The pack quickly established its presence in the area, hunting often and exploring.

At that moment, Kiela was going on a solo hunting trip. She was not hungry enough to suggest that the pack take down a deer, but she knew that famine could strike at any moment and it was best to keep her belly full.

She caught the scent of a snow hare and flattened her belly to the snow. She slid off in the direction of the rabbit. She finally caught sight of it nibbling some seeds that had fallen to the ground from a near bye bush. She crept up towards it, but the rabbit looked up and then bounded away. Kiela looked up as well to see what had startled it. Floating in the air was a brown flacon. Her heart clenched. It looked so much like Lono. She was about to turn away when the wind shifted, bringing towards her a farmiliar scent.

"Lono?" She gasped, unable to contain herself.

Amazingly, the falcon angled itself downwards, landing on the ground in front of her.

"Kiela?" It asked. She rushed forwards and buried her snout in its feathers.

"What? Did they throw you out? What happened to Sky? Where's Connix?" she was unable to contain the rush of questions. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too," he said. She stared into his eyes, feeling as through they were swallowing her with joy.

"Do you remember the day after I met you?" She asked. "You scared of my prey then too."

"I remember." He chuckled. "You wern't too pleased to see me."

"I am now," She said. "I've been living with the wolves."

"So I see," He nodded towards her claw-scarred pelt.

Suddenly a thought occoured to her.

"How's Sky?" She demanded.

"Kiela..." he ruffled his feathers. She felt a pit of dread growing in her stomach.

"Tell me." she said quietly.

"Sky...died. Shortly after you left. She never regained consciousness. There was nothing that the healer could do."
Kiela sat back. Tears stung her eyes. Sky is dead? How is that possible? "Kiela," Lono started. He put a wing around her head. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was." She murmured. "If I hadn't spoken. If we had left the moment that we saw..." She couldn't carry on. Voice breaking , she lay down with her head on her paws.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. I even flew through the desert. Now I've found you, we can go back and tell everyone who Sky's killer is."

"Go back?" She asked, rising to her paws. "I'm never going back." Anger entered her voice, putting an edge into it.

"Of course you are," Lono said, irritated. He flew up into a tree as if annoyed by her refusal. "It is your duty to return. Even if you don't, the elders will know that I've gone to see you. They will immediately suspect me."

You don't understand." She growled. "This is my life now and you have no part in it. You still have a chance! If you don't tell the elders where you have been they will still accept you. Tell them that you have been tracking me or something."

"Keila, I know that these murders were not your fault and they need to know that!"

"Yes, so what am I going to do, waltz into camp and plead my case to Ramsea? They will tear me to shreds."

"If you can talk to them-"

"No Lono! I been ordered to be killed on sight! If I walk in, I'm dead!" She snapped, the stress of the past few months becoming too much for her. "You will be too if you don't leave now."

"I'm not leaving." He said, flipping his wings indifferently.

"Come down!" She snarled. "I am tired looking up at you!" He drifted down and landed on the snow in front of her, out of reach of her claws.

She started to pace, growling. Keila knew that if the tribe found her, she would be killed, and Lono too. I can't go back. But if I do what I'm about to, I'll be just as bad as Manin, as all those who I've always hated. She shook her head. No, I won't. Even if it means sacrificing our frienship I have to protect him. She knew what she had to do, but she hated causing him pain.

"You have to go now! Get away or I will make you leave!"

"You would never hurt me," He said, but his voice faltered.

"Go!" she roared. "Go now!" she stopped her pacing and crouched, he muscles bunching under her silver coat. Lono stayed in his place.

"No!" He shouted. "If you won't leave then I cannot!"

"For the last time Lono I am telling you to leave now. Get away!" she growled and then pounced, biting the tip of one of his outspread wings, the worst crime that could be done to a bird. The feathers would re-grow but until then his flight would be slow and sluggish. He stumbled back in hurt and fear. She wished that she could comfort him and apologize, but she knew that she had to say something that would drive him away, never to return.

"Go now," She repeated. "Or I will cripple your other wing as well." Green eyes blazing, she turned her back on him and padded back into the forest. With a mournful cry, he took off, flapping heavily to compensate for his injured wing. He circled once, soaring on the warm drafts of air before heading back the way that he had come. On the ground below, his blood spotted the snow, red on white.

THIS CHAPER IS UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. THE WOLF ABOVE IS THE WHITE WOLF