Disclaimer I don't own much. Of course this means Inuyasha and his crew.

Of Fates Unknown

Chapter Five

The stable owner found them a caravan, and on a raw, cloudy day, the three set out on the final leg of their long journey. Shippou traded off riding with either Souta or Kagome but when he was tired he would often curl up in Kagome's arms for a nap. There where several groups from Domna in the caravan, but Kagome remained separate from them. She had no idea how big Domna was, and feared that they might ask questions she couldn't answer.

The land changed quickly from broad plains to rolling hills with still higher mountains in the distance: mountains so tall they seemed to touch the sky. And the weather grew even colder. One day, there was even a slight sprinkling of snow that frosted the forest floor and shady crevasses between the rocks.

Gednay turned out to be a village not much larger than the one they had once called home, and after resting there for a day, the trio set out alone for Domna. The innkeeper assured her they would be safe, repeating what the stable owner in Tiamat had said about Lord Inuyasha's brand of justice.

The road was deserted as they road north into a cold wind blowing down from the jagged peaks ahead of them, and when the sun appeared briefly in the afternoon, they saw that the highest of the peaks had snow at their crests.

They stopped that night in a small, tidy village where they found a widow who took in guests. She seemed as glad for the company as for the coin, and after plying them with more food than they could possibly eat, she talked about the incessant wars that had already robbed her of her husband and her eldest son.

"Lord Inuyasha's a different man from his father," the woman said, shaking her head. "A good man in many ways, but he's not about to rest until he's king. My Padric said that he even took a vow not to marry 'til he wears the crown. He wants to give his son more than he has you see."

Kagome had told her that her grandmother was originally from Domna, and since she herself was now a widow with a younger brighter to care for, she had decided to return there in the hope of finding a relative. She also spoke of how they had found Shippou along the way and didn't want to leave him alone so they brought him with them on their journey.

"My grandmother told me stories about Domna," she told her hostess. "The ones I remember the best were about the Ceadda. I guess I remember them because she said they were sorcerers."

"Aye, so I've heard," the older woman nodded. "I remember those stories from my own grandmother, but I never put much stock in them. They were just stories of the kind you tell the wee ones: elves and such likes."

Kagome had to restrain a smile at that. She wondered what the woman would say if she knew that she was talking to one of them, albeit one who knew nothing of sorcery.

Still, it now seemed clear to her that the Rheas had believed her people to possess strange powers. The woman repeated the tales that Morvath had told about bringing the rain and the sun and holding back the frost until the harvest was complete. And she added to those stories about strange powers of healing as well.

As she lay in bed that night, with Shippou curled up with her as he had taken to doing, Kagome thought that at some point in the future, she could surely find a way to learn all about her people. She would have to be careful, of course but surely in Domna itself, there would be opportunity.

The next day on the road, they came upon a grisly sight that proved the truth about Lord Inuyasha's way of dealing with robbers. Two bodies dangled from a tree at the side of the road. They'd apparently been there for some time, since she smelled them even before she saw them. She hurried them all along quickly as Souta shuddered and Shippou just buried himself deeper in her arms while holding his nose. Death was something they'd all seen too much of already.

Kagome hadn't really doubted what she'd been told, but this ugly evidence served to remind her that she was now in the land of a cruel, warlike man who would almost certainly kill them if he knew who they were.

Shortly after they passed the dangling bodies, they came upon a small group of soldiers heading in the opposite direction. As the men came to a halt just ahead of her, cold terror coursed though her veins. She'd been told that Lord Inuyasha's men were honest, but that did little to improve her state of mind at the moment.

Their leader rode up to them and touched his helmet briefly. "Good day to you, missus. Are you bound for Domna?"

She said that they were and asked if the way was safe.

"Safe enough, missus. You'll come to no trouble in Lord Inuyasha's lands. But you'd best get to Domna as fast as you can. The weather's about to take a turn for the worse."

Kagome lifted her head and looked up at the bright blue sky with a frown, and the soldier chuckled.

"I can see you're a stranger here." He gestured behind him. "See that milky sort of sky about the mountains? By tomorrow, it'll be bringing us snow."

Since he seemed so friendly, Kagome ventured to inquire where she might find lodging in Domna.

"Go to the Sword and Bow. It's a tavern, but the owner's got some cottages back behind and he's the honest sort. You can't miss it. It's just before you start up the hill to the keep."

The small group rode through the wide gates into the walled city of Domna the next day, just as the first snowflakes began to fall through the still, cold air.

For more than an hour, they'd ridden through farmlands now denuded of their crops- and during that entire time, the forbidding stone walls had loomed ahead of them. Beyond the walls, they could see only a tall stone tower with narrow slits and a conical roof. And once, when they crested a hill, they could see the huge, sprawling keep itself.

These first glimpses of her ancestral home filled Kagome with a sense of wonder, and even Souta who chattered incessantly with Shippou as they rode, sat astride his small mare in silent awe.

"Power" was the word that filled her mind. Never in her sheltered life had she seen such a raw display of unimaginable power as she witnessed now. The huge stones that formed the wall were so old that they seemed a natural outcropping, and not something created by man. And yet, it might very well be that some of her own ancestors had labored to build that wall and the keep whose tower kept drawing her attention.

Because the wall had seemed so forbidding, Kagome was surprised to find life inside the city quite normal. She tensed briefly when she saw the guards in their elevated stations just inside the gates, but their impassive gaze swept over her and no challenge was issued.

Everywhere, people were hurrying to and fro, no doubt trying to finish their business before the storm's fury descended upon them. Kagome had quickly learned to judge the wealth of a place by the appearance of its inhabitants- a matter she'd never considered before since all her people had been well-fed and well-dressed.

Here in Domna, she saw none of the ragged people and hollow-eyed poverty she'd seen elsewhere. To be sure, some were better dressed than others, but no one looked truly poor. Even the cats and dogs seemed sleek and well-fed.

She did note, however, a number of men, most of them fairly young, who were missing limbs or parts of limbs. War had obviously taken its toll on the residents of Domna, but also appeared that the Lord of Domna took care of his own.

And well he might, she thought, if the tales of Domna's gold were even half-true. As a child, she'd heard about that gold: Ceadda gold, they'd called it, of course. But it had long since passed into the hands of Lord Inuyasha's family, stained with Ceadda blood.

To her amazement, the streets were paved with worn, rounded stones. And they were very clean as well, unlike the other placed she'd seen during her wanderings. Nowhere did she see the foul-smelling ditches or piles of litter she'd grown accustomed to.

She stopped to inquire of a young woman with two children in tow where she could find the Sword and Bow, then discovered it just where the soldier had indicated earlier, on a broad thoroughfare that led directly up to the massive stone keep that sat on a slight rise and dominated the entire city from behind its own separate wall.

She was pleased to see that the Sword and Bow appeared to be neat, tidy establishment, with bowed windows facing the street where window-boxes still held a profusion of late-blooming fall flowers. A low wall ran along both sides of the tavern, with a door set in one side. Beyond that wall, several roofs were visible and she assumed they must be the cottages.

They tethered their horses to the railing outside the tavern and pushed through the heavy door. Prepared for the pungent smell of yeasty brews, Kagome was startled to be met instead by the far more pleasant aromas of good food.

She shook off her snow-covered cloak, and helped the boys with theirs as they looked around. It was mid-afternoon and there were few patrons about. Those who were present were well-dressed and obviously there to eat, rather than to drink. The place was cleaner than any she'd seen yet and handsomely furnished as well. No one was behind the long bar at the moment, but as they stood there in the entryway, a woman appeared from the kitchen. The boy's stomachs rumbled loudly and Kagome promised them something to eat as soon as they found out about lodgings.

The short and rather stout woman bustled up to them, wiping her hands on a spotless apron. Her bright eyes took them in quickly.

"Strangers, aren't ye? Welcome to the Sword and Bow. We've got some good stew left and some nice biscuits too. Just ahead of the storm, aren't ye?" She looked out the window, where the snow was now falling thickly in the waning light.

"We would like a meal," Kagome told her, warming instantly to this motherly person. "But we're also looking for lodgings. I was told that you might have a cottage available."

"Ahh," said the woman with a smile. "As it happens, I do. But it hasn't been cleaned yet. The tenant just left this morning. How long do ye recon ye'll be staying?"

"I'm not sure," Kagome said. Then she launched into her story about a grandmother who'd grown up in Domna and her dead parents and husband. And how along the way they found the orphaned youkai.

"Gram always talked about Domna, so we thought we'd come to see if any of her people are still here. We may decide to stay. It seems a fine place."

"That it is, in spite of it all. Where were ye living before?"

"In Aegir. My husband was from there. He was a merchant."

"Ahh, so that explains your accent," the woman nodded sagely. "I couldn't quite place it."

So much for all her efforts, Kagome thought. But the woman appeared to have accepted her tale, and that was all that counted.

"My name's Keade. My husband's Myoga, and we own the Sword and Bow." She took Kagome's arm and placed a friendly hand on Souta's dark head. "Ye just set yerselves down and have some dinner, while I send a girl out to clean up the cottage. D'ye have horses?"

Kagome said they did and Keade told her she'd send the stable boy around to tend to them and unload their belongings.

The meal was delicious and before it was over, the chill had left their bones. Kagome felt lulled by the food and warmth and the kind mothering of Keade. All of it, she thought, seemed a good sign that coming here had been a good decision.

The cottage was snug and decently furnished, and even had two bedrooms, although one was very tine. She chose that one for herself, since she intended to replace the boy's toys as soon as possible and they would require more space than she herself required. It also pleased her that the cottage was secluded at the very rear of the large property, and therefore away from the noise of the tavern.

After they had settled in, Souta fell asleep on the think hearth rug and Shippou fell asleep in Kagome's arms while she sat in a sturdy old rocker, she began for that first time to consider their future here. Up to this moment, her thoughts had been focused only on getting them to this place safely.

I have come too far too fast, she thought. But now I must think about how we are to live.

The rent had proved to be reasonable enough and she still had quite a large supply of gold coins left. But it certainly wouldn't last forever. It felt strange to have to think about such matters, since her future had always been secure in the village.

Her gaze fell on her sleeping brother and she got up to get him a blanket, laying Shippou down next to him, she covered them both up with it. Souta stirred slightly, but only to snuggle into Shippou better. She thought about waking him and send them to bed, but guessed that he would want to remain here. Souta still disliked being out of her sight.

When she turned away from the hearth, she saw her precious lythra in its worn leather case, leaning against the wall where she left it earlier. She hadn't played it in all this time. She would have played it during her sea journey, but when she'd brought it out on deck, the captain had warned her that the salt air might damage it.

Now she picked it up and examined it, running her fingers over the ornately carved wood. It was very old when her grandmother gave it to her. In fact, it had been carried by her grandmother when they'd fled Domna.

"So now you're home again," she said to it softly. "Perhaps you'll play even more sweetly here."

She plucked lightly at the strings, thrilling as always to the deep resonance. If she played quietly, she wouldn't disturb Souta. She'd often played for him before he went to sleep.

Kagome had over the years composed many of her own melodies, but on this night, she chose one of the old ones her grandmother had taught her. None of them had names- or if they had, they'd long since been forgotten. As a child first learning them, Kagome had called them "sad-happy", and she still thought of them that way: poignant, bittersweet melodies that never failed to stir the deepest emotions.

She had no idea how long she'd been playing when she head the light tap at the door. Setting aside the lythra, she got up and unbolted the door to find Keade standing there, frosted with snow but smiling.

"I dinna want to disturb ye, but thought I should check to see if ye need anything." She held out a cloth-covered plate. "And I brought a little plate of cakes."

"Thank you," Kagome said warmly. "Please come in. The boy's have fallen asleep on the hearth."

Keade came in and clucked sympathetically. "Poor we lads. All this has been too much for them. But they'll like it here. My grandson's about Souta's age and they live just down the street. If this snow keeps up, they can have a grand snow fight tomorrow."

Kagome smiled. "They will like that. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Keade said she would and as Kagome busied herself getting it, she heard a soft exclamation and turned to find the woman staring at the lythra.

"Ach, but this is a lovely thing. I though I heard you playing. 'Tis very old, isn't it?"

Kagome nodded. "I'm not sure how old, really. My grandmother gave it to me and taught me to play, but it was old even then."

Keade bent to examine it more closely in the light of the oil lamp. "I've never seen one like it. All that beautiful carving."

Then she straightened up and accepted the cup of tea before settling herself in the second rocker. "There aren't many who play the lythra anymore, though everyone loves the old music."

Kagome thought about her earlier musings on their future. She hoped to set herself up as a healer, but that would take time because she'd have to seek out the places where the herbs grew and plant a garden as well.

"Do you think I could earn some money playing?" she asked. "I was thinking earlier that I must do something. I still have money left, but I have to be careful." She glanced at the sleeping boys.

"They will need a tutor. At the moment, they want to be a sailor, but I'm determined that they should be educated."

"Oh, ye won't need money for that. Not here. All children go to school. It's the law, ye see. Even out in the farm villages, they have to go, though allowances are made for farmwork."

"All? You mean it's free?" Kagome was surprised. That had been true in the village, but she'd already learned it was not the case in most places.

Keade nodded, "Lord Inuyasha says that all children must learn to read and write and know about their history. Some say that it was that way in the days of the Ceadda, but his father weren't so strict about it."

"The Ceadda." Kagome echoed. "I've heard of them, but I thought they were only legend. Were they really sorcerers?"

The older woman shrugged. "They might have been. That's what the old stories say. But they were real. They're all long gone, of course- more's the pity."

"What do you mean?"

Keade's ample bosom heaved with a sigh. "Oh nothin' really. There was wars then, too, and Lord Inuyasha's not a bad sort, really. A far better lord then his father was. Except that he won't rest 'til he's king. And at the rate he's goin', there won't be anything left of the Domna gold." Her eyes fell on the lythra again.

"Ye asked if ye could earn some money playing. We'd be happy to have ye play nights at the tavern. We run a decent place, ye know. We don't put up with no drunks- leastways not troublesome ones. Lord Inuyasha's mer come here regular and he won't have them gettin' drunk and causin' trouble. Fact is, his Lordship has been known to come in himself from time to time. Likes to mingle with his people, he does. And he likes my molasses cakes, too. Even sends down for them."

Kagome's interest in earning some money was considerably dampened by the thought of having Lord Inuyasha for an audience, but she agreed to play, knowing that she risked offending this kind woman if she didn't. He must not come that often, and with any luck, she'd never see him.

After Keade had gone, Kagome sat there thinking about Lord Inuyasha. What a strange man he must be: cruel enough to hang thieves and subject his people to constant wars, yet good enough to provide free schooling and see to it that all his people were well-cared for.

)O(

Ok, now Keade and Myoga, yeah well I just soooo see him as a barkeep and can see Keade as his kindly wife. Doen't ask, cause no, he is not a flea in this, just a normal human. But it was a pairing that I just couldn't resist. giggles Don't forget to review. Thanks!

Brightest of Blessings,

Lady Banshee 999