Been reworked... I fixed some errors I didn't catch before and split it up to make two chaps.

A/N: This is a Wolf's Rain fic with an OC and possibly more than just Saida, but that comes later. This is supposedly set after episode 30. AND before anyone asks no, it doesn't really follow the old story line. I have it to fit my story. So if things are off with characters and the actual story line there's a purpose for it. If you have any questions or comments do that reiview thing and I'll do my best to answer them.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own ANYTHING dealing with Wolf's Rain. Saida is my character and any other OC's that follow will be mine. But as far as Wolf's Rain goes.... I repeat rather sadly... I own NONE of it.

All Saida wanted to do was leave the city, she now found herself in. It was filthy and around every corner was a new smell that made her stomach turn. Finally she managed to find an entrance to the water main. She figured, "It had to come from somewhere outside this city." She was right. She clutched tighter to the glass jar she had been carrying, since she had left her home, and continued to the entrance.

 A loud whistle made her jump and look up to the direction it came from. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? My, my aren't you a pretty thing." Saida didn't meet eyes with the intrusive character; she just stepped to one side to try and pass him without conflict.

"Now, now, where are we going in such a hurry? Why not stay and have a little fun?" Saida gripped her eyes closed becoming impatient. "Aw, did I hurt your feelings pretty one? Hey what's that you have there? Let me see." When his stubby fingers reached for the glass Saida knocked his had away and hissed.

"A feisty one ay? Perhaps I should fix that. Now I said let me see." He again reached for the glass. Saida grabbed his wrist and with little effort lifted the tiny man into the air, and moving to one side, turned him head over heel. It was like watching water take the form of it's holder, a pure, smooth, liquid-like action. Saida disregarded the now grumbling horizontal figure and resumed her path to the entrance of the water main.

Just as she was about to enter she heard a familiar click. It was that of a switch-blade being readied. Saida lowered her head, shaking it in disbelief. She made no attempt to turn around, not even when the man started to taunt her. "You might have gotten the upper hand that time sweetheart. But I won't make that mistake again. Now I want what you have. I can get it the easy way or the hard way. So why don't you save yourself a lot of trouble and just hand it over."

Finally Saida was forced out of her silence. "You think you can take it?" She began to laugh demonically, mocking the little man that stood behind her. And just as the laughing started, it stopped. She turned with a seriousness on her face like none other. Her eyes shadowed and her lips straight, "Let's see you try." Her voice almost growled out the words. There was no fear in her body. She waited for the worthless creature to lunge at her, but something happened.

From out of the alley, on Saida's left, another voice could be heard. "You know it's not nice to pick on ladies. How many times must I beat your kind down before you to get the point?" The little thief seemed more afraid than before. Saida could sense his rapid change in breathing. 'This man must be of some power,' she thought. Ignoring the interference and the display before her, she continued on her path. After all she didn't have the luxury of wasting time.

After a few minutes of lightly stepping and watching for holes, Saida heard footsteps as they crashed against the shallow water. 'That stranger, he must be following me.' Saida's mind wandered with who that man might be and why he would be after her. None of the outcomes were good.

Being that she could see clearly in the dark she decided to make a stand. It was after all only one person. There was an indent along the wall where Saida hid herself and waited. Her heart rate slowed considerably so she could hear better. The splashing stopped, which meant the man had as well. Saida closed her eyes straining her ears to hear what others could not.

Finally she picked up on it, the faint beating of a heart other than her own. It was rapid, but barely audible to her ears. Saida contrived that the man had become exhausted and stopped to rest. Not feeling a threat from this person, she walked out of her hiding spot towards the beating. The figure of a man bent over appeared. A copper smell hit the air and entered Saida's nose. "Blood," was her one word statement.

The man looked up with his head, but the body stayed bent, his right hand clutched to his left side. "You're hurt." Saida was in a hurry, but she wasn't so immoral and hell bent on her ways that she didn't do the right thing at times. Walking slowly towards the man, she saw the stream of blood.

"It's not that bad. I just needed to rest." Saida was shocked to hear his voice was so calm and strong. No sign of pain was evident. "You act well." At this the man stood up and she really got a good look at him. He was taller than her by about four inches, making him around 6'4". His black leather garments said he was a creature of danger, but something about his golden eyes told Saida otherwise. His hair was silver, like that of the moon, like that of her eyes, shimmering in the moonlight.

Saida finished her appraisal and decided that he wasn't as bad as her mind made him out to be. "Why don't you go back. It's not that far and you're not bleeding all that much. You could get help back in the city." The man stared at her as she looked at his wound. "So not even a thanks huh?" Saida quickly snapped her head up and met with his kind eyes. In her mind she didn't have anything to thank him for, but apparently he thought otherwise. "Thank you."

The tall figure shook his head half smiling. "If you don't mean it, don't say it." Saida looked confused for a second. "I don't know what you mean."

"That wasn't very sincere at all," was his reply as he tried to test himself to see how much weight could be put on his left side. He doubled over in pain, finding that the amount was not too much. Saida quickly grabbed his arm while still holding on to her glass. Lifting him back up she began to make her way back to the city.

"I thought you were leaving." Saida made no attempt to reply. Her mind was fixed on the contents of the jar. The life force was draining from it and the longer it remained in the dark the weaker it would become. "You're not a talkative one are you?"Again the man got no reply.

When the opening was in view Saida let go of him, making sure he had his balance first. "Here, you can make it the rest of the way on your own. As you pointed out earlier, I am on my way out of this city. And I'm sorry I didn't seem sincere. I just don't see what I have to thank you for." The man was about to say something, but when he looked up, Saida was all ready retreating back into the darkness of the water main. 

He went to go after her, but reaching his arm out to call for her wasn't a good idea. He needed to get looked after and fast. It was the only way he'd catch back up to her. Something about her drove him to want to find her, want to stay with her. She had a peculiar smell, sweet, but not headache sweet, more like, floating on clouds sweet. Yes, he would get stitched and set out to find her, the wandering mystery woman with the wonderful smell.

The long tunnel didn't seem to want to end for Saida. It was as if she had been walking for hours with no seeming evidence that she was getting any closer to freedom, except for the iciness that had begun to take over. It became very cold and Saida feared for the thing she held so dearly to her chest. It was weakening and so was she. Her senses became jumbled. She couldn't distinguish one way from another, only that she was cold and only getting colder. "The end must be close," she breathed watching her words float away in front of her.

Thinking perhaps if she rested a moment, the right way would suddenly appear in front of her. It didn't. The coldness only made her want to sleep, but she knew she had to keep moving. "If only I breathe the fresh air." With that last breathe she collapsed where she stood. Leaning against the damp wall, feet dangling over the guide walk, holding on tightly to the glass with the grip of a dead man, she passed into unconsciousness.

dream

A lone white wolf can be seen running through blackness, searching for something, for someone. Suddenly the background fades into white, pure snow white. The wolf became mingled with the snow making it hard to distinguish where wolf began and snow ended. The view was blurred and what appeared after it cleared was a different wolf, black as the night sky. Its silver ice cold eyes contrasted with the fur, much like the moon contrasts with the dark sky, both complementing the other. It was a mixture of the scene before. Black and white together as one. The wolf began to run towards Saida. It jumped at her bearing it's teeth...

end dream

Saida shot up right before the wolf reached her. Her breathing was rapid and the cold made it hard for her to catch. She stood up shakily. "Take it easy. I'm not going to hurt you." The voice made her jump, causing her to loose her grip on the glass. She watched the thing she had risked her life protecting numerous times before fall to the ground.

Everything was in slow motion and she was too frozen to do anything about it. Her face must have shown her horrified feelings. The man managed to just grab the glass before it hit, causing it's contents to spill out and die. Saida breathed out a sigh of relief, again collapsing to the ground. The weight she had been carrying, the importance of the contents of that glass jar, everything was about to be shattered all at once right before her. The only thing that saved her was the man, the one with the kind eyes.

She could feel herself being lifted and through slitted eyes she managed to make out his face. His jaw was set; he was concentrating, balancing her and the glass jar. Closing her eyes again, she managed to breathe out some words. "I have to get free." His words were barely heard buy her fading ears, but she could just make them out. "You will be." Saida let herself give in to sleep. This was different from all the other times before, peaceful, without any dreams of the wolf. This stranger made her feel safe, like she didn't have to try so hard.

A/A/N: Well if you like, don't like, whichever, reviews would be much appreciated. I'm currenttly writing other stuff, so this one has been kind of put on hold. But if I get any reviews I might be inclined to focus more on it. ;) And like I said, any and all reviews are welcome.