In the morning Tsume was the last to awake. He slowly stood up, stretched and let out a yawn. He had finally fallen asleep after his conversation with Shiego. As a matter of fact, "where is Shiego," he thought aloud. It had only been a few hours since he had last seen him but now the scent seemed rather faint.

"He's gone," whined Toboe. He had really started to like Shiego and was deeply saddened. When he awoke and didn't see him, he spent hours running around the docks trying to locate a scent, but none was to be found. "You scared him, didn't you," he stated, staring straight at Tsume.

"Of course he didn't," replied Kiba. He was also a little worried since he had awaken. Shiego had been there just a few hours ago and now their was nothing but a few drops of blood left where he had slept.

"We have to find him," whimpered Toboe.

"Why," questioned Tsume. He was starting to get disgruntled again. "He probably figured he would slow us down, so he left."

Toboe just stared blankly at Tsume before he huddled up into a ball and began to cry.

"Hey, everything will be fine Toboe," said Blue. She had only recently met Shiego but she could tell he had an important significance to Toboe. "Eat up, and then we'll go look for him."

Toboe raised his head, "you really mean it." He slowly stood up. Suddenly he threw his ears back.

"Somebody is coming." whispered Tsume. Almost simultaneously they all heard it. A slow pace. Toboe rushed to the doorway just as Shiego's form appeared, silhouetted in the door frame by the rising sun. Kiba just stared. He had noticed Shiego left but never expected him to return. After all, he never once did talk to him about joining the pack, and he wasn't present when he mentioned it in front of everyone else.

"Your back," Toboe exclaimed, letting out a yelp of excitement.

"Where did you go," questioned Kiba. He watched as Shiego limped up to him. He wasn't dragging his paw now but Kiba could tell it still hurt.

"I was looking for something." Shiego had left shortly after Tsume had fallen asleep. He felt a little run down so he went to the spot he always did when he was feeling low. He headed to the top of one of the larger towers. From there he could smell the world, or so it seemed. The winds brought many scents to his nostrils that night. But the one scent he was searching for was what gave him hope. The scent of Lunar Flowers could be found floating on the breeze. It had taken him a while to find it but this was the one place in the whole city where he could find the lovely scent.

"Looking for what," asked Tsume. He was starting to feel left out.

"Lunar Flowers," Shiego replied.

All the wolves stared in disbelief. This was unheard of, no other wolves they had encountered had ever mentioned Lunar Flowers let alone gone looking for them.

"Did you find any," asked Toboe, his tail swishing from side to side.

"No, not in this city."

"Oh," said Toboe, "but how come we couldn't find you. I looked everywhere." Kiba was wondering the same thing.

"This place is filled with scent," replied Shiego. "You couldn't find me because I was here the entire time."

"Huh," replied Toboe, cocking his head to one side.

It was true, he had never truly left. Instead climbing to the top of a tower at the docks where the wind carried his scent off in the breeze. He spent the rest of the night up there and was awoken be the frantic running of Toboe as he scoured the docks.

"Well if your done, I think we should go now," said Tsume. "No sense staying here anymore."

"Come on Shiego, I'll walk with you," Toboe cried out. He was excited, Shiego was back and not only that, but Kiba had said he could join the pack.

"Are you sure," Shiego said, staring questionably at Kiba.

"You're one of the pack now," Kiba said. He didn't like it at first but he figured it was the least he could do, given all the help he had offered in the condition he was in.

"Where are we going." Shiego was thrilled, he had found a new pack after all.

Hige spoke up, "were going to Paradise." Paradise, that one word sent Shiego in a tailspin. He had heard rumors that it existed but never met anyone set on actually going there.

"That's why we need to follow the Lunar Flowers. So we can find Cheza," spouted out Toboe.

"Who's Cheza?"

"She's the Flower Maiden," Kiba stated. "We need her, to open paradise."

"You know, I smelled Lunar Flowers to the east of here."

"Well then what are we waiting for," grumbled Tsume.

"Let's go," shouted Hige as he and Blue ran out the door into the brilliant sunshine.

Their trip out of the city was uneventful. Kiba noticed that Shiego's pace had quickened, and his limp was becoming less apparent as the day progressed. Kiba was finally together with his friends at last, and nothing could ever separate them. As they left the city they entered a frozen wasteland. Nothing would stop them now. He picked up his pace and the others followed suit. Even Shiego managed to keep up, he was recovering faster than Kiba had expected. They continued all day and into the night before they finally decided to take a rest and catch some much needed sleep.

"What a long day," said Hige. "Man am I hungry.'

"Your always hungry," giggled Blue, nudging her friend gently.

Toboe's stomach growled.

"Sounds like someone else is hungry as well," commented Tsume.

Toboe just grinned back. They were all hungry, but there was no food for them to eat.

Shiego plopped down on the snow. He was exhausted. They had come a long way already and they had a long way yet to go. Shiego slipped into sleep and didn't wake till morning. Toboe was curled up next to him fast asleep when he awoke. He glanced over to see Kiba sitting a little distance away staring into the east. Shiego just watched Kiba sit there. It occurred to him that it was because of Toboe that Kiba allowed him to join the pack. Everyone else seemed to be indifferent to him tagging along except Tsume. Tsume had not spoken to Shiego since they left the city. In fact every time their eyes met Tsume would give off a low growl. Shiego figured that given time Tsume would come to at least accept him if not like him. He stretched his neck and laid his head across Toboe's back before dozing off again. This time he was awakened by the crunching of snow as someone walked closer. It was Tsume. He stared coldly at Shiego and let out a low growl before reaching down to nudge Toboe.

"Time to go runt," Tsume said, still eyeing Shiego.

"Five more minutes," Toboe muttered. He was apparently still asleep.

Tsume then nipped Toboe in the back. That woke him up immediately.

"Ouch," yelped out Toboe, as he jumped up causing Shiego to roll over onto his side. "What was that for."

"It's time to go," replied Tsume before walking off to join the others.

Shiego rolled back over and sat up, letting out a large yawn. "Another long day ahead I presume. Did you sleep well?"

"I guess," Toboe replied as he began to walk off to join the others

"That doesn't sound too cheery."

Shiego walked up to the rest of the pack. Tsume gave him an icy cold stare but didn't say a word.

"Nice to see you two are finally up," said Hige.

Kiba stood up, "Now that were all awake it's time to go."

"I'm ready," replied Toboe.

They began to leave. Tsume pushed past Shiego letting out a growl and snapping his jaws before running off to catch up with Kiba. He didn't like the stranger one bit and as far as he was concerned no one else should either. Shiego just trotted along. His leg didn't seem to be bothering him much anymore, it was most likely numb from laying in the snow for so long. He stayed to the rear of the pack, and every once and a while Toboe would come trot beside him. At about mid day Toboe was trotting next to him, "Your bleeding again," he said, a hint of concern in his voice.

Shiego glanced down. His injured paw wasn't doing to well. He couldn't feel it but he could see the torn skin and blood soaked fur leaving a single red paw print every step he took. Toboe ran ahead to Kiba and within a few minutes the entire pack came to a stop.

"I knew he should never have come along," growled Tsume. He growled just a little too loud. Kiba stared straight at Tsume, his ears laid back and teeth barred.

"He's a member of the pack," Kiba growled back. He had noticed the hostility Tsume had for Shiego since they met back in the city. He would tolerate it no longer.

"You never seemed to like him that much either!"

With that the two large wolves lunged at each other. They met mid air. Colliding into each other as teeth sank into each ones shoulder. They fell to the ground and clawed at each other turning the once pretty snow into a red spewed battle ground. Tsume pinned his opponent to the ground before Kiba threw him off. They stood facing each other pacing, growling. Suddenly a bolt of white hit Tsume, knocking the air out of him. He fell to the ground and felt the full weight of the wolf on top of him, his warm breath on his neck and the pressure of the teeth against his skin. But they didn't bite him. He glanced up at his attacker, it wasn't Kiba who was on top of him but rather it was Shiego who had him pinned, helpless in the snow. 'But why isn't he biting me,' the thought raced through Tsume's mind. After all the hostility he had shown towards him it was now that he was most helpless, at the mercy of another. Tsume began to whine, the weight of the wolf on top of him was slowly crushing him. He felt that maybe he had been wrong about Shiego. The stranger seemed like he could handle himself pretty well, especially considering Tsume was on the wrong side of his fangs.

"Shiego, get off of him," shouted Kiba.

Without hesitation Shiego stepped back away from Tsume. He had won this round.

"Why," it was Tsume. He had gotten up and was now sitting; staring at Shiego. "You could have ended it right there, but you didn't, why spare me?"

Shiego glanced back over his shoulder, "because, you remind me of myself."

It was several years ago and Shiego was young and headstrong. He left camp to go hunting alone, against the packs rules. He had traveled outside of his packs territory before he noticed he was being followed. He stopped to listen and sniff the air. It was a wolf. He turned around to see a large grey wolf standing a short distance away; staring at him, teeth barred. The grey wolf charged him. Shiego didn't even have time to react before he was pinned to the ground. He couldn't breath. The stranger stood over him, jaws wide apart for the kill. Put the final blow didn't come. The large wolf just stood there looking down at him. Shiego had closed his eyes and was whimpering as he awaited the inevitable. Suddenly all the pressure was removed from his chest and he could breath again. The large wolf sat a little ways off, with his back to Shiego. Shiego stood up and looked at the wolf who just sat there. "Why," was the only thing Shiego could say. The older wolf replied, "because mercy is more powerful than death." With that the grey wolf ran off into the woods, it was the last he ever saw him.

Someone was licking him. It was Toboe. He had fallen asleep a while ago. He opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder at the pack. Kiba and Tsume were cleaning their wounds and Blue and Hige were still fast asleep. It was still dark. Toboe stopped licking and rested his head on Shiego's back, "I like you."

"Why's that," Shiego replied.

"You remind me of Grams."

"Who's Grams?"

Toboe looked of into the distance, "She took care of me since before I could see. She said she found me out in the cold all alone and saved me. I loved her, but, she died and now she's gone."

Shiego was ready to reply but stopped short as thoughts raced through his head, "you weren't alone."

Memories flooded Shiego's mind. The cries of his pack, the smell of smoke, the whimpering of the pup held in his mouth. He had gotten past the humans but he had been wounded in the process. The pup's mother fled with him and she was shot first. Her body hitting the ground, throwing red snow in all directions. The pup she was carrying fell from her mouth, causing the hunters to pause and momentarily question their deeds. Shiego leapt for the pup, scooping it up in his mouth and tearing off into the woods away from the hunters. He heard one last gunshot, and felt a shot of ice run up his thigh. He had been hit. It didn't matter now but he knew that all that mattered was the pup. He would die, but the young life he held so tenderly in his jaws must survive. He ran for days. Never stopping once for food or water. He fell at last outside the gates of one of the larger cities. The pup was cold and hungry, so he curled up around it to keep it warm, but he had no food to feed it. It was then that he saw her, an elderly woman walking by. She glanced their way before she went into the city. A few hours passed before she reappeared. She came out with a blanket and a container with warm milk in it. She scooped up the pup in her arms and sat there feeding him, and cuddling him. Shiego stood up and took a few steps away from the two of them. He had left a large red stain in the snow where he had lain. He glanced back and the woman looked at him with pain and understanding in her eyes. He limped away the best he could to try and find a hole to crawl up and die in. But he never did find the right spot and he didn't die. Over the course of a couple weeks he regained his strength and his wound healed. He scoured the city from side to side but he was unable to detect even the slightest trace that the woman and the pup were even in the city any more. After months of searching he finally gave up, hoping that one day the pup would grow old, live a full life, and find paradise.

Toboe looked at Shiego. "I know," he says laying his head once again over Shiego's back falling to sleep.

So this is what had become of the pup he had rescued. He had grown up, and was searching for paradise like he had hoped. The thought pleased him and he fell back to sleep.

"Wake up sleepy heads." It was Blue's voice. "It's time to go, the city can't be that far off."

"I'm up," Shiego replied.

"Me too," Barked out Toboe. Toboe still couldn't believe it. He knew their was something familiar about Shiego but until now he was unable to put his tongue on it. Now he knew, and he was so overjoyed he couldn't keep it to himself.

"Guess what," Toboe shouted out as the rest of the pack assembled.

"What," replied Hige.

"I'm part of Shiego's pack."

"No your not, your part of this pack," snorted Tsume.

"I mean before this pack." Toboe was so thrilled that he couldn't even stay sitting down.

"I thought you lived with Grams your whole life," Kiba replied.

"I did," Toboe replied. "But Shiego is the one who brought me to Grams."

Kiba Glanced curiously over at Shiego.

"Come on, I'll tell you on the way," Shiego commented. And with that said he began to relate the final events of his pack and how only he had escaped with the pup and found the elderly woman who he knew would take good care of the young pup. He had finished relating his story as the came within sight of the city. It was huge. Larger than any other city Shiego had ever seen before. As they approached the gate they could all smell it. The smell of Lunar Flowers. Cheza, was here.