Inside Kaede's hut, the fire was ablaze and the delicious soup she prepared was simmering in the black cauldron above the fire waiting to be eaten.

"Come, Inuyasha. You must be exhausted. Don't you worry about Kagome. She has the soul of a warrior." Inuyasha reluctantly left the spot where the well was buried but, it was true. He was a bit overworked and he realized he hadn't eaten for several days.

The door of the hut slammed shut as the inviting heat and appetizing aromas of the soup lured Inuyasha in.

"Mmm." Inuyasha shut his eyes and breathed deep. And for a moment, all his thoughts of Kagome and her safety ceased and all he could think of was "pork and tofu soup mm mmmm!" Kaede fetched a colossal bowl a filled it to the brim. She herself ate from a mini rice bowl. Inuyasha was about to dig in when he noticed how little Kaede was eating.

"What's wrong? Why are you eating so little? There's a whole truckload of soup left! How am I supposed to finish it all?" He caught a bit of worry swimming around in Kaede's eyes. "What's going on, hag?" Kaede waited a while before answering. The wind blew ferociously outside and sounded like a howling ghost. The hut shook but the blazing fire kept the two warm.

"Nothing," the old woman said. "Let's eat." Kaede dug into her soup like a madwoman and finished it all in 5 seconds. Inuyasha hardly touched his soup. Kaede looked up. "More?" she asked.

~~~~~

"Lady Kaede!" came a horribly high pitched voice from outside. More like voices. "Help us!" the wind continued to howl. Or was it the wind?

"Where is the girl from the future?" the 'wind' seemed to say. Inuyasha's sensitive ears perked up and his eyes slanted. "The ghost of four souls." he hissed. He leapt outside and was greeted by the ghost of four souls.

"Inuyasha.you vile half-breed.where is the girl from the future?" Fire shot out of the ghost's eyes, charring Inuyasha's face.

"Demon, be gone!" he lashed at the ghost and a blanket of thick smoke enclosed the entire village. Inuyasha groped around helplessly. The village lay in smoke for four days and on the fifth, the smoke cleared away. But to Inuyasha's surprise, the ghost of four souls was nowhere to be found. And the well had returned to its natural spot - with bloodstains on the rim of it.

To be continued.