Hi, I'm back! No, I haven't abandoned this story. It's just that life got in the way and I have to deal with a lot of stuff. So, I hope this chapter lift your spirits.

Chapter 29: Backstory and Breaking News

I feel like my head got hit with a sledgehammer once I woke up. I seemed to be in a jail cell with Tsume by my side. Oh, what's going to happen to us?!

"Canista," Tsume grunts. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. How about you?"

"The same. We need to get out of here. Those guards are bound to hunt down Kiba if we stay down here. Great, we're both trapped in this cell and there's no way those nobles are going to kill us if we try to bust this thing open."

I tried to squeeze my way or even find something to unlock it but to no avail.

Great, we are trapped! And there's a likely change we're probably going to die.

Tsume and I tried to charge against the jail bars but nothing happened. I slide down, letting myself give up. I pull my knees against my chest, feeling my heart about to burst out from the anxiety that's been building up. "It's no used. We are going to be trapped here forever..."

"Canista, you can't give up now."

I don't know what else to say. I am just tired and I have no motivation to do anything right now. Kiba's probably having a battle like a knight thrusting his way through his enemies before rescuing his princess.

Kiba, please be okay. Please rescue her and let's get out of here!

I wonder how Hige, Toboe and Mya are doing? I hoped they found Blue if Kiba's having his rescue mission.

I feel Tsume nudge my hand. "Canista, it will be okay. We'll try again after this. I'm tired too as you can see."

I smile a bit before tickling the grey wolf under his chin. Just those little things that comfort me during this whole damn journey. I slowly run my hand across the 'X' mark on his chest. Tsume leans into me.

"Do you want to know how I got that scar?"

"If you are comfortable in telling me."

Tsume stretches his body as he lies down, letting me sit close to his belly. He begin his story with a sigh. "I used to be in a pack with other grey wolves. We were just following our alpha's orders about new hunting grounds since the nobles have seized our old hunting territory."

I nod, petting him to let him continue.

"I remembered catching a scent of a prey, maybe it was something like a hare. But what I didn't know was that the nobles were there, masking their scent with something as they took out members of my pack, one by one."

There's pain and guilt in his voice when he mentions the nobles. Why are we so cruel?

"I survived but with a price," the grey wolf growled. "The members of my pack who were still alive blocked my escape route. They gave me this scar as a reminder of my sin, and then banished me from the pack. I never trusted anybody again. I no longer wanted anything to do with friends... until I met you guy."

Tsume...that's really terrible. The grey wolf huffs. "You must really think that I am a coward. And I called you and the runt the name that my alpha called me before branding me this scar."

"We're all cowards in our own way," I told him. He tilts his head in confusion so I had to explain my words. "If I were in your position, I'd run too because the ambush came out of no where and you use your instincts of flight to save yourself before you have time to process what happened to your pack. Believe me, that's what I would feel."

A small smile was going to form on his face. I'm about to hug before before the both of us heard scuffling noises.

"Canista? Tsume? Is that you?" Toboe! He's alive!

"Toboe! You got captured too?" I ask, trying to reach for the red wolf's paw on the left side of the jail.

"Hey, I exist too you know!" a sharp voice huffs. Mya is here too. Which means that-

"Where is Hige?" Tsume asks. All was quiet when the grey wolf ask that question as if it's a curse.

"Something's wrong with him," Toboe whines, pacing around in his jail. "He ran off, screaming and howling in pain. I don't know what's gotten into him but he pushed me and Mya before running off."

"It's like he saw a ghost or something," the timber she-wolf adds.

Great, first Kiba and now Hige are going to get killed!

I can't sit around and do nothing. I have to try, even if it's as little as a pinch of salt. I'll have to push aside my moping for another time. Once we try to get out of here, I can lament on how am I going to get home.

"He did this..." an elderly voice croaked. All of us turn our attention to the source of the weak voice. It's an old she-wolf who's all skins and bones that can be seen through her tawny body. She's struggling to get up and it pains me to see her.

I want to look away but I force myself to.

Because this is reality. Pain and suffering is something I will have to get used to.

"Who did it?" asks Mya, her snout peeking out of the bars to sniff at the old wolf.

"The one in black collar. He led us here," she continue her slow talk as my eyes became wide behind my glasses. "Took us out one by one while they get fed being Jagara's lapdogs. It won't be long before they too meet the same fate as us."

No...

"Hige c-couldn't," I stammer, backing away from the bars of the jail. I don't believe this. This can't be happening!

"He wouldn't," I repeat to myself in a mutter. "Hige would never sell us out. We went on this journey together!"

"Say what you want, human," the she-wolf woofs. "He led all of you here to die."

"You're lying...YOU'RE LYING!"

"Canista!" Tsume grabs my sleeve with his teeth. "Calm down, we'll think of something."

"HIGE WOULD NEVER SELL US OUT!" I ramble, I feel my mouth is going to foam like a rabid animal. "HE MAY BE LAZY AND ALL BUT HE'S OUR FRIEND! WE WILL GET OUT OF HERE AND DAMN WELL I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT!"

My breathing's starting to slow down...the pain in my stomach from anger and starvation is surely going to kill me if I keep this up.

Just then, all of us heard a loud sneeze from the opposite side of the jail.

It was a guy and he looked like he's been through Hell and back!

Canista sure is losing her shit, isn't she? Well, the journey and hunger must be putting a toll on her :D

Also, it's nice to see Tsume warming up to her and she still thinks about the pack.

I find it funny that I shipped Canista with Darcia sometimes due to how they carried themselves but I'm just waiting to see Canista snap. Despite the age difference and all.

But hey, that's just me!