A/N: Ok! New story! I'm pretty pumped up about this one. So read and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha! Because if I did, it would probably be called Kouga instead!
They ran through the forest as fast as they could, the bear youkai hot on their heels. Her child clutched her hand has she dragged her along. If only they could reach the territory of one of the packs; they would surely find protection there. She glanced back at her daughter, and seeing her terrified face, she picked up speed. She was determined to make it to one of the territories, not for herself, but for her precious daughter.
Focused on her thoughts, she tripped over a raised root in the ground, and she and her child went sprawling. In an instant, the youkai was upon them. She knew that she would have to fight, and she would do so, even if it cost her life, to protect the only thing that meant anything to her.
She stood slowly, her aura flaring. "Sayomi, run." she told her daughter calmly, as she strode straight toward the oncoming youkai.
Sayomi stared at her mother, unmoving. Her mother began to twist and convulse as she heard the sound of shifting and snapping bones. In mere moments a giant black wolf stood in her mother's place, its fangs bared, ready to do battle with the bear.
Noticing Sayomi had not moved, she growled through her teeth at her, "I said run!" As her last word escaped her mouth, the bear youkai lunged at her.
Sayomi screamed, "Mother!" as the bear grabbed the wolf's foreleg. There was a sound of snapping bone as her mother howled in pain. The wolf tore its leg away from the bear's jaws and limped back a few steps. The bear charged her again, teeth snapping. The wolf managed to dodge in the nick of time, and spun, its jaws locking on the youkai's neck. With every once of strength she had, she tore the bear's neck open. The youkai screamed and swung a massive paw, sending the wolf hurling against the trunk of a large tree, before slumping to the ground, its neck pouring blood. There was the sound of cracking bone as the wolf hit the tree, and she didn't move to get up.
Sayomi ran to her mother's side. She shook the giant wolf, crying, "Mother! Mother!"
There was no response. She threw herself over her mother's body and began to cry, giant sobs shaking her tiny frame. So lost in her misery was she that she didn't notice as the bear youkai struggled to its feet, and set its murderous gaze on her.
xxxxxx
Koga, having just returned from a hunt, sat lounging lazily on a pile of dry grass, picking his teeth with a bone. His men and wolves were doing the same now that they had finished gorging themselves. He thought about Kagome, and how that mutt Inuyasha didn't deserve her. He swore that one day he would make her his woman, and beat that idiot dog to a pulp in the process. He chuckled to himself as the thought of kicking Inuyasha's ass and then whisking Kagome away played out in his mind.
His day dreaming quickly came to an end, however, as Hakkaku and Ginta came running into the den, panting and out of breath.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at the two, waiting for them to speak. After a moment, Ginta had caught his breath enough to speak.
"Kouga! A strange wolf has been spotted on pack lands!" he huffed.
Catching his own breath, Hakkaku continued, "The wolf was also being chased by a large bear youkai!"
'Shit!' Kouga thought to himself. 'It's bad enough to have another pack intruding on my territory, but bringing a dangerous youkai as well!'
Kouga sighed out loud as he stood. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he said as he headed for the den's entrance.
"We'll go too!" Hakkaku and Ginta chimed in unison.
Kouga rolled his eyes. "Do what you want, just don't slow me down!" And with that, he sped off towards the disturbance with Hakkaku and Ginta trailing behind.
xxxxxx
Sayomi froze as she heard the trees behind her rustle. 'I-It can't be!' she thought. 'Mother killed it!' She slowly turned, finding red eyes awaiting her. Her blood began to burn as she looked her mother's killer in the eye. She may be young, but her mother had raised her as a warrior. She would fight now, and avenge her mother's death. She stood up, defiant. If she died, she would be reunited with her mother.
Drawing her dagger from beneath her pelt, she stood her ground as the bear charged her. She swiftly dodged the attack, and struck a blow of her own to the bear's face, cutting it just above the eye. The youkai shook its head, trying to rid itself of the blood that now poured into its vision.
Seeing the bear's distraction, she took that opportunity to deliver another blow to the bear's hamstring, slicing it apart. The bear came toppling down with a roar, and she quickly jumped out of the way.
Standing a few feet out of the youkai's reach, she watched for the opportunity to deliver the final blow. As the bear struggled to rise to its feet again, it exposed its chest.
"That's it!" she cried out as she lunged for its heart. The bear, however, saw her attack from the corner of its eye and brought its massive paw up. Seeing this, Sayomi knew that she did not have the time to react. 'I will die with honor,' she thought to herself just before the bear struck her, sending her flying into the trunk of a tree opposite of where her mother lay. Her vision blurred as the pain of the blow shot up her spine. She felt herself slowly slipping away until, finally, she drifted into unconsciousness.
xxxxxx
Kouga picked up the scent of the bear youkai as he got closer 'Man, I really don't want to have to deal with this right now!' he complained to himself. But it was his duty to protect the packs lands from both outsiders and youkai.
With one last burst of speed, he found himself standing before an enormous bear youkai. It had been severely injured, and was just barely clinging to life.
"Feh!" he said at the bear. "You're pathetic! I shall end your miserable life here and now!"
He swiftly tore the head off the youkai and watched its body fall with a thud to the ground. Tossing the head aside, he looked around. His eyes widened as they fell upon the form of a large black wolf. He walked over to examine it, and found that it was dead.
Just then, Hakkaku and Ginta came running into view, stopping before their leader. Kouga pointed at the body of the wolf, and both gasped.
"Kouga, how can that be?" Ginta asked him.
"Yeah," panted Hakkaku. "All of the black wolves of the Northern pack were killed in the attack on Naruku's castle."
Kouga just shrugged. "I don't know. But she is female, so she might have been left behind when the pack went to attack. It's not like female wolf youkai are born everyday. If they had lost her in battle, they would no longer have someone to bear the pack's pups."
Hakkaku and Ginta nodded, knowing full well what Kouga meant. Female wolf youkai were very rare, usually only one being born every hundred years or so. For a pack to lose its only female would mean its demise.
The three of them turned to leave and head back to the cave. However, as Kouga walked farther away from the stench of the bear's blood, another scent reached his nose. He stopped mid-step and lifted his nose to the air, sniffing.
Ginta and Hakkaku stopped as well, and looked at him questioningly.
"What's up boss?" Hakkaku asked Kouga.
Kouga held up a hand for him to be silent. Sniffing the air once more, he started to walk back towards the battle site, following his nose. The scent led him to a tree nearby the dead wolf. As he pushed apart the bushes at the base of the tree, he audibly gasped. Ginta and Hakkaku came running.
They watched Kouga's back as he gently picked up something in his arms. When he turned around to face them, they both gasped as well.
In his arms Kouga held a young female wolf youkai. She wore the black pelts, arm and leg guards of the northern tribe, and although she was obviously not yet full grown, she wore armor as well. Clutched in her small hand was a dagger, and it was drenched in the blood of the bear youkai.
Kouga checked for a pulse, and finding one, he smiled. Turning to Hakkaku and Ginta, he laughed.
"This girl must have some spirit. She tried to take on the bear youkai herself!" he chuckled, cradling the unconscious girl in his arms. Kouga's sidekicks stared in awe at the girl that their leader held. Not only was she a rare female, but she had tried to take on the youkai? What had she been thinking! Both shook their heads in unison, thinking the same thoughts.
Kouga started to walk away, and Ginta called out, "Hey boss! Where are you going?"
Kouga turned back to his comrades and said, "I'm going back to the den, what do you think? I'm not going to just leave her here. And if she is the last of the northern tribe, then she is our sister and we will take her in."
Ginta nodded, and he and Hakkaku followed after Kouga as he sped off towards their den.
xxxxxx
Sayomi groaned and shifted, sending a wave of pain down her spine. She cried out in pain. Hearing her own cry and feeling the pain of the blow from the youkai, she realized that by some miracle she must still be alive. A sound nearby made her stiffen. Keeping her eyes closed, she listened as someone came closer. When they got within a few feet of her, she sprang up, ready to defend herself.
Kouga was startled by her movement, and held up his hands to show he wasn't going to hurt her. He looked her over, taking in her features that he had missed before. For a half-grown pup, she was already quite shapely. Her body was lean and toned, and her ebony hair cascaded over her shoulders, loosely falling to mid-back. But what really caught his attention were her eyes. As she stared at him, he was absorbed by the intensity of her violet gaze. He had never seen such a beautiful face.
She stood shakily as she looked around. Before her stood a man, his hands held up as if to say she was meant no harm. She looked him over carefully, her vision still slightly blurred. After a moment it dawned on her that he was a wolf. Taking in his scent, she confirmed it. 'My own kind...' she thought to herself. She reached out her hand, taking a step towards him. The moment her foot touched the ground, pain shot up her spine again, and she stumbled before falling. The other wolf rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground. She gazed up at his face, and the last thing that she remembered before falling unconscious again was the sight of his concerned blue eyes.
xxxxxx
Hours later, Sayomi regained consciousness again. This time, she was alone. She opened her eyes slowly and took in her surroundings. She was in a cave, and from the smell of it, it was a wolf's den. She inhaled deeply, basking in the scent of her own kind.
It had been so long since she had been among other wolves. Ever since her pack went on a raid and didn't return, it had been just her and her mother. She had sorely missed the comfort and security of having a pack.
She continued to look around. She lay at the back of the den, though she could still see to the font of the cave, where a waterfall covered the entrance. To her surprise, she was the only one here. She knew from the scents that surrounded her that multiple wolves resided in this den, and was confused.
Slowly she rose, tentatively testing her body, waiting for the pain to return. It didn't. She stood and stretched out her limbs, rubbing her back to make sure it was healed. Once she was satisfied with her body's condition, she walked to the front of the den. Cupping water from the waterfall in her hands, she washed the blood and grime from her face. Wiping the last of the water from her cheek, she started out along the small rock path that lead out of the den and around the waterfall.
She at last came to a cliff that over looked the lake that the waterfall created. Two wolves lay sleeping there. Quietly, she approached them for a better look.
They wore brown pelts, signaling that they were members of the Eastern tribe. They wore armor also, and were obviously warriors. One of them snored loudly and rolled over, startling her. She quickly jumped back several feet, and then mentally laughed at herself for being scared by a sleeping wolf.
'They're probably supposed to be on guard duty,' she thought. 'Maybe I should wake them up.' She quitely walked back over to the sleeping guards and poked one of them. Still asleep he swatted her hand away. She poked him again, this time harder. He woke up with a start, and sat staring at her. After several moments, he hit the other sleeping guard on the head and said, "Ginta, wake your ass up!"
The one called Ginta woke up yelling, "What the hell Hakkaku?"
Hakkaku pointed to her, and Ginta shut up. Both just looked at her, unsure of what to do. She smiled at them in an attempt to break the tension. Shaking themselves out of their stupor, they were both kneeling before her and holding her hands in an instant. She blushed.
"Sister! Please excuse us for our rudeness!" the one called Ginta said.
"Yes, please excuse us sister! You just startled us, we didn't expect you to be awake and about so soon!" the one named Hakkaku continued.
Sayomi smiled at them and nodded. "I'm sorry for startling you both, but where am I?" she asked.
Ginta stood, followed by Hakkaku. "You are in the Eastern packs territory. We rescued you from the bear youkai," he told her, Hakkaku nodding in agreement.
Sayomi recalled her mother's death by the youkai, and her own battle against the creature. Her thoughts were interrupted by Hakkaku.
"Umm, forgive me, but what is your name?" he asked her.
She blushed. "I'm so sorry! My name is Sayomi, it's nice to meet you."
The guards bowed and introduced themselves before Ginta asked, "So, you took on the bear youkai, huh?" Her gazed steeled as she nodded.
"And it was a very stupid thing of her to do," came a voice from behind. She spun around, her violet eyes meeting his blue ones. She recognized him as the man from before. He held a large boar in his fist, and Sayomi heard Hakkaku and Ginta call out, "Hey boss! Brought us dinner have you?"
Kouga nodded at them, and tossed them the boar. "Take it to the den," he told them. They took off and he turned his attention back to her. She looked at him boldly. He stepped forward and introduced himself.
"I am Kouga, leader of the Eastern wolf tribe," he told her.
"I am Sayomi, the last of the Northern wolf tribe. Thank you for sheltering me while I healed." she said to him.
He nodded. "Being that you are still a pup, and you no longer have a pack, you will become part of mine, do you understand?"
She nodded at him, smiling. He turned and signaled for her to follow him back to the den. She happily obeyed.