The White Dog
by Becky Tailweaver
Chapter 10: A Short Break
Kagome opened her eyes to the view of her own room's white ceiling.
Blinking at this drab vista for several minutes, she tried to make her brain organize the last events she could remember. There had been...a fight with Inuyasha, running for the well...Kikyo had come...and...she'd been hurt? Trapped? And...it was a blank after that.
Then how did I end up in my room? she wondered to herself. Was last night all a dream? Did I come through the well and dream it?
Worried, Kagome sat up in bed. It couldn't have been a dream--her throat still ached a little when she swallowed. Kikyo had tried to strangle her, but...how had she gotten free?
Her strange half-dreams the night before...she'd been sobbing through all of them, so certain that after she'd passed out--or died, she hadn't been sure--Kikyo had taken Inuyasha to Hell with her. Many of her half-remembered dreams had been of him falling into fiery torment, his golden eyes pleading at her...
And after them, the last, most vivid dream of the previous night...
"What happened?" she wondered to herself, getting up off the bed. Her backpack was sitting in her desk chair, right where she normally put it when she got back. She'd been sleeping in her clothes, but her shoes were at the foot of her bed--not where she usually put them.
Something about that dream nagged her...
"Inuyasha!" she gasped. Where was he? Was he safe on the other side of the well? Had Kikyo gotten him? Was he the one who brought her back to her room?
Kagome hurried over to her window and peered out toward the wellhouse--when she finally noticed the presence she'd been sensing and looked down.
And there he was. Inuyasha slept curled up in a ball in the tree outside her room, face tense, ears pivoting about at the slightest noise. He twitched in his sleep, as though he were having a difficult dream as well.
Despite their altercation the night before, Kagome couldn't help a small smile. Somehow, he must've freed them both from Kikyo and then brought her home. He saved me from her...and he even brought me back through the well of his own accord. How sweet of him! Just when I start thinking he's the biggest jerk who ever walked the planet, he goes and does something wonderful for my sake.
Relieved, and curious, Kagome leaned out the window a little to watch her hanyou friend. He must really be bushed, not to wake up from the sound of my footsteps or my breathing...or however he always knows when I'm around.
Deciding not to rouse him, Kagome retreated into her room. Quietly tiptoeing through the still-sleeping house, she hit the bathroom and freshened up, then changed into clean clothes. She felt much better when she did--ready to face the day and to take on any challenge, youkai or otherwise.
She was ready to begin another full day of puppy-sitting with the hanyou when she got back to her window. Her face fell when she peered out to call to him.
Inuyasha was gone.
Shirokiba pounced on him the moment he emerged from the well.
The wolf-dog youkai's eyes were wide and alarmed, and he seeemed all but bristled with agitation. "Where the hell have you been, mutt? I sensed power and I smelled a stranger all over the woods, but I couldn't find you! What happened here last night?"
With a groan, Inuyasha flopped down on his side near the closest tree, too sluggish to bother jumping up into it. He was healed, but still stiff and sore from the ordeal, and the overcast, cloudy morning perfectly reflected his emotions--dim and threatening. "You don't want to know," the hanyou muttered.
"Yes I do," Shirokiba growled. "That's why I'm asking."
"Kikyo happened," Inuyasha growled, hiding pain behind ire.
The wolf-dog let out a startled, sympathetic rumble, then sat down beside him. "K'so. Must've been...bad, huh?"
"No shit. And no, I don't want to talk to you about it, so don't ask." Inuyasha opened his eyes again. "Is Ginnezu around?"
"I don't know," the wolf-dog replied. "I haven't seen her since yesterday morning."
With a sigh, the inu-hanyou rolled over on his back and pillowed his head on his arms--a rather uncharacteristic, unguarded position for him, but he always felt...safe with Shirokiba around. Not the same way he felt safe around Kagome--not unthreatened--but safe knowing that with the wolf-dog standing there, he need have no fear of enemies creeping up on him.
But his friend and mentor was still watching him, keen-eyed and expectant. The older youkai would likely not leave until he knew Inuyasha had gotten a sufficient amount of gripe out of his system. So the hanyou lay where he was, staring at the leaves overhead, putting his thoughts into some semblance of sequence.
"That bitch tried to kiss me last night," he stated, after a rather lengthy period of leaf contemplation.
Shirokiba snorted, half in disbelief, half in disgust. "Ginnezu? Yeah--she does seem to have become rather...attached to you. Did she actually--?"
"Hell no! Like I would let her get her lips on me!" the hanyou barked distastefully. "She got Kagome all upset about it, though."
"Hn. I would imagine so." Somehow, Shirokiba seemed to know that this was not the extent of the problem and remained quiet, waiting for Inuyasha to go further. For a long time, the two half-breeds said nothing.
"Is Ginnezu really as sweet as she seems?" Inuyasha asked, after another long interlude.
Shirokiba sat down near him, leaning back against the tree with a sigh. "I'm not sure," he replied. "She is very intelligent, and can be coy when she wishes, but I've never known her to be outright vicious or cruel. However...it has been at least ten years since I last spent any time with her."
"Were you two...involved?"
"As in--you mean--?" For a moment, Shirokiba stared at him, looking almost offended. "Keh! Not at all! I'd rather not even consider the possibility. My mother's only a Gray Dog, and my father was a wild Wolf. I'm not suitable mate material--Ginpatsu-sama would have strung me up by my own intestines."
Inuyasha let out a short snort of laughter. "Picky bastard. So what's the difference between you and me? My mother's a human, for pity's sake. Why isn't he pitching a fit about that?"
"Bloodlines," Shirokiba said simply. "I guess he figures that no youkai at all is better than a Wolf or even a lower caste of Dog. Your father counts for a lot, y'know. You never knew Seibunishi-sama, so you have no real idea where you're coming from--and what you really are."
"Keh. I know Sesshomaru."
"Che! Don't even compare the two! He's a bastard."
"I thought I was the bastard."
They both chuckled at the joke. "Don't sell yourself short, mutt," Shirokiba said with an affectionate half-smile. "Humans aren't too bad, actually. A lot of 'em are pretty damn dangerous warriors. There are some trained in ancient and deadly techniques that could probably eat your half-brother alive. They just don't live around here."
Inuyasha sat up, interested. "Really?"
"I've met a few in my travels. I don't know why so many youkai have this raging superiority thing, yourself included..." Shirokiba trailed off, staring through the canopy into the sky beyond. "Anyway, I've never seen that Sesshomaru has much of Seibunishi-sama in him, despite what you might think. And he's striped, so it would count against him--or it would have, in the old times."
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, cocking an ear curiously.
"Don't you know?" Shirokiba regarded him, amused. "Ah, I guess not. I forgot--I spent so much time back then teaching you to survive that I didn't teach you a damn thing about your own kind."
"So tell me now!" the hanyou demanded, impatient.
"Okay! Settle down, mutt." Shirokiba shifted to get more comfortable. "Way back in ancient times, when the first inu-youkai were only a few generations removed from the ancient Wolf Packs, the White Dogs became the leaders of all the Clans of Dogs. The Clans were separated by colors--White, Silver, Gray, Black, Brown, Red, and Yellow, and their power ranked in that order in the hierarchy."
"So what happens if they're not just one color?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow. "Kinda like you..."
Shirokiba shot him a look, but continued in answer. "Those of impure colors--say, a Brown Dog with yellow marks, or a Silver with black spots--were considered commoners. And those whose true color could not be discerned at all became Clanless vagabonds who were scorned and spat on, and usually cast out to rejoin the wild Wolf Packs--thus the mottled color of most wolf-youkai we meet nowadays. Those who were solid-colored ranked higher--and those with the most vivid of the colors were the leaders of that particular Clan. The Silver Daimyo's family is one, as well as the Black Daimyo's family and the Brown Daimyo's family, among others."
"And the White family," Inuyasha interjected softly.
"Yes--the White Dog's ruling House, spoken of as the great Dog Lords. Also one of the only Houses left in that Clan, since the White Dogs have been growing more rare with each passing millenium."
"Why is color so important?"
Shirokiba shrugged in reply. "No one really knows. It was decided by power, first--and just so happened that the strongest Dogs had the brightest colors. It seemed that the purity of color somehow indicated purity of strength. To this day no one knows exactly why."
"Hn. I still don't see the point of complaining about colors and stripes, though."
"A Dog's markings and color tell you of his status" Shirokiba explained. "In a way it's useful, since you can tell where you stand without having to say a single word. A Red Dog with brown markings stands lower than a pure Red, but higher than a Red with yellow marks."
"All about status, huh?"
"Essentially, yeah." The wolf-dog stretched, yawning cavernously. "If you were a full inu-youkai in the old days, you'd have a status higher than Sesshomaru."
Inuyasha blinked. "I...would be higher than him?"
Shirokiba chuckled. "Heh--hell yes. It's something he can't hide even in his two-legged form. You've seen him turn into his Dog form, haven't you?"
"Yeah, and he tried to kill me when he did it, too," Inuyasha growled. "It's not an experience I'd like to repeat, thanks."
"Didn't you see his stripes?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't remember. He was a big giant hairy mutt that was trying to eat me, so I didn't stop to look for details."
"Stupid pup. You should have teased him about it," Shirokiba told him with a sly glance. "You should see his tail fluff when I do that."
Inuyasha gaped at his friend. "You tease Sesshomaru?"
"Yeah." Shirokiba gave him a challenging look. "Jealous?"
"Yes! How the hell do you get away with it?" Inuyasha demanded.
"I can run really, really fast."
Inuayasha stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You chicken! I thought you bad-mouthed him to his face!"
"I do--I just leave really quick afterwards," the wolf-dog chuckled. "He hates my guts anyway."
"Join the club," Inuyasha snorted, amused. "So, Sesshomaru has ugly stripes, huh?"
"Yup--black stripes on his face and legs when he's in Dog form. He can't hide 'em even when he shrinks himself to a two-legged form--they tend to pop out when he's upset. You should see Lady Yukishima, his mother--she looks more like a Tiger than a Dog."
"And...that's a bad thing, right?" Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow.
"It would have been long ago--and still would be if the Dogs were more picky, but..." Shirokiba shrugged. "Times change, mutt. They've become less strict about the status traditions in recent centuries--especially with the White Dogs growing fewer and fewer, and they need all they can get. But you don't have to worry about that--you're like Seibunishi-sama--no markings at all."
"Huh?" Curiously, Inuyasha examined his own arms as if seeing them for the first time, looking for any color flaws in his pale skin or faint coat of hair.
"If you could turn full Dog, you'd be pure white," Shirokiba told him frankly, offering an encouraging smile. "You're a true White Dog, even if you can't unleash what's inside you."
"How do you know all this, anyway?" Inuyasha snapped, a bit sharp. "You didn't tell me anything about this when I was living with you."
"I was trying to save your scrawny ass from Sesshomaru, you silly little mutt," the wolf-dog growled. "He knew you were alive, but if he ever found out where you were it would've been the end of you--no matter how much I'd want to protect you I don't think I could beat him in a fight. So I taught you to survive, not to be an expert in Dog Clan history and culture. I figured that part would come later, after you learned to take care of yourself."
"Well I'm pretty damn sure I can now," Inuyasha huffed, glaring. "So you can tell me already."
"Hai..." For a moment, Shirokiba looked far away, almost wistful.
Inuyasha sat up to lean against the very same same tree, on the opposite side. "I wish...sometimes...that Oyaji hadn't died," he confessed quietly, hesitantly.
"I do, too. As well as most of the Clans," Shirokiba said softly. A strange smile lit his features when he caught a faint scent drifting across the air. In a few moments, Inuyasha would notice it, too--when he wasn't buried in nostalgia. "In his prime, no one ever dared challenge him," the wolf-dog went on, "and he ruled longer than any White Daimyo in history. He was one of the oldest and most powerful Taiyoukai in the land when he died--and one of the best leaders the Dog Clans have ever known. Some say the best since the great Yuki-Inu himself."
Even Inuyasha knew of Yuki-Inu, thanks to a few of Shirokiba's tales--the first Daimyo of the Dog Clans, the first true White Dog and the founder of the White Clan's ruling House.
His nose twitched as he suddenly noticed a scent that had become so strong he could almost taste it--a scent he'd been too enraptured in Shirokiba's histories to pay conscious heed to.
"Kagome!" Without hesitation, he sprang straight up from the ground and landed on the rim of the well five meters away, leaving Shirokiba chuckling behind him. Peering in, his golden eyes met a pair of sparkling blue ones that shone at him from the depths.
"Hello, Inuyasha!" she greeted him, remarkably cheerful despite her ordeal.
"K-Kagome...you came...!" Inuyasha stuttered at her, startled to see her so soon after what had happened.
"I was just listening to you and Shirokiba-san talk about your dad," Kagome said, smiling at him. "Don't let me interrupt you!"
"You...you...baka!" Inuyasha burst out. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Kagome's sweet smile shattered and she jerked back, stung. "I-I was...just..."
"Why aren't you home in bed?" he demanded, railing on without thought. "You should be resting! You almost got killed last night!"
Kagome's face changed from hurt to just a bit sad. He wasn't angry with her, really--instead, he was actually concerned for her. His way of showing it could have improved, though...
"Now I really want to know what happened," Shirokiba sighed, walking up to peer into the dark hole. With a long-suffering glance at Inuyasha, he reached out and cuffed the hanyou on the back of the head, sending him catapaulting face-first into the well--just as effective as a sit. "Why were you standing there berating her?" he barked after the shocked inu-hanyou. "Help the lady out!"
Inuyasha pushed himself up, spitting dirt. "K'so wolf-dog! Only Kagome gets to knock me down like that!" he snarled up at his friend, shaking an angry fist.
A snicker from Shirokiba and a giggle from Kagome made him realize what his statement sounded like, and he blushed furiously and stumbled over his own tongue. "I mean--that is--I--"
"I know what you mean," Kagome reassured him, her giggles tempered with a slightly sad look. "Can you help me up?"
"Oh...uh, sure." The hanyou helped her onto his back, scooped up her pack in one arm, and made the edge of the well in a single easy bound. Shirokiba politely helped Kagome dismount, while Inuyasha dropped her pack on the grass and hopped over the rim.
"Go on telling your story, Shirokiba-san," Kagome encouraged. "It was just getting interesting."
Inuyasha stared at her, askance. "Y-you've been listening?"
"Only for a couple minutes," Kagome answered solemnly. "I thought you'd have noticed me pretty quick, with your nose."
"I still say you should be home resting," the hanyou grumbled, embarrassed at his lack of attention.
Kagome shouldered her pack and grinned at him gamely. "This is my way of paying you back for saving my life from Kikyo. I'm going shard-hunting with you, and you don't have to ask me or go find me or anything. I left a note for my family that said I wasn't coming back for anything. You've got me for five more days--I promise. No dates, no tests, no school, nothing."
"Kagome...!" Inuyasha gaped at her, awed by what she was willingly giving up for him. Of her own accord, she was coming with him to do anything he wanted--and he didn't have to cajole, coerce, or demand anything of her. "I...you...it's...uh..." He scratched behind one ear, unable to think of anything adequate to say. "Um...arigato."
"You're a lucky man, mutt," Shirokiba said softly, nudging the flustered young hanyou. "So, Kagome, you want to hear about Seibunishi-sama?"
Kagome nodded, then set down her pack beneath a tree--unknowingly, the same one the youkai had just vacated. "Yes--and I'm sure Inuyasha wants to hear whatever you were going to say, too."
They sat forming a circle near the base of the tree, one storyteller and two listeners.
"Seibunishi-sama, the Taiyoukai of the West, was a wise and firm ruler of the Dog Clans, as well as the other youkai in his region," Shirokiba began, his voice becoming distant--melodic, almost like a bard. "He was the greatest among the Dogs, as huge as a thundercloud, and white as the snow on the highest peaks. His strength was the strength of an avalanche, a storm--no creature, Dog or otherwise, could ever match him..."
And as he listened, Inuyasha could not keep the rapt expression from his face, nor the eager sparkle from his eyes as his best friend told him the old tales of his father...in far greater detail and depth than he ever had before.
When they reached the village, Kagome was happy to see Kaede-baachan--but more than that, she seemed eager to find more Shikon shards for Inuyasha's sake. Sure, she was a bit tired, but did that matter to her? She was the guardian of the Jewel now, and gosh darn it, she was supposed to be doing her job, not sitting around at home!
While Kagome chatted with Kaede about any news of the shards, Inuyasha pulled Shirokiba aside. "Listen, wolf-dog," the hanyou said softly, just outside Kaede's door. "I'm going to take Kagome with me this afternoon--she really wants to go. We might pick up Shippo on our way through--if he catches up to us--but the others I don't care about."
"And this is important...why?" Shirokiba queried, one brow raised.
"I need you to stay here and keep Ginnezu out of trouble," Inuyasha said firmly.
"Hell no!" Shirokiba snorted, disgusted. "Better luck asking the sun not to rise!"
"Look--just stay here and distract her, okay?" Inuyasha growled, fists clenching. "I know she's a pain in the ass, but you can just...make sure she doesn't follow us. She and Kagome don't get along, and I can tell Kagome's not feeling well, so..."
"I get it, I get it--you don't want Ginnezu horning in on Kagome and upsetting her more." The wolf-dog sighed wearily, his defenses already crumbling. "Kagome's not feeling well and you're still taking her out on this...'shard hunt?'"
Inuyasha frowned, looking down. "No...not really. She thinks we are, but...I'm just going to take her around the countryside, show her some pretty sights, and then we're coming home. No shards, no youkai, no fighting, no trouble."
Shirokiba stared at him for a minute, flatly boggled.
"What?" the hanyou demanded at length.
"Are you really Inuyasha?" the wolf-dog asked disbelievingly, eyeing him. "You know--Inuyasha? Hanyou, 'bout this tall, bad temper, obsessed with the Shikon no Tama..."
"Shirokiba..." Inuyasha growled.
The wolf-dog gave up his teasing, but still stared. "You're...actually passing up prime shard-hunting opportunities for a walk in the country?"
Inuyasha flushed a little, scowling and grumbling. "Listen--Kikyo almost strangled her to death last night," he admitted quietly. "She still hasn't recovered."
"She looks pretty perky to me," the wolf-dog youkai commented. "And just how did you get her away from--?"
"Shut up! I told you not to ask!" Inuyasha snapped harshly. "Just do as I say!"
"Okay, okay! Feh--don't have to bite my head off..." Shirokiba shrugged, grumbling softly, and sauntered away.
"Keep an eye out for the others, Sango and Miroku," Inuyasha called after him. "They should come by any time now. Don't let them fight with Ginnezu."
Shirokiba rolled his eyes to the heavens. "No wonder I never told him about his heritage before," he growled to himself, once he was out of earshot. "I knew what would happen the moment he understood. K'so. Acting like an imperious little prince..."