Thirty Shards of Inuyasha and Kaede

Kidnapped

Inuyasha walked to a small shed attached to his hut and arranged the stack of wood he'd carried. The shed was now full and he rolled a large stone against the door to stop any chance thieves, or any enemy who might make their way into the hut through the door that opened on the inside. Unlike most of the huts in the village, his had a solid door that was lockable from the inside with a wooden latch and window frames covered during the winter with thick sacking and leather that could be opened on fine days to let in fresh air.

Over the years since he had built his house for Kagome, many had copied aspects of his designs to improve their own places and still others had not chanced the changes brought about by a hanyou. Inuyasha had used concepts from Kagome's time in his build, but adapted them to utilise the things he had locally. Kagome was proud of him and her large hut, especially of the strong walls and extra rooms.

During the summer and autumn months, Kagome too along with the other women, had been busy with preparing her harvests of food that would survive and keep hunger away during the winter. Inuyasha had built another shed (in addition to the root cellar) and similar to the wood one to act as a larder and that was accessible from the interior of their home. Likewise this had a huge stone at its outside door, not that Inuyasha was really worried about casual burglars; the snow would discourage them.

The winter was promising to be a hard one with plenty of snow that would almost bury the village for a time. People however were prepared, they had all been through this many times before and the snow would at least act as insulation for the homes once it settled. But Kagome and Inuyasha had a guest for the winter; Kaede was sharing a room with the couple's two girls.

Inuyasha had turned up carrying Kaede on his back, much to the surprise and amusement of Kagome and the pups and the annoyance of the lady herself. He had just been checking that she had all she needed in the form of food and everything, when he had heard the elderly lady cough. Not only that she had the scent of sickness on her and so he just grabbed her, and the next thing she knew was she was in front of the warm fire with a blanket round her shoulders in Kagome's main room.

"She smells sick so she's staying with us for the winter." Was the abrupt explanation from the hanyou, but Kagome nodded and said of course, Kaede was most welcome to stay.

"Feh!"

"I suppose I have no say in the matter Inuyasha?" Asked a bemused Kaede; "I have none of my things here, what shall I wear? Ye do not have room for this old Lady."

"I'll go back and get your things and tell the headman where you are, but you are staying here where Kagome can look after you." And he went out to do just that, leaving wide eyed pups and the two women chuckling at him.

"You are welcome Kaede and he is right, we have plenty of room and it will be easier for you here than to suffer the winter sickness alone." Kagome was not really angry with Inuyasha for his precipitous kidnapping of the elderly Miko, she had seen genuine worry in his golden eyes and Kaede was well over seventy now.

"Well I suppose I can earn my keep by telling these small ones stories about their Papa; stories from before he became a legend as well. Would ye all like that pups?" She got her answer by being immediately surrounded by her audience of three eager faces looking at her.

Shard#1 Legend lj community 30 shards.