it sensed him. And it was in the girl's direction. But since when could she speak? However, not particularly wanting her dead, he decided to investigate. He moved almost instantly over the hill, appearing beside the girl, who had jumped out of the stream. Not caring that he simply flickered into existence next to her, she jumped behind his leg. Sesshoumaru took the situation in.
Across the water was a brown dog youkai, its head standing slightly higher than a man's and its mouth open. It had sensed him in the area; in fact, it had been heading toward him, until it had spotted a snack along the way. It hadn't stopped its attack because it perceived him as a nearby threat, until the girl had screamed out his name. The dog's body rippled and contorted in a glow of energy, shrinking and taking the form of a wild looking young youkai with dark features, and dressed in armor. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.
"Sesshoumaru-dono. Jaken said you wanted me?"
"Mazou. I need information, on sword makers." Sesshoumaru motioned for Mazou to follow him, as he walked back to the comfortable spot where he had been sitting. Mazou fell into line at his left side, at which point the girl moved behind to his right. And she wasn't just walking either. This time she was practically attached to his leg, holding on to his clothes with both of her hands. He sat down by a tree, and Mazou sat across from him. The girl sat almost behind him, peeking out from beside his shoulder.
"Toutousai is the best," Mazou began. "But--"
"I have seen Toutousai. He refuses to make me one."
"You kill him?"
"No. I still may find a way to pressure him into it, if other options fail. But for now, he is out of reach. You are versed in youkai weapons; who else could make a sword fit for I, Sesshoumaru?"
"First, you'll need a power to make if from, if you know what I mean. And great weapons of power require skill to make. There's no one like Toutousai...." Mazou tapped his head slowly, and then suddenly snapped his fingers. "Although a number of years ago, I did hear rumors about an apprentice of his that he threw out because he 'went bad.' What was his name...? Kaijinbou!"
"And where can this 'Kaijinbou' be found?"
"It's said the southern forests, though that's been decades. But he's probably still around down there somewhere. However, if you do find him, be ready. They say he'll double cross anyone that crosses his path."
"And when will Jaken return?"
"It will take a little longer. It was even worse than last time."
Sesshoumaru refused to concede to Mazou's hint.
"Come on, tell me. I did fly all the way out here. No? Hmm, whatever it was must have beat you then, or at least lived to tell about it. Ah, anyway, it doesn't matter. Actually, I'm headed on my way off east for a while." He stood up. "If that's all?"
Sesshoumaru nodded.
"If you track down Kaijinbou, let me know sometime you come back west. Jaken will be back with your armor sometime late tomorrow, by the way." He turned to leave, but looked back around. "Aren't you even going to bring it up? I'm dying to know, what's with the human?"
"What about her?"
"Why's she with you?"
"She's mine."
"Obviously. Why?"
"Because I am interested."
"In what? It's just a human."
Sesshoumaru said nothing.
"Gonna sell her?" Mazou persisted.
"To who?"
"Gonna kill her?"
"It would be done by now."
"Gonna eat her?"
"Disgusting."
"To each his own. I thought maybe you had finally developed a taste. Eh, you never were one for talk; it's like trying to get answers out of a wall. But if you ever need someone to take her off your hands, just let me know!" With that, Mazou's form shifted, and he was gone in a ball of light, shooting off into the sky. Sesshoumaru watched the ball of energy disappear. Mazou was one of the youkai that roamed the land past his western borders. Mazou was young, loud, brash, and obnoxious, but all in his clan were knowledgeable and skillful in weapons and had their uses. Plus, they weren't stupid. They realized that Sesshoumaru or his father could have extended their borders if they chose to.
Sesshoumaru reached behind his back and pulled the girl in front of him. "So you can speak." She said nothing. "I just heard you." She stared at him. "Say something."
"Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Yes, that is my name. Do you have one?"
She nodded.
"What is it?"
"Rin," she said after a moment.
"Why are you following me, Rin?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
This wasn't going anywhere quickly. He supposed that he shouldn't expect her to go from not saying a word to conversing instantly. "Why don't you try fishing again?"
The child was awful at catching fish. Sesshoumaru soon decided that what she had brought him must have taken her hours to catch, or was stolen. He had walked back to the stream with her, and she had waded into the water, while he leaned over the edge of the bank. He never had a reason to eat, but skewering the silver shapes out of the water was a game he practiced long in his youth, sharpening his speed and precision. His long, quick arm easily picked the fish out of the water, though he threw most of them back. She was supposed to be the one fishing, though she was clearly at a disadvantage. Her hands were almost too small, and weren't nearly fast enough. Having claws helped as well, since one didn't have to hold on to the slippery fish with fingers alone. She eventually caught one after several hours of practice and watching him. She quickly waded out of the stream and triumphantly brought its wriggling form up to him. He killed it, and laid it with two that he had set aside.
She clapped. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"
"Rin, get some firewood."
She ran off. Another thing that Sesshoumaru hadn't needed to bother with before presented itself--fire. Most humans liked their food cooked. He watched her gathering sticks. This one was odd. For days she wouldn't let him out of her sight except when the need to sleep demanded it, and today she ran around freely. Though she had been clingy enough earlier; but that was probably just due to Mazou's sudden and threatening appearance. And then there was the matter of her suddenly speaking. Not speaking very much, he admitted, but speaking. Not to mention everything else she had done during the last six days. The girl was peculiar, but at least it would give him something to think about during the night while she slept.
She brought the sticks back to him and dumped them in a pile. Sesshoumaru started a fire, and cooked the fish, all the while telling himself that it was beneath him. But she didn't know how to do it, and it had to be done. At least Jaken would be good for something when he came back. Sesshoumaru rarely did anything himself when others--youkai or human--could be made to do it for him. After the girl had eaten, darkness came, and she sat across from him, looking into the remains of the smoldering coals. Sesshoumaru decided to try and talk to her again.
"Rin." She looked at him. "Why did you suddenly start speaking?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Yes, what about me?"
"Rin needed Sesshoumaru-sama."
"And I need you to speak from now on," he replied, somewhat puzzled by her answer. She had been scared into talking? "Can you do that?"
She nodded.
"Do you not have a family?"
"Dead. Rin was all alone."
Sesshoumaru had suspected as much. But he noticed that she said "was" all alone, not "is" all alone. She obviously counted herself as not being alone anymore.
"Why are you following me?"
"Rin will go with Sesshoumaru-sama."
Not wanting to press his luck, Sesshoumaru decided that that was enough questioning for one night.
"Go to sleep, Rin."
She smiled and jumped up, coming over and once again curling up at his side. He looked at her, surprised. There was no reason for her to do that this night. There was hardly anything in the area, and he wasn't even going to be sleeping. He started to tell her so, but the girl spoke first.
"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."
What was she thanking him for? Somewhat stunned, but seeing no real harm in it, Sesshoumaru allowed her to remain. Suddenly, she moved to look up at him.
"Are there youkai?"
"Youkai?" What did she mean, were there youkai?
"Close ones?"
"Probably," he answered vaguely, surprised by and unsure of how to respond to her question. Close ones? Did she mean other than the one that she was sitting next to? The girl moved a bit closer to him, and then was quiet. She soon fell asleep, and he began thinking about the curious girl who slept next to him.
She hadn't been scared of him, she had followed, and she had constantly stared. She hadn't let him out of her sight, she seemed to want to please him, and until recently, she didn't speak. Now he knew that her family had been killed and she had been left alone in the village. She had obviously been trying to help him in the woods, but did she not realize what he was? If the girl's parents were dead, perhaps she was never told of youkai. But even the youngest children should have heard stories in one way or another. And she had just asked him if there were any youkai around, so she must be somewhat informed. Even if she hadn't known when she saw him, she still should have recognized the warning signs of a threat. Maybe she was just stupid. Or not so stupid after all, since he didn't actually end up doing anything to her. Her apparent muteness could have come from being abandoned at such a young age, not having anyone to talk to, or both, he supposed. She had found her voice soon enough when it mattered. To call him, which slightly disturbed him for some reason.
Her staring must have been mere curiosity, he decided, for she stopped after her odd examination of him that morning. He paused for a moment and wondered why he had even allowed that odd display. He should have pushed her away, but he was curious. Curious as to why she found him so curious. She had also slept longer that morning, and this had been the first day that she hadn't been afraid to let him out of her sight. Something must have clicked in the child's mind. Did it have anything to do with letting her get so close to him the night before? It was mere necessity, so that they could both sleep comfortably. She slept next to him this night as well, though--uninvited and unasked for. But while there was no particular basis to let her stay there this night, he did for some reason. And for the same unknown reason she was following him, she would obey almost any request, and seemed to want his approval in whatever small tasks she did. It was all very interesting.