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 Fourteen

The morning was cool and still. Even the birds that usually sang to the rising sun were strangely silent. The whole of the forest seemed wrapped in an unnatural silence, as though every tree and creature were holding their breaths.

Or almost every creature.

A single being broke the frozen tableau. His movements were fluid, controlled, and without sound. It was easy to believe that his imposing visage was the cause for the surrounding hush. Although he was merely walking in a non-threatening manner, it would have been impossible to miss the air of strength and danger that surrounded him like a shroud.

That air had been growing steadily darker over the past weeks, although no one had remained near enough to him long enough to tell. Where he usually inspired caution and respect from those who crossed his path, there was now outright fear and confusion that led to their exits as quickly as they could manage. It was very clear that the oldest son of Inutaisho wasn't in a good mood and no one wanted to be in the vicinity should he decided to take it out on his surroundings. They hurried on their way to whisper amongst themselves about the cause of his ill temper.

Sesshomaru himself wasn't entirely sure what the problem was and that only added to the problem. He disliked being uninformed about anything that might possibly affect him in even the smallest way. The fact that this was something inside his own mind that was toying with him made it a dozen times worse. A leader who didn't know his own mind deserved no followers and a warrior who was unsure about his reactions would soon be dead.

His face showed no outward sign of the sudden swell of disgust that rose within him. As much as he didn't want to admit it even to himself, he did have an idea of what was haunting him. The worst of it was that it was the very last thing in the world that he wanted to be able to have an affect on him, let alone one of this magnitude.

Or rather, the last person in the world.

His pace quickened as her image rose once more, the detail vivid from the top of her dark hair to the scars marring her legs and feet. The memories of her had been bothering him almost since the moment that he had left her side. No matter how often he told himself that she was none of his concern and that he was lucky to have gotten her out of the way, he couldn't quite translate that into keeping her out of his thoughts. Moments of the slightest relaxation in his mental guard had given rise to such unacceptable questions as the state of her well-being and even, more unforgivably, her happiness. He found himself wondering about her past, what had happened to her, and even what her name might be.

A small curl of his lip was the only sign of his self-directed disgust. He had given more time, thought, and effort to this girl than he had to the last ten other humans he'd met combined. She had done something to him that had locked her in his mind, an unwanted pest he simply couldn't shake.

Sesshomaru drew to a stop at the edge of a towering cliff. Below him was a tree filled valley divided by a wide, swift flowing river. The area was very familiar to him and it also marked the end of his journey. Arriving there meant that he had accomplished his goal and crossed over all of his father's territory.

While his two-week trip had been completed, the secondary purpose behind it was no closer to being resolved. He had hoped that the time and solitude would allow him to cut whatever ties bound the silent girl to him. He wanted nothing more than to be free of the connection he strangely felt toward her. His desire to return to the version of himself that he had been before meeting her remained unachieved.

Turning on his heel, Sesshomaru began retracing his steps. His strides were long and determined, reflecting the decision that he had come to during his moments of stillness. He hadn't been able to walk away from her in the beginning and even seeing to her placement elsewhere hadn't been enough to get his peace of mind back. It was clear that he needed to try another tactic. If avoiding her wouldn't work, it was obviously time for another confrontation. And if that still didn't present a solution, he would simply have to find another way to rid himself of her and the problems she had rained onto him.

X

Rin groaned as she became aware of a heavy throbbing in her head. She remained motionless in the hopes that it would keep the pain from getting worse. The moments of stillness also gave her time to try and sort out what had happened to cause her condition in the first place. Her memory was a little fuzzy and disjointed and the steady pounding wasn't making it any easier to concentrate.

The first solid thought to hit her was a vision of her mother's memory box. It was like a crack in the wall holding back the other images because they all started flooding in. She remembered the letter, the notes, the clues, and her decision to take them all to Myra. It was a little hazy but she remembered leaving the cabin and heading towards town. There had been something behind her . . .a noise or maybe just a feeling before everything went black.

A sharp tug on her skirt had Rin's eyes shooting open. She saw a man kneeling at her feet, his hands lifting the material of her skirt almost to her knees. As she watched in a stunned sense of fear, he forcefully yanked the fabric, tearing a three-inch wide strip off of the bottom. He repeated the process twice more, leaving him with three strips of fabric and her with a skirt that was indecently short.

Her gasp finally brought his attention to her and gave her her first clear look at his face. She was instantly struck with a sense of familiarity and although she couldn't immediately place him, she was certain that she had seen him somewhere before.

When he saw that she was awake and looking at him, he smiled coldly but continued with his task. Before her still woozy mind could order her body to move, he had tightly bound her feet together with one of the strips. The shock of helplessness that rushed through her finally spurred her to action when he tried to do the same to her arms. She swung wildly and with all her strength, managing to land a solid, closed fist punch to the side of his head. He cringed just enough to allow her to line up a second shot to his nose.

The instant that the man fell backward, Rin twisted onto her stomach and dug her fingers into the grass beneath her. She knew there wasn't time to try and untie her feet so she had to work around the handicap. Using her hands, arms, and as much traction as she could get from her bound legs, she forced herself forward. Her muscles screamed in pain at the strain and she knew she'd pay for it later.

If there was a later.

All the air whooshed from her lungs when a heavy weight slammed onto her just moments later. She shuddered at the feel of moist breath in her ear as her captor chuckled. His hands grasped her shoulders and he flipped her onto her back with an ease that spoke of great strength. With a knee on either side of her waist, he pinned both her arms over her head with one hand.

"You didn't think I'd be letting you get away so easily, now did you?" The instant she heard his voice, Rin flashed back to the day before. She heard him asking if she was in a hurry in the same unemotional tone. He sounded as if they had met in a public place rather than him having her bound on the ground in the middle of nowhere.

Her shock held her immobile as he tied her hands together so tightly that they throbbed. With that accomplished, he leaned back but didn't rise from the ground. He twisted his face into what she guessed was supposed to be an expression of sadness or remorse. It chilled her because she knew it was more of a mask than any actual reflection of what he might be feeling.

"You should have left well enough alone. I was all set to leave you be and you just had to go and dredge up the past." He flung his arms out in a gesture of helplessness. "This is all your doing; you've simply left me no choice. It's out of my hands now."

Rin stared at him in disbelief. He was blaming her for whatever it was that he planned to do to her. He obviously believed that he was in no way responsible, that she had brought everything on herself. She remained silent as he continued to rant, choosing instead to look closely at her surrounding for anything that might help her. What she was offered little in the way of assistance but more than a few revelations.

The area she was in was secluded, surrounded by high brush and a few straggly trees. Even if he hadn't moved her far from the road, no one would be able to see them. His tirade, as rambling and illogical as it was, was being spoken in a voice too low pitched to carry to any ears that might be nearby. Barring some unforeseen incident, she was well and truly on her own.

The next thing to catch her attention was her mother's memory box. It was sitting a few feet away, still closed. The sight of it was like a catalyst, snapping everything into place in her mind. The man's ravings suddenly made sense to her. He had to be the mysterious C.M., the one her mother was certain was behind her father's death. He's probably recognized her soon after her arrival in town and had kept an eye on her to see what she knew. The meeting the other day had most likely been deliberate, a test to determine if seeing him would cause any kind of reaction.

From what he'd said after she woke up, Rin could only guess that he'd been about to leave her be when something had changed his mind. She had no idea what that thing was, but if his rambling continued, she was sure it would slip out before too long.

Rin swallowed hard when the man finally moved away from her but her relief was quickly reborn as fear when he grasped her bound hands and started to drag her across the rocky ground. He didn't take her far, just to the nearest tree. Using the last strip of cloth, he tied her arms to a branch above her head. With her legs straight out in front, she was effectively cut off from making any sudden movements.

The man seemed to be in no hurry as he retrieved her mother's box and sat down close to her feet. Flipping open the lid, he smiled coldly at her. "I've always wondered exactly what your mother knew. I'd hoped all this had been destroyed or lost, but this is the next best thing. I'll be able to see the evidence she was always spouting off about before I get rid of it forever."

As he began rooting out the contents of the box, Rin yanked down slowly with her arms. Her efforts were rewarded with a few extra inches of give and a low groaning creak. As soon as she released the pressure, the branch snapped back into place.

Filing her findings away, she returned her attention to her captor. He had finished looking over the items he'd pulled out and was shaking his head. "So she wasn't just using empty threats." He looked at Rin and flashed a toothy grin. "I have to say that it's actually something of a relief. I'd gotten to wondering over the years if I'd gone a little overboard in keeping your mother quiet. At least now I know that arranging her death was necessary. I don't have to feel bad because of the conscience that's popped up in my old age." He chuckled as though he'd made a joke before he focused on the surprised and confused expression in her face.

"That's right!" he burst out excitedly, "you didn't know about that, did you? It's only right that you should know everything since you're caught up in it, always have been." He reached out, the tips of his fingers grazing lightly over the exposed scars on her legs. Rin flinched and jerked her legs out of his reach while a queasy feeling rose in her stomach. The man took no notice, just continued on with his tale. "I apologize for those. When I played the little birdie and whispered witch in those other villagers' ears, I never thought they would go the burning route. I wasn't even sure you'd be involved since ever rustics like them usually believe in mercy to children and all that. You, my dear, have simply awful luck."

He was completely insane, Rin realized. He spoke of arranging her mother's murder like it was nothing, blaming what had happened on the victims instead of admitting fault. She sensed that it wasn't an act; he truly saw himself as having no choice or responsibility for he had done. It was almost like he was totally uninvolved in it all, watching it from the sidelines like it was some kind of macabre play.

A stab of intense fear shot through her. As unremorsefully as he had killed her father, brothers, and mother, it was more than likely that she was about to meet the same end. Even if she could have tried to talk him out of whatever he was planning to do with her, she had a feeling that reason wouldn't have had much effect on him. She was going to have to find another way to save herself.

That thought held her full attention as the man built up a small fire and proceeded to burn every single item that the box had contained. She took only a moment to mourn the loss of her last physical ties to her family along with the clues her mother had gathered to prove her husband's innocence. Her memories would have to do . . .assuming she found a way out of this trial.

Her mind's frantic racing for a plan was cut short when he finished his impromptu bonfire and returned his full focus to her. His face twisted into an image of regret that made her skin go cold. The attempt to portray the emotion looked so alien on his features that it was like he was wearing a mask.

"You're all that's left to take care of yet. If only you hadn't come back here and gotten a hold of that evidence. It wouldn't have had to come to this. I'm truly sorry."

Rin forced herself to remain as calm and unmoving as possible as he advanced on her. The plan that she had managed to compile was simple but it required precise timing. She would have to wait until exactly the right moment or risk wasting her one chance to get away. Her life depended on her patience.

The man advanced on her slowly, acting as though he were in no hurry. It furthered her conviction that the entire ordeal was nothing to him. Killing her was merely a task on a to do list that needed checking off. Her existence and its impending end were both meaningless in his eyes.

His previous actions were so slow that the sudden move he made blanked her mind for several precious seconds. One moment he was still a few steps away, the next he was right in front of her and his hands were closing around her neck. Her air was cut off immediately as pain shot through her throat.

The pressure grinding her neck shocked her brain back into working order. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she jerked her arms downward with all her strength. The branch that her arms were tied to bowed considerably and she felt the small movements that signified several bits had splintered but it still snapped back into place the moment she stopped pulling. With the edges of her vision going black, Rin knew she would only have one more chance. She pulled once more, her entire bucking with the effort as she hoped with everything in her that it would work this time.

Someone must have been looking out for her because a loud crack rent the air. At the same time, the force holding her arms up suddenly reversed, snapping them downward so suddenly that her shoulders burned. There was a muffled thump, a sharp cry, and then the sound of her own harsh gasps as the hands feel from her throat and she was finally able to breathe again. Her vision cleared to reveal C.M. clasping both hands to his face, bright red blood welling from between his fingers. The branch that had crashed into him lay in her lap, her hands still bound to it.

Her will to survive kicked Rin's consciousness, reminding her that she wasn't safe yet. While he was still distracted by his pain, she maneuvered her hands until she could grasp the branch in them. She then scrambled onto her knees, her stomach lurching painfully as she wondered if she would really be able to do what she needed to do.

The sound of her movements must have caught his attention because he jerked his head around to look at her. She shuddered at the expression on his face. The mask was gone; real rage was twisting his features as he lunged forward.

It was that look of total hatred in his eyes that allowed her to move. Holding her breath, she drew her arms back and braced herself before swinging with everything that she had. The branch whistled as it cut through the air before meeting the man's skull with a bone-jarring thud, forcefully enough to snap most of the remaining branch off of her bindings.

Rin watched with a choked sob as he crumpled to the ground. Unsure of how much time she'd bought until he recovered to vent the full force of his anger on her, she didn't waste a second. Using the tree that her back was against as a brace, she managed to get to her feet. Her ankles were still tied together and so she had no choice but to hope rather than run like her nerves were screaming at her to do.

With her wrists still lashed together and keeping her from using her arms to help maintain her balance, she had to focus her entire attention on just staying upright. Her eyes were locked on the ground in front of her and her ears were filled with her own panicked breathing. It came as a total surprise then when she ran headlong into a rock solid obstacle.

The force of the impact sent her sprawling backwards onto the ground. She grunted as the bruise on the back of her head slammed into the dirt and sent waves of pain running down her neck. Her vision blurred for a second and when it cleared, all she saw was a field of white. Her eyes traveled up . . .up . . .up . . .and up until they came to rest on the most welcome sight she'd ever seen in her life: Sesshomaru's face.

Rin sobbed with relief. She wasn't sure where he had come from or why he was on that road at that moment and she didn't care. All she knew was that his arrival made everything okay. There was a feeling inside her saying that she was safe with him that was as strong as it was inexplicable.

His expression remained as blank as always but she thought she saw a hint of questioning in an ever-so-slightly cocked eyebrow. That vanished quickly as his golden eyes raked over her from head to toe, taking in her torn clothing and bound limbs. Something flashed in their depths but he turned away too quickly at the sound of approaching footsteps for her to make out what it was.

Her former captor and murderer of her family burst from the brush with all the subtlety of a herd of drunken buffalo. His progress came to a sudden halt when he caught sight of the motionless demon. Even as he stumbled to a stop, his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. The hands that had been previously balled into fists slackened as they fell to his sides.

By that time, Rin had pulled herself back into a sitting position. Her gaze swept back and forth between the two, knowing that something was going to happen but not knowing what that something might be. She was torn between curiosity and trepidation about who would act first and what their move would be.

If she had been a little calmer, she might have realized that what came next was almost inevitable. Sesshomaru was hardly the type to lower himself to start fights with humans. They were barely worthy of notice, let alone further attention than that. So really, it shouldn't have been a surprise that C.M. was the first one to speak.

"Ah, so sorry to have disturbed you," he began, rushing to straighten his clothes. The mask was firmly back in place, right down to the vague smile and false cheerfulness. He apparently hoped to urge Sesshomaru on his way by acting like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Rin had to suppress a smirk at just how impossible that desire would be.

The man continued. "I'm sure you have much more important matters to attend to, so we'll just get out of your way." He bent slightly as he reached for Rin's hands, paying no attention to her instant cringe. His hand made it to within six inches of her before there was a flash of movement. More quickly than her eyes could follow, Sesshomaru's hand whipped through the air.

It was back by his side as though it had never left before the effects of his action become clear. The strips holding her wrists and ankles together fell apart, taking the last bit of tree branch with them. At the same time, the entire sleeve of the man's shirt fluttered before collapsing into six shreds that dangled from his bent elbow.

The moment that she realized she was free, Rin jumped to her feet. More angry than afraid now that she was no longer helpless, she glared at him from Sesshomaru's side. The towering demon remained motionless, acting for all the world as if he had no involvement in the matter at all.

Rin didn't mind, knowing that the minute he got involved in the fight was the minute it would be over. She was actually glad of the opportunity to do what she did next. She kept her eyes glued to the man's face as she reached into one of the deep pockets of her tattered skirt and withdrew her mother's journal.

The moment that he realized what it was and what it mean, it was as though something in him snapped. His expression twisted into an inhuman snarl and he threw himself towards her. He was so far gone that he didn't spare a thought for the very powerful figure that had already come to her aid once.

It was an incredible sight to see. One instant he was running in one direction, the next, after the merest whisper of silk on silk, he was flying up into the air. He landed with a thump just inches from where he had taken off, still breathing but obviously unconscious.

Rin felt her entire body slump as she accepted that the danger was over. The adrenaline that had been keeping her going vanished, leaving her with the weight of a sleepless night and numerous bruises, physical and mental. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to curl up in a ball and sleep for a week but she knew that she couldn't. There were things to be done not just for herself, but for the sake of her family. She was the only one left to see to it that their names were cleared and that justice was done. She would accomplish those things proudly and afterwards . . .afterwards would come the tougher decisions.

Once more, she stood upon the crossroads.

X

Rin left Myra's house with a lighter heart than she could remember having since childhood. The work that her mother had done was finally in the right hands, as was the man who had committed all the terrible acts. She had finally laid the past to rest and with that achievement had come a clearer outlook on the future.

As much as she had come to like the people the filled the village, there were simply too many memories there for her to remain. Everywhere she looked was a reminder of the past, good or bad. Although she knew she would cherish many of them later, she simply wasn't ready to be surrounded by them yet. There was something very important that she needed to succeed at first.

For almost as long as she could remember, parts of her life had been dictated by wills other than her own. When she was a child, her parents had guided and protected her as parents should. When her father was taken from her life, her mother had continued to do everything that she could. Once she, too, was gone, Rin had lived as best she could through her mother's advice. Everything she did was modeled on what she thought her mother would have wanted her to do.

It was time for there to be a big change in her life. The final letter that her mother had left behind had given one last piece of advice that Rin meant to follow as faithfully as every other. Only this time she wouldn't be doing it to please someone else; it would be for herself. She was going to find her place in the world and the people that were meant to be by her side. She would find her happiness.

It had quickly come to her that doing that would be impossible if she remained where she was. Everywhere she went, people were looking at her with new eyes - or rather old ones. She was no longer the new girl who had gone to work with Jinenji; she was that child Rin who had disappeared with her mother so long ago. All they talked about was the sudden conclusion of her family's painful story; all they saw when they looked at her was the daughter of ones who had suffered a great wrong.

If she stayed there, she would never be anything more than she was at that moment. While she had nothing against the person that she was, it wasn't who she wanted to be for the rest of her life. There were things that she wanted to see and try and new people that she wanted to greet her with eyes untainted by the past. When time had gone by and she was comfortable that she was where she wanted to be in life, then she could come back to face them all with a clear heart. Until then, she needed to put distance between herself and the past.

Lifting the bag that she had left by the door, Rin headed down the street and out of town. Having shared tearful farewells and promises to visit with Jinenji and Yori earlier that morning, Myra was her last stop. Their parting had been just as emotional but even more poignant. They both knew that their goodbyes were being said not just for them, but also for the ones they'd both known.

As the buildings turned into open space and trees, Rin pulled in a deep breath. The sun was shining and a gentle breeze was blowing, making it the perfect day for a journey. When she caught sight of a familiar white-garbed figured waiting on the next rise, a smile curved her lips and her steps quickened. She wasn't quite sure where he would lead her, but she was open to all possibilities. As long as he was with her, she knew that she wouldn't have to be afraid. Whatever might come, she was ready for it.

She had chosen her path, but no one ever said she had to walk it alone.