InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Complications ❯ Fortuitious? ( Chapter 1 )

[A/N] Ah, the start of a new fic. *grins* I love it. So many possibilities…

 

Okay, here's the gist. This is an AU, which takes place in the feudal era (so yes, Kagome was born in the feudal times). The Shikon no Tama will most likely not be involved in this story. Kikyo will not be in this story. Naraku will not be in this story. Sango and Miroku will come in eventually, but not right away. Shippo will most definitely be arriving in his cute and fuzzy glory shortly.

 

I did some online research before starting this story, as far as Koga and Sesshomaru's occupations are concerned (which will be described in the ending author's note), and I'm pretty sure I have all the facts right, but if you happen to notice any mistaken facts or inconsistencies, please point them out. I'd be very grateful for any help I can get in the history department.

 

Now, on with the story!

 

 

 

------------------

 

 

 

Koga sighed deeply while kneading his temple with his knuckles, an annoying pain suddenly throbbing in between his eyes.

 

 

Standing up from the table covered in scrolls and documents, which he had been mulling over moments before, Koga strode over to the open window of his workroom and gazed outside, mind wandering. Watching his servants bustle in and out of the courtyard, a wolfish grin spread across his face.

 

 

Kagome's arrival the next day had his entire household in a flurry of activity in preparation. Rooms needed to be cleaned, sheets and futons needed to be aired out, servants had to be assigned to attend to her every need, and furniture suitable for a lady had yet to be set up in her room. Having always been a bachelor, Koga found himself short of a few necessities having a woman in the house would require.

 

 

It'll all be worth it, though… Koga mused. Seeing her face when she walks into her new home…

 

 

A light tapping on the shoji door interrupted his thoughts. Koga scowled at the unwelcome interruption. “What is it?”

 

 

Sliding the door half way open, a servant peeked in meekly and bowed before saying, “I beg your pardon, Koga-dono, but Sesshomaru-dono has arrived.”

 

 

Koga nodded, “Send him in.”

 

 

“No need,” a low, monotone voice spoke from the hall before its owner appeared behind the servant.

 

 

Koga smirked at the tall, stoic demon that strode gracefully into the room, closing the shoji screen behind him. “Always a pleasure, Sesshomaru.”

 

 

“Indeed.”

 

 

Between his long, silver hair; cold, calculating eyes and the upright, arrogant way in which he held himself, Sesshomaru's personage openly declared his place in society, that of a wealthy aristocrat. His presence had always demanded respect and immediate obedience, which usually sent the servants' knees to knocking, and Koga found it endlessly entertaining to see the intimidation his business associate inspired in almost everyone he came across.

 

 

Seating himself on a cushion in front of the table scattered with scrolls, Sesshomaru raised a delicate eyebrow at the brown haired, blue eyed man leaning against the wall, arms crossed, next to the window. “Hard at work, I see.”

 

 

Koga grinned wickedly at him. “Constantly.”

 

 

“Then let me be the first to assure you that it's no where near finished.” Fixing the wolf-youkai with a no-nonsense stare before inspecting the table in front of him, Sesshomaru started leafing through the scrolls strewn about before pulling one towards him. “You have obviously seen the scant profits made in Urado, Tosa. Now…”

 

 

Koga heaved a bored yawn while waving a hand at Sesshomaru. “Yes, yes I know all about it. But you know as well as I do that there's been a drought for nearly three months now. The villagers are hardly growing enough food to feed their families. You can't expect us to sell more produce to our buyers in Urado at the expense of snatching the food right out of their bellies?”

 

 

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. “As always, you're being incredibly short sighted. We will not be `snatching' anything, but in order to work the land, the villagers need tools, and to buy tools that cannot be made here, they need money, and if we are not making profits how do you expect we shall come across these funds?”

 

 

“The tools they have now seem to be working just fine. They're growing enough to feed themselves.”

 

 

Sesshomaru didn't bother to try to keep the sneer off his face as he regarded Koga with distaste. “The villagers need more than just food. What about clothing? You cannot buy cloth with vegetables. And I hardly think I need mention other necessities, such as cattle and horses.”

 

 

Koga raised an eyebrow, “Since when have you started caring about the humans so much, hn?”

 

 

“Fool,” Sesshomaru spat, “Their profit is our profit. The more benefits they reap, the more our own reward.”

 

 

Koga dismissed his comment with a short wave of his hand. “Whatever. Do what you want, I don't care.”

 

 

Sesshomaru let out an all-suffering sigh before standing while rolling up the scroll he held and placing it inside his hakama. “This Sesshomaru does not need your approval. We both know who makes the final decisions.” Regarding him disinterestedly for another moment, Sesshomaru remarked, “You truly are a fool. You become involved with one pathetic, human woman and you lose all focus.”

 

 

Koga grinned, his sharp canines glinting. “Kagome is anything but pathetic. She's… amazing. She's way too good to be toiling in the fields among those human villagers any longer. That's why I arranged for her to live here until the wedding.”

 

 

Sesshomaru looked disgusted. “It's hardly proper to bring her here before the wedding.”

 

 

“It's not as if we'll be sharing a bed. She's getting her own room on the other side of the courtyard, there.” Koga pointed out the window to a shoji door directly across from them, atop the porch that ran all the way around the inner courtyard.

 

 

Sesshomaru curled his lip disdainfully. “Do what you will, it matters not to me.” He turned to leave.

 

 

“Wait,” Koga said suddenly. Halting his hand on the shoji screen, Sesshomaru sent a cool glance over his shoulder. “I was wondering if you could help me with something…”

 

 

“And what makes you think I'm interested in helping you?”

 

 

“I don't, but I figured it was worth a try. Look, I was wondering if you knew of anyone whom I could hire to watch over Kagome while I'm away.”

 

 

Sesshomaru turned and raised an eyebrow. “Away? Now? When your woman is arriving tomorrow?”

 

 

Koga rolled his eyes. “Please, I'm not that callous. Surely you, of all people, know I'm due to make rounds next week, and shortly after that I have my summons for guard duty. While I'm away I'll need someone here suitable enough to watch over the household and protect it in case of demon attack. Of course they'd also be expected to keep Kagome company.” He grinned again, eyes taking on an impish spark. “After all, my woman can't be left here alone to pine after my company with no form of entertainment.”

 

 

Sesshomaru snorted. “Is that all? You have servants, don't you? Appoint the job to one of them.”

 

 

Koga's eyes widened in shock. “Servants? Kagome can't be expected to mingle with servants. Not only are they too weak to protect her, they're far too below her station.”

 

 

“Oh? And you believe a peasant girl has a higher station than a servant?”

 

 

Koga pushed away from the wall angrily and moved to stand in front of the window. “Kagome will not be a peasant girl for much longer.”

 

 

Golden eyes took on a bored look. “If you do not think your servants fit, who do you expect to find?”

 

 

“Why do you think I'm asking you? I have no idea.”

 

 

Examining his claws with far more interest than he had graced Koga with, Sesshomaru replied, “Why not try that demon exterminator who has gained so much renown as of late? She would make a fit companion for your little woman and have the ability to protect her, if need be.”

 

 

Koga shook his head, “I thought of that already, but wasn't able to get in touch with her. She was off on some job assignment and no one in her village knew where she had gone, or when she'd be back.”

 

 

Flicking his gaze back up to Koga, Sesshomaru shrugged. “Then I suppose you have no other option but to use your servants.” He turned to leave, but paused mid-stride, his face taking on an almost thoughtful expression.

 

 

Koga tilted his head to the side in confusion. “What is it? Think of someone?”

 

 

“Perhaps,” Sesshomaru muttered. Giving Koga a calculating look, assessing him, he asked, “You know of my half brother, correct?”

 

 

Koga eyed him with marked suspicion. “The half demon?”

 

 

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod, “Yes. He may be suitable for the position.”

 

 

The bark of laughter that followed this statement had Sesshomaru narrowing his eyes. “You're not serious are you?” Koga asked incredulously, “You want me to entrust Kagome's safety to a hanyou? She'd be better off with the servants!”

 

 

“If you would stop being a simpleton and use your head, you might see the merit in the proposal.”

 

 

“What the hell are you talking about, Sesshomaru?”

 

 

Sesshomaru sighed. “It's really quite simple. InuYasha, though only half demon, is far stronger than any human you might hire for the job, and what full demon do you think you'll be able to find who's willing to waste their time protecting a measly human?”

 

 

Taking a few steps towards the stoic inu-youkai, Koga regarded him warily. “Why are you recommending your brother? I know you hate him, so what's in it for you?”

 

 

Sesshomaru's lips twitched oh-so-slightly at the corners. “InuYasha has been wandering aimlessly from place to place, quite pathetically, for years, since his mother's death. He has been shaming my father's name, something I can not abide by, so I have ordered a stop to it. I have summoned him to my estate, and he shall be arriving tomorrow. He was quite… reluctant to agree, but was persuaded.” Turning towards the door, silver hair whipping elegantly behind him, Sesshomaru took a few deliberate steps forward. “InuYasha will no longer be allowed to roam the country side like some vagrant, but his constant presence near my person shall prove to be quite the annoyance. So if he had some occupation in which he could invest his time…” Here he trailed off suggestively, giving Koga time to reflect on the offer.

 

 

The wolf-youkai looked anything but pleased with the idea. “And why would I want to hire a man who's been `shaming' his family and impose him on Kagome? I want someone pleasant who will keep her content, or at the very least entertained until I return.”

 

 

“Kagome. Of the Higurashi clan, correct?”

 

 

“Yes… what of it?” asked Koga.

 

 

“If I recall correctly, the Higurashi's are particularly stubborn and willful humans.” Sesshomaru cast Koga an almost flippant glance over his shoulder. “I should think one of their line would be capable enough to handle a petulant half breed such as my brother.”

 

 

Koga raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru's back. “That still leaves the question of why I should even consider your brother. I know nothing about him and you haven't exactly painted a flattering image.”

 

 

“There isn't anything to flatter. As for your concern over his character… InuYasha's shame comes not from any dastardly deeds or vices. His shame is simply that he is a half-breed who holds no place. As I have said, he wanders aimlessly, committing himself to nothing, wallowing in his weakness and self-pity. That is no way for a son of my father to behave. It is disgraceful. As much as I detest him, I know that is not the fate our father would have wished for him, and I believe if given a reason to stay in one place and possibly increase his strength, he may, at least, cease to bring shame upon our family name.”

 

 

When he was met with silence, the demon lord added, “InuYasha is most certainly nothing remarkable, but neither is he completely without his uses. And once again the question must be asked… who else do you expect to find?”

 

 

Brows lowered in concentration as he mulled over all the possibilities, Koga finally sighed in resignation. “And you believe he's strong enough to fend off any attackers?”

 

 

Sesshomaru shrugged. “He may not be, but Tetsusaiga, his sword, most certainly is.”

 

 

“And he won't… I mean, that he's… a man won't be any problem?”

 

 

Sesshomaru would've laughed had he been accustomed to such responses. As it was, he merely looked amused. “InuYasha has no interest in women, and even if he should take on a liking for your woman, his personality is such that she would rather throttle him than court him.”

 

 

When Koga didn't answer right away, Sesshomaru opened the shoji screen to leave. “Do as you will.”

 

 

Before he could close the door behind him, Koga's voice reached his ears, “Send him to me when he arrives and I'll speak with him about it.”

 

 

“Certainly,” Sesshomaru answered back calmly.

 

 

Walking down the dirt path that led to his own home, Sesshomaru wondered just how much he'd enjoy InuYasha's reaction to the news that he would be spending his days babysitting a human girl. It was enough to bring a satisfied smirk to his face.

 

 

 

------------------

 

 

 

 

[A/N] So, what'd you guys think so far? Continue? Revise? What?

 

 

Important Note:

 

So, for all of you who might be somewhat confused as to what Koga and Sesshomaru do, and why they work together so closely, here's the info: Koga is a warrior-landlord. Someone who owns a lot of land, and oversees farming labor, sometimes participating in the farming as well. Warrior-landlords, however, only hold so much power over the lands, and do not decide what is done with them. That is where Sesshomaru comes in. He, as was mentioned, is an aristocrat. Basically, from the information I dug up online, even though warrior-landlords hold a lot of power, the local shrines or aristocratic families hold the sway over what is done to land, and they're the ones with the most power in the regions they live in. Because they are vassals to the shogun (since the lands they own are fiefs), they can be called upon to perform certain public duties, such as guard duty for the shogun. Hence the “guard duty” reference. And as for “the rounds” I mentioned… that's just part of Koga's duty as warrior-landlord, overseeing labor and what not. Though I'm not positive, for the purposes of this story, I'm making it so that said “rounds” keep him away from home for long periods of time. One, two weeks at a time maybe.

 

And as for the part about Sesshomaru and Koga arranging for the extra produce the villagers harvested to be sold in Urado, a town somewhat nearby, well… I made that up. LoL. I'm not sure if that actually happened. I doubt there was even currency back then. People most likely traded for whatever they didn't have, but I'm taking some creative license. :p

 

And that's about all the important information I can think to share.

 

Please review! I would love to know what you guys think!