"Chief Koga! The birds of paradise are flocking to one spot. Should we go check on it?" Ginta called to his leader from the mouth of the cave, pointing out past the waterfall in front of the entrance. The demon leader in question glanced up from his position on the cave floor, looking over at his companion with a raised eyebrow.

"Do we know what they're gatherin' around?" he asked, rising from his spot and approaching the other wolf demon, his hands on his hips thoughtfully.

The younger demon shook his head, walking with his leader out of the cave towards the edge of their territory. The night was restless and the moon withdrawn, leaving utter darkness in its absence. As they approached a cliff edge, Koga was able to better assess what Ginta was talking about. About ten birds of paradise were flying towards a spot close to the edge of the disputed territory. Koga huffed a little, shaking his head and sighing.

"Any time they gather around something, it's never good. We'd better check out what it is at least and make sure it ain't gonna cause any trouble for us," Koga decided with a nod, motioning for the other guards in the area to follow him. As they ran down the mountain, Koga felt a strange energy retreating. A sniff to the air gave him no clues as to what he was going to be dealing with. However, as he approached the area where the bird demons were gathering, his eyebrows raised in surprise. From what he could see, there were two infants lying on the ground crying as the birds of paradise swarmed above, circling the area and readying themselves to attack. How they had managed to not yet kill the two babies, Koga couldn't understand, but with this new information, he now had a choice to make.

He could attempt to rescue the babies and possibly put his men and himself in danger, or he could let the infants be torn apart by the ravenous birds of paradise.

"Are those babies one of ours?" he asked, glancing over at one of his men. They all shrugged their shoulders, unable to make the assessment. It was unlikely, as Koga knew every last one of the women in his tribe personally and knew that they would never abandon their children out in the wild this far away from their turf. However… if there was even a small possibility that these children could belong to someone in his pack, he knew that he would do anything to save them.

He sighed heavily and glanced around, trying to get a better sense of his surroundings. There were large trees just on the edge of the mountain. If he could sneak from the forest and grab them, he might be able to run fast enough to at least get them to some cover. The other problem was how quickly the birds of paradise were swarming the sky above. With how dark the sky was, it was difficult to see their large bodies passing overhead. If even one decided to strike down, they would all quickly follow and even Koga was unsure if he would be able to outrun them all.

"Men, go back to the den, tell the women to prepare milk and ask if anyone knows who these pups belong to," the chief ordered in a whisper, knowing better than to speak loudly whilst trying to avoid the detection of the bird demons.

"But boss, are ya sure you'll be okay? There's so many– it would be easier to just let them have the babies," Ginta pointed out, looking at his leader with a worried expression. Koga's gaze remained ever fixated on the two naked infants barely able to squirm around on the dirty ground just at the bottom of the mountain. He had seen a great deal of bloodshed and gore in his time, but the thought that these babies could belong to one of his pack members made his heart ache.

"Just get goin' already! We don't have time ta' be arguin'!" he chided, his voice a gruff whisper. The other wolf demons seemed reluctant, their gazes shifting from the leader to each other for a beat before they took off running back up the mountain. Now alone, Koga knew it was time to get things sorted out.

It was easy for him to run around the edge of their swarm and into the forest, as his speed was unmatched. The tricky part, however, was somehow managing to snatch the pups without inciting the large swarm to attack him. He might be fast enough to grab them before they attacked, but he wasn't sure he would be able to outrun them while going up a mountain with two babies in his arms. No, he would have to find a way to take them into the forest with him. He would need a ton of luck, but it might be possible to draw their attention elsewhere until he was able to grab their prey. His eyes narrowed as he looked around to find something he might be able to use. Initially, he thought of shining something bright their way, but with no moon to light the night sky, such a plan would be useless.

No, he would have to be a little more straightforward, he thought grimly. Straightforward and fast.

He took off in the opposite direction before stopping in front of a large tree just on the edge of a clearing. With a running start, he brought his foot to the side and kicked the tree's base. A loud cracking sound resonated through the forest, causing the noises of the night to still for a moment as the large tree began to tumble forward. He pulled out a whistle from his pouch and blew loudly– a shrill screeching noise echoing through the forest as he did so. As soon as sound was let out, he began running back, trying to hurry before the tree actually fell to the earth.

He had just barely made it back to the mountain's base when the tree's loud thud thundered through the forest, nearly shaking the ground in the area. The sound of the whistle, as well as the falling tree sent the birds of paradise in that direction, apparently wanting to check out the commotion. As soon as they were no longer interested in the little beings lying on the ground, he made a mad dash and ran straight to them, not stopping to even look them over as he scooped them up and retreated back into the forest, running opposite to where the birds were heading. He knew that they would be back soon enough, and as he hurried back into the forest, he kept his eyes peeled for any sort of cave or entrance that he might be able to use as shelter. He knew of a place not too far from where he was, but there was another clearing he would have to pass through if he wanted to make it there fast enough.

The babies in his arms squirmed slightly, though as small as they were, they were able to put up little to no protest to his not-so-gentle hold. Curiosity begged him to sniff them out, to just take even a second to glance them over and see if they were really worth all the trouble he was going through to save them. Time, however, was far too pressing and he knew that even a second to halt in his movements could cost him dearly. As he approached the second clearing, he glanced up at the sky and his heart dropped. A singular bird of paradise was flying straight over his head towards the distraction he had created. The demon caught sight of him and flew down, its talons outstretched as it swooped down to attack its prey. Koga jumped out of the way, only narrowly missing the talons as he continued forward.

The bird screeched after him, diving in again to attack. This time, the bird did not miss.

The force of the talons on Koga's back made him fall forward, though he made sure to cushion the blow as much as he could with his arms. He felt slices tear up his back, but with the forward momentum he had gained from the attack, he merely rolled forward and continued running. His injuries burned and his demonic nature wanted him to turn back and fight the enemy who dared to draw his blood. The two passengers in his arms, however, swayed his judgment. With the thickness of the forest trees, the bird of paradise could no longer follow, though its cries of protest were sure to be heard by its brethren.

When Koga had finally made it to the cave hidden within the forest, he allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. His legs gave out under him and as he fell to his knees, he struggled to keep himself steady. He looked down, but with the darkness of the new moon and the even deeper darkness of the cave, he was unable to really get a good look at the babies. A heavy sigh left his lips in between his attempts to catch his breath. It would have to wait until morning, he supposed, as he wasn't keen to start a fire so close to where the birds of paradise had been swarming. The naked infants within his arms had quieted down, and he feared that they might have passed out from the jostling. A quick pulse check had him sighing once again in relief as he realized they were at least alive, if not very cold.

He gathered up some nearby leaves and carefully laid them down for a moment as he struggled to take his chestplate off. The pain of his back injuries had him wincing, but once it was off, he laid down beside the babies and gathered them in his arms, holding them against his warm chest. The wolf demon was no stranger to caring for infants, as he was often responsible for several at a time with how many mated pairs were in his tribe. They seemed to be sleeping, though there was little way to be certain with how dark it was in their small shelter.

The cave itself was at the base of a cliff, just in front of a pond. It was relatively shallow, maybe big enough to fit four grown demons within it, but it was covered by the forest canopy and the birds of paradise would be unlikely to find him– and that's what mattered. He knew there to be a blanket a little further back in the cave, but he couldn't bring himself to move. His injuries were deep, and his demon blood needed at least the night before he would be able to make the dangerous trek back up the mountain. So, with the babies held closely to his chest, he waited out the night, his guard up as he kept his eyes glued to the mouth of the cave.

When dawn finally approached, he knew that his men would be worried about him. The light filtered through the cave slightly, just barely casting a ray of sunshine on the two babies he held. It was at that moment that he decided to assess them. They appeared to be slightly bruised, but no cuts or scrapes could be seen on either of their persons. It was clear that these pups were newborns, though he couldn't determine if they had been freshly born or were a few days old. It was also during his assessment that he was able to determine that both of the babies were female. He couldn't remember any of the women in his tribe bearing any daughters recently, but that didn't mean that it was impossible. What made his eyebrows raise were the rounded, pale ears on either side of their heads. They were absolutely not entirely demon, if at all, he realized with a bit of unease. He couldn't sense their energy, but when he was also unable to detect any sort of scent from them, he wondered if someone had placed them there. Every being had a scent, just as every being had an energy. For them to give off nothing… His eyes narrowed a bit as he took in their round, baby faces. They looked mostly human, though the white hair of the one baby made him wonder if perhaps they were from a tribe up north? Upon examining their little hands, he was able to see the tiny claws stretching forth just barely from their fingertips. The babies even had tiny little fangs already– cementing his assumption that they were at least somewhat demonic. An idea creeped into his mind, and he didn't like it in the least.

It was very likely that these two babies were half-demons. They had a slight canine-esque aura about them and if they had been dumped at the bottom of the mountain then…

They were left to die, he concluded inwardly with a grim expression on his face. In the past, he might have decided to leave them in that cave right then and there to fend for themselves, but after many adventures with a certain dog-demon he knew– there was no way he would be able to abandon these pups. If Kagome could love a half-demon, he surely could honor her by taking pity on these two. He grinned a little to himself. If Kagome could see him now– rescuing two poor, defenseless half-demon babies– she would leap into his embrace out of joy. Heck, the half-demon mutt-face might even be a little surprised. Yeah, he thought as his grin stretched a little, that idiot's face would be so priceless.

His thoughts drifted to his pack back in the den and his grin fell a little. Would they be able to accept a couple of half-demons? Ginta. and Hakkaku would be fine with it– even Ayame would be grateful to raise a couple of babies as her own but everyone else… He might have to be a little more creative in the story he spun for them. He hated lying to his men but…

I don't have to lie, I just have to let them make conclusions on their own.

His journey back was mostly without issue, though he did have to hide a few times to avoid being seen by a stray demon lurking about in the sky. He knew that if they were able to catch wind that he had stolen their prey from the night before, they would be swift in dealing vengeance. Once he got back to his territory and the den, however, his pack gratefully welcomed him back and began a swarm of their own as they threw an onslaught of questions at him.

"Quiet!" he called, the babies still held close to his chest, which once again had his chestplate covering it.

"Koga, we were so worried about you! Please, tell us what happened," his mate pleaded, looking at him from a corner of the den. When Ayame's worried eyes met his, he sighed and knew he couldn't refuse.

"Well, I found these two at the base of the mountain. They were gunna get eaten by the birds of paradise," he began, relaying to them the story of that night.

"Well, are they one of ours?" a wolf demon spoke up, eyeing the babies in his arms. Koga looked down at the infants who were still asleep despite all of the commotion.

"I don't think so," he answered honestly with a shake of his head. All around the den, whispers and murmurs rose up in response.

"What are they?"

"Should we kill them?"

"Should we eat them?"

As more questions popped up, Koga found himself struggling to craft the right narrative.

"They've got fangs and claws, so I know they aren't human," he announced after a moment, his gruff voice cutting through the hushed conversations and whispered questions. "And look at this one's white hair," he pointed out, hoping that they would begin to draw conclusions.

"Are they from the tribe up north?" one asked aloud, causing many to nod their heads in agreement.

"Does that mean we need to bring them back?" Ayame asked, tilting her head in concern. Koga shook his head.

"Well, here's the thing…" he began, still unsure if he wanted to share this with them, but seeing no alternative. "I think they might be half-demons."

Gasps and whispers alike scattered through the den, talks of what their next move should be bouncing off the walls. As their volume rose, one of the pups began to stir in his arms. He bounced her lightly, trying to encourage sleep once again.

"Listen, I think they were left at that mountain to die, so whoever left them there, ain't comin' back. We've got a few options," he began, now deciding that their concerned expressions were a good sign to seal the deal.

"We could put them back and leave them to die, we could try to return them to the northern tribe, or we can raise them as one of our own," he announced, looking around at his pack with furrowed brows. The wolves were ruthless, but if there was even a chance that the babies might have wolf-demon blood in them, then they would never consider leaving them down there again. He also knew that they would realize that no one would ever willingly claim a half-demon, especially if they had left them there at that mountain to die. So, the only answer they would ever really be comfortable with would be…

"We shall raise them in our pack," Ayame decided with a firm nod. The wolves all around nodded as well, their expressions set in determination.

"Besides, we've seen half-demons before, and they aren't that bad," another wolf demon spoke up, prompting many to nod their heads in agreement.

"Fine. Ayame and I will raise the pups. Should we tell the girls of their true possible heritage when they are older?" he asked, looking around the room. He had already made up his mind, but it would be easier if his entire pack believed that they were in on the secret. All around the room, the wolves whispered and shook their heads in dissent, and it was then that Koga knew that he had them.

"Very well, we'll let them believe that their birth parents died and we took them in, so that they won't try to go up north to find anyone, sound good?" he asked, looking around the room once again. When he was met with nods and determined expressions, he let a grin spread across his face.

"Then what are we waitin' for? Let's have a celebration for the two newest daughters in our pack!" he called, holding the girls up slightly so that the rest of the wolves could get a good look at the sweet little faces. They cheered, raising fists and howling in celebration at the newest members of the pack. As Koga looked down at the little pups in his arms, he felt his heart warm. They might not have been his by birth, but he knew that now that they were part of his pack, they were his daughters by bond– and to him, that was just as close.

"What shall we call them?" Ayame asked, her happy voice cutting through the cheers. Koga looked the girls up and down and reflected on the woman he had once loved and the half-demon she had chosen. Inwardly, he made a promise to the two of them that he would raise these girls as best he could, now and forever.

"Towa and Setsuna."