"Lord Sesshomaru, wait up!"

Rin ran after the demon as he continued walking.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

"What is it Rin," the lord answered.

"There's a village nearby. Will we go through it?"

He didn't even look at the small girl as he replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm well aware of the human village Rin. But we will not be heading through it."

Rin huffed, slowing her steps so that Jaken walked besides her.

"Rin ,you know we can't go into human villages. Lord Sesshomaru doesn't care for humans seeking to poonjab him at every corner," a green imp said snobbishly.

"I know," the little girl sighed, " but we can go into Lady Kaede's village."

"Not all humans are like those. In fact, most mortals wouldn't hesitate to kill demons like Lord Sesshomaru and I, or even each other for that matter. Besides, it's getting dark. We don't have the ti-" "Jaken, Rin, quiet," Sesshomaru interrupted, pausing in step. He stiffened, and the two followers kneeled down behind the bushes, while A-Un stepped back into the shadows of the trees.

A mob of angry voices carried nearer, shaking the branches and causing birds to fly away, frightened by the calamitous noise.

"Whore! Witch! Kill her, run her out! Her and all her kind!"

Jaken leaned towards Rin. "See Rin," he hissed as the voices grew louder. "Lord Sesshomaru knew that these humans were evil, and-"

The imp failed to finish his sentence when the demon lord shoved his head into the ground. Rin saw torches appear through the forest in front of them.

There was a group, a mob of both men and women, call carrying torches or brandishing various farming tools as weapons. Shouting insults that would make even the most seasoned sailor cringe, they were chasing someone.

A young woman, her kimono torn and covered in both earth and blood, was stumbling away from the riot of villagers.

"Please, I haven't done anything wrong," the girl screamed as she struggled in her flight.

"You're a monster, you and your family. All of you deserve death!" The man who spoke moved out from the rest of the mob.

The girl had fallen down due to her wounds, and had turned to face her accusers. She held her hands up in front of her face, towards the man.

"Please Sadao, please," she begged.

The man raised his pitchfork. "Die vile creature."

He stabbed.

Blood bubbled from the woman's mouth and dropped down her chin.

Sadao dug the weapon in viciously, and drew it back out with a sickening squelch. Blood soaked through the woman's already ruined clothing, and she fell backwards, head coming to rest against the trunk of a nearby tree.

Without a word, the man turned back to the crowd.

"Let us go now. The demon doesn't deserve to die by human hands. We will let the wolves have her."

Like ghosts, the mob retreated, vanishing just as quickly as they had appeared.
Sesshomaru visibly untensed.

"Jaken, Rin, we're leaving."

"Right away milord," the demon replied, standing up. "Rin, you unruly child, lets'- Rin!" The orphan was already walking towards the injured woman.

"Milord," Jaken called.

The dai-yokai turned just as Rin knelt besides the girl and began cleaning her face of blood with a rag. He appeared behind the girl. "Rin," he spoke softly.

Rin turned to the demon lord with a determined face. "Milord we must save her!"

"Rin," he replied.

"I won't leave!"

"Rin."

"No!"

"Rin."

The child turned to the young woman again, and the demons sharp ears picked up her next words.

"I won't leave her to the wolves."

Sesshomaru turned to the imp. " Jaken, we're bringing the girl. Bandage her."

"Right away milord. Step aside Rin." The small demon approached the bleeding woman, and her eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Get away!" She lashed out, and struck Jaken across the face, leaping up and backing against the tree, holding a hand to her chest.

"Impudent human," Jaken whined. "You'll pay for this."

The woman coughed, and wiped the blood from her lips as her eyes focused on Sesshomaru and his swords. He approached.

"Go away," the girl demanded.

"Woman," Sesshomaru spoke. "Don't be stupid."

"I don't need assistance, especially from a demon," she snarled, and then coughed again, sagging against the tree.

Suddenly, he had her up against the bark, hand closing around her neck. Squeezing slightly, he spoke.

"Perhaps I should just kill you now."

She glared at him, and then furiously kneed him in the chest.

Though his armour prevented any damage, the action was surprising, and Sesshomaru loosened his hold, allowing the woman to squirm free. She began to flee again, but her injuries were too great, and she fell into the grass a few yards away.

Sesshomaru approached, and looked down at the woman's quivering body as she convulsed through another blood filled cough.

She looked back up at him in anger, but the look of defiance in her brown eyes soon glazed over with exhaustion, and she passed out from the loss of blood.

The demon lord knelt, and picked up her unconscious form, carrying her over to A-Un and laying her on the dragons back.

"Come Rin, Jaken, we must leave."

"Yes milord," they chorused, and while Jaken ran after the dai-yokais retreating form, Rin gently gathered A-Uns reins, and led the injured girl after them into the darkness.