"Jade…" Shiego said. His voice barely above a whisper.
"What's that?" Toboe asked.
"Your mother's name… was Jade."
Toboe was silent for a moment. Letting the name bounce around in his head.
Ciri had sat quietly as Shiego related the story of how he met Toboe's mother. Jade must have had a strong will to survive in order to live in such a place for any length of time. Ciri couldn't imagine being locked up. Never knowing when or if you would see the moon again.
Shiego turned around. He had literally run through an entire flood of emotions as he retold the part of his past that was, for him at least, the start of the end. "I'm sorry." he muttered, as he looked at Ciri.
"Don't be. I knew what I was getting myself into."
"If only it where that simple."
"I knew you wouldn't hurt me… anyway that's behind us now."
"Let's hope so…"
Ciri was slightly worried. 'Did he mean he hoped it was behind them or did he mean he hoped he wouldn't harm her?' He was so hard to figure out. No wonder Kiba wanted her to try talking to him. It would take more guts than any one in the pack had to weasel information out of him. Thankfully she had guts to spare. That was what it was like, back in the city. Only the strongest survived. Taking chances and risking your neck were a daily occurrence. But in Shiego there was something that intrigued her. Somehow she felt as if she had met him before.
"What are you looking at?" Shiego asked. Ciri had been staring blankly at him for a while now and it was starting to make him feel uneasy.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare." She said, lowering her gaze.
Shiego shrugged, then turned to Toboe. Toboe was still sitting there in the warming sunshine. Deep in thought. "Well?"
"I don't know." Toboe replied. "I never knew her but somehow the name just seems right, ya know?"
"It was perfect. And so was she. That's all you need to know."
Toboe kept quiet. If Shiego was done telling him about his mother… he was done. He didn't want to make him mad by asking to hear more.
Kiba was laying in the grass, grooming himself. Tsume was sitting nearby. Tsume looked over at Kiba, "I can't believe you asked Ciri to talk to Shiego like that."
Kiba stopped what he was doing and glanced over at Tsume, "Well it worked, didn't it?"
"Yeah, but…"
"But what?"
"You could have got her killed!"
"But she's alive, isn't she?"
"That's beside the point. If one of us guys asked him the same question you know he wouldn't hesitate to tear us to bits."
"What makes you think that. So far I haven't seen him kill anything but those three dogs when we first found him."
"That's just it. Nobody, just takes out three dogs and walks away."
"He didn't really walk away…"
"I know… but, you get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah. He can hold his own pretty well I guess."
"It's more than that."
"Oh? Go on."
"You remember about a week ago when we fought those three large wolves and they got away?"
"Yeah." How could he forget. His shoulder hurt just thinking about it.
"Well I got mad at him for letting the big one get away."
"What's that got to do with it?"
"After we left the cave I tried to ask him why he let the large wolf go. He almost bit my head off. He mentioned that he had killed many things and that I should buzz off."
"Is that so…"
"Yes, and I think he could kill any one of us if we aren't careful."
"I think, you think too much."
"Well next time you ask him. Just don't get your tail in a knot."
"Fine, I will… When the opportunity presents itself."
Kiba knew what Tsume meant. Shiego was unstable, you had to be careful what you said around him. One wrong word and he would snap. They were lucky this time. Ciri had been pinned for doing what Kiba had asked. It was remarkable the speed and precision with which Shiego had brought her down. It was so fast that at first Kiba couldn't believe his eyes when he first saw it. The only reason he relented was because Ciri was a female. Or was there more? Kiba had to know.
Kiba stood up. Ciri and Toboe were walking over. Shiego followed closely behind. 'I wonder where Blue and Hige ran off too?' There was no telling how long they had been gone.
"Nice to see your still in one piece." Tsume said jokingly.
"Ha, ha. Very funny." Ciri responded back. She didn't enjoy being pinned one bit. Back in the city if another wolf got you down… let's put it this way. You never got back up. She hadn't even seen Shiego leap for her before it was too late. She just held still, paralyzed more out of shock than fear. Then he let go. That is what scared her. Not knowing. She should have been dead. Especially considering the way she had talked to him earlier. But she wasn't. Now she just had to keep it that way.
Toboe's stomach let out a rumble. "I'm hungry." He complained.
"Well, as soon as Blue and Hige get back I guess we should organize a hunting party."
"I'll go." Shiego said. He needed a break, to get out and think. He needed to hunt.
"Okay, take Ciri with you, the rest of us will wait here." Kiba said. He was determined to get those two to like each other.
"I meant alone," he growled.
"Well then have her watch. Maybe she can learn something about hunting, that is if your as good as Tsume thinks you are." He was pushing it, he knew. But he had to try.
Shiego just glared back at him. He wasn't too amused at the thought of dragging another wolf around. He needed time to himself; to reconsider his life. Where he had come from… and where he was going.
Ciri gave a cautious look over towards Shiego. "I won't slow you down… I promise." She gave a slight wag to give a little more reassurance.
"Fine. Just don't get in the way." He started off.
'Oh, you just wait and see…' Ciri was determined to keep working on him. She had to figure this guy out. It was killing her not knowing. If he wanted to hunt, then fine they'd hunt. She knew how to hunt… she'd show him.
Shiego broke into a run. Ciri ran faster. Every turn he made, she made quicker and cleaner. She was determined to impress him. To make him start asking the questions. But they didn't come. Shiego's pace slowed to a trot as they continued on. His long legs carrying him quickly over the ground even at that pace. Ciri was beside him now, panting. She had never really gone hunting in the wild before. Instead she had always fought over the garbage scraps that could be found in the alleys of the city. They ran for an hour. Still neither of them said a word. The silence was unbearable. She had to do something to pass the time. She turned to her thoughts. The memories of those whom she had left behind. She had many friends back in the city. She had known most of them since when she was pup. The image of a white wolf suddenly flashed through her memory. The wolf had come one day to the city. It was searching for something. She furrowed her eyebrows as she sought to remember more. She was still very young at the time and she couldn't remember much. Yet it seemed odd. What had he been searching for? The wolf was barely older than herself but it seemed much older at the time. A pup! The stranger was searching for a pup. He had lost it weeks ago and now he couldn't find it. How strange she had thought to herself. No one just misplaces a puppy and then goes looking for it weeks later… Ciri looked over to Shiego. 'No, it couldn't be…' she thought to herself. 'we never saw him again after that, did we?' she went back to her own thoughts. She was older now. It had been several years and she was out hunting for scraps with her friends. They had found an old diner that had tossed out some meat and were wrestling over the larger pieces. That's when she noticed it. Out beyond the alley, across the street. A lone wolf, white as the snow, yet seeming to be as old as the earth itself. It stood on the sidewalk. People passing by, taking no notice of the large dog. It looked at her, and she looked at it. Then it started to limp off. She ran to the edge of alley to get a better look. But he was gone. Those wolves had to be the same she had thought to herself at the time. White wolves were a rare sight anywhere. But in the city? Where had he gone? She hadn't seen him in years.
Shiego had come to a stop. He was listening for something.
Ciri strained to listen to whatever it was that Shiego heard. Off through the brush she could make out the gentle hoof-steps of a herd of deer.
Shiego looked over at her, "Don't mess this up."
She was hungry. Ciri dashed into the open. Dinner was on her tonight. At least that is what she thought. She froze as she looked up into the face of the largest deer she had ever seen. It had antlers like a coat rack and it's head was almost as big as her body. It was an elk.
Shiego was infuriated that Ciri had leapt into the open like that. A bull elk was something you would need a whole pack to take down. And now it had been alerted to their presence.
The elk reared up in the air. Driving its hooves straight for Ciri. She couldn't move. Then the air was knocked out of her as Shiego slammed into her side. Throwing both of them to ground just clear of the razor sharp hooves of the elk.
"Are you crazy!?"
"I didn't…"
"Just run!"
They sprinted off as fast as they could. The elk gave chase at first but stopped when it felt its herd was safe. The two wolves just continued on. Not looking back. Shiego had encountered elk before. But it had been years since he had stood face to face with one. They were tough. Not only that, but one strike with its hoof could maim, if not kill, a wolf. Shiego slowed down to look behind them. The elk had stopped following them and he slowed to a stop. His tongue hanging out, panting.
"What were you thinking…" he said between breaths.
"I'm sorry I.."
"You could have gotten yourself killed!"
Ciri kept her mouth shut. 'Time to get lectured,' she thought to herself.
"This is why I wanted to hunt alone."
"Why? Because everyone else always makes mistakes?"
"No… because someone always gets hurt. I can't let that happen."
Ciri stopped. He hadn't wanted her to come because he was afraid for her safety. It was starting to make sense now. She happened to glance down at Shiego's thigh. It was soaked with sweat, but through the fur she could see a bald spot. She hadn't noticed it before. It ran parallel to the ground and was barely thicker than a twig. She had seen a scar like that before…
Her minded raced back to when she had first seen the white wolf. It had come in search of a missing pup. The wolf had been injured but, why hadn't she remembered before? The wolf and Shiego had the same scar. When the alpha in her pack had asked about it, the stranger had said he had been shot. That was where she had seen him before. He had come… searching for Toboe!
"Shiego, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, go ahead. You could use all the help you can get." he was still panting.
"Many years ago, a wolf came to my pack in the city and said he was searching for a pup."
Shiego stopped panting. What was she getting at?
"The wolf had been shot in the thigh. Do you…?"
"Know him? I'm afraid so." It had been him, many years ago. He was still recovering from his wounds at the time, and had come searching for Toboe. The city was the last place he had seen the old lady and he had to try and find them.
"Are you…"
"Yes. I'm that wolf."
"How come we never saw you again?"
"I was busy."
"With what?"
"It's not up for discussion; not now and not ever!"
"Okay, don't get your tail in a knot. I was just asking."
Shiego looked back the way they had come. They still had to get a meal for the others, just not elk.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"You came to hunt, so let's hunt." Shiego headed up towards a ridge. He needed a better view to locate some quarry. Ciri tailed closely behind him. At the top of the ridge he stopped, looking around for any signs of prey. In one clearing he could see the elk they had encountered earlier. He continued looking. He could make out a small flock of turkeys. But that wouldn't be enough for seven hungry wolves.
"What about over there?" Ciri chimed in.
Shiego looked to follow her gaze. Not too far off was a small clearing. In that clearing was a scraggly tan animal. It was a mountain goat.
"Nice job. Just try not to startle it until it's too late."
Shiego's comment made Ciri feel useful. She didn't care that he still didn't trust her yet. But at least he had given her a partial compliment.
They moved in closer. The goat was nibbling peacefully on the fresh, new grass. Ciri was so focused on the goat that she didn't realize that Shiego was no longer beside her. She started to panic. 'Where is he!' She frantically looked around. She didn't see him anywhere. She heard some rustling in the leaves off to the side. She looked back at where the goat stood. It had gone on alert. Swiveling its ears to locate the sound. That's when she saw him. Shiego flew out of a thicket. Planting his teeth firmly into the goat's neck. The goat threw his head back, sinking one of its horns into Shiego's shoulder. Ciri could see the pain across Shiego's face, but he held on. She had to do something. She dashed out of the cover, charging towards the goat. She paused, but just for a second. Lunging forward she sank her fangs into the soft hair underneath the goat's chin. Blood filled her mouth. She wouldn't let go. Not till she was sure it was dead. She held on. The goat grew weaker, slowly slipping to the ground. Still Ciri held on.
"It's dead now." Shiego said. Ciri was still clamped on. She looked over at Shiego. He stood there, blood staining his shoulder. She released her grip, the goat's head falling to the ground.
"Are you okay?" She asked, spitting blood out of her mouth.
"I'll be fine… what about you?"
"I…I've never killed anything before. It felt….felt.."
"Different."
"Yeah, different…"
"That's the way it is out here… eat or be eaten. We don't kill for sport, just for survival."
"And protection." Ciri muttered. She hadn't attacked the goat because she thought Shiego needed help. It was the smell of the blood that drove her on. Not the blood of the goat, but of the wolf. The blood of one of her kind. She fought back and had held on for every drop of wolf blood that stained the grass. It sickened her. Ciri had never felt this way before. In the city she had ended more than her share of would-be usurpers. But it was different then. She had never felt close enough to anyone in her pack to fight their fights for them. If they lost… that was that. She would mourn for a few days and then go back to her everyday life. But out here? Out here it was different. The wolves cared for each other, looked out for each other's safety. Was that what it meant to be part of a pack? That sensation that she felt when she saw the goat's horn disappear under Shiego's fur. Was that what it was like to care? To actually feel another's pain?
Shiego grabbed the dead goat by the throat. He began to drag it off in the direction of where the other wolves were waiting. Ciri bounded up beside him. "Let me do that," she said.
Shiego gave her a cold stare before continuing to drag the carcass along. Ciri could see the blood still trickling out of his wound, every so often letting a large crimson drop strike the ground. She winced every time it happened. She had seen the injuries that wolves had sustained back in the city after fights. But this was different, he kept going. Back in the city the injured wolves would go and hide for fear of being killed by younger, stronger wolves. She walked up beside Shiego, grabbing the goat. If he wouldn't let her drag it for him… she could at least drag it with him.