Field of Innocence
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.
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Chapter Seven
Rin stood in front of Sesshomaru, staring down into his golden eyes as she opened her mouth. She took a deep breath and pursed her lips slightly as she asked, "Where are we going?"
One of his eyebrows lifted slightly and told Rin that, as hard as she had tried, no sound left her lips. She couldn't help but slump in the same dejection that she always felt when she tried and couldn't manage to speak. It was why she had given up trying; the failures always stayed with her, dimming her mood for days afterward.
She sighed sadly, closing her eyes briefly. She didn't know why she'd though that this time would be any different. Just because she wanted it to happen so badly in order to get answers didn't mean anything. She had wanted to speak just as badly on several other occasions and the words hadn't come then either. Not a single syllable had crossed her lips since the day that her mother had died, nearly a decade before.
When Rin opened her eyes, she found that Sesshomaru's raised eyebrow had turned into a full blown (for him, anyway) expression of curiosity. She had to have seemed like an idiot to him, standing in front of him with her mouth flapping open and closed like some kind of fish while no sound came out. A wave of heat crawled up her neck and she knew that she was blushing a brilliant shade of red. It took everything in her to ignore her first instinct to crawl away in embarrassment, but she did. Her hands trembled with the force of will she had to exert over herself to remain in front of him and try again.
Licking her lips, Rin slowly mouthed the question again, carefully exaggerating each word in the hopes that it would make them easier to understand. Sesshomaru didn't seem like the type who would enjoy guessing games and so she didn't want to risk annoying him by dragging out the session. She mentally crossed her fingers as he seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment. Her nerves seemed to tighten more with every breath she took as she waited.
Just as she was about to collapse with the pressure of suspense, his eyes refocused on her face. Even then, he didn't speak right away, looking to Rin like he was debating with himself whether or not she was worth the trouble of explaining things to her. The answer must have been yes because she was soon treated to the low, cultured sound of his voice once more.
"At this pace, getting to the Western Lands will take another four days. Two days from here is the last human settlement before then." Apparently thinking that that was explanation enough, he returned his attention to their surroundings, effectively dismissing her at the same time. Rin was more than satisfied with the two-sentence answer since it had told her all that she needed to know at the moment. She also got the feeling that getting even that much out of him was something to be grateful for.
Nodding to show that she was understood, Rin started back to where she had left her bag. She was halfway there when the swish of silk told her that Sesshomaru had risen to his feet. She wasn't surprised that he had started to walk again by the time she turned around. Grabbing the strap of her bag, Rin hurried to catch up with him.
The rest of the day passed quickly and silently. Rin gathered handfuls of berries to eat as she walked since Sesshomaru showed no signs of taking another break before dark. The juiciness of the fruit slaked her thirst and so she was content enough to keep moving. Now that she had an idea of what her future held, she was filled with a mixture of anxiety and what might have been excitement, both of which would have made it difficult for her to sit still even if she had that option.
Just after nightfall, he found another clearing by what might have been part of the same stream from earlier that day. Fumbling in the darkness, Rin managed to rinse out the smoke-scented clothing and spread it out to dry across some branches before settling down for the night herself. She had half expected to suffer from nightmares of what she had been through but she slept soundly until just before dawn. She wasn't sure if it was pure exhaustion from the long walk, the strong sense of safety she felt from having Sesshomaru nearby, or a bit of both.
Upon waking, Rin had time to gather her now dry clothes but not enough time to even think about putting them on. She had to stuff them in her bag on the run to keep the already moving Sesshomaru in sight as he set off.
The day passed just as quickly as the one before it had. With only three stops before finding a place for the night, Rin had a lot of time for observing and thinking. Since he was by far the most interesting thing around, Sesshomaru was the most obvious target for that focus. She saw that he walked with a long, even stride that was so smooth that he seemed almost to float. It was also clear that he would have been able to move much faster than the pace he was currently setting if he had been alone. Even without his having to say it, Rin knew that he was holding back a considerable amount of energy on her behalf.
She also noticed that he kept his steps just fast enough that she was always a few steps behind. She didn't mind; it was the same amount of distance that she herself would have left had it been up to her. There was just something about him that clearly stated he was meant to lead.
The few times that he vanished from her sight, there had been a clear path for her to follow and he had always reappeared before the going got too tough for her to handle. It showed some consideration on his part that was just another confusing piece of the highly complex puzzle that made him up.
It was midmorning on their third day of travel when they came close to a town for the first time. By the way that he paused while looking over the settlement, Rin know that this was the place that Sesshomaru had spoken of. It was time to say goodbye.
Unable to express her thanks in any other way, Rin had to settle for giving him the brightest, warmest smile that she could manage. She wished that she could tell him everything that was going through her mind: her gratitude for his saving her life, for helping her find a place away from the charred memories and the people who had caused them. She thought of all the questions that might never be answered, the biggest of which was why he had done all that he had for her.
Before she could find a way to get any of those things across, Sesshomaru had turned and continued walking. It was clear from the way that he didn't say a word to her and his nearly tripled speed that she wasn't meant to follow. This was obviously where they were going to part ways.
Rin fought down the tinge of emotion that streaked through her chest at the thought that this really was goodbye. Even though she had known that it was coming, she still couldn't help but feel a strong sense of loss at his departure. Although the actual amount of time that they had spent together was small, the events that had happened in that span were not. They were some of the biggest changes in her lifetime, and he was not only involved with them but had also caused some of them. There was a connection there that she knew she'd have a hard time forgetting.
She only allowed herself a few minutes of regret before refocusing her attention on the town that lie before her. It wasn't yet lunchtime but Rin knew that she didn't have a lot of time to waste. Without being able to talk, she was going to have a hard time finding out what she needed to know. At the very least, she had to find a place to stay temporarily until she could something more permanent.
With a sigh that was only a little shaky, Rin started forward. After making her way to the town, she walked slowly through the streets, her shoulders slightly slumped with the weight of her situation. Being in such a crowded place with so many people that she didn't know made her feel very self-conscious. As used to her solitude as she was, the task that she was about to face was almost more frightening than the fire had been.
It was all that she could do to keep herself from turning around and heading back to the quiet of the woods. What stopped her was the knowledge that Sesshomaru had gone out of his way to give her this chance. Running away before even trying would have been an insult to that gesture.
Rin soon found her way into what seemed like the town square. There were many businesses bunched together and more people milling around than there had been elsewhere. This would be the best place to come looking for a job, she knew, since there was sure to be someone looking for help out of all the establishments. However, she didn't think that that was a trial she was up to tackling just yet. For the moment, she would be happy just to find a place to stay for the night. There would be time enough in the morning to worry about a job.
As she walked through the area, the strangest thing began to happen. Somehow, her mind would form a picture of what was ahead before her eyes could see it. She guessed the location of the blacksmith, the baker, and even several of the more elegant homes that the town boasted. A few times she felt as though what she was looking at was wrong somehow, as though another building should have been in the place that she was seeing.
While such a thing happening once or twice would have been an amusing coincidence, the continuous streak began to make her feel unsettled. A feeling of queasiness grew in the pit of her stomach as she continued on and a headache began to form behind her eyes. She had to take several deep breaths to fight off the feelings, but the uneasiness remained.
The only logical thing that she could think of was that she had once been in this town before a long time ago. She remembered certain things as they had been then, some of which had since changed. It seemed to make sense, but the aura of discomfort didn't ease at the explanation. If she had been here before, the experience mustn't have been a pleasant one.
She had wandered through most of the town by then and felt like she needed a rest. Drawing on the inexplicable memories, she headed towards where she thought there might be a boarding house of sorts. She kept her eyes locked on the ground as she went, wanting to avoid any more of the strange feelings. All she wanted was to find a room with a nice, warm bed and sink into it for a long nap. Hopefully things would clearer after a good, long rest.
Given the circumstances and her intense concentration on the road in front of her, it was no wonder that Rin never noticed the startled gaze of one of the people that she passed. She also failed to notice the way that his eyes narrowed as he pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and began to follow her through the town.