When Rin woke, she was happy to say that she didn't have any nightmares. But, when she glanced around the room, she couldn't say she was happy to remember what happened between her and Sesshomaru-sama last night. It might not seem like much to any normal girl her age, but to Rin, it meant a hell of a lot more than just a plain kiss in the middle of the night.
Remembering her injured arm, she looked down at it. Inside of a gaping wound, she saw a thick pink scar where her cut used to be. She gasped and ran a finger over it. She flinched slightly, but otherwise it didn't hurt too much. Noticing something different she brought her eyes closer to examine the small half circle marks by the cut. Teeth marks; four of them. That only means one thing…
Sesshomaru-sama, she thought, why did you do it?
Rin slid out of bed, stood and immediately doubled over, clutching her lower stomach. The pain had return. It throbbed inside of her. Trying to stand was difficult, but Rin managed to reach the window seat where she saw the most magnificent view of a yellow spotted meadow spread out over rolling hills. She must be in a tower, for she could see the stone made structures of the…castle below.
Was she in a castle? It sure seemed like with all the stone walls and floors. Another glance downward and Rin could see a blooming courtyard with a small shrub maze in the center. She couldn't wait to explore, but for now, she would have to wait out the pain…if it ever actually stopped.
While trying to stand once more, Rin happened to look over at the desk next to her bed. On it was what seemed like, a mug. Hesitantly, she half crawled, half limped to the desk. She dumped her body onto the cushioned seat and stared at the steaming cup in front of her. Tucked between the handle was a folded piece of paper.
Rin pulled out the paper and read:
Welcome, child, to the Lord of the Western Land's castle. I hope you feel better while you are here. Drink this Kikan ti. It will help with your pains.
-Chiyoko
Rin put aside the note quickly and drank the tea without a second thought. If it should help her with her stomach pains, she would be forever grateful.
Once every last drop was gone, Rin moved to stand. She, almost instinctively, bent over herself. Feeling no pain, she stood straight……and immediately smiled. The pain was gone. She could move freely. She laughed and mumbled thanks to Kami at least a million times.
Without thinking, Rin began to twirl, enjoying the feeling of moving wildly without the pain biting into her stomach. She giggled until she had to pee. She began to wonder where to pee when a knock came at the door.
Striding to it, Rin opened the door. A small demon girl stood on the other side. She had long purple hair that came to her waist. She was about as tall as Rin, maybe an inch shorter. Her eyes were a soft pink. On her forehead at the top right corner was what looked like, a lightning bolt. When she looked at Rin, the demon smiled, showing her bright white human-looking teeth.
"Hello!" she exclaimed cheerfully, waving her hand hard and childishly. She bounced into the room when Rin didn't reply. "My name is Chiyoko, but can call me Chi." She skipped to the desk and picked up the now empty mug. She grinned widely. "I see you finished your Kikan ti. Are you feeling better?"
Rin nodded slowly, closing the door and staring at the over excited demon.
"Wonderful!" Chi snapped her fingers and the mug was filled and steaming once more. "But, drink more. You'll need it."
Not needing to be told twice, Rin took the outstretched mug from Chi's hand. She mumbled, "Thank you" and sat on the bed, sipping the hot drink slowly, due to fact that she had to pee…really bad.
"All right! What shall we wear today?" Chi squealed and bounced to the dresser on the other side of the bed. She pulled open a drawer and began to yank out various kimonos. She threw the first few over her shoulder, where they would land on the floor.
"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed. "I've found the perfect one!"
Chi turned around and held up the kimono for Rin to see. It was a light shade of pink with cherry blossoms spread over the hem. Rin just stared, completely forgetting the fact that she had to pee like no tomorrow.
"What do you think, Ojosama?"
Rin stood and placed her mug on the bedside table. "I think I have to pee."
Chi just stared at her a moment and then did something that made Rin jump: she laughed. "Yes, yes. I remember you humans need to use a bathroom every once in a while. Come with me, Ojosama."
Chi carefully placed the beautiful kimono on the bed and reached for Rin's hand. Luckily, it was Rin's left hand. Chi began to pull Rin out of the room and into the bright hall. She pulled her to the right, to the left, and, after a while, to the left again, ending at wooden doors.
"Here you are! Would you like to take a bath, child?" Rin nodded slowly. "Okay! I need to get a few things, then I'll be back to run you a bath." With another blinding smile, the demon left Rin to herself.
Turning to the door, Rin sighed and pulled the handle up, opening the door. The bathroom was larger than any that Rin has seen. In the center was an empty, circle tub about twelve feet wide and three feet deep with steps at different spots along the edge of the tub. Around the entire square room were mirrors. To the left was a separate room. Rin dashed to it. Finding what lay behind the doors, she thanked Kami again.
Finishing her business, Rin stepped back out into the large bathroom to find Chi walking in with glass bowls floating behind her. Rin cocked her head to the side like a curious puppy and met Chi at the tub.
Chi smiled for the millionth and one time this morning and snapped her fingers. The tub automatically filled, producing steam from the surface. The bowls, acting on their own accord, began to dump into the hot water, making it go all white with something Rin has never seen before.
Rin backed away, for fear the white stuff would touch her. Chi gave her a sad smile and snapped her fingers again. The bowls stopped, but the whiteness stayed.
"What's wrong, Ojosama? Do you now want a bath anymore?"
"I do, Chi-san, but what is that white covering in the water?"
Chi gave a startled laugh. "My child, those are called bubbles. Have you never seen bubbles before?"
Rin shook her head. Chi did the same, but for a different reason. "My, my. Ojosama, have you never taken a bath before?"
"I have, but in the river mostly. Never with bubbles."
Chi walked over to the bath. She dipped her hand in and brought out a handful of bubbles. Walking back to Rin, she held out the white foam. "Touch it, sweet, and you will see you like it."
Rin reached out a hand and poked the mass of bubbles. She smiled like a child with a new found toy when her finger went right through the bubbles, receiving a tickling sensation encircling her finger.
Chi laughed. "You see? Now, let's get you out of that dirty robe."
Chi began to help Rin undress. Rin hastily said, "Chi-san, thank you, but I can undress myself. There is no need for you to do work for me when I can do it."
Chi gave a smile. "He said you were kind. I thought he was lying."
"Who?" Rin asked, but knew the answer.
"The handsome boy that arrived late last night. Kohaku, I believe his name was."
Rin's thoughts were quickly erased, replaced, instead, with ones of her friend. "Yes, that is his name. He's too nice, I sometimes think."
Chi only shrugged. "Will you be needed my help for now?"
Rin shook her head. "Thank you, but there's no need to worry. I can handle myself."
"Okay, Ojosama. Enjoy your bath."
Chi began to leave before Rin called to her. She turned a little, looking back at Rin. Rin swallowed before saying, "Call me Rin. Just Rin."
A startled look came onto Chi's face before she cleared her emotions and smiled. "Rin. I like it! Okay, Rin-sama." Before Rin could correct her again, the small demon left.
Sighing, Rin slowly began to undress, feeling uncomfortable watching someone that looked exactly like her getting naked in the mirrors that surrounded the room. Finally bare, Rin slowly approached the edge of the tub. Poking her big toe in through the bubbles and reaching the water, feeling the hot liquid.
Rin slowly put her whole foot in reaching the first step. There were so many bubbles that they were a foot tall over the water and came up to Rin's thigh. Chuckling, she slid into the water, letting the warm embrace her.
Rin bathed slowly, relishing in the contentment she felt. She tried not to think about last night (emphasis on try). Rin has never been kissed before last night, which only made it even more of a reason to remember. But something was wrong. She couldn't pinpoint what it was that was so irking her. Only the fact that her normally calm and stoic lord was slightly out of control last night kept her from thinking everything was okay. And then there was the situation with her cut arm. She could still feel his teeth in her flesh, sucking at the poison.
Rin traced the scar once more. She winced slightly at the sore spots, but otherwise was surprised how well it had healed.
Sesshomaru licked it last night. Maybe that has something to do with it…?
After washing her hair and body, and when most of the bubbles were gone, Rin floated on her back, looking up at the ceiling which, thankfully, wasn't mirrored. She closed her eyes, breathed in the smells of lavender and began to hum a tune she felt like she heard from another life. Before she could stop herself, she began to sing along with the tune in her head:
"Suimin wa, suimin, watashi no akachan wa, anata no okasan, koko no izure ka no namida no kyori kisu shite kara, anata no kyofu kara yo o hogo shi, watashi no akanbo o nekashitsukeru suimin, anata no okasan wa koko ni aru."
Rin blinked and stood to get out of the bath that was quickly growing cold. She looked for something to dress into but only found her dirty kimono from the day before. Glancing around the bathroom, she found a small cupboard. When she opened it, she found, thankfully, linens that seemed to feel like silk.
Hesitating, Rin grabbed on from the shelf and wrapped it around her body. The material felt light but thick all at once against her skin. Feeling content, Rin gathered her dirty clothes and opened the doors to search for Chi. One quick glance left and right ensured that no one was around to witness Rin, dressed in near nothing, roaming the halls looking for someone.
She turned right, closing the doors behind her. As she walked, she felt her mind wander. Her mind roamed from the first day she met Lord Sesshomaru to the time when he saved her life as an experiment for his sword, tenseiga.
While pondering these thoughts and looking at the ground she slowly got lost in the maze of the corridors. Glancing up from her feet, Rin's mind registered this.
Oh for the love of Kami! she thought.
She turned left and right, ahead and behind, but she couldn't figure out which way to go. Turning back the way she was going, she began to walk, half hoping to find someone and ask for directions, half dreading to be seen in what she was wearing by the servants of the castle.
So she walked making her way through the corridors as if she knew what she was doing. But once her stomach started to growl and the sun was high in sky, Rin began to worry. Not only were the halls confusing, but it seemed like no end. There were few turns, and Rin was afraid to leave the path she was already heading.
She must have walked for a few hours before finding a door that looked similar to the one of the room in which she slept. Hoping and praying to Kami she opened the door.
And found what she had partly expected. It was a room. But not the room she was in before. (She was afraid to call it her room because she was only a guest in the castle and wouldn't be there long.)
This room had a bed twice the size of the one in which Rin slept in—which was rather large to begin with—on the left hand side of the room. At the end of the bed was a polished wooded chest. On the three walls that Rin could see, each had two long windows that lit up the room. Off to the corner of the room was a bookshelf and in another corner was a wardrobe. And on the right side of the room, facing the bed was a large desk with papers scattered on it. And the person, sitting at the desk, reading the papers was none other than Lord Sesshomaru.
Kami chikusho.
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and favorite story adds! I'm so addicted to your guys' feedback, it is ridiculous!! Ha. They really keep me going. Sorry that this is so late, readers. I've been pretty busy with school and stupid drama. I will try to post another chapter sooner. I promise.
-Willow
P.S. The translations:
"Suimin wa, suimin, watashi no akachan wa, anata no okasan, koko no izure ka no namida no kyori kisu shite kara, anata no kyofu kara yo o hogo shi, watashi no akanbo o nekashitsukeru suimin, anata no okasan wa koko ni aru." -------- "Sleep, sleep, my baby, your mother is here, to kiss away any tear, and protect you from your fear. Sleep, sleep my baby, your mother is here."
**(Yes. I created that up in less than a minute. Tehe!)
"Kikan ti" ------- Literally means "period tea".
"Ojosama" ------- Name for respected ladies.
"Kami chikusho." ------- God damn it.
DO IT!
Please?
vvv