Chapter Two

Naomi was wondering the dark forest near her tribe, searching for something, but not quite sure what. As she continues walking, she gets this strange deja vu feeling and cautiously proceeds forward. When she gets to a clearing, she sees a little girl crying and yelling.

"Mommie, wake up! You have to wake up!" The little girl lays on the mom whimpering for help. Naomi looks on with horror, shaking as she trembles forward. Once she reaches the child and dying mother, she looks up panicking, looking into the dark dense forest for the pair of yellow eyes she knows to be there. She hears a growl behind her, and turns to see a wolf bare its teeth with a man hiding in the shadows. Before she could get a good look at the man, the wolf lunged at her as she screamed.

Naomi sat up and tensed as she surveryed her surroundings. She noticed she was not at home, that she was in a large cave and recalled the events of the previous day. She looked around the bed, large enough for five people to lay very comfortably on, and noticed Koga on the opposite side sleeping, or so she thought. Fudo leaned his large head over and licked her face to console her from her reoccurring nightmare.

Getting up, she decided to go for a long run to help clear her mind. She stood as her companion kneeled down and waited for her to climb on top of him. She grabbed her katana and placed it on her hip and scratched behind Fudo's ear as she shook her head no. He turned into an off colored fox as they both silently left the wolf tribe den with a pair of blue eyes watching their departure.

Once the hanyou had left the hideout, he stood and stretched lazily while walking towards the waterfall. I wonder where she is going... Maybe to some secret meeting to plot against us. The note could be a fake, a way to get under our guard before they swarm in and attack. He sniffed the air catching her scent before following it to see what she was doing.

Naomi and Fudo had already ran about eight kilometers before stopping at a little river for a drink. She absently stroked his fur looking at her reflection. She looked shell-shocked, with her shadowed eyes open wide glazed over, her mouth taught. Fudo rested his head on her lap, his ears perking up whenever she spoke to him.

"I just don't get it Fudo... Mother's death still haunts me, even after ten years. Father knows this, and he sent me to the bastards that killed her! Why did he send me? Does he really despise me, has the love he shows me all just been an act?" She closed her eyes to stop the tears from escaping as her hand reached for the letter. She looked down at it, at her father's neat writing addressing the letter to the leader of the wolf tribe.

"I wonder what it says. All father told me is that it offers peace in a way that can't be refused. What do you think he meant Fudo?" She glanced curiously at her furry companion as he huffed at her and rolled over allowing her access to rub his belly. She laughed at his antics and patted him before mumbling away again, too lost in her own mind to notice Koga perched in a nearby tree.

"Do you think he offered our clan secrrets? That is invaluable information, but it would be foolish to do that." She pondered on the subject some more while tapping on her chin. "That can't be it. Father is far too smart for that- and what did he mean when he said I should make myself comfortable with the enemy?! Plus, did you see the look he gave me? He looked at me like it was the last time he would ever see me again..." She gave a pouty look at Fudo as he licked her hand to comfort her.

Three things happened at once. Koga, who had been putting two and two together as Naomi had spoken almost lost his balance. Fudo, hearing this, stood in a fighting stance as he transformed into a large rotweiler. Naomi, noticing her companions reaction, stood, katana out and looked for the source of the noise. Koga immediately jumped out of the tree, hands up in surrender.

"Good morning to you too" He said with that smirk on his face. Naomi narrowed her eyes, and Fudo followed her example by letting out a low growl, baring his fangs.

"Were you following me?" She demanded in a low voice as cold as ice. He simply shrugged and leaned against the tree.

"I had to make sure you weren't planning a sneak attack, or delivering the exact location of my tribe." She slowly put away her sword, and nodded her understanding, before realizing that he could have overheard her ramblings. With a sudden swiftness Koga was not expecting she ran towards him, hand on his throat pressing him against the tree.

"What all did you hear?!" He glared down at her before kicking her in the stomach. Instead of her letting go, like he had hoped, it only made her dig her nails further into his neck.

"Answer me!" She growled out as Fudo went to bite his legs as a warning.

"Everything! Something about a nightmare, your dad, the letter, all of it! Now let me down!" Naomi, frightened at how much he had heard, let go and backed away a step. She immediately took off, Fudo hot on her heals. She was trembling as she ran, her mind racing around everything she had said.

Koga watched her face go from fierce to shocked and finally to fear before she had bolted away. He stood there for a moment before following her. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and ended up back at the den. She climbed off Fudo and went inside as calmly as possible, the little red puppy following her. She walked past everyone that had woken up and were sleepily rubbing their eyes, and went back to Koga's bed. Once there she laid down and just looked at the ceiling.

For some reason, she felt at peace here, like it was her sanctuary in the enemie's territory. She kept thinking about all that Koga now knew about her, her past, and some things only Fudo knew about her. She wasn't sure how smart he was, if he would be able to figure out who her father was, and who that made her. If he realized that the reason the war had started was because of what she had witnessed as a child, the death of her mother, a mere human to demon kind. She was forced out of her reverie when Koga kicked her foot. She looked up at him, expression a mixture between being blank and dead, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Satomi is requesting our pressence." She nodded her head, standing up and following him to one of the walls where the tribe was gathered. In the center of the cave, Satomi stood with a tall man next to her. He had black hair that had a purple tint to it, and eyes that were a greenish gray, like a forest before a storm. He wore a simple vest made of light gray fur, which stood out among the many shades of brown of the rest of the tribe. Everyone was looking at them waiting for Satomi to speak. She looked around, and once satisfied that everyone was there, she spoke.

"It is time we say goodbye to Mamoru as he goes on this journey to bring peace back to our territory." There were cheers all around after she spoke. Once everyone settled down, She looked over at Koga and Naomi and beckoned them to join her. "Naomi of the Canis Clan Will be guiding Mamoru and Koga to her tribe, where he will be welcomed while she stays with us." Naomi nodded, confirming what she was saying. To her surprise, Satomi asked her if she had anything to say to her people. Clearing her throat and looking around nervously, she nodded her head.

"On behalf of my tribe, I want to thank you for welcoming me, and accepting our peace offering. This war has gone on for far too long, and it is time it ended. I hope that our clans can become allies, heal the wounds this feud has caused, and build a better future for everyone." To her shock, some of the people cheered. She smiled while a faint blush covered her cheeks.

"Alright, say your goodbyes, and wish them a safe journey." Everyone began crowding around their little group. Naomi quietly took a step back towards the wall and out of everyones way. She knew no one here, and didn't want to intrude on the pack saying goodbye to two of their fellow members. As she was looking on, she thought about how she had left her clan. It had been a simple goodbye hug to her friend, the love of her life. Her father had explained what he expected, and simply sent her on her way. The rest of her clan barely glanced her way as she walked by.

"Thinking about your family?" Satomi said looking at her curiously. Naomi nodded, a small smile gracing her lips.

"My mother died when I was young. My father still mourns her death" Naomi had no clue why she was telling her all of this, opening up to someone she doesn't know, an enemy no less. "Sometimes, I wonder if when he looks at me, if he even sees me..." She whispered so quietly Satomi had to lean in to hear her.

"That is a sad way to grow up."

"No it isn't. I look more like my mom than I do my father, which I am grateful for. I don't remember her much... I just remember a song she taught me once..." Her eyes welled up with tears as the memories came back to her, but she blinked them away as Koga and Mamoru approached them.

Naomi, Satomi, Koga, Mamoru and Fudo headed to the entrance behind the waterfall to head out for their trip. Naomi was surprised when Satomi stood on her tiptoes and gave Mamoru a chaste kiss, her eyes so full of love for the demon they were taking to the Canis Clan. Naomi quickly headed outside waiting for the rest of their little group to come out. A few short moments later, Mamoru and Koga joined her and her companion outside.

"So which way?" Koga asked smiling down at her. She pointed to the southwest at a valley between to mountains.

"Just over there. About a days journey, give or take a few hours." They nodded their heads, looking to where she pointed.

"Then let's get going!" Koga exclaimed right before they headed off towards her clan, father, and lover.

A/N: I want to apologize for the insanely long wait in between chapters! I was working on a harry potter fan fic, and have lost all of the 7 chapters I have been working so hard on! So that one will be a while before it gets posted! BUT I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Please rate and review and let me know what you think! Any suggestions are always welcome!