Chapter Two: Kohaku's Potential Confession and Jakin's Visit

      "Rin!" Kaede's angered voice came from her small hut while I walked past it with an arm full of medicinal flowers. I want to keep on walking and ignore the angered tone, but knew the consequences to be far worse than if I went in now. I swallowed, arranged the flowers to hide my face, and entered the hut. I found myself surprised to see Lady Kagome sitting beside the laying Kaede, her hands over her large round stomach.

     "Yes Kaede?" I gave a quick bow to Lady Kagome before setting the flowers aside.

     "Have I heard right?" Kaede demanded before begining to cough profusely. I brought the bucket of water to her and ladeled out some to her. She took three long sips before wiping her mouth with a shaking white hand.

     "Heard right about what?" I, for once, didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

     "Have I heard right in the fact that you have skipped three marriage meetings?" I tensed all over before a shaky laugh began to accompany a soft 'no'. Her frown deepened. "Where have you been those three nights?" She demanded to know. Lady Kagome looked up at me with interest in her light brown eyes as well.

     Surely I couldn't tell her I was out fighting demons with Kohaku every night after I gave her her sleeping medicine. I had worked so hard the past five years to keep my training and work a secret from her and everyone else. I didn't know what to do so I looked down, putting my black hair down to cover my face. "Answer me Rin. Where were you those three nights?" I swallowed hard as I thought of an excuse.

     "I...I...umm...I..." I found the perfect excuse so I put my hands up to my face, pretending to cover it but really pinching my cheeks to make them pink. "I was with Kohaku..." It wasn't a complete lie which is why I am so sly. I looked off 'embarrassedly'. When I took a chance glance at Lady Kagome I could see her smiling so it gave me the courage to glance at Kaede.

     Kaede looked at me with her one eye, analyzing my face and pink cheeks. After some murmuring I couldn't understand she gave a curt nod. "You like Kohaku, yes?" This time I blushed for real before looking away from her. I heard her chuckle softly before begining to cough again. After giving her another drink she lay back down with a small smile on her face.

     "Excuse me," knocking started on the door, "Kaede, may I come in?" Kohaku's voice came from the other side of the door. I was about to get caught in my lie or my developing feelings. I swallowed hard unsure of what would happen the moment he stepped in here.

     "Come on in Kohaku." Kaede's face had a smile I couldn't comprehend on it. Lady Kagome shot me the same smile. I looked away from Kohaku as he entered the small hut.

     "I was wondering if...Oh! You are here Rin." I glanced over my shoulder at him with a small smile before turning away and standing up. I began to pick up the flowers with hurried hands. "I have gotten the rare moss from the mountains for you." He spoke to my back.

     "Thank you very much." I spoke over my shoulder.

     "Kohaku," Kaede started, "I hear that Rin has missed three marriage meetings because she was with you." I felt my eyes widen and refused to turn around. Kohaku gave off a small nervous laugh that mocked the one I did earlier.

     "I guess that cat is out of the bag?" He laughed a little more before a small silence filled the hut. I heard some movement and when I turned to look out of curiosity Kohaku was kneeling before Kaede in a perfect kowtow. "I would like you to consider me a marriage canidate. I understand that Rin does not wish to marry while you are ill, but I would like you to keep me in mind when presenting her with a husband." My face couldn't get any darker, could it?

     Kaede began to smile along with Lady Kagome.

 

     I was hurrying to my private hut just outside the village so I could change from my kimono into my hunter gear. "Thank you so much for covering me back there." I told Kohaku. He looked down at me, his ponytail swaying by the top of my ear.

     "You never told me you were missing your marriage meetings." He sounded as if he were attempting to scold me.

     "I never wanted to go to them. I wanted to stay with you." I smiled at him without restraint. He put a hand over his mouth and looked away for a while.

     "I was serious. I was serious about what I told Kaede. I wouldn't mind becoming your husband. I'm in my middle twenties and you are eighteen, it's about time we got married and it might as well be to each other." I stopped walking to look up at Kohaku. He only took one step ahead of me before turning to look back at me.

     "Are you...serious...about that too?" I didn't know what to think or say, my stomach turned into a rampaging sea of butterflies.

     "I can't really see myself without you around Rin. We've been together for years, why not be together forever? If we marry you can come with me to the far off places to fight demons and we wouldn't have to part. We could become an inseperable team." He held his hand out to me. I bit the inside of my lip hard before nodding, another smile forming on my face.

     "That sounds really good Kohaku." I took his hand and he squeezed it tight before we continued our way to my hut. "I'll meet you at the usual place after I change." I told him this as I let go of his hand.

     "Don't keep me waiting too long." Kohaku ruffled my long hair a bit before jogging off to his hut a half mile away.

     I entered the hut to find a rather unwanted surprise.

     "There you are you insolent child!" The annoying voice of Master Jakin badgered. "What do you think you are doing keeping me waiting?" He slammed his staff down on the hard dirt ground. I rolled my eyes before I began to put my hair up into a large, sturdy bun. "Don't you ignore me Rin! I haven't see you properly the past few months and now that I have caught you you refuse to speak to me! What do you do at night that you cannot spare me the time to look or speak to me?! Insolent human answer me!" I had just kneeled by my hiding spot when he plucked the wrong nerve.

     "Master Jakin, be quiet." I glared at him. Master Jakin seemed taken aback by this.

     "What has come over you Rin?" Master Jakin jumped around as if he were possessed.

     "Nothing really, you just have very bad timing." I told him before returning my attention to the hiding spot. I pulled out the large sack filled with my demon hunter gear and weapons. "Why are you here again?" I asked over my shoulder while pulling out my folded clothes.

     "Your eighteenth birthday was last week and Lord Sesshomaru asked me to bring you your birthday present. He apologizes that it is late." I looked to Master Jakin who held out a thick square covered in a silky material to hide what was inside of it. I frowned at the sight of it before turning away.

     "Tell him I appreciate the gesture, but I don't want it. Please take it back. Also return all the other gifts from the past three years; they are in the corner." I told him before slipping off my kimono.

     "Why have you not opened these gifts from Lord Sesshomaru?! He spares his time and money on you yet you do not open or appreciate them you worthless human girl!" Master Jakin began to rant. "You have no right to have Lord Sesshomaru's attention let alone be in his mind, yet you are and this is the thanks he recieves?!" I sighed through my nostrils before letting my kimono fall to the ground.

     I heard his staff hit the ground various times as I picked up my folded clothes. "Oh my! Not what are you doing? Clothe yourself this instant!" I glanced at him with my top covering my chest. Master Jakin had his small green hands over his eyes.

     "Then leave Master Jakin." I began to dress with my back to him. "I am nothing but a pet to Lord Sesshomaru. I no longer desire to be a pet since I can take care of myself. Tell him I appreciate everything, but I need to move on with my life and he shouldn't waste anymore of his on me." I finished dressing, starting to put on some of the thin yet effective armor.

     "What happened to the smiling Rin who would die in fits of happiness upon the mention of Lord Sesshomaru's name?" Master Jakin sounded stunned.

     "She died...more than once." I replied with this before strapping on my two swords, one on each hip. I put throwing stars and a dart tube in my small carrying pouches. I put my hidden arm blade on and moved it around before hiding it. I slipped on the boots made of demon skin and hid some daggers in it as well as darts for the dart tube.

     "What are you doing dressed like that Rin?" Master Jakin spoke in a superior tone.

     "Going out." My reply had been curt and venomous. I slid daggers all over my body in case I were to lose a sword or need to throw one. I had become a sword and knife specialist in the course of five years. I put a gas mask around my mouth, tying it tight to keep it from falling off or revealing my identity. The almost skin tight outfit showed my large chest and my girlish figure with ease, but no one would know it was me just because of my body shape.

     "Where are you going Rin?" Master Jakin demanded to know, following me out of the hut where Kohaku stood waiting with his chain sickle out.

     "I heard yelling and thought it would be something dangerous. Sorry to mistake you as a threat Master Jakin." Kohaku gave a quick bow of his head before going behind a tree and bringing out our horses.

     "I am a threat you ungrateful brat! May I ask why you are here to see Rin this late at night?" Master Jakin must have gotten more dense the past few years.

     "Master Jakin, Rin and I hunt demons together. We are going to be late to the town that requested us if we do not leave now, so please make your goodbyes quick. Tell Lord Sesshomaru I said hello." Kohaku took the horses a few feet away to give Master Jakin and I privacy to finish our talk.

     "Rin!" Master Jakin had nothing else to say at the moment. I took a small swallow before knowing I had to break it off there and get on with my life.

     "Tell Lord Sesshomaru I can never repay him his kindness and that I will cherish it always, but I no longer need to be protected or even thought of." If he couldn't come to see me in four years obviously he only sent gifts so he wouldn't feel guilt for leaving me alone after saving me countless times. "I can take care of myself now and he no longer needs to concern himself with me in the slightest. I will remember him, and even you, with a smile on my face." I felt a big smile appear on my face; if only Lord Sesshomaru could see this last smile I would have for him as the girl he saved time and time again.

     "Rin..." Master Jakin began to tear up.

     "Take care Master Jakin; and don't get on Lord Sesshomaru's nerves too much. Goodbye!" I began to jog away from Master Jakin.

     "Rin! You insolent human girl!" Master Jakin wailed. When I looked back he had begun to wipe away tears.

     "Are you sure about leaving him that way? We all know how weak physically and emotionally Master Jakin is." Kohaku put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him with a confident look in my eyes.

     "Yes. I need to leave them behind." Just as Lord Sesshomaru left me behind.