InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bandit of the Woods ❯ Forest ( Chapter 1 )

CastInuyasha --------------------- Robin Hood Miroku ----------------------- Friar Tuck Kagome ---------------------- Maid Marian Sango ------------------------- Maid Marian's Lady in waiting Shippou ---------------------- Little John Kouga ------------------------ Will Scarlet Sesshoumaru ---------------- King Richard Kikyo ------------------------- Prince John Naraku ------------------------ Sheriff of Nottingham Hojo --------------------------- Locksley Family servant Kaede ------------------------- Orphanage owner Rin ---------------------------- Orphan Souta -------------------------- Orphan Kohaku ----------------------- Orphan Kanna ------------------------- Orphan Kirara ------------------------- Orphan

Bandit of the Woods

Chapter 1

Forest

Once upon a time, for that is the way all great stories begin, in the land of Nottingham, in the forest of Sherwood, there lives a legend: a tale of danger, greed, and true love that transcends all barriers. The story of a rogue and his men standing up against the oppression of a malevolent queen, in a time when money was power and compassion was scarce. Some say the rogue was a fallen noble; others a lowly peasant. It has been said he was an angel or a demon, but few thought him human, for it was told that if you did see him you never lived to tell the tale. Of course, it could all be just some fanciful bedtime story for children. But, as often is proven, legends are a bit of truth wrapped in a lot of myth. So come dear friends and I shall tell you the story, the tale, the legend of Inuyasha of Locksley and the fall of the false queen.

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The Duke of Branshire was a great man. He had all any one could want; money, land, and hundreds of peasants to fill his treasury or his dungeons. On this beautiful day he had business in Nottingham, he was going to speak with Queen Kikyo about starting some trade. He had been warned not to take the path that led through Sherwood Forest. But the Duke was great man and feared no peasant's tale. Besides he had his guards.

The Duke, despite the great warnings of his advisers was traveling in grand style. His carriage was drawn by six of the best horses, bred in his own stables of course. The carriage itself was of the finest maple, painted in blue and trimmed in gold. He was told such a thing would attract the attention of the great Inuyasha: the king of thieves. But the Duke was a great man; he need not fear some petty thief.

Perhaps he should have.

The carriage came a sudden halt. The horses tossed their heads and snorted in protest. Annoyed the Duke stuck his head out the window ready to give the driver a good tongue lashing when he noticed that a man was standing casually as you please in the middle of the trek. His arms were crossed over his chest and his feet were set shoulder width apart. He was dressed in a strange red outfit that bore exceptionally wide sleeves and legs, a sword hung at his hip, and he wore no shoes. His most striking features, however, were his eyes, hair, and ears. The golden color of his eyes went well with his thigh length white hair. His ears were dog-like and set a top his head. This strange young man was smirking slightly as he surveyed the Duke and his guard.

"Out of the road!" the Duke ordered shortly.

"No." The man replied simply.

"I am the Duke of Branshire and I command you to move!" The duke roared in indignation.

"Ahh, but this is not Branshire, it is Sherwood Forest. And here I am Lord."

"What sort of fool are you? You are only one and I have a full guard." The Duke snorted. As if to illustrate his point the guards brandished their weapons. The strange man looked completely unconcerned.

"But that is where you are mistaken." The man said with a practiced flourish, "You do not have me, I have you. Men." Out of the bushes, trees and from under the floor of leaves men appeared. All were armed with bows and arrows, swords, daggers, and staffs. They easily outnumbered the Duke's Guard at least three to one. "Now as I see it you have three choices. You can surrender peacefully and share with us the things you carry of value: gold, silver, jewels, and wine. And we allow you to leave with dignity. Or if you so choose, you may surrender not so peacefully and we take what we want and send you on your way without your dignity. But you can also fight and we can kill you." The Duke was not amused.

"Kill them." The duke snapped. His guard surged forward without question. The air filled with arrows and throwing knives, most of the guard was dead before they even hit the ground. The Duke now found himself alone in the sea of thieves.

"Now will it be a non-peaceful surrender or death?" Inuyasha asked casually. The Duke turned up his nose and gave an unpleasant 'humph'. "The surrender then." He made a motion with his hand and many of the men came forward. They opened the door and removed the Duke from the carriage, placing him under guard, and began to search it for valuables. A black haired man with a brown wolf-like tail and red-haired man with a fluffy foxtail unhitched the horses for the coach and led them back to Inuyasha. Other men rounded up the fallen guards' horses as well. By the time they were done the guards had been striped of all weapons, money, armor, and clothes. The now horse-less carriage had been stripped of all cargo including several chests of gold, jewels, and silver, a case of wine, and some fine silk.

"I will personally see you hanged for this!" The Duke stated with as much dignity as he could under the circumstances.

"Join the club." Inuyasha replied with a shrug.

"Your hanging promises to be quite the party, Inuyasha." The man with black hair and wolf tail said happily, "Maybe I should attend."

"I'm sure the Sheriff would have no less." The red hair man countered.

"But we should attend to business, before pleasure." Inuyasha intervened. He advanced on the Duke, catching the bridle of a guard's horse as he passed. Five minutes later the Duke was tied to the saddle facing backwards. He'd been stripped of his clothes and, to add insult to injury, Inuyasha and his men were making jokes at his expense. As the laughter quieted down Inuyasha drew a broad sword that had once belonged to a guard and turned the horse in the direction of Nottingham. "Now that you have paid the toll for passing through my land, you are free to go. Do tell Queen Kikyo I send my greetings." He said very cheerfully. Then he gave the horse's rump a good swat with the flat of the sword, sending the Duke off in the general direction of his destination.

Inuyasha returned to his companions and swung up onto one of the former carriage horses. On his right was Shippou, a young fox demon. His hair was long, red and matched his fluffy tail. He was dressed in a blue outfit and tan vest. The young fox was a great spy because he could turn into any thing. At the tender age of 16 he knew more about mechanics then any one Inuyasha had ever met. On Inuyasha's opposite side was Kouga, the wolf demon. He was the leader of the recognizance scouts. Kouga and those under him always dressed in furs so to blend with the forest setting around them. If Inuyasha needed to know anything, Kouga was his guy.

"Hey Inuyasha," Kouga called as they started towards their camp, "What was with all that nice guy crap?"

"Feh! You're a dumbass, wolf. If you don't keep them on their toes they might just see a pattern." Inuyasha responded. He reined his horse off the path and into the woods. The others followed without question. Inuyasha guided the group past trees on a trail that only one who knew the forest would see. The trees marked with scratches looked perfectly innocent to the untrained eye, but to those who made their home in Sherwood Forest, it was a trail as clear as any well-cobbled road.

Soon the familiar path that led to Nottingham fell out of view and a large waterfall appeared in glade a head. The cascade fell into a pool of clear water surrounded by reeds and a bank of lush grass. Inuyasha guided the group along a slender path that went behind the waterfall. They passed through a cave with only the sound of the horses' hoof falls echoing around them. On the other side of the cave they exited into another clearing.

This one was different though. Instead of a pond it had a shallow stream. This clearing was filled with small huts much like a little village. People hurried to and frow going about duties that needed to be preformed. No one took any noticed as the troop as they passed among them. But that wasn't surprising. This tiny village was just a front. Behind it, nested in among the trees was the real destination.

The group had just passed the tree line, when their home came into view. The huts here were more fortified and set close to trees, hiding them from quick glances. Here the inhabitances were busy with chores one would not see in normal villages. They worked making weapons and goods. These goods were not for sale; they were given away to the poor of the villages surrounding Sherwood Forest. The villagers here came of their own free will, all trained to fight and defend those too weak to stand for themselves. Most were men, but women were never turned away as long as they did their part. The few children that inhabited this town played happily along the paths.

A large barn was off to one side of the camp. The barn had two parts; the first and largest was the public barn. Any one could use it to house horses that they had no place for themselves. Extra stock was placed there until it could be taken to villages and given to those in need. The other, smaller half of the barn was Inuyasha's private stock. These horses were only for his and his closest followers' use.

A tall sandy haired human boy came jogging up to greet them. He took the reins of Inuyasha's horse as the half-demon swung down. The boy then collected the reins of Shippou and Kouga's horses as well, along with those of the other three former carriage horses. The other members of the party had also dismounted and waited patiently for orders.

"Welcome back Master Inuyasha." The boy said brightly, "I hope your raid was successful. Would you like these fine creatures put in your personal wing or should they go to the public barn?"

"These six to my personal wing, the rest may go for public use. The valuables take for the next visit to Nottingham, food to the larder, wine to the cellar. After you're done with that go about your other chores. You are dismissed Hojo." The boy bowed deeply before hurrying to do as he was told. Hojo and his family had been the Locksley family servants for generations. The youth was always more then happy to do just as he was told.

With a wave of the white haired demon's hand the rest of the men scattered about the village to rest. Inuyasha walked over to a large tree where a rope hung. It was an innocent looking rope, with only a small loop at the end that hung only a foot off the ground. Inuyasha placed one foot in the loop and pushed it to the earth. Instantly the rope began to push back. Inuyasha relaxed and, holding the rope to steady himself, let the rope lift him into the air.

The rebellion leader looked up as he ascended. Above him was a small tree house village of sorts. It was higher in the trees then most demons could easily jump in a single leap. This was the head of operations. The only ones who lived in this vantage were Inuyasha and his three most loyal followers: Shippou, Miroku, and Kouga. The ropes were the only way up. Shippou had done the mechanics and Inuyasha had no idea how it worked.

The lift came to a stop level with his deck and he stepped off. His tree house was built around a large oak. The house itself was circular and extended 12 ft from the trunk in all direction. A 3ft deck surrounded it on all sides. Rope bridges made paths between his hut and the other four tree apartments. Three were home to his three advisers; the fourth was a meeting room.

Inuyasha stretched and yawned as he opened the door to his small home. The house wasn't much. He had a fairly large, nicely built bed that was covered in some cotton sheets and a comforter that had been stolen at some point. A slightly used dresser with a mirror stood across the room. Weapons of all types hung from the wall. The roof of the building was covered in boards that could be easily removed during good weather or put in place during bad. A limb that jutted from the trunk and exited through one of the walls was his only place to sit.

Inuyasha flopped down across his bed and closed his eyes. It wasn't his room back at Locksley manner, but it was home. He yawned and wrapped his blankets around himself. Kouga's information about that duke had been right on the money, as always. Unfortunately it had required getting up very early to set up that ambush. Making people look like forest floor was hard work. Behind his lids images of a raven-haired beauty appeared. With a smile, Inuyasha of Locksley drifted off to sleep. A nap would do him good; he still had men to train this afternoon.

Kouga and Shippou followed Inuyasha's example, each returning to their tree top huts for rest. On the way up they passed a monk on his way down. The monk's name was Miroku. He was dressed in black and purple robes. His black hair was pulled into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. Despite his holy looks this monk was less then reverent. Miroku had no qualms about lightening the pockets of those who had more then their fair share. He was also not against stealing the hearts of young maidens.

Miroku stepped lightly to the ground as the rope came to a stop. Unlike most here he was not a fighter. Not that he couldn't fight, mind you; but his job was to watch the goings and comings in Nottingham, most notably the castle of Queen Kikyo that resided there in. He often came to this small camp to listen to confessions, report to Inuyasha, or take back small bags of gold for those folks who needed desperate help to keep them from the bowels of the dungeons.

Today he had simply come to leave information for the half-demon but found him out on a raid. It was against good sense to leave anything in writing, even in this sanctuary. So he had left the information with the Locksley family's loyal servant, Hojo. He hoped the message would make it to its destination. Hojo was a good and allegiant man, but he wasn't the greenest leaf on the tree. For now he must return to his priestly duties before his presence was missed.

Hojo came running up to the monk, his horse, a dun mare, in tow and ready to ride. The servant bowed to him as Miroku nodded his thanks to the boy. He mounted his steed and nudged her forward. The mount knew her way as well as her rider knew a woman. She cantered through the trees with a gentle gate until she reached the main road. Miroku pulled the mare to a halt and listened. The only sound was of forest. With a gentle nudge the horse walked to the road and turned towards Nottingham.

Miroku sighed and watched the trees glide by. The forest was so peaceful. One would never suspect it of hiding the king of thieves and his band. A light breeze ran through the branches and played among the leaves. It was nothing like the town on its skirt.

Nottingham had once been a nice town, not rich by any means, but nice. The people who lived there ate simple meals, lived simple lives, and worked simple jobs. But they had food on their tables, roofs over their heads, clothes on their back, and a little money in their pockets. Not like now. The people still worked simple jobs, but the food was not on their tables, the clothes on their back were in rags, the roofs over their head need repair, and life was a constant struggle. Queen Kikyo taxed the people into the poor house, then jailed those who could not pay.

Many of the children that now called the orphanage home were not there because their parents had died, but because their parents could no longer pay the taxes. Queen Kikyo and her right hand man Naraku, the Sheriff of Nottingham, had no problem putting the children in jail with their parents. Those children that could not be surrendered had been smuggled away at the request of their parents. Miroku had smuggled many himself.

Not that the children were any better off there then they had been before. The orphanage itself was on the verge of foreclosure; not even it was tax exempt. All the money went to feeding the children. The roof need repair, the beds were little more then straw mattresses, blankets all had holes, and the children had to wrap their feet in rags because shoes were a commodity that could not be afforded, that was of course if rags could be found.

Miroku sighed again as he approached the edge of the town. Here one would find the church, cemetery, and the orphanage, the latter two far more occupied then they should have been. He frowned at the building that housed the innocent youths. It was a slate-gray stone building no bigger then a large house. The wooden roof was rotting in places and some of the boards were cracked and breaking. He reined his mare onto the short path that led to the broken door.

A small face appeared in a window with no glass. A moment later a troop of children came running to greet him. Among them were some of his favorite children. Rin a young girl with a bright smile no matter how bad things were. She always saw the silver lining before the cloud was even a concern. Then there was Souta and his older brother Kohaku. Both were dark haired and eyed with mischievous smiles that just let you know they were up to something. Finally there was Kanna. A strange girl with white hair and complexion, but pitch colored eyes. She never spoke and was always carrying a mirror, though no one knew why. The only time she made a sound was when her mirror was in danger.

"Lord Miroku!" the children cheered as he slid from his horse. They all jumped about, except Kanna who only smile slightly. Miroku leaned down and scooped the silent child into his arms. He smiled as an elderly lady with her graying hair pulled back came hobbling from the building on aged legs.

"Hello Lord Monk. What brings you here today?" The older lady asked kindly.

"Just to offer relief, Lady Kaede." He replied as he drew a small leather pouch from his robes and passed it to her. Kaede accepted it gratefully, tucking it out of view before anyone happened to see.

"Thank you Lord Miroku." She said softly, "If there is anything I can do…"

"Just feed them." He cut her off. Then in a low voice added, "There will be a run tomorrow, but stomachs need to be filled tonight."

"Aye, they do." Kaede replied just as softly, "But he is only one, even with all the help he gets, he can only do so much. And for that we are grateful." Miroku nodded as he set the small girl back on the ground.

"I will see to it you get more." Miroku whispered as he mounted his horse once again. Kaede and the children waved him off.