Caught Off Guard

Ch. 7

Tales of Old
Disclaimer- Yes, I own Inuyasha. That's why I'm on a Fanfiction site. : rolls eyes:

A gentle rain pulsed outside the den of the Wolf-Demon tribe. The morning sun seeping into the cave as the storm calmed. Inside Kouga anxiously awaited news from Likio. She had been working nonstop to try to find a cure for the poison that sapped Tala of her strength. Tala no longer thrashed about, instead she breathed in and out heavily, whimpering and panted in pain.

Likio slowly approached from the small tunnel leading to her den. Kouga ran forward to hear her report. Not saying a word he stood before her. She looked at him considering

for a time what she could say. She sighed and rubbed her temples with her forefingers before speaking, "I won't say I didn't try but," Kouga held his breath," she is recovering on her own. Her body is fighting the poison and winning."

Kouga didn't move, his heart was pounding and his head was spinning. He had no idea why but he felt a great weight lifted from his soul. The wolf prince fell as if his knees had been cut from beneath him. This came as no surprise to Likio and she made no move to try to catch him.

He sat like that for nearly fifteen minutes and probably would have longer but Hakkaku and Ginta finished their last morning shift and returned inside. They sprinted to their fallen leader, picking him up from the floor and begging to know what was wrong.

Kouga said nothing. He quickly pulled himself free of their grasp and headed toward his den. Ginta and Hakkaku looked back at each other then to their leader as he turned the corner. Both instantly knew what had happened and raced off to Likio's den.


Likio's Den

A dim light was glowing inside Likio's den. She sat by the small torch quickly stitching a wound that ran down Tala's shoulder. It was not deep but wide enough to cause significant blood loss.

Likio had watched Tala day and night since she had arrived. She had given her every herb known to her to cure poison.

Tala's strength was returning and her body slowly began to fight off the widely spread infections. She was soon thrashing once more, wilder than before. Likio soon had to restrain her using ropes made of the thick skin of a boar. Her wrists were soon raw and bleeding. Her ankles were slit and dripping blood.

Likio stealthily poured a light blue tonic into Tala's mouth, quickly holding her chin until she swallowed the bitter substance. Tala twitched then started panting heavily as the medicine sat on her empty stomach.

"You poor child," Likio whispered into the air, as she readied a second draught of potion. This one was pale green and thick like wax. Likio poured this potion into a bowl of rice and red meat sitting beside her and carefully started force-feeding Tala.

Ginta was first to enter her den. His silver/gray hair matted to his forehead from the morning humidity. He stopped in the doorway and looked at Tala with sorrowful eyes. A voice echoed from behind him, then a cry of distress and a thud.

As Ginta crawled out from beneath Hakkaku he asked Likio what he and Hakkaku knew, "She is getting better then?" Likio regained her composure and said in a stronger tone, "yes."

Hakkaku sighed, "that's a relief maybe Kouga will get some rest now." Ginta and Likio nodded simultaneously.

"Kouga is very strong willed and defies all laws of nature to get what he wants. He denies his body to boot. He always was strong-spirited. Even as a cub.." Likio went into the ramblings of an elder. But unlike most youth Wolf-Demons are very respectful to the elder pack members. So Ginta and Hakkaku settled themselves cross-legged on the floor and listened quietly to Likio's recollections.

Likio's Tale

Likio took a deep breath and began her tales, "A long time ago before either of you was born, Kouga's Father, Kalomaru ruled over the pack. The pack was never peaceful for long. Deoclamaru, leader of the bear-demon clan, waged a tedious war with our packs.

He was a ruthless warrior and sacrificed many to try to add our territory to that of his own. The battle went on for decades but both held firm. Deoclamaru finally decided on attacking the pack directly as a personal insult to us. He sent a group of men to slaughter some young pups."

Ginta and Hakkaku gasped; both had heard this tale before but never this far into detail. Likio's voice grew sorrowful as she continued.

"The pups were outside the den, playing with a piglet. They had never seen one alive, only the dead their parents had caught very seldom. You see during times of war the young were kept under tight watch. At that age they should have already been learning to hunt small game, but with danger everywhere this was not so.

Kalomaru was sent out with a patrol the day before. Few were left at the den. The pup's mothers had switched off watches for weeks, only one watching the pups at a time. The mother watching the pups was first to die. She was killed quickly, decapitated." Ginta and Hakkaku gasped, both whispered the same thing, "That's awful." Likio nodded, crystalline tears streaming down her face.

"Along with the seven pups killed that day was my younger brother," Likio let out a choked sob before continuing. "Easy to say Kalomaru was furious. He was so angry that Deoclamaru could do something so low that he lost control. Of both himself and his patrols. All of our pack mates took on their demon forms and slaughter thousands of Deoclamaru's men. But in the final confrontation between Deoclamaru and Kalomaru, both were fatally wounded. Our healer at the time, my mother, could not save Kalomaru both passed a few hours later." Likio's eyes were glazed over now, lost in memories of the past.

Ginta shifted up onto his knees, eyes closed. Hakkaku looked over his right shoulder, down the entrance to the tunnel and toward Kouga's own private den, both in quiet mourning. Though neither actually knew Kouga's father, he was a legend in his own right. Numerous tales told of his courageous acts, each for the pack and all putting his life on the line. The very same way Kouga did now.

Likio wiped away a stray tear on a piece of blue cloth, that had been lying next to the waxy food mixture she had been feeding Tala. " The war was over and a treaty was decided upon. Yet Kouga's mother didn't leave her den for weeks. She denied her body of food and water. She refused to leave her den to even to bathe. I was young at the time and training to take over as healer." (18 in human yrs. for those who wish to know).

"I was put in charge of trying to persuade her to eat and bathe. I slowly watched, talked, and got to know her better. I learned of how her and Kalomaru met. I learned how they saw the pack, and what they had talked about in the few times of peace. I also learned what they thought about me," Likio chuckled to herself. "She said that her and her mate had both agreed that I would be the best healer the pack had ever seen. Her words brought me great pride, knowing that my pack leader would think something so highly of me." Ginta and Hakkaku smiled gently at Likio. Even Tala seemed to smirk at the healer's tale.

She became a second mother to me, even though it was I watching over her. Gradually, about two months after Kalomaru's death, she began to eat and bathe regularly again. She even visited his grave at one point." Likio folded her hands neatly in her lap and tilted her head forward, "She began gaining weight, but once she started gaining it didn't even out. She was gaining around her belly. Another month passed and I realized she was pregnant..." For the first time she was interrupted.

Hakkaku was the one who spoke, "With Kouga." Likio looked up and nodded.

"I remember rushing franticly to my mother to tell her the news. I was stuttering as I told her. She began rushing about announcing to everyone that our Alpha was pregnant. As you know only the male that mated with a female can smell the change her body gives off or else we would have known sooner." Ginta and Hakkaku nodded.

"I continued to help her, learning from my mother everything I would need to know before the pups came. And a few months later Kouga and his brother and sisters were born. But only Kouga and his brother would survive. The females contracted a virus early in infancy and died." Once more a single tear trickled down the grooves of Likio's face.

"Kouga was to inherit the half his father's lands and his younger brother, Raiku, the other half. Raiku was raised just the same as Kouga, but his personality quickly proved very different. Kouga was a born leader and Raiku was not. Kouga always had a group of other pups around him, following him to be more specific," she gave a suggestive smirk to Ginta and Hakkaku, who blushed and looked at the floor. "Raiku was usually alone and very shy. He was very resourceful though, always finding a way to get tasks done alone."

"A week before the boys were to take over their lands as pack leaders their mother called me to her den. She was looking very tired; she had been up for days thinking this over I was sure. But this is what she said to me," Likio began to recite.


Flashback


"Likio, you have been a very good friend in the past years and you have watched my pups grow. You helped to raise them and taught them basic remedies. You have been their second mother. Their birthdays draw near and I am concerned about their inheritance. Kouga will make a strong leader for these lands; he has grown strong and handsome like his father."

Likio nodded, "Both have grown strong and handsome, m' lady."

"Yes, but Raiku is not a leader, he is alone most days and prefers it that way. If I were to make him leader of a pack, the pack would have a very difficult life."

"It is true he is not a leader. Nor is he likely ever to be. But yet, he might do well with a small pack, with a smaller territory," Likio said trying to persuade her troubled Alpha.

"That is an interesting idea, Likio. I will consider it with good intent. He will receive his promised inheritance but as a smaller package. It might be best that way."

Likio nodded, "Will that be all?" Her Alpha nodded and motioned her away with a swipe of her clawed hand.


End Flashback/ Recite


"Later that week both received their inheritance and were explained their new duties. Raiku was given a pack of 30 and Kouga the rest. Raiku went out to the Far Western side of our lands and Kouga the Eastern side, where we live now. My mother went with Raiku and his pack; she trained a new apprentice, handed over her duties and passed peacefully in her sleep. Kouga and Raiku's mother went with our pack and passed away not long ago." Ginta and Hakkaku nodded both remembered the event very well.

"I have never trained an apprentice nor taught any of my remedies to anyone since I taught Kouga and Raiku, some small potions, long ago. Raiku has found a mate and had his first litter; Kouga has not yet found a mate. Raiku pack was flourishing, as was and still is ours. But only one thing is different between his pack and ours." Ginta and Hakkaku looked at her eagerly waiting to hear what it was both leaning forward.

She spoke softly just loud enough to hear, "In Raiku's pack they are not treated like us. They are all ruled by him and under the commands of his few friends and his sons. They are in constant battle and all are trained as warriors including their women. Women are only kept from battle if they are pregnant. Daughters are not well cared for and sons are taken and raised with the men from day one." Ginta and Hakkaku's expressions were that of shock, anger and sorrow all combined. "They have one reigning chief besides Raiku and his name is Braynomaru."

Beside the three Tala squirmed and growled. Her talons grew and her fangs bared. Her slender eyebrows were knitted together as her eyes rolled then opened. Her deep brown-red eyes shown with life and anger. The ropes of boar ripped from her ankles and wrists. She sat up, her hair in wild locks. She spat out a single word voice thick with fury and venom, "Braynomaru."


Lupe- Yes, she is awake again. This time Kouga is there in the den. Will we finally get to know what happened to Tala? What was the significance of Likio's Tale? Find out on Chapter 8!

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