(Apr.18.06)

Sorry this took so long! I'm a horrible updater, I'll admit it... (sigh) Anyway, I hope you like it. I worked hard on it. I hate introductions...


I

It had been a few days since the wolves left the city; away from the cold, lost eyes of the humans. Walls changed to horizons, domed ceiling to endless sky - the journey was beginning. The wolves, as different as their kind could be, handled their destination differently. However, none was more devoted than the white wolf, who was consistent in his determination, having been spurred by the kidnapper. His refusal to yield was both inspiring and distressing. The gray was wary of where he placed his trust, and rarely bestowed this blessing on anyone; constantly at attention, he did most of the questioning. The two browns shared their enthusiasm, although the smaller brown's was greater in degree. The laidback, larger brown tended to let fate make most of his decisions and therefore, was mostly interested to see where the odd group would take him. The smaller one, who had yet to find his grip on any kind of reins, found positives in almost everything and was taken by the slightest thing; he did most of the asking.

The good weather didn't last for long after leaving the human city. The calm, gentle snowfall turned harsh and biting with the coming of strong storm winds. Soon, the wolves were blinded by the thick veil of snowfall. The land changed from flat, smooth plain to jagged, uneven rock.

Kiba took the lead; jumping down small ledges and snaking through narrow crevasses. He had experienced this sort of travel when traveling to the human city. Skilled in finding snow-covered crevasses, he often found ways around them. Tsume became adept in finding them as well. Hige kept an ear out for unwelcome guests. Toboe wasn't able to help much, due to his sheltered upraising. The young wolf instead concentrated on his own physical strength and endurance, and learning all he could from the older wolves. The party made a short, zigzagging trail through the sharp, twisting maze.

"Oy, Kiba!" The white wolf paused and turned, wind pushing his fur into his yellow eyes. Hige clamored up the steep, almost stair-like slope. "Kiba," he said breathlessly. "I smell wolves."

Kiba tried to ignore the sudden plummet in his stomach. "Where?" he asked, ears shifting; he turned to scan the horizon for a sign.

"Somewhere ahead of us," Hige said, squinting in the wind. Kiba felt himself automatically brace against a strong gust of wind.

"What's going on?"

Kiba turned, Hige mimicking him, to see Tsume. There was a slight hint of fatigue in his voice; however his eyes still held their keen sharpness.

Toboe came up close behind, squinting immediately at the increased force of wind. Kiba suppressed the guilt twisting in his gut, and made a mental note to find shelter soon.

"Hige smelt wolves," he said simply, sifting his gaze from Toboe back to the gray wolf.

"Are we gonna avoid them? Or just sit here and wait?" Tsume asked, annoyance creeping into his eyes and voice.

Kiba hesitated, thinking.

"Hige, do you know how many wolves there are?" he asked, after a while.

Hige sniffed the air. The wolves watched him, waiting anxiously. "More than us," he said after a moment, lowering his nose from the air. "But not by much."

"Let's go," Kiba said turning from the group and crossing over a long rock suspended over a deep gorge.

"So, we're gonna confront them?" Tsume shouted after him, in a tone that expressed he didn't expect an answer. He watched the white wolf depart through narrowed eyes and growled in annoyance.

"It'll be safer," Hige stated. "This isn't anyone's territory. I doubt they'll attack us."

"You doubt," Tsume sneered before crossing the bridge and following Kiba, who was disappearing around a corner.

"You sure it will be safer, Hige?" Toboe asked, shifting his big eyes from Tsume to the brown wolf.

"Yup," he said, following Tsume before he could slip around the corner and out of sight. "This way we won't be attacked from behind," he said knowingly, crossing the bridge with the pup close behind.


The chilled wind carried a familiar scent to her nose, waking her from sleep so quickly it was as if she had not been truly resting. She stood quickly, shaking her rust-on-cream-colored fur free of snow in the same motion, and slinked out from the small alcove, hidden by two large rocks. She felt the bitter wind and snow on her fur and winced; she was fortunate enough to have found the hidden shelter when she did; injured, exhausted, and lost - an easy target. The valuable time she had spent there - cleaning wounds, regaining her strength, and strategizing - wasn't refundable; she had to keep moving.

She knew the strong winds would have carried their scent long before they could. That was beneficial on her part - being able to detect things before they could see her. Her scent would be hidden, until she started heading south again; then she would be behind them. The distance she would put between them and she would be enough; they had a larger party and needed more time to move and rest. If she went back without resting, she would outrun them.

She moved quietly through the gorge, going over her plan in her head, making sure she could make it back in time. She knew it was a stretch, making it back without resting or food - maybe if she was lucky she would be able to find some easy prey - but she would rather starve than die by their fangs.

A different scent hit her nose, stopping her movements. She immediately recognized it as male wolves, somewhere between her and her enemy. Her eyes narrowed. This will change everything, she thought with a grimace, and began running through the chasm.


Kiba ran quietly, deftly avoiding rocks and pitfalls. He could hear Tsume and the others following him, and made sure to maintain the slower pace set for them. The scent of the foreign wolves had gotten stronger, and he knew any minute they would run into them.

The pack was silent; the only sound coming from the howling wind and the soft sound of paws on snow. He turned a sharp corner and skidded to a halt, the sight halting all movement. It was them.

The pack was larger, but not by much. Around seven, Kiba thought, as he quickly counted the wolves. Both male and female. They were a motley pack; their fur and sizes covering a wide range - a pack of strays; the only thing they shared in common was the freshly healed wounds. One tough-looking brown had deep gashes across his nose, deforming his features; another one had a large portion of her ear missing. They looked like they had gotten into a vicious fight, but Kiba could smell no blood anywhere else but on them. The alpha stood separate from the rest - a vanguard. He was black, grayish tuffs of fur showing on his ears, belly, and paws; his dark eyes quickly narrowed on Kiba's. A long, thin scar traveled from his ear, down to his shoulder.

Tsume caught up with Kiba. He also stopped short - almost running into Kiba - when he saw the other pack. Hige and Toboe followed in the same manner. The other pack regarded them in the same manner they did Kiba, with silent, blank stares. The silence was broken by the black wolf.

"You don't see many wolves up and about anymore, do you?" he asked Kiba. His voice was smooth, confident, elegant; it made Kiba's skin crawl.

"Not really," he answered just as coolly.

"I'm looking for a member of my pack," he said, "We got separated. Her fur is an off-white color, with light brown shading; a black nose and red eyes."

"...red eyes?" Hige mumbled in a disbelieving voice too low to be heard by anyone but him.

"Have you seen her?" the black wolf continued.

"No." Kiba answered. What the hell is going on?

"If you do," he continued, "could you tell her that Garrick is looking for her?"

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "If we see her," he said. He didn't want to start a fight, or make any promises. A wolf started, and Kiba's eyes went to the dark gray wolf, standing behind the black. No one else noticed.

The black wolf smiled. He seemed satisfied; the sudden flair of smug attitude had Kiba's fur on end. "I didn't catch your names," he said.

"We didn't give them to you."

The black's ears shifted, his eyes narrowed. He studied at Kiba in silence, his dark gaze shifting from Tsume, to Toboe, to Hige, before resting on him again. He turned to the wolf behind him, "Go."

The wolf, whom Garrick had ordered, leapt up on the rocks piled beside the small path Kiba and the others were traveling, and ran the length, moving quickly and landing behind them, followed by a majority of the pack, leaving Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe alone with Garrick and a few other wolves, including the dark gray.

"Tell her I'll find her," he said and jumped up on the other side of the path, running along the top even after most of the pack had descended. Among those to remain on top was the dark gray.

Kiba watched them disappear into the snowy veil, an image of a set trap flashing through his mind.


Tsume: DreamSummoner says that the chapters will be shorter for quicker updates.

Toboe: Yay! I love quicker updates!

Tsume: Why are you always so damn peppy?

Toboe: I dunno! Why aren't you!

Tsume: I hate Easter...