Learning to Fish

[Rynn]

Raist stood and walked up to the shoreline bowed his head and lapped at the water for a few minutes, he looked over at the three and saw that it seemed that none of them were ready to go to bed quite yet. He glanced at Dawn, "If you wish to take a nap as well, I can keep an eye on them and make sure they don't get into any trouble..."

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

She knew she shouldn't. She knew she should tough it out and watch her kids herself. But deep down she was tired. So tired she wanted to say Oh, would you?? That would be a miracle!" But she knew if she said that, he would have to watch the three most volatile pups she had, all by himself, and make sure they didn't get into any trouble. He would probably be under a lot of stress, emotional and physical. And maybe his body couldn't take it. Maybe he would keel over and die right there on the spot, and it would be all her fault because she couldn't keep her eyes open. Well, it would be partially Kage's fault too, for being gone so long.

But reason as she may, she couldn't help but come back to the tantalizing thought of sweet, blissful sleep. It wouldn't be a very long nap-just a noontime snooze, no more than half an hour long. Surely Raist could manage for less than half an hour? Her inward struggle was not revealed on her face, but when she opened her eyes to give her answer, they were obviously troubled.

"I would desperately like to accept your offer, but I'm afraid, those particular pups being the toughest to handle alone, that you would not be able to cope with them. If you think yourself up to the task, I thank you heartily and accept. However, if you do not think you can handle my three most troublesome children, I will stay awake and watch them myself." It pained her to ask like that, but she knew she had to be on top of her game so she could deal with them after naptime. After all, the others would wake, and they would need watching later. If she took a nap now, she would be just as energized as they, and maybe even Yuuka, Hikaru, and Vespera would be a little more tired and easier managed. It was selfish, she knew, but she couldn't keep the thought from her mind.

[Rynn]

Raist chuckled and smiled softly, "It matters not to me, My Lady, its up to you, though you look tired...and if these pups are as rambunctious as you say they are they'll keep you from your rest until they themselves crash..." He paused, "I know i'm not all that healthy cause of this god forsaken curse, nor an official member of this pack and wolves, like me, shouldn't be left to care for things as precious as pups. But I"m willing to do what I have to, to show my appreciation to this pack for taking me in......when noone else would...." He closed his cursed liquid gold eyes for several seconds, not letting any of his emotions through. He left his eyes closed as he spoke once agian, "But the choice is yours My Lady.....I'm just a.....a...nobody....my health and well being aren't all that important...the higher ranks and their pups are who matter...not a cursed lowlife like myself....I'll understand and accept whatever choice you decide...."

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn looked from Raist to her three still active pups. They didn't seem so horrible now, playing happily with each other, and Raist seemed capable of looking after them for just a little while. They would become lazy soon enough, and the job would be even easier. Just let him watch them! Her subconcious thoughts were clear on what she should do, but her waking mind was uneasy. Something about today was just...off. But if her subconcious was sure, why couldn't she be? Finally she agreed with herself and laid back on her side.

"I suppose I will nap for a while. If there are any problems, just wake me. I should be up in a while, but if I'm not, feel free to wake me. But be wary. Being a mother has put me more on-guard than I once was. I might snap awake, if you know what I mean." She chuckled at her poor attempt at a joke, closed her eyes, and was soon overtaken by her dream world.

The long green grass waved lithely in the slight breeze, dancing like sprightly young children. There was no need to fear anything here. The food was plentiful, as was the water and goodwill. As I looked around, I saw familiar faces. Mother, Father, Twilight and Sheeta. Little Reyana has grown quite a bit-he must be three or so by now. He looks every bit the Alpha's heir. This thought never registered in my dream-mind: if Sheeta and Reyana are here, how are Father and Mother? Dreamers have no need for such tiring thoughts as these. I moved as graceful as a swan over the placid green lake, surveying my homeland with ease. Peace Valley. Its name suits it well. I fail to remember why I ever wanted to leave it. Perhaps, once I am dead and gone, I will return to my home. But what of Kage? Kage can come with me, perhaps. But then, someone must stay with the children. No, they will be grown by then. They will spread about their homeland, perhaps even traveling to other packs. Well, it will all work out in the end.

I took my mother and father in a loving embrace, a smile on my face. "Mother...Father...how have you been? It has been far too long." They smile at me. They truly love me. But trouble skims across their face. What troubles them in this blissful world? My smile falters. "What is the matter?"

My child, Mother speaks. Her voice is angelic-the picture of peace. You cannot stay with us Dawn. You must stay with Kage and your friends.

My smile returns. There is a simple solution to this problem. "Mother, I will not stay now, but I will return once it is my time." Her smile is loving, peaceful, but she still has trouble etched in the lines of her face.

It is Father's turn now. His voice is deep and churning, like the sea. It is comforting like a hearth-the image of home. My baby, Kage will want to be with his own family, as will Hitoban no Fokkusu and her mate. Would you not rather be with them?

Once again, the smile is wiped from my face. Father speaks the truth. I would never want to leave Kage, or my friends, for that matter. And Kage would never want to leave his brother. I smile again-there is no use being glum in this perfect dream-land.

"Then you will come with me. Mother, Father, you will come and be with me and my family." Though it is not worded as such, it is a question. The earth writhes beneath my paws, churns and turns brown. The grass wilts and the water dries. My face is stricken, and Mother and Father frown.

In unison they say We cannot leave our home. The earth returns to its placid self; the thought of losing its eternal companions made it wither and want to die. My look of peace does not return, though everything around me urges my soul to quiet. Eternity without my parents? Who would wish that on even their foulest enemy?

Dawn's face twitched briefly in her sleep, though she did not wake.

[Rynn]

Raist laid at the waters edge watching the pups play, though he was kinda spaced out, he had a majority of his attention on the pups in case they tried something or something tried to attack them.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn's leg kicked, and she gave a soft whimper. They were only slight warnings as to what was happening in her dream.

"But why can't you simply come and visit?" The earth roiled around me, jostling my legs, making them weak. It didn't want Mother and Father to leave, not even for a little while. I didn't pay attention to its whims. Why should I listen to it? It might be my homeland, but there was no way I was going to let it boss me around.

Mother's voice was soothing, not only to me, but to the earth around me. It calmed, like a sea in the storm, calmed by the parting clouds. Darling, we cannot leave. This is our home. You will see when you get to your afterlife. This is our afterlife, and you will have yours.

Father was reasonable as always, but his words made my heart clench. It may hurt now precious, but in time your heart will heal, and you will be happy without us. Your waking mind has already coped with our loss. Why can't your soul?

The answer was simple-my soul knew it without any nudging. "My soul is my essence, and my essence was created through yours! I cannot be without you." Silver tears rolled down my face, my emerald eyes giving away my true grief.

We have moved beyond our parents-why can't you?

Dawn woke with a start, surprised to feel the very real tears through her fur. Some of her pups were already starting to stir-she had awaken at the proper time, just as planned. Hikaru, Yuuka, and Vespera were already starting to slow, just as she'd anticipated. But her dream haunted her. Now that she'd been forced to see it, her waking mind couldn't get over the reality of her missing parents. She needed someone she loved.

She pulled her pups close and breathed deep their scent. They soothed her frazzled mind, brought her back down to earth. She pushed thoughts of her parents from her mind and forced a smile on her face. She stood, the rest of the pups waking with her movement, and walked over to Raist.

"Thanks for taking over for a while, Raist. I feel rejuvenated already." She smiled and sat down. Her pups started playing as they always did, and she looked, almost placidly, over the surface of the water, toward the setting sun. "This truly is a beautiful place, isn't it?"

[Rynn]

Raist looked over at Dawn as she got up and sat down. "It was no trouble at all...." he looked out across the lake and nodded, "Yes, it is very beautiful here..." Suddenly he was overwhelmed with many thoughts and he started to feel nautious. He slowly stood so as to not give anything away, "Excuse me for a few minutes My Lady..." and without another word he stood and walked outta the clearing like nothing was wrong. As soon as he was outta sight and hearing range of Dawn and the pups he doubled over in a huge coughing fit, blood came from his mouth and dripped onto the ground. Once the fit was over he straitened and shakily walked several feet away from the blood, before all but falling to the ground, weak from the fit. He closed his eyes and thought about what he had felt before, what was that exactly? Suddenly he heard a familiar laughter and his eyes shot open to meet the blood red eyes of Gibari. "So this is where you were hiding all along Raistlyn...I was starting to wonder if you were dead..." Raist snarled, "Go away Gibari.....before I kill you..." Gibari laughed, "Like you could in your state...." He blinked taken by surprise, how long had he been watching? Gibari soon started to walk away from him, "I'm going to go say...'hello' to your new friends...." Raist stood and snarled, "Your not going to touch them Gibari...I won't let you..." Gibari looked back at him, "Just try and stop me..." Raist took off running after Gibari, passed him up and ran into the clearing, he stopped a few feet outside of the forest. "Dawn! Get yourself and the pups outta here! NOW!" as soon as the last words were outta his mouth Gibari crashed into the clearing and tackled Raist to the ground, and the two soon started rolling around in a death match, with Raist doing everything in his power to give Dawn and the pups time to escape.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn looked at Raist as he stood, sensing something was wrong. She let him beat his hasty retreat, but wasn't quite as at-ease as she had been. Something was wrong, that was for sure. He was probably having a fit. She stood and padded slowly to the place he'd disappeared into the trees, wondering if she should go and check on him. No sooner had she made up her mind to go, than he came crashing back through the brush. She bounded back, snarling, and startled, and gazed wide-eyed on his frightened face. As his warning escaped his lips, she was about to leap into action; she was stopped short by a monstrous figure crashing out after him. All she saw was his crimson eyes as he tackled Raist and started wrestling with him.

She turned and bolted, her stunned pups looking at the grizzly sight before them. She barked their attention, and shooed them into the trees, making sure to grab Kazuko by the scruff. She ran until she could no longer smell Raist or the hulking beast, and started ushering her pups up a tree. Kazuko went first, to the highest branch Dawn could get to. Then she went in order of weakest to strongest, leaving Hikaru and Dusk in the slightly lower branches. If they could all fit on the highest branches, she would put them all there, but the branches would break, and they couldn't get back into the tree by themselves. She placed her front paws on the trunk and spoke to them, her soothing voice thankfully not betraying her fear.

"Now babies, remember what Mommy told you. Stay in the tree, protect each other, and if anything dangerous comes along, call for help as loud as you can. Okay? I'll be back for you soon. I love you all." They cried back to her, and she shushed them. "Don't be afraid. I'll be back as soon as I can." She turned and ran before she lost her nerve, going back to help Raist. He would never survive that beast alone.

She crashed through the underbrush, panting, to find the wolves still fighting. She paced, unsure of what to do, before lunging at the pile, trying to grab the enemy's skin.

[Rynn]

Raist wrestled with Gibari and watched as Dawn and the pups fled the clearing. Gibari snarled once he noticed they were gone and he let go of Raist to go after them but Raist snarled and sunk his fangs into his hind leg and locked his jaws in a death grip. Gibari looked back at Raist, "You are willing to risk your life for them arent you.." The look in Raists eyes was the only answer Gibari needed, "Then you will die with them...." At about the time Dawn re-entered the clearing Gibari spun and sunk his fangs deep into Raists neck and tore him off his leg and flung Raist away from him. Raist flew through the air and hit the ground with a solid thump, where he lay unmoving. Gibari chuckled darkly as he turned to face Dawn dodging her attempt to grab him, "So the pups are safe, but you come back to try and rescue a lowlife like him?" He chuckled again, "thats funny, hes not worth saving...you should have just ran....not that it would have mattered too much....I would have found you again anyway...and killed you, just like your friend...." He motioned to the unmoving Raist, who was lying a few feet away.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn hit the ground lithely, sliding on all fours, and standing to face the beast. Her back was now to the trees, an easy escape should she need it. Now that she got a good look at him, the "great hulking beast" wasn't as scary as she'd first thought. She scanned his blackness, broken only by the strange purple fur and his floating crimson eyes. She never had been one to associate evil with red-after all, Hitoban's eyes were the very same color, and Mar was...well all red. The black wasn't too intimidating, unless it was nighttime and he blended into the darkness, but the eyes would be easy enough to spot. If need be, she could take her pups back and hide in the grotto. There was a chance he wasn't smart enough to figure out where they'd gone, but there was a chance he was. She didn't want to chance it-especially not with all the others there.

She tried not to look at Raist. She had to keep her eyes on her enemy. She tried not to think about him. She had to keep her thoughts on bringing down her prey. She tried not to worry. She had to keep her mind worry-free to clear her concentration. All of these things were not easy. He said Raist was dead. She doubted him. After all, you never could trust the word of an evil one. If she took him down quick enough, she could get Raist to Maname before any serious damage happened. That was her goal-bring down the beast.

She easily took on the appearance of being relaxed-her stance was easy, her tail adroop-but the experienced eye would tell by the clenching and unclenching of her paws, the way her ears twitched, the taught muscles in her legs and shoulders, that she was not relaxed. She was ready for anything, she just looked like she could care less. She smirked at the black menace, her emerald green eyes lightening ever-so-slightly. She couldn't trick her emotions into making her eyes lighter, no matter how hard she tried. Then she spoke, her voice completely at-ease. It was the one thing she could fully control.

"Now, you wouldn't expect me to fall for tripe like that, would you? You can't kill me, and you know it. I am far stronger than some intruder from another land. This is my home-it feeds and nourishes me. I am at the advantage. You did not kill Raist, and your mind tricks will not work on me." I smiled, the curl in my lip giving away my aggression, and awaited his response.

[Rynn]

Gibari smirked and looked Dawn over, "you may have the advantage on your own lands...but your not strong enough to take me down by yourself. Even before I cursed Raist and shattered every bone in his body and left him to die, he couldnt' beat me. So what makes you think you can take me down by yourself?" He started to walk around Dawn then turned and stared walking around her the other way, he knew she was watching his every move, but he really didn't care, she couldn't win by herself, and she would soon learn that. Without any hesiation he lunged at Dawns side but was stopped short and landed ackwardly on the ground he turned and looked behind him to see Raist on his feet, though a little unsteady and bleeding heavily from the wound on his neck, with his tail in his mouth keeping him from reaching Dawn. Gibari snarled, "Your starting to become a real pain Raistlyn....I'll ask once more, are you sure you really want to die for this pack that you aren't a part of?" Again the answer was clear in Raists eyes and Gibari spun and lunged at Raist again. Raist dodged easily and lunged at Gibari sinking his fangs deep into Gibaris shoulder. Gibari growled in annoyance and spun sinking his fangs into Raists side and pulling back tearing fur and flesh with it. Raists eyes filled with agony but not a sound escaped his maw as he continued to cling to Gibaris shoulder.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

She knew she shouldn't have waited. She shouldn't have taunted him-she should have just gone for it. But she did wait. She did taunt. And what now? Raist was being skinned before her very eyes. She surveyed the beast's stance, looking for an in, and spotted one. She ran at him, her paws flying across the grass, claws bringing up dirt, and went straight for his throat. It was slightly exposed next to Raist's side, and it was the perfect weak spot. If she didn't make it, she would try to get at his stomach. She was smaller, and therefore could get underneath him. She lunged, focusing on her target instead of the tormented Raist.

[Rynn]

Raist was fading fast, blood was running in small rivers from his wounds and dripping slowly on the ground. He didn' t know how much longer he'd be able to keep Gibari occupied. Gibari saw Dawn lunge for him but with Raists weight keeping him from moving too fast he wasn't sure if he could move outta the way fast enough. He tried to move but he stepped in a small puddle of blood and crashed to the ground, knocking Raist loose from his shoulder but not without losing some fur and flesh as well, and Dawns fangs sliced the top of his muzzle open. He stood with a snarl, "I'll get you all one of these days, probably sooner than you will wish to see me agian...." Without another word he stood and ran into the forest and vanished from sight. Raist coughed, sending a few drops of blood onto the ground. He searched out Dawn with his unfoucused eyes, once his eyes finally focused on Dawn he asked in his soft voice, "You alright?"

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Dawn cursed inwardly when all she got was his muzzle, and watched as he crashed to the ground. She was about to lunge at him again when he stood and spoke. He said he would be back, and as he turned and ran, Dawn chased him. She was stopped short, however, when a flexible tree limb snapped back and shot her back into the clearing, landing with a sound thud on her back. She coughed and wheezed, her vision going spotty for a second, before getting up. She was dizzy, and fell again. Damn! He'll be long gone by now. She stood and walked toward Raist, just in time to hear his weak question. She chuckled humorlessly.

"What a thing for you to be asking. Of course I'm all right. What about you? You're missing some skin there, and bleeding fast." She looked around, seeing the rapidly setting sun over the horizon. In a sudden fit of rage, she snarled and batted the sand beneath her paw. "Just what we fucking need! Another enemy..." The outburst startled even her. She rarely had such fits, especially now that she had other little bodies to care for.

The thought brought all others to a screeching halt. "My babies!" Without another glance in Raist's direction, she took off toward the tree she'd left her children in. She, thankfully, arrived to find them unharmed. "Are you all okay? He didn't come by here, did he?" They all responded no, and she started plucking them down again. Once they were all on the ground, she took Kazuko in her teeth and hastily made her way back to the lake, where Raist was still lying. She pointed them all toward the water, not wanting them to see Raist's gruesome wound, and spoke to them. "No matter what you hear, you all face this way, understand? I don't want you to see any of this, so you just keep looking at the water. Don't you dare look over at me, do you hear? Not a glance. They nodded hastily, and she went back to Raist's side.

It wasn't pretty. His skin was coming loose, and blood covered the grass. Her brow wrinkled as she studied him. "We have to get you back to the grotto. Maname will know what to do with you. How do you think we should do it? I don't suppose you could walk, could you?"

[Rynn]

Raist chuckled before inhaling sharply at the pain it caused him, he watched Dawn throw her sudden fit, then running off to check on her children, he closed his eyes so wanting to just give in to the darkness and escape the pain, but he knew he had to fight it, knew he had to live so that when Gibari returned he could kill him before he hurt anyone else he cared for. Once he heard Dawn return with the pups and strictly command that don't look over at him, he foucsed on the sounds around him in a vain attempt to stay awake. He opened his eyes as Dawn spoke to him, "I.....I think I might be able to walk....most of the way there....but getting into the Grotto is going to be the tricky part...I don't think I will have the strength to swim..." He coughed again, closing is eyes against the pain, "but if we are going to move, we gotta do it now...He might still be out there hiding...and...its harder to see him in the dark...plus if we wait much longer...I don't think I'll be able to walk...anywhere..." Raist then rolled onto his stomach and stood, luckily the wound was on the side opposite from the pups so if one of them had decided to disobey their mother he/she wouldn't have seen anything, other than the blood on the ground.