Author's Note: I'm sorry these first few chapters have been short! I'm trying to make them longer, but this is just a basis for the beginning, the whole plot line. And I promise I'll get Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe in somehow, alright? Oh! And thank you to reviewer Ashley, who told me Blue is a female and a wolf! LOL! I never knew, guess I didn't research right, did I? Silly me, thank you for correcting me! I might change it, who knows? Lol.

Oh! And I know you're getting tired of this, but;

P.S: I am open to ideas if you wish to give them, and I will tell you right now that I laugh at flames. Constructive Criticism is fine, and I just love Reviews. I hope you like these characters, and I do hope my spelling and grammar isn't all that bad. Ciao! Adios! Ja ne! And Bye-bye! Have a good read y'all and please tell me what you think!

P.P.S.: Kiba, Toboe, Tsume, and Hige do not belong to me. Neither do any other characters in the show that I have not mentioned just yet. However, Chiku and Lashou are mine, if you copy them I will report you, buster! Have fun, and please review and have a nice day!

Wolf Song

Chapter 3: Lashou of Doubt and Chiku of Sickness

Chiku had no idea how much they ran that first night, or how much damage it was doing to her lungs. All they felt in that desperate run from the city was the exquisite, natural feeling of their muscles as they were put to use after quite a long while. This stretch and exercise was obviously long overdue. They'd spent too long in their human bodies, that was for sure! And now they were free from such imprisonment; and it felt good!

The ground rolled under their feet for such a long time, and they didn't bother to take even the shortest of breaks no matter how much their bodies began to ache. It was a silent, unspoken, mutual agreement that they had to get as far away from the city as possible. Neither wanted to ever meet up with the wolf hunter and his dog ever again. They were tired of living in fear, tired of having to compress their wolfish pride, tired of hiding in general!

By the time the sun began to rise they slowed and found a nearby cave to spend some much needed rest time in. Their muscles burned and their bodies overall felt weary. That adrenaline that had helped them through the night flickered and died like a fire when sand or water is poured over it. It would be an understatement to say they were tired; because, in all, they were exhausted!

"I can't….believe…we made it!" Lashou gasped, more than happy to collapse in a comfortable spot on some dried grass. She flat out refused to change to a human again, she was too exhausted anyway. Besides, she was much more comfortable (and warmer) as a wolf anyway.

Chiku gasped and collapsed next to her, closing her eyes against the piercing sunlight that was just now starting to shine over the western ridge. Blood dribbled down her muzzle and she felt the familiar tightening in her chest that signaled bad times to come. Lashou licked her friend's face, concern evident in her wolfish gaze. The blood was definitely not a good sign; it meant Chiku's throat had been rubbed raw from all the running, and that would only add to the pain of sickness.

"Are you alright?" Lashou asked kindly as she lay back down and allowed her friend to snuggle in. Chiku nodded, grinning slightly, which was entirely different looking on a wolf rather than a human. Her lips seemed to tug back, revealing her white, razor sharp teeth, which weren't too comforting; unless you were of the wolf kind as well. And even though both were panting, they both shared that smile. It was a seemingly awkward moment though, as smiles were meant for people, not wolves. They were stuck in between once more. Caught between the canyon of humanity and their wolf blood.

After a moment more of awkward silence, Chiku merely brushed it off and gave a sigh as she moved a little ways from Lashou and turned her back to the sunlight as she curled up in her own patch that was close enough so they both could share body heat and comfort. Her brown eyes blinked lazily in a dog-like fashion and her tail wagged sluggishly, a sign that she was exhausted, but happy.

"I'm fine..." Chiku murmured languidly, even her wolfish voice raspy. The yips, barks, and other sound all strained her throat, which, hopefully and most likely, would be healed by the time she got up next. "Now go to sleep." She finished and let her body completely relax as the warm rays of the sun began to cast shadows on the barren earth outside. But she needn't have said anything, Lashou was already fast asleep, her legs occasional twitching. She must be running, was Chiku's last coherent thought. It seemed that even in dreams the pair ran, but from what neither could even begin to guess.

What eventually awoke Chiku was not what she had expected when she fell asleep. She had expected to wake up when she felt hunger or maybe even the sun burning her back. But not even the blessed yellow orb in the sky had awoken her. No, the tightness and pain in her chest as she was slowly suffocated awoke her.

Chiku sat up, her eyes wide as the familiar talons of the poison gripped her. She felt her trachea closing, tightening, until she could hardly breathe. How she had slept this long she had no idea, but it was a miracle that she had. Another miracle was that she was even conscious! Sweat came down in the form of beads and tiny rivulets as she struggled to change. It was reluctant, but necessary. She relinquished the hold she had on her wolf form and let her body grow and pop back into human form. She did not much feel this change; she was too deep in concentration on keeping her breathing even and deep.

In the few seconds it took for her to change back into the form she'd been in for years, her breathing had gotten harder and harsher. Tears clouded her human eyes as she struggled to remove the pack on her back. She almost cursed herself for having forgotten it before. Several more, precious seconds passed by and Chiku started seeing black dots in her vision as a light-headed feeling overtook her.

The zipper was surprisingly easy no matter how weak she felt. With shaking hands she searched the pack and took out her precious inhaler. It was like the holy grail to her, the long-awaited feast for a hungry man, and the golden gates of Heaven towards a lost soul now freed from its Earthly ties.

Chiku prepared the inhaler and then placed it delicately in her mouth. She pushed down the button and took the biggest breath she was able. She gasped as the medicine traveled down her trachea, loosening her throat almost immediately. She felt it like one does food as it goes down, or perhaps as a bird feels a worm slide down its throat. Or maybe, she felt it like water feels the mist. Another squirt and Chiku began to breathe easier. Several more sprays, and she was back to her old self.

Chiku gave a long suffering sigh and collapsed back down, blindly groping around to put her inhaler away and zip up the bag. She was more than happy to force her body back into that of the silvery wolf that could not be caught, the one that was the singer of riddles and howler in the night. Of course…now she was exhausted!

I never want it to get that bad again! She thought dizzily, staring up at the dark cave ceiling. Slowly she let her weariness overtake her again, and then she let the deep dark of sleep overtake her again.

Of course, unknown to her was the pair of watchful, grief filled eyes of Lashou as she watched her friend surrender herself into sleep. Doubts swarmed over her head and clouded her mind. Thought of 'we shouldn't have left the city' and 'this isn't going to work' were in abundance. She thought they would never make it to Paradise, both of them would die before then. The best thing to do… Lashou thought, just as she was surrendering herself to sleep once more, is to look for a new city.

Of course, there was always the possibility that that city would be even worse than their last, and who knew how much Chiku could take before she surrendered to the poison, just as her little sister had? Who knew how much either of them could last once the first snow fell? Who knew anything at all?

TBC

Author's Note: Yay, another chapter! Kiba and gang might enter next chapter! Huzza! Lol, thanks for the reviews, keep 'um coming! Please? Lol, until next time!