FSE

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Transformation

Prologue

Our kind has always been different.

Different in many ways. The way we act and talk. The way we fight.

Even how we look.

But no one ever thought we were still normal people. That we still were the same people they grew up with. That loved you, cared for you.

Bled for you.

Few of us know why we change. Fewer still know how. Those are dead now, and their discoveries have died with them. Why no one has picked up their research, and told the masses why and how we go through what we do, I cannot even begin to fathom.

Strangely whenever someone does get close to the truth, they fall prey to foul luck. If you can call it that. To me, it smells like treachery.

Every time I see another promising young mind lying dead on the ground, fur burnt from searing flames of an explosion, or blood seeping into the yearning ground from a large piece of equipment that crushed their head. Something inside me dies.

Another though cries out. Screams at me that nothing is what it seems to be.

All seams lost. Hope, truth, faith.

But then in our darkest hour, when everything was about to be engulfed in darkness and treachery.

A hope.

A promise.

A new dawn is revealed. One where we do not need to cower, and run for our lives. A dawn where we can all freely walk through out civilisation. Where every man, woman and child that is yet unborn can look to for hope.

A poem.

Alaskan Wilderness

1990

Their footsteps were almost silent. Those that swiftly moved through the dark forest had one target. One purpose.

They stopped, just on the edge of a small village. A strange thing to find in the middle of no-where.

They looked around, several of them moved around the edge of the village. A guard walked towards them. A quick hand signal, and the guard vanished into the bushes.

They moved swiftly. The guard they killed would be missed. They did not have long. They stopped. Crying from the hut in front of them caused them to halt. The light came on, and shadows moved in front of the window.

The assassins looked at each other. Unsaid questions passed between them. The leader made a cutting movement across her throat. The parents were not their concern. They were to kill the infant only.

A strangled noise came from behind her. She quickly turned. One of her men was gone. She looked over to her other comrades, and saw another vanish into the shadows.

They were found out. She rushed for the hut as the rest of her comrades were taken, and something dropped down behind her. She leapt for the window, smashing through the glass and rolling to her feet. She spun around, her brown fur shimmering in the flickering candle light. The shocked parent clutched her child to her chest, fear on her muzzle. The assassin raised her Kunaii to strike when something slammed into her chest.

She fell backwards, her body going numb. Lying on the ground she looked down, trying to reach for the dagger that had sunk into her chest. Weakly her hand clutched at its grip, trying in vain to pull it free.

A paw was firmly planted on her chest, and another hand gripped the hilt of the blade. She cried as it was pulled free.

The new comer leaned forward, her white fur almost glowing in the dim light, the crimson mark on her forehead seemingly glaring at her. Her killer held no sympathy, no emotion.

She coughed, blood running down from the corner of her muzzle staining the formerly white fur on her neck.

"This is how we are meant to live, is it not sister?"

The child's mother still stood in the room, the baby had been given to her husband, and she now knelt down next to her, trying to stopped the blood from oozing out of the wound in her chest.

"What is your name?" the crimson marked assassin asked.

"Natasha."

She Pushed the infant's mother away.

"April."

Natasha reached down to her thigh and pulled free her own Kunaii. The child's mother moved back a bit nervous as to what was going to happen next. April however did not flinch.

Natasha raised the dagger, and brought it down on her own chest. April helped her pull it free. Tears were forming in Natasha's eyes. She clutched Aprils hand in both of hers.

"It was to be my last. I... I was to marry him, my one. My beloved."

Her grasp weakened, and her hands dropped. April grabbed one of them holding it tight. She placed the dagger into her hand.

"Help me."

She moved aside some of the strips of leather that hung around her legs, revealing her thigh. It was free from marks, pure white, like fresh snow. Together they drove the dripping blade into Aprils leg. The child's mother looked away, the act too much for her.

They pulled it out, and a blood red mark appeared on the white fur. The first one.

"I shall honour you sister," April whispered as Natasha's eyes finally closed.

"This is unbelievable, how could they already know about him?"

The clan elder was fuming.

"He has only be born three days, and already an attempt on his life has been made."

April and the parents of the child knelt in front of the elder as he paced.

"Sir, we do not know! There must be an informant in our ranks."

April kept her head bowed in respect. The elder raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know?"

She gestured and two of her fellow assassins dragged a person into the room. He was silent, head bowed, shame clear on his face. They dropped him in front of the elder.

"You are the betrayer?"

The man nodded.

One of those who brought him in showed disgust at him. Her drew his dagger, and dropped it in front of the man, who picked it up.

"I... I never had a choice," he whispered. "If I kill myself now, at least I'll keep just a little honour."

He raised the knife.

"Stop!" the elder said before he could commit his act of suicide. "No one has done anything to warrant their death!"

The man looked up at him. A pain expression covered his muzzle.

"I had no choice," he whispered again, then drove the dagger into his chest.

The elders head dropped.

"He did not have to die."

He looked at the owner of the dagger, anger blazing in his eyes.

"You may leave now, I don't think we will have a problem with a dead body."

The two guards bowed, and went to remove the body, but the elder stopped them.

"Leave him, you've done enough already!"

Again they bowed, and walked from the room. The elder moved to the dead man's body. He closed the man's eyes, returning his face to a more peaceful expression.

"Conrad, Maria, I feel it is no longer safe for you to stay with the clan, not unless you wish for your child to be in constant danger."

"Where shall we go?" Conrad asked.

"Some were safe, far from here. As far from the clan as you can get. The last thing we want, I want for your family, is for them to be under constant threat of death from a rival clan. Australia would be a good place now I think of it. It is far enough away that it will not be expected."

"As you command elder."

Conrad and his wife stood and left to go and prepare for their long journey ahead. The elder turned his attention to April, but did not speak until he was sure that Conrad and Maria were out of ear shot.

"I want you to go with them."

April looked up at him, surprise on her face.

"Conrad is a head strong man my liege, he will not take kindly to having an escort."

"I know, he was a very capable Assassin in his day, which is why he will not know you are going with them. You will remain separate, but in arms reach just in case."

"Yes my liege, they will never know I'm protecting them."

A smile spread across the elders face.

"Keep them safe daughter."

"I will not let a single scratch touch them, Papa."

April stood and left the room. Her father sad to have to send her away, knowing he would never see her again.

"By the way, when were you going to tell me I had a sister?"

Chapter 1

His eyes opened slowly. He sat up and perched himself on the edge of his bed and rubbed at his eyes. For weeks now, nightmares had kept him from a good night's sleep. It was not how he wanted to feel on his nineteenth birthday. He felt hung-over, like he'd been drinking hard the night before.

He knew though, that was not the case. He had been sober for as long as the nightmares had been lasting. Varan glanced over at his bedside clock. His eyes widened, and he rushed off into his bathroom. He could hardly believe it, he had slept in again.

He jumped into the shower and was chilled to the bone. No hot water, again! His flatmate never left him any hot water in the mornings. In ten minutes he was washed, dressed and locking the flat door. He hated these early mornings. At least his university was only a ten minute walk away.

Kitty opened her eyes. He vision was still blurry so she rubbed at her eyes to clear them. He foot slipped from under her duvet. She gasped and quickly pulled it back in.

"Brrr, it's cold."

She looked over at her bedside table as her phone buzzed. She quickly reached over and grabbed it, then pulled the covers over her head to stay warm. She looked at the phones screen, and a little message popped up/

'Attention today is Varan's nineteenth birthday! So get your ass outta bed and make yourself look nice!'

She rolled her eyes at her own immaturity. Then it snapped.

Today was Varan's birthday. Quickly she flung off the covers and ran into her bathroom. Despite how immature the message was. It worked every single time.

Varan leaned against the wall next to a door to his classroom.

He sighed deeply. His damn bedside clock had been running fast again. He was at university a full hour before his class was supposed to begin. The teacher wasn't even there to let him into the room so he could at least get a few more minutes sleep. Today had already had a crap start, and he had a feeling that it was only going to get worse.

He hated the fact his parents had pushed him to do this course. He hated how he had to live in the city, hated the tall claustrophobic buildings that towered around him. Hated the massive throngs of people that crowded every corner. All he wanted to do was to go out into the wilderness, somewhere he could be on his own. Study the animals and how the interacted with one another. But his parents had flatly refused to let him do that.

"You need to have something upon which to set your future," they had told him. He had argued against them few months. But their persistence had gotten the better of him, and he had conceded defeat and agreed to take the course.

After twenty minutes, someone finally came and unlocked the door for him. He took a seat, leant back and closed his eyes. Only to almost fall backwards completely when he felt someone plonk themself in his lap.

Slowly he opened his eyes and looked at the person who occupied his lap.

Kitty, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him. He quickly looked her over. She looked different today. Her usually curly auburn hair was straight and hung down just past her shoulders. It accented her light brown eyes even more so, causing her gentle and loving spirit to shine through them.

"Happy birthday Varan."

"Thanks..."

He looked away from her gaze.

"What's wrong?" she asked, getting a little concerned. He looked back to her, and put on a weak smile.

"Nothing...nothing. Just been a crappy start to the day is all, It's looking to be better now your here." She got up off him, the statement causing her to blush just a little, and sat in a chair next to him.

"I have something for you."

Varan shifted in his chair to look at her properly. She reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope. He opened it and read what was on the card.

'Happy birthday Varan, I hope today is a joyous one for you, and your new friend.'

Varan looked up at Kitty who was now holding out to him a hand stitched, plush wolfy. Varan smiled and took the soft toy from her.

"Do you like him, I...I made him myself,"

She sounded nervous, Varan smiled again, and gave her a hug.

"Of course I do, he's cool. I love him."

"You... you know how much I like you, don't you?"

He looked over to her and rubbed her arm.

She looked up from her hands, a few locks of her auburn hair falling in front eyes.

"Of course I do, I know that you like me..." she cut him off.

"No! Like... is not the right word... I... I... love you, as more than a friend."

Varan gestured for her to sit back on his lap. She did, and he put his arms around her waist.

"How long for?"

She looked at him sheepishly.

"A few months."

The two of them sat together for the entire morning. After the rest of the class had left the room to go on a short break, Varan and Kitty got up and slowly walked out of the room as well. Suddenly Varan clutched at his chest and doubled over.

"Varan, what's wrong?" Kitty asked him, a worried look coming to her face.

"I...ah...I'm not sure, Maybe... no it can't be?! Not today! Not now."

"What, what's happening Varan?"

She was starting to get a little frightened.

"In my nineteenth year of life, I'm supposed to go through a change in my..."

He doubled over again this time with a cry of pain. She was about to comfort him when she noticed something. His body was shifting. His ears had vanished, and new ones were beginning to appear on the top of his head. His nose and jaw had lengthened into a narrow muzzle, and his face was beginning to become covered in a fine fur.

He looked up at her, a look of regret crossing his face.

"I'm sorry I've dragged you into this Kitty."

He took a few steps away from her and groaned in pain. He turned around, his face was now completely covered in a titian coloured fur, with the underside of his muzzle a pure white that spread down to his neck and continued, She guessed onto his chest. He reached a hand out, to place onto Kitty's shoulder. But as he did so, his hand changed in front of their eyes, becoming fur covered. His fingers shortening, and growing claws, his muscles becoming more defined. He stopped his hand just short of her cheek, hesitant to move any closer. He did not want to hurt her.

Kitty however inched towards him, and placed her cheek onto his palm. She was surprised at how soft the fur there actually was. It felt nearly like fine velvet. Varan withdrew his hand and clenched it into a fist, as another stab of pain hit him, in the small of his back. He pulled off his t-shirt, and threw it to the ground, twisting to try and see what was causing this new bout of pain.

It was at that moment she saw it. Hanging on a very plain looking chain, clung a round medallion. It was about the size of a fifty cent coin. It was a burnish bronze colour, with a symbol of a wolf paw engraved into its surface. Running from one side of the medallion to the other, was what looked like a cut from something that had gouged a deep trench into the medallion. And it glowed, pulsed with a dim light that was barely noticeable, unless you were really looking at the thing.

She quickly snapped out of the revere the glimpse of the medallion had put her under.

"Here, let me look."

She placed a hand on to his shoulder, gently turning him around.

"You're not afraid at this?"

He turned for her, looking over his shoulder. She shook her head.

"No."

She began to examine his back.

"But, this whole ordeal? I'm changing completely; doesn't that even put you off the slightest?"

"No, Umm... I think you might be growing a tail, try loosening you pants a little that might help."

Varan loosened his belt and undid the top button of his jeans.

"It's no good, you're going to have to pull it free."

The pain was clearly visible on his face. She nodded again, and gently tugged on the fluffy extension, weary that it would be a natural extension of his spine.

"Don't worry about being gentle Kitty, just get it out...please, it hurts too much!"

She grabbed the tail with both hands and pulled it free as quickly as she could. Varan sighed at the relief the tail being freed brought him, and nearly fainted from it. Thankfully though he just sank to his knees.

She knelt down beside him. He was breathing heavily. He now looked exactly like a large red wolf that could stand on its back legs. Varan hugged her, thinking that it was all over. Far from it, She pulled back from the embrace.

"Ahh, not to alarm you, but I think you're shrinking!"

He looked at his hands, sure enough his fingers were shorter and his palm less broad.

"Wh...What's happening to me? Kitty, hel..."

But after that, his speech just became a babble of nonsense. He shrank until he was no bigger that a toddler. He rolled onto his side, as he kept shrinking. Finally, he stopped. Now no bigger than a three week old baby. His clothes had fallen in a pile; they were now way too big for him to wear.

She leant forward onto her hands, to get a closer look. Was it finally over? The little cub turned to look up at her, rolling onto his back. He had large bright eyes, with a light tinge of crimson in them, he smiled at her. She smiled back. The cub obviously liked this for his smile broadened, and he raised both of his tiny little paws, his eyes begging her to pick him up.

She hesitated. The cub sensed her doubt. His eyes began to well up with tears, and a whimper escaped his throat.

"No, no ,no...Don't cry."

She reached down to pick him up. She lifted him up and held him close to her chest, cooing softly. The cub relaxed, his fluffy little tail brushing against her hand that supported his bottom, her other gently rubbing the soft fur of his back.

She stopped stroking him to reach over and picked up the shirt Varan had discarded. Gently, she snugly wrapped the cub in the blue shirt like it was a blanket. The cub snuggled onto her chest, clutching a small part of her shirt in one of his tiny little paws.

She picked up the rest of Varan's clothes, all the while continuing to coo softly to the little cub, to keep him relaxed. His breathing slowed, and his eyes closed. She assumed that he had gone to sleep.

She went back to the classroom; the rest of the class would be due back in a few minutes.

What was she going to tell them when they saw the cub? Or when they asked where Varan had gone?

She sat down in her seat, and began to stuff the remainder of Varan's clothes into his practically empty bag, still cooing gently to the cub. He began to get restless, She rose and began to pace around the back of the room. He opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze quickly spotting the plush wolf She had made for him that still sat on his desk. She looked down at him when she felt him tighten his grip on her shirt.

She looked over to where the cubs gaze was fixated.

"You like that huh?"

He had stuck his thumb, or what She was guessing was thumb, into his mouth, his other paw still clutching her shirt. He looked up at her and smiled past his paw. She moved back to the desk and took hold of the plush wolf, bringing it close so as he could reach it. He let go of her shirt and touched the toy. A slight giggle escaping from him.

"What are you doing Kitty? What is that?"

She didn't know what to tell Lucas, he was Varan's flatmate, and they were good friends.

"Umm...it's...Varan."

Lucas just smiled and laughed lightly.

Others all began to cluster around her as they returned from their break, the girls cooing at the cub, and tickling under his little chin, the guys playing with the toy in front of his vision. Everyone was surprisingly acceptant of the little cub wrapped in a large blue t-shirt.

Maybe it was because he was a cute little baby, and not a large and menacing looking, fully grown adult. She'd gotten a very good look at Varan, before he had become a little cub. He had, had a very formidable set of muscles on him. She sat back down in her chair.

"Can...Can I hold him?" Kassie, one of the girls asked. Kitty smiled at her.

"Sure."

She moved to let Kassie take hold of him. Suddenly Varan cried out and grabbed onto her with both his paws.

"Looks like he doesn't want to leave mothers side."

She looked up at Kassie apologetically.

"Nah, don't worry."

Lucas had now uncovered one of the cubs little feet, and had begun to tickle it, Varan loved it and stuck his thumb back into his mouth, a broad smile on his face. She thought for a moment about the comment Lucas had just made.

Did Varan really now think she was his mother? A Low growl suddenly emanated from the cubs belly. He looked down at his tummy and giggled his thumb still in his mouth.

"Maybe he's hungry? I think you'd better feed him."

Kitty's eyes widened.

"I can't do that, not here, in front of so many!"

Lucas just laughed.

"I don't think Kass meant that way! How about with a bottle silly? Come on let's go down to the childcare wing, I'm sure that they'll let you have one of the bottles they use."

At that moment the teacher walked into the room and asked everyone to take their seats. With more than a couple of groans, everyone move to their seats. Lucas got up with her and told him where they were going. He nodded and with a second glance to the cub, got the others going.

"Did you know about this Lucas?"

"Yeah, he told me about it a few months ago, was dreading the day it would happen too. Was he in much pain?"

"Agony almost."

"He dropped something.

He raised a burnish bronze medallion.

"This."

He made a few loops in the chain to shorten it. Then dropped it around Varan's neck. He was facing forward in her arms, still sucking his thumb, and looked down at the medallion.

They finally found someone, who was more than happy to give the cute little cub a bottle, full of warm milk. He greedily gulped it down, his fuzzy little paws touching her fingers, as she held it for him.

"You're really good at this Kitty."

She looked over at him.

"Do you really think so? Because I don't feel that I could do this for long."

Lucas chuckled.

"I don't know where you got that idea from, your handling him like a pro.

He started to gently rub Varan's tummy.

"You know, he asked if I would be the one to take care of him while he was like this, but I don't think he'll want to leave you now. Besides, I think you'll make the better parent than I would."

She looked up at him.

"You were looking forward to this whole thing weren't you?"

Lucas only smiled and rose from where they sat outside the childcare wing.

"You could say that. You might want to visit his parents this afternoon though."

She gently rocked Varan in her arms to help him fall asleep. At least her baby cousin had given her some practice at this sort of thing, but she was beginning to come to the end of her knowledge with regards to taking care of an infant.

What would her family say when she took him home at the end of the day? Did Varan's family know that this would happen to him? How long would he be like this? She did not know if she was ready to become a full on mother or anything.

Already, her arms were beginning to become sore and tired.

The lady who gave her the bottle came up to her and sat down. She handed her back the empty bottle, with her thanks.

"Don't worry about it, how old is he?"

She gently stroking his furred cheek, while he slept peacefully.

"What would you say if I told you he was nineteen this morning?"

Surprisingly for her the woman did not laugh, or even scoff. She reached inside her jumper and pulled out a small burnish bronze medallion. This one in much better condition than the one Varan had in his possession, engraved on it was a wolf baring its teeth. Gently she touched the medallion that rested on the cubs chest.

She looked at her own medallion, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"This medallion, it's from the 'Wolves Paw' clan. By the looks of it... it's very old."

She was confused. The lady noticed this.

"Let me explain. My name is Theresa. He, like me, is from a group of people who at a certain age, change into what you have in your arms. This medallion is of the 'Wolves Paw' clan, one of the oldest clans in the world."

"What does that mean? Is Varan nearly a millennia old?"

Theresa just laughed.

"Heavens no! We live for the same amount of time as a normal human. Like I said, the medallion shows which clan he will belong too, his clans members go through their transformation during their nineteenth year of their lives. But sometime there can be exceptions."

She held up her medallion.

"I'm of the 'Wolves hollow' clan. We don't go through our change till around our mid-forties."

"How long will he stay like this?"

Theresa now looked uncertain. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Each person, even those from the same clan, spend a different amount of time in this stage. It could be hours, or even years. Some have taken decades to revert back to a more adult size."

"Will he be anything like he was before all this?"

Her fears were beginning to get the better of her, she was beginning to shake. Theresa sat down next to her, trying to comfort her.

"Look, I know all of this is kind of daunting, but he's really going to be relying on you..."

"But will he remember me?!"

Theresa looked a little stunned at her slight outburst. Then she smiled.

"Of course he will, he'll remember everything. He'll even remember what happens during the period he's like this."

Kitty nodded in understanding.

"You love him don't you?

Again Kitty nodded.

"Then this whole thing will only bring you closer together."

The cub groaned quietly, pulling a strained face. Theresa picked up on this straight away.

"Uho, looks like the little guy is going to need to go to the bathroom in a minute. Come on, I'll show you how to change him."

Kitty smiled.

"Thanks Theresa."

Chapter 2

Even with company, Kitty was dreading going through the door in front of her.

"Don't worry Kitty, Maria and I will be right here with you."

Kitty looked up at him. Conrad smiled at her reassuringly. She took a step forward and Maria, Conrad's wife opened the door for her.

"Mum, I'm home. I've brought guests!"

"Ok dear, I'll be down in a moment," came the reply. A moment later, Kitty's mother came down the stairs. Maria stepped forward, extending her hand.

"Hello, I'm Maria, and this is my husband Conrad. You must be Rebecca, Kitty's mother."

Rebecca nodded as she shook her hand, then Conrad's. When she drew back, her hand felt strange. As if both Maria and Conrad had been wearing velvet gloves. She rubbed her fingers together, trying to figure out what caused the strange feeling.

"Is something wrong?"

Rebecca looked up at Kitty, and shook her head.

"No, nothing is wrong."

Suddenly Maria burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

Maria kept laughing as Rebecca looked back at her hand. Maria whipped at the tears in her eyes.

"You probably won't think it's funny, but... my husband and I come from a special line of people who... well, it would be easier to show you than explain."

Maria looked at Conrad who nodded. Together, they clasped their hands together, and in a brief flash of light, changed.

Two large wolf like people, now stood where Maria and Conrad were moments earlier. The female stepped forward. She had dark red fur, and a white chest and neck. Her hands and feet were white up to the elbows and knees.

"This is very important, please don't scream."

Rebecca just shook her head.

"This isn't possible, I... I must be dreaming."

"Mum, you're not dreaming, this is real."

"What is about to happen is very important," the male said, his dark brown fur and black socks and gloves contrasting highly with his mates. The only similar feature they had was their white chests. Rebecca stumbled and her stepped forward to stop her from getting hurt.

He eased her to the floor.

Kitty kneeled next to her and presented to her, what she had been holding onto for the entire time.

"Oh god! Kitty has even had a baby!"

"Ahh, no, not exactly."

Rebecca looked at them all, then noticed one thing wrong, as Kitty placed the small cub into her arms.

"Where is Varan? Why isn't he here with all of you?"

She looked down at the cub, who smiled up at her.

"That is why we are here," Maria said, then pointed to the cub. "That... is Varan."

Rebecca's jaw dropped. She started to shake her head.

At that moment the front door opened, and a man walked in.

"I'm home..." he started, then went silent when he saw who, or rather what was standing in the den.

"You must be Harold!" Conrad said, moving over to him and grasping his hand. Harold nodded, still in shocked silence. "You and me, need to talk my friend."

Conrad lead a very reluctant Harold from the room. Maria knelt down next to Rebecca who was clutching Varan tightly.

"I think it would be best if we sat somewhere a little more comfortable."

Kitty agreed and they both helped Rebecca to her feet, and led her into the lounge, sitting her down on to the soft couch.

Absently Rebecca began to stroke Varan's soft, furred cheek. He reached up and wrapped his furry little hand around her finger. She smiled at him, and gave her finger a little wiggle. Varan giggle and tightened his grip.

"I... I guess he's pretty cute."

Rebecca's voice was starting to gain strength.

"Why though is Varan like this? Why are you and Conrad like this Maria?"

Varan tilted his head and smiled at Kitty while he held onto Rebecca's finger. Kitty smiled back and gave him a little wave.

Maria leaned back in her chair.

"Like I said earlier, it is very hard to explain why we are like this. Our race, at specific point in our lives, turn from being human, to well... what you see before you.

"I, unfortunately don't know how exactly it happens, but well, it just does. No one knows how to stop it. But I doubt many would want to... what with all the benefits we get from the change."

"What do you mean benefits, all I see here is a small helpless cub."

Maria smiled.

"Yes, for now. When his transformation is finished, he will not only be taller and stronger than the average human. But he will also have a greater ability to learn new information, for example before I changed into what I am now, I only knew my native tongue. But now, I know eight different languages, and are able to speak very fluently in them. We are also more agile than humans, mainly because of our denser muscles."

"I'm still finding it hard to believe. Just yesterday, when I saw Varan, there was nothing to suggest that anything like this would happen to him.

Maria nodded.

"And how did you keep yourselves hidden like you did?"

Maria smiled at this question.

"We stayed hidden by using what is called the veil.

She reached inside her top and pulled out her necklace, showing Rebecca the medallion that hung from it.

"This is what allows us to use the veil. Basically, as you've found out for yourself, it is an illusion. You see the appearance of what we looked like as humans, but when you touch us, you can feel our fur, our shadows don't even change. But really who looks at someone's feet?"

Rebecca was beginning to understand now why Varan was the way he was.

"Ok, I'm beginning to understand now, I think. But this all still doesn't explain why Kitty has brought him home! Should you and Conrad be the ones to take care of him? You are his parents aren't you?"

"We can't. It's not our pl..."

"Of course it's your place! You're his parents for goodness sake!"

"It's not our place, because Varan... didn't ask us."

The statement seemed forced, and Marias shoulders visibly slumped. She seemed sad that she would get to raise Varan during this stage of his life.

"Mum, Varan is essentially a baby again. Think of him as your grandson. Varan didn't exactly ask me to be the one... but, I know it was probably what he would of preferred. Lucas told me that even though Varan had asked him, I would of been the better person to look after him."

"Your daughter is right, she is going to have to act like a mother until Varan has grown again. You're not the type of person, who would force your own flesh and blood out onto the street, because she had a child... I can tell that."

"No... no I'm not that type of person. Neither is Harold. I think Katrina, I was just a little shocked at the fact your friends were not human..."

"Oh were human alright."

Conrad came around in front of them, and Harold sat down next to Rebecca.

"May I hold him?"

Rebecca nodded, and with a little juggling, managed to slip Varna into Harold's arms.

"Do you both understand what Katrina is going to have to do?"

Rebecca looked up at Conrad. He had his arms crossed, but was smiling warmly at her. She nodded.

"I know, I did raise her myself."

"And you did a fine job. Katrina has grown into a very beautiful and responsible woman. I'm glad Varan choose her over anyone else."

Maria stood and took out a pen and piece of paper.

"Here I'll give you our phone number. If you ever want one of us to come over, I'm always home."

She handed Rebecca the piece of paper. Then both Maria and Conrad left.

Kitty sat on her bed, cradling Varan. He had a cute little smile on his face as Kitty held him. There was a quiet knock on her bedroom door, and Rebecca came in.

She sat down next to her and put her hand on Kitty's leg.

"How are you coping?"

She didn't answer. Just looking away from her mother's gaze.

"Katrina, please, don't ignore me!"

"Mum, please don't call me that. You know I hate my full name."

"Fine, but please don't ignore me. Tell me what's bothering you?"

"I... I'm just worried about what's going to happen now with university. I've never dropped out, or had to drop out of something before."

"It doesn't matter. You know you'll have your father and I here to support you."

Kitty looked up at her.

"Really? You mean, you're not disappointed with me?"

She looked over to her door, to see her father standing there.

"You'll always have your mother and me to support you! Through thick and thin."

She smiled at him, and her mother stood and walked out of the room, quietly closing the behind her. Kitty snuggled under her covers hold Varan close, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 3

Kitty walked down the main shopping street in the city with her mother. Rebecca walked slowly, beside her holding her free hand, Kitty's other hand supported Varan, as he slept peacefully on her shoulder, one of his hands clutching onto her, the other in his mouth, as he sucked his thumb.

Rebecca looked over to her daughter. Her eyes were hung low; to Rebecca she looked like she was ashamed of herself still.

Rebecca knew she was probably feeling very self-conscious about herself. Many women who had a child, were happy and glowing. Kitty however lacked that. She seemed sad, she was still young, and many people passing by were giving her disappointed looks. Not because of Varan himself, but rather the age Kitty was. Many would be thinking that she was too young to have a child, not even stopping themselves to question the cubs origins, or age.

To many, Varan looked like a small four or five week old child. When in reality Varan was nineteen years old.

"Hey, chin up. You should be happy. Just ignore those people. They don't have a clue as what really happened."

Kitty gave her mother's hand a gentle squeeze. Her gaze dropped down to the little cub. His paw clutched tightly onto her shirt as he slept. At that moment, just like when she first took Varan home, her worries vanished. She gave the little fluffy cub a gentle kiss on the head.

The two of them turned and walked inside a large store. Kitty looked around while her mother inquired as to where the things for babies were. The store itself was very large, but considering where they were, Kitty thought that the store would be a little bit fuller. They had come into the perfume and cosmetics department of the store. Only a few people were actually looking at the items on the shelves. Fewer still were being attended to by staff. She looked over to where the stores name was. Her eyes widened.

"Kitty, come on. The lady here is going to show us the infant department."

She quickly moved to catch up with her mother.

"Mum, why did you bring me here?"

Her mother laughed.

"To get things for the little one silly."

"No, that is not what I meant. I mean why did you bring me to this store in particular? I mean this is the most expensive department store in the city! How are you going to be able to afford any of this stuff?"

Rebecca looked over to her daughter.

"I guess we were going to tell you sooner rather than later. Your father has just made a very lucrative deal at work. He finally closed that business agreement he's been working on for so long. The company board was so impressed, they gave him a very substantial bonus, and a pay rise.

"They also told him that he had forgotten about a very large sum of unused payed leave. He asked if he could use it to have an extra day or two off a week because you are now taking care of Varan."

Kitty was amazed. Her father had spent the last year and a half trying to close that deal. He had told them numerous times it was worth billions to the company.

"So that's why you can afford to buy things from here?"

Her mother nodded.

They made their way up some escalators, and finally reached the infants department on the top floor. Her mother began to look at the cots, Kitty following close behind.

"Oh, this one is nice, or how about this one?" she would say moving to and fro between the innately decorated cots.

Varan began to squirm in Kitty's arms. He was wide awake now, looking around. Suddenly he reached up and put a paw to her chin. Kitty almost gasped as images flooded her mind. Pictures of Varan, the few times she had studied at his apartment with him, Lucas and Kass. His mother coming in bearing snacks and drinks. His father stopping to help out with some of their work. Something though nagged at her about the images. Every time she was around him, he was never overly dressed. He never wore expensive or outlandish clothing. His room was the simplest you could have, containing nothing more than his bed and a chest of draws.

Varan removed his paw from her chin. She looked down at him. He pointed over to a corner. Kitty looked to where he was pointing. Her mother was still looking at the more flashy things. But Varan pointed to were the most simplistic and plain looking cot stood.

"Mum, over here."

Her mother and the assistant came over.

"Why this is just a plain old cot. Wouldn't you like a nicer one like those over there?"

Kitty just shook her head.

"No, it's not what we need, nor what we want,"

"Simple is always best," the store assistant April said. Rebecca looked over to her.

"Do you think so?"

April nodded.

"I see many people come here with their children, they look at the flashy, expensive cots, and clothes and toys. Whereas the children are drawn towards the plainer things. I have always said this, but simple is best.

"And a lot of the time, something flashy is really needed."

"Ok, I'm not fussed, as long as you are happy, and Varan's happy."

Varan turned in her arms and reached for Rebecca. She let her mother take him from her.

"Come on little one, let's go look at some toys while mummy looks at beds."

After Kitty had picked out a bed for Varan she went looking for her mother. She walked past the bed covers and sheets, and stopped in her tracks. She looked at one of them in particular. It was a pair of wolves standing on a windswept cliff, fur billowing in the wind, the ocean stretching out before their feet.

She looked back to where April stood talking to one of the other staff members. She looked over to her, and she pointed towards the bed cover. April smiled and gave her a little nod. She continued on to where the toys were.

The toy department had a large area in the middle of it where there were toys that could be played with. Kitty found her mother kneeling on the rug, and a few feet from her Varan sat on his blanket, with nothing else on, playing with some of the soft toys, a broad smile on his face. Every now and then a giggle would escape his throat.

Rebecca looked up at her, and shook her head.

"He only wants to play with the cheap things."

Kitty smiled and tried not to laugh.

"What do you expect, just because something is worth a lot of money, doesn't mean it'll be fun to play with."

"You spoil my fun Kitty, It's not every day I get to take my daughter baby shopping, I just wanted to buy you something nice for him."

"It doesn't have to be expensive to be nice mum."

Kitty moved to where Varan was sitting playing with the toys.

"What have you got there precious?"

Varan looked up at her grinning, and showed her the toy he liked the most. "You like that one do you? Maybe aunty will get it for you?"

Varan looked over to Rebecca, and presented to her the toy. Rebecca smiled and came forward.

"Anything for someone so cute!" Rebecca said, giving his tummy a little tickle.

"First though, We need to get you some clothes."

As they stood at the counter, April finished off the delivery forms for the majority of Varan's new things. Varan was now clothed in a very appropriate orange t-shirt and green shorts. His feet were still bare, but he didn't seem to care. He had clawed at his feet when they put socks on him. He now sat on the counter, watching April closely. She bent over the counter to show Rebecca where to write in the address for the delivery, as she did so her necklace swung free of her top, dangling in front of Varan's gaze.

He looked at it in awe. He reached out a small furred paw and touched the medallion that hung from its chain. April felt his furry hand brush against her neck. She looked down and saw Varan fingering the medallion.

"Careful little one, That is very important. Wouldn't want to break it now would you?"

Varan pulled back his hand, a frighten look on his face. Kitty picked him up.

"It's ok, she's not mad at you."

Varan though shook his head, one hand clutched to his chest, the other pointing at Aprils' medallion. The hand on his chest scrabbled around inside his shirt, then grasped something and pulled it out. Kitty looked to Aprils' medallion, then to Varan's. Beside the gash in Varan's, the two were identical.

Aprils' eyes widened.

She quickly dipped her head, and pressed two fingers to her forehead.

"I'm in the presence of royalty, forgive me please my liege, for anything that I did to displease you," April said humbly.

Varan smiled and stretched out his arms to her. She took him from Kitty's grasp and gave him a hug. Then she returned him to Kitty.

"Grow up quickly my little prince, we shall need you soon," April whispered in his ear as she gave him back. Absently Kitty scratched at the back of her neck. It had all of a sudden become unbearably itchy. But after a quick scratch everything was fine.

"Ok, Will you be home this afternoon?"

Rebecca nodded.

"We should be home by about three o'clock."

April smiled.

"Good, I shall be accompanying the delivery men. We don't want anything to go wrong for our little one here do we?"

The afternoon proceeded by at a lazy pace. Kitty and her mother did not stay in the city long after leaving the store. By two o'clock, they had returned home to the outer suburbs, as Varan was starting to get restless. He wanted to go back home, his eyes were getting droopy.

Kitty was just finishing wrapping him up in his new cuddly blanket. Varan had loved the wolves when he had seen them on the blanket. As she laid him down on the couch to sleep, there was a knock at the front door.

Rebecca went to it, to see who was there.

"April, my you're a little early."

Kitty looked up as April walked inside.

"I know, I just wanted to come and see where everything was going to go. It's not really mandatory... but I felt... compelled to come and make sure that everything was going alright."

Rebecca nodded.

"Would you like something to drink?"

She smiled.

"Yes thanks, I would appreciate it a lot."

April walked into the lounge while Rebecca went to the kitchen to get some drinks. Kitty smile warmly. April returned the gesture, and gave her a warm embrace. Kitty absently scratched the back of her neck. April though didn't seem to notice.

"How are you coping?"

She sat down next to the sleeping cub. April had clearly changed out of her work attire. Wearing a pink tank top and jeans. Somehow though, she still held a formal air to herself.

"I'm finding it a little demanding,"

She sat down in front of the couch on the floor.

"Being a mother is wearing me out, and it hasn't even been more than a day."

Again, Kitty scratched at her neck. The itch was driving her to the point of insanity. Worse still, was that it was beginning to spread. Her arms and chest were beginning to itch as well.

The wind that night howled, it was cold, wet and thunder rumbled off in the distance. Winter was fast approaching, and the weather had already scared Varan. Kitty had taken him from his cot and cuddled him in her arms to keep him calm.

There was a bright flash of lightening that light up the room. And if you had been standing back from the bed, you could have sworn, that a shadowy figure had been standing watch over both Kitty and the cub. There were several more flashes of lightning, and the figure bent down, his furred hand, gently caressing Kitty's arm. It pushed back some of her curly auburn hair and gave her the lightest of kisses with its muzzle.

"The one I choose will become the one to behold, to love. And to become like myself," the shadow whispered.

The next flash of lightning showed that the figure was gone. As if it had never even been there in the first place. A smile brushed over Kitty's lips. She sighed deeply, and feel even deeper into sleep, her body beginning to glow with a gentle warm light.

Chapter 4

The rain continued to pelt Kitty's window in the morning, and thunder gently rumbled off in the distance. Varan was cuddled up against her chest as both of them slept peacefully. There was a gentle knock on her bedroom door.

"Kitty, do you want anything for breakfast?" Rebecca's voice sounded from the other side. With her eyes still closed Kitty moaned.

"No thanks mum, I'll be fine."

"Ok, it is nearly ten o'clock; you should start to get up."

Kitty moaned. Varan tugged at her loose top. He was feeling hungry.

"Ok precious. I'll get you something to eat."

She opened her eyes and stood up. There was another knock at her door, and Rebecca's arm appeared through the small gap that had opened, holding a bottle of milk.

"For Varan."

"Thanks mum, I was just about to come and get him one."

She took it and moved over to Varan's bed and was about to set him down, when he grabbed a tight hold of her top, and refused to let go.

"Fine little guy, you can sit on the dresser in front of me."

She set him down on the dresser and gave him the bottle, holding the end of it and tipping it up for him. With her free hand she picked up a brush, looked up into her mirror, and froze.

She put a hand to her reflection, and then looked at that too. She could have sworn that last night her hand had been bare.

Now it was furred, and looked much like Varan's hand had been before he had become an infant. Her face as well was just like Varan's had been, and all of it was covered in a grey fur, with wisps of black running through it. From the underside of her new muzzle and running down her neck over her chest and finishing at her groin was pure white. Her face was still though, as usual framed by her long, curly, auburn hair.

She was stunned, even more so when someone whom she did not expect broke the silence.

"Kitty looks like me now!" Varan said in childish voice, finishing with a giggle and clapping his hands.

"Mum..." Kitty called not taking her eyes off of her reflection. Rebecca quickly came to her door.

"Yes, what is it Kitty?"

"Can you watch Varan for a little bit...? I need to do something; I'll be in my bathroom."

There was no reply. But as Kitty closed her bathroom door, she could hear her mother open her door to the bedroom and move over to her dresser.

"What are you doing up there."

Kitty leant her head against the door, as she heard Varan giggle.

"Becky! Upsy, upsy!"

She heard her mother's surprise in her voice.

"Only three days and already talking! I hope we're not going to have a little chatter box on our hands."

Varan giggled, and the room on the other side of the door went silent. Kitty sighed; she could still hear them walk through the house. Her ears twitched, and she discovered she could move them. But fear made them lay flat on her head.

She flicked on the light and went to the mirror. She felt along the length of her muzzle. There was no doubt now that this was not a dream. Her mind had now become flooded with confusion, questions and fear. She decided the best way to clear her mind was to have a hot, steamy shower.

She removed her clothes and twisted the taps on. It took a minute for the water to become warm, but when it did, she gladly stepped under the flow.

A deep, grateful sigh left her throat, as the hot water ran down her furred body. It was soothing, relaxing. She looked over to the mirror again. The reflection of herself was strange. One thing she knew shouldn't ever happen, was for a wolf to take a shower, like a human.

She remembered back to high school. She'd had a friend there who was into a certain style of artwork. The type that looked exactly like she did now. She wracked her brain trying to remember what her friend had called it.

"Anto? No, that's not it. An... Anthro! That's what she called it! So I'm now like one of her drawings huh... at least I don't look half bad."

Kitty ran her hands over her wet fur, the feel of it strange to her. She looked back to her tail, its black tip gently swaying from side to side.

A minute or two later, she turned off the water, and just stood in the shower letting the water drip from her matted fur, and curly hair. Again worries came back into her mind, how in the world was she going to be able to explain this to her parents? How did she even change into something like Varan?

She thought back to the day before. Her and April had had a wonderful discussion about Varan, she had learned a lot from her about her and Varan's race. Maybe she would know? She stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel.

As she towelled herself dry, she found that it was easier than she expected, as her fur was shorter than she thought. She was dry and about to return to her room to get dressed when she heard someone on the other side of the door. Her hand froze on the door knob.

"Mum... is that you?"

"Yes dear, How did you know I was in here?"

"I Ahh... I need to tell you something."

"Katrina? What's wrong?"

Kitty slumped down into a squatting position. Tears were beginning to run down her furred checks. The door slowly opened.

"Kitty, what's the matter?"

Rebecca knelt in front of her and put a hand onto her shoulder.

Kitty looked up at her.

She looked concerned, why wasn't she shocked?

"Look at me! I've changed, can't you see that?"

"I can see that, but I don't care what you look like. Your still my daughter through and through."

Rebecca helped her to her feet, and guided her to her bed. She retrieved her silk robe and put it around her shoulders. She put her arms through the sleeves and wiped at her eyes. Rebecca sat down next to her, and pulled her close.

"Kitty... Becky!" A voice called through the house.

"Come on, I'll fix you up something to eat."

She nodded and stood up with her and tied up her robe. They walked into the kitchen where Kitty found Varan sitting in his highchair.

The moment he saw them, he stretched out his arms towards Kitty. Kitty put on the best smile she could manage, fully aware that her mouth was now full of sharp teeth.

"Come here precious."

He nuzzled under her chin, murring softly.

"Kitty looks prettier now," Varan whispered quietly.

One Year Later

Panic was quickly setting in. He looked around, through a forest of legs. Why wasn't anyone stopping to help him? He looked up at a department store's sign.

'The Grande' it read. The name was familiar somehow. Maybe someone in there could help him. He pushed his way through the forest of legs, and darted in the store's door.

Inside, the store was quiet. Nothing was really familiar now. He looked around, trying to spot something, or someone which he could recognise. There was barely anyone around, so he decided to go looking. He found a set of moving steps, and was about to step onto them when a voice called out to him;

"Sweetie, wait, don't go up there!"

He quickly turned, hoping it to be someone familiar, his tail wagging. But when the stranger was closer his tail stopped. The lady crouched down in front of him.

"What are you doing here all by yourself little guy?"

Varan looked at his bare feet.

"Lost..."

"Oh, that's no good. How did that happen?"

Tears were starting to run down his cheeks. He wiped at them, not wanting the nice lady to see them. But he was not quick enough. The lady took hold of his hand.

"Come now, don't cry. Who did you lose?"

Try as he might though Varan couldn't stop them now, and the tears were beginning to visibly stain his furry cheeks. But the lady's question caused him to stop. Would she understand him if he told him who he lost. He doubted it, so he said the next best thing;

"Mummy! I want mummy..."

The lady picked him up.

"Shhh, don't cry, come on we'll see what we can do."

Something was causing a bit of a commotion at work that day. April had heard that a couple of staff members were looking after a lost child. But when she walked into the staff's break room, her jaw dropped.

A small red and white wolf child sat in one of the chairs, crying.

"April, thank goodness your here, you should know what to do! None of us can stop him from crying, we can't get him to eat anything either. What do we do?"

April walked over to where Varan sat, and crouched down in front of him.

"Honey, are you alright?"

His crying quietened down, and he looked at her, but didn't answer her. She rubbed his arm. "What's wrong Varan?"

"I want my mummy."

He threw his arms around her neck. She lifted him off of the chair, and held him close.

"There, there. Come on now, well go and call someone who can get Kitty for you. Are you hungry?"

Varan nodded.

"What would you like then?"

"Could I please have a sandwich?" He asked innocently wiping at his eyes with the back of his paw. April smiled.

"Of course you can precious. May, I'll be in my office if I'm needed."

Varan quietly sat in Aprils lap, eating his sandwich. April looked down at him and smiled, stroking his head, as she flipped through a small book. It contained most of the people in her clan's phone numbers and last address.

April hoped that Maria and Conrad's number hadn't changed.

"Ok, here we go."

April reached for the telephone on her desk.

"Who?"

Varan looked up at her.

"I unfortunately don't have Kitty, or her parent's number. But I do have your birth parents. They should be able to get in touch with Kitty."

She picked up the receiver, and dialled the number. It took a few moments for someone to answer.

"Hello," a feminine voice said over the phone.

"Maria, it's April."

"Oh hi how are you?"

"Good thanks. Look, I don't know if you would, but do you have Kitty or her parents phone number?"

There was a pause as Maria though for a moment.

"I don't have Kitty's number, but I think we have her parent's number. Give me a second and I'll try and find it for you."

"Thanks Maria."

A minute passed by and Maria returned.

"Ok, you got a pen and paper?"

"Sure do, fire away."

Maria read the phone number she had.

"Did you get that?"

"Yep."

April read the number back to her.

"That's it, why did you need it anyway?"

"Well, I have the little tyke Varan here sitting on my lap at the moment munching on a sandwich. He's lost Kitty; I don't have her number so I don't know how to get in contact with her."

They exchanged a few more words and then April hung up the phone.

"One step closer little guy."

She placed the receiver down. There was a gentle knock on the office door. May came in with a glass of water.

"Here you go."

She set the glass down in front of Varan, then to April.

"Any luck contacting him mother?"

"Not yet, but I'm getting there."

"Would you like me to watch him for a little bit? It's nearly two."

April looked at her clock. Sure enough the clocks hands indicated it was almost two o'clock.

"Only if Varan wants to. Would you like to go with May and do something interesting? It must be pretty boring for you just sitting here on my knee."

Varan nodded, and April pushed her chair away from the desk so he could slide from her lap. He slowly walked up to May.

"Hi there, my names May. What's yours?"

"I... I'm Varan, Do you know when mummy is coming?"

"No I'm sorry I don't, but it couldn't be much longer now, you being a good little..."

"It's ok, you can say it, Wolven."

April looked up from her book.

Did Varan just name himself? April knew nearly everyone from her clan, and not one of them ever gave their species a name. Even those she knew from other clans had never named their race. Probably because no one had ever thought of a good enough name for them.

'Wolven,' she liked the sound of that.

"Come then little wolf, why don't we go to my office and do a little drawing, or we can go exploring, how does that sound?"

Varan's ears pricked up and a smile appeared on his face, as May lead him from the office.

'Where could he be!?'

Kitty's hands were shaking. A police officer sat down next to her.

"It's ok ma'am, just think back to where you last saw him."

"I... Ahh, the last time he was with me, he was holding my hand. We had... we'd stopped to look at some animals in a pet store window. My phone had rung. I swear I never let go of his hand."

She was weeping, worry over what could be happening to him, keeping the tears flowing.

"It's ok miss we're doing..."

Kitty's phone rang, cutting the officer off. Kitty took it from her bag, and answered it.

"Mum, I've lost Varan!"

"I know dear, I just got a call from April. You can stop worrying now, everything is fine. Varan's with her at her work. Listen, I'm coming down to get you then we'll both go and get him, ok? Where are you?"

"I... I'm at the police station in the city."

"Ok, stay there and don't move. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Kitty hung up her phone and looked over to the officer.

"Everything is ok now. He's with a friend at her work."

"Smart kid. How'd he know to go there?"

Kitty shook her head.

"I don't know, but my mother's coming to get me, and then we're both going to go and get him."

The officer nodded and left her alone.

It took about ten minutes for her mum to get there, but when she saw her come in the doors, she stood and walked over to her, tail between her legs.

"How could I lose him mum?"

fresh tears streaking her furred cheeks.

"Come now, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

The five minute drive down the street seemed to last an eternity.

'How,' she thought. 'How could she lose her own child... no, stop. He was not her child, he was her friend, her very close friend, whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life and beyond with.'

The car slowed to a stop, and Rebecca switched the engine off.

"Kitty, are you alright?"

She looked over to her mother, a pained look on her face.

"Kitty, dear. None of this at all, is your fault. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I should have never taken my eyes off of him."

Rebecca took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Come on lets go get Varan."

"Wow, you're a good drawer."

Varan sat on her lap as they coloured in a picture.

"Thank you, but when is mummy coming?"

"I'm not sure sweetie, but..." just then May's phone rang. She quickly picked it up.

"May here. Yes he's still with me, why? I see, ok. Yep, I'll bring him down now. Alright, see you in a minute."

She hung up the phone, then gave Varan a little tickle.

"Good news my little wolf, your mummy's here, she with April right now. Want to go and see them?"

Varan's eye lit up.

"Can we go see them now!?"

"Of course we can go now, you've have been such a good little wolf, you deserve to see your mother now!"

Varan slid himself off of her lap, then taking hold of his hand, they both walked out of her office and down the hall to an elevator. As the two waited for the elevator, Varan's tail wagged excitedly from side to side. Occasionally it brushed the back of her legs, causing a smile to spread across Mays face, as she struggled to stop herself from laughing.

The doors opened and they both stepped in, Varan almost hoping up and down with eagerness. As soon as the doors opened, her let go of May's hand and ran towards, someone, whom she was not expecting to be his mother.

The grey and white wolf bent down and embraced him tears running down her furred cheeks.

"I'm sorry mummy, I'm so sorry, I'll never leave you again!

His mother tried to calm him down, but he wouldn't have it, and he kept apologising to her.

"Please don't be mad at me mummy!"

"Shhh, it's ok precious, I'm not mad at you."

She lifted him up into what May was guessing would be very strong arms, and held him close and tight.

April stood next to them smiling, happy that everything had turned out ok. May however, was feeling a little sad now that they were going to leave. Not long ago herself and her husband were considering starting a family. Seeing little Varan had renewed those feelings that had made her want a family many months ago.

At that moment Varan in his mother's arms, and his mother came up to her.

"Thank you so very much for watching Varan today."

May smiled, and was about to reply, when something caught her attention. For the briefest of moments, she glimpsed a pendant that hung on a chain around Varan's neck. Scribed under a large gash like mark on it, was a paw. Not just any paw though. A wolves paw.

"Think nothing of it. He was such a good little boy, it was a pleasure to look after him."

She gently stroking Varan's arm.

Thanking her again Varan and his mother left, April walking with them. May turned around, and decided to take the stairs instead of the lift. Half way up, she stopped. Unable to continue. Varan was of the 'Wolfs Paw' clan, she reached into her top and withdrew her own pendant. The image of a blade was depicted in its engraving.

The 'Razors Edge' clan elders would be ashamed of her, if they discovered that she let two members of her clans mortal enemies escape with their lives. She dipped her head, and in a flash of light, removed her human appearance. Her colleagues had always asked why she wore her clothes so low on her hips. If any of them were here now, they would know exactly why. Her long tail flowed free, and the light from the late afternoon sun that streamed in through the large window, highlighted her silver accented, black fur.

She rubbed at her temples. The clan elders had called her the most efficient assassin they had ever trained, and she had proved that dozens of times. She lifted the sleeve of her left arm, running her fingers over the white markings on her fur. Each one signified the death of one of the clans enemies that she had killed. The process to put the marks there was extremely painful.

But she told herself every time that it would only make her stronger. Many of those she'd killed, had died painlessly, as she hated to see them suffer. But several of them, she had tortured to death for information. Six in all, those marks were blood red, reminding her of the merciless acts she'd performed on them before their agonising passing.

Footsteps pulled her away from her painful memories. She turned to see a white wolf, with a crimson mark on her forehead, and luscious red hair approaching up the stairs. She wore traditional assassin's leathers, separated strips of brown leather around her hips, and modern day armour around her chest. A medallion of the 'Wolfs Paw' hung proudly around her neck, and a short curved dagger was in her hand.

May smiled at April.

"You really think that will be enough to stop me?"

April smiled back at her with a devilish look. She pushed aside some of the pieces of leather covering her thigh, black markings nearly covering the fur. She was experienced, fifty confirmed hits, not counting those whom she probably disposed off to get to her targets.

"It has worked before. Besides I like to see the look on the face of those whom I kill up close, not through a snipers scope. You see a person's true colours, in their last few moments among the realm of the living."

May turned back to the window, watching the sun set behind the city skyline. It looked so amazing, she sighed.

"I already know why you've followed me up here.

"And why did I come here?"

May sighed again.

"Because you think I'm going to try and kill Varan and his mother. Varan... the chosen one of our race. The one whom is supposed to bring us and humanity."

"Then you know, if I ever find out that you've harmed him..."

May cut her off.

"I would never! All of my training, all of the atrocities I've committed, all the lives I've taken... they couldn't possibly prepare me to kill a little child and his mother. Even if he was on the brink of death, I still don't think I could go through with it! Not without hating myself afterward."

April replaced the sword into its home in the small of her back.

"It takes a lot of courage for one of us to admit that."

April put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"It would most surely be a cold day in hell if one of our profession could take a child's life without feeling remorse afterward."

With that she left. But half way up a flight of stairs she turned back to May.

"Rivals we may be, but many nights I wish our clans could put aside our differences and become friends."

April never saw May again.

The next night, when she returned home, she found a note pinned to her front door with a bloodied dagger.

The note read;

'My sister, your words yesterday, rung true to my heart. So much so, that the voices that beckoned to me night after night, became unbearable. I'm going to join them April, I'm going to join my brothers and sisters who's lives I took.'

April knelt to the ground in respect for her.

May, had taken her own life, hoping to redeem herself from her accursed line of work. April lifted her skirt, then in a quick movement, drove the dagger into her left thigh. She pulled it out with a gasp, and watched as a crimson mark joined the four other mark on her leg. Those were there to honour the fallen.

"Rest in peace, my sister," April whispered to the sky.

Chapter 5

Kitty watched Varan as he happily splashed in the bath tub. She gently stroked his head. He stopped and looked up at her, a worried look on his face.

"Kitty, are you angry at me for getting lost?"

She smiled at him.

"No dear. I was worried, but I could never get mad at you. You're my only."

Varan smiled back at her, happy with her answer, and turned his attention back to the water. He started to hum a tune to himself as she began to soap him up, washing his head and back. Kitty became intrigued at it. The tune sounded remarkably familiar, like something her mother would sing to her when she was little, something to cheer her up when she was sad, or calm her down when she was scared or worried.

"What are you singing honey?"

Instead of answering her, he just began to recite a poem to her.

"'Hush now my little Wolven child, you don't need to run and hide. The future for you bright will be, if you can save all humanity. My love for you will always burn, no matter how dark our world will turn. Loyalty and trust you must have, so all around you, your hand will grab. Please don't cry now my precious one, for toils end is soon to come. The clans greater good you will seek, for the one on top must be meek," then ditching his sing song voice he said; "So be it. Long live the clan, and its king."

Kitty was slightly shocked.

"Who sung that to you?"

She was afraid at the answer, as she began to rinse the soap off of him.

"My birth parents, well... my mother to be exact. She would constantly be telling me that I was special, that no one else could compare to me. I used to think that it was just mother talk, you know, all mums tell their children that they are special, but she would always insist on it."

Then in a quieter voice.

"I would hear her crying most nights. She would sing me that poem to put me to sleep, she would always sound far off, distracted, detached," he looked up at her tears coming into his eyes. "Why would she cry at night Kitty?"

For a moment Kitty did not know how to answer him. So she reached for a towel and wrapped it around him as she lifted him from the tub.

"I don't know Varan."

She put him on the only chair in the room, and got a dry towel wrapping him up tightly in its warmth. "She could have been scared about something that could happen to you."

She carried him through the house to his bedroom. The house creaked quietly in a winter gale as Kitty dressed him for bed. Her parents were out for the evening, and she felt a little alone, even though she had Varan.

"Time for bed."

She picked him up and carried him to his cot, briefly stopping at a dresser so he could grab his wolf teddy. She gently tucked him in, under the warmth of his blanket.

"Good night my sweet."

"God night mummy."

Trees stood tall all around her as she moved through the mist. A distant voice kept calling to her, urging her to keep coming, not to stop moving, to stay strong and brave. A branch broke behind her. She spun to face the creature that she knew was stalking her, but she was greeted only by the mist and trees. The ground felt cold through her bare feet, and the cold mist made her fur and clothes feel moist and damp.

Another twig broke, but again there was nothing, fear of the unknown caused her breath to come in short sharp jolts, the cold air searing her lungs. A shadow darted in front of her vision. Her heart began to beat just that little bit faster.

"Mummy," a voice called out to her.

April sat bolt upright in her bed, a scream in her throat. She clutched at her chest, heart pounding. When she had finally calmed down, she reached for a small notebook and pen that she had recently been keeping on her bed side table.

She flipped past the numerous pages full of previous dreams. The last few pages were very similar to the one she was about to pen.

She had to find out what these dreams meant. Maybe her parents would know.

Suddenly there was knock on her front door.

"Who the hell could that be?"

She glanced at her clock.

"Three am, Christ whoever it is better have a damn good reason for being here this early."

She rose from bed and slipped on her silk robe. She walked to the door and opened it, to be greeted by a darkly clad man.

"Are you April?"

He was looking at his feet.

"Yes... who wants to know?"

He didn't answer. Instead her drew a knife and lunged at her.

"Mummy!"

Kitty sat bolt upright, the nightmare of the mist, still fresh in her mind. She looked over to her door.

Varan stood there, clutching his teddy.

"Are you alright? You were shouting at someone."

He had a worried look on his face. She gestured for him to come over and sit on the bed with her. He cuddled up close to her.

"I'm fine Varan, just a bad dream that's all."

The wind outside howled causing the windows to shudder in their frames.

The man wielding the knife was fast, very fast. But April was faster, her concentration though on hiding herself behind the veil was broken, revealing her true form. This seemingly incensed her attacker. He came at her again, and again.

"Enough!"

April was tiring of the man's feeble attempts to stab her. She grabbed the hand in which he held the knife, and brought her elbow down on his forearm. He cried out in pain and reflexively dropped the knife. She twisted his arm behind his back and slammed him into a wall.

"You are either very brave, or very, stupid!"

"Go on then, kill me, like you did my beloved!"

Anger blazing in his eyes. He pushed himself off the wall as April slipped her arm around his neck. He slammed her into another wall and pinned her there.

"I don't even know who your beloved is!"

She tightened her hold on him. To her surprise though, he did not seem to feel affected by the choker hold she was trying to apply to him. Others would be out cold by now. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him raise his arm.

He elbowed her hard in the gut, winding her. But she didn't let her grasp loosen. He hit her again, harder, then another time. Aprils hold on him finally failed, and he instantly took advantage of it, twisting to reverse the hold she had on him.

"I found her, dead!"

He took hold of her neck in a tight grasp.

"She left me a note, she told me she was atoning for her sins. Said to find you!"

Aprils eyes widened.

"David?" she managed before she blacked out.

The world slowly came back to her.

The lights were all out, the room was in near darkness, moonlight the only dim illumination there was. April sat up against the wall. Quiet sobbing touched her ears. She looked down at herself. Oddly she was covered in a blanket. She looked up at the wall and just managed to make out the hands on the clock. Five am, she stood and her tail wrapped around her legs.

She walked towards a light switch.

"Please... leave it off," a voice said through the darkness.

"Why?"

"Just leave it off."

Aprils eyes began to adjust to the darkness. She spotted him.

David, sat on the floor, sobbing. April walked over to him and crouched down next to him.

"Why did you come here?"

He didn't look up at her.

"Why else, the one I love asked me to."

He looked up at her at that moment.

"I saw her kill herself, I walked in the house, to find her with a knife to her throat. The only thing she said to me... was 'I love you.' If she loved me why would she kill herself?"

"May was my friend too you know."

April revealed her leg to him. He looked at the five red marks that decorated the fur.

"What are they for?"

"To honour those who have given their lives."

She walked over to where the blanket he had put over her was, and picked it up. She went back to him and was about to put it around him when he stopped her, and got up.

"I have to go, I... I apologise for my actions. It wasn't your doing. Mays actions were her own, neither of us could have stopped her."

April followed him to the door.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?

He remained silent. She stopped him.

"Tell me, where did you learn to fight like that?"

His shoulders slumped.

"I used to be a street fighter."

"Is that why I couldn't choke you out?"

He nodded.

"No one has ever been able to drop me from a choker hold."

April place a hand to his shoulder and squeezed. David dropped to the floor from the sleeper hold.

"Sorry David, but I can't let you go anywhere tonight, I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Kitty, it's time to wake up."

A warm feeling flooded through her, as the person kissed her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into the face of the person who had awoken her.

"Varan!"

She excitedly sat up and wrapped her arms around him. He laid down next to her, and for a while, neither of them broke the embrace.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little."

Varan got up and walked to the door, Kitty watching him every step of the way.

"Be back in a minute."

Kitty lay there, a broad smile on her face. Varan's transformation was finished. Just over three years ago he had been a normal human. Now he was fully grown, Kitty was happy. Nothing would be able to come between them now.

Varan came back after a few minutes holding a tray. Two mugs and a few pieces of toast sat upon it, a small vase of red flowers accompanying them.

"Happy mother's day!"

Placed the tray on the bed next to her. He picked up a piece of toast and took a large bite from it.

"But I'm not a mum."

He leaned in and kissed her.

"You were to me!"

He reached behind his back, and pulled out a small blue velvet box.

"I visited my parents this morning and told them of my intentions."

He got off the bed and kneeling beside it, presenting the box to her. Kitty had sat up in the bed, a shocked look on her face.

"I... I'm speechless. What are you proposing?"

Varan smiled and gave her another kiss.

"Marry me!"

He opened the box to reveal the ring inside. It wasn't flashy, but Kitty didn't even care. She threw her arms around him, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

"Yes! Yes I'll marry you!"

Kitty was overjoyed. She got up from the bed and ran to her parents room. Varan heard her voice as she went through the house.

"Mum! Dad! I have wonderful news!"

Varan smiled to himself, rose and followed her. But his smile had faded when he reached Rebecca and Harold's room. He had some sombre news to tell them all.

There was a slight groan as he came through the hall to the kitchen.

"Good morning David."

She place a hot mug of coffee on the table in front of him. He eyed it cautiously, unsure as to what might be in it. April noticed this. She came around behind him and forced him down into a chair, sliding the mug closer to him.

"It's not poisoned silly."

"How do I know that?"

April sighed.

"Why would I want to kill you?"

She was getting frustrated with him.

"I don't know. Why would you kill me?"

He picked up the mug and took a swig of its hot contents. He sighed gratefully.

"Anyway, why exactly did you do to me what you did last night?"

"Well for starters, I wouldn't kill you! And second, last night you were distraught, if I had let you walk out my door last night, and you had done something to yourself, my culture would hold me accountable for it. May would have never forgiven me, if something, anything had happened to you while you were acting the way you were."

"So you were protecting me from myself."

"Correct, and now you need to know why May did what she did."

David leaned back in his chair as she took a seat on the other side of the table.

"When we are little, the elders of our clans come to our parents and inspect us, to know what we might be capable of in the future. There is one member of our clan that can glimpse the future, to see our fate. The Childs welfare comes first, and if the parents know they will not be able to look after us properly, then the elders take us from them, and begin to train us in the ways of 'Assassins.'

For the parents, it is both a great honour, and a great tragedy. No one wants their child taken from them, but at the same time... no one wants to see their child suffer. At least this way, we can stay safe."

David stopped her.

"So, you and May were taken from your willing parents, to be trained in the art of killing."

April nodded.

"What other use would we have. If we can't look after those whom we bring into the world, then we are considered lower than low."

"What was it like?"

April was silent for a moment.

"Hell. Even at the age of four, they pushed us to our limits. On my first mission I killed more than a hundred a fifty people."

Aprils voice quietened.

"That night I cried myself to sleep. May was different, she never felt remorse."

"How could you possibly know? You weren't even in the same clan."

"When I first found out who she was, I began to look at her differently. I always felt like crap from what I do, she never did. She was always happy."

Aprils tail twitched unhappily. She somehow felt more comfortable without the veil with David around.

"You're wrong."

She looked at him, a confused look on her face.

"You're about May not feeling and regret over her actions. I found her more than once crying, sobbing over what she had done in the past."

April nodded.

"She must have been very good at keeping them hidden from most."

David stood. His body language clearly showing he'd had enough.

"No culture, should subject children to that... Ever!"

He walked out the room, and April winced when she heard the front door slam. She stood and placed her mug in the sink. She regret that he had to hear what need to be said from her, and not May.

"My your spirit watch over us all, my sister in blood."

Chapter Six

April couldn't force herself to leave for work after David had left. She just slumped to the floor, silk gown pooling around her. Tail curling around her legs. The room was cold, but she didn't rise to turn the heating on.

'I don't deserve to be warm, not after what I told David. Not after what he learned this morning.'

She closed her eyes. Voices echoed in her thoughts.

They asked her why.

Why she killed them. Why she stole their lives from their loved ones. Why she felt she should join them.

She felt beside her, and found the knife David had used to try and stab her. She grasped it in a firm grip.

"Allow me to join you my brothers and sisters," she whispered raising the knife. A sudden loud banging on her door drew her out of her thoughts, just as she was bringing the blade to her chest.

The knife clattered to the ground as surprise caused her to lose her grip on the blade.

"Who... Who is it?"

Her voice shaky, trying to get to her feet.

"April? It's me Varan, I want to talk to you!"

He opened it and stood in the door way. He didn't have his veil on him, so everyone who saw him, saw his true form. He looked a little confused. Partially because she wasn't completely dressed, and her gown hung slightly open. He came over to where she sat on the floor.

He placed a hand to her chest, then pulled back, and April saw the red on the white fur of his palm.

"April your bleeding!"

He looked next to her and saw the knife.

"Were you trying to kill yourself?"

"No! Of course I wasn't, what do you take me for, a coward?"

"No, I would never in a million years call you a coward."

He helped her to her feet and guiding her to a chair, helping her tie her gown up along the way, then sat down next to her.

"But I do want to know why you were trying to kill yourself!"

April opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her.

"I want the truth April! Please."

She looked at him. Her eyes had a pleading look in them, begging her to trust him. She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder.

"They're becoming too much for me!"

"The faces or the voices?"

"Both. How'd you know?"

"My father told me a lot about his days as an assassin for the clan. He told me that up until the day he met my mother, his thoughts were plagued by the voices and faces of those whose lives he'd taken."

"How did you even know I am one of them?"

Varan smiled.

"I know more than you think April."

They sat there, April not wanting to leave his embrace. An hour passed, and the front door opened again.

"Damn, it's freezing in here," a voice commented. The newcomer came over to the couch. "April, What's wrong? Why are you hugging Varan so tightly?"

"Kitty, sorry, I forgot you were in the car! April's feeling a bit down. You remember May from the other day, the one who looked after me when I got lost?"

Kitty nodded.

"And you remember how I told you my father was part of the clans assassins?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with April?"

"She met Mays husband last night."

Aprils eyes shot open, 'How did he know that? She'd never even told him about it!'

"I don't understand, Varan what is going on?"

Varan dipped his head.

"May is dead," he whispered. "She took her life to stop the faces and voices of those she killed. She did so out of respect, honour and need. David held April accountable."

"And he tried to kill her last night I'm guessing," Kitty finished for him. April sat up, pushing away from Varan.

"I'm sorry, I should be able to keep myself composed better than this."

April wiped tears from her eyes.

"You had some news to tell me Varan, what is it?"

"We're going back to the clan in Alaska."

"Why did you need to tell me?"

"Because Varan and I are getting married when we get there," Kitty said a large grin on her face as she showed April the ring Varan had given her.

"Married!?" April said surprised. "Since when?"

Kitty put a hand to her muzzle giggling.

"Just this morning," Varan said. "We want you to come with us."

He handed Kitty the keys to the car.

"Honey, can you go to my parents place and make sure they are packing? You know how late they can leave things."

She took the keys from him.

"Yeah, sure. Just be ready to leave when I get back."

April was getting even more confused, as Kitty left and Varan helped her up, and lead her to her bed room.

"Where is your suitcase?" he asked her. April looked at him, a little stunned.

"Ahh, in the car port somewhere, why?"

"Get dressed, I'll go and get your suitcase, then I'll help you pack."

He walked out of the room. April was getting worried. Something about Varan was putting her off, and she couldn't quite put her figure on what it was.

She walked over to a dresser and pulled some clothes out. A few minutes after he left, Varan returned, carrying a small duffle bag with him.

"Alright, what are you going to want to bring with you?" he asked going over to her closet.

"Um, I'm not really sure. Varan I need to know what is going on!"

His shoulders slumped, as he pulled out her assassins leathers.

"We're not safe here anymore. Last night I visited my parents, while I was there we were... attacked. I managed to kill one of them, but the other escaped."

He reached into one of his pockets. Then lifted the sleeve of his t-shirt.

Wrapped around his forearm was a blood soaked strip of cloth, it's edges torn and ragged. It was then that she noticed the bottom of his shirt had had a strip ripped away from it.

She rummaged around in her drawer.

"You know, that isn't the best way to dress a wound like that.

She moved over to him and began to gingerly removed the blood soak rag.

"Let me fix it for you."

She dropped it to the floor, and started wrap the new bandage around his forcep. He winced as she wrapped it tightly. Ha passed what was in his hand to her.

"Razors Edge? But how?"

He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to her closet.

"I don't know. But we need to leave, tonight. We don't have time to ask questions, we just have to leave. One attempt was one too many.

He passed her, her assassins leathers.

"I think you'd better put these on."

She took them, and he turned, pulling a small box off of the top shelf of the closet. He opened it and began to inspect the ornately engraved weapons, all the while keeping his back to her.

She didn't move.

"Well? Are you going to put them on or just stand there."

"But... Um..."

"Don't worry, I won't look."

She nodded, and removed her clothes and slipped the leathers on.

"Ahh, can you give me a hand?"

He came over to her.

"Here."

She pointed to the stripes of leather that criss-crossed her back. He pulled them tight, and April sucked in her tummy, so it could be pulled tighter.

"Too tight?"

"No, it's good, I'm just not used to it being this tight."

"I can loosen..."

"No, don't he tighter the better they always told us."

He nodded and went back to where her weapons lay as she pulled on a skirt and tank top.

He came back over as she was strapping her holster to her thigh. He presented her Kunaii to her and lifted her skirt slightly, sliding the dagger home.

"You'll need this."

Chapter 7

Kitty pulled up outside Aprils home, her parents in the back of the car. She wound the window down as they approached.

"Where are my parents?" Varan asked her.

"They were not ready to go when I showed up. Your mother told me to go and get my parents and you first," she replied as April placed her duffle bag in the cars boot. Varan was not surprised, his parents were notorious for leaving important things to the last minute. Kitty got out of the car to let Varan drive.

"Are you alright dear?"

Rebecca put her arm around Aprils shoulders as she got into the car, April looked at her.

"No... No I'm not alright! I don't even know what the hell is going on!"

She put her head in her hands. Varan turned in his seat, and Kitty muted the radio. He put a hand on her knee to get her to look at him.

"Everything will be fine, once we get my parents, we'll go to the airport and be on a flight to the states, and everything will be fine."

He turned back and started the car, pulling away from Aprils home.

"What does that old lullaby have to do with us fleeing for our lives?"

She was starting to get a little agitated. For a moment, no one in the car spoke, awaiting Varan's answer.

"The poem... It's about me! It's about what I'll do not just for the clan, but for us as a species!"

April was shocked.

She had known that Varan was important, but not the one who would be responsible for fulfilling an ancient prophesy.

"It's me who is supposed to unite humans and Wolven together. War is coming, and I have to prevent the world from being split in two!"

The sun was setting, and light falling as Varan pulled the car up outside his parents house. Thunder rumbled off in the distance, foretelling a large storm was on its way. The curtains in the house were drawn, and as Varan turned the engine off, a person's shadow passed in front of one of the windows.

"Something's wrong."

Varan looked back at April, she nodded in understanding, and they both got out of the car, closing the doors quietly. They made their way to the front door. Varan motioned for April to wait. He could hear shouting, and sobbing. Someone was pleading for mercy. Dread settled onto his shoulders.

Varan kicked the door in. They both entered as fast as they could. Time seamed to slow to a crawl, as he drank in the sight before him, adrenalin already pulsing through his veins.

Both his parents were on their knees bound. His father was gagged, with a sock in his mouth. Duck tape binding his muzzle closed around it.

It was his mother that was sobbing. Her captor roughly pulling back on her hair. Exposing her neck. A trail of blood ran from the corner of her muzzle down her white furred neck.

A black bruise was showing from under her furred check. The man who held her, slapped her across the face as the door opened. Most turned to face them. The one who held his father cutting across his throat with his knife as he turned.

Maria screamed. The noise piercing through Varan's perception of time.

Fury sparked with in Varan. In revenge, he threw his Kunaii at the only one to fail to hear their entrance. Both he and April lunged at the remaining assassins. April drew her own Kunaii. And Drove it into the chest of one of them.

Varan's knife struck his mothers captor. Cutting across his neck and rupturing the artery as he turned. Maria looked away as her face was sprayed with the man's blood.

Everything sped back up. Varan and the last surviving assassin came together.

His hands grabbed either side of the man face. Before he could do anything, Varan twisted viciously. The man dropped to the ground, neck broken.

Varan looked at his shoulder. Stepping over the assassins body. The assassins dagger was embedded there.

He pulled it free. Using the knife to cut his mothers bonds. She literary leapt to her husband's side. Varan dropped the knife. He pulled free his Kunaii from the wall. Marias ears were flat against the back of her head.

"Conrad! Conrad can you hear me!?"

Shook him. It was no use though.

"I'm sorry mum."

Varan knelt down next to her.

"He's dead."

"No! No he can't be!"

She was trying in vain to revive Conrad. April stood up at that moment and sniffed at the air.

"Varan, do you smell that?"

Varan sniffed as well. Then his eyes widened.

"Gas!"

He grabbed Maria around the waist, dragging her from Conrad's lifeless body. She screamed, cried and begged him to leave her, but Varan refused to do so.

They made it to the car, and moments later the house exploded in a large fireball, as the gas finally reached the lit candle that was sitting on the kitchen table.

The windows were blown out, and the three of them were showered with glass. Dozens of car alarms were set off by it as well. They piled onto the car, and drove off quickly while the only home Varan knew burned. Incinerating everything inside.

Maria cries were the only noise in the car for an hour.

As they sat in the practically empty terminal, Kitty went over to where Varan sat apart from everyone else.

"Strange how there is so few people on this flight, isn't it?"

She took hold of his hand. He didn't look up at her, but gently squeezed her hand in return.

"If you and I are to marry, we're going to need to open up to each other more. Please, tell me what's on your mind?"

Varan though just shook his head. He looked at her, his gaze empty and vacant.

"No, not yet."

He rubbed her hand gently between his own.

"Later, when we have time."

She frowned at him slightly, but accepted his answer. She lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders.

"I'll hold you to it!"

They sat together in silence for an hour, waiting for the plane to be ready to board.

Maria came over, and Kitty rose to allow them to talk in private. Her father was bent forward she noticed.

'He must be having a mild panic attack or something,' she thought to herself. It did not really surprise her. After the day's events, she was surprised she herself was not reacting like him.

Not only did he find out his only child had been proposed to, but he had been forced to pack his bags and be ready to leave for a country he had never been to.

Maria took her place when she left.

"How are you coping?"

He took hold of her hand. Maria looked into her sons eyes. She was by no means telepathic, but she could tell what he was thinking.

"I'm coping... Listen, don't blame yourself for what has happened. You did everything you could. There was no way you could have prevented your father's death.

"Now that I think about it, if you hadn't come when you had... then both of us would be dead anyway."

They both remained in silence for a few minutes.

"How long were they there for?"

"They were there when Kitty came the first time. They had us in your old bedroom when she knocked on the door. Your father was gagged, and they told me, that unless I could get whoever it was to leave straight away... they would kill him then and there."

"So you told Kitty that you hadn't finished packing. You knew she wouldn't question you because you more often than not forget to do things until the last minute."

Maria nodded, and gave her sons hand a squeeze.

"Varan Help!"

Varan was on his feet and by her side in moments. Harold had collapsed. His lips were blue, and his eyes blood shot and glassy.

'Remove the strong and the weak follow.'

The thought burned in his mind. He looked up at April who was holding a drink. He saw it, the hand that held the drink shook.

'Devils Hold.'

"April get what you just drank out of you now!"

Her eyes widened, and she looked at her drink.

"April... NOW!"

She ran off to the bathrooms.

Devils Hold was the only poison a Wolven couldn't detect. Not until it was too late anyway.

'It has to be, no other poison brings on these symptoms. Plus Wolven don't shake, we have too much control over ourselves to shake.'

No scent. No taste. No colour, no way to know, until it was too late.

He leaned over to Kitty and whispered in her ear;

"He's going to die Kitty. There is no way we can stop the poison. The closest antidote... is with the clan, and he only has minutes to live."

She looked at him shocked.

"This will be hard, But you have to act like you don't know him. We need to get on that plane! Nothing can be allowed to stop us. Go find your mother, tell her the same. Just both of you get on that plane!"

"But..."

He cut her off.

"There is NOTHING we can do! We have to leave him!"

Kitty's face became grim. She hung her head and left to find her mother. Maria had rushed off to get someone to help, but as she returned with some paramedics, she saw Kitty's grim look. She looked at Varan, who shook his head.

Harold would be dead... in less than three minutes. Discreetly Varan gestured to the plane. Maria nodded and walked over to their bags.

Varan rose to find April, allowing the medics to take over, trying in vain to revive Harold. The call to board was announced over the public address speakers.

He passed Kitty and Rebecca as he went for April. Rebecca's eyes glistened with tears, but she did not cry. She made her best effort to hold them back.

"I got it out."

Aprils face was damp, she had tried to clean he face after emptying herself, but the corners of her muzzle still had a yellowish tinge.

"Take out the strong huh!?"

Varan put his arms around her and helped her to the plane. She was still shaking, but now most of the poison was out of her, she would survive. They walked past the medics as they took Harold's now limp and lifeless body away.

Chapter 8

"Attention passengers this is your captain speaking. I would just like to take the opportunity to welcome you aboard this aircraft. We are currently cruising at around thirty thousand feet and will be in the air for around sixteen hours. Sunrise will be in around six hours, and at that time we will be serving you breakfast. Once again thank you for flying with us," The PA went silent, leaving the dull roar of the jumbo's engines.

Kitty looked out at the black sky outside her window. She felt someone sit down next to her. The warmth of a hand on her knee, a whisper of reassurance in her ear. She turned and collapsed onto Varan's chest, sobbing.

"Why Varan? Why did he have to die?"

Varan held her close.

"It wasn't anything we could have stopped," he told her. "Believe me when I tell you I would have done something to help him, if I had known there was something to do."

"But why would they kill him!? My father, a man who had never... would never be able to bring himself to lay a finger on another living thing with malicious intent!"

He looked around quickly, making sure as few people as possible would over hear him.

"He was killed, because he was considered to be strong.

She looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"There is an old assassins saying, 'Kill the strong and the weak will follow.' They are trying to kill off the strongest members of our group. I only just caught April in time, a few more minutes and we would have been leaving another body behind.

Kitty was beginning to understand. Her heart still ached at the fact she had left her father to die. But Varan had told her they couldn't have done anything in the first place, so why did she feel so horrible?

"I know how you're feeling. Don't forget, I've lost my father too. But at least we can be glad that we still have one of our parents, and you will always have me!"

She smiled at the comment. He was right, she still had her mother, and she still had Varan. As long as they we still in her life, then her father would live on, in their memories.

"I... I think I should go and be with my mum," she told him. He rose to let her past and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

April hated flying. Mostly she hated the landing part.

As she felt the planes wheels touch and rumble across the landing strips tarmac, her fingers gripped the arm rests of her chair. The man across the aisle from her put a hand on her arm, as the jets roared to slow them down.

"Don't worry, it'll be over in a second."

True, moments later the craft slowed to a more comfortable speed.

"Not a big fan of flying huh?"

April shook her head still clutching fervently to the arm rests. The man chuckled at this.

"Neither was I... anyway... where are you headed? I've heard there is a large anthropomorphic convention happening in Vegas, are you going there?"

April nodded, her mind still able to think despite her fear.

"I thought it would be kinda uncomfortable to wear one of those suits for as long as you have been."

The plane finally came to a halt at the gate to the airport, and she allowed herself to relax, and reply to the man.

"It's... uh... special. I could wear this for a week if I felt like it. I just didn't want to risk it getting damaged on the flight over is all."

She gave him a little all knowing wink. He nodded, knowing how unreliable some aircraft carriers can be with people's luggage, and rose to get his from the over-head locker.

"Have a nice time there then miss."

It took a few minutes before they got off the plane but when they did it didn't take long for them to retrieve their belongings.

"There should be someone waiting outside for us," Varan told them all. "From there we go to where the clan is."

Sure enough outside, standing next to an old pick-up truck was a grey furred Wolven. He waved at them and they walked over to him.

"Not wearing your veil?"

"No Varan my brother, no need to! Haven't you noticed all Furries walking around? This one of few times in year I get to valk about vithout the veil and not be questioned."

Varan nodded, it made sense, with so many humans dressed up as wolves and foxes, not many would think about questioning how a small group of Wolven made their 'costumes' look so real.

He and Varan put all the stuff in the back of the truck while everyone else squeezed into the back seat. Varan and the other Wolven got in as well. He turned in his seat and extended his hand.

"Sasha," he told them with his thick Russian accent, shaking their hands. "I know it been long flight, so ve vait until you're ready before ve leave for clan."

"Will anyone know we're at your place Sasha?" Varan asked him. He shook his head and started the trucks engine.

"Doubt it, my place pretty isolated. If someone vas to know, then I vould already be dead, and you vould be in hands of enemy."

Varan understood.

"How don't they know we're here already?" Kitty asked him. Sasha smiled.

"That my little secret Ma'am, vhat I do for my friends stay between me and them, no one else. Besides, I doubt you'd like answer."

Sasha wasn't lying when he said his place was isolated. An hour's drive out side of L.A he turned onto a small dirt road. They drove up that for another two hours, until finally they arrived at a small log cabin.

Smoke gently meandered from its stone chimney.

"Ahh, Stacey has fire on."

"Sasha it's..."

Varan was silenced when Sasha opened his door, and the inside of the car was blasted with freezing cold air.

"It get very cold on this hill, even in summer."

Sasha closed his door and moved around to the back of the truck to get their belongings. Everyone was reluctant to get out of the truck. Varan was first, and was soon followed by the rest of them.

"Go have look at view. I'll take your things inside for you."

Varan and the rest of them walked around the side of the cabin, and gasped at the view. The cabin was mere feet from the edge of a large cliff. It must have been at least five hundred feet to the ground below them.

Spread out before them was hundreds of thousands of acres of forests. A river could be seen wandering its way through the innumerable amount of trees. A few miles from where they were hills and mountains bordered the trees fencing them in. As if they were holding them back from spilling into, and invading civilisation that lay just beyond them.

"Spectacular isn't it?"

They all turned and looked at the Wolven who leaned out of the small window.

"Makes me feel closer to my heritage than I felt when I was with my clan."

Kitty took Varan's hand in hers, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Eeek, Sasha don't..." they could hear from inside the cabin, between laughs they heard;

"We have guests, now isn't the time for your cheeky acts."

"Oh come on, I haven't seen you in hours. Give me little love at least."

The lights flickered on and off during their dinner. But Sasha reassured them it was alright.

"They do that often. I also have a... Ahh Stacey vhat vord for backup power?"

"Generator."

"Ahh, yes. I... Ve have generator, in case power out. Unfortunately, English not best language I speak."

"How long have you been in the states Sasha?"

Rebecca placed her cutlery down as she asked him. He took a moment to swallow his food before answering.

"Twelve year. Came vit father un mother when clan vas killed. 'Volves Paw' offer refuge to us. Become 'Volves paw.' Parents still there."

Rebecca nodded.

"So Varan. Why did you decided to call yourself Wolven?"

Stacey stood and took her plate and Sasha's to the sink.

"I'm not really sure. I guess... because we most resemble wolves, Wolven just came naturally."

He stood, gathering the rest of the plates, passing them to Stacey across the kitchen counter.

"I like it."

Sasha stood also, removing the remaining dishes, and coming around to the sink to help Stacey.

"It remind me... vilds, roots, vhere I grew... yes, home."

"Which one?"

Sasha paused. Stopping mid-stride as he reached for a dish towel.

"Both," he said after a moment.

After a few hours both Stacey and Sasha excused themselves, Sasha saying they would need to get a good sleep so they could leave early in the morning.

It was about two in the morning when the lights were flicked on and Stacey rushed in the room, urging everyone to wake up.

"We have to leave now, some things happened. Sasha wants us to leave now..."

Suddenly one of the glass windows shattered, and Stacey dropped to the floor. The lights went out. Varan rolled over and checked Stacey. She was still. Warm liquid trickled down her temple, matting her fur and gluing her hair to her face.

"Shit, everyone stay down. Keep away from the windows."

Varan kept his voice hushed.

"What's going on," Kitty whispered.

"Assassins. They must have found us!"

A beam from a flash light shone in the hallway that lead to Sasha and Stacey's room. Varan slowly drew his Kunaii.

"Everyone alright?"

Sasha crouched down in the door way, pointing his flash light to the ground.

"Not everyone."

Varan pointed to the body he knelt next to. Through the darkness Varan saw Sasha's eyes first, widen, then narrow.

"Varan come here, everyone else... stay down."

Varan crawled over to him. He passed Varan something.

"Night vision goggles?"

Varan was getting confused.

"From one of the assassins. Killed him trying to get through bed window."

Varan now understood. Despite their best efforts, their enemies had found them already.

"Put them on."

Varan slipped them over his ears. They rested comfortably on the length of his muzzle. He flicked them on and everything became bathed in a muted greenish colour. Sasha put two fingers to his muzzle. They needed to stay silent.

He then gestured for Varan to follow. They moved quickly to his room. Sasha quietly pulled aside a set of draws. They had been covering up a small trap door. Sasha opened the door and dropped down under the house.

After a minute his hand appeared. He wanted Varan closer. When he was, Varan was handed a heavy vest. Sasha thumped his chest and made a gun like gesture at Varan's chest. It was body armour.

He slipped it on, and another minute later Sasha reappeared holding two rifles and two medium sized backpacks. He handed Varan one of each. Then strangely he made like he was extremely hot, then pointed to his eyes, then too his rifle.

Heat, eyes, Heat vision. They had thermal detection scopes too. That must have been how Stacey had been shot.

"Get everyone out through vindow," Sasha pointed to the window next to his bed. "I'll distract and you can make dash for the truck. Keys are in it.

Varan nodded, hefting the pack, and pulling back on the rifles bolt.

"Don't forget safety."

Sasha flicked his own off, and dropped a set off night vision goggles over his eyes.

Varan followed suit. And crept back down the hall. Everyone was still lying on the floor. He motioned for them to come over to him.

One by one they did.

Varan suddenly heard paws crunch on gravel outside. Instinctively he rose and fired a few bullets out the closest window. His rifle was equipped with a silencer. And emitted nothing more than a trio of muffled coughs.

The rounds shattered the glass. Varan heard the sound of the person retreating back to a safe distance. Kitty, Rebecca and Maria brushed past him. He turned and followed them.

"Through the window, hurry."

Another window at the front of the house shattered, and small flames could be seen through the hallway.

Sasha appeared in the window.

"They, set fire to house, hurry. Flames reach generator in minute.

He helped them out and then handed kitty his backpack.

"I meet you at truck. Must repay, debt."

He ran off before anyone could voice a protest.

"We have to get to the truck," Varan told them. He led the way, keeping behind the house and in the tree line as much as he could. Several rouge shots hit the trees they ran between. And off on the other side of the clearing, muted muzzle flashes from weapons played havoc with his night vision goggles.

A sudden scream echoed around them.

Sasha appeared from the tree line, back peddling towards the truck.

"The truck now!"

They all bolted for it. Varan fired more rounds into the tree line. Sasha used Varan's covering fire to turn and sprint for the truck. The girls reached it first and piled into the back seats. Varan slammed to the bonnet of the truck, repeatedly firing into the tree line behind Sasha.

Suddenly, the bolt on his gun clacked.

The magazine was empty. He hit the release, the empty mag dropping to the ground. He felt on his jacket for a new mag, and slid that home once it was in his hands.

He racked the bolt and continued firing.

Sasha slammed into the trucks door and wrenched it open.

"Get in."

The engine revved hard and Varan fired a few more rounds before clambering into the truck.

The wheels spun, kicking up clouds of dirt, as the truck roared off down the dirt track.

At that moment Sasha's small house on the edge of a cliff exploded into a massive fireball.

Chapter 9

The Car was silent for several hours. No one said anything. No one wanted to say anything.

By dawn Sasha pulled into a service station.

"Fuel," was the only thing he said.

Varan woke everyone up.

"We've stopped to get fuel. If you need to do anything, now is the time. I don't think Sasha will stop for anything other than more fuel."

Kitty opened her door, stretching when she was free of the vehicles confines.

"I need to stretch my legs for starters," she told them.

"Don't take long. Ve leave, ten minutes. Use Bathroom, get food and drink, then ve leave."

Everyone else got out. First thing Varan wanted to do was use the bathroom.

Rebecca went into the station to order some hot drinks, and Maria went for a stroll with Kitty.

Varan offered Sasha to wait until the truck was full before going to the bathroom, but Sasha declined.

"I be fine. I actually need little time to self."

Varan walked off. Before turning to the sound of a loud bang. Sasha had hit the side of the truck and had now dropped to his knees. Varan heard sobs, but didn't go over.

He could tell Sasha wanted to be alone to vent his feelings.

"Proklyatie ty Britvy kraya!"

Varan went inside as he saw Kitty and Maria rush to Sasha's side.

It was 1000 miles to the nearest town to the clan. Dusk had passed, and night quickly followed, the only illumination they had was the dim lights of the dash board, and the very rare flash of a street side light. The girls were fast asleep in the back seat, still trying to recover from the long flight to the states.

"How long were you and Stacey married for Sasha?" Varan ventured.

"About two year. Know her longer though. Meet vhen first joined clan, fell in love ten year later, vhen moved out to cabin on hill. Mother very happy found nice girl. Father... happy but vould have preferred Russian girl, not American."

"I'm sorry she had to die."

Sasha shook his head.

"Don't be. No fault of yours. Fault of 'Razors Edge,' no-one else's."

"But if we hadn't come..."

"Yes, she vould still be alive. But you came, now she not alive. She not alive because 'Razors Edge.'"

He said the name of his wife's killers with such contempt, it startled Varan slightly.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? I can drive for a little if you'd like me too."

"Niet I'll be alright."

It was almost dawn when Varan awoke. He hadn't realised he had fallen asleep. Strangely the car wasn't moving, and Sasha was nowhere to be seen.

There was a gentle tap on his window. He almost jumped at its sudden sound. He turned to find Kitty looking in at him, and wound the window down.

"We stopped for a break."

"Ugh, how long have we been here?"

"About twenty minutes. Sasha's confident that we've put enough distance between us and our pursuers for a bit of a rest.

She then became a little more concerned.

"Varan, by the looks of him, he hasn't slept since we ran from his home."

Varan nodded and got out of the car.

"It wouldn't surprise me," he told her as he stretched. "He can be a little stubborn sometimes... well that's what mum told me."

"How does she know, I'd never thought you'd been to your clan before."

Varan shook his head.

"I haven't, but mum has, when I was seven the elders allowed her to go and visit her parents, alone. Dad wasn't allowed to go with her, made sense. I would of only had April to watch me, plus dad being a former assassin, he had no other family but me and mum."

He realised they were at another service station, he looked over at the cafe, and saw Sasha slumped on a table with the others with him.

"Varan, I'm concerned about him. I mean, despite his little outburst yesterday, he hasn't done anything."

"I know, we talked for a little while you were asleep, but he never showed any emotion, no remorse, only contempt for Stacey's killers."

"You need to do something."

"What can I do? I'm not a psychologist. I'll convince him to let me drive the rest of the way, but at the moment, that's all I can do!"

Kitty understood. She only hated the fact Sasha was keeping all his emotions to himself. Bottling emotions up was never good for a person's health. Eventually his emotions would come out, but whether everyone liked what emerged would be another question.

It hadn't been easy, but after about ten minutes, and threatening to hog tie and gag him, Varan had convinced Sasha to let him drive the rest of the way.

Sceptical whether Varan really could over power him, Sasha had pointed out in the map book where they needed to go, then climbed into the back between April and Maria. Minutes later his head rested on Aprils shoulder as he slept.

"You know, he looks kinda cute when he's asleep," Varan heard April whisper. He looked in the rear view mirror to see April put her arms around him, and Sasha cuddle up to her, remaining asleep.

He smiled and returned his gaze to the road.

Their destination was still about a day and a half away. He estimated that they would be at the town by morning. The trail to get to the clan was a very rough and technical road to navigate with a four wheel drive Sasha had told them before falling asleep. Even though the clan was only twenty kilometres from the closest town the trail would take three hours minimum to drive.

Varan didn't care, he was enjoying the drive so far.

About one in the morning Varan pulled up to the border between British Columbia and Alaska. Sasha had passed through the Canadian American boarder the other day, while everyone else was asleep.

"Evening Sir, bit late to be crossing the border," The man at the booth said as he pulled the car up.

"I know, we wanted to just get to our destination quickly," he gestured to April and Sasha.

"Those two aren't the one's you'd wanna be stuck with in a tight place for any longer than you need to be."

The guard nodded.

"Ok, just need to do a quick inspection of your vehicle before I can allow you through."

He got out of his booth with a torch and Varan turned the trucks ignition off and got out.

True enough the guard only took a few minutes, but was a little curious as to why they only had two bags with them.

"We're staying with family," Varan told him. "They have the rest of the things we need."

The guard nodded and returned to his booth.

"Alright, so it's a ten dollar toll, about a dollar fifty each."

Varan reached into the truck and found his wallet, pulling out a ten dollar note. Then getting back in the truck he started the engine as the boom gate in front of him rose.

"Hmm, where are we?"

It was four in the morning.

"Alaska, we passed the border a few hours ago."

Kitty rubbed her eyes and looked out her window. She looked back to Varan when he placed his arm on her knee.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that I've had a good sleep."

She smiled at him, and took hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Varan returned the gesture.

"The sun will be up soon, and we'll be at the clan shortly after that."

"That's good. I'm getting a little bored with all this travelling."

Varan yawned, letting his tongue loll out his mouth.

"I think we all are."

Sunrise.

One of Varan's favourite times of the day. The golden orb was just beginning to peak over the adjacent hills of the valley. The home of the 'Wolves Paw.' It truly was a magnificent sight to behold.

He went to the back of the truck and pulled out some food and water they had gotten from a gas station, and returned to his spot in front of the truck, leaning back on its large bull bar.

A few minutes later, a groan behind him caught his attention, and he looked back.

Sasha clambered out the backseat of the truck. He rubbed at his forehead, his tail stretching out behind him.

"Morning Sasha."

He muttered his reply in a dreary tone and scratched his back a little. Varan passed him a bottle of water and a snack bar as he joined him.

"Vere is everyone?"

"They went for a bit of a stroll. Should be back soon."

"Mmm, Vere are ve? Did ve cross the border yet?"

"Yeah, last night. Just after midnight. By the way, you owe me ten bucks!"

This got Sasha to smile, and he laughed quietly.

"You von't need it vhen ve reach the clan.

He took a swig from the water bottle, and wiped at his muzzle.

"At clan, no need for money. Everyone supports each other, one person hard off, everyone else suffers."

"But if that's so, why are there still assassins?"

"Hey, I said 'support,' doesn't mean everyone is living in lap of luxury. Hard times come up every now and then."

That ended their short conversation, and for the short time it took for the girls to return, neither of them talked. Bird calls, insects, and the occasional howl of a wolf were all that filled the void.

"Hey look who's up!"

They both turned to see the others appear from a tree lined walking track.

"Did you sleep well Sasha?" Rebecca asked him as they reached the truck.

"Good thank you."

"I'd expect so, cuddling up to April the way you did."

Kitty laughed at this, and Sasha's cheeks began to turn crimson under his cheek fur.

"Awww, it's ok Sasha. I enjoyed the cuddle," April told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Everyone got back into the truck, and Varan began to wonder what life back with the clan would be like, if more people like April and Sasha were there.

"Alright everyone ready to tackle the road to the clan?"

A chorus of yes's answered him, and he climbed behind the wheel and started the trucks engine.

Chapter 10

"Welcome brothers, sisters and others, we welcome you with open arms."

The elder embraced all of them, Rebecca a little more hesitantly, but still with joy in his voice.

"Thank you Elder. Ve have some unfortunate news though," Sasha looked to his feet. The elder gestured for them to follow.

"Come, tell me in a more comfortable setting, surely you must be tired from your long journey.

Everyone followed him through the village, small cabins and houses, making them feel very relaxed.

"We were not expecting you so soon, your more permanent accommodation is still being sorted out, you'll be staying in tents until everything is sorted."

He gestured off to his side as they passed a small group of buildings. Two of them were still being built, and Varan guessed one at least was going to be their more permanent home.

They reached a larger building, and the elder ushered them inside.

The room was spectacularly furnished. Thick fluffy rugs, luscious looking couches that were piled high with cushions and pillows. Everyone took a seat and the elder waited for Sasha to speak.

"Well? What is it that you need to tell me?"

"They have found out Sir, ve had to flee for our lives."

"But then where is your wife?"

"Dead. Killed by 'Razors Edge.'"

The elder furrowed his brow and leaned forward.

The mist was encroaching on her. Her clothes and fur were becoming damp, and each breath felt like ice in her lungs.

A sudden movement behind her, caused her to spin and face what she thought to be her would be assailant. She was greeted by nothing but the ever pervasive mist. She sighed, but kept her guard up. She was not about to let anything catch her off guard.

'You're out there somewhere aren't you?' She thought, brushing a few wisps of her blood red hair out of her eyes. Her hand hovered over her weapons holster, her finger tips brushing the hilt of her Kunaii.

Suddenly something slammed into her side, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. Her instincts kicked in and she used her feet to repel her attacker. There was a loud yelp as her feet connected with their chest, propelling them over her, and back into the mist.

She leapt to her feet and drew her Kunaii.

"Face me!" she shouted to the mist, dropping into a combat stance. Her stalker took the bait, lunging out of the mist at her. Large paws hitting her square in the chest, sharp claws digging into her flesh.

April sat bolt upright clutching at her chest. Thunder rumbled off in the distance and rain pelted her tent.

"April.

She turned her head and looked at the new comer. Varan reached up and pulled her thrown Kunaii out of the wooden pole that held up the tent. He threw it so that it dug into the ground next to her.

"You missed me!"

She looked at the knife. Varan cleared his throat, she looked back at him a little bit confused. He glanced at her chest, then looked away. She looked down at herself, then quickly scrambled to pull her blankets up to cover herself.

"What is it?" she asked, her cheeks burning red under her white fur.

I want to go on a patrol. The Elder tells me I need a partner. But by what I just saw though, I think I'll find someone else..."

No... no. I'll come with you. Last thing I want right now is to be left with my dreams."

Varan smiled at her.

"I knew you'd say that.

He stood and walked into the rain.

"Five minutes," he said as some clothes landed on her head. She huffed her slight annoyance at the act.

"I hate the rain!"

April had the hood of her cloak pulled as far over her head as possible. But no matter how hard she tried, her blood red hair did not want to stay inside it. The majority of it flowing out from it, getting soaked. She heard Varan's laugh, a few meters from her.

"Is that so? I however love the rain!"

April could only grumble a response. She had forgotten what home was like, living in Australia for twenty one years had striped her natural tolerance to the cold.

"So tell me... what caused you to wake up the way you did?"

"I would prefer that you drop the subject!"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want me to drop it? I mean... you've got to have a reason for throwing your knife at me this morning!"

April was silent for a moment.

"April?"

"I saw my death."

"I see," Varan replied after a moments silence. "Dreams come and go, we shouldn't let every bad dream scare us."

"What makes you think I fear my dreams?"

"I see it in your eyes. You haven't been sleeping well, have you?"

They walked on in silence, only the noise of pelting rain filling the void.

"No, I haven't," she replied after a few minutes. There was no reply. A grunt somewhere in the rain touched her ears.

Suddenly a throwing star slammed into a tree she was walking past.

"What the hell was that for!?" she asked thinking Varan had thrown it at her. Again there was no reply. Feet splashing through puddles drew her attention.

She turned to see Varan lunge at her. Tackling her to the muddy ground. He winced and grunted as they splashed into a muddy puddle. He reached over and wrenched the knife from his arm. His blood dripped onto her, as hands grabbed both his arms and pulled him off her.

April realised what was going on. She quickly reached down her thigh. Taking hold of, and then throwing one of her throwing stars. It hit one of Varan's captors in the leg, causing the man to cry out in pain, releasing one of Varan's arms.

Varan didn't wait for an invitation, lashing out at the other captor when he felt his arm released. The man dropped to the ground nose and mouth bleeding profusely. April was on her feet at this moment. She had her knife in hand, thrusting it out around a tree, burying it into another would be Assassins chest. Varan had his too, and was struggling with another Assassin over both of their knives.

"April! Run! Get back to the village! Alert everyone!"

She turned to run, but never got the chance. The Wolven Varan wrestled with over powered him, forcing him to the muddy ground. At that moment as well, two more rushed April, pinning her back to the mud.

The mud clung to her fur clouding her vision. Through blurred eyes, she saw Varan roll over and started punching the Wolven in the face. Another grabbed him and pulled him off. Varan elbow his new attacker in the gut. Varan turned to finish the Wolven off, but was savagely kicked in the chest, forcing him into a tree.

Before Varan could recover a knife sunk into his chest.

April screamed as he slumped to the ground. She tried to get up, but her captors kept her pinned. She felt her hands being bound. She was pulled to her feet, and dragged away. She glimpsed Varan's hand twitch.

"No! Varan!" she struggled trying to get free. "He's still..."

Someone slapped her hard across her muzzle.

"Shut up bitch!" the one who slapped her growled. "You're a captive of the 'Razors edge' clan. And that means you'll speak when given the right! Do you understand!?"

They forced her to her knees. The man slapped her again and grabbed her muzzle, forcing her to look at him.

"I said 'Do you understand!'"

He tightened his grip on her muzzle, cutting off her air. She whimpered and nodded. The Wolven smiled viciously.

"Good," then to the few that remained. "Gag her!"

As they dragged her away, the group's leader walked up to Varan body and felt his neck. Then satisfied he was dead, followed Aprils captors, leaving his knife in Varan's chest, so all would know who killed him.