Chapter Seven: An Unsuspected Storm
"Keh! What would you know?"
Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru glanced down at the little girl, who now was sleeping soundly. He felt a smile pull at his lips and sighed. "This is getting irritating." Sesshoumaru muttered.
"What is?" Inuyasha asked curiously, seeing his brothers stare at the girl in his lap.
"These emotions. I don't understand them." He growled.
"What is there to understand?" Inuyasha asked.
'Mutt you sure are stupid sometimes.' Sesshoumaru thought.
"Sesshoumaru, you already show anger, rage, and irritation, what is there to understand about the other emotions?" Inuyasha persisted.
"What is the purpose of smiling? Why is it this girl causes my heart to shudder each time she is in danger? Why this feeling of jealousy? Why do I get angry over the mere thought of her being close to anyone else?" The questions poured out of Sesshoumaru's mouth before he could stop himself.
Inuyasha blinked. "Uhh….Kagome?" The younger brother looked at her for help.
She laughed. Kagome held up her hand quickly, stopping the rush of questions from Sesshoumaru's mouth.
He clamped his mouth shut in horror.
"Sesshoumaru, why don't we go for a walk?" Kagome suggested to Inuyasha's disapproval.
"You're kidding, right?" Inuyasha growled. Kagome shook her head firmly.
Sesshoumaru frowned, but nodded. He gently picked up Rin and placed her in Inuyasha's lap. "If anything happens to her, little brother, nothing will save you from my wrath." He hissed.
Kagome followed Sesshoumaru quickly. They stopped by the rumbling waterfall, and she watched the play of emotions across his face. "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I know how you are when showing any feelings. That is why I suggested us going for a walk."
"I am grateful for that." He muttered.
"Tell me what is wrong." Kagome pushed.
"I don't like this world." Sesshoumaru growled low.
She nodded. "Perhaps being here is a good thing, for all of us."
He shot a glare at her.
"Stop trying to be macho, mister." She scolded. "Remember our talk after your fight? I don't break my word to anyone. What you say to me will remain with me."
Sesshoumaru nodded and closed his eyes. "Hn." Opening his eyes, he stared at the waterfall silently.
"When I said that Rin thinks of you as a father, it opened something within you, didn't it?"
He nodded absently. "I am not her father."
Shaking her head, Kagome pressed on trying to find the right words. "No, you're not. But you are all she has now."
Sesshoumaru glanced at her. "It…I…She…" For the third time in his life Sesshoumaru was speechless. "Grrr." He snarled.
Kagome smiled. "Take your time."
"How old are you, girl?"
"I'll be sixteen soon." Kagome grinned. Sesshoumaru shook his head.
"I am more then triple your age, and yet you seem to be wiser then I with this."
She shrugged. "Call it a human trait. I am far from a master at emotions, but I know what some of them mean and what they do to you."
"Hn." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes again. "When you said what you said back there…" He paused. Sighing, he continued. "I felt something inside, and I don't know how to describe it."
"Use the sun or moon or stars as examples."
He looked at her confused.
"For example, did you feel warm inside, like the sun? Cold as the night? Comforted like the moon? Lost like the stars."
He blinked. 'Shit this girl is something else. Inuyasha is a stupid mutt if he doesn't realize what he has.' "The first one you said." He muttered thinking on how he felt.
"Warm inside like the warmth the sun gives off?" Kagome smiled slowly.
He nodded. "It was a sense of relief. Much like after I succeeded in saving her life back in our era." He paused again. "But I also feel lost."
"Why?" Kagome pushed, happy that she was getting this black hearted youkai to talk at all.
"I don't know how to let her know."
Kagome frowned. "What do you want to let her know?"
"That I am there."
Shaking her head, Kagome wasn't getting anywhere now. "She already knows you are there, Sesshoumaru. Do you mean that you want her to know that she means something more to you?"
"I don't treat her all that well. I think of her as…" Scrambling for something he winced. "I think of her as mine. I…"
"You think of her as your daughter?" Kagome supplied.
"Daughter?" Sesshoumaru whispered softly. "I suppose."
Kagome stepped closer to him, seeing Sesshoumaru in a new light. "You love her as a father would his child, don't you?"
Flinching, Sesshoumaru didn't respond. Instead he found the waterfall rather interesting at this particular moment. Sighing, he nodded suddenly. "I don't like these new thoughts, Kagome." He whispered with pain and fear mixed into his words.
"Who else knows about this, but you and myself?" Kagome whispered.
"No one. If anyone knew…" Sesshoumaru hissed.
Kagome nodded and placed her hand on his arm. He jerked at her touch but didn't pull away. "I think Rin already knows, Sesshoumaru."
He looked at her raising his brows high. "She does?"
Kagome smiled gently. "She already shows her love for you, in her own way. She smiles, laughs, and looks up to you."
"Hn." He felt a smile pull at his lips again. "I don't like this smiling, it is too…human."
Kagome laughed. "Didn't your father ever smile?"
Sesshoumaru stilled. "I…I think he did actually." Looking at her he frowned. "What should I do?"
"About what?" Kagome giggled at the different ways the conversation was going. He kept changing the subject on her and she could barely keep up.
"About Rin, about smiling, about everything." He huffed, spreading his arms out frustrated.
Shaking her head, Kagome sighed. "First off, as I said, don't hide your emotions. Let them out. While we are here, why not? I won't hold it against you, Rin won't either. I'm sure that Inuyasha won't. If he does, well, I'll 'sit' him." They heard a grunt of pain behind them, and they turned around to see Inuyasha face first in the dirt by the fire, in his hands above his head, laid the sleeping girl Rin.
"Oops." Kagome laughed. Shaking her head, she shared a glance with Sesshoumaru who rolled his eyes.
Then he chuckled. "I still find that extremely amusing."
"Do you still want to talk?" Kagome asked, seeing that he didn't look as burdened.
"Later. If I have any questions." Sesshoumaru turned his gaze back to the waterfall and smiled slightly. Before she could walk away though, he turned to her again. "Kagome?"
"Yes?" She asked holding her foot up, pausing her retreat.
"Thank you."
She grinned triumphantly. "You're welcome, Sesshoumaru."
They both walked back to the fire, where Inuyasha was rearranging Rin back into his lap and he glared at Kagome. "What was that for? Testing my reflexes?"
"Sorry, it was an accident. I didn't know it worked when you were out of ear shot."
"Well, we both know it works now, so please no more. Especially when I am holding Rin in my lap, alright?"
Kagome laughed. "I'll remember that." She rolled her eyes. The twins held their smiles back barely, sharing a look with each other.
"What sort of power is that?" Elrohir asked, swallowing his laughter with difficulty.
Inuyasha glared at Kagome.
"Um. No power." Kagome shrugged. "Just a rosary that keeps him in line."
Sesshoumaru sat down again and took Rin from Inuyasha, placing her gently back in his lap. "What else should we know about the dangers of this world?"
"There are many dangers, we already told you most of them, but there has been evil growing in the east since Mordor has woken. If you want more answers, you will have to ask our father when we return to Rivendell."
"And who is your father?" Sesshoumaru muttered, absently pushing a stray piece of hair off Rin's forehead.
"Elrond of Rivendell." Elrohir smiled.
"He is knowledgeable in history?" Inuyasha asked.
Elladan nodded. "I would say." He chuckled. "He's been around since the First Age. That would make him…" Elladan paused thinking, holding his fingers to his chin. "Ro, why don't you tell them?" Elladan smirked.
"What? Me? Why?" Elrohir gaped.
"You do all the reading, you should know."
"Are you trying to tell me you don't know how old father is?" Elrohir smirked.
"I never said that, but you're the bookworm." Elladan sniffed.
"What has that got to do with anything? You're older, so you tell them." Elrohir felt his smirk broaden.
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshoumaru stared.
"You're younger."
"They mixed us up at birth and you know it." Elrohir turned his head away, barely holding in his laughter.
"Sure, keep telling yourself that." Elladan nodded, noticing his brother's wide grin on his lips. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me you don't know how old father is?"
Elrohir gasped. "Why would you say that? Didn't you just say I was the bookworm?"
"So you do know then."
"And you don't."
"Sure I do, I don't think you do however."
"Likewise."
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha glanced at each other, now lost in the conversation. "What were we asking about again?" Inuyasha whispered to his brother.
Sesshoumaru smirked. Turning their heads back to the twins, who were still arguing playfully, they sighed shrugging. "I take it you two do this often?"
The twins glanced at them, both breaking into laughter. Elladan stopped laughing, noticing dark clouds drifting across the sky. "There's a storm coming."
Sesshoumaru nodded, without glancing up. "I can smell the rain. Is there shelter nearby?"
Elrohir nodded. "There's an old hut downriver that the mortals use when they fish. We can go there."
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, but nodded. The company got to their feet, and Elrohir stretched and sighed happily. Elladan looked at him pointedly, and walked over to him lifting his tunic. "It's not healed yet."
Elrohir shot him a glare. "I know that, but it no longer hurts, or haven't you noticed?"
Elladan mumbled under his breath. Turning away, he grabbed their packs, walking down the stony surface of the beach, leading the way.
Sesshoumaru gently picked up Rin, and held her against his chest with his right arm. Standing there now baffled, he grunted in annoyance. On the ground at his feet lay his pelt and he had no way to get it. Kagome and Inuyasha both had left following Elladan, and Elrohir turned back, looking at the still figure of Sesshoumaru.
Elrohir noticed his lack of movement and the fact he was staring at the ground pondering how he would gather up his fur. Shaking his head, Elrohir walked back. Standing there beside Sesshoumaru, he looked down and stared at the pelt as well. They both just stood there and stared.
"It's not moving." Elrohir murmured softly.
Sesshoumaru twitched slightly, and smirked at the attempt at humor. Shaking his head chuckling, he turned his gaze to the shorter elf beside him. "I wouldn't expect it would." Sesshoumaru muttered, trying to hold in his amusement.
Elrohir nodded. "Think we should pick it up and be on our way?"
"Would be nice, yes." Sesshoumaru nodded.
Elrohir looked at him with his most serious face pasted over his amusement. "It won't attack me?"
Sesshoumaru snorted, but he refrained from comment and the elf bent down and gathered the large fur into his hands.
"It's soft." Elrohir said surprised. "What is it?"
Sesshoumaru snorted again. "It's a fur pelt. What does it look like?"
Elrohir snickered. Placing the fur over the sleeping girl, he nodded. "Bet you're wishing you had your arm."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Wishing will not bring my arm back." Turning away, Sesshoumaru nodded his thanks to the elf who followed smiling.
They had walked only a short distance before thunder and lightening filled the sky, causing Rin to wake startled. She jerked in Sesshoumaru's arms, and blinked surprised. "That was loud." She whispered, and then she realized she was being carried and her eyes looked to see who it was. "Lord Sesshoumaru." She smiled.
"Rin." Sesshoumaru nodded. "There's a storm coming."
She nodded, turning her gaze to the now blackened sky. "Wow." She stated. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"What is it?"
"Are the clouds back home this dark when it storms?"
Looking down at her curiously, he frowned. "You have seen our storms before."
"Yes, but I don't remember them ever being that black." She lifted her hand to the sky and his gaze followed and then widened.
Stopping dead in his tracks, he stared. "Those aren't natural." He muttered, and caught Elrohir's attention.
The elf shook his head. "You're right." The sky was black as night, dark grey, and black clouds quickly covering the small bits of blue that had once been there. Mingled among the black and grey clouds were dark menacing brown clouds rolling through the sky billowing much like smoke.
A flash of lightening brightened the area around them, in a sizzling white and blue light.
Inuyasha immediately froze. "That almost feels like your Souryuuha." He immediately took the defensive.
Sesshoumaru had also felt the massive power, and took a deep breath.
"Feels like what?" Elrohir muttered, wincing as a loud clap of thunder erupted right after.
Inuyasha shook his head trying to clear the ringing, but shouted above the thunder that echoed through the valley. "Trust me, you don't want to know."
The wind picked up howling with ferocity. "We need to get to shelter now." Sesshoumaru hissed.
Elrohir agreed and quickly raced up to his brother and whispered something to him. Without a word, Elladan darted into the trees on their right, and disappeared. Elrohir shouted. "Come on!"
The wind grew with intensity, howling rage through the air, followed by loud cracks of thunder rippling around them, causing the ground to vibrate with the noise. Sizzling flashes of lightening seared the now black sky, and then with another loud crack of thunder, the rain started. It didn't start as a slow rain but came pouring down as though a waterfall had broken through a dam.
Holding Rin closer to his body, Sesshoumaru growled loudly, and raced towards Elrohir, Inuyasha and Kagome. The hut was close, huddled amongst the trees on the rivers edge, and they quickly made their way to it. Elrohir pushed open the broken door, and groaned at the tattered roof, and water that dripped inside. It was dry for the most part, but the shack was old.
They scrambled inside and Elrohir closed the door behind them. Sesshoumaru felt small hands clutch the front of his hakama, and he looked down seeing Rin's face buried in his chest. Looking up he pointedly looked at Elrohir. "Where did your brother go?"
Elrohir shook his head. "Scanning the area. This is the work of a wizard."
Sesshoumaru nodded and glanced over at Inuyasha and Kagome and inwardly smirked. Inuyasha had his arms around her, rubbing her back gently trying to warm her up. They were all soaked through, and Sesshoumaru unconsciously tightened his grasp on Rin. She shifted and looked up at him. "I'm cold and wet, Lord Sesshoumaru." She whispered through her chattering teeth.
He nodded, and sighed. Looking up at the roof he gritted his teeth together at the planks of wood and straw that remained of the roof. There were chunks of wood missing, and rain poured in quickly soaking the floor. Inuyasha glanced over at his brother, still rubbing Kagome's back trying to get her own chattering teeth to ease, and he pushed concern through his eyes as they met his brother's. Mouthing, he said silently. "We need to get a fire going. They'll catch their death of cold."
Sesshoumaru nodded again, and tore his eyes from his brother. The cold air that seeped in through the gaps in the hut made Sesshoumaru growl low in his throat. To him the cold didn't bother him, but sniffing the air, it smelled like the early winter storms that were back in their time. Elrohir's eyes trailed to his and flickered with concern of his own, and he grunted, thinking rapidly.
"I'll return." The elf muttered and exited the hut quickly.
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha shared a look, but refrained from saying anything. Looking back down at the girl in his arm, Sesshoumaru noticed her pulling the fur closer to her, snuggling into it. She was still shivering, and he shook his head at a loss. Suddenly a thought came to him, the cold didn't bother him or his brother, and he felt a smile pull at the corner of his lips.
"Kagome." Sesshoumaru grinned and he walked over staring at her for a second. "Take Rin. Wrap yourselves in my pelt."
Inuyasha suddenly realized what Sesshoumaru was suggesting and nodded. "It will keep you both warm."
Without complaint, Kagome took Rin out of Sesshoumaru's arm and held her close as Inuyasha placed the fur around their shivering forms. Kagome curled up into a corner and both girls sat there while the brothers peered out the cracks of the hut.
"When do you think this will end?" Inuyasha asked softly, trying to keep his voice down so that he didn't disturb the girls.
"That is anybody's guess." Sesshoumaru sighed. "I trust that is where the twins went off to."
Inuyasha nodded. "I wish I had the Tessaiga."
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Tokijin would be nice to have at my side again."
"What about the Tenseiga?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "It is useless in battle, you know that."
Inuyasha looked at his brother. "It was made out of dad's fang right? I would be glad to have anything with his power added to it at this moment."
"Hn." Sesshoumaru grunted. "True. However we don't have our swords, and no amount of wishing will drop them into our laps, so let's not dwell on such things."
They both snorted and looked back outside waiting for the twins to return from wherever they had vanished to.