Disclaimer: I don't own Kannazuki no Miko. Any idea where I can find DVDs for it?
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Chapter 2
Moving silently through the forest like a shadow, Himeko bent her head and gripped Jin's scruff between her teeth, lifting the small pup off the ground. Muscles rippled beneath her fur as she sprang up onto a rock, trotting along the thin trail of the rock wall, worn down by years of wolf paws. To any normal human, it looked only like the side of the cliff, nothing more.
That was why it was the perfect place for the pack's home.
Keeping Jin off the ground (since the last time he'd tried to get through the bush he'd been cut up by thorns), Himeko swung around and lowered her head, driving through the thorns of the small wild rose bush so her shoulders and back took much of the impact. It didn't really bother her; she'd learned where the thorns were and how to avoid them most of the time. As she stepped into the clearing where the pack lived, she shook herself to smooth her fur and gently set Jin down.
"When are you gonna let me walk through the bush?" the pup asked, plopping down almost directly on her front paws. "I'm starting to figure out where the thorns are."
"When you stop wandering off." Gently sliding one paw out from under him, she rolled the pup over and nuzzled his belly, causing him to squeal and squirm in delight. "Now come on, let's get you home. Miyako's probably worried sick."
Himeko gently nosed Jin to his paws and urged him on; from where they stood a rock path circled along the grassy clearing, the gentle trickling of the small silver stream that slashed through it the only sound. Wolves lay in the grass, sleeping or conversing with pack mates or grooming; the morning hunt had only just ended, and another large party wouldn't be sent out until sundown. The two wolves made their way down, the hard rock giving way to grass beneath their paws.
The young golden she-wolf focused on the den, a small cave carved into rock on the other side of the clearing; it was far from the opening and hidden by bushes so that any enemies who attacked wouldn't immediately know where the pups were. As she padded through the grass, keeping Jin watchfully ahead of her, Himeko lifted her tail and waved it briefly in greeting as her fellow pack mates called to her, welcoming her back and thanking her for finding the pup; Jin was, truth be told, the only offspring of the two most powerful wolves in the pack, and no one wanted to lose him.
"Himeko!" She glanced up as a slim black wolf bounded toward her, his tail high and his eyes gleaming; unable to resist she walked the last few feet and touched noses with her childhood friend. "Souma," she said, turning her head so she could brush her muzzle along his neck. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the other Heads?"
"Well, for one thing, I have to come collect my nephew for Tsubasa." The black male lowered his head, gently licking the pup's ear; Jin yipped in joy and reached up with one paw, batting at the older wolf's muzzle. "And for another, the Heads want you."
"Me?" Himeko flicked an ear. "Are you sure you don't mean Mako? Wait, is Kazuki still trying to get us engaged?"
"No. Mako's out patrolling with two others, and Kazuki gave up on that plot a long time ago." Souma's eyes gleamed with good humor for his adopted brother's meddling. "Just go, I'll be there in no time."
"Okay."
Souma brushed her shoulder briefly with his tail before he lowered his head, scooped Jin up, and trotted away; Himeko watched him go before turning, her eyes scanning the wall for the only other trail in the clearing; spotting it, she shook her head and loped forward.
What could the Heads possibly want with me?
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"Good, you're here." Kazuki's voice sounded near her left ear, but Himeko kept her eyes respectfully low as she walked to the center of the clearing and sat, wrapping her tail around her paws and gazing intently at the blades of grass. She was still by many standards a pup, and still prone to bouts of nervousness.
"Himeko, lift your eyes." The voice that spoke had a gentle musical lilt to it, almost like the tune of a song. "We called you here; you are of equal power to us right now."
"R-right. Sorry." And taking a deep breath, the young wolf lifted her head as Souma slipped through the crack and took his place.
The seven Heads of her pack gazed down at her, and she forced herself not to flinch away, instead studying each wolf she saw and quietly accessing them the way she was certain they were accessing her.
Tsubasa was the First Head, and by far the largest wolf Himeko had ever seen—twice the size of any male wolf she'd glimpsed in her life, his fur was the color of snow and muscles rippled smoothly beneath his skin. A large, jagged scar slashed over his left eye, sealing it shut where there should have been a gleam of gold; legend had it that a wolf hunter had robbed the white wolf of his eye, and that was why Tsubasa had such a hatred for humans. His temper was legendary among wolves, and only one wolf was known to possess the skill to completely soothe him.
That wolf sat beside him now—his mate and the Second Head of the pack, Miyako. Miyako was a full grown female; not as big as Tsubasa, but her head easily brushed Kazuki's shoulder. Her fur was a deep, rich brown, and unusual purple markings curved around her eyes, a feature she had passed on to her son. Even now she seemed to be soothing the large white wolf beside her, her tail gently touching his paws as they sat side-by-side, close enough that their shoulders touched. Himeko quietly shifted her gaze.
Kazuki, the Third Head and adopted brother of Tsubasa and Souma, sat on Tsubasa's other side; a full grown male, not as large as Tsubasa himself but certainly big enough to make a wolf look twice. His fur carried an unusual green-blue tint to it, and his golden eyes seemed to gleam with a wisdom far beyond his years. Of the Heads, he was said to be the calmest and most rational, though Reiko came in a close second.
The Fourth Head sat beside Kazuki; a slender brown she-wolf named Corona, not quite as dark as Miyako. A silver bracelet adorned each front paw, gleaming softly in the sunlight as she sat; it was she who had spoken before, her voice a legend among wolves, her howl and voice containing a musical lilt to it that was unique and unusual and completely hers. She appeared to only be a year older than Himeko herself was.
The Fifth Head sat on Corona's other side, also female—her name was Reiko. A reddish-brown female with unusual cream colored markings along her muzzle and legs, Reiko was something of a loner among the wolves and appeared to be at least two years Himeko's senior. She and Corona sat as close together as Tsubasa and Miyako did; briefly, Himeko recalled that the two she-wolves were unusually protective of each other and fiercely devoted to the other. She flicked an ear and decided not to judge.
Next to Reiko sat the Sixth Head, a young wolf that only appeared to be a yearling; Nekoko, a small, slightly chubby light brown female with humor gleaming in her golden eyes. Despite her puppy-like appearance and general good nature, Himeko knew that the young she-wolf had been the only survivor of the slaughter of the wolf pack that lived north of their border. To this day, she still couldn't clearly recall which hunter had destroyed her home and possessed a terrifying fear of humans.
The final Head sat beside Nekoko, the Seventh Head, Tsubasa's brother and Himeko's childhood playmate; Souma. For his age, the muscular black wolf was already quite big and surprisingly powerful. Rumor was that soon he would grow to be the same size as Tsubasa. The young she-wolf he had already chosen to be his mate was none other than Makoto, Himeko's cousin and best friend.
"Himeko." Tsubasa spoke, his voice so cold and deep that for a moment Himeko felt as though a winter wind had blown through her fur. "Two years old, your first successful kill was a sick moose calf. Daughter of Maya and Aki. Do you know why we've called you here?"
Himeko flicked her ear and blinked several times at the mention of her parents; she shook her head to clear it and looked up, forcing herself to meet Tsubasa's cool gaze. "No, First Head," she murmured. "I don't."
"I see. Fair enough." Was that… humor gleaming briefly in his good eye? "Himeko, are you aware that our pack lives in the very same forest that the Himemiya family built their mansion?"
"Yes."
"Tell me what you know about them."
She couldn't read the expression in his eye, and cast her gaze about nervously. Miyako's eyes seemed much warmer than her mate's, and Himeko knew her better than she knew Tsubasa; she often spoke to the older female whenever she watched over Jin. Feeling reassured, she spoke.
"The Himemiya family is one of the most well known wolf hunting clans in the world. They only settled here seventeen or sixteen years ago. Their only daughter, Chikane Himemiya, is the heir to the family and a rising wolf hunter. She killed her first wolf when she was twelve. It is rumored that she wiped out the pack on the northern border," the golden wolf concluded, and glanced guiltily at Nekoko, recalling her past. The other wolf just flicked an ear and looked away, but she gave Himeko a brief wolf smile.
Tsubasa's good eye gleamed briefly. "Very good," he rumbled. "You seem well informed. That's better than we could have hoped." He shifted his weight, settling more comfortably. "Now I ask you, Himeko… what do you know of the Eighth Head?"
The golden wolf's eyes widened; without thinking she sat up a bit straighter at the mention of the legendary she-wolf. "Not much," she admitted. "I know her name was Tsuki and that she was really only half wolf… she was black, with dark blue eyes, according to our elders." She took a deep breath. "Legend has it that she was raised as a human before she discovered the truth about herself, and she founded our pack here sixteen years ago." She lowered her ears. "That's about all I know, though."
The Eighth Head was a legend among wolves. She had founded Himeko's pack in the Himemiya family years before either she or her parents had been born and had been the wolf to establish the Heads system of leading. Most well known about her was that fact that she had actually been half wolf, and had possessed eyes that many elders claimed to be as dark blue as the night sky itself.
"A good amount, either way," the white wolf rumbled. "She was called the Eighth Head because she stepped down and chose to be eighth after establishing the leading system we now follow." His eye darkened. "She was killed by a wolf hunter."
Himeko looked up sharply, ears swiveling forward. "A… wolf hunter?" she asked uncertainly. "But First Head, I thought no one knew exactly how she died…"
"We don't." That was Miyako, picking up where her mate left off. "What we do know, however, is that when she died, a wolf hunter died at the same time. A young woman named Orihime Kannazuki. One of the best solo hunters to ever live." The dark brown she-wolf evenly met Himeko's gaze. "Doesn't it seem odd, Himeko, that these two powerful icons died at exactly the same time?"
"Y… yes…"
Kazuki glanced briefly at Miyako, who nodded. The male cleared his throat. "After they died," he said, "the world fell for a brief time into an age were peace reigned between humans and wolves. Then the Himemiya family came here." His golden eyes seemed to gaze directly into Himeko's soul. "Many elders believe that now, sixteen years after their deaths, another era of peace is coming to the world."
"That sounds… wonderful…" Himeko said uncertainly. "But… what does this have to do with me?"
"I'm getting to that." Kazuki flicked an ear in amusement. "You consider yourself intrigued by humans, don't you, Himeko?"
"Yes…" Himeko lowered her eyes and gazed at her paws, remembering with embarrassment how she'd wandered into town last night as a human. Makoto had had to carry her back to the pack because she'd held her form for too long.
Tsubasa waved his tail to silence Kazuki; the other male blinked in surprise but settled, resting back on his haunches. The white wolf turned his attention back to Himeko.
"We feel this time coming, Himeko. The problem, however, is that the Himemiya family continues to terrorize wolves." His single eye darkened so it was almost black. "We need a wolf to disguise herself as a human and mingle with them, keep an eye on them as the packs try to come to a conclusion of how to reach this time of peace. We've chosen you." He tilted his head quietly to the side as Himeko lifted her eyes, staring at him in shock. "Do you wish to carry out this mission?"
Her eyes widened; heat raced through her fur. "Why me?"
"Chikane Himemiya is the heir to the family, as you mentioned earlier. She is sixteen. In your human form, you are her age. Don't you think it would be nice for her to meet another girl the same age as her?"
The golden she-wolf swallowed hard, lowering her ears. That actually sounds kind of cruel, she thought weakly.
"If you don't, just say so." Reiko spoke, her voice soft. "We can always find another wolf." Tsubasa glared at the Fifth Head, but she ignored him; Corona nuzzled the other female's shoulder and glared at Tsubasa.
"N-no." Himeko swallowed again, gazing up at the heads. A strange feeling swept through her, an unusual thrill racing through her blood, making her muscles quiver. "I've always wanted to get closer to… to humans," she admitted. "I like them. And this might be the only chance I have. Plus…" She met Tsubasa's gaze. "I want peace just as much as any other wolf. If I can help bring it, then I'll do anything you ask."
Tsubasa smirked briefly at Reiko as triumph flashed in his eyes; the Fifth Head grumbled and looked away as the white wolf turned his attention back to Himeko.
"Well said, young one," he praised. "If you've decided to do this, then so be it." Miyako gently brushed his shoulder with her nose, and he fell silent so she could speak.
"Leave us now, Himeko," the dark brown wolf murmured. "Tomorrow we will make preparations for you to go into the human world, and you need rest. Besides…" Humor gleamed in Miyako's golden eyes. "… Jin has been asking for you."
Himeko perked up at the mention of the young pup; she bowed her head, the shell around her neck gleaming softly in the pale sunlight. "As you wish," she murmured. Slowly she stood, nodded briefly to the Heads, and padded out of the clearing.
She didn't look back.
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Whew... that was long.
I realize in the anime Tsubasa/Miyako is a one-sided ship, but as you can tell here it's definitely... mutual. There's a reason why Miyako's brother is never mentioned.
Corona's name annoyed me. I didn't know how to spell it. According to subs it's spelled "Korona" but when I looked it up it was spelled "Corona"! Ugh, confusing...
Read and review, please!