Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain. –whimpers-
Before the Red Moon
Toboe was stunned stupid…not unlike all the others, who wore expression of surprise and confusion.
The girl looked to be older than Toboe, but younger than the others, her complexion very pale, almost white. Her hair was long and very straight, the color of cornsilk that waved in a nonexistent wind, like the flowing white dress that loosely garbed her desirable body. Her face was smooth and sculpted, with eyes of a pale cerulean that contrasted starkly with the pale of her face and hair.
But that was what most people would see. For standing in front of the four astonished lupines was a very pale, almost blond furred female wolf with bright blue eyes.
"Good God!" Getsuei breathed, his own green eyes huge. "She's a—"
"She's beautiful," Hige supplied, staring.
"But why in the hell does she smell like a human and a Noble?" Tsume demanded, but his eyes were focused on the strange…being…as well.
Toboe's heart had jumped into his throat and started pounding away, his ears pricked forwards like all the others. "Yeah that is a good question…" he said quietly.
Kiba didn't look surprised for more than a few seconds. Almost immediately after regaining his composure, he narrowed his sea-blue eyes the slightest bit and straightened. Toboe wished for a moment that he could be like that.
"Who are you?" were the white wolf's only words.
The flaxen wolfess turned her head in a very slow manner, and walked towards Kiba with her head partially down, as if trying to get a better look at him. A spectral light seemed to follow her around.
Like a ghost, Toboe thought with a small shudder. Her comportment was eerily fairylike and light, and so…ethereal. It sent tremors down Toboe's spine. She was almost alien to him.
When the strange wolf was barely inches from the bars, she blinked her azure eyes in which a strange, misty look emanated and said in the same otherworldly voice:
"I am called Ren…"
No one said anything for about a minute, but Tsume regained his equanimity an instant after the awkward moment.
"What the hell are you? Why are you here?" He was going to say more, but Hige elbowed him discreetly. Under normal circumstances, Toboe was sure that the big silver would have turned and belted Hige, but to his surprise, Tsume sat back down and waited, a steely look in his fiery yellow green eyes.
"Yeah, what are you?" Getsuei wondered, completely ignoring the fact that Marel had thrown a dirty look in his direction.
"If you stupid pups shut up, it might give her a chance to explain herself." The old wolf growled, laying her grizzled head on her paws, keeping her ears up in obvious means to listen since she could not see.
Toboe kept his eyes on Ren. She was the weirdest wolf he had ever seen, and vaguely reminded him of Cheza, but this wolf in no way was a Lunar Flower. Or anything created by some alchemist…she looked a true blue wolf, but a really strange one…she made him kind of nervous to boot.
Ren lifted her slender, finely made head and looked to each of the wolves in turn. Toboe found her blue gaze uncomforting. He glanced away as she started to speak.
"I am not a pure wolf…my mother is Lady Sheshkemana—" this statement was met by gasps of outrage and shock, but Ren went on, as if oblivious. "…my father was one such as you. He is long dead now; I never knew his name. I have the scent of a human because my mother fears that other nobles or their dogs might find out…but the dogs will always now. She is ignorant of what they see."
Ren sighed, a breathy, little sigh that unnerved the pup even more so. "And I'm here to help you."
Getsuei and Hige snorted in unison, and then turned to each other, with looks of horror on their faces, as if it was their worst nightmare to have thought the same thing.
"Right, so you're a half noble, half wolf? Sounds crazy!" Getsuei growled at her, but the noise was turned into a little yelp of pain as Marel kicked him.
"Well, what in the hell gives you the impression that she's lying, stupid?"
Hige turned his laugh into a hacking cough.
To the other's, and his own surprise, Toboe managed to suck up the guts to talk. "Well…if you Mom's a Noble…how do you know that you're a wolf? And why do you want to help us?" He didn't look up during the duration of the question.
Ren opened her mouth to say something, but heard a loud crash up above and a screech, muffled by the thick walls of the prison wing.
"REN! GET UP HERE, NOW!"
Another crash. The others flinched, as did Ren. "I'm sorry!" she said, almost tearfully before turning and sprinting back the way she came. "I'll return soon!"
A/N: Gurgh, sorry for the slow update…computer went crazy...-dies completely- I shall not shirk my fanfic duties again! xD –grins evilly- I'm eager to hear what you guys think…you'll never guess..hawrhawr. xD Thanks to the usual three, Lonegrey, Kristen and Saberwolf for your great, uplifting comments!
