THE WANDERER'S KEEPER

Comments: This is a three-part collection of fairy tale retellings. The first is based on "The Buried Moon," an English fairytale. If you wish to read this tale yourself, which I recommend as it's a sweet tale, you can find it at /neu/eng/meft/meft24. h t m.

Chapter 01

Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, there was a cottage in the woods. It was a simple cottage, made of stone, and it showed signs of old age. It was faded and worn smooth by years of rain, sun, and wind. A little herb and vegetable garden and a water well were kept within a leaning fence on one side; on the other, an unpainted barn in which lived a donkey, two goats, and seven red chickens. Although the cottage was surrounded by the woods, tucked away in the gold-green world of plant life, one tree in particular stood out from the others. It was a rather large tree, built like a banyan. Its roots ran like a comb from the branches to the ground; it was the only of its kind in the entire woods. Its willowy leaves lent it an oceanic sound when the wind wound through it, and no matter the season it stayed green. Most unusual was that in the cradle of its branches was a globe of perfect, clear glass.

Aside from this tree, the cottage appeared to be quite normal and indeed functioned in the normal way of cottages. Its owner was a young, unmarried woman who lived by her own means because she was too concerned with her work to go down in the town among the other people except to buy some materials to help her make the food she could not grow herself. This young woman, with hair the color of charcoal and eyes the color of blue bells, was named Kagome. She tended the cottage every day with care and paid especial attention to the particularly unusual tree.

Each night, she climbed into the tree and placed her hands on the globe. Instantly, the young woman would fall into a stupor as the globe filled with more and more light. Then the globe would rise into the sky and give the velvet night a constant glow, one that kept at bay the demons from the human villages for demons were frightened of light; nights with moonlight ensured that demons would stay in the forest or in the sea.

However, this round moon would every night be less and less lit; one band would be dark, and then another sliver would also be dark the next time it went into the sky. For one part of the month, the sky held no moon at all--it was on these nights that Kagome rested very deeply, restoring her holy energy for her task. Then her strength would recover and each night she would add another band of light back to the moon.

Although she did support herself in the way of other mortals in a mostly independent manner, she had one bodyguard to help her. He was a half-demon who lingered always at the edge of her property. Sometimes she spied him in the early morning, amber eyes as alert as a cat's, and then he would disappear. During the day he slept in the sturdy branches of the trees, and at night he prowled around the woods and battled with any demons who would approach Kagome. Because he was a half-demon, the light did not harm or frighten him.

When he first began protecting her, it was because he learned that she, upon whom every human and half-demon depended, had no one to guard her. It was dangerous to be the moon, for it was the constant desire of demons to rid the earth of that which kept them in check. This half-demon man had the personal wish to keep her from harm because on each night that the sky was moonless, he lost his demon strength and prowess and became a simple human. If Kagome were to die, her powers would simply pass onto another priestess; the half-demon guarded her faithfully despite this knowledge. He had been loyal to her protection since the moment the moon-sphere was created for Kagome.

During the time of month when the sky was moonless, he would, as a human, stand outside her door and guard her as he could. In this way he had become her champion.

This half-demon, called Inuyasha for the white canine ears that sat atop his head among his billowy hair, did not often interact with Kagome. They spoke to each other once every day, when Kagome would prepare a dinner for them to share on the porch of her cottage. Rarely, Inuyasha could be coaxed into sitting next to her on some mornings. That was the only time their very similar lives intersected.

"There have been an unusual number of demons out lately." Inuyasha flicked an ear and took another slice of honey bread from the loaf on the bread board. "I'm not sure why," he added with some distraction.

Kagome offered a wan smile. "We'll be especially careful, then." She cut him out a lump of butter for the bread.

Inuyasha snorted. "Not if you're acting like a rock again." Kagome offered an unimpressive glare; tonight was a moonless night and Inuyasha usually reminded her that she was impossible to awaken during these times. She had long ago convinced herself that this was Inuyasha's way of dealing with the trouble that every new moon brought them.

"It's starting to get cold again," the young priestess mentioned as a chill wind whispered whimperingly through the trees. It was true that autumn was coming, giving the trees all the red and gold flares of fire. Autumn was the time of death, and therefore the time of demons. Inuyasha remarked every year about the increase of their numbers, but Kagome remained unworried; time after time, there would be more of them but by spring they would dwindle down again. They came and went with the cycle of the seasons, just as the color of the leaves changed and the weather turned. The demons just favored the long nights and the lessening of direct sunlight in their environment; during the colder season of winter, simpler demons could even be spotted prowling in the daylight--these demons mostly ignored the human settlements and preyed on small animals instead. The higher demons with humanoid figures and intelligence were almost never seen, even on the shortest and darkest days of the year.

Inuyasha grunted in a noncommittal manner as Kagome accentuated her remark with a shiver and a small frown. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and said, "I'll get some firewood ready."

This comment did surprise Kagome. Never before had Inuyasha offered to help with the maintenance of her cottage, and she did not expect it. She had no means by which to pay him even for guarding her and her land; she barely produced enough food to feed herself and to trade for the proper grains to feed her livestock, and with no profession she had no service to offer in return. As a half-demon, winter did not bother Inuyasha or prevent him from going about his normal way of life so he had none of his own concerns in finding firewood.

"I'd be grateful for that, Inuyasha." She smiled brilliantly at him. Chopping up firewood was difficult for her. She had never been fond of the physical exertion required and at her childhood home it had been her brother's chore to chop down firewood, while she was made to bundle it and stack it in storage.

"Keh." Inuyasha shrugged, swallowed the rest of his dinner, gave a catlike stretch, and pounced away to begin his first rounds of the night. Kagome smiled and playfully offered him a farewell before turning to the barn to tend the animals for the evening. The afternoon light was growing faded and it was time to prepare for her deep sleep. She was always happy for this day to come, because in the morning she would awaken with a new sense of purpose and brimming with energy.

She chatted happily at the animals as she poured grain and fresh water into the proper buckets and pans, singing and humming to them as she raked up the stalls and laid down fresh bedding. It seemed to grow increasingly lonelier through the long years she lived alone in the cottage. In truth, she missed her family and friends but could not risk their safety by staying in a village.

So instead of bemoaning her fate, she accepted it with a small measure of sadness and always cheered herself with the thought of her half-demon champion. Very few people ever had quite the dedication that Inuyasha showed her, and this warmed Kagome's heart. The way this man protected her from the things she could not fight herself without ever asking anything in return was a comfort, especially in the careless way he seemed to do it. As if it didn't take every hour of his every day. As if it was as natural to him as the wind in the trees and the water in the river. But Kagome would never tell him how much his devotion meant to her, at least not yet. He was not graceful or inclined to act nobly. If she told him what lay in her heart of hearts, he might leave her forever.

* * *

The King of the Wood was old even for a demon; he had been sly and smart and had lived for a long time because of that. Unlike other demons, he was not rash--as a matter of fact, he was exceedingly patient and resourceful. Instead of going on dangerous missions himself, he would hire out other demons. These demons may have been weaker than he, or sometimes even his natural enemies, but it was a far better idea than to go out himself. Also unlike other demons, he frequently planned ahead. Because of his meticulous and careful movements, the whole woods of the entire continent were now under his sole control. After a mere fifty years of sneakingly collecting the allegiance and servitude of the creatures living in the many different forests, he could now take pride in the name he had adopted from his subjects. King of the Wood.

Now it was nearing time for his greatest mission yet, one that would eventually place him in control of the world beyond the woods--the meadows, seas, and fields that belonged inherently to humankind; soon, those pests would be gone, just as every other creature who had opposed him was gone.

He smiled to himself. He felt that truly he had been the cleverest demon who had ever lived; certainly much cleverer than his father, who had believed that the way forward was to separate even further from humankind. This thought turned the King's smile into a frightening scowl and he quickly moved away from thinking about his deceased father's passive desires, mentally preparing for tonight's plans.

Tonight was a moonless night, but it would be some hours yet before the sun would set. However, the King was not in a den or hiding place as most other demons spent their days. He was in a thick part of the woods where no sunlight penetrated the canopy, leaving it bare of all life except the roots that trees had dug into the soil and sometimes offered ridges and bumps to the ground. The soil itself was rich and moist, full of nutrients from the heavy leaves that had been shed for so long from the overhanging trees. Blacker than any moonless night, for it was unlit by even stars, it was the King's haven; the castle of his kingdom. It was quiet; animal life remained up in the crowns of the trees, where there were things to eat and sunlight to warm them. Occasionally a bird song would drift down into his lair, but this was only a minor annoyance and of no worry to him. In certain seasons fruit and nuts would drop and then it would be littered with creatures; this too was no more than an annoyance to the King. They did not threaten the otherwise perfect peace of his kingdom's heart.

The King lovingly looked at his surroundings. Soon, the nights would be blacker than ever to complement this dark kingdom; every night would be moonless after his plan tonight was set into action.

He had learned that it was difficult indeed to bind the priestess who made the moon each night: any time he sent forth a demon to capture her, it was killed by her bodyguard. This was a great hindrance to the King and his progress, because her bodyguard was a lanky, undersized half-demon and it hurt not only his reputation but his pride as well that he could not dispose of him. But the King did not rush in to pulverize this threat himself; instead, after two years of sending in single demons, teams of demons, teeming demons, all to no avail--it was time for a much more subtle tactic. Something that would elude the hot-headed half-demon who guarded the moon so thoroughly.

The King was tonight sending in a totally new enemy, never before seen on the earth until this time. This enemy was of his own creation, made partly of himself in unearthly ways. The world was going to move into a devastating new era. He grinned wickedly in the dark.

* * *

Kagome sat up in bed with a slow lethargy, still partially asleep. She was unsure what awoke her; nothing had ever risen her out of her deep sleep before--not even Inuyasha had accomplished such a task. But her mind, slow with sleep, could not be enticed to think hardly about it. Instead, she let her eyes be drawn to a spark of light near her window. Numbly, almost out of touch with her body, she rose and moved to this spark. She reached out to touch it, but it moved outside. Kagome followed it, stepping onto the chill autumn grass from her windowsill. The barn was quiet and the wind was still; as she passed him, Kagome saw Inuyasha engaged with a tall female demon in battle. She did not process what she saw; the spark was twinkling and she moved again toward it, fatally curious about this strange movement of light. When she reached it, it jumped away once more. In this way it continued across the small clearing of her yard. At the edge of the woods, a small spike of fear touched her heart. There were demons in the woods. She needed to go back to Inuyasha, where she would be safe. The battle he was fighting with the female was silent to her and she could not turn her head towards him, no matter how hard she sleepily fought her desire to follow the spark. She mentally cried out for her savior, as if she was unable to control her own movements. Her mouth moved but did not allow out a single sound.

The spark she was following grew brighter and all thoughts of fleeing left her. After she passed the tree that held the precious glass sphere, she reached out her hand; her fingers touched something haltingly cold and she shuddered. She slumped down and a small girl demon approached her. This small demon, snowy-haired, placed a palm-sized mirror into a sash around her dress; she had been using this small, simply adorned vanity piece to lure Kagome with a magic reflection. It was an enchantment so acute that it had been striking enough to pull Kagome away from her rest, from her duty.

Once the mirror was secured, the demon girl placidly lifted up Kagome's limp body with ease, and she moved deeper into the trees.

This small demon moved untroubledly through the woods, at a pace that was frighteningly fast but elegant and gentle. The woman in her arms did not rise against her, for she was asleep again. After some hours, the trees thickened into an unbroken canopy; it was here that the small demon met the female that had been fighting Inuyasha. With a pouty scowl, the woman pulled a feather from her hair and created an enchanted leaf that allowed the two demons with their cargo to move even faster between the braided branches of the trees. Soon, the King of the Wood stepped into the demons' sight. The tall female stood aside and remained remote, a sulky sentry in the seemingly infinite depth of dark wood.

The King smiled.

"Very good." How simple it all seemed, the King thought; send two demons in, one to distract Inuyasha and one to abduct Kagome. But of course it had not been that simple; no two demons could have ordinarily accomplished such a task, for Kagome was so polarized from the demonic world that she was made difficult to capture. It was also a grave mistake to kill her, for killing one priestess would only allow a new one to take her place in a never-ending stream of priestesses. The power moved from a dead priestess to any other available mortal woman of considerable pure heart; therefore, it was wisest to capture her and repress her. So even the King himself could not outright kill her, which he regretted, but his mood could not be blemished tonight.

Timelessly demons had pursued her, for if they could not kill her they could subdue her very well. They needed only keep her from the unbreakable glass globe; without killing her, she retained the moon's power. Many demons had not reached this conclusion and wastefully killed the other priestesses. The King had not made such a mistake; he had succeeded where his peers had not. The moon would not rise again. Now, finally, the King had made her his captive.

Kagome stirred as the small demon set her down on the forest floor. The sun had risen unseen overhead, and her power had begun to return. The tall demon showed no interest, flicking dried blood from her fingernails.

"Welcome to my kingdom, Lady Moon," the King said cordially in a pleasant tone. Any hatred he felt for the priestess was concealed by his relaxed voice. Kagome's eyes widened in fear as she observed the demon before her.

"Let me go!" she demanded with as strong a voice as she could, rising to her bare feet. She did not know this demon before her, but she was intimately aware of any demon as her rightful enemy.

The King chuckled. "Only you've just arrived!" He moved closer to her and forcefully grabbed her arm as she tried to flee. The small girl demon held her in place as the King traced Kagome's jawline with a brutally clawed finger.

"Stop it!" Kagome shouted, wriggling to get away. She could feel the silty loam tearing up beneath her feet, soft and wet, as she scrambled against the surprising strength of the small demon. The King of the Wood stepped forward and grabbed her chin, looking directly into her eyes with plain amusement.

"All of my guests are adequately treated here, Lady Moon; I would not send you off without showing you some of my hospitality. You've had a long journey this night. Please rest yourself."

Kagome cried out as a sharp pain scalded her face and then she slumped back into the small demon's ghostly arms. The King continued his pleased smile. He could not kill Kagome, but he could curse her. Kagome would sleep for as long as he needed her to. He accepted her body from the small demon and moved her to a place he had prepared for her to stay eternally. She was moved into a lidless, wooden coffin. The King placed one white candle in her hands and lit it with demon fire. The enchanted candle would burn but not reduce the wick, nor melt the wax. Its tiny honey-colored flame lit the woods with soft light pocked with shadows, gray and black, but the light did not extend very far through the dense growth. The King stared down at this and, with one more self-satisfied chuckle, turned and went to gather up his closest followers. The advantage lay in attacking before the humans knew the moon was gone.

The priestess was tranquil and still in her sleep. The candle glowed warmly and steadily, showing only peace on Kagome's face. The tall female demon narrowed her eyes and turned to follow the King away from the site of the moon's grave.

* * *

When the tall demon had suddenly retreated from the fight, Inuyasha had grown instantly suspicious. Panting and with his human body bloody and exhausted, he had entered without preamble into Kagome's cottage to check on her immediate safety.

Kagome did not have a bed, because she so rarely needed to sleep in one. Instead she had a mound of blankets in one corner which she kept put away in her wardrobe during the remainder of the month. Inuyasha did not see her among these as he moved in that direction, heart pounding with dread as he left traces of blood behind him. Ripping through the bedding, he slumped down in defeat and lost consciousness.

When Inuyasha awoke again, he instantly observed the room around him with urgent alertness. The cottage was not in any disarray. Clearly Kagome had not even been given the chance to put up a fight of her own. The window was still open, and a crisp autumnal breeze was bumping at the curtains between which gentle starlight spilled. Swearing, Inuyasha observed that his hands were perfectly human, with untidily trimmed finger nails rather than curved claws. His hair was pure black and his senses were unusually dull. His body throbbed with pain and his untreated wounds smarted as he rose in a rush and went to the open door, although he noticed that these injuries were much less intense than they had been before he had fell unconscious. Outside, the sun had just set; he could see the faintest traces of gray in the west. He swore again, angered that he had spent the entire day hunched over Kagome's sleeping place.

He could see no mark of Kagome anywhere. Scouring her small property, he could not find any dent of her footprint and without his normally acute senses he could pick up no trace of her distinctive scent. He suddenly stopped by the tree with the globe and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at it, fingers moving roughly over the sore knob of bone there. He told himself that at least he was human and not a half-demon; it meant that Kagome was still alive somewhere. Either that or her powers had been somehow removed from her and prevented from going to another woman.

Inuyasha dislodged that thought with rough determination and convinced himself that Kagome must still be alive.

Now he was a human, and he knew he must decide where to search. In one direction, several miles south, lay the human village. North, east, and west was dense forest that he desperately wanted to search. However, he chose to trace the direction of the village at a clipped pace, forcing himself on despite the way his body burned with pain. As a human, he could enter there with no worry of coming under attack by those who lived there; while there, he could talk to the Wise Woman. Even though it was difficult for him to accept, he knew that he must at least give warning of Kagome's fate. Possibly the Wise Woman could give him future direction for finding Kagome. It was urgent that he arrive and explain his situation before morning, when he would resume his normal half-demon shape and be attacked. At that point he would search the woods by himself as a half-demon, but he knew that such a task would take a great length of time if no clear trail had been left behind for him.

It was just after midnight by the time Inuyasha struggled into sight of the village. Like patchwork against the backdrop of cut fields and a small lake, the town was a contrasting mix of brown, silver, and yellow; in the dark night, these were all varying shades of gray. Unlit lamps were strung along poles throughout the village, decorations for the upcoming autumn festival. He was grateful for the peace of night--during the day the town was chaotic. The busy market sounds and yelling of children along with the barking of dogs would lend the place an unmusical mish-mash of noises from which Inuyasha would not be able discern an intelligible thread. Without such distractions, he was right away able to see the section of town reserved for traveling merchants. This particular human village offered no inns. Some of these merchants would be lodging with hospitable residents, but Inuyasha also knew that many merchants preferred to stay with their wares all night for less rush in the morning.

Almost bonelessly, he woke a merchant and asked desperately in which direction the Wise Woman could be found. The merchant wordlessly pointed out a cottage on the eastern edge of the town. Inuyasha loped in that direction over the smooth cobbles of the village's main road and knocked heavily on the wooden door, which opened for him after several minutes.

With a loud gasp, a tired young woman who had been hastily dressed slung Inuyasha's arm over her shoulder and limped inside the house with him. He begrudgingly accepted this help, reminding himself constantly that if he did not he would only delay finding Kagome. The young woman hurried off, shouting out for the Wise Woman, and returned with a bucket of warm water and an armful of cloth strips. While she began to clean and wrap up his wounds, an older woman came into the room from a hallway. She brought with her the heady smell of medicinal herbs.

She slowly and calmly settled down across from Inuyasha, the age of her body clear by the delicate way she was forced to move herself, and looked at him.

"What is it that you have come so say?" she asked him in a knotty voice.

"Oh, please, Kaede! He's hurt!" the young woman said. "Surely his business can wait?"

Despite this reaction, Inuyasha grimly drew in a breath and began speaking. "The Priestess Kagome, the moon, has been captured. I don't know where," Inuyasha admitted, looking away. "So if you want your moon back, you better tell me where she is, grandma."

Both women exchanged horrified glances. "The moon has been abducted? You know for certain she has not been killed?" pressed Kaede with considerable urgency in her tone.

"I'm sure she was captured. Believe me, I'd know if she was dead."

"It would explain why there has not been any sign of power this night. I did not feel the priestess send off the moon." Kaede then said, "If she has not been killed already... that probably means she won't be killed for some time."

"If that's true that she's been abducted," said the young woman, "it means we're dealing with a rather smart demon, doesn't it?" She finished up the last of Inuyasha's bandages and slipped lithely down to the floor next to Kaede, putting her hand on the older woman's gnarled arm. Inuyasha grumbled. "So that he prevents another priestess from taking over. That's dangerous."

Kaede brought her hand up to her chin and seemed to consider things. "Please tell me about this event." Inuyasha launched off into his tale, explaining how he had been guarding Kagome for four years and how this attack differed considerably from any he had faced before. He did not, however, tell Kaede how he knew Kagome was still alive; these humans did not need to know that he was not truly one of their number. He gratefully accepted that they believed him in his tale, and also believed that he knew Kagome was still alive. It had possibly been to his advantage that an entire day had passed before he had come here.

"What should we do, Kaede?" the young woman asked. "Surely there must be something! Should I form up a search party?"

"No," Kaede said softly. "This is something for our young man here to do." Then, addressing Inuyasha, she said, "Go to the town of Seafront northeast of here. There lives there a priest with particular power. Tell him of what has happened, and he shall give you direction and holy blessing. This is the only way I can think of."

"Alright," Inuyasha said, standing.

"Wait," Kaede instructed. Before Inuyasha could voice his protest, she added, "Let Sango go with you. I have faith that she will help you in your journey." The young woman, presumably Sango, frowned but agreed to accompany Inuyasha.

"Whatever," he said. "Let's just get going." Sango rushed off into a side room and returned with a large, polished boomerang. Inuyasha eyed it warily but turned for the door, trying to keep any weakness caused by his injuries from showing through.

"Godspeed on your journey."

"This way," Sango motioned, pointing toward a main road. "This leads out of town and will take us through some forest and finally into Maytown." Hesitantly, she added, "It will probably take at least four days to get to Seafront on foot."

"Then we need to go as fast as possible, wench," Inuyasha said insistently before jogging off in the way she had indicated. Sango followed without complaint.