Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain
Chapter 7
Having Cheza around lifted the mood of the pack to almost a sky rocket level. Kiba was smiling for once, and he was completely absorbed with Cheza. Sometimes, the two wouldn't even talk, it was a silent moment as the two held hands. Soui was intrigued at how a blind flower maiden had adapted so easily to the cruel world around her, but Soui asked no questions. Furthermore, Soui avoided Cheza as much as possible, in fear that she might find out her secrets and spill them out to the rest of the pack.
The winter snow continued falling even though it was halfway into the month of January. She spent more of her time with Toboe, and even now more freely with Tsume. With everyone latched onto their own groups, it only seemed natural she'd be with those two, and no one suspected a thing about the real bond that was growing between Tsume and Soui. What Soui enjoyed the most, was rolling around with Toboe and acting like a puppy, that freedom reminded her of Kaze a lot, even if it was sad, it still brought back the better memories.
"Come on Soui lets go!" Toboe groaned pulling on her hand as she ran her hand through her gold hair.
"Okay little guy I'm coming gees!" She laughed and her amber eyes sparkled with radiant joy. She took his hand and the two took off in a run down the banks of the snow until the two fell and wrestled in the snow. Tsume would always watch at the top of the hill, almost like their guardian
"Hey that's no fair Soui!" Toboe protested as she pinned him against the snow
"You're the one who wanted to play this game silly!" She laughed and stuck snow down his shirt. Toboe turned blue from head to toe and shivered
"IT'S COLD ITS COLD!" he stood up and did a little dance trying to get the snow out of his shirt, and Tsume from a far started to laugh. Soui turned and looked up at him, and she smiled. Tsume smiled too and he slowly made his way down the snowbank. "Yay its Tsume!" Toboe exclaimed finally getting the snow out of his shirt
"Okay Runt, if we don't get to paradise at least you can take up a job as a dancer," He told Toboe with a smirk. Toboe just rubbed his nose and giggled lightly. Soui crept up behind Tsume and jumped onto his back sticking snow down his shirt "SOUI!" He spun around in circles with her on his back and she threw her head back and laughed until she fell off into the snow and continued laughing.
"Nice one Soui!" Toboe bent over and high-fived her while she continued laughing. Tsume threw a snowball at Toboe face first and he laughed throwing another up in the air.
"Now its war!" He laughed and Soui got up and ran as far as she could trying not to fall as she was pegged by snowballs. The three had their own slice of paradise for right now.
Cheza and Kiba sat on another bank of snow and Cheza watched them, even though she was blind. Cheza let go of his hand to allow her fingers to twitch and trace her own face.
"What's wrong Cheza?" Kiba asked gently
"That one..." Cheza pointed at Soui "That one holds many mysteries...that one...hides mysteries"
"What are you talking about Cheza?" Kiba asked her curiously
"That one hides her past...that one...is protecting everyone...but...that one cries all the time...."
"Soui hasn't cried in a long time Cheza. Actually...she's been avoiding me,"
"That one is afraid...afraid of hurt....that one...will die."
Kiba looked at Soui. No...she can't "Don't we all die Cheza?"
"That one...feels the pain....she feels darkness's pain...."
"Darcia?" Kiba asked still confused. Cheza nodded "Why is it her?"
"That one was chosen....as you are chosen....that one...will cry...and cry...." Cheza looked blindly and tears fell from her eyes "Can't you hear....hear that one crying....Ah Kiba...can you hear?"
Kiba looked at Cheza still perplexed, and then looked at Soui who was down and playing, she at that moment being hit in the face with a snowball. Kiba closed his eyes, and tried to concentrate "I don't hear anything Cheza...I can't hear anything but their laughter"
"Ah...Kiba...that one hides it....hides beneath smiles..."
"How...how is Soui going to die...?"
"That one will die...smiling...." Cheza took Kiba's hand again "Maybe one day...Kiba...that one will tell her story..."
"What story, what are you talking about?" Kiba needed to know more, was Soui in danger?
"Ah Kiba...in good time....this one shall not tell...that one must tell or all is failed"
Kiba growled frustrated and rubbed his hands against his eyes "Why is she crying...why can't I hear it?"
"In good time Kiba..."
Soui ran after Toboe, and Tsume ran after her. Soui grabbed onto Toboe's legs when she lunged after them and the two came toppling down with a large thud. Soui laughed after she spit out a mouthful of snow. Toboe was already off running after a rabbit and she was going to look at the sky but a certain wolf was blocking her view.
"Hey Tsume...having fun?" She asked panting grinning up at him, her clothes were completely soaked through, as were his from the snow. They had ran awfully far away from the group, out of sight, but not out of earshot of their howls. Tsume dropped down to his knees and hovered over her until he finally kissed her. "Mmmm what was that for?" She asked after he broke away from her.
"You take so many risks, the twirp is right, one day you aren't going to get up from it," in a way Tsume's voice sounded harsh, but his eyes, were filled more with concern then anger. "You scared me more than Darcia did,"
"Sorry..." She followed his eyes "You have to understand, he stole my life away, he has to know the pain I felt....Tsume...you have to understand..."
"I do...I know that hurts. But don't be arrogant...if you get hurt..." He rested his palm against her cheek
"This body of mine will not die until I have my revenge. I am surviving only by boiled rage. I won't leave you Tsume, I promise." She told him quietly "Please understand..."
"Why? Why did that one day you first came, why were you instantly there on me? Why was it me?" He asked her quietly
"I can see it in your eyes, how much you want to protect them, even if you won't say it allowed, I wanted, that protection again, I know you're good. Besides, who couldn't love a sexy guy like you?" Soui smirked and Tsume blushed. "Tsume..."
Tsume bent back down and kissed her again, the perfect sight, the two of them together in the snow. His hand slid behind her head and her hand ran through his hair again. It remained that way for a while, until the sound of Kiba's howl brought them all back to reality. Toboe ran up to them soon after, a hare in his mouth, him so proud. The three of them walked back together, Soui's arms around the both of them.
When the three of them gathered with the rest of the pack, Kiba was the first to start talking.
"We have to keep moving before Darica's men catch up to us. Its nearly nightfall, if we travel in the dark they won't be able to find us that easily. It's safer for all of us,"
"Oh boy, traveling under the moonlight," Hige grinned sheepishly and nudged Blue "talk about a romantic night,"
"Sometimes I really do wonder about you kid," Tsume told Hige smirking
"Hey what can I say? Moonlight walks are lovely things."
"Let's go already." Kiba told them grabbing onto Cheza's hand, not even his gently way, but almost in an angry way and she was whisked along, rather surprised.
"I still don't like this," Toboe moaned quietly, but Soui rubbed the top of his head
"Don't worry Toboe. Kiba told me that all the stars are wolves, and they're all watching over us." Soui smiled "You're always being looked after, even if you can't see your protector,"
Soui and Toboe fell into step together, Tsume on her other side, and Soui continued to tell them stories, even if Kiba had told them to her first.
"Are there really that many wolves up there?" Toboe asked curiously
"Well, if there are so little wolves on this planet, then they're all up there. If you think long enough, stars have been around for a very long time, probably since the beginning of our existence, so it makes sense, that the stars grow over years"
"I guess so....Soui....are we all going to be up there?" He asked her holding onto her hand
"Nope...." Soui told him shaking her head happily, Kiba's ears perked listening
"Why not Soui? Aren't we good enough?"
"Of course we are, but we're going to paradise, not the sky."
Toboe laughed and smiled, and Kiba who was up ahead smiled too. Maybe Soui was changing, and becoming more part of this pack than he wanted to realize. The pack continued walking until the sun came up, and they all took cover in the forest thickets and trees.
Cheza found them an enormous willow tree they all curled up under. Everyone was asleep, all except Cheza, she looked around and wandered over to Soui. She stared down at Soui until finally she reached out to touch the scar and she was pulled into a world of screaming and blood, until that is, Soui woke up and pulled away from her.
"Cheza don't touch the scar!" She told her fiercely rubbing her head "It's only filled with pain"
"Why does this one keep the pain to herself?"
"I don't want you to look into that world. That is only the pain, its only the hurt, I don't want anyone else to see it"
"Then why does this one bother crying?" Cheza asked her quietly stroking the side of the wolf's muzzle. "This one keeps it all inside, is that what this one wants?"
"No...its not what I, what this one wants. But this one will do what is best for this pack," Soui told her trying not to cry
"This one should cry, Cheza, Cheza can hear this one crying. No one else can hear it, this one should be loud, let them all know,"
Soui shook her head "No! No I have to be strong, this one will be strong, this one will fight until this one dies, no more pain"
"This one, wants to be sad?" Cheza asked stroking the her muzzle again
"This one...will do what it takes...for this pack...to survive...even if it means...this one must cry"
Cheza nodded slowly and sighed "This one understands...." She let her hands slip away from Soui's muzzle "That scar...will not stay forever...it shall fade."
Soui nodded slowly and curled back up in a ball sleeping against Tsume, whimpering quietly trying not to let anyone hear her cry. Tsume, not even fully awake, wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled against her and stroked the back of her hair cooing her to sleep.
The next morning everyone awoke around noon-time, since they had wandered through the night they slept during the day. The awoke to the most startling sound of many birds flying away, all screeching and cawing with fright as the forest seemed to shake in fear
"Something's coming!" Blue told everyone worried standing up next to Hige
"They're here for Cheza," Soui told them standing up with Tsume and Toboe
"We won't let that happen!" Kiba screamed grabbing onto Cheza's hand
From the forest emerged a utility van and from the top of it topped popped out the generals hat with his hat on "There she is, follow that one!" The major pointed to Cheza in her pink rain jacket, "Get a lock on her clothing!" He screamed before disappearing into the vehicle to let a man appear with a gun.
"RUN!"
Like that the group took off through the forest, almost everyone in equal sync. They pattered along too fast for the cars to roll over the many roots, and with the car always rocking it through off the balance of the shooters. They disappeared into a gully where they all panted for air
"What do we do now Kiba?" Toboe asked worriedly. But Soui was already looking at Cheza's outfit
"Give me her jacket Kiba" Soui told him sharply
"Are you nuts?!" He protested looking at her
"They're only tracking her outfit, and we're relatively the same height. This can give you all time to get away from here, I can pick up the scent later. Toboe is too small, and Blue's frame is too different from Cheza's, the rest of you are all too bulky. I'm the only one who can buy you some time!" Everyone looked up hearing the sound of a crashing tree and more birds screaming. The tank was definitely getting closer "Please Kiba!"
"AHA THERE YOU ARE!" The man began firing his machine gun and they all spread just like the flock of birds. The sonar in the tank went off, the bleeping dot slowly moving farther out of range. One hundred meters and growing, one hundred fifty meters and growing. The shooters intercom went off "Make sure to go after the pink girl one!" "RIGHT SIR!"
The tank took off after Cheza in a quick blur as she jumped down into the ravine. He fired a few more rounds, all just missing her by the scrape of the ground until the commander spoke out on his intercom again "We've got word from Darcia not to kill her, we are to bring her back alive, no vitals you here!"
The shooter was more precise this time as Cheza continued running in a zig-zag formation. She was running up the side of the cannon at the moment he took aim. He finally pulled back the trigger and hit her in the shoulder and down she fell with a scream
"Did you hear that?" Hige skidded to a stop hearing a very painful scream
"I knew we shouldn't have left her alone!" Toboe told them worried
"Kiba...Kiba?" Cheza squeezed his hand. But Kiba was still looking in the direction they had come from. After the scream, everything had gone quiet, the group stood, paralyzed in their tracks, not enjoying the silence, or the scream they had heard before.
"We got her sir," The soldier told his major jumping out of the tank
"Good, now throw her into the back and we'll get the hell out of here, this winter air is killing me," The major commanded
The man walked up to Soui's bloody body and picked her up, face down in the snow, by the waist and carried her like a limp doll. He threw her into the back of the tank and got back inside. The doors slowly were automatically shutting just like her window of opportunity
"Sorry Kiba..." She whispered quietly closing her eyes.
"There it is!" Hige pointed at the tank down below that was rolling away. Everyone was unsure of what to do, until Kiba let go of Cheza's hand
"Take Cheza and get out of here, I'm not going to let Darcia hurt her!" Kiba jumped down into the ravine and ran after the moving tank
"Is he nuts!" Tsume shouted watching Kiba become a dot following after the tank
"Ah...Kiba...he heard her...." Cheza smiled "He heard her at last."
Kiba jumped on top of the tank and desperately tried to pull the bars off the cage that held Soui inside. "Soui! Soui wake up!" He shook harder against it until slowly Soui opened her eyes. He let out a small smile "Soui, Soui I'm right here"
"Kiba, you gotta...get out of here idiot, Cheza needs your protection," Soui struggled to her feet, and she grabbed onto the bars that separated. Kiba rested his hands over hers and shook his head
"I"m not going to let you get hurt anymore, I heard you, I heard you for the first time"
"What are you talking about?" She asked him weakly with one eye shut
"I heard you crying, I could hear it, just like Cheza said you were. You won't have to feel pain anymore..."
"Heheh yeah right, I"m bleeding to death right now Kiba,..." She laughed softly
"Hold on Soui hold on!" He told her pulling at the bars with all his might. Slowly they inched their way farther apart. Slowly he jumped through the window and pulled her down against him.
"You should be with their pack...they're nothing without a leader..." She told him holding her bloody shoulder. He held her close and rested his head on top of hers "...Go back to them"
"No, I'm not leaving you again." He told her, holding her
"Kiba go back...I can handle myself...I"m a tough girl,"
The spent most of the ride that way. Soui begging him to go back, and him licking at her wound to keep it clean, him whimpering most of the time. No matter how hard she tried he refused to leave her side. She looked out the bared window, and prayed the rest of the pack was alright. His tongue was warm against her wound and she tried to resist sleeping. She curled up against him and cried for the first time in a long while, when he could see, not even the terrified tears of when they first met, but real tears, from the real pain
"I'm sorry Soui," he hold her softly nuzzling against her soft pale skin
"No Kiba, I'm sorry....there's something....I've been hiding from you...." Soui opened her mouth again to continue telling him until the tank came to a stop within a enclosed wall and building. "Oh god no, we can't be here..."
"Where are we?"
"Darcia's castle"