With Or Without You
A/n: Wow! I'm so psyched to have received 9 reviews for just the first chapter! Thanks so much you guys! I hope I don't let you down. I like this chapter, kind of describing Rin's life now and then Fluffy coming to the village and so on...Well without further adue, here it is!
Chapter Two
Rumors
For ten years she'd been patient.
For ten years she had been a good girl and never disobeyed his orders. She had promised him to stay in the village until he returned for her.
However, in four weeks, she would break her promise and move to a village in the east. She would move there, with her husband.
Rin stared blankly out the window of her and the lord's other daughters' room. The sweet scents of summer rushed up and blew warmly upon her pretty face. Her long, thick lashes fluttered slowly against her soft cheeks as boredom continued to swarm around her.
'Of all villages to place me in, why one so far away from anything?' she asked herself. The question had plagued her mind nearly every day, for the small village that she lived in was miles and miles from any others.
She leaned her head gently upon her left hand and let out a long sigh.
The village's lord had taken her in as his own daughter and because of her sweet nature and beauty, he and his wife constantly spoiled her. Rin did not wish to be doted upon so. In fact, it created somewhat of a rivalry between her and the lord's daughters. Even if Rin didn't try to compete with them.
Despite the love the lord and his wife, Lady Adzumi, had given her, one thing had happened that Rin did not mind.
She had met a man named Roiyaru.
He was the son of the nearest village's lord. Nearly nineteen, the boy was smart and kind. Rin adored him dearly, but when he had asked her to marry him, she had taken quite a while to answer him.
Lord Sesshomaru had said that he would come back for her, yet Naraku had been defeated nearly eight years ago. Why had it taken him so long to return for her?
One traveling monk had told her and her father that an inn keeper had heard rumors of a demon's death. The reason why this demon's death was so important was because of their unique, dignified appearance.
Though it were only an unreliable rumor, the terrible thought of his death had made her break down into tears, scaring both her new family and guests. After reassuring them that it were only because she was very stressed, she went to her haven, which was Lady Adzumi's garden. There she had prayed that he were safe somewhere. Even if he never returned for her, she only wanted to be sure that he were alive and well.
Rin continuously felt a lump within her stomach, as if she had done something bad, but hadn't told anyone yet. What this feeling meant, she still did not know. She didn't even know what had caused it.
As she thought of her previous guardian, and she did so very often, she felt anger and betrayal.
Years without word from him, not one word. She had been told, without explanation to go into the village and remain there until he returned for her. She had thought that it would only be a few months. A few months turned into ten years and with ten years of unknowing, one can begin to make up their own excuses.
Rin continued to watch several people walk about the lord's property. She was quite used to continuous crowd that worked upon there.
"Lady Rin!" came a voice suddenly from outside of her room.
She turned just as a young servant stepped in. "M'lady, you must hide yourself!"
Rin frowned. The girl was very pale and looked as if she'd seen a monster.
"What's wrong? What's going on, Tokiko?" Rin asked quietly.
The young girl began to wring her hands together. "I do not wish to frighten you, Lady Rin...but there is a demon heading towards the village!"
Rin did not shriek in fear or run to shelter. Instead a bright smile swept across her face and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Is this demon tall, with beautiful, long, silver hair?"
Tokiko frowned a moment, then quickly shook her head. "I do not know, m'lady. I was only instructed to hide you."
Rin felt her hope soar. A demon had not come into her village in nearly two decades. The possibilities that this were him were far too great to pass up.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" she whispered.
Tokiko frowned. "What was that m'lady?"
Before the girl could ask again, Rin pushed past her and ran down the steps. Her heart raced with a newfound excitement. For ten years no word, nothing. Now he had returned. He was finally, at last, coming for her!
>
"Lord Sesshomaru, what do you think the mortals will do once we enter the village?" asked Jaken quietly, staring at the growing crowd of men at the village's entrance.
Sesshomaru did not answer his small counterpart and continued on confidently.
With each step that neared the village, he felt his anticipation growing. He was quite curious to see how the young child had grown. He had imagined what she looked like before, but only for brief moments before forcing the thoughts from his mind.
Now the time had come for him to allow those thoughts to flood his mind. Soon they would not be mere thoughts, but reality. He would see her once again. He wondered how much she had changed. Had she even obeyed him and remained within the village?
He felt a tiny smudge of pride within. Of course she had. She would do anything he asked her. Would she now though?
He had been gone for a decade without ever even trying to contact her. Yet Sesshomaru was not the type to keep in touch after leaving someone behind. It was rather weird that he were even doing this. 'Why am I so insistent on seeing her again?' he had asked himself hours prior.
He was unable to come up with an answer.
"Halt demon! Begone with you!" yelled a man, interrupting Sesshomaru's deep thoughts.
The tall demon quirked an ebony eyebrow and turned his strong gaze upon the man. Nearing thirty, the man looked dirty and smelly. Sesshomaru simply sneered at him.
"Begone?" he questioned the large man.
Despite the man's girth, easily Sesshomaru towered over him.
"Move out of the way, human."
The man shook his head. "No! I cannot let you into our village!"
Sesshomaru's expression did not change. He simply pushed past the weak man and barged on through the crowd as they split before him, Jaken at his heels. The small toad was amazed at what kindness he was displaying by sparing the mortals' lives.
'Perhaps he does this for Rin?' Jaken scowled. 'Of course not, it's just too easy for him, that's all. My lord likes a challenge.'
Sesshomaru's golden eyes surveyed his surrounding quickly. It appeared to be nearly the same as when he had left Rin years ago. People at first, did not notice him until they realized he had made it past their "guards".
Women started to shriek, grabbing their children and racing inside. Behind him, Sesshomaru could hear the grumbling of the men as they tried to regain their courage.
Sesshomaru sniffed the air discreetly, trying his hardest to find any trace of the young girl's scent. It then dawned on him that as she had aged, her scent must have changed with her. He stopped suddenly and began to study each of the women's faces.
To him, they all appeared the same. Nothing special that could trigger something within him to recognize them as Rin.
"M'lord, how are we supposed to find the child with so many women here?" asked Jaken irritably.
Sesshomaru frowned, glancing to the toad with a blank expression.
Without replying to the creature's obvious question, he continued on.
>
Rin had never realized that her village was not as small as she had thought it were. Since summer had finally arrived, there were much more people than the usual crowds. She ran with a smile upon her face. Several people tried to stop the beautiful girl, but she did not hear them.
'I didn't break my promise, Lord Sesshomaru! I never forgot you!'
And then it happened.
Guilt hit her stomach.
'I'm engaged.'
She stopped in mid stride at the thought. Usually when a young woman thinks of those two words, it should be with excitement and glee. However at that moment , when Rin heard them within her mind, she felt that lump within her stomach grow and twist her insides.
She had never experienced such emotions such as this. Never has she actually second guessed her decision to marry Roiyaru. The thought of being married excited her and made her heart soar. To be a kind, sweet, loving wife and mother was what all women wanted. Now that she were to be that, she was very happy. It made her feel anxious and proud. Or at least...it had.
"Lady Rin!" came a voice.
She turned to find Tokiko following her. "Lady Rin! You're mother is looking for you!" she called out, gasping for air.
Rin glanced forward and saw a sudden rush of people running away from the village's entrance.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" she smiled, her voice sounding much like it had ten years ago.
The servant frowned. Confused was written across her forehead as she stared in disbelief at the usually, level-headed, shy, quiet and calm lord's daughter. "Lady Rin, please! You're mother needs you. Please come with me!"
Rin turned to Tokiko and shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
With one final, brilliantly bright smile, the pretty girl gathered her kimono in her hands and took off in sprint, leaving the young servant to simply stare in disbelief.
>
Sesshomaru frowned. 'Perhaps much more has changed.'
In fact it had. The village, despite its still small size, had seemed to double in size. Considering the new season, new travelers and traders had come through with their merchandise. All of that was forgotten though with one glance at the powerful demon.
Black eyebrows were settling into a deeper and deeper frown as he grew a bit worried.
"Is it possible that Rin may have married, m'lord? She is of age after all."
That comment earned the reptile a rather large lump to his head, thanks to the sheath of the Toukijin.
"Lord Sesshomaru," he muttered in pain, holding his head tightly in his scaly hands. 'Why did such a comment offend you?' Jaken asked silently.
The slender figure before him did not pity him at all and continued with his search of the girl.
The men of the village followed behind, but did not try to approach him. Some had heard of this demon and of his reputation. They had heard of his final encounter with the feared demon Naraku. Some had heard that he had died in that final battle along with Naraku. Others had heard that he had disappeared into the south in search of some other dog demon that was rumored to be related to him.
The rumors were far stretched and somewhat unbelievable, even for a demon, but they did keep the men from getting in the way of Sesshomaru's search.
"Jaken, isn't that the old woman that took Rin in?" asked Sesshomaru.
Jaken looked up from studying the ground and noticed the elderly woman. She sat calmly on a bench, a long, twisted tree root as her cane. Her wispy white hair continued to fall in her eyes, but she did not bat it away. She seemed to not even notice the screaming crowds that raced passed her. A sweet smile was spread across her thin lips as she stared off into space.
"Why yes m'lord, it is!" Jaken exclaimed.
Sesshomaru felt something within him rise...anticipation? Excitement? He didn't dwell on the emotion too long and simply walked towards the woman.
Before he could open his mouth, she grinned. Her eyes looked up, but not directly to him. She appeared to be blind. "You must be the demon Lady Rin was always talking about?"
Sesshomaru did not speak.
"I believe she is at her father's home, towards the edge of the village. You're in the right direction," she whispered softly.
Jaken stepped forward. "We know where she lives! What does she look like? There are many women in this filthy village and we don't know what she looks like!" he snapped.
The woman's smile did not fall. "You will know her when you see her. Her beauty is near impossible to describe."
Sesshomaru felt himself smirk. In the many years of her absence, he had always known she would grow up to attractive. For a mortal child, she was not that disgusting.
Jaken let out a snort. "Lord Sesshomaru does not find humans attractive! Right m'lord?"
Jaken looked up to his master, expecting him to agree. What he saw was far from disagreeing upon Sesshomaru's face...
>
Rin felt her heart leap.
Silver.
A waterfall of beautiful silver, running down his back.
She only saw him from behind, but that was enough to know for sure.
Inside, she knew all along that it were him. She knew, deep inside, that someday he would return.
'Why now?'
She did not have time to think of an answer, for as soon as it popped into her head, he turned and amber met soft brown eyes for the first time in ten years.
The only words spoken were from Rin...
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
>
A/n: There it is, chapter two. Well I really like the ending to this one, kind of a cliff hanger isn't it? Hee hee. Well I know that it isn't too lovey dovey like some of you like, but believe me, it will get there, 'kay? Because I too, am a hopeless romantic lol. Please review:P