The Shadows Book One: The War for EarthEnd.

Chapter Fifteen - Mates in a War

Liki Wolfspirit.

Kaz waited while Liki merely stood with a calm stare. The black wolf whined and looked to the ground, feeling defeated. Liki didn't want to be his mate. He had probably just ruined any chance he had in the first place by jumping the gun in asking him.

Before tears could manage to start running down his face though, he heard Liki whisper, "Is that what you want? Is that the spot you want in my family?"

Kaz looked back up, staring again into those glowing blue eyes he loved, and he nodded slowly.

Liki stared at him, then he sighed and gave a small chuckle, "I must admit, I'm surprised."

The druid blinked. Did that mean yes or no?

He watched the gray Fangren turn his head and stare out into the distance, "You see Kaz...I may do things out of love and affection, even to other males, but...I still want children."

"Oh..." Kaz mumbled and looked at the ground again, kicking his foot a bit. He certiantly couldn't provide that, but the way Liki said it made him think that answering 'yes' wasn't impossible. Blackpaw was the only young person Kaz had really interacted with for an extented period, and he and Liki weren't exactly children anymore becuase of thier upbringing. He didn't know where he stood on children really.

"Well," the druid said, "I can't exactly give you that..."

Liki sighed again, "I know..."

Kaz whimpered agian, but his eyes opened when he felt Liki's hands on his face, making him stare into those eyes again. The gray Fangren smiled and Kaz blinked. He wished he could of just gotten a yes or no answer. These mixed messages were tearing him apart on the inside.

Instead, he got, "I think though, that this can work out."

Kaz's heart started beating fast, and he whined, "How?"

Liki caressed his face while explaining, "Well, it depends on how flexable your going to be with me really. I'm more than willing to start a relationship with you Kaz. You're nice, caring, strong and I think the two of us can easily be together very happily. I want children though, which means along with you, I need a female at my side too."

Kaz's eyes widened, "You mean, having two mates?"

Liki nodded, "Yeah. I just want to be sure that you're not going to try to stand in my way when I might find that person or I try to. I wouldn't hesistate to say that you are my mate to anyone though and I can be happy with you alone too. These kind of relations out in the open, it's not likely any female will be interested in me. You might just end up being my only one after all."

"But," Kaz started, pulling Liki's hands down from his face and holding them, "You don't get any kids then..."

Liki shrugged, "In all honesty, a want a kid. However, I can adopt too, like Blackpaw. Blackpaw's my brother in my family though, and he's my student. Eventually, once I settle down somewhere, that's when I want a kid. A kid to raise up to a point they choose what they want themselves, even train them if that's what they want. I would like to have a female who accepts me and any other relationships I have, be it you or Blackpaw or any other, who which I can have children of my own blood with. I know there's not many out there willing to overlook that their mate has another one and holds more sexual relations with other males though."

The gray wolf smiled again, "If I never do find that female willing to love me for me, I can adopt. I want a kid, and having it of my own blood would be my first desire, but I think I can go without that."

Kaz whimpered, "I can't do that to you..."

The rogue tilted his head, "Why not? I'm pretty much saying yes."

The black Fangren shivered in desire. His heart screamed at him to shutup and just be happy, yet his brain wanted to get everything bothering him off his chest.

"I wouldn't mind if you had another mate that loved you too so you could have kids, but..." He paused, staring at Liki's chest to avoid his eyes, hearing an angry voice in his head.

"Kaz?" Liki whispered, but Kaz didn't hear him.

Now the Feral in him was screaming instead. In the world of Feral's, if your mate wanted a child, you were the one who was supposed to give that to them, not someone else. Your mate was your mate and no one elses. Kaz couldn't do that, and again he was brought back to the fact that this relationship was something his linage did not allow and were disgusted by. The voice's anger grew. It was like he was reliving being back in his Tribe in that one moment. Everyone calling him 'tainted' and demorilizing him, crushing his happiness and drowning him in a sea of loniness while confusion and desire aided in driving him away from his Tribe all the more. It was too much!

He was close to gripping his head and yowling, tormenting desire and inner believes taught by his people battling each other, but Liki's hands were suddenly on his shoulders and he froze up. The voices in his head instantly went silent.

"Let go of it Kaz..." the wolf's voice tickled his ear and he resumed breathing, "Just let go of that...You're not a Feral, let go."

Kaz whimpered, bringing his arms foward and pulling Liki's body to his in a tight hug.

"I'm trying..." He whined, "I want to so badly..."

Liki chuckled, returning the hug, "I've answered yes but I'm still confused on where you stand. There's still a lot of time between now and whenever the complication of kids and extra mates might arrive, and we're both still a bit young. We have time to work it out and make a better plan."

Kaz nodded, "Yeah..."

...

"Should I ask the question back then?" Liki asked finally.

The druid could only whimper while the other Fangren chuckled once more before whispering into Kaz's ear again, "Will you be my mate Kaz?"

Kaz gasped and buried his muzzle into Liki's shoulder, his heart beating crazily. Tears finally began to flow as he shakily responded, "Yes...with all my heart."

Liki had to leave Kaz behind at the medical area to report to Steel that they had found the herb and survived the forest dangers. The black wolf gave him a surprise kiss on the cheek before he scurried off to fix up his potions, leaving his new mate stunned.

Blackpaw reached over and waved a hand in front of Liki's face after his Master had been standing for about two minutes, "Hey Liki? You okay?"

The Shadow shook his head, "Huh? What?"

"You okay?" Blackpaw repeated.

"Uh yeah. I'm just...thinking." He turned around in embaressment and tried to focus on finding Steel.

His student hummed knowingly and Liki brought his hand to his cheek where Kaz had kissed him. There was something different now about how that act made him feel. Before this, he had considered kissing was something intimate that would usually lead up to sex. Now, it was a way of Kaz showing his love; not just wanting sex, but just wanting to show his affection in a more subtle way.

He wandered almost aimlessly for awhile, until Steel's voice snapped him out of his disillision, "Hey Liki!"

Steel was still going over stragety with PyreFox and Cammy, except now they had a myriad of other, smaller scrolls sitting around the bigger plan of Earthend's blueprints. When Liki approached, he recognized those scrolls as spell scrolls.

Spell scrolls were made of a special material that came from trees in The Great Forest. Great Forest trees were naturally magical, and after being made into paper, could absorb the energy of a spell then unleash it later on when needed. They were made in preperation for large assualts, and usually contained spells that would destroy large numbers with huge areas of destruction.

"Are we planning a large assualt?" Liki asked.

"After the discussions, we decided that the best thing to use against these opponents is magic." Steel picked up on of the scrolls, "Spells that are sealed inside scrolls until called upon are the best kind to have. Cyro and some new friend of his are both making us scrolls in Ice Magic, while PyreFox and Cammy are making us Fire Magic."

"We're pouring all our energy into the scrolls, out attack is tomorrow after we have time to regain that energy." PyreFox said nearby, his hands floating over a blank piece of paper. As he traced his hands from one side to the other, symbols appeared on the material. In the middle was a very large, distinct symbol of a flame.

"The city will suffer even more damage where the spells hit or are unleased," Steel continued, "But our army is not prepared to fight Anubians sword on sword and this will give us an advantage."

"Have you realized how stupid you were acting earlier?" Liki asked.

Steel stared at him, but his stare was only observing, not angry or stern like it had been before the recent attack on the camp. The fox sighed, "I admit I wasn't exactly...thinking...I also know more now about what happened with PyreFox and Cammy. I can't really blame them for following what their Flame Marks told them, I'm just glad it also had them turning around and helping us."

"Most of this will depend on you though Liki..." Cammy said as she was also enchanting scrolls, "Those two otters will destroy us, but you might be able to defeat them with your unique magic. The Shadows and Pyre Flames put together."

"And that is where that magic comes into play," Steel said, "I'd like you to spend the rest of today discovering how to use that magic, without having to put Blackpaw in danger for your Flame Mark to aid you."

Liki nodded, "Okay, but I might need PyreFox or Cammy to help me."

"I'll help him," Cammy said and left her just finished scroll and walking up to him, "I think I'm just about tapped anyway." She yawned.

Steel approved and the Fangren and Foxen retreated to Liki's large tent.

Cammy whistled when they entered, "A general's grade tent. Steel must really be depending on you."

"I just hope that trust isn't ill-placed." Liki mumbled, sitting on the bed. Blackpaw crawled out of his backpack and sat in the middle as Cammy took a spot beside Liki.

"You don't think you can succeed?"

Liki grinned and chuckled a bit, "Cammy, I've never been in a conflict like this before and it's really starting to take its toll on my mind. There's a lot of reality I'm having to face here. I almost lost Blackpaw yesturday."

I could have lost Kaz too... Liki realized and whimpered to himself.

"I know how you feel Liki." Cammy told him and the wolf looked at her.

"PyreFox and I have started our mateship, just like we always wanted and had promised to do. We're scared though, becuase either one of us could be killed...but we aren't about to abandon this and doom everyone for our own happiness. That wouldn't be right and we'd never forgive ourselves."

Liki held his hands together and stared at the ground, "So...what will you do if one of you does die?"

Cammy sighed, "I can't tell you that Liki. I trust you, but it's very personal."

Liki whimpered, he had hoped to get some insight into what he could do if Kaz died. He gasped and held his left hand, his Flame Mark glowing in anger at him. He held it tightly as it burned him, and Cammy turned toward him.

"Something you just thought endangers your promise..." She observed.

The wolf considered his options, and only one finally stopped his Flame Mark from burning him. Telling Cammy about his promise and about Kaz. This was the reason he had gotten his Flame Mark besides the extra abilities, so it could help him make a happy life out of his efforts later on. He had no choice but to follow what it said. In the end...his Mark would lead him to something that would give him the happiness he wanted.

"My promise was to create a family me and Blackpaw could be happy in and be happy having..."

Cammy nodded, "Okay. Are you worried Blackpaw may be hurt?"

Liki nodded, "Yeah...but...there's someone else..."

"Who is it?"

"Kaz..." Liki whispered.

Cammy said nothing in responce, and Liki continued, "He asked me today if I would be his mate. I said yes."

"Do you think that was a wise thing to do?" Cammy asked, her voice not giving away any opinion she might have on the inside.

Liki shook his head, "Wise, probably not. Desirable...yes."

"So you don't regret it?"

"Nope."

Cammy's hand rested on Liki's leg, "I believe you. If the thought of losing Kaz makes your Mark burn, you must want it really badly."

Liki nodded, "Yeah. He's nice and on the inside he's really caring. He feels troubled by his heritage as a Feral, but I think I can help him learn to be himself," The wolf sighed, "I lost one chance to love someone becuase I waited too long...I guess I kinda jumped at this one."

"Hmm..." Cammy hummed, "My advice would be to just to not worry about it. Kaz is strong, you're strong, Blackpaw has both of you to keep an eye on him. I think you can all survive."

Liki smiled, "Yeah...well...should we get working on trying to figure out my new magic works then?"

"Actually, we don't need to do that." Cammy smiled and Liki tilted his head in confusion.

"You've unlocked the magic. It's there, no amount of training can teach you how to use it. It's just...there?" She grinned and shrugged, "It's hard at first I know, but when you really need it, it pulls through for you. It's half alive remember?"

"So, why did you follow me to help?"

"I could tell something was bothering you. Call it a motherly intuition."

"Motherly...?" Liki whispered and whimpered, looking at the ground again.

He felt the fox's hands on his shoulders, "Me and PyreFox...Liki you've been so good to us, we want to be good back you know..." Cammy's voice was soft and sootheing, and made the wolf shiver.

"Cammy...I know what you're asking...but you and PyreFox..." Liki started and looked at the Pyre's eyes, "You've found your family in each other already, you don't need me in there, and I don't think you want me there either."

The female stared at him a moment before she sighed and whispered, "You're right. I just felt like I should ask. You have a journey that me and PyreFox can't follow you on becuase well...let's face it, after all this shit I'm tired of fighting. Him and I are both more than ready to settle down and relax without care or worry." She rose and began to walk away while Liki grinned.

She stopped at the exit of the tent and turned to him again, "You just remember though Liki, me and PyreFox support you, along with Blackpaw and Kaz. As well as all the things you might do together." She winked and Liki blushed, then turned and left Liki and Blackpaw alone again.

PyreFox looked up from his scroll enchanting when his mate came walking back through. He smiled to her while she leaned on his desk.

"Find out what was bothering him?" PyreFox asked, having known that his mate had left becuase Liki seemed a bit troubled still.

"Yeah. It's serious." She sighed while playing with one of the scrolls absently.

"Tell me about it?"

Cammy looked at him and started, "He's worried about losing someone that he's made a part of his family."

"Blackpaw?" PyreFox asked.

"No." Cammy shook her head.

"Um..." PyreFox thought, "Us?"

"No, he told me he didn't want to hurt us by having us a family, we're ready to settle and he knows that. He doesn't want us to follow him around when he knows we don't really want to."

"Hmm...who else is there then?"

"Someone he just recently met," Cammy told him, "Kaz."

"Kaz? Why?"

Cammy smiled and stood up a bit more, "Liki and Kaz are mates now."

PyreFox's mouth fell open, and he said, "What?"

Now he's doing both Blackpaw and Kaz!? Is he more a sex fiend then a true rogue or something? He shook his head.

No, Liki isn't like that...I can tell...he does those things becuase he wants to show his affection. He's never had that kind of chance before and he's just trying to find out how to manage it.

"Okay..." he mumbled, "So he's worried about losing Kaz?"

Cammy nodded and PyreFox smiled, "Well...we'll have to keep them all alive then."

"Are you sure it's what you want to do?"

"I told you back at Blackpaw's place," PyreFox said and began working on his scrolls again, "What I dreamed..."

"Yeah..."

He sighed, "Liki is the key to this battle, keeping him alive will mean the whole war, and if his drive comes from Kaz and Blackpaw, we have to keep them alive as well. We know how Liki has made his connection to them. Other than how he is our greatest asset to taking back the city...I also don't want him to feel the pain of losing someone...you know?"

Cammy nodded, "I know how you feel PyreFox...but are you really willing...to...?"

PyreFox nodded sternly, "If it comes down to...I am..."

His mate stared at him a moment before she smiled brightly, "Good. I am too."

Steel turned off his spell, having heard enough from his little spy probe from Cammy and PyreFox. He sighed, rolling up the last of his charts and turning away from the table and entering his tent.

Relationships... Steel smiled to himself, How crazy they make us act out.

The white fox held his right wrist with his left hand, thinking longingly while walking.

Cyro... He closed his eyes and day dreamed about his friend.

"Steel? Something wrong?" The icy calm voice of the blue foxen he had been thinking of woke him from his thoughts and he noticed he had absently wondered into Cyro's tent.

Steel stared, and Cyro continued, "Is something wrong with your wrist? You're holding it so tightly..."

The Foxen released his death grip and coughed, "No...It's fine."

"Okay..." Cyro started, "Is something else wrong?"

"I've uh...come across some interesting information."

"What's that?" The blue fox asked him.

"Um well..." he sighed, "Okay it's not exactly information, just something I kinda overheard."

"All right. What is it already?" Cyro grinned.

Steel stared a moment. He and Cyro had been friends for a few decades now he realized. The first decade had been as business partners and friends, the next five were as best friends, and for the last five years up to this exact moment, Steel had harbored a crush on Cyro. Being together for twenty years as a pair of mercs, there were plenty of 'accidental' run ins at private times. Steel knew what Cyro had inside him as a lover, he'd seen it before when the blue fox was drunk and going after females, and he wanted it.

Hearing that a boy of only ten years old like Liki could get such a thing just becuase he tried and showed how he felt, kind of made him jealous. Maybe that was why he had walked in here so absently.

That would explain why his palms were sweating anyway.

"I overhead Cammy and PyreFox talking about Liki a little while ago. They said he's mates with Kaz now."

"I already know that." Cryo chuckled, his laugh sending a chill down Steel's spine like it was his magic at work.

"You did? How?"

"I talked to Kaz earlier myself when he asked me to help him administer the potion to the army. He says they'll all be up and ready by morning by the way. Anywho he spilled the beans on him and Liki becuase he couldn't wait to tell someone. He seemed really happy about it too. I can't judge something that can turn Kaz from moppy antisocial to happy chatterbox badly. This will be good for him and Liki I think."

Cyro walked to his chair and sat down at his desk, retreiving a scroll from a nearby basket and a feather and ink bottle from a drawer and beginning to write down something quickly while saying, "Kaz and Liki are great together in my opinion. Kaz has his own unique powers and Liki can fight like no rogue can in this generation. He told me he believed now that his destiny was to find Liki and become lovers with him, as no one else seemed to be willing to care about him like this even when he tried, and to help him with his own journey. He hadn't really tried at all to make Liki love him so he thinks this was meant to be."

The blue Foxen rose back up, rolling the scroll in his hands and giving it to Steel with another smile, "Kaz told me that Liki wants children of his own. To that end, he wishes to find a female who can overlook all his other relationships, male or otherwise, and love him for being him. Kaz understands that, he says, and won't stand in the way of Liki to get that if he finds the chance. Liki told him as well though, that he comes first and foremost since he was the first to get the spot, and that he wouldn't be ashamed to say they were mates if someone asked. All this might be just happiness and joy though, becuase half the stuff he said sounded rather crazy and unbelievable."

Steel looked at the scroll in his hands, "What's this?"

Cyro just continued to smile, pushing him out of the tent, saying only, "Read it and think about what it says carefully Steel." With that he reentered his tent and left the white fox alone with the paper in hand.

Steel mumbled and turned away. If he had to think, esspecially if he had to think carefully, he'd do it in the privacy of his own tent across camp.

He flipped the entrance open and sat down quickly on his desk chair, unfurling the paper. The writing was very scribbly and uneven, as if Cyro's hand had been shaking while he had been writing it. A thought crossed his mind but he brushed it away, took a breath and started to read aloud, "Steel, I've had a lot of time to find someone that was right for me, and I've tried lots of times and failed. You holding your hand like that - Steel I know you, and you only do that when you're thinking of or see something you really want. Along with that, putting together how you just found out about Liki and Kaz, I can't help but wonder if you were thinking about me."

Steel blinked, his heart beat quickening while he read on with extreame interest.

Could it be?

"I've tried it with females and in all honesty I no longer believe they're for me. Of course that might be becuase I never tried when I wasn't drunk but that's beside the point; Steel, Liki and Kaz have revealed, rather they've unburied, something I kept under a pile of believes and emotions. I think you know what I'm talking about Steel. I don't know how you feel about me but...if you want to find out, come by my tent again tonight?"

Steel's eyes were wide in surprise and his heart was going crazy. He was thankful he was in his tent. If he hadn't been able to read aloud, this shock might have boiled his mind.

Cryo was asking him if he had the same feelings?

He smiled.

I've had those feelings for five years Cyro...despite all your talking and your tactiful observing to detail, you never noticed that? I hunted down females myself too you know...until I began going after you instead...how could you not notice how your best friend stopped going after girls while you did?

He looked at the note again, and he felt a funny urge. He retrieved his ink and feather and wrote a message at the end of the scroll in reply, saying at aloud as he wrote it.

"I'm dissapointed Cyro...that you couldn't have figured out that I felt this way a long time ago instead. You goof."

He rolled up the scroll in his hand and left his tent quickly after.

Liki was balancing a kunai knife on his index finger, bored out his mind. After Cammy had left, he had nothing to do except talk with Blackpaw, and that hadn't lasted long either, as his student didn't have much to talk about and his rate of knowledge was lower than Liki's. His other hand was holding up his muzzle while he balanced the kunai in front of his nose, trying to see if he could make himself go crosseyed by staring at it with extreame intensity. He had cosidered going to the medic area to talk with his new mate, but he figured Kaz was busy with his job as the only druid the resistence had and they couldn't afford to distract him from that duty.

He never noticed Blackpaw was behind him trying the same thing thinking it was some wierd training exercise, but the boy would continue to lose balance and wrench his hand away to avoid getting injured by the sharper end of the weapon.

"Liki!" A stern voice peirced the air, and while Blackpaw jumped with a surprised 'arf', Liki only continued to stare blankly at the kunai he kept balanced on his finger.

"Hey Steel..." Liki mumbled, "Need something?"

"Actually I want you to deliver this note." The white fox told him and Liki moved his gaze away to stare incredously at him.

"What?" He moaned, "I'm an errand boy now?"

Steel actually blushed, and that surprised the rogue a great deal. "This is really important, it might be something that keeps you busy a long time. Please, take this to Cyro and if he gives something back in return, bring it to me?"

It was a request, not a order. Something was certaintly up and he was more interesting than sitting here all day. Liki tossed the knife in the air off his finger, caught it with his other hand, and rose while putting it away in his waist pouch.

"Sure sure. I guess I don't have anything else better to do." He took the scroll the warrior was holding.

"Great. Thanks Liki. For everything you're doing..." Steel whispered and smiled.

Liki blinked, "Um...okay...you're welcome?"

Steel laughed, "You don't understand do you?"

The Fangren shook his head, "No not at all...what are you getting at?"

"You've changed a lot of things around here. Closed a lot of rifts and given happiness to others."

"Well that is why I'm fighting along with you isn't it?" Liki tilted his head in confusion. Steel was confusing. When Liki had first met him, Steel had been cold and angry, now he was happy and jolly while holding onto that feel of a leader.

Steel chuckled, "Just trust me on this kid. You're helping us in more ways than you think."

He walked away before Liki could ask anything else, and Liki shrugged and turned to complete his task as delivery boy. Blackpaw opted to stay behind, still trying to balance the knife on his fingertip.

Liki found Cyro's new self imposed tent, a bit smaller than the one he had given Liki. The Fangren pushed open the flap and found the blue fox sitting at his desk. He jumped and turned with wide eyes before he recognized Liki and took a breath of air.

"Liki," He sighed, "It's you. You scared me."

"Busy thinking hard?"

"Yeah." The Foxen noticed the scroll in Liki's hand, "That for me?"

Liki handed out the scroll, "Yeah, Steel wanted me to deliever it. Also, to return with any reply you might have."

Cyro stared at the scroll for a long moment before he finally reached out slowly and took it. His voice shook while he said, "Can you wait outside a moment?"

"Sure." Liki said, figuring now that this was something personal. He sat on the ground outside the tent flap, just barely managing to hear the soft crying Cyro was doing.

I wonder what's going on?

"You're affecting them."

Liki spun his head to his left side, at last seeing the Shadow Creature for his first time. His eyes widened as he began to stare into the empty whiteness of the creature's eyes, he only vaugely registered that the Shadow Creature looked exactly like him in every single aspect except the eyes and color of fur and armor.

"At last I get to see you..." he whispered.

The Shadows nodded, but whispered back, "Others can't see Us you know, try not to whisper aloud, they'd think you're crazy or something. We can hear your thoughts, so just use that."

Liki smiled, So many questions to ask.

"We're sure there is. Unfortunately, now is not the time for those to be answered. Soon, we shall talk a lot more, but for now, We are here only to give you a bit of insight."

What is that?

"You've unlocked a lot of emotion in this resistence. Many of it's members are embracing concepts of reality they had ignored through example of others. By seeing you defy those examples, yet saying you do it out of wanting to show affection and becuase you are living to make yourself and those around you happy, you give them a different example to follow."

Liki looked at the ground, My relationship with Blackpaw and Kaz?

The Shadow Creature nodded, and sat down beside Liki like an old friend, which in a way, the Fangren realized, it was. It had been with him for a long time, only now had it decided to show itself.

"You can see Us now only becuase we want you too. But even then, if you hadn't started growing up, your eyes still wouldn't see Us."

You mean that...?

"Hmmhmm, the first time you ejaculated was the first sign that you had finally begun to mature, and that was a sign to Us that We should soon make contact with you."

Liki chuckled, Did Uriay do the things he did with me in the hopes of making that first sign show sooner?

"No, Uriay did the things he did becuase he loved you and it was how he showed that affection. In that way, you've followed his example too. Now, others are following yours."

He looked at the Shadow Creature, and it continued, "At this very moment, a soldier is waking up from a nap after being given Kaz's potion. That soldier had been laying right beside you and Kaz when you kissed and talked. He heard everything and feels happy for the two of you, yet on the inside he battles with the same problem Kaz had. Feelings that what he saw wasn't right, it wasn't natural, and even though he wished he could be that happy, his upbringing cuases him to detour away from it."

"However," The Shadows smiled, "He'll get up to find his best friend, whom he had believed to be killed in the battle, sitting on the bed waiting for him to wake up, and realize something."

He loves him. Liki finished, smiling as well.

The Shadow Creature nodded, "Indeed. It is by following your example, by seeing how happy you are while saying that you don't care what others might think of it, that makes others desire it too. Call it a kind of jealousy."

Liki head Cryo call his name and turned his head to the tent. He heard the Shadows whisper in his ear, "And now, Cyro and Steel are picking up on that example as well..."

Liki blinked, but he didn't move his head to look, only rose to move the flap of the tent. He saw whisps of purple smoke wifting through the air on the side of his vision while seeing Cryo still sitting at the desk, the scroll rolled up in his hands. The fox's face was clearly matted with tears, but the broud smile on his muzzle showed they were tears of happiness.

Cyro sniffled and handed the scroll toward him, "This is ready, take it back to Steel for me?"

"Sure..." Liki whispered and took the scroll back, he stared at the blue fox a moment before he continued, "Cyro...um...I think I know what's going on..."

Cyro's smile grew even more and he chuckled, "I figure...but I think you know how far you can go before it's snooping yes?"

Liki blinked, "Oh...yeah I won't read it, it's just...you know..."

"Liki you're a good person. Kaz is a good person too, it just happens that he had a family who didn't support him. The best person to follow for an example of something you want is a complete stranger. If it's a complete stranger, everything obvious about that person is the best way to tell what you yourself would be like should you try to follow that example. You helped me realize something I had buried beneath the expectations of myself and my family."

The blue fox chuckled, "I've tried to get lots of females to like me. I've dated them and had sex six times amoung those...none of them worked out. Steel...Steel is my friend, he has been for the last twenty years. At no time did he ignore me, never once did he say he was too busy to talk with me. He's lived with me for a long while no as business partners. In a way, we've been mates...just not offically and without any affection..."

Cyro patted the scroll in Liki's hands, "We just need to recognize that...yeah?"

Liki nodded, "Right," He smiled, "I hope you two are happy together."

"And you and Kaz as well." Cyro returned.

Liki turned and dashed off across camp to Steel's tent, intent on solidifing this blooming relationship between two friends.

Kaz murred happily while he finished up a final batch of his potion using the last of the herb he and Liki had found. The smile he had on his muzzle never faded even when his pataints gagged on his concoction and yelled at him for trying to hurt them more than they already were. He had to admit, he knew the potion didn't taste the best. Kaz assured them it would help and just to relax and take a quick nap.

Despite how much he wanted to just toss everything to the side and run back to his new mate, just only to feel his body against his own and Liki's hands holding him close, he took a careful dedication to making sure each of his charges recieved a just amount of potion to revalitise their bodies at the near same time, so that each group would awake refreshed at different times and return to duty as an easy pace. Rather than having all of them waking up all at once.

Of which... Kaz remembered when he noticed Cryo returning to the medical area.

"Hey Cyro! The next group should be waking up soon and the last one is asleep!"

The blue fox walked up to him before replying, "That's great Kaz," He placed a hand on the Fangren's shoulder, "You've worked hard for us. Why don't you go find Liki and you two can relax together for the rest of the day? You might find him leaving Steel's tent if you hurry."

Kaz's tail wagged, "Yeah! Thanks!" He felt like a little kid again in a way.

Cyro grinned, "Go on you. Enjoy your new life."

Kaz jumped at the opprotunity, dashing off through the camp to find his mate.

Liki gave Steel the scroll, the white fox grinning, "Thanks Liki."

"You're welcome, I hope everything you're trying works out and you can be happy."

"I'm sure it will..." Steel said, "I hope everything will work out with you too, and me and Cyro will fight alongside you to make both our futures."

Liki nodded, "Right."

"Liki!"

The Fangren turned to find Kaz running toward him, "Kaz!"

The black wolf jumped into the air and landed on him, bringing Liki to the ground. Kaz landed on him, being just a bit bigger than Liki and covering him completly.

"Hey! Don't jump on me!" Liki yowled underneath the larger Fangren.

Kaz's nose was suddenly touching his, and Liki could only stare into his mate's red eyes. Seeing how they sparkled with joy melted his heart.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." The black wolf said and licked Liki's nose tenderly.

"Why..." Liki gulped, feeling his pants tightening as Kaz's warmness began to seep into him, "Why are you here? Don't you have the troops to attend to still?"

Kaz shook his head, his tail wagging in the air behind him, "I'm done! The last group has been treated and should wake up from their naps all healed and full of energy! Cyro said I could have the rest the day to myself, he'd take over getting the troops back into shape once they woke up."

The druid nuzzled Liki's neck while murring loudly, "I just want to spend the day with you. That okay?"

"Sure it is!" Steel commented above them, smiling down to the two boys, who looked up to the white fox as he said, "Liki go spend the rest of the day with your mate, get to know each other. You kinda jumped into this but I have no doubt you'll be good for each other. Go spend some time together. Alone. Go to Hillside and spend the day in Blackpaw's house."

Liki blinked, "What about Blackpaw?"

"I'll make sure he knows where you went. I'll try to get him to stay here for your privacy."

"No," Liki said, "It's fine if he wants to come once he finds out, just don't keep it a secret or he'll worry about it. He'll need someone to take him if he wants to come there though."

"I'll do that too," Steel assured him, "I'll try to give you two enough time before letting Blackpaw know and see what he wants. So go on."

Kaz was already pulling Liki to his feet, eager to go, and Liki smiled at his new mate's energy.

"All right Steel, I'll hold you to it." Liki returned and ran away with Kaz across the hills as fast as the two of them could. He had to admit, the thought of being alone with Kaz for awhile would be very exciting.

Another thought crossed his mind when Hillside came into view and he and Kaz stood atop a hill a moment. Kaz's hand sneaked into Liki's and held it tightly, and they looked at each other and smiled.

Me and Kaz...Cyro and Steel...PyreFox and Cammy...

He and his mate began to run into the town, still holding hands and ignoring the strange looks any of the residents gave them.

Liki grinned as he pulled Kaz up the rafters of the town into the higher levels.

We're all mates in a war...we support each other and want us all to be happy, we'll protect each other so none of lose someone we care for...

The Fangrens quickly found Blackpaw's house at the top level, Kaz entered and Liki took another glance across the hills he could see through the crevice of Hillside.

Thanks everyone... He smiled and turned into the house after his mate, ready to enjoy some time to get to know Kaz better.