Chapter 7

Sesshomaru

I knew that I shouldn't have left her here alone. I should've left Jaken here too. This wasn't how I had planned things, but then again I trusted that Inuyasha would have been smarter and stronger than leaving a demon to head towards the village.

I hurried toward the strong scent of Rin's blood. I was still injured from the battle with Bakeneko, but that didn't matter. Blood trailed behind me from my shoulder across my chest, dripping from down my arm. But the scent of Rin's blood woke me from my unconciousness, and I needed to hurry.

I couldn't go any faster though! My injuries were making me lag, and every second was more and more precious. Every second was closer to Rin's death. I was almost to the village; the demon was already in sight, gripping Rin in one hand, crushing her. I swear I could hear her soundless yelps of pain from here, and it burned my ears. It made me furious. I calmed myself as I almost transformed into my true dog form. I didn't want to scare all of those villagers as well, it would be pointless and most likely, they'd start attacking me as well.

The demon was an easy kill. I heard a voice yell, "Foxfire!" And throw blue fire at the demons face. The demon screeched and let go of an unconcious Rin, and quickly, she fell towards the ground. I jumped up and caught her in my arms before she hit the ground.

"Rin…" I said softly in relief.

"Lord…Sesshomaru?" She said quietly, and then she fell into unconciousness.

"WINDSCAR!" Inuyasha yelled and killed the demon with Tetsaiga.

I stared down at Rins face. She looked so different, so much older…Her cheekbones were higher and her face had smoothed out. Her hair was longer and her body was so…

I had never thought this way about Rin before. I had always thought Rin was beautiful, but before, I was thinking about Rin as a child…she had grown into a truly beautiful and gorgeous woman…

"Rin!" Someone approached. I turned to see Kagome and the whole group behind me, looking worried.

"She's fine." I spoke, holding her closer to me.

A boy moved through the group, approaching closer. "Sesshomaru…Is Rin okay?"

I got a good look of the boy. He looked about Rin's age, maybe older. It was that little demon fox that was always tagging along in the group as a useless pet… But now, he looked older and more powerful. He stared down at Rin with his green tinted eyes and frowned. He looked about her age, maybe a bit older, but he looked very protective, and in one instant, I thought he would make a fatal move of snatching her away from me.

I stepped away from him. "She's fine, just resting a little."

"Sesshomaru," Kagome said from behind me. "Keep her with us, we can take care of her injuries. I have some herbs that can-"

"The last time I entrusted you with her, she was almost crushed to death. If you think I'll trust you with her life again, you must think I'm a fool." I said coldly.

"Sesshomaru, please!" She exclaimed.

"The demon wasn't after her, he was after our pups, and Rin was just trying to protect them." Inuyasha said, stepping around Kagome.

"I don't care if that demon was after her or not, I trusted you would protect her and you hadn't. I can only imagine she would've died if I hadn't got here on time."

There was only silence for a few moments…

"Sesshomaru, you're bleeding…" Kagome said.

I looked down at my chest. I was bleeding through my clothes and blood was running down my arms and body, pooling on the ground.

"Your point?" I turned to her.

"You need to go inside, we have to use Kaede's hut…I'm sure if she were here she'd let us use it until ours is rebuilt." Kagome said. "I'm gonna go find my herbs, and medicines, okay?"

"Sesshomaru, I can take Rin for you." Shippou said, opening his arms.

I stepped away from him again, clutching Rin to me. "She is mine to protect. I will never hand her over to someone else ever again."

Kagome insisted that I go get my wounds checked. They assured me that the woman demon slayer and the monk were watching over Rin and taking care of her injuries, although Kagome had to go back and forth between us to treat us.

My harameki were on the ground in pieces slowly repairing itself.

"Sesshomaru…Okay, so let me check your wounds first..." She tugged on my arm.

"Um, allow me…" I removed my kimono letting it fall off my shoulders and onto the ground.

She stared for a moment, then shook her head and gently touched the gash in my chest and the slicing on my shoulder.

"Okay well, im gonna clean it up first, it may sting a little though, theres a special healing medicine in the water so it doesn't get infected." She turned and got a hot towel with the medicine on it.

I kept my face clear of any pain from the stinging of the touch of medicine in the water. She kept her eyes focused on the deeper wounds making sure they wouldn't start bleeding any worse than they had before.

"I'm going to have to stitch those up Sesshomaru…" She said.

"No, they will seal up in an hours time." I replied.

"Well then, at least let me bandage it, okay?" She smiled a little.

I nodded solemly and let her wrap up my chest and right shoulder in silence.

"How is Rin?" I asked her.

She paused for a moment and looked at me with a small smile playing at her lips. "Rin will be fine, Sesshomaru. She's a strong girl."

"She is a strong woman." I emphasized. "She is no more merely a little girl..."

"Yes, I agree…Sesshomaru, you really care about her, don't you?"

I didn't answer.

Suddenly, the woman demon slayer stepped inside the entryway. "Rin's awake now. She's wondering where you are, Sesshomaru."

I shook my head. "I have to be leaving." Putting my kimono on over my bandaged body, I turned away from her and went out the back way.

Kagome dropped the towel and followed me, stopping me with a hand tugging my kimono. "Sesshomaru! You can't just leave her now! I thought you weren't going to trust her with us!"

I stopped and turned to her. "I am not leaving her with you, I am leaving her with Jaken, and that boy, the fox demon. He seems to be able to take care of her better than you do. Tell Rin I was never here, and make sure everyone, including Jaken, makes her believe it."

"But don't you at least want to see her and say goodbye?"

I turned away from her again, looking up at the bright full moon. Did I want to see her? Yes, more than anything. But did I want to say goodbye again? No…

I never wanted to say goodbye to her again, but I had to...for her safety...for if Bakeneko knew about her, he would use her to get to me.

And then he'd kill us both.