Toboe's POV

Toboe had no idea Kiba had been crying out of fear. She thought that like many people she had encountered, he was crying from happiness, or from the incredible beauty of the songs he had heard. She heard him sniffle softly and scooted closer to his hiding place. "I can understand," she murmured, reaching for his hand. She found it and squeezed gently. "Don't be ashamed of it...you're not the first to react to wolfsong like this, and you won't be the last, I'm sure."

She looked down as her father raised his arms up to the sky. "And now," he boomed, "until the watchful gaze of our shining, silver Mother, we begin our trades!"

"Come on, Kiba!" she hissed excitedly. "The trading's starting." She waited for the boy to pull himself out from behind the plant, rolling up the wolf pelt and sticking it back in the pouch at her waist. She wiped the back of a hand across her forehead, grimacing at the squeaking sound it made. The night was still warm, and the wolf skin was very heavy and very hot.

"You won't tell anyone..." Kiba began nervously, wiping at his eyes. Toboe smiled and shook her head. "Great. That's the last thing I need people talking about."

"I'm sure you weren't the only one. Come on! Let's go!" She started beckoning him hurriedly. "I want to find the others and see if the trades are going smoothly." She paused, studying him. "Pull your hood back up so no one sees your Fangs. And also, if you see me put three fingers against my leg, like this"—she curled her thumb and index finger together and laid them flat against her black-clad thigh—"go with whoever taps you on the shoulder and never look back at me once or give any hint that you know me, aight?"

As she expected, the Inuzuka boy's eyes filled with questions. How can he be as old as he is and still not know? she wondered. Why do the Inuzuka wait until their pups reach a certain age to tell them? Are they all innocent like this until they are told? Are they all so accepting until they learn? She shook her head wonderingly. "By the way, this is for you," she said, cutting him off before he could ask her anything. She held out the parcel from the Huntdance. Kiba took the gift, nodding and whispering his thanks.

Beneath the soft white paper was a talisman identical to the one Toboe wore, with three white bone tags. It was clearly newer, for the bones had not yellowed with age or been polished by finger oils. Toboe lifted it up and fastened it around his neck, then tucked it under his jacket. As she reached down, her hand brushed his chest, and she felt his beating heart for a brief moment. It still pounded to the dance's rhythm. Lifting the first tag on her talisman, she explained, "It's a protector talisman, like the ones Shiromaru and I wear. This first tag is engraved with symbols that read, 'Mother Moon Above, protect this pup.'" She grabbed the middle tag. "This one says 'He'—well, actually, it's gender-neutral, but you can read yours for a boy—'is precious in my sight, and I ask that he be precious in yours as well.'" She grabbed the final tag. "This one finishes it and reads, 'I love him as you love me, and I invoke your protection upon him, Great Mother.'"

Kiba lifted his new talisman, his eyes growing wide and round as the Moon as he fingered the tags. He looked up at her, then swept her into a tight hug. "Thank you," he breathed in her ear. "I'll wear it always and think of you." Toboe's heart broke. She couldn't love this boy, she just couldn't! He was Inuzuka! She was Ookamizuka! She couldn't, she couldn't, she couldn't!! And yet...here in his arms...she felt as though somehow, there had to be a way to make their love possible. She burrowed deeper into the embrace, letting his arms overlap across her back. The feeling of being so close to another warm, breathing human was magnificent. It was too beautiful, too wonderful, to give up so easily.

Shiromaru gave her a warning rumble, People might see, Toboe. The girl nodded, slowly pulling back from Kiba's chest. She had felt their hearts beating together, and it made her light-headed. He was real. He loved her and she loved him and damn it all, he was real to boot! She felt a swelling wave of triumph in her chest.

"Aight, let's go," she murmured. Kiba nodded, gathering Akamaru up into his arms to make the descent. Shiromaru made a clumsy leap to the ground, followed closely by Toboe. Kiba and Akamaru came next, with the boy landing light as a cat on the street. The two of them started off into the crowd. It wasn't long before Ino appeared, holding a black, dried piece of plant in her hands.

"Look at this!" she breathed. "I never thought I'd ever get to see these flowers, much less be able to grow them!"

"Those are northern flowers," Toboe told her. Ino nodded. "Less sunlight than normal, and keep them out of the heat. Plant in a cool room, early fall." Ino nodded, still gazing at the seedhead in awe. Toboe smiled. "I'm glad we could find something you wanted."

"Does this explain all the questions?" Kiba asked. Toboe nodded. She had spent the two days between meeting the chunin and the start of the festival to ask questions and gather information about trading. Thanks to her hard work, it seemed as though everything would work out smoothly.

Careful...Toboe, I smell Inuzuka, smells like it could be Kiba's dam...Shiromaru growled. Toboe nodded, pressing three fingers against her thigh. She saw an imperceptible nod from Kiba, and a moment later, a hand descended on the boy's shoulder.

"Come on, Kiba," a woman commanded. "It's getting late. We got all our trading done, and Kuromaru's getting tired. It's time to head home." Toboe looked up to see a stocky woman with a mane of tangled brown hair and dark, doglike eyes. She turned her head and met Toboe's gaze, and those eyes narrowed dangerously. She bared her enlarged eyeteeth in a snarl of warning. Toboe saw her hand tighten defensively on Kiba's shoulder.

Oh, yes, she thought dryly. You should really be afraid of me, bitch. You know me, I'm just your average Ookamizuka: heartless, conniving, bloodthirsty. I was planning on drawing your little boy away from you with my fiendish charms so that he could be gruesomely dismembered by my pack. That's EXACTLY what I was going to do before you stepped in. Damn, looks like it's back to the shadows to plot and sharpen my teeth for next time.

"Come on, Kiba," she repeated. She continued glaring at Toboe, even though her voice was somewhat gentle and very motherly. "Get back to your pack, wolfgirl," she spat. "Leave my son alone."

"Lighten up, dog," Toboe retorted angrily, her voice a hiss made harsh by her scowling face. "This is supposed to be a celebration. If you can't set aside the bloodfeud for more than one night to enjoy yourself among my clan then don't bother to come next time. The boy knew how to accept others. You could learn a lot from him." Oh, it was so easy to be neutral around people who were neutral, but once you found someone who clung to the bloodfeud like a suckling pup to a teat, things got hard.

She locked stares with the fierce Inuzuka woman, fists clenched at her sides. All instinct said to look away and submit to her elder, but she knew better. To look away would mean giving up, not only the battle for dominance, but also giving up Kiba. That was something she wasn't prepared to do. It didn't matter to her if they were leaving the next day—she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Kiba, even if it meant standing up to his aggressive mother. Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? she wondered bizarrely. Certainly you are...I can see it in your eyes.

The older woman looked away first, giving Kiba a quick jerk on the shoulder before she left. The black dog beside her, Kuromaru, Toboe guessed, snorted and shot angry looks at both the girl and wolf. Shiromaru raised his hackles. Kiba, as instructed by Toboe, did not turn back for one last look. Toboe, however, had no such restriction, and she filled her sight with the Inuzuka boy, her heart wrenching in pain. Why did she have to leave tomorrow?

She certainly was a pushy one, Shiromaru observed calmly as the two Inuzuka and their dog partners left. Well, what now, Toboe? You probably left some of your scent on his coat with that last hug.

"I'm not worried about that, Shiromaru," Toboe murmured. "We'll be long gone and untrackable before she thinks to sniff him over." At least, she hoped so.

;-:-;-:-;

"Howoo! Come here! I got something to show you guys!" Toboe called, waving her arm to call over Sakura, Ino, Hinata, TenTen, and Temari. She reached into the pouch at her side and pulled out a pure black feather and handed it to Sakura. "You seem like a black kind of person to me...it just struck me as a good color for you." The Haruno girl gasped with delight and took the feather. Toboe turned to Ino and produced a rust-red feather from the tail of a hawk. She handed it off. "You really like to wear blush. I figured this would pick up that red and accent it."

"Wow! Thanks!" Ino stuck the feather proudly into her ponytail and put her hands on her hips. "Now Sasuke-kun can't resist me!" She stuck out her tongue at Sakura. "Tough luck, forehead girl!"

The two of them started scrapping shrilly. Toboe ignored them and turned to shy Hinata next. She produced a brown and cream banded hawk feather. "I thought this one would be good for you, Hinata-chan," she said. "It's dark, which will accent the contrast between your hair and skin...and light, so it picks up on your eyes." Hinata whispered her thanks and held the feather delicately, eyeing like a child looks at a brand new toy, with excitement and confusion: What is this wonderful new thing, and what am I going to do with it?

"TenTen-chan, I think you'd wear this one well." Toboe handed the girl a bluish feather. "It's a heron feather...It should pick up on the little bit of blue you have in your eyes."

"You sound like a fashion consultant," TenTen giggled. "Thank you."

"Sure thing. I noticed how you all seemed to like my feathers every time I wore them, so I picked some out for you all." She turned to Temari. "This one is good for you, Temari-chan," she finished, handing the tall girl a silvery feather with a black tip. "You remember when we were still little runts, and we found that mockingbird nest outside? You loved those feathers...I figured this one is like that."

Temari's eyes gleamed as she remembered the incident. She reached down and scooped Toboe into her arms. "I can't believe you remembered that!" she whispered. "Thanks!" Toboe wriggled free, her tongue poking out of her mouth. She gave a high, barking laugh, a laugh that sounded similar to the yips she had made during the dance.

"Nee-chan, time to call it a night!" a voice called. Toboe turned with an exaggerated groan and droop.

"I don't wanna!" she complained. Fumoto stood with Kiiromaru, tapping a foot impatiently. "C'mon, nee-san, five more minutes..." Fumoto shook her head firmly. Toboe groaned again and turned back to the five girls.

"You have to go?" Sakura asked. Toboe nodded. "Well, we'll see you tomorrow, right?" Toboe hesitated, and Fumoto dove in.

"Probably," the young woman chimed in. Toboe looked up at her sister in mixed confusion and amazement. They...did she mean when they were packing up? "Well, good night, girls." Fumoto placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and steered her forcefully away from her friends. "Come on, pup. Father's looking everywhere for you. We can't leave without you."

"When you said I'd see them tomorrow..."

"That depends if you want to."

"But we're leaving tomorrow!" Toboe protested. Fumoto grinned, exposing her sharp, whitish teeth. They gleamed in the light of now-lit lanterns.

"Don't tell me you're starting to like living in a village like this! If you want another week, I'm sure we can arrange to stay a bit longer."

"But I'm just a—" Toboe began, but her older sister cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"But I'm not," she pointed out cooly. The Ookamizuka girl gaped up at her. "If you want another week to say your goodbyes, then I can talk Father into staying for another week. I can't promise you much more time than that, though." Toboe nodded.

"Temari-chan was there," the girl put in. Fumoto nodded. "She's taller than me now. Can you believe that?"

"Why not? She is older than you, after all." Fumoto paused. "So those girls you were with...have you ever thought about inviting them down to spend a night at our camp?"

"Would Father let me do that?" Toboe asked, raising her eyebrows. Fumoto winked. "Oh, he would if you told him?" She nodded. "Where would you sleep?"

"I can always bum around in Aunt Ke's tent. Remember, she's got a tent for two all to herself." Toboe nodded, and Fumoto continued, "Besides, the one we sleep in is bigger than most—Father fully expects me to win a Deltabattle someday."

"He really expects a lot of you," Toboe observed. Fumoto sighed somewhat happily, and Toboe realized her sister enjoyed the heightened expectations of their parents. I bet she's got her sights set on Alpha, she thought. It would be just like her over-achieving sister to shoot for the highest position in the pack. "Do you really think he'll let me...And do you really think they'd want to?"

"You don't know much about socializing outside the pack, do you, nee-chan? They're your friends," Fumoto replied breezily. "Friends love to spend nights together, staying up all night and talking about things. Think about the two of us, how much we talk before going to sleep, and make that last all night. That's what you'd be doing."

The idea of staying up past midnight with the village girls, chatting about...well, whatever the girls wanted to talk about, sounded appealing to her. Toboe had really gone outside her comfort zone at this village. Instead of staying within pack borders, she had gone into the village, found girls her own age, and made friends. The whole idea thrilled her. Spending a night with those girls? Incredible! But would they all fit in one tent?

The answer, likely, was yes—at least, if it was the same tent Toboe had been sleeping in since they reached the village. The tent Fumoto and Toboe shared was sized to fit two adults, with plenty of space for their backframe packs, their wolves' travoises, as well as room for them to set up their mats and sleep, and for their wolves (who were almost as large as their partners) to stretch out beside them. All this, and plenty of personal space. In short, the tent was huge. It would easily fit six teenage girls...and even Shiromaru (he wasn't that big, anyway). Toboe's step lightened.

"By the way," Fumoto murmured casually, passing her sister a handful of spicy-smelling herbs, "I didn't want to say this in front of your friends, but you've got a bit of dog-smell on you. Inuzuka. Kinda gross, actually. You might want to hide it before Father gets a good sniff of you. No telling what he might do." Toboe nodded and quickly rubbed the herbs onto her shirt. They were the same herbs used to hide the smell of sweating bodies. Fumoto was helping her cover-up seem natural.

"Thanks," she whispered. "One of their pups was walking right next to me for a while. I guess his scent must've rubbed off onto me." Fumoto nodding, obviously glad said Inuzuka had not harmed her sister in any way. She pointed to where the pack was already starting to gather, and the two sisters sprinted over quickly.

;-:-;-:-;

It was nearing two in the morning when the Ookamizuka clan wandered back to their camp. Fumoto spent the walk with her parents, arguing and reasoning back and forth with them. Toboe was too far away to hear their conversation, but she knew Fumoto was trying to convince them to stay a little longer. She heard her own name a couple of times, and once her father glanced back to give her a quick look before turning his attention back to his older daughter. Shiromaru walked silently, his yellow eyes half-shut. He was tired. Toboe could feel it, just as she could feel every one of his emotions. It was making her tired as well. Before long, she was yawning.

Sorry, the wolf beside her muttered. I don't know why I'm so wiped-out.

"It's aight," Toboe assured him, bending down to lay a hand on his flank for a moment. "Not much further until we can head to bed. I just hope Fumoto can talk them into staying another week."

I don't think we've ever done that before.

"Me neither. Makes you wonder what the rest of the clan will think if Fumoto succeeds..."

It does.

When they reached the camp, Ookamizuka Alpha Unari called his clan together for a brief meeting. "The Moon glows with pride in her children!" he declared, raising his arms in the same gesture that had signaled the start of Northsong. The rest of the clan echoed the motion, and howls of joy rose into the humid air. "We have sung stories of our distant home and told stories of our secret hunts. The people of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konoha, were pleased...they wish us to stay longer, perhaps a week."

Toboe wondered if that was really part of why they had chosen to stay longer. She had noticed several of the clan talking with some of the villagers after the trading was completed, telling stories and jokes. Maybe I'm not the only one who wants to stay, she thought, seeing several excited looks in the clan.

"Will we stay, Moonchildren?" Unari asked. There was an instant roar of approval, which drowned out one or two protests. The matter was settled. They would stay another week. Toboe was thrilled. That meant not only a night alone with her friends...but another week to be with Kiba! On an impulse, she leapt up and let out a few puppylike barks of agreement. A few murmured laughs ran through the crowd. With a sweeping gesture, Unari dismissed his clan.

The Ookamizuka clan, most of its members still fired up from the wild night they'd had, dispersed slowly. Some lifted their heads and sang a few snatches of a farewell song to the Moon. Others whispered rumors of attractive women, cute men, strange ninja, or particularly ill-behaved little village pups. A few were clearly glad to be allowed to sleep, making a beeline for their tents with their partners behind them. Toboe was among them, trotting in the direction of her tent with Shiromaru close at her heels.

The tired girl stripped off her dark clothing quickly, making sure to carefully lie it out to dry before she packed it away. It was ceremonial attire, to be treated very specially. Died dark, it would make her disappear under the wolf pelt she had worn, and would do so best on dark nights. That was why the lanterns had not been lit. The Ookamizuka needed darkness to vanish under their wolf skins. Toboe pulled hers out of its pouch and laid it out on her lap to study it.

The pelt had belonged to Shiromaru's grandsire's mate, a gentle she-wolf called Hai. Hai's partner had grown old and died (and at her partner's death, the wolf had simply howled in loss and keeled over herself), and her pelt was cured specifically for Toboe, who was an infant at the time. Toboe stroked Hai's pelt, gently twisting the perked ears to feel their downy fur. Her hand ran down the wolf's back and fondled the brushy tail. Shiromaru looked up. Are you having fun? he asked mildly. Toboe nodded. She laid the old pelt out on top of the ceremonial clothes and slipped down under the covers.

Fumoto entered the tent a few minutes later, and likewise stripped off her clothes. Kiiromaru was draped in the pelt of a white wolf, who had, in all actuality, borne a striking resemblance to Shiromaru in life. In fact, the wolf's name had been Shiromaru, and he was Hai's mate and Shiromaru's grandsire (Kiiromaru's as well, since the two were different-litter brothers). His fur had once been purest white; however, age had added tints of yellow to the guard hairs, making him a sort of pale gold color. After his death, his pelt had been cured for Fumoto's use. The yellow wolf dropped the old pelt overtop Fumoto's backframe. Good dancing tonight, Grandsire, he murmured. You and your mate did well.

"Disrespectful," Toboe muttered. Kiiromaru studied her briefly, then shook his head.

I don't think so, he barked. I thought it was a compliment.

I wish I could have met them, Shiromaru said longingly. Fumoto smirked.

"Ah, they couldn't remember anyone's names, Shiromaru-pup," she told him. "They started getting a little fuzzy in the mind, if you know what I mean." Shiromaru nodded in reluctant agreement. "By the way, Toboe, it's all set up for you. Father agreed to stay another week, and said it's fine by him if you want to have a few friends over." Fumoto dropped down onto her bed with an exaggerated sigh. "He looked damn pleased that I would be spending a night with Aunt Ke, might I add."

"He's probably telling her right now to lay on all her best tips and secrets," Toboe snorted. Fumoto nodded unenthusiastically. "What, don't tell me you won't enjoy being buried in all that wonderful knowledge!"

"Oh...I'll be buried in it, aight," Fumoto groaned. "I'll be so buried in it I won't be able to get out of the tent in the morning!" Toboe snickered. "You think I'm kidding, nee-chan? Ke will follow me if I get up to pee!"

"You like all that attention, though."

"Not when it involves my oh-so-glorious future."

Toboe sat bolt upright in bed and glanced over at her older sister. Fumoto was running a comb through her satiny brown hair, twisting out the snarls with her delicate fingers. She looked up from a particularly thick knot at the younger girl. Toboe's expression was one of surprise. Those words had been growled with vast amounts of sarcasm and even...a tinge of regret? "You...don't want to be Alpha?" Toboe asked hesitantly. Fumoto sighed as she set down the comb and started to pull her hair back at the nape of her neck.

"I do, Toboe-chan...but Father insists that I do everything so quickly. So what if I mastered the art of taking on wolf form soon after I learned to walk on my own? So what if I never failed in any part I was given in a song or dance? So what if I'm smart and pretty and hard-working?" Fumoto sighed again. "It doesn't matter to him that I'm nowhere near old enough to consider taking on even the Omega...Father wants me to do one thing after another. I'm jealous of you. He never forces you to do anything, and even when you're recognized as a woman, he still will put everything on my shoulders!"

"Tell him to ease up," Toboe suggested. "Tell him you want to have some spare time, and that I want more responsibility."

"That would be like telling a she-wolf to stop nursing her pups," Fumoto retorted dully. "That would be like telling a caribou to walk into the hunter's jaws. That would be like telling us to couple with Inuzuka."

Toboe couldn't help a slight flinch at the last remark. Fumoto didn't seem to notice, but Kiiromaru raised his head curiously. Shiromaru looked his older brother dead in the eyes, something he, as a subordinate pup, should never do. Out of surprise, Kiiromaru actually looked away. The white wolf shuddered at the thrill of power that jolted through him at his older brother's surrender and snuggled closer to Toboe. The Ookamizuka girl laid a hand on his side. She, too, had felt the bolt of dominance.

"The point is, Father will never lighten up on me," Fumoto continued, running her fingers through Kiiromaru's golden ruff. "Don't worry too much, though, nee-chan. I'll be fine with Aunt Ke tomorrow. You just have a good time with your friends, aight?"

"Aight," Toboe agreed. "By the way, speaking of pups...do you think you could manage...?" She made a few gestures. Fumoto narrowed her eyes slightly. "It wouldn't have to be for long, I swear. I know what Yuki will do if it's too long, but...I really think they would like it and appreciate it."

"I'll do what I can, but..." Fumoto's expression became playful. "...Sooner or later, you're going to have to do something for me, pup. I give and I give and it won't be long before I decide to take!" She spat the last word out and snatched up Toboe's comb from where it sat beside the girl's pack. Toboe grunt-whined pleadingly, and it wasn't long before Fumoto quailed under the puppy-eyed stare, tossing the comb at her younger sister. "Some day," she threatened playfully. Toboe laughed and flopped back down on her bed.

"Night, nee-san. Dance among the auroras until they vanish with the sun."

"Race through the stars until morning steals them away. Good night, Toboe." Fumoto reached over and extinguished the lamp wick between her fingers. The next sound was a soft swear, for she had done so without first moistening her fingers. The swear was followed by a snicker from Toboe, then the thump of a bundle of clothes smacking into the girl's head. It wasn't long before the tent was filled with the soft breathing of sleeping wolves and humans.