A/N: wow this one came fast didn't it? lol. enjoy!

Chapter 13: Promise This One

"Hey, mutt, wake up!" Tsume urged, nudging Ryooshi as she still leaned on him in the dark shack, the only light coming through the window being the half-moon's natural glow. She groaned and stirred, but didn't open her eyes. He gave a heavy sigh and gritting his teeth he looked down at her then snarled, "I'm not carrying you anymore! Get up!"

She still didn't open her eyes and Tsume flicked her nose as Liona had done to him earlier that day. Ryooshi finally shook her head, recoiling from his hand and sat up to rub her nose and glare at him.

"What the hell was that for?" she groaned in a raw voice.

"You wouldn't move," Tsume shot back and stood up then held a hand to her. She looked at his hand with a frown then turned the frown to him. "Your leg still hurts, doesn't it? You need help up, don't you?"

She opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it and took his hand, using her un-mauled leg to support her weight, but as stood, she stumbled and tripped forward only to slam into Tsume's chest. He quickly threw his arms around her to keep from falling and she looked up at him, cheeks red again.

"First you get shot," he began, "then you get mauled, and now you're tripping all over the place. You're a clumsy mutt. Were you dropped as a pup?"

"Shut up!" Ryooshi squeaked, shoving away from him as he chuckled, seemingly unaffected by their shared closeness. She stepped a few paces away from him and crossed her arms in a huff then asked, "So where are we going?"

"Well, it's a little after sunset," Tsume explained. "We should find the others. We'll follow Cheza's scent, like you said when we were running from those guys." He turned to the door and started out of the shack, calling over his shoulder, "Let's go."

He opened the door but stopped when he didn't hear footsteps hurrying behind him. Tsume turned around to see Ryooshi standing in the middle of the shack, staring at the ground, and it made him frown in confusion. He thought she would be excited and tell him to wait up, not sulky and saying nothing. He resisted the urge to ask what was wrong. It wasn't like he really cared. But he couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind.

"I don't think…I should go," she finally muttered, not looking at him. "I probably don't belong anyway. It's been so long since I've been in a pack…I don't think I could adjust."

"Who said anything about us letting you into our pack?" Tsume retorted, but he was surprised when she didn't look up at him with a hurt gaze. She still stared at the ground.

"I mean that…I'm used to being on my own," she explained. "I've been living on my own for about five years now. I haven't even run into any wolves until I met you and your friends. What I guess I'm trying to say is…I don't think I should go with you."

There was a pause. A fleeting silence that lasted no more than five seconds before Tsume broke it.

"That's not all of it, right?" he guessed, and this made Ryooshi's head shoot up to look at him with her wide, jade eyes.

"H-How did you---?"

"It doesn't take a psychic to see it, mutt," Tsume retorted. "I can hear it in your voice. You don't wanna tell me what your problem is or come with me, fine, but don't try to justify it by saying you've been on your own all this time and don't remember what it's like to be a wolf. You can't forget what you are. I've been on my own too, and I haven't forgotten."

There was another silence as she still stared at him with a wide-eyed expression and he only turned back to the door.

"So you're not coming?" he guessed by her silence.

She only stared at his back for a moment, but the moment was long enough for him to take it as a 'yes' and he started walking out the door without another word. Ryooshi stared at the empty doorway, listening to Tsume's footsteps drift away, then shook herself back to reality.

"Tsume!" she called, bolting out the door. She didn't realize that he hadn't gotten that far, and didn't have time to stop before she rammed into him and landed to the ground with a grunt.

"Finally make a decision, mutt?" Tsume smirked as she sat up and rubbed her back, glaring at him.

"Stop calling me a mutt!" she spat and his smirk grew a little as he held out his hand again. She glanced between his smirk and his hand and gave a smirk herself before taking his hand. She stood up and they started walking again, side by side.

"So does this mean I'm on your good side now?" she smiled cutely and Tsume frowned at her then gave a growl but she only grinned back.

"Just because I'm letting you come with me doesn't mean we're friends," he replied.

"Sure it does!" Ryooshi smiled, darting in front of him to walk backwards and say, "You're not telling me to leave you alone anymore, right? Doesn't that mean you don't mind me anymore?"

"No," he replied, flatly. "You're annoying as hell. You piss me off."

"There you go again," she smirked, waving a scolding finger at him. "Big Bad Wolf Tsume doesn't work on me anymore. Once somebody knows you're all warm and fuzzy inside, they can't be intimidated by your tough, mean exterior. It's like when you know the secret to a magic trick, it loses its mystery."

"I liked it better when you were depressed," he snapped. "At least you were quiet."

"But, Tsume---!"

They both stopped dead on their tracks and lifted their heads to sniff at the air.

"That's a nice scent," Ryooshi smirked, knowing what it was.

"This way," Tsume urged, darting past her and down the street. They'd both caught Cheza's Lunar Flower scent on the wind.

Toboe gave a small whine as he trudged down the street, his head bowed in sorrow. Liona had told him he should go find the rest of his pack, and that she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come back. He didn't want to leave it that way, but thinking about leaving Liona forever depressed him. She was all he had had since he was a puppy.

She had said it was alright. She had said she knew this day would come, but he could hear in her voice that she didn't want him to leave any more than he wanted leave her. He suddenly realized why Tsume would never let himself get attached to humans the way he did with Liona and Granny in his past life. Tsume wanted to avoid the suffering caused by leaving or losing a master.

He knew he couldn't help it. He had to have someone there for him. Someone to protect and love who would play with him and love him in return. It was in his nature to care too much for humans, and it seemed no matter what he did, he ended up losing them somehow.

Lifting his head he sniffled and rubbed his nose then wiped his eyes of the tears that formed there without him noticing. He sniffed once more to clear his nose and suddenly perked up when he caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

"Cheza…" he breathed and darted down the street, following the scent. He rounded corners, ran through alleys, the scent getting stronger and stronger as he followed it. He finally came to a run-down hotel that looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Stopping at the front door he saw a sign across it reading 'Condemned' and a padlock kept the door shut.

Not risking being caught if he broke down the door, he headed down the alley on one side of the building to look for an open window. The scent became stronger as he entered the alley and he couldn't help but grin at it. He took a deep breath before finally jumping toward the window the scent was coming from.

"Holy crap---!"

Hige's exclamation was cut off when Toboe tumbled into him as he stood next to the window, sending them toppling to the floor. Blue laughed heartily as the two wolves on the floor tried to untangle themselves from each other.

"Hey! Watch where you're jumping, runt!" Hige snapped, back peddling on the floor and away from the young wolf.

"Sorry, Hige," Toboe groaned, rubbing his rump to relieve the soreness from the fall. He looked up at Blue, who snickered as Hige glared at her and Cheza giggled as well as Kiba only shook his head with a small smirk or amusement. Toboe couldn't help but smile at the nostalgia rolling over him. It felt like old times, and he loved it.

"Where's your human?" Blue wondered, collecting herself, and that dashed Toboe into his depression again. His face grew long as he gazed down at the floor.

"She didn't wanna come," he muttered. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"What, she kicked you out?" a voice from the window retorted. Toboe whirled around, still sitting on the floor as Tsume crouched in the window, drawing everyone's attention as he hopped from the sill and onto the floor.

"No---"

"In coming!" Ryooshi called and soared through the window…ramming into Tsume and sending them both to the floor and on top of Hige…again.

"What am I?! A fall-breaker?!" Hige snarled as he scrambled out from under the two and Tsume shoved Ryooshi off of himself.

"What the hell is wrong with you, mutt?!" Tsume growled, jumping to his feet as Ryooshi sat on the ground.

"I gave you a warning call," Ryooshi pouted, crossing her legs under to sit Indian style as she crossed her arms in a huff. "It's not my fault you didn't listen to me."

"Ryooshi!" Toboe grinned and scrambled toward her, throwing his arms around her and grinning, "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Good, go bother the runt for a while," Tsume muttered, but he'd spoken too soon. Toboe shot to his feet and ran to Tsume to hug him as well.

"I'm glad you're alright too, Tsume," Toboe smiled and Tsume couldn't help but give only a smirk and pat the runt's head.

"I hate to break up this little reunion," Hige called, getting to his feet and dusting himself off, "but we should probably figure out what to do now that these hunter guys are here."

Ryooshi stayed silent as her smile dropped slowly and she shrunk into herself slightly to keep from being noticed.

"Ask Ryooshi," Tsume replied as Toboe detached himself from the older wolf, and Ryooshi gave him a glare that was telling him to shut up, but he was either ignoring her or didn't see her. "She seems to know a bit more about these guys than we do."

All eyes turned to Ryooshi who stiffened and stared back at them with wide eyes filled with panic.

"I-I…" she breathed, her gaze shifting from one expectant face to another. She felt her heart nearly stop when Kiba stood from his spot on the bed and came toward her. He stopped in front of her, knelt down to her level, as she was still sitting, and looked at her with those intense, ice blue eyes for a moment.

"I won't ask you how you know what you do about the Wolf Hunters," he began in a murmur, "I'm sure you'll tell us when you're ready. I'll only ask you to help us. What will they do now? What should we do now?"

Ryooshi swallowed, feeling small under his intense eyes, but knowing he wasn't angry, or even demanding. He intimidated her even when being kind and caring, but she somehow felt encouraged all the same.

"They'll lock down the city," she replied, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear her. "Now that they know we're here, they'll be looking for us. They won't stop until they find us."

"How long will this lock down last?" Tsume wondered as Kiba sat back a foot or so away from Ryooshi.

"If they don't find us: a month," she replied, a bit more confidently. "They'll search the city for us for a month, and if they don't find us, they'll leave."

"So we hide somewhere until they leave," Hige reasoned with a shrug.

"It's not that easy," Ryooshi replied. "Those wolves with them will track us down even if we're locked in an attic somewhere. We'll think we're safe, but we won't be."

"So what do we do?" Toboe asked and all eyes gazed on Ryooshi cautiously and expectantly.

She scanned over the pack, meeting the eyes of everyone before looking back at Toboe and replied, "We leave the city."

"You gotta be kidding me," Tsume grumbled as Toboe stared at Ryooshi with wide eyes filled with disbelief, but she only looked at the wolf that had spoken up. "After all the crap we had to go through to get away from them, we have to go through them again to get out of the city?!"

"It's our only option," Ryooshi insisted, then looked back at Kiba, somehow understanding that he would see reason. "If we leave, they'll search the city for a month, come up empty, leave, and we can come back. Once they've searched one city, they'll never come back."

"I still can't figure out how you know so much about these guys," Hige piped up, making Ryooshi shoot a wide-eyed gaze at him. "Were you a flunky or something? Did they train you and you ran away once you found what they were doing?"

Ryooshi swallowed, staring at Hige in panic, but Kiba saved her from answering.

"That doesn't matter right now," he said. "What matters right now is surviving. Ryooshi's right. If we stay here in hiding for a month, they're bound to find us. I agree with her. We should leave the city." He looked back at Ryooshi who now looked gratefully back at him. "When will they start the lock down?"

"Tomorrow morning, if they haven't started it already," she replied.

"So we leave tonight," Kiba decided. "We leave now."

"Hold on a minute," Hige interjected. "Are we really trusting her? She hasn't even explained how---"

"Let it go, porky," Tsume cut in. "I already know what you're gonna say and you're not really one to talk, are you?"

"That was different," Hige snapped back. "And why are you sticking up for her?! I would think of all people you would be siding with me on this!"

"Why would I side with you on anything?" Tsume retorted, avoiding the question, and Hige glared at the older wolf as Kiba only ignored the fighting pair to stand, head toward Cheza and kneel in front of her, his hands taking hers.

"You don't need to worry Cheza," he murmured, softly. "We'll all take care of you. We won't let you get hurt."

Cheza lifted her head to gaze blankly at Kiba who gave a small smile.

"This one…will stay here."

That one, softly spoken statement shot all their attentions to her as Kiba's eyes widened and his smile dropped.

"Cheza, you don't have to do that," Blue jumped in, quickly. "You won't be a burden or anything if that's what you're worried about. We'll be happy to take care of you. We want you with us!"

"Yeah, Cheza, please come with us," Toboe begged, shuffling to the Flower Maiden's feet. "It won't be the same without you!"

"This one should stay here," Cheza rephrased, making Kiba frown up at her in confusion. She lifted a hand and placed it on Kiba's cheek as she said, "Make a promise to this one that you will come back so that you have now choice but to do so. This one will be with you that way if you promise you will all stay alive for this one's sake. Will you promise, Kiba?"

Kiba gazed up at the Maiden's strange eyes and laid his head in her lap as he slid his arms around her waist.

"I swear, Cheza," he whispered. "I swear I'll come back to you."

Cheza smiled as she placed her hand on Kiba's head and stroked his hair then looked up at Blue beside her who was near tears but managed to nod then say, "I promise we'll come back."

The Flower Maiden then looked to Hige who grinned with a thumbs-up and said, "Consider us there and back again without even a scratch on us, Cheza. I promise, too."

Her blind gaze fell on Toboe who gazed back at her with tears in his eyes and he nodded with a sniffle, shuddering, "I swear we'll come back, Cheza."

She looked over her shoulder at Tsume who sighed and nodded as he muttered, "Fine. Yeah. I promise, too."

A smile graced the Flower Maiden's rosy lips and she leaned forward to set her cheek on Kiba's head as it still sat in her lap.

"Do not be sad, Kiba," she whispered. "This one will be happy when you all return safely."

"I just found you again," Kiba whispered back, not moving. "I found you, and now I have to leave you again."

"This one hurts as well, but this one knows you will return, because you promised."

They both lifted their heads and Kiba saw tears starting to escape from her rose red eyes. He lifted a hand to brush one from her cheek that had trailed down her face with his thumb. He set his jaw and leaned forward to leave a small kiss on her lips and when he pulled away, he noticed his Flower Maiden blush for the first time.

"We should get moving," he announced as he stood, holding Cheza's hand and not moving from her side as he turned to the rest of the group. "But we need to find a place for Cheza. Somewhere she'll be safe."

"She can stay with Sissy," Toboe suggested, shooting to his feet. "She'll take great care of her. Besides…" He trailed off for a moment in sorrow then resumed, "when I leave, she'll need the company."

"Alright," Kiba nodded in agreement. "We'll take Cheza there first." He turned to Cheza and asked, "Is that fine with you?"

She smiled with a nod as she stood and Kiba gave her a small smile before turning to the rest of the pack and telling Toboe to lead the way to Liona's apartment.

Toboe hugged Liona fiercely as the group stood in her apartment, ready to go.

"I'm gonna come back, Sissy," he murmured.

"I know, Young Pup," Liona replied, sniffling as she patted his back. "Now get going before you're found."

Toboe released his 'sister' and nodded, sniffling himself and he turned to the door to lead the way out. Hige and Blue followed as Kiba lingered to hold Cheza one more time before trailing after them and Ryooshi hugged Liona before following the white wolf, but she was stopped at the door by a voice.

"You didn't promise this one to come back," Cheza called to Ryooshi, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to the Maiden with wide eyes.

"But…you don't really know me the way know the rest of them," she said.

"That does not matter," Cheza replied. "This one wants all of you to return. Will you make that promise to this one?"

Ryooshi stared at Cheza in shock and awe for a moment before giving a small smile, her eyes filling with tears at the Maiden's concern then giving a quick nod she said, "I promise, Cheza. I'll come back with them."

Cheza smiled and Ryooshi turned to follow the rest of the pack out of the city.

Ryooshi leapt from the balcony and into the street where the rest of the pack waited, glancing around to make sure none of the Wolf Hunters were out.

"So what now?" Hige wondered, slinging his arm over Blue's shoulders. "We know we have to leave, but where the heck are we gonna go once we're out of the city?"

"What's outside this city, anyway?" Toboe asked as Ryooshi glanced around then brought a hand up to the necklace she wore. A black onyx cabochon stone on a black leather cord.

"Nothing," Tsume answered Toboe. "There's nothing but desert. Almost like Freeze city, except this place isn't under a dome. It's just here."

"So it really is like last time," Hige realized then sighed. "I don't wanna head out to the desert with nothing to eat and no destination!"

"We could go north," Ryooshi finally suggested, meekly, and all eyes turned to her.

"What's north?" Blue asked, and Ryooshi clutched the necklace tightly.

"A friend of mine," she replied. "He's an Indian chief. I saved his son two years ago. He gave me this and said I could return if I ever needed shelter, food, water or to stay with his village forever."

"So, you're inadvertently someone's pet," Tsume grumbled. "I knew you had to be to act the way you do."

"I'm not his pet," Ryooshi snapped. "We're friends. His village nearly worships wolves. We'll be safe there."

They all turned to Kiba who had yet to say anything since they'd all gathered in the street. He looked at Ryooshi and she once again felt small under his gaze, but she could see he was evaluating her this time. She was sure they didn't trust her, and she wasn't surprised. Once they found out how she knew how the Wolf Hunters operated, they'd leave her, and she wouldn't be surprised by it at all.

"We'll head north, then," Kiba decided, making Ryooshi blink in shock.

"Are you kidding me?!" Hige nearly snarled. "The Crazy Girl Who Knows Too Much is gonna lead us to an Indian Chief that may, or may not, exist?!"

"At least we have a destination," Kiba argued. "Do you have another idea?"

Hige opened his mouth to reply but shut it again and set his jaw. He didn't, actually.

"Alright," Kiba nodded then turned to Ryooshi. "You lead the way."

Ryooshi swallowed, nervously and nodded and the pack bolted down the street, headed north.

A/N: maybe this one should have been named 'Run Wolf Warriors'? lol and yes, i know. you're probably all bummed that Cheza's not going with them and that Toboe is leaving Liona too, but think about it. do you really wanna see Cheza and Liona being toruted by the weather conditions and Liona being tortured by hunger? i didn't think so. anyway, reviews?