AN: Hey fellas! I'm back with another chapter! First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for leaving reviews, they really help me out ;) ! A special thanks to Spirited-PKMN Ranger - I'm really grateful you drew attention to the fact that a lord is below an emperor. Therefore I changed Emperor Seikyo's title to Commander Seikyo. Enjoy!

Rin's eyes narrowed at his wake. Fuck this guy, she mumbled under her breath, hoping he wouldn't hear her words.

But of course, he heard her. Loud and clear. Hino Ryu stopped in his track, slowly turning his head over his shoulder to look at the girl who was now standing just a few feet away. Rin's one arm was propped on her hip, her eyes gleaming with resistance underneath her furrowed eyebrows.

Just a few moments later Ryu appeared in front of Rin. His looming stature was more than intimidating since he was a foot taller than the girl. Suddenly, the man raised his clawed hand and with just a single motion was abruptly drawing it down to strike Rin's left cheek. Because of the swiftness of the dragon demon's movements the girl had no time to react except to wait for the hit she was about to receive with scrunched up eyes. But the blow to her face never came.

Rin carefully looked through her squinted eyes and saw something she wasn't expecting at all. Both Rin's and Ryu's eyes widened from shock.

Sesshomaru was gripping Ryu's arm midair, stopping his hand from making contact with Rin's cheek. The blow surely would have left some scaring – Ryu was a demon nonetheless with claws as sharp as knives. If not the scarring, the power Ryu's hand wielded would have fractured Rin's jaw.

Soon, Sesshomaru's deep rumbling voice penetrated the pregnant silence.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The dog yokai was in the large balcony of his chambers when he sensed Ryu's aura flare. Sesshomaru knew this had something to do with Rin. When he turned his golden eyes towards the field in which the girl should be training, he saw the dragon demon stride towards her threateningly. At that exact moment, Sesshomaru felt anger fuel his instincts. No one will harm Rin. Not even a single second was spared when he, without any hesitation, jumped over the railing and with unseen speed caught Ryu's wrist.

The dragon demon had once again defied his lord's commands but that's not what surprised Sesshomaru. The dog yokai didn't even waver when he came to Rin's rescue. He has always prided himself with extreme control of his instincts and emotions but this time Sesshomaru completely gave in.

"I won't let this peasant you brought from no one knows where to disrespect me to this extent." Ryu snarled and pulled his arm out of Sesshomarus grip.

Hearing this, Sesshomaru hauled Ryu closer to his face, strongly clenching the collar of the man's shirt. "If I see one mark on Rin's flesh, I will not hesitate to end your miserable life." The dog yokai threatened with fury and let go of Ryu as if he were just trash. This time he really meant it. Not once had Ryu disobeyed his orders, but this was the last straw.

Dropping just a single glance to Rin who was now sitting on her backside, he saw her widened eyes turn away in shame. He probably thinks I'm too weak to even stand my own ground, the girl told herself.

As Sesshomaru left the field, Ryu gave Rin a burning death-glare. Even she felt kind of sorry for her instructor. No woman should witness a man being treated with such dishonor. Not that she didn't disrespect him herself. At least she did that with secrecy. Well, at least tried to hide her dislike towards him.

Standing up from the ground, Rin's eyes made contact with Ryu's stone-cold stare. If looks could kill, I would surely be dead by now. Feeling quite awkward after what had transpired, she decided to apologize.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean this to ha-"

"Hmm. It seems like you simply don't understand." The dragon demon interrupted. "The more you retaliate, the harder it will become." He finished off with a venomous smirk, his golden eyes gleaming darkly in the morning sun.

What did I get myself into?! Rin could do nothing but blame herself for acting so immature.

"Rin!" Where is that thick-skulled girl?"Jaken screeched. He wanted to deliver the letters she received so he could be done with. He had more important matters to attend instead of playing delivery boy. Rounding up on one of the castle's corners, the green imp stood in front of the girl's room. Trying to decide whether to knock or enter the room unannounced, the small frog-like looking creature recalled the day he stumbled into Rin's room when she was changing, which earned him a hard kick in the face.

"Eh, Rin, can I come in?" He mumbled.

"H-hai" He heard her voice through the paper thin shoji doors. Sliding them open, he saw Rin laying in her futon, holding some sort of a scroll.

"That woman from Edo who has been disrespecting Lord Sesshomaru wrote you a letter. Oh, and there's another one from that boy Kohaku."

"Really?" The teenager perked up. "Okay, thanks for bringing them to me," she chimed, hearing that she received news from her friends. Watching Jaken waddle out of her room, Rin reached for the white envelopes. Running her fingers over the brim of the envelope, she swiftly opened the letter she received from Kohaku. I haven't heard from him in ages, the girl whispered to herself with agitation.

Skimming her brown eyes over the black ink, she made a toothy grin, her dimpled cheeks rising up.

…So Sango informed me that Sesshomaru stole you away agan, hope he is treating you well. Anyway, I'm doing really great! I finally received my demon blade from Totosai. It's so big and amazing and cool! You'll have to see it for yourself…

"Pfft, dorky as always." Rin snickered to herself.

… I'm not sure if I'll be passing by the Western Lands anytime soon, but if you're ever planning on visiting Edo, let me know and I'll drop by…

Putting the letter away, she smiled thinking about the boy. He was always cheery and upbeat, even during the cloudiest of days. He always tried to impress Rin with his 'cool' fighting skills, treating her as if a true brother. Putting her thoughts aside, Rin opened the next envelope. This one was from Kagome.

Reading the very pretty handwriting of the girl she could almost call a sister, Rin gasped as she raised her palm to her mouth. Eyes tearing up, she read over and over the same sentence.

…Rin. You know how much we struggled. But we finally did it. I'm with child! You have no idea how much happiness my heart holds…

Rin was so glad Kagome could finally create a family. Not once had the young miko expressed Rin her struggles and worries, about not being able to have children with the man she loved. Not once did the girl stumble upon Kagome trying to hide her tears because of her futile efforts to conceive.

…I wish I could hug you with all my might! Don't forget to visit us too! Kaede misses you dearly, and Sango with Miroku asked when you are coming for a stay. Don't forget about us! …

"Kagome, I'm so happy for you…" Rin whispered, blinking away the small tears. Although Rin was overjoyed about the changes in Kagome's life, she couldn't help but feel a little bitter. No, she wasn't jealous. Love seemed to be flourishing around her but this made her think if she will ever be able to create a family herself. To have a family when the life she has chosen was like a pledge to stay by her Lords side as long as she lives. Not that she complained – it was all she ever wanted during those years in Edo, and was more than happy to serve her Lord. But sometimes she would feel isolated being in a place in which people didn't accept her. Rin felt lonely during those times when Sesshomaru was away, leaving her behind.

But maybe she could at least see her friends?

Stashing the letters she received in one of the drawers, Rin eagerly stood up with one thought in mind. Ask Sesshomaru if she can visit Edo.

Emerging from her quarters, Rin went out on a mission to seek out Sesshomaru. She wasn't quite sure as to where he might be but maybe Jaken might know?

As the teenager wandered through the hallways of the huge mansion, she didn't put much thought into where she was going and that resulted in her walking straight into a person.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going" Rin blurted out, expecting to receive a long lecture about being incompetent and foolish from the noble she had just bumped into.

"Rin?" She heard a familiar voice. Raising her eyes upwards, she saw that the noble she so stupidly stumbled into was, in fact, Tomoko who was smiling down at her. "Rin, it's so good I've found you. Are you busy right now?" she said cheerily.

"Um… Well not in particular," Rin said, biting her lip.

"That's great. Do you mind joining me today? I've been soo bored lately and I could really use some company." The fox demon said hopefully, batting her long dark lashes and making a slight pout. "We could explore the castle if you'd like." It was clear that Tomoko was trying to temp Rin into joining her.

"I'm not sure there's all that much left to explore for me" Rin laughed. "But yeah, okay."

"Oh you have no idea how much you haven't seen." Tomoko smirked, taking Rin by her wrist and leading her away, which earned quite a few glances from both nobles and servants standing in the halls.

"See that woman over there, the one clad in a blue kimono?" Tomoko murmured as quietly as possible while pointing her long finger towards the person she was talking about through a gap in a wall while slightly crouching in a small tunnel behind it.

"The one with a tail?" Rin whispered. She and Tomoko had been roaming the castle for hours now. Turns out, Rin truly knew nothing about this oversized place. The fox demon showed Rin just a speck of the many secret passages and hidden corridors. And currently, they were hiding in one of them. Of course, not everyone knew about these secret halls, maybe just a handful of people who had been residing here for years. Exploring every nook and cranny of this palace was more than interesting to Rin. Some of the secret passages were so old and forgotten, that the two women even managed to find some remains of demons who lived here hundreds, maybe a thousand of years ago.

"Rin, almost all of them have tails. I'm talking about the one who's standing by the window, talking to general Shin." Tomoko tried to hold in her laughter.

"Ooh, yeah, I see her."

"That's Izumi. A few years back she requested our Lord Sesshomaru to become one of his concubines, but he didn't want to have someone as sinuous as her in his bed, "The fox demon explained. Not only did the women roam the palace's hidden halls, but also spied on some of the nobles. Tomoko basically explained Rin how things are being run here. Some nobles had more influence than others but in the end they all were ruled by Sesshomaru.

"Wait. What?" Concubines?! "What do you mean by 'one 'of his concubines?" Rin whispered loudly, clearly confused by what she just heard.

"Huh? Didn't you know that Sesshomaru has a harem?" Tomoko blurted out.

"Um… No?" the human girl furrowed her brows and turned her head towards the fox yokai. As her heartbeat increasing ever so slightly, Rin sensed a faint feeling of jealousy creeping its way into her mind.

"There's so much you don't know" was all Rin heard when her hand got grabbed once again and she was dragged deeper into the dark, damp tunnel.

The sun had already set and glimpses of bright stars were already creeping into the nightly sky. Although Rin had agreed to come to Sesshomaru's chambers once the sun was down, he wasn't expecting her this time. At some point during the day, Tomoko asked if Rin can skip their 'meeting' and at that moment he didn't think much of it and obliged.

But as the day passed, Rin was invading his thoughts more and more.

The question Hino Ryu asked him just yesterday, the way he didn't even hesitate when it came to rescuing her or just simply having the girl in his company. Why did he feel less in control when she was around?

As Sesshomaru was lying on his raised futon, long silver hair spread around his head like a halo, he thought about the effect this human had on him. This girl… was plaguing his mind. Wasn't he a lord and she - just a ward? Closing his amber eyes, he tried to escape these thoughts with sleep. But the long awaited slumber never came.

Turning on his side and propping his head up with his hand, he looked at the door of his bedroom. Maybe he could ease his mind if he released his frustration on someone? Lips curving up into a smirk, the lord rose from his futon and left his chambers. I guess I won't sleep tonight.

"I'M LATE!" Rin jerked awake in her futon, her hair a complete mess and a bit of saliva on her cheek. Still drowsy, the girl frantically looked around her room, her gaze being caught by the warm sun rays shining through the wooden-framed windows. Wait. There's no training today.

"Hell yeah,"She murmured, fist pumping to herself.

Taking her slightly wet pillow into her hands, she turned on her side and closed her eyes once more.

A few hours later, Rin was woken up by the sound of someone rustling in her room. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes, she propped herself up on her elbows and noticed a maid shuffling around, lifting up various items and putting them away. "Mako? What are you doing?" Rin yawned.

"Sorry for waking you up but I had to tidy this place up a bit," The scaly maid smiled, her green eyes gleaming in the sunlight and nose crinkling up a bit.

"No, it's alright. Honestly you don't have to do this, I can finish up myself." The young woman stretched her arms up, climbing out of her futon.

"Oh but it is my job. I have been assigned to you." Mako said matter-of-factly and continued cleaning the small dust on all kinds of surfaces and reorganizing Rin's belongings.

While the maid was busying herself with chores, Rin was scanning the room for something to wear, thinking about her plans for today. I still have to ask Sesshomaru about Edo, she reminded herself.

As if reading Rin's thoughts, the maid began to speak "By the way, Jaken has asked me to inform you, that Lord Sesshomaru won't be expecting you today. It seems like there has been some commotion near the Eastern borders and our Lord with a few of his generals had gone to patrol the area."

"Well that certainly ruins my today's plans," Rin mumbled under her breath, earning her a confused look from Mako.

A serpent-like noble that has been teaching Rin calligraphy lessons was giving her a boring lecture on how to act more ladylike. An area Rin clearly lacked in with both her language and manners.

"It has come to my attention that you are using your vulgar language to address some of the court officials. And that just won't do." The yokai expressed.

"Are you sure you're in the position to be saying that?" Rin sighed, barely managing to stay awake from the boredom.

"What are you inclining, girl?" The serpent demon narrowed her eyes, swiftly folding the fan she held with one hand.

Rin breathed out as if it was obvious and mustered "I've heard you complain to other nobles how our Lord could even think of harboring a human as 'slow-witted and incompetent' as me."

The woman froze with wide eyes and her cheeks getting slightly warmer. "W-were you spying on me?" She accused the teenager, pointing the folded fan at her.

"It's hard not to notice." Rin simply responded, staring through the window and not caring showing any interest in the noblewoman's babbling about how rude the teenager was acting. But suddenly an idea dawned on her. Sesshomaru wasn't anywhere near the castle, nor his generals and most of his warriors. Jaken too was probably busy with trivial matters, meaning that there was no one to restrict her from going outside the mansion's territory. Smirking inwardly at this revelation, Rin simply waited for the lesson to end, trying to pay as much attention as possible so that the serpent yokai wouldn't complain again

Covered by a dark robe, the girl sneakily made her way towards the royal stables. The stables looked less like a place for horses and more like a large house - tall ceiling and beautifully ornamented wooden walls with red panels. Even the wealthiest of human nobles could not think of devoting such a beautifully constructed building to mere animals. As Rin crept her way inside, she noted the abundance of stalls and horses, who were now aware of the girl's presence. The sound of whining and nicking swept across each stall like a wave. But one stall in particular caught the girl's eye. There, in the right corner of the building was a certain, very familiar dragon. It's stall was much bigger than any of the other residing animals', showing that the creature to whom this stall belonged was more than important. The teenager almost instantly appeared in front of the stall and gasped with a wide smile, her eyes twinkling with adoration.

"Ah-Un,"Rin's silvery voice echoed. The two-headed dragon bobbed it's head up and down, sniffing her palm as she ruffled the mane of one the heads with her free hand. "I'm happy to see you too. But I won't be taking you with me today." Rin mustered and turned her head to see which horse might suit her best.

The abundant choice did not hinder her from making a swift decision. After all, she needed to move quick in order to stay unnoticed - even though at the moment there weren't any guards placed around the building, it didn't mean they won't appear. Noticing a black mare just a few stalls away, the girl made her way towards the horse. The animal didn't seem frightened or agitated, on the contrary - it reached it's snout towards Rin, sniffing at her robe, clearly showing curiosity. The mare most likely had never been approached by a human.

Rin took the reins of the black horse and slowly lead the animal out of the stables. Placing one foot into the stirrup, the girl easily hoisted herself onto the saddle and sat up proudly. I've still got it, she grinned with satisfaction.

As she held tightly onto the reins, the teenager urged the horse forward by gently squeezing the mare's sides. "That's right." She encouraged the animal and guided it towards the woods.

Once the horse was galloping closer and closer to the 'forbbiden' forest, Rin felt her thoughts wander about. She had missed this feeling of being free. The teenager thought that by choosing Sesshomaru she will be able to roam the territories of Japan together with him, but instead, she ended up being held within the castle's walls. But although this was not what she had expected, Rin was still satisfied with how things had turned out. She got to train and be by her Lord's side. Maybe one day, when she's strong enough, he'll let her join him in his patrols. Maybe.

"So, do you think commander Seikyo is pioneering this siege?" Shin's deep growling voice cut through the silence. The general looked over the laid out map on the table as he was stroking his grey shaggy beard.

"Doubtful. He knows that these miniscule attacks can be easily dealt with. Although there is a possibility he might be planning something." Sesshomaru responded, not sparing a single glance to the general, his expression utterly blank and unfathomable.

"What is the plan then?" General Shin asked once more, not too happy with the news.

"I suggest we wait for the invasion and then simply destroy them. Easy as that." Hino Ryu motioned nonchalantly, turning away from the map.

Pacing around the large tent, Shin was starting to lose his patience. "But won't we address the fact that Seikyo is threatening the West?! Sesshomaru, there have been rumors that you are growing weaker from the same illness your father had – infatuation with a human. When others see that you are harboring a weak creature, they can't help but think that you too have become soft."

"What does Rin have to do with anything?" the dog demon snapped his head towards the old man. If he were someone else, the inuyokai would decapitate him for such disrespect in just a blink of an eye. But this old fool had served his father years before Sesshomaru was even born. He will spare him. For now.

"The girl is making you appear weak." General shin stated, crossing his arms on his chest.

While the old man was trying to get on Sesshomaru's nerves, Ryu simply observed the dog demon. He noted that Sesshomaru becomes extremely defensive when it comes to Rin. Maybe Shin is right, the dragon yokai pondered.

"Do you think I, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, would stoop myself so low as to get involved with a human?" the yokai smirked darkly. "My, my, it seems it's becoming harder and harder to get the respect I deserve" he suddenly finished coldly, face void of any emotion.

Both Shin and Ryu noticed Sesshomaru's aura flare ever so slightly as if to show the sheer dominance and power. Although this didn't affect Ryu by one bit, Shin felt himself shiver.

The short quarrel was swiflty ended when an armor clad warrior came stumbling into the tent, notifying Sesshomaru and both of his generals that an attack had just begun. While Shin snarled with anger, the dog yokai simply left the tent while Ryu was still sneering delightfully. Finally some action, Ryu thought, moving his claw through his raven hair.

Stepping out of the makeshift shelter, Sesshomaru breathed in the cold damp air from the fog that was brought by the malevolent wind howling past him. He noticed a hostile mob in the distance, quickly approaching the area they were residing in. Looking around at his men- a few hundreds of skilled yokai warriors- he had no doubt that the victory would soon be his. Seeing that the time to strike was about right, the dog demon drew out his trusted Bakusaiga from its ornamented sheathe and strode his way forward, Ryu and Shin close behind him.

The dragon yokai cracked his knuckles as the corners of his mouth lifted up into a vigilant smile. Reaching back with his hand to the blade that he was carrying on his shoulder, he unsheathed a curved, extremely sharp sword and clutched it by his side with thirsty energy. The image of what had happened years ago flashed through his mind, further fueling his lust to kill. As the enemy got closer to the western border, Sesshomaru's warriors began to move, clearly eager to destroy their enemy and please their lord.

Sounds of clinking swords, gruesome slashes and growls could be heard for miles as the tall grass was getting soaked with fresh blood. Shin, the general that had served the West since Sesshomaru's father, cut through the bodies of his foes while holding his blade firmly in his callous hands. The air was becoming hazy, a red mist thrown up from the sheer of blood that was spilt.

The lord himself gracefully wielded his weapon from above, spreading destruction and death just by a single blow of his Bakusaiga. Even though it was not necessary for him to participate in such a battle, he could not refuse himself such entertainment. Strangled screams of despair and the metallic taste of blood were overpowering, the feeling of adrenaline rushing in his veins. They were slaughtering them like sheep.

In the forest, Rin was trotting with her black horse alongside an old path. Brown decaying leaves were scrunching beneath the mare's hooves as the girl was taking in her surroundings. Large oak and maple trees on both sides of the road created a dense wall, wind whistling by when crossing through their thick branches.

As the teenager slowed down the horse's pace, she noticed a deer not too far from her, shuffling between the leaves. This will make great practice for me, she smiled. Stopping the mare, Rin slowly reached for her throwing knife, trying to make as less noise as possible. Okay, stay calm now. I can do this. Firmly grasping the small blade, the teenager raised her hand and with one quick exhale released it from her fingers, slinging it towards the animal. Suddenly, the deer jerked its head up towards Rin as a loud 'thud' was heard on a nearby tree, the agile animal swiftly running off deeper into the woods.

Goddamn it. I missed, the teenager sighed. Deciding to not give up just yet, Rin urged the mare to follow the deer into the dense forest. Moving faster and faster, Rin rhythmically bounced on the horse's back trying to catch up with her pray.

"Come on, we can make it!" Rin encouraged her companion. Nearing the deer, she once again made her aim towards the quick animal, except this time while in motion. Holding tightly onto the reins with one hand, she threw the sharpened knife with the other. As if slicing through air, the small blade made a whistling sound until it hit it's determined target, her prey falling to the ground upon contact.

"Yes!" The girl exhaled loudly with triumph, jumping off the saddle. But as she confidently made her way towards the deer, Rin started to feel regret. The animal was struggling to stay alive, clearly suffering. Crouching down near its body, Rin took out her dagger from its neck, murmuring a soft "I'm sorry" and quickly shoving the blade into the temple, trying to put the poor creature out of its misery. This certainly wasn't worth your life.

After she completed the task she bestowed upon herself, the girl noticed that the sun was already beginning to set.

"We better head back before anyone notices that I'm gone" she said aloud. She straddled the black horse once again and started trudging back towards the path she originally came from. Unfortunately, Rin was not aware that she wasn't alone anymore.

A loud crack from behind made the girl halt. Turning her head over her shoulder, Rin felt her heartbeat quicken and body shudder. A hideous, gigantic ogre-like creature stood just a few yards away, breathing heavily at the sight of her.

"It seems I've found myself a late night snack" He bared his crooked, fanged teeth, stepping a bit closer towards Rin.

Deciding not to try her chances, Rin squeezed the sides of her mare in an attempt to run, but the horse just didn't budge. "Why are you stopping? Go!" Rin urged the horse, yanking the reins harder.

The ogre was even closer now and grinned widely, saliva coming out from the sides of his mouth, vile stench reaching Rin's keen nose. "Mmm… I can already smell how ripe you are"

Giving her last attempt to move the horse, Rin suddenly felt the mare stand up on it's hind legs, throwing her down from its back. Completely stunned by what was transpiring, the girl landed on the cold, hard ground as the animal ran off into the clearing. Damn it! She cussed, still shocked from what just had happened.

Seeing this, the ogre yokai filled the air with his snarling laughter, causing Rin goosebumps from the sheer disgust she felt. "You have nowhere to run, little girl."

"Don't underestimate me" she breathed, masking her face with a glare. Maybe if he sees im not intimidated... But her eyes and body betrayed her. Her heart was beating too quick. She was afraid. But Rin still had two throwing knives left on her. Maybe, just maybe, she could fight this thing.

Hearing this, the ogre growled and lunged forward, reaching his hands forward and trying to grab the girl but Rin swiftly rolled to the side, evading the grasp of his sharp claws. She could hear the rapid beating of her heart in her eardrums, the rush of adrenaline sharpening her senses.

As the creature launched itself again, Rin retracted a dagger from the folds of her kosode. She held tightly onto the small knife she used on the deer, and, when the ogre was close enough, Rin pierced his side with the sharp object, causing the warm, dark red fluid to stain her robes and hands. Breathing heavily, she tried standing up. But the fight wasn't over just yet.

The ogre sprung to life and grabbed her leg with his razor-sharp claws, puncturing her skin and draining blood. "Filthy useless human woman!" he growled viciously, pulling Rin towards himself as she barely managed to breathe a squeal.

"We easily claimed victory!" Shin cheered, clapping his hands together, while back at the tent. "Shall we celebrate, my Lord?"

"No." Sesshomaru answered plainly. "I and Ryu are heading back, you are to stay here and keep watch until further notice." He turned around and started making his way out.
"B-but my Lord…" the general tried to protest. There was nothing left to do here since the enemy's army was completely destroyed. No one would even dare to come near the border with all the butchered bodies on display.

Minging drunk, Ryu thought to himself as he followed Sesshomaru outside. Shin has always been a keen admirer of alcohol and always tried to find an excuse to enjoy the delicious sake of the West.

Sesshomaru was crossing over his fertile and rich lands in his true demon form, white lush fur surrounding his massive body and strong legs making wide strides in the air. The cool evening breeze was more than welcome, caressing his frame after the exhausting fight.

Strangely enough, the dog demon still felt an urge to hunt. Guess the bloodlust from the battle hasn't been clenched just yet, he thought to himself wickedly and started descending into the forest not too far from the palace. The force of his oversized paws crumbled and splintered a number of trees, sounds of destruction echoing for miles on end and flocks of birds fleeing from their homes from the hard landing. Standing up tall and proud, tongue slightly poking out of his dangerous jaws, Sesshomaru took a huge whiff of air, trying to determine just who might be his prey for tonight.

Suddenly, the large dog's ears perked up. He could smell blood from a doe and an eerily familiar but faint scent of it's killer. The smell bothered him, as if it shouldn't belong in the forest at all. It reminded him of home, flowers and… Rin. It finally dawned on him. What is she doing here? His nostrils flared. Turning around towards the direction her scent was most noticeable, Sesshomaru started to stride with long leaps. But he was taken aback when the sweet fragrance of wild flowers was replaced by that of blood. Her blood. Instincts kicking in and heartbeat becoming faster, the dog yokai dashed towards his human, bulldozing his way through the dense forest.

Going deeper into the woods and nearing the source of her scent Sesshomaru felt hostile youki coming from the same direction. A yokai? He questioned. Why didn't I feel it's youki before? This knowledge only made him more worried. Picking up on his pace, Sesshomaru approached a small clearing and saw something that made his blood boil. The markings on his muzzle becoming even more jagged and vision clouding up, the yokai lord felt himself slip. Rin, with blood all over her frame, was pinned down by a huge ogre. As Sesshomaru's animalistic instincts took control, he leaped into the clearing and raggedly sank his sharp teeth into it's form, pulling it away from the girl. But to his surprise, the ogre was already dead, blood smearing his snout. A knife was shoved into it's chest, killing the ogre instantly. Spitting out the disgusting creature, he looked at Rin who was now questioning her lord's appearance with her gaze.

"My Lord?" She whispered unsurely.

Rin watched the dog demon surround himself with white energy as he shifted back into his humanoid form. Walking up to her while still being able to smell Rin's blood, a liquid which never bothered him before but was now making him feel uneasy, he crouched down to Rin's eye level, searching her eyes. The girl's face was smeared with blood.

"Where are you hurt?"

"I- it scratched my leg, that's all." She offered a smile, trying to hide the fact that it actually hurt. He's not mad?

Turning his gaze to her leg, he saw a deep gash on the girl's left shin. With an annoyed look on his face, Sesshomru growled, "What were you thinking, Rin? Why are you out here at all?!"

Nevermind, Rin sighed inwardly.

"My Lord, as you can see, I am fine - I can still walk, I'm not dead either." Rin huffed, turning her eyes towards her first kill.

"Rin. Why are you here?" Sesshomaru demanded again, his patience running low.

"Because I wanted to. Because you never let me join you on your patrols. Because I'm always left alone. There are many reasons." She turned to him, her eyes full of emotion. Her gaze was seeking for any clue of emotion in face, masked with neutrality

He didn't know how to answer her, as if his mind became completely blank. Did she feel abandoned?

"…Rin," He started, "... I don't want you wandering off again. Even if you're capable of defending yourself, you can still get hurt," he finished as he lightly moved his fingers over her injured shin.

All of a sudden Rin felt Sesshomaru's strong arms wrap around her fragile body as she was effortlessly lifted up.

"My Lord!" The girl yelped in surprise.

"Even if you believe you're strong to stand your own ground in a battle," he said ironically, lips slightly curling into smirk "Keep in mind that I am your sole protector. Rely on me." Sesshomaru finished with a ghost of a smile, a smile that was only ever meant for her eyes.

Feeling her cheeks getting warm, Rin placed her head close to his chest. The way he was holding her, the rhythmic beating of his heart and his soft stride soothed her mind. She always felt safe in his arms. His arms.

AN: Chapter 3 done! Tell me what you think !