• Kiba and the pack finally entered the city but still something in this city felt strange to the wolves, all the people were happy and smiling unlike the ones they had seen before. Cheza seemed to be excited about the town; she kept looking back and forth at all the people who were walking. Kiba felt slightly awkward everyone appeared to be all normal and clean while they, because of their traveling were dirty and different. But Tsume appeared to be just as excited as Cheza, sniffing everything that passed and everything that moved.
    “Hey Kiba, do you think its odd that no one is paying much attention to us or Cheza...they seem to be ignoring us.” Toboe moved closer to Kiba, Hige and Cheza trying to ease the feeling of unease that he was feeling, “I mean look at all these people, they look happy and don’t really notice that we are dirty and that we are wolves.”
    “Yeah…I don’t like it. I do not like this feeling at all…it makes me feel so uneasy.” Hige began looking around then he noticed that one of their own was missing.
    “Hey, Kiba where Tsume? He was behind us just a little while ago.” Kiba quickly scanned the area around him and the pack.
    “You are right Hige…That’s odd where did he go…it’s not likely he had gotten lost after all he seems to know where everyone is most of the time.” Tsume was excited. He had finally returned and he couldn’t help but have the chance to run around and feel like a cub again. To jump up onto the wall, to run along it and feel the wind brushing through his fur then he stopped, his claws digging into the stones. Staring up into the sky, he saw the star he was looking for so long. The black star, the star that he was born under and his friend whose name he had forgotten. A young woman looked up and saw a young man standing on the wall by himself. She was about to call out a warning when she saw the X-shaped scar on his chest. Suddenly she shrieked, excitedly.
    “Look everyone Tsume has finally returned!!!” The pack turned and saw Tsume standing on the wall looking up into the sky at something that they could not see at the moment. When the woman shrieked Tsume turned and saw that it was his old friend he leapt down where he was greeted by many different people. The pack saw him leapt down into the crowd and heard all the people exclaiming excitedly. “You have finally come back home! Come! The Elder must see you! Immediately!”
    The Elder?...Home? What’s going on! Does Tsume know this place? Kiba thought. The humans began walking away from the wall and toward a temple; it was surrounded by white flowers. Kiba, Toboe, and Hige stiffened as the smelled the scent; it was lunar flowers but they were surrounded by flowers as black as the night sky. Cheza seemed to ignore the black flowers and instantly jump into the lunar flowers where she sat until she saw her wolves struggling to catch up with Tsume. Tsume was following the humans while the pack struggled to catch up with him when a warning bell sounded.
    “The Elder!!!” The entire group began shrieking and in an instant the entire flood of humans turned into wolves, the pack stared at the sea of wolves. Suddenly they heard a howl and they looked up and saw that Tsume was being dragged along with the crowd. It took a moment for them to register that Tsume was being dragged along by the crowd then they instantly ran after him and the wolves. They ran until they reached the temple gates where they heard growls, whimpers and whines beyond them.
    “Look out here she comes….!!! Ahhh!” The sea of wolves quickly entered the temple courtyard and on the courtyard of the temple was a pile of bloody wolf corpses. One wolf stood in the middle of the courtyard was pinning another down. It was gray; with a lunar-rose shaped scar on its chest was on top of a young tan wolf. Its fangs were dripping with wolves’ blood. The tan wolf underneath was struggling to get away, while shivering and whimpering. The gray wolf raised its head, bared its fangs and dove for the young wolf’s throat.
    “Stop!!!” The gray wolf paused in mid-air, its fangs just centimeters above the wolf throat. “Let that one go…you have done enough killing for today.” The gray wolf growled angrily but obeyed the old, ratty black wolf that came out of the temple. It let the young tan wolf go and instantly the tan wolf leapt to his feet, his fur bristling but backed away knowing that he had little chance against the(hardened/ seasoned) gray warrior. Turning the tan wolf leapt onto the wall, growling.
    “We will get you for this Elder, you and that guard of yours…Your name will be remember well by me, Nighthawk.” Then the tan wolf leapt away from the wall and disappeared from behind the wall. Tsume stared; he couldn’t help but have something remind him of that wolf, he had known him from a long time ago.
    “Elder!! Are you all right?” Tsume turned and saw the old black wolf, had staggered and the gray wolf had instantly rushed to his side. Though the gray wolf had been wounded severely, it still moved quicker than the others. Soon all the other wolves dispersed and Kiba found Tsume standing some distance from the other wolves; they watched as all the wolves crowded around the old wolf and Tsume could not help but be drawn toward the old wolf.
    “Z’ahera!!!!” The pack jumped and stared at the sea of wolves. In the middle, they saw the gray wolf collapse with the Elder on its back. Without thinking Tsume rushed forward and lifted the Elder from the gray wolf back. He gently placed the elder down onto the ground, and then the other wolves put their bodies as close as possible to the Elders, trying to keep him warm. The gray wolf lay still unmoving, the wounds bleeding profusely, and its fur was matted because of the blood, but as Tsume drew closer its eyes opened. I growled angrily at Tsume then it struggled to stand but collapsed due to the serious leg wounds. It sank down onto its side, laying there growling up at Tsume, its eyes as hostile as a bear charging. (Need better simile).
    Tsume didn’t know what to do. He stared at the wounded gray wolf, feeling that he had seen its eyes before, once long ago. His eyes locked onto its and, he felt a strange sort of feeling; a feeling he could not place. It was the feeling that he got when his pack was in danger and he wanted to protect them with everything he had. It was the feeling of concern for the young, wounded gray wolf and some other feeling….which began to strike a memory.
    “Ahh…so Tsume has finally returned, after all this time…And now he returns to the pack when we are in the middle of a Great War with one another.” Tsume turned away from the gray wolf, toward the elder and the sea of wolves. The pack watched as Tsume left the wounded gray wolf and bowed low before the old, ratty, black wolf.
    “What Great War? Elder? Is something going on inside the pack that I am unaware of? And is this Great War the reason that you have others protecting you?” The pack stared at Tsume in shock. They had never heard Tsume sound so formal; they could not help but mover closer to him. The elder raised his head and gazed on them.
    “I see that you have found a new pack to run with…where you feel that you belong.” Tsume stiffened, “is that why you left the pack…to find a new pack to run with or was it just the fact that you didn’t want to help guard the city?” The pack stared at Tsume, their eyes boring into his back and the wounded gray wolf began moving slightly. The Elder stared at Tsume for a moment then he looked behind Tsume. “Z’ahera, get up! I am sure that you can get up now!” Tsume growled loudly, baring his white fangs. The Elder looked at him and smirked. “What are you going to do Tsume? Are you going to attack me just as Nighthawk and his small group of rebels did…You saw how Z’ahera finished them…? If anyone attacks me her battle instincts kick in and she protects me to the death. No matter who attacks me…”
    Tsume halted his advance and looked back at the wounded gray wolf. He could tell that she was forcing herself to stand and obey the Elder’s command. She got to her feet, shaking its head while the wounds were now streaming with blood. Tsume growled angrily, walking toward the wounded gray wolf and forced her back down.
    “Ouch!” then she collapsed; her legs were so shaky that she was unable to remain on her feet. She turned toward Tsume, her eyes were even more hostile, and she lifted her head slightly and growled angrily while baring her fangs. “Why did you do this? Why did you just push me down…is it because you are afraid of me attacking you?” She growled steely. Tsume’s eyes focused on hers. He knew her and he remember a time long ago…
    He was just a pup and his scar was still small; he was running through the hill which was covered with lunar flowers. At the top of the hill, stood his friend, Z’ahera. She was a gray pup with small irregular shaped scars on her chest, which she was born with. She leapt into the air barking encouragement to Tsume who was running up the hill towards her.
    “Come on Tsume! Hurry Up! I am going to race you to the temple courtyard if you don’t hurry up…I want to see the Elder! Maybe he will have some new stories to tell us!” Tsume hurried through the flowers and stood by her side, on the hill overlooking the temple courtyard.
    “You know what Z’ahera…,” he panted, “You are probably the fastest wolf in the entire pack and you are the most powerful one too… You also have lots of good ways to bring down an enemy.” Z’ahera shuffled her feet and looked at him in the eyes.
    “Your right Tsume but you are stronger than me and almost as fast as me. We will be a good team in the future Tsume! I am sure we will be together forever, no matter what happens. Now let’s go…I want to see the Elder.”
    Tsume drew himself back to the present and the wounded wolf’s eyes. He saw the same light he had seen when he was younger…the same eyes that had looked at him with such happiness but now looked upon him with disdain and hatred. He could not help but feel the sorrow that he had brought onto her. He moved away from the Elder and sat down in front of the gray wolf, feeling the hatred and scorn coming from her but he felt something underneath all the hate. He felt something else, a feeling that was hidden from other wolves.
    “Your Z’ahera right?” The gray wolf lifted her head and stared at Tsume, her eyes boring deep into his, “Do you remember me?” Her icy blue eyes focused on his amber ones; her eyes were confused and seemed to try to place him.
    “That’s enough Tsume…I am sure she no longer remembers who you are anymore….Healers, why aren’t you attending my guard. Do you wish for her to die so you could take her place as my guard and receive all the glory that comes with it? But do not forget that all that glory comes with a price.” Then the Elder turned to Tsume and the pack. “Would you and your pack like a place to stay for a while, I am sure you have nowhere else to now so feel free to come into the temple and stay the night?” The sea of wolves behind him gasped.
    “But Elder that has never been done before…as you said before that only those who were sworn to protect you were allowed into the temple. You said that if anyone other than the body guards stayed there, you would be killed the night after!” The wolves behind the speaker were murmuring, their eyes wide with terror. The pack drew away from the wary wolves,
    “Watch it! Can’t you see that we are working to save this young wolf?” The pack swiftly turned and saw that they had run into several old wolves, they were sitting around the wounded gray wolf with piles of green leaves beside them. “Do not step on the leaves they are the only thing that will stop Z’ahera’s wounds from bleeding so bad.” The pack watched fascinated as the old wolves took human form and began wrapping her wounds.
    “Elder, your guard will survive for a long time yet. She will recover from her wounds quickly like the warrior that she is, so you will not have to worry about a funeral any time soon.” The oldest of the wolves who was attending Z’ahera’s wounds, growled softly. It was an old gray timber wolf who had spoke. Tsume and the pack stood some distance away and began discussing the offer to stay at the temple.
    “What do you think Kiba? The Elder may be old but he has many tricks that often can cause death to those he despises. I don’t want to put anyone in danger but I am afraid that we have nowhere else to go. I have spoken with the innkeepers of this town but apparently there are not any available rooms, so I think we should take the old man’s offer…”
    “I don’t know Tsume…We don’t know anything about the Elder or his body guard, Z’ahera. She is a lot stronger than I thought and look at her know.” They all turned and saw that she was already standing on her own feet with the help of one healer. Hige’s eyes grew large as he saw the she already able to get onto her own feet after such serious wounds.
    “Tsume…That’s amazing! Do all wolves in this clan heal that quickly? Or is it just one of Z’ahera’s abilities?” Tsume looked at Hige sharply. He knew what Hige was thinking and he would not put up with anything foolish happening in this town especially not to Z’ahera.
    “Well I think we should take him up on the offer and stay with them. He was nice enough to offer us shelter from the cold and what could be wrong with an old wolf with a strong bodyguard. I don’t think Cheza would like to sleep outside when they are offering a place to stay that is actually surrounded by lunar flowers.” Toboe eyes widen when he saw that Tsume seemed to be struggling with an inner conflict, about what he didn’t know but he could see something in Tsume’s eyes was being conflicted. Kiba glanced at Cheza and saw that she was talking to the Elder and the healers who were attending Z’ahera’s wounds. She seemed very excited about something and she was talking very fast.
    “Well, are you going to accept the Elder’s offer or are you just going to be sleeping outside?” The wolves jumped and saw Z’ahera standing behind them; her eyes were as icy as ever. The pack’s eyes opened wide with shock she was already standing on her own four feet and the wounds were already beginning to vanish underneath her fur. The blood had stopped flowing profusely but still it dripped. Her legs were shaking under her weight and she seemed to favor her left hind foot but in other words she was all right. Tsume breathed a sigh of relief; Z’ahera turned and studied him with a gaze that he could not understand.
    There was still a large group of wolves still hanging around the area, removing the different wolves’ corpses, to a special graveyard beyond the courtyard. Kiba took a moment to run his eyes over Z’ahera. It was the first time that he had seen her up close and he couldn’t help but appreciate her almost perfect form. She was definitely a warrior among wolves’ standards. Her muscles were toned, tough and tense as if she was always ready for battle. She was small but apparently she was very swift and her head; she held it up with pride while her icy colored eyes compliment her light gray fur.
    “We will accept the offer for the stay at Elder’s temple,” Z’ahera icy blue eyes did not flicker at all. She merely nodded and trotted off with a slight limp, toward the Elder. Her soft light gray fur flowed through the breeze and she looked back at the pack, once. Tsume understood what she was implying.
    “Let’s go guys…we need to follow Z’ahera into the temple. She will take us to the room that we will be staying for the evening.” The pack glanced at Tsume, wonder how he knew this, and saw that he already was walking after the gray female wolf, not waiting for anyone in the pack. Hige, Toboe and Kiba stood for a moment thinking about the gray wolf but then pushing it aside, they rushed to catch up with Tsume, Cheza and Z’ahera.
    “So you are going to stay with us for the night and perhaps for a little while longer, Z’ahera will you be able to show our guests to their room and then why don’t you take the day off. To show our guests around the town and allow Tsume to see his old home, which has changed so much since he left.” Tsume snarled staring at the Elder feeling hat rise into him. Kiba snarled a warning to Tsume to be kind to the Elder and try not to cause trouble. Z’ahera nodded her head and turned to the Elders’ guests.
    “Please follow me to your room. I will get you settled in but Elder who will be your guard while I am away?” The Elder looked at the young gray warrior with such fondness that Tsume felt his heart swell with love for both the Elder and his friend Z’ahera.
    “Do not worry my dear. I will ask the healers to come and watch me…” The Elder coughed. Z’ahera’s ears perked and her eyes opened a fraction of an inch. “I have not been feeling very well lately to the guest rooms. The pack stood and followed the gray wolf as she trotted with her slight limp.
    “Tsume,” the pack turned and saw the Elder stood. “Would you please stay here? I must speak to you.” Tsume turned and nodded, then trotted toward the Elder. The pack was about to follow when,
    “The Elder wishes to speak with Tsume not to the entire pack so please come with me.” Tsume nodded to the pack but they seemed to hesitate in leaving Tsume alone with Tsume but Cheza began skipping toward Z’ahera, they seemed to get over their conflicted emotions and followed Cheza. Tsume stood beside the Elder, bowing low to the Elder.
    “Tsume, I know that you have just returned from your journey and that you have just arrived back here but I need a favor from you.” Tsume sat there politely his ears perked listening but inside he was raging ‘He wants me to do something for him when he is treating me so cruelly.’
    “I know that I have been cruel to you Tsume but I care about Z’ahera and I can’t have you intervening with my plans. When you were younger you were able to be with Z’ahera all you wanted but you left her. The day that you left, she became that creature you saw earlier today and she has never been the same wolf that she was before. Do you remember those days? Her happiness was in the hearts of all the wolves of the pack; she was growing up to be a fine young warrior and she loved you more than anything…but you left. Then that evil creature appeared; killing, killing and killing that is all she does, the only reason she stays within the clan was because I chose her as my guard. She swore loyalty to me and that’s was the reason she was able to stay in the clan. So the favor, I ask of you Tsume is when I die tomorrow you will ease her pain and tell her the truth about me.” Tsume stiffen, lifting his head until his eyes were locked with the Elder’s. “I loved her Tsume. I was jealous of your relationship with you so I let you go so that I could have her to myself but it did not work out, she became a killer and locked herself up in loss of you and forgot what her purpose was. I need you to tell her the truth and what will happen to me.”
    Tsume stared at the Elder not understanding why the Elder trusted him with such an odd request but he could not help but feel that he obliged to do his bidding.
    “I shall accept your request Elder though I do not know why. I feel that I must tell her the truth even though it may hurt me more than it will hurt Z’ahera. I finally remember who she is now…she was my partner in almost everything that I did…wasn’t she.”
    “Yes.”
    “So her transformation of body and spirit are entirely my fault. I am to blame for all the stuff that has happened to Z’ahera and the pack…all because I left her.” The Elder looked down on the wounded-spirit of this young gray warrior.
    “You are not only to blame Tsume. It may have been a good thing that you have left us here, we have grown stronger as a pack now that we are not relying on another warrior to help us out.” Tsume was about to interrupt but something told him to listen. “It is true that we have taken advantage of Z’ahera’s strange behavior because she now protects the one she is assigned to. Since you left she became a hardened warrior with the darkness in her soul grew because she is struggling to find you. Just so you know Tsume, she will not recognize you no matter what you say to her. I believe that her heart has hardened so much that she barely recognizes anyone.”
    “But then why has she been at your side the whole time and she recognized the healers who were taking care of her wounds so wouldn’t she be able to tell the difference between past and present?” Tsume had leapt to his feet and snarled at the Elder angrily. “And why would you even care if I tried to get her to remember me? Is it something that you don’t want me to try or what! I do not care what you think is right! I am going to have Z’ahera remember everything about me and her about her past. I will beg for her forgiveness if it is necessary! I love her!”
    “I knew that you had loved her for a long time Tsume. I was waiting for you to tell the truth for so long that I believed that I would no longer be in this world before you told her the truth or even spoke out.” He stood and began to walk toward the back of the temple. Tsume stood there, fully aware of what he had just said. I said, I loved her… why would I say something like that….and for everyone to hear…Was I really telling the truth or were those just my feelings.
    “Tsume come with me, this should not too much longer. I am sure your friends are getting anxious without you around after all you are the one who knows more about this place then any of your friends and I think they are afraid that Z’ahera will attack them if you are not there.” Tsume nodded and followed the Elder through the dark alcove behind the altar; he felt honored no one was ever able to enter the Sacred Chambers.
    It was a small room made entirely of gold, precious stones embedded in the walls and many different treasures lay among the oak table which stood in the middle of the room. Where the statue of the silver wolf statue was standing, the wolfs eyes were dark sapphire while the statue was a very detail there was things that were missing of the statue. Like the muzzle of the statue, when Tsume saw the statue he felt his sadness rise in his chest.
    It was a wolf that he had known too well before her transformation…It was Z’ahera’s mother after the battle of Westward. Her sacrifice always struck everyone who saw this statue, the sorrow, pain, suffering, and love for her pack and her only cub.
    “Tsume, you know the curse of the temple…every Elder knows it and almost every wolf of this pack knows. Tomorrow I will probably die because I have allowed you and your friends to spend the night in the temple which is never done…” Tsume instantly stiffened.
    “But what of the pack they will believe that one of us has killed you and made our escape! So we need to leave immediately!” The Elder chuckled at the young wolfs fear.
    “It is already too late now…you can no longer take back what I have done but do not worry Z’ahera will stand up for you. She already knows that I will be killed but she will probably start fighting to protect me even though she knows it…. You may leave now Tsume. This is all I have to say to you except when you return to the room you will send Z’ahera to me…” Then The Elder slumped down onto the padded bed behind the wolf statue. Suddenly he seemed very old and vulnerable to Tsume, as if anyone could come in and kill him without a fight; he no longer appeared to be the warrior that Z’ahera and himself had looked up to…
    Tsume shook himself and then bowed low before the Elder. Then he trotted off; out of the Sacred Chamber, away from the altar and down the hallway where his pack had disappeared.