How Will I Know

Disclaimer: I… wait a sec, why's it always I? How about YOU!? Do YOU own InuYasha? Huh? Me neither.

Chapter 25: Enkou

Pronounced 'En-kew' / 'N-koo'.

The sun rose over the horizon, and a golden eye opened to witness it. The eye's owner groaned and rolled to his stomach, and slowly scooted so he faced the water. He moved along his stomach until his chin rested in the very edge of the pond. He swallowed some, and after a few minutes' rest, he sat up gingerly. When he put out his hand to steady himself, it touched a soft fabric. He smiled grimly, realizing it was a backpack, and pulled it open before rummaging through it.

After a few minutes, InuYasha had started a fire with the pack of matches left in the bag, and had some water boiling over it. He opened a cup of ramen and poured some water into it, then let it sit for a while as he packed dirt on the fire. After eating his meal, he tried to stand, but fell face first into the ground. He groaned and rolled to his back, then lay there panting. After about an hour, he decided Kagome wasn't going to try and contact him, and that it was safe to sleep. So he did.

Kagome sighed and rolled over, opening her eyes.

"Good morning sister. Kouga went out to hunt. You've been asleep for at least four hours after sunrise. It's almost lunchtime." Ginta said from his seat on the other side of the cave, 15 feet away.

"Yes, but don't worry, Kouga will bring food for you. If there's not enough for everyone, you'll get your fill." Hakkaku added, from next to Ginta. Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. A large furry body propped her up from the side. She finished rubbing her eyes and looked into the face of a large wolf. There wasn't anything so odd about this wolf; it had a white spot on its nose, but so did a few others. It was just big, maybe a few inches taller than most others. She watched it for a second, trapped in its stare before realizing she wasn't in danger. The large black wolf laughed (in its eyes, anyway) and looked away.

Kagome stood hesitantly and found herself surrounded by about thirty wolves (thirty two counting Ginta and Hakkaku). Twenty tails thudded on the cave floor a couple times before the wolves turned away and went back to whatever they'd been doing. A rockslide sounded from outside the cave, near the entrance. A few wolves' coats bristled, then a familiar voice sounded out, and the wolves all rose, tails wagging.

Kouga entered through the hole behind the waterfall, kicking a boar, holding a smaller one under an arm, and two rabbits in his other hand. He laid them down on the cave floor before Kagome.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Kouga grinned, and the wolves gathered around, staying a respectful distance away. (When I say wolves I mean Ginta and Hakkaku too in most cases ) Kagome looked at the carcasses before her and smiled forcefully. She didn't want anything, to be honest, but Kouga had gone through the trouble, and if she refused she'd be acting like a spoiled person. In fact, for the wolf demon clan, this probably was spoiled.

"A rabbit, please." Kouga held it up.

"Dig in, then." He turned to the wolves and tossed the boar and other rabbit out to them. "Everybody, eat!" Kagome looked hesitantly at the rabbit as the wolves tore into their food. Kouga looked at her questioningly, trying to find the problem. Kagome reached into her shirt and pulled out a small book of matches.

"Do you have firewood at all?"

Kagome had cooked her rabbit (with the help of Kouga- she wouldn't skin it or anything) and eaten her fill. She'd also cooked half a boar that the wolves hadn't touched. The fire had scared them at first, but when Kagome controlled it, they were amazed. Kouga grinned proudly as his pack sat around, content but not stuffed. The last bit of the cooked boar was held by Kagome, and she broke it into pieces and fed it to the three wolves around her; a small brown female, a twin male, and the large one from before. The last piece she ate herself; the boar meat was richer in flavor than the rabbit had been.

The two small wolves left, but the large one stayed by Kagome, and she decided that she really liked this wolf. He (she determined it was most definitely a guy) sat at her side; his head towered above hers when she was sitting. She stood and his head came up to her chest, although he was still seated. When he stood as well, his head fell some to her stomach. He nudged her hand and she ran it over his soft thick coat.

As Kagome ran her fingers through the wolf's coat, Kouga watched from his seat not that far behind her, but high on the cave wall, about twelve feet. He grinned as Kagome walked around and became acquainted with the pack. If she grew to love it here sooner, that would make it easier for her to accept him as her mate. He wasn't going to face her with that decision yet, although she seemed to be recovering fine from the loss of InuYasha. He leapt down and landed beside her after she'd gone through all the pack.

"That one's Hotaru, and he's Otonashi. Those three are all Kyo, because they all look the same." As Kouga went on, Kagome tried to memorize some names. When Kouga finished, Kagome realized he'd never named the one that followed her around. When she questioned, Kouga looked at the wolf oddly, like he was just remembering something.

"He was out on a scout last night, and returned late. He's off scouting so often that we don't really have a name for him. He just drops by usually once a moon. By the way he's taken to you, you could probably name him. He's a young wolf, but you probably can't tell from looking." Kagome look down at the wolf, and his eyes gazed back at her. They gleamed, like flames.

"Enkou. Flame. That should be a good name for him. What do you think Enkou?" The wolf's tail wagged and he lifted his enormous build onto his hind legs and swiped Kagome's face with his tongue, without ever putting his weight against her. Kagome laughed and wrapped her arms around the wolf's great neck and hugged him. The wolf froze up for a second, taken aback, but then relaxed and opened his mouth in a grin. Kagome let go and stood again, then smiled at Kouga. He grinned back, once again proud of his choice as mate and fellow pack leader.

"Hey Kouga, could I go get some herbs for tea? I'll also need a kettle or something for the water." Kagome grinned sweetly, hoping she'd be able to go alone and get away. It was probably a bit early to try and escape, being that InuYasha wouldn't be healed, but if she could get far enough away there would be a good chance she could get back to him.

"Sure, Kagome." Kouga smiled at her before turning to the pack. He made an indistinguishable noise and twenty wolves stood and gathered by the door. "I hope you don't mind wolves as an escort, since I have business here." Kagome walked towards the exit, hopes sinking, already a new plan forming, when she paused and turned around.

"What's your business?" Kouga looked surprised, but was once again prideful that Kagome was so curious, observant, and involved.

"There's a nest of harpies to the east, and they send a messenger here every so often. Ginta, Hakkaku, and these ten wolves need to remain here and guard our home. Don't worry, you'll be safe, those twenty are our best warriors." Kagome nodded, then continued on her way out. She walked straight into the wolves who parted for her. Although they all walked through the tight entrance at one time, never once did a wolf brush against her. After she arrived on the slightly broader path outside that led down the hill, she realized Enkou was with her, once again at her side.

At the base of the path, there was a large field that led into some short brush, then a forest. Kagome headed toward the taller grasses near the forest, and the wolves played around her. Some began to leap over others and come to a perfect landing on the other side, and they began to spread out. As they entered the forest, five wolves disappeared into the brush. As one rejoined the posse, another would leave. Kagome realized they were scouting. She began to look for some tea herbs, and turned to walk parallel to the field.

After about a mile was covered, she'd only found a few stems, not worth picking. Enkou hadn't left her side. A wolf had uprooted a hare, and fifteen wolves gave chase, but never went out of Kagome's sight, being dutiful protectors, even when the hare kept running. Suddenly, a wolf began snarling and growling beyond the thick underbrush to Kagome's right. The fifteen wolves, followed by Kagome, followed by four more then Enkou, hastily approached the snarling wolf, and soon found the cause.

A strange imp-like being, about as tall as the wolf's shoulder, was backed against a tree trunk with a long scrape dripping blood on its arm where the wolf had snagged it. The rest of the wolves quickly circled it and moved in. Kagome came forward, and made a split-second decision.

"Stop!" The wolves halted and faced her, the nearest three feet from the imp. Kagome walked through the front ranks and came up to the small creature.

"Calm down, it's all right. Easy, little guy. I'm not going to hurt you." The imp-demon uncovered its face and reached out in a sudden strike. Kagome leapt up and away and threw her arm up as a defense. The demon's claws grazed her arm, drawing a small spot of blood, and Kagome let out the oddest noise she'd made in her life: it was a snarl, yelp, and scream, all in one. Either way, it set the wolves off, and they dove instantly into their prey. Kagome turned away and found Enkou staring brightly at her, apart from the others. Suddenly, a whirlwind appeared above the trees.

"Are you all right Kagome?" Kouga stopped right in front of her and fluidly pulled her arm out to examine the wound. It was a tiny scratch, but he pulled out a water skin and poured some water into his hand, cleaning it, then took some more and rinsed her arm.

"Is it alright or do you need bandaging?"

"I'm fine; I probably won't even notice it later. It was barely enough to draw blood. Thank you, Kouga." Kouga grinned and turned to his wolves, who'd pulled off the carcass and were standing around wagging their tails.

"Good job, darlings. Make sure to keep up the good work." At Kouga's short praise tails wagged extra hard a few times then slowed down. "See you, Kagome." Kouga held up her hand and kissed the back of it with a pleasant smile before departing. Kagome stood with butterflies going around her head in a twister; she was confused, but shrugged it off. Kouga's just polite. That's all.

After another few minutes of searching, Kagome determined that there were no tea herbs around anywhere, and they were quite a few miles from the cave. She plowed through the underbrush as swiftly as the wolves; she'd been watching and learning from them. The whole gang burst into the field that seemed to run for miles, and they saw the foothills, and far in the distance the cliff around the waterfall. Kagome walked into the middle of the field, halfway between the forest and hills, and started towards the cave.

The wolves around her began to run ahead a hundred yards then circle and come back. Their energy got to Kagome and she soon found herself keen to run. Enkou leapt into the air by her side, snapping at an insect, and she saw something in his mouth glint off the sunlight. She stopped and called him, and he came and sat before her. After she eased his mouth open, she picked up a pure jewel shard. Why did I never sense this or see it? He was always right next to me…That must be it! I probably thought it was my own jewel shard! Before when he returned from scouting I must have thought it was one of Kouga's shards. Well, now what?

Kagome looked at Enkou, who eased his mouth shut and began running his tongue around his mouth. He looked at the shard in Kagome's hand and wagged his tail once before coating her face in big, wet slurps of tongue. Kagome dropped the shard in the flurry of affection and Enkou picked it up in his mouth again. Kagome took it and set it on his forehead, letting him keep it. InuYasha would disapprove, but if Kouga had shards, then Enkou should have one too. It just seemed right. She looked around and saw twenty bright faces facing her, golden eyes glowing in her direction. The tension was tangible, and Kagome grinned wolfishly before making a sudden sprint towards the cave.

With a lot of commotion, the wolves picked up Kagome's surprise lead, and Enkou had been there all along, leaping his cousins to stay there. As the group stretched out, Kagome remained in the lead with Enkou at her side, but a little behind her. A cloud of dust rose behind them as the pack stretched into a full run, Kagome still in the lead, almost pulling away from the wolves. She felt the jewel shard pulse in her neck, and she felt light as air. Her feet seemed to hardly be touching the ground, and her senses reeled as the terrain flew by quickly; she saw every rock and spot where her feet would touch the ground.

From the hills where Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku, and the ten remaining wolves were on patrol, the dust cloud was a prominent feature in the landscape. Kouga identified his pack from the joyful howls that permeated the air, and at the front he was delighted to see Kagome, but faltered when he saw the large black wolf at her side. He took one glance back at his current group, then saluted a quick farewell and took off after the greater half of his pack.

Kagome still felt weightless, but the strain was beginning to tell on her. She'd gone about a mile already, hardly noticing the distance. She hardly noticed as her pace slowed, and the wolves all slowed also. The dust cleared a little, but they were still at a dead run. Through the dust and noise, a whirlwind appeared as Kouga ran up alongside Kagome.

"You've gotten a lot faster, Kagome. I've never known any human to keep up with or even outrun wolves." Kouga shouted across the din. Kagome grinned and picked up her speed in a final wind and sprint. She left Kouga behind, stunned; Enkou pulled alongside Kouga and grinned (in a wolf-way) before picking up his speed too. Kouga shook himself out of his shock and caught up with Kagome as Enkou did. They flanked her sides, Enkou slightly behind and Kouga across from her. The run continued this way for a while, and the wolves caught up as the leaders' pace gradually slowed.

Kouga looked refreshed and joyful; Kagome and Enkou were gleeful, but losing wind and slowing. Kouga ran ahead as they both slowed suddenly to a jog and pace. They found themselves in a swirling mass of wolves that slowed and started milling around Kagome. After walking another mile (Kouga was already at the river) the pack had cooled off and was ready to run again if necessary. They came to a large grassy area with some boulders sticking up at the riverside. Kagome lifted water to her face and drank as the wolves filed in behind her, then retreated to a boulder.

Kouga moved over to the same boulder as Kagome and sat right next to her. Kagome felt a sudden awkwardness, although she was sure Kouga was relaxed. The place where his knee bumped hers felt as if it was burning, and she inched away slowly. Kouga paid no attention when Kagome moved to the ground and lay out on her back, watching the clouds. Enkou served as a pillow for her and he flopped onto his side to be more comfortable for her. Soon the pack was sprawled all over, and dusk was coming on fast. They retreated to the cave to warm it up with furry bodies so it would be nice and cozy at night.

Kagome curled up on her pile of a bed and pulled a blanket over herself. Enkou dwarfed her as he lay against her back with his head on her shoulder: a position only a wolf (of dog) could be in. After everyone had settled down, Kagome opened her eyes and saw most of the wolves were asleep. Ginta, Hakkaku, and the ten others arrived, and with them came the darkness of night. Soon the whole pack was in a peaceful slumber, except for a few watches. Even Kouga rested, upon his shelf with grasses as bedding.

Time to contact InuYasha.

Kagome concentrated on sensing the jewel like she'd done before, and soon InuYasha appeared, sitting.

"What are you doing? That's not resting. You moved around too much, InuYasha. Tomorrow you should be able to move as much as you have today, then the day after that you should be able to travel. Please, don't worry about me, I'm alright-" InuYasha had walked up to her and placed his finger over her lips.

"You talk too much, Kagome. I missed you today. Has he done anything?" Kagome looked away, thinking. She wondered if she should tell InuYasha of the kiss on the hand or not… he'd probably want a play-by-play of every time Kouga had come within fifty feet of her.

"He kissed the back of my hand, politely. That's all." InuYasha studied her face and she looked into his eyes.

"And how did you feel about that?" Kagome was taken aback. Then an idea grew in her head.

"You're jealous." She taunted. InuYasha pulled back, mock-angry.

"Of that scrawny wolf?! No way! I just want him to stay away from you! I don't like it when other people get to be close to you like- like that." Kagome sighed as InuYasha rattled off the perfect description of jealousy in his words.

"I didn't feel anything about that kiss; it was just a polite gesture. I do not like Kouga more than you, alright?" InuYasha folded his arms, as if offended, but Kagome sensed a certain relief. InuYasha remained resolute, and an awkward silence followed. Kagome suddenly remembered something he'd said.

"I missed you too, you know. I wasn't so lonely though. I made friends with a big black wolf, Enkou. He's stayed by my side all day. We ran in front of the pack. All the wolves listen to me, too. It's interesting."

"I'll kill Kouga if I ever get the chance! He's making the wolves believe you'll be his mate, if they already respect you as leader. Somebody has to put that arrogant b$trd in his place, and as soon as I get there he won't be so-" Now Kagome cut off InuYasha by hugging him. She pressed her head against his chest and neck, pleading him to be quiet.

"Remember you need to get better, and I don't want you guys to fight. He is the leader of the wolf pack, and they've suffered enough losses already."

InuYasha folded, and hugged Kagome back, burying his face in her hair and scent.

"Okay, Kagome. But… did you know you've brought somebody with you?" Kagome spun around, still in InuYasha's embrace, and saw Enkou standing ten feet away. Enkou advanced, and InuYasha shifted in front of Kagome. Enkou paused, brain working quickly. He laid his ears flat back and kept his tail relaxed, meaning no harm but not submissive.

"Kagome, is he on Kouga's side? Will he give us away?" Enkou snorted at Kouga's name, and clearly showed he didn't respect Kouga as a leader, as he wanted to become one himself. InuYasha growled at Enkou, still distrusting. Kagome ducked around him and went to the wolf, laying a hand upon his coat and brushing through it. Enkou warmed up to Kagome's touch, and InuYasha stood, speechless and stunned.

"It's alright, InuYasha. Enkou is more my friend than Kouga's follower. He's made that clear now. Maybe he could help me escape." InuYasha approached Enkou hesitantly, and sniffed him.

"He doesn't reek of Kouga that much, not any more than you, anyway, so I guess he's alright. But how did he get here?" Kagome looked at her sleeping self and saw Enkou leaning on her.

"He must have followed me when I contacted you. He's very different from the other wolves, but I can't exactly tell how." Kagome grew weary of the subject; she'd missed InuYasha all day, and this time she was with him was being wasted on a really dull topic. Not that Enkou was dull, but InuYasha should be more tolerant. She leaned against his chest, wrapping an arm around his back.

"Let's focus on how I'll get back to you in time for Miroku and Sango to be back. Also, we have to pick up Shippou." InuYasha sat cross-legged with Kagome in his lap, and as he embraced her and she cuddled against his chest, they discussed Kagome's escape. The topic turned slowly to other things such as the upcoming end-of-the-year test, and how Kagome would need to stay in her time for at least a week to learn everything she was supposed to know to pass it. All the while, Enkou laid on his stomach and watched the couple with half-hearted interest, as if listening to the plans.

After a while that seemed a long, drowsy, peaceful eternity, Kagome stood unwillingly and announced she should probably get back with Enkou. InuYasha placed his palm on her cheek and moved his face close to hers, but paused.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, heart suddenly pounding in her throat.

"Nothing, I'll just save that for when I meet you tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow, InuYasha. Rest."

"You know you can be really annoying."

"Yes. See you tomorrow night, though."

"Yes, until tomorrow night." InuYasha let his hand drop and turned to Enkou, who had risen and was stretching.

"Take good care of her, wolf. I don't need her getting hurt." Enkou looked up at InuYasha, and Kagome blinked in disbelief as she saw him wink. InuYasha slowly vanished and she felt herself return to her body. When she opened her eyes she lifted her head and looked behind her. Enkou opened his mouth in a grin, then curled up to sleep. Kagome laid her head on a folded blanket and closed her eyes, baffled by the black wolf.

Yeah… it's past my bed time and I'm sleepy, but I just had to write this… Sleepy-smile-yawn… goodnight, and good reviews! XO ::YAWN:: Oh yesh, one more thing… or two… #1 -World of Warcraft is addictive in a good way and a better way to meet people online, and #2 -thank you for reading this stuff that I think is crud!