Consequences

Rin was sitting up, eating the soup that Jaken brought with him.

Her legs…

Looking at them made her cringe in pain.  Jaken applied a special poultice to them but was clear, ‘Those red marks will never leave you Rin.  You’ve been touched by a corpse demon, and that is its mark.’

It looked like someone dipped her legs in rouge blush but it stopped just below her knees.

She couldn’t care less, but she hoped…

She hoped Lord Sesshomaru-sama was not offended by the site of them.

‘You are lucky Lord Sesshomaru-sama did not kill you Rin,’ Jaken Lectured, ‘I still do not understand why he wastes his efforts on you.  Really.  Every time I think that you rejected Lord Sesshomaru it makes me weep for him—‘

Jaen was thrown aside, and he hit the wall hard.

Rin could not help but giggle.

Lord Sesshomaru stood still, watching her coldly.

She knew he wanted an answer.

Rin took a sip of her soap and smiled up at him, ‘Rin does not want to be away from Lord Sesshomaru. Rin does not understand why Lord Sesshomaru wishes to do…’ She searched for the right word, ‘…that.’

He arched one pale brow but remained silent.

‘Thank you for saving Rin.’  She felt her lower lip tremble before quickly raising the entire bowl to her lips and abandoning the spoon.  She didn’t want him to see her upset.  ‘Rin loves Lord Sesshomaru.’

He turned to Jaken who was only now coming to his feet.  He looked at Lord Sesshomaru with wet eyes, ‘Lord Sesshomaru, I only want to serve you--!’

‘When she is finished, bring her outside.’

Jaken opened his mouth, ready to retort, but thought better of it.  Sullenly he nodded and hobbled over to where Rin.  He crossed his arms and sat, throwing his nose into the air.

Lord Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side at this display.  He raised one hand and again hit him so that he was tossed across the room.

Rin could not help it.  She snorted, and began to cough, she laughed so hard.

Lord Sesshomaru chose only then to leave the room, quietly sliding the door shut behind him.

‘J-Jaken, are you okay?’ She asked, still smiling.

Jaken glared at her, ‘How can you laugh?  Eat your soup.  We must leave, and we’ve waited too long for you to get better.  Humans are so weak.  It is a nuisance.’

This sobered her somewhat.

She stared into her soup bowl, and thought about her choice.  She knew that if she went with them, she would be afraid.  Afraid of the new role Lord Sesshomaru expected her to assume.  Even now it made her tummy turn with anxiety.

But…

But the alternative was far scarier.  When he left, she hadn’t realized how much she had come to depend on him.  Or how scary everything else was. 

She was safest with Lord Sesshomaru.  And at least she knew he cared about her.

When she finished her soup, she tried to stand.  She was unsteady on her legs.  And she grimaced in pain.

More than once she tripped as she walked towards the door, and each time Jaken screeched and put his staff before her to hold onto.

She was a little light headed by the time they managed to reach the sliding door, and then they had to walk through the maze that was the house.

‘Where is everyone?’ She asked Jaken, while she paused to take a breath.

Jaken jumped and looked away, refusing to meet her gaze, ‘Uh, er…they recognized the greatness of our Lord and humbly offered up this home…Of course it does not meet Lord Sesshomaru’s standards but it was closest.’

She shrugged, finding this answer agreeable.

It was at least ten more minutes before they were outside.

Lord Sesshomaru stood on the porch, which overlooked a village.  Strangely, no one was in site.

He turned slightly to look at her.

He glanced at Jaken and softly said, ‘Why did you not tell me she is unable to walk.’

Jaken took a terrified step back, ‘I—‘

And then he went sailing, this time into the valley below.

He leaned down and picked her up.  She bit her lower lip and felt her face turn a little pink.

‘Where is everyone?’ She asked, ‘Rin would like to thank the people who helped.’

Without missing a beat, he answered, ‘It seems they fled one they realized they were servicing a youkai.’

Her mouth opened, forming a perfect O. That made sense.  People always ran away when they saw Lord Sesshomaru was a demon.

He lept into the air, and she held on, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he ran across the tree tops.

She liked it when he did this. 

Rin relaxed in his arms.  And enjoyed the ride.