Field of Innocence
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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A/N: This is a companion piece to "Another's Name But My Heart". It's not a songfic, regardless of the title. That's just a way to tie into "ANBMH" since that fic's chapter titles are all song titles as well. This first chapter is basically a recap of the Sesshomaru and Rin relationship thus far. If you're a follower of "Another's Name", you can really skip or just skim this, since it's all stuff you've already read.

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Chapter One

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Sesshomaru had quickly tired of the small castle that was Inuyasha's new home and the scent of humans that permeated it. While the pitiful dwelling was perfect for his half-breed brother, it was far beneath what he, a powerful full demon, deserved. When Inuyasha vanished soon after his new human wife fled the room, he wasted no time in removing himself from the offensive surroundings.

Since the nearby courtyards were just as bad as inside, he turned himself towards the thick stand of trees off to the left. It was the beginning of the dividing forest between the human village and the Western Lands. He was soon surrounded by the fresh scent of nature and nothing else, proving that this was an area the villagers obviously avoided. It was probably the only evidence of wisdom he had seen them display yet.

Although there was something of an uneasy truce between the two areas, demons had been known to cross the unofficial divider and make a meal of the unsuspecting travelers who ventured too near. Every time it happened, there was the threat of a battle and action had to be taken by both sides to prevent it.

It was one of the biggest factors that had his father pushing Inuyasha into his marriage with the human woman. There had been other reasons, of course, but Sesshomaru wasn't going to waste his time dwelling on them. His father's request might keep him near his brother for the next several days, but that didn't mean he needed to spend all his time thinking about the worthless hanyou.

He moved around the base of a particularly old tree and paused. His brow furrowed just the slightest bit as he raised his chin several inches. For a moment, he remained exactly as he was, judging something that had drifted to him on the slight breeze. There was a scent there, so faint one of lesser ability might not have picked up on it.

Human.

He could smell a human.

Sesshomaru took a few steps and the odor intensified. It wasn't curiosity that moved him forward, he told himself. No mere human could inspire such a thing in him. It was merely a diversion, something somewhat less wearisome than the other options open to him at the moment.

The smell became the strongest in a small meadow hidden within the trees. Flowers bloomed in profusion, adding their fragrance into the mix. Whoever it was that dared live in the forest did so alone. There was only one scent layered on the air, proving that the human had come and gone many times in the past. The newest layer was only hours old, its freshness allowing him to tell that that it was a young female.

A moment passed as Sesshomaru questioned why such a person would be living alone in the forest. Did she have no family? Had she been abandoned?

Realizing what he was doing, Sesshomaru quickly called a halt to his wayward thoughts. Turning on his heel, he made his way back through the trees the way he had come. He was leaving because he was uninterested in the little amusement his discovery could offer. It had nothing to do with the knowledge that since the nameless, faceless human had already visited the meadow once, she would be unlikely to return that day.

And that wasn't disappointment he felt, either.

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Sesshomaru had decided quite suddenly that it was time to bring his visit to an end. It could have been because he was tired of being surrounded by the scent and sight of so many humans. It could have been because he had had enough of dealing with his inferior half brother. It could have been because he had fulfilled his obligation to his father and was therefore free to leave. It could have been because he had responsibilities at home that required his attention.

But it wasn't for any of those reasons that he was making his way back to the Western Lands.

The truth of the matter was that he had met an obstacle in the smooth path that he chose to follow in life. Something had caught his attention, a feat that was not so easily accomplished. From the first day that he had stepped into the meadow, the mystery of its daily visitor had occupied a portion of his mind almost nonstop.

It was a situation not to be tolerated.

He was the next Lord of the Western Lands, one of the highest-ranking demons ever to have lived. He could not - would not - allow himself to be distracted by the oddities of a human that he had never even laid eyes on. So he was removing himself from the annoyance - by no means would he acknowledge it as a temptation - by the quickest route available.

And if that route just so happened to wind its way past the clearing . . .well, that wasn't his doing.

Sesshomaru continued telling himself that even as he maneuvered around trees and bushes that had become almost familiar over the last days. He stopped only when he arrived at his destination. Not that he had headed there deliberately, of course. It was just on the way.

His chin lifted slightly as he drew in a deep breath. His heightened sense of smell quickly separated all the scents, picking out the one he was most interested in. It was old, telling him that the girl had yet to stop by that day. It was the first time he had arrived before her, and the situation began a mental war in his head.

On one hand, he could remain where he was until the human came, which would assuage his curiosity and allow him to remove her from his mind. But doing that would acknowledge that he had been curious, which was surely a sign of weakness in one such as him. He shouldn't care one way or another if he ever saw her. She was human and thus beneath his notice. Just because there seemed to be something . . .different about her didn't change that.

He was still debating when a sound from behind him caught his attention. He turned, but not quickly enough. In the moment before a blinding mist surrounded him, he caught a flash of dark hair and a body clad in armor. Sesshomaru, knowing that his eyes were useless for the moment, tried to rely on his other senses. It took only one breath for him to know that his enemy was more cunning than he had thought. A heavy scent erupted on the air, blocking out any useful information and making him almost dizzy with its overpowering intensity.

A stinging sensation struck his neck, not really hurting but painful enough for him to be aware of it. His hand slid to the wound, finding several small darts still stuck in his skin. Since they obviously couldn't have been meant to injure him that left only one possible purpose. Poison.

His guess was confirmed when a prickling burn began spreading from the spot. The dizziness became worse almost immediately, telling him that his attacker had taken no chances, using an extremely strong mixture. As he began to go numb, Sesshomaru summoned all the energy he could. He might not have been able to see or smell anything, but that alone would not be enough to make him go down without a fight.

Just as he felt the full force of the poison taking effect, he released the energy he had gathered in a wide arc. He felt the power of it sparking on the very air and took a small measure of satisfaction from knowing that no matter where the unseen enemy had been standing at that moment, it should have hit them.

Then the world faded to black.

X

He was beautiful.

That was her first thought when she came upon him laying among the flowers. His long, silvery hair pooled around his head, interspersed with leaves and grass. His clothing, once a pristine white, was now spotted with grass stains and darker, more alarming blotches. Since his eyes were closed, she couldn't see their color, but she had a feeling it would be something other than the common blue or brown to match the other aspects of his distinctive appearance.

It was with some difficulty that Rin forced her attention away from his face. He was, after all, obviously wounded, and his welfare was more important than her curiosity. Kneeling beside him, she checked for signs of life. His breathing was shallow and a bit fast, but nothing to be alarmed about. His heartbeat was strong and steady, indicating that he was simply knocked out rather than gravely injured.

Looking at his head, she found no bumps or bruises to account for his state. Even when she went so far as to run her fingers through his hair, she could find nothing wrong with him. Frowning, she decided a closer look was in order.

As thorough as her examination was, it only took a moment for Rin to come across the darts sticking out of the pale skin of his neck. She carefully pulled one out, wincing at the drop of blood that welled as a result. Warily avoiding the sharp point, she studied it closely. The thin coating near the tip caught her interest. Bringing it to her nose, she took a cautious sniff. The familiar scent confirmed her guess of poison.

She pulled a small cloth from her pocket and spread it out on the grass at her side. Placing the dart in the center, she turned back to the unconscious man. Soon three more darts joined the first. Wrapping them carefully to avoid getting stuck herself, she slid the bundle back into her pocket and stood.

Rin stared down at the man, sighing a bit. She couldn't just leave him alone in the middle of the field. Although his condition wasn't serious as far as she could tell, it wouldn't do anyone any good to be subjected to a night on the cold ground with no blanket. It would be best if she send him back to his home, but since she didn't know where that was, she supposed her home would have to do.

That is, if she could figure out how to move him . . .

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Rin stood outside the single window of her small cottage. Rain was falling down all around her, soaking into her clothing and plastering her hair to her head, but she didn't mind. She had always enjoyed the many faces of nature and found a simple kind of pleasure in being surrounded by them. There were countless times in her memory when she had spent the entire day dancing beneath the raindrops or walking through meadows coated in a layer of newly fallen snow. The occasional cold she caught was a minor discomfort compared to the peace her actions brought to her.

For the first time in her life, she had been confronted by something equally as wild as nature. Only being around this entity was bringing her anything but peace.

Her eyes locked onto the pale, still figure currently occupying her bed. He hadn't moved since she had managed to maneuver him there, which was no more than she had expected. While the treatment she had given his neck had removed most of the darts' poison, some had still made its way into his bloodstream. Though not nearly potent enough to be lethal, she guessed he would be out for quite some time.

It was probably a good thing that he had remained unconscious so far, she thought to herself with a small smile. Even out cold, he appeared to have a wealth of dignity. She doubted he would have handled being drug through the dirt back to her home wrapped in her shawl very well.

Rin found herself wondering once more what he had done that led to his being attacked. The fact that whoever had assaulted him had left him there pointed to it having been a deliberate action and not some unfortunate accident. She felt a spurt of sympathy for him, but forced herself to tamp it down. For all she knew, he could be some kind of criminal, on the run after doing an evil deed.

Then again, as she knew from firsthand experience, some people could incite cruel responses from others simply by being different. And her uninvited guest certainly was that. Aside from the obvious high quality of his clothing, there were also the markings on his face and arms. Along with his pointed ears, he wasn't like anyone or anything that she had ever seen before.

With a sigh, Rin came to a decision. Until he woke up, there was no way for her to find out whether his harsh treatment was deserved or not. And in the end, it didn't really matter. She would keep him warm, fed, and dry, and when he was well enough, she would send him on his way. Their encounter would be as short as she could make it, and then she would be free to return to her solitary way of life. Ignoring the small pang that came as a result of that choice, she made her way through the door. The soup she had left on the fire needed tending to unless she wanted it to turn into a charred mess.

The quick glance she tossed toward the bed showed her guest in the same position as when she had left. Unsurprised, Rin crossed to the small fireplace and stirred the contents of the pot that hung there. The stew was well on its way to being finished and its savory smell caused her stomach to rumble. Glancing to the table that rested nearby, she caught sight of the bowl of berries she had just picked that morning. Giving into temptation, she popped a few of the ripe fruits into her mouth. She sighed lightly at the sweet taste before turning to her next task.

In one corner of the small room sat a woven basket. It was filled only a little more than halfway with various plants and flowers, since she hadn't finished her gathering before stumbling onto the stranger in the meadow. As it was, it contained enough to keep her busy for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. Rin moved to the small table, bringing the basket with her. Settling it at her feet, she reached in and pulled out a handful of plants. Humming to herself, she began sorting them into piles according to the use she planned to put them to. A few were for cooking, but the majority of the others would be boiled or mashed for use in healing mixtures and creams.

As she sorted, her mind drifted back to when she was first learning the skill of medicines. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost hear her mother's voice as she carefully explained the uses of each plant.

"Now Rin, this plant is best for curing sore throats. It only grows for a short time, so it's best to get as much as you can at once."

"The petals from this flower work very well on headaches. You boil them in water just like tea. You know it's ready when the water turns this lovely shade of light pink."

"If you shred this one and soak it in water, you can form it into a compress. It'll create a nice, tight seal over wounds, easing the pain and helping to stop the bleeding at the same time."

Some of her best memories had been formed there at her mother's side as she found equal joy in both the company and the lessons she was learning. It had solidified her love of plants and elevated her mother to an almost superhuman standing in her mind. It had seemed like there was nothing that she didn't know, no illness she couldn't cure.

In the end, she had paid an awful price for that knowledge.

Rin quickly shook off the darker memories that threatened to rise. She had promised herself and her mother a long time ago that she would concentrate on the good times and try to forget the bad times. It was the only way she managed to make it through each day.

She refocused her attention on the plants in front of her and, with her renewed dedication to the chore, finished sorting them in no time at all. With a length of string she retrieved from her pocket, she fashioned and wrapped several different bundles of herbs. They would soon join others like them, hanging from a rafter to dry. The rest of the flowers got pushed to the far edge of the table as she grabbed another handful and repeated the process.

The sun was reaching its cresting point by the time she finished. After she allowed herself a good long stretch to relieve muscles that had been still for too long, Rin turned to the only other undertaking left to her: the stranger in her bed. With all the time that had passed since she had brought him home with her, the ill effects of the poison should have just about worn off. It was getting to the point where she should try to wake him and assess his condition.

Moving to the bed, she grabbed the jar of cream she had left nearby earlier. Depending on how the wounds in his neck were coming, she might need to apply another coat of the salve. She took a seat on the edge of the bed, tucking the ends of her skirt neatly under her legs.

Rin leaned over the sleeping visitor, meaning to have a closer look at his neck. Somewhere along the way, however, her line of vision went off track. She studied his face, almost awed by the perfection of his features. He was so different from anyone she had ever seen before, more flawless than a living thing had right to be. His skin was so pale and still that she could almost convince herself he had been chiseled from stone by some loving sculptor with the intent of creating a god.

She found her eyes tracing the pattern of stripes on his face, and before she could stop herself, her finger rose to follow that same path. His skin was smooth beneath her touch, and softer than she thought flesh could be. Without conscious thought, she moved her hand until her palm was cupping his cheek . . .just as he opened his eyes.

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When he had first begun his journey to be a warrior, as all truly great leaders must be, Sesshomaru had decided to become the best. No task was too difficult, no exercise too rigorous for him to undertake in pursuit of that goal. He held himself to a higher standard than others, even those selected by his father to teach him. They sought to impart their knowledge and experience to him; he, in turn, sought to surpass them and become stronger.

The result of his diligence with his training was a set of finely honed senses and an instinct so acute that it bordered on intuition. Many times in his life, Sesshomaru had had cause to be grateful for them. They had saved him from injury and even death on several occasions. Sometimes they even came in useful in situations with much smaller odds.

He had awoken to just such an occurrence. In the seconds directly after he went from unconscious to aware, Sesshomaru's senses quickly began to catalogue information about his environment. While his eyes remained closed to veil his newly alert state, his nose, ears, and even skin were gathering facts for his benefit.

His ears caught the sound of a bubbling liquid overlapping the hiss and crackle of a fire. There was also the smell of smoke, light enough for him to identify its source as a small blaze. It was accompanied by the odor of cooking vegetables and several freshly cut plants. Over top of it all was an almost disturbingly familiar scent of a human . . .

Sesshomaru had to force himself to maintain his feigned slumber when he recognized it as belonging to the woman from the meadow, the one he had never managed to catch a glimpse of. The smell was much thicker here, and fresher than he had ever found it. The sound of humming reached his ears, telling him that she hadn't gone far.

It took a large amount of concentration for him to continue his survey after he realized that. He was disconcerted by the distraction that that woman caused him. Nothing like it had ever happened to him before, and he was less than happy with it. He was determined to find a way to stop it, no matter what. After that, he would strive to ensure that such a reaction never troubled him again.

But that was later. Focusing closely, he caught the sound of raindrops falling to the ground. Although the drumming noise they made came from directly overhead, he felt no trace of them on his clothing or face. Added together, the information he had told him was inside a sort of shelter. There was a small, controlled fire nearby with some sort of food cooking on it. And finally, the person who was behind all of those things was the phantom human he had been plagued by since his arrival.

Pleased that his well-trained senses hadn't let him down, Sesshomaru turned to his other source of information. While there was no real science behind his instinct, he had learned to trust it without question. What it told him, he accepted as fact. And at that moment, his instinct was telling him that he was being watched.

The slight scraping of a piece of furniture being moved quickly followed that revelation. Footsteps whispered across the floor, coming closer to where he lay. He felt the corner of the bed dip as she sat down at his side.

It took every ounce of Sesshomaru's will not to react when he felt the first touch upon his face. A shiver worked its way up his spine as the gentle touch crested the half-moon on his forehead before moving on to the stripes crossing his cheekbones. However, when he felt the sensation of a warm palm settle on his cheek, nothing could have stopped him from opening his eyes.

The girl leaning over him didn't so much as flinch when he did so. She merely subjected them to the same careful consideration she'd been giving the rest of him. Her hand remained on his cheek and she seemed completely unconcerned about being caught in the intimate gesture.

Several different realizations swept through Sesshomaru all at once. One was the fact that he was finally face to face with the girl from the meadow. Another was that someone had managed to get the better of him in a fight, albeit through sneaky tactics. Still another was that he was still weak from whatever had been done to him, and would need time to regain his strength.

There was a single thought much louder and more primal than the others. That voice was telling him that a human was daring to lay her hands on his body without permission as though it were nothing. It wasn't to be allowed. His eyes flared red and his lips drew back to reveal his fangs as a warning growl rolled smoothly from his throat.

The action got the desired effect as the girl jumped, her eyes widening in surprise. Her hand slid from his cheek as she pulled away slightly. Although she straightened so that she was no longer leaning over him, she remained seated at his side. Her expressive face broadcast her emotions clearly as surprise melted into confusion and, for the first time, uncertainty. It was quickly replaced by what he'd soon learn was her usual expression as a grin tilted her lips.

Sesshomaru felt off balance, and he didn't like it one bit. When he threatened someone, they were supposed to acknowledge his ferocity. They were supposed to go weak-kneed and speechless in fright. They were not supposed to smile at him.

Not liking her unexpected reactions, he turned his head away from her to stare at the wall. A few moments passed before he heard her climb to her feet and cross the room. There were some scraping noises and the sound of liquid being poured before the footsteps returned to his side. A weighty silence followed, telling him that the girl was waiting for some action on his part. Stealing a glance at her from the corner of his eye, he saw that she now held a bowl of the soup that he'd smelled cooking earlier. Her other hand had a cup of what he guessed to be water.

His head hadn't moved as he made his quick perusal, but she somehow seemed to know that she had his attention. Both offerings were thrust directly under his nose as an expectant look crossed her face.

"I don't want it," he said clearly, hoping the unusual girl would take the hint and leave him be. He was likely to be stuck with her through the night until he regained his strength. The last thing that he wanted to have to fend off her attempts to care for him for the rest of that time.

The girl simply rolled her eyes and pushed the dishes even closer to his face. Licking her lips, she made a little humming noise in the back of her throat and smiled as though to tell him it was delicious.

He could have ignored her. He could have allowed her to continue thinking it was the fear of bad cooking that kept he from taking it. He could have, and he meant to, but somehow an explanation tripped its way off his tongue without his permission. "I don't eat human food."

Her brows drew down in momentary confusion over that statement, but it didn't last long. Titling her head to the side in consideration, she squinted her eyes as she studied him. Giving her head a single sharp nod, her expression cleared as though she had come to an acceptable conclusion. She didn't say a word, just watched him with that same small smile hovering about her mouth.

Apparently accepting that he had told her the truth, she pulled back the bowl. The glass of water she balanced on the floor by the side of the bed. She gestured towards it as though to say it was there if he wanted it and then turned away. Even without looking, he knew that she took a seat across the room. She proceeded to eat the soup she'd offered to him.

Sesshomaru returned his gaze to wall as the girl cleaned up her dishes and did random chores about the house. Every time she passed the bed, she would pause to offer a warm smile before moving on. By the time night began to fall, he had listened or seen her dust all the shelves, mend a rip in what he assumed to be an article of her clothing, brew several different pungent mixtures and leave them to steep, and sweep the floor with a meticulous hand.

Setting aside the broom, the girl moved once more the bed. This time she walked right passed him, however, and knelt at the foot. He realized that there was a trunk sitting there when she popped open the lid.

Across the small distance came the slightly musty scent of a long-enclosed space. From the confines of the trunk, the girl pulled out a number of items and placed them at her side. A stack of clothing, a few old dolls, and some worn books were handled lovingly and with great care.

She perked up when she reached the bottom, apparently having found what she'd been looking for. Several quilts were lifted into view and she hugged them to her chest before setting them aside. The other things were returned to their former places and the trunk was closed. He soon learned the purpose of the additional blankets when she formed them into a makeshift pallet by the fireplace.

Satisfied with their positioning, she vanished through the door, causing him a moment of agitation that he quickly repressed. It made no difference to him where she was going, or even if she ever came back. She was merely an insignificant human, and his stay in her home an unwelcome necessity until he regained his strength. With any luck, he would be able to leave first thing in the morning.

Even so, Sesshomaru found himself relaxing slightly when she returned soon after with an armload of firewood. She stacked it carefully by the fireplace where it could be used the following morning, unlike any pieces that remained outside and would be damp with dew.

Brushing the woodchips and bits of bark from her hands, she took a final turn about the room, setting small things right in preparation for the night. Banking the fire with an experienced hand, she offered him a little wave before lying down. He turned away without acknowledgement, but found himself listening to her breathing as she began to drift off.

The night passed slowly. Sesshomaru, not needing sleep so much as rest, found himself with nothing but his thoughts to occupy to his time. Not likely the paths they took -mostly involving a certain human female who bothered him more than she should- he looked for a distraction. Of course, the only distraction in the room was the very thing he sought to be distracted from.

The slow and even breathing that filled his ears told him that the girl was deeply asleep. Since she couldn't see him, Sesshomaru decided to indulge his curiosity about her. It didn't mean she interested him, he told himself, it was merely the wise thing to do to learn all he could about the only other living thing around at the moment. Really.

She lay on her side, facing in his direction. One hand was tucked beneath her cheek, the other lay palm up on the floor in front of her. He remembered the sensation of her hand on his cheek, the calluses on it proof that she was no pampered maiden. Her hair, too, was proof of her existence outside of social customs, being far longer and worn loose against current fashion. It was well taken care of, though, shining with cleanliness and health.

If the girl lived a life as solitary as it seemed, she had obviously done so long enough to learn to take care of her self. She seemed totally self sufficient, something Sesshomaru never would have thought a human woman capable of. His experience had shown them to be even weaker than their male counterparts, relying on them for protection and their basic needs. It added to his understanding that she was different.

As though his thoughts had reached her even in slumber, the girl murmured softly to herself. Sesshomaru froze as she shifted position, turning onto her other side and presenting him with her back. In no time at all she had slipped back into the deep sleep of earlier.

Her face was now hidden from view and Sesshomaru found his eyes drifting downward. The quilt that had been covering her from neck to toes her gotten twisted, slipping askew until it only reached her waist. The lower half of her body was covered to her knees by the fabric of her skirt. That, too, had bunched up on her relocation, leaving her calves and feet bare.

The room was dark, with only the faintest of light coming from the banked fire. Even so, Sesshomaru's demon blood had given him eyes that saw nearly as clearly at night as in broad daylight. He was able to make out the smallest of details . . .including the thick scars that wound their way up the girl's legs to her knees.