Disclaimer: InuYasha ownership? Denied.
In the days and weeks that followed Rin's parting from Lord Sesshomaru she began to question her reasons for leaving. Yes, a part of it had been out of anger at her lord but another part had been because she so desperately wanted to help smooth relations between demons and mortals. Her foolish pride soon melted away and Rin realized she never should have left Lord Sesshomaru with such harsh words. It had been rather childish of her if not a bit ungrateful. Time and again she would begin to pen a letter to him only to tear it into tiny pieces and throw it on the fire. What good would it do to send the message? She had no idea where he was. A messenger could spend weeks or even months looking for him. The crispness in the air marked the beginnings of fall. The smell in the air lured her to the window and Rin stared out over the grassy hills and valleys. That part of her which was still a creature of travel longed to leave these walls and spend a night beneath the stars. Her time, however, was no longer her own.
On the desk in her room was a stack of papers, listing all the grievances that awaited her judgement. Each morning, Lord Bassarious would bring her just such a bundle and it seemed as if her entire day was consumed with solving simple matters. Still, she had made such progress here. Already the lands were thriving and relations between the races could not be better. It had been weeks since there had been any kind of a physical clash between demons and humans. Some had come to believe Rin had done the impossible and now called her by the title of Lady. It troubled her that she never actually spoke with those she was serving. She didn't know their names or their faces. Lord Bassarious claimed it was done this way so she might never be accused of judging more often in favor of the mortals than the demons. Seemingly cut off from the outside world, Rin had begun to get restless. Today, Lord Bassarious had ridden out with a few dozen of his men on a hunt for game to feed them through the winter to come.
Rin smiled a bit, the wheels in her head turning. They would be gone for hours. She would go for just a quick ride and be back before anyone could miss her. And when she returned she would work twice as hard at completing the missives for the day. Before dashing from the room, Rin grabbed up her dark blue velveteen cloak and fastened in about her shoulders. Already the soft white fur that lined it was warming her chilled skin. As fast as she could she hurried to the stables and saddled the horse Lord Bassarious had given her. The chestnut mare seemed as eager to go as she.
"Just remember, we must be back before Lord Bassarious. No need to get ourselves into trouble over a bit of fun, right?" she whispered to the mare as she swung herself up gracefully into the saddle.
Within moments Rin and the mare were dashing across the fields, the wind sweeping the hood of the cloak from her head and sending her long hair tumbling out behind her. The feel of the cool air biting at her skin made Rin laugh. This was what it felt like to be alive! She allowed the mare to chart their course and simply held on to the reigns. The fields soon gave way to the forest and the great trees formed a canopy overhead. Once within the heart of the forest, Rin slid from the mare's back and held on to her reigns, walking ahead a short distance. They both need this exercise. A small pang of guilt hit Rin's belly for shirking her duties but was it really so selfish of her to take just an hour or so for herself?
"Ah-Un and I used to do this all the time," she mused, looking to the mare who actually seemed to be listening to her, "We would go for walks and explore caves. I found some of the most beautiful stones you could imagine in those caves. Somewhere I engraved my name on the walls."
The weather was so perfect. Sunlight pierced through the trees, catching the glimmer of the falling leaves, warming the ground and releasing that scent that was so distinctly fall. With the Northern Lands experience such a measure of peace Rin felt perfectly comfortable travelling far from Lord Bassarious' hall. The deeper she went into the woods the brighter the yellows and oranges of the leaves. Carefully Rin gathered a few, thinking to press them and have them as keepsakes. To her surprise, Rin caught herself humming one of the songs from her youth.
Suddenly, a flash of color caught her attention. It was neither orange nor yellow like the leaves on the trees. Frowning, she looked again, studying the trees ahead for another sign of whatever it was. The wind stirred again, sending the leaves skittering across the path before her. She had not imagined it. Something or someone had been there only a moment ago. The mare knickered softly and Rin gently rubbed the animal's nose. She didn't feel as if she were in any danger yet she did feel as if she were being watched. Closely. It was a bit unsettling.
Slowly Rin walked the mare in a half circle and started back towards the hall. No matter how far she walked the sense of eyes on her did not lessen. Time and again she would glance back quickly over her shoulder but saw nothing. Soon the feeling became nervewracking and Rin hoisted herself into the saddle. From the woods behind her a twig snapped. She spun around in the saddle, her hand on the mare's rump as her wide eyes darted about the trees.
"I know someone is there! Why do you follow me? What is your purpose!" she called out, her teeth beginning to chatter from both the chill and a twinge of fear.
There was no reply. No one here would wish her harm, Rin was fairly certain of that. Calming her pounding heart, she turned once again in the saddle and gently nudged the mare's sides. The next time she rode out she would be sure to bring along an escourt or at the very least some kind of a weapon. Soon the field came into view and the mare, eager to be back to safety reared up and Rin gave the reigns some slack. Taking the lady's cue the horse took off in a full gallop back to the stables.
Meanwhile, back in the depths of the woods, two voices spoke in low, hushed tones.
"That was the girl?"
"Yes."
A grunt came and then, "Consider it done."
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Lord Bassarious and his men returned within an hour of Rin's return to the hall. The fact they returned emptyhanded did not go unnoticed. Several of the elders remarked that this was not a good sign. Animals should be in plenty at this time of year, out looking for their last stores of food for the coming winter months. Rin could see the anger in Lord Bassarious' eyes. The land here was doing so well, it would only makes sense that the animals would be doing the same. The Northern lord threw his gloves on the scarred wooden table in disgust.
"I do not understand! The game in this area should be plentiful and yet we saw nothing! Not one bird, not one rabbit, nothing! How can this be? Unless some larger wild animal has frightened them all off or devoured them," Bassarious snapped, running a hand through his wheat blonde hair, "If we do not find some game soon we are going to have a long hard winter ahead of us."
"Could we not ask Lord Kaito for a trade? Granted, it would be coming sooner than we had intended but considering the lack of game..." Rin offered.
"We haven't the stock of medicinal herbs to trade with the tiger demon and his kind. Time is of the essence. No doubt Lord Kaito would haggle over each and every grain we asked to trade for. No. The men and I shall go back out again tomorrow and try once more to hunt. Within the month the frosts will come and the animals will have bedded for winter. Rin? What are you doing down in the hall? Shouldn't you be settling the list of grievances I had brought to you this morning?"
"Yes, of course, my lord. I only wished to see how you and the men had faired on the hunt. I am nearly finished with my work." she smiled weakly, feeling even worse now for having slacked in her work when her lord was out hunting in order to feed her and the others yet returning with nothing.
"I shall instruct your dinner be brought to you in your rooms," Bassarious smiled tenderly, "I know you shall be occupied with your work."
Rin nodded, giving her lord a slight smile before turning and retreating to her room. A nagging memory bothered her. During her ride she, too, had not seen a single animal or bird. In fact, except for the leaves dancing in the breeze, the woods had been almost completely silent. What could have driven off all the wildlife? Rin sat slowly at her desk and lifted the first sheet of paper. She struggled to force herself to concentrate but after having read the same line five times she gave up. The matter of her people starving was far more important than a squabble over whether or not someones fence was on a neighbor's rightful property. If she told her lord of her troubling ride in the woods, he would undoubtedly scold her for frittering away valuable time on such a folly as a simple horseback ride. However, if she did not, how would Lord Bassarious know how far spread the trouble trully was? Rin rose to her feet and began to pace, chewing softly on her bottom lip.
"The survival of my people is far more important than a few cross words from Lord Bassarious." she concluded, smoothing her understated plum colored kimono and seeking out her lord.