Chapter Three: Demons and Trees
The next day
Rin awoke early in the morning and touched her neck. She vividly remembers her dream from last night, but she'd never had such a dream about her Lord.
'Have I gone mad?' she thought. Rin patted the side of her face and got up from her bed. The woman ignored the pool of wetness between her thighs to avoid her own further embarrassment.
Over by the hut entrance light trickled in slowly as the sun had not fully risen. She pushed back the cloth and peered eastward at the mountains in the far distance.
Rin had chosen the mountains because of its isolation and tranquility. Here in the village Rin was consistently gawked at even as she grew, before Kaede died Rin tried to pick up after her. To help the villagers deliver children and heal those who have fallen sick, but no one wanted the curse bearer around their children.
Briefly, she entertained the idea of leaving for another village. Of finding a husband and settling down to have children of her own but the idea never left her feeling satisfied.
'I want to roam free,' she often says. "To go where I want."
That sense of adventure from traveling with Lord Sesshomaru, seeing sights and wandering aimlessly through the forests to the sandy beaches. Although dangerous, yes, she'd never felt more alive even though she'd died twice.
As she grew older, she came to a startling revelation. Rin had seen more than any mortal who lived a normal life in this village, she had died more than any human here would. A life here would never fulfill here because she was wanderer, this domestic life would never be enough.
After four years, she knew Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't return for her, so she tried to live a normal life, but it was never enough. Today she will leave this village, for better or worse, she will find herself.
Grabbing her things, she left through the village gate and into the forest of Inuyasha.
Days passed quickly. She hunted for rabbits with her weapon, fish when available, and often there were a few berry bushes. Surprisingly, there were no demon around except small fry she handled herself.
Sesshomaru
Four days he'd been watching her from afar. Analyzing her movement from the way her hips swayed to how her eyes would light up when she had caught her prey for dinner. After that night in her hut, he was never far away. He'd left Jaken some odd miles to remain anonymous as he followed her. Many of the demons located in this forest preyed on humans and his presence made them scarce.
Whatever the reason, he couldn't leave her. Often, he thought of going to her, to keep his yokai at bay his kept the distance.
'I want this woman' he thought oddly.
Never in his thousands of years had he craved someone such as this. He never had a need for such a thing, especially not with a human but this was Rin. The little girl he'd left in the care of his half-brother to live a normal life. Yet she chose to leave, he wanted to know why.
Days went by and he continued to watch over her, the silly girl was climbing a Sakura tree.
Rin's agile body stretched out to reach for each tall branch, her eyes twinkled as she made it one step more.
However, she failed to notice the next branch she placed her footing on next was rotting and the branch broke under her. The human dangled there far above the ground looking desperately for another branch to place her bare feet on, yet the branch she held onto began snapping as well.
Quickly Sesshomaru ran to the tree and caught her the second before she hit the ground.
Rin still kept her eyes shut tightly as she clutched onto his armor.
"Silly human." He said in a monotone voice.
Rin slowly opened her eyes to look up at him.
She gasped, "My Lord?!"
"You could've died falling from that height." he scolded lightly.
Rin's mouth still hung open, "I've already died."
Sesshomaru looked at her quizzically and tilted his head slightly.
'What an odd response' he thought.
Not a moment later, the human fainted.
Sesshomaru sighed and walked away with the human wrapped tightly in his arms.