A/N: Alrighty, here's chapter 4! Yeeeeaaaaa! Ahem, ok, so, yeah, on with the disclaimer I suppose, eh?
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Though, he is on my ever-growing list of characters/shows that I wish I owned, it shall never come to be, so, he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. sigh
Someone to Protect
The walk to Ubenomaru's palace took barely 10 minutes, though it felt much longer since no one had uttered a word since Sesshomaru and Ubenomaru's short conversation. When they reached the lands, two servants came up and ushered Jaken and Ah-Un to the stables near-by; Jaken was opting to stay with the dragon, lest he incur his lord's wrath. As he traveled to the large stables, he noticed how similar in size the palace was to Sesshomaru's own home in the west. It was quite large and had many entrances scattered on all sides for easy access, along with guards to assure that no unwanted guests let themselves in. The area surrounding the palace was beautiful; it was surrounded with lush fields of all types of flowers and birds were singing in the trees on the property's edge. For a ruling demon palace, it was actually quite peacefull. Minus the overly-somber falcon lord and his deathly-silent dog-demon companion, of course.
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As the servants led the dragon and the imp away, Ubenomaru led Sesshomaru to a room near the back of the grand palace. He slid the doors open for Sesshomaru and waited until he'd passed before entering himself. Two maids were inside the room, cleaning it, and they looked up, startled, at the disturbance. Ubenomaru smiled politely. "Forgive me, but our guest needs a clean bandage and some cold water, could you go get them, please?"
They chorused "Yes, of course, m'lord!" and scurried out of the room, gently shutting the door behind them. Once they were gone, the falcon returned his attention to Sesshomaru and the human girl cradled in his arms.
"You can place her on the bed, there's not much we can do without the bandages. How's her cut?"
"The bleeding has slowed; it is not very deep. I appreciate your hospitality, Lord Ubenomaru." Sesshomaru stated, inclining his head slightly to show respect, though never taking his eyes off Rin's face. She was slightly pale, most likely due to the slight loss of blood and trauma of being attacked by another snake demon. His golden eyes darkened dangerously as he remembered how uneasy she'd been after the last attack, when she hadn't actually gotten hurt. Twice in as many days she has been attacked by snakes. She has never liked the scaly demons; these past two days have undoubtedly inhanced her fear of them. It's twice in as many days that I've been nearly too late to prevent a worse fate at their fangs. I will have to be more aware of our surroundings for the time being; these snakes are irritatingly hard to sense before they strike, - his thoughts were interrupted by his hosts response.
"You don't need to thank me; you've shown me hospitality in the past, I'm merely returning the favor."
Sesshomaru's eyes snapped to the door moments before it was slowly opened, and one of the two servants from before came in, some bandages, clean cloths, and large bowl of cold water in her hands. She placed them near the foot of the bed and bowed deeply as she silently backed out of the room and the door was shut. The two lords were silent until their footsteps faded. Ubenomaru leaned deceptively casually against the opposite wall and said, "As she's your ward, I'll let you clean her wounds. That cut on her forehead's the worst, but not the only one. I'll go check on your other two companions and let you work. Should you need anything, my servants have been instructed to aide you; otherwise, you're welcome to stay as long as you feel necessary. I'll check back on you both later, then." And without further comment, he pushed himself off the wall and headed out the door; not missing the stare Sesshomaru graced him with.
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When the door had shut, and Ubenomaru was gone, Sesshomaru dipped the cloth into the water and then placed it gently onto Rin's forehead, cleaning the cut. Though he pressed as lightly as he could, she still cringed in pain from the contact of the cold, wet fabric onto her open wound. The sensation did, however, help to awaken her from her unwanted slumber. As Sesshomaru delicately wiped away the slowly drying blood, her eyes drifted open, blinking several times to adjust her focus. She groaned slightly before she spoke. "L-lord Sesshomaru? Why does my head hurt?"
"Hush, Rin. You received a small cut to the forehead when the snake demon attacked you; I am merely cleaning it."
"Oh. Thank you, my lord. Um, I do not wish to show ungratefulness, but, why is Master Jaken not the one attending to me?" She asked quietly, blushing out of embarrassment for asking such a pointless question; sometimes she just couldn't ignore her curiousity.
Sesshomaru allowed a small smirk to grace his lips as he replied, "Jaken is hiding in the stables, hoping to avoid me until he believes I have...calmed." He paused his ministrations as she started giggling lightly, obviously trying not to, and failing miserably. Somehow he found the sight, and the sound, rather endearing; though he'd never admit it. After a moment, she settled down and he continued.
After another few minutes of silence, he removed the cloth and reached for a bandage. "You'll need to sit up a bit, Rin; this has to go around your head to be secure."
"Is it necessary, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"For today, yes. I do not expect it to bleed anymore, but it is a necessary precaution. You should be able to remove it come morning." He replied, adjusting himself so that he was sitting behind her as he began to bandage her head. He wound it around twice to secure it, and then neatly sliced off the excess with his claws. When he was done, Rin turned half-way to smile at him and asked, "Am I done?"
He shook his head, a slight scowl on his face, "No, Rin. You have two other small cuts that need to be cleaned. They've since stopped bleeding, but the dried blood needs to be washed away before we leave here. Let me see your left arm."
Rin obediently held out her left arm, noticing for the first time a small tear in her kimono sleeve. It must be where the cut is. But, I only see one tear, so, where's the other cut? She thought, but then brushed the thoughts aside, as it didn't matter, because she wasn't the one cleaning it, and Sesshomaru probably already knew.
The great Lord of the Western Lands slowly and gently pushed up the sleeve of her kimono, revealing the small gash just above her elbow. It had, indeed, stopped bleeding, though it had bled more than he'd realized, as her elbow was nearly covered in dried blood. The sight did not please him, though he'd already known it wouldn't. Pushing that thought aside, he grabbed another fresh cloth and began lightly scrubbing the skin on her elbow to remove the blood. She winced a bit when he began cleaning the wound itself, though she tried to hide it. Fortunately, he made short work of that wound, and soon released her arm, her kimono falling back into place. I'll have to buy her a new one. He thought as he realized that part of the sleeve had blood soaked into it.
"Where is the other wound, my lord?"
"Your right leg, I believe." He politely ignored the blush that rose to her cheeks when she realized she'd have to pull her skirt up nearly to her waist in order for him to clean the last cut. Still, she shifted without question and slowly pulled the right side of her skirt up until she'd cleared the small gash that came about dead-center on her thigh. The blush increased tenfold when he pressed the cloth to her leg, and she looked away.
For his part, Sesshomaru was finding himself slightly uncomfortable as well, though he knew he shouldn't have been. This was Rin, the human girl-now a woman-that he'd practically raised. But he knew that was not entirely true; theirs had never been a father/daughter relationship; it had more of a guardian/ward mind-set than anything else. She'd had a father; and Jaken had taken care of her, though 'father' was never the role he'd played, either. He'd taught her to fish, pick only healthy berries and plants, and even how to cook the food she ate. Sesshomaru had protected her, cared for her, and comforted her on occasion, and done his best to teach her manners, which she learned rather well. Yet still he found himself...reacting to this contact, though it was not intended to be intimate in any way. And, thanks to his sensitive nose, he could tell that she was reacting in much the same way. Which did nothing to help him.
Once he'd finally removed the dried blood from her and assured himself that her wounds were all properly healed, he stood and extended a hand to her. She paused only momentarily before smiling and taking his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."
"You've no need to thank me, Rin. We need to find Jaken and Ah-Un; but you'll need to change kimono's before we leave. You have dried blood on both your sleeve and your skirt; it will attract unwanted attention."
"Yes, of course, my lord. I believe my spare kimono is with Ah-Un, I'll wear that." Sesshomaru nodded agreement and led the way to the stables, where the aforementioned imp and two-headed dragon were patiently waiting.
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Jaken jumped to attention when he spotted his lord, closely followed by Rin, striding towards him. He immediately noticed the bandage covering her forehead, though it didn't seem to slow her down. She was only slightly distracted by the many different types of flowers in the garden they were crossing through. Always paying more attention to the flowers than anything else. Silly human. He bowed deeply when Sesshomaru stopped, Rin stopping beside him.
"Master Jaken, I need my extra kimono, please."
"What for? Did you ruin that one already?"
"It has blood stains; Lord Sesshomaru says the demons will smell it and come after me if I wear it."
"Oh, of course, I knew that! Here, put this on, but try not to get any blood on it, got it?" Rin nodded and turned to change in the empty stall beside Ah-Un. She came out a second later, holding her now-ruined kimono in one hand, and her untied obi in the other.
"Here, Master Jaken. I can't tie this and hold onto that at the same time." She said, handing it to him. Jaken took it and scurried off to throw it away.
Rin turned to re-enter the stall and tie her obi properly when a clawed hand landed lightly on her shoulder. She stopped mid-step and glanced over her shoulder at Sesshomaru as he stood behind her. "Yes, my lord?"
"Hold still, Rin." Was all he said as he gently took the obi from her hands and proceeded to tie it himself. She remained silent and still as a statue while he tied the deep blue obi. When she felt his arms drop back to his sides, she turned gracefully and smiled up at him.
"Thank you, my lord, though you didn't need to do that for me."
He said nothing, but smiled briefly at her, causing her face to flush and her breath to catch momentarily. They were saved from further incrimination when Jaken returned, entirely oblivious to what he'd interrupted. Or, rather, what he'd temporarily prevented.
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Shortly thereafter, they were on their way. Lord Ubenomaru and Lady Taka, a beautiful falcon demon with unusual purple hair and golden-yellow feathers, promised to inform them on any updates and bid them a polite farewell, both with knowing smiles on their faces. When they had left the palace grounds, Jaken wasted no time in asking his lord why that latest snake had blamed Rin for the death of 'Doku' and why he'd thought he'd be rewared for her capture. With a silent sigh of resignation, Sesshomaru bluntly informed them of their latest problem.
Rin was the first to break the ensuing silence. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to cause you any unnecessary problems such as this, if I hadn't gone for food right then-"
"Nonsense, Rin. You did nothing wrong; the snakes have brought about their own fate. I do not want to hear you apologize again for this situation, am I clear?"
"Yes, of course, my lord, I'm-I understand." Rin corrected, bowing her head. They continued to walk in silence afterwards, each lost in their own thoughts.
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The next couple of days passed uneventfully. They traveled as they always did, and Rin was able to remove her bandage at daybreak of the next day, just as Sesshomaru had said. They had not spoken of the snakes; Rin not wanting to discuss the creature which she feared more than she reasonably should; Jaken not wanting to test his lord's patience, especially since the situation was directly threatening Rin, and he knew very well what happened to demon's who tried that, and how quicky Sesshomaru lost his patience in those situations. Sesshomaru himself debating on simply dropping in on the snakes and kicking them out of the power they'd so recently aquired or waiting for them to come to him.
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On the morning of the fourth day after the last snake attack, Rin woke early and journeyed to the small stream that was flowing nearby so as to wash out and replenish their water containers. She'd just begun refilling the first one when she heard a twig snap behind her. She froze, fearing another snake, and the container slipped from her fingers and spilled its contents onto the grass beside her.
"I would prefer it if you did not choose to separate yourself until we have properly dealt with the snakes, Rin. Surely you did not believe that we were that desperate for water?" Sesshomaru's lightly scolding (and oddly comforting) voice drifted down to her and she released the breath she'd forgotten she was holding.
"I merely thought that I would help out a little since I woke up so early. I honestly didn't consider an attack, my lord. I'm sorry."
Sesshomaru knelt down and picked up the dropped container, handing it to her. Her fingers brushed against his as their eyes met, and they both tried to ignore the tingling sensation that the brief contact had caused. She smiled and looked away, attempting to focus on filling it with water. She knew he was watching her, but she didn't dare allow herself to wonder why he suddenly seemed interested in her. Just because he's staring doesn't mean he's actually interested in me. Not...not like that. I'm a human; sure, he protects me, but it's not because of...love. I'm his property; I have been since he used the Tenseiga to resurect me, and I'm perfectly happy with that. Even if I would prefer a...closer relationship-NO! That's not proper. I can't allow myself to think those things, it'll only make it hurt worse when I get too old to travel. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he finds a legitimate reason to send me away. He's immortal, I'm not. I'll die of old age; he won't. It's just that simple. Focus, Rin, you have another container to fill and he's bound to have noticed that this one's spilling over uselessly. Shaking her head marginally, she capped the first bottle and stuck the second one under the water.
Sesshomaru watched Rin with observant eyes, noting the blush in her cheeks when she realized he was watching her, and the slight change in her scent that the knowledge caused. He watched her eyes glaze over as she lost herself in thought and only snapped out of her daze when she realized that the canister had overflown. Though, if he was being truthful, an irritatingly large part of himself wanted to know what she was thinking so intently about, he decided easily enough that if it really continued to bother her, she'd talk to him about it then. He nearly smirked at her sigh of frustration when a light breeze picked up and blew her long, raven hair into her face. She brought up her free hand to push back her misplaced hair, only to have it blow right out of place again, which resulted in another sigh.
Capping the bottle, she placed it beside the other one and dug into her kimono, coming up with a golden ribbon. She pulled her hair back loosely and tied it with the well-used ribbon, effectively keeping her hair from blowing into her face. Then she clasped her hands above her head and stretched, trying unsuccessfully to stifle the accompanying yawn. When she was done, she grabbed the bottles and stood, seeing Sesshomaru stand in her peripheral vision. She smiled, more to herself than to him, and turned to walk back to their temporary camp.
Sesshomaru stood with her, pretending to believe he'd had a decent reason for watching her stretch; for having another unwanted reaction as her back had arched and her muscles had tensed before relaxing. He had only just begun to fall into step behind her when she paused, intending to allow him to walk ahead of her, and placed her hand on the trunk of a tree. A moment after the contact, she squeaked and pulled her hand away from the tree; a small sticker was poking out of her palm. Reflexively, he reached out and took her hand, gently pulling the offending sticker out of her skin and, without thinking, pressing his lips to the small red dot protruding out of the spot it had been.
Rin's breath caught again as his skin made contact with hers; and her stomach flipped when his lips were suddenly pressed onto her palm. She had no idea why he was doing this; it wasn't as though the sticker would've injured her, but she didn't particularly care. The 'kiss' was tantalizingly brief, as he released her hand moments after he'd grasped it, but she didn't really care about that, either. It was a definite improvement, and a memory she planned to call upon the next time her brain tried to convince her he didn't care. That was about when she noticed that he'd passsed her, and was waiting for her to catch up. Mentally shaking her head, she smiled and began walking next to him. He's been allowing me to walk beside him more frequently, lately. I like it; of course, I liked our interaction from a moment ago even better.
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Jaken was awake and pacing when they approached. It took him a moment to register their presence, which Rin found highly amusing, as it was their very absence he was undoubtedly worried over. When he did, he nearly asked where they'd been when he remembered that such a question might get him hurt. Instead he grabbed Ah-Un's reigns and hauled the two-headed dragon to his feet. Rin handed Jaken one container of water, and tucked the other one away with her spare kimono for later. Then she took the reigns from Jaken and waited patiently for them to begin.
Seeing that they were all properly prepared, Sesshomaru turned and began walking once again. He heard his companion's steps fall quickly into line behind him then returned his focus ahead of them. As much of it as he could, at least. He was still largely amazed at his own actions from moments ago. He could still feel and taste her flesh against his lips. And he still didn't know why he'd done that. Instincts. It made sense, he knew, but why had he reacted that way to the sticker? Usually he ignored such petty injuries. Even Rin ignored them after the initial onset of shock, so why had he kissed her, even if it was only her palm? Again, he could hear the answer echoing in his head. Instincts. She's mine, and I wanted to assure myself of her well-being in a more physical manner than usual. But even as he processed this unconscious reasoning, he did his best to ignore and deny it. But that traitorous inner-demon wasn't done yet, he had to try to convince his more dominant side of what he already knew. Denial doesn't help anyone; watching that obnoxious brother of ours should be proof enough of that; look at all those times he nearly lost his mate. Do you want that heartache? Will you deny yourself this chance; when it may be the best chance that comes along? But Sesshomaru stubbornly pushed his more demonic side to the back of his mind and focused on re-checking their surroundings.
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By noon two days later, Jaken and Rin realized where they were headed. They were half-way through Musashi, and smack-dab in the middle of the Forest of Inuyasha. Rin, the braver of the two, asked the question they were both thinking. "Lord Sesshomaru, why are we visiting your brother?" Jaken squeaked and paled just a bit at her bravery.
Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at her, pausing before he answered. "The snakes will, undoubtedly, try any method they think will anger me into making a rash decision and thereby giving them the tactical advantage. Though it is known far and wide that Inuyasha and I don't share a family bond; it is also known that we have reached an alliance. And he has a young pup, therefore she is a target. As part of this alliance, he deserves to be enlightened."
"I see." Rin replied, nodding in understanding. When she saw Jaken open his mouth to respond she discretely kicked the back of his leg. With a yelp, he completely forgot what he was going to say.
Sesshomaru stopped at the clearing that housed the well and glanced again over his shoulder. "Jaken, stay here with Ah-Un. Rin, come if you wish." And he continued walking. Jaken, ever-obedient, stopped and took the reigns from Rin, knowing she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see the priestess, Kagome. I'll never understand how she managed to befriend that woman all those years ago; I suppose it was when she saved us from Inuyasha and Sounga's wrath.
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Sesshomaru paused at the hill overlooking the village to allow Rin to catch up. He'd known she would accompany him, but he'd offered to assure her that she was allowed. It didn't take long for her to catch up to him, and he began his decent of the hill, with her by his side. When they entered the village, a little boy who couldn't have been older than eight promptly crashed into Sesshomaru's legs. Rin did her very best to stifle the giggle that followed as the boy detangled himself and backed up a respectable distance before bowing.
"Sorry, sir!" Then he looked up and Rin realized that he looked a lot like Kohaku had when they'd met, only younger and more outspoken. It didn't take him long to realize that Sesshomaru was a demon. "Tell me, sir, are you a good demon or a bad one? 'Cause if you're a bad one then I'll have to slay you to protect my village; it wouldn't be anything personal."
Sesshomaru's eyebrow rose delicately as he found himself mildly amused at the young pup's self-confidence. Then he noticed a little girl with black and silver hair run up behind the boy. In addition to the silver streaks in her hair, she had silver dog-ears and little fangs; little claws obvious on her fingers. She was wearing a blue fire-rat kimono. Her heritage was obvious.
"Don't be ridiculous, Kohaku, you can't kill a demon. Besides, he has pretty hair, so he can't be dangerous." Then, turning to Sesshomaru and Rin, she smiled good-naturedly and said, "Hiya! I'm Chikara. I'm gonna be head-village person when I grow up, so I know everybody. Who're you lookin' for?"
"Hello, Chikara. We're looking for your father; where is he?"
"Really? Oh, he's at home with Mommy. They were arguing about breakfast when I left; but that's probably over now. He always wants Ramen, and Mommy's always telling him that it's 'not a breakfast food'. Personally, I think that if you want to eat it for breakfast, then it's a breakfast food. But if I argued with Mommy she'd 'ground' me and then Daddy'd make me sit in my room all day. I hate when that happens; it's just sooooo boring! Oh, I'm getting off track. Home's this way, you can follow me, c'mon! Oh, watch me jump! Watch!" Chikara babbled, turing and sprinting 10 feet before jumping clear up to the roof of a hut; only to loose her balance on the next roof and slide off. She also happened to slide right towards Rin, who fell backwards once she'd caught the energetic girl. "Sorry, miss!"
Rin laughed and stood, brushing the dirt off. "It's ok, Chikara. You should be more careful when you jump around like that, though."
"That's what Mommy says; she doesn't like it when I try to roof-hop like Daddy does. She thinks I'm too young; but I'm seven, I'm plenty old enough, right?"
"Well, maybe you should practice with supervision so you can get better, and then you'll be allowed to 'roof-hop'."
Chikara shrugged, "I guess that makes sense. But it's way more fun to make Daddy try to keep up!"
Rin giggled again at the girl, not missing the quick smirk that flashed across Sesshomaru's face at the mental image of the young girl giving her father the 'run-around'.
"Here we are! This is home!" Chikara said suddenly, sprinting towards a large house at the edge of the village. It was surprisingly large for such a small village.
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Inuyasha had just managed to pull Kagome away from the villager that had come for a small healing herb, and he was lightly kissing her neck from behind when they were interrupted again. With his nose buried in her neck, he didn't smell the 'intruders', but there was no way anyone with his ears could miss the shriek of their daughter's return.
"Mommy! Daddy! I'm back, and you better not be kissing! Oh, Daddy, you have company! I don't know their names but the tall guy has really pretty hair!" Chikara hollered, bounding through the door.
"'Company'? With 'really pretty hair'? Do you think-?" Kagome began, not sure she'd heard right. Inuyasha's growl was more than enough to assure her that her hearing hadn't failed her yet; though how comforting that was she wasn't sure.
Sighing agitatedly, he turned towards the door separating the entrance-way from their room. Kagome quickly followed him, hoping he remembered that they had an alliance; or at least that his impressionable daughter was in the room. What could Sesshomaru want? We haven't seen him since shortly after Naraku was defeated. Wait, 'their names', who's he with? Rin or Jaken? Or, someone else? Chi would've mentioned a toad, so that rules out Jaken. Oh well, only one way to find out. Kagome thought.
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Sesshomaru smirked at his little brother as he and his mate exited their room. He would always enjoy inconvinencing his little brother, no matter their alliance. "Hello, little brother, it has been quite some time, has it not?"
"What the hell d'you want, Sesshomaru? We ain't heard a word from you since that pathetic 'congratulations' you had Rin send, so why the visit?"
"Unfortunately, I come with a warning."
"What sort of warning? You gonna be nice for a day?"
"No, Inuyasha. This is not a conversation for a child's ears. Outside, perhaps?"
"Fine, outside. 'Kara, you stay in here, got it?"
"But, Daddy-"
"Chikara."
"Chi, do what your father says, ok? You can talk with me and Rin." Kagome offered.
"Ok!"
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Sesshomaru and Inuyasha walked silently out the door and to the back side of the house so that they were between the forest and the village. Inuyasha, being the more impatient one, broke the silence. "So, what's so important?"
"Have you heard what happened in the south?"
"Word from Koga was somethin' about snakes takin' over and steppin' on a lot of toes."
"Yes, well, the snakes have indeed taken over. I, myself, was unaware of this until recently. The eldest son had strayed from the south and apparently decided that Rin would make a good meal. I slew him, not knowing, or caring, who he was. Now his family has decided to take their anger out on me indirectly. Though I doubt you've cause to worry, there is a small possibility that they'll come after you and your family, as you are my family. I thought it pertinent to tell you."
"Keh. Guess I owe ya one for that, Sesshomaru. Thanks for the heads-up. If you need me to get rid of those damn snakes, just let me know. I could use a good fight, anyway."
"Agreed."
"Anything else?"
"No." Sesshomaru stated, turning to leave when a familiar scent tugged at his attention. Just as he was about to investigate, Inuyasha spoke up, though not to him.
"Oi, Kohaku you ain't supposed to be out here, an' you know it! Get the hell outta that tree, I don't wanna have to go up there after you, squirt!"
The little boy from earlier jumped almost-gracefully out of the tree nearest them. He landed with a thud and overbalanced, falling onto his butt. He rubbed his head self-consciously and grinned. "Hi Uncle Inuyasha! How do you know this demon-guy? Are you related? Oh yeah, and Mom invited you to dinner tonight, too."
"Slow down, pup. Sure we'll come. This is Sesshomaru; he's...my half-brother. What were you doing in that tree?"
"Oh, I was coming to deliver the message, but then I saw you walking out with 'Sesshomaru' so I decided to follow you. What were you talking about?"
"None o' your business. Go home an' tell the monk we'll be there for dinner, ok? And for your mother's sake, stay outta trouble, will ya?"
"Does that mean I can't pick on Rika?"
"No pickin' on your sister, pup. You really wanna bug somebody, go bug your father."
"I can do that! Bye Uncle Inu!" Kohaku said, scrambling to his feet and running off to go pester his father.
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While they were outside discussing important things, Kagome and Rin were inside discussing female things. Chikara had gotten bored quickly and begged to go visit Aunt Sango, so Kagome had agreed. After Chikara had left, they'd gotten down to life. Kagome had begun.
"So, how've you been, Rin?"
"I've been alright. We've had some...unusual encounters, but I'm sure that Inuyasha will tell you all about them later. How about you, Kagome?"
"I've been wonderful. Sometimes raising a nearly half-demon daughter with her father's rebellious streak is...difficult, but she's usually fairly controlable."
Rin laughed lightly. "She insisted on showing us how well she could 'roof-hop' on the way here. When she slipped, she said you didn't approve of it."
Kagome shook her head. "I don't mind her jumping around when her father's around to keep an eye on her, but she likes doing it on her own, so she can learn tricks to worry us with. I hope she wasn't to bad on the walk here."
"No, she was rather entertaining. I see you're village priestess now."
"Yes; I have been for nearly six years, actually. Sometimes it bothers Inuyasha, because sometimes it can be rather stressful, but it's not usually bad. Mostly people forget how to properly cook their fish and need an herb to remedy their stomach pains. Every now and then we get attacked by a wayward demon, but they never last long. Most demons stay away; rumor has it they don't want to face the 'half-breed that slew Naraku'. It's better that way, though. What about you? I honestly wasn't sure you still traveled with Sesshomaru, now that you're full-grown."
Rin blushed, though she had nothing to hide. "To be honest, I was not sure how long he would allow me to stay with him. I'm still not, but, he doesn't seem to want me gone yet, and I'm glad for that. I don't know what I'd do if he left me in a village. I wouldn't know how to act; I haven't lived in a village since I was eight, and I was an outcast then for having no family. I'd be one again, for having grown up willingly in the presence of demons. Tell me, Kagome, how old do you think I will be when Lord Sesshomaru finally leaves me to die?"
Kagome gasped at her question, innerly shocked that Rin was so worried about this when she was still so young, but then realizing that it made sense. "I don't know how to answer that, Rin. When I met Sesshomaru he despised all humans; and, to be honest, I think you may still be the only exception to that. I don't know why he's continued to let you travel with him, but I think it's a good sign. I think it's good for the both of you."
Rin nodded, not overly surprised by her answer. It was a very Kagome-like thing to say, after all. Then an idea came to her; but she was hesitant to ask her question. Kagome picked up on her reluctance and smiled reassuringly. She must be a great mother. Rin thought absently. "May I ask you something, Kagome?"
"Anything."
"Well, when...when did you know you were in love with Inuyasha? How did you know?" She couldn't meet the older woman's eyes, instead picking at the fabric of her kimono.
Kagome giggled quietly before responding. "Well, we'd been traveling together for nearly a year before I realized that I loved him. He'd decided to go with Kikyo to hell, and I thought I'd never see him again, and I realized that if I allowed myself to stay away from him, I'd die inside. So I returned to him and told him I'd stay beside him for as long as he'd allow it. I still have every intention of keeping that promise, of course. But, truthfully, I think I always knew how I felt. When I think back on it, I think I fell in love with him fairly early in our travels. Possibly even before we'd met Miroku. Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's just...it's...I think-I think I may be in love with...with Lord Sesshomaru. Please don't tell him! He'd be angry with me, I just know it!" She replied, her face as red as Inuyasha's haori.
Kagome smiled knowingly. I thought so. But the question is, does Sesshomaru feel the same way? He must, if he's allowed her to stay now that she's older. So, does he realize it? I imagine it would take a lot to get him to admit it to himself. As much as I'd love to see them be able to be together, I don't want Rin to have to be in so much danger. Why can't anything ever be simple with those brothers? She sighed to herself and gently grasped Rin's hands. "Don't worry, Rin. Your secret's safe with me. Just promise me one thing: don't lose hope. Anything's possible, even with Sesshomaru. You'll just have to be patient. If you want to know the truth, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru aren't that different. Not with basic things. For example, they're both stubborn and full of pride. Once he gets over his pride, you'll have a chance. Trust me, ok?"
Rin nodded, and a moment later, the aforementioned brothers re-entered the home. Kagome dropped Rin's hands and stood to greet her husband. "So, did you two have a good conversation?"
"We're goin' to Sango's for dinner. She sent Kohaku to tell us." Inuyasha said with a grin. Kagome smiled and nodded in acceptance. "Where's 'Kara?"
"At Sango's playing with Rika." Turning to Sesshomaru, she offered politely, "Would you and Rin like to stay for lunch? We've got plenty of food."
"We shall be continuing on our way. Thank you for your offer, priestess. Remember my words, Inuyasha."
"And you remember mine, Sesshomaru. You get in over your head, let me know."
Sesshomaru nodded and turned. "Come, Rin."
"Coming, my lord. Goodbye, Kagome, Inuyasha. Thank you for your hospitality." Rin said, getting up and exiting behind Sesshomaru.
When they were gone, Inuyasha spoke. "You find out why she still travels with him?"
"I know her reason; she's unaware of his. I have my suspicions, though."
"I know that look; you used to get that look when you tried playin' matchmaker for Sango and Miroku. Don't even think about it." He scolded, pinning her between himself and the wall and licking her jaw line. She gasped in surprise and he smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist. I'll tell her about the snakes tonight. No reason to ruin her mood so early in the afternoon.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Ok, so, there's chapter four. Now, I want to apologize for ch. 3; when I wrote it, I didn't realize it was so short. Hope no one's mad about that. Anywho, I hope you liked this latest chapter; I couldn't resist a little Inuyasha/Kagome in this story somewhere, I'm way too obssessed. What'd ya'll think of Chikara? I'm kinda proud of her, myself, but I'd like to know what others think, too. Ok, well, please stick with me, let's move on to chapter 5, ok? Ok. One thing, though, if you absolutely hate it and find yourself compelled to tell me, could you please do it nicely? I'd appreciate it. Thanks a bunch! Next chapter!