Chapter 3: Encounter and second attempt
Bankotsu can't get his pet to speak to him for days after he thwarts her escape attempt, so he doesn't know her name. To annoy her, he starts calling her his "chibi hanyou" when referring to her to the other members of the band that travel with him. Knowing Mukotsu's tendencies, but wanting to keep the girl for himself, he insists that she stay close to him at all times, much to Jakotsu's displeasure, as he's put in charge of the twelve year old Inuyasha look-alike as a result, but is forbidden from taking her ears off as a substitute for the older inu-hanyou's.
He truly needn't bother with setting his younger brother to keep Mukotsu from the child as they travel, as she is quite capable of defending herself, as is demonstrated a few days after she's left with them when Koga, the leader of the ookami youkai tribe, comes across them. He takes one look at the child and says, "How the hell did you guys get dog-breath's niece in your group?"
Bankotsu notices that his new pet winces slightly at Koga's nickname for the child's relative, but doesn't have the slightest idea who he's referring to, so he says, "Don't know who you're talking about, but she's with us by choice."
He is, of course, not mentioning the fact that it was Naraku's choice, not the girl's, to travel with them. When Koga takes a step towards them as if to take the girl, she takes one of the fans from her obi, to which Koga says, "You really want to stay with these men, Nadeshiko?"
The child, Nadeshiko, answers by opening the fan and waving it in a move similar to Kagura, saying quietly, "Dragon Rampage."
A tornado similar to Kagura's Dance of the Dragon kicks up around Koga, then releases blades similar to the Dance of Blades into the tornado, aiming for the jewel shards in Koga's legs. Koga manages to dodge the blades, though, by jumping out through the top of the tornado with a small growl as he aims not for the girl, but for Bankotsu. Just before the blow can land, the collar around his pet's neck pulls her between him and Koga, causing his claws to scratch down her exposed arm. The blood left on Koga's claws from the wound inflicted on the female hanyou seems to cause the youkai pain, sparks of electricity coming from the bleeding wound on her arm. She struggles to get her hands free of the chains still binding her wrists together, whimpering almost in the same manner as the youkai, the sound heart-wrenching enough for Bankotsu to release her hands from the chain and allow her to sink down to her knees.
Bankotsu watches his pet as she brings her uninjured hand up to her mouth, coats two fingers in her saliva, and runs the coated fingers along the wounds in her arm, somehow sealing off the wounds to the point where the blood is the only evidence they were ever there. It's her blood that is giving off the electricity, as though it's a defense mechanism. Seeing the extent to which she can heal herself with only a bit of saliva, Bankotsu begin to wonder about the myriad of scars on her neck.
By this time, Koga has recovered from the electric shock he was subjected to by the woman's blood, and he's more than a little ticked off, thinking the hanyou willingly blocked his attack on Bankotsu. He stands up growling and stalks over to where she's slowly inching away from the bandit leader, picking her up by the back of her kimono as he turns her to face him, "Why the hell did you protect this bastard?"
As she looks Koga in the eye, her icy blue eyes flash lightning yellow for a moment before she whispers quietly enough that only the youkai can hear her, "I didn't want to. It's this damn collar. Please, get me away from him…."
Without changing expressions, making sure not to give the slightest hint to the Band of Seven members as to his intentions, Koga kicks up his whirlwind and takes off with the blonde hanyou in his arms. She wraps her arms around his neck without hesitation, seemingly used to the speed at which he's traveling.
They're several miles away from Bankotsu and the others before Koga lowers his speed, "We should be a good enough distance away now that you can tell me what the hell is going on, hanyou. Why was Nadeshiko with those apparitions?"
"She's somehow been put under Naraku's control. The illusion he put her under plays upon her loyalty to family. She believes Bankotsu to be her brother. And my name is Rose, by the way. I'd rather you didn't call me hanyou, as I don't have even that much demonic blood in me. I'm only one quarter demon. I wasn't about to tell Bankotsu that, though."
"Speaking of which, what's with the collar?"
She grumbles a little before answering, "It's a curse I was put under. I transform at the full moon, and Bankotsu activated the curse by accident when he voiced his intention to keep my other form as a pet."
"What is it you turn into?"
"Ookami."
Koga looks at her in surprise, "You're a werewolf?"
"Partly. Long story. It's rather embarrassing, so I'd rather we leave it at the fact that I'm also part vampire and that part came first."
Koga looks at her slight blush and gets the gist of what happened, "I get it. So, anywhere in particular you want me to drop you off, Alicia?"
"If you would, could you drop me off at the temple of the Eastern Forest Goddess? She's my older cousin…."
"Got it."
"Thanks."