Chapter three: Picture

"C'mon, master Jaken! You haven't won once yet!"

"Shut up, Rin!" Jaken blurted, his ugly face frowned as he concentrated on his drawing, sticking his tongue out.

"I said this time we shall draw a horse. But you drew something that looks like the cow of master Tōtōsai that fell off a cliff and smashed against the ground," Rin said with laughing. Jaken threw the pencil away, furious and spitting.

"It's a foolish game, Rin! Look at me, I have only three fingers! I would love to see you holding a pencil like that! And I'm supposed to do much more important things than playing with you anyway!"

Rin got up as she was sitting on the broad stairs leading to the palace gate. Warm midday sun was shining against her back. It was late August and she enjoyed every minute of it. It was exceptionally nice summer that year, with long sunny days and warm, refreshing rains.

"Calm down, master Jaken, it's just a game," she tried to soothe him. "And lord Sesshomaru looks quite well in this picture."

Rin pointed at Jaken's previous work of art, featuring lord Sesshomaru, who very much resembled some lunatic caught in lightning.

"Don't speak of it," Jaken muttered angrily. "I should be doing all the important things for lord Sesshomaru by now and you're only slowing me down."

Rin observed as the little yokai started climbing the stairs, that were too high for him, so he fell on his butt and yelped.

"That's not true, I heard him telling you your task is to play with me and keep me entertained."

"What?!"

The little ugly yokai shot her a nasty look. Obviously he wasn't happy about it and he welcomed the fact she knew even less happily.

"Right, so I'll go to see what's he doing," Rin decided, doing much better with the stairs climbing than Jaken.

"What? Wait, Rin! He's busy and can't pay attention to you, you annoying child."

"He said I could come any time," Rin objected, surprised.

"But not this time," Jaken said. "Believe me, he's not in a good mood. Quite the opposite. I know that for sure."

He stroked his head where a small bump was forming.

"I don't think so," Rin said, making her way to the palace. She ran through it, her bare feet flapping loudly against the marble floor. She stopped herself in front of the door to his room, catching her breath. The guards knew her so one of them just gave her a smile, stepping aside. Rin approached the door, listening and waiting for a while, before opening it and walking inside.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He was standing by his window and it seemed like he'd been there pretty long. He merely looked over his shoulder to see who she was before turning back. Rin stopped, nervousness taking over her. Maybe master Jaken was right, she thought...

"Lord Sesshomaru...?"

He didn't move his eyes away from the window. She watched his face. Appearing calm and collected on the surface but he was actually angry and worrying about something. She could tell by staring right into his yellow eyes. She sighed, glaring at the ground.

"Is something bothering my lord?" she asked then. She didn't like him worrying. But there usually wasn't nothing she could do to prevent it.

"No," he said. She knew he lied. But perhaps she was too little and stupid to be the one he would talk to. It was probably something considering his empire and the many dealings with all the demon lords and chiefs of shoguns. Rin knew very little about it, only aware these things were very important to her lord.

"But I can see it," she said. "You are worrying."

"It's none of your business," he said coldly and Rin widened her eyes, a stroke of pain running down her stomach. She clenched her hands into fists, scared. She didn't even notice the demon lord was looking down at her.

"What is that?" he asked, meaning the piece of paper she brought with her. She handed it to him and he took it. It was a drawing of him and her sitting by the ocean with Jaken floating in the water. Lord Sesshomaru was frowning while looking at it, seeming even more angry.

"You don't like it?" she asked, the pain in her stomach getting worse.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You look angry," she explained. He raised an eyebrow, shaking his head afterwards.

"Because I am," he said.

"Are you angry with me?"

"You?" he repeated, almost with an ironic smile. "I'm angry with me. For treating you like that."

"Oh... don't worry, it's nothing..."

"No," he disagreed, his voice serious. "I'm sorry, Rin. Take the picture. It's very nice."

"That's for you," she exclaimed.

"Thank you," he said. She smiled at him, relieved, and he hesitated for a while, putting the picture down and crouching to her. He wrapped an arm around her, raising her up to the air. Rin cried out with joy, throwing her arms around his neck with happiness. She improved his mood, she was sure of it. And that was something not everybody was able to do. She could be proud of herself. But she had a better thing to do than that.

"Come, lord Sesshomaru," she said. "Let's see how master Jaken drew your picture!"

"Rather no," Sesshomaru said. "There's no space on his head for bumps any more.