Rin wriggled her toes at the edge of the water and shuddered before sucking in a breath and taking a few steps back. Before her sanity could fully register what she was about to do, she ran towards the water and vaulted into it; fully submerging herself in the icy water hat prickled her skin and burned on first contact.
She swam up towards the surface and erupted from the water suddenly.
"You better be bathing and not just splashing around in there! Don't make me look!" Jaken warned her.
At that, Rin had to laugh, her breath leaving her in foggy puffs and shallow pants.
"Do you mean to threaten me, Jaken?" she asked as she swam to the rock where he stood, his back facing her.
Jaken opened his mouth to speak but Rin beat him to it.
"I'd tread carefully," Rin whispered almost menacingly in her sugar-coated voice. "I'm not yet sure whether I've forgiven you for nearly having killed me twice today and once tonight."
Jaken gasped and pressed his lips together. The lumps on his head were still too fresh from the rocks she threw at him in the cave to get his attention.
He had pulled her out of her own vomit by her hair and fell asleep as he waited for her to recover. She awoke smelling like manure and looking like a demon of vengeance.
In a misguided but valiant effort to save her life, Jaken had had given her acid to drink instead of an antidote. It was only by the grace of the Kami that it hadn't been a strong acid or it would've burned a hole through her mouth and throat. She threw up most of the noxious fumes she had inhaled and bathed now to rid herself of the lingering scent of poison and vomit.
In retribution, she pummeled him with rocks and then made her way out of the cave; towards the campsite. As they reached a small body of water before their destination she ordered he stand guard while she bathed.
The small imp demon sighed, though he knew Lord Sesshomaru was not prone to worrying, he was an impatient man. Yet he knew better now than to stand in between Rin and her baths; it almost seemed ironic now.
As Rin began to backstroke further into the water he spoke again.
"You choose now to indulge in a bath? If only you had loved baths this much as a child." He griped.
Rin ran her hands through her hair and laughed breathlessly. "Times have changed." She agreed. "Much has."
"But its cold!" 10 year old Rin whined as Jaken pulled her further into the riverbank towards Kaede whose hands foamed with Kagome's soap and shampoo.
"Come now child, you mustn't fight this. It's good for you." Kaede insisted. "In fact, a maiden your age should bathe at least twice a week."
Rin yanked on her arm towards Sesshomaru who stood not far off from the water himself.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried, knowing that he would surely come to her defense.
He watched as she fought valiantly with Jaken in the water, nearly drowning him to escape her loathed bath.
It had been this way for some time now, Inuyasha would summon him back to the sink hole of a village every time Rin refused to acclimatize to their human customs. She wouldn't eat, sleep, or play with the others. She'd hide, fight, and remain silent until he came to convince her otherwise.
"Please, my Lord, save me!" she pleaded, her voice wavering. "I don't want to bathe with them, I don't want to stay here! Please!"
Her pleas did not go unheard, in fact, they resonated with him on a profound level; but this path as undoubtedly the best for her, there were no other options. If she sought to live a fulfilled ningen life, he could not humor her as he always had, because he would not always be around. He could not make a place for her here among her own, she had to do it herself and his constant interruptions were a hindrance to this goal. Whether she wanted it or not, he had made his choice for her and she was his ward; suddenly he stood.
"Enough Rin." He snapped. "This constant defiance is unbecoming of you, and it will no longer be tolerated."
It seemed as though all life stood still as the words left his mouth. Jaken who had been holding onto Rin so stubbornly, was so shocked he let go and was swept away noisily the river while both Kaede and Inuyasha, who watched aloofly from a branch none too far, stared at the two as if they expected an explosion of some sort.
In the years that Rin had been his ward, there had never been an instance where Sesshomaru had scolded her. Never.
Rin looked at the golden eyes that seemed to bore into her will and felt the strength leave her arms and legs. She sat in the water almost numbly and let Kaede scrub her hair and body thoroughly. The heavy scented foam stung her eyes which flowed with tears she couldn't bear to show. Kaede washed over her twice more before finally letting her rinse in the water and make her way back to the bank in a drenched towel.
Like a moth to a flame, she found herself standing before her Master.
"A word Rin, after you've dressed and eaten." Sesshomaru said before turning away and vanishing.
Rin shuddered at the memory.
Perhaps things had started to change then and she simply had not noticed it.
She got out of the water, dried off, and dressed quickly. There was a chill in the air that would not take kindly to her wet hair and a fire sounded more than pleasant now. She dreaded the thought of having to face Sesshomaru now; hours after he told them to be there.
She was surprised he had not sought them out already.
Perhaps he too was delayed and he would not notice their tardiness. It was an unfounded hope but a hope nonetheless, one she would cling to for the time being.
"Master Jaken-" she started.
"Finally!" The little imp declared as he marched past her and towards the camp.
Rin rolled her eyes and planned to reply but then sneezed. The small sneeze alone nearly brought her to her knees as a sudden sensation of dizziness and a pounding ache at her temples overcame her. Rin gripped a tree beside her to support herself.
Jaken turned to look at her worriedly.
"Are you sure you're alright Rin?" he asked.
"Yes." She said firmly. "We must go. Lord Sesshomaru is waiting."
As they trudged through the forestry Rin couldn't help but wonder what she could say to justify her failure. He'd given her a fairly simple task and she hadn't completed it. He had explicitly told her to gather information and to remain unknown to the enemy; all of which she did not do.
She could easily blame it on Jaken, but she couldn't bring herself to do it knowing how worried he'd been for her and how much trouble he'd be in.
Even now he dragged himself forward though his small body was clearly exhausted. The campsite was only a little while away; she picked him up in her arms and he surprisingly did not protest. She looked down to find him already sleeping in her arms; she smiled to herself.
Rin nearly fell over at the sight of A-Un, who sat languidly under the cover a tree beside the slayer she had rescued. Upon seeing her the two headed beast, using the beam from his mouth, lit a pile of sticks ablaze and turned it into a roaring fire.
"Good boy A-Un." She said in a labored breath. She placed Jaken on the ground softly and knelt before the flames at a safe distance.
The fire crackled at the wood as the crickets sang in the distance. The heavy snoring of Jaken and the now quiet breaths of the broken man made for a soothing rhythm in the night. Before she could catch a breath an all too familiar voice added to the harmony of the night.
"You breathe too soundly for the likes of an assassin." Sesshomaru hissed.
She gasped and jumped back startled by his sudden appearance by her side.
"Assassin?" she replied confused.
His cold gold eyes met hers in refute as he nodded once.
"You left a corpse the size of a small mountain behind. Do you deny it?" he probed.
"No." Rin replied softly.
"I gave you specific orders." He told her calmly.
"Yes, My Lord." She said as she bowed her head in submission.
"And yet you go, engage and slaughter the first ogre you come across. A means of information, gone. Lost to your bloodlust, your ignorance." He breathed.
Rin did not reply.
"Tell me, what satisfaction do you gain in your defiance towards me?" He asked.
As the silence between them grew thick he growled.
"I've asked you a question." He seethed.
But the girl in front of him did not move, as he moved in on her to get a closer look at her features. He noticed her face was flushed and her eyes nearly closed. She brought her head up weakly before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body swayed towards the flames.
Reflexively Sesshomaru lunged to catch her and brought her burning body to his chest. Her hair was wet, her body sweltering and her breathing labored. He leaned over her body while soft hazel eyes watched from beside the two headed beast and wept.
