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Chapter 22: Blood-Right

Inuyasha stared up through the branches with a pensive frown, feeling tired and lonely and generally cranky--which was compounded by the fact that the moon was high in the sky and yet he was not sleeping. With one ear cocked in annoyance, he glared at the bright, full crescent and sighed resignedly.

He missed Kagome's scent. He missed sleeping near her. He missed her soft heartbeat in his ears lulling him to sleep like a rhythmic song. Tired, he sighed again.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Shirokiba said quietly, his voice just carrying from the tree across from his own. "Can I come over?"

Inuyasha snorted. Shirokiba took that as a tentative yes and made an easy, silent bound over to a branch near Inuyasha's, where he settled himself against the trunk and waited for a while. When the young dog-demon didn't speak, Shirokiba took the initiative.

"Nice night."

Inuyasha continued to stare at the stars, unable to sleep. He didn't respond for a long time. He almost thought Shirokiba had nodded off when he finally opened his mouth to ask a question that had been nagging him since Kouga left.

"Shirokiba?"

The wolf-dog's reply took a few moments. "Mm?"

"What did you mean earlier--what you said to Kouga? What blood-right were you talking about?"

Shirokiba was silent for a while. "Seibunishi's. And Yuki-Inu's."

"What's that?"

"Yuki-Inu had Wolf blood in him, as did most of the Dogs in that time. The Dog Clans have old ties to the Packs."

"I knew that. But what about my father?"

"The Alpha Pack," Shirokiba replied, almost reverently. "They're the giant white Wolves that live further to the north than you can imagine, beyond even the northernmost mountains where my father's Pack dwells, in a land where the snow never melts and the sky stays dark for months on end. They are the Alpha Pack over all the Wolf Packs--they are the kings of Wolves. Not even the White Dogs could match them...but there are few left. Yuki-Inu was descended from them. That makes you a cousin to the white Wolves, which makes you something of a blueblood to the Packs, but distantly."

"Oh."

Shirokiba took a deep breath. "And...Seibunishi..."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, almost eagerly.

"He was a wolf-dog, like me. Part White Dog, part white Wolf."

It took a few minutes for that information to register with the halfling dog-demon. "My father was...half Wolf?" He looked up at Shirokiba quickly. "So I'm...?"

Shirokiba nodded. "You've got Wolf in you, too. And not just any Wolf, either--the white lords themselves. It's what made Seibunishi so powerful--the ultimate combination of the strongest of two races. And you do take after him..."

Inuyasha sat and stared for a few minutes, absolutely speechless.

The wolf-dog beside him chuckled at his expression. "There's more to you than you thought," he said ironically. "Human and demon, Wolf and Dog--and all of them nobles and lords. You're practically a prince."

"Don't...don't say stuff like that," Inuyasha ordered, but his shocked state made for a complete lack of conviction in his voice. "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this? All of it--why did you hide it from me when I stayed with you?" His shock fading, his tone became accusatory.

Shirokiba frowned. "I didn't think you'd ever need to know any of this. I didn't think it would ever be important."

"It's important to me. I've always wanted to know who I am. Why didn't you tell me?"

"If I'd have told you then, your head would have swelled so big you'd have floated off," Shirokiba replied, his voice just a tad rougher. "I taught you what you needed to survive."

Inuyasha stared at the stars for a while, digesting Shirokiba's information. "How do you know so much about my father, anyway? I thought you were just a rogue wolf-dog. I didn't think you were that close to the Clans."

The wolf-dog sighed. "My mother met my father when he was on the rebound--he'd just lost his lifemate to a bad fight with some nasty demons. He meant little to her, and still doesn't, but the way of Wolves isn't like the way of Dogs. A Dog father may not know or care how many pups he has. He may have several mates and not love any of them. Among Wolves, when you take a mate, it's for life; if you sire cubs, they are your obligation no matter what."

"You're not answering my question," Inuyasha growled, shifting on the branch.

Shirokiba glared at him. "I will if you shut up. You want to know about your heritage, don't you? Then keep your jaws clamped and let me finish."

"Fine, fine...go on."

"Thank you," Shirokiba muttered sarcastically, then continued in a clear voice. "Dog-demons are the only class of demons who are born of a creature that is not wild," he stated. "Unlike every other animal-based demon breed, Dogs are...how shall I put it? Domesticated."

Inuyasha sat up off the branch, ramrod-straight. "What?"

Shirokiba laughed softly at his reaction. "Like the first wolves who came in from the snows to sit by the fires of man and turn into dogs, so too did a few wolf-demons of millenia ago bind themselves to humankind and become dog-demons."

"Humans?"

"They served humans."

"How in the seven hells--?" Inuyasha snorted. "Why...?"

"An alliance of sorts," Shirokiba explained. "For reasons long forgotten, a few Wolves allied themselves with humankind. They went with them into battle--each Wolf with his man, lifelong companions, bound by a link deep in their minds. When they rode forth, they rode forth as one, the man on the back of the Wolf, to conquer their enemies. This sect of humans became very powerful, and the Wolves--who became Dogs after a few generations--prospered beside them."

Inuyasha was enthralled, but he managed a snort. "Sure don't see that today."

"No; there was some kind of falling-out long ago," the wolf-dog continued. "However, the Dogs remained apart from the Wolves and never returned to them--and apparently they don't even remember their alliegence to man. But the Wolves do."

"What's this have to do with my father?"

"It could mean everything, if you understand it properly," Shirokiba replied. "Your birth depended on the information I'm about to give you."

"Huh?" Inuyasha parked his chin in his hands, listening raptly.

"There are those who would call the Dogs 'mind-blind.' And it seems they are; compared to their cousins the Wolves, Dogs have few and frail powers of telepathy and sensitivity. Humans, on the other hand, have great capacity for that type of thing, but they lack the ability to actualize it. It was the mental symbiosis of a Dog and his human that created a formidable warrior on all planes--not just the physical. Together, with the other near, they could achieve feats that alone they could never accomplish. This gave the Dog race great strength."

Looking up at the stars, Shirokiba continued. "Even today, the Dogs live their lives in destructive viciousness because they have no human with them. There is an emptiness, a loneliness within each of them, a hole that seeks that which will fill it, and their hidden, unknown pain prods them to violence. That is the truth behind what I referred to as domestication."

"Like a cur needs his master," Inuyasha snorted, half disgusted. "So the Dogs--dog-demons like Sesshomaru--act like vicious jerks because they don't have a human partner? What a load of tripe!"

"You were a vicious jerk until you met Kikyo and Kagome." Inuyasha's head snapped up, but Shirokiba sighed and went on, ignoring the other's reaction. "Wolves form the same mental bonds, but only with their lifemate, not a battle partner--and the Wolf's bond is ever so much stronger. Wolves cannot usually form a bond outside their own species, so wolf-dogs like Seibunishi and I are rare because most wolf-demons do not mate with anyone but their bonded partner. However, wolf-dogs bear the Wolf's ability to form powerful, soul-binding links, and they bear the Dog's need for companionship--human companionship." The wolf-dog sighed again. "Most wolf-dogs end up taking human mates. I've long since resigned myself to that, unless I'm lucky enough to find a demon female whom my mind decides to latch on to. Wolf-dogs take human mates and bond to them with more intensity than either of the two races."

Inuyasha came to a sudden realization. "My mother--!"

"Your mother was human," Shirokiba stated. "Your father had a bond with her, and took her to be his lifemate. She was his soul-bond and his partner, his mate and his other half. She gave him strength and stability, while he protected and provided for her--a Dog and his human, a Wolf and his mate."

"But...what about Sesshomaru?"

Shirokiba laughed. "You're never gonna believe this: Lady Yukishima won him."

"Won him?"

"Long before your mother was ever even born, Yukishima challenged Seibunishi to a one-on-one duel. The wager was that if she won, he'd be obligated to sire her pup. Well, it was back when your father was a young hothead and not as powerful and experienced as he thought he was--so he lost. Yukishima was much older and stronger at the time. Your grandmother--his mother--was seriously pissed, but it was an honor-bound oath. Seibunishi put Yukishima off as long as he could, but about two hundred and fifty years ago, she finally held him to it."

"Holy hells!" Inuyasha breathed. "You're right...I don't believe it. His mother won Sesshomaru like a prize in a coin toss!" He bit his lip to keep from laughing. "That arrogant bastard..."

"She thought she'd be able to get her claws on Seibunishi's position by bearing his firstborn. But she apparently didn't know that the White Dog Daimyo alone among all the other Dog Lords has the right to choose his heir out of all of his get. He isn't required to pass his title to his firstborn. And Sesshomaru was far from what he wanted to see in a leader of his people."

"So he chose me..."

"When you were barely minutes old and your cubfur was still wet," Shirokiba replied. "I was there when he held you up before the Clan Daimyos and declared you his heir. You should have seen Yukishima's face--there was murder in her eyes that day. She became the embodiment of Death for a moment, staring right at you, and you weren't even an hour old."

Inuyasha blinked. "How did you get to see the ceremony?"

"Don't you remember? My mother is the Gray Daimyo's niece. I was there with the Daimyo of the Gray Dogs, the head of my mother's family. And Seibunishi himself invited me. I waited outside the chamber door with the other Daimyos and Seibunishi's uncle. We were there as witnesses; we all heard you cry when you were born, and then Seibunishi brought you out to us. I wasn't allowed into the Council Chamber to see the official ceremony, but Seibunishi was so excited he was proud to tell everyone there."

Inuyasha glanced sideways at him. "Just how well did you know my father?"

Shirokiba paused. "Well enough. He let me hold you after the ceremony."

"You knew me before you found me," Inuyasha stated.

"I did--for a short time, before Seibunishi had to send you and your mother away. After I found you again, and I realized who you were...I couldn't believe it was you. I hadn't even known that Seibunishi had died. He was so strong when I'd last seen him...I couldn't believe he had just wasted away..."

Inuyasha saw Shirokiba's bleak expression. "You must have been friends."

"My father tried to be there for me, as he felt obligated, but he was practically driven out by the Dogs. I hardly ever saw him growing up, because he rarely entered the Clan territory and I rarely left it. My mother hadn't really planned on me, so she cared for me until I was old enough then just cut me loose. We have a relationship, but I can't say that she loves me."

"That's...so cold."

"It's how the Dogs are, Inuyasha; there is little love among them. Well, I was alone in the Clans, living with the scorn of being half Wolf, when Seibunishi took me under his wing. We were close; we shared a lot in common because we were both wolf-dogs. He damn near raised me himself...and when I found you, I thought that the least I could do was return the favor."

Inuyasha stared at his old friend and mentor. He was shocked beyond belief at the depth of history between his own past and Shirokiba's, at how his life had intertwined with the wolf-dog's even before his birth. Shirokiba had raised him out of love and respect for Seibunishi, because the White Daimyo had been a mentor to him. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

Shirokiba shrugged. "It was past; over and gone. I have my own painful memories too, you know. You're not the only one who's suffered in the past century. Seibunishi was practically my foster father, since my own couldn't be there for me; it hurt to lose him. And I'm not the only one, either--hell...if you knew half of what Sesshomaru went through because of you, your mother, and Yukishima, you'd have a little pity on him. He carries the same Wolf blood you do, but he has to bear a different kind of stigma."

"Feh! I'll never understand him."

"You may think Sesshomaru is horrible, but you've never met many other dog-demons. There are a lot of other Dogs much worse than him. Take Lady Yukishima--she was pissed as hell when the Dogs found out you were still alive. If you were dead her son could claim the title of Great Demon and White Daimyo by blood-right alone. But you're in her way. She's dangerous--even now, she's still dangerous. The only thing keeping her away from you is the fact that the Clan Daimyos would have her hide if she harmed you--Seibunishi's word is powerful, even after all this time."

"I hate politics."

Shirokiba snorted in laughter. "So do I, mutt."

Inuyasha grimaced. "'Mutt.' I always hated you calling me that. But...I guess it's really true. I thought it you did it because I was half human, but now I know it's because I'm part Wolf--and I'm a real mongrel."

"Don't look at yourself that way," Shirokiba said softly. "The wolf-dog--offspring of Dog and Wolf--is said to be more dangerous than either parent. That's easy to understand: Dogs have fierce hearts but are human-oriented; their fierceness shows toward animals, other demons, and even their own kind. Wolves have gentle hearts but are not human-oriented; a human means no more to them than does a kitsune, but they are tolerant of other species, even of prey species when they're not hungry. You're a wolf-dog, too--not exactly like me, but you take strongly after your father's blood, and the white Wolf in him."

Inuyasha gazed at his friend, eyes wide with curiosity.

Shirokiba looked up at the stars, his voice serious. "If the combination occurred of a Dog's fierce heart and a Wolf's indifference toward humans, that demon would be ruthless."

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha breathed.

"But the opposite combination is possible, too: A Wolf's solicitude, intensity, ability, and intelligence, plus a Dog's human orientation, unbending courage, protectiveness, and loyal heart. Then you get a demon that has greatness." Shirokiba's blue-gold eyes turned to him. "Like you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's breath caught, and he stared at Shirokiba with something akin to amazement. How his friend managed to take him apart, read through his innermost thoughts, and then put him back together better than before was all a mystery to him; maybe the Wolf in his companion allowed him to become a psychic when he needed to be. But greatness--he, Inuyasha? A mongrel whelp, half human and part Wolf? The only name he could make for himself was a name written in blood drawn by his own claws, stained red by the lives--the deaths--of his enemies. There was no greatness in that.

His inner turmoil must have shown on his face. Shirokiba regarded him kindly, an understanding light in his eyes. "You're more like your father than you know, kid--even though you've never met him. I see more of him in you every day. That's probably half the reason the Dog Clans fear you; they know that if you ruled them you'd make them do what's right, like your father did. You have the same heart as Seibunishi--I know it. You've just tried to bury it under years of hate and pain."

"But...my father..."

Shirokiba chuckled softly. "He'd be pleased with you, despite what you've done in the past. What you're doing now, for Kagome and for the world...if he were here now, I know just what he'd do. He'd take you by the shoulders, look into your eyes, and say, 'I'm proud of you, son.'"

Inuyasha swallowed, reisisting the sudden, inexplicable tears that attempted to rise in his eyes. He tried hard--so hard--to imagine what it might be like to feel his father's strong grip on his shoulders, to see the kindness and love in his eyes, to hear the warmth and pride in his voice. The tears he held back nearly welled up on him when his mind drew a blank--he could not picture his father at all. He had no memory of him, no knowlege to draw upon. "I wish...I wish I'd known him."

Shirokiba heard the broken catch to the younger demon's voice. "I wish you had, too. He did that so many times for me, and it always meant so much. He was such a good father that I couldn't believe Sesshomaru had turned out the way he did. But Yukishima raised him herself; she didn't let Seibunishi get too close. I think part of Sesshomaru's hatred of you is a deep, abiding jealousy of what you had--Seibunishi held you in his arms and rocked you; he sang to you and carried you with him when he went about; he loved you so much it was joyful to see the two of you together. Sesshomaru never had that, the poor fellow, and ever since his mother threw him out, he's had no one."

Inuyasha found it hard to grasp that Sesshomaru was jealous of him for something besides the Tetsusaiga. At the same time, he longed to remember his days of infancy, if only to recall a shadow of his father's face or voice. "So...Dad sang, huh?"

Shirokiba took a deep breath and hummed softly; a slow, deep, haunting melody reminiscient of the wind at night and the glow of the moon. When he opened his mouth and broke out in song, the lyrics told of a safe den on a cold night and the assurance of warmth and love. Through Shirokiba's dusky voice, Inuyasha suddenly found his mind supplying him with the words to the song, though he was sure he'd never heard it before, and suddenly another voice was singing--a deep, low voice full of gentle canine roughness and thrumming warmth. Inuyasha gasped, realizing that the faint thread was his father's song, but his noise of surprise and joy broke the spell; Shirokiba stopped, and the sliver faded.

"I--I heard him..." Inuyasha whispered.

Shirokiba gazed at him for a long time. For long minutes, he let the half-demon stare off into space and try to grasp that wisp of memory and hold it. He felt his heart wring in pity once more as he watched the kaleidoscope of emotion play across the younger demon's face--remorse, regret, abandonment. Inuyasha wanted badly to have known his father's love.

When the dog-demon finally sighed and looked up at him, Shirokiba cleared his throat and spoke, bringing the subject back to what they'd started on. "You know, you still ought to understand how Wolves pair-bond. Dogs never do, and you're mostly dog-demon, but there's enough Wolf in you to make a bond permanent. But you've got human in you, too, and I don't know how that might affect you."

Inuyasha sounded scornful, but his face was still pensive at the events surrounding Shirokiba's short song. "What's so special about this bonding stuff?"

"Most sentient creatures with higher-than-average mental abilities form bonds when they take a mate. The dog-demons are one of the few exceptions to the rule. Along with humans."

"But you just said--"

"The humans who once paired with the Dogs are the ancestors of most humans with any supernatural ability. I'd have to say that Kagome and your old friend Kikyo were both descended from those Dog allies, who spread out over the land with time and used their gifts to become priestesses, monks, and exorcists."

Inuyasha frowned, looking down without speaking. He knew a little bit about that sort of thing--especially from his mother.

"You'll find someone that you will bond yourself to--and instinct won't give you much of a choice," Shirokiba told him flatly. "Whether she's human or not, you'll be connected to that woman, heart, mind, and soul. With your mixed heritage, I'm not sure how strong it will be or how deep it might go, but there's little you can do to stop it--and from what I know it's irrevocable save in death."

Inuyasha didn't say anything; he could guess what Shirokiba was silently asking: What about Kagome? The dog-demon himself didn't know. "Is it because of the Wolf...?"

"Basically." Shirokiba shifted to a more comfortable position on the branch. "Wolves always bond with their lifemates."

Inuyasha didn't move. The conversation was becoming entirely too personal; the idea of helplessly bonding to some female--human or otherwise--was making him nervous, on top of his roughed emotions from talking about his father. So he cleared his throat and boldly changed the subject, hopefully to something Shirokiba would be willing to shift the topic to. "You know, I've never seen Kouga act like that before. How did you get him to retreat, anyway?"

"Act like--? Oh...I guess that's my influence. I'm one of the few people he doesn't talk back to...seriously, anyway. The whole big brother thing, you know."

"Heh."

"What's your problem with each other, though?" the wolf-dog asked. "I don't understand why you two were so hostile."

"Neither do I. He just is."

"Seems to me you were too. Are you sure you don't--?"

"Look, I don't know why I get so mad when he's around!" Inuyasha exploded, sitting up off the tree branch. "All I know is that I can't stand him being anywhere near me or Kagome! He pisses me off just showing up!"

Shirokiba turned his head to look at the irate half-demon. "Jealous, huh?"

Inuyasha spluttered.

"You do too know why you hate him: You think he's going to get between you and Kagome," Shirokiba said shrewdly, trying not to smile at the growing blush on the halfling's cheeks. "After all, he is a perfectly viable candidate for her affections--and he looks like me, which means she couldn't possibly resist--"

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" Inuyasha's snarl was dangerous.

"Easy, kid! I was just teasing!" Shirokiba said quickly with a placating gesture. But Inuyasha's intense sensitivity about it confirmed his suspicions.

Inuyasha growled at him and leaned back against the tree trunk again. He didn't know how, but Shirokiba had just deftly steered the conversation right back to where it had been before, to a subject he wanted to avoid--women.

"What are you worried about, anyway?" Shirokiba asked softly. "I don't think Kagome's that fickle."

"She was nice to him," Inuyasha grumped. "She wouldn't let me kill him."

"Well, I'll have to thank her for that," Shirokiba said wryly. "Kagome's nice to me, and I don't see you trying to tear my throat out."

"You're different. You didn't say you loved her."

Shirokiba actually looked surprised. "Kouga said that to her?"

Inuyasha rumbled. "Repeatedly."

"Did she reciprocate?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

Inuyasha thought for a second. "I dunno. Seems to me I don't have to worry anymore, because Kagome said she--" He cut off abruptly, blushing and swallowing.

"Kagome said what?" Shirokiba leaned forward. "What did she say?"

"She...she said...she loves me."

It was the faintest of whispers, yet Shirokiba caught it all. "Congratulations, mutt--you win. Now you don't have to worry about Kouga at all, and--"

"But she was only talking in her sleep. Dreaming," Inuyasha informed him. "I don't know if..."

Shirokiba regarded the younger demon sympathetically. "Then it's even more certain. Inuyasha, dreams don't lie. You should know that."

The halfling flinched. "But..."

"Besides, pup, you marked her. You have the right to tell Kouga to back off."

Inuyasha looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"The bite. In the cave."

Inuyasha's breath caught. "She told you?"

"No. I asked her."

"I...I didn't...even know...!"

"You didn't know what you were doing?" Shirokiba smiled gently. "Simple; you were claiming her. Owning her. In that situation...it meant a lot of things, but basically that she belonged to you and you were going to take care of her--including protecting her from herself."

"But...!" Inuyasha's face was crimson, and he was drawing away from his companion.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Shirokiba said with a dismissing wave of one hand. "You're male, she's female, you both like each other--it's well within your rights to make a claim."

"But...she's human!" Inuyasha finally managed to protest. "She can't understand that kind of thing! She'd think I'm some...some kind of animal!"

"You'd be surprised; I'm fairly certain she understands more than you think," Shirokiba said wryly.

"Since when do you know everything?"

Shirokiba just chuckled.

"Jerk," Inuyasha growled. "Why are you so hell-bent on pushing Kagome in my face?"

Shirokiba's laugh cut off--had the halfling caught on to his gambit? "Am I? I'm sorry--I guess I'm too much of a parent to you. I just want to see you happy."

"Hmph." Inuyasha turned away and leaned back on the trunk. "I have three women after me--one wants to kill me, one wants to own me, and the other just loves me. I feel like I'm going insane."

"And Kouga's on your case about the girl that you like," Shirokiba said. "Sorry he's making your life difficult. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"Heh. I'd love to see the look on his face when you chew him out."

"Chew him out? Hell no--I'm not going to do that. I'm just going to tell him she's yours."

"No!" Inuyasha glared at Shirokiba. "That jerk doesn't need to--"

"Stop." Shirokiba's firm tone made him clamp his fangs shut. "This is going to degenerate into a pointless argument if we continue. I'm going to talk to my little brother when he gets here tomorrow morning--I know he's going to show up--and I want you to stay far away from it. Do you understand?"

"But--!"

"Do you understand?"

Inuyasha growled sullenly, pouting. "Fine. Go play with the wimpy-wolf. I don't care. I don't even want to be around when you do."

"Thank you." Shirokiba yawned, then rose from the branch and walked out along its length, the limb swaying slightly beneath his weight. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Shirokiba..."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for...finally telling me..."

"No problem. Anything else you need to ask, go ahead--but do it tomorrow. I'm bushed."

Inuyasha snorted. "Get off my tree."

Shirokiba laughed softly. "G'night, mutt." With that, he leaped back to his own place and settled in to his platform nest for the night.

Inuyasha turned on the branch, seeking a more comfortable position, and gazed at the stars once more. Sleep still remained far from him; with a disgusted rumble he realized he'd probably be staring at the moon all night. He silently cursed his own heart for missing Kagome so much.

Hurrying away through Inuyasha's Forest, her Stealth Jewl thrumming with undetectable power, Ginnezu smiled in satisfaction. What useful information! So the mighty wolf-dog had a soft spot for a baby brother, did he? She'd left right after she heard that--the rest was unimportant--and what a wonderful opportunity this presented! Now she had some leverage on the wolf-dog--someone he cared about, someone she could hurt. She couldn't touch Inuyasha. But the little brother was just right--she could take her revenge on Shirokiba for butting in on her affairs. And besides, if she just wounded the Wolf, that would get Shirokiba away from the village long enough for her to make her move. It was all just too perfect.

Grinning like a mad tiger, Ginnezu continued on her silent way. Tonight would be a busy night; she had plans to make, allies to round up, and damage to do.

To be continued...

(Some of the wolf-dog characterization concepts were inspired by Lois Crisler's Arctic Wild. Read it!)