Rin awoke, her eyes blinking as she yawned, stretching out her small arms to the short ceiling of the tent above her. She glanced over to her right as she remembered where she was this morning. Kagome was fast asleep beside her, her back facing the youth.
Rin reached out and gently ran her fingers through Kagome's black hair, it's silky texture made her smile as she sighed. Today she would play in the woods until her heart gave out. It was the second week of sleeping in this tent, Kagome and Kaede having convinced each other that Rin needed to be led into the village for her adjustment.
She threw her blanket off of her, getting on her hands and knees to crawl free from the tent, feeling like a squirrel escaping its burrow in a tree. Her hair was a wild mess, having not been brushed last night and slept on with abandoned worry. Such an innocent child had no morals with appearance.
Without a care of her nightgown Rin ran passed the campfire to the nearest tree, never feeling so free and joyful like this before. The feeling of the grass on her feet, the dew being smeared onto her skin, her gown causing ripples in the ocean of green around her as she charged for her favorite climbing tree. Once she reached the roots Rin allowed herself to step onto its roots as she made her way to its base.
With a wide smile similar to many others she had shown for nature she did her best to wrap her arms around the trunk in a hug. She loved the feeling of the rough and untrimmed bark against her plantar, the roots bends and curves tickling into the arches of her feet. If she got splinters or scrapes, Rin knew she would never see it as betrayal from the forest. It was her sanctuary but not everything about it was safe just because she loved it.
Now with her ritual of greeting delivered to the wide tree she began reaching and clamoring her way up the mighty trunk, pulling her way up onto a low branch as she sat atop it. The smell of leaves and the welcomed fragrances of nature surrounded her in a warm return of greeting. She rose and stood, delicately balancing herself on the branch as she searched for a new perch.
After getting a few branches higher Rin heard Kagome calling for her.
"Rin? Are you in the tree again?" She called out. Rin giggled as she part a bundle of leaves to the side so she could see Kagome.
"I'm up here, Lady Kagome!" She called down, causing the priestess to look up at her, raising a hand to serve as a visor to avoid the sun. She wasn't too high up, only far enough away Kagome couldn't reach her on her tippy toes, most likely a few feet from her reach. That was the only reason Kagome was allowing her to traverse the tree, she knew Rin wouldn't dare to go so high it could risk her life.
"I'm going back to the village soon, be ready to leave." Kagome warned her. It was their custom now to only use the tent as a place to sleep, not to live. Kagome worried too much to leave Rin here by herself although she was aware of the little girl's abilities.
"Okay!" She called down as she let go of the leaves, watching them bounce back to their original position. She turned on her heel, looking through a breach in the leaves. Rin had a perfect view of the sky through it, it was the reason this tree was her favorite out of the forest.
Some days she would sneak out of the tent at night to look at the stars through this cranny in the tree, eager to watch the moon sit amongst the stars. But today her mind was elsewhere, Kaede had promised to show her how to use a bow.
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Rin held the bow with disciplined strength, her stance balanced and her shoulders turned as her legs were spread apart. She took ahold of the string, hooking an arrow in it. She proceeded to stretch said string, now taking care of where she aimed the arrow's edge.
In front of her was a tree with a paper strapped to it, a red target drawn onto the parchment with care. Her eyes focused on the center, but her aim drifted higher from where she wanted to hit. Taking a breath she released the sling and felt the wood of her bow shake from the sudden release of her shot.
The arrow didn't have far to travel, but it was fast enough to firmly plant itself into the target and tree trunk. Rin sighed as she saw it hit the rim of the target's center. She wasn't quite as accurate as Kagome and Kaede, but she was good enough to hunt for demons in their stead.
Even with this minor disappointment the girl chose to find a bright side to her practice, she was close to being perfect with the bow. Her training with Kaede had lasted about four years, having grown old enough to begin practicing on her own as she retained the old priestesses discipline, advice, and technique. She lowered her bow, choosing against shooting another arrow at the target.
Rin planned on showing her progress to Sesshomaru the next time he arrived. After her fifth year here it seemed the dog demon took a liking to forgetting to tell Rin when he would return, having begun showing up at random times. The girl had tried to see if there was a pattern to his supposedly "random" visits, but she had been proved wrong on most of her predictions.
She had a feeling he would show up in the next few days, he had been absent for nearly thirty already. She sighed as she looked to the sky, hopeful to see at any moment a man making his way through the sky. With a glance of abandon to the arrow she turned and retrieved her quiver from the ground, its internal hollow stomach was empty.
Now all she needed to do was return to the village and go to Kaede. She had made a promise to help the elder with some chores at her hut. Walking away from her practice with subtle hope in her heart as she watched the trunks and low hanging branches pass her.
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"I can leave...?" Rin asked in the softest of whispers. Sesshomaru was looking down at her as she could barely find the strength to hold her bow any longer, his eyes staring into her own with a tamed discipline. He was not lying, he had told her the truth.
"Yes, Rin. But, you must remember what you must accomplish to earn that right." Rin blinked as she felt her muscles unfreeze from their shock, eager to begin her trial. Her eyes were bright and lively, her hair fluttering around her as her spirit spread itself wide in hope.
"All you have to do is to strike me with an arrow, and only after that can you come with me to the southern lands."