The willow trees swayed in the breeze. The lagoon's water was as calm as could be. A black wolf hybrid cautiously approached the water's edge. Her black reptilian like legs barely reaching the water when she sensed something just beneath the surface. Leaning in closer to the water, the wolf jumped back in surprise as what looked like a combination between a mermaid and a hairless two legged land walker.

They looked at each other with wonder. A sudden splash startled the wolf. A black sail sprung up from the wolf's back and shook violently. The shaking of the sail made a rattling sound that filled the air all around the lagoon. The aquatic hybrid dove back under the surface of the lagoon. When the hybrid reappeared, the wolf was now laying by the edge of the water.

Growling in his native language, the hybrid attempted to make contact with the wolf. However the wolf didn't understand the growling hybrid. The wolf's head was tilted to the side in confusion. When the wolf didn't respond to the hybrid, he sighed and dropped his head in defeat. With a snort, the wolf attempted to communicate with the only other way of friendly communication she knew.

Climbing to her feet, the wolf got up and headed back towards the forest. Right as she was about to enter the forest, she turned around and sprinted towards the water. Just as she was about to run into the water, she jumped. Jumping right over the top of the hybrid's head, the wolf dove into the lagoon's water. Springing from the water's depths, the wolf held a decent sized fish in her mouth. It was then that the hybrid realized that the wolf had gotten the fish for him. With a firm nod of his head, the hybrid reached for the fish with a webbed hand. This shocked the wolf but came to realize that the hybrid had accepted her form of communication and friendship.

Two seasons had passed and the lagoon was now covered in white cold. The wolf's cold season fur had come in beautifully. Every-day, since the day they had met, the wolf and hybrid had met with each other by the edge of the water of their lagoon. Well, every-day except the last seven. The wolf had been busy avoiding the hairless land walkers and didn't want to put her friend in harm's way. She had finally lost the land walkers in a storm of white. Happy with her escape, the wolf returned to the lagoon.

When she arrived at the lagoon the majority of the water was solid. With a frustrated growl, she made her way across the solid water in search of a weak spot. Finally finding where the water couldn't support her weight any longer, she pounded on the ice until it cracked. Not wanting to fall in to the icy water of the lagoon, the wolf threw her head back and released a powerful howl. This was the way she let her hybrid friend know that she was there. When nothing happened, the wolf howled again. Still nothing happened. Scared that something had happened to her friend, the wolf decided to break through the ice in hopes that her howl would reach her friend better.

As the wolf's front legs landed on the already fractured ice, a sharp pain shot through her hind leg. The ice gave out from under her weight causing the wolf to fall into the icy waters of the lagoon. Once under the water, the surface started to freeze. By the time the wolf made it to where she had fallen in, the opening had already completely frozen shut. Panic started to settle in. How was she going to make it out of the water now?

Just then, a dark shadow swam by her. Spinning around to get a good look at the creature, the wolf was surprised to see her hybrid right in her face. Scared, the wolf let go of the breath she had been holding. Now panic was really starting to set in. The hybrid attempted to calm his friend down by holding up his large webbed hands. One of his hands rested on her head and lightly slid down her neck. She looked into her friend's eyes and realized that everything would be alright.

With a firm nod, the hybrid made off in the direction of the center of the lagoon. The wolf, with a worried expression, followed her aquatic friend. When she swam up to the hybrid's side, she saw what looked like an underwater cave. Glancing to her friend for guidance, she realized that he was guiding her to his den. With a shaky nod, the wolf followed her friend deeper into the lagoon. About halfway into the cave, the edges of the wolf's vision stated to go black. The pain in her hind leg was getting worst and it was getting hard to keep up with her friend. Suddenly, her body reacted on its own and forced a convolution. With what little air she had left in her lungs, the wolf let out a howl of pain. Then the wolf's world went black.

When the wolf woke, she came to realize that she was no longer underwater. That she was in a dark cave. Her eyes took a while to fully adjust to the dark, but once they had she could make out her surroundings. In the middle of the cave was a good sized flat rock that looked like she could fit on if she curled up tight enough. There was also what looked like a nest of some sort not too far from the flat rock. On the top of the cave were pointed rocks that didn't look too stable.

Feeling that she was well enough to move, the wolf attempted to get up. It was then that her friend revealed himself to her. He had been behind her just waiting for her to awaken. The hybrid placed one of his webbed hands on the middle of her back and applied pressure. This caused the wolf to fall back to the floor. However, she ended up landing on her sore leg. With a growl of pain, the wolf turned to snap at her friend.

"Stay." The hybrid growled out.

With shock clearly in her features, the wolf replied, "How? How can I understand you?"

"I learned your language by listening to you."

"I don't know what to say to that."

"Your leg is injured. The land walkers got you before you fell through the ice."

"Is that why you didn't come when I called?"

"Yes. I sensed them three suns ago. I was worried that they had gotten you. Where were you?" The hybrid asked.

"Near my den, the hairless land walkers sent their tamed wolves after me. I had been running from them for seven suns. I didn't want them to find you." The wolf stated truthfully.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Trying."

"Yeah, no problem. It's what friends do right?" The wolf smiled.

"I'm Oken."

"Sandra. So, Oken, is this your den?"

"Yes. I know that it's not much but it's the only place under the ice that I could get you." Oken stated.

"Thank you. I appreciate it greatly." Sandra smiled as she attempted to get up again.

"Stay." Oken ordered.

"Can you at least help me to that rock? I need to move otherwise my joints will get stiff." Sandra stated with annoyance in her voice.

"Fine." Oken sighed as he helped Sandra over to the flat rock.

"That your nest?"

"Yes." Oken stated in a dry tone. "Can you even get up on the rock?"

"Yeah, I'm adaptable." Sandra smiled as she shook off Oken's webbed hands and jumped up on top of the flat rock while favoring her injured leg. "See?"

"Wow. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure.

"What are you? I've never seen a land walker like you before."

"To be honest, I'm not sure what I am. I've seen long tooths and I'm not like them. I've seen wolves but none of them ever have the back fin. So, I don't know what I am. Maybe I'm a hybrid like you." Sandra stated.

"Hybrid?"

"Yeah a cross between two or more creatures." Sandra informed just to get a confused look from her friend. "You look like a mermaid and a hairless land walker."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do." Sandra lightly laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. What do you call yourself? Creature wise. I've never seen anything like you. Not even when I was by the great water. It tasted really bad."

This time it was Oken's turn to laugh. "I'm sorry, but the great water most land walkers avoid. So I imagine that it wouldn't taste very good to your kind. I'm from the great water. My tribe didn't want me around anymore, so I was forced to leave. That's when I found the lagoon and met you."

"I'm sorry. Well we could be a tribe…what is a tribe?" Sandra asked.

Oken let out a laugh, "I guess you could call it a family."

"That's horrible. Why wouldn't your family want you?"

"I was different from them all. My mother and father were the leaders of the tribe and with me as their only offspring, they insisted that I stay hidden. When I disobeyed them, they were forced to banish me from the tribe." Oken said in a sad voice along with avoiding eye contact with Sandra.

"I'm sorry. That's a stupid reason to banish someone. I wouldn't banish someone just because they look different. That's stupid. Looks don't make a creature, it's what they do in their life that makes a creature." Sandra said.

"Thank you Sandra."

"For what?"

"Being part of my tribe." Oken smiled.

With a head tilt, Sandra let a true smile grace her lips. "Well thank you for being part of my tribe."

With that, the two hybrids became the best of friends. They did everything together. Once the white cold had vanished, and the lagoon's surface was no longer covered in ice, Sandra returned to the world of land walkers. Promising Oken that she would return once she found a new den. Oken understood but didn't want her to leave. He liked the fact that he always had her around. Now if felt like he was losing his tribe all over again.

Fourteen suns later, Sandra returned to the lagoon. With a mighty howl, she waited for Oken to surface. When he didn't come up she decided to go into the lagoon and search for him. Diving into the lagoon, Sandra realized that the water of the lagoon was different. It stung her eyes in a way that it had never before. Ignoring it, she pushed on towards the underwater cave that lead to Oken's den. However, the deeper she got the colder the water got. She knew that something was wrong now. Picking up speed, Sandra finally made it to the entrance of Oken's den. What she found though wasn't what she wanted.

The water around the entrance of the cave was solid. The new growth on the trees was late as was the new grass. Now the entrance to her friends cave was turned to ice. That's when she saw it. There in the ice was her dear friend and tribe member. He had been caught in the ice somehow. Her heart broke at the sight. She knew that her lungs would give out soon, and she had to leave her beloved friend behind. Silently apologizing, Sandra took her leave. Seven suns later the cold returned even worse than before.