Finding Kaede

As the night wore on, the chill of the night grew more biting and Kagome shivered; Miroku and Sango had already left the party taking their children and their friends' pups with them to allow the other couple some adult time. Inuyasha noticed his mate's discomfort and remembered that she had a spare shawl at Kaede's hut, so quickly he reached the door before calling softly to see if she was awake.

Receiving no answer he crept in so as not to disturb the old lady and quickly located the shawl, but his subconscious told him something was wrong just before he recognised he couldn't hear the steady breathing of a sleeping person. The silence from where Kaede lay was deafening and Inuyasha went to her in trepidation and bent his head when his fear was confirmed.

"You stupid old brat; I told you to stay with us, I told you. Foolish old lady, now look what's happened." He stared at her numbly for a few minutes before covering her with her blanket; "You're cold Kaede, I told you it was too cold for you." He finished speaking on a choked sob, before exiting the hut to find Kagome.

When he reached his mate who turned happily to meet him, grateful for his thoughtful gesture of fetching her wrap, Inuyasha pulled her into a tight hug and snuffled in her hair. Kagome grew uneasy and called his name and he answered by whispering 'Kaede'. It was enough and Kagome understood instantly; her arms came up to hold him and she wept against his shoulder.

The pair were soon joined by Sesshoumaru and Rin who had come to see what was the matter, the elder brother had felt the sadness in Inuyasha's aura and it didn't take him long to work out what had caused the distress. He turned to Rin and looked deeply into her eyes as she too realised that something bad had happened.

"The old one has passed on, has she not Inuyasha; that is the source of your grief?" Sesshoumaru said solemnly and he waited for Inuyasha to reply. The hanyou looked up and nodded, moving away from Kagome because Rin had started to cry and the Miko had opened her arms to the younger girl. Sesshoumaru started to walk towards the hut.

"Come there is no call to make a scene, or disturb the celebration here."

"Sesshoumaru, can you use Tenseiga on Kaede?" Asked Kagome pleading, and he frowned as Rin added her own petitions. Inuyasha was silent though which surprised his brother, the hanyou was very fond of the elderly Miko in his own way. Kagome appealed to her mate.

"Inuyasha please, don't you want Kaede revived? Why don't you ask too?" Kagome didn't understand why he didn't seem to care that his old friend was dead but could have a chance again. But the hanyou shook his head slowly, his eyes full of pain as he looked to Sesshoumaru and then down to Tenseiga.

"Kagome, the sword isn't resonating; when it wants to revive someone it shakes and lets Sesshoumaru know. She was old for a human, very old in these times; if she'd been in the future she might have had another twenty years or so but..." He couldn't finish speaking without his voice breaking, so he put his head down again and Kagome and Rin went to him and they wrapped their arms round each other. Inuyasha tried to remain strong for the two females as they cried, but it was difficult; Kaede had meant more to him than anyone knew, including the old lady herself.

"She can't be dead." Rin sobbed, "She promised to come to my mating feast; she was looking forward to staying at the Palace. She said it would be a first, a Miko staying in a Youkai stronghold and being welcome. I never got to say goodbye, please Sesshoumaru please try."

The Western Lord sighed; he didn't need to see Inuyasha's hidden face to know the boy wept along with the two girls as they were wishing the old lady was back alive, but Tenseiga was silent, probably for the reason Inuyasha had stated, she was very old. Now there were more sad figures as Miroku and Sango came over having heard the slight commotion by Kaede's hut. The young ones were all asleep and in their hut, but now Sesshoumaru felt very isolated among the sorrowing humans.

Soon he had had enough and told Inuyasha to take Kagome and Rin back to their hut and Miroku to take his wife back to theirs; he would take it on himself to stay and watch for the rest of the night to make sure the Miko rested undisturbed. He positioned himself outside the door and pondered the evening's happening. He could hear the celebrations still in full swing and as most were quite happy and slightly inebriated there was no point in alerting anyone else.

Very quickly, Sesshoumaru could also tell that Inuyasha was the only one left awake in either hut, the humans worn out with the fete and their grief. He could also tell when the hanyou left his hut to take refuge in the tree outside; Inuyasha was grieving too and murmuring under his breath about stupid old ladies that died before they should.

Sesshoumaru found the remarks ridiculous considering Kaede's actual age, but he had learned a lot from Rin and Inuyasha, and knew that the words meant nothing in comparison to the sentiment. His brother was hurting and Sesshoumaru found that distasteful since he no longer sought Inuyasha's pain.

Certainly the elderly Miko was a great loss to all the humans and the hanyou who knew and loved her; she had been very kind to Rin too and his mate-to-be was devastated by the loss. Sesshoumaru felt a certain debt too towards Kaede, but that didn't mean he felt regret that Tenseiga was not prompting him to draw it. The old woman would probably not wish to return in any case; her life was lived and lived well, now her sorrows old and new were over.

Yet still, she had genuinely wanted to see Rin mated and to stay at the Palace; she had enjoyed the pups and children and her duties, never complaining that her life was too long or that she'd be glad to see the last of her days, as some were wont to do. Sesshoumaru could still detect the scent of Rin's tears and hear Inuyasha as he grieved in the tree; their sadness decided him and he went inside the hut.

Inuyasha was correct, the sword didn't resonate for him but it didn't have to. What the hanyou didn't know was that Sesshoumaru could also choose to use Tenseiga if compassion motivated him. True it might not work, but that was not something he could do anything about; but in this case he could see the death imps and he swept the sword over Kaede's body, severing her connection to death.

As he had done for Rin, he supported Kaede on his arm as she came back to consciousness and her senses. She was actually sensible very quickly for an elderly lady who'd gone through something so traumatic as death and revival. Which was just as well as Sesshoumaru had an odd question for her.

"Tell me swiftly Miko, are you pleased to find yourself alive again, or would you have preferred to remain in death. If you would, I can swiftly and painlessly remedy your situation now."

"Why thank ye Lord Sesshoumaru, I find myself grateful for life again; I feel I have still more to accomplish."

"You have to thank Inuyasha and Rin in particular, they were most distressed at your sudden death; it is for them Tenseiga worked."

"Even so, I thank ye My Lord."

"It will have healed as well as revived, but it cannot lengthen your life by over much; perhaps five to ten years. As I said, I hope this is welcome to you."

"More than welcome, and plenty of time."

"Good, now be prepared, my brother has sensed you have returned and is coming."

30 Shards Community; shard #10 Weapon