A/N: A little bit of a calmer scene and we learned more about Tahki in the last chapter. More and more will be revealed about her with time. Also, for those of you who don't know, I'm actually Native American and although I have been raised in the Western Culture, I do value my Native heritage. And with Spirit Animals, (although I don't necessarily believe in them) I still think they pertain to people. Anyways, just thought I'd clarify. Also, the song Tahki is singing is called "Take Us Back" by Alela Diane - check it out!

EDIT: Okay, I'm horribly conflicted about this fanfic, now. I don't know if I want to continue it or not after some more conversing with someone about Pagan and his character. Like, I'm very conflicted; I was barely able to finish this chapter! I love Pagan as a character (fangirl trash) but people say he's a complete and utter monster. I'm just a wee bit upset (as it is NOT too to far from the truth) and I'm not sure if I should be writing this fanfic where an OC is paired with Pagan. So, if a new chapter doesn't come out after this one, I probably have stopped typing this. I'm sorry.

Foepsie: OMG Thank you so much! I think that I came into the fandom just a wee bit too late (the game came out three years ago) so that's why this isn't too popular a story. Not very many stories involving an OC and Pagan. But still, thank you so much for the reviews!

Chapter Genre: General, Friendship

Chapter Rating: T

Rating Content: Brief Mild Language

Third day of working in the garden, but Tahki was loving every minute of it! Pagan aiding with the garden had helped her a fair amount, and she had the entire south side of the garden finished! Now, she had decided to plant some trees.

Of course, Pagan had more 'business' to take care of, so she had to do the rest of the work on her own. She had asked Jesse if he wanted to help, but he flatly refused. "The last time I tried helping you in the garden," He said, "you were so OCD about it!"

"You kept stepping on where we planted the seeds!" She had replied.

So, after that, she really did all the outdoor and garden work. Once again, not that she really minded. It gave her time to think and time to herself.

As she worked, she had some music playing on her phone. She had learned that plants enjoyed music and they grew at a better rate when music was playing. And, although there was still some debate, talking to them could also help them to grow (of course, she learned not to talk to plants the hard way after some people hiking came along and looked at her like she was crazy). At first, she would just listen to it, enjoying the pleasant sounds of the song as it filled her ears. Then she would start to hum along to the song, a small smile on her lips.

Then, she would switch to songs without their lyrics. Instrumentals. And that's when she would sing along. It would be her own voice, not the singers and hers. She preferred it that way as she didn't enjoy the sound of her voice mingling with another's (unless it was a duet, but Jesse rarely sang with her).

If she sang whenever she worked, her work speed would often reflect the song she would listen to or sing to. The emotion of the song also could effect her working speed as well.

"I've a friend who lives out by the river's mouth. He knows the fiddle's cry is an old sound..." She sang, carefully sawing off some smaller branches off of a young tree. "A lonesome bow, the creaks and moans of empty houses, are songs like falling rain..."

It was a sad, melancholy song, but it never really made her feel as such. It made her reminisce about times when things were easier, times when she could live a little more freely and carelessly.

Times when she was a kid.

"Windblown buildings." She placed a packet of seeds and the small handsaw on a watering can and then walked over to another large, almost lifeless tree, just near the cliff-side that overlooked the mountains. It was leaning off to the side, slightly, most likely due to the direction the wind blew. "Muddy ground..." Tahki placed the watering can at the base of the trunk and then she put the small hand-saw in the crotch of the tree and climbed it. "The strength of water, can sink a man."

She carefully started sawing at some of the diseased branches, the blade cutting through the bark with ease. "Take us back, oh, take us back. Oh take us, take us back!" She slipped on down the tree and, using her foot to make a small rut in the dirt, she sprinkled the flower seeds around the base. "Take us back, oh, take us back. Oh take us, take us back!"

She grabbed the can and watered the area around the base of the trunk as she vocalized to the song, her voice echoing in the thin air of the mountains. Over the sound of both the music and her voice, she barely heard the rustling of the bushes just a few meters away from her.

It wasn't until she heard a little yip that she halted in her song, setting the watering can down and turning the music off. She looked around, then, watching for whatever had been spying on her.

The bushes rustled again and she gasped, her head snapping over to the source of the noises. If it was a wild animal, she could be in trouble! There was the small picket fence that made a border between the garden and the forest, but that most certainly wouldn't stop a hungry bear from charging after her.

She readied the handsaw and put herself into a defensive stance, ready to lash out at whatever would attack her. Another little yip sounded and something jumped out from the bushes. Something small. Furry. And almost too damn adorable!

Tahki sighed and then snorted at the sight of the little wolf pup tumbling out from the bush, standing and shaking the dust off its fur. Putting the small handsaw on the ground, she crouched down as the pup turned to her, tilting its tiny head off to the side in a dog-like manner. "What are you doing out here, little guy?" She asked the pup.

The wolf pups fur was the darkest shade of black, with little white tips on its ears. Its eyes were the most sharpest of blues, almost like the colour of ice. It wasn't too big, so she guessed it would have been about three or four months old. With a quick glance between its hind legs, she could see it was a male. "Where's your mama, eh?" She asked the pup.

He sat on his hind legs, giving a short little howl at her. Tahki smiled and gave him a small howl back in return. His ears suddenly perked up and howled at her again, this time his voice escalating in volume. That little pup has quite the lungs on it, she thought.

His howl ended with a sharp note and he sat there, staring at her expectantly. She chuckled and howled at him again, smiling slightly as the pup howled along with her. Their voices raised in a chorus of little howls, creating a distant, haunting melody. Whenever Tahki stopped, so did the little wolf pup, and he would continue to sit there, watching her.

It was a dumb idea, but she couldn't resist. She sat down on the ground and used her teeth to pull off her leather glove. She then held out her bandaged hand to the pup, gently coaxing him towards her. "I'm not going to hurt you." She whispered. "Come on..."

He stood and yipped happily, trotting over to her. He didn't notice the little picket fence and stumbled over it, rolling forward almost comically. Tahki chuckled at his clumsiness. So cute...

He got back up and trotted over to her, stretching forward and sniffing at her balled-up hand. He then licked at her hand, playfully, nudging it with his nose. "Why aren't you with mama wolf, little guy?" She asked.

The pup just yipped playfully and jumped around, occasionally pawing at Tahki. She just looked around, expecting for a larger, angrier wolf to burst out from the bushes, demanding to have her pup back.

She then sighed and stood up, brushing off her pants. "Go on, now. Your mama's probably worried." Pulling her glove back on with her teeth, Tahki turned and grabbed the branches that she had sawed off the tree. Hopefully, with a little more tender-loving-care, the tree would spring back to life!

She heard something moving in front of her and Tahki looked up to see the little wolf pup staring right at her, his little snout almost touching her nose. "What?"

He just licked her nose.

She stood with the branches in hand, turning and walking down the garden path towards the shed, decidedly ignoring the tiny little foot-falls that followed behind her. Just past the shed was the small pit where she had dumped the weeds a couple of days ago. She threw them in and wiped her hand off.

Once she turned around, she nearly stumbled over the wolf pup which had followed closer than she had thought. "Go on!" She hissed. "Go home, pup, before your mom comes up and eats me."

Tahki continued to work around the garden, completely ignoring the small creature that would insistently follow her. Occasionally he would nip at her pant legs playfully, giving out a little growl while tugging on them. She would simply shake him off. If mama wolf ever did end up showing her face, Tahki didn't want to make it look like she was trying to harm him.

As she planted more seeds, he would just sit there, staring at her with his icy-blue eyes, his head tilted to the side. She sighed heavily and looked at him. "What are you trying to communicate to me?" She demanded.

The pup gave a short howl.

Her brows furrowed pensively. "Hm..."

/ / /

She was sitting against a shady tree, her phone in hand and the wolf pup sitting beside her. "If people saw me now, they'd think I'm just crazy." Her fingers moved rapidly across the screen. "Supernatural things don't exist."

He gave a short growl and a yipe.

Tahki scrolled through the web page. Although she loved to stay in touch with her heritage, she didn't really believe too much in the supernatural or spiritual aspects of her culture. Spirit animals were no exception.

"'Power or spirit animals,'" She read aloud, "'are an entity in which remains as a spirit to act as a guide or protector to a human being. They often appear during difficult or perilous times, offering love, healing or support.'" She looked down to the little wolf, who only tilted his head to the other side. "So, they sent me a tiny little puppy to help me?"

The pup gave another short growl and pawed at her phone. "Hey, don't you scratch it up!" She said.

She quickly researched the wolf spirit animal. "Okay, let's find out a little bit about you, pup..." She muttered. "Represents a strong connection with intuition and instincts... could represent perceived threat, or lack of trust in someone, yourself or your actions..." She snorted. "'The presence of your wolf power animal could reflect your inner emotional landscape and bring to your awareness your own feelings about a matter that is highly emotionally charged.'" Tahki looked back down at the small wolf. "Well, you're most definitely not threatening, so I doubt you're even a 'spirit guide' to begin with!"

Suddenly, the wolf pup growled low at her, his ears flat against his head and his lips curled up in a snarl. The sudden change in his attitude made her feel almost uneasy. The instant that uneasiness settled in her chest, the pup stopped growling. "That was odd..."

The pup started jumping around, again, bowing down with his tail wagging. Tahki sighed heavily and, pocketing her phone, stood up and brushed herself off. "Well, wolf spirit or not, I don't believe in that kind of stuff. Now, go home."

She started to walk back to the palace. Upon hearing the sound of little foot-falls behind her, she growled and turned around. "I can't bring you inside, now go home!" She barked.

The little wolf immediately lied down, whining as if he had just been kicked. He looked up at her, his glistening eyes making him look as if he were crying. Tahki's glare immediately disappeared at the sight of the wounded-looking pup. There was one thing that always got her, and that was cute baby animals giving her that look!

With a soft little sigh, she carefully picked up the small wolf pup, making him lick her face as if in thanks. "Alright, already! How's about we get you something to munch on?"

/ / /

"Pagan's going to kill you. You know that, right?"

"Hey, what he doesn't know won't kill him."

Tahki and Jesse watched as the little wolf pup chewed on a piece of meat (which Tahki had managed to sneak from the kitchen when the cook wasn't looking). "I still don't think Pagan's going to like it when he finds out."

She leaned against the chest that was at the end of her bed. "He's just a little puppy, Jess." She countered. "And this palace has more than enough room to support a puppy."

"He's a wolf cub."

"He's cute."

"He could be dangerous."

"He's just a puppy."

"For god's sake, KiKi, some days you are just so damn insistent!"

"Well, if there's one thing I simply can't refuse, it's little animals."

"What if his mom is waltzing around outside?" Jesse asked.

She shook her head, kneeling down beside the puppy and scratching him between his ears. "I was out there for hours, Jess, and his mom didn't even show up. And I wasn't about to leave an abandoned puppy all alone."

"Wolf cub." He corrected her. He shook his head and sighed heavily. "Pagan is not going to be happy when he finds out."

A knock came at her door. "Dinner is ready." Ronin called.

"Coming!" They both replied in unison. Tahki suddenly opened the lid of the chest and grabbed the puppy, placing him inside the chest. She then grabbed the meat and put it in with him. "Okay, little guy. Stay here, I'll be back soon!"

She slowly closed the lid. "You know that won't work for long..."

"The pupper can breath; it's woven. He has food with him; he'll be fine!" She said. "Now, let's go and eat."

/ / /

It wasn't as grand as the first time they had dined with Pagan, but it was still fancy. Kashmiri Chicken Pulao. To go along with it; Caesar Salad (he must love his salads or something), some cooked vegetables and wine. Tahki never really enjoyed wine; tasted almost like flat cranberry juice to her. She preferred her beer over anything else when it came to alcoholic drinks.

They all ate silently, at first. The tension could be easily cut with a butter knife, but they all stayed silent. Jesse was only waiting for one or the other to say something wrong and then for another knife to be drawn and pointed at a person or driven into the table. Tahki was waiting for Pagan to say something to try and set her off, Pagan was waiting for Tahki to say something to try and make him seem more and more like a villain.

Jesse suddenly bumped Tahki's knee with his own and gestured slightly with his fork. Brows furrowed, she looked over to where he was pointing.

The wolf pup was just trotting into the dining area.

Of course, the one night there weren't any guards at the door was the night that trouble decided to stir! She suppressed a gasp and her eyes darted from Pagan to the pup, then back to Pagan. She needed to distract him or something!

Luckily, Jesse was already on top of things. "Do you always have soldiers patrolling around the palace, or are they just wandering aimlessly?"

She resisted the urge to face-palm herself. She thought he was on top of things.

Pagan raised an eyebrow at him. "No, they patrol. Making sure nobody is where they shouldn't be."

"Does that include us, or...?"

Tahki's attention moved from their conversation and to the wolf pup, who was making his way over to Pagan. Was he deliberately trying to get caught? She moved her elbow across the table, slightly, and her knife dropped onto the floor. She muttered something under her breath, hoping to not look too obvious, and then leaned down to pick up the knife.

Under the table, she could see the pup was just looking up at Pagan, sitting and waiting patiently. Tahki silently snapped her fingers, grabbing the puppy's attention. She patted the floor in front of her and the pup walked over to her and sat in front of her. Satisfied that he was out of the way and out of sight, Tahki grabbed her knife and sat back up, whipping her hair back from her face.

She then pretended to be half interested in Pagan and Jesse's conversation, trying to ignore the little creature pawing at her legs. Making sure that Pagan wasn't looking, she took a piece of chicken off her plate and threw it down under the table, where the puppy gratefully snatched it and ate it.

"-make sure there are no rebels in the palace."

Jesse's brows furrowed. "Don't you have enough men outside to make sure none get in in the first place?"

Pagan waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, they're rather dense most days. They are so incompetent that they managed to let a rebel inside. You would think that they would know each other by their faces, or at least know each other's names, but no, apparently-"

Tahki suddenly let out a sharp yelp.

The wolf pup had nipped her ankle!

Both men gave her a look and she rubbed her left shoulder. "I've been getting pains in my shoulder; sorry about that."

Pagan gave her a suspicious look but turned his attention back to Jesse. "Apparently not. So, I need to be more careful."

She quickly shot a glance at the little puppy. He was merely sitting there innocently, his head tilted off to the side. 'I didn't do that', he seemed to say. She shook her head and, moving the puppy over with one of her legs, set both of them on top of him so he would lay down. Hopefully, he would stay there!

"Do a lot of wild animals tend to slip through as well?" She asked.

"I don't think they come near here to begin with." He replied. "And if they do... well, their pelts could be very valuable. Depending on the animal that comes through, of course. Or, if they try and attack, then they're shot. Simple as that."

Jesse and Tahki gave each other a quick glance. That didn't really spell good news.

She resumed with eating her rice, pressing her legs down on the wolf pup. He continued to wiggle and wiggle, pushing backwards in the hopes that he would be able to escape the human that was currently trapping him. "You know, that's almost a little bit inhumane." She commented. "Why not just let them run back off into the wild?"

"I believe that's a little too much effort to put into one insignificant creature."

The pup managed to squeeze out from under her legs but before he could wander off, Tahki wrapped her legs around him, leaving him trapped once again. "Insignificant? Some of the creatures in Kyrat are endangered. Does that make them insignificant?"

Jesse leaned in towards her. "You do realize he probably doesn't care, right?"

She opened her mouth to retaliate, but instead a sharp shout of pain passed her lips instead of a sarcastic remark. She pushed back her chair and growled under her breath. Pagan, of course, did not fail to notice her odd behaviour this time. He narrowed his eyes at her and, pushing his own chair back, he looked underneath the table.

He nearly bumped noses with the snout of a little canine.

Pagan yelped and jumped back in surprise. "How the hell did that thing get in here?!" He demanded. He then suddenly pulling out a small pistol from the back of his belt. Since when did he have one of those?!

Tahki had to act quickly! She took off one of her flats and, with all the strength she could muster, threw it at Pagan.

Her flat smacked him square in his face, making him look up at her disbelievingly. "Don't shoot him!" She shouted, quickly rushing over to the other side of the table. "He's just a baby!"

"How did that thing get in here?!" He demanded again, keeping his gun pointed at the wolf cub.

Jesse stood from his seat and raised his hands. "I had no part in this..." He muttered.

Tahki quickly sat down beside the puppy and wrapped a protective arm around him. "I found him when I was working in the garden!" She explained. "He kept following me, his mom never came around to get him, and I was not about to abandon him and leave him alone out there!"

"That does not explain how it got in here." He seethed.

"I let him in! He was in my room." She earned a small lick on her cheek from the pup and she gently pushed his face away. "But, somehow, he managed to get out of the chest and push the door open. Unless it wasn't closed all the way, then it's a bit more explainable."

The wolf pup wriggled from her arm and sat directly in front of Pagan's feet, his head tilted and his tongue lolled off to the side. "He's a harmless little wolf cub..." She said.

Pagan put the gun on the table and crouched down to face the pup. "You are not staying here." He told it. He then looked to Tahki. "It isn't staying here."

Tahki gave the King of Kyrat a defiant look. "I already named him, so he's mine now."

"What's his name, then?"

"His name is Pup."

Jesse suddenly burst out laughing, making them both stand up and look at him. "Who names a wolf cub 'Pup'?" He asked, wiping a tear away from his eye.

"I do!" Tahki snapped. She then quickly scooped up the little wolf and gave Pagan another defiant look. "I am keeping Pup."

He glared at her, then at Pup, who only panted happily. "If it so much as scratches anything, I am shooting it and skinning it!"

"Trust me, he won't." She stated. "I'm just putting up a disclaimer; I am not responsible for how loud he is."

Pagan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bitchy teenager..." He muttered under his breath.

She tsked and readjusted pup in her arm. "It's a habit of behaviour. Sorry. Now, if you'll excuse me, Pup and I are heading to our room."

Pup howled loudly.

/ / /

Tahki lied comfortably on her bed, reading through a book she had packed in her luggage. It was an old novel, but it was one of her more favourite works; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. She always loved a good mystery.

She was in her pajamas, which consisted of plaid pants and a black tank top. It was comfortable enough for her, and with how thick the bed sheets were, she was more than warm enough.

She suddenly felt a small weight on the bed and she looked over to see Pup sitting on the bed beside her. "Uh, no, you're not sleeping on the bed." She told him.

He just cocked his head.

She sighed and, setting down her book, she gently shoved Pup off the bed. Just as she was about to turn back to her page, he hopped onto the bed again, this time sticking his nose right by her face. Her face scrunched up slightly. "Pup, you have bad breath!" She shoved him off again.

Looking over the side of the bed, Tahki saw Pup laying down with his head between his paws, looking up at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen. She shook her head. "Sorry, but that's not going to work on me this time." She said.

With a little huff, she returned to reading her novel. She had read through the book multiple times, but it never stopped her from enjoying it. Once she started, it was hard for her to stop.

Several minutes of silent reading passed before she finally decided to turn in for the evening. Setting the book on the bedside table, she turned off the lamp and crawled under the covers. "Goodnight, Pup."

Several minutes passed and just when Tahki felt herself drifting off to sleep, a loud, mournful howl filled the room. She physically cringed and rolled over onto her side, turning the lamp back on and looking down. Pup had his eyes closed and his head thrown back, his little white-tipped ears flattened as he howled to the sky (which really was the ceiling). Once he ran out of air, he stopped. After a few seconds, Tahki blinked rapidly. "Is that a-?"

He immediately started howling again, this time in a much more sharper note. It didn't sound mournful, but more like he was deliberately trying to annoy her. With a low growl, Tahki rolled onto her back and patted the bed beside her. "Alright, Pup!" She shouted. "You can come up!"

As soon as she completed her sentence, Pup stopped his howling and hopped onto the bed, laying down beside her with a happy grin on his face. "Don't you get too comfortable, Pup." She told him. "It's just for tonight."

She turned off the lamp and curled up again, with Pup curling up right beside her. He gave her face a little lick. "No bed time kisses..." She mumbled.