Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain. –sniff-

Before the Red Moon

The airship docked roughly, knocking Toboe from his troubled sleep, which wasn't exactly restful anyway. He yelped in surprise, tumbling forward a few feet, but the chain held him fast. It yanked painfully as the links grew taut and the cuff cut into his wrist.

Tsume had a similar revelation. "What the hell—"

Marel, who had stayed in the same position she had been sitting in the whole time grinned, showing her yellowed and worn teen and shook her grizzled head. "We've docked."

The young wolf's heart almost stopped beating as he felt a thin film of sweat break out all over his body. "Docked?" he repeated with a hard swallow.

Marel nodded again, a strange longing in her blind, dull eyes. "Now," she whispered. "Someone will come and end this miserable life,"

Tsume snorted. "Well, great for you."

Toboe's voice took on a desperate tone. "Tsume, come on, we have to get out of here!"

The big wolf was already trying to oblige the younger one, pulling at the chains and yanking viciously at the wide white collar, but it held fast. Gasping, he leaned back against the wall. "What the hell is this crap made out of?" he wondered.

Toboe was also pulling at his, even gnawing at it, ignoring Tsume's rhetorical question. It wasn't uncommon that he did that—

BAM.

The door opened again with a loud crash and in stormed two very happy looking noble troops. "Ah, you're awake!"

Maron clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly.

Toboe and Tsume froze.

Kem grinned wickedly and then put a finger under his chin, as if thinking. "You know, Maron, remember what the general said if they were too…fiery."

Maron nodded, taking out his long knife. "Oh, yes," He said, striding towards Toboe. The brown wolf shrank back against the wall with wide eyes.

"Oh no you don't!" Tsume barked, lunging forward, but Kem turned on the collar. Sparks flew as pain twisted Tsume's hard features, crackling along the length of his body—leaving him unable to help himself or Toboe.

Maron approached and shoved the long blade beneath Toboe's chin again. The yong wolf's eyes screwed tight as he felt the cold steel pinpricking against his throat once more, but was surprised greatly when Maron took it away, and slammed him in the head with the heavy hilt and then kicked him in the gut with his hard boot…

Kiba, Hige and Getsuei stood at the foot of the noble palace; it's black, sinister spirals reaching out like prisoners of the ground to stab the gray sky above. The whole place had this vicious air about it, an ominous warning…

Kiba looked up, watching the huge noble ship dock and his face hardened. "They're up there," he said, squinting as the massive structure came to a halt with a thump.

Hige's ears were pricked forward, his nose straining to catch a trace of the scent, and to Kiba's surprise, his face twisted into one of shock, and then anger.

"Damn!" The brown wolf exclaimed. "They're up there, but I smell blood…and some unfamiliar wolf!"

Getsuei's face had been kind of dreamy before, and now, it came sharply into focus once more. "Huh?" the word was spat out.

"Who the hell cares? What did those two do know to get those nobles mad enough to kill them?"

Kiba's voice was rock steady…almost. His heart pounded. Dead? They couldn't be dead. "Are they still alive?" he demanded of Hige.

Hige sniffed again and nodded forcefully. "Yeah, but we've gotta get there fast!"

A/N: -insert dirty word here- I got grounded. ARGH. I hope you guys haven't forgotten me! ;; On happier note, I just got my paws on all the Wolf's Rain DVDs except for number seven, which comes out on May 24…