The Shadows Book One: The War for EarthEnd.

Chapter Eight - Growing Up.

Liki Wolfspirit.

Liki continued walking down the walls approaching the row of bushes that led up the same hill he had used earlier that day with PyreFox, Liquid, and Blackpaw. He was only really paying half attention to where he was or where he was going, the other half was also split into its own two halves. So, there was one half of him paying attention, one forth of him was worrying about what he had done to the Anubian General, and the other forth was pondering about the voice he heard earlier.

It wasn't until he made it halfway up the path in the bushes that a familair voice snapped back the other two parts of his mind to join the one paying attention. Even then before he could focus clearly, a small body tackled his legs and waist and hugged him tightly. Liki stared down in surprise.

Blackpaw was looking back up at him, smiling from ear to ear. Liki smiled back down, holding the small boy's shoulders in a hug of his own since he could not well kneel with the child's arms strangling his legs.

Blackpaw then snuggled his muzzle against Liki's stomach and murred, "You really came back."

Liki patted the boy's back, "Just like I said I would," He murred as well, "Though I'm surprised you stayed here that whole time. You must be starving..."

The white furred wolf stared at the ground, "Yeah I am...but I knew you'd be back..." the Fangren started crying softly.

Liki turned his head, "Blackpaw..." Liki managed to pull away to kneel down so he was level with him, "What's wrong?"

"Liki...I..." The child started but sobbed again, unable to say anything else. The older Fangren wrapped his arms around Blackpaw and soothed him by rubbing his back.

"It's okay Blackpaw..." Liki rose, holding hands with the child, "Let's find PyreFox and Cammy, then get out of here, you can tell me what's bothering you later.

Blackpaw sniffed and managed to nod up to Liki, while rustling came from the bushes followed by PyreFox's voice, "We're already here Liki," He said emerging from a bush, Cammy soon behind him, "Let's move inland. Now I've had it with Anubians and this uniform."

Liki smiled as he led a still lightly sniffling Blackpaw past PyreFox and Cammy, "Are you sure your mark won't start burning again?"

PyreFox gazed over at Cammy with his own smile before following with Cammy beside him, "I don't think that will a problem for awhile."

Dawn was peeking over the horizon when the group finally laid their weary eyes on a small town that rested between two cliffs, buildings lined along the rocky walls, imbedded into the ground itself with multidudes of walkways leading up to the different levels of buildings and other structures. This was the town of Hillside.

Liki judged it to be more a cross between town and city. A town turning into a city if you would. But at the moment, it looked terribly overpacked. The refugees of EarthEnd were everywhere, so much so that was no room to move around at all in the area between the two cliffs. There wasn't much hope in Liki that there would be anywhere left to stay in the town.

Cammy was the first one to speak, "Gaia..." She whispered, "There's no room here...There's probably people already sleeping outdoors..."

PyreFox started back down the path they had been following, a path left by the many Beasts that had fled before them. He had removed his Anubian captian clothing earlier and was wearing only his undershirt and a extra pair of pants he had in his backpack, "I really don't care if I sleep indoors or outdoors...I just really want to sleep..."

"Agreed." Cammy sighed and followed down the path. Her own Anubian captian uniform was already way too torn and worn from her experiance in the camp to be recognizable. Both the Foxens did not want to start a scene wearing the clothing of the army that had forced the Beasts they were about to mingle with out of their homes.

Liki followed behind them, admittedly he felt sore and tired too, but he was wide awake. Uriay had deprived him of sleep many times so that he could stay alert and awake for long periods before he crashed. His holding a Shadow cloak for six days straight before falling asleep, the 'vacation' he took in the Dark Forest and the restless nights that followed, along with the distress he had felt when his secret love had died in said forest, and travelling for the last month, had collectivly built up his ability to stay up on purpose for about four days. He had only been up for about twenty-four hours now though, he could still go longer.

Blackpaw on the other hand, could not. Before they had even started completely down the path to Hillside from EarthEnd, the child had begged Liki to carry him. Liki relented, unable to refuse knowing Blackpaw was probably not used to long journeys or walks and was probably very tired. He had opened up his backpack and let Blackpaw cuddle up inside it before shouldering it again. Blackpaw kept the lower part of his body in the pack but had wrapped his arms around Liki's neck and snuggled there. He was fast asleep quickly, riding along in Liki's backpack.

Liki reached behind him and poked Blackpaw awake while following PyreFox and Cammy. The Fangren gave a startled noise before groaning and moaning something about wanting five more minutes. Liki grinned and continued to poke until he heard Blackpaw groan again and his hands move from around his neck.

"What Mom?" The child groaned and stirred while yawning loudly.

"Mom?" Liki laughed, "Sorry but I ain't your mom."

He felt Blackpaw scrample in the backpack, instantly awake. "Oh! Liki," Blackpaw said and relaxed again, "I'm sorry I was kinda out of it. Where are we?" Blackpaw's muzzle appeared in his field of vision to peer and see what was going on.

"It's okay Blackpaw," Liki smiled, "We're in Hillside."

"Hillside? I know this place." He felt Blackpaw hop in excitement in his backpack, "My family owns a house here!" he said loudly.

That made PyreFox whip around, "What?!" He jumped in front of Liki, regarding Blackpaw and snapping, "You have a house here? Where?!"

Blackpaw whimpered, "I don't know..."

"You don't know?!" PyreFox made to grab Blackpaw.

PyreFox's hand was stopped by both Liki and Cammy's.

The Foxen glaread at each of them in turn while Blackpaw shivered in fear, which made Liki growl and PyreFox's eyes soften. He sighed and stepped back, "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just...really f-ing tired..."

"We all are." Cammy rested a hand on his shoulder, then turned to Blackpaw, "Try to remember Blackpaw..."

The child whimpered, "I can't...the last time we had been here had been three years ago...all the other times we had to leave the town we went across seas...it was safer and-" Blackpaw gasped and stopped, and Liki felt the child's mind reel with fright, like he had just broken the world somehow.

"Safer?" PyreFox repeated, "What are you talking about?"

Blackpaw curled up and almost vanished into Liki's backpack, only the fur of the back of his neck was visible. PyreFox grumbled and Cammy looked downfallen.

Liki continued to feel Blackpaw's mind troubled by something horrible, along with fear toward PyreFox, and he whimpered and moved past the two Foxens into town. He turned his muzzle to look at them and said, "Me and Blackpaw will try to find his parents or his house if he recgonizes it. PyreFox, why don't you and Cammy see if there's anywhere else we can stay, or if you can find your friends that you mentioned would create a resistence force?"

PyreFox stood a moment, but apparently he understood that his presscence and temper would only scare Blackpaw more and gave a resigned nod, letting Cammy lead him away into the crowd at the beginning of town.

Liki watched them leave into the mass of Beasts, most of whom appeared weary, downtrodden, and void of hope. Those that apparently had no choice but to sleep outside were dirtied and the most misirable looking of them all. A slight volume of continuous crying could be heard over the hubble of voices, mixed in with shouts of anger or desperation.

With the sun peaking and not over the hills, the entire town was shaded in darkness, giving it a very bleak feeling considering its already awful condition. Lanterns were still lit up in the crevice. It was like dusk here almost all day.

The village had five stories laid on itself in the dirt walls of the two cliffs. Wooden walkways placed in convenant areas of the town led up to the higher levels. The ground level row seemed to be the market and trade district, this was where most of the Beasts were located - refugees trying to barter for food or water or some other desired object to improve thier situation.

The second teir looked to be mostly inns, all of which were no doubt full beyond their actual capicity in the town's/near-cities' effort to house the civilians of EarthEnd. Yet still there were Beasts who were still sleeping outside.

The third, forth, and fifth levels were lined with small houses that seemed to be half buried in the dirt and half out in the open. The higher the level, the bigger the house - or den - was there.

Liki spoke to Blackpaw after he had lost track of PyreFox and Cammy in the masses, "Blackpaw, do you know what level your house was on at least?"

He felt Blackpaw shift and the young wolf poked his head back out, sniffling quietly, "Yeah...It was the highest floor on the right cliff. Families up there are more private and don't snoop around their neighbor's business..."

The other Fangren nodded and started to move again, but he stopped after he thought about what he had just heard, "Why would your family need a place where your neighbors don't snoop?"

Blackpaw whimpered loudly, "Becuase we...we..." His mind was reeling with fright again about something, before he finally managed to say, "We need our privacy." Even though Liki could tell it was a lie he did not press the matter but moved again, taking the nearest ramp up to the second level on the right side of the crevice.

As he stepped onto the platforms of that level, he was obstructed by a Ursine, who's clothing was ragged and dirtied. Liki guessed he had probably been sleeping outside for the last few hours. His big bear like body blocked Liki's way farther into the level.

"Hey, kid..." The Ursine whispered, "You got something in that packback besides the runt?" He started reaching over Liki's shoulder. Liki could feel his intentions with his magic clearly. To the Ursine, Liki was just a vendor for food, water, or money, and since he was just a small kid, the big bear believed he could take what he wanted.

"Nothing for you I'm afriad..." Liki said and swatted away that large hand rather easily, which surprised the Ursine. Liki squeezed under the big, burly arm while holding it above him, "This is not the time to take what you want and not care how you get it..."

The Ursine's large paw landed hard on Liki's shoulder, making him wince in a tinge of pain, "Listen hear, my family is starving, I'm starving, I don't have any money, all the inns are booked, and if you don't have anything to give freely then maybe your own parents will be more understand-"

"I don't have any parents." Liki interupted without turning around, moving to shrug off the hand. "I'm a traveller. The 'runt' is a survivor from EarthEnd just like you and I'm trying to help him find his parents. Blackpaw, there's a small bag that sould be in there with you, you might be sitting on it. Untie it then take one coin out and hand it to this Beast."

Blackpaw rummaged to find the bag in question, then fumbled to manage to undo the tie that kept it closed. He heard Blackpaw gasp loudly and pause, before he stood up in the backpack again to reach out to the Ursine with his paw, holding one gold coin. In the world of Beasts, they had adopted a kind of currecy that followed the human currency before them except with large gaps between value. They had only three different kinds of currency, bronze coins, silver coins, and gold coins. Bronze coins could be the equal to one cent, a silver a dollor, and a gold was worth a hundred silvers. All coins were not much bigger then a small pepple really, as that would be counter productive to the economy. The prices of Beasts weren't very expensive either, one could buy a night at an inn for about fifty bronze and loaf of bread for three. A day's work at a job would get you about two silver, that was the average most got. Not much went over and above one silver too, and silver was perhaps what made up about ninety percent of anyone's money. The Economy was very good for Beasts, since they had no technology like humans had there were lots of jobs in farming, meaning plenty of food and no inflation.

The Ursine could only stare as the coin landed in his paw as Blackpaw turned his over to let it fall. A gold coin could pay for about two months of food and rent in a inn. The more common coins that were traded were bronze and silver. Gold was a rareity to have, something only for emergencies, life-savings and retirement, never for handing out to strangers and beggers, especially one that had tried threatening you beforehand.

But to Liki, that didn't matter. The Ursine wanted help, and though it wasn't a very specific help he desired, the gesture of giving him the coin went a long way. The big bear stammered and stared at the coin as Liki just walked away and up the next ramp to the third level, while Blackpaw stared out to the bear in the backpack.

As the Ursine eventually returned to his senses and moved away to the market place to use his gift, Blackpaw turned in the bag to face the back of Liki's head again, "Liki...why would you give that away?"

Liki gave a small laugh, "That bag you gasped at?" He smiled, "It's the money my Master left me when he died, it's pretty much his entire life's earnings all in one bag."

"All that?!" Blackpaw gasped again, "Liki there's like...a thousand gold coins in that bag! You're rich enough to live your life in luxery and maybe more! How did he manage to get that much?"

"Payment and the affections of those he helped." Liki said simply, "A Shadow needs money too, and he did a few bounties for it, as long as the target was very much apparently a bad person...sometimes Beasts gave him those as appreciation for his work to help them out for no gain at all to begin with. He spent all his life doing that until he found me. Perhaps each one of those coins is a testament to a good thing he did."

"Wow..." The child whispered, "And you gave one of them to a complete stranger who was trying to mug you..."

Liki smiled and laughed, "Well it's probably better he not know I still have over one thousand more of those little coins yes?"

Blackpaw laughed then too, "Yeah probably. Everyone here would be after you."

"There!" Blackpaw pointed over his shoulder and bounced in the backpack, "That's the house, I recgonize it!"

Liki looked at where the finger was pointing ahead of them. They were now on the highest platform, there was a slight wind blowing up here near the top of the cliffs, and there was sunlight here and warmer then down below in the shadow of the hills.

These houses, unlike others on the forth and third level, were two story homes and much larger. The one Blackpaw was pointing at was the largest of them all, with probably more then two-thirds of it buried in the ground itself. But there were already a number of refugee Beasts sitting outside of it, the door wide open.

"Are you sure Blackpaw? There's already alot of Beasts there."

There was no mistaking the certianty in Blackpaw's answer, "Yes. That is my family's house."

"Then why are there a bunch of Beasts sitting in front of it," right then a Beast walked out of the house, and Liki could see a number of others inside the house as well, "and inside it too?"

He felt Blackpaw's excitement falter slightly, "I don't know..."

"Maybe your parents are letting them stay?"

Blackpaw whimpered, "No, they would never...it wouldn't be safe..."

Liki scowled, again feeling Blackpaw's mind reel in worry about something, yet the child was protecting that worry in his mind so greatly that Liki could not get a hold on it, he sighed and kneeled and told Blackpaw to leave the backpack. The child did and stood as Liki turned himself around to face him.

"Blackpaw," Liki began, "What is it about your folks that you're not telling me?"

He saw Blackpaw's eyes widen before he looked at the ground, Liki continued to wait for an answer. Liki felt Blackpaw's mind racing with worry and contradiction. This silence continued on until there were footsteps behind Liki, and Blackpaw looked to see who was there and completely forgot about the other Fangren's questions, instead yelping with joy, "Mom! Dad!"

Liki turned to see two adult Fangrens behind him. The male was dressed in casual civilian clothing, a plain white shirt and brown pants. He was broad and strong looking, clearly he had a history of being a traveller or warrior of somekind. He was carrying a backpack a lot like Liki's own. The female wore something more extravagant looking, a dress with a flower pattern, and was more peaceful and pampered looking then her husband, but still in shape and very beutiful.

The female came foward and took Blackpaw in her arms, crying, "Blackpaw you're okay!"

"Yeah Mom! Thanks to Liki I'm fine!"

"Liki?" The male questioned, stepping foward.

Liki held out his hand while looking up to the male, "That's me, I found Blackpaw in the city and brought him out. Sorry we didn't get here sooner, we got caught up with other things."

"Liki fought the Anubians!" Blackpaw told them excitedly while his dad shook hands with Liki, "He and another Beast that found me freed a Foxen from them and fought the general! Liki's a Shadow!"

Blackpaw's father gave a small jump that Liki could only feel through thier shared contact on thier hands, but it left quickly after and he smiled to Liki, "I'm Steve, Liki, it's nice to meet you. Thanks for taking care of my son for this long. You look very strong and have a nice grip it seems. Your Master must be proud."

Liki couldn't help but ask, "Do you know about the Shadows?"

Steve releashed Liki's hand before answering, "I was a...friend...of one of the survivors of the Shadow's war with the Grey Circle. He was eventually hunted down and killed. They traced his contacts to me and they tried to kill me and my family."

Liki's eyes widened, "So...you're in hiding? Do you regret helping him?"

Steve nodded and shook his head both, "Been hiding for about the last nine years...we had Blackpaw when we lived in Camelot. When he was born they noticed his last name in the cities newspapers and attacked us in Camelot but we got away once more. That's when we came here, and we bought that house over there," Steve pointed to the house with all the Beasts, "as a getaway house if they found us in EarthEnd as well. When the attack came in EarthEnd, Blackpaw was at school, and a Knight had forced us out before we could find him...I don't regret helping the Shadow, he helped me so I helped him back, it's the way the world goes. He can't help that the Grey Circle seems to enjoy hunting me down becuase they think I'll have more info."

"Then why are all those other Beasts in it and using it?" Liki returned to the subject of the house then.

Steve sighed and rubbed his temples, "Me and my wife stayed in hiding for awhile just in case, and while we were, that group came up here to see if any of the familes up here were willing to shelter them. Familes up here are very highstrung and like their privacy, call it being snobby if you will, but that insures they would not ask questions about why it was empty all the time and would not answer questions to strangers who ever wondered in. Unfortunately that also means they are not sympathetic to the problems of the EarthEnd refugees and they all refused to shelter them. They tried ours as the last and when they realized no one was home, they broke in and have now taken it over. I was just about to kick them all out actually..."

"Kick them out?" Liki turned his head, "Isn't there anyway else to get them out?"

"Do you think they're going to give up shelter just becuase its owner returned?" Steve questioned back. "It's me on them and they will know it..."

Silence followed as they all thought hard when Liki had a thought, "You said you were going to kick them out, but you just said it's you on them. Does that mean you could really take them all on all at once?"

Steve smiled, "You're not the only one who's trained as a rogue, while you're a Shadow, I still have skills those civilians don't. Unless you have a different idea that doesn't involve kicking their butts, I won't have a choice, but I know that goes against you're beliefs I take it, so I'll work with you in whatever you want to do."

Liki stared at the house, thinking again, "There is something I can do."

He reached into his pack and brought out the sack of gold coins from within it. It fit in his palm just right but bulged with the sheer number of coins. "I can bribe them..."

Steve stared at the sack, "Your Master's life savings?"

Liki nodded.

"Are prepared to give up all his money he gave you to those Beasts?" Steve continued.

That made Liki smile, "I don't think I'll have to give up all of it."

Blackpaw made the comment, "Dad, Liki's rich! There's like, a thousand gold coins in that bag!"

Steve's eyes went wide with surprise and he regarded the pouch with a much different look, almost like he was scared of it, "Great Gaia..."

"I can give them each one piece to leave the house. If they can't find lodges here in Hillside, they can just as easily buy the twenty-five silver boat trip to Camelot from the nearest port." Liki said and tossed the pouch up and down in the air while grinning. "I don't mind. Afterall, like Blackpaw just said, I'm rich."

It wasn't long after that when Liki gave one more piece of gold to the last Beast in line, who gratefully thanked him and apologized to Steve for vandilizing his house before departing. Liki gave one gold to every Beast, even those in the same family, kids and babies included. It was an offer none of them refused. Liki was now down about fifty gold, but it was a real small dent in his total amount.

"There we go," Liki smiled and entered the house while putting away his bag of gold, "Free of Beasts and no harm done too."

Steve entered behind him, "A true Shadow in all rights you are. I still don't see why you don't just live a life of comfort. I sure would."

"I learned from the best I think. I want to keep my Master's ideals alive, can't do that if I never get out. I need to find a student too." The Shadow said absently mindedly while observing the house and walking through it. It looked fine, not too trashed from a single day of having multiple Beasts using it all at once. The furniture was still prestine, very expensive looking. This house was indeed the best Hillside had to give. It had_ _three bedrooms up the stairs and two bathrooms, one on the first floor and one on the second floor. A huge kitchen area was placed in the back of the home, where it being on the inside of the cliff made it warm. A living area with a fireplace, the smoke of which was vented upward to the top of the cliff, was next to and toward the outside and the door.

"You don't seem that bad off yourself." Liki commented after he returned to the door.

"Like your Master," Steve started, "I earned a lot from appreciative people who I helped. I couple who's lifes I saved too...but nowhere near how much he had apparently." Steve stopped there and wrapped an arm around Liki's body, pulling him back outside while Blackpaw and his mom went deeper into the house.

"Listen Liki, I have something to tell you and ask of you. I don't want to pressure you to saying yes but I'll ask you first then explain the reasons why okay?"

Liki turned his head, puzzled. He tried to sense the question with his magic right then, but he couldn't see through Steve's mind for some reason, it was completely off limits it seemed. Liki shrugged and said, "Okay sure. What's the question?"

Steve faced Liki with a very serious expression on his face, before he took a single breath and asked something the other Fangren would forever look back on with absolute surprise because it had been so unexpected.

"Liki," Steve began, "Would you be willing to take my son, Blackpaw, as your apprentice and student?"