A/N: Even though it has been less than a week I couldn't wait any longer to put this up. Plus the last was a cliff hanger so I suppose I should get the next one up quicker. I'd just like to say that I am really enjoying writing this story and revealing more and more to myself and to you guys. Thanks for reading and giving me feedback so I can keep writing!!

"STOP IT!" Ghost yelled and pushed forward, shoving Skylar off of Faolan. The light was gray around them, and the two- one black, one white, stared at each other for a second, eyes burning and breath coming in short. Faolan slowly slid down the tree, the bark scraping against her bare skin and her blue eyes wide as she watched the scene unfold.

Skylar only waited that one second. And then he leapt, claws extending again and his fur growing thick and long again. The two met midair- white and black in the scene of gray- but this time Skylar did not immediately leave red gashes upon Ghost- for the white werewolf was ready, and thick white fur covered his body. In seconds, it seemed, they were both fully in wolf form and the air rang with the snap of teeth on teeth and the throaty growls of the werewolves.

Ghost's teeth sank into Skylar's shoulder and the two rolled into the leaves, a ball of growling fur. They were fairly equally matched- Skylar was a bit more hulking, but Ghost was quick and his claws darted quick as his red eyes. Soon both their hides were streaked with wet streaks that Fao knew were red- but couldn't quite see in that light. She sat, huddling under the tree, sides shaking with cold and fear. It was all over know- if Skylar knew. But why was Ghost defending her? A moment ago, it had been Skylar- for she was sure he had first come in her defense…

And then Skylar managed to get a hold on Ghost, and he threw the other wolf against a tree. The white body hit with a sickening smack! and he dropped to the foot of the tree. A low, horrible moan escaped his mouth and for a second Faolan thought he was dead. But after another gasp he pulled himself to his feet. When Skylar saw he was still up for the fight, he leapt, a black blur and shoved Ghost into the dirt, the two sliding over a meter through the leaves.

But now Ghost was underneath, and his quick jaws latched onto Skylar's throat. With all four paws he pushed the werewolf over and flipped him, pushing him down into the ground. The black wolf gave a half whine/growl and his claws ripped into Ghost as he tried to gain his ground back. Ghost's teeth sunk further into Skylar's throat and the leader of the werewolves started to struggle frantically, his jaws snapping together on empty air.

"Don't kill him!" Faolan screamed, the words ripping from her mouth as it occurred to her death was hovering near Skylar. But at the look on the red eyes that seemed to drip blood, she fell silent, terrified.

However- Ghost's momentary pause had been enough and the fight broke out again, with Skylar slamming Ghost onto a rock and using his greater weight to hold the white wolf firmly on the ground. Chest heaving, Ghost stared up into his opponent's eyes, and after a last growl, he subsided.

Faolan watched, and the two slowly crept back into their human forms, but Skylar didn't move in position, and he held the albino firmly down, his hands wrapped around Ghost's shoulders. Blood leaked freely from dozens of wounds, and the ground around them was spattered with blood. Faolan noticed with horror that Skylar's throat dripped with blood.

"Tell me, Aric," Skylar rasped angrily, "Why exactly is it that Faolan should go back to Valdemar?"

Ghost stared back silently, his eyes at once sullen and cautious. But he made no answer; Faolan noticed the muscles in his arms were twitching. His body dripped with sweat and blood, despite the slight wind that had picked up, a chill, cold one, and Faolan shivered.

"Neither of us are spies!" she finally yelled at them, to break the deadly silence spreading between the two of them.

Both Skylar and Ghost turned to look at her, one set of eyes red, the other black, but in the predawn with human eyes, Faolan wouldn't have been able to tell the color of a leaf, and both men's eyes were shadowed.

"If he's not a spy, he's a traitor," Skylar informed Faolan darkly, "Go back to Valdemar?" then he turned to Aric and breathed, "Why did you join us if you never wanted to be a werewolf? Why did you even come here?"

Ghost looked away and Faolan saw a tear streaking down his cheek and he whispered, so soft Fao could barely hear, "I have nowhere else to go…" then he looked up, his eyes staring towards Fao and he added, "I'm sorry, Faolan, for my outburst. It's just… you look a lot like my daughter and maybe I thought… I don't know. But sometimes I think none of you…" Ghost glanced at Skylar as he said his, "None of you understand how terrible this curse can be. Our livelihood comes from killing. How can a species live like this?"

"It's the only way," Skylar growled and stood up, looking at Ghost in disgust.

He sighed and clenched his fists, giving Ghost a warning look, telling him to stay on the ground. Faolan stared up at Skylar, knees to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs, saying nothing, wondering what there was that she could say. For a second she thought Skylar had somehow discovered… but no, it appeared she was simply guilty by association in his eyes. Hopefully. And Fao knew that Ghost was no spy- if Valdemar had a spy before this they wouldn't have needed her- and they would have known the enemy was composed of werewolves.

"However," Skylar then turned on Ghost with a nasty smile, "If you think Faolan here would be better off burned in Valdemar that does leave one thing up to question… why aren't you burning in Valdemar, then, my dearest, loyal friend?"

"Not everyone has the courage to kill his or herself," Ghost snapped back darkly and Faolan saw that a fine lining of white hair was still all over his body. Skylar too- was much hairier than in normal human form.

"The world would have been better off if you had that courage," Skylar growled.

Ghost simply stared back at Skylar and Faolan felt a momentary pang of sympathy- but it was Ghost who had gotten her into this mess. She looked at Skylar, searching his face, feeling like she was waiting to be led to her own hanging- did he still think she was a spy too? Ghost finally nodded and Fao knew it was her turn now. The albino had started to climb to his feet when a new white shape suddenly appeared five meters away, glowing in the morning light. At the exact moment she appeared, the sun peaked its face over the mountains, lighting her up in many colors. It was Raul, and sweat dripped down her heaving sides.

:Raul!: she yelled in delight, in relief and she jumped to her feet. It was all over, all over, but Raul was here and they could escape and she could go home and maybe even Raleigh…

Skylar and Ghost stared at the horse like apparition, in shock and amazement, and slowly the white man's eyes turned and met Faolan's. For a second they stared at each other, blue eyes to red, and then he gave her a brief nod and a smile so quick she almost missed it, and he ran over to Raul. Before either Fao or Skylar, or even Raul, could react, his lithe body had swung up onto her back.

"No!" Faolan screamed, suddenly realizing what he was doing. Raul hesitated for a second and Faolan felt sick, but then the Companion whirled sideways and in moments her hoof beats had faded into the night, leaving Fao feeling more alone than ever.

The silence around them was broken with birdcalls, cheerful and happy now that the sun was up. An icy light was spreading and Faolan looked up at Skylar. They stood, gazing at each other in the scene torn with paw marks and a few scattered hoof prints. What have I done? Faolan wondered.

Skylar seemed to be in shock. Half an hour must have passed, in which Faolan sat shivering for the first five minutes before her sense came back and she turned into a wolf, to then cuddle up at the tree and watch the man as he stood, gazing off to the distance where Raul had spirited the albino away.

Finally, he turned to Fao and said, "Back to camp."

He walked, in human form, apparently unaffected by the cold and hard ground. Faolan slinked after him, her stomach rolling and her paws quiet against the leaves. Before they reached camp, Skylar stopped and turned to stare at Faolan with blank, dead like eyes, and he said slowly, "I am sorry you were ever involved in this, Faolan. There was no way you, or any of us, including me, could have guessed he was a Herald…"

Then he turned and made his way back into the camp to a group of startled changelings- startled at the look of death on the face of their leader and the bloody wounds covering his body. He didn't need to say anything, for they all followed him to the center of the village and waited in uncomfortable silence for Skylar to speak.

"One of us is a betrayer," he spoke, his voice still torn and raspy and Faolan looked nervously at the wound on his throat, "And he has left us. But we will not let him escape. All those big enough to fight, come with me. Thorne, you stay with those too young."

Skylar gave Faolan a pointed look at this- as if she would want to track down Ghost! About ten of the villagers stepped forward, already discarding their leathers and growing fur instead. The rest- about twenty more of them, were all too young and a few, Faolan noticed, that were too old, like Thorne, an old werewolf with a graying beard and hair.

"Herald Aric will not live to see tomorrow's dawn!" Skylar howled as he slipped back into wolf form and, wounds and all, sprang off into the woods.

:Take care, Raul,: Faolan sent to the Companion, :They're pursuing.:

:I thought they would,: Raul said, and Faolan heard the worry in her mindvoice.

She then sat down, still in wolf form, her tail curled around her, and stared at the ashes of the fire pit, wondering what burst of selflessness had spurred Ghost to save Faolan the death that Skylar meant to give the white werewolf. Fao had been sure that her time as a spy was over, for Skylar knew- or maybe he was just guessing, and Raul was coming to save her… It felt strange, as she later wound her way through the wooden huts, to still be there, alive and innocently viewed, when she should have been fleeing on her way back to Valdemar… She sighed, and thought of Raleigh, and longed to be with him, and see him wake.

:Fao…: Raul spoke to her Chosen a little later, and the girl sensed she was still running.

:Yes?: she asked, as she watched the village.

:Aric… He wants me to leave him,: Raul said, her voice reluctant and uneasy, :He says he has nothing else to live for and would rather die fighting…:

Faolan felt a pang of grief inside her and she lay down, placing her head on her paws- in the moment when Faolan would have been revealed as the true spy, he had stepped forward to take her place- didn't he deserve life for that? Raul could bring him to Valdemar, where he'd be safe, she could outrun the werewolves easily…

:But he can't die now!: Faolan cried out to Raul, :Not now! He saved me, Raul! He saved us!:

:I can't stop him if he wants to go, Faolan,: the Companion answered, :He knew what he was doing when he ran to me. He knew he was signing his own death warrant.:

:No, don't let him, Raul!: Faolan pleaded, but she knew it was no good.

:He… Aric- Skylar will track us to the end, over the border. They don't need speed when they have noses and Faolan, I really need to be here with you. It's not my job to escort betrayers to a place where they may not even be accepted…Fao, he says… he says goodbye, Fao,: Raul said and Faolan despaired.

That evening Skylar and the hunters returned. None of them spoke, least of all Skylar, and Faolan watched them from behind a hut, her blue eyes gleaming in the light of the setting sun. It set red and Faolan thought of Aric's blood red eyes, and when she finally turned back into human form, in the safety and warmth of her own hut, she wept for him as the sun of his last day went down behind the mountains separating Valdemar and Karse.