His new ward

Chapter 13

Inuyasha landed in front of Kaede's hut and was glad that he could get Miroku off his back. It had been a quiet trip back to the village. Both of them had much on their minds. In one week Kagome and Sango would be available to be courted by any suitor that Sesshomaru saw fit.

And only Kami knew what Sesshoumaru declared suitable. It would be his luck that Sesshoumaru allowed Kouga to court his Kagome. This wasn't how it was suppose to be. Kagome was suppose to be his and now he had to prove to his brother that he was a suitable mate for her. How was he going to do that? And what was he going to do about Kikyo?

He could have them both, but first he would have to go see Kikyo and tell her to stay away from Sesshomaru. He would think of a reason when he found her. He watched Miroku enter Kaede's hut then took off for his forest. Kikyo was suppose to wait for him there.

Miroku entered the hut and found the miko busy mixing herbs. "Good evening Kaede."

"Miroku ye are back early. Did something amiss happen to put the hunt on hold?" Kaede waited for the monk to sit down then handed him a cup of tea. She could tell he was disturbed. "Where are the girls at Miroku?" She looked toward the door expecting at least one of them to enter but none did.

"Lady Kaede, Lord Sesshomaru has taken them as his wards and gave us one week to prove that we would be suitable mates for them. He is also going to send notices of their availability to take suitors to every village in Japan." Miroku stared down into the cup that Keade handed him. "How am I going to be able to compete against the suitors that Lord Sesshomaru will likely recieve for Sango. I do not have a house for a wife or a steady job to support a wife. There is no way he would choose me over the others." Miroku placed his cup down and stared into the fire.

Kaede stared at the monk in shock. Sesshomaru had the right to do as he saw fit with the people in his lands but it had never crossed her mind that he would do something like that. "Why would Lord Sesshoumaru decide to take this action now. He never bothered with ye group before. Besides when he came to take young hanyou's sword that is."

Miroku sat up straight and a frown covered his face. "It was because of Inuyasha and Kouga. Kouga showed up like he always does and started talking to Kagome totally ignoring Inuyasha. He asked her when she was going to come to his cave and finally take her place as his mate when Inuyasha lost it. Before anyone could do anything to stop them they were fighting each other. This was not like any battle they had fought before. They were growling at each other and I do believe they were out to kill each other. Then at one point in the battle Kouga got threw into a few trees so he returned the favor by knocking Inuyasha into a forest behind him destroying more trees. The next thing we know is that Sesshoumaru appeared and knocked both of them out and we were surrounded by guards and he claimed Lady Kagome and Lady Sango his wards."

Keade sat down for a few minutes taking in the information that the young monk had given her. "It would seem they did much damage to the young lords lands. He did not take kindly to such." She shook her head and slowly stood. "I might be able to help you out a little monk. Follow me." She stood up and led the way out of the hut.

Miroku followed the aged miko out of the hut. He didn't know how she would be able to help him get Sango for a mate but at this point he wasn't going to turn down any help he could get. He followed her to the edge of the village and a little distance into the woods. The woods opened up into a clearing and in the clearing sat two huge huts. "When were these built Lady Kaede?"

"The villagers have been working on them since spring Miroku. We all wanted to thank you and your friends for saving our village and villagers countless times. We knew it would not be long before you took Sango as your wife and so we built this house for you and her." She nodded to the one on the right. "The other was built for Kagome and Shippo. I knew that Inuyasha had taken my sister as his mate and knew Kagome would like a place here that she could call her home. She is here more than she is on the other side of the well and she is old enough to have her own place since she has no parents here. We thought we would surprise you all when you returned from your last hunt. The villagers had just finished the huts two days ago." She turned and saw the happy smile on the monks face.

"I don't know what to say but thank you Lady Kaede. Now at least I have a home now and that will help a little with my petition." Miroku entered the hut that was to be his and Sango's.

Kaede left the monk to think over his problems and returned to the village. She had her horse saddled and she took off for the western palace. She would do what she could to help the monk and the taijiya and the miko that she concidered her granddaughter.

Miroku left the hut and went to discuss something else with Lady Kaede. He entered her hut and found her absent. He returned to his hut and looked around again. The villagers had thought of everything. They had futons, cooking supplies, dried food, rice, a table, they had even chopped firewood for them. He laid on the futon and fell asleep.

Inuyasha ran all over his forest and couldn't find any sign of Kikyo. Even her soul stealers were nowhere in sight. Maybe she had to go retreive some souls or something. He would return to the God tree and wait for her to return. Hopefully he would have his plan figured out by then.

Kaede had never been this far into the northern part of the Western Lands. She had ridden for the rest of the day. Only Kagome and Sango would cause her to travel this far. She would do anything for her granchildren and that is how she saw the girls. Sesshomaru would not be keeping them much longer. The sun was starting to set so she found a glen to set up camp before it got to dark. She ate a meal and set up a barrier then laid down to sleep. Tomorrow she would reach the castle and tomorrow she would get her girls back.