From Deep Within

An InuYasha fanfiction by Jacquelyn J.M. Fisher

Chapter 6: Under the Crescent Moon

     Tora found herself watching the daiyōkai's back as he walked along the fields with Jaken at his heels. She was riding Ah-Un with Rin in front of her, and for a long time, they traveled underneath the night sky in silence. The moon was only a tiny sliver of light, but hundreds of stars twinkled merrily.

     Sesshoumaru had not said one word regarding the fight, but Tora did not sense disappointment in his silence. Still, she wondered about his thoughts.

     "Tora-san," Rin suddenly spoke up.  

     "Yes, Rin." She glanced down at the top of the little girl's head as she felt Rin stir against her arms.

     "Tora-san, what is your mother like?"

     Tora's eyes widened in surprised. She had not been prepared for such a direct question, but then her face softened. It was only natural that a little girl whose own family had been taken from her a long time ago would wonder about these things. Tora gave Rin a gentle squeeze.

     Neither riders of Ah-Un noticed Sesshoumaru's eyes shift towards them.

     "I do not know," Tora answered honestly. "I never met her. She died when I was born, and my father did not talk about her."

     "Oh. I'm sorry," the girl whispered.

     "Do not be. My father was a very good man, a famous samurai who was the retainer of a very powerful daimyo. He led the daimyo's samurai and soldiers in many battles and was victorious. Even though most men would have given a daughter over to female relatives to raise, he decided to raise me himself."

     Tora stroked a strand of the girl's hair as she remembered her father.

     "His men did not understand why he treated me like a son. When I was about your age, Rin, I overheard them talking amongst themselves. They said that my father should have just remarried and had a son instead of training me."  

     She sighed softly.  

     "I was not treated very kindly when my father was not around."

     "Were you ever... beaten?" Rin asked hesitantly.  

     There was a slight quiver in her voice as she spoke, and Tora knew immediately that the little girl had probably experienced something of the sort herself.

     "The men would not lay a finger on me for fear of my father's wrath, but the children..."

     Tora's voice faded slightly as she remembered those days. She had no friends. Especially not among the young boys, who resented the fact that a girl was being taught the same things they were. They often shadowed her, just waiting for opportunities to demonstrate their hatred.

     Many times she came home with bruises from a scuffle, and her father would give her that all-too familiar look: an expression of indifference. Then he would say: "You lost again, I see." Afterward, he would dismiss her from his sight, refusing to speak with her for the rest of the day, but the next day's lesson would be more rigorous than usual.

     "Tora-san?" Rin whispered hesitantly.

     The young woman realized that the girl was looking up at her, and she tried to smile.

     "They stopped ambushing me after I bested the oldest boys in ju-jutsu," she finished with a smile.  

     "When did you become a lady samurai? Did you fight in any battles?"

     "My! You are certainly full of questions," Tora laughed. "I was thirteen when my father first took me into battle, and I fought at his side. After that day, I always accompanied him."

     "But then why were you all alone, Tora-san?"

     She took a deep breath. "A few years ago, my father was killed in battle."

     "Oh."

     They fell silent once more.  

     Tora listened to the soft crunching of the grass underneath Ah-Un's feet and watched the two-heads bob ever so slightly as they moved. To her amusement, she still was not sure which was Ah and which was Un, though she was certain Rin knew one from the other. The dragon yōkai was a powerful creature, she could sense his strength, but he also seemed unusually fond of the little girl.

     The night air was cool around them with only a small breeze, but as time passed, a strange, odorous scent began to tickle Tora's nose. At first it was so faint that she almost believe she had imagined it, but it kept growing stronger and more foul. They were approaching the origins of the smell, she realized, and she glanced inquisitively at the daiyōkai. He seemed completely unbothered by the odor, though she suspected that the stench was even more offensive to his senses.

     When they reached the top of the next hill, the stench of decaying flesh and dried blood was so strong that Tora's eyes nearly watered. Sesshomaru suddenly stopped, causing Jaken to run into his leg and fall backwards in surprise. The little green yōkai began to stammer an apology but his voice faded as his eyes took in the scene below.

     Tora peered between Ah and Un's heads, and her eyes widened slightly. She glanced quickly down at Rin, but the little girl had fallen asleep. Just as well, the young and innocent should never have to see such horrible carnage.

     The valley between the two hills had been the scene of a terrible battle, but not between two armies. Even in the pale moonlight, she could see that the ground was scorched and riveted with gaping trenches that all seemed to have begun in one place. The remains of an large creature lay strewn across the entire valley as if it had exploded. A putrid odor seemed to hang in the air, nearly overwhelming her senses.
     
     "Tora, what happened here?"  

     It was not a question, but an order. The breeze gently blew his silvery hair around him and the fur of the mokomoko rippled. Jaken looked up at his master and then back at the young woman.

     "My lord, if I may—" A sharp look from the daiyōkai caused the creature to break off mid-sentence and throw himself prostrate on the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet. "Please don't smile at me, Lord Sesshomaru! Please hit me or kick me... Anything but a smile!"

     Tora looked away from the whimpering yōkai and quickly surveyed the valley, seeking out even the smallest details. Then her mind began to piece them together. It was an exercise her father had often required her to do. However, never before had the hairs on her arms prickle from the yōkai power that seemed to saturate even the atmosphere.

     "This battle occurred two days ago," she said. "The yōkai was strong, but his adversary was stronger. He used a sword with immense power, but he seemed to be assisted by others."

     "How many?"

     Tora closed her eyes and focused. "There are multiple scents, but they are too faint for me to distinguish."  

     "If you do not wish to die prematurely, you must focus your senses to a far greater degree than that. You need to be able to distinguish between each difference to properly count your enemy's numbers."

     The young woman knew that he was referring to the incident with the soldiers. She had not noticed that the samurai had more men hidden in the woods, waiting for his order to attack. She had only sensed those immediately before her, and had the daiyōkai not intervene, she would have died that day.

     So she did exactly as he said, heightening her scent of smell to the fullest. The stench of the decaying body threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed that aside to focus on the fainter essences. The scent grew stronger to her, and she noticed that it broke into different smells.

     "Six. There were six of them," she said. Then she shook her head. "That is all I can tell."

     "I could expect no more," Sesshoumaru said condescendingly.

     Tora was unsure whether he was referring to the fact that the battle had been six against one, or that she had only just barely been able to single out the six different scents. Had he expected more from her? Or was he familiar with these mysterious six who had fought here only two days before?

     "My lord, who could have done this? Yōkai?"

     "It was no yōkai," Sesshoumaru replied.  

     Without another word, he turned and began moving in a different direction.  Ah-Un obedientally followed, and Tora kept her eyes on the valley until it could no longer be seen. Jaken seemed more nervous than usual, and then there was that strange scent in the air. It was wild, earthy, with a touch of human sweat, but there was something else to it. It reminded her vaguely of Sesshomaru's essence, only not as refined and missing his... pure fragrance.  

     "You know who defeated that yōkai, my lord?" Tora suddenly asked.

     "Lord Sesshoumaru has no need to explain himself to you, stinky human," Jaken suddenly snapped.

     "Do not try my patience, Jaken," Tora replied. Her voice was dangerously cold, and her eyes narrowed as she gave him a glare. "I was not speaking to you."

     The small green yōkai's eyes widened, his hands gripped the staff tighter, and he began muttering to himself. "She is worse than Rin! Stupid human, who does she think she is? Treating Jaken so..."

     "It is no concern of yours."

     The daiyōkai suddenly interrupted his retainer's tirade, but his words were directed at Tora. His tone of voice made it quite evident that the conversation was finished. She conceded to his order, and she was not given any more time to reflect on the matter.  

     Rin stirred slightly against her abdomen, eyes fluttering open. She sat upright and stretched out her arms.

     "I had such a nice dream," she murmured happily.

     "Did you?" Tora said with a smile. She brushed a lock of the girl's black hair from her forehead. "It is good to have pleasant dreams."  

     Instead of haunting nightmares, she added quietly to herself.

     The girl looked from Tora to the stoic daiyōkai, feeling the tension in the air surrounding the traveling group. Suddenly, Rin wrapped her arms around the young woman, and she hesitantly returned the embrace.

     "Tora-san, you remind me of my mother."

     The words were whispered so quietly that had Tora's senses not been already heightened, she would have missed them. Yet her sharp ears caught each word, and a range of emotions flitted uninhibited across her face. Surprise.  Confusion. Sorrow. Empathy.

     "You look like her," Rin continued, her voice slightly muffled as she pressed her face into Tora's abdomen. "Please do not leave. Please."

     "There, there, Rin," Tora soothed as she stroked the girl.  

     Her eyes darted over to Sesshoumaru, suddenly aware that he was watching wordlessly. No matter how whispered the girl had spoken, Tora was confidant that the daiyōkai had heard every word. She looked away from him and gently pulled Rin away from her. Tilting the girl's chin up, she tried to give an encouraging smile.  

     Though she had known the child for barely a week, she felt a protective bond between them, much like an older sister had for her younger sibling or maybe even a little like a mother for a her child. Tora had never experienced such a connection with anyone before. It was new and more than just a little frightening how the girl had stole her heart with her big smile, childish laughter, and moments of solemn maturity.  

     "Do not say such silly things," Tora scolded Rin softly.  

     The girl smiled broadly, apparently pleased with the response. Her childish energy and happiness renewed, she turned around and stared up at the fading stars. The horizon to the east was beginning to brighten as dawn approached. The sliver of the crescent moon was also fading as the sun reclaimed the sky.

     Tora gave an inward sigh as Rin and Jaken resumed their usual banter back and forth.  

     Though she did not allow it to come through in her posture or expression, Rin's plea for her not to leave did raise a few questions in Tora's mind. Why did Sesshoumaru save her life? What could a daiyōkai as powerful as him possibly see or need in a mere human like herself? Why was he testing her? First, the fight in the clearing and then the valley, she was getting the feeling that he was not only judging her abilities but searching for something. What was it?