InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kouga's Cub. ❯ Of Infants and Wolves ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Kouga's cub.
Author: Duske
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: None in this chapter.
Genre: Slight AU
Spoilers: None
Chapters: Prologue of ?
Disclaimer: Everyone that's in this fic that I did not create belongs to their rightful owners, I do not claim ownership of them. :)


Prologue


Carved out in the east wall of the main den, a fire crackled in it's stone hearth. Light bounced and danced over the cut surface, distorting shadows, and making monsters out of wolves. It was warm in the cave, though the warmth had a hard time cutting away the bitter chill of the brisk early winter night. Outside, stars twinkled in the ink of the night sky, the dead arms of trees reaching towards the Heavens, groaning as the wind huffed through them.

In the middle of the elusive den, three figures huddled around a small bundle of furs, silence on each set of lips. Every now and then, a muted grunt or strained cry cut the murmur of the fire. A fist, tiny in it's premature state, escaped the warm wraps, waving in a small arc before falling back to its body. Little feet kicked once, paused, then twice inside of the wrap.

"I don't know.." Ginta spoke up in a quiet tone. "We aren't prepared to keep a cub. Who's is it anyway?" He cut his hazel eyes up to his pack leader. "What happened?"

Kouga folded his legs, resting his elbows on his knees. "I was heading up to the western edge of our border early this morning. Just checking my markers. I had taken the human road because it was easier than traveling over frozen ground at a slower pace." He reached down, plucking at the furs for a moment before pulling his hand away. "Anyway, I was just coming over a rise in the road and here comes this female, storming towards me. I had a feeling if I hadn't gotten out of the way, she would have plowed right into me. Before I could open my mouth and ask her what the hell her problem was, she shoved that bundle into my arms and said, "Find Sesshoumaru." I asked her why. She spat at the cub I was holding and said that he was this bastards father, and something about how she wasn't surprised that such insignificant blood couldn't stay in full term."

Ginta shifted, a grimace on his face. "So then what happened?"

"Well, she told me that I could either take it to it's father, kill it and eat it, or dash it into a boulder. She said if I didn't do it, she would. I didn't know what to do other than stand there looking like a fool."

"What kind of female was she? Human or youkai?" Hakkaku asked, leaning in close to Ginta. He watched the small movements within the furs.

"She was youkai. Wolf, like us. That's what surprised me. I've never even seen her before today. She must be from the southern tribe." He let out a quick gust of breath. "She was meaner than hell. I could smell the hate boiling off of her."

"So.." Ginta said slowly. "She must have had a baby with Sesshoumaru.. do you think he knows about it?"

"I don't know." Kouga said. "Surely if he was expecting a pup, he'd be there."

"But she said it was early." Ginta said. "If it's early, then he would have no reason to be searching for it yet."

The wolf leaders brows shot up. "That's true. He would come when he expected it due. I'm wondering, though.. why didn't he just take her as a mate? Why was she so pissed off?"

"Well.. maybe he had a contract with her to get an heir?" Hakkaku said. "Especially if the council of Taiyoukai were pushing him for an Heir to the western lands."

Kouga lowered his head, shaking it as he once again gazed at the wrapped cub. "A bunch of nonsense if you ask me. Cubs come after you chose a mate, not when you form a contract. Besides, he doesn't even know how to care for a baby, I'd bet."

"Kouga?" Ginta's voice held slight alarm. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, the female was wolf! So it's part wolf!" The leader said in a defensive tone.

"And dog, too, look, if Sesshoumaru finds out we have something of his, he'll kill us!" Hakkaku cried out softly. "The least we can do is make sure we deliver it!" He leaned over, taking Kouga's arm, gasping softly as it was pulled from his fingers sharply. "Have you even seen the babies face, Kouga? Do you even know if it's a boy or girl? No!"

"Because you've kept it bound up all day!" Ginta finished. "Has it even had a feeding? We have no milk!"

"Then get a goat!" Kouga barked. He didn't mean to form a bound with the infant, but carrying the cub close to his chest while he finished his rounds had softened the wolf's heart. At first, he half-heartedly looked for a place to dump the child, but the soft coos and purrs made it harder for him to put it down to die. "Get a goat." He said, softening his voice and lifting the bundle to him. Slowly, he pulled the furs from the infants face.

Once the cloudy blue eyes adjusted to the dim firelight, the babe made a soft gurgling noise. Kouga opened the furs completely, smiling softly. It was a male cub. He had a heart shaped face with a headful of snowy white hair. Newborn eyes unused to adjusting to sight, crossed as he tried to focus on Kouga's face. He was small, painfully tiny, born in the seventh month of gestation, but the wolf leader knew a fighter when he saw one.

"It is Sesshoumaru's." Ginta whispered, trying to keep the moan of worry out of his voice. "See?" He pointed at a barely visable mark on the baby's forehead. "It's very diluted, but there's the crest."

"Look, and he has a little stripe on each side of his face. See?" Hakkaku said. "We're going to get killed over this baby, we can't keep him, Kouga. Please think this over." He lifted his eyes, exchanging a glace with his other beta packmate.

"Sesshoumaru doesn't understand pack mentality." Kouga replied stubbornly. "He keeps a human girl and an imp with him for company. He'd only pass it on to them. It's wolf, part anyway, and he deserves a life with his wolf brothers." He paid no mind to the exasperated noises his own two packmates made.

"Hakkaku. I need you to hunt tonight. Find a large quarry, but I wouldn't be apposed to the pelt being white." Kouga said, holding the child on its back in the palm of his hand. "He's a prince. He will wear the white furs of the clan to let others know."

"Kouga." Ginta said. "Please.. please think this over. You don't know what you're getting yourself into.. this is dangerous, please.."

"I know what I'm doing. Ginta, go to the human village. If you can't barter for a goat, then take one. He'll die soon if he isn't fed. I'll keep the fire going, don't be too long." He ordered quietly.


~~~~~~

Kouga held the baby in the crook of his left arm, his own chin resting against his chest as he napped near the fire. He awoke with a loud snort, jerking his head up as Ginta came in with a rather large, ornary nanny goat. The alpha male watched with masked amusement as his beta drug the beast in by it's horns, the animal balking every step of the way. "I see you got a good healthy one. Does she have milk?"

Ginta turned unamused eyes to his leader before dropping them in respect. "She has milk. Her babies should be due anytime, too. You won't believe what I had to do to get her." He groused lightly. Kouga only chuckled as the wolfling tied the nanny up. "Did you bring her any hay?" Ginta's shoulders fell. "Hay?"

"Goats have to eat."

"I know that, but I didn't..."

"Don't worry, you two will graze her twice a day. There's enough grass out there for her to winter graze."

"Can't Hakkaku do it? He likes animals."

"You'll both share or I'll toss you off the cliff." An idle threat, both knew.

Ginta let out a tired huff as he dropped next to his leader. He leaned over, peering at the baby. "We should feed it now.."

Kouga held up his right hand. "Look.. I figured we could use this." 'This' was a large piece of leather, wrapped up and tied at one end to allow a small hole in one corner. It had a hole at the top where it was tied to allow milk to flow through when they milked the goat, and the cub could nurse at the pointed end. "We'll put a little in and see what he does. Do you mind?" He wagged the pouch at his packmate.

With a sigh, Ginta took it, sending a sour look at Kouga. "Now I have to milk it too, huh?"


Author's note: I'm sorry this is a short prologue. I have a history of revamping, so I'll probably have a larger version out in the future. Reviews will be great! Flames, however, will be posted on my website for all to laugh at. Flamers will be fed to my Sister. She eats them for breakfast, I just provide the bowl.