Well, last chapter I set a task to see if anyone could figure out what animal Cha'tima was referring to (deer-with-horns), but unfortunately, no one got it right; it was Caribou. Although, Aries1391 came very close with the suggestion 'reindeer' (since Caribou are technically reindeer) so pat on the back for you, Aries!

"Kids." One of the men growled at Bryan and Ray. "Where-"

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence." Bryan growled. "And don't call us 'kids' again."

"I don't think you should be throwing commands around when wolves are out."

Moon Child began to panic. The man's voice scared her… she glanced around her surroundings… they seemed familiar… but the tundra all looked the same, so it might not be true…

But her brothers were in danger; she had to risk it…

She slowly crept to the absolute edge of the wooded area until she was just about hidden. One of the hunters must've heard her sudden, yet careful, movements, because his hand spasmed around the gun, as if he wanted to shoot something, and he looked around. The leader continued.

"Listen, where's that wolf? It probably belongs to one of the rascal groups here that attacked the reindeer pack and killed half of it; and that's our winter supplies for fur and food. So-"

"She can't belong to one of the packs here, though!" Ray protested, his eyes slitting; a small growl grew in his throat and some of the men backed off, not having seen this before.

"And why not?"

"She's been living with us for just under a year!" Ray continued. "We only arrived here, in Russia, around two hours ago! And Moon Child would never harm a fly."

"What?" The main leader was shocked, making his voice rise above the normal noise level. "You've tamed one of those beasts? Do you realise how-"

But he stopped. The reason was simple; Moon Child was slowly creeping out, teeth bared and fur puffed out to make her look bigger; the normal traits of a wolf warning something off. She was growling rather loudly.

"Right, boys, step forward and away from the woods. That wolf is back." One of the men warned.

Ray blinked. "I think," He whispered in Bryan's ear as Moon Child went past them, "that they don't know that Moony was running 'with us' and not 'at us'."

"Hunters are stupid like that…" Bryan murmured back.

Meanwhile, Moon Child had stopped some distance in front of the hunters' main leader, with Ray and Bryan behind her. She relaxed her features, though her fur still stood on end. She had stopped growling, but her hazel eyes still glinted dangerously. She visibly drew in a big breath…

And howled.

She called to the big, blue, cloudless sky, howling like a true wolf. It was a melodic wolf call; one like neither Ray nor Bryan had ever heard; one like the hunters had never heard.

She slowly came to a close in her song when her breath began to wear out and she lowered her head, looking back at the hunters.

Nothing happened for a while… until…

A howl answered her; a lower one though; obviously male. And then a mass of howls sounded after that, all at once. Moon Child smiled.

"I don't know whether this is good or bad…" Ray heard one of the hunters nearby mutter to his friend. "She's called her pack…"

Her pack? Ray thought. But… I thought Tala said she was an orphan…

"Stupid wolf…" The leader said bitterly, yet tauntingly. "You've called your pack for help, but it'll be their end that they'll get."

'I don't think so…' A growl sounded; a menacing growl.

Behind Ray and Bryan, a large, black wolf crept out of the bushes, much like Moon Child had done; his features were stretched in the same way. And then, behind him, a large number of wolves crept out cautiously towards the hunters; all different colours and sizes, but all definitely male.

The large, black wolf stopped next to Moon Child.

'Harm one hair on her head and you -will- regret it…' The wolf growled again.

Behind them, one of the wolves nuzzled Ray's hand, startling the neko-jin.

"Er, Bryan? You sure that they won't hurt us?" He whispered.

Bryan smirked. "Not scared are you, kitten?"

"Er, hello? Earth to Bryan? I'm half cat-demon! Dogs chase cats."

"Only domestic dogs, Ray." Bryan pointed out, watching the staring competition between both leaders of the groups. "Wolves don't see many cats in Russia; not even wild ones. Even then, they only warn them off."

"You know your share of wolf info, Bry."

"You have to when you share a room with a wolf in human clothing." Bryan said nonchalantly.

"Oh that explains it…" Ray said, a sweatdrop forming on the back of his head. "But, even if these wolves are on our side, Bryan, I don't really want to be in the middle of a battlefield."

"Who- what are you kids?" The leader breathed as he watched the wolf nuzzling Ray's hand continually for attention and Ray laughing softly.

"Does it matter?" Bryan said sharply, Falborg clutched in his fist. "All we ask is for you to leave these wolves alone and let us pass."

"Hey, are you one of those preservation guys that protest and generally hold up even the simplest of lives?" One of the hunters asked rudely.

Bryan smirked. "Nope; just two teens needing to save their friends' hides." He glared at the leader. "And I'm not only indicating at the wolves."

The main hunter frowned. "I don't understand… are your friends lost out in the Tundra?"

"You could say that…"

"Fine. We weren't going to harm you anyway…"

Ray spluttered. "What? You say that but Bryan was hurt less than a day ago by you lot!"

Bryan frowned, looking at the men. "No…" He breathed. "These aren't the same guys."

"What are you two babbling about?" The main hunter demanded.

Bryan glared at him. "What we're 'babbling' about is the simple fact that a few of your friends came all the way to Japan to get our wolf."

There was a pause. "…Did your wolf hurt any cattle by any chance?"

"My teammate was the one to look after her usually, but no; no domesticated cattle. Maybe a wild Caribou fawn or two over the months, but she's a wolf; it's natural." Bryan said calmly.

The leader smirked. "I thought I recognised you. Bryan Kuznetsov; the Blitzkrieg Boys, right?"

Bryan smirked as well. "That's me." He sighed. "Well, Raymond, I think we better be leaving; don't you?"

"I think so too." Ray agreed.

"Wait, aren't you going to protect your wolves?" One of the men shouted at the retreating backs of the two teens.

Ray turned round and asked innocently, "What wolves?"

The hunters blinked and looked all around, but Ray was right; all the wolves had gone; including Moon Child.

The leader sighed. "Fine, kids, you win. We won't harm these wolves… wherever they are. But just tell us something."

Bryan turned around too. "What?"

"Where are you headed? The tundra and woods aren't the places for teens, you know. There are tigers, bears and hostile wolves out there."

"What are you implying? That you're gunna come with?" Bryan asked rather sarcastically.

A pause. "I think that's what's they're implying." Ray muttered, a sweatdrop on his head.

The leader walked up to the two teens, his long, brown hair coming loose from its leather hair band. He stopped in front of them.

He held out a hand. "My name is Zorya and this is my herd, The Fang Tooth… and we will be your guides."

"What's gotten you so sour?"

No reply. The only sound was the crunching of fresh snow and snapping of twigs as they walked through the woods.

Sigh. "Ray… come on, talk or I'll have to make you."

"I don't trust them…" Came the mutter.

"Who, the hunters?" Bryan asked, glancing behind them at the group of men, being led by the man named Zorya. "Ray, I don't trust them to the fullest extent either, but we have to. They know these woods like the back of their hand so they're our best bet in finding Tala."

"A few hours ago you were saying that about Moon Child." Ray pointed out.

Bryan slid an arm round the neko's waist, pulling him against him as they walked. "Come on, Ray. Don't be so negative about things. If they harm a single hair on that pretty head of yours, then they'll have to save themselves from Falborg's Stroblitz; and trust me, they'll end up worse than you did."

Ray smiled, his amber eyes unfocused though staring at the ground. "Thanks Bryan. That does actually make me feel better; even though it does concern the ethics of violence that you know I don't approve of." He laughed when he saw Bryan give a flicker of a smile; he leaned in even closer to the Falcon's frame. "You know, you should smile more. You look even cuter when you do."

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Ray, you know very well that words concerning me and the word 'cute' should not even be said in the same breath." He looked up at the dusky sky while he heard Ray laugh again. "We should camp now… getting dark…"

Ray nodded and they stopped, arms dropping to their sides.

Zorya stopped beside them and the three men watched the other hunters dump packs on the ground and start a camp. "You were reading my mind, Bryan. I was contemplating whether to set up a resting spot for the night or carry on till there was no more light; but I guess we better rest."

They were by the campfire; some were sleeping in the makeshift tents that had been erected and some sat by the warm fire, though Ray sat away from the bunch of Russians, hidden slightly in a strong tree that held closed up winter blossom.

He had been watching the small group of Russians converse, wondering how Bryan could be so… relaxed around them when their 'friends' had practically killed him less than a day ago. Also, Ray had a kind of phobia of any weapons of any kind; especially guns. It didn't really put him at ease when every hunter had his gun within a second-length grasp.

"What you doing up here, Ray?"

"Hm?" He looked next to him to see Bryan, perched expertly on the branched underneath him; the Falcon's head came up to his branch, though. "Oh, hey Bryan."

"Listen, you better not be distancing yourself from me for no reason again."

"It's not you I'm distancing myself from, Bry." Ray said, hugging his knees close to his chest.

Bryan made a small noise of confusion. "The hunters?"

"…In a way; yes."

Bryan jumped up onto the branch and perched there in front of Ray. "What do you mean?" He followed his gaze downwards. "Zorya?" Ray shook his head, but kept staring intently at the object next to the hunter-leader. "His… gun?" Ray nodded, not breaking his gaze. "Oh come off it Ray. He won't shoot you! Stop being retarded and-"

"Oh, I'm being retarded?" Ray shot back, glaring fiercely at the Russian teen. "I'm being retarded? Well, news flash for ya, Bryan; you don't know the reason for me being scared, so how can you call me retarded?"

The neko-jin stood up sharply and jumped nimbly to another nearby branch, a little above his head.

"Ray, where're you going?" Bryan demanded.

"Fresh air." Was all he heard from the Chinese boy.

The Falcon growled in the back of his throat and stood also. He grabbed onto one of the branches above and in front of him and used it to swing to another branch far away. He kept this up, following the neko-jin at a distance until he saw the boy stop.

And stop he did. Ray landed on the snow covered woodland floor perfectly; but after a while, his knees buckled and he fell to all fours, slamming a fist down onto the hard ground.

Bryan jumped form his hiding place silently and was close enough to hear Ray whisper two words…

"Xiu Juan…"

A/N- sorry for the late update; crimbo is just a few days away and it's mah dad's b'day tomorrow, so… I'm broke and very sad about it, to put it in a nutshell /Sweatdrop/

Anywho, review! (But don't expect an update until after crimbo day!)

P.S- if you can't remember who Xiu Juan is, look back to chapter 6 and to just before Ray left the Granger rooftop and bumped into Ian and Spencer; just before that part!