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Alone
A mournful howl carried over the mountains, thick with pain & sadness. It carried for a few moments before slowing to a stop. Kumiko's pain left her through the mournful howl. The howl was for her fallen mate that had died protecting her only a few nights ago when she suffered a severe wound that her body was healing slowly & he had stepped in to protect her. Her loneliness & depression was already getting to her & this was the one thing that had ever made her feel better; standing on a mountain ledge that overlooked her mate's Eastern Lands, howling as loud & long as she could at the large moon that seemed to bathe her in sympathetic light on this evening. She was in her true demon form, which was a large wolf with silver fur that had greyish markings cutting through it in certain places.
She threw her head back as another mournful howl left her, her body feeling numb due to the emotional pain she felt. Once she let her howl fade off, she lowered her head, closing her eyes as another wave of emotional pain washed over her. She wouldn�t have felt so lonely had her mate & her stuck with the demon wolf pack instead of leaving off on their own.
Feeling another wave wash over her, she let out another howl, this one more powerful in its pained tone than the previous ones. Unknown to her, it had reached the ears of a demon that lingered now on the border of what was now her land. She heard the responding howl of another demon & she looked in the direction the howl had come from. She leapt down the mountain & made her way back to the castle she once shared with her mate, not caring if someone had come to take it over. If so, they could have it & she would leave without a fight.
When she returned to her castle, she was greeted by her servant. By now she had turned back to her human form. Her eyes were brown with gold flecks & her hair was the same color as her fur, only it stopped at her waist area since she was still slightly young. She excused herself to her bed chamber & upon entering, found herself staring into the eyes of a demon who sat on her windowsill, his side to her but his head turned so he was looking at her. �Who are you?� she questioned, shutting the door behind herself as she stepped all the way into her room.
�I am Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands,� the figure replied, letting his feet touch the floor as he stood, the light from her oil lamp & candles casting enough light on his face for her to make out his features. �I am the one who responded to your howl,� he explained, his eyes meeting hers. �Why do you radiate such sadness in your howl?�
�I�m in mourning over my fallen mate,� she answered, running her fingers through her hair. �Why have you come here? To take over my lands?�
Sesshomaru shook his head. �I came here with not your lands on my mind, but the pain I heard in your howl. I�ve only come to provide comfort.�
�Lord Sesshomaru... Half-brother to hanyou Inu Yasha?� she asked & watched as he gave another nod. �I have heard you only provide death. You are said to be no better than the hanyou Naraku,� she hissed, her eyes narrowing.
An amused brow raised, but his facial expression didn�t change. �No better than Naraku? That is one I haven�t had the pleasure of hearing before,� he mused. �Pardon my prying, but how did you mate pass?�
�It was my fault he�s passed,� she answered quietly, the sorrow from her howl coming to her voice. �It was time to patrol our Eastern Lands & when he awoke, we found he had fallen ill sometime in the night so I went out to patrol them on my own so he could rest & join me when he was recovered. I had been away from the castle barrier for what seemed like only an hour or two at the longest, when a demon who had his presence masked, attacked me from behind, wounding me in the chest. The wound was too deep to heal quickly but turned & rose to my feet, thinking I could handle it on my own. I realized I wasn�t able to when they knocked me down & I returned to this form.� She stopped telling her story to Sesshomaru long enough to fight to control the tears that lingered, ready to fall if she were to blink & push them out. �I thought I was going to die when my mate brought the demon down, crushing it�s neck in his jaws, unaware of the poison in the demon�s blood. He died shortly after the demon was dead.�
�I�m sorry to hear this,� he said from his spot at her windowsill, where he had gone during her story. �You aren�t with pup, are you?�
�We�ve only been mates for a year now,� she answered, forcing the tears back as she looked up at him. �We have had no time to consummate our pairing, having to watch the lands & getting our lives on track in our home.�
�I see,� he spoke silently, looking out over the moonlit land. �Do you wish me to stay to keep you company in your time of mourning?�
�I wish to be to myself. I need no one here to remind me of my loss. You should never have come here at all.�
Sesshomaru looked at her with darkened eyes. �There is no need to be rude to the one who only wanted to be there for you to cry to. And don�t tell me you need no one, for I know just how lonely a wolf demon can get & what it could do to them. If, & when, you come out of your high-and-mighty state & realize just how much you need someone to cry to, I�m a howl away,� he said, annoyance creeping into his voice every few words before he leapt from her window, landing on the ground so far below.
Kumiko sat on her bed, the tears she�d been holding back were now traveling down her cheeks. She was glad Sesshomaru was gone because she only wanted to be alone. But now that the feeling had finally crept on her, she hated it. She hate herself for her mate�s death, wishing there was a way to bring him back. But she there wasn�t. She�d have to deal with it...being alone.