Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction ❯ Lullaby for a Stormy Night ❯ Chapter 13 Revived Lulabye ( Chapter 13 )

A/N- Well, unfortunately I am in the middle of an ice-storm here in Oklahoma and if you've been paying attention to the news as of late, we've been hit with a triple wammy. Anyways, It's been a bit hasslesome to try and get on the internet as of late since I have to share one computer with a lot of relatives that have crowded to out place since we have power. (feels crowded) all I have is my laptop and my room to myself. So as you can see, it's not that comfy here. but I was able to sneak on.

 

Happy holidays!

 

Chapter 13 Revived Lullaby

 

Heart watched on from a distance carefully as Blue walked around town with Hige on her heels like a love sick puppy. She sighed and turned away annoyed at herself for stalking after them after she pointedly left in the opposite direction. They seemed to be having a heart to heart moment anyways on that bridge during the sunset.

 

`How romantic' she thought sarcastically. It was no offence meant toward the probably blooming couple; Heart was just annoyed with her sudden obsession with keeping Blue somehow safe. The reason why escaped her though. It felt like her very being called out to her to keep Blue safe. Heart shook her head and rested her forehead in her palm.

 

“Why me” she sighed.

 

“Heart?”

 

Heart looked up to see Akira had joined her on the roof.

 

 

“Heart are you okay? Did Tsume really hurt you that bad?” she whimpered.

 

Heart smiled, “Tsume just brought up a touchy point for me.” Heart insisted as if it were nothing.

 

Akira didn't buy it all the way, “Heart, I know it hurt you because she's a half blood too, just like you, but why did you run away like that?”

 

 

Heart held her breath for a moment, “I …. I really don't know. I just feel so…. Protective of her.” Heart said with a depressed/confused sigh as she looked down at the couple below on the bridge.

 

Akira was silent a moment, then she slowly approached Heart's side to watch on the couple at her side. A small smile lifting her lips.

 

“Hige sure is trying hard, isn't he?” she smiled.

 

Heart couldn't contain a small smile either, “I'll say. He's been following around her like the love sick puppy he's become over her since she left the dump.”

 

“It reminds me of Jasper's first crush on a German Shepard dog back at the Keep before Cheza even arrived. We were just pups back then though and she was fully grown and uninterested, but Jasper certainly tried for her. Even if it proved a failure from the start. It was a good laugh.” Akira laughed lightly.

 

Heart froze a moment when something clicked…. Sibling.

 

“It can't be…..” she whispered.

 

“Nah, I know you'd Think that with the way Jasper turned out now that no female has ever turned him down, but let me tell you…,” Akira continued with out a hitch.

 

“Akira,”

 

“Huh?” Akira stopped her rambling suddenly.

 

“How much do I look like her?”

 

“You mean Blue?” Akira looked down at Blue, then back at Heart curiously, “Now that you mention it the only real difference between you two is the eyes and how long your hair is. Other than that….”

 

“Exactly” Heart said in a low whisper as she turned from the view of the bridge in thought, “You remember when I told you I once had a sibling?”

 

“And the forest fire…….”Akira started to catch on, “You think Blue is your long lost sister?”

 

“It makes sense…. She doesn't remember anything before Quent found her as a pup, she's part wolf and never knew it, and she's so similar to me… I also feel a bond to her with out even knowing her for very long.”

 

“It sounds right” Akira agreed then looked down at Hige with an excited smile, “I'll bet Hige could tell! He's got a stronger sense of smell than the rest of us! We just have to keep Tsume off him when he smells you up.”

 

“Like Tsume has a defining position in it regardless or not” Heart spat.

 

Akira could tell she still had it out for Tsume's stupid, miss placed comment about Blue. She wasn't kidding about the sibling protectiveness.

 

“Even so… we should see what Hige can get from it. Just to confirm,”

 

“No” Heart said.

 

“What?? Why??”

 

“Blue and I were raised differently. She has a human family to think of now and she seems like she's still attached to it. If I were to claim family to her, she'd be obliged to leave her life that she knows to follow us.” Heart said.

 

“But Heart, she should have the right to know!”

 

“Don't make this a dramatic arch or anything Akira, she only left her human because she found out she's a wolf and doesn't quite know how to handle it. Once she's secure with whom she is, Blue will probably eventually return to her old life.”

 

“Blue, you're only going to make things more difficult if you don't tell someone about this!” Akira snapped.

 

Heart smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder, “I told you didn't I? Besides, Hige will probably sniff it out sooner or later” with that, Heart started to stroll away, “I'm famished, let's catch a bite to eat then return to the boys and see if Tsume's figured it out yet”

 

“You're not mad at him?” Akira trotted to catch up.

 

Heart snorted, “Feh, Hell yeah I'm still pissed at him, but knowing he doesn't have a clue why and it probably squirming around trying to get it is more than satisfying to me for now.”

 

“I never want to be on your bad side,” Akira gulped.

 

“I have a feeling you're one of a few who never will” Heart reassured while the two of them walked off to get something to eat.

 

 

 

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Darcia was in pain. His heart wept for his lost love; she had fallen victim of the Paradise illness and now was murdered in cold blood! Her delicate throat was marred with jagged tear marks and the tubes that once fed her nutrients in her slumber were torn away from her body, yet other than that, her perfectly beautiful face had been untouched. Her lavender eyes were even half open as if she were about to awake, but he knew she never would. Jasper had hastily escorted Cheza away from the distraught lord while he howled in pain. His lungs were getting heavier and heavier as if his heart was trying to slowly squeeze the air out of him so that he may suffocate and join Homina in her everlasting slumber of death.

 

He now knelt in the only corner the light of the window allowed to touch. His face full of tears held in his palms as he willed the sobs to go away. What was he to do now? He wanted to open paradise to create a heaven for just the 2 of them to live forever, but with out Homina, what was there left?

Take it anyway! A dark voice curled the suggestion around him, Take Paradise as your own and bring her back!

 

It snarled with venom at him. He could almost see glowing eyes of a monster with horrifying sharp fangs in his mind. A shot of pain surged through his body and he fell forward to the marble floor clutching his chest while he gasped for breath. His blue eyes widened in realization of what that voice was. It was happening. The wolf blood he shared with Jasper was finally taking its hold on his body. His senses started to get clearer, and from then on, he knew they would get sharper. His wolf half was coming to light…

 

In another room, Jasper watched over Cheza dutifully while she slept in his quarters. He didn't know where else to put her so he let her have his bed and he chose the floor for the night. Pain throbbed his entire being lightly as if his blood was starting to set fire to its' self. He gritted his teeth and cursed Darcia for putting such a curse on him to tie him down. He no longer felt like a wolf, but a flea bitten obedient dog…. A dog of a noble no less.

 

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“Dear,” an old woman said in awe at what she was seeing, “Dear, come out her! Come look!”

 

“Myra? Myra what is it” an old man replied from inside his motor-home. He opened the screen door and gasped when he saw 2 large dogs; one look strikingly like an enlarged version of a red fox and the other was midnight black with ruby eyes and an upside down heart on her forehead. Both looked so majestic, yet out of place the way they were sniffing at garbage cans for food.

 

“Careful, Myra, there're just a couple of strays” he warned.

 

“Oh, Solomon,” Myra chastised with a smile, “They haven't hurt anything, they're just hungry.” She suddenly got an idea “You know, I'll bet we have some scraps in the back they could have.”

 

“Myra, I'm telling you, feed a few strays and you get the whole lot. Leave'em be.” Solomon groused, but couldn't help watch the pretty animals.

 

 

 

 

“They don't look all that bad” Akira said to Heart from where the two timidly searched though the garbage, “And did'ja hear the lady? She said she might have scraps!”

 

“Yeah, but that guy, Solomon she called him, seems like he'll make us scraps if we don't keep our distance with that shot gun in his hands. Older humans tend to be a bit more….. Unstable than usual. We should stay away from them” Heart argued.

 

Akira was about to argue when the sound of a gunshot echoed around them. Akira leaped in surprise and bolted instinctively around the motor-home in fear with Heart at her heels.

 

“Lord in heaven, what was that!” Myra gasped while she looked behind the motor-home to check on the shivering `dogs', “Poor things are scared to death! Solomon, we can't just leave them like that”

 

“Do what you will, woman” Solomon grumbled, but stay very close ta here, that gun shot don't sound too friendly.”

 

 

 

“Where'd it come from?? It sounded close to me!” Akira whimpered at Heart's side.

 

“Hell if I know, it echoed too much on the walls for me to pinpoint even if I were thinking of trying to.” Heart started to calm down.

 

Their fur stood on end when another gunshot sounded.

 

“Do you think it's Kiba and Tsume?” Akira whispered afraid.

 

“Shit” Heart paused before answering as that thought sunk in.

 

suddenly, Solomon cocked his shot gun and aimed at a new pair that had just ran around the corner out of breath, Kiba held up a hand to stop Tsume when he noticed the gun pointed.

 

“Solomon! It's just a couple of boys! Put the gun away!” Myra snapped.

 

Akira and Heart peered from behind the woman's skit to see the other two wolves in human form cautiously sizing up the old man with gunpoint.

 

“Double shit” Heart groaned.

 

“I may be old, Myra, but I ain't blind! Those strays are wolves and so are these guys!” he snarled, “You stay back from here!” he shouted.

 

“We don't mean any harm, just let us pass and we won't bother you” Kiba held up his hands disarmingly.

 

Old Solomon seemed to heed his explanation as he lowered his gun, but it came back with vengeance when Hige, Toboe and Blue came to the area of view as well.

 

“HA! Ya brought more with ya!” he yelped and aimed his gun, a black streak of fur blurred past the boys and Solomon shot at it in reflex of the sudden movement. Blue easily dodged the bullet and appeared before the old man sitting down with her head lowered cutely and ears flopped down. Big blue eyes gazed up at him pleadingly and effectively disarmed the old mans suspicion that these wolves would hurt him.

 

Solomon lowered his gun unsure.

 

“Just leave us alone” he sighed almost pleading now.

 

The gun shots were getting closer.

 

“Those guys back there are too close now; they're going to capture us to sell to the next highest bidder if you don't do something about it.” Tsume snarled aggravated.

 

“It's in your hands if there's bloodshed here” Kiba said softly, “I don't want to kill unless it is necessary. I don't want to take unnecessary life anymore”

 

Akira's eyes widened at Kiba's confession. Wasn't this the wolf who saw humans as an enemy to be spilt entirely of their blood at the first chance?

 

The old man hung his head in defeat, “I have an idea”

 

 

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“I SAW THEM GO THIS WAY!” the dreadlock man cackled excitedly at the rush of the wolf hunt. Pay back seemed to become a bitch for those poor creatures, but he wasn't mourning over it!

 

“HAHA! JAGURA'S PEOPLE'LL PAY A SMALL FORTUNE FOR THOSE FLEA BAGS!” a chubbier man that had joined the 3 that were attacked snickered.

 

They slowed suddenly when a different gun was shot in front of them.

 

“What the…?” the scrawny one cocked his head to the side in disbelief.

 

In front of them was an old couple whom owned a parked Motor-home. The old man was being held back by his wife while he rapidly shot down at something in the dusty ground. The men's eyes widened in horror when they saw fur.

 

“YOU KILLED THEM?!” the dreadlocked one whined.

 

“Stupid animals got too close to my property! They's dangerous you know!” Solomon rasped and shoved his wife off his shoulder while she pleaded for him to calm down, “I WILL NOT REST TILL THEY'S ALL DEAD, YA HEAR WOMAN?!” he snapped at her.

 

“Dear please!” she begged.

 

The men looked dismayed at the `dead' canine prey they had sought after, “There goes a few small fortunes to last a life time down the drain. They're worth nothing dead.” The scrawny one huffed in a pout.

 

“Did ya need something boys?” Solomon growled grumpily.

 

“No sir.” The large brick one gulped.

 

“We're sorry to have bothered ya old man.” The scrawny one apologized looking longingly at the `dead' bodies.

 

“Lets' jet boys. Nothing else to be done here. Be seeing ya pops” the dreadlock man mock saluted as he lead his gang off.

 

Solomon and Myra waited till they were out of sight before smiling to one another, “You can drop it now, they're all gone.” Myra called to the wolves.

 

Tsume limped out from behind the motor-home with Heart helping him keep balance. Hige, Toboe, Akira, Blue and Kiba stood up from where they lay playing `dead' with wide grins on their faces.

 

“Thank you for covering for us” Akira bowed her head respectfully in human form.

 

Solomon lightly smiled, his hostility seemingly have left him, “It was no trouble. It's the least I could do for turning a gun on ya.” He sweat dropped.

 

“How about I rub up some grub for you all to eat and we'll call it even?” Myra suggested with a smile.

 

“REALLY?” Hige perked up.

 

“ALRIGHT!” Toboe jumped up excitedly.

 

“Thanks soooo much!” Akira hugged the elderly couple with out a second thought.

 

 

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“What do you see my Lady?” a faithful servant asked Jagura while Jagura sat in the circle of fire light and chants of priest and alchemists.

 

Violet eyes slowly opened, “Darcia has the flower with in his grasp. His heart weeps for my sister Homina's death, yet he is too far along in his transformation to stop the inevitable pursuit for paradise ….. He is confused” she chuckled the last part, lifting her head from its awkward angle that she leaned it back on. Her eyes resting on the bowing wolf servant just out of her alchemy circle. The dark magic didn't permit the wolf blooded beast to step a paw in it, Diya had to wait patiently for her mistress.

 

“Diya, go to the keep. Make certain my soldiers obtain my flower.”

 

Diya's head bowed lower, “My mistresses' will is my own. It shall be done, Milady” the wolf's gentle voice rang out of the quiet shadows. A silver bell against the monotone chanting.

 

Jagura took the proffered wine glass made of silver from the servant that bowed to her at the wave of her finger. She lifted it to her lips and inhaled deeply and sighed, “A toast, to the flower maiden, the wolves and my paradise that shall soon come to be” she held up the glass and tipped it to drink. A small streak of thick, red liquid escaped and drizzled down her chin. The alchemic circle purified the liquid as it touched its symbols when it dripped. Wolfs blood coated the mistress's lips as she smiled darkly looking up at the waning moon, “Soon, my dear Cheza shall come to me. And with her, the rest of the wolves shall fall while I carve a paradise fit for both he and I” she laughed to the heavens in delight while her Diya was dashing toward Lord Darcia's keep.

 

 

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“Darcia's Keep you say?” Solomon repeated after Kiba asked about the Darcia's family home, “It's just due west of here.”

 

“It was once such a beautiful place, full of greenery and flowers, yet now….” Myra sighed wistfully.

 

“Now, it's a piece of crap like the rest of this wretched planet.” Solomon groused.

 

Blue rested with Heart in their wolf forms lying on their sides against one another's' back, having already had their fill of food. Toboe sat near Hige, both still stuffing their faces while Kiba and Tsume lounged on the set up table Myra had set up for them. Akira sat holding her knees to her chest in human form closer to Solomon's chair. She sat in front of him, facing him so she could talk more easily with him and Myra. Until Kiba had brought up the fact that they were on a journey after the Darcia clan.

 

“What would a nice bunch of sweet things like you going to a dump like that for?” Myra asked kindly.

 

The pack was quiet. They all had varying degrees of long faces.

 

“Was it something you said?” Solomon whispered to his wife when they shared a baffled look.

 

“No, you said nothing wrong,” Akira reassured, “We….. We lost a dear friend. The only way we know to get her back is through that keep.”

 

“Then what are you doing here for?” Solomon smiled brightly. His wife mirrored his expression.

 

“Solomon's right, there's a storm coming, but you should be able to still make good time before it hits if you leave now. Hurry, you've got someone depending on you young ones” she waved them off.

 

Hige looked to Tsume and Kiba, “Well?”

 

Kiba looked to the west, “Let's go then. To Cheza” he said as he got up. The others followed wordlessly.

 

Akira lagged behind to hug the couple once more, “May good things come your way.” She thanked them.

 

“Go on now, girl, or you'll get left behind” the old man grumbled with a smile.

 

“You'll all be in our prayers dear” Myra said warmly as Akira dashed off after the others into the snow fall.

 

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Jasper looked down the keep's tower window. It was unusually boring. Darcia was brooding and Cheza was sleeping. Nothing to do but stare out at the snow fall…. Joy.

 

With a heavy sigh he turned away from the window, leaving it open.

 

Cheza shivered from the cool wind and sneezed in her sleep. Jazz looked at her curiously, then at the window. It was jammed open in the first place. He had already tried to close it with no success, but the wind didn't bother him, he was a wolf after all, his fur kept him warm. But Cheza was a plant.

 

Approaching the bed, he was about to curl around her so his fur would keep them both warm when another anguished and pained stab shot through him, an echo of Darcia's pain through the bond that was warring with the humans' newfound wolf instincts to still seek paradise were tearing the confused lord apart. Jasper could care-less really, so long as he didn't go suicidal just yet. No need to drag HIM down as well until the human was able to faze into a wolf on his own with out the aid of the blood bond. At that point, Jasper knew he would gain back his will, salvation, and freedom once more.

 

He gritted his teeth at the onslaught of conflicting feelings one after another through the bond hit him.

 

`I just have to wait it out…..' he repeated to himself.

 

The flower!

 

Hm? Jasper blinked at the sudden command in his mind.

 

The flower! Bring me my flower! Darcia's voice was husky and more wolfish.

 

Jasper was uncertain, but his body couldn't disobey Darcia's command. Gently, he nudged Cheza awake.

 

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The wolves were fighting to walk through the snow now, the blizzard had taken a roundabout turn for the worst and forced them to a walk or freeze to death.

 

The pack had formed a makeshift line with Kiba leading. Tsume at his flank with Hige a bit behind him. Akira and Toboe huddled close while they fought to walk through the deep snow, neither large enough to battle both deep snow and blizzard winds alone. Heart walked at an angle almost directly in front of Blue, trying to shield her from the wind as much as possible.

 

Hige looked back to let his eyes rest from the pound of the wind on them and saw the 4 behind him lagging exhausted from the constant battle of the icy element of the blizzard.

 

“Maybe we should stop?!” he called to the others.

 

“Fat Chance! We're fine!” Heart shouted back.

 

“We can handle it!” Toboe nodded with a shaking shiver.

 

“Just worry about yourself!” Blue called back from behind Heart's larger frame.

 

Hige and Tsume exchanged concerned glances (yep, it's bad enough that Tsume's worried. That's gotta be bad!) Hige turned back to call after their `leader'.

 

“KIBA! WE SHOULD PROBABLY STOP FOR A WHILE AND WAIT THIS OUT!” he shouted louder since Kiba had gained more ground.

 

“We're not stopping! We can make it through this!” Kiba called back.

 

Hige looked slapped, “NO WE CANT, NOT WITH WOMEN AND A YOUNG KID!” Hige defended, “LOOK AT THEM ALL, THEY'RE EXHAUSTED!!”

 

“I-I'll be okay!” Akira reassured, doubling her efforts though her muscles protested strenuously.

 

“YEAH! ME TOO!” Toboe said a bit more put off.

 

“You know he's only saying that because it's actually him that's tired right?” Tsume snorted over the wind as Kiba finally doubled back to hear them better.

 

Hige growled under his breath.

 

“Yet, Porky does have a point.” Tsume looked up at Kiba piercingly.

 

“We should keep pushing. We can make it for Cheza's sake!” Kiba demanded.

 

“We can't defend her if we're all half dead to begin with!” Heart argued when she and the others caught up panting.

 

“Sorry, Kiba, but I just can't take much more of this” Akira panted, “We should rest at least a little bit.”

 

“We'll take refuge under those rocks. Come on” Tsume took the lead, the others followed gratefully behind.

 

“You think you can make it a bit longer?” Hige asked concerned. Akira, Heart and Toboe knew that he was worried about Blue.

 

“Like I said before,” Blue passed him at Hearts' side, she seemed comfortable near the elder she wolf that shared so much similarities with her, “Look after yourself. We're fine.”

 

Hige followed behind them, making sure they weren't lagging behind. Toboe was at his side now, using the large wolf as a wind breaker that Akira couldn't be. Akira herself stood and waited for Kiba. The white wolf looked like a ghost in the blizzard. His golden yellow eyes one of the few hints he was even there. He looked over his shoulder to the west as if he were going to go anyways.

 

He was a stark comparison to her blood red, black and white mixed fur. In this habitat, Akira stood out like a spot of blood on a pure soul. While Kiba stood proud as ever in the howling storm, Akira's head rested close to her shoulders and her tail was tucked under her. She was trying to stay as warm as possible.

 

“Kiba?” Akira whimpered uncertain.

 

Kiba looked back to her shivering form that she tried to hold together.

 

“Kiba, if you really want to go after Cheza through the st-storm” her shivering started to make her stutter a bit, “I'll follow you.” she said faithfully.

 

Kiba really wanted to go after Cheza as quickly as possible, but not at the price of Akira freezing to death. She wasn't built to last in a wintry blizzard storm, and he knew that if he left, she would follow him.

 

With a heavy resigned sigh, Kiba walked toward her, making sure to block the wind as best he could for her while he walked with her to the shelter the others already took homage in.

 

“Just till the storm lets up.” He said softly.

 

Akira looked up at him with concerned, but thankful orange eyes and smiled. She licked his furry cheek with her still warm tongue (one of the few things still warm). Kiba nosed her with his muzzle to hurry up.

 

“You're going to freeze to death out here, hurry up and get in there” he spurred her faster to shelter.

 

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“If you're just going to keep staring out at that sheet of ice out there, you should have just left us and gone after Cheza alone” Tsume groused at Kiba almost darkly.

 

Most of the pack was huddled at the back of the cave formed by the rock formation. Toboe was huddled at Heart's side while Blue was curled on the other side of Heart. Hige lay relaxed near Blue, but respectful of her space since Heart growled a warning to him when he got too close for the elder wolf's liking. He didn't quite grasp why it would bother Heart, but wrote it off that she just didn't want him playing around like that with Blue so close to herself. Tsume ironically was lying in front of Heart, letting the tired she wolf to rest her head on his back. Everyone but Tsume and Kiba were asleep right now. Akira was one of the first to have fallen asleep when Kiba helped lead her to the rock formation. Once they had arrived, Kiba helped her get comfortable at the back of the cave with the others and then stood up to go sit impatiently at the front of the cave near the howling winds, seldom taking his human eyes off the snow outside.

 

His blue eyes darted annoyed to Tsume's wolf form before they rested on Akira's red fur where she huddled against Toboe and Heart asleep. Looking for all the world like a pup snuggling up to it's siblings the way they all molded against one another to keep warm while they slept.

 

He didn't answer Tsume's jibes at him as he silently returned his blue gaze to the winter storm once more.

 

Tsume growled frustrated, “I can tell you really want to go, why are you stalling if you're so hell-bent and addicted to that flower?!”

 

“I promised that I wouldn't leave her.” Kiba said quietly.

 

“You do know she left us right?” Tsume snorted.

 

Kiba's eyes hardened, “She didn't go on her own choice! She did that to save us! And that's not whom I was talking about anyways!” he snapped.

 

Tsume's golden eyes looked over his shoulder at Akira's sleeping form on the other side of the small heap of fur and then at Kiba, a disapproving look in his eyes, “You're one twisted guy you know? Promising Akira all these things when you're addicted to a flower maiden that's got you so obsessed you cant pull your head out of your ass even an inch to listen to reason anymore!” he bit out.

 

“I'm here, aren't I?” Kiba snarled, “I haven't left her!”

 

“On your own free will or Cheza's plea?” Tsume accused, “If you're just going to keep straddling the fine line between the two, leave Akira now. Don't make her feel anymore pain then you already have been doing and will keep doing if you continue to sniff up to that flower love struck.” Tsume threatened.

 

Kiba stared blankly at his comrade. He knew the timber wolf meant well at the heart, but he had it all wrong, “It's not like that between Cheza and I” Kiba whispered.

 

“Could have fooled me”

 

“You want to rescue her too! Don't pin this all on me!” Kiba snapped.

 

“But I'm not the one trying to push everyone to their deaths in a storm” Tsume snorted.

 

Kiba stood up, “You want me gone, fine then” Kiba reverted to his wolf form, almost invisible with the snowy back ground behind him. His bright gold eyes glared at the gray wolf over his shoulder, “I'm going a head” he bounded off into the storm.

 

“Don't wait up…” Tsume grumbled.

 

“Tsume?” Toboe yawned as he started to stir. He flexed his haunches, which Akira was resting against and in turn woke her up as well, “What are you grumbling about?” the pup moaned tiredly.

 

Akira's orange eyes snapped around the room when she didn't see Kiba, “Where's Kiba?”

 

“He left” Tsume replied shortly.

 

“What? WHY??” Akira stood up on all fours alarmed.

 

“He's gone on ahead. We'll catch up to him at the Keep” no sooner had he said that did Akira bolt pass him to the entrance, “AKIRA!” he hissed.

 

“I'm not letting him go this alone! I've lost too many already because they took it alone, and I refuse to lose him or Cheza!” Akira called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the storm.

 

“AKIRA!” Toboe stood up.

 

“Let her go” Tsume's tone told him to back down.

 

 

“But,”

 

“The storm is letting up a bit; It's starting to thin out and she'll be fine with that kind of determination. Kiba won't let anything bad happen to her. We'll follow soon as the other's wake up” Tsume said disarmingly for once, “Get some more rest. I'll keep watch”

 

Toboe reluctantly lay back down against Heart, his tawny eyes kept glancing worriedly at the storm.