A/N: The sudden, yet pleasing lack of typos and grammar mistakes is due to this chapter being betad by wonderful Cstorm86. Thank you lovely friend!
Enjoy and review as yoi please!

The Forest Law

When Inuyasha came back to the den, Kagome and Shippou were finishing their boiled eggs. At the sight of the hanyou stepping through the kitchen door, Kagome blushed and looked away. She wore her spare yukata, her bruises and scrapes covered in ointment and bandaged, but still aching. Luckily, that was the extent of her injuries, apparently the smith's sons didn't want to damage her before the transaction was finished.

"Have some more of the eggs?" Inuyasha asked hopefully. Before Kagome could point him to the bowl where the last egg was, Shippou leaped towards it and devoured the egg.

"You were supposed to hunt for some fat duck so we could feed Kagome some good soup, so she heals faster!" the boy pouted. Inuyasha's eyes flashed in annoyance and Kagome lifted her hands from where they rested in her lap.

"I'm fine," she uttered, but the boy still glared at Inuyasha.

"Ah, good that master fox is so eager to cook, the duck is waiting to be gutted outside," the forest spirit growled and moved to crouch near where Kagome sat by the fire pit. "And you can take Myouga to assist you, I need to talk to Kagome."

"What? No. Deal with the guts yourself, you lazy dog!" Shippou exclaimed, pointing a finger at Inuyasha, who rolled his eyes. "You know I can't do that yet!"

"Then just go and pluck the feathers, brat. I'll do it myself later,"' the kit scampered away when Inuyasha barked at him. Kagome wasn't surprised, since she'd heard them use canine language near her from time to time. She herself knew a few basic noises, thanks in big part to Shippou's teachings. This particular noise was an order to move, to follow the leader's demands. And, as she was aware by now, if Shippou rebelled after that noise, Inuyasha would hit him on the head - not too hard. She'd tried to make Inuyasha cease his retaliations, but had stopped when Myouga had told her it was a part of pack life all canine youkai followed. Shippou was a youkai, so he had to know the customs of his kin.

"Um..." Kagome's gaze dropped to the tea cups waiting to be filled with water, currently heating in the kettle over the fire. Well, this was awkward; after all that had happened between them after their return to the den, she found it hard to look in his eyes without blushing She remembered his arms wrapped around her, his soothing, reassuring words, his youki wrapped around her like a second blanket. And to add to it, she'd confessed to him right after waking up. What should she do now? She bit her bottom lip, trying to calm her heartbeat, trying to come up with some topic they could talk about.

"I'll go to the village today," he said before she mustered enough courage to look straight at him. Kagome flinched and glanced up at him. He looked tense and determined, his gaze turned to the fire, but his ears cocked her way. "You don't have to go with me. I mean... You can stay here..."

His words wavered at the end, his voice getting softer. Kagome sighed and touched his shoulder.

"I'll go back with you," she declared. She didn't really want to see the village, not so soon, but she wanted to see her mother. She wondered what Kaede would think about her daughter and her choices. The forest spirit tensed under her touch, so she rubbed his shoulder. "But if you'll still allow it, I want to stay here. I meant what I said last night. There's no place I'd rather be than at your side."

The muscles under her hand relaxed and he glanced at her through the corner of his eye.

"Good. Because... uh... I want you to stay," he muttered and looked away as soon as he noticed her smiling at him. "I mean, you always get in trouble and this way it'll be easier to keep an eye on you."

He sounded more like his normal self, always trying to deny that he was nice and caring, pretending to be annoyed, but she refused to take the bait and protest that she wasn't always in trouble. Kagome didn't know what possessed her at that moment, but before she realized what she was doing, she moved closer to him and licked his cheek.

Yellow eyes stared at her, surprise clear in their depths just like earlier that day. Kagome sat back on her heels, covering her mouth and blushing madly, realizing that she kissed a boy. Well, technically it wasn't a proper kiss, but...

"I..." she started, looking down. Her hands were grasped by Inuyasha's, the hanyou pulling them away from her face. Embarrassed, she tried to excuse herself, tell him that it was just an expression of gratitude. "I mean... thank you for letting me stay..."

Kagome's brain shut down when she felt a pair of soft lips pressed against hers, not letting her to speak anymore. The pressure was removed shortly after her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed, looking up at him again. He looked anxious, his ears pricked forward, but quivering, his cheeks flushed. His hold on her hands was firm, reassuring.

"Alllow this Inuyasha to court you," he said. "I will prove that I'm a worthy mate, despite my mixed blood and shit."

It took Kagome a moment to realize he was talking to her and what he said.

"Shippou?" was the first thing that left her mouth. The hanyou scowled darkly at her and she realized what she'd said. It wasn't Shippou in disguise, the flare of his youki made it clear it was Inuyasha. "Goodness. no!"

Her hands were abruptly dropped and she saw his ears droop as he made to stand up. Her heart squeezed when she saw the dejected look on his face.

"I mean yes! I want to! I mean... You surprise me like this and expect me to think straight?" she exclaimed, grabbing his wrist to pull him back to where he'd been crouching.

"Even if there are people in the village wanting you back? You wanna stay and let me..." he asked slowly, his eyes looking away from her. "There were some girls under the Goshinboku, demanding of me to give you back."

Kagome's heart squeezed once more, both because of the look on his face and the knowledge that there apparently were people beside her mother, who wanted her around. Or they hoped to appease them both before the court. She pushed these dark thoughts out of her mind. They weren't going to help.

Besides, there was another feeling and thought swelling in her, one that she wanted to focus in its wonderful entirity. She lifted her hands and placed them on the shoulders of the forest spirit, coaxing him to look at her. There was a wide, happy grin waiting for him to see it.

"You ain't gonna get rid of me so easily, dog-boy," she teased. "And you better not regret that proposal, because I sure as hell ain't letting you take it back."

"You are forbidden to talk like me," Inuyasha's ears perked up and Kagome giggled, glad that her efforts were rewarded. Her heart was full of light and happiness, butterflies fluttering in her belly when he leaned in to kiss her. She couldn't help, but lean towards him, licking her lips and shivering when the clawed hands wrapped around her waist. She felt warmth seeping through the rather thin material of her yukata where his arms encircled her.

That was when Shippou came in, reporting that the duck was ready to be gutted. Judging by Inuyasha's dark glare, the fox was about to be gutted as well, unless she saved his innocent hide.

..
Inuyasha wore white.

The only splashes of color on him were his tanned skin, golden eyes and the dark wrapping and sheath of his sword. And, of course, the kotodma no nenju, with Myouga seated on one of the red beads.

He looked like a yurei.

Kagome shivere where she sat, high up on a branch of the Sacred Tree, her back against the ancient trunk. She wrapped the expanse of Inuyasha's kimono around herself and smiled weakly at Shippou sitting next to her, looking down with curiosity.

Inuyasha stood far down, the whole pack surrounding him like honor guard.

Before him three headmen were bowing deeply in greeting. More people were gathered on the outskirts of the meadow. From her high perch she could see most of the village huntsmen, surrounding a couple of men and the smith's wife and son. Everyone looked grim and scared, but the woman and the boy especially so, a bandage covered part of the woman' face.

A bit away from them stood another group, a handful of brave and curious souls wanting to witness the affair. They looked like lost children, huddled together, standing between the long dark shadows cast by the early evening sun. There were a few females among them too.

Kagome was glad she couldn't see their faces from this angle. She didn't want to look at them just yet. From all the lies the smith's sons told her, this one had sounded the most possible - since she had had this doubt from time to time herself during the past months.

What if the villagers were just pretending to accept her?

She guessed it didn't matter now, but still...It was painful to think all the signs of acceptance, kindness and gratitude for help had been just an act.

"My liege?" as high as she was, Kagome was surprised that Myouga's voice carried to her so well. "Shall we begin?"

"Between me and the Goshinboku - if you lie in its shadow, I'll cut you open from your throat to your crotch," Inuyasha said evenly before he took a smooth step back and sat on a moss-covered root. "The tree is patient and merciful, but I am not."

The headmen stood up from their bow, all of them trying to appear calm and collected, but only old Mizu doing it well. Kaede stepped out of the group of whispering onlookers.

"Is Kagome alright?" she asked. Kagone had never witnessed the passing of Inuyasha's judgement before, since the hanyou usually let humans handle human things, but she'd heard how such meeting would go in the past. Kaede's words, to be blunt, weren't a part of the procedure.

But they were so much like her mother, concerned for her well-being. Kagome smiled and blinked away a stray tear at the goodness of her mother. She'd adopted her, an orphan from another willave, she'd raised and taught her. She'd always encouraged her to follow her path, to do her best and to be good. She'd never acted resentful towards her, even after it'd become plainly clear Kagome'd had no reiki. And, when Kagome'd finally showed small potential. Kaede had trained her with patience and kindness, never judging her for being weak or friends with youkai. For so long this aged woman was her only source of companionship...

"Kagome is hurt," Inuyasha declared simply. "This one saw it fit to remove her from the village"

The shift in Inuyasha's speech, from his brash, almost bark-like, coarse language to the way nobles spoke was shocking and didn't help make the air of other-wordly ominousness to dissipate even a bit. Kagome was amazed that he even had it in himself not to scoff or curse for so long, not to mention all the other stuff. Yet another side of her hanyou she was going to explore more later.

"I see," Kaede sighed and sank down to sit on the lush grass of the meadow near the base of the tree, but still at a respectful distance from the forest spirit and his entourage. The headmen and the villagers followed her lead, but the huntsmen remained on their feet, guarding the captives. Kaede sat alone on Inuyasha's left, the headmen on his right."Will I be allowed to talk to her?"

"Yes! You can't keep her from us!" exclaimed a feminine voice from between the spectators, causing many of them to pale and shift anxiously when Inuyasha looked their way. Kagome saw Sakura and Yuka there, the latter covering her mouth.

"This Inuyasha demands the justice," the hanyou said after observing the girl for a moment. "For what happened to the miko of the shrine of the Sunset Village and this one's bride and future mate. Until the justice is reached this one relinquishes his protection on both the Sunset and Border Villages."

A whisper filled the meadow and Kagome blushed madly, realizing that now everyone would know she was going to be the forest spirit's mate. She could see the shock on their faces, even her mother and Mizu, the most calm of the gathering, looked stunned. Then the ultimatum shook the humans again, but not as much as the first information, Kagome guessed everyone expected something like this.

"My lord, it's... unexpected," the headman of the River Village uttered.

"And just after you refused my daughter as a bride, too!" Oda added, but quickly looked down when Inuyasha growled and the dog closest to him bared his teeth at him. It was Kiba and his name was well-earned, since his fangs were impressive.

"You are given this information so you understand the ire of the forest spirit!" Myouga exclaimed. "You shouldn't question youkai customs and choices, especially when they don't concern you."

"They concern my daughter," Kaede replied instantly. From her spot Kagome saw Inuyasha's ears pull back.

Kagome realized that they could think he'd kidnapped her and was forcing her to stay his bride against her will. After all what normal girl would want to be mated to a youkai?

Good thing she wasn't ordinary. She touched Shippou's shoulder, the boy looking down and tense, his tail twitching in agitation.

"Can you help me down?" she asked. The boy's wide eyes looked her way and he nodded, placing a leaf against his forehead and turning into a big pink balloon. It hovered a bit wobbly under her branch and Kagome carefully crawled on top of it, finding the surface nice and soft, as if covered in short thick fur.

"Hold on tight!" Shippou warned and started his descent. Kagome used that time to take a few calming breaths. Thick and wide branches of the Sacred Tree swayed around her when the kitsune under her maneuvered to avoid hitting one of them. The light and shadows played on the balloon's surface.

She didn't want to face them, but even more she didn't want Inuyasha to face them alone.

Shippou landed in an unnerving silence, everyone looking at them with wide, stunned eyes. Carefully Kagome slid off of Shippou's inflated form and the kit immediately transformed back, shaking off as is to remove stiffness from his muscles. Kagoe heard a few people, including her mother, uttering her name.

"Thanks, Shippou," she smiled at him gently and found the boy leaping on her shoulder.

"Any time," he grinned. "I'm glad I didn't drop you. Inuyasha would have my hide if I did."

"Feh, you got that right, kid," Inuyasha agreed. Kagome looked his way to see his face frozen in a deep scowl, his jaw clenched, his ears still kicked back.

Without thinking she walked towards him, carefully stepping over the root on which he sat to stand behind him. Her hands landed on his shoulders, her fingers squeezing them. She tried to smile, so her mother and everyone else - if there was anyone - concerned with her fate would see she wasn't there against her will.

"Kuro miko!" called a weak, but familiar voice. Kagome's hands shook

.

Yuka covered her stupid mouth. For the second time today those yellow eyes focused on her, seemingly staring right in her soul. She now was sure that there were youkai who could bewitch or make your heart stop beating with just a glance. She was sure that her heart was about to burst out of her chest and as soon as those terrifying eyes looked away she sagged down in relief, holding a hand over her pounding heart.

How could Kagome be so brave?

Sakura moved a bit closer so Yuka could lean on her shoulder and find courage in her older sister. Ayumi and Eri had been too scared to come, so it was on them to make sure Kagome was alright and to somehow make the forest spirit let them meet with their friend. Yuka was half relieved, half annoyed that the forest spirit ignored her words. She couldn't understand why he didn't want them, a group of harmless girls, Kagome's friends, to see her. Didn't he realize they were worried for her?

When the forest spirit revealed that he was planning to marry their friend, Yuka shared a look with Sakura, both shocked and uncertain what to think. Yuka glanced back at the supernatural being, his face twisted in a scowl, his animal ears almost hidden in his unruly hair. She could see the claws that tipped his fingers and his fangs flashing as he spoke.

How could a girl want to marry a youkai? Especially such a scary one? Yuka shivered - having a husband that acted like an animal, who could tear you to shreds within minutes, who ate raw meat...

She knew Kagome was friends with Forest spirit, but honestly, how could she kiss those lips without fearing cutting herself on those fangs? How could she allow those hands to hold her, knowing very well that those claws could rip through flesh? She didn't even want to think about any girl laying with a youkai - was he even built like a human under that loose clothing? There were rumors and tales of girls, who had been seduced by youkai, some not surviving, some scarred for life. The forest spirit was friendly enough towards Kagome, but he was still of youkai blood.

Sakura grabbed Yuka's hand, probably for support. What could they do to make sure Kagome wanted to be a youkai's bride? Would she be happy?

It seemed that miko Kaede had similar concerns. Yuka sighed, glad that it was the priestess who challenged the forest spirit's claims.

And that was when they saw Kagome. She floated down from between the mighty branches of the Sacred Tree on a pink orb with round eyes. She wore red, her face pale, but determined, almost serene. Yuka felt a weight lift from her heart when she saw her friend. Kagome moved carefully, like someone sore, but seemed not to be in terrible pain.

Instead of joining her mother, the young miko stood behind the forest spirit, putting her hands on his shoulders and smiling, a ghost of her usual radiant smile. Yuka smiled too, along with Sakura.

That was when Ash, laying on the stretchers behind the men from the Border Village, called, his voice lacking the usual strength.

"Kuro miko!"

Yuka gasped and turned terrified eyes towards the group of captives. They stepped back, revealing Ash, laying on the ground, motionless. Only his face moved, twisting in a sneer. How could he call Kagome that name? They all had seen her using her knowledge and limited reiki to help. She had never done anything even remotely similar to what dark priestesses were rumored to do. And after getting to know her, Yuka was sure Kagome didn't have one mean bone in her body. But that heavy insult wasn't enough for Ash..

"Dog's whore," he said in the deadly silence that filled the meadow after a chorus of shocked gasps and cries of outrage. "Haru was right, you're too filthy to..." Ken knelt beside the man and stuffed his own handkerchief in Ash's mouth, gagging him. The huntsman glanced towards the Sacred Tree and dipped his head. It wasn't clear if he was bowing to the miko and headmen or the forest spirit and his kitsune ward growling and obviously ready to kill the human. It was scary to see the little kit with the angry scowl on his usually smiling face, but the forest spirit looked positively terrifying.

"My apologies for being so slow," he uttered. "I should've expected him to say something so disrespectful."

Miko Kaede nodded regally, but the glint in her eye poke of ire. Yuka fisted her hands - she wished she could punch that idiot, even if she was too weak to do any harm.. "Thank you, Ken," she took a few deep breaths and turned to look at the glaring and growling forest spirit, then to her daughter, Kagome's blank face. "Kagome, child..."

"It's alright, mother. They called me that earlier," the young miko said in a flat tone of voice. "Please, can we continue? I want to go home," Yuka noticed that one of the forest spirit's ears cocked her way and the girl lowered her head, muttering something unintelligible.

"Sit behind me, Kagome," the youkai said and barked at his tense dogs. Four of them leaped from where they sat and joined Kagome where she sat, completely hidden behind the forest spirit, cradled by the Sacred Tree's roots. The kitsune glared over the thick root at the congregation before he moved to sit in Kagome's lap, the pups snuggling close to the girl. The forest spirit looked at the headmen and miko Kaede. He looked angry and Yuka wondered how much time they had before his violent nature showed up. So far he'd been acting like an irate lord, but she knew the stories spoken in hushed voices and this beautiful kimono couldn't fool her - he was a dangerous, wild youkai. Youkai were fast to kill, but often followed certain rules, so wise people could survive their encounters and even forge understandings like the one the villages had with the forest spirit. Still, he could just kill them all if someone made a mistake and crossed the line. He wore white, the color of death and lifeless snow. "This one is not in the mood to prolong this meeting.'

"Bear in mind," spoke the old tiny youkai seated on his rosary. Yuka didn't know him. "You speak to convince the forest spirit that those that wronged the miko Kagome should be allowed to live. As it stands they are all dead already."

"Oh... Yes, of course," Kuma cleared his throat and bowed his head. "Am I allowed to lead the..."

"Be quiet. Kagome? Tell them." Yuka tensed at his initial bark, but then relaxed when the tone of the forest spirit's voice softened.

"Alright," came Kagome's reply, muffled and almost too soft to be heard. Yuka exchanged looks with Sakura - what had happened to their friend to make her act and speak that way?

.

These cursed words, they made the memories come back to her mind. She'd buried them deep under the excitement of being free, under the elation of knowing that Inuyasha wanted to marry her, under the promise of a new path, one truly hers, not a shadow of Kikyou's life. A wave of nausea came over her when she thought about the men dragging her through the mud and undergrowth, insulting and hitting her, treating her like a thing they could sell and not a real person. She shivered, trying to focus on the good, on the fact that she was free, that she had a place to belong, people who didn't judge her and treated her like an equal. Still, the shadow of what could've been was lingering, chilling her to the bone despite the heavy warmth of Inuyasha's fire rat robe wrapped around her.

Her grip on Inuyasha's shoulders tightened, both to anchor her and to keep him from leaping and killing the idiot man. She was now Inuyasha's bride and she refused to be weak in the face of the humans, trying to act like he did. He was an impulsive man, but he was doing his best to be the lord of the forest, with his altered robes and demeanor signaling to the humans that he saw this as a serious matter, one of importance. She couldn't ruin it all by running away or crying like a child.

She was no longer of the village, she was of the forest, a bride of the forest spirit. She had shown it, standing behind him instead of at her mother's side. She was no longer the village miko. The thought was bittersweet and she couldn't help but think about all those times she'd ran to the forest to find solace and hide from her people, when she'd run to visit the slumbering forest spirit, to talk to him, to laugh with him, his ward and his pack.

She looked at the gathering, trying to make her face expressionless. It was hard not to flinch when she heard the whispers, soft enough that she couldn't make out the words. Were they agreeing with what Ash had said? She saw Ken bowing and apologizing, the man's face was frozen in a look of stern determination, but his eyes, when they met with hers for a moment, held no fear or disgust, just acceptance and good will. Whatever the head hunter thought, it was clear that he held no resentment towards Inuyasha or her. The rest of the hunters were worriedly looking at the forest spirit and Shippou, both growling. The villagers were too afraid to look at the group under the Sacred Tree, some still whispering among themselves. Were they agreeing with Ash, but too afraid to call her a dark priestess aloud, not wanting to end up like him? The rest of the captives huddled together, the smith's wife wrapping her arms around her youngest son,, that stood still. She noticed a few scared glances cast her way and quickly looked at her mother.

Kaede looked tired and worried, but not of her. Kagome felt a lump in her throat, making it hard to breathe. Her poor mother, always so good, so wise, so caring. How did she feel hearing others calling her daughter -the one she'd been teaching to be her successor - a dark priesttesss and a whore? How much had she heard in the years? How much had she suffered because of her good heart? How many times had she had her heart broken, seeing that her daughter wasn't accepted by the village?

Was she now disappointed that Kagome chose to become Inuyasha's mate? Was she regretting all she had done for her?

Kagome's voice didn't sound like her own when she spoke. She leaned down to whisper in Inuyasha's keen ear.

"Can I... hide?" she asked and as soon as he gave his permission, she sank to the ground, hiding from the villagers behind him and the Sacred Tree, before she felt her tears spilling. She wrapped her arms around Shippou, who mutely tucked himself against her chest, his head under her chin. The pups surrounded her with their warm fur, the easy acceptance and fierce loyalty. She knew that she was safe, protected by the forest and its spirit guardian.

Inuyasha's voice was soft when he spoke her name. It was time to give her story and be done with this. Soon, she was going to be free, able to go back home. She just wanted to talk to her mother, assure her that she was fine and make sure that her mother still considered her kin. What the rest of the village thought after the confession - Kagome decided not to worry about.

She wiped her tears and gathered her wits, trying to speak passively and loud enough to be heard from where she sat. There was no way she could retell the dark night and what had happened while looking at the humans, at those responsible for it all and at the villagers. She didn't want their pity and feared that she'd see in their faces that they agreed with the smith's son's thinking that she was a curse on the village.

As much as she told herself she didn't care, that it was behind her, that she didn't need their acceptance and understanding, she still felt her heart squeeze. Luckily Inuyasha didn't tell her to leave her safe spot, nor did anyone else.

She told them about Satoshi calling for her to help his father. She described the fight with the crow. It was hard not to relive the dread and panic of the fight, the trepidation of being caught and dragged away from the village afterwards. She felt her tears flowing down her cheeks, but she just held Shippou closer to herself, the boy lifting his tiny hands to wipe her tears away, his warm body soothing. She tried to ignore the sounds from the meadow, but when she reached this part, Satoshi interrupted her.

"It's not true!" he yelled. The faint growl from Inuyasha suddenly became very audible and all the adult dogs followed his lead. The pups perked their ears their way, but only crowded Kagome more. The healer gasped at that sharp cry and squeezed her eyes, shaking. Were they going to reject the story of her suffering as a lie of a dark priestess?

"How so?" asked Kaede. "Is this not what happened? Your brothers did kidnap my daughter to sell her."

"Uh, yeah, this is true," Satoshi stuttered. "But it wasn't like this! We did want her to do something with dad! And when I went to fetch my brothers, they told us they're going to do that and told us to stay in the house!"

"So, you weren't directly responsible," Kuma muttered, a hint of relief in his voice.

"Yet, you did nothing to alert the headman about your brothers' plan," Mizu added, his words stern. "Staying quiet when others commit such an act against your village miko, that is unbecoming."

"What were we to do? Tell everyone and then get a beating?" Satoshi yelled in frustration. "We already had to deal with dad for the past week!"

"Besides, what village miko would let a youkai kill a man?" added his mother sourly. Kagome hid her face in Shippou's hair.

"He was already dead, Naru, and you knew about it," Kaede retorted immediately. "Kagome did what every miko in her place would do, she released his body so his soul could continue on its way."

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha murmured. "Are you ready to continue? I'm tired of these pathetic excuses."

"Yeah," Shippou nodded. "Just tell the rest and we can be done with it."

Kagome nodded, clearing her throat. Shippou was right, she had to continue.

So, after a calming breath, she resumed her story, repeating everything the smith's sons told her, how they hurt her and how they wanted to get rid of her and Inuyasha, selling her to the other village and making him follow.

No one stopped her this time, no one even talked among themselves, listening to her shaky words. Then she told them about Inuyasha's rescue, concluding the story with the forest spirit taking her away. They didn't have to know about her tears, her nightmares and pain. They didn't have to know about how gentle Inuyasha's arms had been, how soothing his sweet promises had been.

She felt dirty again, as if wearing soiled clothing, but as she finished, she felt that filth falling off of her, cleansed by the warmth of the youki and acceptance of her forest friends.

"Gods..." Mizu said in the silence that blanketed the meadow. Even Inuyasha wasn't growling anymore, but judging from his coiling youki it wasn't a good thing. He was silent like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

"Tora," Oda's voice was shaky as he spoke again. "Do you have something to add?"

"Yes father," Kagome recognized the voice of the leader of the Border Village men that had been in the forest last night. He sounded tired and pained, and Kagome remembered he'd been shot by Ken's arrow when he'd grabbed her. "We were drunk when they approached us. Everyone already knew how much our village wanted to get the forest spirit's favor, you yourself were willing to give Hina to him in order to get it."

"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed, but otherwise no one interrupted the young man.

"They told us that they can arrange for the girl to become a miko in our village and that then the forest spirit would follow her, since she has power over him."

"Didn't you think it'd be better to discuss such transactions with the girl's kin?" ashed Mizu. "And didn't you think it weird they wanted to sell a reiki wielder?"

It was rare in these parts, but people sold their children at times, girls usually ending up as yūjo or workers in fields and in wealthy households, some few lucky and pretty ones as geishas. Boys were sold off less often. But selling a girl blessed with reiki was unheard of, there weren't enough reiki wielders for each village to have one, so it was more profitable to keep a miko daughter in the house and be respected by providing a next spiritual guide and healer to the community. Whatever the case, it was the family of the child that did the selling, not someone else. During her life Kagome had never encountered a family that had to sell one of their children, but there rumors said it was practiced closer to Kyoto and other big cities. Kagome swallowed, feeling nausea coming back in waves The smith's sons had wanted to sell her for a different reason, but the mere thought of how many children and adolescent girls had been torn away from their families because they couldn't support themselves, it made her want to cry.

"We... We didn't think straight." Tora uttered. "We didn't plan to harm the girl, we genuielly wanted her to become our village miko. Lady Nani is getting old and she has no successor. And one who could bring us the vigilance of the forest spirit, even if couldn't battle youkai herself, would be a great asset. We would've been good to her."

"Enough," Inuyasha's growl was low and the word cut the air like a whip. Kagome glanced up to see him standing.

"Please, forest spirit, spare my companions," Tora pleaded hurriedly. "They did not..."

"I said enough," Kagome could see the gathering over the tree root, no longer obscured by Inuyasha's back. The spectators were hastily stepping back as the youkai advanced, his dogs following him. The headmen remained still, just like Kaede, but their faces were pale with uncertain fear, even Mizu's. The huntsmen stepped to the sides, grim and determined, silently accepting whatever the ruler of the woods decided. Tora was kneeling on the ground, bowing in supplication, so were his four companions. The smith's wife and Satoshi huddled together near Ken, as if they hoped he could somehow save them.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered, her voice hoarse and frail. One ear cocked her way. Shippou patted her cheek.

"You don't have to watch," he said. "I sure won't."

"There was enough bloodshed," she replied softly. She noticed her mother glancing her way and looked away. "They..."

"Lady Kagome," Myoga's voice came from beside Ai's left ear. "It is Inuyasha's right to deal whatever he sees fit to those who violated the forest law. Whatever the forest spirit deems his is his to protect. Besides, selling a miko, it must be a great sin against the kami which you served for years. Master Inuyasha is proving that he is not only the just guardian of the forest, but also the defender of those who serve the kami."

"...A sin...?" the smith's wife repeated, her eyes widening as she looked to Kaede for confirmation. It seemed that Myouga's voice carried pretty far.

"I imagine the deity is not too pleased," the aged miko said coolly. "I will pray to alleviate the damage done by your family, but don't be surprised if this year's crops will be unsatisfactory."

Kagome gasped, remembering the tile from the shrine's roof. The kami had spoken to Inuyasha in their own way.

"You will take your pups and leave the forest," Inuyasha declared, pointing a finger at the woman. "You can take what you can fit on one cart. The rest will be sold and the profits donated to the shrine. You will be gone from the village before tomorrow evening. You better not leave the filth behind," he added, glaring at Ash. Then he turned to the five prostrating men, not paying the woman any attention. Kagome saw relief flashing on her face before she hugged her youngest son, probably just thankful that they weren't hurt or killed on the spot.

Kuma bowed his head, accepting the verdict. Kagome wondered what the headman was thinking, but it was hard to read his stone face, as hard as it was Kaede's. There was only a spark of appreciation in the old miko's eye, but it wasn't clear if she was glad he spared their lives or that they were banished.

"Noble forest spirit..." Inuyasha glared at Oda, who followed his son's lead and bowed. "Please, have mercy on my son and his men. I have no more sons and these four, as dumb as they are, are good people, risking their lives to keep my village safe."

"Remind this one why your head shouldn't be separated from your body along with theirs," Inuyasha said coldly, not actually voicing this as a question. "They were going to take what's mine to attempt to control me and please you."

The headman had been arrogant, yes, and his son and his friends had made a mistake, but Kagome didn't want to see more people dead by Inuyasha's hand. The smith's sons had died in the heat of the moment, before being judged, they had been the one really responsible. These five, they had been drunk idiots and probably wouldn't agree to the deal while sober. It wouldn't be fair to kill them.

Kagome rose on her knees, her hands resting on the tree root. She bit her bottom lip. feeling Shippou shifting from her lap to the rough surface on which she was resting her hand. She was about to say something, but when she opened her mouth she felt Myouga's tiny fingers touch her thumb. She glanced down to see him shaking his head, one hand covering his lips.

"My... my lord..." Oda's shoulders shivered, but he didn't try to crawl away. "Have mercy..."

"You crossed me twice now, human. You won't do it thrice and walk away on your own legs," the hanyou said and reached down to the man's cheek. Oda gasped and flinched away, but still kept his head low. But as Inuyasha stood back straight, Kagome saw his claws were covered in blood. When Inuyasha turned to the five young men Oda lifted his head, pressing a hand to his cheek, where three thin red lines marked where Inuyasha's claws cut the skin.

"You five," Inuyasha growled and before someone could say anything, he leaped towards the men. Cries of fright rose from the observers, soon followed by yells and grunts of pain from the kneeling men. Kaede rose to her feet, her reiki kept tightly under control.

Inuyasha landed in front of the Sacred Tree, shaking the blood off of his claws.

"You can tend to them," he permitted and Kaede immediately rushed towards the men curled in balls of pain, each holding the side of their head.

"Inuyasha?" she asked and stood up, uncertain. Some of the villagers and huntsmen stepped forward to help Kaede wrap the heads of the five young men and Oda's cheek.

"Removed an ear from each," he muttered. "We're done here."

"Shouldn't I...?" her hand hovered in the air. She was not a village miko, maybe they wouldn't accept her help, especially since she was the reason for them being punished.

Before her hand could fall to her side, Inuyasha caught it and squeezed reassuringly.

"Let's go home now," he said and she turned away from the unsettled gathering busy on treating the wounds inflicted by the forest spirit.

"He... He isn't claiming any lives?" Mizu's voice came to her ears when they were behind the Sacred Tree.

"The forest spirit chose to show mercy and be lenient, since it was what his lady wished," Ken's voice replied and Kagome realized there was pride in his voice. Kagome glanced up to Inuyasha.

"Keh," he muttered and squatted down. "Get on."

The dogs, Shippou and Myouga riding on Kiba's back, were already leaving this part of the forest, the adult ones slinking between the trees while the adolescent ones chased each other, probably just happy to be able to run and play again.

"It's over," Kagome sighed and relaxed her entire body, allowing the tension to leave her. She climbed on Inuyasha's back and pressed her cheek to his shoulder when he straightened his back. That was when two voices called her name and two girls ran from behind the Sacred Tree.

"Kagome! Kagome, wait!" Sakura and Yuka stumbled to a stop when they saw that Inuyasha was still there, holding their friend on his back. They stepped back, pale and trembling. Inuyasha's ear cocked her way. It was clear to Kagome that the duo was too scared to approach, seeing Inuyasha just as this violent youkai. And she didn't have the energy to talk to them and answer the questions they undoubtedly had.

"Go," she asked and the forest spirit leaped towards the woods, leaving behind the two frightened girls, her old life and old concerns behind. She was of the forest now, a healer with a bit of reiki, a bride to the inu hanyou and a woman free of the curse of being Kikyou's reincarnation. She was where she belonged, in the forest that was dangerous, but only to those unwilling to learn its laws.

.

Back in the village, unseen by anyone, the tile from the shrine roof disappeared from where it had been laid on a shelf in Kaede's hut, just to appear in its due spot on the roof. A presence lingered there, the sunlight just a bit brighter, the trees a bit more green, the scent of the field a bit sweeter.

"Keep her hidden, silver inu," a voice like a chime of bells, whispered. "The land whispers of cold wind from the north, scheming kin from the west and troubles from the east. Prove yourself, you two."

The voice faded away in the spring breeze that carried over the village, the presence fading into the shrine and waiting for the aged miko to come and pray for answers.

A/N: Yup, I'm leaving you with this riddle :D