Chapter 72 - Gossip
The afternoon passed quickly. Rin did not seem to be aware of Sesshomaru's inner torment, if anything she seemed quite peaceful and content after their discussion. Most of her time was spent happily munching on her dried foods, and then braiding intricate floral designs into her dark hair. Sesshomaru maintained a physical distance from Rin, and took up a watchful post, fifteen feet or so away. His golden eyes never left her, as she hummed to herself happily, completely self occupied with her creative hair decorations. Sesshomaru's thoughts were tumultuous, he had to almost constantly shove aside the rupture of thoughts about Rin, in order to maintain a semblance of inner peace.
It was a rare and welcome relief when Jaken finally came waddling into the small clearing beside the River. "Well there you are!" Jaken squawked happily. "I was beginning to think that you had gone off and left me behind." He let a sack, nearly twice his size, slide off his back and thump to the ground. With an exaggerated sigh, the imp flopped to the ground and leaned back against the sack.
"What did you find out, Jaken?" Sesshomaru urged, eager for a distraction from his internal anguished thoughts. His golden eyes trained on the small green figure, as he stumbled into the clearing.
"Well, there was quite a bit of gossip in that little village, just let me tell you." Jaken made a wide gesture with his arm. "Those humans will talk about just anything to pass the time in their dreary lives. Why just today, I listened into a conversation… there was a woman, and her best friend who's name was Saka, was caught in the middle of a very graphic tryst with her best friends husband!" Jaken scoffed. "Why just hearing such lewdness made my face bright red! Apparently Saka walkes in on the affair, right in the middle of it! And let me tell you… the women who were gossiping about it used the most expressive details when they discussed the way their bodies—"
"Jaken!" Sesshomaru's sharp tone instantly silenced Jaken's long winded and completely unnecessary retelling of the unfaithful wife story. The imp withered under his master's glare. Sesshomaru he was not interested in hearing the ghasty details of human copulation, and most definitely Rin should not hear anything so... lewd, such an age. "I only care about the information I sent you for." Sesshomaru was quickly remembering why Jaken irritated him so much, the corners of his lips turned down, eyes narrowing imperceptibly
"Oh… right, yes." The imp turned to face his master and cleared his throat. "There was a rumor about specters."
"Specters?"
"Yes. Apparently there was a well known group of murderers who lived in the area several decades ago. This band would attack and massacre entire villages of humans, just for sport. They were eventually beheaded according to legend, and a shrine was built to purify the area of their grave at the base of the sacred Mount Hakurei. Only now, humans are claiming the grave has been disturbed and the shrine destroyed."
"Hm." Sesshomaru's eyebrows drew together. Specters of a band of murderers? It would make sense, with the scent he'd picked up, of graveyard soil. Has someone resurrected a band of murderers to do their bidding? It does seem like something Naraku would do, in order to keep those who hunt him busy, while he hides. The yokai's lips pressed together in a firm line. If Naraku has been preparing traps this entire, time that he's been hiding, it will only make the battle that much more dangerous once he was finally driven from his hiding place. Irritated with the idea, Sesshomaru glanced up at the sun, which was already dipping down toward the mountain peaked horizon. I need to know more about these specters who have come alive.
"What is the plan, my Lord?" Jaken asked from near Sesshomaru's kegutsu boots.
There was a moment of silence before the yokai responded. "We will camp here tonight." At dawn, we will begin hunting Naraku.
The night passed peacefully, without incident. Rin had hovered close to Sesshomaru for quite some time before sleeping. He knew without her verbalizing it, that she wanted to curl up in the warmth of his mokomoko -- but after their discussion, he declined to offer. Eventually she went to curl up beside A-un instead, the dragon curled around the girl and they fell fast asleep.
Morning came. The little group was already traveling before the sun peeked over the horizon. Usually, Sesshomaru took great care to avoid humans and villages, but with the new developments, there was a necessity to glean information from the humans. When they neared a village, they'd pause their march. If humans were out in the fields and roadways, Sesshomaru would stand and listen. If there was no one visible, he would send Jaken into the village to find out if there had been any more "specter" sightings. There was very little helpful information. No information or leads on Naraku. There were whispers of shadowy figures, either too frightening, or too strange to be believed. One rumor was of a male female hybrid being, who had a magic sword. Another spoke of a giant, who's jaw was made of steel. With humans, it was hard to tell what was fact, and what they created in their own minds.
Their progress across the area was slow. Jaken always spent, in Sesshomaru's opinion, far longer in the human villages than was truly necessary. Often the imp was gone for many hours at a time, and came back with armfuls of human "goodies", which Sesshomaru always ordered he had to share with Rin. And eager to share stories of human interactions, many of which the yokai would not permit Jaken to share. Much to the imps dismay. It was on the morning of the fifth dismal day, that finally... there was a breakthrough.