Wassup y'all. I don't have much to say except that I'm beginning work on the Saval/Harsen/Tessen story and I'm incredibly unskilled at titles. Enjoy the chapter!

There was a scent on the air.

Link sniffed at the ground, pawing the shifty sand. She was close.

She'd passed this way before. Recently. Link crept back into the small wooded area where Midna waited and shifted. "I can smell her, scent's fresh," he murmured, eyes on the plain ahead. "She comes here pretty often."

"Then where is she?" Midna grouched, irritable. She didn't like being so near the plains tribes, especially given what they'd heard that morning.

The tribes are gearing up for war, the merchant had said, casting fearful glances at the plains beyond. I heard they're poisoning each other with the virus.

Link and Midna had exchanged glances before asking the merchant more questions, but he'd become too afraid and had nearly run away. So here they were.

So far, they hadn't seen any evidence of an inter-tribe war, but that didn't mean much. It could have been happening anywhere between the two territories, and if Link had scoped the land properly, where he and Midna hid was on the eastern edge of the cheetah's territory, staying as far as possible from the south.

Running Wind, the merchant had called it. The strongest cheetah coalition in the Plains. Currently on aggressive terms with Gold Leaf Pride, already having lost a massive amount of ground within a few weeks.

Link took a deep breath and crept out of the bushes, shifting into his wolf form. He darted across the plain, belly brushing the ground. He hated being so exposed, and when the tall grasses rose up in front of him, he huffed in relief.

He couldn't really see, but his sense of smell and hearing enabled him to stay far away from any wandering cheetahs. Though, if they were battling the lions, then they wouldn't have been wandering the fields.

Of course, that had nothing to do with the entire swath of southern territory dead as a door nail, he ruminated sarcastically, right as his paw slipped into a hole. He barked sharply before he could stop himself, plunging forward. Midna yelped softly, whipping around to his front.

Link ground his fangs. His foreleg was sunk into a mudpot, refusing to come out, and ahead the grass fell away to reveal a small patch of dead earth. Link's eyes widened, and he tried to yank his paw out of the mudpot, Midna's jaws pulling with him.

Her fangs punctured his skin, but he didn't care. He had to get away--and with a last pull, he came free, and without a second to waste he darted away, Midna's small paws pounding the soft earth.

The grasses fell away suddenly and he found himself facing a small group of trees. There were no sounds from beyond the trees, but the scents gave it away.

This was Running Wind's territory.

Link slowed to a stop, sniffing with his nose to the ground. He could smell her, all right--she was close. Just--

A sob pierced through the trees, and his ears pricked. He glanced at Midna, jerking his head towards the tree, and slowly approached till his nose brushed the bark.

The trees were surrounded by tall grasses, but even if she couldn't see him, how had she not smelled him? He wasn't concerned about being heard, but cheetahs had sharp senses, almost as sharp as a wolf's, and--

Then he caught another scent.

It's the virus, he realized. She can't smell me because my scent is being overpowered.

Link pushed his nose through the grass, and saw her.

She was crying, her head bent over a dead cheetah. The spots were dull, the eyes blank. In some parts of the face and stomach, it was beginning to turn black and diseased. Spitfire's clothes were spotted with blood, and it was on her hands. If Link looked closely, he could see blood dotting the dead cheetah's jaws.

He felt pain pound at his heart, but try like the devil he might, he couldn't figure out why. It wasn't as if it was his tribemate.

But the sight of Spitfire in so much heartache made his head spin. He didn't want her to cry anymore. He wanted to make it better.

Link shook his head of those thoughts--he wasn't here to console her, he was here to recruit her. And, strangely enough, when he shook those thoughts away, he felt even worse.

He crept away from the trees, and the grasses obscured Spitfire once again. He shifted, hoping his human scent wouldn't alert her to him, and turned to Midna. "How are we supposed to get her attention without her alerting the tribe?" he asked, voice barely audible.

Midna looked contemplative. "What makes you think she won't recognize your voice?"

"I don't want to take the chance." Link shook his head. "She might not recognize it and think I'm a lion. They're at war, remember? She has to be able to tell immediately that it's me."

Midna thought for a second, then said, "Be ready to shift."

She crouched, and Link stared at her. "What--"

"HEY, WOLF NUT-KICKER!" she called, as loudly as possible, then shifted and faced Link's aghast gaze. "Shift, now!"

Feeling as if this was the last time he let Midna do anything again, ever, he shifted, and not a moment too soon. Spitfire burst through the grasses, and even teary and bloodstained and obviously tired, she was beautiful. Link forgot he was a wolf and tried to speak, but all he managed was a low whine.

Her golden gaze, furious, dropped to him and filled with confusion. Then her eyes scanned his pelt, his eyes, and she crouched and hissed, "What are you doing here?!"

Link whined again, about to shift, but a rustling from behind Spitfire made him hesitate. He shared a distraught glance with Midna, and then there were hands in both their scruffs, and they were dragged into a dark space. Something irritating and scratchy was dropped on them, hiding them from view.

There was only a small spot to really see through, and Link pushed Midna out of the way, sneezing on her bushy tail, so he could see what was going on.

He was greeted with an appreciative view of Spitfire's behind, and his tongue slipped out of his jaws as he began panting. Midna bit his ear, her comment about 'disgusting, horny wolves' nearly audible despite her lack of verbal communication.

Another cheetah came through the thick grass on the other side of her clearing. Link recognized Spitfire's brother.

The cheetah's eyes were narrowed as he walked forward. "Did I hear voices?"

Spitfire sniffed; whether it was real or faked, Link couldn't tell, and it upset him. "Of course not. It's not as if I was talking to myself."

The cheetah came forward, looking around the clearing, Link and Midna held their breath as that red gaze skipped over the pile of . . . hay? . . . that Spitfire had buried them under. "I swear someone yelled."

"Right," Spitfire said sarcastically. "I'll just ask Faylen if he heard anything. Hey, Faylen? Oh, right, he's dead!"

Her voice broke on the last word, and the cheetah grimaced. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, and if Link hadn't been hidden, he'd have growled at him. "I know you're really upset."

"Whatever," Spitfire muttered, wiping her face.

The cheetah came closer; Link felt Midna's tail brush his side as she twitched it nervously. "But seriously, there's no one here, right? I swear, if Groose is trying anything--"

"He wouldn't," Spitfire said hurriedly, shifting away subtly. "He stopped trying to court me, remember?"

The cheetah watched her, eyes narrowed. "Right." He began circling her. "So why--"

His nostrils flared. Spitfire flinched--barely, but Link noticed.

"Why do you smell like that wolf?" the cheetah snapped, rubbing his nose. He tried sniffing at Spitfire's hands, but she shifted away again. The cheetah glared at her.

"Answer me!"

"It's because I'm wearing the same clothes as I did during the meeting!" she snapped.

"But you wore those yesterday, and they didn't smell then," the cheetah argued, his voice rising. "And it's not your clothes--it's your hands! Where is it? I'll rip that mutt's throat out--"

"Stop!" Spitfire threw herself into her brother's path, and Link let out a growl before he could stop it. He burst out of hiding, darting in front of the cheetah. His lips pulled back from his fangs, and the cheetah snarled and shifted, turning to leap out of the clearing.

Midna burst out and tossed a few leaves into the air, but the cheetah was quick, and avoided the trapping vines that erupted from the smoke. He reached the trees on the clearing's edge and--

"Sheik!"

The cheetah froze, and even though she hadn't called his name, so did Link. He glanced back at Spitfire, who looked absolutely horrified.

Tears budded in her eyes, but she whispered, "Stay."

The cheetah--Sheik--trembled in the grip of his name, but he didn't move. Link shifted, lowering onto his knees. He watched Spitfire out of the corner of his eye.

Sheik whined, low and long, his red eyes fixed on his sister. She jerked at the sound, and a small whimper slipped from her lips. Something in her eyes changed. Link tensed.

She was going to let him go.

He moved a split second before Sheik was released. He made it a half step before Link tackled him, his feet sliding in the loose sand of the clearing. He fell down and took Sheik with him and for a moment they grappled, the cheetah's paw raising to bat Link in the face--by the holy three, he was strong, Link thought, snarling. But he grabbed an ear, earning a yelp, and flipped his dagger open and laid it on Sheik's neck. Spitfire gasped and ran forward, shouting, "No!"

In a flash her arms were bound and she tripped on a branch that hadn't been there seconds ago. Midna appeared and nipped her ear, drawing blood. She hissed in Spitfire's face, daring her to move.

Sheik was struggling in Link's grip, but he couldn't move much, or his neck would be cut open on Link's dagger.

"Howler!"

Cursing, Link looked up. Spitfire was staring at him, tears tracking through the dust on her face. "Please, let him go," she whispered. "He--he won't hurt you, I promise."

"Him hurting me isn't what I'm worried about," Link said, his grip not loosening.

Spitfire's teeth ground, and she glared at him. "Just let him go, damn it, or the whole tribe will be after you!"

Link couldn't help raising a brow. "Oh? Really? Is that why there was nobody home when we scouted the camp?"

He was right, and Spitfire knew it. She opened her mouth to argue anyway, and if he wasn't on a time crunch, Link might have admired her for it. "Look, we don't have time for this," he interrupted. "I'm not here to hurt your brother, or attack your tribe. I need your help. We need your help," he added.

Spitfire raised her face from the dirt, staring at him. Link kept a calm exterior, but inside he was pleading. Please believe me, and hurry up, he thought. The longer they lingered, the more chances the cheetahs would return, and then they'd really be fucked.

So he met her gaze, willing her to believe him.

After an excruciating moment, she said, "With what?"

"The virus," Link answered, trying not to look too relieved. "You knew there was something going on from the beginning, and you're an expert on plants, anyway. That ginger did wonders," he added, smiling.

Her face flushed prettily, but still she said, "But I can't leave my tribe."

Link raised a brow. "What do you think we're doing here? Our borders are closed too, but we're sick of sitting around watching our friends die."

Spitfire flinched, and Link knew he'd struck home. He hadn't meant to hurt her, as the image of the dead cheetah flashed in his peripheral, but he needed to convince her it was worth leaving. Temporarily.

A feral part of him, the wolf inside, didn't like that word. It wanted her to stay with him after this, even if she had no reason to, even if he didn't drive her instincts wild like she did his--

She was biting her lip. Link's eyes dropped to her mouth and stayed there, until she spoke, and he forced his gaze back to her eyes. "I . . . what do you think I can do?"

"I think you can help us," Link said, his heart beating a panicked drum in his chest. Any minute, the cheetahs could be back. "I think you can help us more than you think. Just trust me."

His voice had deepened unintentionally at the last part, and on the ground, Spitfire shivered. The feral part of Link liked that. She swallowed, then struggled to sit up straight. "What's your plan?"

Link and Midna shared a look. "We can talk on the road," he said, as Midna trotted around the clearing, sniffing. Keeping a lookout. "I don't really want to be here when your family comes back. Word is there's a war?" He raised a brow.

Spitfire scowled. "I want to know now. I'm not leaving for a lost cause."

She was bluffing. Link could smell it on her, but he answered her anyway, trying to push down his impatience. "I was hunting in the forest when I caught a scent," he said quickly. "I followed it and it led me to Sunset's territory." he nodded to Midna. "I lost it when she crashed into me, but not even a few hours later, one of her tribemates was dead. And when I got back to my pack, so was one of mine."

He didn't need to glance to know Midna was staring at him, golden eyes wide. He hadn't shared this suspicion with her, not wanting to put her even more on edge, and he'd wanted to find more evidence to back it up, but he really, really needed Spitfire on board. If this didn't convince her, he didn't know what he'd do. Maybe drag her with them anyway.

Spitfire was watching him closely. "You think someone's a carrier."

"I think the virus isn't as out-of-nowhere as we think," Link said. "Remember at the House? What the shadow said? 'The tribes are doomed.' Does that sound like a natural phenomenon to you?"

The cheetah's lips parted. "They're trying to destroy us with the virus. But--but the virus isn't supposed to hurt anima. We were created for the exact purpose--"

"People evolve," Link interrupted, getting more impatient at Midna's warning whine. "You don't think nature evolves too? You're smarter than that, Spitfire."

She swallowed right before her eyes widened. Midna sensed it too, and circled Spitfire, barking sharply.

"Come on, Spitfire," Link pleaded. He wasn't above that at this point. "We're running out of time."

She stared at him, conflict clear in her bright golden eyes. They went from him to her brother, and finally to the dead cheetah. Her gaze grew brighter, and she sucked in a shuddering breath.

Sheik let out a small whine, sensing his sister's decision. She gazed at him sadly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I have to go."

Sheik growled, twisting his head up at Link, and with a warning glare, Link let him go, at least enough to let him shift.

Sheik did so, though Link kept a tight grip on him, shifting his blade to the cheetah's thigh so he could speak without his throat being shredded.

"Spitfire, please, don't leave," he begged. "How do you know they're not lying about the scent? How do you know they're not spreading the virus?"

Link couldn't keep from rolling his eyes. "Oh, right, because we would totally come here and expose ourselves. Geniuses, we are."

Midna snorted.

Sheik ignored him. "Ze--Spitfire, don't." His voice had lowered, and it was clear it had an effect on Spitfire. She swallowed tightly.

She bowed her head as howls rent the air. The cheetahs were closing in. "I'm sorry, Spots," she breathed. "I'm leaving."

Sheik stared at her. "Then I'm telling," he answered, and slammed an elbow into Link's jaw. Surprised, he let him go enough for the cheetah to get another hit on him before darting away.

"Sheik! Don't say anything!"

Link closed his eyes, sprawled on the ground, hating it all. Hating the pain in Spitfire's voice, as she veritably forced her brother to keep quiet. Sheik himself trembled, his teeth grinding, and now the howls got louder, more frenzied. They'd caught the scent.

Sheik turned and glared at Link, right before lunging and grabbing him by his hoodie and hauling him up. "Keep her safe, mutt," he snarled, "or I'll hunt you down and kill you myself."

Link snarled back. "If she gets hurt, I'll spare you the effort."

Whether Sheik was shocked at the vehemence in Link's voice or not, he didn't show it. He just let him go, and within seconds Link had shifted and was darting out of the clearing, Midna and Spitfire at his heels.

B-b-b-BAM.

I hope you guys enjoyed this one, I personally like it, though I'm a little unsure about some things. Let me know how it was? And I wanted to thank everyone who reviews, you guys are so great T_T

Review replies:

To Queen Emily the Diligent: YEEEESSSS hello again!! So good to see you :)

And ahhhh thank you!! Ugh you're great at compliments, shut up lol. Yay I'm so glad you enjoy it, I'll be sure to make it worth your time :)