AUTHOR'S NOTES~

1. Inuyasha is not my creation but I am eternally grateful for Rumiko Takahashi because she brought Sesshoumaru to me, and he was the best thing ever.

I am sorry for updating after a very long absence. I can't recall if I mentioned that I have a new job and my work is taking all my time and energies from my muse.

CHAPTER 29

…AND FOUND

The Seventh Day

Rin laid her ears flat against the door trying to listen for any movement from inside. This room and the others on this floor were at the unused level of the castle. They have begun with the areas commonly used by her father. When they have exhausted that they took to the less important places where this door was.

The captain took the responsibility of looking for Sesshoumaru herself when she realized that she might be exposing the servants to danger if they open the doors and barge in the room on a possibly enraged taiyoukai. That probability was not far off. But so far no one had come across the Western lord, and not even a glimpse of his shadow, both to the relief and dismay of his people.

Where could their master be? The servants whispered among themselves.

Rin and Jiro exchanged another worried look. The kitsune leaned away from the door and shook his head. Like all the rooms they had checked around the vast castle this one was deathly quiet as well. Although it was hard to say if someone had been in this room for the past days or even for the past years. There were no tracks, disturbed dirt on the floor or torn cobwebs to tell its tale. Every nook and corner is as clean as the well-trafficked areas of the palace.

The House of Taisho is a well-maintained household.

She hates to spy on her father like this but Sesshoumaru's disappearance these past few days had her worrying. Her emotion was getting ragged and more than that she was physically tired. Since this situation came to her attention the captain had not gotten enough sleep or a proper rest since coming back from her patrol.

To the embarrassment of the kitsune not even Jiro was able to get anything from his fox magic flyers. The young guard apologized profusely.

"Well Jiro, my father wasn't called 'Killing Perfection' for nothing." she told him after they made sure another door was Sesshoumaru-free.

"But taisa-sama, surely that was just a title given to him by his enemies?"

Rin grabbed the young kitsune and shushed him. "My father once killed a youkai for stalking me. The man never even knew he was dead until my father pulled his still beating heart from his chest." The kitsune blanched and gulped, eyes wide open. "He could stalk and kill a prey swiftly, cleanly no matter how big they were" Rin looked into Jiro's eyes for emphasis. "bare-handed. Not even another youkai or ninja or a taiji-ya could be compared to his skill." She patted his arm, smiling. "But this is just between us, all right?"

The kitsune's spiky hair bobbed. "Y-yes, taisa-sama."

Rin let go of the shaken guard. "When we have time I will tell you more stories about my father's exploits." She pressed her ear again.

Nothing.

Another dead end.

The Eight Day

Good fortune smiled upon them. One of the older servants who returned to work that day told them she saw Sesshoumaru entering this room.

"This one?" Rin gaped. "How long ago was that, oba-san?"

"How long ago? Hm, a week ago, Rin-hime" The old servant, a keeper/cleaner of the old metal decorations replied. "Well, it was strange to see the master enter this musty old place but," she shrugged "who am I to question the master of the shiro?"

But the Western lord was not inside the room, where, they discovered held old maps of places that not even Rin nor Jiro knew about. Their curiosity got the better of them and they ogled at one huge map on the wall. It depicts foreign lands and places across great seas and oceans where gruesome looking creatures live. In one great ocean it warns 'Here there be monsters.'

"What horrible looking creature." Jiro grimaced.

"Nah. Not so frightening a monster." Rin mused. "I've had my share of seeing father battle ogres, giant spiders, dragons, multi-headed hydras, even zombies plus all kinds of youkai. That one looked more like big fish to me."

"Really?" Jiro was again struck at how unusual Rin-sama's childhood had been. It certainly wasn't boring, that's for sure. In a way, he envied the young captain for she was prepared for this kind of life while he got himself killed on his first combat. If not for the Sword of Heaven he would have been in the afterlife right now or maybe….

"Riiinnnn! Riiinnnnn!"

Startled at the blood-curling scream Rin and Jiro ran out in panic from the maze-like room expecting an invasion or a fire had broken out of the castle. They were at the portal when something traveling at high speed slammed at them and next thing they knew human and kitsune found themselves painfully flat on their back.

"Oh, I can'r breathe! Get off me you fool!" The toad was squealing from under Jiro's legs, his little feet in the air.

"Jaken!?" Rin snarled. The captain hoisted the struggling toad from the floor. "What the hell's wrong with you!"

"Rin! Rin! I found him! I found him!" Jaken forgot his embarrassing state as he hung in the air. His tiny hands and feet moving like a swimmer.

Rin forgot her painful rump. "Where?" the toad's eyes rolled at the vigorous shaking.

Jaken pointed. "In the….Wah!" the tiny youkai saw the ground meeting him fast. "Ow…." and all he saw were the hurrying feet of Rin and the guard leaving the dazed Jaken to nurse his abused dignity alone.

~O~

She shook her head at Jiro who was standing across the hallway. Perhaps Jaken was mistaken…

Then both jumped out of their skins. "Open the door, Rin." the voice bade. "Enter." at the command, the kitsune looked ready to bolt. Rin wanted to roll her eyes at the young guard. Scaredy cat….she smirked.

But even the self-possessed captain felt like a little girl again caught doing something her father had forbidden her to do. Sesshoumaru must have found out about the uproar he created. He hates that. Rin could feel her face getting hot but she moved the sliding door open nonetheless. With a last nod at Jiro she stepped inside. Here we go...

A warrior has to do what a warrior has to do.

"Was there something you need?" Rin turned towards the voice. She found it at the darkest area of the room, right beside the armoire holding the scrolls of various reports of the Western lands. Her eyes were a little slow to adjust from the brightness of the hallway to this gloom but she could faintly see the familiar form of her father in the darkness. Without fear the young girl went deeper inside the darkened room.

"My lord…?" Now her eyes could see. Sesshoumaru was sitting in his customary way; back against the wall, arm on top of a bent knee, his fingers hanging limp. But still it was hard to believe that even with his coloring her father looked as if he was trying to disappear.

In a swift move that was Sesshoumaru's trademark the Inutaiyoukai was up and presented his back to his ward. He made a show of looking at one of the maps. "Yes?"

"Father, I brought some food…"

"I am not hungry." As Rin edged near she saw that it was not the familiar topography of their land. Long tapered fingers trace the line of craggy mountains.

"It has been days since you shared a meal with me and I miss your presence at the table." As she was talking she edged toward the front and the scene disturbed the young woman.

"I am fine." But instead of being 'fine' the lord of the West looked drained of life. For some reason that Rin could not pinpoint she felt a little fear.

"Father, I have been worried about you." She grabbed his arm as he was about to turn his back to her again. "Kami…" brown eyes met crimson.

"Forgive me Rin." Sesshoumaru whispered. Barefooted he went to the eastern side of his office and opened the door meaning to distance himself. As he stepped outside he felt Rin behind him.

She is as relentless as a huntress on a prey.

This was something the Western lord had admired about his ward-her fearlessness around him. He remembered a time when she came to him when he was injured and he thought that she was a foolish child asking for death to visit her.

Rin slid her hand in his and was gratified that he returned the grasp. She smiled as she lifted her hand in his; only her wrists and the tips of her fingers were showing in Sesshoumaru's. Rin had witnessed many times how these powerful fingers, though delicate looking, could rip apart a living being like tearing paper. But she has nothing to fear from them; they were always gentle and a cause for reassurance for her. When she was still having nightmares about the loss of her family he would send her back to sleep by running his fingers through her hair cradled in the warmth of his body. He would hate to admit it but Sesshoumaru is not perfect in looking for all the world the cold-hearted being as others see. With just the two of them he is very different. It is just that for Sesshoumaru showing open affection to her in front of the help was unthinkable. Sesshoumaru might think it as a form of weakness but for Rin it only meant that his personal feelings were not for public consumption,

"You miss her." An infinitesimal jolt from him made Rin tighten her hold on his hand, asking for forgiveness in being blunt.

An answering grip relayed his reply. "I do not."

"I see." It was difficult for the young woman to maintain that small smile at the petulant reply.

Still holding hands Rin gently led her father to his favorite tree and both deposited themselves under its gently swaying fronds.

"She made her decision. I cannot stop her." As Rin played with his pinkie Sesshoumaru looked down at his daughter. How wrong he was in thinking that by knowing one human he could fathom the mystery of this race. He is still trying to fathom Rin's total lack of fear on him. No one had been as liberal on his person as this young child is doing right now.

"Why didn't you?" Rin went behind him and had a thick bunch of Sesshoumaru's hair. Soon a comb was trying to make its way at the hopeless knot that became his tresses.

"I believe I said that I cannot stop her." She pushed his hand away so he could just cut the snarls off with his sharp nails to save her the bother. Defeated and sighing again, he allowed his daughter battle with the tangle of his hair. He became amused at Rin's serious focus on freeing them from each other.

"Sure you can." She leaned to him from behind. "If you want to."

"Rin, there is much you do not understand…"

"About what?"

"About…"

"Relationships?"

"Allow me to finish." Now the comb was free to run the length of his tresses, the tips of the ivory comb softly scrapping against his scalp was bliss as was the warmth of the sun,

"Father, if I let you finish whatever it is you want to say I would be a doddering old woman by then."

The Western lord turned halfway to his daughter. "You have taken to exaggeration like Kagome." A pale brow rose.

"Oh really? So, you noticed that she liked to exaggerate, father?" First trap.

"Yes, this one has." He closed his eyes when the comb came to his bangs so he failed to see the twinkle in his daughter's eyes. "She is not a good model for you."

"She is."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Why?"

"Since she came your manner of speaking had changed." Sesshoumaru meant to turn but a firm hand held him still.

"In what way?" Second trap.

"You often times use those strange expressions she uses." He sighed at Rin's ministrations, having ones hair combed is truly relaxing.

Rin shrugged. "Hm. They're interesting." She looked at Sesshoumaru. "So. What else have you noticed about Kagome, father?" Third trap and there, the last snarl came off. Rin gave the hair an extra combing.

"We were having a discussion about you, Rin, not Kagome."

"Ah, so we were." Rin smiled and shrugged prettily. "I do apologize, father. Do continue about what you have noticed." Fourth trap.

"I have noticed that that woman does not know restraint in her manner of speaking her mind. I do believe she makes it a point to upset this Sesshoumaru to rise to any argument with me."

Oh, perfect. Hook, line and sinker, as Kagome would say. "Well, you must admit, father she makes a good point in most of your arguments." Rin pulled her father up.

"Those ideas of hers that there were giant reptiles….what did she call them…dino-"

"Dinosaurs?" She supplied while leading him back to his room and smiled in seeing his manservant had run the bath. Rin politely turned her back away when the Inu lord began untying his clothes. When he had immersed himself into the hot water she went behind him and Rin poured the soap solution on Sesshoumaru's hair after wetting it well.

"Correct. That those dinosaurs have walked this earth millenniums ago."

"But Kagome had studied those kinds of things and there were proof that they were true."

"This Sesshoumaru would only believe it if I had seen it with my own eyes." His growl of protest turned to a whimper of delight when Rin began massaging his scalp, willingly defeated he leaned his head back, closing his eyes. It was disappointing when the massage ended and Rin was rinsing his hair. Rin stepped back while drying her hands. She stepped outside the bath to let her father finish his ablutions. "It was too bad…."

Rin's ears perked up as she was laying out his clothes behind the dressing screen. A fifth trap? "Too bad about what?" Yes.

A robed Sesshoumaru paused beside the tub drying his hair, his stripes stood out in contrast with the paleness of his skin. "She wanted to teach me how to drive."

The captain jerked up and quickly hid her smile. "Oh well," she shrugged. "I guess that won't be happening now…" she murmured.

"Hn."

"So why not you, me and Shippo go and visit her." She waited for him at the veranda.

"No." He glared as he sat down across from her.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes. End of discussion."

"How…?" he asked in surprise when Rin offered a steaming cup of tea to him. In front them is a complete lunch set.

"You will need your strength for tomorrow's trip, father." With a satisfied smile Rin gave him a plate filled with his favorite food. "Eat up."

It should have irked him how he was easily maneuvered but Sesshoumaru had to grudgingly admit that Rin just showed him that she learned entrapment from the Killing Perfection himself.

~}O{~