InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ties of the Heart ❯ Storm Clouds ( Chapter 2 )

Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me if Rin didn't kick enough ass. I wrote that part before my attention span snapped and I ended the chapter on a cliffhanger. Here, I'll fix it:

~*~

"You…." She glowered, too angry to even finish her sentence. Damn her side hurt! Apparently this was going to take a little more work than she had thought.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Rin tried to calm down and think. `Anger only hinders you in a battle,' Sesshoumaru always said when Rin got frustrated during practice. Putting up her guard again, she tried to block out the pain in her side. This is real! she thought to herself, Not a practice where Sesshoumaru will just stop if he breaks your defense. This goon wants to kill you!!

Evidently from the look on the assassin's face, he found her change in demeanor amusing. "That's a good girl, I admire a lass who can keep a cool head no matter what," he said menacingly. "Hmm," he continued in as just a creepy tone, circling around Rin as if to strike at any moment, "Milord only said to bring you to him, dead or alive. He never said I couldn't have a little fun with you first, though."

"Ugh," Rin replied disgustedly, "You're not a hare! You're a pig!" As she spoke, she slashed at her attacker, and landed a hit. Jumping back, Rin smiled at her handiwork.

"Bitch…." the hare demon muttered, nursing a hacked right arm. If she was lucky, Rin might have cut him deep enough to sever some of the major nerves in his arm. Either way, the would-be-assassin was down to using one dagger at a time.

"Congratulations," Rin smirked. "You know have the privilege of taking on a person with a sword using only a dagger. I wish you luck."

Snorting, he retorted, "Save your wishes for yourself, girl. You'll need more than luck if you want to take me down."

"Well then it's a good thing I've got that and skill." Dropping to the ground, she swung her leg underneath the goon to knock him to the ground. Standing back up, she rested a foot on his chest, and lowered her sword to just above his throat. "How was that, jerk? Maybe we should see what else I can cut with this blade."

"Rin," said a cool voice from behind her. "That's enough." Strolling calmly over to where Rin still had the hare demon trapped. "Is this how you want to kill him? To end his life while there is no chance for him to fight back?" Sesshoumaru questioned her. Reaching down, he picked up Rin's assailant by the throat, smiling coldly and deadly. "At least give him the opportunity to go somewhere to hide." Taking one more look at the pitiful, gurgling hare demon, Sesshoumaru tossed him in the air, slashing him with his poison claws before his body hit the earth. "A pity he didn't take flight more quickly. It could have saved him."

Looking confusedly at Sesshoumaru, Rin asked, "Uh, was that a joke?" Sesshoumaru responded by turning around to walk back to the living quarters.

"Come along, Rin," he beckoned, "If Tawakemeno sent this fool, he is more desperate than it appeared. We must form a plan to battle him."

Rolling her eyes, Rin sheathed her blade and followed after the demon lord.

~*~

"We need to move quickly in a case such as this, Shinbou," Sesshoumaru told his advisor. Shinbou and Roiyaru were the two most trustworthy of those around him. Other than Rin of course, but she was too young to be able to assist in forming a battle plan. She could, however, learn from what they had to offer. Thus the reason he had her sitting in a corner to listen to this discussion. Returning his attention to the situation with Tawakemeno, he continued, "If he has sent assassins to us already, Tawakemeno will no doubt try it again. He doesn't seem to have the brains for variability.

"The truth indeed, milord," Roiyaru agreed. "Perhaps that is how we should plan our attacks. Even my cousin could discern we're attacking by pattern, but he would never think we would break it." Pointing to several areas on a map of Tawakemeno's lands, he continued to explain his theory, "If we attack in small numbers in poorly manned places, he will think that you aren't treating him as a serious threat. Therefore, he will believe you to have sent inadequate troops that are only able to pick off his tiniest outposts. If this goes correctly, he will believe he has plenty of time before you launch a direct attack on him of any reasonable size."

Shinbou nodded in agreement. Any owl demon such as himself knew sense when he heard it being spoken. "You seem to have hit the nail on the head, so to say, my friend. Do you also approve Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru was about to answer, but he was cut off by a gaping yawn from Rin. Glancing out the narrow window, he saw that it was quite dark already. "You may go to your room, Rin. We seem to have found a solution to the problem." Nodding sleepily, the girl trudged out of the room and down the hall. Feeling curious about his young charge, as he still thought of her as, Sesshoumaru dismissed his advisors and followed her down the hall.

~*~

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Rin grumbled to herself about the idiocy of men. She had just been wounded today, but they didn't care that she needed to rest or have bandages changed! Not only had she been forced to listen to the boring talks for hours, she had come up with the same plan as Roiyaru a good three hours before he suggested it. But could little Rin voice an opinion? Nooooooooo! Little girls were to be seen and not heard, and should quietly listen to what her elders had to say. Scuffing her feet on the floor she thought bitterly, Sesshoumaru still sees me as the little child in the forest. I know I'm still young by demon standards, but there are human girls younger than me with children of their own already! Why can't he just let me grow up!

Caught up in her almost-silent grumbling, she failed to notice the presence of someone behind her until Sesshoumaru was right next to her. "Is something the matter, Rin?" he asked in that ever-cold voice.

Leaping about three feet in the air, Rin let out a "Yeep!" and spun to face Sesshoumaru. "It was nothing," she muttered, trying to regain her composure. Gathering her confidence, she tried, "I assume you'll be leading this attack on Tawakemeno."

"Of course," was his terse reply.

"Aren't you worried about our people getting hurt at all?"

"An inevitability," he responded distantly.

Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "Why don't you ever feel anything?" she asked desperately. "You're always so damn cold! Why are you afraid to let anyone in?" Suddenly she realized she was clutching the front of his robes, inches away from him.

Apparently Sesshoumaru noticed too. "Rin…" he said softly, staring what might be confusedly into her eyes. Then again, it was nigh on impossible to discern any emotion Sesshoumaru might have.

Those eyes…Rin thought dazedly, He's close enough to kiss…KISS? Am I insane? Lowering her eyes, Rin reluctantly broke her grip on the demon "I…" she stammered, "I…have to go now. I'm very tired…and my side hurts. Goodnight, Sesshoumaru."

~*~

Back in her room, Rin banged her head as quietly as she could against the wall. Kami…I can't believe I just did that! What the hell was I thinking! Still mortified at what had just happened, Rin sighed and went to get ready to sleep. However, as soon she had started to undress, there was a knock at the door. Great, marvelous timing whoever's there! "Just a moment!" she called to the other side of the door. It was probably Shinmyou, wanting to check in on her.

The door opened anyway, with none other than Sesshoumaru coming in. Completely oblivious to Rin's state of dress he said, "Forgive me, Rin, for the intrusion. I merely wanted to…apologize for before."

Openly gaping at him, Rin had her biggest shock of the day. Sesshoumaru??? APOLOGIZING????? "Um…" she tried to say, "There's…really no need for you to. I…shouldn't have…"

"No," he said obstinately, "You've been hurt, I should have taken better care of you."

"Sesshoumaru…," Rin replied, eyes softening and forgetting her kimono was nearly hanging wide open. "Listen, I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. You saw to that yourself by training me."

"Lie down," he said, cutting her off. "Let me see your wound."

"Uh, are you sure?" Rin asked, wrapping her loose kimono around her more tightly. After a firm nod from Sesshoumaru, though, she figured it would be better to do what he said.

Once she had sat down on her bed, Sesshoumaru knelt down next to her, explaining, "When dogs are injured, they lick their wounds to clean them out and speed the healing process. Despite my poisons, I also have some healing power."

With that, he peeled back her kimono, only exposing as much skin as he had to so to preserve Rin's dignity. Not that she had too much left, with half her body exposed, the demon she idolized licking her side. Even if it does feel good…fighting the impulse to shake her head and scowl at herself, Rin said, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. It hurts much less now. I really am tired, however."

Sesshoumaru stood up, turning to leave. Rin hastily covered herself back up, thankful for her regained modesty. Still facing the door, Sesshoumaru said quietly, "Please understand, Rin, I have to be cold and distant. If I were to let anyone see a weakness in me, it could very well lead to my demise. My father taught me that by his foolishness." He eased the door shut behind him, and left for his own rooms.

Love is foolishness? wondered Rin. Placing her hand on her now healed wound, she thought, Then goodnight, my fool.

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