Prologue
It was early morning when I, sixteen-year-old Rin, awoke within Lord Sesshomaru's castle. I was only staying here temporarily till I found a home to call my own. I had found work in a neighboring village to paint pots, scrolls, and many other objects for high class paying customers. I was elated to have found something that I really love to do than the typical work most women do now.
I wanted to leave early so I could stop at a field to gather petals from certain flowers, leaves, and a few other plants to make paint. I love to paint with color instead of the usual plain black paint like others. The color to me is very boring. After I adjusted my eyes, got myself ready for work, I was ready to go. I left my room to see that the weather looked like it would be gloomy all day today. "Another day of rain, it looks to be. I sure do miss the sun." It had been raining for the past week since my arrival, but I'm grateful that it wasn't raining right now. "Got to make my visit to the field very quick." I would hate to be caught in the rain.
When I rounded the corner of Lord Sesshomaru's castle, I found him right outside the dining hall with Master Jaken. I had a feeling a meal was prepared for me to eat and I was a little hungry. Master Jaken was going off about the weather and that it was too early to be up, but I just ignored him. I learned to tune out his voice over the years.
"Good morning to you both," I greeted them properly when I stood before them.
I watched as Lord Sesshomaru turned away from Master Jaken and faced me. "Rin," he addressed me. He was a demon of not many words and that's okay. "I had ordered a meal to be made for you." Make that a few words.
He's so generous, "thank you," I bowed at the waist to him, "I really appreciate it very much." I'm going to need all the energy for today. I will be working till almost sundown.
"Jaken will escort you to the village after you eat," he informed me when we all headed inside. I looked at Master Jaken who didn't look too pleased about escorting me. I could hear him mumble some unpleasant cuss words. He'll have to get over himself, it's for my safety.
News had gone around that bandits had been spotted nearby. They have been attacking villages day and night, killing anyone that got in their way and that's something I wanted to avoid. I didn't want to face the same experience from when I was a small girl again. But that wasn't the only thing going about in this general area. Harmless adolescent male demons have been pulling little pranks of traps and digging up holes for people to fall in. I'll have to be extra careful this morning. The field I'll be picking the flowers is one of the general areas the demons had been setting their traps up.
After breakfast, a small lunch was packed for me to have later. I left for the courtyard where Master Jaken and A-Un waited for me. Lord Sesshomaru had a busy morning with a meeting and he would not be joining us, but he at least told me that he would escort me back after work. I'm grateful for that and always will be.
One of the female servants handed me an amigasa to wear on my head to protect me from the rain and a bamboo water bottle filled with fresh water. "Arigatō, Nagisa."
"Dōitashimashite, Rin. Is there anything else I can get you?" Nagisa was a beautiful wolf demon from the east. Her peppered hair flew down her back, almost at her hips. I loved how it shined when the sun hit it. It made my ebony hair look bland and boring. What I would give to have a new hairstyle.
"Bangō, what I have will be good." I appreciate everything they do and offer, but they don't have too. "Arigatō," I waved goodbye and strapped the hat to my head. It was lightly sprinkling out now, but that could change any time.
I was just getting ready to hop up on A-Un, when Lord Sesshomaru's gentle voice stopped me, "Rin!"
I turned around to find him coming my way. I thought he had a meeting with a daiyoukai after breakfast? "Yes, My Lord?" Maybe he changed his mind and is joining us?
"Remember to keep your guard up and check your surroundings this morning on your way to work."
"I promise that I will." I have a feeling nothing bad will happen and my short journey to the village will be safe. "I'll see you tonight, My Lord."
With a quick nod from him, he turned his attention towards Master Jaken and I hopped up on A-Un's back. "Jaken, keep your eyes and ears open. When you return, I need you to bring me the scrolls on the orders for the garden and the training grounds for me to finalize."
"Yes, M'lord." Master Jaken didn't sound too happy about his work, or that he was still tired. With A-Un's reins in his little green hand, we headed out for the fields.
I had a small wicker basket to store the plant petals for the paint. Today I had to paint a hidden valley. The buyer, a soon to be lady, requested a scroll painting of a waterfall at night. I already pictured how I would paint the scroll; a full moon that glistened along the flowing water, flowers growing along a stone cliff, vines and trees and possibly cranes floating in the pool below. Just thinking of the project had me grinning.
A few weeks before I came here, I worked on a small scroll art painting for Lord Sesshomaru and he doesn't know. I wanted to surprise him with it as a housewarming gift. I painted a crescent moon night and a black silhouette of a dog howling at the moon, along an edge of a cliff. I'll give it to him tonight.
"Rin, we're here! Be quick now because I don't have all day!" Master Jaken squawked my way. That was quick!
I had to laugh his way, "did Master Jaken not get enough sleep? Haha. Besides, I shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes." He knows what I'm after. Before my arrival I collected a lot of what will be my white paint from inside branches. They were in separate little jars. Some of the white paint would be used to mix colors.
"I don't understand how you couldn't find work back at that village and be a midwife with that old meko." He doesn't get it.
"Because I don't want to be a midwife. It's not my calling," I explained for the millionth time as I hopped off of A-Un and walked off into the field. "Wait here and I'll be back soon."
Dark clouds covered the sky, with thunder roaring out towards the western mountains. Though the area where I stood was covered in thick fog, I could see the rain coming down in the mountains from my point of view. "I need to hurry. I would hate to get soaked."
Every step I took in the field, I felt my feet sink into the damp ground. My feet up to my ankles were getting covered in mud now. "I will call A-Un over after I wash my feet off in the lake…." The ground beneath me gave out and I fell into a deep hole. I didn't have a chance to grab the edge when I screamed out, "LORD SESSHOMARU!" I hit the ground hard when a white light shot up from under me and everything went dark.
As I, Lord Sesshomaru, was ending my meeting with a daiyoukai I couldn't make agreements with, I heard Rin scream for me. I knew that scream all too well. She was in danger. With all haste, I was out the door, and at the fields in a matter of seconds. I searched the area through the thick fog because the dampness had overtaken her pear vanilla scent. I found my henchmen, Jaken, and trusty steed A-Un, standing next to a gaping hole, where I believe Rin fell down. She must be either hurt or out cold?
When I didn't see her, I bolted to them, "what happened? Where is Rin?" I asked angrily. I grabbed Jaken by the collar of his haroi and showed him the red within my eyes.
"I don't know, M'lord. I heard her screams through the thick fog and I ran here as fast as I could. Just as I got here a white light shot out of the hole." White light? "But when I looked down she was not there. Please M'lord, I'm truly sorry," Jaken said, pleading, and crying.
With anger, I threw Jaken into the beachy lake several feet out. I could smell Rin's scent down in the hole, but it was fading away. I also noticed the flowers that she picked days prior, as they were all scattered around the gaping hole, and down inside too, but it looked more like an old well. The top had stone wrapped around the edge. Inside white paint was scattered all over. Rin's wicker basket was ripped to shreds and clay pots broken in several pieces.
The fog began to dissipate and I couldn't detect anyone or pick up any other scent around. The fear that she was truly gone, I turned around and grabbed A-Un's reins and headed back to the castle. I kept Rin's last smile she left in memory.