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: 33
Year 1308...
Setsuna Castle...
A week of grueling training sessions with Tōga had Rin in a foul mood, especially with how relentless he was. Tōga always came at her with full strength; Rin had a sneaking suspicion that if it weren't for Bakusaiga she'd be nothing but blood splatter on the grass. And while she didn't think he was trying to kill her he sure as hell wasn't trying to help keep her alive either. But Rin supposed that it was an improvement, baby steps, like with her own lord.
Sesshōmaru was in a foul mood from what she could sense of him, he didn't like whatever it was he was doing. At night Rin dreamt of battle, and saw a massive, coiling dragon; so Rin could hazard a guess or two as to what he was doing. Takemaru for the most part kept Izayoi busy, and Rin knew that Izayoi didn't like that. Izayoi didn't like intercourse, finding it a horrible chore, but one to be done silently, Rin had taught Izayoi the preventative tea for human women with human lovers. The version Rin drank was far stronger, yōkai were a bit more potent and daiyōkai were probably more so than normal yōkai.
Then there was Muhai who wouldn't leave her alone as she went about her chores, between laundry, cooking and cleaning he was persistent; and if she wasn't so tired from training she'd have beaten him over the head with the scabbard of Bakusaiga. Takemaru hadn't approached her though with a marriage proposal for her to refuse so she hadn't really broached the topic in hopes she could leave before he approached.
But that didn't matter, Rin could feel autumn in the air, and she would have to leave sooner rather than later. That was all she cared about.
However, this morning, she cared about drying the laundry before the weather took a predictable turn. She didn't want to have to redo the laundry. There was a sound behind her which had her turning her head to see Takemaru walking towards her.
"Rin," he greeted.
"Takemaru-sama," she nodded as she finished hanging out the heavy sheets from Izayoi's room.
"I have come to speak with you."
"Hai, I figured," she nodded as she picked up the next wet sheet and started putting it up.
"I need you to marry Chief Muhai," he said.
"No," Rin answered as she continued her work.
"You must," he started.
"I am not one of your subjects, Takemaru-sama," Rin stated as she continued her work. "I am here to repay a kindness to your wife, I am not here to be your subject. And my lord would be offended at such a match."
"Your lord," Takemaru sneered. "Is he even a real lord? Yōkai are such savage beasts."
"He's a better lord than you, and he owns more land, has more prosperous subjects and better farms, he's never lost a war, and he's more powerful than you, and by all intents and purposes, hai, a lord is about the closest term in the human caste system to define his rank and position, unless you want to get technical then he could very well be the equivalent of an Emperor, but he only rules over one yōkai clan so he isn't one by human terms, and would probably hate the title if it was foisted upon him."
"You will do this!" he snapped.
"I will not!" she roared turning on him. "I am not some concubine or courtesan, I am a member of the yōkai court, I am mated, I am not free to embellish whatever human conflict you desire to draw me into! I do not answer to you Takemaru-sama, I am not yours to order about, I am here to repay kindness, but I will be leaving to continue my mission from my lord," she warned.
"You will marry Muhai or I will kill you myself, yōkai slut."
"You honestly think death scares me?" she sneered.
"I have indulged your presence because you make Izayoi happy," he started. "But after a certain amount of time your loyalty is demanded, and you are a member of Setsuna, you will renounce the yōkai and do what is best for mankind because we are your people!"
"You are not my people."
"You are human, we are your people!"
"Humans left me to starve to death and I was but a child," she snarled lowly as she spat out the ugly truth. "Humans beat me because they could. Humans left me homeless to die of the elements! Humans are disgusting! Not even animals do what humans did to me! I would sooner perish under molten lava than marry one of my people! Especially a boorish man like Muhai! And if you push this I will fight him in a combat trial, if he wants me so badly he will have to beat me how my mate's people demand because my mate and his people are who claim me, human or not!"
"Then meet him in the courtyard," Takemaru spat out.
Rin threw the laundry as she stalked away. Kami help her this was why she despised humans. However, she remembered Jiu's instructions about battle, and her lord's along with Tōga's. She couldn't fight with a hot head, that would be a way to lose, she would have to think, to use her temper as energy and not as her thought. The only way to win a sparring match like this was to have a clear head and she couldn't afford to underestimate Muhai. Taijiya were skilled fighters, and they were dangerous, and she had only ever fought two really and they weren't even Masters of their style. Sango and Kohaku were excellent Taijiya but they weren't masters, Muhai would be a Master, she would have to be crafty.
Her palm itched, and she looked at her hand, the scar from hers' and Shippō's bond was turning the same green as his kitsunebi, which had her smiling. She hadn't done that trick without him near, ever. It was worth a shot, as were a few seals from Jaken…
Tsuzuki Castle...
Sesshōmaru landed at his shiro very annoyed and feeling like he was going to need to bath in lava to get rid of the dragon stench clinging to him. And if Ryūkotsuse ever offered one of his daughters for Sesshōmaru's mate again, Sesshōmaru was going to melt the entire continent. He wanted a bath then to see his mate to see what the hell she had gotten up to.
"Sesshōmaru," a voice called and he turned to look at his grandfather. "What the hell did you cross?"
"Dragons," he answered blandly.
His grandfather nodded as he motioned for them to keep walking. Sesshōmaru walked beside the older daiyōkai and wondered what Shikoku wanted.
"It has been brought to my attention the onna is back," Shikoku said.
Sesshōmaru lifted a brow at his grandfather as they walked.
"I do not care about her species, Sesshōmaru," the older daiyōkai waved off.
"Then what do you need to know about Rin?" he asked icily.
"Be careful with her, Sesshōmaru," Shikoku warned. "I do not think her to be a threat to you, but I do think she will be in grave danger if you entrust her to the humans or under your father's protection."
"Father has nothing to do with her," he started.
"That is not what I've heard, he's been going to Setsuna at dawn everyday for the past seven, and unless it's a different human onna there, I believe he is meeting your mate," Shikoku said blandly.
Sesshōmaru snarled as he left his idea of a bath before storming towards his father's quarters. The concubines scattered when they saw him coming, and Sesshōmaru made his way into his father's wing. Throwing open the study shōji he saw his father reading over the reports, and one of the useless concubines serving tea.
"Leave," Sesshōmaru growled at the small ookami, she nodded furiously as she scrambled out of the quarters and he shut the door behind her.
"Sesshōmaru," his father smiled.
"You will stay away from Rin," he snarled lowly.
"Or what?"
"Or I will gut you and use your entrails for koto strings," he snarled.
"I am not trying to kill her," Tōga started. Sesshōmaru moved as fast as his father stood and pinned the elder to the wall.
"Test me," he growled. "I will strip you of your rank, your title, your lands, your life if you go near her again. I have put up with your Western antics, and eccentricities, but if you harm what is mine, or go near her again I will annihilate you."
"You don't have the power?" Tōga snarled, Sesshōmaru tightened his grip on Tōga's throat.
"I have something more dangerous, father, and that would be the proper motivation," he warned and released the elder who took a deep breath. "You go near her again and I will see to it that it is the last thing you ever do."
With that he left to go bathe then to go check on his mate.
Setsuna Castle...
Rin was cleaning Bakusaiga when Izayoi came into her room and furiously slammed the fusuma.
"What are you thinking!?" Izayoi demanded as she loomed over Rin.
"I'm thinking I'm not marrying a human!" she retorted.
"Have you completely lost your mind! Muhai is Yōkai Taijiya, he is the best, he's their chief!" she snapped sitting across from Rin.
"Hai, I'm aware," she nodded. Bakusaiga's blade was turning black, she noticed, but no amount of cleaning seemed to be turning it back to the silver it traditionally was. She wondered why. She would need to ask Tōtōsai when she saw him, because she was probably going to need his assistance with melding her lord's souls together. Sighing she felt a pulse in the sori. She wondered what that was about, her lord's fang had always felt alive, but now she felt a pulse, like it possessed a heartbeat of it's own.
"He will beat you!" Izayoi said.
"Izayoi-sama," she cut off the older woman an smiled. "I have been taking beatings since I was a small child. I was trained by two of the finest taijiya in all manner of weapons, and I was personally trained by my lord to use this fang, this kaiken, and my lord's mother has seen fit to equip me with this hair pin," she said. "I am also versed in basic kappa magic, and healing arts, as well as a littermate to a kitsune who I can on occasion mimic powers from. I am not a helpless, hapless onna walking to her slaughter."
"Muhai is in this to win, by whatever means necessary," Izayoi said.
"Hai, that's the only way to fight, it's all or nothing," Rin shrugged. "But I am not whatever he is expecting."
"And what are you?"
"I am my lord's Rin," she said levelly. "I am not a miko who wields spiritual abilities, I am a yōkai mate, and if I should need I can draw of my mate's ki, though I'd really rather not, it never works out well if I use too much," she admitted. She remembered the daimyō's castle and how she couldn't control Sesshōmaru's powers as she tried to use them to escape. Her lord had said when she was older he would teach her to wield their bond like a fang, but asked her to not do much more beyond simple yōkai tricks; not that she knew much beyond basic defenses, and enhancing her speed.
"You… you think you can beat him."
"Well, if I don't I'll be diving down Honekui no Ido without goodbyes or a last chat with Tōga or supplies, I'd rather not lose."
"Must you speak of that?" she sighed.
"Hai, I must, I am leaving," Rin assured.
"But you don't have to," Izayoi murmured.
"I do though," she replied softly before sheathing Bakusaiga and taking Izayoi's hands in her own. "You have been the dearest of friends to me, but I do not belong here and I do need to save my lord," she said softly.
"But…" Izayoi started.
"It's a matter of honor," Rin said. "My lord was kind enough to grant me this life, I would be a fool not to pay him back in whatever matter is necessary."
"Even at the price of your life?" Izayoi asked.
"My lord has but to ask and I would give it to him without question," Rin said softly.
"That sort of blind loyalty is foolish Rin," Izayoi scolded.
"Perhaps, but he's never abused it, or me, he's merely given me everything he could and more," Rin said.
"And what of me?" Izayoi asked.
"I believe that you and I will meet again," Rin said softly. "And when we do I hope to repay the kindness you have given me, but I will still be leaving. I do not belong here Izayoi, I believe you know it as well as I do."
"I wish I was more like you," Izayoi murmured.
"Uncouth and wild?" Rin asked remembering Kimi-sama's grumblings about Rin being no better than a wild fox at times.
"Free, I wish I was free." Izayoi sighed. "My father arranged my marriage, Takemaru and I had shared a childhood friendship, and he thought it would be a good match.. but I've dreaded it, for years, and now I'm trapped."
"A bird in a guilded cage," Rin murmured.
"Rin… would you please…" she started again.
"I can't," Rin said. "I don't belong, Izayoi, it'd be like taking in a feral dog or a wild fox, I will drive you insane and eventually you will see the monster I can be. I don't do well pinned down or caged, I never have," she admitted.
"Very well, then I want you to have something," she started.
"Save it, for now, you can give it to me after I have defeated Muhai," Rin promised.
"Very well."
"Arigato, for everything," Rin said as she stood and picked up her cleaned weapons. "It truly meant a lot to meet you, Izayoi-sama," she said as she submitted to give a low bow to the older woman.
"It was enlightening to meet you Rin," Izayoi said.
"Before I forget, I believe these are yours," Rin said as she walked over to her chest and pulled out the bells from Tōga. "You might want them, they could be useful in a dire situation," she chuckled.
"Rin!"
"He's not that bad Izayoi!"
"He threw you around like a child's toy!" she snapped.
"Hai, but I've been thrown much harder by much meaner," she chuckled.
"You purposely do this to be annoying," she seethed.
"Hai, I learned from the best," she said, thinking of InuYasha. InuYasha had sort of been a king of ironic gift giving, which Rin had always thought amusing, even when she was on the receiving end. Her lord was ever practical and his brother was ever ironic, it was a wonder she had lived to her sixteenth birthday between the two of them.
"Don't die against Muhai," she warned before she left.
"I won't!" Rin called after her and nearly leapt out of her skin when a set of arms slid around her as the fusuma slid shut again.
Sesshōmaru wrapped his arms around his mate and smiled as he rested his chin atop her head.
"You have got to stop doing that!" she hissed after her initial jolt of surprise.
He kissed her temple as he released her and at where she had her weapons laid out. He paused at her strange fang, he wanted to touch it, he felt like it was his and he should pick it up, but he didn't as it was his mate's and she would need it.
"What is this about a battle?" he asked picking up the kaiken and examining it. He was pleased to feel that it was steeped in yōkai energy.
"Chief Muhai of the Yōkai Taijiya wants my hand," she said.
"Why would he want your hand!?" he demanded. Why would anyone want another being's hand!? Did humans have a strange need to take body parts to reattach them to others? Sesshōmaru had heard of yōkai in the far north capable of such feats.
"He wants to marry me," she said sitting.
He raised a brow at that.
"He wants to make me his human mate," she said.
"Ah," he nodded. "That will never happen," as he started to stand to go kill whoever dared to want to take his mate as their own.
"No Sesshōmaru!" she grabbed his arm before he could rise and struggled to pull him back down, he let her and toppled so he was pinning her to the floor again. "Kami!" she gasped.
"Rin…"
"I'm yours!" she promised, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Then why is he trying to take you?" he demanded crossly.
"Because he's an idiot human who shouldn't be dead for wanting things he can't have. I'll just have to kick his ass and remind the world to whom I belong, then gather supplies and continue on my quest!" she smiled brightly.
His eyes narrowed.
"I promise, Sesshōmaru, no one is taking me from you. I'm yours."
"Rin…" he started.
"I just have to go down Honekui no Ido, I'll be back before you know it," she promised.
"I don't like this," he admitted.
"I know, but trust me," she pleaded.
"Always," he promised as he kissed the underside of her jaw. He would always trust her, she was his, completely and utterly his, and he would always trust her. Rin wasn't a weakling, she would fight, she would conquer, and she wouldn't leave him.
"Good," she smiled more brightly than he had ever seen anyone else ever smile and it warmed his heart. Kami she was stunning.
"I want to watch you 'kick his ass'," Sesshōmaru said.
"Oh?" she mused.
"Hai," he smiled as he kissed her lightly. He loved watching her fight, she made it elegant, almost like a dance, like flower petals on the wind, it was mesmerizing.
"Fine, but you can't let the humans see you!" she gasped as he kissed her mark and started to undo her clothing again.
