Outcast Dog (Inuyasha FF)(Boyxboy)

Chapter 10

If I were asked if anything had changed since that night, I would say no. But I get the feeling something had changed, however small that may be. It doesn't matter. Life has gone on, as it always will.

I have noticed, during these travels, that the imp appears to have a soft spot for the little girl. Of course, he's not the sort to admit it, but with careful watching you can tell. What interested me the most, however, was that Rin actively utilized this particular trait. Be it engaging him in conversation, helping her gather food, even playing, she seemed to know of his weakness. I don't know why... but it made me proud. No, that's too strong of a word.... Pleased. That's the one. I was pleased by her casual manipulation.

As we settled down in a clearing for the night, I found myself staring up at the sky. Sesshomaru was nowhere to be found, having left some hours ago. The imp was focused on some edible lizards roasting, or smoking, by the small fire. Rin was staring into the flames, deep in thought. I had a feeling this was... a tad bit normal for her, so I didn't acknowledge it. The imp, on the other hand, seemed to be waiting for her to speak.

She didn't.

I kept my gaze beyond, through the canopy of shaded greenery and up to the stars. I don't know why, but the stars always seem to catch my attention when I sit in silence. When I finally return my attention back to those around the fire, it's light has been dampened, both the child and imp asleep. The only addition was the subtle presence of Sesshomaru somewhere nearby. Perhaps he'd found a nice place to sleep as well, though I had the feeling he wasn't asleep. Not because I could sense things like that, but because the idea of the Lord of the West sleeping at night like a normal being is a bit far-fetched.

I, for one, will not be sleeping tonight.

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The next morning, we were off on our endless journey. Although, with Rin and the impassive demon whom she followed, going any particularly long distance was a bit of a chore. At some point, we ended up in a wide expanse of grass and wildflowers, the border of trees quite far back. The lone tree in the clearing of sorts was our gathering place. Sesshomaru was up in the tree, I was seated and leaning against the sturdy trunk, and the human child and imp frolicked about in a game of chase.

My gaze had settled rather languidly upon a blue flower not even an arms reach from my position. It was a normal flower, lighter blue towards the edge of the petals, and a darker blue near the center. It waved calmly in the light breeze, simply another flower amongst many. It took me some time to realize why it had caught my attention. The flowers around it were not blue, but more of a purple color. Not so much an immediately obvious difference, but enough of a difference to catch my eye. Then again, difference in appearance was something I was quite familiar with.

I let out a slow breath as I moved my gaze back to Rin and the imp, who were now chasing what appeared to be a rabbit towards the tree. A rabbit...? With as much noise as the pair were making, I find it difficult to believe a rabbit would come out or make its presence known. No... Rin was chasing the imp. So.... what was moving through the grass behind her? The scene now had my full attention, and a flare of Sesshomaru's aura confirmed my need for watch. Though Rin could most certainly not sense it, Sesshomaru and I were. I would have looked up at him, had I not been worried for the girl. He had a better vantage point, so it was possible he could see the object following her. On the other hand, I was left in the dark, and the fact that it was doing nothing besides following her was beginning to wear on me.

I do not like crying or hurt children.

My agitation only grew as time went on, though Sesshomaru's lack of intervention showed there was likely nothing to worry about. My mind no longer at ease, I found myself standing. I headed out of the clearing in no particular direction, simply moving to keep my mind away from thoughts I knew would keep me in these state for a long time. I walked for some time, until I found a somewhat quiet spot. I shed my human form, and lay beneath the trees as a canine. My primal form limited much thought, an escape from a possible torment.

Escape... That's exactly what weak demons like me do. We run, we hide, we escape. We flee the fight in fear of what may happen. We flee to escape what we know will happen. This façade of peace is a temporary relief from what I know. They will come hunting sooner or later. And that will be the end.

The end of what? That's the question. Most certainly the end of peace for me. Then it's a matter of debate. Will they kill me before they succumb to the poison of my blood, or will they fail to do so? If they fail, and so far they seem to have only done so, the cycle repeats. Endlessly. Chaos, peace, more chaos, and peace.

I await the day the peace will come in the form of my death.

A familiar presence brings me out of my slow train of thought. My primal form can think, yes, but slowly. It's a mild surprise that what was once early afternoon is now the dead of night. An inky blackness that only illuminates the silver hair of my visitor, whose golden eyes stare impassively at me with tremendous intensity. Why is he here? He doesn't need to be. If they moved on, finding them again would be a simple and quick task.

There was no reason for him to be here.

I waited a while for him to speak, but all I got were those eyes, watching me with such a gaze that I wanted to hide. It was not hostile, but it wasn't trusting. A cold simplicity that spoke volumes, if you could read it. I could not. At least, not in this form. Was that what he wanted? For me to abandon this canine being and read the message hidden in those eyes?

It's so hard to tell! Just speak you aggravating man!

I turn my head away from him, avoiding those eyes that I cannot read and that silence that disturbs me. This does not seem to go over well with the Lord of the West, as I can practically feel those eyes turn into an annoyed glare. I sigh internally, slipping back into my human form to speak freely, though I keep my gaze up at the stars.

"If you're going to get angry with me, why did you come here in the first place?"

The sting of his glare subsides, but his annoyance does not. I slowly turn my head towards him, enough to be able to see him without turning completely away. The annoyance persists somewhat, but my view of that face shows that he's no longer looking at me. He's looking up at the stars. I turn my gaze up to the night sky as well, finding some comfort in the quiet lights.

No matter what, the sky will always be there.

We stand in continued silence for some time, long enough to calm myself. With the calm comes tiny details I hadn't noticed before. The sounds of the forest, the light breeze that rustled the leaves and swirled Sesshomaru's scent around playfully. He smelled of the forest, but with a slight sweetness to it that reminded me of the brief time I had met his father. Enveloped in the details, I don't notice how close we are until a slight movement makes me turn in his direction. Those golden eyes look down at his hand, and when my gaze looks down at that hand, I find myself startled.

In his hand was a section of my hair, dark in contrast to his skin. He seems very interested in it, but the situation is embarrassing for me. I feel both ashamed and awkward, and my gaze moves to a point of space over his shoulder. After a minute or so, he lets my hair slip out of his hand, falling back into place. He doesn't say anything, turning and walking away.

Should I follow him? Do I have the right to follow him? The imp seems to think not, and Rin seems to think I do. But I don't know which way is true. Golden eyes turn back to look at me over his shoulder.

"Come."

A mix of surprise and a strange sense of gratitude flickers through my body. Sesshomaru begins walking once more, silver following him.

Only this time, my steps follow his.