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I awoke the next morning blanketed in snow, courtesy of Diego, accompanied by the laughter of Erik.

"Wake up! I swear, new pups just laying around all day. Shameful!" Erik said teasingly as I shook the snow from my fur.

It was about that moment that the memories of the night before flooded back to me. I looked over myself a moment, and smiled. I was happy to be a wolf.

Holly snuck up behind Diego, and pounced him, knocking him playfully into the snow as she bound past to get to me.

I tried to sidestep, but tripped over my own feet and ended up sprawling in the dirt, to Rachel's combined amusement, and dismay as her laughter betrayed her place behind Erik, who readily kicked up a clump of snow at her.

Holly sighed, sitting next to me. Diego shook his head and stood in front of me, laughing.

"Don't worry about it, most pups don't quite get the concept of four legs immediately. We all freed up some time to show you the ropes." Rachel said, nibbling on my ear, soothing my frustration away.

"I suppose. Still, how embarrassing that was." I said, carefully getting back up.

Erik laughed, stepping around Diego. "Nonsense, when they first tried that on me I just stood there. I didn't even know what I wanted to do. You're quick enough to try, so you're a leap ahead of where I was.

A quick bark of greeting came from the brush, Rachel looked up and replied. "Of course, Sam. Bring Heather, too."

Out of the brush, a couple of young pups. Younger than me. Sam, an almost silver grey male, eyes of blue, and a bit on the heavy side. Heather, a lovely little lady of darker grey, but definately on the delicate side. Sam lept across the snow to me. Heather was a little more reserved, coming up behind Holly first.

"A new pack mate, huh? Where are you from? When did you get here? How old are you? Do you like being a wolf? Huh? Huh?" Sam asked question after question in an annoyingly cute way.

I snickered before answering just as quickly. "Yes, south, yesterday, seventeen, yes!" I reached out with a paw, leaving a bit of snow on Sam's nose, making him sneeze. Heather giggled and stepped out around Holly.

"I'm Heather, pleased to meet ya'. You said South. How far south? I came from Texas, but I don't really remember it." Heather, for all that she tried to be amicable, carried a certain sense of melancholy in her otherwise light and pleasant voice.

Definately not brother and sister, I thought to myself. At least, not outside of the pack. I wondered about their parents.

I walked up to Heather, and felt as though I towered over her. She looked almost terrified, and I felt the others staring at me. I touched my nose to her forehead and smiled as I sat back down. "I saw part of Texas once. Amarillo, big place with a small town feel to it. I'll tell you about it later if you like. I'm from Nevada, and it's nice to meet you. My name's Liam." I hesitated a moment and circled Sam. "Sam... Where are you from?"

Sam turned circles watching me. Heather laughed. "Me? I'm from here! Rachel's my mom. My dad... he's gone away for a while." Heather looked up at me, and Rachel cleared her throat.

"Ok, introductions over? Let's go everyone. Heather, keep an eye on Sam, will you dear?" Rachel said, winking at the young female.

"Yes mom." She replied, walking behind Sam, next to me.

I looked over at Rachel who shook her head. Not the time to ask. I had to be careful not to trip over myself, and had a lot of trouble doing so. I wondered why it'd been so easy last night. After my fifth time sprawling face first in the dirt, Heather sat before me.

"I've been watching you. You think too much about what you're doing. You just have to let things go naturally. Don't think... just be." Her voice was almost sage-like.

The others kept walking, Erik yelling back. "You know how to find us, so be sure to catch up before nightfall."

I looked up at her and shook my head. "You make it sound so simple."

She smiled, laying down in front of me. "That's because it is simple. Just relax, and let whatever you need to do be done. Stand up, walk with me."

I got up, albeit a little shakily. Heather smiled, circling me. I watched over my shoulder.

"I remember when I was changed." She said, coming back to sit in front of me. "My parents abandoned me here when I was six, figuring that the wild animals and the cold of winter would kill me. When Rachel found me I was close to death. They had no choice but to perform the ritual to save my life. I remember it took me forever just to stand up. I was lop-sided, and off balance. That was a long time ago now... almost ten years. You're doing better than you think. Rachel said she expected to miss this council meeting."

I nodded, sitting next to her. I nuzzled her gently and she leaned in against me. "That's where we're going, by the way. And why they aren't waiting for us. The council of seven meets every seventh full moon. About twice a year. We discuss everything from the latest hunts to international news. We introduce new packmates, and negotiate land and property.

I listened intently, watching her. "So then, this is a major event, and they're going to bring me along. Won't that cause some disruption?"

She sighed. "A little, no doubt. Mostly between us and the pack who feuds with us. I don't know what happened to start the feud but we'll see what happens when we get there."

"Then... I need to know how to handle myself." I said, standing up. "Teach me, since we've time yet."

"That's the spirit! Come on, see if you can catch me, and remember, don't think, just be!" Heather replied, leaping away from me.

I tried running, and when I didn't trip immediately I fell into a decent rhythm. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my lungs drawing breath like the mighty bellows of the forge. The forest closed around me and I lost her track. I stood still, trying to listen but all I could hear was the blood rushing through my head.

"Gotcha!" She yelled, leaping out from beside me.

I dropped down, letting her jump over me, and sprang away from her. I missed the landing and wound up on my back, staring up at her smiling face.

"Well, I didn't have you before, but I have you now, Liam!" She said, giving me a mock nip on the neck.

I brought my paw up to scratch behind her ear, and as she relaxed into it, I shoved her over playfully.

"Heh heh! Forgot one important rule, Heather. Never let your guard down when you're sparring." I said, grinning as she got back up.

"Aww, no fair, I already won!" She replied in a half whine.

"Ah but what if the other wolf doesn't know that?" I said, sitting next to her, nuzzling affectionately.

"Then ya just gotta teach them again!" She said, knocking me over with a deftly placed pair of paws.

I rolled with the impact and wrapped myself around her, dragging her down with me. I held her close in a mock bear-hug, growling at her playfully as she tried in vain to nip my ears.

We finally stopped wrestling, neither of us moving. I could feel her breath tickle my ear, making it twitch involuntarily.

"Liam..." She said, hesitating.

"Yes, Heather?" I responded, shifting to look at her.

She kissed me then, shy and tentative. I didn't know how to respond but I didn't want to hurt her, so I returned the kiss gently.

"Don't worry about the feud, the council or any of that... you just got here, and a pack looks after it's own... " She said, laying close to me, her breath slipping across my neck like a silken sheet.

I nodded, relaxing for a moment, a paw draped over her shoulder, pulling her close to me. After a moment she stood, and looked down at me. "We should get going, we need to catch up."

I pulled myself up, and shook. I walked behind her, trying to figure out what she was sniffing at. I couldn't pick anything up besides the earthy smell of the dense woods, the almost crisp smell of the snow, and ... her.

She smelled of earth and sweat, and faintly of sex. That scent, though very mild, was unmistakable. It was the essence of purity, sweet, gentle. I wondered if she remained as pure as her scent suggested.

"Liam, are you ok?" Heather asked, realizing I'd stopped walking.

"Yeah, just caught wind of something." I replied, looking up at her. I was grateful for being dark in fur. It hid the blush well.

"What? I don't smell anything." She said, sniffing the air.

I laughed, pouncing at her, catching her off guard. "Gotcha!" I said, before leaping away.

"Dirty trick!" She yelled, chasing me.

I rounded a tree and sat, waiting for her. She ran past so I barked. She trotted up to me and stared.

"I'm full of mean tricks, aren't I?" I asked, gazing down at her.

"Just a few, but that's good. You never know when you'll need them." She replied.

We sat in silence for a long moment, I stared into her eyes, they were a deep forest green that seemed to continue endlessly.

"Liam..." She said, hesitantly. Her scent was stronger now, more intense.

I watched her for a moment as she struggled for words, I believed I knew what she wanted to say, but if she couldn't say it, I also knew she wasn't really ready to. I changed the subject.

"I know. We don't have time to wait around all day. We do need to be making some progress to our pack mates. Walk with me, we can talk along the way." My words weren't hollow, but she still looked disenheartened.

"Ok..." Was her quiet reply.

"Hey, Heather..." I nipped at her ear lightly, taking the moment to rub along side her. She perked up a little. "C'mon now...don't tell me you're worn out from a little play."

She giggled, sliding along my flank. "No way, old-timer. I can still run circles around you!"

"Well, I tell you what, that may be true and I won't blame being new to paws for it, graceful as you are I likely don't stand that much chance even on a good day. How's this instead, the way we're going is fairly straight, right? I can howl if I get lost, so we don't have to worry about that. What's say to a race? First one to catch up to the rest of them wins." I said, picking up my step.

"You're on, old-timer. One question. What do I get for winning?" Heather asked, grinning at me.

"Well, I suppose we'll raise the stakes, winner decides what winner gets, but that stake is just between us, so no asking me to bury Sam in snow or anything like that, ok?" I said, with a wink.

"You're on! See you later!" She said, sprinting off.

"See you there." I replied, more to myself than anyone. I ran behind her, not letting the distance become too great, but not closing in too readily. She was fast, but she also tired out quicker than I did. I was fairly athletic back home and it carried over to my new body, as well.

She must have caught on to my gambit because pretty soon her trail was masked, none too thoroughly in most places, but a few gaps here and there. I came to a stream and saw where she entered, but not where she crossed. The water was cold, but not deep. The current wasn't strong enough to suggest an accident, so I went up a little ways, sniffing here and there.

It didn't take too long, but I'd lost some time when I found her tracks again. I sprinted as quickly as I could.

It was some ten minutes later I heard a howl, her howl, it was pained but strong. I sprinted towards her, envigorated by her call. I heard wood splinter, something heavy falling against the earth, the sound of breath coming from around a tree... It was her.

"Liam..." She whimpered, as I stood next to her. She was bleeding, bad enough that I felt it was life threatening, three deep lines across her flank, I could see bone. It stopped before her unprotected belly, thankfully. It was one of the only things I could be thankful for.

I saw the bear.

He would've been huge to me as a man, standing upright. My shoulders were about half the height of my former self, and I knew he outweighed me by even more. He growled, looking at me. I stared back blankly. Unmoving. He approached, I sidestepped slowly, circling.

I growled, it was a deep, resonating sound that was not as menacing as I'd hoped, but certainly respectable. He lumbered towards Heather, I lept at him, my claws, small though they were, raking firmly against his back.

He turned, swinging his great arm at me, but I followed around behind him as he moved. He growled and I lunged forward, sinking my teeth into his leg. I felt blood, and heard him roar, and then I was greeted by the peculiar feeling of flight.

I curled slightly, enough to see where I was going, he'd kicked when I sank my teeth home, and my raking forepaws had only served to latch more firmly until the release point. I was flying towards a tree, fortunately it was feet first.

The impact, for all that I did have a few brief seconds to prepare for it, was stunning, I felt my breath falter as I lay in the snow, but I heard the bear, lumbering towards Heather, and I forced myself back up with a curse and a snarl.

"I'm not done with you, yet! Come back and fight me!" The words, brave though they may have been, sounded hollow, distant. They didn't serve to rally me. I knew I was losing.

The bear, however, took one look at me and decided it wasn't worth the trouble. He growled, but left. I ran to Heather's side.

She was a mess, and I couldn't do anything as I was. I needed hands, I needed to be human.

I stood up from laying down, I didn't realize I'd fallen, something was odd.... I was cold.

I realized I was naked, and human, but there was no time for wonder or rejoice. I turned to Heather. She hadn't lost much more blood but she had fainted.

I didn't have time to think. I grabbed a handful of snow and pressed it against her wounds. Cold for the swelling, pressure for the bleeding, and a loud scream for help.

Heather opened her eyes, and sighed softly. She didn't speak, didn't need to. I spoke.

"Heather... don't move, just stay with me, ok? Don't go to sleep, stay awake, stay focused. You're hurt pretty bad but I know they heard me. Half the forest heard me."

She closed her eyes but her tail flicking slowly encouraged me. I screamed again, I put everything I had into it.

A howl answered me. Then a second, a third. From more than one direction.

Diego reached me first, and started cussing as he shifted.

"Son of a bitch what the fuck happened here? She fought off a bear and nearly died, you walk away without a scratch? You mother fucking coward I ought to gut you right now!" He was livid, understandably. He couldn't see the way my arms and legs ached, couldn't feel my throbbing head or the pain in my mouth from being thrown by it. I was lucky.

Behind him came Rachel. "Diego, stop. Heather needs you now, we can settle things out afterwards." She shifted mid speech and pulled a small pouch from her neck. Inside were a needle and a spool of thread. "Sorry hon, I didn't get anything to ease the pain, but Liam's got most of that as it is."

Erik was last, and he took the time to look around the scene before speaking. "Diego, looks like you're wrong, Heather's paws aren't that big, and it looks like she went down early over here. We'll ask her when she's ready to go. Liam, don't worry, Rachel might not look it but she's a right decent doctor."

I sighed, and wished for the cover of fur, now that my hands weren't needed. It didn't come. I couldn't figure out why.

"I know this isn't the right time to ask, but I shifted from wolf to human. How do I get back?" I asked to Erik. "If that bear comes back... I can't fight him like this. Not without a decent weapon."

Erik laughed. "I know the real reason and you're right, it's a mite cold out here for a lack of fur or clothing. We'd take sick this way. So here's the trick. When you wanted to be human, what were you thinking?"

I replied. "Heather was hurt, I couldn't do anything to help her without my hands, I /needed/ to be a human."

Erik smiled. "That's how it is at first. We change because we need to. It's like a muscle, or memory. You need to excercise it in order to use it readily. Right now, think of all the horrible things that will happen if you don't get fur. Work yourself into a frenzy."

I sighed, closed my eyes. I thought of the chill of death, the loss of fingers, toes... it was the thought of not being able to protect everyone that finally made me feel warm again.

Erik nodded, shifting easily. "Good lad. Looks like they've finished up."

Diego stopped to pick her up. I stepped in changing back in an instant. "Diego, no. Let me carry her."

Diego snarled at me. "You've done enough damage!"

I sighed. "Diego, you assume I can't fight, you however, can and will. We need you ready to fight, let me take care of Heather, ok? You can sort me out for it after we get there, after you don't need me." I knew he wouldn't be satisfied until she was concious enough to say what really happened.

Rachel nodded. "Let Liam carry her, you're a bit too rough in your steps anyway, Diego. You just make sure we get there in one piece. I have a feeling this is connected to a few other troubles we avoided today."

~~~~~

Before the Council

~~~~~

Heather woke up in the night, crying softly. I couldn't sleep. Erik didn't let on, but I thought he was awake too. I ran my hand through the fur on Heather's neck.

"Shh... shh... you're going to be ok. You're safe now." I whispered. Diego woke up and sat next to her on the other side. She hadn't heard his approach. If I hadn't been watching, I wouldn't have, either.

"Liam... if it wasn't for you I'd... I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention, I tried to lose you because I knew you were following, waiting to get them in sight before running past me... I'm so sorry."

I smiled down at her, rubbing behind her ear. "No, love. Don't get worked up about it. It wasn't fair of me to challenge you to that race. I just wanted to catch up. We should've just stuck together. If I hadn't been so easily lost by that stream... I could've been there on time to prevent this..."

Diego shook his head, speaking at last. "Heather... what really happened? All this time I just wanted to get Liam for letting you get hurt... I've been hard on him all day..."

Heather shivered slightly, I curled close to her, I wasn't covered in fur, but I was probably warmer than the ground.

"I came around a bend, and the bear was there, waiting. All that ruckus I'd been making and I know he heard me. He smiled as he struck me, I screamed, he knocked down a tree, but I managed to get out of the way of it..." She sighed, taking a slow breath before continuing.

"Liam showed up then and almost got killed fighting. He was thrown pretty hard, I know he must've been hurt... but he got back up... and started yelling. Must've made the bear decide that it wasn't worth it because the bear left... He tried to stop my bleeding and screamed for help... and then you showed up... and I don't remember anything else about getting here." She shifted slightly, wincing in pain. I placed my hand gently on her side.

"You're still too hurt to be moving. I'll have to carry you the rest of the way, hopefully we'll have time to rest and someone will have better methods to help you." I stared into her eyes a moment before smiling. "Don't worry, if I have to carry you all the way back, I will. Just... don't mind if I have to stop once in a while to catch my breath. Gotta remember, sweetie. I'm not as quick as you young pups."

Heather giggled slightly and relaxed, wrapping a forepaw around my side.

Diego didn't say a word, just nodded at me and walked off into the woods.

"Don't worry about him." I said to her. "He didn't do much more than glare at me all day. He was so sure I just left you to die..."

She smiled. "I know. Rachel kept him in line, I'm sure. Liam..."

I opened my eyes, the crimson in the firelight flikered across her sparkling green pools. "Yes, Heather?"

"Thank you."

I don't know who fell asleep first. We fell asleep holding eachother. I

was nude, in the wilderness, in Alaska... and I was warm.