Howl

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Wofl's Rain, but I DO own Sou and Mashin. So, hands off. But, please read. And, review. Because if you don't...then it would appear I am just talking (writing?) to a brick wall, and no one likes to do that. So...just tell me what you think, okay?

Rating: R, okay? It's R! Geez. R for "don't read this if you aren't old enough." Yep. That's it...

Chapter 3 - Fighting

At the sound of the howl, Kiba and his pack halted. Toboe's ears pricked forward and Hige lifted his snout from the ground to pay heed. Tsume acted as if nothing had happened, but he too noticed and felt the sound of the eerily familiar howl twang in his mind. Somewhere, he knew he had heard it before. Kiba turned and looked back to the rest of the pack.

"Should we go after it?"

Hige, unusually somber, nodded his shaggy head. "I've heard it before."

"So have I," stated Toboe. He wasn't even looking at Kiba; his head was swiveled in the direction of the cry. "I think we should find her."

"How do you know it's a girl, you runt?" Tsume asked, finally speaking.

"Can't you?" The remark stung in Tsume's ears and he lowered his head and snarled.

"Of course I can, you little brat. I'm just surprised you decided to put your only good feature to use." Tsume was still growling. He hated being embarrassed or beat by anyone, and even the runt would feel his wrath if they broke this cardinal rule. "Look, are we gunna go after her or not?"

Kiba looked around at all of them and then nodded. "Let's go."

The four wolves sped along over the ground, seemingly ghosts that shouldn't exist. Kiba led, followed closely by Hige and Tsume, and then Toboe. They all ran silently, concentrating on the howl that seemed to continue on forever. Toboe knew where they had heard it before. It had been that girl who had howled with such sorrow a few months ago. He remembered it so well, like it was only last night and not six months ago. They had all been resting, and that cry had filled the night, like thick pinesap that you couldn't shake off no matter how hard you tried. It had startled them all, and Toboe had heard it and known the sorrow she'd felt. He had felt it before. It was pain so intense it felt like your throat would collapse with the tightness of emotions gripping it; pain that felt like you chest was being ripped out and stomped on; pain that made you think of your heart being shattered and strewn away from you.

And still the howling continued. Tsume growled and ran faster, despite himself. All of them felt a fierce need to go to her. Such ripping emotions gripped her, it seemed. And so they ran on.

Sou jerked awake to see a group of punks walking towards her from the direction of the city. Instincts roared to life within her and she staggered to her feet. The running she had done yesterday, along with howling for hours on end, had taken more energy from her than she'd like to admit. Shaking her head furiously to rid herself of the remnants of sleep still crowding her mind, Sou readied herself. She was outnumbered, twelve to one. Mostly adolescents, but a few grown men strode along at the front of the group. A growl rose from the back of her throat as they spotted her and laughed, a devil-like laugh that reminded her of Mashin. But she had run from that city six months ago – he couldn't find her. She was safe.

Just run.

Sou turned and fled, knowing attacking them, even with her being a wolf, was futile. Her façade flickered a bit, revealing a black wolf, but those who noticed disregarded it as their imaginations. She reached the forest boundaries, and sprinted with the speed only a wolf in danger can achieve flowing thorough her veins. A stitch formed in her side – she was fatigued from yesterday's running. She lagged a bit, slowing down to allow her throat air to breathe in. Pounding footsteps and howls of twisted delight echoed behind her, and she picked up the pace. Sou burst into a clearing, then stumbled on an animal's burrow and fell. A whiff of something she hadn't smelt in seemingly eons wafted past her nose, but she disregarded it as she jerked herself to her feet and backed away from the group of youth now standing before her. Wicked laughs filled the clearing and she continued to back away to prevent herself from being surrounded by skittering teenaged boys.

A little hopeless voice in her mind whispered they were going to rape her; they were going to abuse her just like Mashin did. It snarled and reminded her of all the things he had done, all the times he had raped and beaten her. Sou felt her resolve weaken, until the leader, a man with tanned skin and pierced nostrils, stepped forward. The jeering of his pack quieted to a murmur, then to nothing.

"Are you going to come quietly, bitch?" The leader asked, the words a cruel slap to her face, reminding her there was no way out. Nowhere to go.

"Never."

They had run all night, and were still running. Kiba had asked Toboe if he wanted to stop, concerned when he saw the youth's fur soaked with sweat and his paws bloody. Toboe's answer had been to keep running, passing Kiba. They had to almost be there. He knew it. The morning sun shone down upon the four of them as they thundered across forests and plains, skirting a couple lakes and fording rivers.

Growls alerted them and then a battle cry unlike any they had ever heard echoed to them from only a little bit farther ahead. Screams and yells were heard as the wolves picked up the pace, working themselves to the limit as howls of pain were drowned out by a scream of "Holy fucking SHIT, the mother fucking bitch is a WOLF!!!"

Tsume muttered, "great," as they sped into the clearing and came face to face with a battle scene of unfair proportions. A wolf, large and fierce, was leaping about and snarling as she protected herself from about a dozen gang members, all bearing knives and slashing at her inky pelt.

Kiba, closely followed by Toboe, Hige, and Tsume, slipped into a human façade and ran across the clearing. Upon seeing these new arrivals, all fighting ceased, as if magically. The female wolf whipped around and clamped her jaws on the hand of a boy who was pulling her tail, making him scream and let go.

Sou saw them for what they were: four wolves, all male, one white, one gray, one brown, and one tan. She couldn't be too sure that these new arrivals wouldn't simply help the gang attack and rape her, but they were brethren, and deserved at least a little trust. The white one, probably the alpha, stepped forward and around the teens surrounding her. He stopped in front of her, then leaned down and offered her his hand. Sou looked up at him and let her human guise shimmer down and seemingly transform her into a woman. The gang members gasped and backed away. Sou hoisted herself up, using the white wolf's hand as support, then gritted her teeth against pain as the cuts on her legs bled and throbbed.

Another one of the pack ran forth and slipped an arm around her waist. She looked at him, startled, and he smiled and said, "Hi. I'm Hige." His hand tightened on her hip and she sighed and whispered back, "I'm Sou," before putting her arm around his shoulders, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake by trusting these guys.

As Hige supported her and led her back to the other two wolves, the leader spoke up and protested, "Hey, you punks. That there's our entertainment for the evening. We don't take kindly to strangers stealing our stuff, especially not our bitches."

Tsume shifted his gaze from the leader to the girl, as she bared her teeth in a snarl that made Toboe jump. The leader laughed and spit at Sou, jeering, "Shut up, bitch. You'll pay for everything later."

The sickening promise made Toboe stiffen and whine, and Tsume growled at the leader. Kiba looked at the leader and spoke in a calm, monotone voice, saying evenly, "If you let her go, we won't kill you." Raucous laughter filled the clearing and Sou growled again.

"You'll let us go, huh? You know, I think that's a bad deal. Hand over the girl. She's ours, buddy." The leader took a step towards Sou, and Hige started towards Tsume and Toboe again, easily supporting the weight of the girl. Kiba stepped in front of the leader, saying again, "Let her go."

The pierced man was getting angry. His good humor faded and he said angrily, "Get out of the fucking way, or I'm going to make you shish kebab, got it, boy?"

It all happened so fast, as Sou watched the albino's fist shoot out and break the man's nose. A sickening crunch filled the air, making Sou and the youngest wolf flinch, as the man yelled and fell backwards. Hige looked back at the alpha and said in a tired voice, "Haven't we run enough lately?" before scooping a startled Sou up and sprinting out of the clearing. He passed her off to a large gray wolf, disguised as man with white hair and leather clothes, who hoisted her onto his back and ran for all her was worth. Her leg wounds dripped onto the leather on his back and she watched in a daze as it slid down to his hip, and then skimmed off. The young wolf was sprinting alongside them, and Hige and the alpha could be heard attacking pursuing gang members. The rhythm of the gray wolf's running soon lulled her to sleep as they continued to run.

About a half hour later, the pack stopped by a stream and let the female down. Tsume was breathing heavier than usual, unused to going at this hard pace. Even he couldn't take running all day and night. The girl was sleeping lightly, and when he put her down she whipped upwards, screaming, "No!"

Hige and Toboe jumped a little, but Kiba just bent down to drink and Tsume put his hand to her forehead as she looked around her wildly, then relaxed a little. The look in her eyes shocked him; it was the look of a wolf who had been through hell and still had nightmares. She quieted down after a bit, and dropped back to the ground with a groan and an almost inaudible cry of pain.

Sou relaxed a little on the ground; these wolves looked friendly. She focused her gaze on the wolf who had carried her. His silver hair was short and spiky, and cold yellow eyes stared at her. Her lips, cracked and dry, formed words, but she couldn't hear them. Sou wet her lips and tried again. "Who are you?"

"Tsume."

Sou looked at the stocky wolf who had supported her at first. He looked at her, a friendly expression on his face. "You are Hige," she told him, a statement, not a question. Sandy blond hair dipped up and down.

The pup smiled at her and said in a cheerful voice, "I'm Toboe." A mournful note filled his young voice, and then he added, "Are you okay?"

Sou nodded, looking at the white alpha who had helped her up. "And you?" He drank a little more water from the stream and then lifted his muzzle and turned to face her.

"I'm Kiba. You seem to get in a lot of trouble."

Sou snorted. He had no idea. "Why do you say that?" Curiosity overrode pride, and she closed her eyes as she waited for his answer. Sleep seemed so close. She was so tired...

"We've heard you howl before."

Sou's eyes snapped open, wide and unseeing, as her mind flew back in time.

She woke up a couple hours later...the sun had set and she was sore from lying in the tub all day. Blood pooled around her, and she looked down at her stomach, formally bloated, and mourned the loss of life there. Already it was sagging like a sickening balloon, like a dead animal. Like her dead child.

Sou moved a little, suddenly wanting to leave and never come back. She could make it. Oh, yes, she could. Never again would she be used and cast away. The ebony wolf staggered up, almost slipping in the pool of her own blood, and walked through the tiny, impersonal apartment to the kitchen. A backpack. Food. Water. Bandages. All of these, she needed. Packing them away, she breathed in and walked slowly, painfully, out the front door to the street below, then out of the town and away from all the horrible memories. Through the wilderness, where she felt her wolfish instincts jump-start as if she'd been shocked, and come to life. Everything seemed clearer, and she made it to a stream before she collapsed and painfully cleaned her wounds and ate a little. The pain of losing everything she cared for was burning, the feeling of having nothing, nothing at all, in the world to live for, was crippling, and she dropped the disguise of a human and looked up at the moon.

It was so clear, so alive, and just looking at it she couldn't imagine something so horrible as what had happened...well, existing. People like Mashin shouldn't be here. People like her, with only a few threads of compassion holding them in place, shouldn't loose everything they hold dear. Things like this shouldn't happen. The injustice of it hit her like a physical blow, and she felt her throat close up, emotions choking her, trying to free her from this incomplete lifestyle.

Sou experienced the senses of all of this, was suddenly aware of it all as if for the first time ever, and it ripped through her. She lifted her muzzle and howled, pouring her dead soul into it, trying to free herself from the grip of the sorrow, giving it her all and broadcasting the unfairness of the world to all who would care to listen, and many who would not. The howling clenched her lower stomach, still full of death and miscarriage, and she bent over double in pain as cramps overtook her. She staggered into the water and let the clear liquid cleanse her, take away the death. Sou sat there in the water and mourned, wordlessly crying, sobbing and dying inside as her child was swept away in the water.

A howl answered hers, another mournful howler, who seemed to understand her pain, and then another joined the first, and soon there were four voices upraised to the moon, offering condolences, letting her know life would go on. They sang to her for hours, long into the night, and as they cried to her, she watched her soul and baby get carried off by the demons of the night. Early in the morning, they stopped, finally, a long silence stretching out in between them, before she lurched to her paws and lifted her own snout in answer, in thanks, and bayed back to them.

Sou was being shaken. Through the depths of sorrow and remembrance, she shook herself awake, and blinked blurry vision at the figures above her.

"Are you fucking okay?" asked a gruff-voiced Tsume, concern barely lacing his speech as he stopped shaking her.

"Yes." Her answer was hard, angry. These wolves, they had been the ones to comfort her, the ones who gave her courage to continue on. Inwardly, she cursed herself for opening up; she hadn't been able to for months, and just recently, she had begun to trust the world a little more. Where had it gotten her? Attacked by a gang of perverts and carried off into the wilderness by a pack of wolves. She was too weak to defend herself, and even though they looked nice, so had Mashin.

Mashin...

Fresh tears welled up unexpectedly, and she brushed them off angrily. Someone like her couldn't afford to feel emotions. Not the elation of the day before, not the sorrow of remembering. Nothing.

They were still looking at her, gathered around like big brothers who wanted to protect her. Sou had never had a brother. Maybe if she had, he would have saved her from her life. Stopped Mashin. Stopped her.

"Hey, are you okay, Sou?" Toboe, the pup, looked concerned. He was still young – he hadn't been exposed to the evils of the world. "Sou?"

"Yes," she reiterated, and struggled to get up.

Hige put a hand on her shoulder, saying, "You shouldn't be getting up. You're really banged up, Sou. I think you should rest."

"Yes, you should," Kiba agreed.

"I can't. I've gotta go." Sou brushed off Hige's hand and stood up shakily. The scar on her thigh stretched under her jeans, a little painfully, a reminder of what happened when she trusted people. The instinct of running echoed in her mind again and she breathed in. Tsume and Kiba stood back, while Hige looked a little angry. Toboe looked at his boots, and then ran off. "You don't understand. I've gotta go. Thanks for the help. I owe you."

Hige still looked peeved, but in such a way that it seemed he was concerned about her safety and well being, not just what was good for him. She had known people like him before she had met Mashin. People who cared about others, and what was important to them, too. Hige's luminescent golden eyes met hers, and she swallowed as he said to her, "Before you go..."

Emotions tried to well up, but Sou ruthlessly pushed them back down within. "Yes?"

"What made you howl that night? When we howled back?"

Images flickered before her eyes, and she stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, before she smiled carefully, and, if she admitted it, a bit shakily. "Mashin."

And then, she carefully walked away, going west, chasing the sun.