InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dubious Relations ❯ Side Story 1: Musings of the Old ( Chapter 8 )

Dubious Relations: Musings of the Old

Chiyo hasn't ever been a woman to rush. She hadn't ever and still doesn't see the need to. Not when, for a demon like herself, time is almost endless, her life almost never ending. She has often found herself watching the backs of other beings as they passed her, hurrying and attempting to make everything happen far too quickly.

 

The elderly demon's sharp emerald eyes scan the plain in front of her, and then take in the mystical appearance of the fog covered mountain behind it. It is the burial ground for many of the deceased rulers before the current Lord Sesshomaru. Humans are forbidden on this land.

 

With a small hissing noise, Chiyo's footwear soaks up the barely morning dew as she carefully, leisurely walks to the edge of the forest, her basket full of jars hooked over her left arm. She tightens the pale orange and brown kimono she is wearing around her shoulders, as a cold breeze blows her greying hair from her elderly face.

 

Immediately, as she enters the forest, her eyes fall to the ground. She is here to collect herbs and she will not hesitate to do so. She works efficiently, collecting each herb with little to no effort as she tears each leaf from its plant or plant from its roots. She has been doing this for far too long to not know how to do so.

 

She walks and picks, and strips and straightens slowly, with a slight wince; hr back is not as strong as it once was. She does this until the bright sun is just peaking over the canopy of the forest, as though making sure it were safe to come out into the plains that made the sky.

 

It is then that Chiyo sees It - a small drawing in the wood of a thick bark of an evergreen - and her emerald eyes soften immediately. She is standing, with aching knees and a sore back, in front of the tree her Lord Sesshomaru and herself had rested under when she'd first taken him out of the castle.

 

She remembers with a small, sad smile that the Great Dog Demon had left earlier that week on a small military campaign, opting - wisely, Chiyo thinks - to leave his young son behind. She had thought it best that she take the young, energy-filled, bouncing, dog demon pup with her; the pup's poor tutors were worn out, from his questions, from his energy, from his ability to be completely serious and quiet one moment, then a moment later be serious and talkative. Chiyo, as the castle's healer, had thought everyone deserved a short break.

 

Chiyo sighs and sits down, her old bones calling `halleluiah' as she relaxes and recalls the trip to this place fondly. Sesshomaru had been as full of questions when he was fifty, as when he was a mere twenty years old. He really was a curious, small pup. She can't help but chuckle as the image of little Sesshomaru's encounter with his first cat plays through his mind; oh, how Sesshomaru had ran and whimpered when the small, ginger cat had clawed at his tiny nose. Chiyo knows that her Lord has never tugged on anyone's tail since then.

 

The elderly demon had taught Sesshomaru many things during that journey. The one she has found to be the most prominent being to not hurry. She takes full responsibility for teaching the Lord to walk at the leisurely pace he does now, as annoying as most people find it. Some other things were how to tell poisoning herbs from good herbs and that eating too many berries wasn't good for one's digestive system.

 

Again, Chiyo sighs, this time with exasperation and the memory of the little ones back at the castle she must take care of. She finds herself chuckling again, one moment later. She allows her emerald eyes to travel to the small, rough and messy carving in the tree behind her. It was of three badly drawn stick figures, two male and one female. But despite their lack of anatomy, Chiyo can tell they are happy; their smiles are huge.

 

Her Lord had been telling a story, she remembers that clearly; he'd been telling her in such a wispy, hopeful, aching voice she couldn't help but do so. He'd been telling her of having a mother… One he could keep company whilst his father -Sesshomaru had thought so highly of his father, though Chiyo doesn't think does any less than he did then - was away. He'd described her, caring, with a nice smile, smart, pretty… Sesshomaru had wanted so much, but didn't seem to believe he'd get one.

 

Chiyo breathes in the fresh, clean air deeply, whilst she raises her arms above her head as she attempts to lessen the pain in her back. He had gotten a mother a century later. She had been everything Sesshomaru had wanted, except for the fact that she was human. Chiyo doesn't deny that her deceased Lord's choice was a human woman he'd met once or twice had surprised her greatly. She'd been very vocal in her Lord's choosing of Izayoi as a mate. Sesshomaru hadn't, but to those with eyes his feelings were as clear as the difference between a purple obi and a yellow obi was. The Great Dog Demon had been calling for Sesshomaru's displeasure to be vocalised when he'd asked him to attend the human wedding they were to have.

 

The short film in Chiyo's head stops, and instead of pressing play, she looks up towards the sun. She frowns and decides it is time to get to work again. Her musing on her Lord can wait, despite the worry that wells in her thin chest. Perhaps she had made several mistakes to turn such a curious, innocent pup into a cold, distant demon Lord? Either way, she couldn't expect Sesshomaru to be in a good mood even when she returned, not with a mating mark he didn't want. Perhaps he really had done something stupid, it had been the start of his heat when he was wandering?

 

Chiyo sighs again. There isn't any point in dwelling on the past. She really needs to get her job done and return to the castle before Sesshomaru got himself into a really troublesome position. He is still young after all.

 

“So much like his mother…” She says solemnly and quietly.

 

She takes her basket in hand and sends the carving in the tree one last glance; perhaps one day Sesshomaru will find his perfect family. Or perhaps she was dreaming the hopeful optimistic outcomes of an old woman.

 

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

 

Woffy: Okay, this has no other point than to give a bit of an insight into Chiyo's character. And so that I could thank (profusely) the people who nominated my fic Waning Moon for an IYFG 2007 First Quarter award. Thank you so much! You really brightened my week! (We may be getting kicked out of our house sometime in the future; the owner may be selling it and all that, and I have school work) -sighs-

 

Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter also! I can't forget you! So that's:

 

KamakuraYumi: I changed it (I think that's what you meant), so if you'd yah or nah me on it? Lol, You never know, I may stuff a lemon in somewhere as a gift from an author to her reviewers; You're not the only one to have mentioned that. But for now, they're not going to be doing much for the story and I'd prefer to keep the story moving. Lol, no it couldn't be could it? Inuyasha's such a stupid git somedays, whilst he can be quite smart others. Thank you, I was very iffy about swapping Kagome about, but I decided for it (as you can see).

 

Polka dot: Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. Inuyasha's an idiot.

 

Review again or for the first/whatever time? I want opinions on Chiyo! You could tell be about how to improve her character, how to fault her, or perhaps you'd like to let me know how much you hate her and how she should be killed or just disappear from the chapter. Either way, I need criticism!

 

Hope you enjoyed!