Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Ode to the Wolf

Assignment # 25:

An Ode is generally a lengthy poem that glorifies a person, place, or thing. You will be writing a Horatian Ode. This will be a ten line stanza with a rhyme format of ABABCDECDE. You are required to write one stanza, though you may write up to seven. A single line often has anywhere from 10 to 14 syllables. Though the Horatian Ode traditionally depicts thoughts, feelings, and emotions, I will allow you to choose any topic that you feels deserves to be glorified. Within reason. When writing, keep in mind that an ode is meant to sing or chant.

There are different types of odes. Find out information about one of these other types of odes and give me a brief description.

Though I do not wish to inhibit your creative thought process, I must ask you to please keep your subject to a PG rated topic. Inappropriate topics will not be graded. If you have a question as to whether or not the topic is inappropriate, it probably is not appropriate.

"The sun," suggested Miroku.

"The water," suggested Sango.

"The mountains!" suggested Shippo.

"Me."

Everyone turned to stare (in some cases glare) at Kouga.

Inuyasha didn't know why Kagome wouldn't let him kick the flea bitten wolf demon out of camp. There was no reason for him to be there. He was just using up resources (eating THEIR ramen!) and wasting their time. And NO WAY was he letting Kagome write a poem about HIM! Unless it was one of those villain poems... but Kagome had already explained that an Ode was a poem that glorified something or someplace or something. And he wasn't letting Kouga be glorified by Kagome! No!

Just no!

"OOOooooh! Write one about me, Kagome! Write one about ME!" The kit was getting on Inuyasha's last nerve. He was one step away from burying them all in the dirt and taking Kagome home. At least there he didn't have to deal with these morons.

This Ode poem had to be one of the worst assignments yet. It made people act like idiots. Preening stupid idiots! To make matters worse, Kouga and his lackeys were all hanging around and scavengering off their dinner when Kagome started talking about her assignment. Then they decided to hang around and make even bigger pests of themselves than usual. Why couldn't she ever be asked to write about the first time a half demon rescued her from being eaten?

Inuyasha reached for his sword when Kouga grabbed Kagome's hands.

"You must write one about the noble prince of the wolf demons," he said. "Promise!"

Kagome smiled uneasily at him, then looked at Inuyasha with a slight wince. ENOUGH! He grabbed Kouga's wrist and kept squeezing until he heard something pop and the wolf let go. His heart lurched and his world went wonky when he head Kagome agree to write a poem about the wolves as Kouga rubbed his wrist. Whaaaaaaat?

"Awwww, but why, Kagome?" whined Shippo.

Inuyasha wanted an answer to that question as well. What was Kagome THINKING? How could she... Or...no. That was impossible. Wasn't it? Kagome couldn't really be interested in Kagome could she? She doesn't really fall for his smooth words and stupid little gifts. Anyone could rip up a bunch of wildflowers and shove 'em at her. It didn't mean anything did it? She was smarter than that.

Though... she does always smile when the disease riddled wolf would bring her flowers.

And she always smiles when he calls her beautiful.

And she even let him have the very last cup of ramen...

Oh no...

No.

It WAS true!

Kagome was an idiot after all!

She actually fell for those stupid tricks!

He would tell her! He would let her know just how much that low down rotten wolf was tricking her into liking him so he could get her to become his so she would hunt for the jewel shards for him. He'd let her know that he was lying to her! He would let her know that he didn't mean anything sweet when he brings her flowers. That he was lying when he called her beauti... oh.

Oh. Yeah, skip that one. She'd sit him 'til his bones turned to mush. Idiot. She always took things the wrong way. If there was a wrong way to possibly take something, that's the way she'd take it.

From his crouched position (ready to spring between them if the wolf scooted one inch closer), Inuyasha looked at Kagome writing in her notebook by firelight. The slight curve of her lips as she wrote kept him from saying anything. For the first time, Kagome's smile caused his heart to feel like it was dying. He watched her glance up at the trio of wolves and grin, then go back to writing.

What was so great about the smelly wolf anyhow? Did Kagome want the showy-ness? Did she want flowers? But flowers are so... so stupid. They die so quick after you pick them. And it's not like they really need to cart around anything they don't really have to. But it sure made her smile. It makes no sense. Flowers are pretty much everywhere. If she wants one of the stupid things all she has to do is reach down and yank it up from the ground. What's the big deal?

And it was just wrong to tell her she's so beautiful in front of so many people. Something like that is personal. That's why no one takes the monk serious. He passes around compliments to any female he meets! They don't mean anything that way. Besides, she doesn't need anyone telling her she's beautiful. She has to know. She isn't blind or stupid.

"What's that word, sister?" one of the lackeys asked. Ginta maybe? Keh, did it matter?

"Nobility, Hakkaku."

So he was wrong. Wait... did she say nobility? NOBILITY? What was she writing? He tried to peek without looking like he was peeking, but he couldn't see the words.

"And that word?" asked the one who obviously must be Ginta.

"Smile," she told him with a smile of her own.

Okay. This had to stop. Really now. Writing poems about the smelly wolf with words like 'nobility' and 'smile'? No! This was... was... was INTOLERABLE! What was she THINKING?

"This one?"

"Strength. Guys, I really need to focus and get this finished. Give me five minutes and I'll read it to you."

His heart sank.

Strength, nobility, smile? This was the worst poem ever written in the whole history of poemness. Maybe he should go take a walk and cool off so he doesn't have to deal with Kouga's smug grin. He couldn't bear to hear Kagome fawn over the wolf. But he couldn't possibly leave her unprotected. Sango and Miroku were no help there. They didn't see the wolves as a threat. THEY thought they were allies. Didn't they remember that the first time they met Kouga, when his wolves still killed humans and that idiot wolf prince of theirs stole Kagome to keep for his own?

They have been through so much together. How could she write a poem about Kouga and not him? Not that he was wanting to have her be all mushy in front of everyone. But he was deserving of a little glorifying wasn't he? Surely more than that fleabag.

That wasn't a whimper was it? It didn't come from him did it? He scowled at everyone. The only one who gave him a second look was Kagome. She gave him an interesting smile. It was different than others. It wasn't his favorite one (the one that made him melt inside and made him think that she might be thinking about things he was thinking of but that neither of them should be thinking of). It wasn't the sympathetic one. Or the encouraging one. Or the one that was supposed to make him feel better whenever Kouga was around. Or even the one that looked liked really she would kill him if she could just get her hands on him and the clenched teeth was the only thing keeping her from lunging at him. No. This one was different.

It looked more like one of Shippo's smiles.

Not THAT was interesting. Interesting enough that he decided he didn't really need to take a walk after all. Just what was that girl up to? He watched curiously as she took a breath, read over the paper one more time, then stood up. First she quickly read to them what she wrote about other types of odes, the part of the assignment she had groaned about the most.

There are different kinds of odes. The Classic Ode has three parts, the strophe (the beginning), the antistrophe, and the epode (where it all comes together at a conclusion). There is also the Romantic Ode and the Irregular Ode. The Romantic Ode is sometimes said to follow the writing rule of "once you know the rules, you can break them". The Romantic Ode borrows from both the Irregular Ode (for structure) and the Homostrophic Ode (for the meditative quality). A Romantic Ode isn't necessarily about anything romantic. It generally talks about nature and focuses on an internal issue of some sort. At the end of the ode it brings the poem back to the beginning, to the original scene. This can be done by a decision, a vision, or an action.

She made sure to give everyone a hard look when talking about how the Romantic Ode wasn't necessarily romantic. Both Kouga and Miroku looked disappointed. Then she took a deep breath and started off the poem with two words:

Two Wolves

Two steps behind, no rest for them, no time
Always running always chasing 'neath sun or moon

They follow him always, no reason, no rhyme

When their leader arrives, know they will be soon.

They have inside a certain nobility

With the faithfulness oh so blind

One has no other choice but to smile

For no matter their strength or ability

they fight for him and follow behind

On and on, day after day, mile after dusty mile.

The poem wasn't about Kouga at all! It was about Ginta and Hakkaku! Luckily he wasn't so caught up in his joy that he missed Kouga's face as he realized that the poem wasn't about him! Ha! He was crushed!

Okay, so his elation wasn't exactly as silent as he thought. Everyone turned and gave him a glare and tried to hush him, even Kagome (though he'd swear it was only half-heartedly). But it was sooooo worth it to see the expression on Kouga's face!

"Thanks for the dinner, my love," Kouga said as he stood and tried to take Kagome's hands. But Ginta and Hakkaku were already grabbing her hands with tears running down their cheeks thanking their 'sister'. "But it is time for us to go."

He snarled something at the wolves that froze them stiff, then crying as they chased after him.

"I liked your poem," said Shippo as they all coughed a bit at the stirring up of dust as Kouga disappeared from camp.

Kagome smiled at the kit, then she smiled at him.

This was, without a doubt, the best assignment she ever had to do!

HA!

Author's Notes:

See! I didn't forget that this story existed.

Believe it or not, I had to do a bunch of researching on the ode. There were many styles and many ways of doing them. That's probably what took so long for me to get the poem written, that initial decision of how I wanted to do it.

Just a reminder that this story wasn't originally intended to be a typical story. It was meant as a way to string together creative writing; either poems, stories, or something along those lines. So some chapters there will be less 'story' than in others.

Thanks a bunch to everyone who left such kind reviews. I really do appreciate them.