I do not own Inuyasha, just in case you were wondering.
Chapter 2
The next morning Alexandra woke up wondering if she had dreamed everything. The iron bar lay next to her as well as the peacefully sleeping child. She sat up and stretched. She'd been getting used to living here all these months and started to think of this as reality. Now it was becoming obvious to her - her coma or whatever it was must be getting worse.
She got up. It was chilly so she started another fire. She started making broth and tea. As she worked cutting vegetables, she noticed that the little girl was awake and laying there quietly.
"Good morning," she said smiling.
The little girl hid her face shyly behind the blankets.
"My name is Alexandra," she said introducing herself. "Are you hungry?"
She nodded.
"Good! I hope you like soup."
She nodded again but she looked at the floor. Her bottom lip quivered and tears welled up in her eyes.
Alexandra stopped what she was doing and went over to her concerned. "Oh, dear, what's the matter? Are you hurt?"
The child shook her head and wiped the tears away with a fist as she tried not to cry. "No, after I fell and was lost, I dreamed Lord Sesshomaru came and found me but it isn't true!" she said.
"Hmmm...Lord Sesshomaru...he wouldn't be a rather tall gentleman dressed in white, would he?" Alexandra asked her.
The girl nodded again looking at her with wide eyes.
"It must have been him who was here last night. He didn't introduce himself but he said he would come back for you," Alexandra said smiling at her. "You were already warm and dry and very tired so he probably didn't want to take you back out into the storm. He called you Rin, is that your name?"
"Yes!' sighed Rin very relieved and after that she lost all trace of shyness. While Alexandra finished making their meal Rin chatted with her, answering all her questions but Alexandra wasn't sure that she understood the answers.
As near as she could figure out this Lord Sesshomaru was her master though how Rin served him and what he did exactly wasn't clear. She seemed to spend a lot of time with another servant named Jaken. She and Jaken had been flying along on a dragon when the storm had suddenly come up. She had fallen off and gotten lost. The whole story seemed rather fantastic but then she remembered Lord Sesshomaru - his yellow eyes, pointed ears and striped face. She had probably just read one too many fantasy novels as a teenager and now it was coming back to haunt her.
Her thoughts and Rin's chatter were interrupted by a rap on the door. Alexandra answered it and there on the step stood a small green man who looked rather like a toad. Sure she thought to herself dragons and now toads why was she not surprised.
"Lord Jaken!" cried Rin and ran past Alexandra to embrace him delightedly.
The little green man stood there tolerantly. He held a staff that had two heads on top of it. "Hello, Rin," he said. "I'm glad that Lord Sesshomaru found you." He looked up at Alexandra. "My name is Jaken and I'm here to fix the door."
Alexandra thought to herself even if she was living in a fantasy world, there was no point in being rude she introduced herself and invited him in.
As Jaken spent the rest of the morning fixing the door hinge, Alexandra got an uncomfortable feeling that this Jaken fellow was pumping her for information about herself. He wasn't exactly subtle about it either. For the most part she evaded his questions while asking her own.
She found out Jaken quite liked talking about his master, Lord Sesshomaru. According to Jaken, he was a powerful demon, and Lord of the Western Lands, that no one could defeat. He had two swords, one of which could bring people back to life with. Apparently he'd used it on both Rin and Jaken.
Alexandra was amazed by how much loyalty and affection both Jaken and Rin had for Sesshomaru. They only spoke of him favourably and seemed to respect him absolutely - not out of fear but genuine love.
After they had lunch, Alexandra brought out some paper and ink. She and Rin painted pictures. She did some of Rin and some of Jaken. At Rin's request she tried to do one of Sesshomaru. It was hard since she'd only seen him once, but the two of them coached her and when it was done both said it looked just like him.
As the afternoon shadows started growing longer, a shadow passed over them. Alexandra looked up to see a large two-headed dragon circling overhead. It came down from the sky and landed a fair distance from the cottage. Sesshomaru dismounted and walked towards them.
Looking at him now in the light of day she was surprised at how accurate her portrait of him was. He was just as impressive a figure as the night before. The sun's rays seemed to reflect off of him making his outfit a brilliant white and his armour gleam. His long silver hair flowed down his back. Also he had a large fluffy boa over his right shoulder.
Alexandra tucked the portrait she'd done under a pile of blank paper and stood up. She got up and went to meet him half way. She bowed to him in what she hoped was a respectable fashion but kept her eyes on him as she did. He was so handsome.
"Please allow me to properly introduce myself, our meeting last night was so brief. My name is Alexandra." she said.
He inclined his head slightly in return, answering, and "I am Lord Sesshomaru."
Rin, who'd been totally immersed in her drawing, looked up and saw them talking. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried happily, running towards him.
Alexandra turned and walked back to where they'd been drawing to allow the two to have some privacy. She started picking up loose papers and stacking them. Rin led Sesshomaru over by the hand, chattering about everything that had happened that day. She started running and gathering up her drawings that were scattered everywhere drying.
Sesshomaru noticed one that Alexandra had done of Rin and picked it up for a closer look. Alexandra saw his interest in it as she cleared up.
"Please, take it with you," she said.
Sesshomaru looked at the picture for a moment longer and then looked up at her. Rin came up and handed Alexandra some of hers.
"I drew these for you!" she beamed proudly.
"Thank you Rin. They're beautiful!" Alexandra exclaimed with genuine gratitude.
"It's time to go, Rin," Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly. "Jaken, is the door fixed?"
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!" he answered.
"You did a beautiful job, Jaken. Thank you!" said Alexandra.
"It was nothing," answered Jaken modestly, obviously pleased with the praise.
"Good-bye" Rin said hugging her.
"Good-bye!" Alexandra said. "Come again, anytime!"
Sesshomaru said nothing as he turned, the drawing still in his hand, back to his waiting beast. Jaken hurried after him. Rin followed them waving, her many papers in her arms.
Sesshomaru once again found himself watching the Woman as she worked in the garden outside her hut. For the past two days he had found any number of reasons to be here observing her. When he didn't give in to this unexplainable pull to be near her, she filled his thoughts a frustrating puzzle to be solved. He could think of nothing else.
Yet for all his efforts thus far he still knew nothing about her. Jaken had been no help! Still, one could hardly blame him. Neither of them had ever had much to do with humans. They'd always been mere nuisances to be avoided, ignored or gotten rid of.
That was until he had met Rin.
She too was a mystery to him but not nearly as frustrating. After all if he wanted to know something, she would just tell him. If he wanted her to do something, she did it. There was no doubt in their relationship, she was the servant, he the master.
But this Woman! Bowing to him like that! The insolence! True, she spoke correctly. Said the right words. But her attitude! It was as if she imagined she was his equal! Didn't she know he could kill her in a heartbeat? A normal human would be groveling before him! Not that he wanted her to grovel. He wanted...what? It was all very confusing.
Rin was quite taken with her. Rin. He took out the drawing of her he had rolled up. It looked so real - it captured the look of joy on her face that he loved so much. It was a beautiful picture. So unlike anything he'd seen before. Like the Woman herself. He lifted the drawing delicately to his nose. The Woman's scent was still on the paper though it had faded. Smelling her brought her closer as he looked down at her.
She stood and stretched, looking up at him. Looking at him with those beautiful green eyes.
He closed his own for a moment, trying to shake off the feeling. There wasn't any way she could know he was there. What was he thinking?
He should go - this was madness.
He wondered if this was how his father's downfall had begun. Is that what was happening to him?
He should go - but not yet.
Alexandra looked up at the forest as she stood and stretched. Once again she had the feeling that she was being watched. It could be her imagination but she had learned to trust her instincts. Her instincts said Sesshomaru.
She only met him twice now. He certainly never said much, just look at her with those intent yellow eyes. The eyes of a predator. Definitely. They reminded her of a wolf. Not that she was afraid of him. She could look after herself, her father had seen to that early in her life. She carried a knife and knew how to use it, but more importantly she knew how to stay out of bad situations.
Outwardly Sesshomaru appeared cool and controlled but he also radiated an aura of power and passion. He would be dangerous if not treated with respect. He had a fierce wildness about him and so she supposed like other wild things he would be very curious.
She'd come up with an idea to test her theory.
Alexandra went into the cottage and changed her clothes. She put on a man's shirt, pants and some practical shoes. It was so much more comfortable, reminding her of her old life. She got her backpack and went outside. She took a direct path into the forest. She was casual about it so as not to arouse Sesshomaru's suspicions if he was watching her.
Alexandra walked along until she found a game trail. She bent down and set a snare. She hadn't done this for quite a while but it would be good to catch some fresh meat. She so tired of eating fish. A bit further down she set another. Gradually she made her way down to the river to where the bank of the river was steeply inclined. There was some dense undergrowth. She quietly ducked into it and made her way to a tree. She quickly climbed the tree and hid in the branches. She waited.
Her patience was rewarded. Before too long she saw a flash of white underneath her perch. It was Sesshomaru. He stopped at the edge of the river, the breeze toying with the loose tresses of his long white hair. He raised his head giving Alexandra a perfect view of his flawless features and sniffed the air. Alexandra was dumbstruck - she hadn't thought of him being able to smell her. He looked down the river. She thought about saying something to him but in the next instant he was gone. His speed was amazing.
Alexandra decided to climb down out of the tree. Her intention was to double-back down the path, checking her snares on the way home. She wondered how long Sesshomaru would look for her letting go of the last branch. As she dropped to the ground she realized that she was too close to the bank of the river. She started slipping, grabbing at the plants growing on the bank but it was too steep and slick.
The shock of the cold made her gasp before her head disappeared silently under the water. The current immediately seized her and sent her spinning. She struggled against it, lungs burning, to kick herself to the surface again but the weight of her clothes dragged her downwards.
Suddenly she felt herself pulled to the surface by the back of her shirt. Alexandra was dropped roughly on the bank on her hands and knees. She coughed out the river water she'd inhaled greedily gulping air in between. She pushed the wet hair plastered to her face out of her eyes and rolled over on her back to see Sesshomaru looking impassively down at her. She wondered how he had fished her out of the river - he didn't even look wet. She started to laugh and then stood up.
"Lord Sesshomaru," she said bowing politely but still smirking a bit.
He said nothing merely looked at her, her sopping clothes clinging to her female figure. The thin fabric left little to the imagination. The Woman herself seemed oblivious to the fact. She spread out her hands as if in defeat. "Alright," she said. "You win."
She turned and started walking back down the river bank.
Sesshomaru watched her go, confused. He'd won? Did she think they were competing? He had been expecting her to cower or perhaps thank him. Instead she just acted like being fished out of a river by a demon lord was an everyday occurrence. What was wrong with this Woman?
She turned back and looked at him expectantly, "Coming?"
She had piqued his curiosity, so he followed. They walked along the bank of the river to near the place he'd lost her scent. Then she headed back into the sun-dappled forest along the same path she'd come. When they came to a place he seen her bend along the path, he was surprised to see a rabbit caught in a snare. She took out a knife and killed it humanely, then skillfully dressed it. The smell of blood and entrails whet his appetite. His stomach growled and he realized that he hadn't eaten since yesterday.
When they got to the hut Sesshomaru followed Alexandra inside. He sat down cross-legged while she started a fire and started roasting the rabbit. She got out two settings for the meal. He thought about telling her that he didn't eat human food but he was hungry and it was starting to smell appetizing as the juices dripped on the coals, so he said nothing.
"I suppose I should thank you for rescuing me," she said seasoning the meat. "But it was your fault that I fell in after all."
Sesshomaru just raised one eyebrow.
"Why were you following me?" she asked, looking at him with those luminous green eyes.
Sesshomaru felt trapped. How had she known? Could she really see into his heart? Was she a sorceress of some kind? He didn't see anything around the cottage that suggested the practice of magic. He wanted to leave but it might seem he was running away.
"Curiosity," he answered simply showing no sign of his discomfort.
She turned the roasting rabbit. The fire sizzled. She smiled at him. "What is it you'd like to know?" She asked.
And so while the meal cooked and they ate it, he began to ask her questions. She answered him quite simply and candidly. Her story was a fantastic one - to have traveled across the world and through time itself. Yet as unbelievable as the tale seemed he didn't doubt her. Then in turn he answered her questions for it seemed she was just as curious about him. She didn't pry or get personal just accepted his answers. She seemed to know intuitively when a subject was one he felt was too personal to discuss, as when she asked how he lost his arm and he merely answered in battle. That was enough for her.
She was very intelligent and quick to catch on to things. She had a dry sense of humor and he found himself smiling over more than one comment she made in spite of himself. He found as they talked, his guard dropped and he was quite enjoyed himself. She was so easy to talk to and had no expectations of him. He wasn't a demon or a lord. He was himself. Before either of them realized it, it was late. He regretted that the time had gone by so fast.
As Sesshomaru got up to leave, Alexandra was once again impressed by his height and his physique. She stood up and walked with him over to the door.
"It too bad that there wasn't another rabbit or that I couldn't have made us hamburgers," she said.
"Hamburgers?" he asked.
"They're meat patties - beef - all chopped up," she said opening the door. "But around here a bit hard to come by."
He regarded her for a moment. "For a human you eat a lot of meat," he observed.
"Well, where I grew up - in Canada - we ate meat at most meals. I think a lot of people around here are vegetarians. They certainly eat a lot of seafood. It is an island after all," Alexandra smiled. "I still crave a bit of red meat now and then."
He seemed to ponder this as he walked outside, his fluffy boa brushed Alexandra as he passed.
"Sesshomaru..." she began.
"Yes," he said turning, and finding himself standing directly in front of her. He could feel the warmth that radiated from her skin. Her scent washed over him.
She looked up blushing slightly. "I could...ah..." she said searching for words. "Thanks for pulling me out of the river today and thanks for...well, it's nice to have company...tonight and the other day with Jaken and Rin...Thank you."
He looked at her. "You're welcome," he replied.
She looked up at him. He was captivated by the beauty of her eyes. Up this close it was like he was under a spell unable to look away or move. She licked her lips and parted them as if to say something else and then seemed to change her mind.
"Good night," she said as she slowly shut the door.
"Good night," he answered and then turned to face the night wondering what she had almost said.