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DISCLAIMER: refer to chapter 1
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Chapter 2; Resigning to One's Fate
A few brief moments later, she arrived. She had shed her armor and now only wore her blood-stained gi. The bottom was light blue silk and had two small slits up to her ankles to allow her more freedom of movement in spite of the gi being what most would consider too tight. Her top was of the traditional wrap-around style with silver ribbons as tie-offs peeking out from under a silver sash that sat snugly around her hips. A silver undershirt concealed, for modesty's sake, what the gi was not designed to conceal, and it had slits in each sleeve up to her elbows. Elaborate scrolls of silver and dark blue embroidery covered her light blue silk gi. At least, Sesshomaru could tell that it had once been light blue. Now it was purple with blood. It was a pity that such a beautifully crafted outfit was ruined in this way.
She wore a sword on her hip and a small silver shield bracer on her left wrist. Both pieces were ornate in nature. Sesshomaru made a new conclusion after observing her clothing and weapons. This woman was of noble birth. The strange scent of her nagged at him again. He turned to go and said, "When we stop for the night you will bathe and wash your garments as best you can. You will procure new clothes first thing in the morning."
"Yes," She said, and then softly added, "My lord."
He expected her hesitation. After being a noble herself she would not take naturally to her new subservient position. Not that he cared. She made the bargain, and she would have to learn to live with it. She followed in his footsteps quietly, and he could nearly smell the sorrow wafting off of her.
"You will have to get used to your new status," Sesshomaru said without regard, "And do so quickly. I have a ward whom I require protection and companionship for, and you will not set a bad example for her. Am I clear?"
He did not see her blink of confusion behind him, but he heard it in her voice, "I am to be a… Nanny?"
"And bodyguard," He added, "You pledged your life in service. It is my choice as to how that service is carried out, is it not?"
"Yes, my lord," the sound was a bit more natural this time.
Sesshomaru considered the issue settled and wasted no time in moving on to the next topic. He did not like to waste time in talk when action was so much more productive. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "I am Lord Sesshomaru, Demon Lord of the westlands."
He expected her to understand the reason for his introduction, and she did.
"I am Miyoiki (Mee-yoi-kee)," She gave no titles.
That was fitting. Now that she was his servant she had no titles to speak of. Her responsibilities lay with him. When they returned to the spot where he had left Rin, they made their introductions quickly. Rin tried to hide behind his leg.
"That's enough, Rin," Sesshomaru said without raising his voice, "You will trust her as you trust me. Talk to her, and treat her as though you've always known her."
Rin immediately obeyed. Miyoiki was speechless. She had never encountered such an odd little girl. No one in the group noticed one of Naraku's insects watching from above.
Naraku sat in his unnaturally dark room and laughed wickedly at what he beheld. He had studied sorcery as a human with avid interest. There was no mistaking the unnatural silver-blue eyes of a metamorph. What luck…He thought … And that fool doesn't even realize what he has in his possession…
He walked over to a bookcase where he kept various artifacts and books on the dark art of sorcery. He grasped an egg-shaped opal stone. He laughed to himself again. A metamorph would make an impressive addition to collection of weapons and slaves. Perhaps, if the old scripts could be believed, she would be so grand a weapon that he would no longer need Kana or Kagura. He could invite them back to his flesh.
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