( Thank you to everyone who viewed my story! Ok, so I probably won't get the details right on Laura's house, only because I'm not a stalker! Now, if there are some things you know, please tell me! :) I'd love to make my story more realistic! Please review! I'd love to hear what you guys think of my story! Ok, enjoy! )

Chapter II: A Party and a Price

The foggy night air curled around the trio, making it almost impossible to see. Leatho growled at Pyran and Ginver, flicking his tail in irritation.

"Can't you row any faster? By the time we get there the sun will have risen," Leatho growled, making binoculars with his hands and focused on the small strip of land in front of them.

"Sorry, Captain! We're tryin' our best, but we've been rowing for hours and it's nearly 10:30," Ginver said, reading the watch around his paw.

Leatho thought for a moment. To be a better leader would be to help out his crew. "Hey, Pyran! Can you pass me that paddle by your paws?" Pyran looked back at Leatho in surprise.

"But sir, your the Captain! You shouldn't be doing this work!" Ginver said. Both he and Pyran had stopped rowing now, starring back at Leatho in surprise.

"No, I'm giving you an order, Pyran. Are you disobeying me?" Leatho asked, reaching a paw out to Pyran. Pyran quickly shipped his paddle and grabbed the oaken paddle in front of him, handing it to Leatho.

"Alright! Let's hurry up! We should get there by 11:00!" Leatho said cheerily, starting to tow with powerful strokes.

Pyran and Ginver gave each other looks of surprise, then replied cheerily, "Aye aye, Captain!"

The mourned the boat on an empty beach, hopping out on the cool white sand. Leatho looked around them, the forest towering in front of them. Pyran looked around the beach, padding a ways up the sand dunes closer to the forest. He took a deep breath.

"This way, Captain!" The maned wolf called down to Ginver and Leatho. "I can see a a little light comin' through the trees!"

"Ok! Ginver, you can scout ahead a little and see what's ahead of us. Pyran, you come down hear with me! Me need to make sure the boat is ready to leave when we come back!"

"Aye aye, chief!" Ginver said, giving a hasty salute to Leatho and swept past Pyran, disappearing into the trees with no more than a slight rustle.

"I think she's ready as can be, Captain!" Pyran said, approaching the boat and patted the hull. "If we push her any farther off the beach, she'll be swept away from rising tides."

"Alright then! Now we'll just wait for Ginver and then find the fanciest places we can steal from!" Leatho laughed, patting Pyran's shoulder.

Ginver came back a short while later, nodding to Pyran and Leatho. "All's clear, Captain! There's a house down a ways inland with some loud music playin'! We could start there? I think there will be plenty to steal at a party!" Ginver laughed, starting back up the sand dunes.

"Good find, Ginver! I think we should take this one with stealth. Let no one see you, or that'll cost the whole mission!" Leatho growled, bounding up the slop in three quick leaps. "Alright, let's go!"

Leatho, Pyran, and Ginver arrived at the house at exactly 11:32PM. They hid in the shelter of the woods a mile away, planning on there next move.

"I think only two of us should go. You and Pyran can go; I'll stand watch not to far away. It'll be easer without numbers," Ginver said, flicking his ears as a mosquito landed on his head.

"Alright. You said there where trees out front?" Ginver nodded. "Well then, you can hide in one of the trees. If anyone's looking suspicious, give the biggest bobcat scream you can muster," Leatho said, looking back at Pyran. "You two go first. In five minutes, I'll be there too."

"Alright, Captain!" Pyran and Ginver said, bounding off into the direction of the party. Leatho had only stayed behind for one reason; the change. What Delrif had told him about shifting into a human had been bothering him the whole time, but he saw the use to the power. If he changed, he could easily sneak into that party. The only thing to do now was figure out how to change.

Think, Leatho. Just think, a voice inside Leatho's head whispered. Maybe the voice was right; he just had to think of him as a human. Leatho closed his eyes and concentrated. No sooner had he shut his eyes had he felt himself start to shift. He didn't open his eyes, the pain didn't hurt that much. When there was no more pain, Leatho walked over to a small pond not far away and looked down, gasping.

The same green eyes looked up at him through the shinning water, but now he had a pale human face, still littered with the scars he had received throughout all the battles, though they weren't as visible. His sandy blonde hair was spiked up and still stained red from when he was ten. His bare chest was well muscled, the four clawed slash though was still visible, the scar was from when his father was angry at him and lashed out in anger.

Leatho ran a hand through his hair, smiling. "You were right, father, I can turn human."

Finding the party was harder then Leatho had thought. His human senses were stronger then other humans, but not as good as a snow leopards. He found the house after ten minutes of searching, only because of Ginver's pelt not blending well with the tree he had chosen.

"Go find yourself another tree, Ginver! I can see you like blood splatter on white!" Leatho snarled at Ginver, who looked over in shock.

"Le-leatho?" He asked, padding out of the tree to take a look at the tall human in front of him. "How did you do that?"

"I'll explain it on the boat, ok? Now find a better tree then that leafless twig and hide. Has Pyran got in yet?" Leatho asked, stepping out of the pool of light he had been standing in.

"Yeah, he got in through an open window. How are you gonna get in, though? I think there might be a back door," Ginver added, pointing with his paw at the back of the house.

"Thank you, friend," Leatho said, walking to the back of the house hurriedly. When he reached the back, he stumbled, crawling back into the shadows. In front of him was a dog, sniffing the air timidly.

The dog was huge and grey, and didn't look like it lived here. Then, the dreaded moment, it turned in Leatho's direction, and snarled.

"Damn," Leatho cursed, leaping to his feet. He whirled to Ginver, the wolf advanced, snarling. "Give the signal Ginver! The wolf gonna howl!" Right as Leatho said that, the wolf howled and sprang, landing on his back like a rock. He stumbled forward. The wolf latching its teeth into his shoulder and shook violently.

Ginver gave off the bobcat call and sprinted down the tree, defending down the road, never turning back. Pyran leaped from the window above Leatho, looking down at him. He carried a box full of shiny things, but he looked ready to drop it.

"Go! Leave me! Lira will be captain of the ship now! Go!" Leatho hissed, smashing his fist against the side of the wolfs head, stunning it momentarily. Pyran and Leatho locked eyes, nodding goodbyes to each other, and Pyran ran down the street, not looking back at his lost Captain.

Leatho turned back to the wolf. It shook it mighty head, getting up and snarled at Leatho. When it charged, Leatho did the only thing he was trained to do; slam its god damn head in! He swung his fist back and punched the wolf in the side of the head, breaking his knuckles on the wolfs skull, but successfully knocked it out.

Leatho breathed a sigh of relief, only to faint from the loss of blood due to the gaping bite wound on his arm.