His Ward by Dani
Chapter 1
The smell of blood seeped into his nose, closely followed by a terrified scream. Racing through the woods, he quickly came upon his young ward standing still in a small river. She was staring at her blood coated fingers in horror while more of the offending substance slowly leaked down her inner thighs in thin rivulets.
Her brown, terrified eyes slowly slid towards him and he grimaced. He was loath to admit it, but he wasn't equipped to deal with this situation. “Get dressed,” he stated.
“Is Rin going to die?” she asked meekly, walking towards the shore.
“No, Rin,” he answered, his voice softening. “This one will bring you to someone who can help you.”
Sniffing the air discretely, Sesshomaru led the way to a nearby village. They were able to reach the small grouping of houses before midday, and exiting the woods, he scanned the human settlement and fields. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do. “Wait here, Rin,” he stated softly, knowing that she would listen.
Striding towards the village, the people milling about froze when they saw him. Whispering, the women quickly fled back into their homes or hid behind the men present. Stopping near the frightened humans, Sesshomaru stated stiffly, “This one requires aid from one of your women.”
Horrified gasps and hushed whispers met his ears. Perhaps he should have phrased his request differently, but he was not used to needing aid, and unfortunately, only a woman, a human woman, would be able to help his ward.
A woman suddenly emerged from one of the buildings, and walking past the frozen villagers made her way towards him, completely unawares. Speaking up, one of the village men yelled, “She will aid you!” pointing at the lone woman who now stopped.
Shifting his gaze back towards the woman, Sesshomaru was met by curious blue eyes. “What?” she asked softly.
“This one requires aid, woman,” Sesshomaru stated.
Releasing a deep sigh, she took a few more steps towards the imposing demon, and whispered, “I'm not sure what you were told, but I am not a whore.” Pointing down the road, she added, “There's a building just on the other side of those rice fields that you can find a woman to help you with your needs.”
Taking a step forward, she stopped when a hand gripped her arm. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru replied, “I am not searching for a loose woman. My ward is in need.”
Cocking her head, the woman nibbled on her bottom lip, and nodded slightly. “I'll come see,” she finally replied. “But this better not be a trick.”
Huffing, Sesshomaru released her arm and turning on his heel, headed back towards the forest. Following him, the woman wearily watched her surroundings, not sure if she had made a wise decision. The closer they moved towards the forest, the more uneasy she grew. But just as the imposing male reached the forest edge, a young girl emerged. Rubbing her hands together in front of her, the child gazed hopefully up at the tall male, and Kagome released a deep sigh.
Glaring at the woman, Sesshomaru said, “This is my ward, Rin. You will assist her in any way that she needs.”
Frowning at the male, the woman turned her gaze back towards the young girl and smiled. Bending to the child's level, she said, “Hi, Rin. My name's Kagome. Your guardian said you need help with something.”
Nodding silently, Rin's eyes shot back and forth between her lord and the woman squatting before her. Wringing her hands, Rin took a step closer to the woman and leaning forward, whispered, “Rin is bleeding.”
Furrowing her brow, Kagome asked softly, “Did you fall and hurt yourself?”
Shaking her head, Rin shifted from foot to foot, and said, “No. Rin was taking a bath and started to bleed,” pausing, she shifted again, and pointing to the top of her legs, said, “here.”
Kagome's features instantly softened as understanding hit her like a ton of bricks. Smiling, she straightened, and said, “I see.” It all made sense now. No wonder the intimidating demon needed help. This was something that men normally didn't speak of, much less ever needed to discuss with their daughters, or wards, in this case. Besides, she couldn't be sure, but Kagome had a sneaking suspicion that female demons and humans worked a little differently.
Holding her hand out, Kagome said, “Why don't we go to my house and I will explain everything to you there?”
“Is Rin going to be okay?” the girl asked softly.
Kagome felt horrible for the child, but nodding, smiled and said, “You are going to be just fine, Rin. I promise.”
Nodding her head, Rin took Kagome's hand and allowed the woman to lead her. Sesshomaru followed closely behind, not willing to let his ward out of his sight. Seeing that they were moving farther away from the village, Sesshomaru asked, “Where are you taking us?”
Glancing over her shoulder, Kagome replied, “My home is a little ways over here. I don't actually live in the village, which is probably why they were so eager to volunteer me to help you.”
Grunting, Sesshomaru frowned. Humans were so pathetic. Following the woman silently, he was pleasantly surprised when they reached her home. It was small and modest, but well kept and didn't have the horrible stench that most human dwellings acquired. A small stream ran nearby and a neat garden was fenced off behind the structure.
Opening the door, Kagome motioned for Rin to go inside, and turning towards the male, asked, “Would it be okay if I talk to her alone?” Seeing the male frown, Kagome added, “I think it will be less embarrassing for her if you weren't….” pausing, Kagome wasn't sure how to phrase what she was trying to say without offending the demon.
“I will wait out here,” Sesshomaru graciously offered. He would be able to hear what was said anyway, and would be able to react quickly enough should the woman prove false.
A relieved smile crossed Kagome's face, and nodding, she thanked him softly and entered the house. Rin was sitting nervously near the fire pit, but Kagome was determined to make the girl as comfortable as possible. Getting a few towels and a bucket of water, Kagome set the items down near the girl, and said, “I'm going to get you some clean clothes to change into. Why don't you take these and clean off as much as possible, okay?”
Nodding, Rin stood and did as she was told. Moving into another room, Kagome searched through her trunk for something small enough for the girl. Pulling out a simple kimono, she then moved to another trunk and pulled out several pieces of thick cloth. Returning to the front room, Kagome was glad to see that Rin was just about done.
Setting the items down, Kagome held up one of the cloths, and said, “Okay, Rin. What you're going through happens to every woman. Once a moon cycle, for roughly five to seven days, you're going to bleed like you are now.”
Seeing the little girl's eyes widen, Kagome quickly continued, “It's perfectly natural, and not harmful at all, I promise. Every girl goes through it, even me.”
Holding the cloth up again, Kagome showed Rin how to secure it so it wrapped between her legs to catch any blood that leaked out. “You will need to clean this a few times a day until you stop bleeding, but that shouldn't be an issue,” Kagome said with a smile.
“Does this happen to boys too?” Rin asked curiously.
Shaking her head, Kagome replied, “No, just women. It means you're physically ready to have children.”
Seeing the girl's eyes widen comically, Kagome quickly added, “Not that you're old enough to have children yet, but whenever you are and you meet the person you want to marry, just know that you will be able to at that point.” Nodding, Rin grew very quiet. Smiling reassuring, Kagome said, “Why don't we go outside and clean your kimono and if you have any more questions I'll try to answer them as best as I can.”
Nodding Rin stood and adjusted the large kimono Kagome was allowing her to borrow. The cloth between her legs felt strange, but she understood the reasoning behind it, so put up with the discomfort silently. Exiting the house, Kagome was glad to see the demon had moved off. She was sure that he was hidden nearby watching their every move, but hopefully Rin would feel comfortable enough to ask any questions she may have.
Kneeling next to the stream, Kagome scrubbed the yellow and orange checkered kimono. It wasn't too bad yet, but if the demon had waited longer, the kimono would not have been salvageable. Shifting on her knees, Rin asked softly, “How will Rin know when she is ready to have a husband and have children?”
Slowing down with her scrubbing, Kagome pondered the question. “Well,” she said, “I suppose it's different for everyone. But I'm sure you still have a few years to worry about it. How old are you?”
Shifting on her knees again, Rin whispered, “Eleven.”
Nodding, Kagome continued to scrub the kimono, and replied, “Since you're so young, you probably won't have to worry about it for several more years. If you were in a village, you might be married off in a year or two, but since your guardian isn't human, I would think you probably don't need to worry about it. He'll probably let you figure it out on your own, if I had to guess.”
Nodding silently, Rin rose a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. Smiling, Kagome said, “Why don't I hang this up to dry and we can go back inside and I'll make dinner.”
Nodding enthusiastically, Rin quickly stood, almost tripping over her long kimono. Chuckling softly, Kagome hung the now clean kimono outside on the line before following the little girl into the hut.
Cooking a pot of rice, Kagome had fresh vegetables and fish to go with the meal, as well as a light soup. Rin gobbled up every ounce placed in front of her, much to Kagome's amazement. The girl was thin, but by no means unhealthy. She must be going through a growth spurt, Kagome mused. With a full stomach and having been through an exhausting day, Rin fell asleep shortly after eating.
Taking the dirty plates and pans out to the stream, Kagome just started cleaning the items when the demon strode up behind her. “I assume you heard everything I told her,” Kagome said softly. A grunt was all she received in response, but it was enough. Scrubbing a plate, she said, “I would suggest trying to stay near a body of water for her during these weeks, especially at first until she gets the hang of it. It will make it easier on her.”
“She is too young to mate and breed,” the male stated with a growl in his voice.
Pausing in her chore, Kagome sat back, and staring at the angry male, replied, “I know. But how else would you have me answer her questions? I won't lie to the girl.”
Returning to her scrubbing, Kagome added, “Just keep in mind that she is human though. So she will age quicker than a demon and will be ready before you blink.” Shifting her gaze back towards the male, Kagome smirked, and added, “In fact, don't be surprised if she gets a little crush on you. You are quite good looking after all.”
Kagome suddenly found herself pinned to the ground with an angry demon snarling on top of her. “She is my ward!” Sesshomaru snapped. “I would never take advantage of her!”
Gripping his wrist tightly, Kagome choked, “I know.”
Releasing his hold on her neck, Sesshomaru glared at the woman with disdain. Coughing lightly, Kagome rubbed her abused neck, and replied, “I didn't say that you would. But she is not your child, and I would bet that you are the only male she ever sees. It is only logical that she will become attached to you the older she grows.”
Taking in the woman's words, Sesshomaru scoffed, and said, “Ridiculous. Rin is my ward. Nothing more.”
Frowning, Kagome gathered her clean plates, and huffing climbed to her feet. “Fine,” she mumbled. “What do I know.”
Sneering, Sesshomaru asked, “Is this the voice of experience? Did you try to seduce your father when you were younger?”
Whipping around, Kagome glared at the male. “Now who's being ridiculous,” she quipped. “If you must know, I have never met my father, and my mother refused to speak of him. So no.” Turning back towards her hut, she added softer, “But I do know what it feels like to be rejected by a first love. It's an experience I don't wish on anyone.” Stepping up to her door, she paused, and said, “Rin should be ready to leave in the morning. Just travel slowly with her, she may experience pains in the next few days.”