CHAPTER 31

A QUARTER OF A WORLD AWAY

Another morning has come.

If there were some things a simple youkai like Sesshoumaru would enjoy it is watching sunrise. A fond memory came to him as a daredevil young pup where he would sneak to the top balcony in the shiro in the dark. There, perched on the narrow ledge he would sit waiting for the first glimpse of gold break through the curve of the mountain. A year after Sesshoumaru lost his mother he continued this tradition as a way to honor her memory.

Sesshoumaru was fascinated by the spectacular sunrise in this land. He, like all other hunters, needed the camouflage of the night. But after a good night's hunt he looks forward to the break of dawn with a full belly. Whilst the night hides life's mystery its secrets were revealed by the coming dawn and the warmth of the new day tells you that you have been given another lease of life by the Kami.

And he wasn't disappointed; the ember glow of the sun's rays breaking through the tress glittered molten gold against the morning fog. The brightness hurt his eyes but suddenly, in a blink, the world is alive again.

But it is cold and getting colder by the day. Sesshoumaru turned to admire and survey the vista around him from his perch on the highest tree; the rugged snow coated mountains and the thick forests covered by frost. This country is much farther west than he realized as winter doesn't come this early in the Western kingdom. It is more rugged in topography than in any place or country that he has ever seen. It is also a very big country judging for the length of time they have been traveling. He was more than happy to sample the exotic fauna the land has to offer but as he is a foreigner in this land he is not quite sure what wildlife hibernates during winter. He was assured of this when has seen some bear and he is certain that for these creatures they all have the same circadian rhythm. The thought of hunting bear excited him. Hn, perhaps I should take notice of this place, he thought as he tracked a big bruin. It is a male and in the process of doing last minute preparations before it hides away in its den. That would be a warm coat for Rin.

The Western lord spared a last look to admire the desolate view before following the creature to its cave.

~{0}~

But if Sesshoumaru had enjoyed the quiet of the morning, in another part of the forest a less than tranquil scene is happening.

Shippo glared at Rin bent double against a tree. "You could have at least helped me!" he pouted at his childhood friend.

"Oh no no no no!" Rin gestured, giggling helplessly, "You and that squirrel were doing fine!"

"It attacked me! The hell!" Shippo plucked at the hole in his trousers where the furry mammal slashed the fabric in its haste to avoid entrapment. On top of the loss of face he endured the cursed rodent sniggered at him on its way up to the tree! "Arh!"

"Oh! Poor Shippo!" Rin rolled her fists on her eyes, making faces. "Cry! Cry! Cry!"

"That was our dinner!" frustrated, the young lord hurled a rock at the annoying fur tailed animal. It missed. "Ah!"

"Wait a minute! What's wrong with what I cooked?"

Shippo grimaced toward their fire, where a pot hangs over coals. "I don't like stew very much."

"Oh? But Kagome said every time she comes back you always ask for…" the captain's eyes narrowed, nodding in understanding. "Oh, I get it. You don't like my cooking."

"No!" Shippo gulped. He hates it whenever Rin does that voice of doom thing. "I didn't say that! I said I don't…"

"'…like stew.' I heard you." The captain strode back to their campfire. "Better go after that squirrel, we wouldn't want you to starve." She said behind her shoulder.

"Hey Rin..." Shippo pleaded. "Hey. Don't be like that."

But the Western captain pointedly ignored him. Instead, Rin looked behind Shippo. "Coming, Jaken?"

The kappa hesitated. "Eh-heh…perhaps I'd like to help lord Shippo with his hunt, Rin-sama. After all, it is my duty as lord Sesshoumaru's squire to assist his honored guests." And before Rin could stop him the kappa was toddling after the kitsune.

"Traitor." Rin glared at their backs. Sighing at the fragile state of the male ego, she took a seat on Ah-Un's saddle and filled two bowls with her favorite vegetable stew; one for her and another for her two-headed steed. The dragon lapped it all up in no time, grunting with pleasure. At least Ah-Un appreciates my culinary skills, Rin smiled at the gentle reptile. If Jaken wants to hunt with Shippo, fine!

Later in the day….

Oh, solitude at last! She sighed in relief. Shippo has been driving her nuts and she's still pissed at him as well. The nerve of that guy turning his nose up on my stew! Rin stomped her foot at the thin blanket of frost on the ground, the thin ice crackling under her feet. Under the tree the icicles hang like some pale ornament she saw on one of Kagome's paper books. It has lots of paintings on the page and a tree has all these colorful things hanging all over it.

Rin sighed again, her distraction momentarily forgotten. She missed the Western shiro so much. How were we to know that this place is almost on the other side of the world? Father was right. It was much too far. Tsk. Rin felt guilty dragging her father and her friend all the way out here. The trip she was so enthusiastic in planning for seemed to be a bad idea now. Just to humor her wishes her father left the governance of the land to her godfather. He must've known this was way too far but he didn't want to say no to me.

Sesshoumaru was not in his tent when she looked in on him that morning, she wanted to tell him she had decided that they abandon the travel and head back. Her father would understand and without a word of reproof would follow her decision.

Rin looked around the arctic like vista. Father must be hunting or scouting the land. So, like before when she was just a child, Sesshoumaru would leave her to Jaken's care with Ah-Un as her guardian and the camp didn't move until the inu lord comes back. But for the first time ever, Rin was hoping her father would come back early before she murdered a certain annoying kitsune.

So to clear her head she took Ah-Un with her to tramp on snow, her thick bear coat protected her from the elements. She was delightfully surprised when she came upon a grove as she led Ah-Un to water. She saw a few trees with some red fruit on the branches. Some have fallen on the pristine snow glittering like rubies. Ah-Un had forgotten to drink and instead went straight to the berries. Following her dragon she used the hem of her coat like a basket and gathered as many good ones as she could, eating her share on the side, secure in the knowledge that her steed is the best guard in the world.

It wasn't always exciting nor safe to forage when she was a young girl. She lived alone for a long time after she lost her family so she had to learn how to find her own food. A dilapidated hut was her shelter, her change of clothing was her simple yukata and she had been barefoot. There were some kind people who knew her family and they would give her some food but her village is poor and after the drought nothing's been the same with the harvest. They would give what they could spare, which was not a lot. So she would hunt small fish and game but not having been given the right training before she lost her family she's not all that good. In desperation, Rin had to resort to stealing when the hunger pangs got pretty bad. The wife of the fruit seller caught her twice and beaten her badly but all she took was a half rotten apple from the garbage pile.

That part of her life was the hardest she had ever lived. And she had come a long way from that dirty little urchin.

Her story was a strange one.

He was lying under the tree in the deepest part of the forest; wounded, bleeding and very pale. A youkai in the forest! In her favorite part of the forest, of all places! The orphan girl was amazed at the wounded creature; he had a lot of blood on his clothes and he looked weakened but he was still formidable looking in size and appearance. And for Rin, she thought he must have been the most beautiful creature she had ever seen in her young life. Unable to help herself Rin was like moth drawn to a flame. Of course he snarled at her twice when she approached him but he didn't hurt her. He also didn't touch the food she left, tersely saying that he doesn't eat human food. Actually, she was a little grateful that he didn't like people food so she took it back and ate it.

After that Rin hung around the area hoping he would call or need her. But he didn't. If he gave any indication he knows she's there Rin has no idea. The children in the village wouldn't believe her. But as she looked at him something about him made her not want to tell her playmates about her find. She's not stupid, unlike what townspeople said about her. She will keep him for herself. While she lurks in the bushes she let her imagination ran wild. Why was he hurt? Did he fight another youkai? Where does he come from? What's his name? He knows her name after she gave it to him but he didn't give his own.

For a few days all the beautiful youkai did was sleep and rest. He talks in his sleep. In his delirium he would call names of people, at times snarling some strange name. His right hand would clench and writhe in sleep and Rin had the good sense not to approach those deadly fingers even when she wanted to comfort him like her mother did when she had a bad dream.

And then one afternoon he was…gone.

In a panic the girl searched for him, tearing through the forest, breathing heavily, forgetting what she was taught by her older brother, forgetting everything but to find her youkai. He cannot leave me! Where did he go? Did he get angry at me? Oh no…I didn't mean to ask those silly questions. Where is he?

In the narrow path a slobbering pack of wolves blocked her way, snarling. Swiftly, before the girl could even scream, they were upon her, all she could see were sharp fangs. In terror, Rin turned and twisted her ankle on the uneven path and hit her head on a sharp end of a rock. She was mercifully unconscious when the pack fought for her small frame sparing her the horror of feeling her flesh torn by vicious fangs.

And when she next opened her eyes… he was there! Her youkai! Their eyes met. He was looking surprised and she felt equally surprised that he was carrying her! She felt something new…a connection to him, of being drawn to him. And she understood and she knew.

She remembered that day like it was yesterday for it was the day she died in the jaws of the wolves and lived once more by Tensaiga's blade. She clutched her chest when an ache she thought she would never remember surfaced again after so many years.

"Oh!" she jumped, her reverie was broken when the she was pelted with cherries. "Ah-Un that's enough! My basket's filled." Rin exclaimed as after Ah-Un nudged the tree one more time, more cherries came tumbling down. "You silly!" Rin laughed at the dragon munching greedily at the fallen berries.

After giving her steed a fond pat Rin sat on the base of the tree letting the dragon have his fill. Food had been easy to be had the past few weeks since prey were aplenty. But as their group traveled nearer to the north the selection got scarce as it got colder and winter set in. This reality became a big problem for the group. Earlier in the season they found some strange animals on the lakeshore but before her father could decide to add them for food Rin implored him not to kill them.

"Rin," Shippo laughed, pointing at the barking noisy creatures. "they're just food."

"No, they're not." Shippo had this great ability to reduce her back to age eight by making her stomp her foot.

"The kitsune is correct, daughter." Sesshoumaru could feel the tug of hunger after a few days of their trek and this new kind of meat with a good amount of fat would be good for this cold season. He does not usually prefer to eat fat-laden prey like these creatures. Ah, they're called seals, Sesshoumaru reminded himself as he looked at the unusual creatures looking like that of a dog and fish combined.

"No!" She stood before Sesshoumaru. "Please, they're cute."

"Cute?" Shippo blurted with a smirk. "Cute?"

"Yes, they are." Rin stuck out her chin at the boy. "Father, can't we just find another?"

"No. We are almost in mid-winter, daughter. One of those big creatures is enough for a week." With a sigh she admitted Sesshoumaru was right; they need supplies. As Jaken went about preparing their camp, Rin followed Sesshoumaru with a heavy heart towards the pebbly shore. Sesshoumaru stopped about a hundred yards before the big herd. "Choose." Sesshoumaru looked down at the surprised girl.

Sesshoumaru once more felt that familiar tug in his heart each time he made the right choice at his daughter's dazzling smile. Rin assessed the rookery. She must choose quickly; the pod is becoming agitated sensing a predator in their midst. She spotted one then pointed. With incredible speed the inulord was upon the seal. It was an older male, once alpha of the group, it didn't stand a chance at the razor sharp claws that sliced its throat open. As blood gushed, Rin turned away leaving her father to enjoy his kill. The last of the pod escaped as the water churned with their entry, not even sparing a last look for their fallen number.

"Don't be gloomy, Rin." Rin turned to Shippo's toothy grin. "Here." He grabbed her hand and dropped a wriggling worm at Rin's open palm.

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Disgusted, Rin danced around wiping her palm on her side. "Come back here! Ahh! I'm gonna kill you, Shippo!" The kitsune lordling just cackled at her threat, running around in circles at his friend but he tripped.

"Rin." The captain stopped pummeling the kitsune at the call. Sesshoumaru stood near the shore. Jaken was seen bringing chunks of meats from the bull seal to the campfire to be filleted, smoked and stored in special baskets.

"Yes, father?" she stood at attention.

"Wait for me here with Shippo and Jaken." And Sesshoumaru flew off after getting a bow from his daughter.

"Hey!" Shippo called looking up at the departing inulord. "Where is he going?" But Rin had turned back towards the campfire. "Did he tell you?"

"Nope."

"Did you ask?"

"Nope." Rin shrugged. "Why for?"

"Well, we don't know when he will return." Shippo trudged after Rin, frustration in his voice.

"It is fine." Rin surveyed the meat being strung around the fire. "Look. Father has left enough food for us here."

"But what if he doesn't return before the food runs out?"

"We can hunt and forage." Rin shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm used to it."

Rin felt a tug at her hair. Turning, Ah was nibbling at her ponytail and Un was grunting softly in concern; the two-headed dragon sensed her emotion and just wanted to console her. With a smile the captain stood to give her loyal friends a good rubbing behind their ears but both froze when the thick stand of trees rustled.

~{0}~

"Do you think Rin's pissed at me?" Shippo whispered. He and Jaken were hunched behind a tree in the hopes their trap would snare another squirrel or a wild hen…or…at this point anything that's big enough to be food. Anything to get away from Rin's moods.

"Shippo-sama," Shippo turned at the kappa's voice. "your sensei gave me strict instructions to guard you including on how you comport yourself. 'Pissed' should be stricken from your vocabulary from now on." Jaken slammed the Staff of Two heads on the ground but the effect was ruined.

With a wave, Shippo dismissed the toad's dramatic flair, grimacing. "Yes, and you're as bad as my sensei. You're sure you're not his brother?" The kitsune lord shook his head in amusement at Jaken's sputtering. Both males jumped in fright when a loud sound crashed from the bushes.

~{0}~