Disclaimer: I don't own Kouga
No one heard the soft footsteps, that descended to the horse pen of the, proud, panther demon tribe. Even if they had, little could have been done about it. Instead, they slept, peacefully, in their tepees, dreaming of glorious things that could only occur in one's dreams. A figure, wearing a cloak of black, maneuvered throughout the camp, heading towards the four legged beasts. It glided through the camp, having known every inch of it. It didn't slow its pace until it reached the edge of the demons camp. There, there stood a herd of, full-blooded, wild horses. Though they had been captured in the wooden confines of their pen, the figure felt no pity, knowing in a matter of hours the tribe would awaken and set them out to graze and run free.
Silently and gracefully, the figure jumped the fence and began it's descent to the center of the pen, where the horses huddled. The figure came upon the largest horse there, coincidentally the leader of the horse herd. It's large, black, head raised upon sensing the figure. It reared up slightly, reading his ear-piercing neigh, when the figure removed it's hood.
"It is I. Calm yourself." it whispered urgently. The horse, instantly, recognized the young woman, who stood before him. Her short, black, hair ended right at her chin and her bangs were pulled back with a white strip of fabric. Her delicate face bore two blue stripes on each cheek and her pointed ears were visible due to the fact that she had her hair pushed behind them. Her eyes were a stormy blue, that was both calming and unnerving at the same time.
She let her black cloak fall down and pool around her feet. She wore a white, long-sleeved, undershirt, that flared at the end of each sleeve. It was secured around her by a white sash that showed off her slender waist. She strongly opposed kimono's, due to lack of mobility, so she wore a pair of black, baggy, pants, that hugged her waist, flared out, then hugged her ankles. All in all, she was a pleasant sight, with a glare in her eyes, that screamed 'rebellion', and a sleek, black, cat tail.
The horse seemed to know her and, therefore, calmed down. "Good boy, Haku, now come on." she soothed, as she slipped a lead rope around his thick neck. Haku was a beautiful stallion, that stood near 16 hands, and he was as courageous as he was large. He would have done anything for the safety of his herd and would even die in their honor. He would have been king of the horses, if ever such a thing. His thick, black, mane shone in the early morning light, that crept across the plains.
"Come on, it is getting late." the girl urged. The other horses stirred, but did nothing, trusting the girl with their leaders safety. The girl lead the massive horse through the pen, to the gate. She leaped, effortlessly, over the barrier, and undid it from the outside. she saw the gleam in Haku's eyes and she had little time to react. She shoved the gate closed and leaped onto his bare back. Without a moments hesitation, he took off, opposite the sleeping village. Out across the open plains, he roamed at top speed. The only feeling either of them had was freedom, the feeling nothing could slow them down. Hill upon hill, they sped like lightening. The girl breathed deeply, wanting nothing more than the sweet scent of fresh air. They passed across the grassy plains until they came to a small groove of tree's surrounding a pond. Haku slowly came to a trot until they reached the ponds edge. The girl dismounted the great horse and walked to the waters edge. She delicately swished her toes in, letting her claws run through the clear, cool, water. a slight smile graced her soft features as she lowered herself to th ground. The sun had begun to rise in the east, making everything glimmer like gold.
"Beautiful, eh, Haku" she cooed to the gentle giant. The horse nodded it's head in a sort of answer and made his way next to the girl. He dipped his nose into the water and slowly drank the clear liquid. The girl smiled and leaned back against a nearby tree. It was the only large tree around. Being on the prairie, there weren't a lot of large trees. Most were skinny and not very leafy. This one, however, had a thick trunk and bundles of leaves. It's thick roots created a sort of chair for the girl, as she leaned her head back against the cool bark. The tree was so close to the water, it's roots extended into it. Among the tangled mess of roots in the water, swam a school of small, colorful, fish that curiously looked towards the surface.
Peace surrounded the angelic picture of a girl leaning against a tree, her horse drinking slowly from a pond, with the rolling prairie behind them. The girl closed her eyes and sighed. She remained like that for only a few moments, but to her it felt like hours. The back of her mind reminded her she had to be getting back, that her morning ritual must come to an end. She let her breathe out softly and rose to her feet, slowly. She yawned a large yawn, that exposed her white fangs, as she stretched her arms over her head.
"Time to get going" she said, as she started off in the direction off camp. Haku noticed her leaving and trotted off towards her. Her calm walk, seemed to agitate Haku and he began to prance around her, in a circle.
"You want a race, eh?" she asked the cocky horse. He neighed his understanding and stopped in front of her. The girl smirked and lined up next to the horse. She lowered herself into a racing position and began to count down.
"Five, four, three, two, ONE!" she shouted as she took off across the prairie. They both became blurs to the world around them. The girls demon blood would have let her easily out run the non-demonic horse, but where was the fun in that? She would pull ahead then let him catch up, all the while a huge grin plastered across her face. She could sense they were drawing nearer the village so she decided to take the lead for the win. She went from playfully sprinting to a full-fledged run. Her feet barely touched the ground as she appeared to fly across the plains. She saw the village drawing nearer. She chose then to look over her shoulder at her horse companion. He was still running at his top speed, but his eyes weren't on her. She saw his gaze go over her shoulder and she turned her head just as she collided with something hard.
She let go. She couldn't have helped it. The pain that shot through her body was to intense and she let go of her self-control. As her demon blood raged her eyes flashed red and she let out the roar of a panther. She was slightly aware of toppling to the ground before returning to her natural self. She instantly sensed another demon and looked eagerly to find it. Not five feet away, lay a very shocked wolf demon. As she realized what demon it was, she jumped to her feet.
"What are you doing here, you disgusting, flea riddin, mutt!" she roared at the still shocked wolf demon. He took a moment before her words registered.
"Hey! Who do you think your talking to you over-grown kitten!" he barked as he to, hoped to his feet. Both of them took battle stance and prepared for the worst. Just as she prepared to lunge, a familiar voice reached her acurate ears.
"Kouga! Meeka! What are you two doing! Stop this right now!" cried her father as he ran towards the young demons. He too, had pointed ears and two blue stripes, but his black hair had become a dusty grey and was pulled into a low ponytail.
"You know him?" questioned a very confused Meeka. She pushed a piece of loose hair back behind her ear and frustratedly growled.
"Yes Meeka, I know him. He is Kouga, prince of the wolf demon tribe." he father ststed as if she would be satisfied by his introduction.
"All the more reason to rip his head off!" Meeka yelled, glaring daggers at the upset prince.
"Ah, my child, you see he has come to offer peace between the panther and wolf tribes. He is staying with us for a while."
Meeka's left eyebrow twitched as she tried to remain calm.
"Is my mothers death, that easily forgotten?" An eerie silence befell them all as she looked to the ground in anger.
"Meeka, it was not Kouga's, or any of his pack members doings." her father attempted to explain.
"No! It's just the generation before him! He's not Satan, just the spawn of it!" By now Meeka could sense the wolf's anger. 'Good' she thought bitterly. 'He deserves it'
"Meeka! I suggest you learn some manners! Kouga will be staying with us for a while, like it or not! Now you go put back that horse and show him to his tepee." her father said, his voice not up for arguement.
"Feh" she spat, as she turned to take a now grazing, Haku, back to the fields. 'We'll see just what your made of, filthy mutt.' she thought as she began to plot what to do next.