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Sesshomaru as at a loss of words, he hadn't looked up at Rin but couldn't keep his eyes on the floor. She had a large leaf-like cover around herself that barely covered her, and showed the bottom of her thighs to all.
"What do you mean you lost it?" was all he could get out after a few awkward moments of the two staring at each other.
Rin's cheeks flushed a cherry red before she answered, "I lost my dress, I took it off to bath and when I got out of the stream it was gone," Sesshomaru inwardly sighed before standing up and taking Rin gently by the elbow.
"Then let's go look for it," he stated.
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Rin wasn't sure if her lord was in a state of shock or anger. She didn't mean for him to get up and search with her, she only meant to tell him. They walked back towards the stream where Rin had bathed and Sesshomaru stopped.
Gently letting go of her elbow he turned to look down at her, she pulled the leaf dress she made closer to her to make sure it covered her up.
"Where did you see it last?" Sesshomaru asked.
Rin pointed to the spot by the bush where she had laid down her folded dress before it had been taken. Sesshomaru searched the complete area but found no dress.
"Should we just get another one in a nearby town?" Rin asked/suggested.
By the look Sesshomaru was giving her she assumed no, she wasn't too excited to walk into a town full of people with a gigantic leaf being the only source of protection from people's eyes. He didn't say a word but walked right past her and stopped when he was a few feet away from her. Without turning his back to look at her he stated,
"I'll go into the next town and grab something for you to wear, stay right here," and with that he exited, leaving Rin to sit down and let the leaf dress fall. It was a tiring thing to lug around, she was kind of happy that she didn't need to hold it up the whole way to the next town.
Her lord wasn't gone long, about an hour or so, Rin had readjusted her dress and even found a way to tie the leaves together to keep it up without holding it. He appeared before her and held out a blue fabric clenched in his hand.
Rin bounced up and grabbed for the fabric and was surprised when it unfolded. It was another dress! Rin had thought Sesshomaru had disapproved of her black dress, but the blue dress before her contradicted her thoughts. It was about the same length as the black dress, put had a slight low neck line.
Rin hadn't noticed that she had been staring at the dress in awe for about five minutes; Lord Sesshomaru soon took leave to let her dress. When Rin blinked and registered all things around her again she noticed that her lord had left.
Rin wasn't at all worried; she assumed he was giving her privacy to change. Rin gladly discarded her leaf-like clothing and pulled the dress on. Its neckline was low but was high enough to cover her cleavage. The light blue color gave her a brighter glow and she felt the color also making her feel brighter. The sleeves were small but not thin and just covered the ends of her shoulders, basically to just keep the dress up. The dress was a bit longer then her black one had been but it didn't bother her.
It flowed around her waist area but was tight until it met her waist, hopefully that would keep the dress from flying up. She was a sword-fighter in training.
A few moments later Lord Sesshomaru appeared before her again, he didn't say anything but motioned for her to follow him. Rin played with the edge of her new dress a bit more before hurrying along to catch up with her lord.
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Just as I thought, she looks even better, that was the first thing that popped into Sesshomaru's head when he saw Rin in the new outfit he picked out for her. He had picked blue to give her more color, black was nice on her but seemed dreary to her personality.
It's too bad now that she'd be an easy target in the night.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" he stopped when he heard Rin's voice call to him from behind. "Do you think that I could get some more training in before we head out? I really feel like I'm getting the hang of Otaku and the four stones," she added. He didn't have to turn around to know she was giving him the puppy dog eyes, he could hear it in her pleading voice.
"If that is what you wish," he merely replied knowing he'd lose no matter how much he hated waiting around now.
"Oh thank you Lord Sesshomaru!" she squealed as she gave him a quick hug from behind before hurrying around to face him.
"You won't be sorry, I promise! I'll be really strong and then you and I can battle demons together, we could be a real team!" she stated her dark chocolate eyes bright with excitement. Sesshomaru held in his next words and could only nod at her. She whirled on her heel and sped off to train.
What he hadn't told her was that no matter how strong she got he could never let her battle along side him. It was too dangerous and he didn't want to lose her. Another part of him thought that if she became powerful he would like battling with her too much, making her death in seventy years even harder to bear.
Sesshomaru watched her receding form before settling down on the ground and preparing to wait, training doesn't take a few minutes.
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Rin stretched out on a low hill tossing Otaku beside her, she was completely exhausted.
"I think you're a natural, you can almost call upon our full power without even a second thought," Otaku panted out exhausted as well. Rin smiled as much as she could before rubbing her right arm. She felt like it weighed over one hundred pounds by itself.
"You'll get used to this pain Rin, soon it won't even faze you," Rain stated softly. Rin only nodded holding in a yawn. The sun was setting and she felt like she needed a good long rest.
"I better try and get up," she said, "before Lord Sesshomaru gets angry at me," she added pushing herself upright only to stagger a little before gaining her footing.
"Why do you always call him Lord Sesshomaru? Are you not yet familiar enough to call him by his first name only?" Otaku asked. He was curious.
Rin felt her cheeks heat up slightly at even the thought of saying her lord's first name only, it just wasn't done!
"Well he's my lord, I can't call him by his first name alone, we aren't in the same rank," Rin stated but remembered when they had started Lord Sesshomaru had told her that he would see her as his equal. That was beside the point right now.
"Well when he sees how you fight, he'll have to see you as his equal," Otaku answered confidence ringing in his voice.
"Thanks Otaku," Rin laughed before grabbing his scabbard and making her way back to where Lord Sesshomaru had sat down to wait for her.
(Divider)
After about a ten minute walk Rin spotted him lying on his back with his hands behind his head, he looked completely relaxed, and so unlike his usual self. Rin just guessed she was used to the stern Sesshomaru, the one always on his guard. Though Lord Sesshomaru with his guard down was a nice change she thought.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I believe I am done for the day," Rin stated rather shyly. Sesshomaru turned his amber gaze up at her before he nodded.
"Did you make good progress Rin?" he asked politely.
"Yes, a really good improvement. I think by the end of this week I'll be a good fighter," Rin answered smiling up at her lord. His eyes narrowed slightly but he kept his thoughts to himself as they continued on.
After passing a nearby tree Lord Sesshomaru sat down again, Rin blinked in confusion.
"Umm…Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Yes Rin?"
"Why are we stopping here?" Rin asked, the tree seemed oddly familiar, like the one they had slept under last night.
"You were training all day, after this stopping point we have to cross a mountain. Then we will probably have no time to sleep," Sesshomaru stated. Rin gulped a little but nodded, she hadn't been up a mountain in her entire life. She didn't count Tya's volcano/mountain as her first experience.
"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru," Rin answered getting on her knees and bowed her head in gratitude. Sesshomaru placed one claw hand on top of her head, "its fine Rin. Now get some rest," he stated in a strangely soft voice.
Rin wondered what had come over her lord. Letting his guard down as of late, and talking much softer and with even a little…kindness? She wasn't sure but she thought that her lord was changing; she thought it was because she would soon be of more use to him.
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Sesshomaru sat awake that night, all his senses alert for any noise. Rin had spoken of seeing a demon the night before and he could not rest knowing that he hadn't sensed a thing. If there truly was a demon following them he didn't want Rin to feel like he was no longer her protector.
Suddenly his nose was hit with a strange smell it smelled, soothing. He felt his body relax and his eyelids grow heavy. The scent seemed like it was telling him to sleep and to no longer worry. That thought snapped him out of the trance as his eyes widened and he stood up unsheathing Tokijin.
When his held out his sword as arms length the scent seemed to fade slowly away. The source seemed to be moving away, Sesshomaru was about to chase after it but held back thinking of Rin. She would be left unguarded, and this scent could be the perfect tool to get her.
Sesshomaru turned to look down at her before he put Tokijin back in its sheath and sat pretzel style beside her. Rin's safety was the priority here.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru inclined his head towards the sound of Otaku's voice.
"What is it?" he asked in return.
"Is there something coming?" Otaku didn't sound frightened but could feel the sword's power wind around Rin's body. He was getting ready for an attack.
Sesshomaru gave him his silent approval before returning his gaze straight a head, the scent had now faded completely. Sesshomaru could only guess that their follower had given up, but he kept on alert just in case he decided to come back.
"I think it's gone," Otaku whispered as Sesshomaru looked down at the sword in Rin's sleeping arms.
"You could sense something?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Yes, unfortunately," Otaku explained. Sesshomaru held in his anger at that knowledge, how dare some mediocre demon try and attack him?
"Don't be upset, you'll wake her," Otaku whispered.
"He told you because he's looking out for you, both of you," Mika stated surprisingly them all for actually fighting on Otaku's side.
"He did not need to, Otaku knows that I am all powerful," Sesshomaru answered somewhat irritated by the lack of confidence they all had for his power.
"Yes, we do. This demon that we almost faced is just as powerful as you are, if you are the slightest bit distracted it will overtake you," Otaku replied grimily. Sesshomaru clenched his jaw slightly, if this was really true he could not protect Rin any longer.
"But if we fight a long side you, including Rin, we could take him down I'm sure of it!" Tya broke in with fiery ambition.
"I can't have her in that kind of danger. She doesn't heal like I can, if she gets injured she'll be out for longer then a couple hours," Sesshomaru answered staring down at the brunette.
"We will protect her," Rain answered
"You will not need to anymore. When the day begins we head back to Ayame Village, where she will be safe," Sesshomaru decided, and by the tone of his voice there was no way in altering his decision.
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"Kanna…." The young girl with milky white hair inclined her head slightly, the only sign that she was listening.
"What is Rin's status?" Naraku sat with one leg stretched out the other bent towards him; his left arm was resting on the bent leg.
"Lord Sesshomaru plans on returning to Ayame village to drop off Rin," she said in her usual quiet tone.
"Perfect. If only Lord Sesshomaru knew the he's practically giving me the four stones, I'd love to see the expression on his face when he finds Rin's dead body," Naraku snickered to himself. Kanna lowered her eyelids in slightly irritation but said nothing.
"I must summon Kagura, so she will be ready to pick Rin up for us," Naraku stated before snapping his fingers. Kagura appeared at his side almost instantly.
"What do you want now Naraku?" she growled out each word.
"I want you to return to Ayame Village, Rin will be there and I want her brought to me," Naraku ordered.
"You sent me on this errand over a month ago, it was a wild goose chase," Kagura replied crossing her arms across her chest.
"This time I'm certain she'll be there. Kanna saw that Lord Sesshomaru is planning on dropping her off there for safety," Kagura's body language changed at the sound of Lord Sesshomaru, and the possibility that she might see him.
"If it is your wish Naraku," Kagura stated before walking out of the room, Kanna watched her leave before getting up and quickly following her.
"Kagura, wait," Kanna ordered. Kagura stood her ground but did not turn around to look at her sister.
"Don't go to Ayame Village right away, the master doesn't want you to get Rin just yet," Kanna whispered as Kagura turned her head to look back at her sister and narrowed her eyes before continuing.
"Alright, I'll take my time,"
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Ooh I wonder what'll happen next! See you next chapter!!