Do Not Say Farewell

Chapter 1: Exiled

Song: Our Farewell by Within Temptation

Barks and yelps filled the air, joining in the chorus of chaos and anger. Tosca stretched her neck, scanning the area for any pack members. Everything felt scattered. Panic filled every inch of everyone's being. Tosca found herself baring her fangs and stepping back a few steps. Her burnt brown fur rippled anxiously. A human stalked towards her, a torch gripped in one hand. Her growl was lost and unheard among the constant roar of fighting and death.
Tosca watched as the man tensed for attack. It was then that a dark shadow tackled him from his right. He went down hard, and Tosca heard the loud crack. The torch flew from the man's hands and thunked against a tree, but Tosca paid no mind as she heard the man's scream cut short. The shadow rose from the man, dark blood dripping from panting jaws.

'Kurogane.' Tosca felt relief flood through her as she approached and nosed the black wolf. His red eyes didn't meet hers in a return greeting. They gazed past her. Tosca's ears flicked and she turned her head to find what Kurogane saw.

Bright flames began to lick up the tree, quickly engulfing it. And it wasn't done.

Tosca whirled around again, relief dissolved. Anger and anxiety in its' place. 'We can't protect this place anymore!' She barked sharply. 'We need to find everyone we can and leave!'

Kurogane's crimson eyes showed that he understood and he turned to search for his pack mates. But there was more to that look. Tosca tilted her head slightly, thinking she saw a kind of concern in that gaze. But then again, she could have imagined it. Tosca quickly shook it off and went after Kurogane.

Sniffing was useless. Sight and sound was the only thing to rely on. Fai found himself keeping a long distance from the humans, but he also knew that any further away may just put him in someone else's territory. A soft whimper reached his ears and he glanced down at his younger pack mate.

Tye, who they'd found abandoned and starving a month ago, watched him with wide fearful eyes. Fai's ears went back. Every time their gazes met, he read the same words.

'I'm scared.'

Tye was just a pup, ofcourse she was scared. He himself had just left the puppy stage. Him along with Yuui and Aika, his birth mates, and Kurogane, who he was convinced came from the same pack as Tye by their identical fur. Full black.

Fai's ears pricked upright again. Someone was coming. Fai tasted the air. It was still useless. He only smelled smoke mixed with death, mixed with his pack mates. The thought made an uneasy feeling settle heavily in the pit of his stomach.

The sound was closer. Fai's hackles rose instantly and he took a step over Tye. He was afraid, but that wouldn't stop him from protecting Tye. His head lowered and he let a growl ripple through his chest.

He then spotted shades of brown in the darkness and two pups stumbled out. Fai's growl stopped.

Both pups ran to him, relieved. They stood almost as tall as he did and both gave him a lick on the cheek in greeting. Fai responded with a lick across the muzzle for each. Sakura and Syaoran felt relief to have joined a pack member and made sure to greet Tye appropriately. She didn't greet back and stayed as close as she could to Fai.

'Everyone smells scared and mad.' She whimpered lightly.

Syaoran tilted his tan head up at Fai. 'Anyone else?' His chocolate eyes asked. The same question appeared in Sakura's emerald gaze.

Fai only stared ahead and lowered his ears. 'No.'

Yuui's white fur was stained with red. A horrible mixture of human and his own blood. He found himself breathing harder than he needed to. He also found that fire steadily moving closer to him.

Another human caught his eye. A large butcher knife raised in a large meaty hand and ready to strike. Yuui pulled his lips back and snarled. The sound was loud enough for even himself to hear.

The human faltered, surprised. Yuui took his chance and lunged. Again his fangs sank deeply into flesh and bone and the body soon crumpled under his paws. Yuui stepped back from the still body. His back legs then finally gave out and he found himself sitting. His front legs trembled, begging to be relieved. Yuui wanted to relieve them. Part of him wanted to give into the pain. To lay and let death claim him.

Part of him didn't want to give the humans the satisfaction.

Icy blue eyes scanned his surroundings. His fallen pack mates, still and cold. Ofcourse the numbers of dead humans overwhelmed the wolves. In the darkness, the only light was the fire.

Yuui felt fear and rage swirl restlessly in his chest. Sadness and pain. Despair. He tilted his nose to the dark sky and released his feelings into a long howl.

Aika managed to escape another human when her ears shot straight. Howling. She felt the sadness in that voice and longed to join. Aika's silver eyes slipped closed and she turned up, allowing her voice to join Yuui's.

'They're howling.' Kurogane barked, stepping from the den he'd sniffed out. It was empty.

'I'm relieved the hear their voices.' Tosca stated, her gaze moving from two of her dead daughters. Not too far from them the alpha male, her own mate, lay still. She lifted her muzzle and howled, pouring mostly sadness into it.

Kurogane watched his pack leader for a few seconds before lifting his own muzzle. But he didn't let his voice join the others yet. He was sad for his fallen pack mates. Angry too. But now, everything was too scattered. He had no idea where anyone was or whether they were hurt. More than anything, he wanted everyone out and away from this place. Kurogane allowed his wish to ring in his howl.

Fai watched as Sakura and Syaoran howled towards the chorus of his pack.

Fai heard Yuui. He was alive. As was Kurogane. Aika and Tosca too. All very sad songs. No other voices came and disappointment fell over Fai. He finally joined the song, throwing his muzzle upwards.

It was then that they heard one voice drop abruptly. The feeling of alarm spread like fire through Fai's veins.

'Yuui!'

Yuui's howl was cut short when a rough hand took hold of the fur on the back of his neck and yanked him backwards. His yelp of surprise quickly dissolved into snarling as he painfully clawed and ripped away from his attacker. He leapt to his feet and growled again. The human kept his eyes on Yuui, letting a big clump of his fur drop to the ground.

Another round of growling joined his and he softened his own to find whether he was imagining it or not. Then more growling.

Two figures simultaneously leaped from the shadows and tackled the man to the ground.

Yuui's growl stopped short and he head rose in confusion. Aika and Kurogane came to his rescue. He then jumped in surprised as Tosca examined him from head to tail.

She gave a short bark. 'You're injured.' Yuui gave her a sheepish look and turned to see Aika and Kurogane greet each other briefly before approaching him.

'It's good that you howled.' Aika told him, licking at the wound in his shoulder.

Yuui's eyes closed and he felt back into a sitting position and allowed Aika to continue cleaning his wound.

Still...

'I'm still concerned.' Tosca's low whine informed the others. 'There were more than four howls.'

Kurogane looked at his surroundings. Dead humans. Dead wolves. Blood. Fire.

He knew Fai was alive. He'd heard his howl. Sakura's and Syaoran's as well. And all four of them knew they weren't leaving them behind. Kurogane gave five sharp barks into the distance.

Fai gave a small gasp, blue eyes widening.

'Kurogane.'

Both Syaoran and Sakura turned to him, eager to follow the barks and reunite with their pack mates.

Fai stood straighter and barked back. He then dipped down and took Tye into his jaws before breaking into a run for his pack. Sakura and Syaoran close behind.

'I'm coming.'

First chapter woot! *cheers* I'm gonna hope that readers like and I will update regularly. X3 There aren't that many Tsubasa wolf fics out there are there...so I made one~

About the songs...they are just songs that I found fit the chapter well. I plan to put a different one for each chapter and whether you listen to it or not is up to you but I think it sets the mood pretty well. But...if I can't find a song...then it will be blank...just so you know. ^-^ I don't own Clamp's characters btw...I do own Tye, Aika, and Tosca though. Yay~