InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows From the Past ❯ The Wolf Princess ( Chapter 5 )

Scroll 5

The Wolf

Princess

 

The wolf den's forest was a complete ash tray of smoke and heartache. San had only seen such destruction only once before, when the village burned, and her parent's lives taken from her. All was quiet and still as the half-demon stood there the next morning. All had gone fairly well, until yesterday.

San sighed heavily, now what was going to happen to the pack? Would Koga release his hold on her and let her go? Or would he take everything out on her? What was to be done? What could be done at this point, besides waiting?

Then all of silence was broken by a girl's squeal:

“Koga!”

San looked around for the owner of the voice, but had no luck. Soon after Koga came down from the top of the waterfall and dashed behind San, “Hide me!” was all she could out of him.

“From who?” she asked, quite puzzled.

“Koga!” the voice from before was closer, and belonged to that of a girl not much older than San. The hybrid looked up and a girl with red hair, green eyes, and dressed in white fur came walking over the horizon. Her face became awestricken as she saw the condition from the fire.

San stared at her, she was pretty, and she didn't see any reason why Koga would be so afraid of her.

“Koga!” she called again, more worried now than anything. She rushed down and shoved San out of the way. “Koga, what happened?”

“Why can't you leave me alone, you damn fool!” he said trying to regain cover from the cur. “Some demon birds attacked the place,” he finally confessed. “And there were many casualties! -can you please go home now?” he spoke rather quickly, hoping to avoid the girl's staying.

“What?” her green eyes lit up and turned onto San, who stood in confusion between them. She soon became angered, “You!” she pointed and scowled at her. “You reek of trouble! Who are you and what are you doing her?!”

“I'm San, and Koga's `prisoner' if that's what you want to call me,” she said, flatly, trying to get the annoying red head to leave herself.

“Prisoner?” she gazed at Koga in surprise.

“Yeah, so what, right now she's serving her purpose!” Koga glared at the wolf girl. San stared at him.

“What purpose? You told me that my purpose was to find you your damn jewel shards!” she glared at the rather tall wolf that stood behind her.

The girl's fury turned back towards the girl, “Don't yell at him like that!”

“Excuse me! But you were doin the same!” San became flustered herself.

“I'm his fiancé!” she said properly. “I have a right to!”

“Well, then `Miss Fiancé', I feel rather sorry for whoever ends up-!” San cut herself short of saying `with you' on that, but she turned to Koga. “Fiancé?! When did you gather enough guts to ask someone like her to marry you?!”

“I beg your pardon!” the red head snapped.

“I asked her when we were kids! I didn't know she a princess!” Koga pleaded.

“Princess?! -okay, now I'm really lost!” San calmed down.

“Yes, indeed! You are lost, you need to leave!” the `princess' ordered her around harshly.

“Well, ya know he probably wouldn't have a problem with marrying you if you didn't act so `high and mighty' all the time!” San shoved her nose into the girl's face.

“Girls!” Koga put himself between them, fearing they would hurt each other. “Stop fighting!”

“Oh, Koga, your so right!” the `princess' became a sweet nothing of an angel and held his hand, which he, without realizing, had placed them on the girl's chest to pry them apart.

He quickly turned red and pulled away. “Ayame, why are you here?” he sounded pitiful, how annoyingly lovable could a girl be with mood swings like that?

The afternoon meal was very interesting, although not much was said. This `Ayame' person was hanging over Koga like he had just proposed moments before, instead of years. Koga didn't seem very fond of her, although he would love to have that attention from Kagome, why he didn't hold feelings for her no longer was a complete mystery to San.

She was always glaring at the half-breed, the `princess of wolves' as she had plainly stated over again, hardly ever letting go of Koga. She was bound to let go sometime! But rather she was bound and determined to make Koga hers.

San thought most of this amusing, so she kept an eye on them, just trying to make the red head explode again, the hybrid wouldn't have cared whether or not she did. It really was quite funny.

“Koga, I never realized that you had your own fan club!” San joked.

“Ha, ha, ha, really funny, mutt!” he scowled back.

“Oh, look at your little paws!” Ayame talked as if saddened, looking at Koga's feet which had been stained black from the smoke and ash.

“Wow, his paws look fine to me!” San said acting as if she hadn't noticed them before. “If he's been walkin' on them he must think so too!” she smiled daringly, provoking Ayame more and more.

“Be quiet! He's seriously hurt!” the girl snapped.

“Oh, my!” San said rather mockingly in a deeper, dumber tone. “Let's not let the eighteen year old baby go and hurt himself!”

“You're pushing it, cur!” she growled, both were in each other's faces again.

“Good! Someone needs to whoop your butt and put you in your place!” San growled in agreement for a brawl.

“How dare you talk as such-?!”

“Oh put a cork in it, `Your Highness'!” the last part came out relatively harsh, more than the hybrid intended, but she was getting mad as well.

“Why you-!” she snarled and lunged at San, but was caught by Koga's strong arm.

“Cool it, Ayame, you both need to be still,” Koga looked at both of them. To be truthful, the wolf man felt that they were fighting over him; alternatively it was about how to take care of him, not him.

“Koga, you shouldn't be standing up-,” Ayame gave him those big green eyes.

“-I'm fine, Ayame, and if it weren't for San, here, I would've lost more than what I have already,” he stated calmly. The half-breed was surprised that he did give her credit where she felt very little or none was due.

There was a second voice, this time of a young man, and it called for Ayame:

“Ayame!” the owner walked over the horizon of the waterfall, like before. But when he came to their level, it was Ayame who was giving an annoyed reaction.

“What do you want, Hige?” she whined.

“Your grandfather wishes to speak to you,” he said. This wolf was dressed in black fur, instead of white, but also smelt of the Mountains; his armor was worn and only really covered one shoulder respectfully; his hair was black, eyes brown, he was very plain, but decent, and not horrible to look at. His black hair was pulled into a loose ponytail which tapered at different lengths to the middle of his shoulders; it was very long, and his bangs split off center, one half larger than the other. He did have a white, thin headband, much like Ayame's, and the hair tie was of the same material.

His eyes were exceedingly bright for a demon's, and to be of such a common color. His sword hung low, he obviously was not much of a fighter, and its hilt was painted a striped red and black, and was trimmed in a dark gold. He looked like nothing special, yet you could tell that there was something of his personality which most loved.

He turned to Koga, they smiled and gave each other a handshake by the wrists, apparently they knew each other very well, “And he wants to see you as well, Koga.” the boy's voice was not very deep, and it was kind.

“Why now?” the wolf blue eyes groaned.

“He said that it based upon the matters of which only you and he are to talk about,” Hige said sternly. “But we must make haste, or we will have to wait until morn.”

They reached the Mountains soon enough, San had come, of course, Koga said “You're coming too,” so she did. Getting to the territory was no problem, climbing up the cliff sides and reaching the den is what took so long.

When Koga hopped onto the ledge, he grabbed San's hand and pulled her up, she no longer possessed the Jewel inside of her; so no one thought anything of it. Together, they hauled up Hige, and last Ayame.

When they reached the rocky den, all eyes were not upon them, mostly because Ayame, Hige, and Koga were the majority of the party, but those who did stare and question were about San. Even her pathetic ears could pick up that small fact.

This den was much larger than Koga's was, and its guards were large, not just look out men, they were built well and their auras were about to make San faint. They apparently did not like strangers or new comers, and she was no exception.

“Ah! Welcome!” an old, scraggly grey wolf came from the heart of the cave to greet them.

“Gramps!” Ayame ran and hugged him, she had to stoop for he was on all fours, and he did not look as human as most of them did, but not him, and not some of his followers

He looked at Hige and nodded his head; the boy bowed and left them. Koga nodded his head in respect to the elder as well, but held his ground where he stood. San nodded, but not as long or as deep as the rest.

“And who is this you've brought with you, Koga?” the old wolf sniffed the air towards the girl.

“A friend, if you must know, sir, although I would wish stay out of my affairs, with all do respect,” he noted very plainly and stiffly.

The old wolf laughed, “Koga, you are to marry my granddaughter, how am I to keep myself from doing so?”

Koga just nodded again, he knew there was no sense in arguing with him.

The old wolf turned to the cur, “So, child, of what name do you reside under, and place of residence do you possess?”

“San, sir,” she said. “I am of no land, or home, I have no title to say I am worth anything, and I am not familiar to this area, or your customs, so you must forgive if I am to bow.” She stated everything in her politest tone, and nodded her head.

“Well, San, you have very good manners, and you are not of the Wolf Clan, tell me, do at least know of what Clan you did derive from?”

San shook her head, “I am of the Inu-youkai Clan, I am the daughter of one of their sons, Inu-yasha, and of the human Kagome,” when she had finished, several `gasps' and a deal of whispering overcome the crowd.

“Ah, yes, I remember, the ruler of the West, now presided over by the elder son, Sesshomaru, is it?” he waited until San nodded again. “You come from a very powerful family for someone who belongs no to no region; tell me, how is it you and Koga came to know one another?”

“Yes, sir, but like my father before me, and being of mixed blood, I was accepted no where, and here, just recently, Koga took me in. We are `friends' if at all anything,” San spoke very proper to this wolf, although his granddaughter didn't say a word about her being rude earlier.

“Very well said,” the elder studied her carefully, and sensed nothing to be worried of. Ayame, on the other hand, her mood changed towards the hybrid when had said this, and she gave San a gentle smile. “But that is enough for now, many of the young ones are heading down to the hot springs, Koga, I will discuss with you tomorrow about replanting your forest.”

“Yes sir,” he nodded his head again.