The Strength of Love
Chapter 20 - A Warm Welcome
It seemed the entire Village had come out to welcome Rin to her new home. They had all been shading their eyes and staring at the sky for a long time. When Serafin called out “There they are” a cheer went up from the small crowd.
When Hiten touched ground a few feet from the small crowd and placed the girl once more on her feet, it took Rin a moment to readjust herself to being on solid footing again. He steadied her slightly, leaving his hand on her shoulder as two of the people came forward. He had sensed her emotional turmoil and knew she might need a steadying hand for more than just physical support.
Sango and Miroku stepped forward and made their way the few feet to where the girl and Hiten were standing. Miroku, seeing the look of hesitancy on her face, swooped down and engulfed the child in a giant hug. “Welcome! Sango and I are so very happy to see you! I am Miroku and I will be your new father. I am very pleased to have you join our family.” He smiled broadly at Rin, eliciting a tiny smile from the child. She liked this exuberant man. When he turned to Sango and introduced her, Sango held out her hand to the child. As Rin shook it the woman told her “Welcome to our Village and our family. I hope we can be friends as well as mother/daughter.” She too smiled at the girl, though not as widely as her mate. She was scared of this little girl. She could not have put a reason behind her emotions, but she was frightened. Maybe not of the girl herself but of the situation. She had been just as eager as her mate to have the child added to their family, but as the night had worn on, her doubts and trepidations had grown. Now she was as much a bundle of nerves as the small girl in front of her.
As Rin clasped the hand extended to her she was acutely aware of the woman’s trembling. She was nervous too! As it dawned on her that she was not the only one starting a new life, the thought gave her some much-welcomed confidence. She smiled in return at the woman, hoping to put her at ease. She could get used to having a mother again.
One by one the Villagers introduced themselves. Serafin was the first after her new parents. She welcomed Rin and told her to visit any time she pleased. She enjoyed having children around. She was expecting their first child, so Rin knew she would have a neighbor to play with eventually. Then there was Kouga and Kagome, and Kaoru and Kenshin, also pregnant. Rin thought to herself that when she grew up and found a mate she would definitely have no problems getting pregnant if she lived here! These people seemed to all be expecting! She knew her new parents were going to be giving her a sister as well. Four babies in less than five months! She hoped she liked the children. She did not know if she enjoyed babies or not. She could not remember being around any. Keiko and Yusuke, Sanosuke and Katsu, Kaede, and a whole troop of wolves all came forward as well. She shook hands with the humans and demons, and let the wolves sniff her. She even got to pet some of the wolves. They seemed to like her and enjoyed being petted. One large male wolf in particular remained close by her side. He seemed to like the girl, and in turn she immediately enjoyed his furry closeness.
After a few more minutes of introductions, Miroku announced that it was time for them to be getting home. He felt Rin’s continued nervousness at being the center of attention and knew she needed time to adjust to everything, alone. He picked up her knapsack, which Hiten had dropped by her feet, and swung around, calling Rin to follow him. The child came up next to him and slid her hand into his, surprising him greatly. When he gazed down at her she was looking up into his eyes, smiling her relief. His intervention had been welcome. She knew he had broken things up for her and it made her happy that he understood her already. The couple walked that way, hand in hand, with Sango trailing behind, the whole way home.
Rin was astonished at the beauty of the small houses she saw. In her old village there had only been poverty and want. The huts had been made out of whatever material had been handy. Repairs had consisted of grass and straw. Here, however, everything seemed to be made of thick wood, well cared for and maintained. There were flowers growing everywhere and several beautiful trees that Rin knew were cherry because of the Princess’ own gardens. When her new father walked onto the porch of one of the beautiful houses Rin became more excited. This was to be her home! She was even more astonished when Miroku went through the house to a door at the end of the hallway and opened it. A room? A whole room to herself? She had thought she would share the common area with her parents as she had in her old village. There it was customary for the whole family to live in and share one giant room. It saved on space as well as furnishings. It also kept the house warmer in winter when everyone was in one area, with only the stove for heat.
Miroku placed Rin’s knapsack on her bed. The bed was covered with a large soft comforter, with foxes of all descriptions running, chasing, and playing printed on it. It had been a gift from Kurama. When his new daughter walked in and gasped in shock, he turned to her with a grin on his face. “Most of these toys come from Human World. Kagome is from there. She visits her mother there from time to time and brings stuff back as well. We all hope you like the room and the toys.” He also explained about the comforter. It had been Kurama’s welcome home surprise for her.
Rin stood in the middle of the room in a state of shock. She had never seen so many THINGS in one room before! There were items of all descriptions and most were made of some odd material she had never seen before. “What are all of these things?” She finally found her voice to ask.
Sango, who had been standing quietly in the doorway behind Rin, stepped forward and explained gently. “They are toys. You can play with them. In Human World all the children have rooms full of these things. They spend hours just playing with them. Miroku and I wanted you to not feel lonely here. The Princess told us that you had no toys at the castle. Sesshomaru told her that he doubted you had any at your other home either. Here you can play with any of these things.” When Rin continued to look hesitant, she went on. “Shippo is a Fox Demon friend of ours as well. He is young, like you, and loves playing with some of these things. He lives here for the most part, but he is off visiting a friend in another village right now. He will be home in a day or two. I know you will like him.” She stopped there, afraid she was babbling on like an idiot. She desperately wanted this child to feel welcome here. Miroku, it seemed, had already bonded to the girl, and she with him. She wanted to make this work!
Rin, getting over her shock, stood in the middle of her new bedroom, her new wolf friend pressing close. All these things were HERS! She could hardly believe her eyes. There was even a small stove in the corner, presumably for the cold months. She had her own bed, as she had in the castle. She turned in a small circle, trying to take it all in. When her eyes found the open closet, stuffed with clothing, she asked timidly “who do those belong to?”
While Miroku laughed with delight, Sango told her “They are yours. All for you.”
Rin promptly sat down on the edge of her new bed with a thump. All hers? She could not take it all in. This was too much! She began crying silently. The large wolf padded to her and swiped his tongue over her face. She had not wanted to come here, yet these people were being more generous and kind than anyone she could ever remember.
Miroku, seeing her distress, softly sat next to her and placed his arms around her, hugging her close. When she wrapped her tiny arms around him he felt he had never been happier. He was a father! He understood her emotions and simply held her, rubbing her back. He nodded when Sango said she would fix them all some tea.
When Rin was finished sobbing she rubbed her eyes and smiled up at her father. He nodded at her, understanding she needed to be alone for a little while. When he stood up to leave he gave her a soft pat on the head and told her “We will be in the kitchen. Just come out whenever you feel like it. Oh, and it looks like you have a new protector. Kouga must have chosen him for you.” He bent and patted the wolf on its furry head. With that he left her alone to contemplate her new situation.
Rin watched him go then fell back onto her bed, lying prone, staring at the ceiling. She found she could not stay still, however. She flipped onto her stomach and stayed that way for a few moments, letting her hand trail over her wolf’s soft fur. As she idly petted him she let her eyes wander over all of the marvelous things she found herself amongst.
When she finally rose from the bed and went to the nearest box she found all manner of things. She could read a little now, so when she found boxes with instructions she was able to tell what the things inside were for and what they did. She rummaged around until she found an inviting-looking gadget. It was colorful and the instructions said to pull the string. She set it on the floor, as indicated, and pulled the string. Something amazing happened! The piece in the center, called a ‘top’, spun out of the piece she was holding and continued to whiz around on the floor, the motion like that of a tornado. The wolf, immediately interested in the small movements, attempted to pounce on it. Rin laughed and shooed him away. Delighted with the new toy, she waited for it to run out of steam and tried it again. This time it fell flat almost as soon as it was released. She furrowed her brow and retrieved the top. Again, she placed it in its holder and pulled the string.
Miroku and Sango heard the spinning of top and smiled to each other. She seemed to have already found something interesting to her. When she did not come out for tea, they knew she had begun to settle into her new home.