Chapter 1: The Stagnant Town
The hot morning sun washed through the window onto the menagerie of glasses and vials on the kitchen counter, casting bits of rainbow light across the walls. With bare feet Kagome strode across the floor, shedding her shawl in the face of the sweltering summer air, and lit a fire in the stove to make their tea.
The distant sounds of the waking village could be heard in the stillness of the hours after dawn, and Kagome sighed.
"Another day just like the one before it, just like the one that will come after, too."
She filled the kettle and placed it on the stove top, tossing a few more pieces of wood inside for good measure, and then began the process of kneading dough and cracking eggs for their breakfast.
Her grandfather would wake soon and no doubt head straight to his workshop if she didn't have food ready to distract him with first.
She heard him shuffling around just as the bread came out of the oven and she set it on the table with the eggs and butter.
"Grandpa! Come eat before you disappear for the day."
He grumbled about disrespectful grandchildren as he emerged from his room and sat at the table, and Kagome kissed his head as she sat his tea in front of him.
"You need food if you're going to be filling orders all day, you know that. Or should we repeat the fainting episode we had last month."
He balked at that and then accepted a slice of warm bread with no more complaints.
He'd been put on strict bedrest for a week after that incident, and he'd rest meant no working. If there was one thing her grandfather hated, it was not working on his tinctures and remedies.
'The village needs medicine! Who else will give it to them but me?!' Was something Kagome heard a lot when something was trying to slow her grandfather down. Even old age got the lecture when it dared make his bones ache or his back hurt.
"My girl, you're too bossy with your old grandfather."
She heard the affection under his words and smiled at him. If she didn't boss him around, who would? Each other was all they had left, and she wasn't going to let him work himself into an early grave if she could help it.
"Well, I've got to go into town for some things. I won't forget the specialty herbs you asked for. And I'll need to get more wool to knit you more socks. You've got to start wearing shoes in your workshop grandpa, you wear your socks out shuffling around in there without them."
"Bah! Shoes slow me down Kagome. I've got to get this medicine-"
"I know I know, you've got to get the villagers their medicine." She replied, sweeping by him with a pat on his head while grabbing her basket and tying her apron around her waist.
"Be back in time for lunch, granddaughter. The carpenter is delivering today and I have no time to be receiving orders!"
She paused at the door's threshold for a moment as that news sank in, and then she plastered in a smile.
"Alright grandfather, I'll make sure to be home in time."
She stepped out of the door and onto the path toward the village square, a new sense of dread settling on the line of her shoulders.
Dealing with the local carpenter could be a chore. He wasn't cruel, but he was gruff and reclusive and taciturn. He never looked anyone in the eye, and preferred to take orders and make deliveries as quickly and quietly as possible. No one even knew his whole name! Kagome always felt hopelessly awkward around him with her need to make friendly chatter making her mouth run away from her.
'Oh well, there's nothing for it. Grandpa needed new shelves for his tinctures. Hopefully he won't need to commission anything new for a while.'
The village was bursting with activity by the time she made it to its center market, but it was the same activity she'd seen time and again. The path through the center square was well trod and the merchants danced around it well practiced and in perfect sync, like well oiled gears in a grandfather clock. The baker brought out massive baking sheets of buns and breads, the cobbler threw his windows open to let out fumes and wood shavings, a heard of goats marched across the path to the pen set up by their master who sold their milk and cheese, and the raucous clucking of chickens and murmur of voices haggling prices was the music of the day.
So much to see and hear and smell, but Kagome felt detached from it all.
She stopped and bought a hunk of cheese from the goat herder who barely grunted at her in acknowledgment; A dozen eggs from the lady with the chickens who side eyed her as she tucked them into her basket; several skeins of wool yarn from the cloth merchant who was polite enough today to answer her greeting with a smile; some more small glass vials and stoppers from a shop keep who looked down his nose at her, and then she breathed a sigh of relief that she'd reached the end of her shopping list.
With the weight of a hundred eyes on her back she scurried into the small, worn little library tucked into the space between to other shops, only relaxing when the door shut firmly behind her.
The owner of the library, a small, bald headed old man named Myouga smiled brightly at her and put down his feather duster to shuffle over and greet her.
"Ah my dearest Kagome, my most esteemed patron!"
Kagome giggled as he took her hand and kissed it.
"Oh Myouga, I'm your only patron."
"Yes well, all the more reason to regard you as my favorite. No one else has ever shown me such loyalty! Now, what can I do for you this day, child?"
"I came to see if you've got anything new in stock!" She answered brightly, strolling over to the shelf that held the fiction books and perusing the titles she'd read a hundred times each.
"For that shelf, I'm afraid not."
"That's okay, I'll just take this one again." She slipped a thick book off the shelf and walked over to plop it on top of Myouga's work desk, and then busied herself browsing a nearby shelf while he added her name and selection to his records.
"Say Myouga... did you happen to get in any books on healing magic like we spoke about?"
Myouga paused in his writing for a moment and glanced her way. She was trying very hard to retain a casual appearance, but he could read the interest in her unmistakably.
He shouldn't be encouraging her, he knew that. She had a hard enough time getting along with the rest of the villagers who refused to understand her talents and interests, but who else did she have here?
"As a matter of fact my dear, I'm expecting a delivery of a few manuscripts on just such a subject in the coming weeks. I'll be sure to send a note out when they arrive. You'll get first pick of the litter, so to speak."
His eyes glowed with understanding and his bushy mustache hid his smile, but she could read it in the lines and crinkles in his face.
"Thanks Myouga. Well, I've got to get going. Grandpa has a delivery from the carpenter I have to be home to receive. I'll see you later!"
She stepped back out into the hot sun and pointed her feet toward home. The bustle of the market square was still in full bloom and she did her best to keep her head down and get through it unseen. She daydreamed about the cool spot under the thick foliage of a large, shady tree just outside of her house, and the sweet roll she'd purchased that was tucked in next to the book in her basket. The key components in her plan to blissfully wile away the morning until she had to deal with the Carpenter, and the only thing that could ruin her scheduled happiness was-
"Ah, What luck to run into such a lovely sight as you Kagome. You're looking as radiant as ever."
Dread and annoyance wound tight inside her chest and she fought hard not to grimace. Plastering on a smile that landed just this side of fake, Kagome looked into the eyes of the one person in the village she actively disliked and prayed this would be over as quickly and painlessly as possible.
"Good morning Naraku."
His handsome face split into a glowing grin and the sun shined off his long, wavy tresses like a halo.
But Naraku, physically appealing as he was, was no angel. She may be the only one alive not blind to the way his selfishness and conceit bled from every line of his body, and he probably had no idea how many times she'd watched his face fall into disdain after speaking with someone, but she'd never been fooled by him. Everything about him set off all her alarms, and she wanted far, far away from him.
Unfortunately for her, Naraku wanted to keep her close.
"Well, I've got a busy, busy day. I'm afraid I must-"
He put his arm out to stop her attempt to slip around him and Kagome stiffened harshly to feel him touch her.
"Woah, not so fast my dear. I've been looking for you."
"Oh... lucky me."
If he saw her frown he ignored it, instead wrapping his arm around her shoulders and turning to lead her down the path toward her home.
"Lucky you indeed. As I'm sure you heard from the local gossip chains, I'm in search of a wife."
"I don't gossip Naraku, so I assure you I've heard no such thing. I wish you luck though, Kami knows there are countless young women in the village who would love to be your wife."
She pasted on another grin to keep up appearances but the way his black eyes gleamed made her stomach twist with apprehension.
"They would all count themselves very lucky to be noticed by me, but none are so fortunate as that. No, I've come to declare my intention of taking YOUR hand in marriage, my sweet Kagome."
She froze and nearly tripped as Naraku didn't slow his stride. Stumbling to keep up, Kagome felt panic begin to tie her insides into knots and searched for an exit. Naraku has never been subtle in his interest in her, but so far, he hasn't been this forward, either.
"Oh, uh... Naraku! I... I don't know what to say!" She knew she sounded half hysterical, but marrying Naraku would probably top her list of worst potential nightmares. Saying no should be easy, no one had to marry anyone they didn't want to in this day and age, but he had power and influence in the village as one of its richest and most well liked members. Letting him down easy would take finesse she wasn't sure she had.
"You need say nothing my dear. Only let me reassure you of your impending happiness! All that is mine will be yours. Prestige, security, a good name, and in exchange I require only devotion and strong, healthy sons."
The bread she'd had for breakfast turned to ash in her stomach and fought to come back up. Up head the path forked; one side led right to her door, the other went into the woods, a popular spot for canoodling couples, she'd come to find. Glancing up, she saw Naraku eyeing the entrance into the trees with dawning interest and his hold on her shoulder tightened marginally. It was time to make a run for it.
"Well! I have to say I'm surprised you'd stoop so low as to try and marry me. You know I'm not very popular."
"But your beauty and sweetness are unrivaled my pet. You need not worry how you will be received as my wife, no one would speak ill of my choice."
"Be that as it may, I fear I must decline your most... gracious offer." She tried, setting aside that fact that he'd done no actual asking, merely informing her that she would be his wife as that's what he wanted. "You see, I'm the only one who can take care of my grandfather. And oh! Would you look at the time! I must get home right away to help him mix medicine and welcome the carpenter so if you'll excuse me I've really got to run."
She spun out from under his arm and took off, racing down the rest of the path and not stopping until her door was shut and locked firmly behind her. Her heart pounded hard and fast and left her light headed and she panted harshly to catch her breath and slow her racing mind.
"Kagome child? That you back already?"
Her grandfather called from the back room where his workshop was set up, pulling her back to her immediate surroundings and out of her dark thoughts.
"Yes grandfather, it's me!"
"Well?! Did you get my vials?!"
She laughed and sat her basket down on the kitchen table, digging around for the glass jars and containers he'd requested she pick up.
"Yes grandfather! I'm leaving them on the table!"
She arranged them carefully and pulled out the wrapped mince pie she'd picked up for him for his lunch, placing it next to his jars in easy reach.
Her own appetite had fled at first sight of Naraku, so she put her little sweet bun away in a cabinet before grabbing her book and retreating to her room to hide from the world and recover her senses.
Sometime later Kagome jolted awake to the sound of loud, insistent banging. She sat up and noticed the book she'd been reading lying facedown next to her and then glanced out her window, noting the position of the sun high overhead.
"Oh no! The carpenter!"
She sprang up from the mattress and in a blink she was at the door, frazzled and frenzied. She flung the door open while the carpenter was still mid-knock, and she blushed in embarrassment and quickly tried to tame the wild state of her hair.
"I'm so sorry! I must have fallen asleep. I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
He grunted and waited for her to step aside, and then walked in carrying a long shelf, two more learning against the side of the house. She watched him walk right to the kitchen, place the shelf across the table, and pull out a measuring tape.
He worked silently, as usual, and it never failed to make her feel antsy and awkward. She knew she didn't fit in well with the villagers, though most of the time they tried to be polite. But the carpenter, Yash was the only name they knew him by, was even more of an outsider than she was. He was always wearing round goggles with dark glass lenses over his eyes, a brightly colored bandana tied around his head with a leather cap pulled down over it, and he rarely spoke directly to anyone, preferring to keep interactions to the barest minimum necessary to do his job. His craftsmanship and expertise were well respected and utilized but his brash personality usually left him the butt of some cruel joke or other, and it made Kagome feel as though they could be kindred spirits in this village that seemed intent of misunderstanding them.
But Yash the Carpenter had made himself clear: he did not want friends, so all her attempts at even simple, polite conversation were soundly rebuffed.
Just as she worked up the courage to offer him some tea or leftover bread from breakfast he huffed and yanked the shelf back off the table and walked quickly back to the door.
"S'too long."
"W-What?" Kagome stammered, trying to catch up with such an abrupt shift in events, scrambling to keep up with the long strides of the retreating carpenter.
"Old man gave me the wrong measurements. Last time I let him talk me out of checking myself first. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Oh uh... okay, I'll just-" the door slammed shut and Yash was gone as quickly as he came. "I'll just let him know."
She stood and stared at the door awkwardly for a moment and then shook herself.
It was time to start their next meal, and she still had a book to read
A.N.: my new fairytale AU has arrived. I have no sort of update schedule for this, life has been insane so writing is pretty irregular. This one should be fun though!