InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feudal Tale ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Kagome was unhappy. She had been with her new husband for a week and he hadn't touched her since their wedding night. He rarely spoke to her and he had no need of anything from the village so she had no reason to go and socialize.

 

After she fixed up the house, which took several days of scrubbing, she decided to tend to the garden. It was the middle of spring and she could plant vegetables and fruits that she could use in her cooking over the winter.

 

Inuyasha had seemed a little shocked when he came around the corner to see her on her knees pulling weeds. When she had asked him what was wrong he had muttered under his breath and retreated to his work area. He hadn't said anything about it and she hadn't asked him about it. Though, she was almost certain that the garden had belonged to his mother. Maybe he was shocked to see her in a position that he normally saw his mother in.

 

Her days were spent caring for the garden and cleaning out the house. Her husband spent the day in his work area. She would bring him lunch daily, and sometimes he would invite her to stay and eat with him, but often he would send her away.

 

He was quiet, and often rude when he did talk to her. He didn't seem to socialize with anyone, and didn't have relations with any of his family, if he even had any remaining family. She had originally gone to the village well to get water, and taken the opportunity to talk with other wives and daughters in the village. But within a few days Inuyasha had stopped her and told her that the water from the stream was cleaner than the village well and much closer.

 

So she had stopped going. One piece of good news was that her elder sister had been proven wrong. Inuyasha never left the house except to install one of his works or obtain more supplies. He never left at night and she knew he never went into Edo. Unfortunately, he didn't do anything other than his work. As a girl from a multi-sibling family, it was very lonely to have just Inuyasha in the house.

 

Kagome titled her head back to catch the sun on her neck. She had been sitting in the garden, planting carrots. The daikon she planted had sprouted and she had high hopes for the crop. If anything the garden would give her some amount of pleasure since she could get little from anything else.

 

She heard a muffled curse from the around the side of the house and hurried to investigate. She picked her way through the sawdust and around various piles of smoothed poles to where she could still hear him muttering darkly.

 

“Daijobu, husband?”

 

He looked up sharply, his attention previously focused on the arm that he cradled near his chest.

 

“Let me see.” She insisted, pulling his arm away from his chest. A small piece of scrap wood had plunged a little ways into his arm.

 

“It's just a glorified splinter. Not worth worrying about.” He grumbled.

 

“It could get infected,” Kagome shot back, laying his arm down on the workbench. “Pliers?”

 

Inuyasha used his good arm to point to a wall where several tools hung. She went there and found the smallest set of pliers. She returned to him and began to gently pull the wood. He hissed under his breath, his other hand tightening into a fist. Kagome finally eased the invader out and tossed it to the floor.

 

“We should still wash it, to get out small splinters and to stop infection.” Kagome took hold of the injured hand and began pulling him from the shop.

 

A few minutes later water sat boiling on the fire and Kagome sat using a bucket of cold water to wash out the blood.

 

“It's not so bad. You shouldn't be fussing.” Inuyasha grumbled, looking away with a slight red tinge on his cheeks.

 

“I would not want my husband to become sick.” She responded, adding some herbs she had picked earlier to the boiling water. “When those boil down I will mash them and make a poultice to keep away infection.”

 

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and allowed her to wrap his arm soundly with strips of cloth. She smoothed over the bandage and pulled his sleeve down. She then realized that she had been adjusting his clothing for him and quickly let go, a blush painting her face.

 

“Thank you.” Inuyasha muttered quietly, then fleeing out the door. From the sound of his footsteps, he was going back to his workshop.

 

Kagome smiled. It was the first time he had honestly thanked her.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

Inuyasha stretched his arms above his head and then let them rest underneath his neck. When he had woken his wife had been curled against his side and her arm had rested across his midsection. For the past month he had woken at dawn and immediately left the bed they shared to begin his work.

 

But something was different about today. Rarely did he touch his wife, and this rare instance of innocent contact was one he relished. He knew that many men would be at their wives until their bodies were utterly spent and their stomachs never receded from the expansion to hold sons. But after everything his woman had done for him he had no desire to repay her with pain. He had little desire for a son and while he did desire her, the pain she experienced as a result quelled his lust.

 

Kagome stirred beside him, her hand sliding up his chest a little ways. He noticed that her hands were chapped slightly from all the scrubbing she had been doing lately. He would have liked that she kept them lily soft, but she wanted to work and with that came hard hands.

 

Inuyasha smiled softly. It was one of the many ways his woman was different. While the role of a woman was to serve, to be quiet and to bear and raise children in her husband's house, Kagome seemed determined to make her own mark. While she obviously strived to be a good wife, at times her temper and intelligence would shine through, most often when she argued with him over something or other.

 

Kagome moaned softly, and pulled her arm away from his chest to rub at her eyes.

 

“Ohayo, Kagome.”

 

She blinked and gave him a quiet smile.

 

“Ohayo gozaimasu, Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha grunted and sat up. His unkempt hair fell in waves down his back.

 

“I'm hungry, woman.”

 

“Hai.” She responded quietly, getting out of bed and pulling out her new kimono. She had bought the cloth and then cut it into shape. There had been hardly any scraps left over, and those left she sewed together to make a headscarf to keep her hair in place. She began to shed her yukata and Inuyasha turned away.

 

By the time he had pulled on his clothes for the day Kagome had started the fire. He waited a few minutes, allowing himself to fully wake up before walking out into the main room.

 

“I have to go to the elder's house and install a new door. I will be away for the whole day.” Inuyasha said between gulps of rice porridge. Kagome nodded silently.

 

Kagome quickly tidied the area, picking up the pot and scraping it clean. Inuyasha drained a cup of water and then left the house. She could her him fumbling with materials in the back, and then slowly walk away.

 

She put away her cooking utensils. Now that he was gone she could make an effort at picking up his work area.

 

On her way out she tied back her sleeves with a length of cloth and surveyed the damage.

 

Sawdust lay all over the ground. It wasn't even possible to see if the ground was grass, dirt, or wooden. Several piles of poles of varying lengths lay strewn about the ground. She decided that they could probably be moved so she could find a way to get rid of the sawdust. Rolling her shoulders, she set out to work.

 

Several hours later the poles were all organized by length against the wall and the ground was mostly free of sawdust and woodchips. Most had gone into a compost pile she was starting by her garden, while some went directly into the soil itself. At least now the back of their house looked presentable.

 

Kagome entered the little workshop, minding carefully where she stepped so as not to break anything. She was fairly certain that Inuyasha would not be pleased when he learned she had invaded his space, but after his accident she wanted to make some effort to make the place safer. And that meant clearing out hazards.

 

When all the dust and scraps were in the compost she saw that the floor was hard packed dirt, and that multiple projects rested on the floor in varying stages of completion. In the back on a set of shelves sat multiple pieces that looked as though they simply needed varnish or paint before they were completed. Among these were small wooden statues and several decorative jewelry boxes. One such box was pushed a little ways away from the rest, almost hidden in the far corner of the top shelf.

 

It was made from dark cherry wood, carefully designed and engraved. Kagome lifted it slightly from where it rested.

 

It felt heavy. Everything else had felt empty, but this felt as though it had something in it.

 

She looked around the box. There was no latch, and the lid appeared to simply lift off. She glanced up guiltily, looking for someone who would witness her failure to control her curiosity. She sighed, feeling invasive in her husband's privacy. She carefully placed the box back where it came from, smoothing over the beautiful wood and then quickly exiting the shop.

 

She sighed with relief when she was clear of the door. Even knowing that her husband would be gone for several hours more at least did not allow her to lose her tension. She looked down the path to the village and started when she saw Inuyasha leaning against the side of the house. His gaze was mild, but it was clear he had seen her leaving his shop.

 

“I notice that it is cleaner.” He commented. “Where have all the poles gone?”

 

Kagome soundlessly pointed towards the wall of the house, and Inuyasha got up and came around the corner to investigate.

 

“I could probably make some barrels to hold all these so they don't lay all over the place. Where did all the chips go?”

 

Kagome walked him around to the compost pile. He nodded.

 

“My mother—she kept something like this to contain all the mess my father made. I think she put some in her garden too.”

 

Kagome nodded. She wasn't sure if he was talking to her or to himself. It was the first time she'd heard him talk about his family.

 

He turned abruptly on her. “What did you touch in the workshop?”

 

Frightened, she bowed to him. “I didn't mean to upset you, my husband. I just took out the trash on the floor. I didn't touch anything else.” She decided silently that it was better not to tell him that she'd admired the box on the top shelf. It was probably for some higher-class wife or something of the like.

 

He grunted and stomped away. While he was pleased with his wife for trying to improve his work situation, he hoped that she hadn't discovered his special project. He would either have to ban her from coming in or hide it more thoroughly. She would probably realize that he was hiding something if he banned her.

 

Inuyasha sighed. His life had become far too complicated with obtaining a wife. And he still hadn't decided whether to bring her along on his monthly trip to Edo to sell wares. He had gone right before the wedding and was due to purge his stores again.

 

“I will go in two days.” He said aloud. Whether or not to bring his wife would be decided by then.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

As dawn placed rosy fingers over the hills to the east Kagome handed up pole after pole to her husband who stood atop a cart. Edo was a little more than a mile away, but it would be difficult to walk such a distance with all the wares.

 

When Inuyasha had announced at dinner two nights before that he was going into Edo for the day, Kagome put herself into the plans. She carried a pack on her back, holding a change of clothes for her husband to use, their lunch, and a letter from the headman to an official in the city.

 

As the sun began to show they were already on the road, Inuyasha pulling the cart by hand and Kagome walking beside and helping to steady its trajectory.

 

By the time the city came into view Inuyasha was lightly damp underneath his bangs and under his arms. Summer was fast approaching and the rising heat was evidence of that.

 

Inuyasha lead the way into the city, passing through alleys and finally stopping at a sizeable woodworking shop. He dropped the handles of the cart and walked in without bothering to knock.

 

“Sesshomaru!” he yelled, causing Kagome to jump. In time a little girl came running down the stairs. She bowed politely to both of them, then lead them inside. Inuyasha waved her quiet when she began protesting leaving the cart on the street. She obeyed reluctantly.

 

They were lead to what looked like a dressing room. The girl left and returned with a basin of water. She then ran outside the door and shut it. Kagome could hear her plop down on the ground outside and begin to hum to herself.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

He growled.

 

“I hate doing this.” He grumbled, shedding his shirt. He took a cloth sitting in the basin and began to wash quickly, removing most of the sweat and road dirt.

 

“We're about to meet with my brother. He owns this shop, which was once my father's base of operations.”

 

Kagome blinked. “I thought your father worked out of our hut.”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “He met my mother and then moved there to make her his wife. Sesshomaru was insulted that he would dishonor his first wife. He only allows me to come here because he promised our father. He didn't want the family business to separate.”

 

Kagome nodded.

 

So, Inuyasha does have some family. But, why weren't they at the wedding? Did they refuse to come…

 

Kagome shot a glance at her husband, who was now donning the more formal attire she had brought in her pack. He looked sullen and volatile, jerking at the ties and muttering under his breath.

 

...or did Inuyasha even invite them?

 

When Inuyasha finally finished fiddling with his clothes he stood and strode towards the door. He slammed it open and the girl outside jumped to her feet.

 

“We will see my brother now.” He said sharply. He then proceeded to stride down the hall, ignoring the girl's attempts to run ahead and lead them. Not that it was necessary, because apparently Inuyasha knew his own way around. Kagome followed at a brisk pace.

 

Finally Inuyasha stopped at a door and glanced over to see if she was beside him. In that pause the girl cheerily said that she would announce them before Sesshomaru. Kagome moved behind Inuyasha, knowing that formal etiquette would be required in meeting Inuyasha's elder brother. Besides, if Inuyasha's feelings towards his sibling were reciprocated, she wanted to be out of the line of fire. She would probably have to deal with her husband's moods the whole rest of the day, so she would prefer not to be involved in a fight for as long as possible.

 

The doors slid open and Inuyasha strode right in, without any respectful bowing or acknowledgement. Kagome hastened to follow.

 

Sitting on a masterfully carved chair was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. His silver hair hung down clear to the floor, accenting his tall and elegant frame. He did not so much sit as he reclined, his presence overpowering even that of the elegant piece on which he rested. He was finely clothed, a sign of wealth. But what gave Kagome slight chills were his eyes.

 

Inuyasha's eyes were full of fire and life, outright burning when he was angry, warm when he was compassionate. But in his brother's eyes she saw nothing. They were as hard and cold as metal, none of the warmth of wood. Even though his eyes could be called amber, there was none of the light and brightness associated with it. His gaze flicked to her, and she was terrified.

 

“No respect for your ani-ue, otouto?”

 

“Why should I have any?” Inuyasha shot back.

 

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, and, if possible, grew even more frigid.

 

“Because if you lose your connection to me, whelp, then you will starve in that hamlet our father frittered away his life in. I certainly hope that your work is up to specifications this month. I hardly was able to sell your crude works last time, even with reductions in price and touching up.”

 

Inuyasha seethed silently. From behind him Kagome could see that his fists were tightened and was quivering with rage. She frowned as well. Rude he may be, his work ethic was second to none, and she knew he took great care in finishing everything to perfection. Her thoughts drifted to the box on the shelf and she wanted to slap the man around. How dare he insult his otouto like this?

 

“I brought this month's wares,” Inuyasha said, his voice forced calm. “They are up to specs.”

 

Sesshomaru leaned forward. “I hope they are, or you and your wench will starve in your village.” He leaned back into his chair, appearing lost in thought.

 

“I suppose even a whelp such as you are is man enough to experience desire for a woman.” He sneered. “Though I think I would have taken a whore over some farmer's brat.”

 

Kagome seethed behind her husband. Third child in a family of girls she may be, but this arrogant prick had no right to insult her or her husband.

 

“Were you born a pompous, arrogant asshole or did you just suck on lemons during your childhood?” she snapped, coming out from behind Inuyasha. He looked over at her, startled.

“And how can you sneer at his work, when I can tell by your hands that you have not touched a chisel in many months? And if all you ask of Inuyasha is apprentice work like common poles then all you will get is common work. He does beautiful engravings, but you won't allow him to grow because of your snit with your father. You cast him aside like trash and that's not right!” Kagome finished yelling, surprised at herself.

 

Sesshomaru sat back, his eyes wide. Inuyasha looked stunned beyond words.

 

Sesshomaru recovered first, glancing away and looking bored.

 

“Since your woman claims you have such skill then feel free to…indulge yourself. You are clearly indulging your wife.”

 

Inuyasha snarled. “At least my woman defends me. That is more than I can say for your catch of a wife. Is she still abed, or perhaps being handfed her breakfast?”

 

Sesshomaru gave what in a lesser man would be considered a sneer. “My wife is none of your business.”

 

“But my wife is yours?”

 

Sesshomaru waved his hand. “I do not know if I should even acknowledge the wench, seeing as I never saw a wedding ceremony.”

 

Inuyasha turned crimson and looked away. Kagome stepped forward, seeing as Inuyasha did not seem upset with her yet.

 

“With how you treat him how could he expect anything better on the day of his wedding?” she said, her tone light. “It is supposed to be a time of joy, and your presence would have dampened the whole affair. I would rather keep my happy memories of a wedding without you,” she smiled sweetly, “than be `acknowledged' as a proper companion for Inuyasha-sama. Besides, you would have found another way to discredit the union.”

 

She turned politely to her husband and bowed. “My husband, the air in here is unpleasant. Perhaps we could retire to soothe ourselves of the miasma.”

 

Inuyasha still looked shell-shocked, but nodded and lead the way from the chamber, again not bothering with the pleasantries of goodbyes. They made it all the way to the room where his shirt lay before Inuyasha began to laugh. He collapsed against the wall and laughed, a big smile painted across his face.

 

“I have never seen—anything—like that before.” He said between chortles. He jumped to his feet and hugged her tight.

 

“My beloved wife, I am taking you out to lunch. In commemoration of having stunned him.”

 

Kagome gasped in his arms. “But, won't he be angry?”

 

Inuyasha spun her around. “He's always angry at me for some reason. But now I feel like I'm worth something. Oh, my wife.” He twirled her again.

 

Thus he swept them out, ignoring the squawks of one of the retainers. She noticed that their cart was gone, probably behind the fence that lined the shop. Inuyasha retained a grip on her hand, so she walked essentially alongside him. He soon found a small restaurant and pulled her in.

 

Soon they were seated side by side at a table in the corner of the little place. Inuyasha had his arm around her waist and didn't seem like he was letting go anytime soon.

 

“You have happy memories of our wedding day?” he asked, sipping his sake.

 

Kagome blushed slightly in shame. To be honest it hadn't been very happy at all, nor had her life with her husband.

 

“It marked a period of change in my life,” she settled on. “And—I was afraid of being married to someone I did not like.”

 

“Or being hurt by that man,” her husband commented. She glanced at him, startled.

 

“The one you were sitting next to when we met as betrothed, your sister's husband. He was giving you looks a married man should not give his wife's sister.” He sipped again. Kagome filled the cup when he set it down.

 

“Yes.” She said softly.

 

“How would you know about my engraving?” Inuyasha asked next.

 

Kagome drew a blank. “Well—I—uh—”

 

“You did go look at the things in the workshop, didn't you?”

 

She bowed her head. “Hai, husband.”

 

His hand smoothed her hair. “I love to work on such pretty things,” he commented. “But no one in the village would have uses for them. I could not sell them; perhaps only give them as gifts. And therefore they are useless.” He drained the sake.

 

Kagome hesitated to fill the cup again. He hadn't eaten very much breakfast and she knew drinking on an empty stomach would intoxicate him quickly.

 

Inuyasha chuckled and pushed the bottle away. “You're right, I probably shouldn't get drunk.”

 

Their meal came soon and both ate well. It was decently prepared and served on lovely dishes. Inuyasha paid and soon they were walking in the streets again.

 

“You are in a very good mood.” Kagome commented. “It is nice to see.”

 

He smiled broadly. “The meetings with my brother have never gone well, up until this one.” He turned towards her. “I'm pleased that you are my wife. I was uncertain whether I would like having a woman in the house again.”

 

Kagome blushed at he praise. He smiled. “Come, since you know of my engraving, your should also know of my other secret pleasure.” He grabbed her sleeve and began to tow her through the town.

 

“See.” He pointed triumphantly at a display. Inside were a number of swords. Most were samurai weapons or even courtly decorative blades, but underneath them all lay something unique. Upon its own podium sat a wooden blade. It was shaped and carved so that it appeared to carry an edge, except for its wooden nature. The hilt was a piece of art. A dragon's head was the basis of the hilt, with the user gripping the scaled neck and the tongue exploding from the dragon's mouth to become the blade. Its eyes shone jade below delicately carved eyebrows and a fur mane that covered the top of the head.

 

Kagome gaped in wide-eyed wonder.

 

“It's so beautiful.” She murmured. The blade shone of its own accord, credit to attentive sanding and varnishing.

 

“I only made one, because the wood is costly, and they take significant time to shape. I could not complete more without being unable to make Sesshomaru's order. I was late on some orders in the village because of this project.”

 

He sounded almost proud of the time and dedication the piece took.

 

Kagome sighed. “You are vain in your beauty, beautiful sword. You took my husband away from his work.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his shoulders back, obviously proud of his work.

 

“We should return and see if my brother has something new to gripe about.”

 

Kagome pondered as she walked slightly behind her husband. It seemed that Inuyasha had plenty of ability to go far, so why was he winnowing poles and chopsticks?

 

By the way, if anyone is wondering about the wooden sword, I saw that exact sword at a woodworker's tent in a farmer's market. It was amazingly beautiful, and amazingly expensive. Which is why I sadly do not own it. I hate when money comes into play in shopping because it makes everything so much less fun. -Akihana