Tala carried Kai in his arms out of the cave and into the cold night wind but also into the light of the full moon before putting Kai down so he could stand on his own. When they both entered the cave again they entered as wolves, one a golden-bronze the other a vibrant deep blue. Tala led Kai over to a section within the cave away from the others who laid there, eyes watching their leader and new pack member.
"Do you want to know now or later?" Tala asked, lying down on the floor and watching the deep blue wolf timidly walk over to lie down beside him.
"Now," was Kai's answer.
"Okay," Tala replied, resting his head on Kai's back as they looked out of the cave mouth and at the scenery beyond; it was snowing.

…Tala's POV…

I close my eyes letting this world of the present disintegrate around me as I go back to what I remember as that start.
"It all started a few days after you had left us…

I didn't know what to think about your leaving, though at night I found I had no time to, my dreams were filled with the open Russian plains, something was calling me to them, something always saying that I could be free. Later they changed and I could feel myself running through the snow of the open plains, running as fast as the night breeze. That was something else that got me… it was always at night… and I looked forward more and more to sleeping then I did to training or anything. These dreams continued even after I lost to Tyson, even after I lost you for what I had thought was to be forever.

Not much changed; we had to move out of the Abbey, we had no known family and nowhere to go. I managed to find us a cheap apartment on the city border, an apartment where I could see the Russian plains from my bedroom. Things were simple until the night of my 16th birthday, I woke up to find myself a wolf, tail, fangs and all. I thought I was dreaming but after the dreams of the plains I could feel that this was real. I had no idea what had happened to me but I knew I couldn't stay here for long, what would the others say if they were to have seen me like this? So I jumped out the window which I had luckily left open. I was also lucky we were on the second story and not the third.

That night I ran, ran freely across the snow covered Russian plains and the feeling was so much better than the dream that I nearly forgot everything, who I was andwho I had left behind. But I remembered as the sun rose up over the horizon, as hunger led me into the city to try and steal something to eat. What I didn't count on was the transformation from wolf back to human, my mind had been convinced that I was stuck I wolf for eternity. However any thought of that soon left me as I found myself naked, hungry and hiding in a down town alley.

That day hidden amongst old boxes and such gave me time to think and by night I was the wolf again and I managed to get some food… but I still didn't understand what had happened to me but all I knew was I had to hide during the day.

…I wont bore you of everything that happened to me during my time roaming the streets of Russia though I know some of you seem to be dying to know," I add my eyes darting over to Bryan as he waits for me to continue; I do.
"It wasn't long until I got used to the stench of the streets…

But my keen sense could pick up the smell of unguarded food as well and it was during one morning that I was running, some kids hotdog in my mouth when I realised it was morning. The sun was out and I was still a wolf. That's when I began to test my control over this transformation and within the week I had almost total control over it, I could change to and from my wolf form when I pleased though at nighttime to be a human still took a lot of work.

That's when I decided I could return to those I had left and it wasn't long before I was creeping back into my apartment and into the shower without the others even noticing. However, it was that morning Bryan found out I had returned and was wondering where I had gotten to, so I told him I had been looking for a job; the rent wont pay it's self. It worked for a while but I knew he was wondering why I had been gone almost a week and came back with nothing.
Everything went fine for the next few months, I actually found a job and managed to pay most of the rent and helped Spencer get one as well and we managed to keep our group out of debt most of the time.

…Why Bryan never got a job I still don't know," Tala added glaring over at Bryan who just smiled wolfishly at his leaderwaiting for him tocontinuewith the story...