InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Before the Fairytale ❯ Winter Wolf ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 03: Winter Wolf

November

The season's first snow came in the middle of the night. It was brief and only dusted the land with a thin cover of white, giving the forest a lifeless appearance in the pre-dawn light. The wolves awoke early today to get ahead of the storm that will surely follow later that day, gathering water and provisions to bunker down in their warm dens.

Touga awakened to the muffled sounds of the activity above. He gave a big yawn and stretched out. He rested among the group of cubs, they shifted around when Touga roused, only giving low tired moans before they fell back to sleep. Myouga didn't stir from his slumber either, and remained nestled in the folds of the fur of one of the nearby children.

Touga also dressed in the furs of the wolf-youkai; something Bihatsu insisted on, saying that he would be warmer for the season. She had also kept his kimono for safe keeping, again insisting, this time saying that it would stay cleaner if it remained with her. Touga's hair had become shaggy without it being pulled neatly up all the time, opting for a more natural feathered wind-swept look.

He moved off to the exit of the den, next to the opening were several small fur shoes. Touga sat down and slipped a pair over his cold bare feet. Standing, he kicked his toes against the ground to get the shoes to fit better on his small feet. He clambered up out of the hole, his face being hit by the cold wind as he poked his head up over the lip. He squinted his tired eyes to keep the wind from making them hurt more then they already do. Touga had to slide out onto the ground in order to get out of the hole. He pulled himself to his feet, brushing the wet cold snow and dirt off the fur he dawned.

Touga moved down the snowy mound, watching the entire bustle in the community on the hill. Several fires have already been lit for the day, propped above them were kettles or empty spits. The women were placing ice and snow in the kettles for water, but most of the men were gone, Touga guessed they were out gathering the stock of food and firewood that the pack had stashed away the previous month.

"Touga-san!" the all too familiar voice of Hagata rang. Touga stopped and looked back at the wolf-girl.

After the rough start nearly a month ago, the two of them were on vastly better terms now (mostly due to Bihatsu's intervention) and the young wolf woman had soon adopted the formal title when addressing the young-pup. Tomou, on the other hand, had opted to just ignore the youkai-pup after the formal apology he had given.

Hagata was sprinting down the hillside waving her hand to him. Once to his side she placed her fists on her waist, her breath a little short from the running. "Mom and Dad are looking for help…."

"Why do you say that?" Touga inquired in between her breaths.

"A large youkai…is running loose around the camp," she breathed. "It ate a good part of our hoard."

"Is there any idea at what kind of youkai it is?" Touga then asked.

"We think it is a bear," She replied. "Father says that they will eat everything in sight on their way to the mountains to sleep, including whole forests, its creatures, and entire villages."

"Well what can I do?" Touga eagerly responded.

Hagata scratched her head. "Well I don't know…."

"Oh come on!" Touga huffed. "I'm not a weakling, you know!"

"If you insist," she sighed. "You'll have to ask my mom and dad, I can't give you permission to do anything I am not allowed to do myself."

"Okay!" Touga cheered, and started to run off. Then a thought suddenly struck him and he had to run back to the girl. Hagata gave him an inquiring look.

"Which way are they?" he bashfully asked, scratching the side of his nose with his finger. Hagata fell over, giving a loud cry.

*

Touga leaped through the trees of the forest, quickly making progress in the direction Hagata had pointed out to him. He had traveled through this part of the forest before, he was told to accompany a few of the hunting party's outings in the past month in order to get a sense of how the wolves work together in combat. Touga was even asked to join in on the hunt the last few times he was brought along, after an unanimous vote from the wolves to take advantage of the young-pup's natural strength and speed.

He can smell the sent of bear, which is also accompanied with a strong youki presence, nearby. Touga had seen bear-youkai before, some rumored to grow to become a hundred feet in height and several tons of girth; a pair use to live near the manner several years back, but were quickly disposed of by his grandfather and father before they would've became a real threat.

Tekkenga was the first of the two he had found. The Alpha was busy trying to organize the wolves into two groups: one for hunting food, and another to deter the bear from its path. He ignored the small pup at first, but Touga continued to follow him trying to interject his request among his shouting to the others.

"Sokouji!" The large male called out.

One of the other men popped out from one of the bushes at the call. "Yes, Leader?"

"Do you have a report on how fast the bear is moving?" Tekkenga howled in return.

"Yes!" Sokouji jumped out of the bush and pointed in a northeast direction. "It will be on top of us in a couple hours, and reach the den before noon."

Tekkenga swore below his breath.

"I want to help!" Touga yelled once more.

"You're too sm…." He started to yell back at the boy, but then realized whom it was asking. A look of relief washed over Tekkenga's face, he knelt down beside the pup. "You know, we could really use your help, Touga-chan."

"What ever it is, I will do it!" Touga proudly stated in return.

"I have several things I'd wish for you to do," he gave the boy a reassuring smile.

"Name it!"

"Alright then!" Tekkenga bellowed. Standing back up, he pointed to the sky, "First, I would like you to go up there and help us keep track of the bear."

"No problem!" Touga nodded. "What then?"

"Then…." He then paused to think for a while, scratching the top of his head. "Well, then…" Tekkenga paused for a little while more then snapped his fingers, "When I say, I want to get the bear's attention and help lure him to the mountains. But stay out of his reach! I don't want Inu no Daimyou to smite us for getting you killed."

"Not a problem, Sir!" Touga boisterously hopped in place.

"Remember: stay out of his reach," He warned again, this time stressing it. "Bears fight with their arms and their teeth, just stay behind it, and you'll be fine."

"Right!" Touga eagerly nodded in agreement. Before another word could be spoken from the Alpha, Touga had leapt into the nearest tree, and then took off to the air. All Tekkenga could do is watch as the child go higher and higher above the trees.

*

The bear had made much progress in the past hour, gouging a wide arch out of the forest as it fed. This bear was about twenty meters tall, when on all four paws (Touga guessed that the bear is really about forty meters when standing upright), dark brown in color with a black undercoat showing through, and had fangs and claws the size of large stalagmites. The size of the creature didn't frighten Touga, his grandfather was several meters taller then the bear, but built much leaner, and Touga himself was perhaps 2/5ths of the bear's size. What frightened Touga was that he was alone and the wolves are in real danger.

He heard Tekkenga's shrill whistle from below. Touga looked down over the edge of his cloud to the Alpha wolf below. Tekkenga signaled for Touga to land. Touga didn't argue with the command and dropped down below the tree line, landing beside the wolf.

"What's your guesstimate?" He asked the youkai-pup.

Touga squinted back in the direction of the bear for a short while before he raised his arm to point the others in that way. "About a kilometer and a half due that way," He told them. "If he were to go strait, he would miss the den by about, say, two hundred meters at most, perhaps reach the river in an hour if it doesn't stop."

Tekkenga nodded his head in approval to the boy's words. "We can't let it keep its current path. It is just as likely to stray. We need to make it turn entirely north, sending it strait through the mountains to the gully on the other side of the range."

"What's the battle plan?" Sokouji asked.

"We corner it," Tekkenga pounded his fist in his hand. "Then we make it focus on Touga-chan, and have him lead the bear away."

Touga got a stunned look on his face.

"You think that is safe for the boy?" Sokouji questioned.

Tekkenga knelt beside Touga, placing his large hand on the boy's shoulder. "I think you can out fly, out run, and out maneuver that dumb bear in your sleep."

Touga blushed and shyly turned his head away, hiding his face with his hand while he pretended to rub his nose. Tekkenga gave a hardy laugh in return.

"Modesty doesn't suit you very well, Touga-chan!" he slapped the boy on his shoulder. Tekkenga's face suddenly went serious, "But you have to keep in mind that you are not to make a frontal attack on this beast. You let him see you, make him mad at you, but do all your attacks on the side you want him to turn to. He will turn to try and hit you; when he does, get him to run after you. You understand?"

"Completely," Touga peeped back nervously in return. All his enthusiasm he had this morning had washed away, and now he was edgy and nervous after seeing what he is going to be facing.

Tekkenga stood back up and gave the others a serious look as well. "The rest of you, I want you to set a line of cross fire to block the bear from suddenly turning and running in case the boy can not handle directing the bear where we want."

The other wolves bayed in compliance and quickly scattered among the snowy surroundings. Tekkenga rested his hand once more on Touga's shoulder, flashing him a confident smile.

"Don't worry," he told the boy. "If anything is to go wrong, it will be my own fault, not yours."

Touga slowly nodded.

*

Now was not the time for anxiety, now was the time for action. Touga had transformed into his larger youkai form, and from his aerial advantage he could see both the bear before him and the frequent glimmers of torchlight below as the wolves get into shooting distance of the bear. Touga was told to remain behind the firing line until he was given the go-ahead from Tekkenga to move around behind the bear. He nervously watched as the small specks of light moved among the white, heading closer to the bear.

A series of small whistles came up from the woods, it was not the signal for Touga, but he watched as the wolves stopped advancing. With another whistle, they readied their arrows, and lit them ablaze. A loud howl came up from the woods, and instantaneously the arrows streaked up from the evergreens and struck the bear on its left flank, splattering the flaming liquid among its fur.

The bear reared up and roared in aggravation, unable to see its assailants. The moss and junk in the bear's fur aided to the fire on it. The bear rolled around on the wet snow roaring. A second barrage came from the wolves, some successfully hitting the beast in the face.

Touga heard his signal from below and quickly moved around line of the firing arrows. He landed onto the ground in the path that he bear had cleared in its feeding and lowered to the ground. He kept his head low, and slowly made his way near the bear.

Touga stopped, knowing he could make a good strike from here, but had to wait for a second go-ahead to seize the bear from behind. The bear faced the line of fire and started lumbering towards it in a maddened rage, exposing its right flank to the pup; the signal came almost immediately.

Touga rose up from his crouch and ran towards the bear. His acidic fangs sank into the flesh of the bear's leg, burning the fur and fat from its body where the bite was struck. Touga quickly released the bear, wanting to avoid being jerked about and placed in a vulnerable spot, and jumped back, easily avoiding the bear's swiping claw.

Blood and acid dripped from the dog-pup's snarling muzzle. The bear's backside smoked from the flames and its melting flesh. The call to fall back was given to the wolves below; Touga ignored it and kept sights on the bear. An ominous green smoke clouded over the immediate forest, spawning from the acid the youkai-pup had released.

Touga snapped at the bear, trying to provoke it to charge at him. The bear took the bait and plodded forward, limping slightly but not enough to really slow it down.

Touga leapt strait up into the sky, the bear only able to bite at the space where the white dog-pup once was. He fell down on top of the bear's shoulders, piercing its flesh below its massive shoulders with his acidic bite.

Touga ripped a mouthful of fur and fat off as he sprang off the bear's back, taking to the air once more. The attacks seam to only anger the bear even further.

Touga turned and headed east, through the path of downed trees, to see if the bear will follow him.

The bear pursued him for a short distance, knocking tree and rock alike aside in its barreling path, before slowing to a walk, and turned back.

Touga growled lowly and swooped down, nipping the bear in its hind. The bear charged once more at the young pup, and once again the bear ran out of steam after a short spurt. He settled on the ground, and snapped at the bear a third time.

The bear turned to face the pup again; Touga's red eyes flashed angrily at the massive beast. The pup began barking at the bear and swinging his bladed claw attack at it. The streams of light cut into the ground and felled the trees near the bear, scarcely grazing the bear themselves, and only served to aggravate it into a rabid fury.

The bear reared up onto its rear feet and gave a loud roar, the froth and saliva dripping from its mouth. The bear slammed down onto the ground, the rocks flung up to the air, and the ground cracked and split between it and the dog-pup.

The bear charged blindly at the pup, Touga bounded backwards and landed, avoiding the bear as it rammed itself head first into the ground where he once stood. The bear gripped the ground and forced its head out of the hole it had just made, shattering the cold ground and rock beneath its massive claws. Its head came out roaring, foaming, and bleeding from the self-inflicted wounds.

The bear barreled ferociously towards the pup, not even taking a moment to shake off its previous blunder. Touga leapt backwards once more, flying further then before, but the bear this time didn't stop to make an attack but continued to charge. Touga made several leaps backwards, never turning its back against the bear, but the bear continued to viciously charge after the pup.

Touga hung in the air for a moment to find the gap in the mountains where he had to lead the youkai-bear through. The pup touched the ground for less then a second before he was airborne again, the bear still close behind and getting madder at the fleeing youkai-pup. The beast plowed through the trees and rock, leaving a path of destruction and poisonous green smoke behind.

The youkai-bear followed Touga up the side of the mountain, the pup always just out of its reach. Touga dropped over the summit of the mountain, vanishing from the bear's sight. The bear didn't stop, and tumbled over the edge of the sheer cliff. Touga floated well away from the bear's grasp as it clawed at thin air trying to stop the descent.

The bear hit the ground hard, sending up rock and debris into the sky. Touga hovered in the clouds watching the bear out of curiosity; it was still alive! The bear struggled to get back to its paws, but once it done so it wobbled in place dazed and beaten.

The bear sniffed around for the pup, but when it couldn't find him, it was satisfied anyways, and limped off through the mountains for a place to tend to its wounds.

Touga stretched, turning into a luminous ball of light, and zipped off to the distant wolf den to tell Tekkenga, Bihatsu, and the others of his success. He was so excited that he had faced that bear and survived; and not only that, it wasn't killed for its misguided trespassing.

He gave a loud boisterous laugh, which sounded gargled in water in his current state, twisting wildly in the heavens.

December

It has been just over a month since Touga had chased the youkai-bear away. The pack was scarcely able to re-stock their food from what the bear had devoured in the previous month, but they managed to scrape by. The cubs now clamored for Touga's attention, rarely giving him a time to himself anymore. Even some of the teenagers had joined into the gaggle, and typically pull Touga away from the children rather easily. Hagata is the most persistent, though she also served as a means to keep the others away.

It had snowed heavily over the night, the entrance to the cub's den had to be dug out of the snow. Despite the frequent offers, Touga still wished to stay in the cub's den. The cubs couldn't be any more happy about the youkai-pup wishing to stay with them, and the fear they first had of him had washed away from their minds. In reality, Touga felt more comfortable with the children. The teenagers are aware of how old Touga is, via Hagata and the grownups, and understand how powerful he is; they treat him like he was special, making him feel even more alone. But, because he physically isn't any different then what the children are; they don't see him as being older and superior then they are, and won't give him any special privileges other then the frequent trivial questions they ask him.

Touga crawled on his stomach through the hard-packed snow as he vacated the den. It was mid morning; the distant sun flickered through the skeletal trees and brightly imitated off the white surroundings. Touga's tummy told him it was time for breakfast, but with a lack of food being prepared, as it has been for the past few weeks, the youkai-pup knew food would have to wait. The wolves had cut back many of the meals and made smaller proportions out of what is there, so that their supplies would stretch through the next two months. The wolves spoke of heavy storms that come down from the mountains every year and that they plan on hibernating through long parts of the next two months, only surfacing to feed on rationed stock

Not very many youkai were awake this morning, many deciding to stay in for most of the day. Those that were up, tended to small campfires and to the water reserves. Touga treaded through the thick powder down the hill face, making his way to one of the few-lit fires. The youkai-pup crouched down nearby, the woman next to the fire paid little attention to him as he watched.

"So you've decided to be awake today, Touga-san," Hagata was partially down the hill, following the same trail Touga had just made in the snow. Touga turned about and looked up at her as she approached.

"I cannot sleep like you and the others can, Hagata-chi," he responded to her, crossing his arms over the tops of his knees. "I grow restless and bored."

"You'll get use to it eventually," Hagata gave a sigh. "It is normally the first couple weeks that are the worse, cause your body's trying to change to it."

"I never slept so much before in my life," Touga gave an awkward chuckle. "My father and grandfather always wake me at sunrise, regardless of when I fall asleep."

"Maybe it would do you some good after all!" She nudged her elbow into his shoulder.

Touga shrugged, wetting his lips with his tongue before he replied. "Well I don't know," Touga patted his stomach and gave a snicker; "Other then going hungry recently, I have gotten stocky without the constant training."

Hagata laughed loudly and slapped him on the shoulder, "You needed some meat on those bones, Touga-san! You were puny!"

"Thanks," Touga ran his fingers through his silvery mop of hair. "I guess…"

Hagata rolled with laughter for several moments before she finally stopped, after seeing the glair that Touga was giving her. She snapped her fingers a few times, and pointed to him, trying to speak without busting up. Touga only grimaced more.

"You know what?" She said after drawing in a breath to stifle the giggles.

"What?" Touga replied with a sigh.

"You need to do something fun!"

"Like what?" a look of curiosity came into his eyes.

Hagata paused, tapping her lip in thought. "A game, perhaps?"

"What sort of `game'?" Touga reluctantly asked.

"Snowball Tag?" Hagata said with a shrug.

"What kind of game is that?" came his questioning response.

Hagata's jaw dropped, a stunned expression appeared on her face. "You never played Snowball Tag?"

"Should I have?" Touga scratched his head, his face red with embarrassment.

"You're going to!" She determinedly declared. Hagata came to her feet and took Touga's wrist, pulling him up from the ground.

"Hey?!" the youkai-pup wailed, yanking his arm out of her grasp. "What's the big idea?"

Hagata placed her hand on her waist and waved the other at him. "You're going to play Snowball Tag with the other children, and have fun doing it!"

"Do I really…" His words being cut off as she turned her fearsome gaze on him. He swallowed hard and reluctantly followed after the relentless adolescent.

*

Touga knelt behind a bunker of snow along side of Tomou and Genko, two of his six teammates. Tomou was packing snow in his hand, creating several oblong shaped balls. Genko stayed huddled in the snow, not daring to move at all. Touga was on point, mostly because he couldn't properly make a snowball (the girl Genko could make a better one then him), but had good eyes and aim. Two of the four others were tagged by multiple snowballs and were out on the sidelines, while the other two where pinned down near the other's base.

They'd spent the rest of the morning constructing the bunkers that served as the bases, which sat only fifty meters away from each other among the woods. Hagata and Touga hauled up water from the river and pored it over mounds of snow that the children had piled up. Once dried it created a hard, shallow and stable wall against the flying snow.

A cry echoed through the frosted wood, followed by several plops and a yell of "OUT!" Touga peered over the lip of the barrier to see one of his errant teammates pot marked with white splotches, appear from behind one of the bushes and lowly walked towards the other children that were eliminated.

"The score's tied, Touga-san!" Hagata's voice called out.

"It just means that we are even!" Touga hollered back. He crouched back down behind the icy wall. Tomou was partially through making his twelfth snowball and was rounding it off in his hands, while Genko was still huddled in a safe corner.

"They're going to be making their move at any time," Touga told them. Tomou only nodded in return, and Genko gave a whimper. "We need to move before they do, but not so soon as to give our guard up."

"What ya got in mind?" Tomou placed the snowball down among the others and looked back at Touga, clapping the cold from his small fingers.

Touga peeked over the edge of the wall once more, scanning for Jinpikan, their remaining team member among the trees. Touga spotted the edge of the girl's shoulder over the side of a tree. He lowered once more and looked to Tomou.

"I want you to head out to the tree on the far right," He said. "Jinpikan is in the bush by the pine tree. I want you to provide cover for her so that she can advance further."

Tomou gave a short nod.

"Genko and I will cover you as you leave," Touga then said. "Then we'll make our way to the tree to left of you and bunker down there."

"I'm scared," Genko peeped.

Touga placed his hand on the little girl's shoulder and flashed her a reassuring smile. "There is nothing to be afraid of. Those people out there won't hurt you."

"I still don't want to be hit," she meekly whined in return.

"It is just snow, Genko. It doesn't hurt," Tomou picked up one of the snowballs and tossed it at her; it smashed on the ground beside her feet, but she shrieked regardless.

"I don't want to play anymore!" the little girl said between her sniffles and tears.

Touga smacked his forehead, running his hand down the front of his face. "Look," he then calmly said, "if you stay here, and don't move. You don't have to play anymore. Okay?"

Genko sharply nodded, and sniffed back the bubble of snot running from her nose. Touga moved off beside Tomou and wrapped his arm over the youkai-cub's shoulder, huddling him close.

"Alright, here's a new plan," he whispered to Tomou. "I will head out by myself and join up with Jinpikan, while you head up the left."

"Deal," Tomou agreed.

*

"How does it feel to be completely and utterly defeated, He who Slays Bear?" Hagata jeered amusingly before her snow spotted adversaries: Touga, Tomou, and Jinpikan.

Touga's plan had failed miserably; it was a massacre in white! Hagata and her group had dug small trenches in the snow and hidden in them, waiting to spring up at the advancing group. Those of her group that where already tagged out played decoy while the ditches were being constructed. Touga's group only had to stumble upon one of them, and they were quickly tagged out.

Touga was relieved that his father and grandfather were not here to see this defeat; they would've really gone off on the poor youkai-pup for falling for such a trap. Perhaps even gone so far as to leave him out in the falling snow…

The snow had begun to drop from the colorless skies. Hagata and the other wolf cubs looked up to the gray skies with dismay and worry. Hagata had even stopped gloating once she noticed the snow fluttering down through the pine.

"Gather everybody together, we are going." She said. "The snow will swallow us up and kill us, if we stay out here any longer."

The others nodded in unison. Touga headed back to the bunker to pick up Genko and tell her that everything was over. When he got there, the little girl was gone, her footsteps leading out into the woods.

"Genko's gone!" Touga hollered back to the others. Hagata and Tomou were the first to reach Touga's side. The youkai-pup pointed them towards the little cub's wondering footsteps.

Hagata had a look of trepidation across her face. "We have to find her!"

"We all can't stay out here to look for her, Hagata-chi," Touga stood back up, he too shared her worry about the girl. "I'll stay to look for her."

"You can't do it alone!" Tomou cried.

"But I can safely fly over the storm when I find her, and I have a good nose," the pup said in return.

"I want to go with you, Touga-san," Hagata told him.

"It will be too dangerous!"

She gave the youkai-pup a stern glance; Touga quickly bit hold of his lower lip.

"It is my fault that she is out here, and I am not a child," she firmly retorted. "I can take care of myself better then the others."

"I want to come too!" Tomou howled.

"You can't!" Hagata turned towards her little brother. "I want you to go home with the others and tell Genko's mother and our parents what is happening."

"But…"

"Do you understand?!" she shouted, cutting off his response.

Tomou hung his head low and moaned, "Yes, big sister."

Hagata stood back up, nodding towards Touga. "Let's go."

"Yes, let's," Touga responded with a slight sigh.

Tomou watched as the two of them sprinted off through the woods and vanished behind the white trees and falling snow. The wolf cub grudgingly about-faced towards the other cubs waiting restlessly to head back to the den.

*

The snow fell even harder within the first mile they had started searching for the lost cub. Now their visual range was down to only a few meters, with no help from the closely spaced trees and high mounds of snow beneath those trees. The little cub's prints were filling in fast and fade the longer it precipitated. It wasn't long before the winds kicked up, blasting the sharp snowflakes in their faces and drastically reducing their visibility even more.

The prints have long ago faded into the surroundings and the two now relied on their noses to follow the little girl. They continued to call her name in vain, hoping that their calls could be heard over the roar and bite of the frozen wind.

"We cannot give up, Touga-san!" Hagata had to yell for even Touga to hear her over the winds.

Touga had his nose to the wind, hoping that he would pick Genko's sent up in it.

"I know!" he finally called back to Hagata. "I am starting to pick up her sent in the wind!"

"Which way?" she asked, her hands cupped around her mouth to help her voice carry.

Touga pointed to his left at a 10 o'clock angle. "Somewhere beyond those trees!"

The two of them picked up the pace and clambered over the first snow bank. The little girl wasn't there, but Touga continued to charge onward; Hagata was struggling to keep up behind him. He bounded from the snow, clearing several feet and expanding the gap between him and Hagata even more before he landed and leapt again.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hagata screamed, but too late, as Touga vanished over the edge of another snow bank.

"Hagata-chi!" The youkai-pup's voice called up from beyond the white. Hagata scaled over the mound. In Touga's arms was the little cub Genko; her frozen tears plastered to her crying face. The little girl heaved up and down, the only signs of her weeping, but no sound was heard over the howling gale.

"I can't fly through something like this!" Touga called over the wind.

"I thought you said you could!" Hagata angrily shouted back.

"That was before it got this bad!" he retorted. "Now get down here and take hold of her! I am going to transform, and shield you from the wind!"

"Won't you freeze?" Hagata said as she slid down the slope.

"I'll be fine!" He handed the little girl to Hagata once she reached him. Genko grasped tightly at Hagata's fur, burying her face among it.

Touga stepped several feet away from them, nearly becoming invisible amongst the falling snow. His red eyes shined brightly amid the white, letting them see where he was. With a loud howl, he grew several times his size, his body contorting in the bright light into the hound, his true form.

Touga became nearly invisible in the snow. His silvery white fur whisked with the wind and the dark blue marks and red eyes were all that stood out from the white and gray.

Touga appeared besides the two girls, moving between them and the stinging storm, and coiled up on the ground, sheltering the two within his long ivory locks.

*

Hours passed, but there were still several more before sunset was to come. The wind gradually retreated and lulled, but the snow still fell as heavy as it has been. Nearly a foot of snow covered over Touga, but the girls remained warm next to him. He wearily got to his paws and shook the snow off of his fur. Hagata and Genko covered their heads from the small avalanche. He was stiff from cold and stretched vigorously to get the feeling back in his paws.

"We survived!" Hagata joyously exclaimed. She gave the little girl in her arms a big hung. Genko moaned and shied away.

Touga nudged Hagata with his cold white nose, and lowered his head gesturing for them to climb on. Hagata helped the little girl up on his shoulder. She climbed up just behind the cub, and held her close to her chest.

"We're ready, Touga-san," Hagata patted him on the side of his neck.

The dog-pup lurched up onto his paws; Hagata grasped tightly on the little girl and the dog's white fur to steady on his icy hair as he moved. Touga lifted up into the sky carefully, as to not drop them from his back as he climbed higher into the air. Hagata and Genko gasped, both in awe about how high they were.

"I can see the den from here!" Hagata pointed off to the right. Touga turned his head towards where she had pointed. Rather unenthusiastically, Hagata then remarked: "Damn, we're not very far away…"

Touga chuckled gutturally at the comment. The youkai-pup soared through the wintry sky, taking the swiftest passage headed for their home.

March

The wolves spent most of the past two months bundled up in their dens sleeping through the heavy snows. The last of the snow fell only a couple days before, now everything is flooding with spring on the way, and the snow melting and trailing down to the river below. Though everybody was busy with digging the mud from the den and fortifying the base of the hill with stones to block the mudslides, Touga still had time to worry. His grandfather was coming to get him soon. An exact time and date was never given for when he'll be retrieved, so it could be weeks from now or at any moment.

Touga didn't know what he would say to his grandfather, Sukusokubou, when he does arrive. Sukusokubou was the person who left him here without his knowledge of what was going on, leaving it up to Touga's own assumptions and what Sukusokubou had told Myouga the night before leaving them out here.

In ways, Touga was grateful that he was left out here. He had fun playing with Hagata and the other cubs, and Bihatsu has been such a nice person to him. It became more of a vacation, having five months worth of slacking off, other then the incident with the bear and Genko running away. Most of the other things, he would have done anyways back at home (like moving rock and dirt around), but more of it. Touga has grown husky and his hair shaggier; other then the marks on his face, he could hardly be told apart from the other cubs his own size.

Myouga spent most of the past two months away from Touga, where he went it wasn't known. Touga didn't mind the flea leaving, mostly, he in fact expected him to do so. It was only until recently that the flea was appointed as his adviser, and Touga thought he does that rather well. Touga didn't want someone leering over his shoulder, and the flea's sporadic appearance doesn't make him feel crowded or watched.

Touga sank ankle deep into the mud; the heavy rock he carried over shoulder weighed him down but didn't hinder him beyond sinking every other step. He yanked his bare foot from the mud and placed it before him. He tried leaping across the flat when he first started, having to place all his and the rock's weight in one spot in order to even land properly, which resulted in him getting stuck knee deep in the mud and needed to be rescued. After being dragged out of the mud, the wolves told him that he had to walk across one step at a time, even showing him how.

Touga slowly made his way across the mud, handing the rock over to one of the adult youkai, who placed it in its proper spot in the wall. He easily cleared the flat on the return trip without the large stone on his back, and quickly bounded back down to the river.

"We've got enough, Touga-kun," the wolf youkai at the river said once he spotted the youkai-pup arrive. Touga nodded back to him and left just as quickly as he had appeared, turning to go back to the den, hoping to find either Hagata or Tomou to see what they are doing.

Touga ran through the wet slushy ground about the lair, calling for Hagata and Tomou. He poked his head in each den, hoping find either one of them. He asked the youkai where the two could be when ever he had ran into them, some said to ask Bihatsu and others just said they didn't know. Touga knew Bihatsu was back at the wall and Tekkenga wasn't here at this time.

The youkai-pup hurried back up to the wall, where the group was just finishing placing the last of the partition's stones. Bihatsu was walking along side of the wall, checking for holes and cracks that would need to be filled with gravel and mud. Touga bounced off and landed next to her. She wasn't startled by his appearance, but briefly looked back at him and then returned to her assessment.

"Bihatsu-chi," Touga spoke up, keeping pace with her.

"What is it, Touga-chan?" She responded automatically. Bihatsu had knelt down by the wall and was poking her finger in one of the crevices.

"Do you know where Hagata-chi and Tomou-kun are?" Touga leaned over and was peering up to her.

"Tekkenga took them and the rest of the cubs on an outing," Bihatsu turned her head to look at him.

Touga pouted, "Why couldn't I come along?"

Bihatsu sighed and stood back up, Touga also straightened up. She rested her hand on his shoulder, a qualm look across her face. "Walk with me, Touga-chan."

Touga took hold of her hand and let her guide him away. His heart was in his throat, feeling that there is something truly wrong. He looked up at her expectantly in the same manner he does his father and grandfather when they are stalling to tell him something.

"Touga-chan," She finally said. They had walked for quite sometime in silence. She took him out among the trees, believing that the seclusion would allow him to make a scene without being humiliated about it. Bihatsu looked down at him, her eyes showing her concern and her worry. Touga gnawed on his lower lip in apprehension, frightened that there is truly something wrong with him.

Bihatsu took in a deep breath and knelt down before him, resting both of her hands on his shoulders. "You are aware that Inu no Daimyou is on his way back here, right?"

Touga reluctantly nodded, unsure where she was trying to get at.

"Well," she sighed. "The children are very attached to you, Touga-chan. When you leave many of them will be hurt and sad, but they are not as understanding as you are and would take it wrong."

"I know," Touga said in return, sort of relieved that it wasn't wholly about him.

Bihatsu flinched backwards, stunned. "Oh…. That-That's good!"

"I will feel sad too," he continued. Touga looked down to the ground, uncertainty coming over him. "I was taken from my mother when I was so young, and felt bad about it for a long time, and still do in some ways. But, even though I might miss her, I know that it was the way things are to be."

Bihatsu rubbed her hair and promptly stood in relief. "That's great!" She abruptly bit her lip, catching what she had just said. "Not that it is great that you've miss your mom, but it is great that you can understand what they are going through!"

Touga shrugged, "I might even return next winter too."

"That too!" Bihatsu chattered nervously and clasped her hands before her. "Well then, why won't you just head back to the den? I am sure the others would return soon, and I need to head back to the wall."

"Alright, I'll wait there then."

*

The cubs had returned to the den before Touga had. The younger ones didn't say anything to Touga, not even Tomou, when he approached. Instead they shied away and huddled in their groups, giving him looks of doubt and guilt. Hagata emerged from her parent's den, and trotted over to Touga, stopping him in his tracks. Her movements were skittish and riddled with shakes. She flashed Touga a tense smile as she put his arm about his shoulder and turned him about.

"What's going-" Touga tried to say, but the girl's hand clasped over his mouth. Hagata hushed him and pulled him further away.

"Keep it low," She told him just before she removed her hand from his mouth.

"If this has something to do with me leaving…" He began, and once more he was cut off.

"You're grandfather's here!" Hagata stressed.

"He is?" Touga turned his head to the side, looking at her suspiciously. "What is wrong with that? When did he get here?"

"He showed up when Father took me and the others out to talk about your leaving," She said. "Father wasn't able to talk to the children, and his appearance riled them up quite a bit."

"Is that all?" Touga replied flatly. He brushed past her and headed back down the pathway. Hagata took hold of his hand and turned him around, giving him a worried stare. Touga bit down onto his bottom lip.

"Hagata-chi," he softly told her, "it will be alright."

Hagata reluctantly let go of his arm. She clasped her hands before her, sadly turning her gaze down to her feet. Touga leaned forward and wrapped his arms about her waist, the best he could manage being so much shorter then she is. Hagata pulled his head to her chest, rubbing him across his shoulders with her other.

"Don't be sad, Hagata-chi," he whispered. "I will miss you also, but I will come back."

Touga slipped from her grasp, taking several steps back, giving her a reassuring smile. He turned about and started to jog towards the den, his steps hesitating to a walk as he approached. He heard the voices talking within; his grandfather was there, as was Myouga.

Touga edged ever so slowly to the entrance and turned his head to peer inside. His grandfather had his back towards the hole, looking towards Tekkenga, who sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Touga-sama!" Myouga cried when he spotted the youkai-pup in the doorway, and hopped down from Sukusokubou's pelt to the boy.

Sukusokubou looked over shoulder to him. Touga reluctantly stepped into the doorway, shying his eyes from the elder youkai-lord. Sukusokubou laughed, amused by the boy's current façade; Touga's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Well look at you!" Sukusokubou said with a laugh. "I could hardly recognize you, Touga-kun!"

"He may have changed in appearance, but he's just as fiery as ever, Inu no Daimyou!" Myouga jested. Touga became redder with embarrassment.

"Come forward, Touga-kun," Sukusokubou said benevolently, waving to the boy, motioning him forward; Touga only inched further in.

"I don't bite," Sukusokubou scowled. He reached under his armor and fur; "I actually have something for you, Touga-kun."

Touga perked up, getting to his tiptoes to see what his grandfather was pulling from his breastplate. It was bundled in a scarlet red cloth, or so he thought so. Sukusokubou unfolded the cloth to show that it was a shirt, and folded inside of that was a white kimono and a matching red pair of pants.

Touga slouched back down, disillusionment coming over him. "It's clothes…"

"I had this special ordered to be made for you, Touga-kun," Sukusokubou retorted, scrunching up his nose. "It's made from the fur of the Fire Rodent. If you don't want it…"

"I'll ware it!" Touga squeaked. "I just never had something made out of…mouse."

"Not just any mouse, Touga-sama!" Myouga fervently spoke up, hopping up and down on the boy's shoulder. "Garments made of Fire Rodent's fur are said to be stronger then steel, naturally regenerative, acid and fire resistant, and highly flexible and light!"

"Aye, you should feel honored to get such a gift, Touga-chan," Tekkenga agreed. "It will be better then wearing fur."

"But it is fur…" Touga moped.

"But better!" Tekkenga cheered.

Sukusokubou let out a loud laugh once again. He leaned over and dropped the clothing on top of Touga's head. Touga yanked it off of him and held the shirt up; the garment came down to his knees. "It's a little big, Grandfather."

"It's adjustable," he flatly told him. "Now, hurry up and get dressed! We've got places to go."

"Where are we going?" Touga asked as he was pulling off the fur he wore.

"You'll see when we get there," Sukusokubou sighed.

Touga dropped the coat to the ground, "You aren't going to leave me stranded somewhere again?"

"No," the old lord brashly answered. "Honestly, this time you'll be coming home with me."

"You aren't lying to me again?" Touga groused, tugging on the collar of the white under shirt. "I'll walk come if I have to, if you do."

"I won't leave you, Touga-kun," he stressed this time.

"Promise?" Touga looked up with his wide soulful eyes.

Sukusokubou ran his finger across his chess in an "X" "I promise I won't leave you."

*

The clothing was light, as Myouga said it would be, and breathable. The excesses of the shirt and slacks were tucked in and held in place with a red tie wrapped about his waist. Touga also was given a pair of fitted shoes to ware as well, taking into consideration of the weather being cold and damp in this time of year. His hair was again tied back in a neat tail on the top of his crown, but was longer then before due to the months with out a trim.

Myouga was perched on Touga's shoulder as he exited the den. The children nearby gave him suspicious looks, not recognizing him at first glance. Hagata was the first to approach, but she stopped cold in her steps as Sukusokubou emerged from the den behind the youkai-pup. The wolf-girl hesitated, taking a step back, her eyes looking up past the boy to the youkai-dog lord, then over to her own father Tekkenga as he followed Sukusokubou out.

"Touga-kun," Sukusokubou spoke softly, leaning over slightly towards the boy. "Don't you have something to say?"

Touga took in a deep breath, holding his hands together before him. He looked up at the children, and then to Hagata herself, giving them a melancholy smile. Sukusokubou eyed him with an expectant stare, folding his arms across his armored chest.

"I had fun," Touga started, he wet his lips fighting the urge to gnaw on them. "After the shaky welcoming had passed, you let me stay with open arms as one of you…" He lowered his head, bowing slightly towards them, "I am happy and honored to have spent this time with you."

"Don't go, Touga," Genko's squeaky little voice called, followed by a couple other cubs asking the same.

"I have to go," Touga reluctantly admitted. "But I hope I can come back…."

"And you will!" Sukusokubou boldly pointed. "Next year."

Touga looked back at his grandfather with relief and delight. The cubs squealed in joy and crowded around Touga, taking hold of him in embrace. Hagata wiped the sniffles from her nose, a pleased grin coming to her as she watched on, the sorrow of him leaving replaced with the certainty of his return.

Touga did return the following year, as his grandfather had promised, and even showed up in the springtime and stayed for the summer in years succeeding that. As the years turned to decades and the children became older, Touga too slowly aged. Sukusokubou and Hakkouga had finally butted heads with one another and Touga refused to side with either one of them had left them both, taking Myouga a long with him. After Touga's relationship with his grandfather and father had finally fallen through, he began to come to the tribe on his own accord, making frequent visits through out the year, lending his hand out in friendship. He spent what time he could with the wolves, but as the friends he knew when young grew old and began to pass, he knew that it was time for him to sever his ties with the wolf-tribe and start a new period in his life.

He will miss his friend Hagata most of all. He will always love her, from afar.

Chapter 03: Winter Wolf

Author: L. D. Pickerill a.k.a. Myu2k2

Date: Thursday October 28, 2004.