A/N Hope you like this! Will get the next chapter up asap! Thanks for reading! Hope its not too confusing...
Jay painfully limped back to Lily who was sitting beside a small stream with Dusty by her side. "Don't ask, please," she said.
Lily sat up, got some fresh water, and gave some to Jay. While the injured wolf drank Lily licked her wounds.
Fireheart gazed at the water for a long time. A blue, white, and green wolf appeared beside him. "Why so sad?" she asked.
Fireheart jerked his head up. "What?"
"Why are you so upset?" the wolf asked again.
"Oh, you wouldn't understand." Fireheart bowed his head.
"Why would he do that?" Lily asked when Jay had explained what had happened.
"He's probably just upset," Jay replied.
Lily sighed. "So...where is he now?" she asked.
Jay shrugged. Lily sat up straight. "Do you wanna go find him?"
"I guess," she shrugged again and hobbled off. Lily followed, leaving Dusty to sleep.
Lily walked around. "Toxic?" she called out his name, but there was no reply. She called his name louder.
"What if he's hurt?"
"You care about him after you guys fought?" Lily asked, puzzled."
"No, of course not." She narrowed her eyes. "I just don't want to deal with anymore death today."
"Hmm. It sure seems like it." she barked.
"Anyway..."
"Toxic?" She moved a bit faster. Lily set aside her own pace, but kept her eye on Jay. Finally, she was by the cliff again. "Toxic?"
Still no reply.
Lily growled then ran around the forest, still calling his name while Jay followed. She stopped. "I can't find him."
Jay didn't reply.
"Well..." Lily sighed. "We should search later. Maybe he's just out there hunting." she suggested.
"He seemed pretty mad about how I attacked him. I'm going to keep looking."
"O-okay." Lily looked at her friend with confusion before shrugging and turning away. "Watch your back!" Lily returned to the temporary camp and sat down beside Dusty.
Jay nodded and ran farther into the forest. The scent of Toxic lingered around her, but it was stale. She froze, sniffing the air. "He was here..." She said to herself. She ran faster. The trees swayed to and fro as the leaves flew past. "Toxic!" She called. No reply. She sniffed the air. His scent was a bit fresher. "He's close." She whispered. The sound of rushing water met her ears. Her ears pricked and she looked toward the location of the sound. She walked toward it.
Toxic sulked beside a nearby oak tree, unaware that Lily was watching him. She looked at him, sympathy in her eyes and stepped closer. The leaves crunched and he twisted around. She quickly stood back, blinking.
"What now?" he snapped harshly.
"Nothing. Does it look like I wanna fight?" She narrowed her eyes.
A sleek dark furred wolf stalk his prey along a windy path, he was ready to pounce when the rabbit caught wind of him and bolted. He chased after it, his strength ebbing. 'Gah...I've traveled too long, and with nothing to eat...' he thought to himself. He gave up the chase and stopped to catch his breath, "What is wrong with me? Have I grown that weak?"
Lily saw a dark, exhausted wolf and stepped towards it curiously. "Nothings wrong with you." she barked.
He looked at the other wolf, "What gives you the right to tell me what I am and am not?" When she didn't answer, his glared at her. "Well?" He wanted an answer.
"Because I want to." she barked.
"That's not a very good reason now is it?" He sighed; he never really wanted to upset the first friendly face he'd seen in a long time. She might be able to help him. "Look eh...I didn't mean to upset you," he began awkwardly.
"You didn't upset me." she barked.
"Then why are you frowning?" he asked. 'Man this one's a handle...' he thought to himself, then sighed, "This must be your territory...I'll be on my way if you deem it fit..."
"It's not my territory." she stopped him. "I'm just on my way to... someplace."
He tilted his head, "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really." she barked.
He nodded slowly, "I see..." Well this conversation got awkward... he thought to himself. He then looked back at the wolf, "I'm Shadow..."
"Nice to meet you," she yipped. "I'm Lily."
Shadow nodded, "Well...Lily...the path gets easier when more people are traveling on it...care to join me?" he asked.
"I guess..." she barked.
He nodded, then his stomach growled, and he growled as well. "Stupid rabbit...only because I wasn't at the top of my game..." he mumbled.
"What was that?" Lily stared at him.
"Nothing..." he growled. Wanting to change the subject, he said, "So...have you seen any other wolves around these parts?"
"Yeah. I'm in a pack." she barked.
"A pack? Oh...I thought you...never mind..."
Lily sat still for a moment. "What are you getting at?" she asked.
"Well...you told me you were just venturing around as well...so I thought you were alone...like me..."
"Hmm. I see." she barked, continuing to walk.
Shadow looked at her. "Where are you going?"
"I don't think you'll take any interest." she barked, scratching her ear.
Shadow shrugged, "Try me..."
Lily grunted. "Fine...I'm going to the Mystic Waters," she barked.
"The Waters huh?"
"What? You know about it?" she asked incredulously.
He nodded. "I've heard about it..." he looked around.
She nodded and he snorted with amusement. "You know...this conversation got pretty awkward pretty fast..."
"Not for me." she replied.
"Really? Hmm... Could I meet this pack of yours?" he asked, looking away in embarrassment.
"Sure!" Lily barked excitedly. "Follow me." They took the trail and arrived at the large clearing where her friends slept.
Shadow looked around intriguingly. "Are all of the wolves asleep at this time?" He looked up at the sky.
Lily shrugged. "Maybe." she barked. "Anyway... they all kind of… scattered."
"What do you mean?"
She shook her head. "They aren't getting along well at the moment…" She began to introduce the slowly waking wolves. "This is Toxic." She gestured to a green and black wolf, then a sand colored one. "And that...is Dusty. The others are out there somewhere." He nodded, "I see..."
Lily sat down in the shade of a large oak tree.
Shadow looked around, "I-I should get going..." he didn't really want to leave though...
"Why?" asked a voice. It was Toxic.
The dark wolf shrugged, "Well...I always move from one place to another," he said bitterly.
"And?" Toxic barked, standing up.
"And? There's nothing else to it..."
"You should stay." Lily barked.
"W-Would you really have me?"
"Yeah. We accept anyone." she yipped, licking her paw.
He nodded, "Then...I'd be honored to join..."
She grinned. "That's nice to know." He nodded, "Thank you..." his stomach growled again and he ducked his head in embarrassment.
"We can take you hunting, if you want." Toxic offered with a smirk.
Shadow forced a grin sheepishly. "That would be nice...thank you..." he said with an self-conscious tone.
"Lily, go with him. I've got to take care of Dusty," Toxic ordered before walking away.
Shadow looked over at Lily, "Shall we be off?" She nodded. He let her lead the way. "After you..."
Lily paused for a moment and took off. "Over here!" she called out before taking a sharp turn.
He turned and followed her, "Cheeky trick there..." Lily jumped over a small stream and stopped. "This place is good." she barked. He jumped over the stream...but miscalculated his jump and his hind legs landed in the water. With a growl of frustration and padded up to Lily.
"There are pheasants and other good things here." she barked suddenly. He nodded. "Okay..." He shook his wet hind legs and looked at her.
Lily sniffed around before disappearing into the sea of trees. She returned a while later with a magpie dangling from her jaws.
"Good one..." He then saw that it was his turn to hunt and sniffed around. He knew there was a rabbit around the tree behind him and he darted behind the tree, the rabbit not knowing what hit it. He came back with the prey dangling in his powerful jaws.
She dropped her magpie to the leafy ground. "You did well too."
He nodded, and then dropped the rabbit, "Thank you..."
"Wanna continue hunting?" she asked, mouth watering.
He nodded, and then gave a little bark of amusement; "Unless you're hungry now..."
Lily shrugged. "It doesn't matter."
He nodded, "If you're hungry you're hungry...how about I keep hunting and you can have my rabbit?" He disappeared in the underbrush.
She watched him go. "Okay...I'll just wait for you here."
Shadow came back with two rabbits in his mouth and pushing a pheasant with one paw.
Lily lifted her head and stared. "Nice one...really nice one." she barked.
He nodded. "Thank you...I see you haven't eaten..."
"Yeah, same for you too," she barked.
He shrugged, "I feel the same when it comes to that too..." he looked over their catches, "Should we head back?"
Lily nodded before picking up part of the catch. They headed back, Shadow just behind her pushing his pheasant along. She dropped the catch at the center of the clearing and sat beside Toxic and Dusty. Shadow dropped his next to hers and went off somewhere else to think.
Toxic watched Shadow before looking away. He then continued to tend to Dusty.
Shadow came back and sat at the other side of the clearing and looked up at the sky.
Lily glanced at him then called out, "Why don't you sit by us?"
He looked at them and thought about it, "Well...I feel like I'd be intruding..." he called back.
"You're not." Lily assured the dark wolf.
Jay stepped in, still a bit sore from the battle the day before. She tensed slightly, her wounds stinging. Toxic glared at her then looked back at Dusty.
Lily narrowed her eyes at Toxic, stepping by him to sit alone.
"You know you could be a bit nicer." She said coolly.
"Shut your mouth." he growled. He sighed and went over to the three...now four wolves, but he was quiet.
Lily stared blankly. "It's just a mere observation. Nothing to get offended about." She blinked. Her feather, which was clipped onto her fur, shook, and the beads hit each other with a small clink.
Toxic scoffed and turned away.
Shadow leaned in and whispered to Lily, "Is something going on or are they just like this?" he asked.
"Ever since Serenity died, Toxic has been really...upset." she explained to him quietly.
"Hmm..." he had no idea who this 'Serenity' was but it sounded like Toxic either loved this wolf or was a good friend to Serenity.
Lily blinked. "Kind of tragic, really."
"Hmph." Jay puffed out her brown and white chest, her midnight blue eyes full of fiery anger. "Oh by the way, Toxic, you messed my leg up. I can barely walk now. Thanks a lot," She spat, turning her head to narrow her eyes at him.
Shadow just awkwardly sat there.
"Good for you." Toxic growled.
"You know what? We might as well stop this stupid fight and get over it because we're going to be traveling." Jay turned. "Truce?"
Toxic didn't budge.
Jay snarled. "You're so stubborn!"
"Just as much as you."
"C'mon, Toxic," Jay sighed.
Toxic didn't reply. Shadow whispered to Lily, "This is getting awkward..."
Jay looked at Lily. "Help me!" She whispered.
Lily coughed, confused of how to solve this...problem. "Just apologize," she barked to the she-wolf.
Jay opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it. She turned and looked at Toxic. "I'm sorry for being stubborn." She said blandly.
"Fine! Sorry!" Toxic growled.
Lily sighed sadly.
Shadow narrowed his eyes. A pack fighting amongst themselves is a bad omen, he thought to himself.
A/N Please review!