I do not own Inuyasha.
How long did she plan on following him? True she did so in complete silence, like a wraith or ghostly spirit. That type of behavior was expected and normal among apparitions; from a human. . . He had never heard of such. It was disconcerting.
He wanted to know her name. Beings like him, as well as though who hunted his kind, felt more at ease with a creature when they knew its name. Sesshomaru was no different from his counterparts in that. A name provided a certain level of control over the spirit and the situation. He asked – ordered – her to tell him her name several times. She ignored his commands with a consistent charm, gazing at him with awe-filled eyes and a breath-taking smile. Sesshomaru was used to adoration, but that smile . . . it did things to him.
It threatened his control over the girl since she first turned it on him. No one smiled at him the way she did. The action seemed to radiate from inside her body, using her small frame to express such gratitude and happiness that he actually found himself humbled by it. Her smile proved to be decisive in enacting her resurrection. For some reason her lifeless body, devoid of that innocent energy had filled him with sadness. Enough so that he used Tenseiga to restore her life to her.
He tried not to look into to it too deeply. Sesshomaru sighed and looked up at the sky. Night was approaching.
The girl needed more rest than himself and Jaken, something he discovered over the last few days. He should start looking for a place to set up camp for the night.
Sesshomaru debated whether killing Jaken would inconvenience him. According to the imp, the girl smelled. Humans were supposed to smell unpleasant to yokai. Sesshomaru would have been more concerned if Jaken was complaining that her scent was pleasing to the senses. She did not smell, or rather, he had come across worse. Far worse. However, Jaken liked to hear himself talk, so Sesshomaru shouldn't have been surprised that his servant had found something to run on about.
"Lord Sesshomaru, why can't we dump her off in a human village, or better still in a river . . . ?" Jaken asked his lord.
He wondered why he allowed the toad to continue living. Something tugged at his leg. Looking down, Sesshomaru saw the child clutching at his pants with an inquisitive look on her face. He silenced the berating that action brought about from Jaken with a glare.
Looking at her small face, Sesshomaru felt a familiar tinge of frustration. He knew she could talk because had named his demon mount Ah-Un. If you considered Ah-Un a name. She wasn't a mute, but ah and un appeared to be the only words – sounds – she was capable of at the moment. Patience, Sesshomaru reminded himself. Everything would work itself out if one waited long enough. Something his father used to say to him frequently.
The girl searched his face, her eyes probing his - Sesshomaru was impressed with her boldness - her mouth opening and closing in a manner reminiscent of a fish. Shoulders slumping, her brows drew together in disappointment as the rest of her face fell. She let go of his leg and walked back to Ah-Un. Curious, Sesshomaru watched her climb onto the beast. She had been close to saying something, but it was almost as if she had lost her nerve at the last moment.
Strange. He knew the girl was no coward.
He returned his attention to the path. Patience.
The next day found the small party resting in a small meadow. Sesshomaru, indulged in a light nap beneath a tree at the edge of the clearing. Jaken had been tasked with seeing to the girl's safety and welfare as Sesshomaru napped. Yet, being a caretaker for something as young and defenseless as the child was new to Jaken. He had yet to learn what it entailed, and was himself napping beside Ah-Un. The girl quietly decided that now was the perfect time to slip away unnoticed.
The girl was looking for water. She had gotten wafts of the cool freshness that accompanied fresh water as they approached the meadow, but they had not passed any water source. She turned in the direction opposite of where they entered with a questioning look on her face. She wandered to the other side of the clearing, looking back several times to make sure her companions were still sleeping. Finally, she left the clearing and after a few minutes was rewarded with the sound of running water. It must be a river.
It did not bother her if the toad thought she smelled, but she did not want her savior to think so. As she peeled off her clothes and looked at her skin, she felt her cheeks heat up. She hadn't realized how dirty she was. Perhaps the toad was right. Perhaps she did smell.
In the aftermath of her revival, personal hygiene had been the least of her concerns. Lord Sesshomaru moved quickly and didn't stop often. It had been all she could do to keep up with him and Jaken. A small smile tugged at her lips. It was almost as if he knew that she was having a hard time keeping up for he had summoned Ah-Un and given her the reins. It was then that she knew he would not turn her away.
Sighing, the girl began the task of cleaning herself and her clothes.
An uneasiness was beginning to prick at Sesshomaru. It had been some time since his charge had left the meadow. Not only that, but he was slowly losing track of her scent. While many of the demons in the area had gone into hiding upon noticing his presence, there were still some who were just the right amount of stupid and brash to try attacking the girl.
If they did, Sesshomaru would kill them. He needed to vent some of his frustration over Inuyasha and the Tessaiga anyways. Sesshomaru closed his eyes, and tried to get some rest.
Realizing the futility of his efforts, Sesshomaru prepared to rise and search for his errant ward. Soft footsteps reached his ears, accompanied by an unfamiliar scent. No, he knew this scent, but it was usually dirty and vague, not clear and fresh as it was now. It was the girl. Sesshomaru inhaled deeply once more just to be sure.
Yes, that was her. Her scent matched her perfectly. Soft and floral, there was an innocence, a purity and fragileness to it. He wondered if this was a human trait – personalities matching scents - or if it was unique to her. He had never really paid much attention to humans before now. Her presence made him woefully aware of how ignorant he was about them.
Naked, the girl entered the clearing. She laid her wet kimono on a patch of thick grass blanketed in sunlight, then curled into a ball next to it. She had forgotten just how exhausting bathing could be, although maybe it was because she didn't do it regularly. She would have to bathe more often now that she was traveling with Lord Sesshomaru. She didn't want to embarrass or inconvenience him. A vague recollection of her mother telling her about the importance of appearances flitted through her mind. Squeezing her eyes shut and forcing her mind to go blank, she turned away from her kimono and willed herself to sleep. She hated when she remembered her family. She hated the pain that accompanied those memories. It was better to feel nothing.
Sesshomaru watched as the girl lay in the grass and fell asleep. He caught a whiff of pain and . . . sadness? Why would she be sad? Looking away from her small form, he realized that was a foolish question. It was obvious that she had not led an easy life. Sesshomaru found her fascinating. A small smirk lifted his lips. She was almost like a pet to him – a puppy.
Sesshomaru thought for a moment before tossing a stone at Jaken.
The girl woke to a setting sun. Panicking, she sat up and searched the meadow for her companions. She relaxed when she saw Lord Sesshomaru standing at the edge of the meadow. It must be time for them to move again. The girl had noticed that they traveled at all times of the day, but her lord seem to prefer the night to the day.
"Here," Jaken said, interrupting her staring session by shoving a box in her face. Turning to the imp the girl took the box, opened it and gasped at what was inside. It held a kimono made up of yellow and orange squares with green circles embroidered all over it. She looked at the imp, who shouted at her to put it on. It was so soft and thick. She was used to the thin roughness of her own kimono. But this . . . she looked toward Lord Sesshomaru. She knew him to be her benefactor. She had a feeling Jaken knew nothing to very little about kindness.
As he sent his senses flaring out in search of any lurking danger to his charges, Sesshomaru heard those soft footsteps again. Turning to face her, he took in her new appearance with approval. Now she was completely in sync. Her smile. Her scent. Her clothes. She was like the sun, full of warmth and sunshine.
A low, gravelly voice interrupted his musings. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru," the girl said.
Sesshomaru stared at her, digesting her broken silence.
"I would know the name of the one who follows after me, girl" he stated.
"It's Rin, my lord," the girl replied.
Rin. Companion.
How interesting.
Thank you for taking the time to read and/or review my story. Until the next post . . .