Chapter 1
Walking down the path of the forest, a figure walked clad in the furs of his ancestors. His long black hair tied in a high ponytail was moving with the slight wind that was in the air. The fallen branches, twigs, and leaves from the hundred years old trees, snapped and rustle as he passed. The full moon in all its splender, shined down, enlighting the tan features of the ookami. Aqua eyes looked around searching for anything unusual; his nose sniffing for a any smell that was not familar. As the wind picked up so did a familar scent that the youkai hadn't smelled for years came with it. The figure picked up its pace and ran, following the scent of a old rival.
The youkai stopped dead in its tracks as it came close to the source of the smell. A heap of red and silver was on the ground. Twigs and leaves were in it's silver mane and it's red kimono with stained with dark spots of a darker red, which smelled of blood. The figure walked closer and picked up the heap on the floor. As the moonlight fell on the figure inhis arms, he noticed the bruises and scratches on his face; eyelids fluttered open and let amber eyes poke out of long black lashes.
"K-Kouga?" as it said the words, the wounded hanyou started to struggle, but Kouga held on firmer, careful not to injured the hanyou more.
"Shh, go back to sleep, Inuyasha," Inuyasha glanced Kouga a confused look before falling into unconscious. The ookami kept standing in the path holding the inu hanyou, until finally he moved and started back to the Northen Lands. His midnight stroll was over and he needed to get Inuyasha to the Healer quick.
"What has happened to you, mutt?" he said as a afterthought and ran away.
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When Kouga arrived to the Northen Lands, he went straight to the Royal Caves, where he, his mother, his cousin, and his aunt lived together along with their loyal servants. As he came up to the entrance, he saw by the torches inside the cave, his cousin standing there. Her mid-waist golden brown hair was tied into two loose braids on the side of her hair; her hazel eyes looked towards him, as she smelled his scent and the moon shone on her tan skin.
Kouga stopped once he reached her and her expression changedwhen she saw Inuyasha in his arms. One elegant eyebrow rosed up in a questioning gesture as her small nose wrinkle up in disgust because of the stench of blood. Her hazel eyes bore into Kouga's agua ones, as if looking into his soul for the answer.
"Do you know what he is?" she asked.
"Of course. He's a hanyou, that is unconscious and bleeding."
"No, I meant, do you know who he is?"
"Yes, he's Inuyasha."
"Do you mean that inu hanyou that you always fight with?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you helping him? And why isn't he with his ningen friends, thekitsune pup, and that neko youkai? And where is that miko that you are obsessed with?"
"Calm down, Risa! First I need to get him to your mother and even after that I won't answer your questions because I don't know the answers," Risa nodded her head and led her only cousin (that was alive) down the hall of the caves, that was lighted by torches. They kept going straight, passed all the doors that were close, on their sides, until they reached the fourth set of doors and turned right. They continue their walk down the tunnel and stopped when they reached the third door. Risa pushed against the wooden door and let Kouga pass with Inuyasha. On the side of the room, there stood a woman with black thigh-length hair that was loose. She turned around towards them with a gentle expression on her features, her hazel eyes looked over the state of Inuyasha and pointed towards the futon, where Kouga placed the hanyou. The woman walked up to Inuyasha and placed a hand on his forehead.
"He's going to have a fever. Risa!"
"Yes, mother?"
"Go get a a bucket full of cold water and a cloth."
"Yes, mother, right away," Risa ran out of the room in search of the things that her mother sent her to get.
"Kouga."
"Yes, Aunt Riku?"
"Where did you find this boy?"
"In the heart of the forest, while I was taking a walk."
"Hmm," Riku was starting to take off Inuyasha's haori and inner robe. She looked at all of the bruises and scratches that cover Inuyasha's whole upper body. Risa came in with some water in a bucket and Riku dipped in the cloth into the water. She place the cool cloth on Inuyasha's forehead in order to lower his fever and then untied his hakama and lowered it so that he was still decent enough. Risa gave her mother a spare cloth that was in the room; which Riku wetted and started cleaning off all of the dirt and grime that was on Inuyasha's body.
Kouga and Risa sat silently, watching Riku take care of the hanyou. Kouga kept thinking back to when he first saw Inuyasha on the ground and when the hanyou saw who was carrying him; how the his amber eyes filled up with fear of Kouga, until he calmed him down. That was the first time that he ever saw Inuyasha scared of anything in his life. I guess every strong and stubborn person is afraid of something...but what made Inuyasha scared of me? Kouga looked once more at the unconscious figure on the futon, without realizing that Risa was looking at him and Inuyasha with a curious look.
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"Let him rest, Kouga!" Riku scolded her nephew onceagain that day. It had only been three days since Kouga brought the boy here and he already was in the room, trying to see if he was awake yet. She didn't think that the hanyou was unconscious anymore, but instead in a deep sleep. Riku was sure that he would awaken the day after tomorrow or tomorrow. His wounds were healing perfectly and the rest was doing him good. She could tell by the deep shadows under Inuyasha's eyes that he had not slept in days and he wouldn't get sleep if Kouga kept pestering him everyday, seeing if he was awake. She did not want to think about what he would do when Inuyasha finally wakes up.
"I am letting him rest!" Kouga argued back to his aunt. He was only checking to see if Inuyasha was all right and to see if he was awake yet. It's been three days and he still was asleep! If it was him, he would've already been awake and healed already, but then he remembered that Inuyasha is a hanyou and not a youkai like himself.
"No you're not with all of your bothering him everyday! Get out!" Riku grabbed Kouga by the tail and pulled him out of the room. Neither of them noticing the small smile that crept up on Inuyasha's face.
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Kouga sat by the door, rubbing his abused tail. Risa came up and sat down next to him; she looked towards him and a smirked placed itself on her beautiful face. Kouga looked back at her with a look that told 'What do you want?'
"Before I say anything," Risa began. "I am just going to start laughing in your face, right, now: Ha ha ha ha!"
"Shut up," Kouga looked away, annoyed at his annoying cousin.
"Aww! Did I hurt the Big Bad Wolf's feeling?" Risa said in a tone that was full of amusement.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are annoying?"
"Actually, yes," Risa pointed towards him. "You."
"Go away!" Kouga begged.
"Come on! You need a bit of fresh air!" Risa pulled up her cousin and dragged him out of the Royal Caves. They continue to walk through the village that was just a few miles from the Royal Caves.
The kingdom of the Northen Lands was set upon a mountain. At the top were the Royal Caves, where the king and queen lived with their family, servants, healer, and the Elders of the clan. As you walked down the road, you were starting to come through the Village, where everyone else lived. In there you'll find the street markets and where all of the peasants lived their peaceful lives. Nobody in town, never had any problems with the Royal Family, except the convicts. Everyone was on friendly terms with Kouga and Risa; the children adore them, the middle-aged found them attractive, and the elders respected them.
As they walked through the Village, the children that were playing their games, ran up to them and started asking them to play with them (as every child does). They promised them that they'll play with them later and the children made them promise ("You can't bwreak a pinky swear!"). They continue their walk and passed all of their fans, who wanted to be with them just because of their looks and wealth, which they politely said hello to. When they came by the elders, they bowed to them respectfully and vice-versa. Kouga and Risa passed the fort that seperated the Village from the Wild and set forth towards the woods. The same woods where Kouga found Inuyasha.
"Come on. I want to show you a hot spring I found," Risa took her cousin by the hand and dragged him through the forest, going East. After a bunch of twists and turns, they finally came up to a clearing that seemed to go straight to a hot spring, as Risa was talking about. When they reached the clearing there was a hot spring that was surrounded by all sorts of flowers. The flowers made a small path towards one of the springs and stopped just at the edge. The springs smelled of flowers (obviously) and there was a light fog that surrounded the water. There was two pools, seperated by a long boulder, that came from the edge and up to the half way point in the spring.
"Let's take a dip. And no peeking!" Risa walked over to the spring that was to the right.
"What's the point? I've already seen you before and there's nothing to look at!" Kouga smirked at the glare that he was getting from Risa. They both took off their furs and set them at the side of the bank. Risa stepped into the water first and sighed in relief, Kouga followed soon after and they both moved over to where the divider was and rest their heads against it.
"I told you that you needed to relax," Risa lift up some water in her hand and then poured it back in.
"Whatever," Kouga lower himself, so that the warm water went up to his chin.
"Kouga?" Risa asked after a long comfortable silence.
"Hmm?"
"Do you care about him?" Risa whispered so low that if he didn't have enhanced hearing that he wouldn't have heard her.
"Who's him?"
"Inuyasha," the only thing that you can now hear was the movement of the water, as Kouga and Risa moved around in the hot spring. Then Kouga lift his body out of the water and walked towards the bank. He put on his furs and then lift Risa alone in the spring. Risa let out a sigh and sank even lower so no one can see her, besides her head.
"Guess I have to ask him another time," she finished her bath and walked back to the Royal Caves, to help out her mother who was all alone in the Caves with her aunt and Inuyasha. She knew that Kouga wasn't going back home until nightfall.
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A/N-I really hated how made this chapter, because I wanted it to be longer. Hope you enjoyed it! Please review!