Characters are not mine save for those which are invented for the story.
"What have the humans taught you, Rin? Farming is useless to a demon! And as Lord Sesshōmaru's daughter, you cannot serve as a midwife! Why didn't they teach something useful!" Jaken screamed, scratching his head. How was he supposed to tutor Rin when she had no grounding! It was all that damned mongrel's fault! And that human girl he married!
"Kagome-san said it was good to know how to do these things to survive in the human world," Rin told him. "And they did teach me some letters but paper and ink wasn't always available for me to practice. Kagome-san didn't like me using sticks and dirt to practice."
"Absolutely right! A proper lady uses a brush to write her letters! And did she teach you to fight?" Jaken said bombastically, nodding at Kagome's sentiment. Rin's letters were undecipherable when she wrote with a stick on the dirt and only marginally better with brush and paper. All of this wasn't something Jaken had considered. Instead, he was thinking that it had to do with the propriety for a young lady as well as proper teaching and practice of the correct form.
Rin shook her head. "They said I didn't need to learn that."
"What?!" Jaken sputtered incredulously. "Are they mad? No, of course they're mad! How are you supposed to protect yourself?" Rin shrugged, unable to give him an answer. She hadn't thought about that since Inuyasha, Kagome-san, and Miroku-san were always the ones who protected the village.
Rin had no grounding in proper education! Jaken would have to start from the beginning but he had no idea how. Lord Sesshōmaru had said Tsukiyo would take up Rin's physical training but would she also know how to begin Rin's academic studies? Probably not. That left only one other person and Jaken was very reluctant to approach her.
"Sesshōmaru-sama brought me here to be protected until I learn, Jaken-sama. But that other demoness, Tsukiyo-san, doesn't seem to like me very much." Rin looked down unhappily and Jaken snapped back at her.
"So do nothing to upset her and show her you are worthy of Lord Sesshōmaru!"
"Yes, Jaken-sama!"
The door to Rin's room parted and the Inu no Kimi walked in, her mokomoko-sama flowing imperiously alongside her. "I heard shouting so I came to see what was the matter." Jaken saw that it was a lie because the guards who had been in the corridor had not done anything. The Lady Mother simply wanted a reason to visit. "Sesshōmaru tells me you are now related to me by adoption. Good, you are useful and much too cute to be left to the humans. What are you doing for her education, imp?"
Jaken stammered, trying to organize his thoughts as he changed from being defensive to explaining his own plans. "I-I don't k-know, my lady," he finally said, going to his knees before her. "This Jaken does not know how to teach a young lady everything she needs to know in the span of a few years and when she has such a poor grounding to start." Rin looked from Jaken to the Lady Mother, trying to predict what was coming next and what she should do.
The Inu no Kimi frowned upon the prostrated imp. "Get up, imp. I suspected as much and I have your solution for you." He rose and spluttered his thanks but was interrupted by her. "I do not want your thanks. I want you to do something for me in return." Jaken looked at her, wondering what she could even ask from him.
"Anything, milady."
"Report to me everything that my son and his … mate do once they return. I will make sure you remain by his side. In exchange, I will ensure Rin receives the education she deserves. Now, you know Tsubame and Taiya?" the Inu no Kimi turned to speak the last to Rin, who nodded. "A lady speaks when spoken to. Do not simply nod," the demoness reproached her and then repeated the question.
"Yes …" Rin was about to say the usual "milady" but remembered that the Inu no Kimi was now her adoptive grandmother. But Rin never had a grandmother so she wasn't sure what she was supposed to call her. The Inu no Kimi looked oddly at Rin, trying to understand the awkward response and the obvious attempt to puzzle something out.
Jaken recognized the signs first and spoke up. "Rin did not have any family when we found her. I do not believe she knows the proper titles."
The Inu no Kimi's face softened and she bent down to be at the same level as Rin. She reached out and stroked Rin's cheek gently. "Is this true? Is there really no human family who would claim you as their own?"
"Yes," Rin replied without hesitation. Jaken was surprised that she showed the same stubborn defiance when the Lady Mother was trying to be kind.
"Then there is really isn't any choice. You belong to the Demon Dog Clan now and forever. You will address me as Grandmother. As I was saying earlier, Tsubame and Taiya will be your tutors. Tsubame will teach you the academics while Taiya will teach you the other things required by a young lady. Sesshōmaru has already made separate arrangements with Tsukiyo for your physical training. Imp, coordinate with her tutors. I expect to hear good things on my new granddaughter's progress. Rin, come with me for a while."
Jaken bowed and, when they were gone, let out his frustration with a sigh. Now he had to go speak with the very unpleasant Tsukiyo. As the imp walked to where he last saw the Captain of the Guards training with her soldiers, he noticed that the sentries didn't even look at him. They had been wary of him at first, but it seemed word had quickly spread. Now he was someone they let just wander around. It felt somewhat pleasing since Inuyasha and his wife had left under a cloud of suspicion with Myōga the flea.
"Jaken-dono, were you looking for me?" The imp spun in place, his thoughts all in disarray at the sudden interruption. Tsukiyo was walking towards him from the corridor he had just come down. And she was being polite to him! What was going on? What happened to the aggressive and fierce warrior he had seen?
"Ye-Yes, Lady Tsukiyo. I w-wanted to know what sort of training regimen you had in mind for Rin. As a human girl, she would have difficulty with the things normally expected from a demon," he replied, trying to gauge the latest Demon Dog daiyōkai. They had not met during the brief visits when Jaken had previously accompanied Sesshōmaru to his clan's home.
Tsukiyo looked off to the side for a moment and considered her words before making a reply. "She has no innate abilities as a human so the normal things for a lady of the clan to learn will have to suffice. Kyūdō, tessenjutsu, and jujutsu. From there, we can graduate to other weapons if Sesshōmaru-sama decides."
"Why those in particular?" Jaken asked, scratching his chin at the choices.
"Kyūdō will train her upper body and strengthen it. The other two will strengthen her lower body and teach the girl how to move her whole body in combat. I consider them a foundation upon which to build a strong warrior."
Jaken thought it sounded true but he needed to test Tsukiyo one more time. "Do you feel that Lord Sesshōmaru's daughter can use those skills to adequately defend herself against demons?"
Tsukiyo laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Jaken-dono, your test and concern for Sesshōmaru-sama's adopted daughter is plain. To answer your question, you don't need to look farther than the other humans. The so-called Demon Hunters who train to kill us. Imagine what sort of warrior she would be, a demon killer trained by demons. As for your true question, she is Sesshōmaru-sama's adopted daughter and I serve my lord in any capacity he requires. Rin-ojousama will not receive any special treatment because she is his adopted daughter. I will train her as I would train any group of pups. Does that satisfy you?"
The little imp's head bobbed slowly. "Yes, it does, Lady Tsukiyo. I misjudged you."
"I may lose my head around Sesshōmaru-sama because I love him. But I am still a woman of the Demon Dog Clan and Captain of the Guard. Do not forget that," Tsukiyo said, baring her fangs. Jaken instinctively stepped back, feeling prey before a hungry predator. "With your permission, I will speak with Rin-ojousama." She bowed her head and walked off, carrying, Jaken noticed, Kagome's bow.
The women of the Demon Dog Clan truly were the fiercest. And kind, gentle Rin had just become one of them.
Author's Notes: Shorter one than usual. It may get updated in future to be longer.
Chapter 14 will be up later