Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep saying this? Its like a mantra by now!
Chaos erupted as news of Jaken's discovery ripped through the great hall like wild fire. Demons, fearing Lord Sesshomaru's retribution for the act, turned on one another. Each only too eager to point the finger of blame at another. Almost instantly, Jaken had locked himself in Rin's room, refusing anyones demands to be given admittance. The vassil could hardly speak. He quickly covered Rin's fallen form with a blanket and moved her hair so he might see her face, hoping that perhaps, just perhaps it was a servant thinking to steal the kimono and meeting a foul end. It was not to be so. Rin's peaceful face, pale now, caused his limbs to shake.
"Rin? Rin...wake up. These...these wounds don't look that bad," he whispered, laying a hand on her shoulder and giving her a shake, "You have to open your eyes, Rin."
The movement of her shoulder caused the young woman to whimper in pain. The sound was barely audible but Jaken heard it nonetheless. Alive! How could this be? Lord Sesshomaru's poisoned claws never missed! The wound to Rin's back and shoulder was deep and if Lord Sesshomaru's poison hadn't already done its damage it soon would. Jaken rose to his feet and scurried to the small table in the far corner, lifting the heavy pitcher and bowl he carried them to Rin's side. His instincts were warning him to do all he could, that Lord Sesshomaru would have his head if Rin were to die. His rational side he had nothing to fear in that quarter. It looked as if his lord had assured Rin's death.
"W-why, M-M-Master Jaken? Why did my Lord Sesshomaru do this?" her weak voice broke the silence as Jaken poured water into the bowl and dipped a cloth into it, carefully ringing it out.
"Just be still, Rin. Don't use up your energy with such useless talk," Jaken scolded gently, setting the cloth aside and trying his best to gently move the ruined kimono from her shoulder, "Right now we must get you bandaged up."
Rin's painfilled eyes slowly opened. Tears of pain and confusion swiftly flooded them and flowed down her cheeks. Her lord hurt her. The demon she trusted more than any human. She bit back a scream of pain as Jaken lay the cool damp cloth on the wound on her shoulder. What had gone so wrong? What had turned Lord Sesshomaru against her so swiftly? The coppery smell of her own blood made Rin's nose wrinkle. When was the poison going to do its work and kill her already? Death would be preferable to the pain that seemed to sear every nerve in her body.
Commotion outside the room erupted once again and Jaken snatched up his staff, ready to do war with any who dared to try and enter. Rin, driven by fear, rose up on one shaking arm in preparation to flee. How strange. Even now, fearing what was going on just on the other side of her door, Rin found herself hoping her lord would come. She barely had the energy to crawl to the bed but she had to make it. She would not die on the floor like vermin. If this was her end, she would lay in the bed she had shared for one night with her lord.
"Why should you wish to enter the room, Lord Sesshomaru? You cannot mean to inspect your handywork!" a gravelly voice demanded from the hall.
Jaken felt his heart shudder to a near stop and Rin froze, her hand clutching weakly at the coverlet. Moments passed and there was only silence in the hall. Perhaps their lord had chosen to leave, to wait til any witnesses were gone. As Rin struggled once more to pull herself up onto the bed a scorching hot pain raced across the wound to her back and she screamed. To her surprise more than anyone elses she had screamed a name.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
Instincts were hard to overcome and for a majority of her life she had always called out to him whenever she was in pain, scared, in danger. Jaken rushed to her side, trying in vain to aid her onto the bed but to no avail. He hadn't the strength to help her in her weakened state. The tattered remains of the kimono slid from her shoulder and back as she dragged herself up onto the bed and collapsed. She had no more strength. Already blackness was overtaking her vision. The silence from the hall was shattered by a cold and dispassionate voice that somehow penetrated the painclouded depths of Rin's conscience.
"If you do not let me pass I shall not be resposible for my actions. Step aside. Now."
The sound of movement outside the door caused Jaken to begin his trembling all over again. Why would his lord wish to return to this room? Upon hearing Rin cry out surely he knew he had failed to kill her. Something in the back of Jaken's mind began to nag at him. His lord never left such a thing unfinished. When Lord Sesshomaru wished someone dead, it was as good as done. Had his time with Rin somehow made it impossible for the inuyoukai lord to slaughter her outright?
"Jaken, open the door or this Sesshomaru will have no other course but to strike."
The shaking vassil did not hesitate for a moment. As fast as his legs could carry him, Jaken raced for the door and opened it slowly. The moment the door began to open a scent overwhelmed Sesshomaru's senses. Blood. Fresh human blood. Rin's blood. He could still recall its scent from those years ago when the wolves had slaughtered her. The door was only half open when the Lord of the Western Lands shoved it completely open, sending Jaken tumbling back. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he saw the splash and smear of Rin's blood on the wall. He had forgotten how much a human bled. It almost amused him to see Jaken now standing between himself and Rin's still form on the bed.
"You think to block my path as the others did, Jaken? Do you side with them in their belief as well that I am the culprit? I would have thought after our years of travelling together you would know your lord better. Use your head, Jaken. What would I have to gain by Rin's death?" Sesshomaru snapped, brushing past the stammering servant.
"B-b-b-but the wounds, me lord! None other but your poisoned claws could have done such damage!" Jaken squeaked.
Rin's wide eyes peered up at her lord as he came to stand over her bed. Her body shook from pain, fear and dread. As always she waited for her lord to speak first. It was in those moments of heavy silence that Rin became confused. The room seemed to spin in dizzying circles but still her eyes studied Lord Sesshomaru. Her mind told her to cower away, to remember he was the author of all of her pain. However, her heart refused to believe it was possible that her kind lord had done this.
"Jaken, you fool, had it been my poisoned claws that had struck down Rin, she would be dead. Someone within the great hall is toying with us."
"Juri! That evil demoness will stop at nothing!"
"Juri does not have the power to shape shift. She is nothing but a simple fire demoness. It would appear she has formed an alliance with someone," Sesshomaru scoffed as he sat carefully on the side of the bed, watching Rin's face.
"Am I going to die, Lord Sesshomaru?"
Rin's frightened voice fueled the anger Sesshomaru was keeping so well hidden. Someone dared. Someone dared to come into his home, attack his Rin and try to take her life. His Toukijin awaited those responsible. Perhaps it was his own fault for making it appear as if she was nothing more to him than a servant. Maybe he shouldn't have relaxed his guard, thinking he had settled the matter of the demon lords' interest in Rin.
"You are not going to die, Rin. Tenseiga is silent. Remain here with Jaken. You are not to leave this room and no one but myself is to enter."
Rin nodded slowly. Her fear of Juri grew in leaps and bounds. She was mortal, so easy for a demon or demoness to slay. And this time someone had very nearly succeeded. From that moment on, Rin swore to be even more cautious in her dealings with Juri. In fact, she would keep her distance from any and all of the demons within the great hall except for her lord and Master Jaken. Her wounds would keep her abed for days to come, giving Lord Sesshomaru more than ample time to lay in wait and discover who the demon was who had dared to tempt fate.
"Rin?"
The tone of her lord's voice gave Rin pause.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Speak the truth. Do you believe this Sesshomaru when he tells you he had no part of this?"
"Yes, my lord. I do believe you. It is as you said. You stood nothing to gain if I were to die. The only one who would benefit here is Juri. I had thought she only wanted me to leave. I never would have thought she wanted me dead." Rin answered without hesitation.
Sesshomaru kept his back to Rin, never looking her in the eye. He nodded slowly. She had never lied to him. He could feel her gaze upon him. Once again, she was putting her faith and trust in him to protect her. Despite nearly meeting her end at what appeared to be his hands, Rin believed he would keep her safe from further harm. Humans puzzled him. Were he in Rin's place, he doubted he could be so trusting. Now he looked over his shoulder at her. Jaken was carefully bandaging this wounds and he could clearly see how close Rin had come to death. Whoever did this had been aiming for her throat and neck. Clearly Rin's instinct to cover her head had saved her. He could not stand the fear that still lingered in her eyes.
"Next time, Rin, duck and then run. A moving target is much harder to strike."
Jaken looked shocked and appalled at his lord's almost flippant attitude towards what had transpired. Rin, however, knew what Sesshomaru was about. Yes, he was instructing her on how to survive but he was also, in his own tender way, telling her what she had done wrong. A wide smile broke out across her face and Rin nodded. Sesshomaru studied her for a few more moments before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind him.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Let us test that, shall we, Juri? This Sesshomaru intends to send you back into the belly of hell itself." Sesshomaru murmured, making his way out of the great hall and coming to stand in the wide open field before it.
A wind came rushing through the field, bending the high grass flat as the inuyoukai lord's eyes slowly changed from dark amber to blood red. The fine features of his face elongated, the length of his silver white hair seemed to wrap around his body which slowly grewt to enormous proportions. Gone was his human form and in its place was Lord Sesshomaru's true form. Someone attacked, harmed and endangered his mate. Someone had to die. He looked back to the great hall only once before disappearing in the darkness. The darkness. His time...to hunt.