What's A Dragon to Do?

Chapter 9

Rin stopped what she was doing to hear Kagome's answer. Why did Shippou call her okaa-san anyway? How come I don't have an okaa-san? Maybe Kagome would be my okaa-san if I ask her.

Kagome looked up and found both children watching her. What was she going to tell them? Sesshoumaru didn't like how I smelled so he tore all my clothes off me and gave me a bath. That definitely wouldn't work. She could feel her face heating up and lowered her head so the kids wouldn't see her red face.

"My uniform got ruined and Sesshoumaru let me borrow this."

Shippou could tell that she wasn't telling the whole truth but he would let it go for now. He looked over to Rin and smiled at her.

"How are you feeling Rin?" Rin smiled back at Shippou and continued washing herself.

"I am fine Shippou thanks to you and Ah Un. We are now safe with Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshoumaru. I know that they will keep us safe because that's what parents do." She waded over to Kagome. "Lady Kagome could you help me wash my hair?"

Kagome wet Rin's hair and crushed some of the herbs in it then when it was done she helped her wash the herbs out of her hair.

"You have such pretty hair Rin." Rin smiled up at Kagome.

"Thank you Lady Kagome."

"Rin don't you remember that I told you not to call me Lady Kagome." Kagome finished washing herself and then put Sesshoumaru's haori back on. Then she returned to shore to keep an eye on the children.

Rin walked to Kagome and stood in front of her. She just stood there shuffling her feet.

"Kagome may I ask you something?" Kagome smiled down at the child before her.

"You can ask me anything Rin." Rin stopped shuffling her feet and looked at Kagome.

"May I call you okaa-san like Shippou does?"

Kagome didn't expect Rin to ask her that. How was she supposed to reply to a request like that? She wouldn't mind Rin calling her okaa-san but Sesshoumaru might have something to say on the matter.

"If Sesshoumaru doesn't object I wouldn't mind Rin. But you must get his approval first." Rin ran to Kagome and threw her arms around her.

"I am sure otou-san will not mind. Now I have an otou-san and an okaa-san again. I am so happy." She turned to Shippou and pointed to him. "If Kagome is my new okaa-san that makes you my new oniisan. This is my lucky day. I get a whole new family."

Sesshoumaru returned to hear Rin saying something about a new family. What was she talking about?

"Rin it is time to get out of the river." He dropped a dead boar beside Kagome and turned to walk away.

Kagome jumped up when the dead boar was thrown down beside her. "Why did you throw that thing at me?"

"This Sesshoumaru caught breakfast it is up to you to clean and cook it." He sat down under the tree and watched many emotions cross Kagome's face. It didn't take her long to come stomping toward him.

"I am not going to touch that thing. You killed it you can clean it. How am I supposed to cook it anyway? I don't have my lighter on me and unless you can breath fire how am I going to cook it?" She stood in front of the demon lord and tapped her foot on the ground. She was growing impatient with his high and mighty ways.

"Fine, this Sesshoumaru will clean it but you have to make the fire to cook it on. I do not know what a lighter is but the kitsune can start the fire for you using his magic." He stood up and called Shippou to him. "Kit it is time for you to learn how to clean a kill." He made sure the kit was following him and he retrieved the boar and they went further down stream to clean it. He didn't want to make the girls sick.

He set the boar down on the edge of the stream and instructed the kit on how to gut and skin it. Seeing as how the kitsune was still small it took a little time. With his help the kitsune soon had it done. They cleaned off in the river and picked up the meat and returned to camp. They found that Kagome and Rin had a fire pit built and all it needed was Shippou's magic to get it started.

Shippou started the fire and turned to find Sesshoumaru sitting under a tree watching the girls put the meat on a spit and set it over the fire. He started to sit down beside Sesshoumaru but was stopped when Kagome called for him over by the fire.

"Yes okaa-san?" Kagome watched Shippou return to her side.

"Shippou can you turn the meat until Rin and I return?" She waited till he nodded yes then took Rin's hand led her into the forest. Calling over her shoulder that they would be right back.

"What are we doing okaa-san?" Rin followed Kagome into the forest.

"We are going to find some berries or roots to go with the boar." She walked through the forest and soon found some roots that Kaede had told her were edible. She dug some up and handed them to Rin and then turned and found some berries on a bush behind Rin. "Those berries are edible. Lets pick some and then we can return to camp."

She and Rin picked enough berries for everyone to have a handful minus the ones they ate then they returned to camp. "We found some other stuff to go with the meat." Kagome showed Rin how to wash the berries and roots then she showed Rin how to cook the roots so that they could eat them. Rin and Shippou took turns turning the meat and a little while later they had a great meal. After Kagome was done eating she turned to Sesshoumaru

"What are we going to do now?" Sesshoumaru watched the children eat and laugh together. They acted like brother and sister.

"We stay here for now. Ah and Un will not release us yet. So we might as well make ourselves comfortable. This seems like a good place to camp. It has fresh water and plenty of game."

"What are we going to do all day long? I don't know about you but I hate sitting still for any given time." Kagome sighed and leaned back against the tree beside Sesshoumaru

"I can always teach you and the children to fight. And I can teach you about your miko abilities." He turned his head and looked down at the miko.

"You would do that for us? Inuyasha has never bothered to teach me to fight. Every time I brought the subject up he just scoffed and said I didn't need to learn because I had him to protect me." Kagome frowned a little as she thought about Inuyasha, because thinking of him reminded her of Sango and Miroku and Kirara. She missed them all. I bet they are worried sick about Shippou and me.

"If that was the case you would not be here with me. You and the kitsune need to know how to defend yourself and it has come to my attention that Rin also needs to learn this ability." He stood up and entered the forest. Sesshoumaru found some decent wood and using his sword and claws he carved three wooden blades.

When he was finished he returned to the camp and returned to his seat. The children were tired after eating and were asleep. He looked to Kagome and found her watching the kids. So he sat back down beside Kagome

"When I returned this morning after hunting I heard Rin say something about having a new family. What was she talking about?"

"Rin heard Shippou calling me okaa-san and she felt left out and asked me if she could call me okaa-san. I told her it would be up to you. Then she said Shippou was her brother. Hence her whole new family." Kagome was afraid to look at Sesshoumaru and see his reaction to this news.

"It would not bother this Sesshoumaru if Rin calls you okaa-san." He wouldn't inform her what would happen if knowledge of the child doing so got out though. Sesshoumaru leaned his head back against the tree and watched as Kagome did the same. Soon he felt her head fall onto his shoulder.

He waited till her breathing told him that she was sound asleep then he lifted her onto his lap and held her while she took a nap. He would let them sleep for a little while then he would start their training.