InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 117

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi


Chapter 116


“So,” Kagome asked Kaede as they stepped out of the front door of the older miko’s house, “where’s Rin-chan this morning?”

“Ah, she went out to the garden already,” the old miko said.  

“Already?” Kagome looked surprised.  

A dog hurried by, followed by Sayo’s son Daichi, who in turn was followed by Asami, one of the girls who worked in Toshiro’s household.

“Come back here, Daichi-kun!” the girl yelled. She nodded briefly at the two women, then hurried after the boy.

“I wonder what that’s about?” Kagome said as she turned to look at the two, then shook her head.

“With Daichi-kun, no telling, especially with Sayo not really able to chase him down,” Kaede said, chuckling. “He’s been driving everybody crazy from what I hear. His mother’s about the only one who can really get him to sit down and behave. I’m sure everybody else is going to be quite happy when the new baby gets here.” She shifted her basket. “What were we talking about?”

“Rin-chan,” Kagome said.

Kaede nodded. “She said she was going to weed the early mustard, but I suspect she wanted to check on the azalea bushes near by. They were beginning to bloom the last time I was there.”

“Ah,” Kagome said. “I seem to remember during the year I was here fighting Naraku that she was very fond of flowers.”

“She still is. She wants to know the name of everything that blooms, and has filled a corner of my garden with lovely blooming things - iris, chrysanthemum, peony,” Kaede said. “I think today she’s excited because some of her flowers are coming up.”

“I understand that one,” Kagome said. “You should have heard me yesterday morning when I saw some things growing in my garden.”

There was the sound of a boy crying out, and a dog yelping. Kaede turned around, as did Kagome, but neither of them could see anything. “It sounds like Asami caught up with Daichi,” Kaede said. “I wonder if she’s going to have any luck getting him home.”

The old miko shook her head and started walking again. “Now where was I...ah, Rin-chan. I doubt if there’s enough in the garden to keep her busy all day. I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes over to visit her friend Iya afterwards, though. You know Sango started her working on her first under kosode?”

“Yes, I was over there yesterday when she told me all about it,” Kagome said. “She seemed both rather proud and rather intimidated by the project.”

Kaede nodded. “I do believe you’re correct, but I think pride is winning over on that one. She asked if it were all right for her to take her sewing to see Iya.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kagome said, smiling. “I was wondering what she was going to do this afternoon without being able to go to Sango’s.”

“She’ll find something,” Kaede said. “She’s good at keeping herself amused, and without getting into trouble, like some children we know.”

They heard Daichi sobbing, and Asami walked from behind one of the buildings, dragging the boy behind her. Then both women exchanged knowing, and somewhat thankful glances.

“Children in trouble...it’s not just Aki-kun, I see,” Kagome said.

“No, not at all,” Kaede said, with just a slight, knowing grin.


While Kaede and Kagome walked down the main street of the village, InuYasha watched Susumu laugh about Miroku’s tendency to want to know everything going on, and for some reason this amused him, and he grinned at the guard.

His ear flicked as he heard Daichi cry out as Asami caught him. He looked out down the street, but not seeing anything in particular, he shrugged. Children shrieking in a village wasn’t an out of the ordinary event. He turned back to Susumu. “I can see why Tameo had me build where I lived. No way to know what’s coming from there.”

“That’s true,” Susumu said, nodding. “It’s always been a weak point in the village defense. Best we had before you moved over there was if Daitaro let his bull out.”

This time it was InuYasha who snorted. “I don’t know what’s worse, putting up with bandits or trying to get Okuro back in his pen.” He looked up at the high country behind the village. “That animal has a hard head.”

Susumu nodded. “You’re much easier to work with.”

The hanyou smirked. “That’s not what people have always said.”


“Besides,” Susumu said. “It doesn’t take a whole group of men and maybe a cow to get you to do the right thing.”

They chuckled.  

“Sometimes, it takes more than just a cow,” InuYasha said. He turned around looking at the vista one more time. “So if it’s not good for spying, what do you use this tower for?”

“See the gong there?” Susumu said, tipping his head toward the large round piece of metal that dominated the middle of the tower platform. It hung from a wooden frame, and a wooden striker rested in a cradle next to it.

The hanyou nodded, and leaned toward it, carefully tapping the metal. It rang just a little at his touch.

“If there’s an attack coming,” Susumu said, “or if there’s a some other problem, like a fire in the village that requires getting people together, someone in the guard will come up here and sound the alarm. You heard the call last year when the village was attacked. Kinjiro got up here and sounded the gong while those closest to the raiders started the defense.”  

“I remember,” InuYasha said. “Made me think of a temple bell.”

“Not as sweet or as loud, but it does the job,” Susumu said. “If we expect attack, someone will stay up here to keep watch, but usually we just come up here to get people’s attention.”  

InuYasha nodded, and looked at Susumu curiously.  He was about to ask him a question, when Susumu bent forward. “Look who’s walking this way.”    

The hanyou followed where Susumu was pointing, and saw Kaede and Kagome walking their way. “Wonder what they’re up to?”

The guard leaned forward and waved. “Kaede-obasan! Cousin! What brings you out today?”

Kaede looked up. “Taking care of the sick,” she said. “How’s Isao?”

“Doing better,” Susumu said. “I left him with Chichi-ue.”

The old miko nodded, and was about to walk off, but Kagome stopped her for a moment.

“I thought you were going to the fields today?” Kagome said.

“Oh, I’ll make it yet,” Susumu said. “Once I’m through talking to your husband.”

“If he ever gets to the point,” InuYasha said, leaning forward and smiling at his wife.

The younger woman chuckled a little, then following Kaede’s lead, waved farewell, and began to walk away. The two men watched as they left. The two women were followed by a sobbing Daichi and irritated Asami.

“Seems like Aki isn’t the only one that gets into trouble,” Susumu said. “I suspect that one day, that boy’s going to end up explaining to the elders why he did something stupid.”

“Like you?” InuYasha leaned against one of the support timbers.

“One day, I’ll have to tell you that story,” the village guard said, grinning. “I swear it wasn’t just my fault.”

The hanyou chuckled. “Still I have to give you this much. It’s hard to spy on people if you keep drawing their attention to you,” InuYasha noted.

“That’s another problem for me,” Susumu said, grinning as he nodded. “I fail at spying. I much rather talk with people.”

“Talk,” InuYasha said. He folded his arms and stuffed his hands in his sleeves. “You’re good at that. So can you talk about the reason you brought me up here today?”

“You think I have a reason?” Susumu asked, his grin turning into an amused smirk.

InuYasha took a deep breath, gave him a knowing look, and waited.

“You’re right cousin.” Susumu looked off toward the fields. “You’ve been fighting for us for three years now, even if we don’t count what you did about that evil youkai who killed Kikyou-obasan,” Susumu said, turning to face InuYasha, no joking in his eyes. “I think, if you want, we should make that official. Chichi-ue agrees. We’d like you to become a member of the village guard.”

The hanyou tilted his head, not quite sure of how to respond, studying Susumu as he thought. “A hanyou as part of the village watch? I’ve been saying your family is weird.”

“Why not?” Susumu said. “You’ve been doing the work anyway.”

InuYasha shook his head. “It doesn’t mean that much when it’s not official. Everybody helps when there’s bandits or a fire. But putting me in the guard? You’re sure you want to involve me in this? You think the village will be happy with it? And what happens when word gets around?”

“You underestimate yourself, cousin,” Susumu said, giving the hanyou a companionable slap on the shoulder. “Chichi-ue thinks once the word gets out, it’ll help keep the bandits away. You have a bit of a reputation in this part of the world.”

“Feh,” the hanyou said. “Gossip. I hear a lot of stupid talk.” He moved his ears for effect. “Doesn’t mean much.”

“I would really like it if you helped us with the sentry work. We’re short one man since Koutou went off to Odawara. I already know I can count on you in case of attack.” Susumu looked back out over the fields. “Most of the time, it’s easy work. Someone’s in charge of being on alert every week. It’s that person’s job to walk around the perimeter, to be the person who will get here to alert others if there’s a problem. Fire, and sometimes fights during harvest and festival time are our real problems Bandit raids are a lot more likely after harvest as well. Or when it’s the dead of winter and people are getting hungry.”

InuYasha nodded. “Hungry bellies push people hard.”

Susumu met InuYasha’s eyes. “But you’re partially right. There are still a few people who will complain, like Seiji.”

InuYasha nodded. “He really has a problem. You were there. You saw how he was willing to let those kids be kidnaped rather than let me go after them.”

The village guard shoved back his rush hat and nodded. “He is...what he is. I don’t know who’s left, after you got those kids back, who would still agree with him. But the Three Families will all back you. Tsuneo seems to have taken a liking to you in spite of his grandson and wife. If we need to work something out later to keep the peace we will, but I think you ought to be part of protecting the village.” He leaned over the railing, and watched as Koichi, coming back for more straw, spotted them and waved. He waved back, then turned around.

“You carry a sword by birthright. You live here. By the natural order of things, the ones the monks and samurai keep telling us is the way the heavens say it should be, your job ought to be protecting the village, so that the farmers can work in peace, if you want to take it. I’m not telling you that you have to do it, mind you. But it’s open if you want it. The grumblers just need to deal with it.”

“If I agree, then what do you want me to do?” InuYasha asked. “I damn well am not going to take over as leader,” he said, eyeing Susumu, who grinned back. “You’re stuck with that job. But if I want to help, what do you have in mind?”

“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy,” Susumu said, shrugging. “I guess I’ll be stuck with this job until someone’s old enough to take it away from me. Next ten-day, it’ll be my turn to be night patrol. You can work with me those nights.”

InuYasha studied the landscape, watching a group of three farmers head out to the fields, and a woman head home from the river with a basket of clean laundry. Two boys and their dog were walking down the main road, tossing a ball back and forth. A woman walked down one of the dyke paths between paddies with a basket in her hand filled with gathered greens and a baby strapped to her back. A chicken squawked near one of the houses, and a man was singing a rude song about his sexual prowess as he worked around the house.

He took a deep breath. Even though he didn’t exactly know where his place was in this community, he knew it was his community. He sucked on his bottom lip a moment, then turned to Susumu. “I’m willing to do this, but up front, I have to tell you, I can never be on patrol on the nights of the full and the new moon.”

“Never?” Susumu asked, his voice curious.

InuYasha nodded, then looked back over the fields. He couldn’t think of any way to explain the new moon and not put himself at risk, and some full moons, he just wasn’t fit company for most humans. It was easier to let Susumu make his own assumptions. “I have...obligations those nights.”

Susumu shrugged. “If we have you the rest of the month, that’s a good thing. We’ll work something out. You may find the middle ten-day of the month all yours.”

InuYasha nodded.  

“Well, let’s go tell Chichi-ue,” Susumu said, heading for the ladder. “He’ll want to write it down in the records.  And maybe, he’ll appreciate a little company while Haha-ue’s on a tear.”