The Hunter
Chapter Thirty-Two
Rin approached the spot where Sango was hanging a pile of freshly washed yukatas out to dry. The demon slayer's injuries from the attack the previous night hadn't been serious enough to keep her down long.
Sango sent a glance over her shoulder as she approached and reached for another yukata to hang.
"Come to help?"
"I need to ask a favour of you," Rin replied and came to a halt several paces away.
Sango gave her a curious look and vigorously shook out the garment in her hands, "What sort of favour?"
The wind picked up just then, making the hanging yukatas appear to writhe and dance about. The air was bitter cold and snow covered the ground, but the sun was bright and held the promise of an early spring.
Rin stooped to retrieve a damp yukata from the basket along with several wooden pegs. She slipped it over the line and answered, "I want you to teach me how to fight like a demon slayer."
Sango went quiet and it wasn't until Rin had bent to grab another yukata that she found the courage to meet her gaze. The older girl's dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly as they studied her. Those eyes missed nothing and it was with more than a little trepidation that Rin took a steadying breath and finished her request.
"And I want to keep it a secret from Kohaku."
The demon slayer exhaled a low sigh and tossed the yukata in her hands haphazardly over the line.
"Why?"
Rin's brows shot up in surprise, "To which part?"
"Both."
She paused a moment to collect her words and her eyes found their way to the main gate, where Kohaku was making repairs with the other men. He was fearlessly straddling one of the high beams, hammering nails into wooden posts wider than her arms could fit around. She felt a flutter deep in the pit of her stomach at the sight of him and quickly looked away.
"Kohaku won't approve," she said quietly. "He knows what will happen if I learn how to fight. He taught me a few things on the road to Edo; he showed me how to hold a knife and how to use it to kill a man if it came to that."
A sudden array of unwelcome memories invaded her thoughts, memories she'd tried hard to bury and forget: the choking grip of the bandit's fingers around her throat, the slick warmth of his blood as it gushed out of the wound to soak her hands, the sight of Kohaku bound and unmoving on the floor of his cell.
She forced a polite smile to her lips and added, "That knowledge saved my life, as well as his."
It was clear from the way Sango's eyes widened that this was news to her. Kohaku had apparently told her very little of the dangers they'd faced on their journey. She reasoned that perhaps he'd been trying to provide her with some peace of mind by sparing her all but the most essential details. She felt guilty for having disturbed that peace, but was determined to get what she'd come for.
Sango studied her closely, her dark eyes searching her features for answers. Was she searching for evidence of a lie? Or was she re-evaluating her first impressions? It was difficult to tell and at length Sango returned her attention to pinning the next yukata to the line.
"And to the first?" she inquired almost casually.
Rin frowned at the cold, damp yukata balled between her hands and slowly shook her head. "I've spent too much of my life being helpless to control the situations I was in. I don't ever want to live like that again. Whether it's bandits or demons, I need to know that I can protect myself and the people I care about."
"From what I saw the other night you're already capable of that. What you mean to say is you don't want to have to rely on someone else to protect you." Sango gave a knowing look and pinned the last yukata to the line.
The demon slayer was quiet for a moment and then stepped around the hanging yukatas to grab the empty basket up off the ground. "Kohaku told me a little of your story," she said not unkindly. "I'm sorry about what happened to you and your family. I understand better than you realize the desire to want to protect those you care about."
"Does that mean you'll help me?"
Sango nodded and stepped in closer so their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "But please remember that true strength comes when you rely on others as much as they rely on you."
With a pointed look out at the villagers she added, "If every man and woman in this village fought only for themselves we would've been exterminated generations ago. Sometimes you have to let go and trust that someone else will be there to support you."
Her gaze returned to Rin, probing and direct. "Can you do that? Can you trust someone else that much?"
Rin knew what she was asking of course. There was no need to speak his name. She nodded sincerely and held Sango's gaze until the demon slayer reached forward and gently squeezed her shoulder.
"I thought as much," she said with a faint smile. "We'll start tomorrow after breakfast."
Sango's hand lingered on her arm and her tone softened as she added, "Thank you for what you did last night. My injuries could have been far worse if you hadn't intervened when you did."
"You would've done the same for me," she replied with an air of certainty. Sango's smile returned and she glanced in the direction of the headman's hut.
"Come, let's make some lunch for the men. They'll be ravenous after spending all morning fixing that gate."
Rin fell in step beside her and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. With that single conversation a great weight of anxiety and expectation had been lifted from her soldiers. At the very least they seemed to understand one another. At their core their lives weren't so different. Sure they'd grown up on opposite ends of Japan and under very different circumstances, but at the end of the day they were both orphans, they'd both had to learn how to survive on their own, and they both cared deeply for Kohaku.
That one connection alone was enough to build a tentative bridge between them; one Rin hoped would eventually become as strong and sturdy as one between sisters. Only time would tell, of course. It was one thing to recognize a kindred spirit, but another entirely to welcome her into your home and accept her as part of the family.
Try as she might to ignore it, that seed of doubt lingered in the back of her mind. Kohaku may have kissed her in front of the entire village, but he'd made her no offer. Her eyes found him as she climbed the sturdy wooden stairs of the headman's hut. He was calling down to the men waiting below, giving them instructions for what to send up next. He sat back to wipe his brow and looked in her direction. When he waved she could see his smile even from where she stood.
Though his actions suggested he cared for her, not once had he spoken of 'love' and that was one truth that was impossible for her to ignore. Her hand lifted to wave back and then slowly fell to her side. Standing there at the door of his father's hut, with the sun warming her face, she couldn't help but wonder if he ever would.
oOo
It was nearly sunset by the time they were finished. It'd been hard work, but the walls were sturdy once more and the village would sleep safe that night. Kohaku rubbed at the calluses on his hands, thankful for the way the muscles beneath them ached. It felt good to be useful, to do something that made a difference. It softened the blow his ego had suffered the previous night, but not by much.
When it'd mattered most he'd failed to help Sango and that feeling of helplessness didn't sit well. His palm rested lightly against the newly re-built wall. At least this was some tangible good, something he could put his name to and be proud of, something Rin could be proud of him for building.
She approached with quiet footsteps carrying a small canteen of water. She held it out to him with a smile.
"I thought you might be thirsty."
He nodded as he took it from her and put the bottle to his lips, sucking greedily at its cool contents. From the corner of his eye he watched as she took in the sight of the wall, her eyes scanning its length.
"I never imagined you'd have it built so quickly."
He took another much needed gulp of water as his eyes followed her gaze. He'd been dubious himself when he and the others had set out at first light to begin rebuilding the wall, but now that it was finished he felt an immense sense of relief.
"The village is too vulnerable without it. Your brothers helped, too. I think they were glad for the work."
Rin's lips lifted a little in amusement, "You're probably right about that. Those two don't know how to sit still."
"Come, I'll take you for a tour."
He walked with her down the length of the wall, pointing out small improvements they'd made during the rebuild. Extra reinforcement by the doors, thicker beams at the most vulnerable areas, a lookout tower to allow them to see threats at a distance. They stopped at the gate and gazed out at the snow covered path leading into the forest beyond. Their footsteps from when they arrived were still barely visible in parts.
"Do you think the demons will return?"
Her tone was conversational, but he could tell by the way she anxiously nibbled at her lip while eyeing the dark edge of the forest that she was as concerned as anyone else in the village about the demons returning.
"They may," he replied, not wishing to lie to her. "But it's just as likely they won't. Demons don't typically attack the same place twice without good reason."
"So why do you think they attacked last night?"
He shook his head and brushed a hand through his hair. "I couldn't say. I spoke with Sango about it this morning and neither of us could come up with a reason. Their behaviour was..." He stopped there and gave a shrug. "In all my life I've never seen a demon act the way that one did. The way it looked at you… If I didn't know better I'd say it was scared off."
"That's…"
"Ridiculous?" he gave a dry laugh and shook his head. "Maybe your ancestors were fierce demon slayers?"
She smiled at the thought and looked back out at the woods, her gaze lingering overlong on the snow covered tree line.
"Rin," he urged softly and waited for her eyes to meet his. "If the demons do return I promise I won't let anything happen to you or your brothers."
Her eyes were dark and clear and didn't look away when she replied without a hint of hesitation, "I know you will."
His fingers gently touched the hair at her temples, pushing a few loose strands back off her face. The urge to kiss her was a powerful pull and he stepped in closer, his hand sliding gently down her neck. She pulled away before his lips could touch hers.
"Your hands are freezing," she said with an apologetic look.
He hid his disappointment behind a good-natured smile and cupped his hands together to blow into them for some warmth. It wasn't the first time she'd pulled away from him and it wouldn't be the last.
It was subtle, imperceptible to anyone but him, but with each day that passed he could feel her pulling further away. Maybe she wasn't even aware of it herself, and maybe she was, but bit by bit she was leaving behind the journey that'd once been theirs to take together. He could feel it with every fibre in his being but couldn't begin to know where or even how to stop the inevitable.
How could he bring them back to the place where they'd once shared tender, guarded moments alone, where dreams of a future together had felt possible? Was she so unhappy here that she was simply counting down the days until the spring thaw would allow her to escape? Or was it him that was lacking? Had she realized that despite her feelings for him it would be impossible for her to ever truly forgive him for what he'd done?
The thought turned his stomach but he understood it completely. He'd done something unforgiveable to her and would need to accept whatever consequences came out of that choice – even it if meant watching her leave when the winter snow melted into spring. But it wouldn't be easy. Seeing her pull away bit by bit each day was very nearly eating him alive.
The stubborn fighter within him was determined to do and say whatever it took to keep her by his side. But the part of him that loved her only had one overarching concern – her happiness. And so each time she pulled away or evaded his kiss or stared overlong at the village gate he brushed it off with a smile that would fool even the most observant of watchers and vowed that he wouldn't push for anything more.
Today she responded with a faint smile and angled her body in the direction of the headman's hut. "It's getting late. I should see if Sango needs any help with the evening meal," she said, urging him to follow with a tilt of her head.
"Of course," he said, falling in step beside her.
The heavy village gates closed audibly behind them, shutting out the dangers of the world beyond their walls.
Author's Note: I know this update is probably shorter than some would have liked but after so many months of being unable to write I consider this chapter something of a small victory. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope now that it's posted I can get back to writing this fic on a more regular posting schedule. Many thanks for your patience my lovely readers - you are amazing.