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 Ten

Rin walked towards the town humming a song that she made up as she went along. Even though she couldn't speak them, she made up words as well. They ran through her mind in a continuous loop with every pretty and interesting thing that she saw being added in as she came upon it. She was in a bright mood because this would be her first trip to town since moving to Jinenji's farm.

As the buildings came into view, she found herself looking at them with a new eye. They all seemed friendlier somehow, welcoming and cozy rather than imposing, as they had been before. It was amazing what an effect having some security made on the way a person saw the world. The people crowding the streets were no longer frightening and threatening; they were just simple people working hard and living their lives in the same way that she was doing.

She offered smiles and nods to the ones she recognized from their trips to Jinenji's farms to buy herbs and medicines. It was nice to be able to put names to the faces. It was yet another step towards feeling as though she truly belonged.

Jinenji's mother, or Yori, as she had insisted Rin think of her, had written out a list of all the things that they needed and given very clear and thorough directions on where to find them. The old woman explained that Jinenji preferred not to go to town because of what had happened to him earlier in his life. Since she didn't like to leave him alone for long periods of time, having Rin there to go for them was a welcome change. Rin secretly thought, with plenty of fondness, that Yori's antisocial presence wouldn't exactly be missed in town.

The blacksmith was the first stop that Rin made. She handed over the sketch she had made of a new tool Jinenji had thought up for the fields. He looked it over and assured her that he could have it finished in a few days. With a burst of satisfaction and a slightly lighter purse, Rin headed off to her next destination.

Living as they did in the middle of a very fertile area, there wasn't much in the way of food that they needed but couldn't grow. The few small items that couldn't be found at the farm were readily available at a small shop located in the center of the town. Since nearly everyone in the village would wind up their sooner or later, she left a bunch of filled orders there as well, where they could be easily picked up. It made the second purpose behind her trip to town much simpler.

There were a few orders that Yori had requested that she deliver in person, however. They were either old friends or ones that had no one to pick up the mixtures for them and were unable to do it themselves. She had assured Rin that they were no threat and that they already knew who she was and the fact that she couldn't speak. Rin was more curious about the people that the salty old woman actually liked than she was nervous about meeting someone new. For that reason, she was smiling to herself as she headed toward the first of the houses on her list.

A loud "Come in!" immediately followed her knock. Pushing the door open just enough to peek inside, she caught sight of a woman seated by the fireplace. Upon seeing Rin, she motioned for her to come in. After taking a few steps forward, Rin noticed that her left leg was heavily bandaged and propped up on a small stool. Suddenly the tin of cream to ease pain and lower swelling that she was there to deliver made sense.

Smiling her hello, Rin stood patiently while the woman looked her over with a critical eye. She must have passed the inspection because the old woman finally returned the smile and allowed her to hand over the medicine and the instruction sheet that went with it.

And so it went for all the houses that she visited. She was surveyed from head to tow the moment that she entered and then welcomed politely, if not enthusiastically, at each home. Some of the people chatted with her like they'd known her for her whole life while others merely paid for their medicines and offered a simple thank you. All of them knew that she couldn't speak, just as Yori had promised.

Rin was enjoying meeting the quiet people as much as the outgoing and friendly ones. It was wonderful to meet such a variety of people. After so long of seeing only Larissa, she thought she would enjoy doing rounds of deliveries every once in awhile.

The sun was starting its downward descent as she left the next to last customer. The old man had thanked her close to a dozen times for the tea that he swore was the only thing that could ease his cough. She knew her face was bright red from the unexpected praise as she slipped out the door. Wanting to hide her burning cheeks, she tipped her head down so that her hair fell forward and blocked them from view. Unfortunately, it also blocked her view, leading her to bump into someone after only a few steps.

The impact wasn't very forceful but it still made her wobble a bit. Hands settled on her upper arms until she regained her balance. Looking up, Rin found herself standing in front of a tall, older man. His graying blonde hair hung to his shoulders. The face staring down at her was round and deeply tanned with a web of fine lines fanning out from the corner of his eyes. He was smiling at her but there was a probing quality to his gaze that caught her off guard.

Writing it off as a slightly rude version of the same curiosity that every else that she'd met that day had shown, she grimaced in embarrassment at having plowed into him. Mouthing her apologies, she breathed a sigh of relief when he accepted them with a laugh.

"In a hurry, were you?" he asked jovially, bending at the same time she did to retrieve the jar she'd dropped upon their collision. He grabbed it before she could and still without handing it back. Rin rose too, uncertain of what to do or how to act. The man seemed unconcerned, tossing the jar from hand to hand as he smiled down at her.

"You must be the girl that's living with that old woman and her son out on the herb farm. Everyone's been talking about you. This is the first time that I've seen you in town."

Rin nodded and smiled a little uneasily. He just continued looking at her until he suddenly dropped the jar into her hands. Touching two fingers to his forehead in a sort of salute, he winked. "I guess I'll be seeing you around then," he told her as he turned and walked away.

Rin remained unmoving for several moments after he vanished into the crowd. The entire meeting had been strange and the feeling lingered with her. She couldn't say what it was exactly, but something about the man made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was the intent way that he looked at her or the forward way he had spoken, but she'd gotten an eerie feeling that he had some odd sort of interest in her. For the first time, she recalled her dream of the cold and rejecting town and a shiver danced across her skin.

Forcing herself to put it out of her mind, she reached into her pocket and checked the address of her last stop. It was the one closest to the path back to the farm, which was why she had chosen to save it for last. She would be glad to get it out of the way and return to the cabin for a little solitude. The entire morning was proving to be a bit more company than she was apparently ready for.

Upon reaching the small cottage-like building, Rin stopped short. Although it looked exactly the same as the others surrounding it, there was something about her destination that stood out for her. If someone had set her loose on the street and told her to pick a house to approach, it was the one she would have chosen without hesitation. There was just something about it that spoke of safety to her, a place where she could let down her guard.

Wanting to know where the feeling was coming from, Rin hurried to the door and knocked. She was listening so intently that she was able to make out the sound of feet shuffling towards her as she waited. She unconsciously began to chew on her lower lip as the door began to open, excited and anxious at the same time.

The woman standing in the doorway was not what she had been expecting. She was younger for starters, looking like she was in her early forties or so. The dark hair that hung down her back in a thick braid was barely touched with gray, her face smooth and unlined. She smiled gently when she met Rin's gaze, motioning for her to come inside.

Following the older woman into a small sitting room, Rin felt the sense of familiarity growing stronger with every passing moment. She knew this house, this room. She had sat in the rocking chair in the corner, had played on the rug by the hearth. These were facts that she was sure of, but the memories that would have supported that knowledge refused to surface. Confused and wanting answers, she turned to the most likely source.

"Do you remember me at all, Rin?"

Jumping a little at hearing her name, Rin knew that she was gaping like a fish but couldn't help herself. Only Larissa, Yori, and Jinenji knew her name and she knew that none of them had told this woman. Was it a lucky guess or was it possible that she had known her . . .before? Was the sense of déjà vu more than just an odd feeling? Had she really been there sometime in the past?

Almost as though she had read her guest's mind, the woman began to speak again. "You used to come here when your mother went with your father on trips. Your brothers stayed with friends but you never really get along with other kids your age. You seemed so happy just to go through the book your mother made you on plants and their uses. I knew that you would wind up working with plants when you got older." The woman stepped closer, her eyes scouring her face from top to bottom. "You're so much like her, you know. Your mother, I mean. Not so much in looks aside from your eyes, but you have that same spark."

She laughed softly at the confused expression on Rin's face. "But I don't think that's what you're waiting to hear. Come take a seat and explain everything to you."

There were two chairs facing each other in one corner of the room and that was where the woman headed. She sat in one and motioned towards the other. It was only after Rin had sat down that she began her story, closing her eyes as though dredging memories up from somewhere deep inside.

"I wasn't sure if you would remember me since you were so little the last time that we met. I moved away for a while, just after you turned five, I think. By the time I came back, your entire family was gone and I didn't think I'd ever see you again. But then I saw you walking through town and I just knew it was you right away. When the gossip started that you were living at the herb farm and were a wonder with medicines, I was more sure than ever that you were my little Rin, come back home again."

Rin had been hanging onto every word that came from her mouth and the last sentence almost made her jump. Home again? This town, this village had been home? It certainly explained the odd dreams and the feelings of uneasiness that she wasn't able to completely shake. While she remembered some aspects of her past as clearly as though they had just happened, the location had never been more than background to the traumatic events. It was entirely possible that she had found her way back and hadn't even known it.

Turning to the woman, she concentrated on her face, struggling to bring to mind any memory that she could of this stranger who wasn't a stranger. She knew that they were there, waiting just below the surface of her mind for the right stimulant to come along and bring them back. Even as she struggled to remember, a part of her was rejoicing.

Maybe she had finally found the key to solving the mysteries of her past.