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The icy wind ruffled her hair once more, and Rin shivered against Ah-Un’s side. The heat from the fire she crafted when Lord Sesshoumaru decided to stop for the night, was not nearly enough to warm her despite her sitting as close as possible without catching the robe on fire.
It’s been a myriad of days, maybe even weeks, since Lord Sesshoumaru told her to follow him – a simple word, and her heart started beating higher: she finally had a place she belonged to, and people to call her friends! In the time that followed she was finally happy, for the first time since her family died.
That is, until a northern wind came up, and the icy numbness pierced through her small body. The new attire Jaken gifted her when they first came close enough to a village – surely upon Lord Sesshoumaru’s instruction! – did nothing to ward off the cold. Rin remembered ruefully how she adamantly shook her head and refused the shoes and the long robe Jaken also wanted to buy for her that day. During her time at the village she had the small hut to hide from the cold. Here and now, among the big trees and rarely any undergrowth, with only Ah-Un’s back to shield her from the wind, she almost wished herself back to the village and her hut.
Almost.
She glanced over to Lord Sesshoumaru sitting with his back to a tree at the far end of the flickering light, and her heart swelled with something she didn’t know how to put into words. The only thing she knew for certain was that she’d suffer far worse if it means to be by Lord Sesshoumaru’s side.
Consoled by that thought, she huddled closer to Ah-Un and closed her eyes, succumbing to tiredness.
On the verge between consciousness and oblivion, Rin barely registered how large hands carefully lifted her off the cold ground, and the warmth and softness that engulfed her shortly after lulled her further into sleep. Completely unaware of her surroundings, she grabbed the softness around her with both arms and pressed it even closer to her chest. Finally feeling warm and comfortable and protected by the faint scent surrounding her, Rin’s
subconsciousness
did not react to the movement all around her,
when
soft white fur enclosed her even tighter. Her body was rapidly catching up on rest, happy for a reprieve from the cold, and she missed Sesshoumaru’s astonished expression when her arms encircled his tail in a hug.
Hours later, the moon already disappeared from the sky, and Jaken nodded on and off beside the fire place. Rin emerged from her deep sleep to find herself laying in Sesshoumaru’s lap, covered in the white fur he usually carried on his shoulder. Gratitude overcame her and Rin wanted to thank Lord Sesshoumaru, but looking up, she found that he was sound asleep himself, his head hanging low, silver hair shielding them both from the darkness to his right, and the expression on his face was one Rin has never seen before – open and vulnerable, and so utterly human that Rin would have doubted he was a demon if she didn’t know for sure. Suddenly, she was overcome with the urge to protect him!... As absurd as it was for a little human girl to want to protect a powerful demon, but she was sure somehow that were was a way to do so: in the same way that Lord Sesshoumaru was not only protecting her from dangers, but was giving her much more, and she now realized that she could do the same for him.
Rin smiled at that thought and hugged the fur closer to her chest before nodding off again.
The next day, Rin woke up in her usual place at Ah-Un’s back, well-rested and barely containing her joy. As if on cue, the weather changed again overnight, soft breeze was caressing her cheek. Sesshoumaru was standing some distance away with his back to her and Jaken, waiting for his servant to prepare Ah-Un for the day. The toad was complaining half-heartedly, but looked up alarmed as Rin said: “Good morning, Master Jaken!”.
Sesshoumaru turned around and looked at her as well, eyes wide in surprise: this was the first time both of them heard her speak. Rin ran up to the demon, spread her arms apart and repeated: “Good morning, Lord Sesshoumaru!”
He didn’t answer, but his eyes very subtly filled with warmth, and that was all Rin ever needed: she smiled brightly and ran back to Ah-Un.
Later that same day they stopped near another village, and this time Rin did not protest when Jaken stocked up on warm clothing and shoes for her.