Wishes

Chapter 4: Secrets and Lies

He wasn't sure how it had happened, but some how, Tsume had ended up laying on the bed that had been given to Toboe, the white blanket tangled around his legs. His arm was stretched out over the pillow. Toboe rested his head on Tsume's arm, snuggling close against him.

The two lay there in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Toboe was quiet because he wasn't sure of what to say next, and Tsume was quiet because Toboe's words had caught him off guard.

I Just want to be with you Tsume.

Tsume tilted his head to the side, looking at the runt that rested against him.

I want us to make it to Paradise together.

He didn't understand what Toboe saw in him, or why he admired the gray wolf so much. What had he done?

It may sound like a dumb wish..but it's what I wished for.

Tsume tilted his head foward, inhaling Toboe's scent. Even after Baron and Hana had cleaned him off, the boy smelled of blood.

He turned on his side, keeping his arm in place so Toboe wouldn't wake up, then eyed the boy's body. He was still covered in bandages. Beneath those bandages would be scars..memories of the night that Tsume had told the boy to leave him alone...

"Tsume?" Toboe finally spoke.

"Sleep runt, you're still pretty beat up" Tsume ordered, moving back down onto his back.

"But Tsume, theres something I have to tell you about Hana..." Toboe said, lifting himself up to rest on his elbows.

Tsume's eyes fell onto the X shaped scar that now decorated Toboe's chest, and he growled and pushed the boy back down. "I said sleep. We can talk later"

Toboe stared at Tsume for a minute with pleading eyes before he gave up and lay back down. Tsume turned to look out the small curtained window on his right. He remembered that they had told him that the forest was dangerous during the day.

How were Kiba, Hige and Cheza doing out there?

Kiba carried Cheza in his arms. He didn't want her to touch the ground, until he found out where Hige had disappeared to. He jumped from rock to rock, making sure to stick clear of the ground himself. He couldn't afford..no..he couldn't allow himself to end up disappearing like Hige had, especially not with Cheza.

"This one does not understand...they are so angry" Cheza spoke into Kiba's jacket as they jumped onto another rock. She knew Kiba didn't understand. He didn't have a special connection to plants like she did.

"Cheza, why?" Kiba asked in a frustrated tone. He hadn't meant to sound that way, but he had so many jumbled thoughts in his mind. Tsume had run off after Toboe, Hige had disappeared...but most importantly, his senses were beginning to fade.

When Hige had mentioned that he couldn't smell anything, Kiba had shrugged him off, but now Kiba realized that Hige had been right.

As he lept off another rock, he felt something latch onto his ankle, and he was whipped into the air. He tightened his grip on Cheza, but she was still swung from his grip.

"Cheza!"

He felt his body crash into the trunk of a tree, and he growled as he thrashed until he was able to bite at the vine that had grabbed him. The vine tightened as it wrapped itself around Kiba's body, then slammed him against the tree again.

He fought against the vine for about five minutes before his body began to feel tired. It wasn't the fighting that had taken that effect on him though, it was the soft sound echoing through the air.

Cheza's song.

Hige tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't allow him to. They felt like jelly. Everytime he stood, he collapsed. Dirt changed the color of his fur from a light brown to a dark red. This confused Hige. Why was dirt dark red?

He rubbed his maw against his front leg, trying to get the dirt from his face, and realized that he could smell again. The dirt was dark red because of the blood that was mixed in with it...but...it wasn't his blood.

He felt relieved. For a second.

"Where am I?" he wondered as he looked around. Everything was so dark. He couldn't see a thing. He tilted his nose up, trying to smell something else through the strong scent of blood. He could smell wood...and...birds?

Something moved beneath him and he tried to stand once more before he collapsed again. Now, he could hear a soft whisper about him, but he couldn't understand it. "Kiba?" he asked, "Tsume, Toboe?"

Nothing. No reply, only more whispers.

"What's going on here?"

Then, the whispers became slightly clearer.

Nobles...Paradise...Wolves...death...death to all.

Baron peeked into the room where Tsume and Toboe were, and took a sip of his drink. He had been listening in ever since he had heard Toboe mention the word Paradise. He had heard of this Paradise before, but decided to forget entirely about it ever since he had fled.

Paradise...

Paradise reminded him of his days as a noble soldier.

He had killed so many wolves per Jagura's demand. Sometimes, he felt as though the blood of those wolves tainted his hands. He didn't understand why they had to kill the wolves at all. Sure, it was said that the blood of a wolf was needed...

But wasn't it the flower maiden that led them to it?

If anything...it was the maiden that had to die.

A/N: In the next Chapter: What did Toboe have to Say about Hana? Where is Hana? Why did Cheza put Kiba to sleep, Who is talking to Hige?