Disclaimer- There is no owning of the Wolf's Rain here, but much owing of Moon and Adrian.
A/N- I KNOW this is very late, there is an explanation at the end of the CH.
A/N (2)- I'm a freakin' idiot! Do you realize how long I've had this CH written, but didn't post it up? I thought I already had! God, I'm stupid! Please, please, please forgive me!
CH 5
Moon ran on and on, not wanting to stop. She was only a couple of days from Aelianas Forest. She wanted to get there fast, and search for Adrian. It was a large place, and it could take a while.
Besides, she wasn't sure if he was even there. All she had were the words of the old man at the last village she had visited, about a bright gold wolf who had raced through town, heading for the Forest.
She was positive it was Adrian. He was the only bright gold wolf she knew or had ever heard of. Poor Adrian always made a scene no matter what form he was in. That blond hair of his was too unusual for people to forget easily. Then you combine it to his alluring emerald eyes and his tall, muscular build, and it was impossible.
'Poor Adrian. Too handsome for his own good. I wonder if it's made his ego swell. I hope not. I loved that modest boy who was stunned every time a beautiful girl threw herself at him.'
Moon was dying of thirst. Really. All they would find was a skeleton and strands of white hair. She needed water.
'That's great. Tsume throws me in a creek and I have too much water, now there's nowhere to throw me in. I would actually enjoy being thrown in this time!'
She was right out side the Forest. She moved a little way from it so she wasn't very visible.
'I'm finally here. Oh god. My throat hurts. I haven't eaten or drunk anything in about four days. Why'm I not dead yet? My head is killing me.'
She stood wobbling for a moment, then crashed to the ground.
She woke up late afternoon. And she wasn't where she remembered. She was surrounded by trees, and she was cold. It was evil how the desert was burning during the day, then got colder as more time went on in the day.
She got up slowly and looked around. "Hey, Cow." She spun around. And there he was.
Tall, with shinning blond hair and stunning green eyes, his usual crooked smile on his lips.
Moon opened her mouth to say something, but realized she couldn't. So instead, she walked slowly to him, wondering if it was all just a dream. He walked toward her. She reached up and felt his hair, his cheek. He was real. It was Adrian, and he was standing right in front of her.
She made a sound, then threw her arms around her. He hugged her tight, then laughed. The sound was deep, soft, different from what she remembered. She knew she was crying, but didn't care. She hadn't seen Adrian in ten years. Ten long years.
"Oh Moon, I never thought I would see you again, I thought you were dead."
She wanted to answer, wanted so badly to answer. All she could do was nod her head.
"Where's Praen? Is he with you? Anybody else with our pack?"
She looked up at him, shook her head. He had a puzzled look on his face.
"Moon, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?"
She shook her head, and put a hand on her throat. Adrian understood immediately.
"No. Who did it? Was it that bastard? Was it Enan?"
She nodded, and pulled down the collar of her turtleneck. He let out a soft gasp at the sight of the long, puckered scar across her neck, from ear to ear.
He reached out a hand, and traced it slightly. She flinched a little. He drew back immediately. "Does it hurt? When did he do this?"
She shook her head, then lifted a finger.
"A year? A month?" She nodded at the first one. Adrian hugged her again, and she sighed, feeling safe in his arms.
"I'll kill him for you, Cow. I'll skin him alive, and leave his fur for the humans." She smiled at the old nickname, which he had given to her because when Praen was born, he couldn't pronounce "Moon", so had called her "Moo". She sobered though at what he said. She lifted a hand and felt his hair. His beautiful bold hair. It wasn't short anymore, but long. It came to about his shoulders. She pulled back, and lifted a strand of it. He smiled.
"I was too lazy to have someone cut it, and too scared to cut it myself."
She laughed, but the sound sent shivers down Adrian's spine. It was a strange noise, choked and airy.
He stared into her eyes, laughter gone from his. "I will get him back for you, Moon. Get him back for all the pain he's caused you, for us. Anyways, where's Praen?" She looked away. He let out a soft moan. "No. No, not Praen, not Praen." He sounded heartbroken. Praen had been as much of a brother to Adrian as he had been to Moon.
She couldn't comfort him with words, could only hug him again. She could see the shiny sheen of tears in his eyes, but knew he wouldn't cry. Even when he was younger, Adrian never cried. She didn't think it would be any different now.
And it wasn't. He didn't let out a single tear.
He pulled back. He led her to the fire, and they sat, talking about the last ten years. Or rather, Adrian talked about the last ten years, Moon just listened and nodded, a huge smile on her face the whole time.
A young man walked out of the little shack he had built. He and his wife had wanted to raise their children far away from the bad influences, and they were comfortable here, comfortable in the peace and quiet.
He looked out to the setting sun, and gasped.
Four sleek wolf shapes raced across the plane, brightened and outlined by the red sun. He could see the different colored fur. There was a white one, a light brown one, and a dark brown one.
And there, in front of all the others, was a gray one, the color of stormy clouds.
He shivered when he saw it, it seemed to him a deity, something strong and untamed, out to claim something it considered wholly it's. There was a dangerous air around it, something he could sense from all the way there. He pitied whatever it was going after.
The man rushed back into his house and went to see his wife and children sound asleep.
He wondered about the wolves, they were supposed to be gone. He shrugged. As long as they didn't bother his family, he didn't care.
But he remembered the feeling he had gotten from the lead wolf, and watching over his family, he knew he would be the same way if they were taken from him.
Tsume ran without looking back. He knew the others could keep up. He had started this not worried at all, but slowly, all kinds of thoughts and images had crept into his brain. Thoughts and images of Moon, maybe hurt, maybe killed.
It spurred him on, giving him the energy to go faster and faster. And it had boiled inside of him, until he was ready to kill the person his mind had convinced him that had hurt Moon.
In his heart he knew she was okay, but his mind obviously hadn't gotten the message. His mind was telling him that somebody had hurt Moon, or much worse. His mind was telling him that there was no way that Moon could have gotten anywhere without some kind of trouble. She was too beautiful for men to not notice her.
His heart was telling him that he was an idiot for listening to his mind.
So here it finally, CH 5. I am so sorry that this has been so late!
