Kiba still wasn't sure things were going to work. He was still prepared for them to suddenly have to run or fight for their lives at any moment. Possibly both. As much as he wanted to take Cheza and run away right now he would help her see things through as well as he could. He believed in Cheza, wanted her to achieve her goals. Even if he did hate all these humans that came along with those goals.
They still stayed in the little abandoned train car.. It didn't feel right resting here. Nothing felt right. A little knot twisted its way into Kiba's chest. Even though Cheza was right beside him. Her small hands tangled in his hands. He sat against a wall and she sat flush against him, humming a melody in her near sleep state.
Then sun rose again. Not that it made much difference in a place as bleak and cold as this.
" It will all be alright, Kiba." Cheza soothed. He had to believe in her.
" Please listen," she said quietly, sadness slipping into her features for a moment.
"Whatever is to happen next, do not put a stop to it, alright?" She smiled at him now, sure of herself in the moment.
Kiba didn't know that he could promise anything. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her. He couldn't.
He nodded anyway, weakly replying with a croaked out, " yes."
The sounds of the other wolves agreeing was barely audible.
Cheza had her plans. He wanted to trust in them. In her. Still, he decided he had a limit. Upset as Cheza may become, and though it pained him to make her upset, especially after what happened with Darcia. He wouldn't allow her to be hurt. If it came down to it, he wouldn't let her throw her life away for someone else.
Some of the thugs burst in to the door. Cheza's grip tightened slightly.
No one moved.
" What did you do," the leader thug growled at Tsume.
Tsume didn't know, Kiba thought. Yet he looked comfortable and smug even with his lack of knowledge. Kiba almost thought for a moment that he did know what was going on.
" You should know well enough not to mess with my pack." Tsume stood, showing his teeth. Some of the other thugs stepped back.
With his pack. Kiba almost laughed. A while ago, Tsume acted as if they hadn't mattered at all. Not long ago Kiba hadn't cared about anything besides Paradise and finding Cheza. How different things were now.
The grey wolf's anger rung in Kiba's ears.
" If you don't want to end up dead then you need to stop attacking them."
The thug growled. All the humans looked angry. To Tsume's credit, he looked unfazed.
" That man and that girl shot some of our guys in the middle of the street," Cheza's head drooped down forward. She gripped further into Kiba's fur.
Blue was supposed to be there. Whoever that man was wasn't. She was still alive, that was good. With an unknown person at her side, who knew for how long. Kiba knew very little about humans and their customs. He worried. Could it be that man that she traveled with before? The one who wanted to kill wolves? Or maybe a passing stranger. Though Kiba hardly believed in the kindness of strangers, or anyone for that matter. He just had to hope that Blue was ok. Trust in her abilities.
Hige sighed and his gaze fixed on the window. No doubt he wanted to go to her side. Toboe let out a muffled whimper.
" So if you think you can come onto my streets and push around my men then you have another thing coming, Tsume."
Another thug yelled out, " Jason almost died. He was shot in the stomach."
" Then maybe Jason shouldn't have stuck his nose where it doesn't belong." Tsume growled.
They went to argue but Tsume cut them off.
" Do you want Jagurara dealt with or not," Tsume said.
" Yes," the leader thug shouted back.
Tsume sighs. He glances back at Cheza. Kiba's heart starts to race. Even though he knew this was going to happen
Cheza practiced in front of him. They'd gone over what was going to happen and how to handle things if they went wrong. and he was still nervous.
Cheza stands and smiles. Bows slightly. Her beauty and calming presence cutting through the harshness of the room.
" Allow this one to explain what is to occur."
Cheza doesn't flinch. Her voice doesn't shake. She closes her eyes and sways for a moment. A moment later, she opens her eyes again and while they aren't angry, they do hold their own sort of fierceness of their own.
" This one wishes for peace," Cheza begins.
" And what does that have to do with anything." One of the thugs interrupts.
Kiba glares at him. Tsume takes a step forward. And softly whispers, " If you interrupt her again I'll kill you."
He steps back just as quickly.
"You've fallen under that woman's heel, Tsume," the thug mutters.
Cheza's mouth shifts with a frown but she counties.
Strangely, ironically Kiba thinks that if it weren't for Tsume things would have gotten more violent. Kiba would have killed everyone. Though so would Tsume had it not been for Cheza.
" This one knows that you do not care who else lives besides yourselves. That is fine if you have chosen that way to live. However, you needn't be violent only for the sake of it."
She pauses. Kiba thinks it might be for some sort of dramatic effect.
" If you could live without killing or stealing, would you do it?
The thugs mutter amongst themselves. They aren't sure. Neither is Kiba for that matter. Je doesn't vocalize that feeling.
" That's a nice dream, lass. It isn't possible. "
" What if it could be?" Cheza yells. In excitement more than anything else. " What if there was a way? What if this one could show all of you it?"
" If that's really true then"
Cheza nods. He clears his throat. " Why would you care about helping us?"
Cheza seems to not have to think about it, because, mere seconds later she speaks. She points back and Kiba and the others. " This one wishes to protect her friends. Perhaps protecting them alone could be accomplished through bloodshed and running away at the right time. Stealing. Living in a bubble."
Cheza's hand sways from her side, her cloak shifts with her. " That is not the way that this one means to protect her friends. If peace can be achieved by all of us… If we can live in a world where we are not constantly fighting and running, then that is more than enough."
She smiles. The thugs meet her smile with a frown. " So if we stood in the way of your friends happiness, then you would kill us?"
" Would you…? We might not wish for it but if it comes down to it-"
" You hardly know any of us," the thug interrupts. Cheza seems to be glad to have that line of questioning stopped.
" Then let us get to know each other," Cheza humms, seeming to get her rhythm back.
" This one's name is Cheza. These are my friends. We will lead you to Pa-. peace." She curtsies low.
They all exchange names, though Kiba cannot be bothered to care. The sounds of humans talking over each other is irritating. Cheza's voice comes back clear like a bell.
" If you would not mind coming along." She says walking out of the old shack. " This one will tell you all of the plan as we go."
" And how exactly is it that all of you met?"
Cheza seems to stifle a laugh. " It is a long story. Though there should be time for it eventually."
Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Just when I think I have time to write life comes by and kicks my butt so that's always fun to look forward too. Maybe next time!
Thanks for reading this and happy holidays