Chapter 8

Confusion

"Shen, what's going on?" I stepped up to his right wing and looked from him to the huge wolf and back. The wolf looked at me hungrily and licked his chops.

"Nice to see you brought us a meal, peacock." He reached an enormous, grubby paw for my throat and I pecked him hard enough to draw blood. With a howl he jumped back, but not before backhanding me across my face and tearing out little feathers on my cheek from the friction. I yelped and stepped back pressing a wing to my face.

In an instant Shen had the fool pinned to the ground with his Steel Talons on his throat. His tail was fanned and every single one of his feathers quivered with rage. "You even think about touching her again and I will kill you!" He hissed in the wolf's face. I hadn't seen Shen this angry since a long long time ago, and it frightened me. Yet, all the dog did was smile.

"Nice to have you back." When those words entered the air Shen jumped back as though he had been burned. I placed my wing on his back and he took up his stance with the rest of us.

"What are you doing here? Wolves have been banished from this province." I hissed, allowing Shen a chance to organize his thoughts.

"Do you think we really care what you pompous 'upper-class' palace-goers have to say?" Lang said as a few of his soldiers helped him back to his feet. He clutched a paw to his chest where Lord Shen had stabbed him three years ago on the barge. "You have no military to enforce your laws, and the Kung Fu Masters Council is still being rebuilt," He chuckled as we all glared daggers at him. "And these warriors were in the Valley of Peace."

"Well we're here now." Po growled. "And we are hungry for justice!" I rolled my eyes and smiled inwardly.

"Where are my brother and sister?" I asked harshly, looking around at the darkness of the cave.

"Ah yes, the golden birds. We have them held somewhere safe." As Lang said that he gave a few of his comrades a funny look and I watched a small group of them run deeper into the cave.

"If you hurt a single feather on their heads, I swear I'll…" I could hardly hold myself back from sounding the attack and destroying my family's captors once and for all.

"You'll what peahen? Look at where you are!" The alpha wolf gestured to the cave. "You think you can beat us in here?" He barked a few commands to his men and our group was surrounded. Tigress shot me a look asking what the heck I was doing, but I just nodded my reassurance. How else would we find my brother and sister?

A few wolves jabbed at us with spears and I hissed at them and fanned my tail making them back off. Then I looked over to Shen. He was staring at the floor and fiddling with the end of his robe like a moon-struck chick. I hadn't seen him this uncomfortable since we were only innocent chicks back in the palace. I wasn't sure what to say with all of these wolves around; I didn't want to provoke their wrath and get us in more trouble. So I stalled my stride and waited for him to catch up. Then I took his wing in mine for a second.

When he looked up fear clutched at my heart for a moment. His red-amber eyes were a raging ocean of conflict. I could see anger, fear, and total and utter confusion storming through his mind.

"Always." Was all I said, and I gave his wing a squeeze. His eyes then softened and returned to normal.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Ah here we are!" The Boss Wolf bellowed and our group stopped. I looked around and saw that Crane and Mantis had disappeared. I hoped that they had gone back to the palace to get Storming Ox and Croc.

Then I saw the cage. It was constructed like a bird cage, only four times bigger, and it hung out over a seemingly endless drop. In the bottom of the chasm I could see the tips of stalagmites peeking through the mist. But it was what I saw in the cage that made my pink feathers turn almost as red as my father's, and my temper take over for my better thinking.

A feathers-and-bones version of my younger brother and sister looked up at us with fearful expressions. Neither one of their, usually shining and golden, feathers were clean. They looked like they had been tortured, starved, and threatened to the point of death. Bo-Chen almost couldn't stand when they both came over to the bars of their cage to get a better view of us. Their gorgeous green eyes stared at us with glazed over, almost blank expressions, though the twinge of hope could be seen.

"You low life, yellow-bellied, mangy cowards," I was talking quietly, almost inaudibly, as I turned back to Lang. Tigress, Viper, Monkey, Shifu and Po had an excited gleam in their eyes as they noticed my fury, and I could feel them tensing for the battle that would soon take place. My emotion seemed to have rubbed off on Shen because he was like me; furious. The tips of his feathers were a light reddish color, and his eyes now had a deeper red tint to them.

"You dare capture my family? You dare torture them? You dare think that you could get away with this insolence when we have such a small attack force?" My voice rose with each statement and the wolves shot nervous looks at one another. One thing came to their minds when they saw how angry I was, and that was mama wolf separated from her pups. One thing any creature learns if they wish to live is to NEVER get between a mama wolf and her pups. EVER.

"Let them go, now." I was back to my quiet yet terrifying voice. A few younger wolves, who still valued their lives, moved to pull the cage to the ledge.

"Stop you idiots! We have them right where we want them." Lang called to them.

"Oh, and where would that be?" Shen growled as a few of his throwing blades slid out of his feathers.

"In a cave, surrounded by my wolves, your only escape cut off, and a cage full of leverage, my Lord." He explained bowing low then laughing as Shen only became angrier. I watched nervously as he flexed his pure white wing and prepared to throw the blades.

"I killed you once Lang, for disobedience, and how you survived I don't understand or rightly care. I will kill you again for treason, kidnapping, and torture of my family." My fiancé was now shaking from rage.

"Oh come on Shen! They're not your family!" The huge wolf gestured to the cage of my terrified siblings. "Your family betrayed you, remember?" Lang moved to wrap his arm around the white peacock's shoulders, but Shen cut at him with the throwing blades and he stepped back.

"My family exists in the past, and they cared about Gongmen City; that's why they sent me away." His voice shook and I stepped next to him with blades in my wings as well. I looked at him and tried to offer a comforting glance. He didn't notice.

"No Shen. They hate…"

"ENOUGH!" Shen screamed. "You know nothing about my family!"

"Shen, breathe…" I mouthed. I was waiting for a queue to signal the attack. I could feel tension crackle through the air like lightning.

"You know absolutely nothing about me, my family, or my life. You wolves have threatened the safety of this city for the last time!" Shen threw the blades and hit Lang square in the chest. That was our queue.

I shot a look at Shen who nodded. We both keened our battle cry and turned on our captors. I sent one burly male over the edge of the chasm with a blow from my staff. We listened to him howl until he was cut off by the thud of his body hitting the ground. I flinched but turned back to the battle. I ducked a blow from a few pups and thwacked them both in the ribs with my staff and they cowered back.

Tigress was incredible as usual as she held the least amount of emotion for any of her enemies. Monkey and Viper were on a crushing spree as they sent wolves flying in all directions from various techniques. Po was bouncing several opponents off his big belly and sending them either over the edge or towards one of us to finish off.

Shen and I fought as one being. Our motions were meshed together as though they were only a single thought. I would trip an opponent and Shen would take him out, and visa-versa. It was like we were meant to do this. We finished off a rather nasty group and I was able to meet his gaze and his frowning face softened for a moment. "Good work."

"You too." I was then snapped out of the reverie as more wolves poured in on us.

I was still wondering where Crane and Mantis were when we heard a shout from the mouth of the cave. "We'll seal it off! Get out!" Crane called. Immediately Po and the other masters took off for the exit.

"Come on Shen!" I yelled and took off running with his wing in mine. We dashed through the cave entrance and Mantis lit the fuse to a bunch of T.N.T wedged into the rocks. Then I remembered why we were there. "Bo-Chen and Genji!"

Now to thicken the plot, haha! I know it seemed like this was a bunch of friendly bonding and such, but NO! I must make it at least a little bit enjoyable for you guys! hahaXD