The lush green forest seemed to silence itself as the brown haired girl lay dying on the thick grass. Her ever loyal companion stood watch, though he knew there wasn't anything he could do to help. His black ears pinned to his skull in an attempt to block and change the view he knew to be all to real. The grass once green turned a rusty colour as the blood seemed to crawl away from the girl, he knew as his mistress and best friend. It was trust and luck that had let them get this far but as the her breathing became shallow and laboured they both knew there luck had ran out.

Taking the deepest breath she could manage the brunette lifted her left arm high enough for the wolf to see. Immediately she felt the warm soft presence she knew to be Ryu at her side as his snout found its way under the palm of her hand. "Ryu" she began in a whisper her throat would allow her "you have to leave they will find us both if you don't" a copper taste filled her mouth, the girl knew the taste of the red liquid all to well, spitting it out onto the now rust coloured grass she managed to whisper one last message to her companion "please Ryu go" before the she fell into the dark void known as unconsciousness.

Sitting back on its haunches the wolfs eyes blinked rapidly a small whine escaped its previously silent form. The bleakness of the situation he and his master faced hanging like a dark cloud over his soul. Leaving now would ensure his safety but would mean sacrificing his master and that was something he refused to do, but staying would result in the death for them both and he would do anything in his power to stop the eternal darkness swallowing his mistress. So here he sat faced a soul wrenching situation it was unlikely if he even managed to get her on his back that he could get very far.

The constant sharp pain in his back legs and the smell of burnt fur and flesh that filled his nose were the chains keeping him from saving his best friends life, the border that kept success just out of their reach. Closing his eyes the feeling of defeat began to creep its way it to his system. Spreading through his veins. The though of just lying down next to his mistress pretending everything was ok.

Resting, the slow breeze sweeping through his fur, the night breeze filling his nose with its sweet smell but then to ignore the sound of his mistresses breathing and heart beat slowing, the feel of her blood slowly coating his fur and to ignore the hand that before this moment would scratch his head affectionately now lay limp stretching for him. How? How could he think he could ignore the one thing he held above all others the one thing he held more dear than his own life? No he would get them both out of here alive and they would be safe again! Now he just had to think how.

Pale pinks and purples stained the sky signalling the end of the day and as a slight chill rattled through his mistress Ryu realised if he didn't get her out of the open he would have more than one problem to deal with. He sniffed around the surrounding area the slight hint of deer and a few humans but other than that nothing out of the ordinary.

He would have to leave if only for a little while. Alone he could not help her but if he got another human one who would not hurt his mistress than she would live. With one last look backwards he ran towards the smell of humans leaving his fear behind for it would only remind him of what they had lost and what they were risking.

Blackness slowly clouded her vision as she looked into the saddened eye of her ever loyal companion, The way his eyes had lost all the hope they had held before this mission told her all she needed to know. There was no hope for her. The wounds she had sustained were worse then she had first thought, though she could no longer feel much her body had gone numb.

As she lifted up her left arm the feeling of tiny pins sticking into her flesh enveloped it whole and she had to fight in order to keep it up long enough for him to see. She couldnt let him die here not when he had tried so hard to save her, staying by her side through all the chaos that had landed them in this situatuion and even now when he could save himself live to breath another day he stayed by her side never shaking in his decision to stay with her. Never moving.

She breathed out testing her voice she said the only thing she could. He could not die here. Not when it was her fault they were in this mess. "Ryu" the wolfs attention snapped away from the thoughts inside his head his full attention on her. "you have to leave they will find us both if you don't" her voice shook with the effort it took to main tain it the pain increasing the more she spoke. blood began to pool in her mouth wether from her throat or some other injury she didnt know nor did she care it was to late for her but not for him. He has a chance.

she spat the vile liquid onto the grass it joining with the ever growing pool. Her companions eyes stared with paniced and saddended eyes he knew she wouldnt make it as much as she did and there was nothing he could do. "please Ryu go" her last words until death came for her soul. As the darkness filled her vision she Looked up into the pink and purple filled sky, she smiled inwardly what a nice day to die.

The trees began to blur into simple shapes and colours as the scent became stronger and a worn down path made its way into his sight. He stopped at the edge of the forrest and sniffed at the road. The sound of old wooden wheels hitting hard stone made it to his ears and as he blended back into the green of the forest a cart pulled by a horse rolled past. The horse must have sensed him as it started to rear its head and neigh in a dangerous fashion attempting to either scare the wolf so that it would not attack or break free of its leather reins.

He shook his head the stupid animal only doing as it was told probably couldnt even understand common english. The animal gods, well some of them had been friends with the humans helping them, doing things they couldnt do for themselves: pulling carts, sending messages. some of his own kind even adandoned their clan to go and live among the humans.

Well thay had paid for their mistake now, being turned from gods of the forests to simple pets, an animal to do the humans will. Stupid, thick, domesticated animals. now the few animals that stayed in the forests looked on at their fellow animals with shame and pity. Never would they know of the life they were ment to have they simply pull the carts and do as there humans say. It probably sounded like his relationship with his master but no he was here because he loved her, not in the way one would love their mate or cubs but she was part of his pack and he would protect her the way she protected him and he always would.

A boy no older than eighteen got out of the cart and started to try and calm the horse still oblivious to his presence stupid human. He smirked and got ready to pounce his back legs wiring them selves ready for the attack as a low growl escaped from his throat. The boy turned around as the black figure jumped out from the forest and a strangled cry escaped his mouth.