He smiled as the little girl waved as she and her mother walked up the hill towards her village. He raised his hand and waved back, much to the giggling delight of the girl, who could not have been more than five years old.

Inuyasha had been traveling for some time, a strangely relaxing span of time that did not involve chasing evil things or retrieving Tama shards. He'd been determined to get his head on straight and he'd been surprised at how easy it was.

Now that he'd rid himself of excess emotional baggage.

The moments after he'd left the golem-priestess had been fraught with uncertainty. Worries such as…had he done the right thing? Was he capable of getting back his freedom?

But he felt free.

He hadn't even realized how muddled his thinking processes had become. The more time he'd spent with Kikyo, the harder it had been for him to determine how he truly felt. About anything at all.

Much to his self-disgust, now that he was free of the clay-bitch, he'd gained an understanding with his beast.

He'd always assumed that it was simply the fact that he was hanyou that had caused the problems in his control. But he'd discovered that he'd gained control when he finally allowed it to have its say. It was outrage at his selfishness and sheer idiocy concerning Kagome and his brother.

And here he cringed.

He'd hated his brother from the beginning. But it was not a fair hate. And he'd since forced the real truth from the tiny Nomiyoukai that had claimed undying loyalty to the Inu-lord's youngest son…and had only just proven so. Myoga had not quite been certain of how to take the strange, self-contained hanyou that had quietly demanded answers to questions he'd not even been aware that Inuyasha had known to ask. Nor had he wanted to answer the question of the Great General's treatment of his first born.

He'd watched the repugnance fill those amber eyes that were so like his father's. Only it was directed at his sire…and himself.

Inuyasha was well acquainted with unreasonable hatred. He'd just never stopped to wonder why his brother despised him so. It was not a normal thing amongst either breed of youkai that made up his twisted family tree. He'd learned of his brother's humiliation because of their father's dishonor. Of his treatment of the Tora's mother, and of her pitiable death. Of the way his sire had continually forced his eldest into situations that should have left him dead, for the sake of either political gain or a favor.

Self-loathing had curdled in his gut as he forced himself to demand everything.

His sister that his father had culled from their family pack like a poorly bred mistake. He'd wanted to be sick when he'd heard of the method of the newborn female's demise. But he would not allow himself the luxury, because it was not his right.

He'd gained a new respect of his brother's self-control, that he'd not slipped and killed him. That he cared so much for his paternal aunt, no matter her ties to his mad sire, that he'd allowed her to be held over his head for so long. He knew that if it had been himself having to deal with such a life, he'd have killed the pup he'd been without a lick of remorse.

That he still lived was a testament to Sesshomaru's discipline.

But he was still confused. From the power the Tora had exhibited, he didn't know why he hadn't just killed their sire and have done with it.

But it was just one question out of the many, and so he shrugged them off, even as he watched the girl turn the corner with one last wave.

He'd been traveling and keeping mostly to himself, when he'd heard the sounds of small, terrified screams.

Whereas in the past he might have ignored them and justified it by telling himself that not only was it no concern of his, but that it would not gain him a thing, now he could not. The thunder of hooves and the bellowing of a wild boar had echoed in his ears and he'd taken off running before he could even question his actions.

The tiny girl was white-faced with fright as she clung to the back of her pony while the mare desperately attempted to bear her beloved young mistress to safety. Her short, stocky legs kicked up dirt and grass at the boar in a deliberate attempt to blind it, her eyes wild and showing their whites even as the beast gained on them, roaring in mindless aggression. The stout-hearted mare simply turned up the speed and nearly flew over the ground.

But Inuyasha could see that she was outmatched and tiring. Her chestnut body was flecked with sweat, panting desperately for air that she did not have the time to wait for.

He did not hesitate, nor did he make a sound as he sprinted after them. In fact, the boar did not know that it had become the prey until it felt its head separate from its thick neck.

But his job was not complete. The mare suddenly stumbled, her hindquarters thrashing wildly in an attempt to regain her balance. It threw off her equilibrium and the little girl tumbled from her back. She did not even have the time to scream, before Inuyasha plucked her from mid-air and curled a red-clad arm about her shaking form. Then he dug in his heels and wrapped his free arm about the mare's barrel, steadying her and ignoring the sharp pains as her flying hooves struck his legs. All she managed were a few bruises, and she'd not heal if one of her legs were to break.

Such a brave creature did not deserve such a death.

The little mare squealed at him at first and attempted to bite him, though soon calmed when she discovered that both she and her mistress were safe. She had danced nervously about until she took in the sight of the slain boar that Inuyasha was even then blocking from the little human's line of sight. Then she had heaved a huge sigh and relaxed against the abnormally strong biped.

He became aware of the little one's curiosity as she sat quietly against his body, his forearm wrapped securely under her little-girl rump. Her deep eyes watched him curiously, then blinked as his ears flicked reflexively at the sound of oncoming humans. They were still a ways away yet and so he returned his attention to the girl.

She giggled as he deliberately allowed them to twitch. He couldn't help his answering smile, even as he bent and allowed her tiny hands to touch them. She was gentle, her fingers rubbing against the fur on the outside, before she lightly tugged at his silver hair in curiosity.

"Thank you, Mr. Puppy man!" she said politely, after she had assured herself that his ears were real. "You saved me and Mana!"

He felt himself blushing under her almost worshipful regard, but he couldn't stop smiling at her.

Was this what Kagome had felt every time she helped someone? Was this the reason that she always claimed to feel so fulfilled by performing a simple good deed?

It was a strange sensation. To feel proud of an accomplishment that needed no other acknowledgement but for someone's smile to make it worthwhile.

"Do you know why that boar was chasing you?" He made a conscious effort to modulate his tone into something that would not sound abrasive, as he'd on occasion found himself coming across as even gruffer than had been his intention. But he wished to find out if this was simply a rogue with no companions to seek revenge.

She frowned, and even that he found to be oddly cute. "Not really. Mana had decided to stop for a drink at the spring, and that meanie-monster came after us out of the bushes."

Then it was most likely just a coincidence.

He turned as a shout from the humans caught his attention, and set the girl down so as to not give the wrong impression. But he was dumbfounded when she swiftly placed her tiny person between him and the oncoming villagers. One woman in the lead opened her mouth in what he could already sense would be a threat to his wellbeing if he did not release the girl. But his impromptu defender beat her to it.

"He just saved us, okaasan! That meanie-monster was chasing Mana and me and he made it stop and saved us!" She could not really see the slain youkai from her position, only that it lay slumped in the long grass.

"Emiko…"

"No, otousan!" Her little arms stretched backwards as if to ward them away from her new friend, and Inuyasha found himself feeling strangely protected by the girl, despite how small she was.

He hadn't really thought that anyone but Kagome, Sango, or Miroku would ever do such a thing.

But then, he'd been wrong about a great many things, hadn't he?

"Hitoshi. Take a look behind them." This from a younger male standing beside the father of the girl he now knew to be called Emiko.

He wasn't used to standing quietly while others threatened him but he had decided to let the situation play out without losing his rather infamous temper. The two males conversed with the tense woman who had yet to take her eyes from the oddly matched pair, the little one's head only coming to his hip. The woman shook her head briskly as the younger pointed towards the boar, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then the man -Hitoshi- pointed towards the little mare, who still leaned so trustingly against the hanyou.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Then they abruptly softened. Mana was nibbling at a long, tangled white lock of the strange male's hair. Amber eyes shifted towards the source of the small tug, and to her surprise, he merely scratched the mare between her wide brown eyes with a clawed hand and allowed it.

Emiko seemed to read her parents' relaxing posture, because she let her arms fall from their protective pose.

The last of the humans' tension vanished as the unknown male made no move to stop her when Emiko stepped away from him to reassure her parents that she was whole and sound. If he wasn't going to detain her for any reason, they saw no need to remain and so slowly began making their way back to their homes.

After the usual search every mother makes of their child after such an occurrence, the four of them made their way towards the waiting hanyou.

The man Hitoshi, his wife Asuka, and what he learned was the girl's uncle Satoru made their thanks and Inuyasha nodded, self-consciously rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to keep from blushing once again.

He gave up on it as a lost cause when the woman threw her arms about his neck in her enthusiasm, even as little arms tightened about his leg. The two men simply smiled as their women-folk gushed all over the uncomfortable hanyou. Luckily, however, their gratitude did not include loud noises, so he simply accepted it as something to be born.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Though, he supposed, as punishments went, this was rather tolerable.

So now here he stood. Watching as they returned to their homes.

Emiko had made him promise to return and visit her. He decided that he did not mind making that promise and he fully intended to keep it.

Kagome blinked as the golden male smirked down at her. He'd suddenly appeared before her after the shocking statement as to his kinship with Sesshomaru, bright blue eyes inches from her own, before he was abruptly yanked backwards by his companion. The darker male gestured towards Sesshomaru, his tone scolding as he yanked sharply at the other male's tail.

TAIL??!!

She did a double take and saw that…yes…both of them had tails. Long, striped ones that lashed the air with as much personality as their owners. A tiny part of her wondered why the sight didn't seem as ridiculous as it should have. But the appendages were simply a part of them...and strangely appealing.

The golden one, whom Sesshomaru had referred to as Freyr, scowled at his companion, before turning to argue with him. That was when Sesshomaru planted his foot against Freyr's backside and sent him flying.

It was a strangely practiced maneuver, and Kagome had to wonder how many times he had performed the act in the past.

White fangs flashed in the darker male's face as he snickered at Freyr's graceless plunge into the dirt.

Freyr slowly pushed himself up in a way that could well have made him the darling of the modern modeling world, eyes smoldering from behind short rumpled locks of silvery-golden hair. His grin was sharp and dangerous as he suddenly launched himself at Sesshomaru.

Kagome squeaked as Sesshomaru neatly rolled over Freyr's head and wrapped every available limb about him to keep from tumbling free. A darker blur appeared from the other side, and Kagome almost gave warning. But it was unnecessary, because as he bent forward to catch hold of Sesshomaru, the big Tora simply leapt upwards and used the other male's over-extension to spring-board off his back, planting him in the dirt with a laugh and a smirk.

Maybe it was best to simply close her eyes and wait for it all to end?

Though she couldn't help but giggle at the way they were tumbling about like over-grown cubs. Even Sesshomaru, who had paused to toss out a taunting comment towards Freyr, while the dark one shook his head clear with a feral grin.

But why were the two attacking she and Sesshomaru?

And yet…none of the males seemed all that intent on harming the other, because not a one of them drew a weapon or brandished claws. There was an occasional taunt tossed back and forth, followed by a lunge from one of the two new Tora. Sesshomaru would evade them as if they had practiced this many times before, the three seemingly dancing to some strange and offbeat choreography.

She just wasn't about to let go! Especially as it appeared that Freyr seemed to be targeting her for his antics. She gasped as his warm lips grazed her cheek in passing, causing a rumbling snarl of protest from her male.

The world abruptly stopped spinning as Sesshomaru let her down onto her feet.

Freyr had crossed the line of the game, it seemed.

Sesshomaru crouched before her with his sword drawn, short, sleek silver fur flowing over his pale flesh like a tidal wave though his humanoid features did not alter. The darker one blinked, then abruptly tackled the golden one with a scowl of irritation. He clouted him over the head with a heavy fist, growling in a warning tone that was far different from his previously playful tone.

Kagome barely even registered when a heavy silver and black banded tail wrapped possessively about her thigh as its owner refused to turn his flat, unblinking golden gaze from his wayward sibling.

No…Kagome wasn't confused in the slightest…

"You control him, Thor, or he will be unable to do other than crawl from here." Kagome almost flinched from the chill in his tone. She had not heard him sound like that in a long time and it was startling. As it was...it took that long for her to process the name he had given to the dark Tora.

It couldn't be…

Jungle-cat eyes in a deeply tawny face, his hair thick and blue black with hints of bright gold as it brushed his heavily muscled shoulders, he looked nothing like the traditional representation of the thunder god. There was no hulking, mindlessness to him, nor the thick red beard that Thor was said to have been so proud of. But there was no mistaking the power in his green-gold gaze, lightening flashing through the metallic color in small bursts of brilliance in answer to the bass of his deep voice.

Freyr snarled as he was held down, yet another bit of myth come to life before her. The golden god of beauty and sex, no less dangerous than his sister Freyja, the goddess of love and war.

She didn't understand how the game had abruptly become so serious. Though it did not stop her from calling out to Thor in warning when Freyr's eyes flashed and his claws began lengthening. Thor's own eyes narrowed, as he drove his fist down into the back of the other male's throat.

Freyr choked and went still in an attempt to regain his breath.

The black tip of Sesshomaru's tail twitched against her leg as Thor snorted in exasperation as he got to his feet, leaving his younger brother behind.

The handsome male turned towards her with a surprisingly gentle smile.

"I apologize, little one." His accent was thicker than Sesshomaru's, though still perfectly understandable.

"Freyr lacks manners. I had not expected that he would do something so foolish as to provoke our bróðir's nature. And while it is no excuse, he has missed his bróðir. I imagine that he simply sought to gain the attention of the both of you, not thinking that he may give offence." He knew well that things were vastly different here than they were in his own country. Females were more secluded and not as free with their affection as those of his homeland.

"Is he alright?" She didn't want to think that she may be the reason for his pain. Sesshomaru had eased her forward and pressed himself against her back. A velvet-furred cheek brushed hers as he held her.

"He is perfectly well. And will soon be making his apologies, will he not?" This was said with a raised brow as he turned to direct the statement towards Freyr. His answer was a low growl that sounded oddly out of breath.

"Are you really Thor?" For some reason, that was the only thing she could think of to say at the moment.

"Last time I checked?"

"The Thor?"

He blinked, turning to his youngest brother in bemusement.

Sesshomaru had since returned to his non-furry state, though his tail (She was still surprised about its sudden appearance. She'd never imagined the Western Lord as having such a thing!) had slipped around her waist as if to mirror its owner's need to hold her.

"She has a knowledge of the sögur," he explained with a small smile.

The youkai suddenly grinned and lifted a large, clawed hand before the girl's wide eyes. She jumped when tiny bolts of lightning danced over his splayed fingers, accompanied by the scent of ozone. Then she smiled, unthinkingly clasping his powerful wrist to bring him closer so as to get a better view.

The males grinned at one another over her enthusiasm.

She almost did not notice when Freyr regained his feet and made his way towards the small group. He did not touch her, gaining her attention instead by placing himself in her line of sight, directly over Thor's shoulder. His expression was rueful as he made good on his brother's promise, apologizing to her with a surprising grace and humility.

And Kagome could not help but want to giggle at the male that now looked much more like a chastened little boy than the adult he was. In fact, she felt Sesshomaru relax against her at the sincerity in his sibling's tone.

But Kagome had just one more question. It was random and completely out of the blue. But she couldn't help herself.

"Why do you three have tails?"

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I love tails….::giggles insanely::

~vocabulary~

sögur - plural of saga