"Hm…what's this?"

It was a glorious day some weeks after Kouga had accepted her suit and Windsong was cleaning the den on her own for once. You see, Kouga was out hunting with the other males and Izumi was getting heavy with her next pup and so was sticking close to her own den. But while cleaning the area Kouga kept his armor and weapons, Windsong found a low ledge that had been cleverly hidden with a piece of stone fitted to it to make it seem solid. Curiousity soon got the best of her and she quickly removed the stone and searched the crevice with a cautious hand. At first, all she encountered were dead leaves and other derbis; but just as she was about to give up and continue cleaning, she found something else. Her fingertips brushed a hilt and what felt like a sheath. Carefully she snagged the hidden object and slowly eased it out of hiding. Pulling her prize into the open air of the cave, she found herself to be holding an ancient sword.

Or at least it looked ancient.

Ratty leather wrapped the hilt and what she could see of the blade was rusty and riddles with nicks and dents. Carefully turning it over in her hands, Windsong examined it.

"This cant be Kouga's sword, he would never let a weapon get like this. Geez…it looks like it rusted into the sheath."

Tugging gently on the sword brought no results and she was about to give it up when the blade seemed to shift within the sheath. Surprised, she tugged on it one more time. This time it slid completely free of the sheath and she was able to actually examine it properly.

"This is odd…it feels alive somehow…", trailing off, she hefted the sword and was surprised to find it much heavier then it looked. Just as she resheathed it to look at later, there was a commotion outside. Not thinking, she strapped the sword to her waist instead of leaving it, and sprinted for the den entrance.

Bursting out into the bright sunshine, she skidded to a halt. Chaos reigned outside the den proper. The males that had been left to guard the den were dead and the females were in a panic trying to round up the pups into the den. Quickly Windsong began to snap out orders as she helped round up pups. She hadn't been out there long before the reason for all this chaos topped the rise and strode up to the den.

The Lord of the Western Lands had come to pay the pack a visit.

Song snarled, her eyes beginning to glow blue-white as her hand went to the sword at her hip.

"You! You have no right! Why do you slaughter our warriors?!"

Sesshomaru unsheathed the blade at his hip called Tokijin.

"I have come for the Tetsusaiga. Give it to me. Now."

Song growled, "Come and get it, Mi'lord", she spat.

Narrowing his eyes, he shot her a deadly look. "Very well then. Die."

Song unsheathed her blade with a snarl and was shocked when it nearly exploded under her fingertips. Gaping at the now enormous blade she held, she almost missed Sesshomaru attacking. Rolling out of the way, she raised the legendary blade. Waiting for the right moment, she struck.

A vivid flash and she saw a young male inu-hanyou with silver hair wearing a red hoari and hakamas swing his blade. "Wind Scar!" Bright blades of wind tore into his opponent, slaying them on the spot.

Shaking the memory flash from her mind's eye, she looked up just in time to see him dodge her Wind Scar.

Barely.

He knows this sword well and certainly won't break a sweat winning it from me…but does he know who I am?

Quickly sheathing the Tetsusaiga, Song summoned her miko power.

It's now or never…

Imitating him she formed some of it into a whip of power. The rest went into a trap that lay between them. Now, to trigger it. Lashing out with the purity whip, she managed to nick the fluffy pelt thrown over his shoulder. As smoke rose from the point of contact Song gulped. Now he was pissed.

Oh shiiiit!

For the following hour it was all she could do to dodge his attacks as he launched them one after the other. Poison splattered the ground as it seeped from his claws and the air was filled with the hiss of his youkli whip. The very air roiled with conflicting energies as his demonic aura fought her miko purity.

In spite of her hanyou heritage, they were well matched. Needless to say, Sesshomaru was not pleased and her continued dodging of his attacks drove him into a fury s she tried to manuver him into place.

Finally, he moved to stand on her spell, too infuriated to notice the weak traces of miko energy.

Immediately Windsong triggered the latent trap with a yelp as she dodged his youkli whip yet again. Instantly a cocoon of holy energy wrapped around him. He froze, not wanting to be purified and his eyes narrowed dangerously as he growled deep in his chest. Windsong stopped to catch her breath, gasping for air as she reinforced the energy cocoon.

"Now, let's try this again. What do you want?"

He was silent, looking her over as his demonic aura rippled and surged with displeasure.

"So...You are the hanyou that can purify demons, are you not?"

A bit surprised and no little wary, she nodded.

"Is it also true that you bear…strong pups?"

Song stiffened and growled a warning, "I am already mated and not interested."

He glared at her. "This Sesshomaru has no interest in the wolf's mate. I simply asked you a question. Now answer me."

Hesitantly, she answered him. "Yes, it is true…why?"

"This is yours." A scroll flew through the air to land at her feet.

Glancing down at it, she returned his gaze, "I-thank you."

"Hn. If you prove unworthy of that sword, I will return for it. You have three days to prepare yourself before I return to test you. I suggest you spend them wisely."

Song nodded and dissolved the cocoon, pulling the energy back into her. He turned to leave and her gaze fell to the lifeless bodies that littered the ground.

"Wait!"

He paused and turned slightly to look over his shoulder.

"Please…I was told you have the power to bring back those that have died."

"Yes."

"Please…do not leave us without our warriors. They have mates and pups that will need them come winter. Please spare them."

He turned and unsheathed the Tensegia, "Very well."

He slashed the air and almost instantly the fallen males began to cough and gasp as life returned to them.

"Thank you."

He nodded and disappeared into the woods just as Izumi came running up to her friend

"Windsong! Are you alright?!"

Windsong sighed and picked up the scroll. "Yes, I'm fine. He came to deliver this to me."

"What! Why?"

"I-I don't know."

Izumi rubbed her swollen belly as she regarded her silent friend. "Word has it that the proud Lord of the Western Lands has taken a hanyou mate."

Song jerked and stared at her. "What! Who?"

Izumi smiled, "That is a good question. Nobody knows who she is or where she came from, but it is confirmed that she is an inu-hanyou."

"Do you know what she looks like?"

Izumi grinned, "She is a great beauty; especially for a hanyou. She has a mane of pale silver that sweeps the ground as she walks. Her eyes are a deep, stormy blue and her creamy skin is without flaw."

Song froze, her mind working a mile a minute. "Are her ears tattooed? With lacey blue patterns to match her eyes? Does she have a tail?"

"Yes…how-?"

Song waved her away and stumbled back to her den; the scroll clutched tight in one hand. Reaching safety, she collapsed on their fur nest and broke the seal on the scroll. Unrolling it carefully, she began to read.

"Greetings sister,

You must be shocked to hear from your old pack. Not all of us were killed for resisting them. I was taken along with a few others. They didn't get us far before a wave of miko energy washed over us, purifying them. We didn't know what had happened and we didn't want to return only to be caught again. So we ran. A month later, we stumbled across a small human child being attacked by a flock of lesser crow demons. We killed them all and took her into our care. Two days later, a powerful inu-youkli strode into our camp and claimed the girl. Desperate for some kind of protection, I begged him to let us come and care for the child. After I told him our story, he agreed. We cared for his human daughter for some weeks before he called me to his private rooms. He told me he was expected to take a mate by winter and have an heir on the way by spring. If he refused, or failed, the other Cardinal Lords would take his lands and his title. I agreed to be his mate and bear him children. In return, he promised myself and my sister's safety and sanctuary. In 6 months time I will give birth to his pups. I invite you to my lord's palace in the western lands. Your mate, if you have one, may come as well. Please, tell me; what have we missed these past seasons? Script us a reply soon.

I have missed you.

Your pack-sister,

Lotus Moon

Song reread the letter, tears trickling unnoticed down her cheeks as she beheld her lost pack-sister's words. Cradling the letter to her chest, she wept tears of relieved joy as she curled up on the furs beneath her.

"I'm not alone after all…..not alone."

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Author's Note:

ok...here it is...finally. its kinda rough, but i cant think as to what it needs so here it is... life is chaos right now and i barely have time to write much less type stuff out on the computer. my mate and i are trying to find an apartment and are trying to deal with the evil bi---i mean witch that my MIL invited to live on the farm...so yeah, i'll try to update more often but dont count on it, ok?

Please read and review! Thanks a bunch!

shaliken