Disclaimer- I do not own Inuyasha.

CHAPTER THREE - The Wolf Demons

Karanosuke had been traveling for several days when he arrived at a huge mountain range. He wasn't sure if he was traveling in the right direction yet there was only one way to know for sure. He would have to continue on his current path until he got a clue as to the whereabouts of his father.

"I suppose I'll climb the mountain," Karanosuke said to himself, his voice devoid of emotion.

The boy was following a poor excuse for a path that led up the mountain when he was approached by a strange demon. The female demon appeared to be around the same age as himself however she was several inches shorter. She had reddish brown hair, which she wore loose and flowing about her shoulders, and was dressed in white fur.

"What are you doing here?" the demon asked, gazing at Karanosuke with a questioning expression in her eyes. There was no malice in her voice however Karanosuke chose to be defensive, as usual.

"I'm on a quest," Karanosuke replied. "And this just happens to be the path I chose." His eyes narrowed. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," the demon said suddenly. "I was simply curious. My name is Leara and I belong to the Wolf Demon Tribe. Who are you?"

"My name is Karanosuke," the boy told her in his usual, quiet voice. "And I belong nowhere."

Leara gazed at him, a sad expression on her face. "That's horrible." Suddenly her eyes lit up and she offered Karanosuke a smile. "I know, you can come and stay with my tribe for awhile."

Karanosuke shook his head, confused by this girl's offer and the enthusiasm that accompanied it. This was definately not the behavior that he'd come to expect from the people, either human or demon, that he encountered on his journey. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" Leara asked, her face falling. "We can be friends."

"I don't need friends," Karanosuke said. "I don't need anyone."

Leara stared into the boy's amber eyes, not believing his words despite the stoic way in which he spoke them. Everyone needed someone and Karanosuke couldn't possibly be any different. He was just trying to act tough.

"LEARA!"

"Father," Leara said, turning toward the voice.

Karanosuke also turned toward the new voice and he and Leara watched a cloud of dust approach them. As it grew closer, the dust spread until both Leara and Karanosuke were surrounded. Then, when the dust settled, the two children discovered that their group had grown by one. A tall demon stood before them. He had long black hair pulled back into a pony tail and he was dressed in brown fur and armor.

"Leara," the new demon said. "Didn't I tell you not to wander off?"

"Yes Father, you did," Leara replied calmly. "However I caught the scent of an intruder on our mountain, and since neither you or mother was around I decided to come and check it out on my own."

Leara's father stared at Karanosuke, a strange expression on his face.

"Have we met?" Karanosuke asked, seeing a glimmer of recognition in the demon's eyes.

"No," the demon said finally. "But you look remarkably similar to a half demon I once knew."

"Is that a fact?" Karanosuke asked, cocking his head to one side in confusion. "For some strange reason I get that a lot."

"My name is Koga, of the Wolf Demon Tribe," the demon said.

"My name is Karanosuke," the boy said. "And I'm part dog demon and part fox demon."

Koga smirked. "With a dash of human thrown in for good measure?"

Karanosuke glared. "Got a problem with that?"

Leara stared at him. "You're part human?"

Karanosuke smirked. "You couldn't tell? And you call yourself a demon."

"Why didn't you say you were part human in your introduction?" Koga asked tauntingly. "Ashamed of what you are?"

"No," Karanosuke growled. "However since you're canine, your nose told you that I was part human. There was no need for me to state the obvious."

Leara sniffed. "I didn't even notice the human scent. It's so faint."

"That's because my mother was only half human and my father has absolutely no human blood whatsoever."

Koga nodded. He had always scorned half breeds but for some unknown reason he'd taken a liking to this boy. "So where are you headed?"

"I'm searching for my father," Karanosuke replied, not sure why he was answering the questions of this demon he'd only just met. The only explanation he could come up with was that being open with strangers was the only way to acquire information about his father. "He's a dog demon by the name of Sesshomaru."

Koga gasped at the sound of Sesshomaru's name.

"Do you know of him?" Karanosuke asked, thinking that maybe this demon could provide some information as to the whereabouts of his long lost father.

"We've met," Koga replied. "He's the elder brother of a half demon I was once acquainted with." He stared at the boy, seeing the resemblance for the first time. "I can't believe I missed it."

"Do you have any idea where I might find him? Or his brother perhaps?" Karanosuke asked.

Koga shook his head. "Afraid not. It's been many years since I've seen either one of them."

Karanosuke nodded, having thought as much. "I should probably continue my journey."

"Don't leave," Leara said. "You can stay with us for awhile. It's not like you have anywhere else to go."

"No," Karanosuke said. "I told you before. I belong nowhere."

With that Karanosuke turned and began walking away. The boy had not gotten very far when he realized that the young wolf demon was following him. He whirled around to face her. "And just where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I thought I'd keep you company for awhile," Leara said innocently.

"And who said I needed company?" Karanosuke asked, glaring at his unwanted companion.

"You're lonely," Leara said, a sad expression on her face.

Karanosuke looked at her like she was stupid. "Whatever could have put such a stupid notion in your head? I'm not lonely. I don't need anyone."

"So you keep saying," Leara said, a knowing look in her eyes. "However I don't buy it."

Karanosuke shrugged. "It isn't less true just because you don't believe it."

"Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?" Leara asked.

Karanosuke shrugged, tired of the argument.

Leara smiled at him. "Have it you're way. But I'm still going to accompany you across the mountain, whether you like it or not."

"Whatever," Karanosuke said, weary of the argument.

Leara fell in step beside Karanosuke. "So you're looking for your father, are you?"

"Yes," Karanosuke said shortly.

Leara picked up on Karanosuke's reluctance to speak of his father and yet she persisted with the subject. "Why do you have to search for your father? Don't you know where he is?"

Karanosuke shook his head. "We've never met."

"That's horrible," Leara said sadly.

"Not really," Karanosuke said in a quiet voice. "I've never had any desire to know him."

Leara was instantly confused by that comment. "Then why are you searching for him?"

"Because I made a promise to my mother," Karanosuke replied. "She wanted me to promise to find my father and I did, to give her inner peace."

"Your mother passed away, didn't she?" Leara said, picking up on the slight note of sadness that had appeared in the young boy's voice when he spoke of his mother.

Karanosuke nodded.

"I'm sorry," Leara said softly.

"Sorry for what?" Karanosuke demanded. "You had nothing to do with her death so why are you sorry?"

"It must have been so hard," Leara said. "To loose your mother at such a young age. I can't even imagine what that must have been like. And to have never known your father. That's horrible."

Karanosuke made no comment. He continued to walk along the mountain path, his gaze focused forward, no longer acknowledging the presence of his travel companion.

"Come on," Leara said. "Don't be like that. Have you ever tried talking about your feelings? It helps."

"Feh."

"Typical man," Leara grumbled. "It must be in the male genes or something."

Leara accompanied Karanosuke across the mountain and half way down the other side. Then, when the two children were close to the valley on the other side of the mountain, Leara parted ways with the young boy.

"Well, I guess I should head back up the mountain before nightfall," Leara said.

Karanosuke shrugged and said nothing.

Leara smiled at the boy and then abruptly threw her arms around his shoulders.

Karanosuke scowled and pulled away from the girl's embrace.

"Good luck with your search Karanosuke," Leara said, turning away. "I hope you find your father and I hope that that brings you happiness."

"Whatever," Karanosuke said, continuing down the mountain.

A/N- This chapter was kinda short but. . . oh well. Thus ends chapter three. Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review and let me know what you thought.