I woke up to the sun burning the inside of my eyelids. I squinted as I realized the light was beaming into my eyes, and sat up. I then realized that it was still snowing, but was much warmer than last night. I yawned, and then heard, "So you're up." I turned only to see Kiba, giving a small smile. "What time is it?" I asked. "Time for breakfast according to me," I heard loudly from Hige, who was about ten feet away, sitting by a campfire cooking meat of sorts.

I sniffed, and found the scent of roasting meat quite pleasurable. My mouth began to water, but was disrupted from a sarcastic question from Tsume. "Should we let her eat with us?" He smirked, as I gave a pouting glare. "You could at least take it easy on her, Tsume. She is new, after all," Hige tried to coax. I said to Hige, "Thank you for helping me out." Kiba silently chuckled at Tsume and my arguing, but then asked to everyone, "Has anyone seen Toboe around?"

"Yeah, where did he go?" I asked to nobody in particular. "Maybe we should split up and look for the runt," Tsume suggested. I asked out of the blue, even to myself, "Why do you call him 'the runt' anyway?" "Because he's the youngest of us all," Hige replied for Tsume. "Discluding me," I said. "Maybe we should just look for him..." Kiba began, "But at least one of us should stay here and look out for any of Darshia's soldiers." Tsume nodded in agreement, and said, "I'm looking for him." I looked over at him, thinking of him more of the type who would stay and keep a lookout.

I blinked, but decided not to complain. 'If I get on their good side before doing something stupid, then hopefully I can keep traveling with them. I like hanging out with them,' I thought to myself, and gave a wide grin at the end, not realizing I was still facing Tsume. "That just supports my theory more," Hige said evilly. Tsume rolled his eyes, and was again disgusted at the thought. I looked at Hige, and blinked, discombobulated (confused). "Whaddya mean?" I asked. He smirked, and brought his head up more for no real reason.

"Nothing," Hige replied. I got angry for a second, after memories of yesterday flowed into my mind. I heard something before I could speak. It was a loud bang from the distance. Not like a gunshot, but more like something big just coming out of nowhere and landing heavily. "What was that?" Kiba asked. "I don't know," Tsume said, "But we should find Toboe before he gets hurt. Especially if something big and unknown is nearby." We all agreed, and were about to start running.

Our footsteps were terminated when another loud bang landed, but very near us, shaking the ground severely. I almost fell over, but my reflexes caught me. "It's close," Kiba said, kind of stating the obvious. "But...what is it?" I asked, almost frightfully. "We have to find Toboe. Now!" Hige raised his voice, just to say that he was dead serious. Not giving a nod, we all started running, trying to think of places where he might be. "Toboe!" Kiba yelled, holding out the last part. "Runt!" Tsume said. 'He really doesn't need to call him that... Besides, wouldn't I technically be the runt now? It's not like I'm jealous, I'm just... I don't know, but he doesn't need to call him that. Oh, come on, look at me, I'm having a conversation with myself in my head. I'm such an idiot. Yeah, you are. Aack!' It was right there that I got annoyed at myself.

SOMEWHERE ELSE, PREVIOUSLY

"If there wasn't snow blocking out their scent and covering my tracks, then I could easily find my way back..." Toboe whined to himself. Then there was the first loud boom, but not as loud as it was to us. "...What...was that...?! I need to find the others, and fast. Before that...thing attacks me," Toboe proceeded to himself. He couldn't find a better way to describe it, not knowing what it was. He knew as well as the four of us back near the campsite that it was big, heavy, and probably metal. But what he didn't know, was that his friends might be in big trouble.

BACK TO US

Panting, I suggested, "He might have gone to the stream to get some water." "You and I'll check it out, Sokoto," Kiba started, "Tsume, Hige, you two try the plains nearby. He might have gone there to relax." I was in awe of how quickly, quietly, and gracefully the two of them jumped and ran off. After a while, it would be a common sight for me, but I was unaware of it at the time. Kiba and I went toward the stream near which the foursome had found me yesterday.

On a different subject, I asked Kiba, "Why did you pick me to go with you?" "I'm going to see if you can truly keep up with me," he replied simply, before running off faster than I had seen him. I winced for a split second, but then became determined, and raced after him. I always run faster when I'm either completely overjoyed, or am extremely angered. Only once has it been determined, and that was when I was running from my father.

I tried to think of something that would make me really mad. REALLY mad. I traced my mind for a second, and thought of something. Most of you are probably wondering what it is, so I'll tell you. I imagined Onyx, the wolf that Tsume reminds me of, being shot by the same soldiers that killed my parents. All the other wolves. And then, my parents. Then, Tsume, Kiba, Toboe, and Hige. It was right then that I snapped. Even though I was envisioning it, it felt so real. I was so angry that I caught up to Kiba, who was nearly a mile ahead of me before I searched my brain, in about eight seconds.

Kiba gasped as I flashed by, and slowed down, saying that the race was over. But I couldn't control myself. I kept going. And going. Kiba noticed this pretty easily. That I was VERY upset about something. So, I decided to calm myself down. But there was only one easy way. That was the route I would take, despite it being painful. It would be hard to direct myself, being in an uncontrollable state of infuriation (anger). Kiba shouted for me to calm down, but it was as if I was a million miles away.

I did the only thing I could. After trying to direct myself for about a minute, eventually I had a chance. But chances were that if I didn't calm myself down with this, I wouldn't be able to at all. So, I did what I had to. I braced myself for impact, and I twisted my body so the blow would hit my side, and not hit me head on. I jumped off a small cliff, in which there was a waterfall on, and slammed against the water from at least 30 feet. I can put it into one simple word. Painful. But at least it calmed me down.

It didn't take long for Kiba to catch up to me, but was a bit worried when he saw me jump into the waterfall. It wasn't a very big one, but neither of us were sure if there were jagged rocks or not. If there was, I was probably injured worse than he thought. He looked down into the pond that the waterfall fell into, and skimmed the water with his eyes to see any movement. After it had been about ten seconds, he was getting really worried, even though he knew I was tough. I wasn't tough enough for this. I wasn't a wolf, after all.

He jumped in, finding he would be bound to find me if he searched underwater, too. He looked around, but I was nowhere. He looked down. Nothing. He looked behind him, slowly, and terrified for me, knowing that the main thing behind him, if anything, were jagged rocks. Kiba, to his astonishment, disbelief, and terror, saw me there, but only half way on. My side was damaged pretty bad, that was the easiest thing to see about me. I appeared to be caught on something, so he swam over to help me. My pant leg had been caught, as well as torn, on one of the jagged rocks.

Kiba was about to change into his wolf form and bite through it, but decided against it for two reasons: I would see him, and it's much easier to swim underwater in human form. But, it'd take to long, and be too hard to rip it, so he gnawed through it in human form. By now, it had probably been at least a minute, and I was struggling for air. The instant Kiba had me free, he took my shirt 'scruff' and pulled me to surface. I coughed again and again, and he brought me to the side. "Are you okay, Sokoto?" Kiba asked, concerned. I was about to say, "I think so.", but I couldn't stop coughing.

"Sokoto...?" Kiba was sounding more worried by the second it seemed. I kept coughing occasionally, but wiped the water from my eyes with my wet arm, allowing myself to see. For a moment, I had to remember what had just happened, where I was, and why I was soaking wet and cold. My head fell onto my arms, which were folded on top of the mud. It just so happened, I was barely breathing, if I was at all...

------------------------------Disclaimer

Getting interesting? Good. This one didn't have a single curse in it. PG-13s are better with curses, but I couldn't find that great of a spot for one. And those big booms? You'll see what they are later. I will proceed to update as much as I can. And I love reviews! Please review! I adore reviews! Errm. Anyhoo, I've been thinking of some stuff I'm going to add later. Not sure when exactly, but it'll still be a few more chapters.

Wolf's Rain ownz!