Chapter Eight

A Chance Unification

Klesa was kept in the dark as far about the meaning of traveling with a sand cat. She spoke little to her brother and Blue as they went on. Somewhere along, when the two wolves had set out once more to search for Felidae, Hige had remembered that he could just stuff the Book of the Sun into his hoodie and be done with it. The frozen tundra spread out before the four and a sense of conflict fell over Hige and Blue. They were close. So very close.

"Wait," Felidae spoke up, stopping from where she had been lagging behind the others. The three wolves turned to face her, Klesa with reluctance. "This is as far as I go."

Blue's ears twitched forward, surprised. "What do you mean? Aren't we doing all of this for you?"

"We're doing this for everyone," Felidae corrected calmly, before shaking her head. "I don't mean I'm leaving you forever. Just for now."

The gray wolf whined softly; after all her complaints, she considered Felidae a friend.

The cat seemed to sense this and smiled. "The song, it speaks to me again. The words unraveling to reveal more I must find. Alone."

Hige nudged Blue with his muzzle, ushering her back towards Klesa, and going forward. Klesa herself was watching the exchange stupidly, wishing she had some idea of what was going on.

"Good bye, Blue, Hige, Klesa. We meet again some day. When the time is right." Felidae nodded to her friends before aiming herself to the left and padding that way; her good-bye leaving the impression that she would be gone rather long.

Blue sighed heavily, but there was no more time to waste. The wolves were able to run faster and harder, with renewed vigor. They rested under a precipice for a moment after an hour, and it was then that Blue recognized it.

"Hige, look. This is where Tsume found us. Where we decided to leave." She breathed out, amazed she was able to remember the exact place.

The brown wolf trotted to her side, also looking up in astonishment. "It's been a while." His tail raised. "A mountain. Weren't they going that way?"

The she-wolf didn't reply at first, overcome with memories. The first time meeting Hige upon knowing who she was; the hostility in Tsume's voice when he knew she still felt loyalty towards Quent; the quiet, accepentce in Kiba as he neither praised or put down Blue; then there was Toboe, too young to know how to hate. Blue looked at her mate. "Yes, they were." Her tail lifted too. "Hige, we're back to where Cheza was. We can follow her scent anywhere from here."

"It's that way." Klesa spoke up without moving, pointing with her nose. "I don't know who Cheza is, but if you're looking for that irresistible scent, it heads off there." To the mountains.

Hige nodded in agreement; he was able to scent this as well. "Then we have our direction."

But Blue felt conflicted. Felidae had left them, and it seemed impossible that they would find the other wolves so easily. There was a catch somewhere.

An unfriendly wind greeted the small pack as they reached the base of the mountain. Blue was struck by the vegetation and beauty of the place as night came. But no wolf slept that night. They all stood warily at the base, looking around and waiting for something to happen. It was too quiet and peaceful here when compared to the rest of the world. It was unnatural.

Finally, Hige was the first to lay down on the ground, digging out an imprint in the ground to sleep in. Blue followed suit, sleeping close to him, but Klesa refused to stand down. She paced back and forth, sniffing the air frequently. It went against everything she was used to, to not sense any danger or know what was ahead.

A few hours further into the night, Klesa finally conceded to sleep, but not without protest. She was all too glad to get up when dawn struck, hurriedly waking her brother and his mate as well.

No one knew exactly what they would find at the peak and, as with her nature, Klesa was able to lead for once. She navigated their paths were care, scouting ahead before allowing the other two to follow. At certain times, it was easier to be human and jump up particular cliffs with inhuman strength. Klesa balked at the thought of embracing her human form, however, she finally did.

Blue looked curiously at the older girl after the three made their jumps. Klesa wore a black sweatshirt, similar to Hige's, with faded blue jeans. She kept her hood pulled up, looking away to keep her face hidden, but Blue had the impression that Klesa was quite beautiful.

The girl took a step forward, but Hige held his hand up for them to stop.

"Just to see if this isn't a waste of time," he blinked as his amber eyes became yellow. He threw back his brown furred head, howling, a low one that grew. He let it fall and slowly die.

The three waited, their ears pricked.

A howl, sounding almost in disbelief, rose up, followed by two more-confirming the position of Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe. Hige waved his tail in pleasure.

The excitement of meeting up with the pack died down, as they still had a few ways to up the mountain, which was considerably large. Klesa grew increasingly wary and quieter. It had been so long since she would be around a pack of this many-back when her family had been killed.

It was a mutual agreement that the three wolves kept to being humans, hurrying up the process with the ability to jump the cliffs than take the winding paths and still ending up having to jump. In half an hour, they were at the top.

Hige sped up, his earlier excitement returning and Blue followed close behind. Klesa walked slowly, unsure of how the events were about to turn out. The three were wolves again.

For the first time in many months, Hige felt a heavy despair lift from him as he became the wolf who hadn't betrayed his friends. The meeting itself was broken from any awkwardness by young Toboe, whom rushed ahead happily to great his friend. Just behind him were Kiba and Tsume, watching stoically as they picked there way forward. The group of wolves finished exchanging scents just as Klesa appeared over the rise.

She stopped short, her head lowered. No one had noticed her yet.

"I always knew you would come back!" Toboe remarked, looking admiringly at the other brown wolf.

Kiba stepped forward, resting his hand on Hige's shoulder. "It's good to see that you have faired well. You and Blue."

Similar statements were made until Tsume, who had said the least, saw Klesa. "Who's she?"

Hige glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, that's… my sister. Klesa."

Toboe peeked over with interest, "You have a sister?"

"Yeah, funny how that works out."

Klesa's ears were pricked as she had realized her presence was noticed. She swiped her long tongue over her lips and paced forward, standing as the only wolf as she entered the group. Her usual bitter comments were not to be lost with the meeting of others. The sneer returning to her eyes.

"Forgive me if I don't know your names."

Kiba looked back impassively. "How long have you been Hige and Blue?"

She shrugged, "A month? More? It's hardly worth it to keep track of time. As the seasons change, so do I."

"You've got a big attitude for one who can't even change into a human," Tsume growled.

Klesa swung around to face him, a low growl building up in her throat. "Your one to talk."

"Enough," Kiba stepped forward. "Tsume, you've only just met, Klesa, wait before you judge. And Klesa," he looked at the wolf, "you're new here and I expect you to respect my pack."

Klesa heard the warning and backed down. It was pointless to try and fight a leader.

Hige cleared his throat having been unsure whether to defend her sister or stand by Tsume. "So, um, how long have you guys been on this mountain?"

"A long time," Kiba replied evenly. "This is where Paradise opens, and we'll stay here until it does."

Blue looked up. "What about the Flower Maiden? Cheza."

Kiba looked away, and Toboe answered for him. "Cheza wilted, Blue. We didn't get here in time. There was some trouble with Darcia-did you know he's actually a wolf?-but when he found out Cheza was gone he left us alone."

"If she's gone, her scent still lingers heavily," Klesa said, more thoughtfully than rudely.

"We still need to open Paradise though," Kiba pointed out.

"Yeah, about that… Maybe we should find somewhere comfortable, because our story isn't short."

It didn't take long for night fall to arrive again. The boys had gone out for hunting, while Klesa and Blue were left behind-mostly to allow the 'original' pack one chance to be together.

It was the one time Klesa allowed her guard down and had her own talk with Blue. As humans, too.

"You're lucky. To have a relationship with Hige, I mean. These times aren't exactly happy."

Blue nodded. "I know. He was the most understanding when we found out I was a wolf, as opposed to be a dog."

"Talk about a slap in the face. To a wolf, nothing's worse than being called a dog. Mindless, stupid- Sorry." She looked sheepishly at Blue.

"No, I see it how you do now. But the others still look down on me because I like humans." She said slowly. "They must all seem like assholes with what Jagura did, but that's only a small few."

Klesa was unwilling to renounce her hatred of humans. "I suppose so." She sighed, pulling back her hood and brushing back long, black hair. It was wavy and untidy, and looked a bit off with her gray eyes. "It's strange seeing Hige again. I don't feel like his brother. I haven't acted like one recently."

"Hige hasn't said much about the matter, but I think he's uncomfortable, too. Not used to it." She paused. "Do you think you'll ever find someone? To live with forever and love."

The older woman shifted uncomfortably. "I… don't know. Toboe is too young. Kiba looks a bit secretive and quiet. And Tsume is-exactly like me. No way could I put up with someone like myself."

Blue smiled softly. "You might like Kiba. He's quiet, but understands things. Hige told me when they first met, Kiba refused to be human to the point where it almost killed him. It was Hige who convinced him that pride wasn't the most important thing."

Klesa looked surprised, more by her brother's words, and considered placing them to herself. "I didn't realize how important the situation was with Felidae. I would have reconsidered how many times I wanted to snap her little head off."

"It's funny finally getting it out in the open, I'm not sure what the others think of it, but I believe. Everything. I have to."

"You've gone from a 'hunting' dog to a wolf to a prophecy fulfiller. That doesn't happen everyday."

"But there's one thing that has me concerned." Blue said.

"What?"

"Paradise hasn't been opened yet. I can't save it if it hasn't been opened."

Klesa shifted, frowning down at the ground. "Felidae must have known. That has to be why she left." She looked up sharply. "Did Felidae ever tell you the whole poem?"

"No. She bits of it when she was explaining how the Book of the Sun worked. Hige still has the book. You think there is a chance it could be in it?"

"It's possible," Klesa nodded. She looked up suddenly. "They're back."

Blue turned her head, and when she looked back at Klesa, the woman was wolf again.

Kiba dragged along an older looking fawn that was losing its spots, and Hige held a goose. Kiba dropped the fawn and the wolves fell upon it. Hige took the goose over to Blue and the two ate apart from the others. Klesa hung back from both meals, knowing there wasn't enough for all of them. As it stood, she was the last in the hierarchy, even under young Toboe, and her instincts told her to eat last.

Tsume snapped up a strip of meat, ignoring her, while Toboe appeared uncomfortable but continued eating. Kiba, however, tore off a hunk of the fawn and dropped it in front of her. Klesa looked up in confusion.

"This pack is different from others. We follow each wolf as needed, but everyone is on the same level." He turned away.

Klesa blinked gratefully and eased down on it. The meat was still warm and fresh; the fawn had been well-raised, the flesh wasn't stringy or hard.

Though the food wasn't enough to satisfy all, it allowed them to rest comfortably. Curious to see for herself how Kiba did, Klesa moved closer to the male. She had remained silent until now, determined to not get herself run out of this pack. Being "Hige's brother" wouldn't do her any good. She was well informed on what had taken place with Hige.

Kiba shifted, turning his head slightly on the frozen ground to look at her. "I'm sorry about what happened to your family."

She blinked, "I am luckier than most, I suppose. Hige is still here."

"He almost wasn't, if not for Cheza." Kiba closed his eyes. "She was all I could focus on. Nearly killed the everyone several times. But Cheza was the most important thing. She was supposed to open Paradise. I don't understand how she could have died." He opened them once more. "I have been asking myself for the longest time. That's why we can't leave the mountain."

Klesa was still, turning over the words that he had been holding in for a long time. "You shouldn't put yourself down over such devotion, it's hard to come by nowadays." She continued in thought, wondering how indeed Blue would save Paradise if it hadn't been opened. And how Felidae must have known this.

The black wolf straightened up from her lazy position on the ground, pulling her legs underneath her. "Felidae," she breathed. "It has to be Felidae who will open Paradise."

Kiba looked up at her and lifted his head. He looked curious, and faintly hopeful. "It's possible. Certainly it must mean something for you three to have found us."

There was little left to discuss until they could speak with the other wolves, so the two wolves curled up-apart-and did there best to sleep. Klesa, however, wondered how long her good mood could last after her talk with Blue. She wasn't going to change herself for the sake of fitting in. Kiba was filled with thoughts of Paradise and Cheza, and not for the first time he questioned where he would lead the pack next, when it was time to move on or linger.

After everyone had been told the next morning, there was little anyone could do to prompt the appearance Felidae and question whether she could open Paradise. Kiba was the wolf destined to open it, but he was more for finding and leading the way to it. Cheza was the one to do the actual opening.

Hige and Blue, despite their worries, had been accepted back easily into the group. Klesa had more difficulty adjusting, but it wasn't uncommon for her to be gazing at the white wolf that was opposite of her, trying to figure out who he really was.

She spent most of her time alone and getting used to the mountain. It had been agreed that, although there was nothing there, it was where Felidae knew to find them. There was doubt about her climbing the mountain, but Blue reassured them all that she would be up there faster than a hawk when she needed to be.

Days slurred by for the wolves as summer came and their thick pelts shed. Soon enough, summer ended and fall stepped forward. No sign of Felidae.