"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature."
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Chapter 2

The Hunt and a Meeting

Hiro left Anari after he had made sure she didn't need anything else. When his scent faded away, Anari shook her head in confusion. What kind of a goat would help a wolf? A wolf? Was he mad? Surely he wasn't. But Anari was grateful. Hiro could have left her for dead. But instead, he had revived her. It was a kind thing to do. She'd have to about it later. But now, she had to get back to her pack.

Throwing her head to the sky, she howled as loud as she could, a howl that said "Here I am! Find me!" In no time, the pack was there, sniffing all over her, asking if she was alright and where she had been.

"My love, are you OK I was worried sick over you!" Barry said worriedly. Anari growled.

"We are not mates Barry." But he wasn't listening.

"We'll take good care of you," Barry was saying. "Can you walk?"

"No."

"I'll carry you then." Barry hefted Anari onto his back and started to huff and puff his way towards Jumping Gorges with his pack following him.

When they got there, Barry took Anari to his cave, where he gave her a few rabbits to eat, but she said she wasn't hungry.

"Well, I'll just leave them here for you if you get hungry again," Barry said. He walked out to discuss topics with the pack. Meanwhile, Anari was busy thinking about that goat.

/One Shining Day/

Hiro finally hiked back to his herd, which was located on Pleasant Mountain.

"Hiro," Miina said when he got back. "Where have you been?"

"I just went near to Forest to graze for a bit," Hiro replied.

"Oh," Miina said. The pink goat started walking a little closer to Hiro. "Hiro, do you think... maybe you and I could go near Meadow? Just for a little while?"

"Well... I don't know."

"Oh come on, we haven't went there in a while." Miina looked him in the eyes. "It'll be fun."

"Well... OK. When do you want to go?"

"Right now!" Miina pranced around excitedly as Hiro led the way calmly towards the meadow. Miina was so happy that she hadn't noticed the scent of the meat or the wolf, which was quickly starting to fade, and that relieved him. He didn't want to be asked questions about where he had been, really. He had heard stories of a goat named Mei and a wolf named Gabu. They had went across the mountains in the hopes that they would find a forest where they could be friends without anyone prosecuting them. They were never heard from again. Hiro never thought about it until he met Anari. He had to admit, she did amuse him a little. Even though she couldn't even stand, she still said that she would eat him. Truthfully, he didn't know why he had decided to save her. If he would have let her die, then there would have been one less wolf to hunt them.

'I'd better keep this a secret,' Hiro thought. 'No one would trust me if I told them what I did. They'd think that I was fraternizing with the wolves.'

"Hiro, are you OK?" Miina asked. Hiro snapped out of his thoughts. He had already walked into the Meadow, and the two of them stood in the middle of it. All kinds of plants, from dandelions and sunflowers, to roses and berry bushes and fruits trees made up the Meadow. Goats liked to come here, but it was a little dangerous because wolves often liked to hunt here.

"Oh, I'm alright. Just thinking." Suddenly, Miina tackled Hiro into the soft grass. "Miina!"

"Come on silly," Miina said playfully. "We're here to play." She grabbed his ear in her mouth and tugged. With a playful bleat, Hiro pushed Miina off ran through the field, turning their play into a game of chase. In the end, Hiro ended up on top of Miina.

"You know," Miina started, "I've liked you for a while now, Hiro." Hiro looked at her in confusion.

"Yeah. I have too. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No silly. I mean... Like, like you." Hiro blushed through his fur and sat up on the grass in front of Miina.

"Well, I uh-"

"It's OK if you don't like me like that," Miina said, sitting up. "I just wanted to let you know. And can you not mention this to the other goats?"

"Is that why you wanted to get me alone with you?"

"Yeah."

Hiro gave her a smile. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks." Miina sat next to him and nuzzled his cheek. "You know, whoever gets to be your mate is going to be very lucky."

Hiro smiled. "Thanks. The same to you."

After that, Hiro and Miina went back to Pleasent Mountain and thankfully didn't run into any wolves.

/One Shining Day/

A few days later was all it took for Anari's leg to heal. After that, she was up and ready for anything. The first thing she did was go out hunting. Hiro was out of her mind, so she was totally focused on the task at hand.

They had decided to go to Crumbling Hills. It was early spring, so the plants that the goats love would be in full bloom.

Barry led one team, while another wolf, named Juni, led another group. Anari had no choice but to go with Barry, because he had apparently picked an area where lots of goats were eating. Just burying her fangs in her flesh made her mouth water.

As the team looked around, Anari spotted one goat off all by itself. 'Foolish creatures,' she thought. There was a little fog, so her white fur helped her blend in.

"Barry," she whispered, "there's one right over there." Barry looked over and smiled viciously.

"Good work Anari," he whispered back. "Everyone, surround that goat over there." The rest of the wolves nodded and, slowly and silently started to surround it. But it didn't move. That was weird. Anari got into position and couldn't help but growl low in her throat in the heat of the excitement. The goat, who was grazing, immediately lifted its head to look around. At the moment, Anari rushed at it, baring her fangs and snarling. Then she stopped. It was Hiro! He apparently seemed surprised too, but surprise kicked into terror, and he dodged her snapping jaws long enough to try and run away, but there was where another wolf was waiting. Hiro stopped just in time and the wolf missed, falling on his front. Hiro jumped on his back and managed to land on top of a large boulder, and barely escaped the jaws of Barry.

"I'll get him!" Anari growled. She made quite a leap onto the rock and managed to pull herself up using her front paws.

"That a girl, Anari!" Barry called, but Anari ignored him. Hiro had disappeared into the mist, which was starting to get thicker.

"Go and hunt some others, while I take care of this one," Anari said behind her.

"Will do," Barry said, and led the wolves to find other goats.

'I thought he was supposed to be the alpha,' she thought. Suddenly, she heard a rustle a few feet away from her, and made a leap to where she thought she heard it. She landed on the body of a goat, which she could smell was Hiro. She was about to bite him in the throat, but he yelled, "Wait!" For some reason, Anari stopped to see what he had to say.

"Whatever you have to say, make it quick goat," she growled.

"What? I-I thought you remembered me. I'm Hiro, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. And now I have to forget. Wolves and goats cannot be friends."

"But why? I would never tell anyone?"

Anari growled in annoyance. "It's a crime against nature! It isn't right! Now shut up so I can kill you!"

"Just please listen! There's an old barn in the Thunder Forest, it's where a lot of thunderstorms come, but I don't think there'll be a storm the rest of this week. Can you meet me there tomorrow at noon? Please?"

"Why should I listen to you?"

"I saved your life. The least you could do is meet me there." Anari pondered her choices for a second. If she just ate him, she'd have a full stomach and would accomplish what she came here for. If she agreed to meeting him, she'd get to see what he wanted to show her.

'I could always eat him if he tries to run away,' she thought. Then she nodded and backed away. "Fine. I'll let you go, and we'll meet tomorrow." Hiro breathed a sigh of relief, but then yelped in fright when Anari stood on her back legs to pin him up against the rock with her paw. "But if you lie, and you're not there, I'll make sure the entire pack annihilates every goat in our hunting range."

"O-of course," Hiro stuttered. Anari let him drop to the ground and watch as he ran away.

'If word got out I let that goat escape, I don't know what I'd do. I don't want to face Barry's wrath,' she thought. She went to all fours again and raised her nose to sniff the air. There was another goat nearby. Anari grinned.

/One Shining Day/

Hiro huffed and puffed as he ran as hard as he could away from Crumbling Hills as he possibly could. If he ran into another wolf, they wouldn't be as gracious as Anari. Thankfully, he managed to get away, and looked back to see the fog lifting from the place. He saw the bodies of the wolves as they chased the goats, and strangely, he didn't feel any fear when he saw Anari chasing one. He was frightened when Anari pinned him to the rock and threatened him, but felt gratitude and respect towards her when he let her go. As he stood there, he actually admired the way she ran, the long strides she took, and how the muscles rippled under her fur. He had never seen anyone so concentrated on something, and when he looked into her eyes, even though he saw wildness and apathy, he saw a lot of intellegience, something he didn't see much in any other animal, except maybe himself. His vision was broken when she tackled the goat she had been chasing, and took him down with one swift bite. Then he realized with horrible realization that it was Tapu. At that moment, he had to turn away.

Later on that day, when they sun was on its way down and it cast an orange-red glow on the sky, Hiro was with the rest of the flock, resting in the grass. Miina walked up to him and said, "Did you hear about Tapu?"

"What?" Hiro asked sleepily. "Oh. Yeah. I'm sorry that he died."

"Yeah, we all are." With a sigh, Miina lay down next to him. "You know, he had a mate."

"He did?" Hiro asked, surprised. He didn't know that Tapu, of all the goats, had a mate.

"Yeah. But she was killed too."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"The Elder said that we may have to start mating season early because of how the wolves are hunting us," Miina said casually. Hiro stiffened. At every mating season, he always went away because he was so nervous about the thought of mating.

"Um, O-OK. When does it start?"

"Tomorrow. And I was just wondering-"

"Oh, I uh, have to meet a friend tomorrow."

"A friend? What friend? Everyone will be here."

"Um. He's from another meadow. Way, way over the mountains, and such. He's only staying for a short time, and I just want to make sure he gets home safely. I'll be back before you know it."

"Well... OK." Miina looked downcast.

"Don't worry," Hiro said sincerely, "I'll be back. I promise."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Amusement glinted in his eyes. "Now, can I get some rest?"

Miina smiled. "Sure."

/One Shining Day/

Anari paced back and forth, her patience wearing out quickly. She had gotten to the barn and sat there for almost an hour, and Hiro still hadn't come.

'I swear, if he's not here in a few seconds, I'm gonna-'

"Hey! Anari!" Hiro's voice called. The white wolf's thoughts were interupted, and she saw Hiro coming towards her through the bushes. "Sorry I was late."

"I thought maybe I'd have to go and hunt you down," Anari said. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

"I just wanted to talk. You know, get to know each other."

"Hiro, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a wolf. You're a goat. We don't make friends. You run, I eat you. End of discussion."

"I know, I know. It's just that... I've been thinking... maybe it's just possible we can be friends."

"Me? Friends with you?" Anari burst out into a laugh that quickly made Hiro's idea seem as stupid as possible. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard."

"Then why don't you eat me?" Hiro challenged. Anari licked her muzzle.

"Fine. I will."

"Wait! I was kidding!" Anari grinned and laughed again. Hiro smiled and chuckled nervously.

"So... do you have any hobbys?"

"Wait, I never agreed to this Hiro. It's weird enough that I'm talking to you. I don't want to have some sort of bond with you."

"Why not?"

"We're total opposites."

"But opposites attract, as they say."

"... You're too smart to be a goat. Are you a monkey or something? Or maybe a wolf like me in disguise." This made Hiro laugh.

"That was pretty funny," he said. "You must tell lots of jokes to your pack."

"Actually, I don't. I don't really like being there. If Barry wasn't alpha, I'd be as happy as can be. But he keeps trying to get me to be his mate, though I can't imagine what he would do if he found out I was talking with a goat instead of eating it."

"Well, we can keep it between us, just me and you. A secret."

"That's some secret."

"Haven't you heard the story of the other goat and wolf? Their names were Mei and Gabu."

"I don't know about Mei, but my pack has told the tale of Gabu and his goat pal many times." By now, Anari and Hiro were sitting down. "They said that he betrayed the pack by becoming friends with a goat. They chased the two all the way to the Mountain before they killed them."

"That's not what I heard. I heard that they survived and crossed the Mountain and live in a beautiful green forest, and their still best friends."

"And who told you that?"

"The forest animals, birds, squirrels, chipmunks and the like. I don't think they'd say it to you because they'd..."

"Run away, yeah."

"I didn't mean anything bad by that-"

"I know. It's OK."

"... Well, how about we meet again tomorrow? Same time?"

"Sure." Anari stood up and stretched, as did Hiro. "I... had a good time talking. Thanks for inviting me."

Hiro smiled. "No problem. I had fun too." He started walking off in the direction where his flock lived. "Goodbye!"

"Bye!" Anari called back. Then he was gone. She sighed. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She should have eaten the goat. But something, other than curiosity held her back. She didn't know what. But whatever it was, she hoped it would'nt get her, or Hiro into trouble.

'I could use a rabbit,' Anari thought. And with the thought of hunting in mind, she made her way back towards Jumping Gorges.