Chapter 70 - Closed

Birds sang in the trees above, singing merrily, as if compeletely unaware of the serious nature of the conversation between the yokai lord, and the human girl sitting below. Sesshomaru's posture implied that he was relaxed, but there was a steel undertone. Right arm over his knee, but his fist clenched. Head lightly leaning back against the tree, but eyes intense.

"So when I ask you to do something, you understand that it's for your protection." It was less a question, and more of a statement.

Rin nodded, her dried food meal, remained forgotten on the piece of fabric in her lap.

"Demons..." He hesitated. "Have powers that cannot be seen, mental abilities."

Nodding again, her eyes dropped to her lap. "Like how Naraku controlled Kohaku, in his mind."

Sesshomaru's eyebrows lifted slightly. Why am I always surprised, she's proven herself to be exceptionally intelligent time, and time again. Faintly he nodded his head. "Yes."

The girl's brown eyes rose to meet Sesshomaru's again, focusing intently, as if reading his thoughts. The yokai felt something catch in his chest, and he took a moment to ensure that their mind's were still closed to each other. The barrier was still firmly in place, as far as he could tell. "You're afraid that someone will get into my mind, to hurt me." Like his statement from before, it was also not a question.

There was no denying it. Sesshomaru nodded. What he wouldn't share with her, was that he was concerned that he, himself, would somehow taint her innocence. That part, she did not need to know. No one should be in Rin's mind... not even Sesshomaru. It was unlikely that, even with intent, they could prevent the kizuna from deepening. But if he could find a way for make Rin conscious of keeping her mind closed to others, it may help keep their thoughts distinctly separate. At least for some time.

"Okay." She picked up her cloth with the food, and gently sat it next to her in the grass. "What is it that you need me to do, my Lord?" A smile tilted her lips, slightly up at the it was. The willingness to do whatever he requested of her, without question, without concern. It always astonished him.

"I want you to close your mind." He hesitated, struggling with his own decision. "To everyone."

Rin was silent for a moment, thoughtfully watching Sesshomaru's face. He was quite certain that she somehow, ascertained his conflict, as she always seemed to. Though she made no comment. Instead she reached out to lightly touch his hand, which still rested on his bent knee. "Will you teach me?"

Nodding, he shifted his torso, subtly withdrawing his hand from the contact as he sat cross legged before her. "Close your eyes." Obediently Rin closed her eyes, hands clasped in her lap, looking every bit as royal sitting pertly in the grass, as his mother had in her royal stone halls. "Clear everything from your mind. You'll see-" in his mind, he saw darkness, but her mind was different. He knew from experience that her mind was bright and beautiful. "-light. Something like clouds."

Rin's eyes squeezed shut as she focused, her lips twisting adorably as she attempted to do as he asked. "Okay. I think I see it." Inkimi had hired the best teachers in every subject to train her son. For the first time, Sesshomaru saw some of the value in the subjects that had been covered. At the time, he hadn't had much use for his mother, or the tutors, much less what they had taught him.

"I'm going to press on your thoughts, so you will recognize the sensation, should someone try to tamper with your mind."

She nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut. Without opening the door between their minds, Sesshomaru prodded her thoughts with the slightest brush of his mental presence. Almost instantly she gasped her eyes flying open.

"I felt that!"

Sesshomaru almost chuckled at the expression of shock on her face. "My presence is ambivalent, anyone else attempting to gain access to your mind would be... violent." He tilted his head. "It will be mentally painful if a strong enough demon attempts to force access to your thoughts."

Shock was replaced by concern, then determination as she set her lips in a firm line and nodded. "Okay."

"Should you feel anything like that, you must instantly barricade your mind." He closed his own eyes, visualizing her mind within his own, although not opening himself to her. "Put up a barrier. Focus on making your thoughts invisible to everyone." He watched the swirling brightness of her mind, waiting to see any change. Rin focused, squinting again with her eyes tightly closed. There was a slight darkening of the brightness, as if a light blanket had been placed between them, like a veil. "Good." His gold eyes opened. "You need to practice this, often."

Rin opened her eyes, they were bright and shiny with pleasure, clearly happy to have done what he asked. "I will Lord Sesshomaru!" She gazed up at him for a moment, her smile slowly melted away. "But..." He waited patiently, for her to speak again. The faintest hint of color touched her cheeks. "What if I want to allow someone to hear my thoughts?"

For a moment, Sesshomaru was stunned, he'd never considered that there could be someone she would want to hear her innermost personal thoughts. The idea made his stomach churn in an irritated way, and he pulled his gaze from hers. Who would she possibly want to share her thoughts with? Jaken? No, they bicker like siblings. A-un? Certainly not... the dawning knowledge came to him like warm rays of sunlight. The warmth of Rin's voice filled his thoughts, echoes from the memory that he'd witnessed only yesterday. I love him! For a moment, he was struck speechless. It's me... turning he gazed at her, his gold eyes searching the heat in her cheeks, scenting the subtly changed notes amid her floral lilac scent. She wants to share herself... with me.