As Fate Would Have It

Twas a Gift II

With a relieved sigh, she stretched her arms high over her head, one of her shoulders offering a 'pop' of approval. Despite her usedness of carrying extra weigh, her body was happy to be relieved of it for now.
Bath time! She sing-songed mentally, excitedly digging through her bag for her bathing necessities.Once found, she tucked her bag under a tree, camouflaged well enough in the tall grass, and then she walked happily toward the river.
The river, looking to be about ten feet wide, and probably twice as deep at its deepest point, sparkled clear and blue in the bright mid-summer sun. A small rock wall, perhaps a head or two taller than Kagome, stood a short distance from where she wadded her way into the water, sectioning off part of the river from where a short, albeit gorgeous waterfall flowed down from a cliff above.
It was a beautiful sight, and as the cool water lapped at her sun-kissed skin, Kagome gave a contented sigh. This is nice, she thought pleasantly, letting herself slip fully into the water with a little shiver.
Fish swam freely about her, detouring around her as she cleansed herself, and Kagome made a mental note to set out traps after her bath in order to catch dinner.

Half an hour later, after her bath and a leasurely swim thereafter, Kagome was indeed setting traps in the water when she heard it.
A shrill, all too familiar yelp of displeasure, followed by the groaning of a large beast, and just as Kagome turned toward the noise, she saw her. A child looking no older than 12, with dark ebony hair fashioned in a small ponytail protruding from one side, came skipping toward the river.
"Jaken! Hurry up, Rin wants to go swimming! Ah-Un wants to too, don't you?" The child crooned to the large two headed beast, who gave a snort in way of response.
"Foolish child! Slow down! You run so far ahead that this Jaken's legs cannot keep up, and I will not be held responsible for your disobediences should trouble befall you while our lord is away!" Shouted the imp after her, his green face paling at the thought of his Lord's rage should some misfortune befall his young ward.
Of course, the child ignored the imp and continued ahead, not noticing Kagome until she was merely a few feet away.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, surprised, as she finally took notice of her surroundings, and the priestess who was now standing from her crouched position over the river.
Kagome offered the child a smile, remembering now her part in Sesshomaru's pack, and sure enough, the child was dressed smartly in the beautiful dress that Sesshomaru had bought.
It all made perfect sense!

"Hello, Rin." Kagome greeted, offering a small bow.
"Lady Kagome!" Rin beamed, surprise swept away with glee.
Amused, Kagome gestured toward the river.
"Here for a swim? The water feels wonderful."
"It does?" The child asked excitedly and then, "oh, Lady Kagome! Would you come swimming with Rin? Mean old Jaken won't..." She rushed to say.
Kagome debated for a moment, having already been in and out of the water, and chanced a glance to the imp, who now stood glaring at her from a few feet away.
"Foolish, dumb women... Disobeying me so..." He complained under his breath.
The two headed dragon, Ah and Un, as Kagome had heard the child call them, gave a shake of his body, sending a few flies scurrying away, and lay down in the shade of a nearby tree, pulling his rein from the imp's hands, rewarding him a few curses of his own.

In the end, Kagome agreed, unable to refuse the child this small pleasure of company. Who could say no to such an innocent child, anyway? A sucker for children, Kagome surely could not. Thus, after excusing herself to change into her swim suit (again), she joined Rin in the water.
Splashing around and chasing fish and shrieking with joy, they spent the remainder of the day in the water.
At one point, Ah and Un came to drink from the cool flowing river, and at another, Kagome taught Rin a few different swimming styles, as the child barely knew how to swim- her best effort having been the doggy paddle (which did make Kagome laugh, when she imagined that that was due to who Rin followed, and his heritage: all in her imagination, of course).
As the sun lowered itself slowly toward the horizon, and the two lay out in the grass drying off, they took notice of the lack of Jaken's complaints, and with a wicked grin, Rin voiced a most devious idea.
"Lady Kagome! Would you help Rin pull a prank on cranky old Jaken?" She asked in whispered mischief.
"Hmm, perhaps." Kagome debated, "what prank would you have us pull?"
The child's grin grew into a smirk, as she leaned over and whispered her plan into the mikos ear.

It was during this prank, unbenounced to the two girls, that Sesshomaru had returned. Watching from the shadows of the woods, he witnessed the strange bonding of his young ward and his brother's priestess.
As he watched, they crept up to a sleeping Jaken, gingerly lifted him up- wow, was he surprisingly light!- and threw him right into the water.
He came up sputtering and red with rage, and proceeded to chase the laughing girls around. Just as he was about to catch Rin, a stone bounced off his head, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow~"
"Jaken." Sesshomaru spoke icily.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cheered, rushing to his side to beam up at him. "How was your trip, m'lord?"
"Hn." Was his response, for his atttention was on the Miko who stood in her spot, looking a little uncomfortable. Taking in her presense and their surroundings, he was mildly surprised to find that his idiot half brother was not accompanying her.
"Sesshomaru" she greeted, after a moment
"Miko," he returned icily, full attention snapping back to her wih a glare. A low growl emanated from his chest, and were he another man he might have laughed at how wide the girl's eyes got. But as he prepared to speak, Jaken suddenly sprung back to his feet.
"How dare you speak to Lord Sesshomaru like that! Have you no manners you stupid human? You're so lucky as to be graced with our Lord's presence, and yet you address him without title? Why, youre lucky tohave your head right now you- oof."
"That is enough, Jaken" Sesshomaru warned.
"Well maybe I'd show some respect if he did the same." Kagome replied angrily, glarig at the toad, and then up at the demon lord. "I have a name, you know. It's Ka-go-me." She said, echoing the way she'd once attempted to make Inuyasha call her by name.
"Hn." Was the response she got, and then he was turning and walking away, into the woods.
She gawked after him, outraged that she'd just been dismissed like that.
"Pompus jerk!" She muttered once he was out if sight.
"Lady Kagome?" Rin asked, reminding Kagome that she wasnt alone.
"Yes?" Kagome asked, turning to see Rin holding up four of the traps she'd set, the ends wriggling with fish.
"Great! Let's get a fire going and eat, shall we?" Kagome asked, all anger wiped away by the thought of a nice hot meal.