24. Friendship
A storm was approaching. The village was prepared for it, o when the first gust of cool wind blew past Inuyasha's Forest everyone quickly finished their work aand went inside.
"I smell youki," Inuyasha said from his corner of Kaede's hut where he was sitting, both his girls on his sides. The old miko looked at him and his wife and daughter snuggled against him. Much closer to the fire pit Miroku's family of five was sitting, the children hiding from the rumbling thunders in their parents' arms. in was preparing tea for everyone.
Kaede couldn't stop a small smile from blooming on her face. Since the day of her sister's death she had been alone - a young miko, a guardian and protector of the village, an advisor and a judge to people living here. But with this bunch of hot-tempered, extremely skilled fighters, wiser than many their age, she was just grandma Kaede. She was an advisor to them quite often, a healer reguralry, but they weren't looking up to her. They were treating her like an equal, a friend, a member of their family. Between a married monk, a female youkai slayer, a hanyou, a miko born five centuries in the future and their children Kaede felt ordinary and accepted in all ways. She was a member of the family they had made because they liked her, because her way of living wasn't odd for them. It was still new for Kaede to be included, to have a family, children running to her and calling her grandmother. She could count on them and they could count on her.
They were her family, but more importantly they were her friends.
And they came to her to wait through the storm because they wanted to spend time with her. Only two members of the family were missing - one was on a slaying mission, the other should be in the hut, but somehow was gone as well. Judging from the smiles Inuyasha, Kagome and Miroku were sending upwards Kaede had an idea where he could be right now.
She was sure that blue fire was glowing up in the skies between the lightnings.
"Let's pray their bickering won't destroy the crops," said Miroku and stroked his son's hair.
"Souten is right, you know," Kagome said, never stopping petting her daughter's puppy ears. "Shippou shouldn't have flirt with that vixen."
"He merely appreciated the view of her behind," Miroku tried to argue and barely dodged a pillow thrown by Sango.
"He spends too much time with you, monk," Inuyasha's ears lowered when an another thunder rolled above his forest.