"Lady Wolf, Lady Wolf! Lady Wolf wake up, I implore you!"
I muttered and tried to peel my eyes open. Failing I decided to ignore the annoying high pitched voice. I rolled over. Pain shot up my arm as the weight of my body pressed down upon the fractured bones therein and I gasped. My eyes flashed open and my head swam, and still I heard the quiet insistence of the verse.
"Lady Wolf! Are you all right?"
A small hand laid itself upon my shoulder and an ill-proportioned toady face swam into focus.
"Lady Wolf, sit up quickly! Inu Taisho Kaemon and the young master will be here at any moment!"
The little toad was almost dancing in his urgency.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway and muffled voices became audible. They stopped outside of the door.
A strong deep voice rumbled.
"Jaken is the Lady decent?"
Jaken the toady creature jumped and scurried out the door. I struggled to a sitting position, cradling my left arm in my right, just as the door slid open again. A young man looking to be just about my age stepped through the portal.
"Lord Kaemon?"
He seemed too young to be the great Dog General, but you never could tell what some people are capable of. His face was all but expressionless, except for a single tug at the corner of his lips.
"The Lord Kaemon is not I but my father. I am Sesshomaru his son. What is your name that I need not call you by Lady."
I was speechless, how stupid was I to have mistaken the son for the great dog general. Realizing that my mouth was hanging open I closed it, blushing. I moved to stand but he shook his head.
"Your name."
"Uh…Yuri, Sesshomaru -sama."
It suddenly dawned on me; this was the man whose voice I'd heard in the woods.
"Sesshomaru-sama? Did you save me yesterday in the woods?"
He looked at me, no trace of emotion on his face. I gulped and he turned around and left, just as the toad (Kappa maybe), Jaken and the man with the deep voice entered.
"Jaken what is this about her being a wolf demon? She is clearly a dog demon."
"But Milord! The symbol on her forehead! It is that of the Northern Wolf tribe, is it not?"
Jaken was nervously dancing from foot to foot. Inu Taisho Kaemon, a handsome middle aged demon, looked at me curiously. He gazed at me for a moment thoughtfully. Standing beside me at the edge of the bed he reached out and touched my forehead. I pulled away and he frowned.
"Sit still, Milord won't hurt you!"
I glared at the little toad, but sat still as Lord Kaemon pushed back my hair exposing the Silver Star on my forehead.
"So it is. How is it, young lady, that you are an Inu Youkai, an Inu Taiyoukai by your smell, but bear the mark of the Ookami Taiyoukai?"
I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes at the reminder of my shameful difference, like storm waters amassing behind an irrigation dam, ready to flow through at the slightest weakness. I shook my head, trying to avoid speaking and releasing the flood. He frowned and I knew I would have to speak. Taking a deep breath I pushed back the tears, but they wouldn't stop welling up, threatening to blind me.
"I don't know." I managed to whisper before my eyes overflowed with tears and I was reduced to sobs. Lord Kaemon sat down beside me, and for the moment not caring about titles and rank, I cried into his chest.
I guess I fell asleep because when I opened my eyes my cheeks were dry and the Dog Lord was gone.
I got up carefully, because really, I couldn't spend my time lazing about in bed waiting for my arm to heal. I checked my outfit and found that while I retained my rumpled muddy tunic, the slacks I wore were noticeably different. They were a beautiful dark green with bright, red embroidery along the waistband. I frowned at my reflection. Sure the shirt was mine but it was dirty and torn, in fact the whole left sleeve was missing. I certainly couldn't go around in public like that.
I peeked out into the hallway and gestured to a passing servant to come over to the door.
"I need a clean shirt, do you think you can get me one?"
She nodded and hurried off. I sat on my bed and waited for a servant to bring me a fresh tunic.
When my tunic did arrive I was surprised; not one but two women entered the room. I took the shirt and made to change, expecting them just to leave, but they seemed disinclined to move. When I glanced pointedly at the door they didn't seem to notice. Finally I got fed up.
"You may go now, I do not need assistance with clothing myself."
They bowed quietly and left, but I heard their murmurs through the closed door. I made quick work of my ratty old tunic. For easy removal I slit it from hem to armpit and pulled it off. Then it was time for the hard part, putting on my new shirt. I knew that it would be practically impossible to put it on over my head in one yank like I normally would. So I tested different ways.
After many trials and much painful maneuvering of my injured member the fancily worked tunic slipped over my head. I smoothed out the wrinkles and left my room.
A/N: sorry for ending this where I did. On the original document all the chapters were together and this is the most logical place to put a break. *shrugs* oh well, anyway, thanks for reading this!
I will place the next chapter when I get 5 reviews! If no one likes my story why should I post? So please, keep me from getting discouraged and help me get better!
Oh, and I love story ideas too!
