The White Dog
by Becky Tailweaver
Chapter 21: Unwelcome Arrival
"There you are!"
Kagome jumped around, startled, nearly tripping over a root at the edge of Inuyasha's Forest. The hanyou himself dropped out of a tree almost on top of her, causing her to lose her balance as she nearly ran into him.
Inuyasha caught her before she overbalanced too far, pulling her back upright. "Oi," he mumbled. "Clumsy girl."
"You scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Kagome accused, trying to calm her pounding heart. So familiar was she with his strangely warm youki that she hadn't paid attention to his approach, and was thus caught off-guard when he appeared.
"I wasn't sneaking," Inuyasha retorted, not quite as gruff as usual. "Where were you?"
"Talking to Shirokiba-san."
Inuyasha's brows dropped a fraction, almost looking suspicious--or jealous. "About what?"
"Just...some things," Kagome replied, praying he wouldn't pry.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed briefly, but he shrugged it off. "Fine, whatever. Don't disappear on me--Ginnezu's stalking around in a weird mood. It's not safe."
Was he actually being concerned for her safety? Kagome watched him for a while before some of Shirokiba's words came back to her, making her frown slightly. Should I try a bit of it now? Ginnezu's out and about, and I could practice. I could do it just a little--ust to see what happens.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, averting her eyes from his face. "Shirokiba-san just wanted to ask me some things before I left."
She watched him shift his weight; she could almost feel him cock his head slightly. "I said it's fine. Let's go back."
"Okay." Obediently, Kagome followed Inuyasha across the fields. She watched the back of his head, seeing one of his ears turned a little back toward her as though he'd become suspicious of her walking behind him. She began to wonder how her initial foray had gone over with him, because he didn't seem to have noticed anything.
Kagome noticed that he'd dropped his pace and was drawing alongside her, so she turned her eyes to the path in front of her, lowering her head a bit. She could feel his gaze on her as he watched her from the corner of his eye; he clearly thought something was up.
"Are you okay?" she asked, giving in to an incredible need to break the silent tension. "I mean...after last night..."
In the corner of her eye, she saw him redden. "Oh...uh, yeah. Just a...a bad dream. I...thanks for...for being there."
"I was glad to help," Kagome replied, her tone quiet. "It wasn't any trouble."
"Did Shirokiba want to talk about that?" he asked, his voice growing just a bit surly.
"Only a little," she responded truthfully.
"What did he tell you?"
Kagome had to resist a strong urge to look at his face, to read his expression. Instead, she settled for deciphering his tone of voice and kept her eyes on the path. "Just some things about your time with him."
"How much?"
She debated how much of the truth to give him, since it was a very sore subject with him. "He said you'd been hurt when you were little. He said it was bad, and you still have nightmares sometimes. I'm sorry..."
Inuyasha snorted, brusque again. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."
"Oh..."
Still trapped in strange silence, they walked on toward Kaede's hut. Kagome could still tell that Inuyasha was watching her, his eyes narrowed almost suspiciously. But he seemed more puzzled than anything else, as if there was something different about her that he couldn't quite put his claw on.
Later that afternoon, Inuyasha carried Kagome's backpack for her as he and the schoolgirl headed for the Bone-Eater's Well. Kagome had packed all her things and said goodbye to the others--including Ginnezu, to whom she gave a secretive smile and received only an expressionless glare in return.
"This is quite a switch," Kagome commented as she trotted along behind the hanyou. "Usually you're the one chasing me as I run to the well with my stuff."
Inuyasha snorted.
"It's nice to do it this way, though," she continued pleasantly. "We can part on better terms, without argument--and it's nice not to have to say you-know-what just to escape."
They approached the well. Inuyasha stepped over to jump in, but Kagome reached out to stop him. "Wait a second. I wanted to ask...when do you want me back?"
Inuyasha thought for a minute, then shrugged, looking away. "Whenever you come," he said, his voice a little odd.
Kagome realized she'd forgotten to avert her eyes, so she dropped her gaze and concentrated on her clasped fingers. What if...I do what he wants instead? What would he do then? "I can come back to visit for a little while after school, if you like," she offered. "When do you want to go on another shard hunt?"
Inuyasha cocked his head to look at her strangely again. "I want to go now, but--"
"Okay, let's go."
The hanyou nearly fell over, staring at the schoolgirl standing near the well, his fanged jaw slack. "Wh--why now? I thought you were--?"
Kagome shrugged shyly. "You said you wanted to."
Inuyasha's eyes bulged. "You--because I--?" He gulped. "Who are you and what have you done with Kagome?"
She giggled; the way he'd reacted to her acquiesence was actually funny. "Nothing! I'm still me, silly."
"Then why are you acting all strange?"
"Strange? What do you mean?"
"You actually want to go after a shard even though I'm letting you go home? You've been being weird all day. And you won't..." The hanyou stepped a bit closer. "Kagome."
"Hm?" Her eyes flicked up, only briefly, before dropping again.
"Kagome," Inuyasha repeated, a little more forcefully.
"What?" Still her eyes did not meet his; she was proud of herself for resisting that reflex. However, she was more than shocked when he dropped the pack and his clawed hand touched her cheek, firmly grasping her chin to pull her gaze up to his.
"Look at me! What's the matter with you?"
Finally, she looked into his eyes; he had come very close to her--close enough she could feel his warmth--and his strong fingers continued to hold her chin up...so close his breath tickled her cheeks...
"I...I..."
"Don't hide your eyes from me," he said softly, his expression focused, intense, and a bit concerned. "I want to see your face when you talk to me. Why are you...?"
"I-I don't know," Kagome said, just a bit breathless. He was so close...
Inuyasha continued to gaze at her for long moments more--then, abruptly, seemed to shake himself and stepped back, releasing her. "How long are you going to be?" he grumbled, covering his ruffled feathers with his customary gruff facade.
"How long...?" Kagome gulped, still off-kilter from the little interlude.
"How much time do you need?"
"You're asking me?" Her eyes went wide with astonishment once more. "You've...never asked me..."
"If you need time," Inuyasha said, turning away, "I suppose I can occupy myself with locating more shards for us to find when you return."
"I...I guess...a week. Two weeks, tops," Kagome replied reluctantly. "I need to study but I can come during afternoons if you want--"
"Don't bother," he barked, picking up the pack again. "Get done what you need to get done. Then I can have your undivided attention."
"Yes, sir," Kagome replied smartly, hiding a smile--and the urge to salute. Her tone earned an odd look from him.
"Just get on," the hanyou grumped, crouching. "I'll take you through."
After Inuyasha and Kagome disappeared through the well, Ginnezu dropped out of the tree above and peered into the hole, perplexed. Curious, she hopped in, landing easily and looking around for any signs of a secret door or other sort of passageway.
There was nothing, no matter where she searched; not a door, nor a portal, nor even a teleportation scroll or a warping seal.
Damn. How did he do that? Ginnezu wondered. Was it him? Or was it the girl's power? How could he just vanish like that? It's just like before...
Growling softly to herself, she leaped out of the well and headed off to contemplate this new mystery.
The hunter paused among the trees, stopping as though he'd hit a wall. He tested the air carefully, expression intense as he searched for the source. He sniffed briefly near a sapling, then a bush a few meters away, his nose wrinkling as he rumbled softly.
Feh. Inuyasha's territory, he thought with a disgusted snort. Stupid dog-stink makes me sick. But at least I know I'm in the right place.
The hunter went silently on his way, leaving no trace save a whirl of dust and a few disturbed branches. However, he avoided the invisible barrier of scent-marks, never crossing the line; instead, he traversed the border until he could find a place where it turned in his intended direction once more. His speed made that a short venture, and once again he was on his way.
Kagome had not been gone ten minutes, and Inuyasha already depressed as he trundled out of the woods. He wandered into the village like a lost soul, growling to himself, and Shirokiba quickly noticed his downcast mood and tried to cheer him up.
"Say, mutt, why the long face?" the older youkai said with a cheerful cock of his head, striding alongside his friend. "It's a nice afternoon--you feel like hunting?"
"No."
"Aw, come on. You used to love it when we went out and coursed a buck or two. Aren't you hungry?"
"No."
"Kid, you need--"
"Would you just shut up? Stop being so damn cheerful." Inuyasha hopped up to Kaede's roof--where Ginnezu was conspicuously absent--and flopped down to mope.
Shirokiba sighed and dropped down beside him. "I give up."
"So get lost."
"Sheesh, what's with the attitude?"
"My life sucks."
"And that's because...?"
"It just does."
"My, you are in a funk."
"Deal with it."
"Sometimes you're so depressive you make me moody, mutt."
"Piss off."
Shirokiba abruptly turned and cuffed Inuyasha in the head, nearly tumbling him down the incline of the roof. "Snap out of it, you petulant little puppy!" he barked, while the hanyou stared at him in shock. "She's not dead and she's not gone forever, so pull yourself together and quit taking your loneliness out on everybody else! Act like a man for once instead of a whining cub!"
Recovering, Inuyasha rubbed his head and gave his friend a surly glare. "That is not the reason I'm sulking!"
"Then what the hell is it?"
The hanyou opened his mouth, blinked, shut it, then opened it again. This time he blinked twice before clicking his fangs shut once more.
"I thought so," Shirokiba rumbled smugly.
"Shit." The hanyou turned away from his friend, trying to shift the focus of the conversation away from his embarrassingly obvious longing for Kagome's presence. "You were talking to Kagome about me this morning."
"Uh...yeah." And I am one dead wolf-dog if she gave in and told him what I said!
"What about me?"
Whew. "Just...a bit of general stuff."
"That's what she said." Inuyasha fixed Shirokiba with another glare. "Don't talk to her about me. Don't tell her anything."
"I already did."
"Dammit, don't tell her any more!" Inuyasha exploded, fangs bared. "She doesn't need to know about any of the shit that happened a long time ago. It's over and done with, and I've got it under control now. That's the end of it!"
"What about next time?"
"What next time?"
Shirokiba didn't waver under the golden stare. "What about the next time you have a nightmare? Or the next time your fear pops up? Or the next time your panic reaction gets triggered? What then?"
Inuyasha seemed to coil up defensively, without actually moving. "Then I'll deal with it. She doesn't need to be involved."
"She's already involved," Shirokiba reminded him. "Did you forget last night entirely? Do you remember what she did for you?"
Inuyasha stared into the distance, sullenly refusing to reply.
"She won't let you be alone," the wolf-dog continued. "She cares too much. She's going to stay right beside you no matter what happens. If you have another nightmare, she's going to be there. If you get scared again, she'll stay with you. If you break down, she's going to be right in the middle of it. I think you should tell her everything, so she can understand and help you."
"I don't want her to know," Inuyasha growled, his brows tense with distress. "I don't want her to pity me."
Shirokiba bopped him again, lightly and affectionately this time. "You're incredibly dense sometimes, mutt. You seem to forget that there are times everyone needs a little sympathy--even tough-guy White Dog lordlings like you. If you weren't such a hardcase all the time you'd realize that she's sorry for you because she cares about you, and she feels awful that such horrible things happened to you."
Inuyasha snorted, but had no real retort.
"Stop being so sensitive," Shirokiba continued. "You need to be a little more--"
Abruptly, Inuyasha whirled to his feet with a snarl, his back-set ears flicked up to alertness and his body tensing in alarm, claws ready. Nose twitching, he stared into the distance with a fierce expression on his face.
Shirokiba went serious immediately. "What is it?"
"It's him," the hanyou growled, his voice low and dangerous. "And he's the last problem I need to deal with right now!"
"Who is it?" In the next moment, Shirokiba understood--there was a rush of wind and a rapid pattering of footsteps, along with the scent of a youkai. "What the--?"
"One of the more annoying assholes in my life," Inuyasha informed him tersely, hopping down from the roof. "I just wonder what the hell he's doing so far from his territory."
The blur of wind and dust approaching over the fields resolved itself into a humanoid form that skidded to a stop in front of Kaede's house, eye to eye with Inuyasha.
It turned out to be a young Wolf with cat-slitted blue eyes and black hair pulled back in a high ponytail. He wore a battered chestplate, a sword, and mottled gray-brown wolfskins that wrapped around him in such a way that it was difficult to tell where the pelts ended and his own fur began. He also posessed a tail of the same brindled color, and he exuded chilly youki as well as an air of arrogant confidence.
"Well hello, Inukkoro," the newcomer greeted mockingly.
Inuyasha bared his fangs. "Kouga..."
The ookami-youkai laughed unkindly. "Nice to see you again, hanyou."
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Whatever I want," Kouga snorted in reply. "Where's Kagome?"
Inuyasha growled aloud. "Home. Far away. You can't reach her."
"And why not?" Kouga appeared puzzled for a moment, then angry. "You trying to hide her from me, dogshit? You've got no right--it's not like she's yours."
Kouga's comment bit deep. Inuyasha snarled low in his throat and advanced, itching to rip the Wolf's guts out--but a loud, jubilant voice from the rooftop stopped him in his tracks.
"Kouga! You mangy little cub!"
The young ookami-youkai's eyes suddenly became wide blue saucers as he stared at the second youkai just jumping down from Kaede's roof. "Sh--Shirokiba?"
"Hah! I looked all over the mountains for your little Pack of vagabonds before I came here, and couldn't find hide nor hair of you!" the wolf-dog chuckled openly, smiling. "So where have you been hiding out all this time?"
"I...uh...ah..." Kouga was at a complete loss, his fanged mouth gaping.
With a mocking grin of his own, the wolf-dog grabbed the Wolf in a headlock and noogied him.
With a protesting growl, a very unbalanced Kouga hurriedly shoved him off with an air of ruffled dignity. But the Wolf did not attack or retaliate--instead, he groomed his mussed fur and studiously ignored Shirokiba's smug chuckles, looking terribly embarrassed.
Inuyasha was at a loss as he watched the exchange. "You...you two...know each other?"
Shirokiba shrugged. "Sure we do! What a coincidence, eh?"
Kouga and Inuyasha glanced at each other. "You know him?" they both asked in unison--then looked startled.
"How the hell does an inukkoro like you know him?" Kouga demanded.
"How the hell does a yaseookami like you know him?" Inuyasha retorted.
"All right..." Shirokiba sighed as he noted the stiff-legged, bristled posture that both younger youkai adopted as they faced each other, and placed a hand on both chests to push them apart. They resisted at first, until he became more forceful. "All right, pups, break it up!"
Amazingly, both backed down--although they continued to rumble at each other.
"I take it you don't get along," Shirokiba observed with a shake of his head. "That's sad, you know--I have so much in common with both of you."
"What?" Inuyasha demanded. "What the hell does he have to do with you?"
"Kouga and I share the same problem that you and Sesshomaru do," Shirokiba chuckled. "Only we manage on somewhat better terms."
Inuyasha blinked, then gasped. "You mean he's--?"
"My half-brother." The wolf-dog affectionately ruffled Kouga's hair again, earning another protesting snarl. "We share the same sire--one of the big northern Wolves from a Pack in the snow-capped mountains there. Kouga's mother is an Alpha Wolf in one of the local Packs, while mine is a Gray Dog."
"Gray Dog my ass. You're still a half-breed like this inukkoro," Kouga growled stubbornly. Despite his usual violent reaction to those who displeased him, the younger youkai was not aggressive toward Shirokiba in any way other than empty displays.
Inuyasha stared from one brother to the other, startled that he had never seen the resemblance between his rival and his mentor. Both full youkai shared similar heights and builds, as well as the same facial features through the cheekbones and jaw.
"So why is Inukkoro so important to you?" Kouga grumped, staying on the opposite side of Shirokiba from his rival.
"This is the pup I told you about, ahou," Shirokiba informed him. "The one I was looking after years ago--the White Daimyo's son."
This time, it was Kouga's turn to gape. "You mean this hanyou inukkoro is--?"
"The son of Seibunishi-sama of the Dog Clans, heir to the Taiyoukai of the West. Don't you remember anything I told you? He's the boy I raised a while back--part of the reason I stopped hanging out with you, you selfish cub."
"No...howling...way." Kouga stared blankly at Inuyasha for long moments, as if seeing him for the first time. "He's just a hanyou! He can't be the White Daimyo's heir! You never said it was Inuyasha!"
"So I didn't tell you his name. I left out a lot on purpose, you stupid cub--the poor boy deserves some privacy. Otouto, have I ever lied to you?" Shirokiba sighed; the two younger youkai were glaring at each other with violence in their eyes, not really listening. "Egads, you two! Stop bristling at each other. I won't have two of my best friends fighting like a couple of idiot cockerels."
"Kouga's the idiot," Inuyasha growled.
"Inukkoro, you--!"
Shirokiba suddenly cuffed Kouga, just as he had Inuyasha previously. "Don't forget who you're talking to, Kouga. Don't forget who he's descended from. He holds blood-right over you too, young Wolf--remember that." His voice was suddenly cold, suddenly full of hard warning.
Visibly startled by the wolf-dog's change, Kouga stared at him for a half-beat. "Aniki...?"
Inuyasha hadn't a clue what Shirokiba was talking about--but at least it made Kouga shut up. The Wolf stewed as his brief instant of surprise turned to grumbling and glaring, while Shirokiba fixed him with a wolf-dog's blue-gold gaze.
"Don't be a fool, Otouto," Shirokiba continued to his younger half-sibling, softly and more gently. "He could kill you, despite what you might think about hanyou. I don't want to lose you to some stupid, pointless rivalry and have it cost me my friendship with him."
He let silence hang in the air for a minute before he stood back and took on his usual tones. "I suggest you go cool off before you come back here again, if you have some important business. If you're just here to start a fight I'm going to have to kick your tail to the Windcliffs and back--and that goes for both of you!"
"Like you could!" the two younger youkai snarled in unison, startling one another again.
"I'll go now...only because you said to," Kouga growled reluctantly, scowling at his elder half-brother.
"Good riddance!" Inuyasha barked, folding his arms.
"But I'll be back," the Wolf continued as he began to walk away. "Don't think this is over, Inukkoro. Just because you're hiding behind my brother doesn't mean we're finished."
There was a splash of dust as the ookami-youkai kicked into high gear, dashing off through the fields toward the southern forests.
"What a thickhead," Inuyasha spat when the other was gone--only to receive a cuff from Shirokiba. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"
Shirokiba chuckled. "That's my little brother you're talking about, mutt. I'm the only one who gets to call him names."
"Why, you--!"
The wolf-dog ducked Inuyasha's first slash, faked him out for another dodge, then feinted around him, taking off at a dead run for Inuyasha's Forest, the hanyou right on his tail. The boy was well overdue for a good game of chase, and though he was mad now he'd be laughing by the time Shirokiba was done with him.
He'll absolutely kill me when he catches me! Shirokiba thought with a breathless chuckle. But at least this gets his mind off of pining after the girl for a while. It'd be good for him to have fun more often--I wonder if Kagome likes to play...
In a tree at the edge of Inuyasha's Forest, Ginnezu's meditations were interrupted by the cacophony of the two youkai below her dashing through the trees like a pair of gamboling pups, Inuyasha snarling like a tiger and Shirokiba hollering as if his tail was on fire.
Growling in annoyance, she shook her head, bemoaning the idiocy of all men in general and the hopelessness of her race because of it. With a groan, she wondered why, oh why could she never find a moment's peace with that stupid wolf-dog around?