Rosaline sighed, staring at the clear night sky, watching the stars twinkling, thinking about nothing in particular. Kagome was snuggled against her waist and Shippo was on her chest, both asleep. They had been clinging to her all day, since Inuyasha and Miroku had wandered off. They had opted to leave the women and children behind and, though she could debate being a child, Rosaline couldn't debate being a woman. She hated being female. Her twin, Rachel, was asleep a little to her left, and Sango was sleeping soundly to her right, Kylala by her foot. Rosaline sniffed the air vainly for the pack males, but she caught Naraku's scent, as had Inuyasha. That was why he and Miroku ran off, instructing her to keep an eye on the others, hoping she wouldn't try to follow them if they gave her a job to do. Of course, she would stay to look after the females, but she'd growl at Inuyasha later.
She sighed sadly as Kagome shifted in her sleep. The cloudless night sky also reminded her of another clear night, not so long ago. The night she had spent with Kouga. She hadn't seen him in around a month. He had promised to come back to her, but she was becoming impatient. Hell, she was born impatient. She wanted so badly for him to hold her that she couldn't stand it.
Rosaline eased Shippo off of her chest and snuggled him against Kagome, who opened her eyes as she moved away. "Can't sleep?"
"Yeah. Naraku's scent is making me antsy."
"I know you miss him Rosaline, but that's no reason to be antsy," Kagome giggled.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rosaline growled.
"Kouga, of course." Kagome smiled knowingly and Rosaline growled again.
"Mind your own business, Cub," she snapped.
"Where are you going? I thought you were going to stay with us?"
"I can't sit still anymore. I'm going to look for the males."
"Rosaline?"
"Stay with the others. Don't tell my sister where I went."
"Rosaline?"
"Kagome, please. I can't just stay here and let the others get hurt. They can't take him alone, you know that."
"They didn't go to fight him, they only wanted to see what he was up to."
"What if it escalates into a fight? They'll be killed."
"And so will you," Kagome said, almost yelling. Rosaline shushed her quickly, afraid of her waking the others. Sango shifted slightly but they otherwise didn't make any indication they had heard them. Kagome eased away from little Shippo and stood, staring Rosaline down. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"
"I was about to ask the same about you," Rosaline snapped as she flopped on the ground, crossing her arms stubbornly. She knew Kagome was right, but she still had her damn wolf pride, which meant she wouldn't admit it. She wanted to protect the females, like the males had told her, but her usual craving to move was becoming unbearable. She stood again and whimpered as she began to pace. Kagome was falling asleep again and Rosaline wished she could too. Shippo whimpered slightly and Rosaline laid down next to him, soothing him gently until he snuggled against her, quiet once more. Rosaline sighed.
The air had become slightly colder, though it wasn't by a degree enough for the humans to notice, but she shivered anyway. The sun was steadily rising over the hills by now, bathing them in iridescent hues of vermillion, orange, and pink as Rosaline closed her eyes once more, feeling the wind dance across her face as Shippo stirred, snuggling in closer to Rosaline with a shiver. Kagome woke again smiling at Rosaline. "Glad to see you're still here." Rosaline nodded vaguely. Sango sat up and yawned, smiling wryly.
"Somebody was up all night again." Rosaline shrugged.
"I couldn't sleep. Naraku's scent was making me antsy."
"She was thinking about Kouga," Kagome said with a giggle.
"Hush up, Mouth. And be quiet. Shippo's still sleeping." The little kit was still sleeping against her waist. She smiled slightly, lifting him into her arms, cradling him like an infant. Kagome had learned long ago that Rosaline adored children, human, animal, or demon. She always protected the children of the village and watched over them as they played.
Shippo was awake by now, yawning and rubbing his green eyes. Rachel, Rosaline's twin, was lying silently, staring at the gradually lightening sky. "G'mornin' Rosaline," Shippo said tiredly, nuzzling against her chest. Rosaline nuzzled him and whimpered in a very affectionate, puppyish manner. Kagome giggled, having grown used to Shippo and Rosaline acting this way. Shippo, having lost both his parents, cleaved to her as a surrogate mother, and Rosaline, having no children of her own, babied the small kit as if he were her own. "When are you and Kouga planning to have your own cub?" Sango asked. Rachel gave a slight whimper but was ignored.
"Never," Rosaline said sadly.
"Why? You would be such a good mother. You've taken care of everybody else's. Why not have your own?"
"Because I can't," Rosaline growled.
"You…can't?" Kagome asked. "Why?"
"I'm unable to conceive. I had scarlet fever as a child." Kagome gasped.
"So you're…what's the word?"
"Sterile," Rachel supplied. Kagome nodded.
"That is so sad," she said with a slight whimper. Rosaline smiled crookedly, half-heartedly.
"Rachel and I have come to an agreement that she'll have several and I'll runt-sit for her sometimes."
"All the time. I don't like children very much." Rosaline giggled, seeming to feel better.
"Does Kouga know about this?"
"Yeah. We talked about it and he understands. He loves me." Rachel rolled her eyes as Rosaline got all starry-eyed and she giggled. She whished she could see him.
An slight breeze drifted across her face, and she inhaled, taking in the scents around her, including a vaguely familiar one, though she couldn't place it. She began to sniff, shifting to her second form, a sleek and graceful white wolfish creature. Her sister shifted behind her, her form being stronger and soot black. The pair bolted after the scent, Kagome and Sango following, after scooping up Shippo. Rachel had lost the scent but Rosaline plunged into the brush without hesitation. Rachel wasn't as skilled at hunting and tracking as her smaller twin. The scent was so scattered by the wind that she had a hard time following. The trail was old, but she wouldn't stop trying. Rachel and the others were close behind her as she leaped a bush and came to the river. "How are we going to get across?" Kagome asked. Rosaline gave her a 'you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me' look before she plunged into the icy water, gasping at the shock before streaking across the fast moving river, dragging herself out on the other side, shaking the cold water out of her white fur. She turned to her friends and tilted her head, giving them a 'what-are-you-waiting-for' bark. "Thanks, but I'll wait for the ferry," Kagome said with a scowl.
"Go on. We'll find a bridge or some stepping stones or something," Sango said and Rachel nodded, not being a good swimmer. Rosaline sniffed up and down the bank until she caught the scent and bolted into the forest, wagging her tail as the scent became stronger and not so scattered. A growl interrupted her search as a rust red foxish wolf with dark green eyes and a deep growl descended over the pile of rocks. He lunged down the rocks to sniff her nose. Rosaline took in his scent and she recognized it. It had somewhat the same make up that she had. They were the same species. They were hybrids. Sensing this as well, the red wolf wagged his tail.
"You're wet. Did you swim the river?"
"Yeah." Rosaline drooped her tail to a slightly submissive position as two other wolves crested the pile of rocks to sniff Rosaline, who wagged her tail to show she was friendly. A female brown wolf curled her lips back slightly to warn her away. Rosaline was beginning to feel closed in and she snarled one away. The brown female lunged at her, locking her teeth into Rosaline's leg and Rosaline turned and snapped at her nose, bloodying her muzzle until she released her leg. Rosaline turned back to her to find the red wolf in her way.
"Easy, there Whitey," He barked warningly. Rosaline growled to the brown female before wagging her tail to the red male. A grey male nuzzled the brown female as she turned towards the river when Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Rachel, in wolf form, came over the hill, eyeing the pack, Rosaline's bloody leg, and the brown female's bloody muzzle with apprehension.
"I leave you alone for twenty minutes and you're already in trouble," Rachel growled. Rosaline wagged her tail. The brown female rolled her eyes and Rosaline gave her a warning growl. Rachel shifted forms and Rosaline followed suit, as did the red and grey male, the brown female, and their blonde companions, who appeared to be twins. The brown female turned out to be a young curvy woman with short brown hair, ice blue eyes narrowed in a disapproving scowl, and a gash across the bridge of her nose where Rosaline's teeth had ravaged.
"Icarus, surly you don't approve of them in our territory," she said, her voice deep and elegant. The young red-haired alpha male silenced her with a glare. Icarus turned to Rachel and Rosaline and smiled.
"It is good to see you ladies."
"But, Icarus. They bring humans and other demons to our pack lands," she said, almost whined, gesturing at Sango, Kagome, Kylala, and Shippo.
"They are our pack," Rosaline said as Shippo nervously gripped her pant leg, beseeching her to pick him up, which Rosaline did. Shippo normally hated to be babied but, to him, it felt differently when Rosaline did it then when Kagome did. With her, it felt more like a real mother then mollycoddling. Shippo had a feeling that a fight was about to ensue and he wanted to be out of the way. Of course, considering that the fight would probably be between Rosaline and the brown female, he was probably safer with Kagome. Rosaline and the brown female were growling at each other.
"Aileen, silence. These girls are our cousins, and, as such, they and their pack are welcomed among us." Aileen growled, but was silent, refusing to look at Rosaline. Rosaline gave her a look and growled viciously, under her breath. She felt Kagome's hand on her shoulder and was silent.