Inuyasha

Love's War

Chapter 20

The Picnic

March 20, 2023

Inuyasha walked into Edo Village easily, the villagers glancing up at him curiously before returning their attention to their chores with newer villagers taking their cues from the older ones. The Village is bigger now than Inuyasha had ever seen it. Himeko walked beside Inuyasha tall and proud but still uneasy, walking into a human village was always different for her. They would always run in fear screaming while the men grabbed whatever farm implement, they had nearby to defend themselves and their loved ones. So, to walk into one that was uncaring at their arrival was unnerving and strange to say the least.

"Ah Inuyasha what a pleasure, ye life at the castle suites ye." Kaede said with a smile over at the half demon when he stopped in front of her. Time had continued to do its duty on the old priestess who was now leaning on a cane while a young lady tended her herb garden beside her hut.

"Hello Kaede." Inuyasha said warmly with admiration in his eyes. "You seem well." he said with a soft smile on his lips.

"Aye, I cannot complain. My young Priestess here does most of the arduous work these days." Kaede said with a small nod over to Inuyasha then motioned to the young Priestess who had stood up, dusted herself off and was now standing beside her master. She has beautiful black hair half pulled back into ponytail and braided, while the other half fell neatly down her back. She has beautiful blue eyes and has on the traditional Priestess attire.

"Kagome Higurashi, pleasure to meet you. Kaede speaks highly of you." the young Priestess said with a bow to the newcomers. She missed the look between the two and Kaede who just winked with a finger to the side of her nose. "My brother Ren is a Priest and is out in the fields today if you would like to meet him." the Priestess said looking back up at everyone.

"Perhaps next time, we really only came to tell Kaede of our mating." Inuyasha said with a small nod over to the young lady.

"Ah, Ye have done well at the castle my dear, congratulations." Kaede said with a bright smile on her lips. "And how are the Lord and Lady of the West?" she asked curiously.

"They are doing very well Priestess. The Lady of the West gave birth to a boy and girl not long ago." Himeko said with a nod to Kaede.

"Ah, yes, the twins. I wasn't summoned for the birth?" Kaede asked curiously wondering why she had been left to tend to her normal duties unlike when Hikaru had been born.

"There wasn't time. Sesshomaru and I were fighting down south during the last war when she gave birth quite suddenly." Inuyasha said with a small shrug, there was nothing they could do about it now anyway. "Speaking of the last war, how was Edo during all the battles?" he asked curiously. Hitomiko had told them once she was returned to her village there were no other problems. The Eastern Wolves had mobilized and moved on the enemy preventing any retaliation on her or her charges.

"Ye, know we didn't really see any difference in day-to-day life. Seems all the fighting was farther south and west than where we are." Kaede said leaning over on her cane a little more shifting her feet.

"You need to rest." the young Priestess said worried as she reached out to steady the old Priestess.

"Do you need me to do anything, while I'm here Kaede?" Inuyasha asked curiously, he knew human lifespans were extremely short and Kaede's was coming close to the end, normal lifespans were in the 50's and Kaede was in her 70's which was amazing to him.

"Ah, no Inuyasha, I'm just glad I got to see ye and know ye have a mate." Kaede said with a soft smile. "I expect when next ye arrive my young counterpart here will be in charge of the Village protection." Kaede said motioning over to the young Priestess.

"Have you been training long?" Himeko asked worriedly also knowing of Human lifespans usual length and Kaede was well over average for a human.

"Oh, I began training when I was young. My brother and I moved here to Edo when our parents died of illness, so I sought out another teacher to finish my training." the young Priestess said looking over to them curiously.

"Very well, if the time comes when you need any assistance send word to the Western Castle." Himeko said nodding over to the young woman with a small smile on her lips.

"I know it's a strange arraignment for a Priestess and Demons to work together, but this village is special to us for so many reasons. And we've found it to be helpful joining forces over the years to take down strong demons neither of us on our own could handle." Inuyasha said looking at Kaede with a warm smile then looking over at the young Priestess.

"I shall remember that." The Young Priestess said looking at Inuyasha and Himeko interested in the two of them. She made a mental note to ask Kaede more questions about the history of the village and in particular these Demons.

"As you know Kaede the West and East share responsibility for the protection of Edo Village, I see the village has expanded quite a bit over the last several years." Inuyasha said glancing around at how large the village now is, it's nowhere near the size of Tokyo but he could see over the next several centuries how it could get so large.

"Ah, yes, Inuyasha since the treaty between the two Demon Lords, most demons avoid this village. We still get the low-class mindless killers, but they are easy to handle and few and far between. Ye have made this a village people wish to live and they travel from all over to get here." Kaede said glancing around at the village herself.

"Well, it looks great Kaede, you've done well." Inuyasha said noticing how much Kaede was now shifting her feet leaning on her cane. "Would you like help into your hut, before we leave?" he asked curiously.

"That would be appreciated Inuyasha." Kaede said holding out an arm for him to take since he had stepped forward at her acceptance. He helped her into her hut then down into a chair. "I thank ye for all ye've done Inuyasha." she said smiling over at him holding his hand in hers, rubbing it like all mothers do for their children.

"Kaede, you've done more for me than you even understand. And I thank you for every second you've spent helping me and worrying about me." Inuyasha said squatted down in front of her squeezing her hand lightly.

"Oh, Inuyasha, watching ye and helping ye has been my absolute pleasure." Kaede said with a small smile on her lips as she looked at him. "Now off with ye, my trainee needs to return to her chores." she said with a small laugh and a dismissing wave of her hand.

"Alright Kaede, you behave yourself." Inuyasha said with a small nod then stood up. He turned and walked out of the hut with Himeko right behind. Once they were on the outskirts of town he stopped and turned to look back at the village. "She won't make it much longer; we need to tell Kagome." he said with a small frown on his lips.

~*~*~*~ Western Castle~*~*~

"Halt who goes there?" a demon on the wall called down to what appeared to be an injured human male approaching the castle.

"I hear there is a Priestess here, I need help please..." the man said as he showed blood on his hands.

"Send word to Lady Kagome, she's in the garden. Then inform Lord Sesshomaru." the guard said quietly to the man beside him. "You stay right where you are do not move." the guard said.

The guard rushed over to Kagome in the garden where she was overseeing the picnic lunch for Shippou and Sachi. "My Lady, apologies, but there is a wounded human male at the gate requesting the Priestess who lives here's help." he said kneeling down beside her.

Kagome looked from the guard over to Shippou wondering how he would react, naturally he had stood up when the guard arrived worriedly. "Let's go Sachi, we'll return when Kagome's duties permit." he said helping Sachi up then motioned for Kagome to lead the way.

Kagome smiled as she looked at him while standing up. "Right." she said then began walking to the gate. "Tell my mate I'm heading to the gate." she said never pausing knowing the guard would do as she said.

Shippou and Sachi followed Kagome and heard her instruct the guards to open the gate just enough to let them out and to stand guard from the walls. Shippou followed Kagome out the gate door to stop just a few feet behind her and to his surprise Sachi stopped beside him, he had figured she would stay inside the walls, but he smiled softly returning his attention back to the human standing in front of Kagome.

"Priestess, I'm so happy to see you. See I hurt myself chopping wood close to here and I needed some healing, but my farm is in a village without a priestess. I remembered I was close to the castle, and they had a priestess." the human said, showing her his injured arm with a lot of blood.

Shippou's brows furrowed that was too much blood for a simple injury then he noticed a new scent on the wind. "Get back in the castle." he growled out over to Sachi as he pulled his sword let out some of his aura and had the human down on the ground in half a heartbeat shoving Kagome away from the human. "Poison huh." he said angrily kicking a dagger away from the human's good hand.

The Human was terrified looking up at Shippou along his blade that was pointed at his throat. Unable to do anything except whimper.

"Shippou!" Kagome yelled at him angrily as she turned from where she had spun and fallen onto the ground.

"Take her inside!" Shippou growled out to the guards that had rushed down to protect Kagome. He was scanning the forest for any signs of movement.

Sesshomaru was coming out the front door of the castle when he saw his struggling mate being drug into the castle walls while she was yelling to let her go. "WHAT'S GOING ON!" Sesshomaru said angrily.

"My Lord there was an attempt on her life." the guard said handing Kagome over to Sesshomaru just as Shippou was dragging a human male in through the gate.

"It's true, had Shippou not acted Lady Kagome would have been severely wounded or killed." Sachi said quickly to stem the flow of Sesshomaru's and Kagome's anger.

"What?" Kagome asked angrily as she looked at Shippou holding the human easily and his poison dagger in his other hand. She realized what had happened and her anger vanished as she stood beside Sesshomaru staring at the human sadly.

"I suggest we have Dr. Tadashi check this out to figure out the poison. I sensed movement in the woods, but it seems for now whoever was there is gone." Shippou said as he arrived at Sesshomaru and Kagome's side. "I'm sorry for knocking you out of the way, but there was no other way to reach him before he attacked you." he said looking directly at Kagome.

"I've had so many Humans come here for help and have helped every single one asking for nothing in return. Why?" Kagome said shocked as she moved to face the man Shippou had a hold of.

"You are an abomination, you've bedded a demon, and bore him children." the human spat out seeming to gather some of his courage now that Kagome was the one to address him and not the demons.

"Bastard!" Shippou said angrily before violently jerking the man away from Kagome and dragging him into the castle to put him in the dungeon.

"Stay within the castle walls, double the guards!" Sesshomaru said softly over to Kagome then finished loudly to the watch commander. 'What a time for Inuyasha and Himeko to be gone.' he thought irritably as he followed Shippou's path down to the dungeon.

"Are you all right Lady Kagome?" Sachi asked worriedly as she ran over to her.

"I'm dirty and scuffed up from being shoved to the ground but I'm fine." Kagome said with a small smile to the young woman. "Come along." she said hooking her arm through Sachi's and began to walk back over to where the picnic was laid out for the courting couple.

"Shouldn't we retire into the castle?" Sachi asked worriedly as she looked around noticing the new number of guards on the walls.

"Nonsense." Kagome said as she sat down on the blanket with Sachi knowing that Shippou and Sesshomaru would be some time before returning to them. She closed her eyes and let her powers seep out around her and when she opened them again there was a barrier around the castle to add a layer of protection.

"Mother?" Hikaru asked curiously as he came around the corner.

"Yes Hikaru?" Kagome asked curiously as she turned to her son.

"Why is your barrier up? Who was that, that shippou took down to the dungeon?" Hikaru asked as he walked over to the two women.

"It was a bad person Hikaru, he tried to kill me pretending he was injured and needing my help." Kagome said honestly.

"Are you ok?" Hikaru asked worriedly looking her over.

"Yes dear, big brother Shippou saved the day." Kagome said with a bright smile on her lips, her earlier anger completely gone. To be honest, she wouldn't have done it any other way had it been Sesshomaru who didn't know the danger. She didn't like being manhandled but, at the moment, it was needed.

Hikaru satisfied that she was safe, sat down in her lap and snuggled in closer to her hugging him. "When's Uncle Inuyasha going to return?" Hikaru asked worriedly as he looked out over the castle walls. He hated when Inuyasha was gone especially after his encounter with the Halfbreed Killer during the war.

"Soon, I'm sure." Kagome said as she hugged him a little tighter.

"May I ask a question?" Sachi asked curiously.

"Of course." Kagome said as she looked over at the princess.

"I mean no disrespect, and I understand if you refuse to answer. But how does a Halfbreed fit in with a royal family like this?" Sachi asked curiously her way of raising was Halfbreeds were an abomination and should never exist. But with the West holding Inuyasha to such lofty standards to avoid a war she and her sisters were taught to hold their tongues on the subject when the Western Dogs were around.

"Halfbreed!" Hikaru said irritated as she spun on the Princess his eyes showing his anger at the term. He knew other lands used the term as an insult instead of just referring to his parentage.

"Hikaru." Kagome said bopping him on the head for his outburst. "Inuyasha is the second born of Lord Inu No Toshi, Sesshomaru's father. It's taken a long time for Sesshomaru to come to terms with his brother being a Halfbreed. But Inuyasha isn't an ordinary Halfbreed, he's strong and powerful he oversees the garrison here and on the battlefield. He is afforded all the rights he would have had if he had been born a full demon. I know the other lands do not see Inuyasha as an equal, but our way of thinking is a person's right to live or societal contributions should not be limited by one's birth circumstances." she said with a small smile to Sachi.

"Everything seems so peaceful and happy here. I believe the North does it wrong." Sachi said looking up at the clouds passing overhead.

"I'm glad to hear it." Inuyasha said striding over to Kagome around the castle with Himeko as his side.

"Uncle Inuyasha!" Hikaru said happily as he jumped up out of Kagome's lap and raced over to him and hugged him. "Hello Himeko...Aunt Himeko..." he said confused as he looked at her with his head tilted slightly wondering how he should address her.

"Himeko is fine." Himeko said with a soft laugh as she ruffled the boy's hair.

"What's up with the barrier?" Inuyasha asked Kagome curiously as he lifted Hikaru up to carry him the rest of the way over to Kagome.

"Some human tried to kill momma." Hikaru said as he nuzzled his face against Inuyasha's shoulder.

"What?" Inuyasha and Himeko said shocked and worried as they began looking at her like she was a wounded animal.

"I'm fine, I swear I'm surrounded by mother hens." Kagome said as she rolled her eyes and laughed a little. "Shippou protected me, the man approached the castle wounded and asking for the Priestess that lived here. While I was looking at his injured arm, he produced a poison dagger with his other hand that I didn't see." she said looking up at the clouds imagining what would have happened had Shippou not been there.

"He was brave and very aware of the situation he caught a whiff of something he didn't like ordered me back within the walls then protected Lady Kagome." Sachi said remembering him sniffing the air just before he acted so abrasively to them both.

"Without him there I would have been dead for sure." Kagome said looking back down from the sky to Inuyasha and Himeko.

"Yes and no." Sesshomaru said cryptically as he rounded the corner with Shippou beside him. "I've seen your body fight off poison before Kagome, so there is no real telling how it would have affected you. Without dr. Tadashi providing an antidote it would have been an awfully dreadful day for you to say the least." he said stopping beside Inuyasha.

"Apparently there was three of them, had I been out there with you they would have used poison arrows on me." he said with a raised eyebrow.

"They were counting on surprise. They forgot our senses are better than their own." Shippou said with a smirk showing his fangs slightly.

"Well, if they are that brazen to attack here at our own front gate, no more leaving the walls to tend to injured Humans Kagome." Inuyasha said placing Hikaru back on the ground glancing over at Sesshomaru curiously.

"My thoughts exactly, injured humans can be escorted into the courtyard for you to tend to, since I know you will forgo any ban, I place on you healing humans." Sesshomaru said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Kagome giggled as she looked up at her mate. "See its only taken a decade to get it." she said and laughed with a huge smile on her lips. "It seems a valid compromise, so I agree to the new system." she said as she smiled up at Sesshomaru.

"I can't with her, she sees no danger in anything." Sesshomaru said throwing an arm up in aggravation before turning and walking away back into the castle.

Kagome laughed as she watched him walking away. "I love that man." she said with a bright smile on her lips.

"You love to torture him, that's what you love." Inuyasha said with a laugh and a rolling of his eyes at Kagome.

"No, but I won't have my every move dictated by him, Lord or not." Kagome said with a bright smile on her lips. "Take notes Sachi dear." she said and laughed at the look Shippou gave her.

"Come along let's see what Sesshomaru has the guard doing. You check the walls I'll check with him." Inuyasha said rolling his eyes then turning to his mate and nodding back towards the front of the castle.

"Great idea." Himeko said then turned and left to head toward the front gate.

"I have Duties to attend to at the moment. Please forgive me Sachi but I shall see you at dinner." Shippou said with a small frown on his lips, this was definitely not the week he had wanted for her so far here in the West during their courtship.

"I understand Shippou, please be careful." Sachi said as she stood back up from the picnic blanket to be respectful of his duties and time, he had taken to come to her and explain.

"Very well, Sachi would you like to explore the castle or retire to your room. I have my own duties I need to discuss with Sesshomaru at the moment." Kagome said as she stood up ruffling Hikaru's hair since he was close enough for her to reach.

"It's been an eventful day so far I believe I shall retire for a little while." Sachi said as they all began to walk around to the front of the castle to go in. Sachi made her way up the stairs to the second floor with a small wave to Shippou.

Shippou and Kagome walked straight to Sesshomaru's study. Shippou went to knock when Kagome just reached over and opened the door. "Mates privilege. Remember that." Kagome whispered to him with a smirk on her face and humor in her eyes at the shocked look on his face then the pink tint that spread across his cheeks.

"Ah Kagome, Shippou the scouts just returned it seems the humans came from a little farm village not far from here and I've sent a team to collect the other two humans who were in the tree line." Sesshomaru said looking at them as they walked across his study.

"I'm assuming they will be put to death." Kagome said with a slight frown on her lips. She hated death especially if she felt responsible for the death.

"Yes." Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly and raised an eyebrow at her. He knew how she felt about killing for the sake of killing. But this was different, these humans had made an attempt on her life and had he been standing there his life as well.

Kagome sighed lightly. "Very well." she said as she looked out the window sadly.

"Oh Kagome, I have some interesting news for you." Inuyasha said with a small smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, and what's that?" Kagome asked curiously as she looked over at her long-time best friend.

"Kaede has a pupil." Inuyasha said and paused with a smile spreading across his lips. "Kagome Higurashi." he said with a raised eyebrow while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wait, what now?" Kagome asked shocked as she looked over at Inuyasha to see if he was joking with her.

"Yep, a young Priestess is studying under Kaede. Her name is your name, and her brother is a Priest named Ren. I didn't meet him, but she has a definite resemblance to you." Inuyasha said with a laugh at Kagome's expression.

"I knew I was named after someone important in dad's family line, but I had no idea... wait maybe she builds the shrine." Kagome said excitedly looking between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru wanting to go see this Priestess.

"Also, Kaede is getting old Kagome. You probably want to see her soon she's using a cane now." Inuyasha said sadly as he watched her excitement drain away.

"What do you mean Inuyasha?" Kagome asked worried.

"Kagome, in this era Human lifespans are usually in the 50's even less for most Priestess, Priests, and Demon Hunters due to their line of work. Fighting against Demons takes its fair share of them. The fact that Kaede is in her mid 70's is amazing." Inuyasha said sadly as he watched her curiously. "Besides that, Kaede said that when next I visit, she believes the young Priestess will be in charge of protecting the village." he said and frowned.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome started but was silenced by his hand up.

"I shall arrange a visit my mate do not worry." Sesshomaru said with a small nod to her.

"What about Sachi?" Shippou asked curiously wondering what this was going to do to their courtship agreement because he wanted to go see the old woman too.

"She needs to get out and see the world a little, she's safe with us." Kagome said with a shrug. "I shall send word to Sango and Miroku. I'm sure they would want to see her too." she said with a small smile on her lips over to Shippou.

"Do we really want the added burden of protecting her on a trip too?" Inuyasha asked curiously with his arms crossed.

"With Sesshomaru, you, Shippou and myself around there is no demon idiotic enough to bother us." Kagome said as she looked at Inuyasha like he was crazy.

"Yeah, because three humans didn't just try to kill you at our own front gate Kagome." Inuyasha said with a roll of his eyes at her.

"It will be fine with a detachment of guards with us there should be no problem. The show of force should make most if not all humans disappear from our vicinity. Himeko will stay here in charge of the castle garrison." Sesshomaru said unbothered by the fact that the humans had attacked, they were about to be dead so why worry was his train of thought.