Chapter 55

Mountain

"Back so soon?" A male voice called out with a hint of laughter.

"What?" a female replied groggily.

"Get out of here! And stop getting into trouble." he ordered in mock anger.

"Get out of where?" she asked, everything in her mind fuzzy.

"Where else?" He asked rhetorically with a chuckle.

"My head hurts and I'm too cold to put up with this bullshit." she replied reproachfully.

"I'll grant you that your head hurts but ... are you really that cold?" he asked matter-a-factly.

"Yes, I'm on top of a mountain covered in snow!" she answered with a scowl.

"Are you so sure about that?" he asked.

"Positive." she assured.

"Try opening your eyes Kagome." Inuyasha instructed and she complied. Though her body was reluctant she slowly managed to open her eyes and when she did so all she saw around her was red flickering flames.

"I knew I was dead." Kagome muttered in a breath of air. 'At least I'm warm now' she added as she closed her eyes once more and was grateful for the warmth of the fire that settled into her bones.

"You're not dead yet." replied a soft feminine voice reassuringly.

"How can you be so sure?" Kagome grumbled as she peeked open her eyes and all she saw was the red flames once more.

"Because I'm not dead, well at least last time I checked I wasn't." she assured with a small laugh. Opening her eyes wider Kagome then realized that the red flames where indeed just a fire and that she was actually inside a cave.

"Where am I?" Kagome asked as she attempted to sit up but it was far harder then she had ever remembered it being.

"Whoa! Don't try and move just yet! You're still half frozen!" the women exclaimed as she rushed over to her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, her long red hair swept over Kagome as the women fussed over the rest of her body. "You really must take better care of yourself, Kagome!"

"Do I know you?" Kagome asked, surprised when the women used her name.

"Well it has been a long time since we last met and I guess if you don't recognize me right away it's not that insulting." The women assured her as she gave her a toothy grin and her green eyes sparkled in the fire light.

"Ah? Ayame?" Kagome asked.

"Yep!" She answered; her smile even larger.

"Oh it has been a long time!" Kagome agreed with a smile of her own.

"Yes it has." Ayame repeated; an iris still tucked behind her ear.

"Thank you for saving me." Kagome thanked with a smile as she looked up into the young wolfs face.

"It was not I that saved you Kagome; I only tended to your wounds. Frostbite is a terrible thing and you humans are so fragile to the cold, you must be more careful." Ayame reprimanded lightly.

"If you did not save me then who did, was it Ginta or Hokkaku?" Kagome wondered.

"No, it was neither of them." Ayame answered with a shake of her head. "It was actually…" but before Ayame could reply another wolf entered into the cave, but as Kagome lay there he was just out of her sight but she could sense him and there was something tauntingly familiar about his aura.

"How is the human?" He asked indifferently as he entered further into the room and when Kagome could finally see him, the mere sight of him made her heart jump.

"Kouga?" Kagome asked her voice nearly hopeful.

"How does a mere mortal know who my father is?" the young Wolf asked as he peered down at Kagome, shocked by this statement she took a closer look at him and noticed that it was indeed not Kouga for his eyes were not blue but turquoise and his hair was actually chestnut instead of black.

"I'm sorry you just look so much like him." Kagome apologized.

"Do not insult me with such comparisons." he scowled, which surprised Kagome leaving her speechless.

"Taro! Do not speak to her so." Ayame reprimanded sharply.

"What does it matter? She is human and foolish; she should have been left on the mountain." Taro grunted.

"Then I am glad Grandfather convinced you to take her! I am ashamed Taro; I thought I had taught you better then that!" Ayame scolded.

"Mother, she is human!" Taro explained spite evident in his voice. 'Mother?' Kagome thought as she watched them in silence.

"She is Kagome!" Ayame admitted which made Taro fall silent immediately as he turned to look at Kagome.

"This is Kagome?" Taro asked, in such a way that Kagome couldn't tell if he was amazed or disgusted.

"Feh, that old man was a bigger fool then I had thought." Taro opined then turned and left the small cave, sighing Ayame shook her head.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Kagome." Ayame apologized.

"You and Kouga had a son? I had no idea." Kagome mumbled, confused.

"Yes well…" Ayame trailed off, her head down bent and Kagome gave her a moment of silence. "Neither did he." Ayame admitted.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, still confused. "He looks so old, when did you have him?"

"Two years before Naraku was killed." Ayame answered.

"That makes him four years old! He looks at least thirteen!" Kagome replied, even more confused.

"Yes, Wolf's age incredibly fast but they get to a certain point and practically stop growing."

"Oh strange." Kagome commented softly which only made Ayame smile.

"He is a good boy, so much like Kouga yet so much not like him." Ayame admitted.

"How could Kouga not know?" Kagome asked, confused about how someone could not know how to make children.

"It was a trick."

"A trick?"

"Yes, the Elders thought that Kouga was being reckless, and he was, and they wanted to assure that his lineage would pass on. So after much planning and trickery Taro was conceived." Ayame explained.

"After he was born did you not tell Kouga about him?" Kagome wondered.

"No, Taro was then sent to the northern Mountains to live and train with my Grandfather and myself." Ayame admitted.

"So Kouga died not knowing he had a son." Kagome commented and Ayame nodded her head in accordance as silent tears slide down her face. "Don't cry." Kagome pleaded.

"I wanted to tell him, I did. I figured if he knew he had family he might stop pursuing Naraku and let you and Inuyasha do it but the Elders wouldn't let me and so I remained silent and now Taro grows without a father." Ayame explained as she dried her tears.

"It's hard but you're doing fine." Kagome assured her and at that Ayame smiled.

"Enough about me!" she proclaimed as she turned her attentions to Kagome.

"What are you doing climbing these mountains alone at this time of year?" Ayame demanded.

"I need to kill a Fire dragon and takes it fangs." Kagome answered hoping that maybe Ayame could lend her a hand.

"A Fire dragon?" Ayame repeated.

"Yeah." Kagome assured with a small nod of her head.

"Well…" Ayame began as she sighed. "As always, you seem to be in luck." she added with a smirk.

"You just so happen to have fire dragon fangs?" Kagome asked, hopeful but she knew she wasn't that lucky and Ayame's laughter only assured her that she wasn't that lucky.

"No but there has been a rouge fire dragon that has been terrorizing a fellow tribe in the west. They've been asking for our help but it being winter we have refused though for a fellow sister I believe we can accommodate them." Ayame informed her with a toothy grin.

"A fellow sister eh?" Kagome mused as she eased herself up into a sitting position, the feeling finally returning to all her extremities.

"Of course." Ayame assured her.

"I just thought since Kouga was dead my title would die with him." Kagome explained with a small smile.

"Once a sister, always a sister." Ayame assured her. "You must be hungry, I'll bring you some food and we can then speak more on the matter of gaining you some fire dragon fangs." she offered as she left the small cave.

"She is missing My Lord."

"Missing?"

"Yes My Lord, she left Death and ventured into the mountains. None have spotted her since."

"Missing you say."

"Hai My Lord."

"Indeed."

As Taree and her women sat in silence around the room a gentle rapping came at the shoji screen that lead out onto the veranda make Rika and Sakura jump slightly. Standing in one fluid motion Miho went to the door and opened it, revealing the Great Lord on the other side leaning heavily on his walking staff.

"Great Lord!" Taree called in surprise as she and all her women prostrated themselves before him. "This is an unexpected visit."

"I am aware of that but I wish to call an audience with you." the Great Lord ordered with a short cough.

"Of course my lord."

"You may bring one of your women if you choose." He offered as he turned and made his way down the veranda once more clambering to her feet Taree hurried out after him.

"Miho." she called sharply and the leopard cat obeyed following after Taree and the Great Lord. Walking on in silence they finally arrived at a small pavilion, taking a seat at the low table that was set there Miho and Taree sat across from him.

"You must be wondering why I have brought you here." the Great Lord began.

"Yes My Lord." Taree replied after a moment of silence.

"Were you not the one to bring the Miko the rest of the Shikon jewel?" He asked as his milky eyes looked in her direction, though he was blind his senses were still keen.

"Yes I was the one." she answered, her eyes transfixed to the ground as uncertainty snaked through her body.

"And with that jewel she plans to become a demon." he informed her.

"Yes My Lord." Taree replied, ire bubbling in her stomach replacing the uncertainty.

"I feel this was not your intention and so I give you a second chance."

"That is most gracious of you My Lord."

"Indeed, as you are aware the Miko obviously did not have the jewel in her possession when she left. Therefore the jewel will no doubt be somewhere within these walls. Find it and you no doubted would have the upper hand in anything you so choose to do." The Great Lord finished up as he rose from his seat and disappeared back into the estate leaving Taree and Miho to bow in his wake.

"Did you hear that Miho?" Taree asked not bothering to look back at her servant.

"I did." She replied softly knowing full well her lady's implication.

After having eaten a small portion of an extremely raw stake like slab of meat, which Kagome did not want to know where it had come from, she waited patiently for Ayame to return from her council. Though as she sat there in the mildly warm cave wrapped in several cozy furs beside the fire Kagome began to drift in and out of a light sleep. After closing her eyes for what felt like only a few prolonged seconds when she opened them again, blurred and unfocused, there sitting across the fire from her was Taro and to her befuddled mind he was Kouga.

"Kouga?" Kagome asked, confused as she rubbed her eyes and dispelled the fog from her mind. Opening her eyes once more she saw that it was only Taro. "Oh, I'm sorry Taro-san." she quickly apologized.

"For one who asks for help you do insult often." Taro sneered; his turquoise eyes hard and disapproving.

"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't hate Kouga." Kagome admitted as she kept her eyes down, only glancing up at the young wolf occasionally as he continued to stare at her intently.

"He was a fool and died a fool." Taro retorted coldly.

"He died avenging his comrades." Kagome defended, bristling at the young wolfs comments. Taro's eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to retort but before he could Ayame entered followed by two other male Wolves. One of them looked only to be about five years older than Taro, though in demon years that very well could be much older than five years while the other looked to be about Ayame's age maybe a several years younger. But with demons it was always so very hard to tell their ages. Looking between the two briefly Ayame turned her attention to more pressing matters.

"Kagome," she began, looking to the Miko.

"Yes?" Kagome prompted.

"Do you recall Ginta and Hokkaku?" She asked.

"Yes I remember them," Kagome answered with a small smile. "Will they be coming?"

"No, they died long ago with Kouga," Ayame admitted and Kagomes smile fell. "But in their stead I have chosen Ginta's son Kumo," as she said this the younger wolf bowed to Kagome. "And Hokkaku's younger brother Koishi." and he too bowed to her. "They are fine men and will help you in your task, rest assured."

"You're not coming?" Kagome asked, almost worried.

"Don't worry I'm coming." Ayame assured her with a smile at seeing the slight desperation in her eye. "I could not possibly leave a little Miko in the possession of three young men," at this Koishi grunted "even if one of them is my son. He is after all Kougas son" she replied with a wink which Kagome could not help but smirk at and even Koishi chuckled softly for though he was younger then Hokkaku he remembered the Miko and Kougas infatuation with her.

"When do we leave?" Kagome asked, wanting to get this over and done with; she was just getting so tired of all this running around and uncertainty

"Tomorrow morning." Ayame informed her, getting back to business. "Sleep well tonight I will come and wake you in the morning."

"Thank you all for your help." Kagome replied as she stood shedding the furs from her and bowing to the wolves.

"No problem sister," Koishi replied with a wave of his hand as he turned to leave. "I'll see you in the morning."

"It is nothing My Lady." Kumo bowed then turned and followed after Koishi, not wanting to be left behind Taro grunted and left as well.

"Charming boy." Kagome commented sarcastically as she sat beside the fire once more, Ayame laughed softly.

"Nothing like his father, really I don't know where he gets it from." she complained with a soft sigh as she sat down beside Kagome.

"Everyone grows up differently; you can't really expect him to be like Kouga." Kagome replied, hoping she was helping, even if it was just a little.

"You're right." Ayame agreed as she became silent for a moment in thought. "Any ways!" she suddenly began as she stood up, waving her hand as if to dispel what they had just been talking about. "It is late and we will be up early tomorrow morning, you'll need your rest."

"Of course." Kagome agreed and with that Ayame left. Now that she sat alone in the cave Kagome stared blankly into the fire and let everything that had just happened wash over her. Rubbing at her eye softly Kagome remembered Ayame telling her that she had been frostbitten, examining her fingers in the fire light all she could see was a faint sheen of red. Grabbing her feet she pulled off her socks and looked them over but they were perfectly fine, as she slipped her socks back on she silently thanked Kuri for the boots she had given her. Knowing that she could keep all her fingers and toes took a heavy weight off of her shoulders and the warmth from the fire radiating off the cave walls made her tired once more. Laying down she placed the furs over her and drifted off to sleep.

Woo it's been a long time and that chapter wasn't one of the best ones but meh it works, it definitely helps move the story along! Woota lol I hope you enjoyed it somewhat! But have no fear I hope to be updating a little bit more often ! I hope atleast lol but I can say this for certain! This story will be over by the end of this year! It better atleast lol