The sun rose over the tops of the trees and the forest filled with life. The birds began to sing and the animals began to wake.

Today was like any other however today was different. Today, after many years waiting, we were journeying to the west and to the house of the moon.

I saw Shippo stir next to me and I could feel his nervous and excited energy rolling off of my companion as he woke to greet the morning sun.

Shippo was a fox kit that I had taken under my wing after the death of his mother and my good friend. It was then that I trained him in the art of combat and survival to prepare him for the time when he would meet his father and start his new life.

I smiled as he sat up and dazed into the forest and to the direction of the west. "It's finally time." He said to no one in particular. I thought back to when he was younger and I had not had him long. He was jumping up and down in glee when I had caught, prepared and cooked him his first deer. He was so excited and over the smallest of things and I remember worrying if he would ever grow out of it. But as I looked at him now it was surprising to see how much he had matured. He had the appearance of a fifteen year old human boy but his age was three times that. He had golden tan skin and bright orange hair that was speckled with gold in the sunlight. He had an orange bushy tail and a pair of ears to match.

It was common knowledge that demons grew at different rates to humans but it was dependant on type of demon, parentage and purity of blood. As for my age, I had long forgotten and lived too long to count. But as goes a human saying age is but a number, just one that I had long forgotten.

I rose from where I was leaning against the tree and started to gather together my pack ready for the long journey that was to be made today. "Now to make this trip more interesting, I will go ahead and you will try to follow my sent." This was my way of taking his mind off of the impending reuniting with his father and to get some last training into the boy before we split our separate ways.

"You will wait here for ten minutes then you will try and follow." I said with a hint of entertainment in my voice. "If you manage to catch up with me," I pause and pretend to ponder on the rest of the sentence. "I will have a prize for you." I could see his face lit up at the idea of winning a prize. I liked to turn his training into contests to separate it from when we train seriously. "Ready, go." I said as I took off at a fast jog (for most demons) however for me it was rather slow. I was testing him but I didn't want to lose him completely. I also allowed an amount of my sent free so that he could follow. Unknown to him, I could hide my sent entirely but he didn't need to know that.

Despite his age he was still a child in demon terms and there is a limit on how far you can push a child. But even so he was advanced beyond his years as I had learnt that his father was a part of the army I decided to train him the same so that he could stand side by side with his father as proof that he was not lacking in his upbringing. He could take on a mid level male demon on his own and that was something I was impressed with.

I twisted and turned winding in and out of the trees mixing my sent in with the natural one of the forest in an attempt to confuse him. Demons were known to give chase for hours and would not give up easily so I knew he would follow. I placed my sent in certain areas along the route to confuse his senses but he was a clever child. I had taught him well.

After an hour I could hear him nearing in the distance, the patter of feet on the forest floor and the flutter of his heart. I could hear everything that went on in the forest. From the rustling of the leaves miles away to the beating of a bird wings high in the sky. I was truly a creature for the hunt.

Twenty minutes later he burst through the trees and scampered next to my side. "Well done." I said as I pat his head. "I believe that was your quickest yet." He grinned as he looks up to face me, proud of his latest achievement and slightly out of breath. "Really mamma?" he asked all wide eyes and innocence. He had come a long way. "Really my boy." Sadly Shippo had become very attached to me, I loved the boy as he was my own, but, it would upset him greatly when it was my time to go. Something that would happen rather soon.

As we neared closer and closer to the western border Shippo became quiet and nervous. His change of emotions would not be clear to most but to me it was obvious.

We came across a clearing and I motioned for us to stop. "Time for lunch." I declared as I sat down and began to pull the dried meat out of my pack. "Yay food." He sat down next to me with a thump tucking his legs under him and I gave him the meat.

As he started chewing I took the opportunity to hide my markings, as well as my sent, aura and any hint of my heritage. To any passerby I would appear human. Even though my race existed a long time ago and had almost vanished there were still a few individuals who knew of the myths and legends of my people and more importantly me. It was easier to move around without the restrictions of questions and titles.

Among demons I was of the highest rank and from a breed that had faded from public view. All demons are descendants from my race and their abilities but a drop of water in the ocean of what once was.

When Shippo had finished eating I handed him a bottle of water. He had a few swigs then gave it back to me and I stowed it away in my bag. "Why did you hide yourself mamma?" He asked as he looked up at my face, trying to get used to my face without my stripes and the two stars that were at the edge of my eyes. My clan marking I kept hidden constantly. I was the only one to know the look of that mark. "To avoid questions and make our visit easier." Shippo nodded his head in agreement. I had explained the importance of markings in demons and mine were the highest that exist. If that were known it would raise a lot of unwanted attention. "It may also be in our best interest if we do not speak much of our past." Shippo gave a small smile. He knew all too well. What he could see of the conditions that we used to live in and it was anything but pleasant.

I looked up at the trees above and thought about the events that were about to happen. I was content as our visit would finish the chapter of our journey together. It would also allow me to visit some very old friends.

When we were rested we rose, gathered together our belongings and set off to the house of the moon. "Come on Shippo," I said placing a kiss on the top of his head and taking his hand. "Let's go meet your father."