After All This Time

Ch.4 Broken Promise

The weeks passed by and Kouga visited almost every day. The days he wasn't there disturbing the busy lord, Inuyasha presumed he was checking in on his pack. After all, he had responsibilities as a leader, but now it seems he also had lots of free time with the way he hanged around as if he lived with them.

He came around so much so that rumors started to spread around the village and even neighboring villages that Lord Fujimura had tamed a wolf demon and kept him as a pet. They told long tales that the demon was ferocious and disastrous -they hit the nail on the second one- but the capable and strong Lord tamed him only using the frail sword of his. The young and dashing Lord of this province was already a man that held the hearts of his people and his admirers. Countless rumors have come before of his glory, how his strength was too great so he used cheap swords to weaken himself. Another rumor was an overly dramatic and long explanation for his late wife that ended up with Inuyasha falling in love with his assistant Masami.

Not true.

He's heard it all before. So he isn't worried about what they'll say next.

Kouga on the other hand was mostly oblivious to what was being said around him. Over the past couple of weeks, he's been hanging around, and everyone has gotten used to him. The servants, guards, the maid in charge of taking care of Moroha, and Masami, even if he was distrusting at first. They all greet him and don't mind when he messes with things around the manor. He was like a curious pup.

Kouga had never stayed so long in a human village to pay attention to the tricks and inventions they used. The most he really cared about before were weapons. Others items didn't matter to him.

He seemed to be enjoying himself and everyone was fine with the wolf demon following their young lord around. Moroha on the other hand still wasn't as trusting of him. She still gave him glares when her father wasn't looking, she would make smart remarks at him always calling him foul and mangy. Moroha and Kouga would somehow would end up bickering over petty stuff. She reminded Kouga and Inuyasha of how they acted before.

In a way, it was nostalgic and enjoyable.

———

They both sat in Inuyasha's study, either passing scrolls or papers to him. Both children in the room -at this point he already considered to be Kouga one- bickering at each other and the occasional silent scowls. Inuyasha was barely holding on to his sanity. He sat at his desk more agitated than usual. A new problem held his attention at the moment. A Daimyo that lived three towns away and past the grand river was offering to stay at his village. He would stay for two weeks to discuss a trading deal. It would potentially be a big offer since Lord Hashigawa's province was one-third the size bigger than his own. It would be good for Inuyasha's Province to tie connections with them. This was a good deal but it seemed a bit off.

The first thing that Inuyasha found disturbing was that it was lord Hashigawa that would come to him instead of the other way around. To come in person was a whole other issue in of itself. Why would the Lord of a bigger province come in person than sending an envoy? It was a common thing most lords do.

Inuyasha would understand if he called him over to his village since the half-demon was the one to bring up the deal and was from a smaller province. If he were to come here there is always the chance they could find out about his true form. The chance would still be there even if he went to his province. It was better they were coming here to the manor. 

As he tried to plan out the likely and unlikely scenarios in his head it was proving difficult with the two children in the room feuding over something new.

"Don't touch that you mangy wolf!" Moroha yelled.

"I ain't mangy!" Kouga snatched the book back from her.