When: 50 years before Inuyasha awoke
The young monk leaned heavily on his staff, looking ruefully up the winding path.
"I suppose they were not joking when they said this shrine was remote," he sighed. Adjusting his straw hat over his handsome features, he continued on the path.
A woman's shriek echoed in the distance.
"Duty calls," he said brightly, and went charging off of the path to the sound of the the maiden's cry.
Something circled overhead, not far away. "Cloud falcons," he muttered. "Why so close to the earth?" One broke away from the group and went streaking towards the mountain. The young monk grimaced and doubled his pace.
When he reached the clearing, he saw a young woman surrounded by two or three wolves, which were growling fiercely at several large men who eyed her lustfully.
"What's the matter," a large one sneered at her. "We'll kill the wolves then take good care of you."
"No," she half whispered, her arms wrapped around the body of a struck wolf, tears streaming down her face. "Stay away from us."
"Heh," the man laughed, and advanced towards the girl. The wolves growled loudly, the hair on their backs standing straight up. "As if two mangy wolves will stop us. I've already killed the first, haven't I?" he motioned to the beast that lay in her lap.
"I don't believe I appreciate your attitude towards women," the monk interrupted lazily, entering the clearing.
The half dozen thieves turned to stare at the simple – and unarmed – monk, incredulous at his interruption.
"Who are you," the leader grunted.
"I am the monk Miyatsu," he bowed politely. "And I am on my way to the shrine to pay homage to the wise gods of this mountain. I trust your mission here is far less enlightened."
"We have our mission, alright," the leader smirked. "It has to do with disposing of whatever gets in our way!" he yelled as he charged towards the calm monk. He swung his heavy sword towards the man with bone shattering force. The monk stepped away quickly, and tripped the man with his staff. The giant was reduced to helpless oaf, tumbling clumsily to the ground. Miyatsu unceremoniously thumped the man on the head with his staff, knocking him unconscious. The other thieves looked to each other, and charged the man wildly, who sighed before dispatching with them in the same manner. In a matter of moments, they were tied up in a bundle and sealed with several sacred sutras to a large rock in the clearing.
They moaned as the lumps rose on their head. The monk then went quickly to the side of the woman who had called out for help. She was indeed beautiful, even in distress.
"A priestess," he said, recognizing her garb. "Are you of the mountain shrine?"
"Yes," she said quietly. The wolves that had guarded her now whined with their ears flattened to their heads as they smelled their fallen companion.
"Please, you must help us," she said tearfully.
"I will do what I can," he said doubtfully, "but I think it might be too late for the wolf."
"Please," she begged. "The thieves had a cart with their spoils – we can travel faster that way."
"As you wish," he said quietly, rushing off to where she pointed. He was pleasantly surprised. "Well, they may have been poor fighters, but they were excellent thieves," he grinned.
The cart was laden with goods, but there were several horses waiting. He led those guiding the cart back to the clearing and the others followed. "Well trained," he observed.
He took one of the stolen robes and helped the maiden wrap the wolf carefully and lift it on to the cart. It was a large wolf, much heavier than the monk had anticipated. He looked to the animal suspiciously and back to the priestess. "I sense no evil aura… but this is definitely no ordinary wolf."
Struck with a new sense of determination, the monk helped the blood-stained priestess on to the cart, and, following her directions, directed the horses with all speed towards the shrine.
"Is it far?" he asked, eyeing a gathering of Cloud Falcons ahead.
"Not far now," she said quietly.
The monk saw nothing ahead, save the winding path, and hoped that perhaps there was a shortcut nearby. There were certainly more wolves. They had begun to gather when he had been on the main road for a mile or so. He urged the horses forward, eyeing the wolves that surrounded the cart, keeping stride with them. The Cloud Falcons seemed to be nearer now, too.
"Pardon me, priestess," he called over his shoulder. "but,…"
"They will show you the way," she pointed wearily to the falcons. They were very large birds, although they rarely appeared so. Miyatsu reminded himself that was because they flew so much higher than the other birds. They were often used to bring prayers to this shrine. He knew they needed to hurry. He did not know why he knew this, but he felt it as surely as he felt his heart racing beneath his robes.
He forced the horses to go faster, as the path narrowed and became more winding. The birds suddenly swooped up the mountain and disappeared into the clouds. The horses neighed as the wolves surrounded the cart and nipped at their hooves, causing them to rise up and run wildly forward. The monk was thrown into the back of the cart with the priestess. He looked up quickly to see if she was alright, but she simply watched him with a quiet unreadable smile.
"And yet again, my love of women has landed me into an impossible predicament. If I survive this, I swear I will never…." But the Monk never finished his thought. He had ducked his head for he could see that the cart was about to crash into the side of the mountain. He tried to secure the lady – and awaited the bone crushing jolt… but it never came. The horses cantered into a large, wide courtyard, and the wolves dispersed. The horses skidded to a stop as if on command, and, while they pawed the ground anxiously, they did not move. Miyatsu looked up, curious, covered in the fabrics that had fallen on him.
A large wolf demon strode to the cart.
"Priestess, are you hurt?"
"No, Rinji, thank you,… but." She looked sadly to her lap.
"Yasuo," the burly redheaded demon said quietly. He gently took the fallen wolf into his arms as if he carried nothing more than a child. He looked directly to the monk. "Come."
If Miyatsu had any hesitation about following the order, he did not show it. He jumped up, and helped the priestess to follow. The Wolf strode to a bright, white light, and the monk felt his body move without thought, supporting the priestess. For once, his mind was scarcely distracted with thoughts of lechery; it was mostly captivated by the brilliant light. When the light faded, they were at the bottom of several stairs leading to a lush garden and a reflecting pool. The light quietly dimmed to reveal a woman in white, who, despite her long white hair, appeared youthful.
Rinji knelt before the woman.
"Obasan…."
She turned quietly, and he followed.
Wordlessly, he placed the wolf in the low wide branches of a peculiar tree, that wrapped around the wolf. Miyatsu watched as the woman in white turned to the wolf, murmuring something he could not here. When she stepped away, a wolf demon lay sleeping in the branches, and a bloodied arrow was in her hands.
"Someone poisoned the arrow," she said quietly.
Rinji raised his eyebrows.
"But who?"
"There have been rumors that we have the Shikon no Tama," Obasan said quietly.
"The men that attacked might have been hired," the priestess came forward and bowed before Obasan. "They had many goods that I do not think they had been clever enough to have stolen."
"Do you have the Shikon no Tama?" Miyatsu asked.
They all turned to look to the monk.
"No," Obasan said quietly. "The Shikon no Tama was burned with the priestess who died protecting it."
"That is what I had heard," Miyatsu said, defeated. "I have been in search of the demon Naraku – said to have had a part in her death."
Obasan looked at the monk carefully.
"Have you battled him?"
"Several times. Each time he takes a different form," the monk said bitterly. "I came to the shrine to seek guidance and advice."
The priestess had climbed to Obasan's side.
"You have done us a great service, Monk," Obasan said quietly. The wolf that laid in the boughs of the tree sighed quietly. Miyatsu noted that he looked older than Rinji. Obasan looked fondly to the injured wolf.
"Yasuo is a protector of the shrine," she explained. "You are in the true heart here. Haru is the high priestess of the shrine, and we…. We are protectors."
Miyatsu looked to the pool of water.
"You are also oracles, are you not?" he asked quietly. Obasan did not answer. She simply bowed her head, while Haru looked to her nervously.
"Naraku is an evil demon, who is causing great atrocities throughout the land," he explained. "Can you tell me anything that will help me defeat him?"
Obasan looked into the Monk's eyes, and then gazed into the reflecting pool for a moment, her features unreadable.
"Naraku is a great evil," she said quietly.
"Do you know where he is?" The monk asked desperately.
Obasan closed her eyes. "You must travel west. He is in the west. Come. Rest here tonight, and we shall send you on your way.
"Follow me," Rinji said in a polite tone that invited no opposition. "Your robes bear the blood of our kind, but as one who has aided us. You have earned our loyalty.
Miyatsu followed the Wolf, after bowing politely to Obasan.
"What did you see," Haru asked Obasan, knowingly.
"There are some paths that must be walked," Obasan said sadly. "They are not for us to change."
Haru's eyes grew wide, but Obasan gently reassured her.
"Return to the shrine, Haru."
"And Yasuo?"
"He has survived worse," Obasan smiled softly.
Haru bowed and returned to the main shrine through a passageway in the gardens.
Obasan, meanwhile turned to the sleeping Yasuo, fondly. "We have been together these many years," she said gently, brushing her hand across his cheek. "I do not intend to be parted now."
When the morning sun crested the mountaintop, Miyatsu was readying the horses. Rinji's people had given him food and directions. He would sell the stolen goods for information about Naraku, and who had attacked the priestess. Or had they attacked the wolf?
"Monk."
Miyatsu turned to see Obasan standing a short distance away from him. He bowed politely.
"I wish you good fortune on your journey," she said quietly. "May these keep you safe," she cupped his right hand, pressing something into it. "And, not that I expect you to heed the words of an old Wolf Woman… but I suggest being … mindful of the fairer sex. Perhaps more… cautious."
Miyatsu smiled knowingly. "I shall be careful," he grinned at her motherly ways. She watched him go, sadly certain he did not interpret her warning correctly. When he turned to wave at the top of the hill, she was gone.
"Hm," he shrugged. "I wonder why she gave me these…Oh well…" he put the prayer beads inside of his robes, and continued on his search for Naraku.
Translations: Yasuo– peaceful one.
Haru – born in spring