I can feel the heavy weight of Thrall pressing against my side, I can hear his ragged breaths and his slowly fading heartbeat. I feel Garrosh move around me, he crouches next to Thrall. I turn my head towards Garrosh, his whiskey eyes are a swirling storm of mixed emotions. "We need to get him out of here. Kairo, was it? I'm guessing you're going to follow since you just rebelled against your Chieftain." I turn back to face the Chief and Adderfang. I lower myself to the ground, feeling the snow melt against the warmth of my underbelly.

Adderfang turns to look at me, her amber eyes are apologetic. "Raggedstar, you know what Kiaro is, you can't do this to him," Adderfang trails off, her ears twitching betraying her discomfort, "Hati would hate you if you decide to disown one of her own. He's a White Wolf, for Skoll's sake."

The black in Raggedstar's eyes fade and crimson red bleeds through. He looks to the ground, "I know what he is, Adderfang. White Wolves haven't been since in an age. But Kairo has chosen to side with an orc, he doesn't belong here just like the orcs." Raggedstar looks up his eyes meeting Adderfang's for a brief moment and then they meet mine, "I'm sorry Kairo, but after years of being attacked, captured and forced to fight for their entertainment, I can't just forgive them like nothing ever happened."

I watch Raggedstar turn his back to me, I start to feel my body shift again; my bones crack and reposition themselves. I stand on shaking legs, now that the adrenaline has burned off, the pain of my injuries come back full force knocking the breath from my lungs. "Raggedstar?" Upon hearing his name, Raggedstar pauses to look over his shoulder at me, "I don't really understand what's going on, but I'm starting to remember my life before you took me in. I thank you for taking me in and I understand that I'm no longer welcome here. However, you're my family, you're all I have." I walk towards him, he has now fully turned to face me, as I come into arms length I place my hand on Raggedstar's shoulder, mindful of the injury I caused, "Please don't do this to me, I have nowhere else to go."

Raggedstar shakes my hand off of his shoulder, "Let me explain, Kairo. This green orc is your mate-"

I cut his sentence short at the word, "Mate? My wolf said the same thing but-"

"Shut up and listen. White Wolves are of powerful magic, said to be born of Hati herself. Each White Wolf has a mate, a gift from Skoll to help the Wolf's way in life. You are a White Wolf, the green orc is your gift - your mate." Raggedstar holds his head high as he speaks of Hati and Skoll, the great wolves that chase Sól and Mani across the sky. "And since your Wolf recognized the orc as your mate, I'm guessing this is not the first time you've shifted."

I look at Raggedstar dumbfounded, "I've shifted before? But I don't remember ever shifting before. But the Wolf's voice, I've heard him before, when I was younger…"

- Flashback -

All I can remember is the wind rushing through my fur, the smell of fear, and the feel of soft grass beneath my paws. I was chasing a stag through the woods before I was attacked by something or someone. The acidic smell of arcane magic, the pain as if burned shooting across my back, the world fading to black as figures made themselves known at the edges of my vision.

I wake up to the sound of metal hitting metal, I try to stand but find that I'm chained to the floor, heavy iron chains connect to an even heavier collar around my neck. My wrists are also chained to the floor, I'm effectively trapped on my knees.

I hear heavy footsteps in the distance and they steadily grow closer as if taunting me, hahaha you're trapped while I walk free, you're at my mercy. My ears twitch at the sound of armoured boots smacking cobblestone, a shadow falls on the floor just outside of the cage I'm held in.

A man comes to a standstill at the door of my cage, but he's not alone; there are even heavier footfalls coming down the way. This one stops when he reaches the first man's side. "Sir Blackmoore, you summoned me?" The second person bows in greeting to the man, whose eyes bore into my own.

"Yes I did, Thrall. Look at what my hunters found this morning," Blackmoore turns slightly towards Thrall, his gestures towards me. Thrall turns his head to look at me, his blue eyes meet mine and everything around us faded away to nothing. For the briefest of moments it was just him. Only him.

"What is he, Sir? I've never seen anything like him." Thrall turned back to Blackmoore, his head tilted in confusion. "What are you going to do with him?"

"He's a wolf, Thrall. Maybe one of Greymane's? I don't know. But as of what I'm going to do with him? Well he's going to fight for us." Blackmoore turns his back to me, he starts to make his way back down the hall, "Take him to The Yard, Thrall. See what he's made of, I want him in tonight's fight."

"Of course, Sir." Thrall's voice echoes around my cage and the surrounding hall.

- Flashback Ends -

"I remember now. Blackmoore he used me for pit fights. I was fighting for their entertainment!" I take a step back from Raggedstar, my lips pulled back baring my teeth, "I remember shifting during my second fight, Thrall stepped in and my challenge, a hellboar, went to attack him and I tore it to shreds. I remember tearing through the cartilage of its ribs. I remember Thrall calming me down."

Raggedstar nodded, "Yeah sounds about right. Your wolf recognized Thrall as your mate, so he listened to Thrall." Raggedstar turns to walk away, "Stick with Thrall, Thistleclaw, you'll heal faster with your mate around. You may stay on the edge of my territory until you're able to make the journey back with the orcs. I'm sorry but I need to protect my clan, I hope you can forgive me." Raggedstar walks away, he makes his way through the crowd that gathered around us "As of the rest of you, you're all dismissed!"

I turn back around to Thrall and Garrosh, "We need to get Thrall some help. I'll go find Adderfang, I know she'll help us." Garrosh nods his head in acknowledgement. I turn to find Adderfang in the doorway to the Medicine Den, "Adderfang? Will you help us please?"