Timeline: Kagome arrived in Bree on January 28th, 3017. It is now February 1st, so about four days go by in this chapter.


Chapter III - Settling In

Morning came swiftly and Kagome woke just as the light began to color the sky in soft blues and yellows. The mounds off in the distance were silent and unchanging, but she could hear the hustle and bustle of the inn as another day dawned before her.

She wasn't quite sure what to do, as Butterbur hadn't given her much direction the previous day. Not like they could communicate much, though. How she was going to go about explaining her situation to Butterbur, was beyond her. Things weren't going to just solve themselves.

First things first, get settled in.

Kagome moved over to the tiny desk that she suppose acted as a makeshift vanity. It was little more than a small box but it held her things just fine. She pulled out the dress Goldberry packed for her the day before and laid it out on her bed. Her gaze shifted briefly to the door, where she placed a chair under the door handle to prevent anyone from coming in. There didn't seem to be any locks on the door and though her room was far removed from the main part of the inn, she was cautious on the occupants who came in and out of the inn. She didn't even know the type of people who worked here. It couldn't hurt to be cautious; her time with the Inutaichi taught her that much.

Putting the dress on was easier said than done. It was nothing like a kimono or her Miko garb. She frowned, because the material was strange against her skin, and being in it wasn't as comforting as she hoped. She much preferred the other dress, where it simply flowed around her. The hem dragged a bit on the ground and she suppose that with Goldberry being much taller than her, of course, it wouldn't fit her correctly. She'd have to take the bottom in to prevent from tripping on it. Maybe later, when she could learn how to ask Butterbur for something.

After settling her hair into a messy braid, there was a knock on her door. She stood hastily, slipping her shoes on as the door opened, and revealed Butterbur with his rosy cheeks and bushy mustache. He wore a worn collared shirt dyed a deep blue with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a white apron around his waist. When he saw her all ready, he smiled brightly and nodded his head at her kempt appearance.

He motioned her to follow him and once again, led her down past a dozen rooms and down the stairs where the inn was situated. It was still early morning and the inn was empty save for that little person from last night who was putting chairs down and wiping tables. Butterbur waved him over as they came to a stop near the counter where he worked.

When he scurried over with an old cloth in his hands, he settled it into a loop on his pants and bowed to her with a barely-there smile on his face.

"Nob." Butterbur gestured to the little man. He repeated himself again, with 'Nob' nodding his head vigorously before they turned their inquisitive gaze to her.

Nob, she noticed, had the aging face of a middle-aged man. He had a bed of curly brown hair that matched his pants and suspenders laid over a deep blue collared shirt. Like Butterbur, the sleeves were rolled to his elbows but she found his feet were bare, like she'd seen on his kind once before. Nob had much more hair on his feet though and his ears, when she saw them, were slightly pointed. How strange, she thought. Part of her wanted to ask Nob or Butterbur but she wasn't sure if that would be rude or not.

Butterbur gestured to her with his hands and she had a distinct impression that maybe this was when she introduced herself? She smoothed her fingers over her dress, clasping her hands before she bowed to them in return.

"Kagome," she said, pressing a hand to her chest.

It felt strange introducing herself using her first name. Too personal and too intimate, considering these people were but strangers to her. But then foreigners did that and they didn't know her customs. What was the saying? When in Rome, do as the Romans do?

Silence followed. Butterbur nodded his head at her with a shaky sort of smile that didn't quite reach his eyes while Nob simply frowned at her. It was almost as if he wasn't sure what to make of her.

Butterbur cleared his throat, patting his apron down as the door chimed and another of those small people came walking through. He seemed a bit lankier than Nob, with a bed of curly russet-colored hair and clothes that have seen better days. They were in the same fashion as Nob but he wore bright yellows and light browns. Still, she could tell they were of the same race.

"Bob," Butterbur said, gesturing with his hand to the newcomer. 'Bob' smiled and he seemed much more friendly than Nob was because his bow was more enthusiastic.

Her smile was shaky but she returned his bow with one of her own that made them all frown a bit again. She wasn't sure what she'd done wrong; it only seemed right to greet them as such. Unfortunately, all she got were strange looks. Foreigners didn't bow, though, so maybe that was it? It was a hard habit to break out of; her customs were ingrained, she couldn't forget it if she tried.

Butterbur was the first to wave it off. He talked with Nob and Bob for a few minutes before they went off to do whatever it is they did at the inn. Butterbur waved her through a set of swinging doors, the same ones from last night where a pair of smaller swinging doors were situated side by side. They went through the bigger ones and through the kitchen out the back door where an empty tub lay.

It was a grassy area with a few sparse trees surrounding it and a Well house nearby. The ground was damp and worn like it had flooded recently but she suppose maybe this was where they emptied the water at. They must use it for something, anyway. There was a gate connected to the inn, she noticed, and through there she could hear the soft neighing of horses nearby. So maybe it was a Horse Inn? She could smell the manure strongly from here. The stable yard, maybe?

Butterbur led her over to the Well house and took the lever connected to it. He cranked it until a bucket filled to the brim with water. It wasn't exactly clean, but Butterbur took the pail off the hook and poured the water into the large empty tub.

He handed it to her after and she held it strangely, unsure what Butterbur was asking her to do, exactly. It wasn't a strange notion; more than once she and Sango would go down to the river in Kaede's village and grab pails of water for winter.

She supposed she was going to clean something in it if Butterbur was insisting she keep pouring water into the tub. It was strange he wasn't going to boil it first. But then maybe the people in this village did things differently?

After some time, Butterbur left her to fill the tub and she began the arduous process of going back to the Well, filling the pail up, and emptying it out into the tub. It was such a long process but it kept her hands busy and her mind off the constant plague of questions that hounded her thoughts.

Maybe being here was a good thing? Was she just being delegated cleaning duty? She could do that, she supposed.

The day grew on and Kagome found herself without much to do when she eventually figured out that the inn didn't open till much later in the evening.

For the most part, nobody really bothered her. She met the cooks, Arnott and Wyman. They were quite older than her and she thought one of them was missing a few teeth but they were nice. Word must have gotten around that she didn't speak Westron very well because everyone she met thus far, barely said anything to her. Or maybe nobody talked much here, she wasn't sure.

She observed much in the short time she had to herself. Apparently, Bob cared for the horses, or she supposed he did since he never left the area where the horses were. He was so much smaller than them but he handled them with finesse. That was also where the outhouse was and Kagome was definitely avoiding that thing for as long as she could. It couldn't be sanitary, not in the state it was in. Did nobody here understand basic hygiene?

As lunchtime came around, the inn became busier and busier. People streamed in and out constantly. It looked as if the inn was the place everyone convened to; most occupants were male, however.

There were so many strange people who'd come into Butterbur's inn; some who looked like Nob and Bob, others who were tall and gangly, with swords at their hips. But Kagome noticed only the men here carried a weapon, not the women. She rarely saw them walking on their own if any at all. In the feudal era, it wasn't such a strange sight to see someone with a sword at their hip, considering the hordes of demons that roamed japan. It wasn't commonplace, but it certainly wasn't too odd. The sight of so many in such a clustered area sent an uneasy shiver up her spine. Did bandits attack this town to garner such fortifications? Maybe mercenaries of some sort? She certainly hoped that wasn't the case.

The town, though, it wasn't what she expected. But getting just a glimpse of the place wasn't enough for her to judge it. Was the town a place of trade? Who was in charge of the town exactly? Kagome was curious, but she wasn't sure how to phrase her questions. Her broken Westron was about as good as a toddler.

As the evening sun cast amber glows over the horizon, Nob came out from the back door and set a stack of dishes on the damp grass. He left through the door again but came back out with a stool and motioned her to come over. The pail had been set to the side along with a bar of soap and a rag that had seen better days. She came closer and watched Nob rub the bar against the rag, dunk it into the water before taking one of the dishes in hand and scrubbing it. He did the next one fairly quickly and set it into the large tub she filled earlier that day.

Right. So she definitely was being delegated cleaning duty. She could do this, it was easy enough. Pulling her sleeves up, she motioned Nob the soap and cloth. If he seemed surprised by her enthusiasm, he didn't show it or say anything. After a while, when he was certain she could hand it on her own or maybe he was needed elsewhere, Nob left with a nod.

The air grew crisp and it became cold as the night sky bloomed. The warm sun cast shadows along the inn and she could hear the trees swaying, imagine the boughs dancing. Kagome repressed a shiver, neck-deep in dishes that she didn't see herself finishing anytime soon. Nob and later Bob, kept bringing more and more dishes for her to clean. They were stacked in a neat pile near the door and she tried not to wince at her hard work being set on the ground. The muddy ground with suds of soap and other unmentionables were. What was the point of washing dishes when they were only going to put them back on the dirty ground? She didn't want to make a fuss so she added her next clean plate to the growing pile. It wasn't her job to question them, least of all people who were helping her and giving her shelter.

After a while, when the noise in the inn died down, Butterbur came out to her and motioned her inside. Bob came out from the stables and tilted over the big tub of water into the bushes nearby. He followed behind them quietly, exhaustion lining his face and the length of his body.

Dinner was a small bowl of hot broth with clumps of chicken and potatoes. There was buttered bread to go with it and a mug of...something frothy, set on the side. On closer inspection, Kagome found it was some sort of beer or ale, but it had very little smell so she couldn't be too sure.

Butterbur motioned her to eat, smiling when she dug in with earnest. He didn't have to tell her twice. Nob and Bob had taken their seats across from her, looking particularly tiny in the big chairs. They managed just fine and even put away twice the amount of food they'd been given. Currently, they were on their third mug of ale and didn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Sometime during it all, Arnott and Wyman joined them. They smiled and laughed along with Nob and Bob, drinking tankards of ale. She eyed her mug warily, unsure whether it was safe for her to take a sip or not. It wasn't that she didn't trust Butterbur or the people she worked with, on the contrary, they seemed very nice. Still, she was wary. And she was a lightweight with only a bit of alcohol in her in the first place.

Nob, seeing her untouched mug, held his up to her with two hands and said something she couldn't quite catch. He spoke too quickly for her but the others seemed amused by it so it must've been something funny. She gripped her mug with shaky hands and took a cautious sip, remembering to pace herself. The first taste of it didn't quite register on her tongue and she blinked, surprised. It actually wasn't that bad, she thought. There wasn't much taste besides the slight bitterness that came after.

The others held their mugs up and a joyous roar erupted from the others at the table. Wyman slapped her lightly on the back as she took a more enthusiastic sip. She smiled, feeling the shackles of her anxiety slowly bleed away.

Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad? Kagome settled into bed that night content and more than a little determined to make the best of her situation. All she could do was try and push forward.

The next day passed in a similar fashion as the last and Kagome fell into a routine at the Horse Inn. Butterbur paid her five gold coins for her work every day and though she wasn't sure of the currency the people used here, it was better than having nothing at all. Everything she earned was kept safe in a knapsack in her bag. She wasn't sure how long she'd be here so planning ahead was probably for the best.

The others she worked with took to her quite well. It was obvious there weren't any women working here besides a really elderly woman whom she assumed was Butterbur's mother or such. She wasn't sure, but Butterbur doted on her and often scolded her when he thought nobody was looking. He introduced her briefly but the woman didn't seem to really register her and only stared at her in confusion. In the end, the older woman was ushered back into a room on the ground floor and Kagome was left wondering if she even existed since she never came outside.

On the third day, Butterbur had seemingly given her the day off. Or she suppose he did; they had a very trying moment of charades with Butterbur getting red in the face at trying to explain himself and Kagome not knowing a thing he was saying besides the obvious, "no" he kept repeating. She got the gist of it rather quickly after that.

Curious about the town, Kagome wandered the streets and examined the many buildings and storefronts. She thought for a second to ask Butterbur for a map of some kind but he was already quite busy as it was so she made sure to not wander too far from the inn.

There actually wasn't much in the way of things. She was sure there must be another gate somewhere but the town itself was completely surrounded by a tall stone wall. She supposed the gate facing west had been the gate she passed through because there was that same elderly man standing guard there who eyed her strangely when she approached. She thought he'd been a passerby but it didn't seem that way. A watchman then? Or some makeshift guard? He didn't seem like much of either but then there were plenty of men roaming with weapons on their hips so maybe he was just a greeter of some sort. She didn't linger for long, though, because many a stranger gave her odd stares.

As Kagome wandered back to the Horse Inn, a group of shorter men came walking through behind another group in jewels and plated armor. Many of them were carrying large axes and wore fine jewelry on their hands and belts. She peered at them curiously and found they were all rather hairy with their beards braided in various styles that she found so intriguing. It was such a curious sight that Kagome nearly ran into one of them by accident.

The one nearest to her scowled as she side-stepped and grunted out something she couldn't understand as she bowed and tried to apologize. The rest of his party stopped momentarily but when they turned to stare at her, they grabbed their companion and moved on fairly quickly. One of them, this one with a greying beard and a hat that oddly resembled a boat, swept over in a neat bow with a wide smile on his face and said something that went right over her head. He used his hands rather dramatically and she was aware of the many knives hanging off his belt. What was he saying? He seemed nice enough and she felt remiss in staring when she knew that wasn't nice. But she'd never seen people like them before. They had the strangest aura and though she didn't sense any ill will from them, it never hurt to be wary.

She stared, confused, but inclined her head at whatever it was he was telling her. She couldn't apologize in Westron properly so she bowed her head again and winced at the angry stare his friend was giving her. The axe on his back was rather large, even for his size and she hoped nothing violent came of this misunderstanding.

The man with the strange hat cocked his head curiously, but another of his companions yelled at him, interrupting their rather awkward silence. It was more awkward on her end because she kept flapping her mouth open and close, failing for the little bit of Westron she knew but forgot completely at that moment. She felt grateful for it though and almost laughed at the dramatic bow he did as he bid her goodbye.

As she watched them disappear into the crowd of people, Kagome continued her wanderings of this odd town. The smell didn't let up and she wondered if the people here showered at all because every person she ran into practically reeked. But then many here threw their slop out into the street and she was sure that didn't help much either.

Enough wandering for one day, she thought with a grimace.

Kagome went back to the inn much later in the afternoon and spent the rest of the night washing dishes with Bob with the heavy smell of manure and damp earth lingering in the air.