Summary; Kagome wanted to be a priestess, but her grandfather didn't approve.

A/N: The story idea came to me in a dream somewhere in the second half of April. I am posting the first chapter now, let me know what you think. The rest of the story will be uploaded when I have it all typed, but since it's not going to be a terribly long one you shouldn't have to wait for long. Anyway, hope you like it.
Tell me what you think about it.


The Fae Tree

1.


There was something new and exciting about this place, despite the fact that it was obviously old and far from being exciting. It was a place of prayer and contemplation, of studious meditation and insight.

It was the shrine led by her father's family for generations. Now the shrine owner was her grandfather, who so graciously allowed her mother, brother and herself to move in after they lost their home and belongings to a fire. Their mother had to sell the land and they made the trip across the country to start anew in the place where her deceased father had spent his young years.

Kagome looked out of the window of the small, humble carriage that delivered the mail and, on occasion, also people. Her mother sat beside her, optimistic as she spoke about her father-in-law and their new home. The shrine was an old one, the shrine owners were well-respected in the town that spread close by. Souta listened to their mother, his big eyes full of hope. The boy, according to grandfather's letter, was going to be schooled and raised as the successor of the old priest, so he could take over the shrine.

Kagome couldn't help, but wince internally at the memory of the letter - it was formal and to the point. They were welcome to live under her grandfather's roof and eat from his table, but she had little doubt, that the only one he really wanted there was Souta.

She decided not to dwell on it and instead observe the landscape they were crossing. The road went in wide bends, like a meandering river, fields and pastures covering the flatter parts of the land while lush thickets and forests covered the hills that rolled to the distance. It was like the road was the divider, outlining the wild hills and bordering the fields. Small villages dotted the countryside, with tower of shrines rising tall and slim against the cloud-littered sky. Sometimes she could spot a farm lost in the fields.

"I remember how Toshiba took me to visit his parents when we were just engaged," their mother was in full blown storyteller mode. "It was such a beautiful place, the shrine hidden away in between the hills."

"Do you think grandpa will let us explore around?" Souta asked hopefully.

"I am sure he will," the middle-aged woman smiled. "It is like the shrine stands like a watchtower on the border of the civilization, really. The forests there are vast and wild, so you two will have to be careful and not wander to far in. It might be dangerous and easy to get lost."

'We will be careful, mom," Souta said and Kagome gave a nod of affirmation from herself. "I just can't wait to get there and see where dad grew up!"

"It is a really big and lovely house," mama continued her story. "We came there during late spring, when all the flowers were blooming and so colorful..."

Kagome looked out again, her mother's voice filling the silence.

The carriage moved down the road with the speed of the four horses running at an easy,. pretty fast gait. They stopped in a few towns, so the driver could deposit the bags of mail or packages to the post office. Each time the horses happily used the break to get some food and drink. The little family also refreshed themselves before the journey resumed.

The inside of the carriage was rather stuffy and humble. It was not as uncomfortable as one could think but they were moving for hours and Kagome felt a bit stiff despite the breaks. Her head ached mildly from the vehicle jumping on some holes in the beaten road. She had tried to sleep but it only caused the ache to deepen.

The Higurashi shrine was drawing near and Kagome couldn't help, but think about it and her future there. Souta was going to love it, the boy was always so cheerful and easily made friends. He liked open spaces and outdoors in general. He was also going to learn and become a priest, something he wasn't that fond of at his young age, but what - Kagome was sure of it - he would appreciate in the future. She loved to learn and read when she had a chance, telling Souta what she'd learned had always made him smile. He was just a young boy, who loved stories and was just starting to appreciate the knowledge contained in books.

Her mother was going to take over the duties of the lady of the house. Grandfather had a maid who took care of cooking and cleaning, but Kagome had no doubt that her active, doting mother would quickly take over the helm, overseeing the maid's work and making herself useful. She'd raised a pair of children, had taken care of everything with only Kagome as her helper. Their old home had always been tidy and they had always had food - even if not very fancy at times.

With Souta and her mom Kagome knew she was going to be happy at the shrine. They were a family, together they could do whatever was needed. She also hoped that her grandfather would over time grow to at least like them. They were his family too and, even if Kagome was a bit uncertain, she was willing to give it a try. After all, it was her father's father.

And it wasn't like they had other options.

She bit her bottom lip. It was the start of a new chapter in her life and she wanted to think positive, but she missed her old life and home in their town. She missed her three air headed friends, their Sunday walks in the park, the holiday afternoons when they visited each other to bake or paint or read poetry.

Kagome hoped that she could make new friends in her new home. Who knew, maybe she could even find love. She had little hope of finding a man that would appreciate her personality, but one should never rule out a possibility of a miracle.

"Mrs. Higurashi!" called the driver, his voice cheerful and jovial. "We're almost to the Higurashi shrine!"

"Thank you!" Kagome's mother called back. Souta and Kagome pressed their faces to the glass of the windows, eager to see their new home as the carriage took a bend to follow a thinner road that led a bit away from the town that was just ahead following the main road. The shrine was maybe a half of a kilometer down the road, the tall tower standing straight in between the hills covered in lush forest. The view was painted in vibrant colors that seemed to shine in the sunlight. Kagome felt a shiver of anticipation and anxiety as they approached.

Soon the horses stopped in front of a big gate and Souta jumped out first, followed by Kagome and their mother. One of the horses neighed, the sounds of the birds chirping in the forest nearby filled the air, that carried various pleasant scents of nature. The driver was removing their baggage from the roof of the carriage and handing them to a young man in plain clothing.

Kagome sighed, happy that they finally arrived. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled shyly at the man, who inclined his head in acknowledgment of the small family. Short farewells were exchanged with the driver and the carriage rolled back the road towards the town. The young man wiped his hands on his thighs and approached, a kind smile on his face.

"Hello and welcome at the shrine," he said in a quiet voice. "I am Hojo and I work as a hand. I take care of the farm and field, and repair things around the property. It's nice to meet you, Mrs Higurashi, Miss Higurashi and Mr Higurashi."

Kagome couldn't help, but smile at his kind words. Her mother offered a smile of her own.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hojo," she responded. "Kagome, Souta," she gestured to her children, "and I are very thankful that you came to help with our baggage."

"Oh, it's no problem, Mrs Higurashi," Hojo shook his head. "Priest Higurashi told me that you were to come today, so when I saw the carriage, I came to help. Priest Higurashi waits for you in the house, he caught a cold, so he couldn't come and greet you. Go ahead, I'll bring your things inside."

"You're such a kind young man, Hojo," Kagome's mother said. Souta smiled and muttered a thank you, which Kagome repeated with honesty.

Maybe their grandfather was just a tad too formal in his letter, but was actually one of those warm people/ Maybe he was as anxious to meet them as they were? After all, he was their father's father, he couldn't be a bad person. And Hojo seemed so honestly nice, she doubted someone like him would want to work for a heartless man.

The house and the small farm was located behind the gate, fenced off from the forest that seemed to start just behind the boundaries of wooden bars. The shrine with its tall tower was to the side, also fenced off to prevent the wildlife to encroach on the sacred ground. Behind both halves of the property, partially obscured by the bulk of the house, Kagome noticed was an orchard.

All of that she saw as she followed her mother inside the house - a spacious wooden structure, with walls painted white and with dark brown shutters on both sides of each window. It had was much bigger than the house she had grown in, but not nearly as big as some of the manors she'd seen. Carved wooden banister encircled the front porch, that curled around the side of the house, the banister posts supporting the veranda roof. It was a pretty house, obviously well taken care of.

The interior was a bit shadowy, with creaking floor boards and narrow staircase. But the kitchen she glimpsed through an open door as they walked deeper inside, was full of sunlight and homely. The living room on the other side of the corridor was furnished with dark, heavy and obviously old furniture, a few bookshelves filled with books lining the walls. She didn't have a chance to see more, as she had to walk after her mother.

They walked into the next room down the corridor, that had even more bookshelves and comfy chairs - it was obviously a study room. Behind an oak desk, in a tall-backed chair, sat her grandfather.

In gray robes of a priest, his hair gray as well, he looked a bit as if covered in dust. Only his eyes were dark and shining in his wrinkled face as he looked at them. He had a cup of hot tea in his hand, an open book laying on the desk in front of him.

"Ah, so you've arrived. Good," he said when they all bowed properly. "Hana, Kagome and Souta. I presume your journey went well?"

"Yes, father," Kagome's mother replied quietly. "The boy who works at the farm said that you are unwell? Is there anything I could help with? I was assisting Toshiba at his practice and know some remedies..."

"Don't bother. I already took the concoction that will see my headache gone and tea will cure the rest," the old man cut her in, his voice polite, but rather gruff. "Get settled, all of you. There will be time for talk later."

Kagome smiled shyly at the old man, before following her mother out of the study. He returned his smile, albeit it wasn't as radiant as she remembered her father's.

Following her grandfather's instructions, they climbed upstairs and found themselves in a corridor much like the one downstairs, five sets of doors lining the walls, three on one and two on the other side. Souta was to sleep i the room on the right side, the last one of three, the middle one belonging to the priest. The women had to live on the left side. Kagome's mother in the room nearest to the stairs and Kagome in the one that had door facing her grandfather's.

The young woman stepped inside her new bedroom and smiled. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple bed, a wardrobe and a small table with a chair under the window, but it was tidy and obviously had belonged to a girl sometime in the past. The wallpaper was pale pink with plum flowers dotting it, there was a small table with a bowl and a pitcher of water.
A potted plant stood on the windowsill and a patchwork quilt covered the bed.

Inspection of her new living space done, Kagome went to help Hojo bring in their bags, Souta was already doing the same and excitedly asking poor Hojo a thousand questions. Kagome reminded her brother to stay on the quiet side, their grandfather was not only not used to many people in the house, but also had a headache. It was better to not annoy him from the start.

It took two hours to get them all settled, both of them helping their mother. When all was done, Hana urged her children to go explore the farm while she went to help the maid and discuss housekeeping with her as they prepared dinner.

The sun was nearing the horizon, but it was still at least two hours until the sunset. It was casting growing shadows behind all the structures and trees. Kagome let Souta choose their path, so they first went to see the barn, with a horse, a cow, a pair of goats and a handful of pigs inhabiting the space. They spotted in total three cats, but only one of them came to greet them, a pale fat fellow with darker spots all over his body. They also met the farm dog, who barked at them until Hojo came to help them introduce themselves to the cute, but loud brown mutt with his tail curling on his back. Hojo showed them where the shed with tools was, where was the coop with chickens fenced off so they couldn't destroy the vegetable garden that was tucked between the coop, the shed wall and the orchard.

It all was familiar to the siblings, their own house having a small farm where they helped during the harvest time or to feed the animals. It was familiar and made this new home more homely in a way. Kagome liked animals, spending time tending to them would be pleasant.

The orchard was pretty standard, with apple, cherry and plum trees growing in neat rows. They admired their barks, painted white with lime to prevent rabbits and other animals from eating the bark off. It was a soothing place, Hojo looked at it with pride when Kagome praised him for taking such good care of the trees and the whole farm. It was easy to see he liked his job,.

Only one tree grew out of place. It was tucked in the cherry section of the orchard, but it was obviously not a cherry tree. For one, it was twice the size, its trunk tall and wide like a pillar of some chapel. Its branches spread wide and it seemed no one had cut them to shape like the other trees. Kagome approached it, Souta at her side, as they admired the unfamiliar tree. It had dark green leaves and the most unusual flowers. They were similar in shape to cherry flowers, but were much bigger. The insides were radiant white, while the borders were red like wine. It looked out of place and yet, somehow right where it should be. The scent of the flowers made Kagome feel a bit dizzy with how sweet and strong it was, a very pleasant feeling of serenity filling her. Her tension left her body and she relaxed her shoulders, inhaling deeply.

"Ah, you found the fae tree," Hojo said, walking to stand next to the mesmerized siblings.

"The fae tree?" Kagome asked, not looking away from the branches swaying gently on the breeze.

"Yes. It's a weird one, this one. It blooms much later than other cherry trees, and it not always produces fruit, but when it does, the wine made out of them is potent and sweet," Hojo explained. "There's a folk tale that long ago one of the Higurashi priests sealed a fae inside this tree, but it's just an old wives tale."

"It's so pretty," Souta said and went to pat the smooth trunk, Kagome realized that it was the only one not painted white. Still, it had no marks of being nibbled on. Only one darker spot, not bigger than two centimeters,, marred the light brown surface around two meters above the ground.

"Yes, it is," Kagome agreed and reached up a hand to touch the silky petals of the flowers growing on a branch she could reach from the ground. "And it smells so nice."

"If you want, miss, you can take a branch or two to your room," Hojo said with a smile. "It's already too late for it to have fruit this year, and I'm sure the priest won't mind. Besides, they say that the scent of the flowers brings nice dreams."

"Really?" Souta glanced up to the canopy overhead. "That's a magic tree, alright!"

"I guess it has a nice smell to the flowers," Hojo shrugged. "The priest says that it's too strong, but the wine is really good."

Kagome looked from the young man to the flowers she was touching. With a smile, she followed the length of the branch with her fingertips where it grew out of a thicker branch. She was about to grip it harder and pull, but as long as her fingers curled around the spot, the branch snapped quietly under her touch and Kagome was left with a twenty centimeters long piece, adorned with flowers and leaves, while the tree limb swayed over her head.

Blinking in surprise, she smiled when Souta came over to inspect the flowers closer. The girl let him before Hojo had to go and milk the cows and she and Souta went back inside the house.

After the dinner, which was a quiet, but pleasant affair, Kagome went up to her room to find it filled with the sweet scent of the twig, now standing in a clay vessel with water on the table. The young woman smiled and stroked the petals for a moment, before looking out of the window, at the orchard and forest behind it, slowly getting darker and darker as the night was taking over the sky. Not wanting to light a candle, Kagome quickly changed into her nightgown and slipped into the bed, ready to retire after a long, eventful day.

Kagome stretched in her new bed finding it comfortable enough, even if it was narrower than her old one. The quilt was heavy and the pillow was way too big, but it was warm and smelled of fresh air. She listened to the silence, the quiet creaking of the house somewhere outside of her room, the wind rustling in the leaves of the vast forest that surrounded the shrine grounds from three sides. She sighed and sank in the bedding.

She was fast asleep when the moonlight touched the branch of the table,