A general disturbance had reached Ohu. No one saw it, but it was felt by many and regarded as a potential bringer of change. Many of the younger males were most affected by it, and were the first to feel it before it reached the veterans. But once they'd gathered uneasily, shifting around and talking about nothing but feeling tense nevertheless, all of the old dogs watching knew what was happening, even if the feeling had dimmed with age. It was a feeling of energy, a burst of anti-containment everyone felt at one point in their lives. For the old dogs, it was merely a time of amusement at the younger dogs' disturbance and a time for nostalgia to reign. The feeling had left many of them years ago, allowing them to settle peacefully in an area and stay there with old comrades or their mates. But for the younger ones, it was a burst of energy, a feeling of frustration and a horrible hope that the army would have another enemy to fight or another paradise to find, though they would probably abandon their found paradise in the same amount of time they'd leave Ohu.

The reason for this feeling was simple: ever since Ohu had conquered its enemies and came back from Hougen's war victorious, there had been nothing to do. An attack or two by outside stray dogs was the most they could expect; with no threat of Kaibutsu or even a single bear many of the dogs were left to patrol Gajou repeatedly day after day. Even the laziest dog would have to admit that walking around the same rock stretch every day was a dull experience. The only burst of fun- if you could call it that- were the daily hunting trips. But even running down a rabbit day after day could get boring. Wrestling and sparring was becoming far more common between dogs, and so was discussing past battles with war buddies. Weed was doing a good job of holding down the peace, yes, but they didn't want peace. They wanted to move around unfamiliar woods, run, and most of all, fight!

But there was no fighting to be had. Weed had won the war, and had firmly put a stopper on any violent activities outside of sparring and attacking bears or any such other threats. The lack of aforementioned threats wasn't helping the restlessness of the recruits. Friendships were being made between those of Hougen's army who'd defected to Weed and Gin's side, respect made- at least that was an upside to the peaceful forest and mountain layout of Ohu. Otherwise, there was really nothing else that the troops (now ex-troops, seeing there was no war) could enjoy. Or the more adventurous lot, anyway. Many of the dogs grumbling about being cooped up would go nowhere in the end- they'd paid in blood for Futago Pass, and didn't plan on looking at their sacrifices with such flippancy. Dogs like GB and Sasuke were quite happy at the lack of fights, in fact. It was well known that the two weren't going to a promotion for bravery any time soon, preferring scouting to engaging in any actual combat. Sure, GB had 'grown a pair' ever since he'd spied on Hougen during war time, but those spots weren't going to change any time soon.

Wasting away. That was what the entire group of restless ones thought was happening to them. They, who could throw an opponent to the ground, they, who could howl battle cries and were descended from those who had dethroned Akakabuto from the top of Gajou, were wasting away. Why stay in one place when there were settlements, new packs to be joined in the more unfamiliar places were available? Had they not stayed in prime physical shape during the war? There was no shame in being under a leader such as Gin, who had dealt one of the death blows to Akakabuto himself, but Ohu and the entire Futago Pass were beginning to feel crowded, whether they stayed fit or not. A particular case of this unrest had gripped one of the soldiers of Ohu. Someone who had served in Hougen's army previously. An ex-general, in fact….

Bat was beginning to tire of Ohu.

It had held an unbreakable hold for him when he had found it in the winter, being one of Hougen's generals and new to the area. Despite being blind, his sense of smell and touch had presented a fascinating layout underneath and above the snow. The seeming magnificence of a forest and rocky mount that never stopped, of all the wonderful places to lay ambushes and deceive his enemies from… Futago Pass had been a frozen battle ground of blood soaked snow and a frigid Gajou. Hougen and Genba had been northern gods then, unshakable by even the strongest dogs and towering from the top of the fortress as symbols of death and ruthlessness themselves. Bat had wisely obeyed their orders and stayed on their good sides. He had participated in the carnage of choosing a general, and had been selected along with Kite and Buruge. The bloody jawed assassin, blind one, and self proclaimed Shinigami… oh, what a terrible three they'd been! And how brutally and disgustingly wonderful it had been to meet their enemies on the ice plain of Futago's forest!

War had held Bat's interest along with the word of Hougen. Genba had been killed, then disposed of by his brother in a spiraling descent into what would become madness inside madness. Enraged by the death of his brother, Hougen had planned to slit the throats of the Ohu army, every one. His generals agreed. They had revenge to take on humans as well- and who would defy Hougen? Even Bat, blind as he was, could tell he was unstable. And so they had gone into battle.

The rest was Ohu history.

The generals had fallen almost all at the same time, being taken down by different champions as their platoons had struggled around them. None of their fights had been short, all of the generals rising to their pinnacle of fighting skill- but eventually being bitterly defeated by their foes. In Bat's case, he'd been forced to fight the surviving Kai Brother (one of the aged "Demon Dogs") and the old northern platoon leader Ben. But he'd won. The Demon Dog's days were limited, he having been an adult when Gin had been a mere whelp, and so were Ben's. But Bat only knew his opponent's names after their offspring had arrived and shoved his face into the snow with Ben's guidance. So much for victory.

But the army had been generous. Instead of killing him, they had pitied him, and given him a chance to join them while keeping their honor intact. Bat had taken their offer, and been accepted into Ohu by Gin himself. It had been a glorious feeling, to find someone and a group that could help him and give him a chance to form comradeship instead of ruling by fear. His grudge against humans had been laid dormant, they not daring to approach any of the Ohu's army premises or fool with any of the dogs. He supposed their thanks for Akakabuto's death was being shown even today. The urge for mindless war had left him. But the feeling for venturing away and meeting other's hadn't.

Bat had come to Ohu with a superior feeling, having used all the dogs he'd met earlier in his life as pawns or training dummies to hone his freakily acute senses. Being blind had paid off in this regard. But after his forgiveness at the paws of Gin and seeing what real comradeship was like, Bat had wanted more. What could he encounter outside of Ohu? Of Futago Pass? He'd wondered outside of this area before, obviously, seeing he had to train his senses and meet others, but he'd "viewed" the world in one way, not bothering to fully smell it, to sense its glories. And now he was. It was no use to get old before going on his adventure, so Bat had decided to leave as possible after his wounds from the final battle of the war had healed. And they almost fully had.

A few pangs of pain wouldn't kill him- why not leave today? Bat saw no reason not to. Unlike humans, dogs did not make plans for ahead of time during peaceful periods. If a dog was going to depart from his pack, he'd simply depart whenever he felt like it and howl goodbye to everyone on the way out. Such a thing was true for Bat. Now that he was no longer a general, but a common as dirt troop among the Ohu dogs, no one would make a big fuss at his leaving, not like if Gin or Weed had to leave. Some goodbyes here and there would suffice. And they did.

So it was on that day that Bat the ex-general and newly ex-Ohu troop (for the moment) left Ohu's paradise of Futago Pass. Several of his newly made comrades told him goodbye and wished him luck, as well as challenging him to train harder, and Buruge and Kite took note of his leave. He returned their challenges and passing words, howling and barking goodbye to them before heading off south of Futago and taking a route that wouldn't bring him too close to any of the humans.

Not that it was the humans he'd have to fear in the following events.

XXX

The rabbit chewed at the grass, inattentive to its surroundings. Nibble by nibble, it nourished itself bit by bit. Suddenly it felt something; it was a rush of feelings all at once. Instincts worked that way, but from the particular form of rush, it knew danger. Looking up, its whiskers twitched. Something was watching it, a tell tale crunch of a leaf gave it away. Whatever it was, it quickened its pace, it knew it knew.

"Rustle Rustle!"

The leaves moved for a split second as a white figure leapt from the bushes. The rabbit took off in full sprint, kicking up dirt as its hind legs propelled it forward. The two white furs became blurs as predator and prey played out. The two almost were hind and muzzle, as the predators teeth gnashed forward, trying to subdue its prey. The rabbit did its best, ran with all its might to stay ahead. Its little heart beat like drum against its ribcage almost to the point it could break. Or come very near close to it. Luck would be on the rabbit's side, for the predator started to slow its pace. Even in that moment, the rabbit didn't ponder why; it took its advantage and ran. The predator tried to keep up the pace, but it just couldn't keep up. A grumble from its gut signaled a clear reason. With a skid cloud of dirt, the creature, a white, female saluki, took a long look at the disappearing white rabbit.

"Damn it," Mayu cursed to herself.

She supposed that was what she got after skipping few meals. Sometimes she felt that way. So emotionally drained she wouldn't even care about eating. Instead she would stare outside her home all day, only getting up to get a drink or do her womanly business in the bushes. Today was just one of those days, an early start to a long depressing day. The only remedy for that? A good twig chew, that's what. Mayu never had trouble finding one and pretty soon, a nice piece of bark lay between her lips. Somehow it tasted good, and it calmed her nerves, and she enjoyed it immensely. Shame she couldn't get a more stable supply, but that's how life worked.

So far, her life had been veritable proof.

How long had it been since then? A few seasons perhaps or at least after winter. Spring hung in the air as the snow and ice melted. The moment she left, the cold came. Appropriate enough, for it fit her. Cold and alone went hand in hand. Again, it fit. For the most part, her life had been uneventful upon settling here. Winter had been hard, very hard, but she survived. However one moment disrupted that dull tranquility, courtesy of a lone dog she encountered. A lone scraggly looking thing, unbelievably a male, all he did was talk about some Hougey or Hou…..something sama. Mayu hadn't paid him much mind, that is until he tried to drag her back to whomever he served.

What happened next didn't need to be explained in great detail. Yet it ended with said male running away like a scared puppy. More than likely he wouldn't be telling his comrades about this embarrassing experience.

However that had been the highlight of winter, after that everything returned to the depressing doldrums that her life had become. It didn't bother her as one might think, she had gotten used to it. She didn't even expect it to get better. Which it wouldn't, as pessimistic as it sounded, Mayu didn't expect thing to change anytime soon. Seeing nothing else, she decided to quench her parched throat. All that running around had made her thirsty. A river wasn't far so she didn't have to walk much. Taking a short cut, her body brushed against twigs and leaves. Possibly a stray insect found its way, entangling in her white her, still that blinding color no matter what rut befell her. A mere shake removed them, and a crunch signified they wouldn't be making any more rides soon.

Craning her neck down, she lapped up the cool water. The liquid felt so good against her throat.

"I really have to stop skipping meals." She thought to herself. It really was unhealthy of her. Food didn't just show itself, unlike humans, dogs had to hunt for their meals. Sometimes, being a human seemed glamorous in comparison. Her thirst problem in the mean time had been satisfied. Her eyes closed as the dryness vanished. Mayu wanted to savor every bit, every precious drop. The thirst started to quench as the dryness and gulping slowed. Mau even opened her eyes and in the water's reflection, she saw a white saluki beside her.

She gasped and immediately sprang back to her feet. But there was nobody there. She didn't call out or even utter the name of one long gone.

"You're going crazy. Seeing things that aren't there." Mau smacked herself in the forehead, reprimanding herself.

The dead couldn't come back. It must have been a trick of the mind, nothing else. Hunger probably was the culprit. A gnaw of hunger complained once more to.

"Shut up!" Mayu barked. It didn't work. Giving a groan, Mayu knew the only way to satisfy it.

Rabbit hunting season was on. Rabbits were not her best skill, her other's ran toward the flightier variety of prey. However her mind dead set on the rabbit, and rabbit is what she would have. Sniffing the air, Mayu sorted through the other scents in the air, some good, others bad. Well, she had a good nose for that sort of thing, and it didn't take long to find a particular scent. Sure enough, there it was. The same rabbit, she knew that, luck may have been on her side. She made certain not to make a sound; she didn't want to scare it off again. Every twig and leaf, she avoided. Step by step, tip toeing through the woods. The rabbit twitched its nose once. Mayu stopped, had it sensed her?

"Damn!" Mayu thought, not daring to say it out loud.

The rabbit turned its head and then it went right back to eating. Mayu would have sighed, but she didn't dare that either.

"So far so good." Mayu thought to herself again.

Apparently her stomach stood by her side this time. Not a single grumble ruined the moment. Good timing as so far the moment seemed picture. Her back legs sprang, her paws dug into the ground. She could almost taste the meat against her tongue. It made her mouth water. In fact she did. Saliva trickled down her maw only to be licked away with her tongue.

The rabbit had started to sense something, but it was far too late. Mayu made her move. The rabbit didn't have time to react, as its neck snapped from the impact of the teeth.

But it wasn't Mayu's teeth that finished the poor creature off.

XXX

Bat shook the rabbit a few times. With an audible snap, the rabbit went limp. It had given a good struggle, but in the end, survival of the fittest played out. The strong won out every time. Bat had to give himself some pride, even with the peace he had lapsed into, his senses hadn't dulled. So far since leaving Ohu, his life hadn't been very eventful. So far he had simply traveled without so much as a goal. He hadn't even encountered another dog. That changed today. It struck him mildly, mildly in he did expect a dog at some point, but surprised at the fact he encountered one after his days of travel, even more so that a female had crossed his path.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" The female blurted out in an angry huff.

Bat stood dumbfounded by her statement. He didn't quite know what to make of this situation, that and he had a rabbit in his mouth.

The female picked up on that. "The rabbit," He knew she was pointing with her paw, "I had it first."

Now Bat hadn't really thought much of females. Honestly the opposite sex was very unimportant to him. Every female he had come across were of the fragile variety. Female dogs were mostly viewed as breeding tools. The days of Hougan were testament to that. In fact most of the Ohu fighters were male, very few females to be found. Many of them had fallen under that stereotypical notion. Immediately Bat sensed something about this one, something…different. The way she spoke upfront like that, it signified boldness, very bold.

Bat set the rabbit down. "This?" He asked, knowing the answer, but finding the question a sudden spur of the moment, completely catching him off guard.

"Are you blind the ra-" She stopped at her own question, for she could see the answer, his eyes, the pale orbs, marked by thin scars. The pain had long past, but the memory remained. The female's voice twirled in uncertainty. Bat felt mutuality in his emotions towards seeing another of his kind. When one sense died, the others grew stronger so they said.

In general, the moment felt extremely odd for both of them. "Do you want this?" Bat offered. Going with the spontaneousness of the situation, Bat suddenly felt charitable. Another stereotype, be courteous to ladies. Maybe it brought on due to the sooth of his vengeance driven heart.

The female didn't seem to oblige much. What with her statement of, "Never mind keep it." For some reason he pictured her shaking his head, whatever she looked like. His mind's eye could only grant him a sort of 'sight'. All he knew was an irate female now sulked off, muttering an occasional curse. Now Bat found himself alone with his catch. He felt a little hollow about it though, and he didn't understand why.

After his meal, he could have to find shelter. The scent of rain hung in the air. Sleeping out in the open wouldn't be an option this time.

XXX

Mayu angrily stalked through the bushes, heading for her den. It had been quite a while since she'd been this irate. She ground her teeth together, snapping the twig in two. Feeling only slightly surprised, Mayu opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, dropping the remainder of the twig onto the ground. Normally, she'd have taken another twig to calm her nerves. But at the strength her jaws were grinding at now, the twig would have merely been bitten in half and gotten stuck to her tongue- another thing which wouldn't have calmed her nerves. Mayu didn't quite know what was making her so angry.

There were a multitude of reasons, that much was certain.

For one thing, she'd lost her meal. Careful stalking down the drain, time she could have used to find something to eat. And now she was left once more with a growling and protesting stomach. And a bruised ego. Competitiveness had been woven into her from the minute she was born, being surrounded by a group of eager hunting dogs who all wished to show off to their master and friends. They were bred for giving their all into a hunt, and did so with a vengeance. The same thing was also true for the Clan- all of the dogs constantly fought over who had caught the biggest piece of fresh kill, and who was to eat it. Hunter's right was nonexistent in the Clan- even if you'd caught the large prey, it wasn't yours as soon as soon as it entered the fresh kill pile. It was the Clan's. And any hungry dog could help themselves to it. You had to be fast and furious to get a large piece, and could gloat to your friends (or enemies) about who had gotten the largest animal. Mayu was used to grappling for her food, feeling a small touch of inward smugness when she got it, and a touch of soreness when she didn't. If anything, her competitiveness had grown with her age.

Secondly, Mayu had just lost her prey to a handicapped male. The bitterness that came from this feeling was humiliation upon humiliation. Mayu didn't have a high regard for the strength or chivalry of the other gender, and was perhaps slightly prejudiced towards them. It couldn't be helped- the only two friends she'd had her life had been male, and she'd ended up playing the stereotypical weak female when it mattered most to them. Mao- Mayu's heart beat a little faster- had been protected and lead by his older sister for all of his life, even when he'd been an adult. Not near as much as in puppyhood, no. But he'd still managed to be stronger than his headstrong sister when Cain came after her. As for Alucard...!

Mayu stopped for second, shaking her head before heatedly going on. Besides, the male had also been handicapped- and dogs and humans alike didn't take well to being beaten by a random cripple. Mainly, however, meeting another male who showed signs of "chivalry" and "sympathy" to her just because she was female opened past wounds and failures, even if Mayu wasn't fully aware of it. Her two friends of past had helped her because she was a friend and a sibling, not a female. But another had been drawn to her female form for reasons other than stereotypical chivalry...

Lastly, Mayu had felt a small connection to the male when they were talking. Maybe it was the sliced eyelids, which showed signs of trouble and torture that many would never know- a bit like herself. Or maybe it was the fact that the hungry Mayu and crippled dog were going to be equally screwed in finding food. Maybe the dog hadn't been showing chivalry. Hell, maybe he was just being courteous in a way every decent dog would be to other strangers. He might have not even scented she was female, their encounter so brief. But Mayu couldn't help but be wary of random strangers. Particularly males.

She had reached her den. Snapping out of her anger for a moment, Mayu lifted her head and smelled the air. A thick and buzzing smell of a storm hit her nose. It was going to be a fierce one. She was lucky to have a den in this weather. But what about the male? Mayu thought about it for a moment. More than likely, he would be driven under a brush or bush for the storm, or maybe even out of the area if he was especially desperate for shelter. She probably wouldn't be seeing him again. Slightly cheered by the thought- but also feeling a bit odd- Mayu entered her den.

Outside, it began to rain.

XXX

As Bat felt the first raindrop, he knew he was in trouble.

There was a definite smell of storm here. Leaves were stirring and rolling across the ground, making little rustling noises as they did and hitting Bat's feet. The trees were the most audible, bending, shaking, and making a general racket of themselves. Bat had felt this sort of disturbance before. The movement and shaking of the trees and leaves were comparable to the ominous build-up that had occurred before the Ohu blizzard. Bat hadn't been thinking about the storm. He'd been thinking of the haphazard meeting between him and the irritable female. Dogs usually didn't go alone, after all. But his speculations about the stranger were cut short by the oncoming storm. The smell of rain grew stronger. A rain drop hit Bat on the cheek and trinkled down, to be followed by another to the muzzle.

Just as Bat decided he had better find shelter- and fast- the sky loosed a rumbling growl and began to pour down. Suddenly the air became totally filled with the sound of water hitting leaves and ground mercilessly with little to no break. Bat took off, feeling his fur get damp before the water slipped off the oily surface. Being a Labrador had its advantages. Running along, he realized he had no place to shelter himself from the rain- or even a basic lie of the land. As a result, he tripped over several low slung branches and bothersome snarled brush piles. But Bat had not been a General for nothing. As one of the chosen four by Hougen, he had possessed a wild and alert side that opened up to him when just thinking of things wouldn't help. In this state, Bat's body was ruled by his remaining senses- touch, smell, and sound. It led him to follow what his instincts told him without word thoughts to go with them... or a large amount of caution for some things.

Right now, Bat had allowed his wild state to take over. It made him follow a fading scent in the rain, one that he had encountered earlier, without really thinking about it. Dogs are naturally pack animals. They seek the companionship of other dogs, or occasionally other animals. Bat was staying true to this ancient instinct. And he had little idea of whose scent he had just decided to follow.

XXX

Mayu heard the rain patter outside her den. Indeed she felt lucky to have found a den in this area. Who would have guessed that a tree would have such a spacious hollow underneath it? Some might think it too big for her, indeed it was, but Mayu found the extra space comforting. Sometimes she would just stretch herself out, tossing and turning as she either had a restless night, or just soaking in the rays that managed to peek through on a good day. Today had been bad for the most part, but at least she had a place to rest, if not for the rumble that bugged her gut, then it would have been perfect. No matter, she would simply have to make up for hunting the next day. The rain always seemed to attack prey the following morning. She could already taste the plump rabbit flesh against her tongue, her teeth tearing into each bite…..Perfect, she just realized her mouth was watering now. So she put aside thoughts of rabbits and pheasants and attempted to go to sleep.

Even though her eyes were closed, she still hadn't fallen asleep. Occasionally she heard faint sounds outside, faint sounds of other animals fleeing for shelter. If she was a puppy, she would have found them eerie in their own way, but she was a full grown dog, things like that shouldn't scare her, and they didn't. Yet another sound reached her ears. Mayu ignored it for the most part, but it grew closer and heavier. Even with her eyes closed, Mayu felt something at the mouth of her den, the sound had stopped. Then Mayu heard another sound, breathing. Slowly Mayu opened her eyes, the heaviness that had set in fading away. The moment she opened them, she was met with a black bulk.

"What!" Mayu yelped, standing up in caution. Her sudden outburst had startled the black bulk as well.

Blinking Mayu could make out the blackness and a familiar scent had reached her nose. The dog in question held very familiar marking, two slice marks across his eyes.

"You again!" Mayu couldn't believe, it was the same crippled dog that had ruined her catch.

The dog looked at her, or at least sensed the general direction the female spoke from. His face held a confused bewilderment.

Mayu issued a low growl. "Are you stalking me or something!"

The question took the male by surprise. For a moment, it took him time to process who he was speaking to. Then it hit him, he recognized the voice and the scent had become clearer.

"Oh my apologies, I didn't know this was your den." The male apologized.

Mayu loosened her aggressive stance, those were honest words, she could just tell somehow. But it didn't explain why he was here.

"Fine, but if you don't mind this spot is taken," She would have said more, that is until she noticed something. The Labrador was completely soaked from paw to tail. The rain had started to really come down now, harder and harder still, a real torrential downpour. Even though the male tried to remain strong in the presence of a lady, Mayu saw a slight shiver from his body.

"I'm very sorry to bother you." The male turned to leave, back into the cold rain.

"Wait!" Mayu called after, and he stopped.

Why she did it, she didn't know. Maybe she felt sorry for him? He had shown a chivalrous display earlier, but maybe it attributed to another question she held. "Do you have anyplace to go?"

The male shook his head. That was it, something inside her told her this was a mistake, a male plus a female, well the scenarios and experiences with males gave her a hormone driven stereotype in her mind, save for her brother and friend. But it could have been the debilitating handicap the male presented.

"If you don't have any place to go, you can stay here," Mayu softened her body, but added, "just for tonight mind you."

That apparently was enough for the male. "Very well Maam, thank you." Mayu allowed the wet dog to enter. Respectively, he kept his distance from her, surprising Mayu herself. The male shook himself dry, albeit, he apparently took care not to get water everywhere in this dry den.

"This place is big enough for a family." The male suddenly spoke. Despite not having eyes, he could sense the large size of this place.

"Well I don't have any, now goodnight." Mayu briskly cut, she didn't want to be reminded of any family. Any she did have, were gone now. She didn't need somebody reminding her of something she didn't have.

Soon the both of them held no more words, Mayu drifted off to sleep, as did the male. For the first time since he had joined Ohu, Bat found his sleep restful. In fact he found this more restful than his first night in Ohu. But he didn't know why.

XXX

Mayu awoke to the smell of moist mist and wet leaves. Her vision still blurred, it took her a second to focus in on the scents. For a few minutes she lay there, staring at the mist that was swathed around the entrance of her den. The wet, smooth smell of it was far more strong than the image, and would have dulled most any other smells outside or inside the den… unless they happened to be extremely close. With a small jolt, her eyes focused in on the oily black fur that was to her far left. She felt her muscles tensing.

Mayu slowly and edgily lifted the front of her body off of the floor, her back legs following suit. As they awkwardly clambered up to finally have all of her body hoisted off of the ground, Mayu could feel some of her fur begin to stick up. The stranger. She'd forgotten entirely about him. But now she was remembering everything in detail. The reason she was so sluggish in getting up today was because she's spent half of her night in a light and restless sleep, trying to be ready at a second's notice if the stranger proved treacherous and decided to assault her. In the end, however, all he'd done was snore and snuffle lightly and continue to sleep soundly. Mayu, still not trusting him, had eventually divided the rest of her night into rough chunks of sleep, waking up at random intervals to check on her new roommate before slipping back into slumber, struggling against it all the way. As the night went by, her struggles had gradually lost strength, and she'd finally managed to fall asleep for the second half of the night.

And now here she was, staring at the dog who'd unintentionally caused her so much grief. For the moment, she didn't do anything. The mist had seeped some of its moisture into the den, it clinging in small droplets to anything in came in contact with. The stranger's black fur had its greasy air because of all the water that had condensed on it, and because his fur had repelled it afterwards. Water breeds. They all took on that oily and worn look whenever they'd gotten wet. More than likely, the stranger had webbed feet too, unless he was a mutt of some kind. Stirring in his sleep, the other dog shifted once before licking his nose and returning to his previous demeanor. Mayu suddenly felt a bit stupid, standing at the edge of her den like a frightened cat. It was her turf, wasn't it? She was the one who should be causing nervousness, not him. She tersely sat down, trying to shove away some of her nerves.

Outside, the mist grew thicker. Plants became coated in large water drops instead of the light dew they customarily had. Dead leaves slowly began to glue themselves to each other, continuing with their process of rotting, and mushrooms took hold. No one watched these things. Mist was annoying and mysterious enough to keep people and animals inside or prevented them from seeing things that they normally would have. The miniscule and sluggish cycle of mushrooms growing and leaves rotting was unnoticeable during the day, so why not in the mist? After all, people and animals who went outside had a tendency to brush by each other without noticing it. Sometimes this was for the better… or the worst.

Mayu fixed her eyes on the male's face. The slashed eyelids were his most prominent feature- two thin grey lines that cut down from the lower brow to underneath the eyes, neatly separating the eyelids into to parts. This was obviously what had left him blind, but, in return, had probably enhanced his other senses, which would explain how he'd neatly caught the rabbit and trailed her back to her den.

A dangerous asset in the mist.

Not being able to see would make him much more dangerous than usual in the clouded world outside the den. Mayu's chances at winning any fights would be docked in two. At the most, she stubbornly thought, scowling a little. She wasn't that inept. But still- a fight with this stranger in the mist was the last thing she wanted. And if she let him leave before the mist cleared up, he could easily set an ambush for her. If the mist stayed that long… and if the stranger possessed that guile.

Mayu couldn't help but admit that the stranger would have probably made his attack during the night instead of sleeping through it and waiting till they were both reenergized. Besides that, he'd looked genuinely sorry that he'd ran into her again. Maybe he just needed a place to sleep for the night, then would run off again. Mayu's stomach grumbled. "Oh, shut up," she growled at it, pawing at her belly. It never seemed to be full. The forest she was used to hunting in had had no brush piles or other prickly places for rabbits to hide in, or at least not in abundance. This place, on the other hand, was practically drowning in briar patches and scrapes made by wandering rabbits, not to mention abandoned burrows that every rabbit seemed to know like the back of their own paws. Hunting in this forest would take some time to get used to… even if Mayu had already been living here for around a month. She clawed her muzzle, clearing some dirt out of the corner of her eye. There had to be a way to get food in this place without skimping on meals like this all the time…..

Mayu's eyes fell on the stranger's face. A little light went off in her head. She'd just had an idea… one that could help feed her for the rest of the month, possibly the rest of the year.

Not that she liked it.

XXX

"….so you're saying you want to make a deal?"

"Take it or leave it. I don't do compromises."

Bat tilted his ears back critically. "Someone's certain of themselves," he said dryly.

Mayu's turn to look critical. "You're in no spot to be saying anything."

Bat paused for a moment, thinking. "….give me a few moments to consider the deal."

Mayu responded by coolly shifting her weight back further on her haunches, looking slightly impatient already. Bat could feel her cool attitude from where he was sitting, no vision needed. She certainly had a snappy way of saying things, and the tone of her demands said flatly that she was someone used to winning arguments. Someone who would be difficult to get along with if you didn't have enough of a backbone… and even then, getting along would be a bit tricky.

He considered his options.

The female- whose name was Mayu, as he had learned- had offered him a proposition. Bat had been mildly surprised that she hadn't just thrown him out of the den as soon as he'd woken up. When he'd awakened and got his bearings, he'd been able to hear her somewhat uneven breathing and a few rustling noises. She'd been awake before him. Bat didn't immediately get up and reveal he was awake. That could have bad consequences, especially since he had no idea who this dog was. Many a careless mutt had been killed from making a mistake like that. But all the same, she hadn't finished him off in his sleep, and much of Bat's paranoia from the days of Hougen and humans had been ebbed away by his stay at Ohu. She had been courteous enough to allow him to sleep one night here, though he was sure the hospitality wasn't going to extend any further or longer- particularly after he had snatched her meal out from under her nose. Accident or not, it was enough to tick any dog off, especially when they were hungry. No one liked having their prey stolen. Bat twitched one of his ears.

When he'd finally gotten up, the only greeting he'd gotten was a brief increase in heartbeat and a tint of tenseness in the atmosphere. He hadn't expected too much more, though it would have been pleasant. But he had gotten something he didn't expect. An offer.

He could gain much from it… food, certainly, maybe more or less than he was used to eating, and maybe a den…. But then again, he could be blindly walking straight into hell. Bat sensed the female- Mayu- getting more impatient. He didn't betray any of his thoughts with his face or demeanor.

"Let me get this straight. Your end of the deal is to allow me to live here and share a quarter of your prey."

"It's what I said, yes."

"But in return, I have to give you one-third of my prey."

"I don't bargain," Mayu said bluntly.

"I'm aware of that."

For a few seconds, the slashed eyelids and fierce black eyes stared other each down, daring one and other to relent or make a mistake. Bat knew he had no place to go, or any information about the lie of the land– at least, until he learned the main layout. Mayu knew she needed some help with filling her belly– at least, until she'd extracted the technique of hunting amongst common warrens and brush piles. There seemed to be one choice that needed made.

Bat flicked his thick tail. "Deal made."

Mayu licked the side of her mouth. "Deal made," she agreed.

For now.

"Now you need to start paying off your rent for today."

"…wait, what?"