Until then.

It happened years ago. Both werewolves were tired. When they had decided to leave their cozy cave in order to go with their brave leader in a campaign where the honor of their own kind was everything; they never imagined how dangerous and tiring would be. Until then, the two warriors had never been so close to die so many times in such a short period of time. And not only because those mortal ambushes they usually were caught on, ambushes planned by the monster called Naraku, the enemy of their leader; but also for all those moons they spent trying to catch-up with the rhythm of the fast Kōga and for those eternal days of suffering from hunger. All that would end with them from one moment to another.

Being hungry was the worst thing. Ginta and Hakaku agreed on that. And precisely on that afternoon, their stomachs were suffering while they were trying to catch the air after being running long distances faster than ever during the whole day.

At the end, their leader felt sorry for them (what a weird thing) and ordered them to wait for him whilst he went to hunt. Kōga was unstoppable. And always took the hardest work for him. He cares about them. That was the reason why they followed him and will follow him forever. Nobody could protect them like their reliable Kōga.

Of course... Their reliable Kōga could not protect them if he wasn't with them.

When they detected the unknown scent that was like a mix between something very similar to a member of their own specie with the unmistakable smell of winter and forest, and something more that made them think on an immense field of spring flowers; they were sure... There was only an explanation... Naraku had sent one of his allies to annihilate them!

They will defeat them in a blink! And then they'll go after Kōga! That... They wouldn't let them! They were here to get the back of their admirated leader!

So... Decided to protect him, Ginta and Hakaku faced the forest, looking at the direction they were sure their opponent would come out soon. It wasn't important if they would get killed, at least they'll buy some time... But... As the seconds were passing, their legs trembled more and more. Their firm fists that were prepared to attack became doubtful. Goosebumps started to run down their backs. And their heads were full of dark thoughts. They would never be capable to confront anyone in those conditions. The only thing they'll do is make their enemy angry. And the only consequence of that will be to increase the suffering of Kōga... If now they were hiding behind a enormous bolder while their hands kept covering their heads and their eyes were closed, it wasn't because they wanted to save their lives... It was for their leader's good.

They heard a sight before it happened. Both knew everything was over, but they didn't felt a sword cutting their bodies or a hit that ended their lives, they felt a picket... A what?!

At that moment, they opened their eyes and found a pair of green eyes like grass that were studying their expressions with curiosity. She was a young girl from their specie who was kneeling in front of them. Looking at her they concluded she was younger than a century... Maybe she was in her second decade. Her dark armor was hightlithed over all that black and dark gray fur she was wearing that covered her skin until her neck... Was she wearing boots?... Who was this weird young girl that had her hair tied in two long braids and why was she picking them with a long stick?

She was still pointing them with the large stick when a smile that played to be sarcastic and kind at the same time took place in her face. "Sorry for scaring you, I think I got carried away... Didn't expect you to be so close. Where is Kōga? Do you have to wait for him or do we have to go after him?"

It was true they couldn't act brave in front of the worst monster's lackeys; but that didn't meant they'll be cowards in front of a simple girl. The wolves stood up quickly and crossed their arms over their chests, they gave her their most confident and fierce look they were capable of... The smile of the newcomer grew on her face as she stood up too.

"Scary us? Don't make me laugh! Where you come front, little foreigner? And what do you want from our noble leader?" Ginta was the first to talk while he forced himself to sound demanding.

Hakaku was not far behind. Not leaving her time to answer he continued. "You have to know we are the right hand and left hand of Kōga and anything you want from him, we'll decide if..." Anyway a thought interrupted his discourse. "Don't tell me you're by your own out there, don't you know how dangerous it's this zone? Now more than ever."

"For now I'm alone, I separated from my people some days ago when I detected your scents. The others should be on their way to your cave." The girl calmly answered and her eyes were lost in some point of the forest. "Do you think Kōga will take much longer? I really would like to talk to him."

"But what do you want with Kōga, kid? He doesn't have the time to play with you." Ginta said that but in his mind he was also wondering how much time would taken his leader... He was about to starve to death.

The girl was not paying attention to them anymore. Good, because they were ignoring her too. The three of them had heard the steps of the leader of the werewolves tribe. They kept silent until the voice of the young wolf was heard. "What the hell is happening today?! First, this crazy deer was stupidly aggressive and now this..." The boy came out from the forest carrying his prey on his right shoulder; when he reached the clear he threw his hunt to his peers, and without giving them too much importance he look up to the girl wolf with annoyance. "What do you think you're doing here?"

She was half smiling to him. "What a way to treat a friend you haven't seen in years!" And stepping a little closer she added. "It is also a pleasure for me to see you again, Kōga-kun."

"Kōga-kun?!" The mixed voices of both men that repeated the words with full mouths were received with a dark look from the boy of blue eyes.

"Whatever." That was a growl but fortunately Kōga wasn't talking to his comrades. "What do you want, Teruri?"

The girl's expression became cold like ice, she said the word without a trace of doubt in them. "Revenge."

.

Both werewolves didn't thought they would had to live more hard days like those. But knowing that day they would start a long journey in which they would surely need to run like crazy to keep the pass of the fastest members, they were making sure to stuff themselves with wild pork meat that their old friend had brought for the tribe.

Kōga was waiting for all his comrades to finish, he was sitting with his legs crossed on a big bolder. They were near to the river, outside their cave. The sun position indicated it was near to noon. He thought it was weird that Teruri, the young wolf with short hair that now was distracted looking at some bushes that were in front of him with too much interest, was not loudly complaining about how they were ruining her plans for being so late.

Of course she was angry! But if she openly showed how she felt, she would be in danger of offend her new allies. That was a risk she was not able to face, so by the moment, she just kept smiling when her gaze crossed with others', while she kept taking long branches that she contemplated, evaluated, balanced and threw to the ground.

Mio, the only wolf warrior who wasn't eating, aside from the leader, ran to the girl carrying many bright bottles that he had filled in the river. The kid looked like he was fourteen years old and his dark blonde hair highlighted from the others young wolves of the clan. "Teruri-san! I did what you asked me, everything is full!"

The girl welcomed him with a bright smile... She was capable of hiding her bad mode when she wanted. "Very well, Mio-kun! Thank you so much. Come here, I'll show you what we have to do now." She sat down on the ground over her legs, her back very very straight like she always used to and with a gesture of her hand she invited the younger to do the same. Then she looked through her bag (the one she never left out of sight as Kōga noticed), until she found a little vial that seemed to be filled with a transparent liquid with sweet scent. While she was doing this, the girl kept explaining to the boy. "Now, being very careful, we need to put one or two drops of this in every bottle."

"And what is that to be exactly?" Ayame couldn't hold it... To heard from a prudent distance is useful, but it doesn't let you to admire every detail. Without waiting for someone to admit her she took part in the group.

Teruri didn't seemed to be bothered by the intromission and again, showing off a patience that didn't exist inside herself, the girl answered. "This is nectar from the Nightly Ice Flower, my clan use it to keep the water fresh and clean, it's also good to treat some fire wounds and with its petals you can make a delicious tea."

"Really? Can I drink a little?" Ayame's eyes were exploring one of the bottles as it was the first time in her life she thought on drinking some water.

"Can I try too, Teruri-san?" Little Mio made a similar face.

Teruri had to fight against her own laugh. "Yes, of course you can, but I warn you the flavor will not change... Oh, oh! Drink it slow! That flower is strong for those who are not used to..."

"Is it dangerous?" The young stopped, the bottle that was touching his lips was almost empty. Ayame, by his side, was in a similar situation.

She couldn't hold herself anymore. Teruri loudly laughed. "No, of course not! Do you think I would let you have it if that was the case? I mean, it is poison for weak creatures like humans. But maybe, if you try the tea, you'll get a deep sleep."

The other girl joined to the laughs. "For a moment I got scared, I thought... What a relief!"

Kōga, from his bolder, was starting to enjoy the situation. Even if in a short time they'll be fighting, on that moment, his tribe was calm and he couldn't denied that what was happening between the younger members was interesting in more than a way. He let himself smile when nobody was paying attention.

The blonde boy finished his water with confidence before start speaking again. "Ayame-neesan is acting way too kind, somehow, we all thought you would be very mad because the ceremony was interrupted... Again."

The intense look that Mio received from the girl who had a flower on her hair made the girl dressed on black fur curious. "Ceremony? Could it be Yato and I interrupted some kind of ritual?" Her green eyes didn't miss any expression on her new friends' faces. "Were you preparing a celebration for the warriors?"

"Not exactly... Yesterday we..." The boy tried to be coherent but he couldn't finish. He was avoiding Ayame's eyes.

The female with white fur was showing a wide smile, a bright expression, but everyone could feel the murdering intentions emerging from her. "Sadly you interrupted a wedding."

"Ah..." Teruri didn't need more to understand. The only female who was in the cave when they got here was in front of her right now. "I'm deeply sorry we walked into your wedding, I couldn't know... Your people's ceremonies are very different from ours... I would never know."

Different?! Different from what?! A wedding is a wedding everywhere!! Ayame took a deep breath, she was sure the young wolf wasn't trying to offend her. "Don't worry, it was an emergency."

The girl with short hair wasn't hearing her, her eyes were exploring the tribe. "Can I ask...? Who is the fortunate male who I need to apologize to?"

Ayame loved this kind of question. She adores to talk about her convenient engagement and she would start her discourse on that instant if the answer wouldn't be that obvious. The young leader who was a few meters away from them had the biggest cough attack. To the point some werewolves got so alarmed they stopped to eat so they could see how their leader was crawling on the ground trying to reach the stream, drink some water and save his own life.

"Ah, well." Neither Ayame or Mio knew how to interpret the weird smile that took the face of the girl. "I should had know."

A few seconds of silent followed that phrase.

Teruri was the first who moved. She finished packing all her things with calm, and without a word stood up and walked to the clan leader who was just recovering himself. She offered him her hand to help him up, and even if he didn't took it, he immediately stood up with a smile. "I think it's time for us to start moving, isn't it?"

"That would be good." The girl agreed, and as she followed him who was giving instructions to everyone calling those who would go with them, she kept taking spears and tridents with special designs from some of the warriors that after lifting them on her hands and proving their sharp she retrieved them to the owner without saying too much.

"Everyone get ready!! The travel is long, so keep the rhythm!" The young leader said to thirty eight warriors and many brown wolves that were selected.

"Eh... Kōga... I..." The girl on dark fur was about to say something but he had already run away only a cloud of dust in his place. Time had passed but he was still fast.

A big mess took place there. Ayame was the first to go after the werewolf, and Teruri could tell the girl was as fast or faster than the fierce boy. One by one the rest of the group followed the pair not without cries and complains for having to run in an impossible velocity.

But Teruri stayed right where she was. Yato, her big friend, didn't move either. And the girl after a deep irritated sigh, took a common spear from one of the members who should protect the cave and was close to her; and without saying a thing she sat up next to the enormous paw of the wolf. It was esay to say she wouldn't move from there.

.

Even if the group of warriors were running with all their strength they couldn't help it, the head couple was immediately lost in sight... They couldn't even see the dust they used to raise when they passed.

They were used to that. It was like that to be part of Kōga's tribe. So, as always, they were prepared to follow them through their nose and ears. That way they could knew the direction their leader took and how far he was... More and more far from them... No! Kōga just stopped! Perfect! That was their opportunity to reach where he was!... Or at least to cut the distance between them... But... Kōga started to move again! And this time... Was he running towards them?! Yes! They were heading where the group were! Their beloved leader noticed how hard it was for them!

Or not... In fact, the strong wolf came to their view for few seconds, and after some more he was near to them, but he didn't stop, and he just ran past them mumbling something about 'not believing that big trouble will never make things easier for them', running to the waterfall... Where they started everything.

They stayed there until Ayame did the same thing complaining how one or two words of explanation wouldn't kill anyone; the members looked each other with eyes full of worries, tiredness and doubts before running after the first pair... To the place where the wake up that morning.

And what they found when they finally reach them...

"How is that you don't want to run?! Can you explain us how do you want to do this travel then?! Flying?!" A surprised and very angry Kōga was questioning a stubborn Teruri. She had heard them coming back and stood up (with the spear on her hand) and had waited with a hand on her hips. In that moment they seemed to be in the middle of a hot discussion, standing too close from each other, ignoring everyone else.

"Like you! I don't want to run like you! At your velocity..." The girl sighed and tried to explain herself with calm. "Kōga, you perfectly know there's few people who can be compared with you, with your velocity... Me lesser than anyone. And if you didn't notice, it's tiring to try to follow you... Last time it was terribly and I don't want to repeat it now." And looking away from the tall man, seeing the group who just had came back. "Moreover, I ask you to think about them, I'm asking them to fight for my clan, that they put their lives on risk, I don't want to add the fact they'll be extenuated by the moment the battle start for being running after you."

The expression of the young leader softened a little, but he answered in an arrogant way. "What are you talking about? My warriors are the strongest and fastest out there, they will never let something insignificant like that to take the best of them!"

The girl with green eyes had to fight to not growl at him. She couldn't believe he was so stubborn. She had a good answer in her mind, she was even about to question her capacity as leader of the tribe. But she noticed the joy the clan members had received from the words of Kōga. Some of them were crying already! Teruri decided to make a different move. "Then me! If we do this in your way, when we reach my territory, I will be exhausted. I won't be capable to fight and I'll be defeat soon."

The werewolf with long hair frowned, he wanted to protest, but he didn't know what could be a good solution. Would it be good if he just accept what she was saying? It was true there would be a big problem if the heir of a legendary clan ends dying because of him. His lips parted a few times, but he immediately closed them... Until he focused on the gigantic wolf that was yawning behind her. "That's it!" Kōga proudly said. "Make him carry you! With that size it's impossible he can't follow us!"

"No." Teruri crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyebrows almost touching between them. "Nobody rides Yato, unless it's an emergency."

"And isn't going to your territory soon and to save your brothers and sisters an emergency?" Kōga was so proud of himself. To find such a convenient solution.

"YATO IS NOT A HORSE, YOU IDIOT!" Her growl was heard over the sound of the waterfall.

...

She was finally sleeping! Rin was sleeping!

What a hard work to be sure the girl won't get hurt (or that the girl won't hurt anyone)! In the middle of the forest, in the deep darkness, with a good bonfire as the only light, Keri kept thinking about how to take care of her little friend was easier in the past. She was cuter before... The wolf girl even thought that waiting for Sesshōmaru-sama with the weird Jaken and Rin was fun.

Her back was laying on a tree with long branches that touched the ground and helped to hide their camp. With her hands she played with some rocks. Until she suddenly threw one of them with strength to the dark. A hit and a cry were the consequences.

"What the...!" More branches started to move, and the sound of steps were mixed with the breath of the four creatures there.

"Inuyasha, I told you to hide behind that tree, she knew about our presence since we left." In front of the girl the extravagant monk showed up with a tired expression, he was followed for the warrior with withe-silver hair who always was dressed with that hot red color.

In the hands of the last one he held the little rock Keri threw. Her intention was not to hit him in the first place, but she smiled anyways. "Sorry but I got tired of waiting for you to take care of her. To make it easy for you, you take my place now and I disappear."

"You'd liked that... The problem is yours now." Inuyasha was standing as he talked. But Miroku sat up next the fire and happily put his hands near to the flames to made them warm.

"What this jerk want to say, dear creature, is that we can't force Rin to go back to the town." The monk started to open a package made with long leaves with pretty rice balls. "We're used to this and the best way is to follow this young lady until she wants to go back by herself. Inuyasha, do you want to try this? The girls and Sango made it."

"I thought that was the worst recipe of Sango, are they good?" Inuyasha hadn't moved, and what he said was heard at the same time the young wolf asked: "Are you saying it's usual that she leaves the village?"

The young father was chewing but somehow he answered. "We lost the count, the first week she did this three times. She's very stubborn... Ah... Inuyasha, they're awful."