.

…Grand feast…

…

"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread."

― Mahatma Gandhi

…

The mountain air was crisp and light, warmed by the glow of the morning sun. Sachiko delightedly breathed it in, sipping a cup of piping hot tea, gazing down the winding path they had travelled from her perch on the wooden bench outside the tea shop. At a distance huge mountains rose in hazy forest greens, their tall peaks scraping the heavens, hidden by foamy white clouds that swirled languidly around them. Sachiko briefly wondered if one of them was Mount Akakura, hastily dismissing the notion as they had barely begun their grueling journey, and was surely nowhere near the north.

"My, it's very rare to see young women traveling these parts alone", the old shopkeeper chimed in, setting down bowls of rice, miso and pickled vegetables beside her. "Aren't you afraid, young miss?"

"Oh no", she corrected, happy at the prospect of breakfast, "I'm not traveling alone, my companion is…uh, running some errands."

In the shade of a tree a few yards away, next to the grazing Ah-Un, the demon lord's nose itched.

It had taken more shameless pleading and reasoning than she cared to admit before Sesshomaru grew irritated enough to say, "do as you please", and gave her the opportunity to have what probably was the last proper meal she would have in their journey through feudal Japan. Or ever. Sachiko chewed the sticky rice thoughtfully. Was she wasting his time? Yes. But did she need at least one good thing, no matter how trivial it was, before facing down whatever peril life was, surely, going to throw at her? Hell yes. Assured, she took a long sip of fragrant tea, sighing deeply as it gently warmed its passage down her throat.

"I see." The old woman smiled, "How do you find the food?"

"It's delicious!" She beamed. The woman's husband hobbled inside the rundown tea shack, carrying two buckets of water hung on a long bamboo pole on his shoulder.

"Do you both live by yourselves here, oji-san, oba-san?"

"Yes we do", the old man answered, setting down his load, "Alone here in the mountains, us two oldies."

"I see…", she said plaintively, "Don't you get lonely out here?"

"No, no", the old man said, "we get occasional customers such as yourself-"

"And travelling monks stop by here all the time", his wife chimed in.

"Their wise words are like a soothing balm for old souls such as ourselves", the old man grinned, proudly displaying the yellowed single tooth that was left in his mouth. "Tell me something my dear, however did you come by so many pears- that too out of season?"

"I was travelling for a while and picked up a few on the way", she half- lied, wondering how long the magic she had imbued in the pear tree would hold, "the rest I got from my friends in the next village."

"Pardon my forwardness, but your clothes are quite strange for these parts, young miss", the old woman commented.

"Why, I remember, about a couple years ago, a group of travelers came this way. There was young woman along with them wearing clothing similar to yours."

"Oh yes, what a strange bunch they were- two youkai if I remember correctly, travelling with a monk, and two lovely young women. There was a cute cat as well", the old woman frowned, "or was that a cat?"

"Doesn't matter", the old man lifted the steaming kettle from the stove with a blackened piece of cloth "- we feed anyone who can pay us- demons or humans. Now young missy, would you like some more tea?"

"I'm back!" Sachiko announced as soon as the daiyoukai was in sight. Sesshomaru regarded her disdainfully, rising regally from under the tree.

"You mustn't keep lord Sesshomaru waiting Sachiko!" Jaken admonished. "Had you taken any longer, I would have come down to that damned tea shop to drag you back here myself!"

"What?" she flipped her wrist and checked her watch, "I've been gone, for like fifteen minutes!"

Jaken looked confused, but quickly shook it off to scold her. "Time we cannot gain back!"

"I just thought I could have some proper breakfast before we set off", Sachiko muttered, falling into step behind Sesshomaru, "Who knows when we will come across another human settlement." Considering how you guys avoid them like the plague, she didn't say.

"I wasn't aware that you had embarked on this journey for pleasure", Sesshomaru said, "I was of the impression that your life was at stake."

"Not you too!" Sachiko groaned. "I just thought, since my chances aren't looking too good, so I might as well not pass up on a hot meal."

"It's a human thing, I suppose", she added as an afterthought.

"Nonsense! Rin never used to tarry so long for food!"

"Well I'm not Rin now, am I?" She said testily. Fifteen minutes! She thought incredulously. They were giving her such grief because she took fifteen damn minutes to have breakfast?

"I'm sorry if I wasted your time…", she began.

"Time", the demon enunciated. "You are the one running out of it." He pointedly gazed over his shoulder at her left arm. Following his eyes, she gasped as green flames, glowing bright and brief, disappeared into the sleeve of her shirt. Instinctively she closed her hand over the spot, a muffled sob escaping her.

"It would be in your best interests to not dawdle foolishly while your body burns", his tone took on a darker note, "Make no mistake, I will drag what's left of you to the northern mountains, if that is what it takes to keep my end of the bargain."

Without another look at the mortified woman, the daiyoukai continued on his way, with Jaken hurrying after him, pulling Ah-un by the reins.

Throat suddenly dry, Sachiko swallowed thickly over it, ignoring the tears stinging her eyes. The harsh reality of her impending demise had made itself known once again, overwhelming her brain with a sudden rush of previously held back panic. Her company was rounding the corner, ascending the steep slope of the mountain.

How callous he was, she found herself thinking, the fiery red of rage slowly pooling in her heart, how insensitive was he to her torment. It struck her that, if she were to meet her demise in this strange timeline, she would die friendless and alone. Finding herself trembling, she sat down on her haunches and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to calm herself down. She stayed like that for a long time.

He doesn't owe me any niceties, she told herself, he's just here to finish a job.

A horrible, pain-in- the-ass job.

Sachiko sighed dejectedly. I have to see this through…If she had wanted to give up, she would have whiled her last moments away in the comforts of her own time, surrounded by family and friends, not in this strange, cruel world. She needed to be strong, for as long as she could. Blinking her tears away, she took off in the direction her companions left, only to find that they had gone on ahead without her.

The day was turning out to be hot with a hint of rain in the air.

Sachiko briskly marched forward, her face twisted into an annoyed grimace, up the slope with lush, bright green grass. Couldn't they just wait a little for a puny human such as myself to catch up? Or is that too much to ask? She wondered irately. She came to a halt and gazed ahead, scanning the bright, tree-bound landscape. No sign of daiyoukai. Or toad. Or dragon.

Seriously! Huffing, she resumed her march uphill. On reaching the summit, she found her party at a distance, tiny figures steadily cutting across the bright green of the valley. "They walk way too fast", she commented to nobody, taking a sip from her water bottle and wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. She then proceeded to bound down the slope, slippery with grass.

"Damn wretch won't even croak!"

Sachiko stopped abruptly in her tracks and listened, her ears pricked towards the direction the irate, disembodied voice came from.

Instinct took over and she dove into the bushes, lying flat with her stomach pressed to the ground. Somehow, she had a distinct impression that she wouldn't want to meet the people behind those voices. She had barely a minute to ensure that she had adequate cover between the dense bushes and the thick of the trees before the speakers appeared.

"How long will we have to suffer because of that abomination?"

She could see their bony ankles and the bare feet, permanently stained with earth, the heels cracked and rough beneath the bushes. Someone forcefully brought a plough down, cutting a shallow groove in the soil perhaps a feet away from her face. She shuddered and held her breath, curling tightly against the ground.

Humans, she counted seven pairs of feet with blunt nails, all in want of a good pedicure. Probably farmers.

"Tonight", a man said with an inevitability that chilled her bones, "It's tonight, isn't it Oshiro?"

"Y-yes", a weak, timorous voice stuttered, "I'm positive it will be. I've been keeping watch."

Sachiko lay there on her stomach long after the men had left. Then she pulled herself up, dusting the muck away from her green T-shirt, an odd feeling of unease worming its way to her quickening heart.

The kodama in the trees squeaked and pointed to the west. Nodding in acknowledgement, she set out to the direction, snippets of the ominous conversation she had just overheard replaying in her mind, speeding her steps. She had jogged for another couple of hours when she finally caught up with Sesshomaru and Jaken.

"Where were you?!" Jaken sqwaked. "We would have made good time had we not slowed down for you to catch up!"

"Ungh", Sachiko could say nothing else, bent over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. The sky was a bleached-white, with cool winds shaking the verdant tops of trees. At a distance, dark clouds gathered, rumbling ominously.

"Ugh, rain at this hour, just what we need", Jaken grumbled. Sachiko was wondering just where they were going to find shelter when Sesshomaru suddenly stopped.

"What's the matter my liege?" She heard Jaken asking. Following the demon lord's gaze, she looked ahead, her mouth drawing a gasping breath as she realized what had caught his eye. A tiny figure lay limp on the ground, barely moving.

"My lord, that kid is a-" Before Jaken could finish his sentence, Sachiko was sprinting towards the child. Placing a finger on the base of his jaw, she sighed in relief when an answering pulse fluttered strongly against her finger. Gently, she turned the child over. It was a boy, probably six to seven years of age, with a thick, short mane of a shocking burgundy color. He was breathing rapidly and his skin was hot to touch, peppered with bruises. She gathered him into her lap and was only beginning to wonder what to do when her healing power kick-started and the green glow enveloped her hands, seeping into the child's body. He frowned in his sleep, breathing a little easier. The heat of his skin was slowly coming down. His eyelashes fluttered as if rousing from a restful sleep.

The boy snuggled into her arms, and sighed deeply. Gently, Sachiko brushed his hair away from his forehead, some latent maternal instinct softening her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she held a child in her hands.

And then whatever tenderness she was feeling was quickly pushed to the back of her mind as she felt chains snapping around her wrists. A rustle behind her made her look back.

"What are you doing, girl?" Jaken screeched. "We must be on our way!"

"Umm…I am sorry" she began nervously.

"I already don't like where this is going", Jaken muttered irately.

"This kid has made a wish", she explained desperately, gazing at Sesshomaru looking down at her, his expression unreadable. "I'll ask him about it once he's waken up and then we can- Ouch!" Wincing in pain she drew back her hand, staring disbelievingly at the bleeding bite-marks on it.

"Who the hell are you, and why the hell are you touching me?" The boy, now hale and hearty, demanded brusquely. He ran a tongue over his teeth as he sprang away from her startled hands, landing on cloven feet.

"What the hell, kid?" Sachiko exclaimed, belatedly noticing the demonic features. The boy watched the wounds on her hand close on their own.

"Demon!" he exclaimed, pointing a clawed finger at her.

"Am not!" she countered, deeply offended at the insinuation.

Sesshomaru turned on his heels and disappeared into the forest. Jaken heaved a long-suffering sigh and took off after him, shaking his head. Sachiko repressed her urge to stick her tongue out at him, and with a sigh, turned to the boy. Who was scuttling away in the opposite direction.

"Hey, wait!" Grabbing her backpack, she bolted after the kid.

"…and I am from Tokyo. You probably haven't heard of it, but it's a pretty nifty place." Sachiko was, once again, staring at the back of a youkai.

"So anyway, as you can see, I'm a traveler. Well actually I was forced to do so but let's not get into that…" She trailed off, seeing that the kid showed no indication of listening to her. Ugh, Sachiko groaned mentally. Being something of an introvert, she had always shied away from initiating conversations with unfamiliar people. On top of that she was never any good with kids, despite having two younger siblings.

"Hey, you never told me your name."

"It's none of your business", the kid replied gruffly.

Is it me? Sachiko found herself wondering, Am I so awkward that I can't even talk in a way that would make people want to respond? She sighed and tried to pull herself together. If she wanted to be free of the shackles, she reminded herself, she would have to at least find out what the wish was.

"So", she piped with fake jollity, "I know a youkai who is about your age. His name's Shippou and he's a kitsu-"

"I don't care!" The kid stopped and yelled without looking back, "Shut up!"

Stupid brat, she groused, looking down at the invisible chains connecting him to her. She had long since exhausted her limited reserve of pleasantries and conversation- starters, trying to initiate, at the very least, a monologue. Having given up hopes of establishing a conversation, all she could do was to follow him around as he walked ahead on his strange hooves.

There was something about him- the way his kept his body shrunk into itself, the way his tattered clothes hung loosely on his skeletal frame, the bruises he sported when she had found him unconscious in the woods, the hardness in his eyes that spoke of one too many hardship endured… The boy turned around and glowered at her with his strikingly beautiful silver eyes.

"What the hell do you want you bastard?" he demanded stonily. Sachiko, understandably taken aback, couldn't advise him on the usage of appropriate gender for obscenities or reprimand him for being a brat.

"Erm…", she began.

"Why the hell are you following me?"

"I… I've been walking around for a long time ", she half-lied, falling in step behind him as he walked into a small clearing on the foot of a cliff. "I was hoping I could…stay with you for a while to rest?"

"No, you can't", the kid deadpanned.

"Please…I really need a place to stay."

"Ask the stupid villagers!"

"They won't let me in! They said my clothes look strange", Sachiko improvised.

"Yeah no surprise there", the kid muttered, "But you still can't stay with me!"

"It's going to rain soon", she implored.

"Well, tough."

"But…"

"What part of no don't you understand, bastard!"

"Hey!"

The boy pulled at his lower eyelid and stuck out his tongue- a gesture her sisters used to do that irritated her to no end. "Blehhhh!" he teased, before running- on all fours- to a pitiful shack so tiny that she hadn't noticed it tucked into the bottom of the cliff. The whole structure seemed to be leaning against the cliff, as if a storm had toppled it over. It was constructed in a somewhat slipshod manner, as if the person behind it didn't really know what he or she was doing. Moss grew along the haphazardly nailed planks that seemed to be broken and rotting at places. A little to the left of the shack was a plum tree, bearing a couple of dark purple fruits, casting its shade over a smooth stone in front of which some flowers were placed.

A grave? Through the torn bamboo mat that functioned as a door, a pair of silver eyes peered at her.

"I can see you, you know ", Sachiko said flatly. She heard a haughty 'huff' and then those eyes were gone. That was a productive hour, she groused, plopping down beneath the leafless tree in front of the shack, wondering how to get through to the nihilistic, potty-mouthed demon kid. Time was ticking away. She wondered what Sesshomaru was doing. Probably foaming at the mouth because I'm wasting his precious time again. Despite herself, she cracked a smile at the visual this thought inspired.

The sun was slowly being obscured by swollen storm clouds. The wind picked up, growing colder by the minute, thunder rumbling in a distance. Sachiko tried to relocate to a tree that provided more cover, only to be stopped short by the chains.

"Son of a bitch!" She pulled at them fruitlessly. "Ugh!" she half- growled in exasperation and stomped on the ground, then resigned herself to her fate and stalked over to her bag. Digging deep into it so that her upper body was obscured, she pulled out her maroon umbrella and stared miserably at the gathering dark clouds. Looks like it's going to be a big one.

"Hey kid", she called out desperately when it began to drizzle, "Is there anything you wish greatly for?" There was a waiting silence after the question.

"Fuck off you weirdo!"

Ugh, what else did I expect? Sachiko groaned and opened the umbrella no sooner than the rain began to pour.

The silver eyes appeared behind the mat a couple more times. Sachiko, drenched from head to toe and in an impossibly foul mood, glared at him.

Well this is a new low, she thought glumly as another gust of wind aimed the slanting raindrops towards her already sodden form. She angled the umbrella in order to shield herself from the pouring deluge, although at this point the benefit of the gesture was debatable. Casting a weary glance at the dense cover of branches splayed by the restless wind, she wondered if Sesshomaru was hiding in the darkness, laughing at her misery. Is he even capable of laughing? He'll probably implode if he did. Another spray of wetness distracted her from her pondering, enabling her to focus more acutely on her misery.

In all the fairytales she had so avidly devoured in her childhood, granting wishes only entailed a swish of a magic wand or the flourish of a mystical hand. Everything was neat and whimsical and nobody ever said anything about foul-mouthed kids or sitting in the rain like an idiot. She thought of Haruo. Surely even he wouldn't subject himself to such privations when he had to perform his godly duties.

Ugh…why? She buried her face in her hands and lamented her fate, the handle of her umbrella held in the crook of her neck in a one- sided shrug, pummeled by the never-ending torrents of rain. The ground was a muddy mess, seeping into the fabric of the jeans cuffed up to her knees. The rain poured on, soaking through her light T-shirt and chilling her skin.

"Hey", the boy called hesitantly from inside the hut, lifting the bottom corner of the bamboo mat. Sachiko, not in the best of spirits, ignored him.

"Hey!" he called again over the sound of the rain.

"What?" Sachiko asked flatly, her voice lost in the loud pattering of the deluge.

"Y-you, you could come in if you don't want to stay in the rain…", the boy said tentatively.

"What?" she asked again, this time hopefully.

"You heard me! Don't make me say it again you jerk!" The bamboo mat fell back into place, obscuring him from her vision.

"No sir", she said cheerily to herself, picking up her bag and weapons in a second's notice, wisely ignoring the name-calling.

The hut looked more pathetic on the inside than it appeared on the outside, and that was saying something. It was so small that Sachiko nearly stumbled into the fireplace the moment she had stepped in through the bamboo mat. She took off her shoes and placed her feet daintily on the floor of hard packed earth, lowering herself down to the side of the fireplace opposite where the boy sat, scowling. Placing her backpack between herself and the torn bamboo mat to shield her person from the rain, she adjusted her body to position herself so that she could escape the cold droplets dripping from the leaky roof.

A couple of pots and pans were stacked against the wall opposite the door. The floor was damp bordering on wet from the leaking roof, which seemed to be in danger of caving in any minute from the force of the rain. It was no four-star suite, but Sachiko, grateful to finally have a roof over her, punctured though it was, thought it was an excellent improvement over her previous situation.

Funny how all her life she had taken roofs for granted.

"There's nothing in here to steal so don't bother, okay?" the boy said brusquely.

"I'm not a thief." Sachiko wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself a bit warm. The boy scowled at her suspiciously. Sachiko scowled back.

"Thanks for letting me in", she said finally.

"Whatever", he said flippantly, "You better be gone when the rain lets down."

"Sure", she said, "Um, would it be alright if I changed?"

The boy wordlessly turned around to face the wall. Sachiko swiftly changed into a clean, fairly dry t-shirt and a pair of knee-length cargo pants, grateful for her sturdy, waterproof backpack. It had made her part with more money than she was comfortable with, but was turning out to be a good investment.

"Ah, that's so much better", she sighed happily, drying her hair. A cup of warm beverage and she would be set. Well, she reasoned, this was as good a time as any to fuel her tea addiction. "Would you like some tea?"

"I don't have any tea", the kid grumbled.

"I do, would you like some?"

"No", he deadpanned. Turning around where he sat, he lifted a dirty rag and unraveled a pile of damp firewood. "Help yourself", he said.

"Thank you", she mumbled, surprised at the unexpected generosity. "But I don't need firewood." Digging around in her humongous backpack, she found her utensils. The boy watched her with wide-eyed curiosity, amazement flickering across his face at the unfamiliar contraptions she was working with. He gasped in surprise when she used a matchbox to light fire, yet refrained from asking any questions.

"Are you still not going to tell me your name?" she asked lightly, placing the kettle on the stove.

"Feh, why do you want to know so much anyway? It's not such a big deal", he said acidly. Sachiko shrugged.

"Well, the rain doesn't seem like it's going to let down anytime soon, so I thought it would be good to know the name of my gracious host." A loud rumble of thunder made the kid flinch, though he tried not to show it. Sachiko refrained from commenting on it.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though", she said kindly. From what she had seen so far, the kid lived alone in this poor excuse for a shack.

How long has he been living here, all on his own? She gazed thoughtfully at the shackles on her wrists, the chains of which disappeared into the middle of his emaciated body.

"Umeo", the kid mumbled in a small voice. "My name is Umeo."

"What a cute name!" Sachiko beamed. "I'm Sachiko", she said. Umeo snorted.

"Yeah I know. You've said that already."

The kettle whistled sharply, letting out a plume of vapor. Umeo yelped and shuffled back from it.

"Don't be scared, that's just the water boiling."

Umeo gaped at her, affronted. "Who said I was scared, bastard!"

"Okay, you're not being very nice. Also, you don't call women that 'b' word", she lectured. "You call a woman a bit-", Sachiko stopped short, looking at his wide-eyed face. "You know what, never mind. Name-calling, bad."

Umeo snorted, but said nothing. "Now, would you like some tea?" she chirped. The boy stared at her dubiously. "C'mon, tea tastes better when you have it with someone", she cajoled.

Umeo looked uncomfortable. He shrunk further into himself and stared outside at the rain in silence.

"I'm gonna pour you some as well, okay?" she said gently, "It's awkward for me if I don't share." Producing two cups, she poured the tea into them.

"Here you go!" She held out a cup to him. Umeo eyed the offered beverage, looking torn, then his hand shot out and he grabbed the other cup on the floor. Sachiko blinked.

"You think I am trying to poison you?" she said incredulously. Umeo sniffed the tea.

"I ain't taking any chances okay?" He deliberately took a sip, then waited.

"I'm not trying to poison you!"

The boy raised an eyebrow at her, then took another sip. Paranoid kid.

"You did something didn't you? To my wounds", he said quietly, looking into the murky green beverage.

"Huh?" Sachiko blinked. "Oh yeah, I healed them. I can do stuff like that."

"I'll bet", he muttered. "Those damn villagers scuffed me up pretty badly."

"Wait", she said, thinking back "those villagers did that to you?" Shuddering a little, she thought back to the plow that had missed her face by only inches. "But, they had weapons!"

"Damn right they did", he said bitterly. At her shocked expression, he said, "What? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly someone humans are used to seeing." He paused, then continued in a small voice, "Also, I might have tried to steal their food."

"But none of that justifies…you're just a kid!"

"They're afraid of me", he stated simply, "they think I'm the cause of all the misfortune that comes their way."

"Because you're a youkai?" She couldn't fathom how anyone could inflict such violence upon a child, human or not.

Umeo scoffed. "Boy, you don't know anything, do you?" he said, the expression in his silver eyes indecipherable. "I'm no youkai, I'm a hanyou." He whipped his head around to stare at the rain, as if he had done something wrong and didn't want to meet her eyes.

"Um, I know a hanyou who lives in the nearby village", she said after a bit of deliberation. Seems like a touchy subject, she gathered, trying to be neutral about it.

"A friend?" He blinked.

"Well, I wouldn't say we are that close. We are on good terms, I guess."

"Good terms…with a hanyou?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" she asked, grabbing a packet of rice crackers from her bag. "Would you like some snacks?"

"You're not from around here, are you?" the boy asked dubiously. Sachiko let out a small laugh and handed him the packet.

"Yeah? What was your first clue?"

A tiny smile appeared on his face. "So that's why you're so weird. "

"Oh I don't know", she shrugged, "I'm considered pretty weird where I come from too."

She watched the boy pick at the wrapper, open the pack finally, and sniff at the contents. He experimentally bit into one of the crackers. Then he tore into it, trying desperately to stop himself from stuffing his mouth but failing.

"I take it that you like them", Sachiko said casually, taking a huge gulp of warm tea. Umeo stared at her in an embarrassed silence, his eyes flicking apologetically towards the empty wrapper.

"It's okay, I have more", she said, "So you live here on your own huh?"

"Do you see anyone else here?" he said between mouthfuls. The roof creaked ominously as it was pummeled by the rain. Sachiko winced and looked up, trying to calculate how long it would hold under the relentless pressure. She found herself hoping that her travel companions found shelter somewhere dry and warm.

"What were you blathering about wishes earlier?"

"Huh?" she shifted her gaze from the straining rafters.

"You were asking if I had anything I wished greatly for", he accused, "What's up with that?"

"Oh, that", she muttered awkwardly, "I was hoping you would help me out if I helped you in return." She paused a bit, trying to collect her thoughts. "So do you really have something you wish greatly for?"

Umeo hesitated, picking at the empty wrapper. "I guess-I…I wish my mama was still alive", he said quietly.

Outside, the rain was beginning to thin out. The silence stretched out, long and palpable. Umeo was gazing at the fireless fireplace, his eyes filled with pain and loss. He looked so lonely then that her heart ached for him. She wished she could scoop him into her arms and comfort him, tell him that everything was alright even when they both knew it wasn't. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to be so completely alone in the world, so different that you were ostracized for something not your fault, for something you had the misfortune to be born with.

"Stop looking at me like that", Umeo complained. "I don't need you to feel sorry for me!"

Belatedly she schooled her expression into something resembling indifference. "Why would I feel sorry for you? You're doing pretty well for a kid living on his own. If anything I am in awe of you."

A tiny blush colored his cheeks. "Whatever", he scoffed.

"Tell you what", she enthused, "I'll cook us a nice big lunch to show my appreciation. What do you say?"

"L-lunch?" Umeo looked at her with saucer-wide eyes. Sachiko put a finger on her lips and mentally browsed through the contents of her backpack.

"Let's see…I must have enough ingredients for…udon. And some-"

"Haven't you done enough already?" Umeo cut her off. "You've already given me that crunchy food."

"Nope", she grinned. Not nearly enough.

She quickly got to work, taking his surprised silence as a green light. Assembling the pots and pans, she took out a portion of the ingredients she had packed. "I'm not really the best chef", she admitted, "but I can whip up something edible." She had Umeo help her out with lighting the fire and prattled all the way, mostly about life on the other side of the well and other nonsensical things. The little hanyou was silent except for the occasional tentative question, but seemed to appreciate the chatter. Soon the aroma of warm food began to fill the hovel.

"Do you have any more pots?" She looked up from chopping a radish. "I was thinking of making some stew."

"No, except for that broken one over there on the corner", he said sullenly. Sachiko reached out and grabbed the pot. It had a wide crack on one side that rendered it useless for culinary purposes.

"Wanna see something cool?" she said, her eyes twinkling. She brought the pot close to her lips. "Repair", she said in a whisper. The kanji for the word appeared on the pot, as if written by an invisible hand. Almost at once the crack mended itself, earning a surprised gasp from Umeo.

"What in the hell!" He exclaimed in awe, "Just what are you?"

"Oh, just a little somebody who has a couple of tricks up her sleeve", she said in a sing-song, feeling pretty pleased with herself. "I can't do anything huge yet, but my powers are pretty effective when it comes to stuff like these. Although the effects do wear off after a while."

Umeo snorted. "Man, you are pretty strange."

The rain was just beginning to let up to its final droplets when the last dish was ready. She ladled a generous amount of food and held it out to the little boy. "Dig in!" she said encouragingly. Umeo looked at her.

"I don't understand", he said quietly, "why are you being so nice to me?"

"I…", she began uncomfortably, "I donno…I just like you, I guess. Is that a weird reason?" Umeo looked as if he wanted to say something, but refrained. The sorrow in his silver eyes brought tears in hers as well.

"Thank you for the food!" He blurted, digging in with the chopsticks. He stopped for barely a moment after the first bite, savoring the food, then began wolfing down at double speed.

"Whoa, slow down!" Sachiko said, her warning falling on deaf ears. She sampled a bit of her food. Surely everything tasted as it should, but it wasn't like the food was exceptionally good or anything. Despite that, Umeo's hearty enjoyment of her cooking did wonders to her ego.

"Everything is so delicious!" The kid beamed with gusto, bits of rice sticking to his face. "This is so great!" He scarfed down dish after dish at record speed. Finally, the plates licked clean, he sighed deeply and slumped against the wooden wall. "I'm so full, I can barely eat another bite!" He exclaimed with genuine happiness. At once the chains around Sachiko's wrists vanished with a clink. Startled, she stared at her unbound hands.

That's all you wanted? A little food?

"Wha- what is wrong?" Umeo asked, worried. "Why are you crying?" Before Sachiko could respond, he began desperately looking into the empty pots. "You're not hungry are ya? Sorry I ate all your food! Please stop crying!" Sachiko stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"I was just thinking how proud of you your mother must be." She smiled, brushing her tears away.

"What?" Umeo looked at her flatly. "Weirdo!" He taunted again with a grin, making her giggle. He joined in, and soon they were laughing their heads off, two weirdos for no good reason. Then suddenly Umeo's face contorted into a glare and he looked out the doorway.

"It's him again", he said venomously, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

Following his eyes, Sachiko lifted the bamboo mat at the doorway, peering out. A pale, skinny man with a topknot stood at the edge of the clearing, half hidden in the shadows the trees casted. He stared at them with eyes so bulbous and unnerving that, for a moment, Sachiko thought he was a demon.

"Oshiro, that filthy bastard!" Umeo spat. "He's always standing there watchin' me! Creep!"

Oshiro, she thought with a frown, where have I heard that name before? The man's eyes fell on her for a moment, surprise briefly flickering across them. Then he turned around and hightailed into the darkness of the forest.

"Why won't these bastards leave me alone?" Umeo muttered bitterly to himself.

"Why don't you leave this place? Why do you stay when it is so dangerous for you?" Sachiko blurted, belatedly wondering if it was her place to say such things.

"I can't leave!" Umeo protested, "Mama told me that this is our land and I should defend it even after she was gone."

"Is that her? Under the plum tree?" Sachiko asked softly. Umeo gazed at her, his eyes sad behind the stoniness, and slowly nodded.

"She died a year ago."

For the briefest of moments, Sachiko thought of asking him to travel with her. Seriously? A cruel voice chimed inside her in reply, You don't even know if you'll live to see the next month. How are you planning to take care of a child? You think Sesshomaru is going to look after him after you cark it? Stupid little girl. This is not even your world, remember?

As much as she tried to deny it, she knew her inner voice was right. What would the boy do if she died? At least here, he seemed to be able to survive on his own, with a roof over his head. She couldn't even give him that. Besides, the child was sentimentally attached to the place. Nothing she could say or do would convince him to leave the land his mother rested in.

"You've been quiet an awful long time", Umeo said. "You okay?"

"I guess I am just...worried", she trailed off uneasily, somehow feeling responsible for the boy, despite having met him only a couple hours back. When I return, she thought firmly, he's coming with me. I'll take him to Kaede's village and he'll live there. Kaede and the others will look after him. I'll do whatever I can to convince him. I'll-

"Stop worrying too much", Umeo said, grinning, "I'm still here aren't I? I'm pretty strong, ya know!" He flexed his bony arms for emphasis.

"I bet", she giggled. "How old are you anyway?"

"'Bout eight, I guess. Hey, what are you-?"

"Don't eat all of it at once, okay?" She said, taking out a bunch of snacks from her backpack and placing it on the floor. "But finish them off soon, because they will expire in a month. I know it isn't much; when I return, hopefully in a month, I'll bring more food."

"Hey I can't accept-!"

"It's alright!" She said placatingly, "It's too much to carry anyway. I was gonna thrown it away, you know." Boy, Jaken's gonna be pissed, she thought. The kappa had taken a liking to the flavor of modern food and had been steadily gorging through her supplies for the past few days. "Besides, growing boys should eat well. Preferably healthier stuff, but this is all I have on me. Just make sure you bury the packaging. The covers are biodegradable, so it shouldn't be a problem", she prattled on.

"But what are you gonna eat?"

"I have enough kiddo", she said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Worry about yourself. And take care of yourself for me, okay?"

"You're gonna leave?" Umeo asked, longing in his voice. "So soon?"

"Yeah", she breathed. "I kind'a promised I won't take long...I have to go now. My companions are waiting."

"You mean that inuyoukai and the kappa?"

"Yeah, there's a two- headed dragon as well. Wanna meet 'em?"

"Nah, I'm good", he said, getting up slowly.

"Well, you're no fun", Sachiko pouted, gathering her bag and her bow. Stepping out, she gazed at him sadly. "Hey, make a run for it if they come near you, okay?"

"A man never runs away!" Umeo proclaimed. "He stands his ground and fights his enemies!" Sachiko sighed in exasperation.

"Can't you just lay low, at least for a month?" She said, an inexplicable sense of worry sharpening her tongue.

"I'll think about it!" Umeo amended hastily, seeing her incandescent face. "Geez, why d'ya gotta be all up in my business? I know what I am doing, okay?"

"Please", she almost begged, "just stay out of trouble. I'll come see you in a month, okay?"

"Promise?" he said in a small, hopeful voice, solemnly looking down at his cloven feet. Sachiko hesitated for a moment.

"Promise", she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "See you." As she walked away from the tiny shack and into the trees, the muddy earth squelching under her shoes, she hoped against hope that the boy would be safe from all that threatened to harm him.

"Sachiko!" Umeo called out after her. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him- a small, lonely figure, barely visible between the gaps in the trees. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on either side of his mouth. "Come back soon, okay?" He yelled out.

She would come back for him, she decided, and when she did, she would make sure she did everything in her power to keep him safe. Smiling, she nodded and waved at him, before continuing on her way. As she rounded the bend to where her companions were, she turned back to gaze at him one last time, unknowing of the calamity that awaited the boy. The last she saw of him, Umeo was standing alone in front of his shack, gazing at the darkening sky.

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