Title: Of Cats and Wolves
Author: Sol aka Zefyr
Muse & Beta: Katikat
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+TBA... hehe.
Rated: PG or PG-13 at most
Warnings: Minor OOC due to AU situations; shonen-ai; fantastical animal/people mixes; gratuitous use of improper Gaelic; crazy adaptations of Siberian and Native American traditions.
Archiving: Please ask separately for this fic and one of us will get back to you, since it's a collaboration. Also found at www-geocities-com/ mystera_k... Replace dashes with appropriate punctuation.
Disclaimer: We don't own, but we're having fun anyway. No harm meant.
Summary: In a world of Creatures, Heero is a young half-Wolf who wants only to help his adopted brother, Wufei, find a good mate. Really. Trowa, a half-Jackal, helps, and it goes downhill from there...

NOTE:
This is a joint effort. KatiKat wrote the teaser, then I saw Asuka's art for the werepervs, and then I watched Cat People right after re-watching GW episodes 1-5, and... the rest is history. The prologue (chapter 1) was written by KatiKat, and edited by Sol. The rest of the chapters are written by Sol, with beta comments and additional muse-inspiration provided by Katikat.

This chapter, thanks go to the cheerful and wonderful crowd who keep telling me I have to write more or I'll get hunted down and tortured with bad lemons: Koyote, Patty 40, Dyna, Xero Sky, Morgan, cryearthstearsfalltou, Moffit, little duckie, Icy Flame, Sobakasu, Sevenall, CatZero, REI, and Lainwyn. If the end bugs you, blame that on KatiKat... she is a professional muse, after all. :D

     "Tjroojwa?"

     The Jackal-boy paused, the pastry halfway to his mouth.

     Quatre swallowed the bite in his mouth and tried again. "Trowa...lean your head down."

     "Hunh?" Trowa's green eyes went wide with bewilderment, but the Jackal dutifully lowered his head. A second later there was a soft touch on his ears, and he could feel a claw sliding along the lower edge. It tickled, and his ear twitched.

     "Thought so." Quatre sat back, shoved the rest of the pastry in his mouth, and bumped the oblivious Fox on his other side. "Duo. Give them back."

     "Give what back?" Deep blue eyes turned on Quatre, shining with innocence.

     "Duo." The Lynx glared.

     The half-Fox responded with a melodramatic sigh and set his own pastry down to dig in his leather pouch. There was a jingle of metal as the Fox's paw came out, and he handed something to Quatre.

     "Here," he said, in a sulky tone, and went back to eating.

     On the other side of Quatre, Trowa was feeling tentatively along his ears, and was pulling in air to shout when Quatre handed him a bundle of earrings. "Sorry about that," the Lynx whispered. "I guess he was bored while we were sleeping late."

     Trowa cast a discerning eye over the Desert Lynx. "Your armbands are gone."

     Quatre shrugged. "I'll get them back later. He's being moody, and I'm not sure why," he explained softly. "I figure I'll let him have his fun."

     The Jackal gave Quatre a long look, then nodded slowly as he returned the various silver rings to their rightful places in his ears. When he was done, the Lynx looked him over with an appreciative aquamarine glance, clearly finding him presentable. The two shared a shy smile, and went back to eating. Beside them, the Fox picked at his pastry and sighed.

     "Heero. How nice to finally meet you."

     The Wolf warrior glanced towards the unfamiliar voice, tense, then relaxed. It was a River Bobcat, with long blonde hair nearly to her hips. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't place the voice. Heero nodded, and went back to reviewing the deep blue and purple loincloths on the table.

     "Shopping?"

     Heero didn't react. He thought it would've been obvious what he was doing. He pulled out one of the purple loincloths, listening absently as the River Bobcat extolled the virtues of a fine dye. The Bobcat-girl hadn't left, but was watching him with those huge gray eyes. "Did you want something?"

     "Nothing much," she replied smoothly. "Just glad you like the wrist-cuffs."

     "They're acceptable." He pushed aside one of the deep blue loincloths and tugged out a lighter blue from underneath, holding it up as he studied it.

     The Bobcat's only response was a barking laugh. "That's it? Some of my finest work, and that's all you have to say?"

     "I bought them, didn't I?" Heero glared at her, and finally decided on the purple cloth. He didn't even argue when the trader listed a price, and paid out the fifteen weasel columns without a word. Shoving the cloth in his leather pouch, he turned and left before the girl could say another word, his silver bushy tail flowing behind him.

     A second later a second girl appeared, her blue eyes large. "Well?" she prodded the first girl.

     Dorothy tossed her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "Do you really have to go after the anti-social ones? Why didn't you like that nice Wolf you met last Summer-end?"

     Relena sniffed. "He was boring. All he did was give me pink scarves." Her golden ears perked to a voice echoing down the row. "Oh, drat, Zechs is coming this way and I am so not up to dealing with his attitude. Let's go get something for mid-day meal. The Mountain Wolves are accepting today, and I want to see the dancers."

     "I thought you said Heero isn't dancing."

     "He's not. But maybe if I pay a lot of attention to other dancers, he'll get jealous." Hope flashed in the Wolf hunter's eyes.

     "I doubt it," Dorothy replied dryly, watching Heero in the distance as he joined three waiting Creatures. "But I have a better idea."

     The Wolf dancing came and went, and the Lake Foxes presented reams of gold-embroidered cloths and delicate metalwork. Gatherings normally avoided outright competition in the area of give-aways, but the whispered consensus was that the Foxes were trying to outdo themselves to make up for the loss of face over the fight their Leader would be having only two hours from then. At the same time, most of the gossip was that most Creatures were betting on the known fighter, the Fox Leader, over the young Jaguar upstart.

     Wufei had done his best to ignore the whispers, retreating to his favorite rock to sharpen his slim blade. His head was down, and his black hair kept slipping from behind his ears. He was wearing his working loincloth, a plain blue cloth that fell to just above his knees. He paused, critically staring at the blade, and his black silken ears perked at the sound of light footsteps behind him.

     "Duo, I can hear you," he warned. "Don't you dare---"

     "If you're looking for that Fox, I'm not him," a girl's voice replied.

     Wufei's eyes went wide and he turned on the rock, startled. Meiran was standing behind him, decked out in her finest gold cuffs, armbands and anklets, and a pastel green breech-skirt with intricate cutwork. Her vest matched the skirt, but in a darker shade. Her black tail was lashing nervously around her ankles. Wufei could see her two friends standing at the edge of the clearing, trying to look inconspicuous.

     "I just wanted...to wish you good luck," she muttered, ducking her head.

     "Thanks," Wufei said, trying to stare anywhere but at the pretty girl in front of him.

     "I'm sure you'll do well," she added in a rush.

     "I hope---" The black Jaguar looked up then, and frowned, confused. The Jaguar-girl was already gone, her two friends right behind her. Wufei sighed, stared at his blade, and went back to sharpening it with a quick shake of his head.

     Girls are strange, he told himself.

     Duo settled himself on Sali's blanket, sitting cross-legged as he watched the Foxes out of the corner of his eyes. The Lake Foxes were gathering on the other side of the fighting circle, and he was starting to feel a little nervous about being left all alone. He jumped when someone sat down next to him, unable to place the scent. Anxious, he turned his head to find himself almost nose-to-nose with a pretty golden Wolf hunter. Her blue eyes stared into his deep blue eyes, and she smiled. Duo flushed, and smiled back shyly.

     "Hello." Her voice was low, and melodic, and she settled herself next to him without asking, as though she belonged there.

     Confused, the Fox moved over a little to give her room. "Hello," he replied politely.

     "I'm Relena," she said, holding out a paw. Gravely they shook hands, then both laughed. "That's such a strange human custom, don't you think?" She leaned forward and rubbed noses with him, and Duo smiled wider.

     "Duo," he replied, introducing himself. "I've seen people doing it," the half-Fox told her, and grinned at Relena's shocked expression.

     "You? You've been in human towns?"

     "Once or twice," he said, shrugging casually. "No big deal." The girl giggled, and he grinned, his chest puffing out just a little.

     There was movement over on the side of the gathering grounds, and the two were distracted. The activity resolved itself into a group of Cougars, spreading their blankets for front-row seats. Among them was the Cougar who'd first placed a bet on Wufei, and the man waved politely to Duo, who waved back. The Creature's two children squealed to see Duo again, and it was only after several repetitions that the Cougar parents got their children to settle down.

     "This is pretty exciting," Relena said.

     "I guess so," Duo replied, his eyes wide as he watched the crowd go past.

     "You're a good person for helping Wufei," she said nonchalantly. Duo stopped, turning to look at her with a puzzled expression on his face.

     "Me? What? No, Wufei was..." The thief trailed off, a little uncomfortable. "Wufei is a good Creature," he finally said.

     Relena cocked her head, watching the smaller Creature for several seconds before her face took on a gentle, sad expression. "You like Heero, don't you." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

     Duo shrugged, and plucked at the grass by the blanket.

     "I'm really sorry," she said quietly.

     The Fox's head came up in surprise. "Sorry? For what?"

     "Just..." Relena blushed prettily. "Heero can be so difficult, sometimes."

     "Heero..." Duo's brow wrinkled as he thought about that, then grinned widely. "Oh, he was just upset, so he chased me, but it was okay in the end. It was just a lot of fun. And we're all friends, now!"

     "Oh, then it must've been some other Fox he was talking about," she replied, and laughed merrily. "That's such a relief, because you seem like a very nice Creature. I can't imagine anyone saying bad things about you."

     Duo's smile faltered. The quick-witted golden Wolf noticed it, and her own smile grew razor-sharp. Dorothy was right, she thought, and decided her friend did have good advice, even if it had seemed like a strange plan at first.

     "When...when was he talking about some Fox?" The question was a little choked, but he managed to keep the smile on his face.

     "This morning," she replied airily, fluffing her hair a few times. The beads clattered against each other. "He wanted to buy me a pretty breech-cloth, after the wrist cuffs I had made for him."

     "The wrist cuffs?" Vaguely Duo recalled seeing the Wolf's wrist cuffs, and noticing how they matched the Wolf's ear cuffs in design.

     "Oh, yes," she said, tilting her head and giving the Fox her best wide-eyed smile. "He was going on about some Fox that just won't leave him alone. A dreadful pest, just bothering him to no end. Apparently this Fox – not you, I'm positive, you're too sweet," and she smiled again, her sharp teeth flashing. "That Fox is a horrible bore. But Heero's just such a gentleman, putting up with a Creature out of pity, don't you think? A pest like that must not have many friends, and I told Heero that, but when he hasn't had enough sleep..." She shrugged, as if to say 'what can you do'? "But now I know it couldn't possibly be you, since I'm sure you're a good friend of Heero's."

     "A good friend," Duo repeated, a little breathless. He gave a little lost nod, his ears drooping slightly. He hadn't noticed any other Foxes hanging around Heero, he wondered silently. But Heero's a friend of mine, now...I think. Except this morning he was a little rude, and he got mad when I said I'd go shopping with him, but maybe he just didn't sleep well...That's probably why...I think. Duo's eyes dropped, and Relena nudged him. When he looked up, she was giving him a sympathetic smile.

     "Oh, you must be good friends," she said, reassuringly. "So you can make sure if you see that Fox, to tell him that it wouldn't do to keep bugging Heero like that. He and I have had barely any time to visit this Gathering, and I'm sure you're not the kind that would keep a warrior from visiting with his girl."

     "No..." Duo said, and tried to smile. Some other Fox, he thought. There was some girl who'd yelled for the Wolf, but Heero hadn't said she was a Fox...

     "I knew you were a nice Creature," Relena chirped. "Oh, there's my friend Dorothy. I've got to go, but perhaps we'll see each other around?"

     "Yeah," the half-Fox said, nodding automatically. If there wasn't another Fox, he told himself, that meant... he shook the thought away and gave the girl a lopsided grin as she stood up and shook out her loincloth. She tossed him another dazzling smile and trotted off across the dancing ground, to where a River Bobcat was waiting. The two waved, and Duo raised his hand, then let it drop with a sigh. He couldn't think of any Fox who'd spent time with Heero, other than himself, and that meant...

     "What did she want?"

     The harsh voice from behind him made Duo jump, and the Fox swore under his breath. Too many Creatures were sneaking up on him today. Curtly, he shook his head, pulling his braid around to cradle it between his hands.

     "She was just being friendly," the half-Fox replied archly.

     "Hn." The Wolf settled himself next to Duo, and was a little startled when the Fox suddenly stood up.

     "I'm going to get something to eat," the thief announced.

     "Quatre and Trowa are bringing food," Heero replied, confused.

     "Oh." Duo frowned, thinking, then shrugged, an exaggerated gesture of nonchalance. "Well, I'll go find Solo and the others...to see if they're coming."

     "They're over there," Heero said, jerking his head in the direction where the Coyotes had set up their blankets. The group appeared currently to be wrestling over wineskins.

     Duo turned and looked in that direction, then back down at the blanket. He smiled widely, but his expression was strained. He didn't quite look Heero in the eye, but stared at the Wolf's wrist-cuffs instead. "Well, this blanket isn't very big, and once everyone's piled on it, so...I'll be...over there." He didn't wait for a reply, but turned and nearly dashed across the dancing ground, falling quickly into place between Solo and Kio in a controlled slide.

     Heero watched him go, a line between his brows.

     Foxes are strange, he decided.

     Trowa, Quatre, and Sali had seated themselves with Heero and were unpacking the dinner when several Cougars appeared in the circle, carrying a large table. Five River Bobcats followed, carrying chairs.

     "The Elders are watching," Sali told the younger Creatures. She fiddled nervously with the end of one of the twists in her hair, and sat up a little straighter. "This means whatever's decided will probably become Gathering law."

     Wufei and Treize arrived a few minutes later, accompanied by several Elder Creatures. There was a spotted Jaguar woman, with gray streaks in her long black hair, and an elderly Cougar leaning on a cane. A River Bobcat, draped in a warm striped  blanket, joined the two, along with an elegant Fox-woman with more silver than red in her chin-length hair. The Fox's multiple copper rings, bracelets, armbands and ear-cuffs marked her as a woman of some standing, rivaling the elderly Wolf draped with multiple iron-silver necklaces and breastplate who joined the group last. The five seated themselves around the table, and nodded to the Desert Lynx standing nearby.

     "That's your sister," Trowa muttered to Quatre, who nodded.

     "She's covering the bets," he explained. "Only the hosting Clans provide Elders."

     Wufei was standing at the far end of the circle, while Treize, at the other end, was swishing his Fox sword through the air as though testing it. At a signal from one of the Elders, the two Creatures approached and bowed formally to the group at the table. Then they turned to each other, and sank into their opening positions.

     The shorter Jaguar leaned back, most of his weight on his back leg, his slim curved blade up and extended, the pommel at his shoulder. His left hand was up, palm facing Treize, arm outstretched. The Fox, in contrast, settled his weight equally on both legs, and had his poniard, tip-up, with his left arm outstretched for balance. Wufei was braced for a fight, Jaguar-style, while the Fox was clearly intending to use more of a fencing style.

     The impression didn't last long, once Treize made the first testing blow. Stepping forward, he knocked at Wufei's blade, but the Jaguar parried and replied with a feint through his pass. The two had switched places, and Heero could now see Wufei's face, stern in its complete concentration. The crowd was perfectly silent as the two Creatures measured each other carefully.

     No one could tell who made the next move, and only the most experienced sword-wielders in the crowd could track the fierce blows and strikes. Treize's poniard stabbed forward, aiming for Wufei's flank, but the Jaguar parried with a blow and spun. His sword came back up just in time to knock the Fox's next strike away. Treize pushed forward, but the younger Creature's jaw was set even as he was forced backwards.

     Wufei's sight was narrowing down to only the Fox in front of him, registering the warrior's red bushy tail flicking around his ankles for balance. Then Treize was leaping again, bursting forward, his blade ripping and slicing the air. Wufei dodged and feinted, his feet leading him backwards around the circle. There was a sharp sound of cloth tearing as Wufei ducked under Treize's attack, slicing at the Fox's loincloth as he rolled under the Fox's guard. He came to his feet and twisted behind Treize to strike at the Fox's back.

     But the Fox was quicker, missing as Wufei passed but his poniard was up instantly as he turned to face the younger fighter. The two blades struck against each other with a clang. The two Creatures froze for a heartbeat as they matched their strengths. The moment was broken when Treize shoved. Wufei flew backwards, catching himself at the last second and turning the fall into a backwards summersault. The Jaguar ended in a crouch, his blade raised in his right hand, his left hand flat on the ground for leverage. His breathing was coming fast, a ragged gasp in his own ears, audible throughout the circle as the audience held its breath.

     Wufei lunged forward to meet Treize's next strike, side-stepping the blow as he aimed for the Fox's chest. Treize's face was frozen in a smile, his eyes narrowed as he spun, countering with a swipe as he passed the shorter Creature with a stepping strike. Wufei whirled away, returning quickly with a ferocious strength. The Jaguar swung his blade downward in a lightening-fast arc, and the Fox immediately brought his poniard in a horizontal slash. The Jaguar's second strike blocked Treize's move, and Wufei turned the parry into a strike. Now he was the one pushing the Fox backwards.

     Wufei continued to rain blows on the Fox. He seemed to be trying to get past the Fox's guard, but it soon became apparent to the experienced fighter the Jaguar wasn't aiming for the Fox's body but his poniard. The realization startled Treize. The wasted effort in a fight could mean death and the Fox frowned slightly as the Jaguar pressed the advantage of youth's energy. The Fox leader's frown grew as he parried Wufei's blows. The two swords clanged fiercely as they struck. Then Wufei's blade-tip slid into the poniard's guard, catching it on the intricate edge. A simple twist of the blade and Treize's poniard was ripped from his grasp, flying through the air towards Jasmine.

     The Desert Lynx jumped backwards, barely missing the blade. When she looked up a second later, Wufei's blade was at Treize's throat, and the Fox was grinning.

     "Now that was a duel," the Fox announced. Cautiously he brought up one hand, and pushed the quivering blade away from his throat. With a wider smile that was completely genuine, Treize bowed. "It has been an honor to fight you. The half-Creature is now your responsibility, and I'll make sure no Fox bothers him again."

     Wufei's tail lashed around his ankles, and he reluctantly lowered his blade. Confusion flickered across his features, then he took a deep breath and bowed in return. The crowd started cheering, many of the Creatures getting to their feet. A few of the Foxes looked unhappy, but many were more upset about the losses they'd be taking from having bet so heavily on Treize.

     The Elders stood, grinning broadly at the peaceful ending, and Solo nodded in satisfaction as he watched closely. He'd been wondering whether the sly Fox Leader would purposefully throw the duel just to have a deathless end, but Wufei's skill had made that irrelevant. Treize was beaten fair and square, the Coyote thought happily, and the Fox Leader could now gracefully relinquish his original bloodthirsty command and not lose face by being banned from any future Gatherings. Duo, next to Solo, was wriggling in place as Kio and Sano both hugged him tightly. Solo glanced over to see the half-Fox's excited expression, and grinned.

     One of the Elders stood, raising a hand for silence, and the audience slowly grew quiet. It was the Jaguar Elder, and she waited as everyone settled back down. Wufei's eyebrows were raised, but Treize looked amused as he sheathed his poniard.

     "The Jaguar Clan would like to formally announce that Osag, our swords master, is retiring," she announced. The statement was greeted with confusion from non-Jaguars, who weren't certain of the import, and shocked responses from the Jaguars in the crowd. Osag had been the Mountain Jaguar fighting teacher for longer than most of the Jaguars had been alive. "In his place, he has nominated, and we have agreed, that Wufei shall become the new sword master for the Mountain Jaguar Clan."

     The crowd was immediately on its feet, cheering the Jaguar Elder's announcement. Wufei, meanwhile, was gaping openly, and could only blink when the Fox Leader thumped him on the back, grinning widely. Solo couldn't hear over the crowd what Treize had said, but it made Wufei blush. The Coyote noticed Sali heading out to the circle, along with Heero, Trowa, and Quatre, all to congratulate the young man. Solo looked over at Duo, who'd grown still as he watched.

     "Aren't you going to head over there?" Solo jerked his head in the direction of the happy group, now surrounded by excited Creatures.

     Duo nodded, then hesitated, and pursed his lips.

     "Come on," Kio said, grabbing the half-Fox by the arm. "Let's go! There's bound to be a party to celebrate," he added, and Sano threw his arm over Duo's shoulders, nodding agreement. "We want to be invited, then we need to remind them we're here!"

     Between them, the thief grinned. Solo wondered whether the half-Fox was hiding himself again, or if he'd really gotten over whatever had been bothering him during the fight. The Coyote glanced over at the group of Creatures around Wufei, and saw a young golden Wolf approaching the Wolf-boy. Heero didn't look pleased, and Solo glanced sideways in time to see Duo also noticing the girl. The older Coyote was startled to see the half-Fox suddenly hesitate. Kio and Sano didn't notice, and continued dragging Duo forward.

     "I guess..." The thief forced a laugh. "I guess we should go visit."

     A few minutes later the four Creatures had joined Wufei and his friends when Solo noticed a Fox on the side. The short-haired Fox was looking angrily at the group around Wufei, and then at Duo. The Coyote's instinct immediately went on alert, and he shot a look at Kio and Sano, jerking his head towards the Fox. Both Coyotes understood implicitly, and flanked themselves on either side of Duo, who was busy rubbing noses with Quatre.

     "This is ridiculous," the short-haired Fox suddenly yelled, but most of the crowd ignored him. "This isn't the Fox law! He's a half-Creature, an abomination!"

     Duo raised his head at that, puzzled, and Quatre turned as well. The Fox was heading towards Duo full-tilt, his knife raised. He was aiming for a killing blow, and his knife was aimed straight for Duo's heart.

     Before the thief could react, Meiran stepped in the way.