A/N: Next update next weekend.
Beta; Cstorm86


13.


Inuyasha ran in powerful leaps, jumping over not only low fences that bordered the fields, but also boulders and bigger bushes that littered the pastures. Once he leaped over a dilapidated shed that stood in the middle of a pasture.

A part of her wondered why no one screamed in terror at the sight of a gigantic white dog dashing across the fields. A part of her wondered why Souta and her didn't scream. Kami knew there were reasons for her to cry out, especially when she saw the magnificent view of the giant dog taking the shed in one huge bound. The starlight was too dim to give much visibility, so each obstruction came as a surprise, but she thought that Inuyasha had to shine in the light.

The girl bent forward, gripping tightly the fistfuls of thick fur in her hands. She felt Souta wrapping his arms around her and keeping his head bent to her back to avoid the tangled mess that was her hair whipping behind her.

It took Inuyasha no time to leave the shrine and the fields Kagome knew far behind his tail, that swayed as he ran, helping him keep balance. His paws hit the ground at a steady, rapid pace, the girl feeling more like flying than riding a running creature. Wind almost made her eyes tear up, but she didn't close them wanting to see the darkening land fly by.

Her heart beat fast in her chest, she gasped in air each time the fae landed after a particularly long or high leap. She could feel the muscles of the fae under her, moving in fluid grace, his paws pushing off of the ground as he ran, his ears perked, one tilted back towards them, the other forward. She could see his tongue sticking out, as he happily lost himself in the feeling of freedom.

She remembered her dreams, the excitement of dashing through a forest, the sense of power, control and pure joy. He'd dreamed about this for so long, night by night escaping to the forest of his imagination, where he hadn't been stuck to one place, where he had been able to stretch his legs. Now, now he was free and allowed her and her brother to experience the sensation of a mad run, wind in their hair, speed and the amazing clarity of being in 'here and now', with nothing to hover over their heads, only the happiness of being alive and together.

"This is amazing!" Souta cried, his words almost stolen by the rushing wind. "You're amazing!"

"Goodness, yes!" Kagome tilted her head, hoping that her brother could hear her. His eyes shone in a flushed face as he peered at the land covered in the soft shadows of falling night.

"You should've seen the whole shiro inu pack going to battle!" Inuyasha barked, pleased and gloating at their praises. "Keep low!"

With that being barked, Inuyasha took a sharp turn to the side and Kagome gasped, following his command when she saw the dark line of the forest. Her heartbeat sped up in alarm, how were they supposed to make it through the trees, at this speed and in almost complete darkness? She almost laid flat on top of the dog, who didn't seem to care that he was about to attempt to race through a forest.

Kagome closed her eyes when in a few leaps the fae reached the dark wall, she held her breath at the sound of rustling trees.

But nothing hit her, nothing hindered Inuyasha's run. Carefully she opened her eyes and lifted her face from the fur just a little. She didn't see much, because there was little light under the trees, but she could sense trunks and branches moving by, she could hear the wind in the branches and leaves, she could sense the rise of the ground on which Inuyasha's paws landed with sure stride as he maneuvered between the trees. She realized that he had to see really well in the dark and that only thanks to his grace and agility he could keep up his swift pace without stumbling on the roots or getting his riders hit by anything.

It was dangerous, but at the same time Kagome felt free and alive. It was so new, so much unlike anything she knew that she didn't know how to name the feelings that swirled in her.

Finally, Inuyasha climbed a steep hill, deep within the forest. It was rocky and the top of it was covered in tall grass instead of trees. The fae panted, not in exhaustion, but in excitement. He stood in the grass, head held high, tail curled over his back and cascading down one flank. Kagome was about to ask him, if he was going to let them get down, when a surge of his energy startled her.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, Kagome felt his rib cage expanding. Then he lifted his head to the starry sky, his body tensing.

To Kagome's surprise, there was no sound that came from the dog. There was a... feeling... Of something like a pressure, that vibrated in the air around them. She heard a soft rustle of grass as if it was pushed away by a gust of wind.

It was then when she realized Inuyasha was howling.

"Oh goodness..." she breathed out. The giant canine inclined his head to peer back at her, his eyes full of smug mirth. Then his ears perked.

A chorus of howls responded, loud and not that far away from their hill.

"Are these... your kin?" she asked. The dog shrugged in a very strange, almost human way. The siblings grabbed onto his fur again to keep from falling.

"Wolves," he replied. "We got an invitation."

With that he started to walk towards where the wolves were. Kagome bit her lower lip as he walked back in the forest, moving at a much slower, but still faster than human pace.

"Wolf fae in our lore are... Not too keen to meet humans," she said. "Maybe we should..."

"They're lower yasha to shiro inu," Inuyasha said. "And they are guardians of the borders of our lands. No wonder they fight your kin when you try to encroach on what isn't yours. Anyway, you two are mine to protect, remember? You're safe, just stay close to me."

"Um..." Souta started and gripped the back of Kagome's dress tighter. "Is it true they eat humans? Do your kind eat humans?" he added. Kagome felt a bit uneasy - she trusted Inuyasha wouldn't harm them, but other fae... Well...

"Feh, yeah, wolves will eat humans. Shiro inu won't lower themselves to devour such an easy prey. No offence," Inuyasha added as an afterthought. Kagome swallowed, not sure if she appreciated the bluntness of his response, but glad he was honest anyway.

"Oh..." the boy breathed out. "What are they doing here?"

"Knowing wolves - camping. Their packs have big territories along the borders with human lands, they move from place to place," Inuyasha explained and took a deep breath. "They have a few roasting things, but no worries, no human is on the menu tonight."

Kagome sighed in relief. It seemed Inuyasha accepted the barbaric ways of the wolf fae as something natural, but she felt her belly clench at the thought. At least tonight they ate some other meat.

It was a nice reminder that fae were dangerous. Yes, Inuyasha was kind enough and his kin seemed to be noble, but other fae kinds could not be so nice. And - did it mean that he was some kind of nobility? Like a prince or something? He'd told him he was a younger son of a leader, how did it correspond to human society?

With these thoughts running through her mind, Kagome was surprised when Inuyasha suddenly stopped walking and lowered himself to his belly.

"Get off," he commanded the two humans on his back. "I ain't carrying you to the camp. Stay close to me."

"We will," she assured him and slid down his side after Souta. Inuyasha's aura shifted and he was in human form again, or as human as he could get. He stood up from a crouch and shook his mane of hair, so it fell wildly around his shoulders. Then he smirked at the siblings.

"It will be fun," he said, as if to soothe their fears. Then he turned and started walking, picking his way between trees. Kagome exchanged looks with Souta and then they both hurried to join him, walking close behind his back.

Soon they heard noises up ahead - music and laughter. It was oddly nothing like the ethereal music of Inuyasha's flute. Kagome guessed the fae were just having fun and not weaving any spells. She could hear both male and female voices, along with barks and yips of animals.

Kagome felt unease crawl into her heart as they neared the spot from where the sounds came. Inuyasha seemed confident that nothing was going to go wrong, but she was nervous anyway. Meeting a whole bunch of capricious fae wasn't going to be a stroll in a park. The trees around them were old and thick, with ropey roots that protruded from the ground, twisting and tangling just like the branches overhead seemed to entwine to create a canopy of leaves and twigs. She stumbled and reached out, grabbing the back of Inuyasha's voluminous sleeve. The fae's ear cocked her way and he stilled his steps enough for her to catch her balance and let go of him. Kagome smiled at him with gratitude. He didn't make fuss about her clumsiness, albeit he smirked back at her before moving forward again.

Suddenly, the trees around them moved to open into a spacious meadow, full of light provided by three fires. Around the fires sat and lay at least twenty people and around the same number of wolves. Kagome peered over Inuyasha's shoulder, both she and Souta huddling together behind his back where he stopped on the edge of the grassy field.

The wolf fae looked wild and untamed, each clad in a unique outfit that consisted of colorful cloth, fur and leather armor. All of that was adorned with beads and was fashioned in a way that was not restrictive at all. While Inuyasha wore a loose billowing robe of plain red material, that covered his entire body, the wolf fae prefered short skirts and kilts, with no sleeves. Many wore calf and forearm leather cuffs.

While Inuyasha's white hair was loose and long, flying around him proudly, the wolves usually had their hair bound in tails or styled in a way that reminded Kagome of roosters.

The group was busy enjoying drinks from carved horns and roasted meat on sticks. Some played with the mortal wolves that were among them. There were a bunch of them sitting by the biggest fire who were playing music on various instruments. But no matter what they had been doing - the moment Inuyasha entered the meadow, all of them stopped and looked his way.

"A shiro inu!" someone gasped.

"Don't act so surprised, we heard him a few minutes ago and invited him to come!" another scolded. Many of the fae rose to their feet and made their way towards Inuyasha, who stood still and silent. Kagome shivered when she saw at least ten men and women, all looking wild and scary, coming closer, each sniffing curiously. Some had tails sticking out from under their skirts and kilts, the tails were wagging now in a slow, tentative way. They looked like a pack of wary canines approaching a bigger one.

"Is it...?" one of the males with rooster hair-do started, his voice indicating recognition. But he never got a chance to finish. Kagome gasped, when a new male suddenly landed in the space between the pack and the newcomer.

This one was tall and had more leather armor than any other. He also had a short sword on his hip. His hair was black and bound in a high tail, mirroring the tail that stuck from under his fur kilt. His ice blue eyes glared at the shiro inu.

'"Inuyasha, you mutt!" he barked.

"Ah, I thought I felt the stench of ten thousand open graves. Hello, Kouga," Inuyasha said. His remark about the smell obviously irked the other male, who fisted his hands and growled. Inuyasha growled right back and lowered his body, preparing to leap at him if he said something stupid.

But then he felt two sets of desperate hands grabbing at the back of his clothing. Kagome sighed in relief when the shilver-haired man in front of her and her brother didn't push them back to leap into a fight with the newcomer.

But, to her terror, their action didn't go unnoticed, some of the wolves walked a bit to the side, curiously looking at what kept Inuyasha in place. The shiro inu glared at them, so they kept their distance, but Kagome noticed that some were grinning wickedly.

"Hey, Kouga, he brought snacks!" a female called out happily. Kagome gulped.

"They're mine to keep and protect," Inuyasha growled. "You keep your paws to yourself or you will be chewing on them for the next month!" The whole group moved a step back, obviously not wanting to risk Inuyasha's retribution for attacking. That rekindled Kagome's hope, even if just for a moment.

"So, you came to our camp and dragged humans with you," Kagome yelped. because the blue-eyed male suddenly stood next to her. His eyes seemed to size her and Souta up. "Well, at least they ain't ugly."

"They ain't to be eaten. Or hurt. Or toyed with," Inuyasha said loudly. "If you or your lousy pack tries to do something shady, I will fall on you all like a ton of bricks."

"Sure you will, mutt," Kouga smirked, still watching Kagome, who took a step back, holding her hands to herself. This man, he was so scary. He exposed way more skin than was decent for an adult, but there was no shame in his face. He stared at her as if she was a piece of meat and she didn't like that look. It was reassuring to feel Inuyasha standing just next to her, with Souta mutely holding onto her arm. "So, why did you bring your sorry ass to this part of the forest?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to answer, but someone interrupted him.

"We invited him, idiot. And you act like a barbarian, scaring our guests and insulting one of the shiro inu," Kagome turned her head to see another female wolf fae approaching them. This one wore a dress made of white furs, scandalously short and exposing her lean legs. Her auburn hair was pulled in two tails and she had big green eyes that shot daggers at Kouga.

To Kagome's utter shock, the woman approached them and went on her tiptoes to nuzzle Inuyasha's cheek. The silver-haired man didn't even flinch.

"Hello, Inuyasha," the female gave a friendly smile and when he grunted, she looked towards Kagome and Souta. "Hello, Inuyasha's friends. I am Ayame, the alpha female of this pack and mate to Kouga, the rude oaf."

"Hey!" Kouga sounded miffed while Inuyasha snickered. A few others did too.

"Um, hello, Lady Ayame," Kagome uttered uncertainly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're friends of Inuyasha, so you have nothing to fear from our pack tonight," Ayame informed the siblings, making Kagome relax a little. "IF he deems you worthy his trust, I will follow his judgement."

"Thank you," Kagome bowed her head, Souta whispering the same words and repeating her motions. Ayame watched them for a moment, but there was no hostility or ill intent in her eyes. She looked amused. "Um... Inuyasha invited us to see the moonrise with him," Kagome said and dropped her gaze, feeling still uncomfortable with so many new - and supernatural - people around her watching her every move.

"And then he said that you invited us," Souta added shyly.

"That we did," Ayame nodded. "I am Inuyasha's friend from the days we both were pups chasing rabbits. And, even if he isn't too civil with my mate, don't be fooled, they are friends as well."

"We really aren't!" the men in question disagreed in unison, then glared at each other. Now, when Ayame dispersed the tension, Kagome giggled at their outburst.

"Anyway, you have my solenn promise, nothing bad will come to you in our company tonight," Ayame continued. "Today is the crescent moon, let us all enjoy the celebration of the moonrise together, with music and dance."

The other wolf fae took it as a cue to go back to their relaxation and left them alone Ayame' eyes lingered on Kagome's before they looked to Inuyasha's golden ones.

"Will you dance with me, Inuyasha?" she asked and winked when Kouga started growling in annoyance behind her back.

"No can do, Aya," Inuyasha grinned. "You stink of Kouga, I am not getting that stench all over my clothes. Besides, I have a dancing partner."

Kagome gasped when an arm wrapped around her waist and blushed when she realized that Inuyasha at some point had turned and now stood beside her, holding her to his side. Ayame laughed.

"So be it. In this case..." she turned to Souta and offered him a hand. "Would you care to dance, young human? I promise I will be nice."

Souta looked back at Kagome, who was unsure if she wanted to leave Inuyasha's hold. The girl glanced at the she-wolf again, then gave a nod. Souta smiled at Ayame.

"Sure, but I don't know any fae dances." he tentatively took her hand in his.

"No problem. You will learn quickly," Ayame assured the boy and pulled him towards where her pack was partying again. Kouga glared after them, then looked at Inuyasha and Kagome.

"He stole my dancing partner," he almost pouted.

"How is it my problem?" Inuyasha snickered and pulled Kagome closer to himself. The girl blushed deeper at the feel of his firm, warm body so close to hers. "Come, Kagome. I promised you a fun time."

Kagome cast the last glance at Kouga, who sighed in resignation and started walking to where a bunch of wolf fae were cutting a boar to pieces by one of the fires. She herself followed Inuyasha's lead to where a bunch of other fae danced, along with Souta, who looked around with round, amazed eyes.

.

When Kagome tried to focus on what happened during the past few hours, she could remember dancing with Inuyasha, his hands leading her through fast steps nnd exotic tunes that the wolves played on their drums and flutes. She could remember eating roasted meat with him, along with a handful of berries. She remembered drinking spring water, so cold and fresh that any sense of exhaustion left her body. She remembered laughing as Inuyasha spun her around. She remembered Inuyasha and herself joining the choir of singing voices, albeit she couldn't remember the words.

She remembered that it had been the most fun she'd ever had. And, at every moment, Inuyasha had been with her, holding her hand, explaining things to her. His voice had been so beautiful when he'd sung. Her head was dizzy when she remembered all the excitement, the smell of roasting food, of forest at night, of smoke hanging in the air. The wolf fae were a rowdy bunch and after the first scare they were very nice to them. Lady Ayame was always at Souta's side, smirking mysteriously every time she looked at Kagome and Inuyasha. His golden eyes shone, underlined by the faint purple stripes across his cheeks. His claws never scratched her when he held her in a secure, steady hold as they danced around the fires. Wolves and fae danced and sang around them, tails swishing and feet stomping as they jumped over the fires.

Then the moon rose, a silver sickle glittering in the darkness of the sky, outshining the stars. It was so magnificent! Kagome sat between Inuyasha and Souta, watching it with wide, amazed eyes. It was as if she saw it for the first time, its darker and lighter spots, the shape of its horns, the stars around it.

She never noticed when the wolves doused their fires and left when the moon was fully in the sky. She was too amazed by the colors that followed, the dawn approaching from the East and painting the dark blue of the heavens with pink and azure.

It was like waking up from a dream when she found herself sitting totally too close to a man, her head resting against his shoulder, Souta lying in the grass near to them and smiling dazedly at the sky. She blushed and moved a bit away from Inuyasha, who glanced down at her.

"It's almost dawn," he stated the obvious and it was just then that she realized that no one else was around, that the fae were gone. Only this one remained. She felt tired after dancing so much, but she felt satisfied and pleased, her mind clear despite a certain fogginess to her thoughts and memories.

"Oh, yes. It was a wonderful night, thank you, Inuyasha. For showing us all of this," she said and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "It was extraordinary."

"Keh, that was the least I could do after you freed me," Inuyasha shrugged. "Besides, if I didn't want to show you, you would not have seen anything."

Then he shifted so he knelt on both knees facing her. His clawed hand gripped her own and she looked up into his solemn face.

"Kagome," he said slowly. "Will you marry me?"