A/N:
Hello everyone.
I shall open this one with another apology for the most delayed chapter yet; job-hunting and the preparations for the holidays have been kicking my butt lately and I had no time to properly sit and plan/research/write for this story. I don't wish to half-ass any of my updates ever for you, my readers, so I resolved to wait until I found the proper time to grant it with. Thank you so much for your patience and for your wonderful reviews! Your feedback truly warms my heart, motivates and inspires me.
To answer a few of your questions that I had received during this time;
Regarding length, I am still unsure of how many chapters this is going to end up with, I'm afraid. I had attempted to predict the number before and failed, so I am now merely a slave to the pacing and its wishes :)
Regarding explicit content, a smut chapter will eventually happen, yes. The rating would change to M before that. For now, I can only reveal that since I'd like to maintain both Sesshomaru and Kikyo as in-character to the canon as I possibly can, every physical contact between them would be planned and have a reason behind it. Personally, I can't imagine either of them ever engaging in acts of the sort too casually as they are both dignified and value class nearly above all else, (considering the times and their culture, even a kiss was already pushing it) so I don't wish to reach that point before the hour is right as to not disrespect and cheapen their relationship. With how repressed they both are, however, I can assure you it's going to be lots of fun ;)
With all that said, please enjoy!
Chapter Thirty-Three
Staring up at the particular way the soft sunlight shimmered arbitrarily through the lush and dense tree tops above her, Kikyo inhaled the clean air deeply. Shoulders relaxing to the soft humming of Rin as the latter diligently picked through the nearest bush for delicious wild berries, the priestess sensed herself almost held in a certain trance, steadily captivated by the lulling whisper of the layered leaves rattling against the wind, the branches of the old trees swaying and creaking in calm defiance to their rudely-interrupted peaceful slumber, echoing through the space all around both the woman and the child in their current mission to hunt for fresh food.
Simple sights and sounds that she never paid any special regard to, before... now somehow seemed more vibrant and unique than ever.
Impossible to ignore, even.
Maintaining her silence, Kikyo eventually lowered her steady gaze back to her small companion, observing as she soon turned around with both of her small palms joined together, supporting a large amount of ripe berries with her face offering an ever larger smile to accommodate her impressive loot.
"There are so many good ones here, Kikyo-sama!" She chirped with excitement, stepping closer to the priestess.
Kikyo released an amused breath to her endless happiness, presenting her with the half-full wooden bowl in her hands in order to grant the child with a safe place to empty her findings into.
But watching as Rin hurriedly extended her small arms before her to drop the red-coloured nutrients inside it, Kikyo inevitably noticed the small traces of dirt and stains beginning to form on the child's skin and clothes from the her latest actions.
Soon realizing where the priestess' silent gaze had fallen, Rin's expression turned surprised, and she slowly drew her arms back, her own line of vision falling to inspect them as well.
"Oh, Rin managed to get a little dirty..." She noted, flipping her now empty hands before herself to curiously assess the severity of the issue.
Kikyo refrained from answering, tilting her head slightly to the side as a heavy breath escaped her, fair features remaining unreadable.
And the wind picked up through the tops of the trees above them once again, the countless leaves sending their low, yet firm melody to spread in the air all around, almost acting as an improvised substitute to the sudden quiet which fell over their exchange.
Eventually, the priestess lowered herself down on one knee before Rin with a smooth motion, who only raised her confused gaze to the woman before her in response, now meeting her eye-level.
"Rin..." She breathed as strands of long and silky hair cascaded over her shoulder with the sudden movement, watching her closely for a long moment in which neither of them said anything.
However, the more Kikyo stared into those pools of curious brown, the harder it was to release the burden of her secret worries, and before she even managed to voice her thoughts...
"Rin wishes we could all stay like this forever, Kikyo-sama!"
The child's voice and words shortly rang in her mind, trampling her line of thought and overpowering any notion that the priestess considered before, forming an imaginary lump in her throat and blocking the continuation of her sentence.
Kikyo's lips formed a straight line as she quietly stared into Rin's large eyes, so innocent and unsuspecting, and yet filled with avid interest.
And at that moment, against her previous predictions, she found another realization somehow surfacing with impossible firmness, something that managed to lurk at the back of her mind without herself even noticing; a certain truth that was now clearer to her the more she let her eyes rest upon the wild, frizzy dark hair framing the child's face, the small, funny piece of hair tied to the side of her head and sticking out so endearingly, the way her undivided attention was always so dedicated to her, and of course her surprising thoughts and observations, granting her not once with a new perspective regarding her own, private beliefs.
'I see...' The priestess mused to herself, inhaling deeply to her newest selfish understanding;
Perhaps with equal weight to herself not wanting to distress the child by forcing her to depart from the group she loved so much... was also the now undeniable fact that she, herself, would most certainly prove sad without Rin by her side...
The very small and warm hand which pulled her into this entire unpredictable chain of events, the same one which allowed her this one-of-a-kind chance of forging this new path and altering her already cursed, written fate.
It was all thanks to this girl.
"What's wrong, Kikyo-sama?" Rin soon voiced her growing concern.
And Kikyo simply shook her head, granting the child with a reassuring smile while forcing her own thoughts clear from any troubling notions.
"Nothing is wrong." Kikyo answered, head slightly tilting to the side as her gaze hovered over the child's being, "I was simply wondering if you had slept well, yesterday?"
Rin stared at the woman before her for a stretched moment, eventually nodding as a warm grin found its way to decorate her face, once again.
"Yes!" She confirmed, lowering her hands back at her sides, "It was the best sleep Rin had in a long time!"
"I'm glad." Kikyo said simply.
Then, the priestess' gaze lowered to the now completely full wooden bowl in her grip.
"I believe we have acquired enough berries, should we return to camp?" She asked, mahogany eyes lifting to the child once again.
Blinking with surprise, Rin followed to the source of current discussion, leaning forward from where she stood to measure the amount nearly spilling out from the plate in Kikyo's hands for a moment before moving back and nodding with pleased happiness.
"Another human child, huh..." Jaken grumbled to himself with exhaustion, narrowing his yellow eyes at the new and unlikely addition to their group; the straight-faced taijiya boy who was quietly sitting on the grassy earth in front of the steady fire before him, observing the several fish lodged onto a few improvised sticks being slowly seared by the low flames.
Slumping his shoulders, the imp-demon sighed heavily, shifting his attention to his master sitting gracefully and calmly on an elevated root of a nearby tree slightly outside of the camp's boundaries in his usual regal fashion, gaze aimed deep into the forest to the direction in which both Kikyo and Rin had disappeared to.
'Does Sesshomaru-sama truly trust this brat just because the miko had insisted on him joining this group?' Jaken couldn't help but wonder, green brows lifting with confusion, 'He had previously acted under that wretched Naraku's orders, after all...'
As if reading through his vassal's secret musings, however, the daiyoukai suddenly turned his head halfway back in the camp's direction, causing Jaken to flinch as a single golden eye scanned the surface with deadly precision, eventually stopping on Kohaku, who had his attention completely devoted to the current task at his hands.
Jaken felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand at the way Sesshomaru's evaluating, sharp gaze coldly inspected the boy, proving strong enough to ultimately catch the latter's attention as Kohaku simply straightened in his seat, dark brown eyes rising to meet with the fiercest of golds while silent alert overcame his freckled features.
And the laboured silence at that moment was enough to spread and fill the space between them to the brim.
"Do not mistakenly believe I had carelessly forgotten your actions, boy." Sesshomaru's low and firm voice soon cut through the air like the sharpest of blades, seizing the attention of all souls present, "You are merely still alive because your existence is necessary to that woman."
The daiyoukai observed as Kohaku tensed and silently averted his eyes, lowering them to the ground before his feet in response to the harsh assertion, his gaze shortly shielded by long, messy dark bangs and by an emotion that he deemed as heavy shame.
Eyes that were dull and lifeless before back in that one night, the same one in which this same boy had operated like a shell of a human being under Naraku's control, nearly taking Rin's life away; the same brown orbs that showed him nothing but an unsettling void of emptiness even when his claws squeezed firmly around his neck, practically begging him to transfer just a tad more force into his grip and crush his pitiful existence altogether.
He did not like those eyes at all.
However and only to himself, after assessing the boy's reaction, Sesshomaru had to admit that the look in his gaze was far from passive, any longer;
There was a certain, secret resolve embedded in those brown orbs... as well as deep and honest awareness to the gravity of the situation and the sins he had committed until now.
"I am deeply sorry, Sesshomaru-sama..." Kohaku eventually spoke, head still hanging low and hands desperately digging into the soft grass surrounding his position, "I know that my actions could never, ever be forgiven... I am very much aware of it... and still, I am deeply sorry for everything that I've done."
The deafening and uneasy quiet once again prevailed between them, with only the sounds of the low, crackling fire compensating for their sudden lack of words. This fact, however, meant little to Sesshomaru as he simply continued his wordless and keen study of the boy sitting across from him, sharp golden eyes never breaking from his being.
Then, he simply raised his chin.
"Apologies are of no use to I, Sesshomaru." The daiyoukai followed, watching as Kohaku lowered his head down even further in response to his cold rejection, "How do you plan to act in order to correct your doings?"
Hearing the unexpected last part of his sentence, the taijiya raised his head, misty and confused brown eyes meeting with his master's menacing form once more.
And he only swallowed harshly, surprised features turning stern as he quickly steeled himself with his iron reslove.
"I am going to erase Naraku's existence at the cost of my own life, Sesshomaru-sama." Kohaku answered firmly, not a trace of fear in his voice, now.
Unfazed, Sesshomaru only kept his silence to his words.
"A life that is bound to the Shikon Jewel shard placed at the back of your neck, huh."
The boy merely flinched for a second at the reminder, collecting himself once more.
"Yes." He confirmed, maintaining his fierce eye-contact this time.
But Sesshomaru simply lowered his head slightly before him like a predator closing in on its prey, narrowing his icy gaze to how easily Kohaku replied to his question.
"The same shard which allowed Naraku to control you so freely before, is it not?" He tested further.
Jaken cowered into himself, fingers gripping his wooden staff close to his chest at the ruthless stream of intrusive questions his lord had decided to suddenly shower the taijiya with, his alarmed gaze rapidly shifting between them both as a few drops of sweat already covered the top of his green head from the suffocating, tense atmosphere.
Worry easily ripped through the boy's expression at the crucial detail, knowing that Sesshomaru had figured out the biggest current issue regarding his existence, as well as reminding him of how truly weak he proved to be.
And dark-clad shoulders could only tense high once more, the violent swirl of strong, conflicting emotions and haunting memories as well as the inability to present his new master with a good enough explanation turned his tongue to lead in his mouth, forcing him to detach from Sesshomaru's all-knowing gaze and shift his stare to the grassy earth before his feet, jaw clenching tight with silent, unbearable uneasiness.
"Sesshomaru-sama! Kohaku-kun! Jaken-sama! We're back!" Rin's cheerful voice abruptly cut into the heavy atmosphere as she ran out from the nearest treeline and into the small clearing, followed by the calmly approaching Kikyo shortly behind her.
However, once the child neared the camp area, her vision immediately shifted to the still cooking food near the fire.
"Ahhh! Oh no, the fish!" She exclaimed with alert, rushing to lower herself down and quickly twist the sticks onto which the fish were perched in a desperate attempt of saving the seared flesh.
Confused, Rin immediately shot a blaming glance at Jaken.
"Jeez, Jaken-sama! Why didn't you turn them at least a bit?" The child pouted at her green companion, managing to save at least three of the originally five roasted fish.
Jaken immediately jumped to his feet at her daring to place the blame on him so casually, yet before he managed to grant her with an angry retort;
"It was my fault, Rin." Kohaku said through a low voice, climbing to his feet and quickly stepping away from the camp area, "I'm very sorry... I'll be right back."
Shifting her attention to the boy leaving the area, Rin's brown eyes grew large.
"Ah! Kohaku-kun, wait!" She called after him, blinking with utter confusion, "They're not really... completely ruined..." But the child's voice weakened the more he distanced himself from the group, not even glancing at her or anyone else as he soon walked far enough and beyond the lush greenery surrounding their hidden camp area, eventually disappearing from sight, completely.
Kikyo kept her quiet position, observing the sudden chaos before her through a calm expression and still holding onto the filled bowl in her hands.
Then, she simply shifted her silent gaze to Sesshomaru, meeting with his golden one, which was already placed on her.
And staring at each other through impassive expressions like that, neither the daiyoukai or the priestess exchanged a word between them for a long moment in which the silence reigned once again over their shared space.
"Something's wrong with Kohaku-kun." Rin's deduction shortly caught their attention, small fingers tightening around the two sticks of half-burnt fish she was holding, "Rin will be right back!"
With that sole declaration left behind her, the child hurried after the direction in which Kohaku had disappeared, soon vanishing beyond the wildlife as well.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going, Rin?!" Jaken exclaimed far too late for her to care, mouth gaping open to her acting so insolently.
And once she showed no signs of coming back in response to his alarmed screeching, the imp-demon simply shook his head and let out a heavy sigh of sheer exasperation, already knowing that this meant it was his turn to watch over his troublesome, human companion.
And just like that, he set off in the same direction as well, distancing himself from the comfortable camp area while sporting the slowest pace known to any living creature.
Closing her eyes, Kikyo released a quiet breath, eventually stepping to the center of the camp in order to locate a proper place to set down her findings from her search with Rin. Calm, she wordlessly reached near a large rock, lowering the bowl to rest on top of its smooth surface as she shortly rid herself from her longbow and arrow quiver, setting those on the grassy ground next to her feet.
Then, she elegantly sat herself down on top of the wide, elevated root of a nearby tree a bit closer to the small fire.
Watching her every single move like that, Sesshomaru waited for Kikyo to voice her opinions on the matter, to at least show interest in the latest happenings, yet much to his dismay, the woman never did.
And once he deemed her sudden, cryptic behaviour as enough, the regal inu-daiyoukai turned slightly in his seat, facing her now instead and narrowing his golden line of vision at the unreadable priestess sitting in front of him.
"Are you not going to inquire of what happened?" He chose to steadily prompt her to speak, supporting his own decision with the simple logical fact that the question he had raised in front of the boy was still a valid issue left unanswered.
Perfectly poised, Kikyo eventually raised her eyes from the fire to her companion, mahogany colliding with gold once more.
"One look at Kohaku already tells me everything." She calmly answered, tilting her head slightly to the side as her keen eyes bore into him, "Was it truly necessary to so ruthlessly force answers out of him, Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru clenched his jaw to Kikyo's avid disapproval of his latest choice of actions, yet he made sure not to welcome a trace of his feelings onto his features before her.
"There is no point in concealing the truth regarding his existence." The daiyoukai reasoned with firmness, turning his head away from the priestess and onto the far depths of the forest, "I made sure that the boy was aware of the situation and the risks it entails."
Staring at her companion for a while in silence, Kikyo let out an amused breath.
"I wonder about that." She said.
And her unexpected reaction caused Sesshomaru to immediately hunt her existence from the corner of his eye, awaiting her following words.
"Your true attempt was to test his resolve, was it not?" The priestess countered with ease, studying his being for another moment as she eventually lowered her attention to the fire once more, reaching to twist the now three fish remaining on their axis, preventing them from potentially burning, as well, "You wished to tackle him, to aid him in wanting to perhaps find a safer way to defeat Naraku other than sacrificing himself for that cause."
Turning the last stick in her hand, Kikyo straightened in her seat with elegance, steady gaze lifting up to Sesshomaru as he simply sat quietly in his spot, his head now turned fully in her direction and his frown a tad bit deeper than usual.
And holding her eye-contact like that, the daiyoukai merely scoffed loudly.
"Ridiculous." He denied.
However, he did not glance away from her being for even a moment.
Patient, Kikyo observed him like that, soon noticing a hint of interest flashing behind his golden orbs; seemingly another issue that Sesshomaru was clearly pondering deep within himself.
"These new instructions you said you had received." He predictably voiced his next preferred topic of conversation, watching her closely "Who were they from?"
Kikyo breathed in deeply to his inquiry as she only raised her chin before him.
"Midoriko." She steadily replied, mahogany eyes once again lowering to the flames before her, "An ancient priestess who was the original creator of the stone... a decision that was formed as a last resort which trapped her soul along with her enemy's inside of it."
Sesshomaru took a moment to process her words.
"And what did she tell you?" He further asked.
Kikyo broke from his existence to lean forward in order to pull the now three completely cooked fish one by one from their spot and carefully place them away from the fire, driving the sticks into the ground closer to where she sat.
Then, she placed her fair hands back safely in her lap.
"That I must purify the completed jewel at the precise moment, right when Naraku absorbs it into himself."
The wood crackled under the heat of the low flames, sending countless sparks to fly and spread above the source of warmth, soon vanishing into the cold afternoon air.
And his golden eyes narrowed to the new information.
"You trust this method to prove successful, huh." He gathered dryly.
Hearing the hint of scepticism in his tone, however, Kikyo raised her calm gaze once more to meet his.
"Midoriko wants nothing more than to purge all evil from this world." She stately answered, head lowered and eyes remaining fierce before him, "And she chose to confide me regarding the specific way to end Naraku's existence, going as far as to call upon Kohaku and lure him to my location."
But her explanation only caused Sesshomaru's scowl to deepen as a hint of displeasure crossed his features.
"Why must it be you, of all others?" He investigated.
Surprised and also slightly confused by his reaction, Kikyo swallowed harshly.
While she could fairly predict her companion's apparent disagreement to the concept of her risking her own life... she still couldn't help but notice there was also something rather odd about the daiyoukai's disinterest in this crucial new information and a convenient way to finally destroy their shared enemy.
Collecting herself, the priestess inhaled deeply.
Then, she only recalled the true reason for Midoriko's choice, eyelids falling shut to the heavy memory.
"It is because both Midoriko and I... have alike souls." She answered, deep mahogany once again opening to clash with firm gold, "The powerful youkai who fought against Midoriko was originally a human, who desired the ancient priestess as well."
Sesshomaru leaned back in his seat, disgust now more than hinted on his face.
He most certainly did not need her to expand on that particular point, and luckily for him, the priestess was already keenly aware of this fact.
"It was certainly not easy to fully convey my loyalty to her, however." She soon continued, releasing her deep breath.
A single dark eyebrow rose in response to her unlikely words.
And Kikyo simply stared at him in silence through a fixed expression, awaiting this man in front of her to finally pick up on the obvious reason why.
Finally grasping the meaning behind her claim, Sesshomaru simply raised his chin before her to the new realization.
"Hmph." He voiced his concluded opinion on the matter, watching her closely for a moment before finally breaking away from her clever eyes and placing his attention to an unfocused spot in the far distance, "Your private affairs with me are not any damn fool's business."
Maintaining her wordless stare on his profile, Kikyo eased her shoulders to his already familiar audacity, eventually allowing her lips to curve into a soft, genuine smile.
And they both settled back into comfortable silence like that, basking in the comforting warmth of the flames as the low whisper of crackling embers filled the air, the steadily approaching coldness of the falling evening barely even noticeable to them at all.
"Kohaku-kun!" Rin called with urgency while sending her hands still supporting the two burnt fish forward, parting the tall and damp meadow before her.
Following after the nearing sounds of running water, she eventually exited the dense row of trees and reached the edge of the river, where a few large rocks formed an improvised bridge presented before her, scattered on the gravel ground and all the way into the calmly-flowing current which was constantly working around the stones and their intruding position.
Wide brown eyes followed after the array of nature's clues until she noticed Kohaku sitting on top of the highest one, his blank gaze aimed down at the water surface before him, chin resting on his bent knee as his other leg hanged freely below, the scythe in his hand raised high, remaining this way in precise and perfect patience.
Then, with a quick and deadly movement, the boy threw the weapon in his hand into the stream, the sharp metal easily breaching through the water surface as it dove to the shallow bottom of the river. Wordlessly and without moving from his careful position, he yanked on the chain connected to his knife, calling it back and revealing one fish successfully etched at the end of his blade.
"Wow!" Rin called, shifting the grip in her occupied hands and clapping awkwardly to the impressive sight, "You're good at this, Kohaku-kun!"
But as soon as he noticed her presence, Kohaku's shoulders slumped and he said nothing in return, turning his pained expression away from the girl.
Noticing his lack of cooperativeness, Rin's features crossed with firm intent, and she quickly resumed her movement up in his direction, beginning to effortlessly climb on top of each of the rocks in her path until she finally reached the one he was sitting on.
"Go back, they're probably worried about you." She heard him say to the wind, still facing away from her.
However, the child ignored his words altogether, lowering herself down to sit comfortably next to the boy at the edge of the surface as she let her feet dangle below her, sensing the small and constant spray of water already beginning to damp her bare soles.
"Rin was looking for you, Kohaku-kun." She answered, staring at him with a hint of worry, "Rin can't go back without you."
Hearing that, Kohaku shifted in his seat, head turning to once again stare at the steady current below him.
"I'll catch a few fish and then return." He said, his tone eerily calm.
"The fish aren't completely ruined, Kohaku-kun, look!" The child insisted, extending one of the sticks to him as proof, "Only one side is burnt..."
The boy glanced at the offer for a moment, yet merely proceeded to avert his gaze from it.
And only the sounds of the gently-flowing river filled the silence that fell between them, the already descending sun illuminating the tops of the trees as the sky painted with a soft shade of orange, reflecting onto the dancing surface of the waters.
Releasing a quiet breath, Rin simply called back on her hand, turning to stare at the stream below her as well.
However, before she lost all hope of communicating with the boy sitting beside her;
"I really was weak." Kohaku suddenly spoke, voice so low, barely an audible whisper, "And I'm still weak."
Confused by his words, Rin's eyes once again found his being.
"Why do you say that?" She asked with innocence.
Refraining from speaking for the longest time, he merely inhaled sharply before her.
"My mind..." He answered shakily, head lowered with guilt, "I should've resisted... I should've broken free from his control..."
Rin's expression crossed with sadness to the memory.
"That wasn't your fault, Kohaku-kun..." She reasoned, staring at him with deep compassion, "Rin doesn't think you should blame yourself for it..."
However, the boy's jaw clenched tight, and he raised his free hand before himself, fingers balling into a tight fist.
"These hands of mine... you have no idea of the things they've done... Naraku was the one who had used them, but they're still my own." He explained, his voice cracking under the weight of his words, "I have to get stronger. I have to make sure that he never gets a chance like that again..."
"Do you have to do it all alone?" She asked, prompting him to finally turn in her direction.
His eyebrows lowered with confusion to her inquiry, and soon witnessing his reaction, Rin continued with her point;
"You have us now, Kohaku-kun." She reminded him with confidence, nodding once, "Sesshomaru-sama, Kikyo-sama and even Jaken-sama can all help you fight."
"...And I am thankful." He replied, lips curving into a sad smile at her kind reassurance, "But I can't just rely on others so freely like that without working on my own weaknesses, as well."
Processing his words, however, an unexpected idea shortly popped into the girl's head.
"Why don't you learn how to be strong from Sesshomaru-sama and Kikyo-sama, then?"
Surprised, Kohaku maintained her eye-contact for a long moment in silence, somehow feeling a small portion of the unbearable burden in his chest lifting to the new and unplanned realization;
Rin was right.
If he truly wished to destroy Naraku and avenge the death of his family... then receiving aid and learning from two of the strongest beings currently alive was most certainly a good place to start.
And with that, he simply released a deep breath before her.
"You're really positive, huh." He remarked, staring down at the girl sitting beside him.
And once she finally caught his glimpse of avid cooperation at long last, Rin giggled and then granted him with the warmest of her smiles.
"Rin believes in them!" She said with unparalleled happiness, handing him again with one of the fish still held in her hands, "And Rin believes in you, too."
This time, the boy accepted her offer.
"...Aren't you scared, Rin?" He followed, brown gaze dropping to the half-burnt food in his grasp.
But the child only tilted her head to the side, her vision never leaving her companion for a moment.
"Kikyo-sama asked Rin the same thing." She recalled, eyes going wide, "Rin isn't scared as long as she has everyone by her side."
Turning towards her once again, Kohaku kept his silence, his freckled features concealing some kind of a troubled emotion in them, but not well enough to escape the child's attention.
And she pursed her lips in silence, eyebrows lowering with disappointment.
"Kikyo-sama also gave Rin a similar look, before." She said, exhaling deeply to the familiarity of her current feelings, "Rin thinks... she might be worried."
Kohaku shifted his gaze to the soft sunset cascading on the narrow water before him like jewels of pure gold, allowing his eyes to rest on the calming sight.
"Of course she is." He said bluntly, staring into the far distance now, "You're just a regular human after all, you know?"
Hearing that, Rin broke away from him, lowering her head to the fish still in her grip.
"Rin knows." She answered to the harsh reminder, sadness once again clear in her expression, "But Rin wants to stay... with everyone."
The breeze picked up through their location, ruffling their hair and garbs gently, serving as small reminder of the late hour, as well as the fact that they should soon head back to their camp for the approaching night.
"Well, that's part of the reason I'm here, I suppose." His words caught her attention, making the girl lift her gaze to him once more, "I swear that I'm going to protect you as much as I can, Rin."
And her brown eyes widened as she stared at his profile in silence, surprised by the confident claim and lack of fear in his voice.
"Okay." She confirmed, her smile big enough to invite his gaze once again to collide with hers.
Recalling the meal in his hand, Kohaku flipped the fish in his grip to the seemingly bearable side, then lifted it to his mouth, taking a bite of the crispy flesh.
Yet, his expression soon contorted to the terrible taste, brown eyes narrowing as the look on his features caused Rin to stare at him with amazement.
"That bad?" She asked, raising her free hand to block a wild giggle at the sudden occurrence.
Without sparing her as much as a word, Kohaku simply reached for the single fish in still held by the girl, yanking it from her grip and tossing both of the sticks combined as far away as possible to land in the depth of the lush greenery.
Then, he balled his hand into a fist, coughing with disgust.
"Yeah."
"Oh! There you are, you troublesome children!" Jaken's grating voice suddenly cut through their calm exchange, and both Kohaku and Rin turned to glance at the imp-demon as he stepped from behind the dense forest and into the river's open location, shaking his foot from a vine snaking up his short leg, "Good grief, this forest is nothing but a cursed maze of twigs and branches!"
Neither said anything as they simply stared at their green companion wobbling forward before them, covered with leaves and sticks from head to toe.
And much to his annoyance, they both couldn't help but chuckle at the amusing sight.
Dusk veiled the endless sky by the time Rin, Kohaku and Jaken had all returned to camp, the sight of both Kikyo and Sesshomaru still sitting calmly in their spot with the slumbering A-Un resting not that far from them all welcoming the trio back and assuring them of the steady and amicable atmosphere now ruling the area once again.
Steady, they made their way through the grassy clearing until eventually closing the distance that formed from their unplanned leave, soon noticing the priestess keeping guard of a mysterious, newly-cooking dish inside of a medium-sized iron pot, hovering over the low embers and supported by two strong logs at each of its sides.
"Oh! Something smells so good!" Rin enthusiastically picked up her pace and stepped closer to Kikyo, excitement written all over her face to the pleasant surprise.
And leaning forward to moderately remove the lid of the pot in response, Kikyo smiled and watched the child closely while allowing her a rare glimpse of the steamy rice and fish porridge inside it.
"It will be ready soon." The priestess notified, returning the iron cover back to its careful place as her gaze ultimately shifted to Kohaku who stood not that far behind Rin, "How about you both sit down and prepare yourselves with two clean bowls in the meantime?"
Rin nodded with immediate agreement to the suggestion, hurriedly stepping to the resting A-Un as she quickly sent her hand to dive and reach inside one of the bundles tied to the side of the large beast's saddle, pulling out two wooden bowls along with two sets of chopsticks. Then, she turned on her heel and followed back in her latest steps, approaching the boy and handing him with his share of the items.
Kohaku accepted her gift, quietly tailing after the girl as they both entered the safe boundaries of camp and settled on the soft ground, leaning their backs against the rocks positioned behind them.
And at that moment, his dark brown inevitably met with the familiar fierce gold of a certain proud inu-daiyoukai, prompting the boy to swallow harshly in response once he realized Sesshomaru's gaze was already secured on him, studying his every move in eerie and indecipherable stillness.
However and much to his surprise, his master's aura felt a lot less alienating than ever before.
Neither one of them uttered a single word as Sesshomaru only leaned forward slightly in his seat, eyes momentarily leaving the boy to observe Rin for a few moments in silence, eventually returning to his small being once again.
Eventually, he merely rose to his feet in an elegant manner, turning his back to the group and seizing the attention of all companions present.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin voiced her confusion to his sudden actions.
And reacting to the child's voice, the daiyoukai moved his head halfway back to stare at the one he now deemed worthy of his newest test.
"Eat and sleep properly for the night, Kohaku." Sesshomaru instructed with calm authority, sharp golden orbs fixed on the boy sitting behind him, "At first sign of dawn, we train."
A/N:
Kohaku and Rin's relationship is something that I love very much, and that I definetely plan to expand on.
Considering the canon plot, I find it highly likely that both of them are, in fact, the ancestors of Kagome herself, which would explain Rin emitting the same warm energy resembling Kagome's nature, and Kohaku later possessing Kikyo's spiritual light in him; both allowing him to preserve his life and also serving as the likely source for Kagome's spiritual powers at the very end (Or, beginning, if you want), forming a paradox-free, never-ending loop of events that I think, ties everything in quite nicely and logically together. ^_^
As always, thank you for your reviews, and I'm curious to know what you thought of this one, as well! (And I wish you Happy holidays!)