InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 118

[ 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 117


After leaving InuYasha and Susumu, Kaede led Kagome to a small house on the other side of Toshiro’s compound, plain but neat. There was a plum tree nearby and a garden patch behind the house, and only one tiny shed. It was not a rich house. No animals lived here, neither in the shed behind the house nor wandering about on the grounds and the building looked weathered. Still the grounds were cared for and the yard freed from straggly weeds.

“This is where Sora lives?” Kagome asked.

“Yes,” Kaede said as they neared the small farmhouse.  “Her husband Denjiro is related both to Toshiro and to Tsuneo, although not closely to either.”

“Aren’t most people here related to each other?” Kagome asked.

The old miko chuckled. “No doubt, no doubt, child. But in this case, Toshiro’s officially the head of his family, and he belongs to Toshiro’s ko. But Denjiro often does work for both families.”

“Ah,” Kagome said, nodding.

Two young children were out front playing with a small bucket and a handful of pebbles as they walked up, taking turns at trying to throw the rocks in the bucket. The older of the two, a girl, looked up as the two miko stopped in front of them. She gave a little nod of her head toward the two women, then sent her brother in to let their mother know they had company coming.

“Well, Kameko,” Kaede said, smiling at the girl, who dug her toe into the ground, a little intimidated by the older woman. “How is your brother doing today?”

“Sick,” the girl said, not quite meeting Kaede’s eyes.

Kagome smiled at the girl. “Your name is Kameko?”

The girl looked at her a moment, nodded, and then looked back at the ground. She was a pretty girl, even though her dress was worn and undecorated, and looked like it had perhaps been cut down from a larger garment. About eight, she clung to a small stick toy.

“Haha-ue wouldn’t let Ani-ue play with us today.” She looked up, and gave Kaede a frown. “He has a fever.”  

“We’ll see if we can’t get him better,” Kaede said. “And keep you from getting sick, too.” She dug into her basket and pulled out a small sweet and handed it to the girl. “This is for you. I have another one for your brother and sister.”

The girl looked at the little treat in her hand for several moments, then looked up at the older miko.  “For... for me? Just me?” Kameko acted almost shocked at the idea.

“Yes, for you, child” Kaede said, smiling. “You don’t need to share it.”

Still shocked, the girl popped the sweet into her mouth and began chewing, “It’s good,” she said, and then, as if embarrassed, ran around to the back of the house.

“What was that about?” Kagome asked.

“I put some medicine in it just in case,” Kaede explained. “These children don’t get sweets very often. I wanted to make sure she didn’t feel like she had to give it to her brother. Older sisters often seem to feel like they have to make sacrifices.” She knit her brows together, as if that triggered an old memory, and she sighed. “But sometimes,” she continued, shaking her head, “they really shouldn’t.”

“Ah,” Kagome said. She looked at the house again, noticing the cracks in the boards and its small size for a household with several children. There was laundry hanging up to dry at the side of the house, and the garments waving in the breeze were plain and well patched. It dawned upon her that Denjiro was not well off, and probably had to work for both Tsuneo and Toshiro because he didn’t have enough land to support his own family.

Sora, wearing a checkered kosode and a plain blue wrap-skirt came to the door shortly afterwards. Her face was drawn and tired. Kagome wasn’t sure if it was because she had a sick son or a harder life.

She bowed, seeing the two women waiting. “Miko-sama, you didn’t have to come by and check on us. I could have sent my daughter if my boy got worse.”

“I just wanted to see how your son was doing,” Kaede said. “It’s not a bother, Sora-chan. You do yourself wrong by thinking that.”

The woman gave Kaede a sad smile. “Sometimes...” She didn’t finish that thought, but instead wiped her hands on her wrap skirt and bowed again. “And this is the new miko? The one who was here four years ago?”

“Yes,” Kaede said. “This is Kagome.”

Sora didn’t look at her directly, but instead looked at the older woman. “Well, if you think she’s all right. Chiya-sama said – ”

“I wouldn’t put much into what Chiya says,” Kaede said. “Sometimes, she speaks without knowing.”

The housewife took a deep breath and nodded. There was a rattle at the door mat, and Sora’s youngest son peeked out.

“So how is your son?” Kaede asked.

“His fever broke last night for a while,” Sora said. Her hands fidgeted with her wrap skirt, unsure of what she should be doing. “But I think it’s coming back up again.”

Kaede gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s to be expected,” she said. “These things usually take three or five days to resolve. But that it broke last night is a good sign. May we see him?”

The boy’s mother nodded, and held the mat open. “If you think its worth it, come in.”

Kagome followed Kaede inside. As she walked into the small house, she saw the boy laying on a pallet not far from the fire pit. The coverlet spread over him was a faded indigo blue, a little threadbare, but it had been tucked carefully around the child, and a younger girl was playing in the corner. Her little brother, looking uncertainly at the women, went to join her. Something was simmering on the fire in a lidded pot, soup from the smell of it.

Sora wrung her hands together and looked uneasy. “I could make some tea,” she said, moving towards the fire pit. “It’s not the best...”

Kaede shook her head, “No, no, not this time, Sora-chan. It’s the wrong time of the day for me. But my thanks.”

The housewife nodded, and Kagome was sure she gave a small sigh of relief, before going to kneel down next to her son.

The old miko reached into her basket and pulled out a couple of the treats she had brought. “Give these to your youngest ones. I already gave one to your oldest girl. It’ll help keep them from getting what ails your boy here.”

Sora nodded and took the morsels from the miko’s hand. “Will I have trouble getting them to eat it?”

“I doubt it,” Kaede said. “They’re sweet. I think they’ll like them.” The old miko knelt next to the boy, and rested her hand on his forehead. He looked up at her with fever-weakened eyes. “Hello, there, Toru-chan. Still feeling bad?”

The boy nodded. “My throat hurts.”

“Ah,” said the miko. “I thought it might.” She rested her hand on his forehead, then felt under his chin and down his throat, then motioned to Kagome. “Do you mind if Kagome-sama touches you where I did?”

He shook his head. As Kagome got into position, she saw Sora flinch, then turned to look at Kaede.  

“Go ahead,” Kaede said, looking at Sora, who took a deep breath, and gave a little nod. “Put your hand on his forehead.”

Kagome took a quick look at both women and gave the little boy a smile. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

“No,” he said.  

Kagome lightly rested her hand on his forehead.

“How is it?” Kaede asked.

“His skin is dry. And he feels warm,” the younger woman replied. “Too hot for normal.”

Kaede nodded. “Fevers do that, most of the time. Now feel under his jaw. Notice how there are swollen places.”

Kagome pressed her fingers gently on his throat and felt the swollen glands.

“Hentousen'en,” Kaede said. “His throat has a sickness. His tonsils feel swollen.”

“He had that during the winter, too,” Sora said, her brows knitting together. “I was hoping he would be over it for the spring.”

“Sometimes, it happens like that,” Kaede said. She turned to the boy laying down. “Children can get more than one case in a year. I’ve brought you something that might make that feel a little better. Do you want to try?”

The boy nodded. Kaede reached into her basket and took out another of the treats that she gave the other children. “Try this. I’ll leave some with your okaasan. Let her know if it gets hurting too much, all right?”

He nodded and put the treat in his mouth. “Tastes like ginger, and something else.”

“Yes, it does,” the old miko said, smiling gently. “Ginger is good for your throat.”

Sora ran her fingers across Toru’s head, then looked up at Kaede. “He’s been sleeping a lot, yesterday and today.”  

The boy sucked on his bottom lip, almost as if he felt embarrassed. “I’ve been tired,” he said.

“Sleep,” Kaede said, straightening up, “That’s a good thing. You’ll be better soon if you rest well today and maybe tomorrow. Sleep will help.”

Almost, as if on cue, the boy yawned.

Kaede turned to his mother. “Be sure he drinks a lot. It will help wash the fever out of his system.”

Sora nodded. Kaede handed her two packets. “These are for him to chew on when the throat ache bothers him too much. And I brought some more of the medicine tea. Make him drink this too, at least three cups today.”

“Thank you, Miko-sama. Is he getting better?”

“He will be,” Kaede said. “This type of fever takes a few days, but he looks a little better than yesterday. His fever will probably go up in the afternoon. Make sure he drinks plenty, and sleeps as much as possible.”

“Thank you,” Sora said, bowing a little. “What about my other children?”

“It’s not usually catching, although it can happen,” Kaede said. “If any of them start to feel feverish, you can give them the tea as well. Send word, and I’ll send over some more of the throat drops.”

Sora nodded, and Kaede stood up. Kagome quickly followed. As the two miko began walking back to the door, Kaede turned to the housewife. “If he starts to complain about his neck, or he starts to cough, or his breathing gets bad, come get me,” Kaede said. “But I don’t expect that will happen. He looks better than yesterday.”


“He does, doesn’t he?” Sora said. She watched as the women began slipping their sandals back on. But before they could leave, she took a small cloth-wrapped parcel off of a shelf, and passed it to Kaede. “Please take this, Miko-sama. It’s not much, but it’s a token of how much this means to me, that you would stop by.”

“You don’t have to give me anything,” Kaede said, looking at her sympathetically. “You know that.”

“I know that, but it would make me feel better,” Sora said, bowing as the miko accepted it. “Thank you.”

Kaede nodded, and the two women left.


While Kaede and Kagome tended to Toru, InuYasha followed Susumu down the watch tower and the two of them walked over to Tameo’s. As InuYasha walked into the compound, the first thing he noticed were more children than usual playing in front of the house, and fewer men working around the place than normal.

“Where is everybody?” the hanyou asked.

Susumu shrugged. “Well, Kinjiro’s out in the field, and the last I heard Hougen was off taking some supplies up to Miroku-sama’s temple site, and some of the others are off spreading straw, like Koichi was doing,” Susumu said. “Like I was supposed to be doing before running into you. It’s a busy time of the year.”

InuYasha snorted. “And staying away from your mother?”

“That, too.” Susumu grinned. “Those who don’t, find themselves running errands and cleaning floor mats or other things.”

“Feh,” the hanyou said. He was about to say more, but as they walked up the path, they spotting Mitsuo who was being chased by his sister Yorime. The boy spotted his father, shrieked and ran toward the two men.

“Otou, Otou!” the boy said. “Neechan won’t let me go in the house!” he said, stopping in front of Susumu.

Susumu fought off a smile as he picked up the boy, and worked hard to give him a serious look. “She won’t?” he said, resting the child on his hip.

Mitsuo shook his head. “Haha-ue said to stay out. But I need to go back. I left Horsie there!”

“You left him behind?” Susumu asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Haha-ue took him,” the boy admitted.

“And why did she take him?” Yorime asked, catching up to the men at last.

“I...I was riding Horsie on sister’s head.” Mitsuo admitted.

Susumu frowned at the boy. “Did she ask you to do that?”

The boy shook his head. “But she wouldn’t play with me!”

“And are you going to tell Chichi-ue what she was doing when you tried to make her play?” Yorime asked, catching up with the boy. She frowned at him, obviously angry.

He shook his head again.

“Wasn’t I combing Aomi’s hair?” Yorime asked.

“Yeah,” Mitsuo admitted. “But Suzume didn’t want to play either!”

“That doesn’t mean you had to ride your horsie on my head while I was busy, does it?” Yorime crossed her arms. Mitsuo glanced at his father, and his sister, and then hid his face in his father’s chest.

Susumu let Mitsuo drop to the ground. “You need to behave, little man. The village women are coming over after lunch. Your okaasan and obaasan are going to be pretty busy this morning.”  

Yorime sighed, then patted her brother on the head and took his hand. “I’ll keep you company right now, Mitsuo-chan. You can come help me. After that, we’ll go see Matsume-obasan. I hear she’s making sweet dumplings for lunch.”

“I like those,” Mitsuo said, nodding.

“If you’re good and help me, Haha-ue might give you your horsie back,” the girl said, leading him off.

“You think so?” he asked.

“You can carry the sticks for firewood for me, and I’ll bring in the water,” she said.

He sighed, but nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”

Giving her father and InuYasha a bright smile, she led the boy off.

“Yorime is definitely taking after her obaasan,” Susumu said. “How do we have all these women who know how to handle us?”

“Luck, I guess,” the hanyou answered. “Is it always like that around here?”

Susumu nodded. “Wait until you have a few of your own. You’ll learn.”

InuYasha gulped.

“With that woman of yours, you’ll manage it fine,” Susumu said, chuckling. He gave him a friendly pat on the back. “Now let’s go find Chichi-ue. Maybe, if he’s not too hard to find, I might even get some work done today.”

The hanyou gave him an unbelieving look, but followed him as the guard headed toward the main house.