Chapter One: Birth of a Wolf
A cold harsh wind ripped across the snow-covered fields in the land of Iron, lose snow flew into the air dancing in the wind before it clashed harshly against the walls of a noble clan's walls causing the tiles to groan with the force. Black clouds loomed in the distance, flashes of light temporally light up the clouds as they rumbled down from the mountains of the three wolves. Many young Samurai in navy blue armor walk the grounds and village. The wind rips one of the Clan banners off the wall and grabs it with its claws pulling it through the clans grounds only for it to hit the feet of an older samurai in his late thirties. His coal black armor showing his station as the Lord's right hand. His long silver blue hair hangs down his back freely giving him a wild look. Golden eyes with slitted pupils like a snakes or dragons, with two crimson triangles markings under his eyes giving him more of an inhuman look. Picking up the banner he harshly shakes off the dirt and snow before handing the black banner with a white crescent moon with a smaller moon in the top points of the crescent to a young samurai trainee.
"Clean this up! This is Lord Akikiro's and our clan's crest! Show it respect!" The man bellows in his harsh deep voice that has the trainee's remembering their times in the Three wolves training until their body's gave out from the cold and exhaustion only for them to force themselves to build fires and set up tents so they wouldn't succumb to the frozen sleep.
"Yes sir, Lord Akio!" The trainee yells cradling the banner in his arms like a newborn child as he runs off.
"Damn young kids! Slacking on a day like today!" Akio grumbles before looking towards the three wolves and the approaching storm. The wind catches his hair tugging at the strands as a woman with the same appearance stands at his side.
"Of course his daughter would have to come on a day like today." Lord Akio grumbles only for the woman to laugh in to her small hand like a true lady.
"I was thinking it was more like Lady Hotimi's Daughter to come on a day like today." The woman says with a wide smile, a deep laugh fills the area causing the other samurai to move faster away from the two in fear of what they would be ordered to do. Akio's arm wraps around the woman's lower back bringing her into his chest. Leaning down he places a harsh passion filled kiss to her red painted lips. Pulling away he whispers against her lips.
"I knew there was a reason I loved you so, lady wife."
Across the compound Samurai Lord Akikiro was in his study reading a scroll, his great ice gray dire wolf, Frost lay at his feet as a sudden sneeze comes from nowhere. Sighing the samurai lord rolled up the tattered scroll before he looks down to his wolf.
"You don't suppose Lord Akio and Lady Koge are speaking badly about me do you?" He asks only for his wolf to look up at him with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." He says with a found smile scratching just behind Frosts ears.
"Now! Back to work." Patting Frosts head one last time he turns back to his desk with a loud sigh at all the paperwork piled across any available space.
"All this work just to pick traders and supply roots for our clan and the surrounding Samurai Lords." He grumbles under his breath as a fire dances and pops in the fireplace chasing away the cold while sending long shadows out to play across the wooden floor of the study. Lord Akikiro looks up from his paperwork and rubs his tired eyes. Dark brown hair lay flat on top of his head just past his ears instead of the usual spikes that stood in all directions. One long braid behind his right ear fell past his shoulder, a red bead held his braid in place. His soft eyes shined pale jade green set by long black lashes. Full brows and lips gave his young face a kind appearance. One lone scar lay across the bridge of his nose starting and ending at the ends of his eyes. Stroking his short goatee Lord Akikiro's pale eyes land on a small boy that lay on a pile of pillows in the corner of the study. Toy swords, wooden samurai, and ninja lay forgotten around him as the boy snuggled his black dire wolf pup. A fond smile graces the Lords lips as he looks over his eight-year son, Rinku. The boy looked like a smaller version of his father the only difference was the boys pale almost snow-white skin, a trait he received from his beautiful Oka-san. Standing up Lord Akirio silently walks over to his son, grabbing a fur-lined blanket on his way. Shaking his head, he lays the blanket across his son tucking him and his pup in. A small snort from his son brings a silent laugh past the Lord's lips.
Frost left ear twitches before he lifts his head looking toward the door of the study, his pale-yellow eyes watch over his master carefully for a signal, before he snorts and drops his large head onto his front paws. Taking a deep breath in through his nose the lord catches the scent of Jasmine and spice. 'So, Hana then.' The lord thinks as a soft raping of fingers on the door fill the room.
"Enter" The lord's husky whisper fills the room as the Lord stands to approach one of the many people that joined his clan. The door slides open to reveal a young serving girl no older the eight-teen, her redhead is bowed touching the wooden floor with her forehead, for a second the lord wonders what would have happened to this young woman if he wouldn't have intervened.
"Speak." he says waving his hand as she head lifts off the floor but her violet eyes avoid eye contact.
"My lord Akihiro" she says in a soft voice, wringing her hand in her lap.
"It is time"
"IT'S ABOUT TIME!" The Lord yells Jumping off the wooden floor before he rushes past the servant startling the young girl and waking his son before disappearing down the hall in a flutter of his gary robes. Yawning, the young boy rubs his eyes as his Otou-san flies out the door his loud voice yelling out to all his men as he passes.
"What's going on?" He asks in a sleepy voice calming the young maid with his cuteness.
"It is time, young master." The maid says as the boy's pale jade eyes widen in realization until a big smile spread across his face.
"YATA!" He yells as he pushes his blanket off onto his pillows. Running after his father the boy's foot gets tangled in the mess of blankets causing him to trip over his wooden swords. With a loud "thump" the young lordling hits the floor pulling his pup off this pillows on to the floor with him startling a loud yip out of him.
"AH! SORRY GHOST!" He yells as he kicks off the blanket around his feet sending his toys across the room as he makes it toward to the door. Stopping he looks back at his pup.
"I'M GOING TO BE A ONII-SAN!" He yells pushing past the maid to follow his father.
"SORRY HANA!" He yells back at the maid as he waves his hand at her. A smile spreads across her face as she waves back to the young prince disappearing down the same hall as his father. 'Things in the Okami Clan were going to get very interesting with a young noble. ' she thinks before standing up and looking at the study only to sigh at the mess the two males made in there hurry.
"Well looks like I got another mess to clean up before our little Hime gets here." Hana smiles fondly at the two wolves in the room.
"I bet she will be just as lovely as her Okaa-san! Dattebane!"
Hours blur by, time almost nonexistent to the pain as lady Hitomi tries to bring her newest child into the world. She grits her teeth as another contraction tries to push her child out as the nursemaids rush around the room.
"The little Hime is almost here." The head nurse says lifting her wizened face to meet Hitomi's eyes. Hitomi grits her teeth as another contraction fills her with mind numbing pain.
"She's almost here, my love." Akikiro says holding his wife's hand, his gasp of pain fills the room as Hitomi squeezes with a death grip on his hand. Her normally soft eyes blue eyes rage like the sea as her long vivid red hair writhes around her face. Her mouth is pulled back into a fierce snarl as she meets her husbands widened eyes.
"Do not tell me what I already know, dear husband." She says in a calm voice that sends shivers down Akikiro's spine.
"Of course dear wife." He says trying to keep from invoking her wrath. Her eyes were squeezed shut as another wave of pain rolled over the lady when the pain faded, she thought about castrating her husband for making her go through this agony, it was far worse then with her beloved Rinku.
"Come on, my lady. One more push" the nursemaid coached as thunder crashed outside. Red hot anger filled her to the brim.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN DOING FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS!? SLEEPING!?" She roared at the maid as she gripped her husband's hand in a white-knuckled death grip causing him to wince as his bones creaked. Screaming one last time Lady Hitomi pushed with all her might as the storm raged outside. Soft cries filled the air as the nursemaid cleaned the young babe before wrapped her in the bright yellow fur-lined blanket for newborns of the clan.
"It's a beautiful baby girl" She says with a smile on her wrinkled face as she hands the blanket covered babe over to the mother. The soft cries fade as lady Hitomi hums to her baby. Pulling back the blanket the lord and lady admire their daughter. Her skin is white and unblemished like freshly fallen snow. Small tufts of chocolate brown hair lay in a thick blanket on the top of her head. Big ocean blue eyes stare up at the parents as her tears come to a slow stop. Soft wines escape the babe as she is rocked in the lady's arms.
"Oh, dear is she not the loveliest little thing you have ever seen?" The lady asks as she admires her new daughter.
"Well, I can say I have seen one better." The Lord answers laughing before turning to his wife to kiss her cheek. The shout of the young prince causes the couple to turn to the door.
"Otoo-san! Okaa-san! I want to see her!" The young prince says walking into the room, laughing the lord waves his son over.
"Hai, hai" The Lord says grabbing his son's shoulders and turning him toward his wife and daughter.
"This is your baby sister, Rinku" He says as his wife adjusts there newborn for their son to see. Rinku's eyes sparkle in amazement. His eyes take in every detail of his baby sister recording it into memory.
"She's so small." Rinku whispers as he raises his hand to touch her. The baby's hand grabs his finger in her pudgy hand.
"What's her name?" he asks not removing his eyes from his sister. The soft voice of his mother fills his ears.
"Mika" she says as the baby's eyes meet her brothers for the first time. Smiling Rinku utters her name
"Mika, my Imouto." A wide gummy smile breaks across the baby's face and her eyes squint as her giggles fills the room. Rinku smiles bigger as he makes a promise that day no harm would ever befall his precious baby sister.
I knew I was different from the day I could first make a thought that wasn't baby drable, and I knew it wasn't how I was supposed to be.
Lady Hitomi sat at her low table working on seals at her husband's request while her daughter sat not to far from her clanking two of Rinku's wooden samurai together boardly. Hitomi was so focused on the seal and how it would help her husband that she didn't notice the missing sounds of clanking toys. A small hand grabbed the table startling Hitomi for just a second only for her to chuckle and look over at her daughter standing on her shaking legs.
"Mi-chan, Okaa-san is busy right now go back to your toys." She says with a kind smile only for board blue eyes to meet her own. Ignoring her mother Mika looks down at the paper and ink before pointing to it.
"Mi-Chan, no go play." Hitomi say only causing Mika's little pudgy face to frown, reaching over with her small hand she grabs her Okaa-sans face and turns it towards the paper before she lets go and hits it with her hand to make her point. Sighing, Hitomi looks down at Mika meeting her questioning eyes before setting her brush down.
"Mi-Chan this is a seal. Otoo-san asked Okaa-san to make this to help him." She says only for Mika to look up at her with a questioning look. Sighing she pulls Mika into her lap as she starts to explain what the seal does and what each part does in turn, watching as her small barley a year old child nods her head following along with her Okaa-san as she points out each part.
Later Hitomi has Mika laying down for a nap, sneaking away from the young one she heads to her husbands office. Standing at the door she hesitates only for the door to slide open.
"Wife? What is wrong?" Akikiro asks in a worried voice.
"Husband we need to talk about Mi-Chan." Akikiro's eyebrows raise as a look of surprise covers his face before it falls into a neutral expression. Waving her in he takes a set on one of the cushions at his desk while Hitomi sits in front of him. Sighing Akikiro grabs the teapot on the table and poor's himself and his wife a cup of tea.
"So you've noticed it too huh?" He asks taking a long drink of his hot tea. Hitomi holds her cup in her hands staring into the brown liquid before looking up to meet his eyes.
"So you know." She whispers. "That our Mi-chan is-" Hitomi starts only to be cut off by Akikiro's strong voice.
"Yes, I know Hitomi which is why our Daughter is going to start training tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!? But she is barely a year old!" Hitomi says slamming her tea cup down. Grabbing her hand in his jade eyes fade to amber wolf eyes as he holds her storming gaze.
"Two pure snow white dire wolves were bone the same time as our Mi-Chan Hitomi. Our Daughter according to the Okami clans legends will survived many massacre's and rise to be the head of the clan-"
"But how do you know those legends are true? They could be lies for all we know!" Hitomi interrupts Akikiro pulling her hands away. Sighing Akikiro grabs Hitomi and pulls her into his arms.
"I don't know, Hitomi. But I would rather Our children ALL of our children be prepared incase what I fear comes to pass." Pulling her away from his chest her meets her eyes with a loving look.
"And if this is just silly superstition then we can rest assured that our children Mika included will be stronger and wiser than us to carry on our clan names. Now wouldn't that be good?" He asks, Hitomi puffs her cheeks out in a pout then nods her head.
"Why are you so smart, Aki?" She asks poking him in the chest.
"You weren't like this when we first meet." Laughing loudly Akikiro kisses his wife's cheek.
"That's because I was mesmerized by a beautiful ninja woman with eyes like the raging sea, and hair of fire that was willing to fight any samurai to allow her people into Iron."