Chapter 5

Opened Eyes

Toboe: Happy New year!

Licking his wounds, Kiba watched as Danflor approached him respectable. The pup did not grovel. He was proud for such a young wolf, strong and loyal. He made a great beta. Maybe one day he would be the alpha.

"Kiba" the chestnut wolf said, "What are we going to do now? Chris is tired and we are all more than a little hungry." He glanced at the inert form of his leader. "Are we going to stay here and rest?" His eyes darted to Sano's still body.

Kiba also glanced at Toboe to. The large wolf draped in Cheza's lap was so different from the little pup of long ago. How many times had they done this? How many lifetimes had they lived. Kiba had no idea. This might be the second or the fiftieth. All the wolves had… memories. Flashes of the past lives that they had lived. In everyone life though they were together. If they did not start together than they found one another. Never were they alone. Never had they changed. But that large wolf, strong and mighty, was not the Toboe that they had first started their journey with. Who was he now?

"Kiba?" Danflor said, breaking the wolf's wandering silence, "What should we do. We need to find shelter and food."

Kiba stood, shook, and stretched. Satisfied he turned his golden gaze on the young wolf.

"You, Kawa, Jack, and Chris go look for shelter. I believe it is time my pack had a long talk with Toboe. Afterwards we shall hunt but for now," he shook again, representing an apparent lack of concern. "We shall decide then."

The wolf nodded and turned back to his companions. The female looked angry, and she glared at Kiba but the other two looked happy at their duties. It must be their companion, Kiba though. They both wished nothing more than to leave her still warm body behind. Seeing her was too painful for their damaged souls.

"Kiba" Cheza whispered. Her soft hands stroked Toboe's head, "This one thinks that he is waking."

Seeing Cheza sitting there Kiba was struck by a startling bout of jealousy. He shook once more, this time to clear his head. What did he have to be jealous of? Cheza was for all the wolves in the world. She was no one's, even if they did have a special connection. He had never felt that before. Overwhelming love and protectiveness yes, but jealously? He trotted over the flower maiden.

The moonlight made her skin shimmer. Her sightless eyes glowed with warmth and compassion. Her slim elegant fingers were wrapped in Toboe's long fur, gently pulling through the tangles and knots. An eye cracked open, pale gold. The look in Toboe's eyes were so different than before. Kiba had a memory of a past life. A life when they didn't know of the endless cycle. He was in trouble, Tsume and Hige unable to help. The monstrous walrus pinned him to the ground, and was going to kill him. And then, Toboe snapped and saved him. The crazy look in his eyes then… it was to save his friends. This look was… something different.

"Toboe?" Blue wined, stepping forward, ears folded back.

The once pup jerked back in shock. For the first time he seemed truly to see them. His eyes grew wide and he twitched from side to side.

The strange feral creature that was once the fool of their pack blinked and then stood. He was so much taller then he once was. His chest and shoulders filled with powerful muscles, his legs long and strong. He was a powerful young wolf, the type of wolf that would give any alpha a run for his money.

"Blue," he whispered back, stepping forward. It was the first time he had said any one of their names without hate in it. Heck, it was the first time he had even said anything to one of them without barley disguised contempt.

"Toboe!" Blue joyfully yelped and rushed forward. So did Hige and Kiba. Even Tsume joined. They were a mass of yelps and tails as they all tried to press against the pup. This was what a pack was.

Then they calmed and Blue pressed against the quaking wolf. She had always been the closest to the pup. She was like his sister when Kiba was the father, Hige and Tsume the aloft elder brothers. His hatred for them had hurt her the most.

"Tell us," she whispered to him.

His strong fiery eyes smoldered. He was in the past, a nightmare land which only he was privy to.

"Speak," Kiba agreed as he watched those angry eyes.

"I was so scared. So alone. Till I met my pack."

Toboe: Mkay. I wasn't able to finish all that I wanted to before the break was over so I am going to take the chapter I was working on and split it in two. The 'other' one is already half done so…hopefully that will be up in just a few days!! I would check on Friday. Hope you likes. Love, Toboe!