The Hunter

Chapter Thirty-Four

The early morning air was bitter cold. The jacket Sango had given her did little to keep away the shivers, even with a heavy shawl thrown over her shoulders. She gazed up at the cloudless sky as they walked, marveling at how clear those last few lingering stars appeared above their heads. It was almost as though you could reach out and gather them up, a handful of shiny diamonds to stuff in your pocket.

There was no sound but for the crunch of their sandals atop the heavy snow. With such stillness all around them it felt like they were the last two humans on earth, a prospect that she didn't altogether mind for the moment.

Kohaku walked close at her side, his shoulders nearly brushing hers. His face was drawn in concentration, his brows furrowed in the way they did when he had something on his mind. His silence made her uneasy, and her thoughts were soon rife with worst case scenarios.

Some insidious part of her began to wonder if he'd brought her all this way outside the village to tell her exactly what she feared most - that he'd realized it could never work between them. He'd been different since arriving here. The easy going nature that'd first drawn her to him seemed to have evaporated on the journey from Edo. Even during the rare few opportunities they had to speak alone, their words had felt strained and unfamiliar, as though they were practically strangers.

She had to consider, too, that maybe after their conversation about her dream Kohaku had come to the realization that he needed to put his village first for a second time. She could hardly blame him if that were the case. There were too many families who depended on the daimyo's good graces to risk putting up a fight if Sesshomaru was indeed alive and decided to come find her. The only safe course of action in that case was for her to leave.

Rin took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled, watching as the white puff of condensation dissipated into the air. And maybe he'd just wanted to take her on a walk. Time alone together had become a luxury since leaving Edo. She found herself longing for those countless hours walking at his side, and wishing they could go back to trekking along that dusty dirt road.

She found herself longing, too, for the quiet intimacy of sharing a meal with him without three pairs of eyes watching. And of speaking to him, even about the most mundane of topics, without three sets of ears straining to hear their every word. She turned her head to study his profile in the dim pre-dawn light and felt her heart squeeze tight inside her chest. She wasn't ready to say good-bye to him yet.

"We're here," he said as he guided her through a group of low hanging branches laden with snow. He held them high so she could walk beneath and into the small clearing beyond. Ahead of them was a frozen waterfall and she marveled at how the water remained suspended over the rock face in glittering relief. With the morning sun hitting the ice just so, the falls seemed to be illuminated from within by a brilliant golden flame.

"What is this place?" she gasped, breath-taken by its beauty.

"It's called Heaven's Gate."

She smiled and nodded in agreement, "I can see why."

Feeling bold and sentimental, she clasped his hand in hers and tilted her head against his shoulder. His body seemed to relax at her touch and in time his head tilted to rest against hers.

"Rin," he said quietly, his voice soft so as not to break the tranquility of the scene before them, "there's something I need to tell you."

She felt her heart give a great, heavy thump in her chest. So her intuition had been right then. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tilted her face up towards his. He kept his eyes focused ahead while he gathered his thoughts together and sought the right words to tell her what he needed to say.

"I will need to leave you for a while," he explained. "A village has requested our help with slaying a nest of demons."

Of all the scenarios she'd considered, this hadn't been among them. She stood there a moment stunned, having no idea how to respond.

"How long?" she finally managed to ask.

His hands gripped hers a little tighter, offering some small measure of reassurance, "A week. Perhaps a little longer. The village is in the mountains and the path to get there is treacherous this time of year. If there is an avalanche or a storm, we may be stranded for some time until it is safe to continue."

She nodded in understanding and wrapped her hand around his arm. If only she could keep him by her side through willpower alone.

"I'm sorry to leave you like this, especially now. I had hoped..." His words trailed off and he exhaled a weighted sigh. His eyes settled on the frozen waterfall, watching as the dawn light refracted off the uneven edges.

"The thought of leaving you here unguarded..."

"It's okay, I understand," she said and put on her best attempt at a smile. "This village - they need your help, right?"

He nodded, his expression solemn. "A nest of bird demons has been plaguing them for months. Without help they won't have enough food or firewood to survive until spring."

Rin stood next to him in the quiet of the early morning and focused on the heavy warmth of his hand around hers. So this is what it would be like to say good-bye to him each time he was required to do his duty. This is what it would be like to let him go, knowing it may be for the last time. It was difficult, but the thought of selfishly keeping him with her when a village was desperate for his help was far worse.

"Then," she determined, "you must go."

If it were her village, she would have wanted him to come. If it were her village, she would have sacrificed anything to keep her family and neighbours safe. And how would he feel staying behind while his comrades and friends went off to fight, knowing he hadn't done what he could to help? She couldn't picture it. It wasn't the sort of man he was.

"Do you promise to come back?" she added, turning to face up towards his. Do you promise to come back to me?

A smile of relief lit his features and his hand lightly caressed her cheek, "I promise."

Realizing this may be her last chance to be alone with him like this, she surged forward and wrapped her arms around him tight. He held her tight against him, his face buried in the hollow of her shoulder.

"Please be careful."

He nodded and his hand circled her back in reassuring strokes.

"There is one more thing..." he said haltingly. When his hands stilled on her back she felt unease fill her once more. She pulled back with a guarded look.

"This mission will be dangerous. There is no guarantee that... Well... What I am trying to say is..."

He closed his eyes in frustration and exhaled a short, exasperated breath. When he opened them again, his warm brown eyes fixed on her with a look she'd never seen in them before. Her fingers subtly tightened in the folds of his jacket and her brows knit together in anxious expectation.

"What I want to say is... If I should die on this mission, my heart would be at ease knowing that someday we would rest in the same grave together."

Rin felt her mouth drop open as her mind turned over his words. He couldn't possibly mean...

"I-I don't understand...," she said, her voice soft and unsure.

Kohaku's warm hands covered hers and he brought her chilled fingertips to his lips for a brief kiss.

"I want you to be my wife, Rin."

Those words, spoken with such soft earnestness, immediately banished the cold from her bones. He wanted her. He wanted a life with her. That dream her heart had dreamt for so many months… Was it possible that it'd been his dream too? Kohaku wanted her without compromise or reservation and the revelation left her speechless.

When she didn't reply his hopeful expression faltered, "If you need time to think it over..."

"I don't need time," she assured him with a shy smile. "I have known for some time, I think, what my answer would be."

"Then...?"

Rin shook her head, "I refuse to give you permission to die on this mission. Keep your promise to me and when you return you will hear my answer."

Kohaku reluctantly agreed, "I suppose that's fair." Even in his disappointment he smiled as his hands cupped her face and with a delicate touch his fingers brushed a loose bit of hair off her sun-warmed cheek.

"I love you," he said earnestly, his eyes settling warmly on hers. "And I will love you until the day my soul leaves this earth. So long as you know that, it will be enough."

Rin's hands went to his wrists and held tight as she nodded.

"I know," she whispered, fighting back tears of happiness and relief. And then again, as his lips found hers, "I know."

A/N: I've received some truly beautiful reviews on this fic the past few months. I appreciate each and every one of them, but most of all your patience. You guys are incredible! I finally had a bit of inspiration this week and managed to get down three new chapters for "The Hunter". This one's the first of the three. I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to posting the others as soon as they're edited (and for those who are curious, Sesshomaru will be returning to the story very shortly!) Happy reading :)