Beauty and the Wolf
Chapter 3
Kagome slowly made her way up the steps of the shrine; how had such a small trip into town turned into such a mess? It was just her luck to end up in such a foolish situation. She knew better, she knew how the village felt about her, and yet she still hoped that she could make a difference. She really was an idiot. They were never going to change. Their mindset was one of survival, of making the most out of what they had, using what they knew. Change wasn't easy for them. She heaved a heavy sigh, pushing some stray hands behind her ear as she watched the steps disappear beneath her feet. Unfortunately because of this angle of view, she hadn't seen the person standing at the top of the steps, and her attention was clearly not on her senses.
"Kikyou!" Kagome gasped as she steadied herself, having run face first into the eldest of her siblings.
"You should have sensed me long before you got to these steps, sister. You've been slacking on your training. Again." The youngest of the three let out a steadying breath as eyed her sibling. They were so alike and yet so different. Kikyou was a few inches taller than the lot of them, her hair down passed her waist, eyes as calculating and cold as the winter was the most prominent difference between them. Kikyou was intelligent, but cold in a sense. She smiled when she needed to, was kind to travelers and others that needed her help, but no more than necessary to do her job, her duty. The woman had skill and ability for days, but not the warmth and kindness that Kagome bore towards the world. If the youngest had only taken after her sister more, she could have been the prized jewel of the village instead of the outcast that she was.
"Someone has to help gramps around the shrine and take care of this place. You like having a roof over your head don't you? Clean clothes? Dinner on the fire?" Kagome retorted, taking a step to the side to avoid Kikyou.
"You seem to have time to waste in the village." Kagome ignored her as she passed. "And for the half breed." Or not. Of course Kikyou could sense his youki on her.
"I'm not the only one wasting time on Inuyasha." Kagome practically snarled back, tossing a dirty look over her shoulder.
"Watch how you talk to your elder sister!" Kikyou spat as Kagome continued her trek inside, Kaede rounding one of the buildings and greeting Kagome with a wide smile.
"Good Morning Kagome." she said softly, hopefully out of Kikyou's hearing range. From the tone of voice she'd just heard, the eldest was not pleased with their little sister. "Fighting awfully early today aren't you?" Kagome responded with a roll of her eyes, and the scowl that followed.
"It's never too early for her." Kagome grumbled, stepping aside to allow Kaede to pass. The middle sibling sighed, making her way to the also scowling Kikyou, following her into the main shrine building for more training.
Why? Why did Kikyou always harbor so much anger towards the young woman? She'd always been a wonderful older sister to Kaede, taking her under her wing, training her to be the best miko she could be. Kagome headed into the small house, her father busy in the kitchen, tidying up from the morning's meal. A small bowl sat on the table, but the youngest couldn't bring herself to eat it. She handed her grandfather the small stack f parchment and headed to her room, depositing the box of tattered scrolls onto her windowsill before heading out onto the grounds to begin her chores, mind still trapped on the subject of Kikyou.
As a child, and even now, Kagome admired the eldest. Once upon a time, she had wanted to be just like her, to be able to heal others, and be an asset to the village. Kikyou never cared for Kagome's feelings, the youngest child always seemed to be a burden to her. Was it because their mother had died birthing her? Was it because shortly after her birth, a sickness had fallen on their home village that they couldn't combat? They'd had to leave shortly afterwards. Gramps was a good priest, a kind one, he cared for all around him, but he had granddaughters to protect. Had Kikyou believed the old superstitions of the village? That Kagome bringing about the death of her mother was the cause of the village's downfall? Perhaps. When the eldest was in a particularly nasty mood, she would have no problem in reminding Kagome of the tragedy that befell their lives before coming to this little town.
Sweeping, gathering water, washing clothes, hanging them to dry, airing out the futons, Kagome had a busy day all around, and because of her heavy heart it hadn't exactly made the process any faster. So many questions lingered in her heart, so many what ifs that seemed to haunt them. What if she hadn't been born? Could their mother have stopped the illness? Was she really a bad omen? Was that why the villagers couldn't open their hearts to her no matter how hard she tried? Even as darkness fell, the youngest miko kept working, scrubbing the floors of the main building where Kikyou and Kaede spent their days training.
"You'd better appreciate the clean floors you're kneeling on." she grumbled to herself, the sadness ebbing away to anger as she tipped the bucket of dirty water into the bushes, tucking it under her arm to put it back in the house. Her father and sisters had long since doused their lamps, and as Kagome expected, she was up late into the darkness finishing her chores for the day. She put the bucket back in it's spot, ringing out the cloth and dropping it inside. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, sweat had pooled on her brow, and just about everywhere else. She could feel it clinging to her skin. Mind wandering to the pile of clean folded clothes in her room, she decided that she didn't want to waste another day of laundry by putting on clean clothes with dirty skin. She quietly moved passed her family's rooms to her small one, tucking her night clothes under her arm along with a dry cloth to dry herself, and a oil lamp in her hand. On her way out, she noted to herself that she would have to collect some wood for the morning fire on her way back.
In the dark, Kagome made her way through the woods on their shrine's grounds, deeper and deeper until she sat beside the edge of the river. The water was cold, it chilled her right to the bone, but it was worth it to get the dirt and grime off of her skin. She peeked the dirty clothes off, leaving her underclothes on as she waded into the slow moving water. With only the sounds of nature around her, she finally took a deep breath, relaxing into the waves that brushed up against her. What would it be like to be one of the mermaids from the stories? What would it be like to swim the deepest oceans, or bask in the sunlight of a distant shore? What kinds of people could she meet from distant lands? Kagome dove under the water, carefully guiding her body through the cold water, mind lost in a world entirely not heir own. One where she could be free to do as she pleased, where perhaps she had someone to take care of her for a change. Perhaps there, in the world of her mind she could find someone that would love her, only her.
Shivering and wrinkled, Kagome pulled herself onto the shore, sighing to herself, foolish dreams of a foolish girl. This village was her home, and she'd spend the rest of her days on this tiny shrine picking up after her family. If she didn't, who the heck would? The youngest miko used her cloth to dry her skin before putting on her clean ones. The dirty clothes wrapped neatly, and tied into a bundle under her arm, leaving her free to pick up whatever fallen branches she could on her way back. She could return to the forest on the morning to get more for the rest of the day.
Only the sounds of the crickets and the blowing leaves in the wind accompanied the woman through the woods as she struggled with the lantern, the clothes and the small bundle she'd managed to carry. Unfortunately, her full arms made it impossible to see. Her foot snagged on a root, sending the girl sprawling to the ground. She groaned to herself, laying there for a moment, perhaps contemplating how bad her luck was when a voice reached her ears.
"What was that?" Kagome's body stiffened, heart caught in her throat. She knew that voice.
"It's nothing Kikyou. No one's stupid enough to come out into the woods in the middle of the night." She knew that voice too. Immediately the miko's eyes darted tot he sky. No wonder it had been so dark, usually she had the moon to give her a little light, but the moon was nowhere to be seen. Kagome sat up, moving closer to the voices as the silence settled once again, despite the fact that she knew what she would find.
A small clearing in the woods revealed exactly what she had expected. Propped up against a tree was the black haired Inuyasha, Kikyou settled neatly between his knees, her back leaning against his chest, arms secured around her. It had become routine now hadn't it? The moment the hanyou's blood turned human, Kikyou would run to his side, and the moment she was disgusted with him once more, he'd come running back to Kagome, whose heart had broken one too many times at this sight. Once upon a time, she would have been sick, angry and tearful, but now a numbness crept over her bones as she gathered her things, racing back to the house as fast as her tired legs could carry her. The last thing she wanted was to have to face them.
She deposited her dirty clothes in the wash bin, and the firewood nit it's pile before sinking into her bed, lamp hanging nearby as she pried open the box of scrolls, desperate to be away from this rugged shrine, and simple town. As her body settled into it's place, her mind left without her, wandering the fields and forest of distant lands.
Far too soon, the sun shone through the glass panes of the young miko's room, eyes opening to another day, like the one before. She kicked the heavy blankets off of herself and put the scrolls back in their box, and it back in it's rightful place. She combed through her hair, knotted from not being attended to the night before, her clean garments being pulled on. Outside her room, she could hear the shuffling of her sisters and father, of course they were up early, Kikyou herself probably hadn't gone to bed at all. Kagome tucked her bitterness deep down and headed to the kitchen, the smell of breakfast hitting her nose before she even reached the room. It was market day, and the sisters were to see their grandfather off.
"Good morning," her father chimed, and Kagome yawned in response, gathering the bowls for rice and stew without being asked, avoiding all eye contact with Kikyou. She had dark bag under her eyes. She hadn't slept a wink. No doubt the moment her father was gone she'd feign a fever and lay down for the day.
Breakfast was the usual affair for a market day, relatively quiet, only the clinking of chopsticks on ceramic and the odd comment here and there. Kagome excused herself from the room as soon as she could, hitching the horse to the old carriage at the bottom of the steps. The sooner their father left, the sooner he would be home. The world outside the wards was dangerous at night, and her grandfather was not exactly in his prime.
"Kuroro, you take good care of him, okay?" Kagome cooed tot he black and white horse. She snorted in response, nudging the priestess with nose. "I'll take that as a yes." She smiled at the creature, stroking her face as her family descended the steps to the shrine.
"I'll be back as soon as I can. You all behave yourselves now, and get along." said the old man as Kaede helped her grandfather up into the seat of the carriage.
"Of course, grandfather." she chirped, taking a step back to stand between her sisters.
"Now, if I can manage, what would you all like from the market. I have one more trip before winter hits, so think carefully." They had no real coin to spend on luxuries, but the old man wanted to spoil his granddaughters when he could.
"A new comb for my hair!" chirped Kaede, her hands clapped together.
"Prayer beads, please grandfather." said Kikyou, bowing her head to the old man.
"I'll do what I can. What about you Kagome?" The youngest of the three took a deep breath.
"Nothing, I have everything I need." Lies. She needed plenty. New kimono, a new broom, a stone to sharpen their axe, new cloth for the washing, but she knew how expensive her sister's requests were.
"Kagome, that's not an answer." The miko and her grandfather met eyes. She knew they couldn't afford much, they needed every coin he could gather to make it to the next market day before winter. If they weren't properly prepared, it could be dangerous.
"Fine. I want a cheery blossom. They're in season aren't they?" The old man sighed heavily, shaking his head. Girl was too stubborn for her own good.
"Cherry blossom it is. Take care of the shrine while I'm gone, I'll see you in a few days!" he called back as he raised the reigns, Kuroro giving a loud whinny before starting their trek down the path out of the village. The three granddaughters waved until the cart had disappeared from view. Kikyou was the first to drop her hand and step away, covering her yawn with her hand.
"I am feeling under the weather today. I need rest." she stated simply leaving room for no argument as she headed back to the house. Kagome should have bet herself money. The bitterness surfaced again for a moment, but there was no time to dwell on such things. There was work to be done.