The lone male limped badly as he made his way along the riverbank that would eventually lead towards his home. And for a being that prided himself onhis speed and strength, it was hard going.
Koga gasped as broken ribs were jarred during a stumble over a well-concealed rock in the path he travelled and regretted the reaction as his bruised body protested the sharp inhalation. He might have blamed the blurry vision he had on the darkening night, though it was far more likely due to the altereddepth perception he had suffered as a result of the eye he might stand to lose.
He could never have imagined just how brutal the younger male could be and he had realized his mistake by the second punch. With no Kagome to hold him back, Inuyasha had let lose a beating on him the likes of which he never could have imagined. He'd managed to dodge the worst of it for a few minutes, his senses screaming as he felt the impact of that very first hit. He'd backpedaled faster than he ever had in his life but it had been for naught, because he'd been so busy watching the Hanyou that he'd failed to watch his footing.
He'd hit the turf on his ass and Inuyasha had followed him down, a low, guttural growl emerging from the Inuhanyou as he planted his fist into the Ookami's left kidney, leaving him winded and feeling as if someone had ripped a hole through his body. He'd doubled over with a gasp, in hindsight the worst possible thing he might have done at the time, and felt the weight of the pissed-off male pin him down as he exacted his vengeance on behalf of the female he had unwittingly wronged. Inuyasha had never been known for half measures when it came to his friends and Koga soon discovered that the other male had gone easy on him for years. But the thought slipped away when the first slash of claws raked against his thigh when the Hanyou took exception to the Ookami's lack of focus.
From there, everything had become a long, aching blur of pain.
Inuyasha hadn't even bothered with insults or threats; in the end, he simply poured every bit of his frustration and outrage out on a target that had eluded him for the longest time. He may have never been able to best his older brother, but his skills in gutter-brawling were second to few and he was more than willing to gift Koga with a firsthand demonstration. The others had simply stood back and allowed it, because they felt it was only fitting, especially after the startling announcement made by the big silver Tora.
"You killed Rin." The voice was unnaturally calm as the big male narrowed his rage-dark eyes.
"Who the hell is Rin?" the befuddled, punch-drunk Koga responded.
"Rin was a small, human cub that wandered into your path. You cut her down as if she held less worth than the man you murdered before her very eyes." It had taken him some time to place the scent, for he was rarely in the Ookami's presence for longer than needed. Memories of the little human cub he had failed to save had suddenly flashed across his mind's eye, and it was all he could do to restrain himself. For the first time, his brother was doing exactly what was required, and he was satisfied with his response.
If he was at all surprised at the obvious care his elder brother held for the small child despite so little time with her, let alone the fact of her race, Inuyasha did not show it. His ears pinned back harder and his blunter, canine fangs bared themselves in a disgusted grimace of distaste. Almost as if he truly didn't want to know "…how old was this Rin?"
"She was five summers at most."
The look of utter outrage was unmistakable in the amber eyes as Inuyasha tensed. He had learned exactly why such a thing would outrage the Taiyoukai, and found himself every bit as sickened. The sister he had lost years before he'd ever been born weighed heavily upon him, because though he could have done nothing to stop it, his very existence was due to her death. A small, helpless cub killed and fed to disgusting scavengers merely because she had lived up to the promise of her heredity while Inuyasha himself, half-blooded and nearly bastard-born, was brought up in the lap of privilege and power simply because his father was a sick, psychotic individual who had prized his control over the future generations of his family over the gifts given him by chance and the nature of his mate's breed.
Koga had suddenly found himself in the uncomfortable position of choosing which parts of his body he would protect, and which he would have to allow to become a target. And it was only as Inuyasha was finally pulled off of him by the strange Tora males who had previously held him as unwilling witness that he made the mistake of unclenching the protective ball he'd held his body in and left his face open. One long, brutal rake of claws had opened his cheek to the bone in four deep furrows, arching up over the cheekbone and cutting over his eye, before continuing across the brow bone. He'd known instantly that he would be scarred, and was unsure about the damage done to his eye.
His pace slowed further as it suddenly occurred to him that he would have to explain what had happened to the wolves of his tribe. He hated even more what he would be forced to say to his uncle because this time he couldn't embellish the truth of what had happened. Because in plain, unadorned reality, he had fucked up on a mammoth scale.
He had once more jumped to conclusions and put his desired mate into a bad situation. And looking back, he could see signs of the slow courtship that he had just stomped through. He had pushed the other male to conclude the mating much faster than either of them had wanted, and most likely faster than Kagome had been ready for by challenging the Tora for her. He'd never have imagined that he would force her male to mate her publicly just to prove a point, something that might have been far more likely to occur if the rival male had been canine. He didn't quite understand how it had all gone so wrong, but he knew that it was a result of his hot-headedness.
He'd always assumed that taking theinitiative as his uncle had always pushed him to would eventually lead him to the life he desired. A beautiful mate, attractive and powerful offspring, a comfortable place to live, and enough personal power to make people respect him. That the beautiful mate just so happened to provide the means to gaining that power was just a nice bonus, as was the fact that her power would augment whatever he could offer into the genetic mix that would become his cubs.
Would never become his cubs, because he had set his sights on a female he would never have.
It was funny, but in retrospect, he could see all the different times he should have seen the obvious. Kagome cared for him, maybe even loved him…as a simple friend. And instead of being content with what he could have, he had tried to take more. And it wasn't as if Ayame wouldn't have made him a worthy mate, he had simply wanted more. So he had played dumb when the young Ookami female had shown up and demanded he keep his word to her. Yes, he hadn't remembered at first, but it had taken him less a day to recall his promise to the young aristocrat.
If he were to be perfectly, bluntly honest with himself, the reason he had continued to deny her might have been the fact that if he had mated her, he may have been more physically powerful, but he would not be the alpha in their mating. She had higher bloodlines and far more political connections, so he would have ended up as the consort instead of the lord. He couldn't have borne it at the time…now even that option was out of the picture because Ayame was notoriously soft-hearted and would never mate a child-murderer, no matter the race of the child. He'd be lucky to end up as a palace guard after this nightmare ended. Out of the way and never to be seen in polite company. Used to having his freedom and the right to rule the lesser clans of the Ookami race, he couldn't stand the thought of what awaited him. A part of him wanted to simply disappear, but he couldn't have lived with the knowledge of his own cowardice. It was bad enough that he'd been shown just how far off he'd been about so many things; he didn't need to add another mistake.
At the very least, Koga was no coward. Brash, hardheaded, occasionally thoughtless, but never one to run from a fight. Although, he reflected, maybe that was where he had gone wrong. He'd always assumed that, in a fight, he could easily best Inuyasha. But when proven otherwise, would not the best option have been to run and not foolishly fight a battle he knew he could not win? Knowing what battles could be won, and which were worth fighting for even if lost were part of growing up, but he had failed at both.
He stopped for a bit to rest his legs, wearily easing himself to the ground beside the stream and cupping the cool, clear water in his hands to wash away some of the blood that still continued to flow from opened wounds, no matter that the fight had been long over with. His arm still ached and throbbed, and he realized that it was partially dislocated. A convenient tree trunk later, a new spasm of pain, and he'd reset it, though he discovered just how much he hadn't needed that as he grit his teeth through the pain of it. Massaging his slowlyknitting legs provided a bit of relief and he rubbed at them slowly as the sun leisurely began to set, letting his feet trail into the water as he did so. He absently ran his tongue over a gap in his teeth where the Hanyou's fist had knocked some of them loose, removing a couple others that would regrow in a few days time.
But, while he could sit here forever as his body healed, his relationship with Kagome might never do the same.
oooooo
The woman in question sat quietly in her darkening room.
She'd been sitting in the very same spot for hours now, trying to come to terms with what had just happened to her that afternoon. She hated the fact that she had enjoyed what he'd done to her, hated even more that she'd ignored the physical discomfort of it in favor of allowing him to put her on display like some sort of conquest that he'd made. Not even a person, but a trophy to be shown off to a rival.
She had walked slowly down the corridors, not truly seeing where she was going, but luck had finally showed its turn-coat face, because she still managed to find herself where she'd been absently aiming for. She had known that Miroku had followed her and had been unable to stand the pity she'd known she would see on his face. So for the first time, she had locked herself in her room by herself. Hours later, she had felt her mate moving towards her and had sat in breathless silence, waiting for him to try the door. She didn't want to see him yet, not before she'd gained a better understanding of where she stood. She knew that she couldn't shut him out forever, she loved him too much, but she felt that his actions had been a minor betrayal of her. He knew very well how she felt about such things, and had allowed his own insecurities and desires to outweigh her own without bothering to stop and think.
Instead, he had used her fear for her foolish friend and her refusal to see him killed, even if he had been in the wrong, to force her into acceptance. She'd known there would be a price, even then, but she would never have imagined that it would be so high. It hurt even more that he'd demanded it of her, knowing that she would pay it. She well remembered telling him that the next time they were intimate, that she wished him to finalize their mating.
But how could she have known that he would do it in such a setting?
Or was she being unfair to him, herself? Was she judging him by her own human morals and standards? She knew he was much less hung up on modesty than shewas, having been there when he'd climbed out of her bed half naked and teased her shamelessly. She smiled unconsciously…how utterly feline of him.
She saw the door shift gently in its frame and felt a spurt of guilt as he respected her wishes and didn't tear through it. Felt even worse when he sent her a brief flash of affection through their newly established link, telling her wordlessly that he both understood her need for space and was willing to give her the time she felt she needed. He lingered for a few moments longer, before moving away to join his brothers and Miroku.
oooooo
Morning came far too early for the Taijiya, having spent the past day in solitude, trying desperately to come up with some explanation for her recent behavior. She had put off her return trip for as long as she was able, taking that extra day for herself as well as taking the time to fully repair both her armor and weapon. She was no closer to an answer now than she had been days ago when the whole mess had occurred.
And really, what was she goingto say to him? I love you, and know just how hard it was for you to learn to become monogamous, but now I seem to have the same problem you once did with remaining faithful? Oh, yes, she could just see how well that would go over. She sighed, for what felt like the thousandth time in a matter of days.
But brooding over it had failed her, so she knew that she would have to simply suck it up and get it over with. Calling to Kirara, she checked to make certain all was secured, before throwing herself onto the feline's back and securing her pack. A brief stroke of her companion's ears was welcomed with a return nuzzle from the Youkai and they were off.
But it wasn't until a few hours later, as she got the uncomfortable sensation that she was being followed, that she realized just how preoccupied she still was. She was completely surrounded on three sides by relatively low-powered Youkai. But the problem with numbers was that sometimes, they came up with well-coordinated plans of attack. She narrowed her eyes when she realized that this may, in fact, be one of those rare occasions, and signaled Kirara to begin climbing higher into the cloudy morning sky.
It was a mistake, because the upper flight of Takagariyoukai had been hidden in the clouds and startled both her and Kirara into plummeting much too fast towards the earth to avoid them. She had no idea why they would suddenly attack her, and in such numbers, because their mortal counterparts were not prone to hunting or fighting in such a fashion. For the usually solitary beings to band together in such a large group was unsettling at best…and dangerous at worst.
She felt small, sharp talons gouge a nasty furrow in her thigh and hissed in pain, even as she turned and planted her small, armored fist into the attacking male's face just beside its beak. It shrieked its outrage, spiraling out of control for a few moments, before righting itself and climbing higher to take another swing which the woman dodged neatly. Something about the whole situation felt wrong, somehow, and even more worrisome was that small voice in her head that had made itself known the last couple of months had begun screaming in warning. It begged her almost frantically to ignore the challenge the males were presenting and flee.
The part of her that had struggled and fought so hard to gain the standing and reputation she had overrode it.
But she regretted it after they forced her from the sky, pulled her from Kirara, and attempted to beat her to death. She managed to kill many of them after one had succeeded in breaking a few of her ribs, and the one she cornered told her (after she threatened to gut him with her bare hands) that she was simply a means to an end. What end, he refused to divulge, and suddenly lunged forward, impaling himself on her sword as she knelt over him, startling her so badly that she failed to stop any of the others as they fled, their numbers severely diminished.
She forced herself to her feet, and almost landed back in the bloody dirt as her left leg collapsed under her weight. She cursed to herself, before hobbling towards Kirara who had also taken her fair share of enemies before they had managed to net her and stake her to the ground. Her lungs ached and her hip felt off kilter. The deep cut that extended from her left hip, across her lower abdomen and up to the broken ribs was more than worrisome, and she knew that she'd have to take the time to clean and wrap it before she could move on. Kagome would be able to do a far better job than her own rough field dressing and she hurried throughit as fast as she safely could, almost in tears by the end as the sharp pain dug into her almost as brutally as the talons of the Takagariyoukai had.
She could have kicked herself, because she'd known this wouldn't end well, and now she had the recovery time for her wounds to look forward to, along with her planned confession to Miroku. Kirara watched her mistress with sad eyes, doing her best to comfort the woman as she carefully lowered herself to the ground to allow the woman an easier mounting. The bag, she caught up in her massive jaws, before carefully lifting off the ground once more, making a silent promise to herself to never allow her human to perform such a foolish stunt again…
oooooo
Of all the things that Seiko disliked about being a lord, even if only a minor one, this had to be the part he hated most. He was still considered to be very young by Youkai standards, and being forced into the position where he was basically tattling on another aristocrat, was not something he enjoyed. But here he sat, regardless, writing a letter to a far more influential lord about how badly his nephew had screwed up.
He lifted the brush and took a deep breath, before forcing himself to begin.
His life had been so routine and almost boring, before the Miko and her friends had arrived. There were the rare visitors. And the slightly more common messengers, such as the female Kazi who had shown up at his gates, demanding entrance in trade for the information she supposedly held. She had stared down her nose at him as if she, being a lowly servant to an even lesser lord than he, were somehow superior to himself. And normally, he couldn't care less, because he had very little interest in the goings on and politics of the higher courts. But something about her superior attitude had gotten his back up, and he'd maintained only the barest of civility towards the female.
But there was the other part of the situation that had perplexed him…the strange fragility he'd sensed in her. She presented a cold, arrogant façade that very few would ever see through. But, then again, he wasn't most Youkai. It was an ability that rarely surfaced in his family, but he had learned to heed the odd bits of information that would occasionally slip through his senses, things he should never have been able to know, but had discovered to always be accurate. Even more, he'd learned to keep such things to himself, for the panic and discomfort it often caused amongst those he managed to read. As if he had somehow invaded their privacy.
Yet, no matter how much he felt for her situation, because the fear in her had been almost deafening, he couldn't forgive her for trying to use him to kill good, decent people for whatever ends she might have in mind. He didn't care that she might have some reason for it, because in his mind, there was no reason good enough.
He wasn't sure how, or even why, it had happened, but he was able to read far more of the little Miko than anyone else. Everything about her that he saw made him respect her more, and so he was slightly irritated with her new mate for the way he had handled the situation, even if he was far more able to understand his reasoning than she had been. Even now, he could feel her struggling to come to terms with it and sent her his wishes for luck. He knew she'd need them, even if it was a foregone conclusion that she would forgive the big male. She loved him just as much as he loved her.
He sighed, and looked down at the paper.
To Lord Tsae,
In regards to your nephew, I regret to inform you…