As you will see in this chapter, I have given the wolves that the wolf-demons run with the ability of mindspeech, much as you might have seen it relayed in Mercedes Lackey’s books. I utilized her format for this, as its really the simplest, and easiest to convey.

I chose to do this for a number of reasons, the main one being that I did not want to use the inu-or wolf-languages that are prevalent in fanfiction. In canon, we see Kouga speak with wolves, and I’m using a bit of poetic license for the interpretation of HOW he speaks with them. To be honest I didn’t want to try and make them speak with yips and barks. :P However, I think it is an acceptable method for the wolves, and those with power over them, to converse, as well as adding a depth to the wolves which we don’t often get to see. We’ve seen how demons are inherently magical creatures, so it stands to reason (at least MY reasoning) that they would have this ability as well.

As well, I’ve sort of made up the societal construction of the wolf-demon tribes, hoping that it makes sense. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget the Elders…but they’ll come in later.

For form’s sake:

:Mindspeech.:

Internal Dialogue

I hope you enjoy!

-Ash

---

He watched her as she slept. It seemed as if he had always been watching her in one way or another, so this vigil wasn’t any different.

Except it was.

She had never been so still, had never looked so pale whenever he had sought her out before. Always, she was full of life, of vitality, of a constant bubbling energy that made you want to hug her, hold her, and smack that silly grin off of her face all at the same time. But now….

Now…she looked frail, broken in more ways than simply the bones of her leg. It almost seemed as if she wasn’t really there at all, but somewhere away, to return soon, laughing and talking like before. He almost wished that were the case. He could hear her breathe, could hear the slow but steady rhythm of her heartbeat; she should have awakened by now. But no…it hung on, this shell of her, to life, keeping the body in his trust until the soul returned.

He reached out and tucked the furs tighter to her chin, thinking perhaps the chill and damp of the cave would harm her further.

:You coddle the bitch.:

Glancing back towards the mouth of the cave, Kouga pinned a glare at the large silver wolf taking his ease in the doorway, tail curled demurely around his feet.

:Gin. You intrude.: He let his mindvoice tinge with firm annoyance and command, willing the wolf to go elsewhere. He didn’t want Kagome waking to the wolves, didn’t want her to panic when she woke; though truth to tell, he wasn’t really sure why she would, but…well…he fretted.

:Again, brother. You coddle the bitch.: The wolf whuffed what could have been a laugh and leaned forward, stretching first and then turning to lie down on the cool stone floor of the cave. :She is past losing, brother. Cease your worry.:

Kouga grumbled irritably, whether at the wolf’s annoying habit of ignoring his requests or at the pointed reminder of his own fussing, he wasn’t sure. Gin was the oldest of the wolves who followed him, and perversely the least attentive of them all. Granted, there were only the four who followed him closely, and all of them were a tad….eccentric, but Gin was the worst of the lot.

Each of the wolves within the tribe “belonged” or followed a chosen wolf-demon. The choosing held little structure to it, since the wolf-demon could choose a wolf to follow him, or simply accept a wolf who wished to be a part of his den. These dens could be of any size, depending on the number of core leaders within it and the frequency of mating, breeding and whelping. As well, these dens always fluctuated in size, as the younger offspring dispersed from their birthden and integrate themselves into the packs they would eventually stay a part of throughout their adulthood. Each den, under the direction of a wolf-demon, is then under allegiance to a chosen pack leader, or okashira, who in turn owes loyalty to the regional tribal head—a complicated and oftentimes political series of ever-changing mergers and alliances that drove Kouga to distraction. The wolves, themselves, cared very little about which wolf-demon led their packs or tribes, so long as prey was plenty and the pups were sheltered.

Easygoing and independent, the wolves who gave their loyalty to the demon tribes are both more and less than their wild counterparts. While still, and always, retaining those fiercest aspects that made them feared and dangerous in the hunt, they also lost a part of their wild behavior after such prolonged exposure to the demons. Their thought-processes were more developed, and it was honestly as difficult to predict their individual personalities as it was to predict a demon’s.

Humans sometimes called them the servants of the wolf-demons. But truly, the wolves were a law unto themselves. And Gin was a perfect case in point.

:Annoying, flea-ridden wolf-rug.:

:Foolish, stubborn pup! Listen to your elder.: Tongue lolling, Gin lifted his head off of the cave floor, flashing a wolfish grin.

Snorting, Kouga turned his attention again to the still unconscious Kagome, and couldn’t help but sigh. Unnecessary or not, he would worry until she was with them enough to tell him to stop herself.

---

She regained consciousness slowly, blinking uncertainly into an increasingly bright—and painful—world. Deliberately, she turned her aching head, surveying her surroundings. She was in some sort of cave, the jagged stone overhead dark and damp with the condensation of groundwater. Roaring again—damn the sound—only distantly this time, the echoing rush of a rapid-flowing waterfall. Hushed whispers could be heard close by, coming from somewhere in the general direction of the cave mouth. The feel of coarse furs beneath her confirmed her sluggish suspicions.

Wolves…Kouga.

Suddenly a face descended into her awareness making her jump, and she gritted her teeth as waves of pain made their way through her limbs. Her leg and arm throbbed, her head ached, and her side burned. It took a moment for her to gain control over her rapid heartbeat and breathing, giving her time to bring the man’s—demon’s?—face almost into focus.

“Ahh..Lady. I’m sorry to have startled you.” A smooth, solemn voice attached itself to the face that now was pulling away from her to speak in quiet tones to someone nearby. She didn’t bother turning her head—though at this point she rather hoped it would simply snap off—it would be a distinct relief. So she stared at the ceiling, trying again to focus her muddled mind.

The face returned, joined by several others who, after a moment of blinking, she recognized.

Ginta grinned down at her, practically vibrating with glee, and Hakkaku did likewise, the two men looking like a couple of wolfish, fanged boys.

“Sister! You’re awake!” Ginta cried out, the sentence echoing through the cave for a long moment before subsiding. It rang out in her head as well, making her wince.

The older demon glared at him, muttering a quiet, “Tchaa..” before turning his attention back to her, despite Ginta and Hakkaku crowding his back for a look at her.

“I apologize. These pups do not seem to understand the nature of a sickroom, I’m afraid.” He smiled reassuringly and pulled the furs up under her chin. “I am Nori, incidentally, the healer for this unruly crowd. I have been attending you while you have been recovering.” A gentle pat on her shoulder accompanied his words and she found herself smiling dimly up at him.

Turning abruptly to the two demons still in the cave, he gestured towards the cave mouth. “You’ve seen her, now out, both of you! I have work to do and you have a leader to find. Kouga will want to know she’s awake.”

A pair of petulant and stubborn faces met Nori’s, but he leveled his best glare at them and they both sighed in unison, turning to go. Hakkaku waved jauntily back at her before they both took off at a sprint, intent on finding Kouga.

Nori turned his attention back to her yet again, and heaved a sigh. “I apologize again, Lady. They…mean well. And have been worried about you.”

He spoke in a soft sort of soothing voice that Kagome identified with the doctors and nurses of her time—quiet enough not to increase the pounding in her head, but loud enough she didn’t have to strain to hear him. Ahh…bless him.

Trying to gather her courage, as well as find her own voice again, she drew a breath, then another, fighting the burning in her side to speak. “How…how long….?”

He patted her shoulder again lightly and chuckled. “Ah, yes, the age-old and predictable question of the infirm. Just under a week and a half, Lady, since Ginta brought you to us—you have been in my care since then.” He rose and made his way across the cave to where a pack of supplies lay near the entrance. Hefting the large satchel from the floor, he carried it back over to her and settled himself comfortably again before rummaging about inside of it.

Her mind seemed wooden, slow and methodical, going with aching slowness from one point to the next, she was still catching up as he sat down again beside her. “…Ginta?..”

Nori’s hands stilled in the satchel for a moment and he peered at her, tilting his head to the side. “You do not remember, Lady?”

She started to shake her head but instantly thought better of it. Instead she only furrowed her brows as she looked up at him, unseeing. She remembered, instead, images that would never leave the recesses of her mind came again to the surface to flash against her eyes. Squeezing them shut she answered quietly, “No…I…remember. But…I don’t….remember Ginta.”

The sound of scrabbling claws and the clatter of rocks snapped Nori’s gaze from Kagome and toward the mouth of the cave at the same time that her eyes snapped open again. He half-rose to meet whoever was at the entrance, but a strong arm pushed him aside and a familiar voice rang through the cave.

“So I hear my woman’s finally awake!”

Kagome squeezed her eyes closed again against the volume of his voice. She waited until the throbbing in her head subsided enough for her to open her eyes, and found herself staring at a blurry pair of intense blue eyes.

Over Nori’s protests and Ginta and Hakkaku’s defenses, she managed to be heard, her voice dull and tired.

“Hello, Kouga-kun.”