I Do Not Own InuYasha
Aienkien
合縁奇縁
A couple strangely but happily united;
Uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of Fate;
The mysteries of attraction and relationships or bonds between people
II: 7
Year 1308...
Setsuna Castle...
It had been a few days at the shiro when Rin finally left her rooms. She had woken to the loud clamberings of people returning, and it was the sound of weapons which woke her. Getting dressed in the simplest of clothes, she slipped the kaiken up her sleeve and Bakusaiga on her hip before she walked towards the sounds of the people she could hear. There were hushed tones, and the occasional scream of agony, which wasn't surprising to her. Rin was no stranger to the sight of healing rooms, or the blood, and she wasn't unaccustomed to the influx of soldiers, which was why she stopped a foolish physician who was about to break a man's arm and got to work.
People were unnerved by her reaction to the on goings around her, but Rin had worked too long and hard to be a good healer to disregard her first impulse.
"Hold him steady," she ordered as she moved the man's arm carefully, the soldier cursed, but she focused intently on realigning the joint, popping it back in and wrapping him in a sling as he cursed her.
"Hot compresses and no using the arm for fourteen days will help you heal," she stated as she moved to the next.
"You are very skilled," a soft voice said after Rin had moved through a good portion of these men. She glanced up from her stitching work to see Izayoi, the woman looked very curious about what Rin was doing and holding the weak man still as Rin worked. Honestly, Rin hadn't even noticed the older woman's presence she had been so engrossed in her task.
"My lord permitted me to learn, and he intended I be the best at whatever I studied," she admitted softly as she worked the stitching carefully; small and tight as Kagome instructed. Kagome had, in the brief period she could continue to pass between the times in the well, gone about learning many modern medical techniques, Rin had been a most attentive student of Kagome's for this knowledge. It had been far superior to what Kaede could teach her, but Rin had never discarded the old miko's knowledge. Merely combining what she had learnt from Kagome and Kaede to be the best possible healer.
"It is a useful skill, I believe you have saved this young man's life," Izayoi said.
"We shall see," Rin said softly as she finished her work, tying off the stitches before she washed her hands again, poured sake over them and started on the next young man who came before her.
It was as she was working over a samurai that saw the peculiar indications of what they had been fighting, the claw marks had torn clean through the armor, and the sickly green edges informed her of her lord's venom and poison. Rin shouted out herbs she needed, stunned when it was Izayoi who went to fetch them, Rin worked on meticulously cleaning the wound, she tried to cut out the poison and venom, knowing that would only get her so far, she would need the right herbs and salves to aid this young soldier.
Suddenly there was a blade under her throat forcing her to look up from her work.
There was a cold chill which oozed down her spine at the eyes she looked up at, she fought to keep her hands steady and her breathes even. All she wanted to do though was run. Rin still had nightmares of the ookami killing her and the bandits which tore apart her family; but the nightmare she had most often was of this human and the terror of seeing him here and alive was paralyzing. There was a single memory; though she wasn't sure if it was hers or Sesshōmaru's, about the day Sō'unga and Takemaru had attacked her and it always led to her death. Now her heart was pounding in fear and the blood roared in her ears as she found herself looking up at Takemaru.
"I do not recognize you and you carry a yōkai blade, who are you?" the voice demanded icily, which had her frowning.
"Takemaru! I was not aware that you had returned," Izayoi appeared holding the herbs Rin had demanded.
"I have, we return victorious," he stated.
Rin doubted that by the amount of wounded they had here. Still she couldn't move, the blade was under her chin and not even she was fast enough to counter a strike. Also, her hands were full at this moment with the life of a soldier.
"This is Rin, I found her escaping the yōkai territories, she was gravely injured and has been a very helpful aid to the quest to heal these men, please allow her to continue her work," Izayoi said softly.
"You permit her to do such an act when she carries a yōkai blade," he sneered.
"I'm no yōkai," Rin said softly. "Merely a humble human here to repay the kindness of my own healer, then I will be on my way," she said.
The answer seemed to pacify Takemaru as he removed his blade from her throat which had her nearly slumping over in relief. Izayoi walked over to her calmly and started following Rin's instructions on making the salve as Rin continued her work on cleaning the wounds. It was most certainly Sesshōmaru's venom and poison in this man's body, it wasn't the highest dose though because the man was still breathing. Rin was working off her memory for how the symptoms of her lord's venom and poison worked to gage how much of the salve she had Izayoi making.
It took her little time before the fowl smelling salve was ready, which had her carefully coating the inners of the cleaned wounds. The man hissed before passing out from her fingers in his chest. Once the wound was thoroughly lathered in the salve though she had Izayoi helping her prop the man up and bandaging his chest.
"You will need to clean the wound out daily and reapply the salve within the wound itself, let it air out one to two hours a day, best to do this in the morning, he will have to be bathed, be careful to avoid the wound area and bandages when bathing him," she said to an attendant when they moved the soldier.
Rin was washing her hands of the blood again when she noticed there were no more people to aid.
"You did well," Izayoi said softly.
"Thank you, but I merely did what I was taught to do," she admitted. Her throat throbbed from all the speaking she had done, but now she was relaxing as she washed the blood off her hands. Once that was done she would take a bath and then change into proper attire before going off to find that damn well to figure out what the hell was going on. Rin wasn't accustomed to these kinds of things happening to her.
Also, until today, her lord had been rather obsessive about keeping her away from Honekui no Ido, she didn't want to know why, but she was getting why now. Something was wrong. There was also this black pearl on her neck which she needed to figure out, and she needed to figure out how to find Naohi. She should not stay at this shiro any longer, it would be for the best for her to leave now.
"I must insist that you eat with Takemaru and I, he has a great many questions for you," Izayoi chuckled.
Rin nodded.
"Of course, you should bath, and I will arrange for fresh clothes to be brought to you," Izayoi said.
"Thank you," she replied.
"Thank you for your aid, you saved a great many lives today."
"My lady?" she called over her shoulder as Izayoi prepared to walk away. "May I ask whom you are fighting for so many to be injured?"
Rin dreaded the answer, she had recognized the wounds, she knew what they were fighting but she mostly wanted to know why. The inuyōkai were not keen on fighting humans, they found it beneath them, so she wondered what had changed. Or rather, what would change, she didn't know, it didn't matter, but she did need to know why. Why would help her navigate the yōkai lands, and if she didn't learn it from Izayoi she would have to ask her lord. Something she was not entirely certain she should do.
There had been many days where Rin had listened to Kagome rant about how she could unintentionally ruin history as it was if she wasn't careful; apparently this was something Kagome had learnt the hard way.
Though why Kagome had learnt it was beyond Rin. This entire mess was a bit beyond Rin's comprehension right now. Rin had never fully grasped what Kagome called time travel, it just was not something which made sense to her. Though she was certain of it having read many of Kagome's 'History' Books. So how to handle this mess was beyond Rin right now, so she would gather as much information as she could to gage when she was and go from there. This was truly something she didn't understand though, and she was confused seeing InuYasha's mother here, and Takemaru, so the time travelling had happened.
And it had been something they had all thought only worked on Kagome and InuYasha to pass between the well. So, Rin was very confused as to how and why she had gotten here.
But she was here and she had to sort out this mess she had gotten herself entangled in one way or another.
Izayoi had been startled when her patient had appeared in the injured battle wing of the compound, and even more startled with the authority the young woman had spoken with. There was nothing that had thrown Rin, which was startling.
The young woman despite her age had spoken with authority and confidence, there was a battle tested surety with which the young woman acted. She was no stranger, despite her very young age to the horrors of war. No, and Izayoi didn't know why it had surprised her, she had seen the scars on the girl's body, so she had survived and apparently thrived in the horrors of whatever life she had been forced to endure with the yōkai.
Now though she saw there for the evening meal, her intended was discussing her impending wedding with her, for they would be wed within a fortnight, and then Rin walked in.
Takemaru assessed Rin as Izayoi smiled a greeting to the young woman. Rin smiled slightly as she took a seat, and the evening meal was served for them.
"And what do you call yourself?" Takemaru asked Rin harshly as they started their meal.
"I am called Rin. Simply Rin," the girl answered softly.
"You carry a yōkai blade, why is that?" he asked.
Izayoi had wondered that herself, but she hadn't actually brought it up with Rin. Rin had been unconscious, and the weapons and pearls had been powerful when she had touched them. They probably were very corruptive, but she didn't know. Not that she was certain though, Rin appeared to handle the yōkai energy without corruption for some reason.
"Because I do," she answered.
"Are you loyal to the yōkai?" Takemaru demanded, he was armed and pissed, she could see that.
"I am loyal to my lord," she answered icily.
"And who is that?"
"My lord," she replied. "I serve no one but he."
"I do not like your answers woman," Takemaru stated.
"I was unaware that you wanted my likable answers," she countered. Izayoi was impressed, so few had ever dared to speak in such a disrespectful yet authoritative way to Takemaru. Rin was a mystery to Izayoi, and one she liked so far. Rin was calm, there was something unnervingly calm about the young girl, as though she knew something the rest of them did not and was not afraid of it.
"You think this a game girl?" Takemaru sneered.
"On the contrary I do not, but I am also keenly aware that you will not find any answer I should give you to be satisfactory, and I am not inclined to lie. My lord taught me better," she shrugged.
"With skills like yours you must be a great asset to your lord," Takemaru stated. "I have never seen anyone know how to heal inuyōkai poison," he said.
"I know a great many things about healing yōkai inflicted wounds, my lord felt it necessary I know them," she replied.
"And you wield yōkai blades?" Takemaru asked in a dark tone which caught Izayoi's attention. She did not think Rin would like what was about to happen, no doubt Takemaru was about to declare that Rin would teach them yōkai secrets, for which Izayoi knew no human could manage. Their monks and miko had spoken vehemently against such actions and always purified whatever yōkai weapons were found from the fallen.
"I wield what my lord taught me to wield, and it is not something I can teach for these are crafted by my lord for his use," she stated.
"And yet you carry them."
"If I may," Izayoi said softly.
"Of course," Takemaru said with an affection that had Izayoi bluhing slightly.
"I am still learning much, perhaps someone like Rin could teach me remedies to keep our men alive after battle," she said softly. "I would like to keep Rin here as a guest," she said.
She saw the younger girl's unease at the suggestion but also saw the way the girl was thinking this over. Izayoi did not think Rin to be an enemy, but the only way to prove that to Takemaru would be to have Rin there where he could see her. Izayoi was very rarely wrong about a person's character, which was why she had earned Takemaru's trust and respect as an advisor to him.
"Just while you recover from your wounds, they were serious, and you should rest, here you will be safe from the yōkai threat," Izayoi pointed out to the girl.
"I do not fear yōkai," Rin answered icily.
"You will stay, you will teach Izayoi," Takemaru decided.
"I do not see what I can teach you but I will endeavor to give you some wisdom I have learn, but I warn you that I will be leaving, I must be on my way," she said as if it were merely a simple fact of her life. Izayoi was very interested in the young lady now.
"I think there is much I can learn from you and you from me," Izayoi said.
"Perhaps," she replied with a soft smile. The rest of the meal was carried out in silence. Izayoi wondered just what it was that Rin was thinking about so intently. There seemed to be something on the young woman's mind with how warily she eyed Takemaru and Izayoi.
Year 1581...
Edo, Japan...
Kagome was relaxed when Sesshōmaru's wounds were tended to, she was surprised at how calmly he was taking her direction. It was only after she finished bandaging him that he left before any could argue for him to stay. His mother merely sighed at this action.
"I didn't know Sesshōmaru had a mother," InuYasha hissed.
Kagome was taken aback with the command Kimi-sama radiated. It was a bit like how Rin would act at times, this regal unwavering woman; but unlike Rin, Kimi seemed to be an empress and acted as such.
"Where else would you suspect him to be from if not a mother and father?" Kimi demanded as she looked at them.
"Honestly I thought he just appeared through black magic," InuYasha sneered. Kimi chuckled playfully.
"You do take after your sire," she said softly. "Now that he is bandaged, he should be fine."
"And what of Rin?" Kagome demanded.
"Rin's fate is not something I know about right now, but I can guess that Tōtōsai will be here soon to inform us of Tōga's will for Sesshōmaru."
"What? What does the will of his father have to do with things!?" Kagome demanded sharply. Rin was missing, and if Kohaku got here in time she was sending Kohaku after Rin. The boy loved Rin so perhaps he, like InuYasha had, could pass through the well to find where Rin had fallen to.
"Well, when InuYasha was born we were appraised of Tōga's very detailed will in regards to his second born heir, but other than bequeathing Tenseiga to Sesshōmaru Tōga's will was sealed from all. Only Bokusenō is aware of it, not even I am aware of what Tōga actually bequeathed Sesshōmaru, other than his title and lands," she shrugged. "And Tenseiga."
"And what good is that will now when Rin is missing!?" Kagome shrieked.
"Because we were informed that it would come to light when the well was awoken with the tie of the red thread, this would be that tie," Kimi answered delicately. "I am certain that Rin is perfectly fine for now. She is a tough human and more than capable of handling herself."
"You have a lot of nerve being so cavalier about Rin's safety!" Kagome snarled.
"Oh? Me, cavalier about the human pup I helped raise, put faith and time into. I think you will find that my faith in my son's young mate is well placed and well deserved, if anything you should feel ashamed for underestimating a delightful young human."
"MATE!?" Kagome sputtered.
"Surely you've noticed?" Kimi said blandly. Kagome was going to go tear Sesshōmaru apart limb by limb! How dare he mark Rin! Rin was just a child! She wasn't able to make decisions like that on her own! Surely someone would've have intervened if Rin knew what a mate was!
"So they are mates," InuYasha said.
"You Knew!" she spun on her own mate and he frowned.
"No, but I suspected," he admitted.
Kagome saw red as she screamed 'SIT' at the top of her lungs.
