Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
Racing Home
The closer he came to the clan's home, the faster Hakkaku ran. He knew that the human boy and the firecat had been allies in the fight against Naraku, yet he could not overcome his fear and concern for Ginta, left alone with those strange creatures.
The four-footed wolves fell behind, but Hakkaku did not slow down. Following Koga, he and Ginta had always seen their runs as a series of races, to see who could keep closest to the much faster Koga. Now, he had no competitor save time, and the weather. Rain came down, and he plunged through the fall with narrowed eyes. Wind whipped and slammed at him, but he refused to stagger and fall. Only the mountain slope came close to defeating him, as burning legs and burning lungs dragged him to a stop. But, he tarried only long enough to catch his breath, and then raced on.
Early morning came, enshrouded in mist. Hakkaku could not see, but he could smell that the caves were close. Slaking his thirst at a stream, he dug deep and broke into a final run. He knew where he was, and increased his speed. Ginta would not remain alone one moment longer than necessary. Run!
He smelled wolf youkai before him, but his mind was too focussed on running to react. Shadowy figures leaped out of the way, and then a slicing leg took him down. Hakkaku yelped as he hit hard, chin first.
"Hakkaku, you idiot! What are you doing, running as if the oni-eaters are after you, in the middle of a fog in the middle of our territory! You almost ran me down!"
Hakkaku rolled onto his back, and stared up at the slender figure standing above him, hands on hips. He cringed.
"Ayame?"
Author's Note: This was written for the LiveJournal prompt "Race," on the community "Inuyasha's Unsung Heroes." It was originally published on March 24, 2012. It won the contest. (8/21/2012)