You know I love this chapter and I hope you so too! XD

Chapter 14 Promises and gifts

Over the next few days Rin through herself into her training, in order to distract herself. One evening after pushing herself harder then normal, Rin was shooting arrows and throwing her knives while trying to maintain a high concentration of purifying spirit energy in each missile as well as hitting the center of her target.

"Rin." Sesshomaru came closer as Rin paused to look at him.

"Yes?" Rin asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Time to stop for the day or you wont be able to get up tomorrow."

Rin smiled, "I don't know, I've been getting a lot stronger, I was wondering where my limit was now."

"You are trying to exhaust yourself?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say that, I just wanted to push myself. See how far I can go." Rin smiled at him and started to walk over to collect her arrows and knives from the target, before she went more then three steps she stumbled.

Sesshomaru seeing her start to fall caught her. "By pushing yourself to exhaustion." It was a statement this time. "Hokushin will collect your weapons." With that he lifted her into his arms and headed for the castle.

"I can walk…" Rin tried to protest but was cut off.

"No you can't." A few minutes later Sesshomaru was pushing the door open and walking to her bed, Rin was starting to feel drowsy now and was just thinking that a nap was a good idea.

As she sank into the pillows and blanket of her bed she struggled to speak. "Sessh… Sesshomaru… thank… you…"

Just before Rin fell completely to sleep she felt something brush against her forehead and heard his voice murmur a soft "Of course, dear one."

When Rin woke she couldn't tell what time it was because the curtains were drawn. The only light in the room coming from two small laps, one next to her on a small table and the other one on the larger table between the bed and the window. She started to sit up but was over come by a moment of dizziness and fell back into her pillow moaning. She heard the door open and looked up to see Sesshomaru and Raizen walk in. Trying to sit up again, Rin fell back again this time curling into a ball at the pain that was starting to grow in her stomach.

"Stay still," Sesshomaru sat on the bed next to her and pushed some hair out of her face. "You pushed yourself too far and it will take time for your body to recover."

"Sesshomaru… what's happening to me…" Rin swallowed hard trying to hold beck the nausea caused by the pain, she was sweating and shivering; and she didn't know how long she could keep it up.

"Bring water," Sesshomaru said to Raizen who quickly left to room. He turned back to Rin and stroking her hair said gently, "When you used all of your spirit energy you started using your life energy and your body is trying to compensate for the loss. Fortunately you had just started to use it when I stopped you. You're going to have to stay in bed for a few more days."

Rin looked up startled and still holding her stomach, braced herself to hold in the pain as she spoke, "How long have I been sleeping?"

Sesshomaru's eyes softened, "Two days."

Rin groaned, those two days couldn't have been pleasant for anyone in the castle if Sesshomaru was true to form and had been irritable as he always was when she had been hurt or sick in the past. "You didn't kill anyone did you? I mean, it's not like it's anyone's fault but mine this time." Sesshomaru look away, not answering. "I'm sorry." Rin whispered.

He turned back to her, "Hnn," and picking up a wet cloth from the small table next to the bed started wiping the sweat from Rin's face. She leaned into the coolness and sighed. "Promise me."

"What?" Rin looked up into Sesshomaru's eyes.

"That you will not push yourself so far again."

Rin smiled, "Promise." she closed her eyes taking hold of his hand holding it to her chest just under her chin, and tried to relax her muscles and find a balance point for the pain and nausea that still racked her body.

"I have something for you." Rin felt Sesshomaru shift and she opened her eyes. He picked up a wood box from the table and set it beside her.

"What is it?" Rin watched as he lifted the lid and pulled out a beautifully made pendant with a long chain. It was covered in wild flowers some where delicately formed from different colored metals and pressed into the main piece were as others where engravings. The pendant was oval and only slightly smaller then the palm of Rin's hand. Rin traced one finger along the shapes of the different flowers. "It's Beautiful."

"It opens." Sesshomaru turned the pendant to one side and Rin saw the small clasp that held the two pieces together, when he popped it open the scent of wild flowers reached Rin's nose. "Over the years of waiting for you to return, this was as close to your scent as I could get. Throughout the time you traveled with me, in the spring and summer we seemed to be going from one field of flowers to the next. You would be surrounded by the constant scent of wild flowers."

Once opened, Rin could see that on one side was a mirror and on the other was a small pillow that had been soaked in the oils of wild flowers. She smiled up at him, "Thank you Sesshomaru, I love it."

"You should also know that this is my first courting gift."

Rin looked up surprised, and at that same moment the door opened, Raizen was followed by two demons carrying trays.

"Father the…" Raizen trailed off then started again, "Did something happen, is Rin alright?"

"Did you bring water?" Sesshomaru said not looking away from Rin's upturned face.

"Yes and the healer has some tea that should dull her pain and settle her stomach." Raizen said, stepping closer.

Sesshomaru stood to let the healer's female aid help Rin to drink the tea.

"I also have some broth for the lady," the healer said, "she will need nourishment in order to recover." He handed the bowl of thick dark broth to his aid but Sesshomaru intervened taking it out of her hand.

"You are dismissed." Sesshomaru reclaimed his seat next to Rin and helped her sit up, as the others started to leave.

The healer set a small bottle on the side table, "A few drops of this in some water will help her sleep." He bowed and left the room.

Sesshomaru and Rin were alone again. "Are roles seemed to have been reversed." She said quietly, not looking at his face.

"Hnn," was all he said, and then preceded to make sure her ate every drop of broth from the bowl.

Rin lay back already feeling a bit better, the pain wasn't completely gone but it was a duel throb rather then a screaming pain. As Sesshomaru put a few of the sleeping drops into a cup of water; Rin fingered the locket, now noting the small flowers that were pressed into the long chain at regular intervals, each one different. The chain was long enough to loop around her neck several times or be left to hang low on her stomach.

"You have the right to refuse."

Rin looked up startled, "What makes you think I would want to?" It was Sesshomaru's turn to be surprised. "Most of the girls in uncle InuYasha's village are married by sixteen. I was asked a few times but I didn't want to have to stay in the village if you ever would have aloud me to leave with you again. I know why you left me there and it was good to grow up around other humans, but my home was always with you, that's never going to change." Rin smiled, "You're stuck with me Sesshomaru, whether as the human child you took responsibility for all those years ago or as a pack mate or as your mate, I'm always going to be yours." Rin was looking into Sesshomaru's eyes, not backing down from her claim.

A soft smile touch Sesshomaru's lips, taking the chain he draped it over Rin's head and pulling her long hair through, settled it around her neck. He then lifted one of her hands and brought it to his lips holding it there for a moment before pressing the cup of water and sleeping drops into her fingers. "You need to sleep."

Handing the empty cup back to Sesshomaru, Rin snuggled into her pillow and held the locket in both hands as she drifted off to sleep.

Well what do you think? like the locket? hate the locket? personally I love it but thin I did come up with it and I just love lockets! Please Review!