The darkness didn't hide the iron in the beautiful brown orbs staring down the two visitors. Her light blue dress, hitched slightly in the front, drew brazen green eyes along the stout form. Dorothy's clothing stood out from the night, though she didn't care as it helped her seem more ferocious.

Not that the dim lighting hindered wolf-heightened eyes in any case. The fact that this lady warrior could be so bold and defiant, even in the late hour, sent a fire of curiosity through Ruby's mind, followed closely by heat through her chest.

Wanting to show her trustworthiness, Ruby bent down, blatantly ignoring the potential threat of a crossbolt in her face, to try and pet Toto. When the dog yipped away, scared of the overpowering smell of werewolf, the woman sighed, sure she harmed her chances of talking with the taller one.

She called out in desperation an offer to help, her heart clenching. She reached out but didn't dare actually grab the blue garbed female. The seemingly short tempered warrior tried to dismiss the wolf girl's words with biting remark. Knowing she could do more, Ruby snapped back, though not with any malice. Seizing the moment, she followed her instincts. In seconds, she was able to figure out where the little dog had run off to.

As she related the news, the wolf woman felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest. When the other woman stayed silent, Ruby smiled to herself, pleased to note the impressed gaze. She didn't wait much longer and took the lead after the lost canine.

-' ,-

-' ,-

Wind rushed by her face. The wolf's fur that provided extra comfort to Dorothy's seat was silky soft. The powerful limbs moved in a smooth, practiced rhythm, causing the rider to bounce in place. Except that the wolf showed her intelligence still remained by shifting along with her rider, keeping Dorothy in place without jarring her too much as they went.

The woman couldn't stop herself from running her hands over the powerful shoulders and fur. She tried to keep her motions subtle but the two large ears twitched nonetheless. They too provided a source of temptation for Dorothy as she tried to still her roaming hands; instead she switched her attention to looking over the trim yet sturdy form under her.

The forest flew by around the two. The wolf dodged the low hanging branches and other obstacles with ease. It was as she leapt over a natural dip in the ground that Dorothy allowed her hands to wave in the air, feeling both body and soul soar up.

Lost in her moment of silent wonder, she wasn't prepared for the landing. With both hands in the air and legs loose around the wolf's barrel, afraid to hold tighter should it hurt the wonder running through the forest, the woman was unprepared to recover from the flight.

Dorothy dropped backwards. She tumbled to the ground, exhaling as she crashed on her back. The large dark gray wolf skidded to a stop, tail tucked in and both ears flat. The transformed woman whined low, trotting slowly closer.

"It's ok." Dorothy timidly uncurled her arms, showing the red cloak that had been against her chest. She realized her flight had almost jeopardized the clothing and spoke quietly. "The… your cloak is safe."

She stood up, dusting off her pants roughly while keeping a stern grip on the cloak. Another low cry came from the wolf, drawing the warrior's attention and concern. Glancing up, she noticed that the large creature shook her head twice, eyes boring into her own. Dorothy felt breathless for a second time that night as she saw the bright golden gaze. Slowly, she realized that neither side had moved or commented; though the wolf took large gulps of air in between each inquisitive sniff.

"I'm… I'm ok too."

The transformed Ruby relaxed, uncurling her tail and lifting both ears as she scanned the area with both sight and nose. Pinpointing specific scents, she turned to the right of the direction they had been traveling, woofing softly.

The Ozian citizen raised a single brow, understanding without speaking. She nodded once to the wolf and waved a hand to indicate for her to lead the way. She stayed close by, observing the wolf walking at her side.

Author Note: Set sail the ship! With all the canons available. Mwahahahaha. There's rather little Ruby Slipper stories here right now, so here's a little more to the shipping fuel. Also, I'm pretty sure the ship name is Ruby Slippers. I guess we could call it WolfiexKansas or R&D. But meh, I rather like Ruby Slippers.

EDIT: Yes, I've combined the first two chapters. I realized the flow wasn't consistent and hopefully this helps people become interested faster and willing to keep going. Haven't changed a word of either chapter, just put them together.