It was night in the mountains. Chilly breezes tossed the tufted plants growing on the uneven, shadowy rocks, and a tiny lizard blinked his bright eyes, peeping his head out from a stone crevice to gaze at the large moon that sailed upon wispy clouds in the velvet skies above. The night was nearly silent, with only the whispers of the wind rustling the brown and yellow leaves in the forest below. Even the crickets that lived among the long grasses of the foothills were asleep. All was still. All was quiet. And yet, if one looked closely, they might notice the tiny pinprick of light, halfway up one of the mountains, flickering from the mouth of a well concealed cave. To most ordinary humans, the cave would have been nearly impossible to reach, considering the immense height and treacherous steepness of the rocky mountainside leading up to it, but then again, no ordinary human was quite like the two figures who sat near the small fire that burned within, warming their hands and warding off the chilly early-autumn weather. And to the two creatures, lying in wait under a bush in the forest far below and staring at that miniscule light above, this was exactly what they had been looking for.

"Where'd Cooro go?" Husky inquired, pulling his thin cape more closely around his narrow shoulders and shivering slighting. It was cold up there in the cave, with nothing to keep the wind from flooding through the gaping stone entrance. Husky hoped it would be warmer tomorrow; he hated this kind of damp, breezy weather. Taking his mind off his discomfort, the pale youth glanced up at his companion, a tall, impassive boy of about fifteen years, with shaggy gray hair and an eye patch over his left eye.

"Senri?" he asked, though he knew it was pretty much useless. Senri wasn't prone to saying more than a few words at a time, Husky knew. But it still made the younger boy feel a little safer having Senri their with the little group—he was big and strong, and knew no fear. Husky would die before he would admit it, but he really liked Senri, and looked up to him.

I wish I could be more like him he thought irritably then I could go where I pleased and do what I pleased without people thinking I was a girl all the time, or forcing me to wear ridiculous mermaid princess costumes. As if he had heard Husky's thoughts, Senri looked up, a faint smile on his lips. Husky frowned.

"What's so funny?" he asked "I asked you a question. Where's Cooro?" Senri lowered his head.

"he went to get food" he said, his voice deep and quiet. Husky groaned

"That idiot. I told him to go to sleep an hour ago. We already had dinner anyway. He must have slipped out while I was checking on Nana." Senri stared at Husky, smiling again. Taking a little book out of his pocket, he flipped through it until he found the page he was looking for. Taking out a small, white flower, he held it up, stroking its petals lovingly.

"Husky and Nana" he said. Husky stiffened, his hand automatically straining for his staff, which lay beside him

"Whaddaya mean, "Husky and Nana?" Huh?? I was just making sure she was warm enough to sleep, alright? Will you people get off me, I hate girls!" Senri simply nodded, and went back to staring at the fire, which is what he had been doing until Husky had interrupted him by asking for Cooro's whereabouts. Husky silently fumed, angry as always at the world in general. What did he care about Nana anyway—she was just another annoying girl.

Of course she isn't as bad as most of them he admitted to himself, hoping that Senri didn't read his expression, or notice the pink spots that bloomed on his papery cheekbones. But she's still a girl. He rebuked himself firmly. And Cooro's a good-for-nothing idiot, he's going to get in trouble, going out at night like that, even if he is a +Anima.

Husky reached up to touch his own curved +Anima marking that gave him the ability to control the animal spirit that lived inside him, allowing him to utilize its abilities when he saw fit. His companions, Cooro, Nana, and Senri also had +Animas, each unique. While it set them apart, and forced them to wander without really having a home, the animal traits could be useful sometimes to protect and provide for themselves. Useful thought Husky Like now. He looked back at Senri, who was now fondling a rose between his thumb and fore finger, his book open on his lap.

Rose, Husky reasoned, seeing the sparkle in Senri's eye. Senri missed the peppy cat +Anima whom they had met during their travels—that Husky knew. They would see her soon, of course, if they kept traveling in the direction of Astaria. Undoubtedly, they'd also run into lots of people they hadn't seen in a while.

"Senri, which way did Cooro go, do you know?" asked Husky, getting to his feet. If his hunch was right….he glanced down the dark passageway that led off into the catacombs of the cave, wherever that might be. Senri looked up, turning his gaze down the same stone tunnel Husky was staring down. Husky nodded, leaning down to pick up the staff he took such pride in, and grabbing a flaming stalk of wood from the fire to use as a torch.

"Ok" he said "I'm gonna go check on him, stay here and watch the fire—and Nana, I don't want her to come to any harm while I'm—I mean—oh, just make sure she doesn't leave the cave, k?" Senri stared at him.

"Nana…" he murmured quietly. "Husky…"

Husky wasn't there to hear the rest, he was already storming down the dark passageway, mumbling angrily under his breath.

It wasn't long until he came to a little place in the tunnel where the walls were farther apart, and a thin but deep stream of icy water cascaded from the cave ceiling, falling down into a peacefully flowing river below. Husky stopped to gaze at the awesome sight for a second, thrown by it's beauty. The water, which had carved out a hollow tunnel in the stone high above him, fell in crystal sheets, shimmering in the flickering light of the torch—and the small fire that burned near the riverside. Husky turned his gaze to the small lump of blankets that lay curled near the fireside.

Nana.

Husky had decided it would be best to sleep near the water, where they could easily get a drink. It was also warmer in this part of the cave, despite the icy temperature of the water in the river. He had decided to keep watch with Senri while Cooro and Nana slept.

Better safe than sorry. Husky figured, walking over to the fire that burned beside Nana and poking it with his staff so that the dry wood was more exposed to the hot coals. His eyes fell on Nana again as she shifted beneath a makeshift blanket constructed from Senri's leather poncho. Her face was pale and still, and her light brown hair fanned out around her head, unhampered by her usual bonnet. Her breath was visible upon the air as her narrow chest rose and fell under the less-than-substantial poncho-blanket. Husky's face softened slightly.

I guess she isn't so bad. He hesitated, glancing around him to make sure no one was watching, even though he knew no one was in there, and then stepped forward, carefully removing his own cape and placing it over Nana's shivering shoulders.

I don't want her to be cold—then she'd only cause a fuss. He reasoned, stripping off his shirt as he moved towards the waters edge. He pushed Nana from his mind altogether as he gazed at the little hole carved into the side of the cave many years ago, through which the water from the river disappeared. Crossing over to the stone wall, he pressed his ear against it, listening urgently to the gentle rhythm of the water as it faded into the distance somewhere far away in the depths of the mountain. He grunted quietly, obviously satisfied.

The water travels almost parallel to this passage he calculated, still gazing into the crystal waters. If I go by water, I should end up in the same place as Cooro…and I travel better in water anyway. He smiled slightly, feeling the power of his +Anima rise up within him as he listened to the rushing water. It would be so good to be engulfed in its swirling current, to feel the wetness rush past his ears, tossing his silvery-blue hair and flooding his thin body. In the water, Husky felt the most at home. Throwing down his torch with a hiss, Husky dove into the water, deep below its icy surface, which closed in over his head. He allowed the strong force of the water to take control, pulling him away into the darkness. There was a shimmer—a flash of silvery scales—and he was gone.

It was night in the mountains. All was still. All was quiet. Under the bush, in the shady fringes of the forest, two glowing sets of eyes met. The two figures which lay crouched in waiting stared at each other for an instant. The first one nodded briefly, and they were off, leaping agilely across the tall grass, through the foothills, and up the steep, rocky surface of the mountain towards the mouth of the cave. It was time.

An instant later, the light in the mouth of the little cave went out, plunging the mountainside, apart from the pale reflection of the moon, into complete darkness.

Tashi: I hope everyone enjoys my story! Review and tell me if you like it!

Husky: Or if you hate it, review anyway and tell Tashi to take out that part about me and Nana-chan...

Nana: *yawns* what part about you and me...?

Husky: Gah! Where did you come from?