Pack of the West

THE PACK OF THE WEST

Disclaimer: I have not, do not or will not own Inuyasha. This disclaimer holds for the entirety of this
Story. This story contains Yaoi in some chapters - SessXMir

Chapter 1: Foundling

It was an absolutely beautiful day with the sun shining brightly and Miroku was humming a song as he walked along swinging his staff. He was returning from one of the neighbouring villages after exorcising a ferret demon that had been scaring the villagers.

The rings on the monk’s staff jangled in time with his tune as he sang with a smile plastered to his face, his pocket full of the money he had earned. This will get us quite a few supplies, he thought as he headed back to meet the rest of his group that had gone on ahead to Kaede’s, knowing that he would be able to handle the annoying demon on his own. He was looking forward to being able to rest for awhile.

Everyone really needed a break from chasing shards and Naraku, and Kagome has examinations to do back in her time.

Feeling a bit parched, Miroku walked down a side path from the road to where he knew a small brook with a little pond was to get a drink of the cool water. As he approached the water, he heard some men arguing and an infant crying.

“Throw it in, it’s worthless.”

“It’s just an infant, what harm can it do?”

“We have a hard enough time to feed our own, why waste good food on this abomination.”

“Well if you’re not going to do it, I will!”

Miroku appeared just in time to see a small bag hit the water and start to sink, whatever was inside was crying pitifully. The men, seeing the monk, ran back to the road and disappeared. Ignoring the fleeing men, he threw off his sandals and jumped in, swimming strong to reach where the bag had just disappeared under the water. Dunking under and reaching with his arm he grabbed the top of the tied bag, pulling it quickly up into the air.

Whatever was in the bag was coughing, crying and sputtering as Miroku swam back to shore. He dragged himself up onto the bank and untying the bag reached in and pulled out a squalling demon infant.

She had short wavy silver grey hair, a little fluffy tail of the same color, small cute pointed ears on the top of her head, and tiny little claws on the end of her hands which were fisted tight as she continued to wail loudly.

Miroku was furious. How could they do such a thing, she’s just a baby. How could they say she is worthless and an abomination and then just throw her away like garbage? He shook from frustrated anger, but he knew from dealing with both demons and humans, that humans could, at times, be extremely cruel.

“Hush baby, Miroku is here, I won’t let anyone hurt you” he soothed trying to comfort the little girl.

She quieted her crying to just little hitching sobs and opened her eyes to look up to her saviour. Miroku was astonished at the color of her eyes; the left one was golden, almost the same shade as Inuyasha’s, the right a pale icy blue. How unusual, he thought, but so pretty.

Miroku figured the child to be no more than a few days old and most likely a wolf cub. He began to look around to see if her mother was nearby. Perhaps the men frightened the mother, maybe she’s hiding. He wandered around the pond calling out but no one answered and he could sense no demonic aura other than the babies.

“Well it looks like you’re on your own” he spoke, looking down as the tiny bundle in his arms gazed up to him with a look of trust and innocence.

She began to shiver and whimper so Miroku drew off the purple sash that was around his monks robe and wrapped the wet child in it. “We’ll head back to my village okay?” he asked the pup, smiling down at her. He was rewarded with a heart melting smile from her.

Miroku tucked the wrapped babe inside his robes to keep her warm, he felt her little hand grab his finger and hold on tight. He started to hum his song again as he continued back to the road, when he looked a few minutes later, she was sound asleep but her grip had not loosened.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

As Miroku approached Kaede’s, Kagome was just getting ready to leave to go to the well and he heard the unmistakeable shouting of a certain hanyou.

“You can only stay two days!” Inuyasha yelled.

“Inuyasha, its going to be at least four!” the miko girl yelled back with equal force, her eyebrows twitching like mad.

Miroku could tell, as he came closer, that Inuyasha was going to be eating dirt in a very few seconds. It was then that the little bundle against his chest began to cry; she pulled his finger into her mouth and sucked hard, nipping down with her tiny fangs. When no milk was forth coming she really began to wail which caught the attention of Inuyasha and Kagome.

“What’s that noise?” asked Inuyasha curiously sniffing the air.

Miroku brought out the crying infant and showed her to Inuyasha and Kagome.

“Oh, she’s so sweet,” Kagome cried out, her eyes going large and sparkly “Where did she come from?”

“I saved her, some men threw her in the pond,” Miroku told them angrily. Inuyasha looked on in disbelief and then anger at the thought of the men trying to drown her.

“Oh, the poor little thing,” Kagome uttered sadly, “and she’s hungry. We’ve got to get her some milk, here, let me take her.”

Kagome reached out her arms to take the infant from Miroku who was holding the child out to her. The small pup looked to Kagome then to Miroku and with her little arms stretched out towards Miroku began to absolutely scream.

“Guess she doesn’t want to leave me,” Miroku stated, a bit surprised at the reaction the child was having. He tucked her back in close to his body and she immediately quieted her screams to small whimpers. He bounced her up and down looking at his two friends not knowing what to say.

“She’s frightened,” Kagome reasoned. “I’ll go see if we can get something for milk so you can feed her.” With that she quickly ran into Kaede’s to see what could be done.

“Where’s her family?” questioned Inuyasha, “She has to be someone’s pup.”

“I don’t know, the men took off when they saw me, I don’t even know in which direction they went.”

“She looks like a wolf cub, maybe Kouga would know.” As much as Inuyasha hated to ask the wolf prince anything, he figured that they would have the best chance to find her family from him.

“We should go tomorrow and talk to him.” He was now glad that Kagome would be going home. At least that mangy wolf can’t hang all over her if she’s not there, Inuyasha thought with satisfaction.

Kagome reappeared with Sango and Shippo in tow; they too wanted to see the tiny orphan. She had a small oilskin bag that Kaede had filled with milk, putting a tiny hole in a corner of it to allow the child to drink and a small square of cloth to use as a diaper.

Kaede was at the doorway. “Bring the child in so she can eat and get dry.”

Miroku took the items that Kagome handed to him and walked in, everyone but Inuyasha and Kagome following.

“I’m going to go home to do my tests and I’ll bring some things back for the baby,” Kagome called back over her shoulder as she and Inuyasha walked off towards the path to the well.

“Okay,” Miroku replied as Sango latched onto his sleeve and pulled him into the hut so she could help with the baby.

Shippo distracted the pup with his wooden snake toy just long enough for Miroku to put her down and Sango to put the diaper on. The slayer had had the foresight to cut a hole in it to accommodate the child’s tail.

The fox demon shook the toy in front of the wolf pups eyes which sparkled with happiness at the rattling sound it made. The tiny infant made a grab for it, reaching her hands up and gurgling at it. When Sango finished, Miroku picked the girl up and put the skein to her mouth. She sucked greedily, gripping the bag with her hands and sighing with contentment.

“What a terrible thing to happen to such a sweet baby,” Sango intoned sadly after hearing the story from Miroku.

“Why did they do that Miroku?” asked Shippo. He was confused as to why the men would try to drown her; he had only met nice people and in his innocence did not know any better.

“I don’t know Shippo. Sometimes men can do bad things.”

“We should give her a name,” Shippo blurted out excitedly after giving what Miroku had said some thought.

“I guess she can’t go around just being called baby or pup,” agreed Miroku.

The three of them tossed out name after name trying to find one they could all agree with as the tiny pup drank her milk in Miroku’s arms. When Sango suggested Yumi, the baby looked at her with her odd colored eyes and giggled.

“Guess she likes it,” Shippou stated leaning over with a smile on his face and sniffing her baby scent. He got too close and Sango had to untangle Yumi’s fingers from Shippo’s hair.

“Yumi it is then,” laughed Miroku.