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Chapter 2

Six-year-old Zalia knew something was wrong with Kilyan the moment he walked in the hut with their father. But she pretended not to notice.

"Daddy!" Zalia squealed.

Kel squatted down and opened his arms. Zalia's long black mane had been plaited in two braids after her bath that morning, and they trailed behind with her tail as ran to him. She embraced his neck tight, and a thrill of happiness went through her when Kel gave her a hard kiss on the cheek and popped her on the butt. His laughter trembled up from his chest and she giggled with him.

"My beautiful little girl," laughed Kel. "Been taking care of your mother for me!"

"Yes, Daddy!" Zalia assured her father happily. She looked over Kel's shoulder at Kilyan. Her brother looked as if he'd lost his favorite teeth. He stood behind Kel, head down and sulking, but the moment Kel straightened up and looked at him, he put on a grin.

Hmm. Something was very wrong, Zalia thought.

"My strong males have returned!" Aliona said, rising from her seat beside the fire. She had been folding laundry, but she set it aside and came to Kel.

Zalia made a face when their parents kissed. She looked at Kilyan, expecting him to make the usual gagging faces behind their parents' backs, but he was staring at his toes.

"What's the matter, doof?" Zalia whispered.

Kilyan bit his lip. "I'll tell you later."

"Your son has done us proud," Kel told Aliona. He showed her the basket of fish they had returned with.

Aliona gasped, then beamed at Kilyan. Kilyan smiled when his mother came to him and kissed him on the forehead.

"Let me look at you!" Aliona said happily, kneeling down. She took Kilyan's shoulders and smiled at him mistily. "Let's see . . . yes, you're an inch taller!"

Kilyan swelled with pride, and beside him, Zalia giggled.

"My strong little boy - you caught all those fish! We shall have some every night! With your favorite cakes, how's that? Come in and get cleaned up, then I want you to walk your sister over to Kira's house --"

"And you will leave her there," Kel added, putting his spear in the wall rack, "without going inside the house and without hanging around Lea."

Kilyan bit his lip. "Yes, Father . . ."

Zalia smirked. The last time Kilyan had walked her to Lea's house, he'd gotten caught trying to discreetly wrap his tail around Lea's. He'd been caught by Loryn on his way to patrol, who thought it was adorable and told Kel - who did not think it was adorable at all.

"I have to return to patrol immediately, Aliona," Kel said heavily. "My shift is this morning, in fact. I've got to relieve Hris, they tell me."

"Oh," Aliona said miserably. She helped her husband take off his traveling pack. Kel sat beside the fire, and she massaged his shoulders. "But I was hoping . . . you've been away a week!"

Kel closed his paw over hers. "I know. Maybe a quick one . . . though I am so tired."

Aliona giggled in his ear. "I will do all the work, my husband. You shall just lie there."

Zalia made a face, following Kilyan as he went to a washing basin on a corner table and wiped his face. "What are they talkin' about?"

"Dunno," Kilyan said, dipping his paws in the water again, "but it means they want us to leave. Come on."

"Remember," Kel called after them, "not in the house, Kilyan!"

Outside, Kilyan paused, looking miserable again.

"So spill it," Zalia said, watching him with a curious eye. "What you do this time, doof?"

"Stop callin' me doof."

"Or what?"

"I'll - I'll put your mane!" Kilyan started off up the street, looking irate.

"That's how you treat someone who wants to help you!" Zalia squeaked, following.

In the bright blue morning, many fathers were returning home with their sons. Wives shrieked happily and ran to greet them, little daughters in their wake. Zalia saw other warriors heading out for morning patrol, spears on their shoulders and small knives swinging in sheaths around their necks. Zalia looked at their spears glinting in the sunlight and wished she could have one.

"Ha," Kilyan said, annoyed, "how could you help me? You still wet the bed."

Zalia's ears flattened. "I do not! Tellllll me what's the matter!" She grabbed Kilyan's tail and hauled to make him stop.

Kilyan stopped - so suddenly that Zalia slammed into him. They went down in a cloud of dirt. Zalia lay on top of Kilyan, holding him down. Kilyan lay on his back, his ears flat as he glared at his sister.

"Geroff me, Zalia!"

"No!" she shrilled. "I wanna help you. You're in trouble, aren't ya?"

Kilyan sighed, looking miserable all over again. "Look," he said at length, his green eyes worried, "you gotta promise not ta tell anyone. Especially not Lea."

Zalia smirked. "Why? Scared of lookin' bad in front of your girrrrlfriend?"

"Shut up!"

Zalia giggled. "I promise. Tell me so I can help."

Kilyan scowled. "Why are you so convinced you can help me?"

"Cuz I'm smarter than you."

Kilyan bit his lip.

"Go on. Say it. Say it!" Zalia said, triumphant. "Tell me what's wrong so I can fix it! And when I fix it, you gotta admit I'm smarter."

Kilyan rolled his eyes. "Dad gave me a talisman during the camping trip and . . ." He heaved a miserable breath. "I lost it in the forest."

"You doof!"

"Shut up!"

"Let's not panic," Zalia said. She scrambled up and helped Kilyan to his feet. Kilyan squirmed away when she started briskly dusting his fur off. "We just have to go back to the forest and look where you left it."

"That's your brilliant answer?" Kilyan rolled his eyes again. "We aren't doing anything," he said, starting up the street once more. "I'm takin' you to Lea's, and I'm goin' alone . . ." He halted.

Zalia smiled as she watched the realization rise in Kilyan's green eyes. "Scaaaared to go alone? You should be."

"I'll get Keeno," Kilyan said resolutely and started off again.

"Only . . . you don't know where Keeno is!" she shrilled, following.

Kilyan glanced at her, annoyed. "And you do? How would you know!"

Zalia lifted her chin, looking very satisfied. "Keeno's mommy came by this morning, just before you and Daddy came home. Hye said her brother Hris was on patrol by the gate, and that Yzlo had promised to take Keeno to see him before they came home!"

"And Dad is headed that way too," Kilyan said miserably.

They halted in the street again. Kilyan stood with his head down.

Zalia watched Kilyan anxiously. She touched his cheek. ". . . Are you gonna cry?"

"No!" Kilyan said at once, but when he lifted his face, tears were standing in his eyes.

"Don't cry, Kilyan, we'll get it back," Zalia said soothingly.

Kilyan sniffled. "Dad will think I don't love him if I lose that talisman! He said - he said Grandpa didn't love him! I don't want him to think I'm like Grandpa . . ."

"We'll get it back!" Zalia swore. She grabbed Kilyan's arms and squeezed. "Look at me, Kilyan!"

Kilyan looked, sniffling with tears.

"I'mma help you find Keeno, okay?" she said gently.

---

Keeno's ear twitched when a rock hit it. He glanced around, but seeing no one, he went back to pretending to listen to his uncle's rant. Another rock had nicked him in the butt earlier, but he assured himself that it was nothing.

". . . didn't go easy when I was a pup," Hris was saying. "We spent our camping trips lugging buckets of water, and if we dropped them, they got switched - not the buckets, our butts."

"Listen to him," Yzlo said to Keeno, his eyes flat and serious as he inclined his head at his brother-in-law. "So you understand how easy you pups have got it now!"

Keeno tried not to roll his eyes - that usually got him a spanking. His father noticed the effort and squeezed his shoulder, a silent encouragement.

Yzlo was a dark gray male with a long mane he kept in a single plait these days. His eyes were also dark and usually hard and serious. They were serious now as he stood beside Keeno, nodding at every word Hris said.

Hris was the brother of Keeno's mother. But unlike serious Yzlo, Hris was very laidback. Despite his laidback nature, he was a well respected warrior - a war hero in the summer village - and Yzlo admired him a great deal, hanging on every word he said even while Keeno tried not to yawn.

Being the older brother of Hye, Hris bore a strong resemblance to her, only he was lacking the white stripe down his belly that Keeno had inherited from his mother. Hris' eyes were a deep and intense black, very prettily shaped and fierce as a hawk's. Being so proud of his arrow wolf heritage, he was almost never without his quiver of green and red arrows and his bow. He had no children and no wife, so Keeno often had to wonder why Yzlo looked up to the older male as the source of all knowledge in familial matters. It had been rumored for years that Hris was, in fact, a tail chaser - whatever that was.

"Bah, he's not listening anyhow," Hris said. He laughed flatly and gave Keeno a hard ruffle on the head. "I can see the glaze in his eye!"

Yzlo was not amused. He looked down at Keeno, his eyes hard and unforgiving. "You disrespect your uncle, Keeno. Here he imparts wisdom, and all you can think to do is show him the inside of your mouth."

Keeno almost yawned again but caught himself just in time. He looked down and said sheepishly, "Forgive me, Uncle Hris."

Hris laughed his flat laugh again. "Yzlo, didn't you just come from a camping trip? You're being too hard on the boy." He laughed when Yzlo's brows went up. "Well, look at him," he said, gesturing at Keeno. "Only moments before, he was beaming, wearing the talisman his father had given him on his skinny little arm with pride. Now he bows his head in shame."

Yzlo frowned. He hesitated, then placed his paw on Keeno's mane and massaged.

Keeno looked at his father from under the big paw on his head and smiled.

"We're very close to the village," Yzlo said. "Can my big boy walk home alone? Tell your mother I'll be along. I want to talk to Hris."

"Alright, Dad."

"That's my boy."

Keeno went along as told, laughing when he received a playful slap on the butt.

". . . will make a fine warrior, my boy," he heard Yzlo saying behind him and smiled.

Keeno was suddenly very pleased with himself. Yzlo never praised him! But he knew why . . . Yzlo often said Keeno was too cocky and arrogant and that praise would do nothing but further inflate his already-inflated head.

Keeno pressed through the trees. He could see the village gates as the trees grew sparse and was close to stepping out when he heard someone approaching.

"Keeno, are you numb! Have you lost all feeling in your butt!"

Keeno turned. It was Kilyan and Zalia. He watched, startled, as they fought their way through the bushes to him. "My dad would be really bummed out if I did," he said with a half-smile.

Kilyan scowled. "It's not funny! We've been throwing rocks," he panted, "and calling your name -- for the last five minutes!"

"My rocks hit you," Zalia said proudly. "Kilyan always missed."

"What is going on - and why is Bug Breath out here!" Keeno said and nodded at Zalia.

Zalia glowered.

"Look," Kilyan said, waving, "I'm in trouble --"

"What else is new?" said Keeno, rolling his eyes.

"--and I need your help!"

"Again," said Keeno, "what else is new? But why is Short Stack here?"

Kilyan rubbed the back of his ears, and his long black mane was tousled around his face. "I figured we could take care of this before I had to drop her off. Pretty soon, someone's gonna ask where my talisman is --"

"Kilyan," Keeno said slowly, ". . . where's your talisman!" His eyes popped.

"Oh, now he gets it!" Zalia cried, tossing her paws. "We need to find it. Take us to the last place you camped - and hurry up!" She shoved Keeno in the chest.

"Cut it out, doof!" Keeno snapped and shoved her back.

"Oh," said Kilyan, frowning at his sister, "so that's where you learned that word."

Keeno glanced around, fearful they might be stumbled upon. "My dad and uncle are nearby."

"And our dad'll be in this area soon," added Zalia.

Kilyan snorted, thinking of all the times his parents had shut themselves away in their bedroom. "Not _too_soon."

"Come on," Keeno said, turning away. "It's this way . . . I think."

"He thinks," scoffed Zalia.

"Do you wanna lead?" Keeno demanded over his shoulder. "You know where we were camped? You know everything else!"

"I know more than you!" Zalia shrilled. "I know that I'm supposed to look at the stars for directions. I bet you never look for directions."

"I don't need directions!"

Kilyan's eyes hooded. "Shut up," he said before Zalia could retort. "Geez, you two sound like an old married couple."

As it turned out, Keeno did need directions. They wandered the forest in circles, lost, for hours. They managed to avoid bumping into the various patrols, though there was one tense moment when Kilyan tripped over a tree root and made a colossal noise. Fortunately, the nearest patrolling pair of warriors was not near at all, and they were able to leave the area without drawing attention.

By the time the three pups had given up, it was dark. Creatures howled in the night, owls hooted, crickets chirruped. Shadows danced under the moon and every one was a monster ready to leap out of hiding. Zalia clung tight to Kilyan's arm, frightened and shivering. All three pups had their ears flat and were walking close together, tails low, shoulders hunched.

"Stop for directions, K-Keeno," Zalia whispered miserably. She clung still to Kilyan's arm, tendrils of black mane in her eyes.

Keeno groaned. "I did- I looked at the stars. I dunno what to do."

"Zalia's shaking," Kilyan said, wrapping his arm around his little sister. "Maybe we can try ta build ah fire. You remember how?"

"Yeah," Keeno muttered. "You sit her down and keep her warm. I'll look for sticks."

None of them had taken a step, however, when movement in the bushes made them freeze.

"You hear that?" Kilyan whispered.

"Shut up," Keeno whispered back.

They all stood, frozen as startled mice, listening.

"Who's there!" Keeno shouted. His dark brown eyes searched the ground for a rock, and finding one, he snatched it up and stood, prepared to hurl it.

Kilyan held Zalia tight and slowly backed her away.

"Show yourself!" Keeno demanded.

The bushes rustled again, and very slowly, a dark shape rose behind them. Two paws lashed out and grabbed Kilyan and Zalia by their heads. Keeno whipped around as his friends began to scream. His heart leapt: a thin wolf had Zalia by her braids and was laughing and snarling as she struggled to get away. Kilyan, he had by the arm. Kilyan sank his fangs in the wolf's paw and squirmed free when he screamed. He scrambled to his feet and launched into the stranger, kicking and swinging. Keeno joined the fray without hesitation.

"Leggo of my sister! Leggo!"

"Get off her!"

"Ahhhh - help me, Kilyan!"

"Get off me, boy," the wolf growled. "You little bastards are gonna watch this girl suck my dick!" So saying, he snatched Zalia up around the waist and kicked at Kilyan and Keeno.

Kilyan took a blow to the face and soared back. He hit a tree and fell in the grass, out cold. Zalia was still screaming and the stranger was still laughing as he fought to get a paw between her legs. She kicked furiously and caught him in the mouth. Blood flew. He cursed and tossed her away. Keeno watched in horror as she fell hard in the dirt. Infuriated, he tore into male.

"Keeno - d-don't," Zalia sobbed from the grass. "Let's just run away!"

But how could they run? Kilyan had been knocked out! Keeno could see his blood pooling in the grass. Zalia crawled to her brother and called his name, sobbing as she took him in her thin arms. Kilyan flopped like a ragdoll.

Keeno fought harder. "You'll pay for what you did! You'll pay! You'll pay!"

The wolf was laughing. He grabbed Keeno by the throat and snatched him up. As he was brought eye-to-eye with the stranger, Keeno realized what he was: a lone wolf. This was the sort of danger his father had warned him of again and again. Criminals, cast out to live alone, the mark burned upon their foreheads. This male had the mark. His eyes were cold and pitiless, his fist on Keeno's throat hard. Keeno was loosing breath. His kicking and thrashing slowed.

"Leave him alone!" Zalia screamed.

The lone wolf grunted when Zalia hurled a rock at him. The rock hit his side and he recoiled.

"Z-Zalia," Keeno managed. "Don't!"

Zalia kept throwing. Keeno had to admit she had good aim. A rock finally hit the lone wolf in the face and he dropped Keeno, shrinking back with a curse to cup his injury.

Keeno fell hard to the dirt and sat up, watching with his ears pricked forward as the loner covered his bloody eye. "Nice one!" he cried, and Zalia drew herself up proudly.

"Now let's get out of here," Keeno said, "before he --"

"No, you don't!" the loner snarled. He grabbed Zalia's tail and yanked. "This little bitch is mine, I said!"

Zalia clawed at the dirt as she was dragged away on her belly, her sapphire eyes popping. "Keeno!" she shrilled, terrified. "Help me!"

Keeno leapt forward. But he halted again: a dark figure straightened up behind the lone wolf. He was young and handsome and had the serious glint in his eye that Keeno had seen a dozen times in the eyes of the young warriors around the village. He had a large rock in his paw, and after looking at Keeno with solemn black eyes, he smacked the lone wolf hard on the back of the head with it.

"Gck!" Blood tossed. The loner collapsed in the dirt on his face. He didn't move.

Zalia scrambled away the moment her tail was released. She hid behind Keeno, shivering and sobbing. Keeno stood before her protectively, and the two of them stared at the young male. He stared back.

"I won't let you hurt them," Keeno said, breathless and angry, into the silence.

The young male dropped the rock. "I only came to hurt him." His voice was calm.

Keeno glanced uncertainly at Zalia, not knowing what to think. He was slightly annoyed when Zalia hugged his tail tighter: her little fingers were starting to pinch.

"One of you is hurt," went on the young male, whose black eyes had gone to Kilyan's body down in the grass.

Keeno tensed. "Stay away from him!"

"I just saved your lives," the stranger returned calmly. "Your friend is injured. I will care for him. Then I will return you to the village."

Keeno hesitated, and behind him, Zalia sniffled. He found it odd that Zalia was not voicing her opinion - she had never hesitated to before. This time, however, she was content to cry and cling and leave everything up to him. She was truly frightened. He had never seen her so frightened before! He reached back and put a comforting arm around her. She was shaking.

"Alright," Keeno said. "Help us . . . please."

The young male nodded. Keeno and Zalia watched anxiously as he carefully gathered Kilyan in his arms. He looked at the children again. "This way," he said and turned into the trees.

Keeno and Zalia looked at each other and followed.