The original kept going down for some reason so I have replaced it completely. if something happens here you may also find the story by the same name at Wattpad wwwDOTattpadDOTcom/story/137020929-princess-of-the-northern-lands

I have discovered much to my delight, many of my fans here are also fans of Inuyasha and Dragon Age, two of my other favorites. I became attached to Inuyasha when my stepson was diagnosed with leukemia and we watched it during his treatments. I write a fanfic for it every year on the anniversary of his being declared cancer free (10 years now!) in celebration. This one is for you. G.H.

Inuyasha was growing bored. He had agreed to accompany his wife back to her time to pick up some healing supplies she felt she needed and visit with her family, but as soon as her brother Sota had to go off to school, he quickly grew bored.

It had taken two years but they had finally figured out how to open the well again so that Kagome could visit with her parents. He still was not comfortable bringing their one year old son Atsutsune but as Kagome pointed out, if for some reason they got stuck here, that would leave Sesshomaru to raise him. While the two brothers were not quite as antagonistic as they had once been he still did not want to leave his infant son in the Daiyokai's care.

There was nothing he would not do for Kagome. He would battle demons. Hunt down the fiercest creatures for the finest furs. Whatever it was her heart desired. He just wished her heart desired more of those things and less gossiping about which of her girl friends had got married while she was away. Who cared? She hadn't been there and wasn't likely to see them again.

He had to sleep in the tree the night he had made that particular observation out loud.

He had wandered to the furthest corners of her property when he could clearly hear the sound of battle training. Intrigued he easily climbed the fence to get a closer look.

The gardens here are well tended. They remind him a little of Kaede's gardens back home. There was a little vegetable patch and cherry trees and a pond full of small fish. He grabbed a tomato from a bush to sample it.

Blech, it was terrible.

It tasted exactly like a tomato.

He thought maybe they had got better tasting in the modern era. Why would they want to make vegetables taste exactly the same? They could make carts that don't need oxen to pull them and they couldn't make a fucking tomato taste like a roast fish? Humans always did enjoy wasting what little time, talent and resources they had on the stupidest things. When they were out in the middle of nowhere and starving they weren't going to eat the black tires off of their oxen free carts.

He stopped for a few minutes to watch the fish in the pond. Their silver bodies gliding easily through the water. He knew better than to catch and eat them.

He was only going to make that mistake once in this era!

He could once again hear the clacking of wooden swords that signaled battle training. Moving forward once more towards what looked to be perhaps some sort of shrine he was pleased to see the doors were open. Over them was written "Kitsune Kendo Dojo" the female instructor was leading a class of young children through practice drills with wooden swords.

Since this was far more interesting than how little Miss So and So was now little Mrs. So and So he leaned against the door frame to watch.

Although he did wonder if the instructor knew the place was named after a demon. Probably not he thought. Or if she did she didn't really believe in demons. He looked across the room and saw a large painting of a snow white nine tailed fox. Then again… it was probably the second. She knew she had named the place for a demon alright, but didn't believe. He wondered idly if the kitsune he had known would have been flattered. Actually, he thought, looking at the painting, it wasn't a bad representation of…

"Alright children" the instructor finally finished the class "that was excellent effort today. I will see you all back in two days." The children started hanging their little swords on the wall and gathering their belongings.

Finally the instructor turned around and saw Inuyasha standing in the doorway and smiled brightly at him.

He froze. He looked from her to the painting and back again and then asked hesitantly…"Inari?" But that was crazy, Inari had gone missing when he was still very young, he had not even met Kikyo yet… and she certainly wasn't from this era anyway.

No. It was impossible. He had to be wrong.

The young woman smiled at him. "I have never been mistaken for a goddess before, but no, my name is Kita, Kita Ohimesama."

Her name was Princess of the North? And she looked exactly like Inari? And sounded like Inari? He had to get back to his own era immediately.

"I…it is nice to meet you Kita, is that a family name?" he asked.

"No, not exactly. Have you come to register a child?" she was still smiling but there was a question in her tone now.

"Register?" he was confused.

She laughed "For the classes, you must have really thought I looked like this woman for my appearance to have rattled you so much."

Her laughter was like bells on the wind, just like Inari's had been. How could this possibly be? She was no reincarnation. Kagome did not look and act and sound exactly like Kikyo after all.

He noticed she was still looking at him questioningly "Oh, yes, register, my son is too young but… my brother… his ward I know he would want to register her. My wife, her family lives next door, the Higurashi's and…"

"OH! You must be the mysterious man Kagome married!" he noticed she instantly relaxed. Stupid human. Why would she think someone she just described as mysterious was safe for her to be around? He was but she had no reason to believe that.

"Uh… yeah. That would be me. So I will bring my brother here to talk about registering Rin and…" he was amazed when she turned her back on him. These humans really had no sense of self preservation at all.

"Just let me get the forms you will need… or your brother that is… and he can have them filled out when he returns." She turned back around with a bright smiled and shoved a handful of papers in to his hands.

When she got close he could smell the sweat on her. She smelled like Kagome did when she spent too much time in this world. He would never be able to tell by scent alone. There was too much masking her actual scent. If he could get a little blood… he almost laughed at how absurdly stupid that was. If she actually was Inari that was a really good way to get himself killed.

Taking the papers he went back to Kagome's family shrine. He knew he had to return to the feudal era at once, but did not know if he should take Kagome with him or not. On the one hand, he did not want her asking a lot of questions and interfering. But he also did not want her in danger if that was indeed Inari next door. Although she had lived next door to her for some time with no problems….

He finally had a solution. He would hop out of the well long enough to send a message through Miroku and Sango to have Sesshomaru meet him here in two days time. That it was vitally important.

That being decided he went in to the Higurashi kitchen to tell Kagome he was returning home for about an hour and he would return to her quickly.

She clutched his sleeve. The last time they had been separated in two different eras it was for three years had terrified her to have them in separate eras again. "Atsutsune and I will go with you." She said with a slight tremble in her voice.

Recognizing her fear he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "One hour. I will not leave the area of the well. If it starts to close I will come back at once. I have to get a message back home."

"Why? Why is it so important right now? And why can't we just come with you?" She still held tightly to him.

He knew Sesshomaru would not thank him for involving Kagome so he simply said "There is a new neighbor next door at that dojo that is odd. I don't trust them. I need Miroku to send me something to test my theory and I need you to keep things safe here." This seemed to satisfy her and she let go kissing him goodbye.

It did not satisfy him however. What was his father's general doing here?