Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
Tea
She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, wake up, and discover that the last half year had been nothing more than a very bad dream.
Any desire to return to sleep, however, was defeated by the sun pouring in through the window, and the brisk rasping of a bamboo whisk against the side of a ceramic cup.
Kaede sat up, shoulders hunched, feeling disheveled and put-upon. Reluctantly, she turned around to face the firepit, mentally bracing herself for either a too-cheery or too-sympathetic 'good morning' from Suriya. What she got, instead, was a glance and smile from the headman's wife. She blinked. What was Satsuki doing here, and why was she making tea?
"Come sit by me, Kaede-chan," she said, looking back down at her work. "I want your opinion on this new mix." Kaede obeyed slowly. "Amaya says you have a good nose and tongue. Teas are my specialty, you know, and I'm always happy trying something new, even if it doesn't work well."
"Where's Suriya?"
Satsuki sniffed her brew, and took a tiny sip before answering. "Southwest, working on more ward spells. She said to let you sleep."
Kaede started to bristle, but the slightly plump woman gave her no chance to interrupt. "Suriya said you need something to do, to help her and the village, until she has time to teach you. So, what would you like to do?"
"I…" Kaede stared at the fire, as lost for ideas as she'd been the night before. What was she good at, after all? She was only a little girl…
"Mother never understood why I would bother trying to make anything besides plain tea," Satsuki said cheerfully, as Kaede sat with frozen mind. "But I enjoyed trying different flavors. I didn't care if no one else wanted to try my teas—I was doing what pleased me." She poured some of her mixture into a smaller cup, and handed it to Kaede, her black eyes dancing. "So, little one, what do you do, that pleases you?"
Kaede stared at the dark liquid, breathing in the complex smell. Her mind still felt blank, yet a whisper came from her lips: "I always wanted to make Kikyo smile."
Author's Note: The shorter form of this piece was published on April 5, 2010, to the Inuyasha FanFic Contest community, for the prompt "Specialty." It took first place.