InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Last of the Wilds ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter3:

 

Kouga looked around suspiciously; the dens were fine, and the wolves he saw looked fairly healthy (though skinnier than his own). There was no scent of sickness, and he could smell yesterdays kill.

What is this all about? He asked himself as Ginta and Hakkaku walked closely behind him.

The male wolf demon continued gracefully in front of Kouga and eventually stopping at a particularly large tree that had rooted into the ground through cracked boulders.

“Wait here.” The man said, entering a small opening between the tree and a boulder. Not long after, he walked out, scratching his head.

“She's not here, Takeshi.” Said a raspy and elderly voice.

“It's the elder.” Stated Hakkaku. The four of the wolf men turned their heads to face the approaching elder.

“Where is she then?” the male wolf asked.

“She's out with Makoto, hunting. She didn't want our guests going hungry.”

The man, Takeshi, gave a scoff. “When do you expect their return?” he said with a half smirk and crossed arms.

Almost as if on cue, a feminine voice was heard from afar.

“Talking trash while we were gone, Takeshi?” asked a tall, slender young woman. She wore the traditional wolfen pelt, with light grey bordering white. Her hair was short, and pulled back into a small rattail. She stood with her hands on her hips with a smile from ear to ear.

“Yeah,” replied Takeshi, “what took you so long?”

“Is that the Alpha?” Ginta asked quietly.

“No, that's Makoto; our Beta female.”

“This is what took us so long.” Called another voice; soothing yet strong. Another figure approached the edge of the cliff; a slightly shorter woman holding a large buck over her shoulders.

“That's our Alpha.” Takeshi said quietly.

At first glance, Kouga felt an all-too-familiar presence. Kago-…no…He thought, quickly clearing his mind of the thought.

“I hope you guys are hungry.” She said with a smile, climbing her way down the cliff, the other one trailing behind closely.

“Are we ever!” complied Hakkaku, poking his head around Kouga, who seemed hardly interested. The woman dropped the buck gently down to the ground and stood straight in front of her guests.

“Gee, I knew he was young, but I didn't think he'd be this good looking.” Makoto whispered with a giggle to the woman beside her. Rei let a faint smile emerge, but held her professionalism.

In comparison to Makoto, she was shorter and curvier. Her brown hair didn't glisten as much where she stood, as to when she was on the cliff, but it looked just as well. It was half-pulled back in a braid, leaving her pointed wolf ears exposed behind straight bangs that lay across her forehead. Her eyes were a golden brown, enclosed by a ring of black around the edge of the iris.

“I'm so glad you could make it, Alpha Kouga. I'm Rei, the Alpha female of the Northern-” She said calmly, regardless of being cut short.

“Just Kouga.” He said, almost coldly. He didn't know why he was so bitter at the moment; it wasn't like she did anything to offend him. It's just her hair…Kouga thought, She looks nothing like Kagome. No comparison.

Whether he meant it or not, she got the hint; he clearly wasn't happy to be here.

Fine, lets get this done and over with.

“You're here to clarify your decision about merging our clans.” She started, “and I understand perfectly. I would want the best for my pack, which is why we are totally open to anything you want to know.” She looked straight into his eyes; she held a firm stare.

She knew this wasn't going to be fun; she hated doing this, dealing with the alpha from another pack, another family. She realised the dignity she was losing, and already lost. But this was for her tribe; they needed the help.

There was definitely tension, Ginta and Hakkaku felt it as though it were pinching at their bare arms. There were unsteady eyes in the northern pack aswell. Makoto and Takeshi stood their, feeling useless and awkward.

“So…let's get that kill to the pit, shall we?” Makoto spoke up, nervously. Ginta and Hakkaku emerged from behind Kouga, who was still in an intense, silence battle with Rei, to help Makoto with the dear.

“We can discuss this further over a good meal. I'm sure you and your men have had a long journey up here?” cleared her throat; the last thing she needed was to get on the bad side of the very person she needed help from.

“Nothing we couldn't handle.” He stated as the two started behind their pack mates.

 

The meal wasn't spectacular; it wasn't anything Kouga hadn't had before. The meat was a little stringy; he figured it was because the buck had matured a bit too much to be prime.

You're just picking now… said a voice in the back of his head, For god's sake, give them a chance.

He looked at Ginta and Hakkaku; they never looked happier. He turned his head to Takeshi and Makoto; they were content, enjoying what was left of the meal.

So what was so wrong?

He looked at the elder and Rei; what were they? They had little meat in front of them. They hadn't really eaten anything.

He looked away; it wasn't exactly pity he felt, it was something slightly deeper. He couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly, but it made him drop his tense shoulders and let the blood flow easier to his head, to his heart.

What was he doing? Why all this bitterness? He closed his eyes. She reminds me…the voice in his head didn't say it; `of Kagome', `of the times where I was younger and foolish', `of the time I spent away from my family', `of the time I wasn't there for them after such a great loss'.

It hit him around that same time; it occurred to him that his loss was her loss. Through her contemplative, mournful eyes shone a vision of himself.

How could I have been so blind? He thought. How blind indeed; how blind to not see that it was only himself he was bitter to, only himself he had yet to forgive.

Perhaps, he thought, Through this, they will forgive me…

Without realising it, Rei and the elder had left momentarily from the circle of wolf demon, who seemed to be mingling nicely.

Kouga looked and stood up; this needs to be dealt with…

Rei, talking with a group of other female wolves, turned a quick glance in his direction with bright, fiery eyes that drove an arrow through Kouga's chest.

It wasn't an angry glance, nor was it happy; it was just a moment in time that stole the very breath from Kouga's throat.

“Rei.” He called quietly.

“Excuse me,” She said to the group of wolves that surrounded her, “yes?”

“I need to talk to you…about the merge.” Kouga said, feeling slightly awkward standing in front of the females, who seemed to ogle him for a bit too long.

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Turning her head back to her pack mates, she gave a faint smile and whispered, “Resume your posts.”

As the women went off with smiles, Rei made off in Kouga's direction.

“There's a lot to discuss,” Kouga started.

“Yes, I realise that, and I'm going to make this quick,” she turned her eyes away from him for a moment, “If this merge does fall through, I'm willing to give up our territory to you and your pack.”

He could see on her face that she hated this.

“When our rightful Alpha left, he expected to bring back power and dignity to the Northern tribe. He took with him our men, our finest soldiers and stronghold.”

There it was again; the guilt that tore at Kouga's heart. She looked up at him with those same fiery gold brown eyes; it was like he could see his men being slaughtered within the reflection. He looked away from here. He crossed his arms and cleared his throat.

“You and your pack are strong…You have order again.” He felt the need to comfort her, comfort himself.

“Kouga…we have no pack left.” Her voice quivered slightly, “Our previous Alpha took everything, leaving behind all our women. Don't get me wrong, they're strong, yes, but we are left to do everything. Although we have few pups, we have the elders. Our numbers are dwindling; roles and responsibilities like these are too much for our now very small pack.”

“I'm sorry.” He blurted out, looking back at her with blue eyes like calm waters. She stopped and stared for a moment. She was thrown off; an apology? There was remorse in his eyes, a remorse that made Rei feel not so alone.

“You and I…We're…” going through the same thing… she started, but couldn't seem to finish, “I didn't mean to-”

“No,” Kouga interrupted, “I understand…and I'm willing to help.”

Another shock; Rei could feel the ice that surrounded her melt. She felt a smile grow on her face, she felt like jumping on Kouga and squeezing the life out of him.

“Kouga,” she said quietly with the biggest smile, “You have no idea how much I appreciate this. We're in your debt.”

Things are finally going to get better.