Summary: When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?
Rating: K plus, but this might change in future time.
Flames? No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! ;) Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

Author's Notes: Once again, I apologize for my delay in chapter four. Things have been slow, in life and also writing this. I hope you readers are pleased with the outcome; I am genuinely happy myself. n-n However, I will become very busy very soon, so more chapters might be delayed as well. I apologize in advance for this, but I have priorities I must complete, some are more important than writing, sadly…Oh, and there is a short time skip in this chapter, but you'll read about that soon enough.

-oOoOo-

Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing
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Chapter Four: Unanswered Questions

-oOoOo-

Temperatures rose considerably through the night, and by the afternoon of the following day, it was at an almost unbearable temperature in the forest. Summer had finally come, and now wolfos young and old were panting from the heat, wishing with a groan that it was still spring. Trey occupied a continuously eyed shady space in the hideaway, one that was directly underneath the mammoth trunk of a mighty tree. The shade felt better from the heat, yes, but it was not as cool as one would hope for. It had been months since his arrival in the wolfos pack, and what was once young, naive Trey was now a maturing keaton entering his juvenile years.

As he and the other pups grew into their teenage years as well, more and more of his friends had begun to shy away from him, as if they were nervous about being around him. Twiggy was still Trey's friend, although they hardly hung out anymore. It seemed like his mud-coloured friend was also hesitant to be in his presence.

The keaton watched as his eccentric, comic-relief friend prance around the clearing happily, undying energy always flowing through him. He didn't look bothered at all by the heat, unlike everyone else. "Hey Twigs," Trey called, ceasing his panting to speak. "Just looking at your thick pelt in the sun makes me hot! Aren't you at least a little bit uncomfortable in this summer heat?"

A clump of thick, matted mud fur that was Twiggy spun around in a flash of brown, grinning like a bandit. "Nope! Not at all!" He declared in a happy, sing-song voice. "I don't understand how everyone is so hot; it's so nice out!" This comment received numerous groans from close-by wolfos, especially the older, more vulnerable to the temperature, ones.

"Oi, sit down before I hafta git up an' git yah myself!" An elderly wolfos growled, obviously annoyed with the perky behaviour of the teenage wolfos. "Yer makin' us all hot by lookin' at'cha!"

Twiggy smirked, raised his nose in the air, and with a couple flicks of his tail, he pranced around the clearing with light paws. "Ah, stop being a wet rag, ya old sack of deku nuts! This is great weather, and I love it! You should too."

The old wolfos growled and glared at the prancing Twiggy. "That's no way ta talk ta yer elders!" He was rising from his spot in the shade, still glaring at the teenage wolfos. He was quickly stopped, though, when another wolfos stopped him by touching his tail with her own.

"This heat is getting to your head, grandfather," A meek voice said to him. Trey craned his neck a little, smiling when he spotted Sandy standing next to her grandfather. "Twiggy's just being silly." The old wolfos grumbled something as he settled himself back down in the shade.

The keaton chuckled at this as he watched Skunk appear from the entrance of the hideaway. He too had grown sufficiently over the past few months, and was nearing the end of his teenage years. Muscles under black fur rippled as he trotted over to where his friends sat underneath a tree where he bent his head downwards, saying something to them that the keaton could not hear. Skunk's two rough-looking friends exchanged words with each other, as if discussing that no one was supposed to hear as they stood up from their laying positions.

Twiggy rushed over to his older brother, tail sweeping back and forth as he bellowed out for all the pack to hear, "Really! Can I come too?"

Trey cocked his head to one side before silently padding over to the group, curious now on what they were discussing. "Ssh, not so loud, bock head! Do you want the whole pack to hear?" One of the gruff wolfos snapped with a hiss.

Twiggy giggled insanely for a moment, receiving blank stares from the three older wolfos. "Sorry!" He apologised, still giggling. "But can I go?'

Skunk's eyes rolled skyward. "Tch. Fine. You can go, but don't tell anyone." Ignoring the last part, Twiggy suppressed a yowl of joy as he bounded up and down rapidly. Skunk and his two friends' eyes immediately widened as they swung their heads back and forth, trying to make sure that no one heard the sound. "Shut up, Twiggy! Shut up!" Skunk hissed, ears flattening. "I don't want the others to come too."

"Hey guys, where are ya going?" Trey asked innocently, his voice making all four wolfos jump out of their fur.

"Trey! We didn't even know you were here." Skunk's friend released a breath, heart still pounding from the shock.

Skunk narrowed his eyes at the keaton. "Where we are going is our business, not yours, and we will not tell—"

"We're going to a super secret spring for a swim!" Twiggy interrupted his brother, tail sweeping back and forth rapidly. This comment earned the hyper wolfos teen three vicious, ready to kill glares from the others.

"You idiot!" Skunk roared, ramming into his brother with his head. "You weren't supposed to tell him about the super secret spring! That's why it's a secret spring!"

The keaton teen smiled happily at the idea of swimming in a nice, cool spring to escape the sweltering temperatures of the cruel summer months. "Wow! That sounds heavenly!" He sighed, hazel eyes glittering. "May I come too? Please?"

"No way!" The deep voice of Skunk's friend, a pale grey wolfos, snapped almost instantly after Trey's question. "It's bad enough we have to take beetle-for-brains here; we don't need another pup to take care of!" He glanced over to said Twiggy, who was scratching his ear with a ferocious pace, while his jaw was wide open and head titled towards the sky.

Trey puffed out his chest slightly. "I'm no pup! Twiggy and I can take care of ourselves!"

"Well, we don't want no long-eared freaks to join us anyway!" The other friend snapped, a smirk on his lips. Instantly, the keaton teen backed down a little, his tails drooping sadly. They had pushed a severe button on the keaton; he knew he looked different from the others, and his ears were just one of the things that the others loved to pick on.

Trey stood his ground though, trying his best not to look hurt, although the three older wolfos were laughing at their buddy's joke. The keaton shot a "well, aren't you going to help me?" glance at his only friend in the pack, but Twiggy just lowered his head and kneaded the ground uncertainly with his paws.

"Please may I go?" He tried again, mentally shaking off the pang of hurt he felt. "I promise I won't tell anybody…" The older wolfos grumbled something, still looking uncertain, when Trey added, "I just want to cool down. Is that so much to ask for?"

Skunk sighed. "Fine, you can come, but don't spread it around."

The keaton let out a breath of relief. "Thanks Skunk! Thank you so much! You won't regret it, I promise!" The handsome black and white wolfos just grumbled something as he turned around, his two friends at his heels. "So when are we leaving?"

"Now." Came the sharp response from Skunk as he disappeared through the vine-coverings.

-oOoOo-

"Wow," Trey and Twiggy breathed simultaneously as the small group entered a clearing, well-hidden in the gargantuan foliage of the Lost Woods. No wonder Skunk wanted to keep this place secret! There was a huge-sized, still-moving pond sitting placidly in the midst of cool, soft grass. The trees intertwined overhead, creating dappled lighting in the clearing that danced on the water's crystal surface. A few fairies danced around the bank of the spring, making reflections in the water.

"Look at how refreshing that water looks!" Trey squealed, forcing his eyes off of the gorgeous sight for a moment to look at Twiggy. He smirked mischievously as he added, "Race ya to it!"

Twiggy instantly responded to his friend's expression with a similar one of his own. "You're on!" The two juveniles took their positions, eyes fixed on the pond, tensing their muscles as Twiggy said slowly, "Ready? Set..." He prolonged the silence between the words "set" and "go" when he finally shouted out, "GO-LDFISH!" Trey had started to sprint forward, but stopped abruptly, toppling over his own paws when he realized what Twiggy had said.

The mud-coloured wolfos was still in his racing position, grinning slyly while giggling. "You stupid deku nut," Trey said with a fake anger as he pushed his friend with his nose. "Just for that I'll splash you extra hard. Now be serious this time."

"Heeheehee…Okay, Okay." Twiggy coughed as Trey went back into the old position before starting again. "Ready? Set…" Another prolonged silence. "GO!" At this, the two teens sprinted as fast as their bodies could go, wind tearing through their thick pelts and tongues lolling out of their mouths as the cool water became closer and closer with each bound. They sprung off of the ground with a mighty force as they both crashed down into the water, creating a loud crashing sound along with many ripples in the water.

Trey came to the surface for air, as did Twiggy, both panting and laughing from the run and from the instantly refreshing water. "Who won?" Twiggy asked, now treading water in one spot.

"I don't know. I think it was a tie. Hey Skunk," Trey called over to the muscular black and white wolfos, who sat on a rock, far away from the water, while he chatted with one of his two friends. He had only come to the "Super Secret Spring" because the atmosphere was cool and shady, not because of the attraction of water.

He groaned and looked over his shoulder. "What?" He snapped, clearly annoyed with the actions of the two juveniles.

"Who won?" The two, now wet, friends hollered at the same time.

Skunk shrugged as he watched his friend bound away, after the other one, who were headed towards the water. "Who cares? It doesn't matter anyway."

Twiggy groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Ugh, brother, you're such a wet rag!"

"I'm not the one who's wet." He spat the word out as he began to chew lazily on a piece of grass. "Just keep that water away from me." He visibly shuddered.

"'Hey Skunk, I think we should play a prank on your brother!'" Trey imitated a younger, higher-pitched toned voice, still remembering the incident in the forest many months ago. Twiggy started to laugh at Trey's impression, now also remembering the awesome joke the duo had pulled. "'He's half-asleep now. If we sneak over to him, we can put a bug on his head without him knowing. He'll think it's a spider and freak out!'" He added more emphasis on each word, still in his high pitched tone. Twiggy was still laughing insanely at the impression, and had to swim to the bank to make sure he wouldn't drown in the water.

"Hardee har har. Very funny you guys." Twiggy's older brother rolled his eyes again before glaring at the two friends. "I still haven't forgotten about what trauma you caused me that day."

"Trauma? More like drama!" His younger brother exclaimed theatrically with a high-pitched, mocking tone, while he scrambled up on the bank and falling, back-first, into the water, as if fainting. The keaton broke out into laughs like his friend, who had appeared from underneath the water. They were having too much fun reminiscing on their nostalgia to notice the two larger wolfos swim behind them.

With a shocked-beyond-belief yowl, the laughing duo were pinned down underneath the surface, all thanks to Skunk's friends. Twiggy's brother smirked as he watched his brother and his friend flail around under the paws of his friends helplessly. "Thanks guys, they deserved that." He chuckled, still watching as the keaton and brown-pelted wolfos came from the depths of the pond, gasping and flailing their paws about.

"That wasn't funny!" Trey gasped, trying to fill his lungs with air. "We could've drowned!"

The two older wolfos in the water exchanged looks and laughed. "So? We wouldn't mind."

The pale grey wolfos shot a mock serious glance at his friend. "They're right though; we wouldn't want their dead bodies floating around and contaminating the water!" The gruff young adults chuckled, earning small growls from the juveniles.

Trey said nothing, except glaring at the two, while Twiggy stuck out his tongue at them and made weird faces. "You shouldn't do that, Twigs, otherwise your face might get stuck like that." The older ones laughed at their own joke.

After hours of swimming, lying in the shade, talking, more swimming, and more lying in the shade, Skunk finally heaved a content sigh as he declared, "Who's hungry? Let's get something to eat." The responses to this were in favour of this suggestion as all five boys gathered themselves from the ground and proceeded to pad out of the lush clearing with one last look.

"Keep a lookout for squirrels and rabbits," Skunk whispered, leading the small group through the bushes. "During the summer they're pretty plentiful."

"I smell one!" Twiggy declared softly, standing still and sniffing the air. The others stopped as well, smelling the surroundings. Sure enough, in the ground a little ways away, was a fuzzy brown squirrel burying his food in the ground.

The keaton felt a nudging in his side. Turning his head, he saw it was no other than Twiggy. "That one has your name all over it, bud!" He whispered, staring at the clueless prey.

Trey gulped and suddenly became tongue-tied as his eyes darted from the squirrel to his friend. "I, uh…I think you should have it, Twigs."

The pale grey wolfos rolled his eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake, just catch it already! Twiggy already offered it to you, and since he's the one who spotted it, he calls the shots."

Trey quirked an eyebrow. "Since when were those the rules?"

"Those are the unofficial rules of hunting." He snapped with a small shrug. "Now go get it before it runs away!"

"He's just scared," The other friend of Skunk's scoffed with a smirk. "He thinks he'll be attacked or something."

"That's not true!" Trey snapped back, fur bristling slightly. "I…just think Twiggy should get it first. I mean, after all, he did see it."

"Come on, Trey!" Twiggy barked again. "I want to see your hunting skills in action!"

"Wait a second," Skunk interjected, a thought popping into his mind. "You can't hunt, right? That's the reason! You don't know how to hunt!" Realization hit his two friends as they stared quizzically at the flustered keaton, who was now gulping and wishing that he could suddenly turn invisible and disappear. The heat rose up his neck and face as he realized that there was no getting out of it now.

"Y-yes…I don't know how to hunt." He whispered, lowering his head shamefully.

"Ha! So that's it!" The pale grey wolfos laughed loudly, scaring the squirrel away. "He doesn't know how to catch his food! Ha!"

"Aw, does the wittle puppy need his mommy to catch his food for him?" The other young adult joined in with the mocking, his voice babyish for a higher effect. The three older wolfos snickered and snorted, holding back their laughs.

Skunk then snapped off a branch of a nearby bush and threw it at Trey's feet. It had many berries growing on it, the type that would be safe for one to eat. "Here's some puppy food for you, puppy." Trey growled as his long ears flattened against his skull, fur standing straight up on his back. As the three young adults finally released their jeering guffaws, his lip drew back into a vicious snarl, and his paws scratched the dirt dangerously.

"I don't have time to deal with you guys." He spat, sharply turning around to begin trekking back home.

"'Mommy, mommy,'" The wolfos imitated cruelly as the golden fur of the keaton disappeared through the bushes. "'Some mean wolfos hurt my feelings! Waaaah!'" If the keaton's hair could stand up any more than it was now, it would as the wolfos mocking hoots and laughs echoed throughout the woods.

"I'll show them." He muttered as he stomped away from the clearing.

-oOoOo-

The two guards of the Sacred Meadow, Shadow and Rocky, lay on the grass, panting from the heat. Guard duty was almost unbearable in the summer months, considering that there was not a single tree in the area they were positioned at. Still, the two wolfos toughed it out, knowing that it was honour enough to have this job.

They said nothing, trying to save strength for keeping cool and awake, but when the sound of wings cutting through the air were heard, Shadow's ears swivelled as he broke the silence with a, "I'm taking my break now, okay Rocky?" The deep brown male only responded with a lazy nod of his head, watching through the corner of his eye as his partner scurried underneath the hedge.

The handsome dark grey wolfos paused for a moment through the maze of hedges to take a lap or two of water from a shallow pool nearby. The icy freshness of the liquid seemed to do the trick as it gave him a small jolt of newly discovered energy to carry through the heat of the afternoon. Almost automatically, Shadow arrived in the clearing of the Sacred Meadow, turning his head this way and that, looking for someone.

"Toohoo, greetings Shadow." The crisp, clear voice in the clearing made the dark grey wolfos spin around with a small jump.

He sighed, relived, with a smile as he sat himself down on the grass, tail lying lazily behind him. "Kaepora Gaebora," He started, "You always scare me when you do that." He chuckled lightly.

The wisely owl turned his head upside down with a chuckle himself. "Ah, forgive me. Toohoo. I do not mean to."

Shadow waved a forepaw passively. "Think nothing of it, my friend. What brings you to the Sacred Meadow on such a day as this?"

Gaebora's head swivelled back to its rightful place. "Just to catch up, toohoo. I have not conversed with you in many months."

"That is true," Shadow said quietly with an understanding nod of his head. "How is the outside world? Any going ons?"

The sage paused for a moment, thinking. Shadow had his head inclined up a little, looking up at the perched owl. "Hmm, well, the King of the Desert is visiting with Hyrule's king, a fishing hole has been opened just recently by Lake Hylia, and Lady Impa has become more and more distant, as if pondering something. But these things matter not to the wolfos, I suppose." He grew quiet and his eyes seemed to stare into time itself, as if knowing something that he wished not to say. "But tell me friend, how are you doing? I trust your mate is well, as are your children?"

Shadow bowed his head sorrowfully as he replied, "I am as fit as an oxen, and White Foot is as lively as spring, but I bring terrible news of our pups." Kaepora Gaebora instantly became interested, as he leaned closer from his perch on the branch. "Shortly after the last time we spoke to each other, White Foot took them on a training expedition…They were killed by the Hylians of the ranch." He really had hoped that this topic would not be brought up by his owl friend, but he knew that it was as certain as autumn that it would.

The elderly fowl's dark chocolate eyes gleamed with compassion for his wolfos friend. "I am terribly sorry to hear that, dear Shadow." His words were heartfelt and not full of superficial pity. "I wish I had known earlier of this tragedy, as I would have liked to have mourned with you and your mate when the time was right, toohoo."

Shadow gave a small, sad smile. "Thank you greatly, Gaebora. It means a lot to me and White Foot, too." The owl smiled too, and the two creatures just sat in the midst of each other for a few moments, thinking of what to say to each other. It seemed like forever since they had spoken to each other, and like all relationships that have a hiatus in them, it was difficult to find words to speak. Shadow thought of Trey, and wondered if he should tell his friend of the keaton's arrival. He hesitated, but made up his mind.

"However…" He started, trailing off.

Kaepora Gaebora cocked his head to one side. "Yes? What is it, toohoo?"

"We have…adopted a pup in place of the three we lost."

"'Adopted'?" The owl repeated, wondering what his friend was getting to.

Shadow smiled again. "Yes. It is wonderful to be a father again, although, there is a twist to this. Our adopted pup is…"

"Dad!" Shadow ceased his sentence for a moment as he and Gaebora looked at the entrance to the clearing where the little voice was coming from. Almost as soon as the two heard the voice call out throughout the meadow, a bounding yellow figure emerged from the entrance to the clearing. "Dad!" He called out again, this time spotting his father and sprinting forward to meet him.

"Hello champ," Shadow greeted, getting up onto his paws. "Back from swimming so soon?"

Trey nodded. "Yes, it was fun. Listen, dad, there's something I need to ask you."

"Why, look what we have here!" Gaebora chuckled, his statement earned two pairs of eyes glancing in his direction.

The juvenile keaton jumped and took a step back, eyes wide with shock. "Heavens above!" He exclaimed, his startled gaze never leaving the wise owl for a moment. "Dad, look at the size of that owl!"

Kaepora Gaebora let out a couple of humorous hoots as Shadow said to his son, "Trey, I want you to meet my friend Kaepora Gaebora."

If Trey's hazel eyes could widen any more than they were, they would. "This is Kaepora Gaebora?" He asked, instantly knowing the name. His shocked appearance quickly subsided as he grinned and greeted, "It's a pleasure meeting you, Mister Gaebora!"

"My, what great manners this young man has, toohoo. It is a pleasure meeting you too, lad."

"This is my…son, Trey." Shadow introduced, pride showing in his eyes. He turned to face his son with a smile. "What do you need, champ?"

"Will you teach me to hunt?" He asked, no hesitation in his voice.

Gaebora's eyes widened a little at the fact that his juvenile, who had lived with wolfos for as long as he could remember, did not even know how to do something as simple as hunting. "I'm afraid not, Trey. I'm still on guard duty. Why don't you ask your mother? She'll surely teach you."

Trey nodded slowly, as he turned to leave. He stopped and looked over his shoulder before exiting though. "I hope to see you again, Mister Gaebora."

The sage nodded. "Likewise Trey. Take care, toohoo!" When they were sure the young teenage keaton was out of hearing range, the wise sage spoke again. "Does he…know?" He cocked his head to one side.

Shadow shook his head. "He knows not. White Foot and I planned on telling him later…When we feel is he old enough to comprehend."

Gaebora gave a slow nod, not knowing if this was such a good idea or not. Who knew how the young keaton would react? The owl was wise, yes, but he could not read minds. He turned his head around, so that the back of his head was facing his friend, as he gazed out into the Meadow with sharp eyes. "It looks as if your partner is getting antsy," He hooted, his head rotating again into its rightful place. "I suppose you should get back to guard duty before he starts to wonder if you've run away. Toohoo." He hooted with humour, making the dark wolfos chuckle as well.

"May the goddesses be with you." Shadow grinned, watching as his friend beat his mammoth wings to lift him off the branch.

"The same to you, my friend. I do hope to see you soon, toohoo!" The deep grey wolfos inclined his head more, watching with wonder as the wisely old owl soar through the skies, blocking the sun for a moment with his giant body.

Trey sprinted through the familiar foliage of the Lost Woods, knowing exactly where to go to reach the hideaway. He had travelled this path many a time, and it was almost second nature to him now. He passed through the hanging vine entrance, instantly beginning his search for a white-pawed wolfos.

He walked through the huge, rock-surrounded clearing, constantly straining his ears and making sure he didn't miss a single scent. He stopped in his tracks on seeing the very familiar figure of his mother pad over to him. "Hello," She greeted, sitting in front of him. "Is anything the matter? I saw you sprint in here like something was wrong." Instantly at the thought, her cheery smile dissipated, and without even waiting for her adopted son to respond, asked worriedly, "Something is wrong, isn't there? Oh, did Twiggy break his leg? Did you get attacked by something? Are the others lost in the woods?"

Trey shook his head hurriedly; trying to make sure his mother wouldn't worry over nothing. "No, no, no!" He spoke defensively, watching as the she-wolfos' expression lightened up with relief. "Nothing like that, I promise! I just…" He pawed the dirt beneath his paws hesitantly. "Can you teach me to hunt? Please?"

White Foot took in air through her nose as she suddenly realized that she had never actually taught her adopted son to do one of the most basic activities wolfos knew how to do! Most other children would get taught at early ages, to ensure that they become experienced hunters by their mid-juvenile years. She had been wrapped up, still, in the passing of her old children that she had forgotten to teach Trey these things. Something nagged inside of her, and the she-wolfos realized with a slight guilt that she had been too scared for the safety of Trey, for the pups had died on the training expedition. She hesitated for a moment, but then nodded her head slowly, knowing that this had to be done. "Of course. Let me just tell Blizzard and we'll be on our way."

Trey grinned as his tails swept back and forth, his hazel eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

-oOoOo-

"Okay, now that you know the basic guidelines, let's begin our trek." White Foot announced, getting up onto her paws, her adopted keaton son close behind. "What do we do first?" She asked now in a hushed, whisper-like tone.

"Keep as quiet as possible while keeping your senses sharp." Trey whispered back, padding after his mother quietly.

The scent of a rabbit drifted along the breeze, finding its way to Trey, who instantly picked up the smell. "I smell a rabbit!" He whispered excitedly, the smell growing stronger with each footstep. Mother and son crept along, silently, in the bushes, not daring to make a single sound.

Sure enough, past the small row of ferns sat a tiny brown hare, who was currently nibbling on a piece of grass. The keaton pressed himself close to the foliage, trying not to stick out. It was easy for his mother to disguise herself, for she had a grey pelt, while he had a bright yellow fur that stuck out among the green of the forest. White Foot didn't need to say anything to her adopted son; he was already preparing himself to chase after the small piece of meat.

In a bright golden blur, Trey launched himself from the ferns, startling the unsuspecting creature. He snapped his jaws at it as it ran in blinding fast pace, trying to escape the threatening danger. With an excited smirk, the keaton raced after the prey, White Foot also joining in on the chase. The white-pawed wolfos sprinted faster, catching the rabbit unawares by skidding in front of it. It recalled back before Trey had a chance to think as it sped right under his legs.

A little shocked at this move, the keaton turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had underestimated the animal; despite its small, friendly-looking appearance, it was actually an extremely speedy creature. He snapped his jaws a couple for times, inching closer to the tail of the hare, and grunting in frustration as the rabbit took a sharp turn, throwing him off on his sprint considerably.

He paid little attention to where he was headed; it was just a blind, frustrated, hunger-driven race against his meal. The hare entered a huge, tunnel-like log that seemed to go on for eternity, and before Trey could even set foot on the log, he felt a sharp tug on his tail that prevented him from going any further.

With an enraged yelp, he spun around, ears flattened against his skull. White Foot stood tight on her paws, looking just as impervious as a mighty tree. "Stop, Trey." She barked, her ice-like eyes flashing with authority and…worry? "Let it go. You'll find another one soon enough."

"Why did you do that?" Trey hissed, a ghost of a snarl appearing for a moment. "I almost had it! I could've caught it!"

White Foot narrowed her eyes. "Do not speak to me in such a tone. It was for your own good."

The keaton lowered his voice a little. "How is that so?"

"This leads to the Village." She hissed, more worry now twinkling in her eyes than the authority. "Never go to the Village." She turned, flicking her tail in a motion for her son to follow. Upon seeing Trey's confused features, she sighed with a, "Remember how I told you about the Hylians?" The keaton nodded slowly. "A race of Hylian cubs live in the Village. You never want to go there. Ever."

The keaton snorted as he sat down and watched as his mother jogged up to a bush of berries a ways off. "'Hylian cubs'? I could've beaten them; it wouldn't have been a problem."

"No." The grey wolfos hissed sharply, hair rising on her neck. "You couldn't have. Don't you ever underestimate them, do you understand? The Hylians are powerful, and even as cubs, they can band together and outnumber you." Trey opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted again by White Foot. "They're killers, and they will kill you." She was silent for a moment. "I've seen it happen before." She plucked a berry or two off the bush, chewing on it to suffice her hunger.

Trey gulped slightly as he lowered his body to the ground, closing his eyes for a moment. "Alright mum; I understand." He opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see his mother eating the berries peacefully, but what he saw in front of him made his instinctive-protection-sense kick in. A female keaton was behind White Foot, hackles raised, preparing to attack.

"Mum! Behind you!" He screamed, launching himself from the ground and onto the surprised female keaton. White Foot spun around, ready to fight with whatever Trey was so worried about. Keaton and keaton rolled on the grass, clawing blindly at each other. Trey snapped his jaws with a deep, warning-like growl as he scratched the female keaton's leg with his claws.

Finally blinking out of her rage-driven state, the female keaton gasped when she realized who she was fighting against. She released her guard and, surprisingly, smiled at Trey. Trey, knowing when his enemy had given up, released the keaton from his grasp, still growling at her as she collected herself from the ground. Her blue eyes danced happily as she stared incredulously at Trey. The keaton shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of his attacker, eyes still fixed on his foe. "By the moon," She breathed, taking a small step forward. "I don't believe my eyes!"

Trey scratched the ground underneath his paws defensively, not knowing what this keaton wanted. He saw his mother, though the corner of his eye, do the same for some odd reason. "Do I know you?" Trey snapped, trying to make his fur stand out to make himself look mightier in the face of a threat.

"It…It's really you!" She ignored his question, taking another step forward, while Trey took a step back. "I never thought you'd be alive, Aiden!"

Trey's eyes widened as he felt himself growing hot in the neck. "I…I beg your pardon?"

The keaton squealed and jumped a few times, much like Twiggy did. She looked as if she would cry a waterfall of relieved tears, just by looking at her joyful expression. "After they found out what you did, I never thought I'd see you again!" She rushed forward with light paws, attempting to embrace with Trey, but the keaton stopped her tracks with a roar and fearsome snarl.

"Get back." He hissed, emphasising each word with rage.

The keaton frowned. "What is wrong?"

"Don't make me rip out your tails, keaton scum!" This time it was Trey who was taking the steps forward, while the foe took the steps back.

Her blue eyes were wide and trembling with unknowing. "A-Aiden? What is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?"

"Leave, or we will be forced to drive you out ourselves." White Foot chimed in with a growl, now stepping beside her adopted son. Too much information could be leaked out, and this was the wrong time for any of this to happen.

The enemy cast blank looks back and forth between Trey and White Foot, gulping in confusion and fear. She nodded her head slowly and with tails tucked between her legs, she turned and headed back from where she came from, ears drooping along the way.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between mother and son as they stood in the forest, looking in the spot where the attacker had left. Trey felt an odd shiver run down his spine, and he shook his fur to rid it off his body. It was Trey who snapped the silence in half. "What…Why did she call me 'Aiden', mum…?"

White Foot sighed and quickly made something up. "She must be going into her old years. The elderly often lose their memories, and forget what they're doing. She must've mistaken you for this 'Aiden' character." Trey was hesitant, but he bought it anyway. He nodded his head slowly, still slightly confused at the past event. "You…You have learned enough today, Trey." White Foot turned, as did her adopted son. "Come, let us…Let us go home." And with that, they headed through the foliage of the forest, neither saying a single word throughout the entire trip.

-oO T.B.C Oo-

Dairokkan: I couldn't have said it better myself! Yes, Autumn is a bitch, but it's only from being daughter of the most powerful wolfos in the pack. I do believe you are correct again, that she will not have much respect when she is older.

Speedfox:Yes, I really wanted to write something that was different from other stories I have read on I don't know about other readers, but I'm getting a little tired of reading Zelink romance stories…That's just my opinion, after all. n-n; Then again, I'm a Malink fan… xD;

Ri2: Exactly correct; Autumn is a bitch! xD; Skunk is funny…Then again, he is related to Twiggy, so why wouldn't he be? ;)

KM-Kaeshi Midori: As I said before, I wanted to write a piece of fiction that was a little different from the others…We need a little diversity sometimes; it's what makes life interesting. n-n And no, I don't think I will ever abandon this story like other authors do. I have loved writing this ever since chapter one, and I plan to complete it. No worries:D

Much thanks for the addition to your favourites list, by the way!

Harrypotterfan: Thank you, although, can you elaborate more?