Chapter 10: Unexpected Assistance

"I... I can help with that," a voice hesitated.

Sesshomaru looked up quickly as the young miko stepped out of the trees. Due to the lack of a breeze, the stench of battle, and his preoccupation with Rin, he had not sensed the approach of that deplorable half-breed and his annoying companions. Narrowing his eyes, he watched as the hanyō, hōshi, and taijiya followed the miko into the open field.

"I can stop the bleeding and bandage that arm," the miko said.

Her nervousness was plainly visible to him, but he heard something else in her voice. Concern, perhaps. As she neared, her eyes strayed briefly to the unconscious form of Tora, recognition flashing across her face. Then she turned back to the daiyōkai and the little girl.

"I also have medicine that will keep it from getting infected."

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as she looked up at him.

The girl was in pain despite her attempts to disguise it. He gently wiped his thumb across Rin's arm, brushing aside some of the blood. The wound cut deeply into the flesh and muscle. He was aware that humans did not have the same self-healing abilities as yōkai. For the injury to heal properly, she would need assistance. He released Rin's arm and stood as he wiped the blood from his hand.

"Miko, I leave her to you."

Relief flooded the miko's face as she removed the bag from her shoulder and knelt down in the grass beside the girl.

"Rin, this may hurt a little," the miko said softly as she took Rin's arm in her hands. "But I will take care of this, okay?"

The girl nodded.

As he moved away, Sesshomaru glanced in the direction of Inuyasha, who was hovering protectively a few feet from the miko. The hanyō's irritation was apparent in his facial expression, and his arms were crossed defiantly over his chest. His yellow eyes lingered on Tora, who lay still in the grass at his feet, and Sesshomaru turned away indifferently.

"I knew she was working for you. She reeked of your foul scent," Inuyasha sneered.

The daiyōkai paused and looked back at the half-breed. His face was perfectly composed. Still he was not feeling particularly affable and the loathsome presence of the hanyō was irritating.

"Inuyasha, do you think it is wise to provoke him?" the hōshi whispered uneasily.

Inuyasha smirked. "I guess you have become soft, Sesshomaru. I recall you saying once that you had no weakness when it comes to humans."

"Enough!" Sesshomaru said as he swung his arm out to the side and the wind blew the sleeve of his kimono. There was a dangerous edge to the daiyōkai's voice, and his eyes were narrowed. "You try my patience with your childish barking."

"Feh." Inuyasha growled as his hand moved towards the hilt of his sword.

How predictable.

"Will you draw your sword against me, little brother? How foolish," Sesshomaru said with contempt.

"Inuyasha!" the miko snapped as she looked up from Rin's arm. "Now is not the time for this!"

A small smile appeared on the daiyōkai's face as he watched the hanyō's hand hesitate and then slowly returned to his side. Inuyasha was quietly fuming, but he made no farther move to engage in a fight. Just like a whipped dog. Amusing.

The daiyōkai's eyes suddenly shifted over to the hōshi and taijiya as they approached the unconscious woman.

"Hmm. It appears she has Inu-yōkai blood just like you, Inuyasha," the hōshi commented.

"Who cares?"

"I wonder who she is," the taijiya pondered, ignoring his outburst. She knelt next to the woman and was surprised to find that her wounds were almost completely healed. She stood and her surprise was evident on her face.

"How extraordinary. It appears that her yoki has almost completely healed her."

Rin ruefully gazed at Tora as the miko was wrapping her arm, remembering the frightful moment of the large, horned yōkai standing over her with his claws racing down towards her. She had squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow, but instead she felt the warmth of someone envelope her. Opening her eyes a little, she saw the claws protruding from Tora's chest and felt the blood splatter her face. Warm. Even now, that scene terrified her and she hastily glanced at Sesshomaru.

The daiyōkai was aware of the girl's terror, shifting his eyes to look at her face for a moment. Then he turned his attention back to Inuyasha and his companions.

"These are Naraku's insects," the hōshi commented thoughtfully as he touched the burnt corpse of a saimyōshō with the end of his staff. Underneath the remains, he saw the glint of a blade.

"There sure were a lot of them," the taijiya replied quietly. "Did Naraku send them all after Sesshomaru?"

"Feh. Even Naraku knows that these pathetic creatures would be no match for Sesshomaru," Inuyasha spat angrily.

True. There was not one incarnation or minion of Naraku that was strong enough to defeat him, but that had not been the purpose of the attack. This was not the first time Rin had been a target, but Naraku had gone too far. The yōkai had clearly been ordered to take the girl's life, and that was not going to be forgiven.

"Kagome, are you done yet?" Inuyasha whined.

"There! You better not use this arm for a few weeks," the miko told Rin.

She quickly put her things back into her bag and hastened to her feet. Suddenly, a movement in the grass caught everyone's attention. Tora began to stir. The hanyō was stronger than he had thought. Indeed, if she remained in her half-transformed state or gained control over when she could transform, she would be quite useful indeed.

The young woman's eyes slowly opened and she stared up at the blue sky. Even from a distance, Sesshomaru could tell that the woman's injures had completely healed and the kimono he had given her, made from a spider-yōkai's silk, was repairing itself as well.

Despite her bandaged arm, Rin practically threw herself on top of the woman.

"Tora-san! Tora-san!"

A weak smile appeared on Tora's face as she recognized the little girl, and her hand came up to touch Rin's cheek. A tear dampened her finger. That was when she noticed that her fingers were different. Longer, stronger, with sharp claws. She brought her other hand up to her face and stared, her thoughts hidden behind her calm expression.

Then she looked down at Rin.

"Are those tears for me?" she asked quietly.

"I knew you would be alright, Tora-san. Lord Sesshomaru said you would." Rin's voice was filled with confidence as she nodded sharply.

Slowly, as if every movement was unfamiliar, Tora put her arms around the child and smiled. Then she saw the bandage on Rin's arm, and the smile quickly disappeared.

"You were hurt."

"Kagome helped me," the girl said.

Tora followed the direction that Rin was looking and recognized the strange miko. For only a brief moment, she wondered why they were there. Then she pushed the thoughts aside as she looked down at herself. Her body felt different. Lighter, stronger, new. Her hearing was so sharp that she heard a grasshopper on the other side of the field and a pair of squirrels scurrying up a tree in the woods. Her sense of smell was stronger than before, too, and the stench of the dead yōkai was thick around them. She felt like a completely different person.

Tora rose to her feet easily, and Rin immediately took her hand. The lady samurai's eyes scanned the field, pausing once more on the strangers. Their familiar scents mingled in the air among the stench of the battle. The battle. It was fresh in her mind, and she touched her chest where the claws had stabbed her only to find the kimono uncut and not a drop of blood staining the silky cloth.

"Where is my katana?" she demanded.

"I believe this belongs to you," the hōshi said graciously as he extended the weapon hilt first.

Releasing Rin's hand, Tora took the sword and meticulously wiped the blade on the grass. Then she slid it into the sheath with a resounding ring. With her weapon once more in her possession, she was beginning to feel more like herself.

"Rin, Tora. We must leave."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin exclaimed happily.

The girl raced through the grass, weaving between the corpses of the yōkai, until she reached the daiyōkai and dragon yōkai. Tora followed at a slower pace. When she reached them, she immediately lifted the girl on to Ah-Un's back. Together, with Sesshomaru in the lead, the four of them began to walk away.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where is Master Jaken?" Rin asked suddenly. "I do hope he is not in any trouble."

"Feh! That's gratitude for you," Inuyasha grumbled loudly. "Do the guy a favor and he just walks off. Well, don't think that changes anything, Sesshomaru!"

Tora froze mid-step as her heart seemed to pound extraordinarily loud. In her chest, it felt like something exploded, sending a burning sensation through her entire body. She fell forward as excruciating pain flooded her mind, and a hand caught her by the shoulders.

"Tora-san!" Rin's voice rang in her ears.

The burning was fading as quickly as it had erupted, but the episode left her feeling weak and shaken. Her head throbbed as if something had cleaved it in two, her hands and feet ached, and her mouth felt strange. Her hands. She stared for a moment at her hands. They were normal. No claws to be seen. Suddenly, she felt drained of all energy. Tired. So tired. She collapsed.

"Tora-san!"

"Rin stop shouting," Sesshomaru ordered. "She is unhurt."

Unhurt, but she had reverted back to her human form. Inconvenient at the moment, but interesting nonetheless. Perhaps she had the ability to control when to release her yōkai blood. The daiyōkai slipped his arm around the woman's waist and lifted her off the ground. What a bother. He draped her unceremoniously across Ah-Un's back behind Rin.

"What happened?" Inuyasha's grating voice demanded.

"Humph. This has nothing to do with you," Sesshomaru replied coldly.

Without another word, he turned away, the mokomoko and his silvery hairy billowing out behind him. The dragon yōkai immediately followed in his steady gait, both heads held erect. Rin glanced over her shoulder and gave the startled hanyō and his companions a big grin and a hearty wave with her good arm.