Chapter Six: The Past

I think I know

I thought I did

Can you not see?

That this is me.

I learnt to hide it

I kept it secret

And now you know

So lets move on.

In the river they go

And I die by far

Believe my words

If I ever lie. Ara su

"Its nice to be like this, you know. Kind of reminds me of home," Mai said to Midori as they walked in the forest looking for prey.

"Yes, Mai-chan, it certainly does. I can almost hear Ichi-kun going all like 'Midori! Why have you been so careless!' or something like that" she laughed, and so did Mai.

"Please, wait for me!" Takumi yelped as the two females once again had left him behind.

"I love you, Takumi, but you need to go a little faster if we are ever going to get to hunt something" his sister claimed and the collie nodded.

"You know I get tired fast!" he responded, speaking with an agitated voice.

"I know that, Takumi-kun. Listen, we will check further up ahead if there is any prey. You stay here and catch your breath. If we wait any longer the elk I sensed a while back will surely be gone" he nodded, his leader's words plagued with care and love.

The orange shiba inu let himself fall to ground and gasped a couple of times while he watched the other two dogs disappearing into the forest. He knew Midori would never let him alone if she sensed any kind of danger so he allowed himself to relax. He needed to do something about that condition of his or he would never be able to help his pack. Old memories flooded his mind at the thought of it but he quickly casted them away.

Mai and Midori didn't go very far before they could finally see the pack of elks that, in the calmness of the forest, were feasting upon freshly grown grass, confident in their own safety. It was such a unique chance. Without saying a single word, both of them minimized their movements and, at Midori's signal, launched at a sickly looking elk at the back of the pack. Mai opened her jaws, ready to bite the flank of the animal. But the bite was never completed for another dog intercepted her. It was a chocolate Labrador, who had jumped from a tall tree next to her. Midori, watching the scene, cursed her luck.

It had to be a Garderobe dog. Even if they were far enough form their main territory, this were, still, their hunting grounds. The dog that had attacked Mai didn't look too physically strong and the longhaired deduced it was a scout. Garderobe was famous for their intelligence unit, known for being silent but not really deadly. If she could get a hold of the dog he was history.

Mai, who had just been head-butted by the enemy, raised up form the ground to see all the elk running away furiously and a brown dog looking at her in a threatening way. She prepared herself for battle and exchanged a glance with her leader. They both ran towards the Labrador and attempted to bite him. He jumped – avoiding combat as any Garderobe scout would do – and the other two dogs were close to collide against each other. He knew the collie was stronger so, as he fell, he targeted Mai. Midori noticed.

"Mai-chan! Watch out!" Midori said as the shiba inu fell to the labrador's fangs. She let out a faint scream but it was quickly silenced by the sound of bone breaking: the enemy's bone. Midori bit hard on her opponent's hind leg and he, screaming, let go off her friend. Mai ran, far enough to inspect her own wound. It was bleeding quite a lot, but it didn't seem that serious. She could see Midori fighting with the other dog who, using only three legs, was having a hard time keeping up with his opponent. The green eyed was playing with him and the shiba inu knew it perfectly right. They didn't have time for such a thing!

"Midori-chan do it now!" the orange one yelled, and the collie, sensing the desperation in her companion's voice, launched an attack at the Labrador. He evaded the attack and tried to hold grasp of the female's neck. He couldn't. She had already guessed his move and stopped just in time for him to fall to the ground as he tried to bite her. She bent down and pressed his neck as hard as she could with her fangs.

"Takumi, stay away!" Mai said as her brother appeared between the trees, his whole body paralyzed as he saw the battle that was taking place. The Aswald unit leader got distracter by his sudden entrance and it would cost her.

"What is happening, sister?" the youngster asked, a frightened look in his eyes at the sight of blood in his sister's fur.

The Garderobe dog jumped up, Midori loosing grasp on him, and ran towards Takumi, sensing he was the weakest in the group. The young shiba inu froze in fear as the enemy drew near. The collie laughed loudly at the dog's attempt to outrun her. She, without any major effort, caught up with him and made him fall hard on the floor with a head-butt and the bit on his neck again.

"Please! Let me go!" he yelped as the longhaired one added more pressure "I'm just a scout! I won't tell anything!" Bingo.

"Are you part of the Garderobe?" Takumi asked, a little bit frightened at the display of violence. He wasn't one to like such things.

"Y-Y-Yes!" he said and with that he sealed his destiny, with a little bit more strength Midori finally cracked his neck.

"Too bad we had to finish him… He was not even that strong, just wickedly agile" Midori said with a sincere sad look upon her eyes.

"Yeah… But he was a filthy Garderobe… One can't trust those dogs. Not even a bit" Mai said, with an uncharacteristically angry look in her eyes. Midori found it strange but opted out of pointing it out.

"Let's go back, we need to tell the red eyed about this" both shiba inu nodded and followed their leader back to camp. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of unfriendly eyes was watching them from a tree and, faster than sight, disappeared in the foliage.

….

The Otome elite was holding an emergency meeting to determine their next step in retrieving Fuka and tension was rising among them. A week had passed since the Artai had joined the pack and their leader thought it was time for action. Shizuru wouldn't admit it to anyone besides Natsuki, but those days the pack remained still were mostly for her own wounds to heal. It didn't show, of course, but the battle against the Artai had left her in bad shape. Midori would never say it either, but her leg was grateful for such rest. But it was enough; more Garderobe scouts could be on their way as they spoke and, ever since Midori told them about how her hunting expedition had turned into a battle, every dog had seen the urgency of planning their next step. It was Yukino, the dachshund, who had a serious proposal.

"The Okuzaki?" the collie asked, puzzled, as the dachshund continued her explanation.

"Yes, indeed" Yukino answered, a serene look on her face as she stated her point with fierce determination. She may not be a warrior but she was a strategist, and at that she was the best.

"I do not want to be rude or contradict you, Yukino-san, but the Okuzaki are known to be quite harsh to deal with," the Setter added with a serious yet gentle look on her red eyes.

"Yes, Shizuru-san, I am aware of that as well. Yet, you are all in the dark about something" she stopped for a moment and looked into the eyes of each and every member of the elite. They all had the same confused look upon their eyes. Except for one of them, whose expression seemed to be captured in a mixture of surprise and fear "We can give them what they want the most in the world"

"And what would that be?" Shinta asked.

"A home" she finally answered. No one could understand her words, well, except for a one of them who had already wished to disappear from the face of the earth about seven times now.

"A home? What do you mean by that?" Youko added, feeling now comfortable enough to participate in the conversation. She honestly had no idea who the Okuzaki were, she was a medical specialist and her knowledge had found in the existence of that pack its own limitations.

"The Okuzaki were a group of shinobi dogs that served the Zipang, a large pack that used to live in the eastern Garderobe territory. Their origins are uncertain since they are a very reserved group but it has been known that their loyalty to the Zipang was fierce. However, when the leader of the Zipang fell two years ago and the Garderobe took their lands, the Okuzaki found themselves thrown out of their home. They have been serving different packs with no definite alliance… Yet"

"And why do you think we would have any luck in having them join our cause?" Shizuru asked and then, all of a sudden, every dog – and half wolf – present sensed an increasing tension in one of the members of the elite "Is something bothering you, Mai-san?"

The shiba inu moved her head sideways and let out a sight "It's been a long time hiding it, that is all…"

"I knew it form the moment I laid my eyes in you, Mai-san" the dachshund said as she lightly wagged her tail "You and your brother, both orange brown shiba inu, have the most noticeable purple eyes"

"Wait… Mai… Are you?" Natsuki asked standing up, her first time talking in any Elite reunion. She noticed her own actions and regained a calm posture as she sat down next to Shizuru once again.

"We run away from the Garderobe a couple of years ago. Takumi was just a little puppy" her eyes became watery as she spoke "The Okuzaki made it possible for us to leave at the expense of many lives…."

"Why?" Midori asked, feeling betrayed by her own unit. Mai and Takumi had served under her since they joined the Aswald two years ago when Ichiko found them alone in the forest. They had said their parents were killed and that they were from a small group with no name. What a lot of bullshit it had been.

"We… We are… We are the offspring of the Zipang leader. Takumi was the next in line to inherit that post"

Silence.

"Why have you not mentioned this before?" the red eyed asked with a hint of indignation that was quickly erased at the memory of she and Natsuki hiding their own identities.

"I didn't think it was necessary, the Zipang are vanished and we… We couldn't ask the Okuzaki for more than what they have already given us…" she looked to the floor, too ashamed to look at the other's faces.

"We will call that old loyalty and forge a new one in the promise of a new home. The lands of Fuka are vast enough for them to live peacefully at our side" Yukino finally stated.

"I don't know if…" Mai tried to intervene.

"Yukino is never wrong" Haruka declared with a serious look. The alluded one blushed lightly.

"And besides" Shinta added, "If anything goes wrong we have Shizuru-sama and our trusty half wolf. Who could beat that?" the elite, including Mai, let out a relaxed laugh as the pitbull mix made a gentle grin.

"You flatter me, Shinta," the setter said with sincerity. It was a relief and an honor to be held so high by her on elite "What is the next step Yukino-san?"

"The travel is complicated, I will not hide it. The Okuzaki are now located in the highest part of the Northern Mountain Range and the journey from here takes about four days. We would need to select a group of about twenty of our strongest dogs and leave as soon as possible. They will not attack on sight if they see a small group, they will most likely think the reason for our visit is to forge a contract with them"

"Very well, from the elite I want Shinta, Youko and Mai. Midori, Haruka and Yukino will stay here and train, our pack will not be caught off guard again if the Garderobe decide to attack us or Hiro sends another unit in our way" Shizuru said and the alluded dogs nodded their heads. Except for one.

"I will not have Youko go without me. She is not a fighter and I must be with her," Midori stated with a serious look.

Silence.

"I can defend myself if it is needed and I am guessing Shizuru-san picked me in case any of the dogs sustain an injury. I will be fine, Midori" the Border collie responded, a little bit embarrassed by the other one's comment. Midori let out a growl as muzzle contracted to show her front fangs. Youko moved closer to the reddish orange one and whispered something in her ear. Shizuru, the only one that was able to hear, blushed lightly at the comment. The aggressive face disappeared quickly.

"O-Okay… I… I get it…" the Aswald unit leader claimed.

"Now that that has been dealt with. Shouldn't you pick out the group, Shizuru?" Shizuru looked at Haruka and was amazed at how her voice hadn't sound as painful as it had before. Maybe she was getting used to it.

"You are right, Haruka-san. I will speak to the pack later today. You are now dismissed"

…

"Those meetings are too boring" Natsuki said as she stretched herself. Shizuru smiled.

"I know that, my guardian, I was not very fond of them either in Fuka but they are certainly necessary" she walked towards the other one and gently rubbed their faces together as they both let their bodies rest on the soft ground "Besides, Youko said the most interesting thing"

"To Midori? What did she say?" the half wolf asked.

"Something along the lines of: if you do no behave I will take your cuddles away… I couldn't get the complete sentence but I think Natsuki can get the idea just from those words alone" she smiled, a true smile, and looked at the green eyed one.

"Seems they have an interesting relationship don't they?" she laughed, feeling that at least those two would not have a problem if they found out what was really going on between her and the Otome leader "Wish I could have heard that, would have made the meeting far more interesting"

"I am sorry to keep you bored with such things, my Natsuki. But I consider it necessary for you to attend them as well" the setter stated with such a sweet look upon her eyes that the other could not resist.

"As long as I can be next to you I can stand it," the half wolf added blushing lightly at her own comment.

"You can be so sweet when you want to, Natsuki. You make me blush"

"It's your fault, Shiz… You make me feel all funny," the black and white one admitted, rolling over her back playfully.

"How does Natsuki think she makes me feel?" Shizuru said, giggling at the puppy like behavior of the other one. She didn't doubt the half wolf's feelings towards her but she didn't think Natsuki was aware of how strong her own feelings were. In the time they had spent together she had become the most important thing in her life. If only she could retrieve Fuka and spend the rest of her life with her guardian she would die a happy bitch. With the half wolf laying in her back next to her, Shizuru raised her front paw to pull her closer. Natsuki closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the other one's breath in her muzzle.

"Ehm…" a cough was heard behind them and they both jumped as far as they could form each other and looked towards the source of the noise. Had they been discovered? What were they supposed t do? What would be the reaction of the dog that had discovered them in such an intimate moment? "Sorry to interrupt but I needed to talk to you, Shizuru-san… And Natsuki… With both of you"

It was Mai. Natsuki relaxed her body as she had already told her friend what was going on between her and the Otome leader. The setter, even if she was not aware of this, felt her guardian's body relax and that was enough for her to feel at ease.

"What is it Mai?" Natsuki asked, stepping towards her friend. Shizuru did the same.

"I wanted to apologize for hiding the truth about me and Takumi… Midori is really angry at me…" she lowered her gaze and the eyes of the hunter became the eyes of the prey: chased by her own past.

"Do not worry yourself, Mai-san" the leader calmed her down "Natsuki and I both know that sometimes there are things we must hide for our wellbeing. We did the same thing when the Aswald found us"

"And besides… Its not like you are our enemy or anything. We are friends and we will always be" the half wolf added, a gentle smile on her face. Shizuru felt a tinge of jealousy.

"Thanks, both of you… Thanks… I-I-I will be waiting for further instructions, Shizuru-san" there were tears on her eyes and she felt like falling. But she remained strong and turned around. And yet, before she disappeared between the trees she turned around "You are right, Shizuru-san. Natsuki can be really sweet" and with that she left. The other two blushed at her comment. How long had she been listening? They had to be more careful with their displays of affection.

"You and Mai have grown close" Shizuru said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah… She is pretty cool and probably my best friend" the half wolf said smiling. She had never had any friends when she was with the wolves. Those days seemed so far always and the burning sensation on the tip of her missing ear was at ease, still present, but at ease.

"Oh, Natsuki… I didn't think you were so fond of her. Somehow I feel replaced as your closest friend" Shizuru said, half faking half serious, with a pleading look in her eyes and her ears bent backwards.

"I-It's different with us… Y-Y-You know that" the half wolf said as she once again sat next to the one she had swore to protect. The setter turned around and looked deep into green eyes.

Silence.

"I know it is… But I wished everyone could know how much I love you. Be aware that you are not only my guardian but also my mate"

Mate. A strong word that was in their society and Natsuki knew it. She hadn't thought about it but that was exactly what they were. The cuddling, the love, the constant blushing and teasing… Everything. Mates… She nodded, once, twice and felt that there was water at the corners of her eyes. She, the half wolf, the trash, the bastard, the piece of shit, the outcast, the pariah… She had a mate and none other than Shizuru, the heir of the Fuka leader, the perfect warrior, and the most beautiful, strong and kind dog in the world. It was too much to bear.

She cried and Shizuru licked the tears away from her face and Natsuki rubbed her muzzle against her face. It was embarrassing, having so many feelings at the same time. She hated it, but she was grateful for it at the same time. In Shizuru she could trust, with Shizuru she could let her guard down and feel and, most of all, trust. After what had happened she thought she would never trust anyone again and yet… It was too much. She ran out of tears and just remained still, feeling how Shizuru tensed her neck around hugging her with her body. She let out a little laugh and talked.

"Good thing we are both female because if we could have puppies they would look too weird" she added, jokingly, still with a voice marked by tears.

"Ikezu" Shizuru replied and licked, a last time, the other one's face.

….

"I have gathered you here for we are about to make another addition to our pack" Shizuru said to the Otome with a stern tone. She was standing on higher ground, looking down into the eyes of her followers. The Elite was right below her and Natsuki was, evidently, by her side "We are going to request the help of the Okuzaki" different reactions were heard among the crowd. Some were shocked, others confused but most of them were unsure "One of the members of our pack is heir to the Zipang and the Okuzaki will surely bow loyalty to them" she said, without implying it was Takumi. Mai had asked her to keep, at least that, a secret.

"Why have we not heard about this before, leader?" Yuuichi, the orange Kai Inu from the Artai, asked. Shizuru appreciated that he called her leader.

"This information was kept secret for security issues, Yuuichi, and I am deeply sorry I could not tell you all about this sooner. But now I need you to trust me with this. The Okuzaki are strong shinobi dogs and adding them to our lines would be a perfect move" there were whispers again and Shizuru, noticing most of them were positive, went on with her speech "The journey will take about eight days in total and I need twenty of you to accompany me and part of the Elite in getting the…"

She could not finish the sentence. What happened before her eyes was too much to bear. Before she could even explain any detail about the operation, twenty dogs had already stepped forwards, volunteering for the job. She could recognize among them the three Kai Inu from the Artai, several dogs from Fuka – one of them she remembered was called Akemi – and the rest from the Aswald. She couldn't be happier.

"Very well" she said, "Yukino-san will give all of you the briefing of the mission. We leave tomorrow morning so make sure to rest. That is all"

"They respect you, Shizuru, I can see it in their eyes" Natsuki said as the setter turned around to face her. There were fresh tears at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall.

"I know"

…..

"I'm still not happy with you going on that mission without me" Midori said, as low as she could. She didn't want the others to listen. It was night and even if they were secluded due to their status as elite, there were still other dogs around.

"I know, Midori" the border collie answered "But Shizuru-san is not going to leave the pack unattended. Apart from the half wolf, you have to see she counts on you the most" Youko said, knowing that the other one was quite fond both authority and trust.

"Y-You think so?" she asked, with a puppy like demeanor, wagging her tail sideways gently.

"I know so. Now please, I need to get some sleep so hurry up and cuddle with me" the other one laughed and moved closer to the black and white one.

Silence.

"They are like us, you know that right?" Midori asked and her partner knew exactly what she was talking about.

"From day one, dear" Youko answered "And I hope the others are as accepting as the Aswald have always been with us"

"I hope so too"

…..

Morning rose and with it the twenty four dogs – and a half wolf – were getting ready for a journey they knew would not only be long, but also dangerous. Shizuru gave a short speech before they left, thanking them for their trust in her and in her mission. She managed to say a little "I love you" to Natsuki and get a cute blush from her before the travel finally began.

They ran and walked for almost the entire day until they finally reached the feet of the Northern Mountain Range. It was already night when the Otome leader ordered the pack to rest. They were all seriously tired and lost no time in letting themselves sleep. All of them, of course, except for their leader and her guardian.

"Shinta, you are in charge while I am away. I will scout the area with Natsuki and we will be back in a short while" she said and the pitbull mix nodded proudly.

"You can trust me, leader!" he went back to the pack and uttered a few words to them before they went back to rest. One of them, however, just couldn't get confortable being alone, missing the warmth of a certain collie. The setter noticed her discomfort and felt a tinge of guiltiness at having ordered Midori to stay with the pack. Yet, she considered her as her second in command and needed her presence to keep order.

"Need a walk?" Natsuki asked and Shizuru gently nodded as they both began to walk towards the quite forest.

…..

"Natsuki… Can I ask you something?" Shizuru asked. They had found a nice clearing and were lying down close together in the lightly snow covered ground.

"Sure, what is it?" the other one asked.

"Why did you cry when I told you I considered you my mate?"

Silence. Deep silence. And then, out of nowhere, a small laugh was heard.

"Half dog" she said, "That is what the wolves called me. Since I was born not a single one of them called me Natsuki. I know the pack refers to me as the half wolf now, but they don't say it with the same tone the wolves did… They say it with respect. When Shinta said he counted on me… It felt awesome" she smiled and looked towards the star covered sky.

"My father was my wolf parent, his name was Kruger and he was from the same litter of pups as the current leader of the Kuga pack, Kaibo. That is why I am still alive. My mother is a dog, her name is Saeko, and she is a Siberian husky who used to belong to… Humans… When I was born they wanted to put me down so she run away with me… Those humans…" she said those last words with hatred.

"I was never treated the same as the others. The wolves thought I was garbage, a disgrace. I was bullied relentlessly by the wolves my age and despised by those older than me. When my father died it all became worse. He loved me and my mother and he was the only reason why we were still in the pack…Kaibo hated us …"

"Was that why you were exiled?" Shizuru asked, causing Natsuki's green eyes to look deeply into her red ones.

"No… I don't think I'm ready to answer that question yet…" Shizuru leaned and licked her muzzle, as if telling her it was okay "All my life I trained under my father to be strong, to be considered part of the pack… Every day… And yet I was but trash to them. I never thought I would have a friend and now… Now I have a mate. Me! Can you believe it?" She said with sincere disbelief as she looked towards the sky with tears on her eyes, "The piece of shit… The half dog… The disgrace… I was loved by you… I am your mate".

"You are none of those things, my love, you are the bravest, strongest and most beautiful creature in the whole wide world" the red eyed said, also with tears in her eyes. They snuggled with each other, lost in the comfort that the other one's presence gave them. They were distracted, too lost in each other to hear the footsteps that were approaching them or smell the creature that was now watching them.

And then, a sound was heard. Most precisely: a loud growl. They jumped back and tried to locate the source of the noise. It was not very hard. Right between the trees that had been at their back an enormous black bear stared at them with hungry eyes.

"I am not one to eat dogs," he said with a low, husky voice "But times are hard," he growled once again as he launched at them. Natsuki attempted to bite its neck but was blocked by the bear's claws that slashed her hard in the face. She looked at the setter and the sight left her frozen.

Shizuru, the perfect warrior form Fuka, the leader of the Otome, was paralyzed in fear. Her eyes dilated and her tail stuck between her legs as she looked towards the bear. Something was terribly wrong, the half wolf noticed and that, she would find out later, was an understatement. The enemy, sensing Shizuru's fear, laughed and ran towards her.

"Shizuru move!" the black and white one yelled and, seeing the other one was far from ready to battle, she collected all of her strength and jumped at the enormous animal. She bit him hard on the side, interrupting his attack and making him stop on his tracks.

"Stupid dog!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he once again slashed Natsuki. This time it hit her on the side and blood quickly began to flow. She had defeated bears before but this one was the strongest she had ever faced. She focused and tried to awaken her instincts. And, in a split second, the bear was gone from her sight. She turned around and saw the bear attacking the still crouched form of the setter. He hit her hard on the side; she didn't even try to evade it.

Shizuru screamed as she was sent flying through the air by the hit, a trace of blood following her. That was all Natsuki needed to release her full power. She launched at the bigger animal and bit his left eye; she then jumped and attacked a second time to bite the right one. The bear cursed at her and approached her with his jaw wide open. Natsuki evaded him and went for the throat. She held him hard until she heard the thick skin breaking and the sweet taste of blood.

"Let me go!" the bear growled as he smashed the half wolf against the hard floor. It hurt, but it was just what she wanted. She let go of the bear's neck and ran towards a tree. She clawed her way up and held a sharp branch with her fangs, cutting it off. The bear, literally blind with rage, was rushing towards her with his enormous and sharp fangs fully exposed. He let out a loud growl and the half wolf dashed in his direction. The branch entered his mouth and exited through his head, the animal's own strength playing against him. He fell to the floor in a loud thud, finally dead. Natsuki gasped for air as she looked to where the setter had fallen. She was standing there, her side ripped by the bear's claw and bleeding, the same look in her eyes.

"Leader! Half wolf!" she heard and looked behind her to see Shinta, Yuuichi, Mai and Kazuhiko appearing form the bushes "What happened here?" the pitbull mix asked as he looked at the dead bear.

"We were attacked" Shizuru said, suddenly out of the shock "I am okay please take Natsuki to Youko"

"Yes, leader!" Yuuichi and Kazuhiko said at the same time as they walked towards the half wolf to help her walk. She moved her head sideways, rejecting the aid and moved next to Shizuru who, with a poker face, didn't even react.

"You have some explaining to do, Shiz," she whispered and the other one whispered back.

"Yes, my love" she answered, as low as she could. She knew the other one would listen. The black and white one marched turned around and walked next to the kai inu, leaning into the orange one and thanking him. The group began the road back to camp,

"Shizuru-sama, are you sure you are all right?" Shinta asked, genuinely concerned. The other one let out a false smile that the blue one trusted immediately.

"Yes, Shinta, do not worry. I am feeling very well. This injury is nothing to me. Go on, I will catch up with you later" she said and the other dog nodded.

The group, including her guardian, disappeared into the forest. She stood there, feeling ashamed. How could she freeze like that? She looked at the bear and felt herself shiver. Standing there, alone, she could smell her own blood in the beast's claws and realized it was a very similar odor to her mother's own life essence. She could almost now see, in the bear's fangs, her mother's ripped off head.

The perfect warrior of Fuka was not so perfect at all.