Chapter 3: A Path Forward
This was her chance.
Horse hair and saliva, butterfly wings, centipede, grass, and weeds…
Healing others with Kaede-sama and Kagome were fulfilling moments. Gossip with Akari never had a dull moment. Watching and caring for Sango and Miroku's children evoked her maternal instincts. Rin opened up her innovative side by experimenting with youkai parts brought back by Inuyasha and the youkai slaying team.
A year or so ago, the villagers approached Kaede-sama about training young men to become youkai slayers; they knew they couldn't depend on Inuyasha and friends forever. The villagers agreed that they needed to train young folks.
Hence, Rin began testing with herbs and dead youkai parts. To help them build defensive and offensive tools to level the playing field when slaying youkai. She started with small batches, mixtures that could blind a youkai temporarily or induce headaches. This would give the youkai trainees the upper advantage.
If you can't become as powerful as youkai, make the youkai less powerful.
While still in the early stages, the mixtures have shown to be promising against small or medium sized youkai. Large mixtures were challenging as it would weigh down the trainees.
Villagers had suggested making a poison that would kill the youkai instantly; Kaede-sama quickly shut that idea down. Not all youkai are evil. We need to ensure a balance in the world for coexistence between youkai and humans. The final blow should be done by human hands, not poison.
Even so, with so much familiarity and opportunity in the village, but there was also so much more out there. When riding A-Un, she remembered being in awe of the mountains that stretched as far as the eye could she, towered over her like gods. She saw pools of water, or oceans per Kagome, that seemed to never end.
She also knew from Sango and Kohaku's battles that there were more demon slayers with different techniques. She craved something different. Something completely new and unseen.
It was an itch that needed to be scratched.
Haruto had offered her a job as part of the daimyo's healer; she would be able to travel with them across the daimyo's land holdings. She turned him down; she didn't want to only treat the privileged. Nor did she want to be at the whims of a human. Everyone should have access to the same medicine. Kagome taught her that. According to Kagome, she came from a time where basic treatments can be purchased with only a 5-minute walk. Rin couldn't believe it. How is that even possible?
Kagome, Rin and Kaede-sama discussed possibilities of bringing back modern medicine into the village. They agreed that while it would bring miracles, it would draw unwanted attention. Furthermore, it may cause a disruption in timelines. The disruption might break the connection the Goshinboku Trees has between Kagome's world and their world. Even with Kagome's miko powers, she may not return to her exact time. They unanimously agreed that some risks weren't worth taking.
Pinch of salt, add more pond water and simmering for 10 more minutes should do the trick. Let it cool overnight and it should be ready by dawn. Before Kaede-sama and Kagome come back tomorrow.
Kaede-sama and Kagome had travelled to a town over the mountains as there were rumors of a cursed village. Inuyasha and Sango accompanied them. The rest remained behind to protect the village. It was the perfect opportunity for Rin. Miroku, Kohaku and Shippo had no formal training in medicine; they would be oblivious to her actions. They didn't dare to interfere or inquire with her current work; the smell was unwelcoming. She just told them that she was taking the opportunity to experiment with new mixtures for the youkai trainees.
What they didn't know was that it was her escape.
It happened a few months ago when a heavy rainfall caused a mudslide and the team went to the scene to recover survivors. Inuyasha had difficulty detecting survivors buried deep in the mud. He couldn't use his Iron Reaver Soul Stealer to claw away the mud. It was too risky for the buried villagers. That was the key solution to Rin's escape. Creating a mixture that masked her scent.
As much as she wanted to leave, she knew that going away wouldn't be easy. Sesshomaru could find her before she even crossed the closest mountain.
So she needed to create something that would erase her scent. Make her invisible to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. She had already soaked some of the mixture in her yukata. By tomorrow, it would be ready for her to use against her skin. Hopefully, it would be enough for her to travel into the East. She had heard of foreigners visiting on large boats. Maybe she could hitch a ride on the boats or blend into the villages there. The East had new opportunities and it was as far away from Sesshomaru as she could humanely get. She could probably find some work with the healers and learn from them as well. Rin grinned.
A path forward!
She had her departure planned; leave before dawn so no one would notice her departure. As for Sesshomaru, Rin would bundle all her dirty yukatas in a pile and leave it close to a small kindling fire; she hoped it would fool Sesshomaru into thinking it was her. At least, long enough for her to get away.
She had already packed the essentials; new yukatas that had not been worn by her, dried snacks, a small knife and simple mixtures for defensive purposes in case she encountered threatening youkai. She could survive for several days without being sheltered in the nearby villages. Eventually, she hoped to be far enough to be unrecognizable in the villages further out East. From there, she hoped to purchase a horse and pick up speed. If she needed money, she could always offer her services as a healer. If she worried about Sesshomaru tracing her, she could always remake the mixture.
Solid plan Rin.
Was she going to never return? She hoped not; she had nothing but love for Kaede-sama, Kagome, Nakatomi and everyone else. Even more for Sesshomaru. But he obviously was struggling with his own personal demons. That shouldn't stop her from her life. He had already denied her the opportunity to be together; she didn't want to be trailed along more with false hopes and dreams that would never come true. Her lifespan may be a blip compared to Sesshomaru's but she wanted to make it a life worth living and not waiting.
In the past, a life without Sesshomaru seemed unthinkable. Even when he stopped visiting, she treasured their lacquered box exchange. Because she knew he knew. That she does belong to his side. She felt it in her soul when they were together; an overwhelming sense of peace, comfort and hope. That anything could be accomplished together. Kagome accidentally happened upon them once; Kagome said their atmosphere felt like the closest thing to "world peace."
But she also felt like she was holding onto the end of rope that went nowhere. She was ready to let go for a little while.
Maybe when he realizes what he's missing, he'll come to his senses. And then he will have to wait for me. Wait for me to be ready.
By dawn, a small fire was kindling next to a pile of Rin's dirty yukatas. By the time Kaede-sama returned home, Rin had disappeared.
There was no note left for anyone about her whereabouts.
But in the lacquered box, a cherry blossom branch was left.
A symbol for renewal and the fleeting nature of life.