InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 205

[ 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 204


At the village headman’s house, Emi, Susumu’s wife, stepped on the verandah, carrying a broom. She began to sweep, but kept half an eye on the knot of men.

The loud bickering that had been going on between Seiji and the other men stopped as Toshiro joined the group. For a moment, the only real sound was the sound of her broom sweeping.

Koichi was the first to break the silence. “Ah, Toshiro-sama.” He bowed towards the older man. “It does look like it’s some sort of fight, and early in the day, too,” he said, rubbing his chin, as he looked thoughtfully at the lockup building. “Too early for fun and sport. A cockfight? I don’t know if I’d call it that. They tend to be more exciting than this. This one lacks anything like excitement. It’s just loud.”

Susumu gave a short, bitter bark of a laugh, and nodded. “Loud is the word.”

Eiji looked at the elder, much less relaxed than the evening he sat on Tsuneo’s verandah all night. He stood there, legs splayed, arms crossed. His eyes were stern, still irritated at Seiji’s words and the threat behind them. “The fight was yesterday, Toshiro-ojisan.” He spit. “Today is just the leftover mess, the type of mess you like to haul out to a midden and bury because of the stench.”

“That bad, eh?” Toshiro said. “I seem to have missed a lot.”

The headman, though, seemed pleased to see Toshiro, and his greeting smile reflected that. “Glad you showed up, cousin,” he said, moving next to the man. “I was going to send for you, but you beat me to the punch. I hope everything at your home is going well. I know how it can be after the new ones come. Hisa-chan this morning was telling me your new granddaughter has quite a set of lungs.”

Toshiro snorted. “All my grandchildren seem to be gifted that way.” He smiled, a small upturn of his lips that was filled with some sardonic feeling. “They never seem to outgrow it, either.” He clapped the headman on the shoulder. “Maybe you should have moved the lockup to my place, Tameo. We’re used to the noise there. We probably wouldn’t have even noticed this.”

Emi, finished with her sweeping, walked back into the house.

“I wouldn’t wish that on anybody,” the headman said, shaking his head. “Certainly not someone like you. Your household might be lively, but your daughter-in-law deserves more than having this piece of work hanging around her courtyard, anyway. So how are things?”

Toshiro rubbed his chin. “As well as can be with a new baby. We’ll be getting back to normal in a few days...I hope.” He crossed his arms. “So what’s this all about?”

The man inside of the lockup, who had for some reason, been mostly quiet during all this exchange, took this question for his cue. “That white-haired monster that Tameo keeps in the village attacked me!” Seiji said, his voice booming. “I’ve got witnesses!”

Toshiro rubbed his fingertip in his ear, as if the sound from Seiji’s voice was painful. “White-haired monster?” The elder frowned, thinking whom he might mean, and then his frown deepened. “Do you mean InuYasha-sama?”

“Who else would I mean?” Seiji said. He began to cough. It was a chokey sounding cough, more from his throat than from his lungs.

Susumu spit. “The hells, Seiji,” the village guard said. “What dream world have you been living in? He attacked you?”

“Go to hell, Susumu,” Seiji replied. “I’m the one who got attacked.”

Emi walked back out of the house. This time she carried long lengths of cloth, coverlets from the family beds. Walking to the side of the house, she began putting them on the clothesline there to air out.

“And I was there to see it all,” Susumu replied. He crossed his arms, and his eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell this story backwards. Your witnesses will all say how you pushed the miko Kagome-sama in front of her husband. After she hit the ground, he punched you for it. Who’s going to call what he did an attack? You’re lucky he didn’t take your head. He had the right to.”

“InuYasha-sama’s warrior class.” Tameo said, sighing. “You know that. And he’s more than a peasant-warrior like you.” He shook his head. “Susumu’s right. You’re lucky to still be breathing. I - ”

Whatever he was going to say got interrupted. Just then, a chicken squawked, loudly. Heads turned to look. What they saw was Jun’s young son Mikio running across the courtyard. The bird scooted out of the way with a noisy flap of its wings as the boy made a beeline for the gathered men.

“Somebody got away from his mother, it seems,” Koichi said. “Looks like you’re wanted.”

Jun sighed, and scratched the back of his neck. “Now what? If it hasn’t been one thing today, it’s been another.”
 
“Otou, Otou!” the boy called as he ran up to the farm worker. “Otou!” He stopped in front of his father and wrapped his arms around the man’s leg, looking up. “Otou!”

The farmhand picked up his son, with an apologetic smile to the other men before turning his attention to the boy. “You’re looking for me, Mikio-chan?” he asked, ruffing his son’s hair. “I’m not lost. I’ve been here for a while.”

Mikio nodded. “Okaasan knows. She sent me. Where’s Isao?” the child asked. “Okaasan wants him.”

“Well, at least that’s not a disaster,” Susumu said, a bit amused, having been caught in the same situation more than once. He unfolded his arms and scratched his chin. “And you even know the answer.”

Jun rolled his eyes. “Isao’s helping Emi-obasan,” he told his son who was already wiggling to get down. “They’re in the big house. Did you look there?”

“Nooooo,” the boy said, shaking his head. “Okaa said to ask you first.”

“Well, you’ve asked me. Now go find him,” Jun replied, sighing. “Otou is busy right now. Go ask Emi-obasan.” He gave the boy a quick hug.

His son nodded and let his father put him down. With a wave, he ran to the main house.  Emi, still outside, met him half way, took him by the hand, and led him in. “Riki-chan’s looking for Isao-kun?” she asked as they walked inside the house.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jun said, apologizing. “You know how little ones get.”

“Indeed, we do,” Toshiro said, nodding, amused “Oh, we definitely do.”

“I guess that’s a reminder that we all have things to do,” Tameo said. “Definitely too much to do to put up with your nonsense, Seiji.  I think we’ve listened all we’re going to for the moment.”

“Go to hell,” the voice in the lockup said.

“Today’s going to be a busy day in my family. This was an extra bit of excitement that we didn’t need.” He turned to Toshiro. “Did you hear the details?”

“Not so much,” Toshiro said. “I’m afraid I slept through most of whatever happened in the village yesterday afternoon. Didn’t wake up until sunrise.”

Susumu gave him a sympathetic nod. “After the night you had,” he said, “I’m not surprised. Between Yasuo, Sayo and Michio...”

Toshiro nodded. “True. It was an interesting night. Still, sleeping in at my house with all the young ones there is quite a feat sometimes. Especially when they get as excited as they were yesterday,” the elder said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I must have been bone tired, but I’m still all stiff from laying down that long.” He rotated his shoulders, trying to limber up. “So tell me what happened.”

“Our friend here,” Eiji said, pointing at the lockup, “got into his sake early. He had words with Michio, then decided to beat up on his youngest.”

“Stupid boy,” Seiji said, his voice non-apologetic. “It’s my right. I told him not to do that. Doing his lazy mother’s work.” His bravado was cut short by a coughing fit. He coughed hard, a gagging cough, almost choking.

“Then the boy sensibly ran to Kaede’s. His face was injured.” Eiji crossed his arms. “It’s a good thing I was there, or our friend here might have gone into Miko-sama’s house to drag the boy away before Kaede could treat his injuries.” He frowned. “Breaking the peace by entering Kaede’s house like that is not a respectable act.”

“Bah,” Seiji said. He panted a little, catching his breath.  “He only got part of what he deserved. Hells, he didn’t get enough. He got away from me before I was through.”

“It is your right to discipline your family,” Toshiro said, his brows knitting together. “But not so much to interfere with Kaede-sama’s work.”

“Then tell her to stay out of the way,” Seiji replied. He began to cough again.

“That’s not what I meant,” the elder said. “If she thought he needed treatment, it’s her right to give that person sanctuary while she does it.  Threatening to do into her house to take out someone? Eiji is right. That is breaking the peace.”

Whether Seiji heard him or not was impossible to tell. The man kept coughing.

“Drink something, Seiji, before you drown in your own spit,” Tameo said, staring at the little building, his face a stern frown. “Or do you think we poison our own well water?”

Seiji replied with something no one could understand, but they heard water slosh.

“That was bad enough,” Eiji continued. His arms gripped his biceps and dug in. “But then, later, he came back. Maeme-sama was with Kaede this time, and he demanded she come out. Kaede said no. But this time, there was a crowd gathered. He was drunker, and while he was ranting, he knocked the young miko-sama to the ground.”

“Some miko,” Seiji said. “Married to that monster. Married to anybody. What type of miko is that? Married. Miko belong to the kami, not to men like us, much less a half-youkai vagabond. She might dress in miko garb, but - ”

“Be quiet, Seiji.” Tameo said. “You may not respect her, but she is a miko of our village.”

“Tameo-sama is correct,” Toshiro said. “Kaede accepted her as apprentice; she is a miko, no matter what her marriage arrangements. And she clearly has the power and calling, from what I hear.”

“InuYasha-sama went easy on you, fool,” Eiji said. “Even with all your crap.”

“Get fucked, Eiji,” Seiji said. “I know who turned the council against me being in the guard, don’t think I don’t.”

“I’m not the one who - ” Eiji said, but he was interrupted by Tameo.

“That’s water under the bridge now,” the headman said. “We have enough to deal with now.”

Eiji, sighing, nodded to Tameo, but his frown deepened.

“Heh,” Susumu said. “But Eiji is right.  Seiji’s lucky to still have his head.  InuYasha-sama was right there when he pushed Kagome-chan. All InuYasha did was punch Seiji once, on the chin. He went out like a light.”

Toshiro looked at the lockup. “I didn’t know you had such a delicate chin,” he said, surprised.

“Fuck you, too, old man.” This time, Seiji retched in honesty, and couldn’t hold it back.

“You’re an ass, Seiji,” Susumu said. “I’ve seen him split trees with that fist. He had to throw his punch not to hurt you any more than he did. If he had wanted to, your brains would have been splattered between here and Fujiyama.”

Seiji, too busy losing his stomach, didn’t reply.

“Let’s move to the office,” Tameo suggested. “Jun, Koichi, keep an eye on the lockup just in case.”

Koichi sighed. “Only if I get to stand upwind.”

Susumu barked a short, bitter guffaw. “Whatever it takes.”

The village guardsmen and the two elders headed towards the house.  

“So what do you want to do, Tameo?” Toshiro said, rubbing the back of his neck again. “Looks like we have another pretty mess. I know he’s of my ko, but we’ve had so many problems with him in the past. I...” His voice drifted off.

Tameo rubbed his own forehead. “I just want to be sure Shinjiro’s wedding goes well today, without any of Seiji’s tricks,” the headman said. “I don’t have the time do solve this problem today.  And it looks like we may have more than a drunk episode going on. He’s hinted about Chiya. He just threatened Eiji. I don’t know if it’s the sake or what he really has going on in the back of his mind...Michio and his father...well, we could have a real nasty situation. Especially if he decides to pull something during the wedding.”

They stopped outside of the verandah. Toshiro crossed his arms. “And?”

“Chichi-ue’s thinking about calling the full elder’s council. Today would not be good. We need to delay the meeting,” Susumu said, resting his hand on his father’s shoulder. “Keep him locked up until at least tomorrow. Besides, if he decided Kagome was to blame, he might try something on that front as well.”

“True,” Tameo said, nodding. “And I don’t want blood to mar Shinjiro’s wedding day. He’s waited long enough to give it another try. I can’t guarantee InuYasha wouldn’t exercise his right to take his head.”

“Then keep him locked up,” Toshiro said. “We can deal with him later. We all need to think on this.”

Tameo patted him on the shoulder. “Good, good. I’m glad you agree. Let’s have some tea, and you can tell me all about your new grandchild.”

“And maybe Hisa would like to visit my house?” Toshiro asked, as they stepped on the verandah. “If someone doesn’t knock some sense into Nanami...maybe Hisa can get her to rest.”

“Shame Haha-ue’s eye doesn’t seem to work on older women as well,” Susumu said.

“That’s because older women all have that eye,” Tameo said, sliding the door open. “One day, your Emi will, too.”

Susumu snorted. “You think she doesn’t already?”