Chapter 34

Even factoring in their little detour, Kagome was pleased to note that the timing of their arrival at the village was still impeccable. It was really all thanks to Inuyasha and his abilities. Said hanyou seemed entirely unfazed with traveling considerable distances in a short period of time-seemed to enjoy it even.

It made her wonder if he felt all cooped up living near their little village.

She didn't want to think about Inuyasha leaving the village, but still, Kagome made a note to ask him sometime, if that's what he would've done long ago if she didn't show up. She didn't like admitting it, but even she could tell that the hanyou had taken on a sort of protector role because she was so defenceless.

With the recent events in mind however, maybe she wasn't after all. When they returned to the village, she'd have to ask Kikyou about it. Maybe if she could put up a fight against youkai, Inuyasha wouldn't have to be burdened with watching over her.

Redirecting her attention back to the road ahead, Kagome watched with interest as the bustling activity increased the closer they got to their destination. A few carts laden with goods had passed them going either direction along their way.

All indications point to the fact that the market was in full swing and so it should be fairly easy for them to locate the herbalist in no time.

Smiling enthusiastically, Kagome turned and opened her mouth to make a similar comment to her friend before noticing Inuyasha was not walking beside her as she had assumed. Instead, she spotted the hanyou trailing behind in the shadows cast by the trees on the side of the road.

She frowned but continued walking. Inuyasha was an enigma and she had yet to puzzle out the reasons behind some of his actions.

Heading into the settlement proper, Kagome noted that it was definitely bigger than the one she lived in. The village square was larger and actually crudely paved with big slabs of flat-ish stone. Currently it was jam packed with makeshift stalls and repurposed carts. There were surfaces piled high with fabrics dyed brighter colours than any she'd seen since falling down the well, carts of produce and even temporary pens holding small livestock. Some smaller vendors had trinkets laid out on a blanket spread on the ground.

Kikyou had mentioned this village was built at the confluence of several mountain passes and so enjoyed abundance of traffic and commerce. The buzzing activity sure validated that claim.

The obaa-san she lived with had given her a few dulled hair pins before she left on the trip, insisting she take them to trade for something she would like. Kagome had refused vehemently but the old woman staunchly told her she had no use for them anyway so she might as well accept. Kagome eventually relented; the plan was to maybe exchange them for a little something for Kaede. The poor girl did not hide her upset at them leaving on a trip without her very well.

But that was leisure. For now, Kagome had a job to do.

She weaved around the vendors, squinting a little in the bright sunlight to find a stall that might have bundles of dried plants and the like. Though he was somewhere behind her, Kagome wasn't at all worried she'd lose Inuyasha, what with his superior senses and everything.

What drew her attention however, was the loud taunt from a man not far down from where she stood.

"What in the world is manning this booth?" The raspy voice continued apparently on a tirade. "Seriously, do you even know how to talk?"

Kagome hurried past a pair of languid shoppers and laid eyes on the owner of that annoying voice. It was that of an older man, short and stout but clearly someone of some wealth, as his robes were richer in colour, standing out from the crowd.

He proceeded to rap his knuckles rudely on the surface in front of him. "Hurry up, you dimwit. I don't have all day."

Her brows furrowed at the degrading tone of voice before flying up at the sight of who the man was talking to.

What she had initially glossed over as maybe a large pile of goods or a small shed was actually a person. The threadbare clothes of a standard male of the time looked a bit tight. He was so tall and hulking, with dark tanned skin. His big bulging watery blue eyes was filled with apprehension and it made Kagome's heart clench.

The stall keeper wasn't entirely human.

With his size though, Kagome couldn't understand why he should cower before the rude man, but he seemed to shrink into himself while trying to hand the human male some coins.

"You're shortchanging me, don't you think I'm not watching you, you dumbshit!"

"I-it is…correct. You ordered three bundles—"

"Heavens! I never thought there would be a day when I'd say I almost prefer talking to that bossy old hag."

"D-don't call Ma that… p-please." The hulk of a man straightened up a little at that the insult.

"Oh? And what will you do about—"

At that, the boiling cloud of indignant rage finally went to Kagome's head and she barged forward, inserting herself into the exchange.

"Now wait a second here," she interrupted. "That's not a very polite thing to say!"

"What business is it of yours, little girl?" The man sneered, redirected his irritation toward her. "This hunk of filth shouldn't be showing his face, let alone do business."

"You—"

Kagome saw the man reach out, probably to push her back or something and was prepared to stand her ground, or better yet knock him back.

Before she could even move a hair, a familiar red-clad hand had the offending limb in a vice grip.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Inuyasha growled, moving to put his body between her and the perceived threat.

One look at the newcomer and fear flashed briefly on the human's face.

He coughed, voice straining to maintain his previous bravado. "This village always had some shady characters passing through but it's getting out of hand."

He pulled at his arm and Inuyasha, surprisingly let go.

The man threw a dirty look over his shoulder at the stall keeper and swiped up the coin left on the table.

"Don't think I'll come back again, you dirty half-breed."

Kagome felt Inuyasha freeze beside her, though the insult was tossed at the person behind the makeshift counter.

The man left with one last petty gesture of kicking the stall, sending the neat bundles tumbling to the ground.

If only they didn't have to keep a low profile; Kagome would've chased after the asshole herself to teach him a lesson.

Instead, she dropped down, trying to gather as many of the goods as possible. To her dismay, some of the more delicate bundles of plants had crumbled into the dirt.

It would seem they had found their herbalist, but not in the way she would've liked.

Up close now, she could see that the stall keeper's tanned skin was marred with old scars. Kagome bit her lip, not knowing what to think or say.

Straightening, she placed what she could salvage carefully back on the counter.

The large man with the big blue eyes was trying not to look at her, even to the point of shying away.

"Um," She began awkwardly. "I'm Kagome. And this is Inuyasha. I'm sorry I barged in without asking."

"Damn right you should be." Inuyasha scoffed beside her, earning himself a sharp look.

"Uh, um...I-I'm Jinenji." His glance flittered up to them and quickly settled back on the ground again.

Kagome noted that he was efficiently packing everything back into the small cart he had with him. But it was still quite early in the afternoon.

"I'm really sorry I costed you business." She tried again, feeling bad about the whole exchange, although at least it didn't seem like the argument earlier drew too much attention.

"N-no...," Jinenji replied hesitantly. "It's not that. I... I have to go check on Ma."

Kikyou did mention the herbalist she dealt with before had been an older woman.

"Is she okay?"

"Um...y-yes. She... hurt her ankle yesterday but... it's not too bad."

"That's a relief." Kagome sighed out, then eyed all the packages now neatly arranged in the cart. "Would you mind if we came along? We actually came here to buy some medicine from you."

"O-oh...um...sure."

And so, Kagome found herself tagging behind their new acquaintance as they travelled out of the village and into the surrounding hills. Inuyasha was weirdly silent, only glowering and keeping pace with his arms crossed tight over his chest.

Jinenji seemed fearful of speaking and so Kagome tried her best to fill the awkward silence with ramblings about various inconsequential things.

Soon, the wild landscape morphed into a tidy field of clearly cultivated plants, though their appearances did not look anything like crops Kagome had seen before. At the far end was small hut with a thin curl of smoke rising from its chimney.

As the rattling wagon approached the door, a thin figure hobbled out into view, clutching what appeared to be a wood axe.

"Who are you, and what business do you have with my Jinenji?" A surprisingly robust voice came from the small woman, her eyes flashing with her demand.

"Hi!" Kagome hurried to reassure her. "We met at the market and we just want to buy some herbs—"

"Now why did you not buy them there and followed him back here?"

"Ma... they helped—"

"What do you mean they helped?" The woman limped forward, worry entering her voice. "Did those idiots give you a hard time again?"

Her good foot suddenly caught on uneven ground and the woman pitched forward.

Kagome gasped, reaching for her, but as earlier, before she had time to react two different hands had each clasped a shoulder, steadying the older woman.

She exhaled and shot Inuyasha a small smile of gratitude.

Thank goodness Inuyasha was always around at the right moment.

After steadying herself, the woman gave both her and then Inuyasha a long, searching look. Kagome didn't miss the way her gaze shot up to his doggie ears. And judging from the twitch in her friend's clenched jaw, he didn't either.

They seemed to pass whatever unspoken test of hers and was soon gruffly invited inside to sit around the hearth. She offered them tea before asking for an explanation of the circumstances in which they met Jinenji down at the market.

"You're half-youkai too, aren't you?" The old woman asked when they finished their tale, looking up from her cup of tea. "Now that I look at you."

"What of it, baba?" Inuyasha scoffed, seated beside her.

"You might have a pretty face," Ma narrowed her eyes at the inu-hanyou. "But you're still half transformed."

At the comment, Kagome turned to observe Inuyasha's side profile and found that she agreed with the first part of the women's assessment. Nodding a little absentmindedly, she reached to capture a furry eye gently between her fingertips.

"You mean Inuyasha's ears?"

"Ugh." He jerked his head to glare at her, effectively yanking his ear from her hold. "Hands off!"

Kagome made a face at him, pouting inwardly. She'd been jumping at any excuse to touch his ears ever since she'd met him. And that brief encounter just now was agreeable indeed—soft and velvety.

At that, she cringed. Gosh she sounded like a pervert.

"Because Jinenji is hanyou, the villagers are cruel to him"

At this comment, Kagome sobered immediately.

"I'm sorry... Ma, " Jinenji whispered sadly. "It's because of me you get picked on."

"Nonsense!" Ma snapped. "We have done nothing wrong."

After a brief pause, the woman refocused her attention on the pair of strangers.

"So, what is it that you need from us?"

"Oh!" Kagome fished out the small pouch of coins from the inner fold of her robes. "Our village was attacked and we used up our stock. We came to buy more herbs from you."

The woman listened as Kagome recounted the story and explained what specific things Kikyou has requested her to purchase.

"I see." Ma nodded at last. "We have enough to sell you. Tomorrow, we can gather everything together. Night is coming. You two may stay the night if you wish."

Kagome gratefully accepted the invitation, sleeping under a roof was a welcome change after the last few days of camping. Over a simple meal, they learned the story of Ma and Jinenji's father, which she mulled over even as she shrugged into her bed roll.

Inuyasha sat upright, propped against the wall with his arms crossed in his sleeves. He wasn't far behind her to begin with but Kagome shuffled ever so slowly back a tiny bit, trying to not be conspicuous about it.

The feel of his warm presence behind her felt comforting.

Before long, Kagome drifted off to sleep, head filled with imaginings of what a young Ma and Jinenji Pa would look like.

If only her innocent dreams were not soon interrupted by what sounded like muffled footsteps on gravel.

Kagome jerked awake, heart pounding.

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Baba - a very rude and insulting way to say 'old lady'

A/N: Hello. Hi. I am alive. Sorry for worrying some of you. Just life has been a little hectic so the writing unfortunately suffered.

Thank you again so much for the nomination for Best AU/AR over at Feudal Connection on Tumblr :)

There is probably a few hours left to vote of anyone wants to pop on over.

Your enthusiasm for this story means so much to me! I can't say it enough. (I am still behind on comment replies…forgive me.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. However, this plot, the exact sequence of words and any original characters described therein, I reserve all rights to.