#song of the chapter is Cage sung by Tielle

[jafndaegur]

Noise of Rain | Chapter Four

Ordinary Life Alluded Me, for My Duty You Lost Me

Sesskag

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Kagome crouched down in the dirt, up to her arms in weeds. She and a few others who had decided to take refuge in the Burial Mounds figured that making themselves self-sustaining with crops would be a solid move. From there they could eat and sell whatever they needed.

Not many people lived with her in the mountains but the tea shop owner, a few of her rescues, and even the odd hanyou had fallen under her care. So, the little clan she'd accidentally built up was now her responsibility. She looked up at the scraggly tents that lined the mountain path in front her. The Burial Mounds by far were not a place someone, anyone, should call home. But somehow here she was.

And Kagome was content.

She stood, her legs creaking as she stretched herself out and began to walk down the path away from the makeshift village. She supposed doing her patrol now instead of later would be better in the long run.

As she made her way down the path, the talismans at the entrance of the mountains told her someone, a group, had entered the proximity. Pulling Kangaimuryo from her belt, she hurried quickly over the patchy land and headed to the grove that spotted the foothills. 

"Lady Kagome!" Came a familiar boyish voice, and she relaxed and slowed her pace.

Twirling the fife in her grasp, she ventured further, "Kohaku! You finally showed up, we were beginning to—"

 And then she stopped.

Up the hill came Kohaku who was closely followed by Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.  She paused at the sight of her friends. She hadn't expected to see them for a while since the teahouse incident. Honestly if they wanted to keep their distance, she couldn’t blame them. Afterall she was different.

"Kagome! You're looking brilliant," Miroku chirped with his usual chipper mien.

Her friends stood around her while Kohaku excused himself to go settle in at the camp back up the mountain. She waved him off before turning to everyone. Heavy and thunderous, her heart pounded against her ribs.

"We figured we'd take a little vacation!" Shippo hopped from Miroku's shoulder to Kagome's, giving her a tight hug around her neck. "If that's okay …"

Her hands instantly wound around the small kit, her gaze swinging to the fond looks of the monk and demon slayer. 

"With Naraku gone..." Miroku flexed his hand, seeming almost—almost—bashful.

Sango stepped forward. "We figured we'd come spend time with you and help you here."

And within seconds, Kagome found herself crushed within the embrace of her best friend. Miroku joined them, pulling the small little group against him with his warm arms.

"You've done so much for us," Sango murmured. "And while we don't understand why you're doing what you are, we're not going to let you do this alone."

"What kind of friends would we be if we just stopped bothering you?" Miroku crooned.

"You guys…" she buried herself in their closeness, breathing in the familiarity and presence of them. It'd been so long and she'd been so alone. "Living up here, it's kinda rough. Are you sure?"

"Kagome, I'm wounded you don't think us hearty enough." The monk gave a reassuring squeeze.

"We're here to stay." Shippo assured, clapping his small paws against her cheeks for good measure.

And that was that. 

Kagome led them up the path, instructing them in how to safely traverse the mountain and avoid any pockets of resentful energy that she had yet to purge.

"Where is Kirara?" She asked after a few moments, realizing that the fiery feline was missing from her normally inseparable spot with the demon slayer.

"She's waiting in the village. Once Kikyo has settled, she'll be bringing Kaede." Sango's face twisted to something along the lines of pitying. "With the original Inuyasha forest guardians back and alive, Kaede felt it was time to move on. So she'll be joining us."

Kagome's heart warmed just a bit more before it cracked. "Wait...then that means Inuyasha's staying…"

Their group was quiet. No one spoke as the tents came into view and the little field Kagome had been de-weeding. All of it came into view and drowned out the noise of rain their footsteps cried.

"We'll see him around," Sango finally piped up.

Miroku clapped. "That's right. He's curious to see what you've been up to." He gave an observant sweep of the area. "Which seems to be starting your own little village! Should we be calling you the Edo Matriarch, Kagome?"

She laughed and lightly tapped him upside the head with her flute. Somehow though, once she introduced them to the others in the camp, that nickname seemed to stick. It was amusing and for some reason and it made her feel independent from "Shikon Miko". 

---

Miroku had been surprisingly good about rolling up his sleeves and helping Kagome till the fields. Within the week between him, her, and some of the others—they were able to make several paddies for growing food. Irrigation would be another problem to worry about later but for now they could start planting. At least hopefully.

They'd missed peak growing season and were edging too close to comfort to the autumn. 

But if they could at least greenhouse some roots—maybe potatoes and radishes—they'd grow enough food to survive the winter. Clever little Shippo set up a perimeter of foxfire to help keep the soil area warm. They could do it.

Sango and Kohaku traveled down the mountain to a closeby village to trade for seeds and roots. Miroku and Kagome had decided to use the few cavern pools that were further up the crags to try and bring down water. They had just decided to stop at Kagome's room, a cave hidden away from the rest of the growing camp, when Miroku turned around with brows furrowed and face worried. 

"There's a strong aura," he said lowly.

And for a moment she worried that he talked about her room. For many reasons she lived in the epicenter of the Burial Mounds where the strongest and most malicious energy wallowed. But in a flash the connection between her and the talismans lining the mountains went off and she sensed the intruder.

They ran. Kagome's haori whipped around violently while the rings on his staff jangled loudly. They skidded to a stop as they were met with the sight of an almost-impassive Sesshomaru. 

His brow cocked, judgemental, while his arms unceremoniously dumped a large pile of lotus pods in front of them.

"S...Sesshomaru?" Kagome's chest heaved as she stared between him and the pods.

"Kohaku visited with Rin sometime ago," he lazily flicked his hand through the strands of his hair. "He mentioned you have instigated a village. How unlike you to become a village matriarch."

Kagome shot a warning glance to Miroku who completely ignored her heed.

"She's actually the Edo Matriarch," he sauntered forward and crouched down to inspect the lotus. "These are quite healthy, Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome stared at him, "This is a generous gift I wouldn't have expected from you."

She hadn't meant to be biting in tone, and yet this was so unlike the daiyoukai's normally negligent attitude towards her.

His golden eyes turned frigid and his lips upturned into a frown. "Until you are ready to come face to face with the horrid truth that you are keeping to yourself, miko—make sure your village isn't in such shoddy appearance."

He turned on his toes and lifted into the air, flying away from them. They watched him until he was a mere patch of pale light on the horizon.

"You know, I'd say he was almost worried about you," Miroku began to make bundles of the plants. 

Kagome rubbed at her temples, the nerves twinged and aching. Did Sesshomaru know? With all of his great and mighty youkai senses, she wondered if he had actually sniffed out her secret. She doubted that was the case, he was smart though and he probably noticed the clues she'd accidentally left behind. Her main worry was her friends finding out what had happened. The dog demon however, she was not worried about protecting him from the truth...she almost wanted him to find out. Not that he would care…

Maybe.

Kagome leaned down and began to pile lotus pods into her arms. They could take the seeds and plant them in a make-shift pond. That would help with the irrigation system too.

What an odd gift from a demon lord.