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The Doberman's glare pierced through me, the anger in his eyes felt suffocating. My body froze as I tried to think how he was here now, but all I was able to form into words was, "h... how...?"

His glare hardened farther, his right paw flicking out to reveal a small dagger. "It's not hard to track that oaf of a wolf... His black fur will stand out from a mile away." His sinister chuckle sent chills down my spine, my ears flattening against my head. "I don't know how you could fall in love with someone like that."

A brisk wave of courage washed over me as I raised my voice. "How would you know anything about loving him?" My paws were shaking uncontrollably... My heart pounding as my tail instinctively wrapped around my waist.

His deep chuckle shook me to the core. His eyes softened for a moment as his gaze seemed to slip through me. "You don't know what true love is..." His eyes shifted around the camp, his face softening and his grip on his dagger loosening. "I had it once... true love. But it was all stolen from me."

My words caught in my throat as I tried to stammer out a response, "Wha... you... were in love?" My tail unraveled from around my waist as I began to calm down a bit.

His gruff voice sounded almost hoarse as he recalled his past memories, his focus on everything but me. "Not that it would matter to you... but you know him... quite well as a matter of fact."

My eyes shot all over the camp, focusing on anything but the Doberman, "Well... then why are yo... wait... did you just... say... him!?" At this point my gaze was on him and him alone, everything else in the world just gone.

His piercing eyes narrowed on me again, tearing a hole through me. "Yeah, I said him... I was in love with a wolf... a beautiful wolf who I thought I'd live my whole life with." His eyes glazed over, his lips drooping into a frown. "I was willing to risk everything to be with him... but he was stolen from me." His grip on his dagger tightened again, his eyes narrowing and pointing at me. My fur stood on end and my tail once again wrapped around me as if to secure myself. "You... you happened...!"

His paw with the dagger snapped, his wrist flicked and the dagger was sailing through the air. The whoosh sound blew past my ear as I narrowly leaned out of the way, the blade missing me by only inches.

I can't yell for Ray... I need him to find some food. I have to handle this by myself...

My paw flicked in my bag, clutching around the hardest thing I could find. The Doberman was already running forward, the sword in his paw flashed as the sunlight shone across it... my face briefly flashed across the shiny steel.

I pulled my paw from my bag, the item I pulled being a metal bowl. Fuck... wait... my best thought made me doubt myself, but I had to make a decision quick, so there was no time for doubt. I raised the bowl, throwing it as hard as I could at the Doberman in an attempt to throw him off. The doberman flinched, but reacted too late. The bowl smacked into his head, sending him off course as his form smashed to the ground beside me. I glanced to my right, spying my scimitar leaning against a tree a few feet away. I leaned to grab it, a sharp pain shooting through my shoulder. My paw closed around the hilt just as I felt a paw close around my ankle.

A quick glance back solidified the Doberman's meaty fingers clasped firmly around my ankle, his sword in the air as he tried slashing down. I brought my scimitar up to parry at the last second, his sword skidding off mine and lodging into the ground a mere two inches from my face.

"Why won't you just die?!?" His deep gravely voice was accompanied by a growl of pure hate, but a quick glance into his eyes showed me something else... he was crying, and not tears of anger... tears of pain and sorrow. He was hurting... truly ravaged by something on the inside.

"Hey! Listen... whatever your name is... I... I definitely think we could be friends if you'd just let us! After all... we seem to have the same taste in wolf! Er... that came out wrong..."

My words seemed to reach empty ears and the Doberman savagely pulled at his sword trying desperately to dislodge it from its earthy prison. The harder he pulled, the more tears flowed from his eyes. I couldn't help myself but to reach up to cup his cheek in my paw... what the actual fuck am I doing right now!?! He's trying to kill me! Why am I touching... as my paw touched his cheek, his grimace of pain melted away, his tears flowing freely as he wept. He lowered himself to my chest, crying into my shoulder.

His words were broken by sobs, "Ty... how... I... don't understand... why do I hurt so much if I've condemned you both to death in my heart? How... how do I... I... make it easier?!? I hate this conflicted feeling!" He slammed his paw in the snow. I simply closed my eyes and felt the lumbering dog shudder and shake on top of me, his tears staining my shoulder as his sobs and croaks broke the silence of the forest.

"All I can say is... you have to learn how to move one. It's obviously eaten away at you through all these years. It's not healthy for you to hold on to such a grudge. Your mental stability can be dangerously tested by something like that." He answered not but in sobs, but as his paws grasped my upper arms, I could tell he was listening. "I... can't say I know how you feel... I have truly never been in your situation... but when it comes to confusion... I deal with it one step at a time. Identify, plan, execute. Identify the problem, plan a way to fix it, execute the plan."

Again, his words were broken by sobs, but they were becoming less frequent, "I've tried that... but... I've obviously... failed at that... I couldn't bring myself to kill you!"

As he finished his sentence... my eyes grew wide in horror... he... I didn't pay attention earlier... but he has enough muscle mass to break through my parry easily... he could have slaughtered me any moment he felt like! That gruesome thought shoved to the back of my mind, I slowly wrapped my arms around his big frame. His slowly moved to encompass me in his deep embrace. What is it with this guy? First he tries to kill Remus, then he tries to kill me, now he's uncontrollably crying into my shoulder. I... wait... how... can he even move right now?!?

"Hey, I'm sorry if this isn't the right time," I peeled out of his grip to look him in the eye, "but those arrows should have left you unable to travel for over a week... how did you heal fast enough to follow us so close?"

He sniffled, wiping his nose gently before adjusting himself to sit comfortably. "It's... my friend. She's..." He trailed off, staring into the woods with a somber expression.

I shifted to catch his glance, "She's what?"

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone... but she's a mage."

I choked... "you're joking right? There's no su..." his eyes played it all out. He wasn't lying, he wasn't joking. He was dead honest. "How is that possible? There no such thing as magic!"

His ear flicked, "I didn't understand at first, but when we were young she made things happen by accident. Small things really. Mainly when she or I got a scraped knee then when she touched it and it healed... instantly. We tried to tell our parents, but mine didn't believe us and hers wanted nothing to do with it."

My eyes remained wide with disbelief, My ear flattened and my tail twitched. "I'm having a hard time believing you, but your eyes tell me you aren't lying. How is that even possible?"

His ears fell back slowly as he closed his eyes, "I don't blame you for not believing me, after all... I did try to kill you. I hope... you can forgive me for that?" His paws shuffled in his lap, his nervousness showing very well.

"I can't say it's water under the bridge, but I think I can start to try. You were confused and just doing what you thought was right. You'll have a harder time convincing Remus though." I shifted my gaze down, then back up at him. "But this friend of yours... tell me more about her?" His eyes seemed to glisten as his excitement came in a flood.

"Oh she's amazing! All the magic she knows she learned herself! I told you her parents wanted nothing to do with it? Well we found out later that her mom was a mage as well, but she kept it hidden. Not very wise for a lot of people to know you are one of the select few who have magic." His paws were still shuffling in his lap. "Well anyways, she's a tigress... beautiful really. I thought I was in love with her... until... you know..." his eyes fell to the snow.

I couldn't help myself but to ask, "Hey, what's your name? I mean... I never got it before."

His glossy eyes met mine and I realized the perfect Amber color they were, "Zangar. Zangar Emerald. What about yours? I've only ever heard you called Ty."

My ears folded back at his question, my tail once again wrapping around my waist and I clutched my arms to my stomach, "Oh, my name is actually just Tyler. My mother died after I was born and my dad shortened my name so It would be easier for him." My glance away expressed my uncomfortability with talking about my name and past. He seemed to pick up on it as he scratched the back of his head and looked away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. I've never been good at being social... that's why I never had any friends."

There was a crunch of snow as someone walked through our way. The sounds made them seem like they were in a hurry.

"TY! TY ARE YOU... " Remus skidded to a halt, "okay?" His expression displayed utter confusion. "Wha... how... aren't you that Doberman that tried to kill us?!" Ray growled deep and fiercely, enough to make even me flinch, "What are you doing here?!" His gaze switched to me, "What's going on here?!"

I unwrapped from my protective shell and tried to stand, but stumbled and almost fell before Ray jumped forward and caught me. "It's okay. I'm still confused by it as well. He... I think it's best you talk to him and he explains himself. I'll get... did you bring back any food?" My stomach growled.

Ray's mood seemed to lighten a bit as he chuckled and walked me over to the edge of camp. There was a full grown deer laying there ready to be prepared. "Yeah, I was lucky enough to find this guy right off the bat. Stalked him for a few minutes, lined up the shot and got him." His shoulders were held high, meaning he must have been bustling with confidence and pride.

"That's amazing Ray! Good you had a successful hunt. I'll get started on making this into something we can eat. You..." I glanced back at him, "need to go talk to Zangar. There's something... well two things... you should know."

Ray lowered his head down to my ear, speaking as softly as he could so the Doberman wouldn't hear. "But I thought you had that guy down for the count? How is he moving already?"

I patted his cheek, "I think it's best he tells you that. I am not the right person to tell you that."

His face scrunched up and his ears folded back, "Why are you being so buddy buddy with him? He tried to kill us!"

"Again, I'm not the right person to tell you that. He won't hurt you... or at least I hope he won't."

"Thanks," he replied with his coined sarcastic time, "that makes me feel ten times better."

I had already gotten busy with preparing the deer for the cooking process. I slapped his shoulder and smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips before returning to my task and getting our meal ready.

I turned and watched Ray walk over to Zangar, his hips subtly swaying side to side. I couldn't help but watch his cute bubbly butt stride over to sit and talk. God he's so cute.

---

Remus-

My knees popped as I knelt down, my ears already down and my muzzle pinned in a low snarl. "Okay dog... talk. Why are you here and why were you talking to Ty." He didn't show any sign of fear, but I knew I had to hold my expression or he would find a way to slip past and get at me.

The dog sighed and his ears and tail dropped down. His expression becoming one of defeat. "Let me start from the beginning. This is..." he lowered his voice, "This is something I haven't told Ty yet, but I come from a band of Amani. Our leader is very intent on destroying humans. He has... convinced us... that if the primary targets of their operations... namely you two... are eliminated, then the humans will have a brief period of disarray where we will be able to strike and gain the upperhand in this war."

I held up my paw to stop him, "So you're saying this... "leader," I air quoted that for emphasis, "sent you after us to kill us in the hopes that the humans will be in a short period of shock, thus meaning your gang of Amani can strike back at the humans... just to gain an upperhand?" He nodded grimly, his eyes cast down at the snow, never moving. "I..." I glanced back at Ty, his paws flashing around as he began to skewer some pieces of deer to roast in a spit above the fire. "I will NOT allow anyone to touch Ty. So help me I find out you attacked him while I was gone I swear..."

The dog lifted a paw and cut me off, "I did... and I regret it deeply. I almost hurt the only person who has cared enough to even ask me my name."

I blinked quickly, my ears perking up, "He... asked you your name? After you attacked him?" That's right, he called him... what was it? Zangar? His slow nod affirmed my thoughts. "He'd only ask your name... if he thought he could get to know you... personally." My expression softened, "In all the years I've known him... he's asked for one person's name."

The dog's ears perked, "Who? If I may ask?"

I glanced up into his eyes, my astonishment still presiding over all other emotions, "Mine. Tell me something... Zangar, was it? Are you... you know..." His unamused half-smile and simple head nod told me my answer. "With who?"

This time, his head dropped and stayed down, his ears flat and his paws ardently fidgeting in his lap. He glanced up briefly, "You." I sighed deeply, my exhaustion weighing on my mind as I tried to make sense of everything going on at once. "And before you ask, let me go ahead and tell you... the reason I caught up to you so quickly is because I left the same time you did. My wounds," he gestured to his chest and shoulder where there were holes in his armor, "were healed. My friend is a mage."

My jaw instantly dropped, "There's no such thing as magic?!" In my mind I has made it sound like a statement, but when I said it it came more as a question.

Zangar nodded, "There is... and my friend is damn good at it. She can heal any wound made by a material item, such as a sword, bow, anything really." He half smiled as he looked back over at Ty, "She can fix him."

"No! I don't need some woman casting some spell on him. For all I know she could really be infecting him or poisoning him."

Zangar's eyes closed, "I understand your distrust and I do not blame you for it. It would be hard for me to trust someone who tried to kill me as well, which is why I joined that band in the first place. My hatred of humans controlled me, but Ty helped me see what I was really doing."

My lip curled with a slight growl, my ears firmly pressed back. "I swear if you touch him... I will rip your head off your body." Zangar said rather than simply crouching down and raising his hands again defensively.

"Look Remus, I lo..." he caught his words and dropped his gaze to the ground again. His ears were drooping as if he were worried about what he might say.

My patience worn thin, I was not in the mood to wait for a reply. I wanted our conversation to be abrupt and over in a few words. "You what?! Answer before I loose my patience!" It sounded more threatening than I had intended, but I didn't care. I wanted him gone before I changed my mind about breaking his spine.

He swallowed deeply, taking a quick second to exhale and compose himself. Most of his cowardice dissipated, but it was still predominate in his odor. "Remus... I love..."

I held my paw up and cut him off, "Don't say you love me because you don't. You don't even know me. I never knew you existed until you attacked us the other night. And quite frankly I don't give a flying fuck if your friend is magic. You had her heal your wounds just so you could chase us down and kill us. As far as I'm concerned she's just as fucked up as you are. I'm going to lay this down straight... I hate you and I honestly couldn't care less if you were caught by the humans. I will not kill you myself, as long as you keep the fuck away from us. I will give you one night with a fire before I see you take your leave at dawn. Got it?" My heart felt like it was close to bursting. I knew it was harsh... leaving him in the bitter cold alone, but then again he had followed us here alone. He can survive the journey back no problem.

My thoughts flicked back to Ty. He appeared to be putting the finishing touches on dinner. I walked up behind him, scooting close to him and resting my chin on his shoulder, turning my nose to his neck and taking a deep sniff. "Oh you smell sooooo good. I missed you babe."

Ty chuckled curtly, "Ray, you were gone for like forty-five minutes... not that long."

I snuggled closer into his neck, wrapping my arms tighter around his stomach and pulling myself ever closer to him. "I know, but don't forget. You only woke up like... two hours ago? I've been without your company for days."

With this thrown out there, his mood became more sombre. He exhaled abruptly and turned his head toward me, but stopped halfway. "I'm sorry I made you work so hard, eat so little and worry so much the last few days..." his eyes closed and a quick tear fell on my muzzle, "I love you and it is completely awful that I made you do all this alone. I... I can't believe I was careless enough to even get caught in the first place. It's all my fault."

I gently licked his cheek, nuzzling it with my nose and taking another short sniff, "I don't care Ty. I'm just happy you're okay. We'd better hurry with dinner. I don't want to leave..." I glanced back at Zangar, my lips curling up in disgust, "Him alone. Ty..."

I was cut off by his paw against my lips, "I know. I understand and I trust your better judgement. If you want him gone then I will see him off. All I ask is that you trust me enough to handle it." His statement didn't sound like a question, more as a confirmation. I nodded and shut my eyes, tightening my grip on the fox even more, but making sure it wasn't uncomfortable for him. "Oh," his voice slightly startled me causing me to look at him again, "and I propose we stay here for the night. I'm going to need a bit more rest before I start traveling again. Sound good hun?"

I melted into his fur, the warmth setting my mind at ease, "Anything for you foxy. I love you so much." I rubbed my cheek against his good shoulder, slowly licking it and nuzzling it more than I ever had before. I don't know why really... but I just want to hold my fox. Never let him go and hug him always.

"Remus..." the deep gravely voice broke the blissful silence of my warm embrace with Ty. I contemplated ignoring him until he left, but Ty answered for me.

"He's... a bit busy at the moment. Doesn't like to be disturbed when he does this. What's up?" I felt the subtle shift as he looked to the left to where Zangar was.

"I... well I guess it's better I tell both of you this, but... my friend... the mage... she doesn't just heal." At this revelation I opened my eye and glanced at the dog. "She also... she has short glimpses into future events..." He swallowed, "This is in regards to you Ty. She saw you... but... frozen. She wanted to pass the message on. You see... when she sees someone like this... this vision regards their power."

I did my best to understand what he meant... but for the life of me I couldn't figure it out. My muzzle scrunched into utter confusion, nothing but "huh?" getting out. I could tell Ty was confused as well by his... for lack of a better term quietness.

The dog swallowed hard before starting again, "I mean... she sees someone... and she sees them with a natural element. That element... is the one they control. Ty... you're an Ice Mage."

My jaw dropped once again, but this time, I quickly collected myself, stood, and crossed my arms. "And how do you expect us to believe that?"

The dog looked at me with a smirk, pissing me off. He turned to Ty, "She knows the first spell you use. You use it by accident when someone tells you what to say."

"What do you mean "use it by accident"?" Ty slipped trying to stand up, but I caught him, pulling him to my side and supporting him.

The dog wore that stupid grin with utmost confidence before he continued, "All you have to do is say Hastam Glacies."

Ty looked skeptical and my heart skipped a beat. I didn't believe the dog, but I had this nagging feeling that he was right and I hated it. Ty's lips moved, but no words came out. He looked puzzled, but then he repeated the words the dog said.

"Hastam Glacies." When Ty finished the saying, a brilliant blue white glow erupted from his paw opposite me. A chilling fog eliminated from the glow as ice began to form and shape in his paw. The ice cracked and grew until it was an eight foot pole, a pointed spear tip at the top shaped like a shark tooth. Even with the frigid air around us, I could feel the chill of the mist from the spear Ty now held loosely in his paw. He and I stared at the icy spear for a brief moment, before exchanging glances and looking back at the spear, out jaws on the ground and speechless.

"I told you how it happened and you were still skeptical enough the try. You believed me no matter how much you didn't want to."

I shifted my stare to the dog, my muzzle firming and raising into a sinister growl. "Get the fuck away from us you sadistic bastard. If... I swear if I see you again then I will kill you. Leave before I change my mind mutt!"

The dog winced mockingly, chuckling a bit, "Ouch, pulling at the dirty blood card now? You're one to talk... wolf" He rolled the last word, raising his brow to indicate his knowledge of my lineage.

Before I could stop myself, I had my short sword drawn and placed firmly against his throat. The swift movement caught Ty off guard and as he was previously using me for support, he stumbled and fell in the snow, the ice spear falling next to him, shattering as it touched the ground. I focused my anger on my paw holding my blade, willing it to move, to slice through the dog's flesh and rendering him lifeless, but my paw only responded by shaking. I couldn't control it no matter how much I wanted to. "FUCK!" I dropped my sword, swinging my free right paw and connecting with his lower jaw. I felt a sickening crunch as he left the ground, flying a foot back and slamming into a nearby tree. "FUCK YOU!" I clenched my aching fist tighter, stepping forward, I felt something warm enclose my wrist. I looked down at the white paw holding me. My eyes traveled up his arm, across his chest, and finally ending at his eyes. He was crying. A few tears dropping from his muzzle. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion swept over me. I felt the pull of gravity increase as my body fell limp in the snow, the world around me fading to black.

---

Tyler-

"You Mage really are scary when you get going." I held my paw up cutting him off from saying any more.

"Don't. It's best if you just leave. You done enough damage. Now I have to figure out what to do." A tear formed in my right eye, dropping down my muzzle and falling into the snow.

"Honestly though... tell me how you did it?" I fixed Zangar with a mellow, but curious look. His paw was clutching his lower jaw. There was a sizeable bruise and I'm sure the punch broke it. I wasn't sure exactly how this dog was talking normally. He must have picked up on my questions as he shifted, standing and walking towards the edge of camp. "I can talk with a broken jaw because I can't feel it. That's... the downside to Serena's type of healing magic. She can heal you, but at some sort of other sacrifice." He stopped and looked back at me. "Basically my body will be numb for another few weeks. I can't feel anything." He emphasized this by opening and closing a fist, before turning away again. "Your healing magic is different, from what Serena told me."

His last statement caught me off guard, "Excuse me? You said my healing magic is different from hers? I thought I was an Ice Mage?"

Zangar looked back at me with a soft smile, "You are, but Serena saw you with two elements. One ice," The image of me frozen, cracking and shattering from my dream flooded my mind, "and the element of water. You can heal someone based on how much you love them. However, your powers also work a different way. How exactly I'm not sure... something about... hypnotizing waters? Or something like that." My mind exploded into a huge thought, the cogs clicking and forming the right scenario. That's what happened. Somehow I relaxed Ray... I don't know how I did it... but I did... and I think I may have saved Zangar's life as well.

Zangar began walking again, throwing a paw over his right shoulder in a wave. "Zangar! Wait! Let me see if I can fix that jaw some way... you said I heal right?"

Zangar kept walking, he didn't look back nor did he drop his paw, "You can't Ty, I just told you. You can heal them if you love them. I know you don't love me. He'll even I don't love me anymore." A fist of wind blew between us, snow swirling around the trees. The image of Zangar faded to nothingness as the snow died down, the Doberman nowhere in sight.

Ray shuffled beneath me, his shoulder and arm flexing as he sat up yawning. "What's going on Ty? You look... confused. Is something wrong?"

I shook my head, "Nothing, Zangar just left."

He stared at me quizzically. Zangar left? I thought you sent him off thirty minutes ago and we played down and went to sleep... after eating..." I traced his gaze as it came to the still uneaten deer I had prepped for dinner. "Ty... why is the deer still whole?"

I sighed... laying down next to Remus, slipping my arms around his waist. I felt a fold rush of water bite my calf and shoulder, a painful stitching feeling as they sewed themselves back together. "HOLY SHIT TY?!?! WHAT THE FUCK? YOU CAN HEAL TOO?!?"

After the fierce pain subsided, I looked back into his soft blue eyes, "Oh, so you remember I'm a Mage and that's totally normal... but it's weird that Zangar just left... fuck I have a lot of explaining to do..." I sighed, pulling Remus back down to lay with me, "Okay, so... I may have accidentally gave you false memories..."