Throughout the night, Kagome found it difficult to fall into slumber, often tossing and turning in the pile of hay on the side of the house. It was frightening, not knowing who was out prowling the night, and she always searched through the darkness of the village. While she laid there, no harm befell her, but she wondered how long that would last.
The sound of footsteps walking past woke her, and somewhat confused, Kagome sat up and squinted her eyes at the villagers who were going off to work in the fields. From what she saw, the sun was slowly ascending into the still darkened sky, and Kagome tiredly fell back into the heap of hay, hoping to fall back to sleep.
It wasn't a dream. She really had been taken hostage by these people.
As she snuggled back into the warmth of her makeshift bed, she felt something roughly jab her side. Opening her eyes, Kagome saw it was Daisuke, grouchily standing above her with a hoe over his shoulder held firmly by his masculine hand. The mere sight of his intimidating form caused her to sit up immediately.
"Get up. There's work to be done, girl."
And that was all he said before walking off to join the others. From there, Kagome shifted in her bedding, ready to crawl out, but she paused when she noticed something covering her. It was a brown blanket, and while it was poor in quality, it had kept her warm through the night.
"Huh?" Someone had put it on her. Did Mayoko do this? Even if she was a little strict, maybe she wasn't all bad. It certainly wasn't Daisuke, that was for sure; as far as she knew, he didn't like her.
Although it was still dawn, Kagome quickly stood up and folded the blanket. Since she was stuck wearing the same kimono, she had a feeling she would wear these clothes for weeks at a time, as disgusting as that sounded.
'I must be in the Warring States Era, but it makes little sense how I ended up here. I just need to get through this right now before making my escape.'
"Are you up yet?" Mayoko's voice asked from the other side of the hut.
Hearing her, Kagome stood up and lowered her head to the woman as she rounded the corner, looking at her up and down pitifully. "Good morning…" Once raising her head, Kagome offered the small blanket to Mayoko. "Thank you for the blanket."
Mayoko's arms were folded, and her eyes narrowed. From her expression, Kagome thought she seemed rather bitter, and she wondered if it was because of her presence. "Child, I didn't give you this blanket," She replied, confusing Kagome greatly. "I suppose someone else has taken pity on you. Just put it under your bed."
Doing as told, Kagome bent down near the hay and pushed the folded blanket inside. After which, Mayoko disappeared inside the hut and returned not long after with a small wooden bowl in hand before setting it on the ground before Kagome.
As she looked into the bowl, Kagome noticed the contents inside were filled with some sort of porridge, mainly comprising rice. Believing this was her breakfast, Kagome took the bowl and looked up at Mayoko, silently staring at her.
"Once you are finished eating, set the bowl in front of the flap. After which, you'll follow me to the fields where you will continue where u left off."
As she watched her disappear back into the hut, Kagome's shoulders slumped. Not again. How much more weeding could she take? Yet as she sat there watching the village men push the oxen to till the soils while the women planted the seeds, Kagome began somewhat awkwardly eating her porridge. There were no chopsticks or any kind of utensil, and Kagome was forced to sip the contents, chewing and swallowing hungrily.
Even after eating and setting the bowl at the door, she was still hungry, her stomach growling consistently. More than anything, she wished for her mother's home-cooked meals. Looking back at the haystack where her gifted blanket lay, Kagome couldn't help but smile to herself. Someone was surely looking after her.
After a few minutes of quietly waiting for Mayoko to finish up, the older lady finally stepped out of the hut, a fairly decent size bag of seeds in hand. With a wave of her hand, she started away from the hut and Kagome followed.
Kagome was thankful for the straw sandals, as there were sharp rocks here and there. Though they weren't as comfortable as the cloth or rubber kind from her own time, it was something at least. Although the trip up the small incline was silent, Kagome couldn't help the wave of nervousness that flooded her when she saw the faces of the village women ahead turn towards her disgustedly. Mayoko didn't pay their stares any mind and led Kagome to her placement near the center of the field where they were all gathered.
"Good morning Mayoko," A younger woman replied, smiling warmly, wiping her dirty hands upon the front of her kimono.
"Good morning yourself," Mayoko grumbled.
As Kagome kneeled down to begin her chore, she couldn't help but shift her gaze to the women near her whom Mayoko quietly conversed with.
One woman caught Kagome's stare, and with a repulsed frown, she leaned into another, her voice above that of a whisper. "I feel bad for Mayoko. That girl probably stinks up the place, I bet."
"No kidding. I noticed she sleeps outside."
"Well, the hut is surely not big enough for three people. Other than that, it wouldn't be right. After all, Mayoko is a married woman."
Kagome's eye twitched. It was difficult to ignore the old women gossiping about her. Did they all act this way when new people arrived or what? What had Kagome done to deserve this kind of treatment?
Kneeling beside the young girl, the woman whom Kagome lived under merely shook her head before calmly pulling the weeds nearby. "Pay them no listen. With time their words will diminish and if you live according to our rules, you may very well gain better respect."
Kagome nodded, but she wouldn't stay in this village, not after the way they treated her. But her words somewhat comforted her, and just like Mayoko, Kagome began pulling at the weeds.
"By this afternoon, another girl will come to take your shift. When that happens, you will come back to the hut to help me. You remember the way?"
Kagome nodded. "Yes…"
Pleased with her answer, Mayoko handed Kagome the bag of seeds and stood up before departing from her and the other women to attend to her own duties back home. Kagome was a little displeased seeing her leave so suddenly, but she did her best until noon.
As she continued pulling the weeds, planting the seeds directly after, Kagome noticed the same three girls from yesterday near her. As she continued watching them, they eventually noticed her staring. Maybe if she talked to them, they would open up to her. "Hello."
It wasn't surprising when they huffed irritably, turning their noses into the air, this time entirely ignoring her presence. This caused Kagome to sweat drop. So much for that idea.
'Everyone here must have a problem making friends with strangers.' Then again, it was definitely clear she was in a different time period. From what she remembered yesterday, they didn't trust outsiders, and Kagome wondered briefly if every village was like this.
As the hours went by, Kagome couldn't help but noticed how far away the other women had distanced themselves. For a moment, she thought it really was because of her, but looking closely, she saw the women were quite nimble with their hands, plucking the weeds at a faster rate than herself.
The young girls who had been nearby helping her in the same row disappeared earlier, just like yesterday, leaving her to pull the weeds by herself.
Wiping the sweat from her brow and face, Kagome stood up for a moment to rest her legs. Kneeling in that same position was taking its toll on her, and she wasn't sure how the others possibly did it. After a moment standing there looking out across the village, Kagome couldn't help but stretch her arms above her head.
After feeling her back crack, Kagome once again kneeled down in the soil to continue her repetitive chore, but before she could begin, she noticed someone's bare feet walk up beside her before stopping completely.
Confused, she looked up, noticing a young girl with long brown hair behind her. She looked about Kagome's age, perhaps a little older. Her face was round, graced with a few freckles upon her cheeks and small nose. Her large brown eyes looked upon Kagome somewhat impatiently, though she was a little hesitant to say anything.
"Yes?"
"I'm… here to take your place," She replied, shifting on her feet.
Delighted to hear this, Kagome stood up and wiped her hands upon her Kimono before smiling at the girl. "Oh thank you so much!"
Her unexpected reply threw the girl off for a moment and she wasn't expecting her to bow her head respectfully towards her.
Judging by her confused reaction and less intimidating stare, Kagome wondered if this girl was more welcoming than all the other villagers. "My name is Kagome. What's yours?"
Although hesitant to answer, she opened her mouth, but before any words trailed out, the shout of an older man quieted her and she and Kagome turned toward a few men a short distance away in the rice fields.
"Naomi! What are you doing over there talking to her?"
Kagome frowned at the man. What was the big deal?
Turning away from Kagome, Naomi stepped forward a few steps before giving her explanation. When she told him it was by Mayoko's orders, the man in question glared at them.
"She hasn't finished her row! So, give us a hand over here!" He barked.
Naomi was hesitant to walk away and turned to Kagome apologetically. With a bow similar to Kagome's greeting, she turned and ran off in the opposite direction, leaving Kagome completely dumbfounded.
"This isn't fair…" She muttered to herself before looking back at the man who was motioning for her to get back to work. "That's not fair! I did my part!" It wasn't her fault those other girls had ditched her just like yesterday.
"No excuses! If this continues, I'll tell Lady Kaede to punish you!" He retorted arrogantly.
The woods were close by, and as much as she wanted to run away, Kagome knew she wouldn't get far. Just like yesterday, the men had outrun and caught her fairly easily. As athletic as she was in sports, Kagome wasn't too keen on men twice her size, chasing her with sharp weapons. Most likely, she would suffer a worse outcome if she were caught. Right now, the villagers were too wary of her suspicious appearance, and as much as she hated to admit it, she knew she would need to gain their favor first before escaping.
With a disgruntled huff, Kagome turned around and kneeled back in the soil, continuing her chore more roughly than before.
When two hours dragged by, Kagome could no longer continue plucking weeds and planting seeds, and instead, stood up and looked around the fields. No one was watching her, and the old women who had been near before were gone. Looking back at the rice fields where Naomi fled to earlier, she noticed the men were not looking in her direction.
Thankful for this, Kagome stretched her tired muscles. Although she would have run, she knew running would draw too much attention to herself. Instead, she walked through the fields towards the huts until she was touching the soft blades of grass at her feet. It felt good walking after so many hours of kneeling.
Mayoko was no doubt impatiently waiting back at the hut, and quickening her footsteps, Kagome stepped around the frolicking chickens and past the children playing near the huts. For a moment, Kagome stopped and watched them play, smiling softly as they laughed and chased each other. They were playing some sort of game involving sticks and rocks.
The sight of the children enjoying themselves briefly reminded her of Souta back home. When she was pulled through the tree, he had tried to free her, but now she was here, of all places. Was Souta alright? What about her mother and grandfather? Would they believe that a tree literally pulled her into some other world?
"Girl. What are ye doing?"
She was unexpectedly brought away from silent musings and turned her head in question. Girl. They hadn't even bothered to ask her name or use it. While she would have loved to ignore the elderly priestess standing a short distance away, Kagome wasn't disrespectful.
Almost sighing tiredly, Kagome turned fully to the elderly woman with the eye patch and one arm behind her back before offering a slight nod of the head. What did she want? Surely, she didn't plan to throw things in her face again, right?
"I see ye are finished in the fields, am I right?"
Kagome nodded. "Yes. I was on my way back to Mayo—"
"That can wait," Kaede interrupted with a shake of her head. "Come this way. I have something for ye to do before that."
Noticing her uncomfortable posture and untrusting stare, Kaede beckoned the girl over to her, and she complied hesitantly. "Come with me."
Unsure of what she wanted, Kagome felt she had no other choice in the matter; after all, Kaede was in charge of this village. As she followed the graying woman, Kagome wondered how she gained the injury to her eye; perhaps she had gotten into an accident or it could be she was born that way.
After arriving before her hut, Kaede pointed to the three wooden buckets in front of her doorstep. As Kagome stepped over to them, looking down into them, she noticed they were each empty. "Since ye have finished working in the fields, ye can assist me by fetching me water from the well."
Kagome's shoulders slumped at this. Couldn't she just sit down and rest before doing anything else? And where exactly was this well? Hopefully, it wasn't too far away.
"In my old age, it is difficult to get around and my strength is not as it used to be," She explained before pointing up the long staircase behind her hut. "Ye will find our well up by our shrine."
Looking up in the direction the old lady was staring, Kagome couldn't help but inwardly sigh. Well, doing this was better than anything else she'd done while staying here.
"Well?"
The tone in her voice urged Kagome toward the buckets, stacking them atop the other before making her way towards the Torii gate beside Kaede's hut. As she briefly regarded the familiar red wooden gate, she hurriedly climbed the long staircase towards the shrine on the hill. Although she didn't care too well to do this, she knew Kaede was old, and it was probably difficult to go up and down these steps from time to time.
As she climbed the stairs, Kagome couldn't help but feel a strange familiarity in the surrounding air. These stairs were just as long as the one's back home, not to mention the tree she'd woken up under in the forest resembled much of the Goshinboku. Could it be possible?
Her steps quickened suddenly, her eyes widening as she reached the last step towards the shrine grounds before her, and once there, she fell to her knees; the buckets slipping from her arms and onto the ground.
"How can this be?" There was no doubt about it. This was the Higurashi Shrine, however, what stood on this sacred ground was just a small shrine compared to that in her own time period. Back home, the shrine grounds had been remodeled with added buildings onto the property, but this was the closest thing to home.
The small shrine building ahead of her was a building often served as a place where sacred objects were kept. Back home, there had been a shed added onto the building housing many old artifacts and ancient swords and tools, not to mention scrolls from the era. Perhaps inside, those documents and objects were housed as well.
"Mom… Souta… Grandpa…" Were they doing alright? Was there a way to return home? There had to be, right? How was it possible she ended up so far into the past? The Sacred Tree had literally engulfed her—
Kagome's eyes widened. Wait a minute. The Sacred Tree! Looking around the area, she realized there was no sign of the tree anywhere. That wasn't right. After a moment of careful pondering, she realized the tree was back in the forest on the outskirts of the village. But that made little sense. Why was the tree in her yard in her own time period but here…
"I don't understand…" Yet even as this baffled her, Kagome wondered if the Sacred Tree was the answer to returning her back home. If it brought her here, surely it could take her back. 'I'll have to be careful to avoid arousing further suspicion. The sooner I can gain some trust, the sooner I can sneak out and return home!'
With that thought weighing heavily on her mind, Kagome picked up the fallen buckets and regained her standing. As she approached the Shrine House ahead, she saw a familiar and old well beside it. Once in front of it, she peered down into its depths before lowering each bucket into the well until each was filled close to the brim with water.
Once that was taken care of, Kagome realized she couldn't possibly carry two at a time, considering how much heavier the bucket had become. She found she could only carry one with two hands, struggling as she ambled to the steps leading into the village below. With each step, the water swished and swirled, and she wavered from side to side, trying to balance herself with each step. It was obvious she would have to make three trips for Kaede.
For what seemed like forever, Kagome finally sat the last bucket down in front of Kaede's hut before placing both her hands on her knees. If her legs and arms didn't hurt before, they sure did now.
The flap to the hut was pushed aside just then and Lady Kaede peered out before nodding in satisfaction. "Ye did well, child."
"Lady Kaede!" A masculine voice called out suddenly, causing the two to turn their heads in question.
A young man with tanned skin, wearing a blue Kimono top and brown trousers with his hair up in a high topknot, ran towards them despairingly.
"Kosuke, what seems to be the problem?" Lady Kaede asked, noting his troubled expression.
He lowered his head apologetically. "I regret to tell you that my wagon which was carrying the wood for you has lost its wheel and fell over near the outskirts of the village."
Kaede nodded at this, understanding completely. "These things happen from time to time. There is no need to trouble ye-self, Kosuke. Should ye need help, I can offer ye the help to repair ye cart."
At her words, Kosuke beamed, nodding vigorously to the old priestess. He'd been so worried he'd upset her for the lateness of his arrival, but she was understanding of the situation. "Thank you, Lady Kaede. I'll only need help holding up the cart while I reset the wheel in place."
Kaede's gaze shifted to the girl before her, and although she seemed exhausted from fetching water, she figured the girl would be enough help. "Very well. Child, ye shall assist him with his cart and be kind enough to unload the wood near my hut."
Kagome blinked at this. The old lady was trusting her to walk outside the village to help someone out? Could this be her chance at escaping? No, that would seem too easy, wouldn't it?
"Of course, ye will not be foolish as to run away, now would ye? Am I able to trust ye in this situation?" Kaede asked, and Kagome was quick to nod.
"I… promise not to run… Lady Kaede."
Kaede looked at the child for a moment, while Kosuke looked between the two in confusion, not quite understanding the situation. The child was indeed very different from other villagers, and she found herself very confused by what dwelled deep within her. It was something familiar and yet unfamiliar to her. Kaede couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but from the look in the girl's eyes, she felt she could trust her not to run away.
"Lady Kaede?" Kosuke called, scratching his cheek confusedly. "You wish for this woman to accompany me?"
Kaede nodded, shifting her attention back to the young man. "She may not look it, but she is a diligent worker," She explained, surprising Kagome suddenly.
'For someone who is keeping me hostage, she sure speaks kindly about me to others…' Maybe she was just saying stuff. It was obvious from this man's stare that he wasn't present during yesterday's situation when the villagers had called her out on being suspicious. Perhaps Kaede didn't want to arouse further suspicion.
"Be sure she does not stray from ye side, Kosuke."
Kosuke nodded and shifted his stare to Kagome, beside the old priestess. "Well, shall we go?" He asked, smiling softly at her, much to Kagome's surprise and slight elation.
He was being polite to her, that much she was certain. As the two fell into a comfortable silence, each walking beside the other, Kagome couldn't help but glance back, wondering why Kaede trusted her to leave the village. It was surely a test.
"I'm sorry. I completely forgot to introduce myself back there. My name is Kosuke." He greeted, smiling at her with a certain flush to his cheeks.
From his greeting, Kagome's cheeks brightened, and her lips curled into a bashful smile. Finally, someone was being nice to her. "Nice to meet you, Kosuke. My name is Kagome."
"Kagome. That's a pretty name. It suits you well," He complimented, causing the young girl to blush. "I'm afraid this is the first I've seen you before. Did you recently settle into our village?"
How would she answer that? 'More like captured and held hostage.' "Something like that. I'm… still adjusting myself here though."
He nodded at this. "It's a quaint village, but the people can take some time to get used to. I've had my share of good and bad times living here, but Lady Kaede keeps everyone in order. I haven't always lived here, however."
"Really?"
He nodded. "Yes. I live a few houses down from Lady Kaede. I normally don't stay too long in the village. Often, I'm out running errands for Lady Kaede, when she needs my help, that is. Recently I've been visiting other villages, mainly sight-seeing."
"You enjoy traveling, I take it?" Kagome smiled.
"Very much so. In fact, I'm hoping to settle elsewhere, but that won't be for a while. There's much I wish to do to help Lady Kaede. In all honesty, she's like a grandmother to me. She's looked after me for years."
"Really?" She asked, and as she watched Kosuke from the corner of her eye, she saw him rub the back of his neck awkwardly as his face flushed. He wasn't like all the other men in the village. He was a lot kinder and talkative towards her. From her scrutiny, he was probably a couple of years older than Kagome.
From her small smile, he couldn't help but return it. This was the first time he'd openly conversed with a female, especially for so long. Kagome seemed rather curious about him, and he felt a little excited about that.
Unexpectedly, a rough hand grabbed hold of Kagome's arm, pulling her away from Kosuke's side, much to his and Kagome's surprise. The large and calloused hand belonged to one of the village men, and he held a firm hold on Kagome's wrist, possibly bruising it.
"Where the hell do you think you're going, wench?! Trying to run away?!"
Kagome desperately tried to free herself from his hold, but he was unmoving, glowering at her. "Let me go! Stop! That hurts!"
Surprised by the actions this man had made towards her, Kosuke pushed himself in-between the two, grasping the man's wrist with just as much strength. "What is the meaning of this? Unhand her!"
The man in question shifted his gaze to Kosuke before pulling Kagome towards him roughly. "This woman has no reason to be exiting the village, Kosuke."
"And why is that?" Kosuke questioned, glaring at the farmer. "Surely you are jesting! How can you be so ignorant to treat a woman like this? Unhand her!"
"This wench is being held here by Lady Kaede for suspicion. This girl was caught in the Forest of Inuyasha yesterday and because of such, she cannot be trusted. You know what kind of time we live in Kosuke. We can't be sure she isn't some spy from another village."
Hearing this, Kosuke briefly looked at Kagome, who was pitiably trying to escape the other man's grasp, clung to his chest inappropriately to Kosuke's liking. "That is enough."
Although anyone would have turned and left after such, Kosuke instead reached out for Kagome before elbowing the man under his chin. Once she was released, he stood in front of her, shielding her from harm. "I have permission from Kaede herself. She is to help me with my cart on the outskirts of the village. You have my word I will return her."
"Liar! Why should I believe you? You're probably in cahoots with the little wench! Why would Lady Kaede allow that?"
Kagome's heart pounded wildly in her chest. She was worried. What would happen? Surely, he wouldn't let this situation drop. Yet Kosuke was defending her, protecting her from this man's abusive behavior, and that much she was thankful for.
It was at this point that a young woman stepped in, as if having overheard the conversation not far off. The young girl had large, soft brown eyes and long brown hair held back by a plain hair tie. Her straight bangs covered her forehead, and she was dressed in a blue kimono, holding a large basket in her grip with many plants and turnips inside.
"Excuse me, but he is telling the truth," The girl's soft voice replied, much to the man's disbelief. "I overheard Lady Kaede say so recently."
He couldn't believe this. "Are you certain Aiko?"
She nodded. "You know you can trust me," She smiled. "Lady Kaede even told him to bring her straight back to the village, no question about that. It seems she is putting some trust into her."
Unconvinced by this, he wasn't about to let the matter drop, but he was suddenly pulled away by Aiko. "What are you doing? If you hold them up any longer, they won't be able to fix the cart for Lady Kaede!" She lightly scolded, tugging on his arm as she led him away.
"But Aiko…"
Aiko sent a little wave to Kosuke and Kagome before disappearing back into the village with the other man. Whoever she was, Kagome was thankful to her as well. Maybe not everyone in the village was as bad as she first thought. This whole suspicion, however, was too much.
Releasing a breath, Kosuke turned toward Kagome, who'd been hugging his back uncertainly since. As he took her wrists into his hands carefully, he rolled up her sleeves and noticed a bright redness upon her fair skin. "Are you okay? I'm sorry that happened."
Kagome shook her head. "I'm okay. Thank you for helping me."
Once again, the two continued on their trek, this time in silence. After putting some distance between them and the village, Kagome couldn't help but release a long breath. Finally, she could breathe.
Kosuke noticed this. "I'm sorry about what has happened to you, Kagome. I can only imagine what must have happened during your stay in the village…"
She was happy to hear him say this. "I can understand the situation, but only slightly. I know they suspect me, but to hold me hostage… it just seems strange to me."
Hearing her say the word hostage urged a frown on his face. They were obviously treating her terribly. When he examined her wrists earlier, he noticed recent bruises blemishing her arms. "These times are quite troubling, Kagome. I shouldn't have been so quick to assume you'd recently settled into the village peacefully. Normally, we do not allow outsiders in so easily. Forgive me for that."
"Huh?"
Kosuke sighed, musing back to recent memories. "We've had our share of spies in our village, we've had many thefts recently, we've even had some nobles walk into our village and destroy our crops and abuse our loved ones," He explained. "Forgive them for not welcoming outsiders. They are worried that something ill-fated many come to pass again."
"I see. I didn't take that into consideration…"
As they continued down the path through the woods, Kagome realized they were walking further and further from the village. His cart must have broken down a lot. "Kosuke. Why is it called The Forest of Inuyasha?"
Surprised by this, Kosuke couldn't help but smile, his brown eyes looking upon the tall and lush trees around them. "Well, it's a tragic tale that has left its name in these woods, Kagome. Fifty years ago, our village was under the care of a young priestess by the name of Kikyou. She was a powerful and caring woman who aided the injured, no matter if they were friend or enemy. Her abilities far surpassed her teachers, and she was gifted with a knowledge of many remedies for sicknesses and wounds."
As she listened, deeply interested in the tale, Kagome noticed they had finally neared the collapsed cart. The cart itself was large, tied at the front of it was a large ox, lazily chewing the grass before it, barely passing them any interest as they approached.
While Kosuke set to work, pulling out his tools from pockets and retrieving the wheel, with Kagome doing her best to hold up the cart despite its heavy weight, he continued his story.
"One day she was met by a demon which had saved her life. It was that very meeting that began the tragic tale."
"Tragic? What happened? Was this demon Inuyasha?"
Kosuke nodded. "From what I recall from the story, Kikyou was very distrusting towards demons, often killing them in order to protect the village. Yet after this encounter with Inuyasha, she showed him mercy. Inuyasha wasn't a full-fledged demon, in fact, he was a half demon."
"Half demon?"
"Yes. After many moons had passed, the two became friends and a promising romance soon blossomed after. Together they became strong and protected the village, yet before their marriage, tragedy befell them."
As Kosuke finally set the wheel into place, he stood up and wiped the sweat from his brow before frowning at the young girl beside him. "A demon by the name Onigumo had attacked the village, injuring our dear priestess terribly. He wished to consume the powers she held to increase that of his own. Unlike other demons, this one was quite different, and Kikyou could not find the strength to defeat him. Inuyasha gave his life to protect her, and in the end… with the last of her strength, Kikyou used her powers to curse the demon."
Kagome gasped. So they died right before marriage? How awful! "So how did she curse this demon?"
"With her spiritual powers, it was said she forever placed an incantation onto the demon, sending him far away and never to return or bring harm to anyone ever again. Killing the demon was an impossible feat, but this was all she could do to protect her people. Kikyou died soon after with Inuyasha, and it was within these woods that it all took place. That is why it is called the Forest of Inuyasha."
"How terrible. They loved each other and swore to marry but in the end…"
Kosuke smiled at her deflated expression before kneeling down to retrieve the fallen wood beside his cart. "It truly is sad. Their graves are near. We often bring flowers when we can."
Hearing this, Kagome suddenly gasped. "The two graves!"
He blinked at her, noticing her sudden revelation. "Yes. You have seen the graves, by chance I take it?"
She nodded. "It happened before I was forcibly taken to the village…"
"They were probably worried you might desecrate the graves, not to mention this territory belongs to Lady Kaede now since her sister's passing."
Sister? "So she and Kikyou were sisters…"
After finally picking up the last pieces of wood, Kosuke helped Kagome into the front of the cart, but since there was only room for one person to sit, he remained standing, leading the ox back towards the village.
"Kosuke… I'm not dangerous. I honestly wouldn't hurt a fly. I don't want you to think otherwise…" Kagome couldn't help but frown, hoping he wouldn't be fooled into thinking otherwise.
At this, he looked back at her, noticing her fallen expression. In all honesty, she didn't seem dangerous at all, in fact, she seemed rather innocent and confused. "You don't need to worry about that. You arrived here yesterday, correct?" At her nod, he continued. "From what I can see, you are doing well here. Lady Kaede has trusted you to leave the village, despite the circumstances of your arrival. Also, there are some people in this village who show you empathy and kindness."
Kagome blinked at this. "Oh?"
At her expression, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, for one there is me. I find you rather charming, Kagome, even though we have just met. You seem like a nice girl who has gotten mixed up in quite the usual misunderstanding. There is also Aiko, a friend of mine who helped you outside the village."
His words relieved her of her worries. Kosuke wasn't wrong; very few villagers had showed her pity, and that Lady Kaede had allowed her to step out of the village was surprising. Maybe she was doing well here, even if it was her second day.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are you staying? Since you only arrived yesterday, I assume you're staying with someone?" He asked, hoping they hadn't locked her up in the chicken pen.
"I'm staying with Mayoko and her husband," She replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. As Kosuke guided the oxen back to the village, Kagome couldn't help but notice just how dirty she was; she was sure her face wasn't so pretty either. Kosuke had said nothing about her untidiness and had been polite, and Kagome felt somewhat embarrassed by her uncleanliness. The sooner she could bathe, the better.
After a short while, they finally returned to the village, earning peculiar stares from the villagers passing through, their eyes mainly focused on Kagome in the driver's seat. Kosuke merely smiled and continued on, ignoring the stares.
Walking over to the side of the cart, he assisted Kagome down and together, the two unloaded the wood, stacking it neatly at the side of Kaede's hut. There was a decent amount there already, and Kosuke explained he would fetch more tomorrow morning.
It took the two a good ten minutes to unload the last pieces of lumber before Kaede stepped out to greet them, acknowledging their hard work.
"Ye have done well."
Kosuke lowered his head respectfully to the High Priestess, and Kagome did the same. "Think nothing of it, Lady Kaede. I'll bring you more first thing at dawn."
Kaede nodded at this before directing her old eyes to the woman beside him. "Ye have done well, child."
Kagome merely lowered her head, wondering what she would be sent to do next. Yet for the longest time, she felt the old woman's stare on her longer than was necessary, and Kosuke seemed to have noticed as well but said nothing of it.
As if coming to terms with her thoughts, Kaede closed her eye before turning to walk back into her small hut. Before stepping inside, she glanced at the girl over her shoulder. "Ye may return to Mayoko's, child. Ye have done enough for the day."
At this, Kagome raised her head, blinking as the elderly woman disappeared back inside her home. Looking up into the sky, Kagome guessed it was nearing five in the afternoon and there was still plenty of daylight left. Somehow, Kagome knew Mayoko had more work in store for her back at the hut.
"I must go now," Kosuke suddenly voiced, shifting Kagome's attention onto him as he grasped the reins of the oxen near him. "Thank you for your help today, Kagome. I appreciated it."
"Oh, it was nothing, really. I'm glad I could help. It was nice getting away for a while," She explained with a small smile.
He nodded. "On most days, I'm here helping around the village, so if you should ever need my help or simply wish to talk, I'll be here." After that, he led his oxen and cart down the path through the village, and Kagome smiled at the thought of making a new friend.
"Mayoko is probably wondering where I've disappeared to. I shouldn't keep her waiting."
With that thought, Kagome quickly walked towards her destination and once there, she was surprised to find Mayoko standing in front of the door flap of the hut, frowning at her.
"Where have you been? You should have returned by noon! Did that girl not show up?"
Gulping, Kagome quickly lowered herself onto her knees with her head bent respectfully to the older woman. Not that Naomi didn't show up, but she was practically berated for going elsewhere. "She did, but the village men refused to let me leave… and Lady Kaede called for my help shortly after."
Hearing her response, Mayoko's irritation slightly faded and her scowl was replaced with a tired sigh. "I see. Well, since you are here, I'm sure you are famished. I'll bring you a bowl of porridge before we get started."
Started on what? Kagome didn't have time to ask before Mayoko disappeared back into her hut, leaving Kagome to sit on her hands and knees. For now, Kagome guessed she could simply allow herself a small while to rest before getting back up again. The soreness in her legs and back were slight, and as she examined her fingers, Kagome noticed a few blisters here and there. Thankfully, she avoided any splinters.
Before Kagome could find some way to tend to her blisters, Mayoko returned and in her hand was the familiar wooden bowl ladled with the same porridge as breakfast. After receiving the food, Kagome ate her fill before following Mayoko inside the hut.
Since her husband, Daisuke, was away working, Mayoko saw no reason to not allow Kagome inside. From there, Kagome assisted the woman in sewing some blankets together with the furs of recently caught animals. Mayoko said these blankets would serve as comfort to aid them in the troubling season of Winter.
As the hours flew by, night quickly approached, and Mayoko sent Kagome back outside for the rest of the night. Soon after, Daisuke returned from the fields, his clothes dirtied and he was drenched in sweat. Only sparing her the briefest of looks, he stepped into the house, and it was at this moment Kagome closed her eyes, hoping sleep would consume her. To her despair, it did not, and Kagome tossed and turned in the haystack.
Everyone had turned in for the night, except for the night watchman prowling around the village, keeping a watch for anything suspicious. Besides their shuffling feet from each section of the small village, everything was quiet. Even the dogs and chicken were quiet, and yet Kagome found herself strangely restless. She was sure after so many hours of working, sleep would consume her, but it didn't.
As she attempted to relax her thoughts and ease her mind of worries, Kagome suddenly heard shuffling from inside the hut, and as she listened, her head rested against the straw, she heard the distinct sounds of heavy breathing and soft groans. Instantly Kagome's face reddened and, before long, the sounds of flesh slapping upon flesh accompanied by Daisuke's grunts and his wife's moans completely mortified the young girl outside. It was enough to embarrass Kagome; she wasn't naïve; she knew exactly what was happening, and she was thankful she was sleeping outside.
After what seemed like minutes after long relentless minutes, the moaning and grunts finally stopped. Confident that was the end, Kagome tried to fall into slumber, but to her dismay, the sounds started up again, this time Daisuke's grunts became more animalistic and his wife's moans much louder than before. Kagome couldn't help but bury her face into the straw, and during the night, slumber finally consumed her.