Chapter 2: Someone Special

"Lord Sesshomaru."

A child's voice penetrated Tora's mind, drawing her back from the dark abyss.

"Lord Sesshomaru, is the lady going to be alright?"

There was a soft, warm touch of a small hand on her forehead.

"The wounds look deep. The mortal is probably dead already, and good riddance," someone else said matter-of-factly.

"Jaken, the woman is not dead."

That voice. Tora had heard it somewhere before... Swords clashing. Pain. Melted armor. The stranger in white. Suddenly, everything came flooding back to her.

"She is waking up, Lord Sesshomaru," the child spoke once more.

Tora opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a little girl in an orange and white kimono leaning over her with a relieved expression on her face. Then a second face came into her field of vision. It was a small frog-like creature with a beak, large eyes, and a strange hat upon his bald head.

"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru! She is alive!" the creature squeaked in surprise as he leaped back.

"Master Jaken, you are so silly," the little girl laughed.

Tora forced herself to sit up. Pain shot through her side and across her back, and it was followed immediately by a wave of nausea. She forced herself to focus as she surveyed her surroundings as quickly as possible. They were in a glade deep within the forest, and judging from the pale light, it was nearly sunset. The girl was kneeling next to her, her small hands on her knees. The frog-creature was hastening away. In his hand was a strange staff that appeared to have two heads carved into the top.

Yet she could not see him. She knew he was there – she could feel him – but he was not within her sight.

"You should not move yet, nee-san," the little girl scolded softly. "You were hurt very badly."

The lady samurai touched her injured side and felt bandages. Looking down at herself, she noticed for the first time how badly she had been injured. She had been struck by five severe blows: one to the left arm, two on the right arm, one across the back, and the wound to her side. Not to mention that her forearms and hands were bandaged from the many defensive injuries she received after her katana had been knocked from her hands.

"I tended to your wounds," the little girl said cheerfully.

"Thank you..."

"I am Rin."

"Thank you, Rin."

"Who are you, nee-san?"

Tora looked down into the girl's curious face. Pushing the pain aside, she gave Rin a gentle smile. "I am called Tora."

As she spoke, she could almost feel his strange golden eyes watching her. He was behind her, lounging against the trunk of a tree, but she did not look. If she attempted to move, she knew she would reopen her wounds and she did not have the strength to withstand that level of pain. So she remained as she was, her hands digging into the grass and dirt to keep herself from collapsing.

"Tora-san, why did those men attack you?" Rin asked.

"They desired my skills," the young woman replied quietly. She tried not to wince as she continued. "I am a lady samurai, trained in kenjutsu, battojutsu, and ju-jutsu by my father. Those men were sent by their lord to enlist my allegiance for an upcoming battle. I refused the invitation."

"And so they tried to kill you?" the girl's eyes widened in horror.

"Rin, stop babbling," the frog-creature interrupted. "We do not have time to spend nursing a weak human. Lord Sesshomaru is very busy."

"There is no need to nurse me," Tora replied with such calm in her voice that the creature looked surprised. "I am able to tend to my own wounds. I have caused enough trouble for your lord and have no desire to become a burden."

"But, Tora-san, you are too weak to move and if you remain here alone—"

"I appreciate your kindness and concern," the young woman interrupted weakly. The pain was intensifying and her vision blurred once more. "Thank you, Rin..."

Tora lost consciousness and fell backwards, but the little girl managed to grab her by the shoulders. Rin held the woman in her arms for a moment, gazing down at the pale face. If only her hair had been longer, she would have looked identical to... Rin shook her head in a futile attempt to push away the memories. She gently set Tora down on the ground, aware that tears were filling her eyes.

"Pathetic humans," Jaken snapped. "They are all so weak."

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin whispered. "Lord Sesshomaru, can she stay with us?"

The daiyōkai stared passively at the little girl and watched as a tiny tear slipped down her cheek. It dropped and landed on the young woman's face. Rin stroked a strand of Tora's hair tenderly as if the woman was someone special to her.

"Rin, stop crying," Sesshomaru ordered.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." She immediately wiped the tears from her eyes. When she looked up, the smile he was used to seeing had returned to her face.

"Jaken, make a fire for Rin."

"But... but... my lord—" The small yōkai stopped his protest immediately when he saw the look on his master's face. "Yes, my lord! Please, please do not look at me like that!"

He hurried around the grove to gather sticks and then used the staff to light the fire. Under his breath, he muttered, "Stupid girl."

But Rin was not listening. She seemed completely absorbed in watching the young woman. Ah-Un approached and laid down directly behind her. For once, Rin was oblivious to the creature as she held one of Tora's hands in her own.

"Tora-san," she whispered.