Lost Dogs

An "Inuyasha" Fanfiction by

Nicole G.

Authors Note: Major brownie points to anyone who's figured out the pattern I've got going with chapter titles. In fact, if you figure it out, I'll give you a prize.

Chapter Three: Anglo-Saxxon Soup

Not long after Akima's outburst, she found herself seated in the banquet hall between Izaya and Tsume. Her father was at the head of the table, with Izaya at his right and InuTaisho at his left. Inari was beside him, and across from his mate was Akima. After Akima came Tsume. It was not looking to be a good night. Her father said a few carefully crafted words of welcome to his guests, and dinner was brought out.

While InuTaisho and Akima's father talked diplomacy, their mates chatted about whatever caught their attention. Akima ate in silence, trying to ignore the letcherous glances Tsume kept throwing her way. He was careful not to let anyone else see the way he looked at her, occasionally pushing his pursuit of her aside to speak to whoever else caught his attention.

"... perhaps you should not push her towards him," she heard InuTaisho say to her father. She didn't look towards them, but she did tune her ears in their direction. "She seems to be a very headstrong young woman. You're not going anywhere anytime soon, I suspect. She may just need more time."

"You may be right, InuTaisho," her father said with a sigh. "She's too much of her mother in her. You know coyotes, independent to the end. I don't want to push her too hard as it is. I fear she'd simply up and leave if I did."

"You're young yet. Give her time. Who knows, maybe she'll find someone you approve of all on her own."

She looked at her father out of the corner of her eye. He smiled and said, "you may be on to something. No need to rush, is there? Although... still... maybe your mate could have a word with her. From one female to another. Izaya refuses to try and sway her. Insists I'll only make it worse by pushing to hard but-"

"Akima, please explain to Lord Taiko about the three coyote forms. I don't think he beleives me."

Tsume had inturrupted her eavesdropping and she turned to him, annoyed.

"What?"

"You're half coyote. I was just explaining to him how you can take on a third form, but I don't think he beleives me," Tsume said with a false smile on his face.

"Oh," Akima shook her head to clear it and turned to Lord Taiko, who was sitting on the opposite side of Tsume. She began explaining the form she could take on wherein only the most powerful of demons would be able to tell she was anything but a normal coyote.

"Doesn't your inu blood affect that power though?" he asked, intrigued.

Akima shook her head. Humor him, she thought. Humor him for a few minutes and then see what father's plotting with InuTaisho and his mate about you.

"Isle Inu are more closely related to coyotes and wolves than the mainland breed due to our isolation, so the powers passed on through my mothers bloodline haven't been lost. Most of them, anyway."

"Which powers weren't passed down?"

"Empathy," she said. "Full-blooded coyote youkai can sense another creatures emotions like an inu can smell them. They can sense emotions so strongly it's almost like they're reading the other creatures mind. In almost all known instances of coyote breeding with other canine youkai though, the empathic abilities have been cancelled out for some reason."

"You'd think they'd simply linger, but be weaker," Taiko commented. Akima nodded in agreement and went back to her food, directing her attentions back to her father and InuTaisho. But they were talking politics again. She made a mental note to find a way to punish Tsume for inturrupting her and continued eating.