Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
The Right Thing
Hakkaku coursed through the woods, slightly lagging Ginta, trusting the latter's keener nose to guide them through the early morning fog enshrouding the trees.
He felt nervous, and apprehensive. Was this really the right thing to do? Helping a human, and a neko youkai? They were supposed to be patrolling, not searching for herbs to help out non-pack. What would Koga say?
So much had changed, since Koga had found those shards! He and Ginta had always followed the ambitious young youkai, even before he challenged and defeated the old clan chief. Those had been good years, with the younger, less ambitious females flirting with them, the hunts that always seemed to end in success, the celebrations when they terrorized and drove away yet another group of humans from off their mountains.
And, then, it changed. Koga found the shards, started talking about expanding their territory, encouraging the hunters to look for more shards. The birds of paradise invaded, taking an exposed, feasting clan by surprise, slaughtering many of the females and pups before the shocked wolves could organize a defense and retreat.
An infuriated Koga had declared war on the birds, ignoring the advice from cautious elders to avoid contact and move the clan's homesite to a more heavily forested area. And so, the wolves had fought.
They had been losing.
Until the inu-tachi arrived.
Hakkaku remembered that fight, remembered how the power of the hanyo and his human companions had turned the war and won it in a single afternoon.
A large part of his apprehension vanished. The wolves owed the inu-tachi. Who knew how many lives they had saved?
It suddenly didn't matter if Koga approved of their helping the boy and cat or not.
It was the right thing to do.
Author's Note: This was written for the LiveJournal community I-B-4-Y, for the image prompt of mist-shrouded, forested mountains. It was originally posted on September 10, 2011. It took first place. (10/4/2011)