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Ever Us -- The Blessing; Keiko	By : DaddysSpecialRequest Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 4015 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I make any money from it.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
Chap 28
Days 39-49
Sesshomaru sat in the library. Jake and Elwood worked silently around him, cleaning and refiling papers and books.    Sesshomaru finished the last page of Ougai’s tome and looked about.
“Perhaps you’d enjoy reading Nana’s draft, Lord Sesshomaru.   We listened in as she dictated.   It was interesting.” Jake adjusted his glasses.
Elwood presented the lacquered box to the lord.
Sesshomaru pulled the ribbon and opened the box.   The paper and ink smelled fresh. He flipped the pages.   Removing the stack from the box he started reading.
Elwood continued flying from stack to stack searching for insect information.
An hour later, Sesshomaru looked up from the work. “Jake, where’s the next part?   It just stopped.” He flipped the papers over, and then looked in the box again.
“My Lord, the scribe ran out of paper.”
“Hnnn.”   Sesshomaru rose out of the chair in an elegant smooth move.   He looked around the library. Book worm demons and owl demons all stared at him; some in fear, others expectantly.   He straightened his back. ‘They look like they want me to say something. What would Inuyasha say?’
“Thank you for your good work. Keep it up.” A regal wave and a nod and Sesshomaru walked away.
“It’s our honor.”
“Such a pleasure to serve our lord.”
“It’s a privilege, Lord Sesshomaru.”
A flurry of feathers and responses followed even as he walked from the library.
_______
Akio had finally got home.   His first work week as an advisor had been time consuming.   He surveyed his fields with his wife at his side.
“Wow.   The weeds sure grew this last week!” Akio bent to pick one of the weeds in his field.
“The children and I tried to help, dear,” his wife sighed. “I’m afraid we aren’t as strong as you and the oxen don’t like us as much as they like you.”
“It’s my amazing singing voice,” Akio joked. “It’s all about that bass.”
“Whatever,” his wife batted at his arm as he moved to put an arm around her. She grabbed his arm and pulled it tight around her shoulders.
“What are we going to do?   I can ask my siblings to visit and help, I guess.”
“I’ll talk to Lord Sesshomaru about it tomorrow at the advisor meeting. Maybe my position has a perk like an assistant, or something?” Akio scratched his head.   “I’ll go get the oxen hitched up and start singing.”
“I’ll start the wash then.   I’m so proud of you, husband.”
“And I am blessed with such a wonderful wife.” They share a quick kiss. Akio walked to the shed to get the oxen.
Before leaving the beaver settlement he had confided in Ryota that he was worried about not getting his fields plowed and sowed since he was so busy with his new job. He wasn’t sure why he trusted Ryota with such a private thought but he did.   There was something about competing with fellow warriors that established a common bound. Ryota had offered to visit Castletown and help. It was nice. Maybe he really did want to meet his in-laws.   Well, he could arrange the meeting. Ryota would make a great in-law.
________________
Sesshomaru understood Inuyasha’s frustration with the limitations on his exercise and asked, rather than commanded, that Inuyasha would take daily walks in the garden with him. It was a compromise Inuyasha found acceptable. The evening walks frequently involved much loving and pleased both mates very much.
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Prior to the advisor’s meeting Inuyasha was strolling through the castle when he ran into the young chamber maid who had guarded the door when he had gotten overwhelmed with Sesshomaru’s ki.   The stack of fresh linens was so high she could not see past them and was startled when the young lord ran into her. She squeaked and dropped the pile she was carrying. Inuyasha bent and tried to help her. As he neared her he sniffed as was his habit, but he still couldn’t smell.   Curious as to her species he asked her. The young chamber maid was clearly flustered and started shaking uncontrollably. She stuttered but her voice was a whisper and Inuyasha couldn’t hear.   When it appeared Inuyasha was going to ask again she nearly fell apart.   Inuyasha looked her over and realized he was frightening her. “Don’t worry. You look familiar. Don’t worry about it,” and he left. She looked around. No one was near. She bent down and picked up a porcupine quill that she had shed in her panic.
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It wasn’t until the next advisors’ meeting that Jinenji heard Captain Kenichi’s concerns about a shape shifter.   As he sat listening to the security report Jinenji worried that the shape shifter could be Nana. He reflected, ‘Why did she run off twice?   She said she really had to pee the first time. That’s valid, odd but real. But where did she go the second time? Why did Captain Kenichi not find her? She had just left?’
Jinenji was so lost in his thoughts that he missed Lord Sesshomaru’s question.
“Jinenji?” Inuyasha nudged him.
“Hey Jinenji!”Akio called out
“Healer!”Lord Sesshomaru growled, annoyed at being ignored.
The giant nearly jumped out of his skin!
“Yes, Milord?” The large protruding eyes stared in fear at the demon lord.
“I hate repeating myself.” Sesshomaru was annoyed. He was growling continuously now.
“Got this, Brother. Jinenji, what’s the status of the chief?” Inuyasha patted his brother’s hand quickly and discretely.
“Oh, um, he’s—he’s—still out, sir.” The healer was unable to look the lords in the eye. He was embarrassed that his attention span had wandered. “He doesn’t respond to anything. We’ve tried a variety of herbs, some I’ve never used before and still no results.”
“It smells in that room,” Kenichi quipped.
“Nana believes it’ll help him.” Jinenji added.
“If it’ll help then so be it.” Kenichi nodded. “I’ll just keep the door shut and all the other windows open. Makes my eyes heavy if I stay in there long.”
“Now that you’ve rejoined our conversation, let’s discuss …”
The meeting went on a while longer.   Sesshomaru told Akio that they were pleased with his work on their behalf and asked if he needed help with his farm.   Akio was pleased that he didn’t have to bring it up. He smiled and said yes he could use some help.   Jaken took over the conversation then and listed a number of refugees who wanted to work as farming assistants or apprentices.
Construction came up next. The new workers were learning and things were moving faster.   The housing would still take some time but it was going well.
Finances were stable. There were no other large expenditures except construction on the books.   In the following weeks the Dutch trading ships would be arriving in Japan. They traded twice a year.   Lists should be started and vetted through the advisors. Lord Sesshomaru made sure they put writing paper on the list.
Captain Kenichi recapped the new security procedure. The impact of two scents identification procedure (2 ¢) seemed to reassure the castle employees as well as provide security. So far no one had identified any strangers and there were no odd events reported. Lord Inuyasha took the opportunity to ask Captain Kenichi about his background check on Yori. Captain Kenichi reported that the assigned guard had watched him for a week and had not uncovered any issues. Lord Sesshomaru instructed Kenichi to issue the invitation to compete for a position on the guard at the next open court date. Kenichi noted and whispered to Jaken to put it on the agenda for tomorrow’s court as he had planned on seeing Yori that day.

When the meeting finished Jinenji excused himself to make rounds.   He found Nana in the city center square talking with a number of younger mothers.   He stood apart for a while and watched their interactions.   The young women were gathered around her like little chicks to a mother hen.   Nana was explaining something and using her hands to do it. The young women were following her every word and hand movement.   Soon the subject was exhausted and Nana’s hands went to her side. The young women nodded and thanked Nana and left.   Nana looked up and saw Jinenji. She stepped forward toward the hanyou.
“Good morning, Jinenji.   Is your meeting over?   Are you ready for some tea?” She pointed toward her home.
“That would be nice, Nana.”
The tall hanyou and the short old human walked side by side in a slow amble across the square and down one of the side streets to Nana’s home.
Offering Jinenji a larger cup than her usual set, then grabbing hers Nana plopped down on the nearest chair and raised her feet.
“Growing old, I find I have more aches than ever. Forgive me dear, but I need to elevate my feet.”
“Of course, Nana.”
Silence filled the room as the two healers relaxed and sipped their morning tea.
Jinenji glanced at the old human sitting in the room with him. She looked like the Nana he’d always talked with and made rounds with.   Aware that he was noisy when he sniffed, he inhaled cautiously. She smelled human and with some menthol-like smell, nothing different.   Her voice sounded right. The tea tasted like normal.
“What’s on your mind, dear?   You’re awfully quiet.”
“Nana,” Jinenji paused and gathered his wits. “Why did you disappear so fast after we treated the chief a week ago? “
“I didn’t think it was that fast, Jinenji.   As I recall I was very tired. I don’t routinely move fast when I’m tired.” Nana looked thoughtfully at Jinenji. “What made you think it was fast?”
“Captain Kenichi had just come in after you walked out. He wanted to thank you so he chased after you but you had disappeared.   Where did you go?”
The old lady lowered her feet to the ground. Leaning forward she sat the cup down on the saucer on the end table.
“Jinenji, you called me “Sensei” that day.”
“Yes, I remember,” the giant nodded.
“And I told you that I would tell you a story.”
“Yes, Nana.”
“Being a healer, well, it’s a multifaceted job. Sometimes we are teachers. Sometimes we are healers, and sometimes we are spiritual counselors.   It’s probably because not all injuries are flesh injuries. Some injuries are in the mind. We want to make everything better. It’s just part of who we are.   We seek out this profession because we want to help others.”

“Yes, Nana,” Jinenji was following her every word. He agreed with her observations and was curious where she was going with this.
“Sometimes though, we can’t help. We can try. We can guide or at least attempt to guide, but if the being doesn’t want our help…” Nana stopped and took a deep breath. “On those occasions it feels like a failure.   Ultimately it’s that beings choice to follow or deny our advice, but I still wonder if I could have done things differently.”
“Nana, where are you going with this? I don’t understand what you are alluding to.” Jinenji’s large eyes were sympathetic.
Nana smiled a sad sort of smile.
“Jinenji, Forty years ago, or so a young woman came to me. She asked me to teach her midwifery. She was a fast learner and could repeat back all my instruction.   She called me, “Sensei”.   It was my first student and I was so terrible proud of her.”
“As we got to know each other I found out she had lost her own children. She had such a bad broken heart.   I tried to help her. I tried to get her to talk about it, to work through her grief. But she had convinced herself it was someone else’s fault and not just an unfortunate set of circumstances. She was set on revenge.   But she never knew me who she wanted revenge against.”
“Like every healer we want to heal all. Time is the best medicine but some are not as patient as others. It is at that time our job is to stand by them and guide them. But that can be hard.   Just about the time I thought we were making headway with her anger, she left. She just disappeared.”
“What was her name, Nana?”
“Nami.   Her name was Nami.” Nana bowed her head.
Silence filled the room. Jinenji sat down his cup.
“You still didn’t tell me where you went last week?”
“Jinenji, you’ll think this old woman crazy.”
“Why would you say that, Nana?”
“I thought I saw her so I ran after her.”
“What’s so odd about that?” Jinenji tilted his head to look at his teacher.
“I looked for her everywhere when she disappeared those forty years ago.   I posted signs and told travelers that I was looking for my lost apprentice I described her and her favorite flowered apron. Several years later a tall thin, elegantly dressed man told me he had seen a shredded flowered pinafore in the forest with blood on it.   He told me I shouldn’t go to look. It was too gruesome.   He believed some animal had eaten her.   I dropped to my knees and cried then.   I hadn’t been able to save her.   I pray to the kami that her soul would be at rest.    That’s why you’d think I’m crazy. If it was her, it would have had to been her ghost!”
Nana covered her face and cried.
Jinenji patted her hand gently.
“It’s ok Nana. Go ahead and cry.   I’m glad you shared that with me. I really do understand.”
Permission granted Nana cried openly for the first time in so many years.
As Jinenji patted her hand he realized one thing.   He trusted Nana.
________________________
Captain Kenichi had sought out Yori that day and told him of the invitation to compete to be in the castle guard. Yori was simply beside himself with joy. He had been visiting one of the families he had brought to the castle town when Kenichi caught up with him.   Yori bounced about their lodge telling everyone he saw that he had an invitation.   Kenichi stood back and laughed.   ‘Wouldn’t Inuyasha regret not being here to see this?    Wonder when they are going to tell me what’s going on between them? Oh well.   My job is to protect and defend my lords, not to snoop into their private matters.’ Kenichi turned his attention back on Yori.
“Remember, Yori.   Report to open court tomorrow. You are already on the agenda.” And Kenichi left.
Open court the next day had a number of disputes over land, one request for mediation and the public announcement of the guard trial for Yori scheduled on multiple days over the next week.

___________

Fifty years ago

Nami sat at the side of the river crying. The beavers had redirected the river and it had flooded her home in the old hollow tree, an old forest snag that had served as her home for her entire life. She had knew the forest snag would soon fall due to age and deterioration but she had wanted her first litter to share the same nest she had been born in. She had four precious porcupettes in her first litter.   She had been so proud. They were all healthy and beautiful to her. She had just gone out for food. She’d had to go further though because all the food in her area was depleted no thanks to those wolverines. She left the babes napping. From her hunting spot she had heard the water roaring. Even the ground shook beneath her feet from the force of the water. She ran back to the tree as fast as she could. She was afraid but she was even more afraid for her children. As she rounded the bend she saw her tree home be crushed and carried away with the water. She saw multiple pieces floating and crashing violently into rocks and still standing trees. She collapsed and cried.
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Ever Us -- The Blessing; Keiko