A/N: and here it is! the next chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 17: Parable of the Moon

"Hey! Knock that off! It's a tail, not a play thing! Ow! Hey! I'm delicate ya know?! Get that away from me! I'm not putting that on! No! Don't you dare---! Ah!"

"W-What are they doing to her in there?" Toboe wondered, cautiously as he, Chief Runs with Horses and the rest of the pack sat around the fire, eating and resting.

"Washing and preparing her," Chief Runs with Horses replied over the yelps and objections Ryooshi still gave inside a tent not too far away.

"For what?" Tsume couldn't help but wonder, and Toboe heard only a slight tone of concern but concern nonetheless.

"A ceremony of sorts," the Chief replied. "I am allowing all of you to stay in our village, and as speaker for your group, there is a task she must perform as gratitude for my generosity."

"Oh, this should be fun," Hige smirked as Blue leaned back against him from where she sat in front of him.

"But, isn't Kiba leader of the pack?" Blue recalled.

"I sensed it was someone else in your pack who was the alpha," Runs with Horses replied. "However, when Huntress Wolf lived with us, she was witness to many ceremonies such as these from people seeking asylum in our village that she knows the requirements as well as if she were part of our tribe."

"I see," Kiba nodded. "What exactly is the task she has to perform?"

"It is something that cannot be described," Runs with Horses replied with a mysterious smile. "It is something that must be witnessed. However, it is not as horrible as Huntress Wolf is making it sound in there."

Another yelp came from the tent, making all of them jump and one of the squaws came from inside the tent to walk calmly toward Chief Runs with Horses. She knelt down, whispered something in his ear and he nodded as she stood again. He gestured to the musicians to start the music and they began beating their drums, and shaking their rattlers.

The wolves frowned at each other but their obvious question was soon answered when Ryooshi came dancing out of the tent she'd been in. She had her own instrument which she shook when the music called for it as she still preformed the Indian dance and as she drew closer to the fire, the pack could see that she was wearing different clothing and her hair was done up differently as well.

Feather on top of her head were sticking out of her hair which were held by two leather cords seen running across her forehead which also tied up two, small ponytails that rested on her shoulders when she was still, but as she still danced, they bounced loosely on her shoulders. She still wore her black onyx necklace which she never took off, and wore even in her wolf form.

They had smeared a line of red paint above a line of green paint on her right cheek, and the outfit she now wore was light tan, brown and blue died material. The skirt fell to her knees and the top was cut in a triangle, the tip just covering her mid-drift while the base wrapped around her shoulders. Brown leather sandals tied up to mid-shin the pack couldn't help but snicker only slightly at her expression when she looked at the Chief they sat with. She wasn't happy.

Runs with Horses only smiled back. For a Chief who was wise and reasonable, he showed his age of seventeen when he smiled mischievously at a well executed plan such as this one.

Ryooshi started circling the fire and once she'd gone around it once, she ended up in front of the Chief and the music stopped just as she did, panting from dancing. She knelt onto her knees and looked up at the dark night say and howled at the high hanging moon. Runs with Horses glanced at the other wolves around them and silently entreated them to join her. Glancing around at each other they did and they all noticed Ryooshi seem to relax just a little bit.

They all stopped together and Ryooshi bowed her head in respect as she said, "Chief Runs with Horses, I humbly and gratefully thank you for your generosity in sheltering myself and my friends from the Wolf Hunters. I hope you call upon me for this debt to be repaid someday."

"It is my debt you are repaying, Huntress Wolf," he reminded her. "But if you wish, I will ask something of you some day. In the meantime, the ceremony is concluded. Please sit with your friends and enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, Chief," Ryooshi replied, bowing again then standing to walk toward him and sit on his right, as was required. She wouldn't have minded so much if Tsume hadn't been sitting on the other side of her. She was sure he was going to give her some sarcastic remark about the dance, or something. She braced herself for the inevitable when he leaned closer to her, his hand reaching for something.

"Let me see that," he requested, pulling the instrument she still held from her hands and examining it. Ryooshi frowned at him in wonder as he only looked at the thing. He was really interested in it and she couldn't figure out why. He shook it and gave a genuine smile at the rattling sound inside then looked at her and inquired, "What's in it?"

"I-I don't know," she replied, honestly and shocked that he was speaking seriously. "Beans or rice or something?"

He nodded, glancing at the thing again then tossed it back to her, which she quickly caught.

"Never thought a wolf could dance like that," he smirked sarcastically, and her shock turned to irritation as she set her jaw and looked back at the fire. "That's a nice little outfit you're wearing too, mutt."

"Shut up," she growled, lowly. "And can you ever stop calling me that?"

"Nope," Tsume blurted. "It's like when I call Toboe or Hige runt and porky."

"So I guess I should be flattered, is that what you're saying?" she shot back.

"No," he replied. "I'm saying get used to it because I'm not gonna call you anything else."

Ryooshi shot a burning gaze at him and he only smirked back, tauntingly. She threw the instrument at him, which he caught with a start, and she stood to walk away to the tent she'd come out of. The rest of them watched her in wonder at the outburst and the wolves turned glares to Tsume who looked back at them when he felt he was being stared at.

"What?" he shrugged.

"What did you say to her to make her angry?!" Toboe asked for the rest of them as Runs with Horses glanced around at the wolves in wonder.

"I didn't say anything!" Tsume argued. "It's not my fault she's touchy about what I call her!"

"You don't know anything about females," Blue muttered, standing and starting toward the tent Ryooshi had gone into. On passing behind Tsume she smacked the back of his head with the back of her hand, making him jump and glare up at her but before he could say anything she was already too far away.

Blue stepped up to the tent entrance and called, "Ryooshi? It's Blue. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," was the weary sounding reply and Blue moved the flap of the tent entrance away to step in. Ryooshi sat on the floor, her hair still done in its Indian style, but her own clothes were back on. She was sitting Indian style with the instrument in her lap as she only stared at it, even as Blue sat next to her.

"That was an impressive dance, you know?" she smiled. "I don't think I'd have been able to do that."

"It's not that hard," Ryooshi murmured with a shrug, still not looking at the other she-wolf. "When I was living here I was taught all kinds of dances. Once you know the basic steps you can pretty much do any of the other dances."

"I still think it's impressive though," Blue smiled.

"Thanks," Ryooshi sighed, picking at the instrument in her lap. There was a pause for a moment before she said, "Do you have nick-names for the others, Blue?"

Blue frowned at her for a moment, but when she didn't look back at her she thought for a moment then replied, "No. I pretty much call them all by their names. Why?"

"Tsume calls me mutt," she grumbled with a slight pout. "I tried to get over it, but I'm not some half-breed. It's like he's insulting me on purpose to try and rile me up. Why the hell does he have to be so mean?!"

Blue stifled her smile at Ryooshi's irritation but didn't laugh. She could tell she was starting to care about Tsume. They all saw the way she looked at him, and they all saw the way Tsume treated her. The two liked each other and either didn't know it or didn't want to admit it.

"You want my advice?" Blue whispered and Ryooshi nodded. "As much as you might hate what he does and says, you should pretend it doesn't bother you at all. Just ignore it."

"What good would that do?" Rooshi wondered, finally looking up at the other she-wolf.

"He'll get riled that you're not reacting to him anymore," Blue smirked slyly. "Don't you wanna see him as upset as you get when he's being a jerk to you?"

Ryooshi nodded, a sly smirk to match Blue's creeping to her lips. They both stood and Ryooshi threw her arms around Blue for a hug.

"Thanks, Blue," she murmured and pulled away with a grin.

"You're welcome," Blue smiled, stepping to the tent entrance to lead the way back to the fire. They caught the Chief's attention and he smiled at Ryooshi as she took her seat next to him again.

"Is everything alright, Huntress Wolf?" he hoped and Ryooshi nodded.

"Done with you tantrum, mutt?" Tsume blurted.

Ryooshi glanced at Blue who had taken her place with Hige, bit her lower lip slightly then turned her head a touch toward Tsume's direction and calmly replied, "Yes."

Tsume gave a split-second frown at her as she turned back to face the fire. He'd expected another outburst, but she wasn't doing anything. What had Blue done to make her so calm? He slumped slightly as he looked back at the fire in thought. She was no fun like this. He'd have to think of another way to rile her up.

"Hey, mutt," he called, and Ryooshi took a silent, deep breath as she turned her gaze at him.

"Yes?" she replied, calmly.

"What happened to your clothes?" he wondered. "You change?"

"Yes, I did," she answered. "Why?"

"What for?" he asked. "The other outfit was better than your own raggedy clothes."

Ryooshi's eyes widened in rage, but she quickly drew herself back from killing him by balling her hands into fists in her lap. She glanced at his clothes and noticed the sleeves of his jacket and couldn't pass up the opportunity to shoot back at him. She reached out with one hand and picked at the torn part of his sleeve of his jacket, catching his attention and he glanced between her hand and her face.

"What?" he asked and Ryooshi pulled her hand from his sleeve.

"You call my clothes raggedy," she retorted, calmly. "Both your sleeves are torn."

"It's the style!" Tsume snapped.

"Ok, sure," Ryooshi scoffed, turning back to the fire and shaking her head a little. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Tsume staring at her in disbelief then heard him growl as he stood and walked around to the other side of the Chief to sit between Toboe and Kiba. She smirked to herself when he sat with a jutting lower jaw and looking away from her direction.

Good, she thought. For once he can sulk because of me and my smart mouth.

"Huntress Wolf," Chief Runs with Horses called, gently and Ryooshi turned his attention, a little reluctantly, toward him. "Would you and your friends like to accompany us on the hunt tomorrow afternoon?"

"Oh, I'm sure the others would like to, but I don't think I can accompany you," she replied, quickly. He sensed her reason for not going. She had told him and his father what she had done before stumbling upon their village.

"We are not hunting for sport, Huntress Wolf," he reminded her, drawing her attention. "We hunt for food to survive. We are not Wolf Hunters."

"I know that," she replied, gently.

"Then you know there is nothing wrong with hunting, if it is out of necessity," he hinted.

"Yes, but…I would prefer the others not see me as the huntress I am named to be," she answered. "It's a side of me they can do without."

There was a pause as she turned to stare at the fire and Runs with Horses gave a scoff as he thought to himself, drawing Ryooshi's attention again.

"What is it?" she inquired, her interest piqued.

"Something my father once told me," he explained. "Though the moon shines brightly in the sky, sometimes she becomes embarrassed when she shines too brightly, and does not wish to be seen, so she hides herself. But, she returns, brighter than ever."

Ryooshi frowned, not understanding what he meant, and he saw in her gaze that it had gone over her head.

"I did not understand it at first either," he assured her. "It was when I was ashamed of something I'd done. So ashamed, that I would not play with the other boys, or go out of the tent but for a few times. It had been this way for too long. My father meant that it was acceptable too hide if I was embarrassed, but like the moon hides itself for a certain period of time, my time for hiding was over. And even after hiding for so long, I would shine more brightly to those around me after my shame.

"Your own shame for your own actions is no different. You have been hiding for nearly five years now, I think it is safe to say your time is for hiding is over. Let yourself shine brightly now, Huntress Wolf."

Ryooshi felt near tears as she swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, whispering, "Thank you, Chief. You have grown wise in two years. It's wonderful."

"I am only as wise as far as my father has taught me," he replied, humbly. "Will you come with us on the hunt?"

"You're going too?" Ryooshi frowned in wonder.

"I always do," he nodded, then smirked, "The hunter's blood has not left my veins yet."

Ryooshi gave a giggle and nodded as she replied, "Well if you're going, I think I should too. You might need me to save your life again."

"Then I would be in your debt again," he replied. "Sleep in my tent tonight."

"Oh, no, thank you, Chief," she objected, gently. "I should stay with the others. I wouldn't want them to be jealous because I'm getting special treatment."

"Very well," he nodded. "The tent you were dressed in will belong to yourself and your friends, then."

"Thank you again, Chief," she said, bowing her head respectfully.

She lifted her head to gaze up at the moon and smiled. She knew Runs with Horses was right. She'd been hiding herself for a long time, and frankly she was getting sick of it. She suddenly didn't care what Kiba, Hige, Blue, Toboe or even Tsume thought of her, because she thought she was just fine the way she was. So what if they didn't think she was done with the Wolf Hunters? She knew she was, and she knew she would be for the rest of her life.

"And so, she shines even brighter than the moon when out of hiding," Runs with Horses murmured to her and she grinned back at him with a definite nod.

A/N: let me start out by saying, that little parable was not easy for me to make sense of. no i didn't hear it anywhere in a an indian movie, or anywhere. i made it up so i won't be surprised if any of you reviews and say "what the heck was all that moon stuff about?" and during the whole dance thing, i was playing Visions of a Flame on theWolf's Rain OST. *giggle* ok, i'm done. reviews?