I don't own Inuyasha.

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Sesshomaru left the men and Melissa to work. She was too busy to talk and he needed to spend time with his child. He'd found her playing a game in a field that Melissa had taught the children. It had something to do with throwing a little leather ball and hitting it with a stick. Rin was the one throwing the ball and she was pretty good. He watched silently until the children got bored and started to scatter.

He listened as the girl chattered on about this and that. She sounded happy. She picked flowers and wove them together absent mindedly while they talked. She talked about the baby Kagome was expecting, about her friends, about the herbs she'd learned from Keade, and helping teach Melissa Japanese.

After a long monologue by the girl there was a brief lull in conversation. After a minute or two Sesshomaru spoke. "Rin, I have some important questions to ask and I want you to answer as truthfully as you can. Do you feel safe in this town?"

"Yes my lord." The girl replied happily. "Rin was scared when the bandits attacked last night. But any village can be attacked, and usually Inuyashasama can protect us. Last night he had a human night, but then you showed up."

"Has anyone in this village harmed or harassed you?"

"No. Some of the men are mean to Merissasama and Inuyashasama, but no one has been mean to Rin."

"Do you wish to leave this village?"

"No, Rin misses Sesshomarusama, but Rin likes having my friends to play with and learning from Keadesama and Kagomesama."

Sesshomaru fell silent and patted the girl's head a few times while she continued to weave flowers together. A short while later Jaken finally caught up with them and Rin filled him in on everything that had happened in the past month.

Near the end of the day once the bandits had been buried and the houses repaired Sesshomaru sought out Melissa while Rin was doing some chores. He found her in a field where Kagome was teaching her archery. He watched as she set loose the arrow. It glowed brightly as it nicked the side of the target. She spoke happily to Kagome and pointed as though it were an achievement. Judging by the arrows scattered around the target it may have been.

Then she spotted Sesshomaru. "Sesshomarusama, see arrow?"

"There was spiritual energy in it." He observed, "Had there been youkai in the grass beside the target their lives might have been in peril."

She turned with her hands on her hips, then saw the look in his eyes. She smiled and spoke in English for Kagome to translate.

"She say's if she didn't know better she'd think you were joking. That if you aren't' careful people might think you have a sense of humor."

Sesshomaru settled himself against a tree to watch. A child came running up from town, informing Kagome that Keade wanted her. "Stay here and practice, Melissa."

Sesshomaru watched as Melissa notch another arrow. "Keep your elbow up."

He rose from where he sat and stood behind her. "Widen your stance." He instructed. "And keep your elbow up. The arrow is an extension of your arm. It will not go the way you wish if your arm is sending it in another direction." As he spoke he reached around her to adjust her hold and lifted her elbow so that her arm was straight.

She released it. It glowed brightly again and this time the head of the arrow sank into the target. It was nowhere near dead center, but it was a hit. She started babbling excitedly in English and pointed at the arrow, then she turned and flung her arms around him.

"Now, this time get closer to the center." He ordered. She turned to protest but he cut her off. "If you can hit the edge you can hit the center. I expect you to improve upon each shot until you do."

She notched another and he again helped her with her hold and stance. Again she let the arrow fly. It wasn't much better, a fraction of an inch, but it was better.

"Again. Get closer."

"Melissa, did you do this?" Kagome asked returning a while later and seeing the arrows in the target.

"Sesshomaru help!" Melissa answered excitedly, her face glowing with pride. She then fired another arrow. Kagome started to complement her but before she could...

"Unacceptable. Do it again."

"Unacceptable? Sesshomaru, she's doing much better than when we started."

"It is not her best shot, until she matches or improves upon that it is unacceptable."

"She has to be getting tired." Kagome reasoned. Melissa nodded, she was getting tired.

Addressing Melissa Sesshomaru replied "In a combat situation your enemy would not care that you were fatigued. Infact they would count upon your performance suffering as you tired."

"We're not in a combat situation." Kagome reminded him.

"The purpose of training is to prepare for combat."

"Tired." Melissa told him.

"Then match your best shot and we will stop for today."

Melissa stared at him for a long moment. Then she laid the bow down.

"Pick it up."

"No!"

"Pick it up and match your best shot."

"No." She started to walk back toward the village, but Sesshomaru grabbed her shoulders and forced her back to where she'd stood to fire the bow. She pushed him, but he was immovable.

"If you wish to rest match your shot."

She stared up at him. Her lip started to tremble. Then her eyes started to water. "Sesshomaru, I tired!" She was crying

"Merissa, stop that at once."

She yelled in English and her tears intensified. He looked over at Kagome. "No! I am not going to translate that!"

Sesshomaru picked up the bow and placed it back in her hands. "If you are to protect yourself you must be able to fight even through exhaustion. All I ask is that you match your shot. You have done it once already."

She glared at him. She muttered several things at him he was sure Kagome would refuse to translate. He met her gaze. "Merissa, you can do it or I would not demand it of you."

She glared some more and uttered a word he knew she must had learned from his brother. "Bastard!" But she turned to the target and notched an arrow. Her arms trembled slightly from over exertion. She let it fly.

As soon as it hit the target Sesshomaru took the bow from her hand. "Go rest." He watched her as she walked back to Inuyasha's house. The sun was setting casting long shadows.

"You are a slave driver!" Kagome accused as she started gathering up arrows.

"I ask no more than what I knew her to be capable of. The same as I was taught."

"We are humans, we don't have your stamina!"

"And yet she did it." He pointed out as he turned to go to his camp.

Luckily by the next morning she'd forgiven him. In fact she was elated, she did it. She didn't think she could, but she did. He pushed her hard, but that was because he'd believed in her. And she'd done it.

But she informed him bright and early that morning that she was not going to practice that day. To her surprise he agreed. He told her it was not good to push herself to many days in a row. She should push herself, but then take time to recover so that she could avoid injury.

Later while she was playing with Sango's girls Sesshomaru sought out Kagome. "Sesshomaru? Do you need something?" She asked looking up from her work.

"Yes. I need to learn to properly pronounce her name."

"It will take some practice."