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The snap of the bowstring made Sharra jump. Startled, her ears shot straight up and her eyes opened wide as the arrow hissed towards the target. She remained frozen in place with her mouth half open for a long moment after the goose feather fletched projectile buried itself a hand's breadth deep into the rotten stump John was using as a target.

Her surprise was as easy to see on her face as the sun in a clear blue sky. By all the Gods that thing had moved fast! Faster than an eagle in a dive after a fish just below the surface of a lake, faster even than the ducks that launched away at startling speeds when spooked from their watery sanctuaries. Her mouth hung slightly open for a moment as she tried to understand just how the combination of carefully shaped wood and braided sinew string could propel a bone tipped tree branch at such incredible speeds. It didn't seem possible that such simple materials could hold such power. She recalled that John had muttered obscure things about springs, compression, and elasticity when she had asked him how the bow was supposed to work, but at the time she didn't quite believe him when he said that it would be a powerful weapon. She saw the truth of it now and shook away her surprise. She stared at John with an awed look as she wondered just what else this strange human would be able to accomplish with simple materials that she had hardly ever given a second thought to.

John was as still as a statue when Sharra turned her eyes towards him. He met her gaze with a partly open mouth and raised eyebrows. The feelings that flowed from him were bright and sharp. Even he was startled at this first successful test of the weapon he had worked so many long hours on.

"Well I'll be damned," he laughed. "It actually works!"

His mouth closed suddenly and a sly grin spread across his face as he settled a second arrow onto the bowstring. Carried away by his unexpected success, she sensed that he almost started giggling uncontrollably. His iron self control soon took over and the giddiness suddenly fled, smothered so totally and completely that it was almost like it had never been there. He stood as still as a statue for a short moment, pale eyes lost in the depths of thought and concentration.

The human was bare from the waist up on this warm day and sweat gave his sun browned skin a curious sheen in the sunlight. Long limbed, bearded, and clad in stained and torn pants that had once been a deep shade of blue but had since been worn to a muddy, splotchy, brownish mess, John was a strange sight to Sharra in a forest meadow full of the bright green life of late summer. As odd and as out of place as he may have appeared, she had come to understand over the last few weeks that he_belonged_ here, that he was far more a part of the living world around him in this place than he had been part of the world in which he had been born and raised. New life and Power had blossomed from deep within him at the onset of summer, set free from the unfathomable depths of his soul by the touch of the Gods. Reborn, in a fashion, the human had come to embrace this new life and revel in the opportunities that it presented. Sharra was glad for him. He had been tested and judged worthy, his soul cleansed by The Watcher Above, and the new person born during the time of fever and darkness was stronger both in body and in spirit than the one who had come before. There was a sense of solidity to John now and Sharra watched with intense interest as the human bent the considerable powers of his mind and body to the new weapon he held confidently in his hands. He drew in a deep breath and eyed his target with concentration so intense that it was almost surreal.

The bow creaked slightly as he drew the string back to his cheek. A slow half exhale eased past his lips as grey-blue eyes focused on the target. Long, limber fingers laboured against the woven sinew bowstring until all the lines connecting archer, bow and arrow to the target sang together in his mind. The snap of the string was more muffled on his second shot and John twitched as the arrow was released. The shot went wide and Sharra tried to follow the arrow as it caromed of the side of the stump and rattled through branches on its way into the trees. She had no idea where it ended up. When she turned back to John to ask him if he had seen where his projectile had ended up she saw that his face was contorted into a grimace of pain as he stared at the inside of his left forearm. A patch of skin there was angry and red. She felt the fiery sting of his pain burn momentarily through their bond.

"Crap." the human muttered as he wandered over to sit beside her. "I forgot about that." He flexed his fingers and tried to shake off the string burn. His mouth quirked his familiar crooked grin and his pale eyes glittered as they found Sharra's.

"Been a long while since I've shot a bow. Forgot that it's a good idea to keep your arm out of the way of the string." A thoughtful frown settled on his face as the wheels began to turn inside his head.

"Nothing I can't fix with some sort of leather arm guard..." he said at length, voice trailing off as he stared at the welt on his arm.

At a loss for words, Sharra just stared at him, still stunned at the speed at which the bow had launched the arrows. And this bow was an old and archaic weapon among humans? She almost couldn't believe it, but if she concentrated hard and let her self drift deep into the link, into the shadowy parts of John's mind that he had reluctantly shared with her, she knew it was true. As ancient and as simple as it was among humans, her people had never even thought of inventing anything so deadly. Somehow, that worried her and she didn't quite understand why.

John was already past such questions. He muttered to himself as his brain worked over solving the string burn problem, concentrating to the point that nearly everything else was pushed from his mind. The furrowed brow, the slight frown, the way his hand absently toyed with his beard as his smoky blue eyes tried to bore holes through the problem, all such familiar signs to her now. But below all of that, buried deep within the tangled subconscious labyrinth of the human's mind lay the strange weight of the knowledge that she knew had been gifted to him by those who were beyond her understanding. At times she could feel it driving him, pushing that infinitely flexible brain of his towards solving problems he had never encountered before. She now began to understand the subtly different Power he held within his soul, the Power of knowledge and of strange machines, the almost instinctual understanding of how and why the world worked the way it did. She also realized that this unusual Power within him had always been there, lurking quietly beneath the surface until the gift from the Gods unlocked the forgotten doors than it had lain behind.

Sharra had also begun to understand what such knowledge and talents would mean if the human was ever to encounter more of her people. Should they accept him for what he was, he would become a powerful figure among them. However, the constant challenges that his knowledge and talents would bring against her people's long held beliefs would undoubtedly cause problems. The ways of her kind were simple and had been the same for generations. She doubted that change would be welcome or come easily for that matter.

Shifting slightly in her seat, Sharra smiled slightly ears tracking her human friend as he muttered himself through the problem that confronted him. Six cycles of the moon ago she never would have considering returning to her people but now, with much of her old pain having been put behind her, she often found herself longing for the company of her own kind. John was a close friend and someone who held a very special place in her thoughts and heart but he wasn't Tokran. A sigh escaped her muzzle and her ears sagged slightly. She missed having friends, females of her own age and standing that she could laugh, play and gossip with. She even missed listening to the Old Ones as they told the Ancient Stories, and above all of those things, she dearly missed the sounds and sights of pups at play.

It wouldn't be difficult to return to her people. Two or perhaps three moons of travelling to the north and the east and she would once again be in the lands that her people called home. Her Clan may have been wiped out but there were other friendly Clans that lived in the lands that bordered her old hunting grounds. She even had a few distant relatives among them. It would not be difficult for her to find a home there. John however, might not find things so easy. Sharra honestly had no clue how others of her kind would react to his human strangeness.

Her eyes and ears followed the object of her thoughts as he abruptly stood and wandered off in the direction of the cave, presumably to scrounge up a piece of leather for use as some sort of arm guard. What would he think of living among her kind? She honestly had no idea. It was something they had never discussed and the Link had never betrayed his thoughts on the matter to her. John was an often solitary individual, she knew that well enough, yet over the last six months, he had accepted her presence without too many problems even though the trail to that acceptance had been long and winding indeed. Whether he could cope with being in constant close contact with a group of her people for a extended period of time was a question she wasn't sure if she could answer.

Not only that but the long journey back to her old territories would be difficult for the human. A quick glance at the very first hints of autumn colours making their appearances among the greens of the forest meadow around her told her that winter would be likely be well on its way by the time they drew anywhere near her old home. Considering that the human only had thick fur on top of his head and a few other very strange places on his body she doubted that winter would be an easy time for him. The thick clothes he had brought with him into this world were showing signs of wear and tear and she didn't think they'd keep him very warm through the frigid and dark depths of winter.

Probably the biggest factor was that the Mad Season was approaching quickly. Already she could feel a barely tangible tingling in her blood, a subtle distraction in her thoughts as the hormones released into her bloodstream began to prepare her body for the coming season. John hadn't taken any notice of her condition yet, but then again she had been doing what she could to conceal it from him. She understood that his sense of smell was poor at the best of times and in this case that was probably a blessing. She honestly had no idea how he was going to react to her once he finally understood what was going on. Part of her was terrified that he would take a forceful, single minded interest in her when the time came, while another part of her was perhaps more worried that he wouldn't show any interest at all when she would desperately need him too. Out of all the strange things she had seen and odd places she had gone in his mind those parts that had anything to do with the mating habits of humans had been closed off tightly to her. She was in the dark and that bothered her more than anything else. She prayed to the Gods that things would be as they must between her and John as her season climbed to its peak but beyond that she just didn't know what was going to happen when the time came. She couldn't even guess if the pieces were going to fit when it came right down to it. An odd thought, that one, the ever present voice inside her head reminded her.

No, she thought with a sigh, they would not be travelling anywhere this year. They would have to endure the winter where they were and hope the hunting was good. Perhaps in the spring, as long as they survived the challenges of her mad season and those of another winter without tearing out each others' throats. Maybe then, if John was willing, they would begin the long trek back to places she once called home.

Sharra stood up from the dubious comfort of the damp earth where she had reclined to watch John test his new weapon. She brushed dirt and a few clinging leaves from her pelt and made her way over to the stump that he had been using as a target. She quietly eyed the arrow that protruded from the rotten wood. Gingerly, she reached out and grasped it, tugging slightly, but the projectile remained firmly fixed in place. Frowning, she braced a foot against the stump and tugged even harder. The arrow moved but only slightly. Sharra stood back and contemplated the reality of what she was seeing. The force required to bury the arrow so solidly into the stump was far greater than the simple power of her muscles could manage. She couldn't quite believe that nothing more than wood and sinew powered by the human's albeit larger muscles had been able to accomplish such a feat.

Her ears twitched as she heard footsteps behind her. John had reappeared from his jaunt back to the cave. Sitting perched on a rock in a sunny spot and still muttering to himself, the human wrestled with wrapping his left forearm in a piece of leather. With one last look at the arrow embedded in the stump, Sharra turned to watch him, her mind turning over the many possibilities that the human's new weapon suddenly presented to her always curious mind. Surviving the winter may just have gotten easier, she thought as she trotted over to join her friend.

---

Summer is just too damned short. It seemed that the vivid greens of spring and summer had only blossomed out in full for little more than a couple months before the yellows, golds and reds of autumn began their invasion of the seas of green. Sad as I was to see summer on its way out, in some ways I welcomed the change as the autumn season has always been a favourite of mine. In other ways, the approach of winter had me worried on many levels. Short summers meant long, cold winters and I knew that once the snow started to fly life would become a lot more difficult, and in ways I wasn't happy to think about. Considering that in my old life I had lived in part of the world where it was not uncommon for temperatures to dip to forty below zero or even lower during the long and dark nights of midwinter, I had a pretty good idea what was in store in the months ahead. Problem was that I really had no supplies that would make things any easier for me. The clothes that had been brought with me from my world to this one were pretty much worn out. My winter jacket was still in okay shape but I had no other warm clothing to go with it which meant that I'd be making one hell of a fashion statement once the weather cooled off. Of all of the things I'd tried in my life, making clothes didn't even show up on the list. But try is what I must do. At least there would only be one other person around to laugh at the results.

Shelter would be one of the few things that wouldn't be a problem. The old cabin should last at least another winter and failing that, we could always go to the cave. Firewood wasn't an issue; I was surrounded by enough to heat the cabin for at least a couple thousand years.

Food was by far my biggest worry. Even though the bow worked far better than I ever dreamed it would I still had a long ways to go as far as becoming a decent shot with it. Making arrows and points was still giving me fits as well. For some annoying reason nature doesn't make perfectly straight sticks and I had yet to find a useful method of straightening the multitude of crooked ones I laboured to turn into effective arrows. Each point had to be painstakingly made from bone or antler simply because even after repeated attempts I still hadn't made any headway trying to chip points from stone. I wasn't entirely sure whether the problem was me or the kind of stone I was trying to use but my bets were on the monkey bashing the rocks together.

We'd had enough problems with hunting over the summer but during the winter it would be even more difficult and dangerous. When I asked the hairball how much snow usually fell over the winter around here she just gave me an odd look, snorted, and said 'lots.' Thanks Sharra, I guess I'll have to make some snowshoes too.

Come to think of it, Sharra might be another problem during the winter. She's been acting a bit odd since the leaves began changing. The compassionate, playful and sometimes goofy furball I've grown to like has become quiet, preoccupied and often moody in recent times. It's unsettling and worrisome to me to cope with her these days. Often her end of the link is closed to me and at other times what I feel there is conflicting and confusing to say the least. She's shown signs of a short temper and sometimes she even goes off into the forest to be alone for a few hours. Not only is she acting different but she even_smells_ different. I've grown accustomed to her 'doggy' odour over the last few months, and I've even grown to find it oddly comforting. For the last week or so there's been a cloying, musky, almost spicy undertone to her usual aroma and it seems to be growing stronger. Damned if I now what's wrong with her. Maybe she's been hanging out with me for too long. Maybe she's got the wolfy equivalent of the common cold. Whatever is up with her it's starting to make me worry. Funny thing is that I had thought things between us were going pretty well but if she keeps up like this I don't know what I'm going to do. I've tried talking to her about it on a couple occasions but whenever I bring up the subject she suddenly develops the attention span of a gnat and is as easily distracted as a toddler in a toy store. I'm not sure if I'm doing something to cause this or if it's some phase she's going through, but its become painfully obvious that she doesn't want to talk about it. Whatever it is that's got her all tied up in knots, I sure hope it passes soon. I miss the Sharra I've grown to know over the last few months.

So, in an effort to distract myself not only from the approaching winter but the increasingly twitchy canine that I share the cave with, I redoubled my efforts on my projects. After our usual hunting and exploring trips I usually had a lot of spare time on my hands. I spent at least a couple hours a day doing archery practice. There were many experiments on the problem of straightening arrow shafts, some moderately successful, others utter failures. Eventually I discovered that trying to roll the kinks out of green shafts on a flat stone heated in the fire gave me the best results. Straight as an arrow doesn't quite describe what the finished product looked like but they flew straight enough as long as I put the fletchings on right, which was a painful learning curve in its own right. By mid August I had even become proficient enough with the bow to make a few kills with it. Most of the animals around here didn't have the instinctual fear of humans that their counterparts in my old world had in abundance so as long as I was halfways sneaky about it, getting within bowshot of most critters wasn't too difficult. Actually hitting what I was aiming at was another matter entirely. I'm betting I missed at least half again as many shots that I hit on. My presence didn't scare the animals that much but the snap of the bowstring sure did, especially with the often nervous whitetail deer. I still remember the first one that I got close enough to to take a shot at. Sharra and I had lucked on to a young doe during an expedition down to the river. I managed to stalk to within fifteen metres of her, lined up for what I figured would be an easy shot and released the arrow, smug in my belief that I couldn't miss.

Upon the snap of the string against my leather arm guard the deer twitched suddenly, body lowering as her feet splayed out on the forest floor as she lurched ahead. What would had been a killing shot sailed harmlessly over her back and lodged in the trunk of an innocent spruce as the deer took off at a speed that rivalled that of the arrow I had sent at her. As I ruefully watched the deer disappear into the trees, Sharra came up beside me, her pointed ears following the none-too-quiet sounds of the deer fleeing through the forest. When the crashing and cracking had faded into the distance she eyed me in a thoughtful manner.

"You should get closer next time." She suggested, and meandered off into the trees, leaving me to force back the retort that was on the tip of my tongue. After all, she did have a point.

As the summer wound down, I had better success hunting the Canada geese that began heading south to warmer climes in steadily increasing numbers. They were far less twitchy than the deer and were secure enough in their belief that their wings would let them get away easily that I would often get close enough for a relatively easy shot. Needless to say we ate a lot of goose late that summer. Good meat, to be sure, but not much fun to get at. Despite their usefulness for fletching my arrow shafts, feathers are a royal pain in the ass. After repeated attempts at plucking and skinning, I found it was easier just to burn the damn things off as long as I stayed upwind of the fire.

For the most part, that first summer found us fed well enough and as happy as could be expected for such an odd pair. For a while during the hottest days in midsummer Sharra became almost nocturnal. She would sleep the day away better than a teenager that had partied all night and would only start getting active once the sun drew close to the horizon and the day began to cool off. She would wander the forest all night, enjoying the cool air, hunting and doing god knows what else in the dark. At her prodding, I actually went with her a couple times. Let me tell you, the ancient human fear of things that go bump in the night rears up as soon as the light from the fire fades away behind you. Nighttime forests are creepy places, especially so when the light of the moon plays strange games with half seen shapes and sounds of unknown origin torment the ears. Having a travelling companion who happens to be a two legged wolf with a wicked sense of humour doesn't help much either. My meagre part in those after dark jaunts came to an abrupt end when Sharra scared me silly enough times one particular night when I was more uneasy about our nocturnal wanderings than usual that I didn't sleep for days. She thought it was funny as hell but I'm still plotting my revenge.

It was only when the leaves started changing in earnest that I noticed the changes in Sharra's behaviour became even more pronounced. By that time I had plenty of other things on my mind, most of them having to do with just how the hell I was going to survive the coming winter, that I had pretty much accepted that the changes in Sharra's behaviour were something I was going to have to live with. Frustrated with her being stuck to me like glue one moment and then having to tread carefully around her the next with no warning in between, my somewhat anti-social and avoident tendencies reared up and I pulled away from her to protect my own sanity. I spent long hours working on my many projects and many more wracking my brain for ideas that would help us survive the winter. I rarely put any effort into our unique Link, and hardly did anything at all to figure out was really going on because when it came right down to it, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know. Excuses and work were what I used to put some space between us, and as I was soon to find out that was close to the worst thing I could have done to the person I owed nearly everything to.

It was a real jaw dropping, smack to the forehead moment when I finally did figure out what was really going on. Unfortunately my knee-jerk reaction to that sudden understanding certainly didn't help the situation. I'm an idiot, plain and simple and I guess that's one thing that will never change. Tokran aren't human beings, and despite her outward appearance, it was often difficult not to think of Sharra as one. Her species are different from humans in so many unique ways and it was one of those differences that played a role in making that first autumn such a mess. I'm able to look back now and get a chuckle out of the whole deal but I'm still an idiot, and I think I'll let some of Sharra's memories show you just how big of a fool I really was back then.

---

With the last full moon of summer rising above the tips of the towering pines behind her, Sharra sat deep in thought. Perched on a mossy boulder that still radiated the warmth of the day, she did her best to calm the anger that burned like a small sun inside her mind.

A world bathed in shades of grey arrayed itself before her and the nighttime sounds of the forest tickled her ears as the breeze that had sprung up under the warmth of the afternoon sun slowly faded into stillness as the night deepened. Mice squeaked and rustled through decaying leaves and scattered pine needles. Somewhere behind her an owl hooted and a pointed, well furred ear swivelled to follow the sound. Grumbling to herself, Sharra slid from the stone to land lightly on the forest floor. The sounds of critters scurrying in the darkness suddenly abated with the sound of her footsteps as the denizens of the night grew wary, judging the threat this large intruder posed.

They should be worried, Sharra thought. With the mood she was in she was surprised that she hadn't spontaneously combusted. She kept trying to tell herself that it was the Mad Season that was making her so damned angry, and that was likely part of it, but it was that thrice cursed human that was responsible for her incendiary mood. She stalked off through the silent forest, anger leaking out through each step, her pace calculated to instill fear in any prey species that listened.

Flatface had been ignoring her an awful lot recently and the hurt had been deepening with each day that he continued to avoid her. Yes, she wasn't the most rational being in the world when the season was upon her, the Gods knew that was true, but that furless monstrosity had even pulled away from her through their Link. She'd never felt so insulted and unwanted in her whole life. Did he not understand that all she wanted at this point was just to be with him, to have his comforting presence close in both body and mind? Had he not been listening to the song their special bond sang to his soul?

Maybe that was the problem, Sharra reflected, as she paused at the edge of a moonlit clearing. The human didn't understand, or maybe he couldn't understand what she needed from him. In his defence, she hadn't exactly been forthcoming about her condition either. He knew something was up and had asked a few pointed questions. She had danced around the issue out of fear that he might not understand. That didn't stop her from being mad at him though. He was male, he was supposed to know what to do with a female who's hormones were on the warpath. A male of her own kind would certainly know what to do, she huffed.

After carefully scenting the air currents to make sure there were no hidden surprises lurking in the clearing, Sharra stalked through long grasses and shrub willows painted moonlight silver, a lithe, sleek shadow flowing noiselessly through a nocturnal dreamscape as silent silhouettes of trees watched from all sides. She didn't really have a destination in mind, she just needed to get away, and as she moved her anger slowly abated. At one point she even gently touched the Link to see what John was up to. Her touch didn't reveal much other than he was resting comfortably, mind deep within a private sphere of its own thoughts. She withdrew without disturbing him and Sharra wasn't surprised that he still remained at the cave. John had certainly proven himself not to be the type to enjoy a cool night in the forest, but she hadn't expected him to be so uneasy and afraid in the dark. Her kind actually preferred night to day during the hottest weeks of summer. There was something exhilarating about roaming the forest after the sun went down, relying on scent and sound more than sight. For John, something dark and primal took hold when the light of day faded and the fire was too far away. An ancient and deep fear from ancestors long forgotten took hold, something that warned of danger hidden behind every rock and tree. Sharra couldn't quite understand that. He'd always seemed so strong and powerful with all of his knowledge. To see him fearful of something as simple as the dark seemed outrageous at first. But when she thought about it, that amazing vision he had went pretty much blind after the sun set. Without a keen sense of smell to warn of any possible danger every sound, no matter how innocent, screamed a warning in the human's brain. Guess it had been a bad idea to take off on him that one time he did come out with her at night and then sneak up on him a few minutes later. She had gotten such a fantastic reaction to her little joke though. The problem was that the human had a pretty active imagination and Sharra was slightly worried at what form his eventual revenge would take. She could fault John for a lot of things. Creativity wasn't one of them.

The sound of running water filtered through the trees to Sharra's waiting ears. Without thinking she turned towards it, drifting like a silvery ghost in strange land where it seemed only she and the trees existed under the watchful eyes of the moon. The forest was eerily still and quiet as the sound of the water drew her on. The trees abruptly thinned out and the soft moss under her footpads gave way to water rounded stones and gravel. A small creek snaked through the moss and stones, meandering underneath leaning pines and through small meadows of lush grass. A place of surreal beauty under the light of the full moon, the creek glittered with stars and the stones under her feet were painted shades of silver. She paused to take in her surroundings and was struck with sudden sorrow that John couldn't experience this scene with her. The walk through the forest had cooled her anger but now sadness took hold. She reached out to him, thought better of it and pulled away with the softest of caresses and a forlorn sigh. Was she so different from John that he couldn't wrap his brain around what she needed from him? She'd had so much hope that perhaps the gaping holes in her heart and soul could be filled by this one that was so different from her yet so gentle and caring. There had been so much promise in the beginning, but all of that seemed to be fading with each passing day.

The waters glittering in the moonlight were clear and cool. Sharra knelt to quench her thirst and paused as she caught her moonlit reflection in the water. The combination of silvered fur and stars dancing around her head she found striking, and she suddenly wondered if John would think the same thing. Was she ugly to him? Was her physical appearance something he just couldn't get past?

The conversation they'd had kept playing over and over in her mind, the sting of his words fresh in her thoughts.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" It wasn't so much the words themselves but the tone and the feelings behind them that stung. Frustration, impatience, exasperation. All exposed in brute strength for a fleeting second before the walls went up and their Link quieted.

The shock had coursed through her body in an instant as the rebuff set in. Her ears wilted, mouth opened and closed again as words fled her. All she'd wanted was a little time with him. To feel his body next to hers and to laugh and play on a beautiful late summer evening.

With her Season almost fully upon her, her mood swung abruptly. She took the burning star of the hormone driven anger that reared up and shaped it into feelings and words that weren't entirely kind. As usual, it didn't help things.

"All you do is work." She snarled "I see it now. You are a male that hides from others behind a wall of his own making. You will not even let your Linkmate close to you." She shook her head in disgust and poured all of her anger and hurt into the Link. "If you had any real balls you would not be so weak to be afraid of our bond and the things it means."

And she had hit a nerve. Her words had caught him by surprise. He was taken aback at first, but John's eyes quickly narrowed and his face hardened, grey eyes regarding her coldly. His words were as sharp as broken glass, his anger a white hot lance through the Link.

"Really Sharra? What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm trying to figure out ways to survive this winter and you're pissed that I won't just drop everything and go for a pointless walk in the woods." He glared at her, jaw clenched. "We can go out wandering anytime, just let me finish what I'm doing first."

In the space of a second, Sharra's anger faded. John's reaction had been sharper than she expected and the Link easily betrayed the frustration and impatience that had consumed him. An empty sadness took hold of her. Her ears wilted as she looked forlornly at her human friend. "But you never do anything with me anymore. All you do is hide away in your work." she pleaded.

"Don't be so goddamn needy. We do plenty of things together." he said sharply.

"But..."

John cut her off with a wave of his hand before she could go any further. He looked at her steadily for a moment. With a sigh through gritted teeth he looked away. She could feel him wrestling with the anger that rose so easily to cloud his thoughts and his words. Yet underneath it all she felt that her words had hit home. The truth of his actions stung him yet he pushed it away, seeking to bury it underneath his all important work. His next words were carefully measured and mostly free of the anger that had taken hold of him earlier.

"I hate to break it to you but you ain't the one that's going to run the risk of freezing or starving to death a couple months from now. That makes the work I'm doing right now pretty damned important to me."

"But what about me? Am I no longer important to you?" She said softly. "I want to spend time with you and be close to you. I had thought that you wanted the same thing."

"Sharra ... I ..." John's mouth worked but words failed him. He suddenly found something very interesting to stare at in the vicinity of his feet. Their Link came to life and for a moment his fear was transparent. It was Sharra's turn to be caught by surprise. This strange, towering giant of a human had grown afraid. Not of her but of her hormone driven mood swings and what they might mean.

John could barely meet her eyes. Sharra just stared at him, mouth half open, eyes wide in shock. John's shoulders sagged and he made a noise that sounded half groan, half growl.

"Shit." he muttered.

Sharra shook her head in disgust. "Yes," she growled, "it is what you are full of."

With that she poured all of her disappointment, hurt and disgust into their Link. John caught her eyes as she turned from him. He was as stunned as if she'd hit him between the eyes with the butt of her spear. Bewilderment reigned in his thoughts yet she thought she caught a hint of regret and perhaps even shame among the chaos.

A sudden need to be away from him and this place possessed her. She turned her back on the human and trotted towards the trail that led towards the forested valley.

As she jogged away from John she felt the words form in his mind before he even said them.

"Do not bother coming along. I would hate to take you away from your work." She spat at him over her shoulder. She put as much sarcasm and disgust in her voice as she could. Let him have his work. It was a poor substitute for the warmth and companionship of a close friend by your side.

Her anger had renewed as she left him behind. From there her feet found their own path to her mossy perch as the moon silently rose behind her. Her thoughts and feelings had been as mixed up as the clouds before a storm.

John had been contrite, and genuinely so. It had been easy enough to feel that through the link as she had trotted away from him and into the trees. But she had been so angry with him! Damn the Mad Season for clouding her thoughts and sending her temper into the heights.

Sharra stared at the her moonlit reflection in the gently flowing waters. Maybe John truly did not understand what was happening to her and the part he must play in it. She had thought that the Link itself would have made that clear to him. She'd caught a glimpse in his thoughts, just the hint of a suggestion that he suspected the truth. Yet, it was as plain as day that he was denying the reality of it to himself.

Why would he do such a thing? She wondered, looking up at vault of the night sky. The moon and stars kept their answers to themselves.

She needed him to be close to her, she wanted to feel those nimble fingers of his brush through her fur. To be embraced in his strong arms was a dream come true and the very thought of it sent a tingle up her spine.

The sudden rush of emotion abated as a thought struck her out of the blue. What exactly did he need from her? She kept expecting him to act like a Tokran male when the reality of the situation was that he he was the farthest thing from a male of her own species that she'd ever imagined.

Sharra sat back on her haunches, mind suddenly following paths she had not considered before. How many times in the last few months had his actions caught her by surprise? The answer came to her swiftly. More than she could count.

She crossed her arms over her knees and rested her muzzle on her forearms. She remained motionless for a long moment before she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Reaching out with the Link, her mind sought her human partner. As she had expected, he was asleep. A wry smile touched her muzzle. She tended to sleep most of the day away while John had a hard time staying awake past sunset. Yet another reminder of their substantial differences.

The anger that had taken her earlier had long since faded away, her emotional pendulum swinging back the opposite way. She was feeling a bit sad and alone, wishing that she could snuggle up against John while he slept. She taken to doing that most nights in the last cycle of the moon. Many times she didn't even sleep, she just enjoyed the sensation of another warm body close to hers. He didn't seem to mind the company. She would listen to his breathing and take comfort in the steady beat of his heart. She kept their Link wide open at those times, using her influence to keep any bad dreams from interrupting John's slumber. Often once he was comfortably asleep she would steal away into the night to hunt or explore, returning in the pre-dawn gloom to lie by his side once more and be with him as he woke.

Sharra sent her mind into their special bond, gently feeling her way to her sleeping friend. The human was dreaming lightly. She gathered her feelings for him together in a bright ball and deftly sent them into his sleeping mind. There they would linger until he woke. Her feelings would become entwined with his dreams, keeping out any sadness or pain and letting him know that he was not alone. She pushed herself to a standing position and took one last look at her ghostly reflection in the moonlit stream waters.

Yes, she had been angry with him but he needed to know that she had grown to truly love him. And also that the onset of the Mad Season tended to make the females of her species moody and a touch irritable, she thought wryly.

She left a special gift of love and warmth for him in their Link for when he woke up and then gently withdrew from their special bond. Other things required her attention before the sun rose. Her stomach rumbled for fresh meat. Morning would bring another day and hopefully a better one.

---

The moon fell from the sky to linger amongst the tips of the shadowy peaks to the west. Dawn was not long in coming now; already the first hints of colour turned the branches of the pines to silhouettes against the growing light. Sharra paused to turn her muzzle to a black sky gradually fading into the blue of day. Only the brightest of the stars could still be seen now. She closed her eyes for a moment, sniffing deeply of the subtle air currents around her. It was eerily still, as it often was before the sun rose to heat the day, but the air was cool and refreshing to her nose. The scent of pines and moss pervaded everything, strong and healthy scents that brought good thoughts to her mind.

The approach of dawn slowly brought the forest to life. Already the first birds could be heard chirping in the trees. She heard robins and a few chickadees. Two squirrels began an argument in the distance and a smile grew on Sharra's muzzle. She felt it in her bones that this was going to be a good day.

It was easy for her to sense that John was still sleeping. He felt well rested and his mind was slowly crawling towards wakefulness as the rhythms of his body sang in tune with those of the world around him and whispered that morning had come. Sharra turned her eyes to the moon as it slowly sank behind the peaks and mused on the differences between her and her odd human friend once more. John's superior eyesight could pick out patterns in the light and dark areas of the surface while she saw little more than a bright, slightly uneven light. To her and her people, the mottled white circle sinking behind the mountains was the God of ever changing faces, destined to chase the sun across the sky for all eternity, but cursed to have his strength fade as he came within reach of his quarry. To John it was a satellite of the planet Earth, an airless, pockmarked rock stuck in a perpetual twenty-eight day orbit with one side tidally locked to always face the planet it circled.

One belief was an ancient legend taken on faith and passed down through countless generations of her ancestors, told so many times that it had become truth in the minds of her people. The other was a certainty based in facts of measurement, mathematics and proven theories from a species with an insatiable curiosity about the universe and how it worked.

And even though it stung her dearly held beliefs to acknowledge it, she knew that John was right.

With a sigh and a quick scratch of an ear, Sharra turned her feet towards home. John would be awake soon and she wanted to be there when he did. Perhaps, if he was willing to listen, she would try and explain a few things to him. She was not looking forward to that potentially awkward conversation.

The return trip through a forest awakening to a beautiful summer morning helped quell the flutters in her thoughts. She didn't think that John was still angry with her. Yes, he did have a quick temper but his iron self control usually reigned in his anger in quickly. A good nights sleep combined with the feelings she had infused into their Link would help to clear his thoughts and improve his mood. She could sense he was at the cusp of wakefulness. She would likely arrive back at the cave to find that he was already up and going about his usual morning routine. Sharra quickened her pace along the narrow path that led back to their stone sanctuary.

By the time she arrived, the sun had returned to paint the tips of the tall pines in shades of gold. The mountains to the west seemed larger than life, snow shadowed peaks gleaming in the soft light of the sunrise. Not a cloud marred the expanse of blue sky overhead and the air remained still cool and still.

John, as was usual for him on mornings where the weather was good, was already outside the cave. He was standing facing the range of mountains to the west. A wooden cup filled with something hot was cradled in his right hand, steam curling up towards his face as he looked out over the valley. Sun browned skin and glimpses of his lean, lithe physique could be seen beneath his tattered shirt. She sensed that he was aware of her presence as she approached but he kept his gaze towards the mountains as she moved towards him.

Something clicked in Sharra's mind at seeing John in this fashion. It wasn't just one thing that caught her attention. Rather, it was a combination of subtle details. The way the tendrils of smoke drifted through the branches of the trees behind him, swirling and twisting in the shafts of light that filtered through the pine branches. The soft light of the sunrise on his back, the way the copper brown fur on his head caught the first rays of light that reached through the branches of the trees. The relaxed, yet confident posture of his body as he watched the light grow on the distant mountains. Even the deeply tanned skin and the corded muscles of the arm that held the cup caught her attention. She paused for a moment, the image before her so vivid in her mind that she knew she would remember it for the rest of her days. This was the one she was bonded to for the duration of her life. The one that was destined to become her mate, and who would one day take his place as the missing half of her soul. He who would become Father as she would Mother, and she finally understood that she truly did love him.

For a long moment Sharra watched John, the feelings in her heart nearly overwhelming her. John idly sipped from the steaming cup in his hand but his eyes never once wavered from the horizon. Sharra bowed her head, dreading to give herself to their Link after their disagreement the previous night but knowing that she must. As she nerved herself up to enter their bond she felt a soft touch on her mind and her soul was encircled in a gentle caress. To her everlasting surprise it was the human that had reached out to her!

The quiet, compassionate strength that flowed around her was like a cool breeze on a hot day. Nowhere in it was even a hint of the anger she had seen and felt so freely the night before. She sensed questions and a slight touch of wariness in a sea of friendly concern. Embarrassment and regret were there too, hiding deep among the other sensations that flooded their Link. Sharra's ears went back and she bowed her head. The shame and regret that ebbed and flowed in their Link did not wholly belong to her human partner.

John had turned to face her when she looked up after a moment. A crooked smile creased the lines of his alien face. He took a sip from his cup and stepped towards her.

"I missed you this morning." He said. "I was hoping you'd be back before I woke up. I've grown to enjoy having you next to me as I greet the day." A frown lingered on his lips for a moment before fading as he looked back towards the mountains. "Can't say I'm surprised you stayed away a little longer."

Sharra smiled weakly. "I had to get away. I was angry and needed time to myself to think."

"I think you've been hanging around with me too long. That's sounds like something I would do." John remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Sharra smirked and flicked an ear. "Good point."

"I think I get why you you were mad but the intensity of it shocked a nasty reaction out of me." John shook his head and then lifted his eyes to stare directly into hers. "What the hell was that all about? I've never seen anything like that from you before, especially when it's directed right at me."

The grin melted off of Sharra's muzzle and her ears wilted. She took a deep breath and wondered if she was ready for this conversation. Her eyes found the mountains to the west and she stared at the indistinct shapes there for a long moment. John remained silent but the sensations of the Link ebbed and flowed around her, helping to quell the anxiety that reared in mind and body.

"This is a difficult time of year for me." She began slowly, avoiding the human's gaze and looking up at the clear blue sky instead. "It is not easy for me to explain why. My people do not usually speak openly of it but around this time every year begins a time we call the Mad Season."

John's brow furrowed and he cocked his head to the side. "The ... Mad Season?" She could feel the wheels turning in his head as he thought that one over.

"It affects all females of my race that have lived eleven summers or more."

"Okay ..." He sounded confused at first but Sharra couldn't help but smile at the degrees of expression the human's face went through as he feverishly worked his way to understanding what she was alluding to. After a moment his end of the Link suddenly clouded over. "Ah ..." he swallowed nervously. "Uh, I guess this has something to do with your, um, reproductive cycle or something." His cheeks reddened slightly.

"Yes, how else would the pups be born at the correct time in the spring?"

The human's expression settled on one of confused embarrassment. "Um ... makes sense, I guess."

Sharra regarded him evenly. "Let me guess, the females of your species do not have a season like this?"

"Not quite." John smiled weakly and scratched the back of his neck. "They keep us men guessing on that front." He let out a strained chuckle. "And on a lot of other things for that matter." His end of the Link remained as clouded as ever. "Wow," he groaned as he shook his head. "Okay, so what exactly does this 'Mad Season' mean then? For us, I guess." He gestured futilely as his words trailed off.

Sharra cocked her head, curiosity and worry growing in her thoughts at his words. Did he truly not understand? If that was the case, the next few weeks would be trying for both of them. She probed the Link, trying to get a sense of his true thoughts on the matter. Everywhere she turned she came up against impenetrable barriers. The only thing she could sense was a healthy dose of uncertainty yet Sharra had the distinct impression that he understood more about her condition than he was letting on. She eyed him with a calculating stare. He found something interesting to stare at in the trees.

"Your thoughts are as twitchy as a nervous squirrel." She snapped as her frustration with John threatened to rise again. "I think you have a very good idea what it means."

The human turned to her, a forlorn expression on his features. He opened his mouth to speak but all of the air went out of him in one long exhale. His shoulders sagged and he turned his eyes to the ground. When he finally gathered the strength to speak his voice was low and Sharra could feel the effort it took for him to force the words out.

"Suspicions mostly." He sighed. "I really had no clue until I got the little gift you sent into my dreams last night." John clenched his jaw and shook his head. "I never knew your feelings for me went that deep. Honestly I didn't even think it was possible. We aren't even of the same damn species!" He gestured hopelessly as his eyes finally met hers. The depths to which this revelation had shook him were easy to see in his pale eyes.

Sharra was silent for a moment. And then she did something neither she nor the human expected. She reached out to him and drew him into a tight embrace. John stood there, as rigid as a tree, wooden cup still clenched in an outstretched arm. It took a moment but slowly he began to relax and enjoy the close contact with his bond mate. Her head against the human's chest, Sharra could hear the steady beat of his heart. The strong rhythm comforted her and she breathed deeply of her mate's scent and let herself relax into him. He stumbled as she caught him off guard. A brief chuckle escaped John and he tossed his cup to the side and returned her embrace. No words passed between them for a long moment.

The sensations through the link were very tentative at first. John was as guarded with his feelings as ever but Sharra drew him gently towards the center of her soul and the honest emotions that lay there. They spent a long moment like that, minds, bodies and souls entwined before Sharra broke the silence.

"Do you now understand?" She asked.

John rested his chin on the top of her head. He was silent for a long moment. "I'm less confused than I was, and honestly I'm very, very surprised." Sharra felt him draw in an uncertain breath. "Your thoughts speak of ... love, which honestly would be a slightly awkward subject for me just on its own. But these feelings of yours are love for me,_and in a way that I hadn't considered. I'm a little uncertain, worried even, about what that means for us. When it comes to relationships and love believe me, I have zero luck and not a whole lot more experience. Now that I think about it I'm not even sure that I've ever really been _in love."

Sharra turned her head up to John's. There was a glow in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips.

"Yet," He continued on, "I really do like you, both as a close friend and a fluffy, occasionally annoying companion." His eyes sparkled with amusement for a moment and then he sobered. "But love, that's something else entirely. Hell, I don't even know if it means the same thing to you and your people as it does to me and mine."

Sharra drew back from their embrace and held John's eyes with an even stare. "We shall have to find that out for ourselves then." She favoured him with a quick lick on the cheek, an action that made his eyebrows jump straight up and hide in the unruly mass of fur that had grown so long on the top of his head. A brief touch of anxiety flitted through their special bond. Sharra chuckled and a frankly salacious grin spread on her muzzle. "These feelings, this closeness, it makes you uncomfortable?"

"You could say that ...." John managed to squeak out.

"There is nothing to fear from this, silly," Sharra laughed. "You are my mate." She felt him tense up at that word. "I love you and wish to be close to you, that is all." She took his hands and turned so that her back was towards John and leaned into him. She pulled his arms into an embrace around her waist and settled in with a contented sigh. His breath tickled her ear. She could sense that the human wasn't entirely comfortable with their current positions but the feelings she surrounded him with in their Link slowly began to push his uneasiness away. Her tail thumped gently against his leg.

A wonderful quiet moment passed between them as they watched the rising sun bathe the peaks to the west in a deep golden light.

"This is different for me too, you know." Sharra said softly. "The males I have dealt with before were certainly nothing like you are. They at least had ideas what to do with a female during the Mad Season that did not involve trying to hide from her." She joked.

John snorted. "If you were a human female, I'd know what buttons to push."

Sharra barked laughter. "Would you now? I do not recall seeing the results of your prowess with females in your memories the last time we joined minds."

The human's face turned an interesting shade of red at that statement and his end of the Link slammed closed in an instant. Sharra leaned forward and craned her neck around to search his face with amused, half lidded eyes. "I tried my best to keep you out of those ones." He mumbled, unable to meet her eyes. "A guy needs his privacy."

Sharra laughed and poked him in the ribs, eyes glittering with amusement. She was rewarded with a startled jump from her mate. "True. Memories of love and lovemaking are private things and not easily shared." She smirked and tried to jab him again but he dodged adeptly, grabbed her arms and held her fast. He stared at her in wonder, his earlier embarrassment fading into the background. At length he shook his head and his trademark crooked smile played on his lips.

"You never cease to surprise me fuzzball." John chuckled. "I never would have guessed you had this side to you and I'll be damned if I know what to do with it."

Sharra smiled in return. "You will figure it out eventually." She leaned in for another quick lick of his bearded cheek. John almost flinched away from her but managed to get through it with only a small twitch.

The human just shook his head in wonder. "I'm not so sure about that." he admitted as his grin faded, "I figured the last six months had screwed me up enough but those were a walk in the park compared to the last fifteen minutes."

Sharra sobered as she rolled that statement over in her mind, remembering her thoughts from her soul searching during the night.

"I know I have been a little preoccupied during the last half cycle of the moon. With the onset of the Mad Season and you keeping your distance from me a result of it, I was worried. We females are not the easiest to cope with when the season is upon us as it tends to makes us irritable and rather single minded." Sharra perked her ears and looked up at John. " After our argument last night I did a lot of thinking and I realized that I had never once considered what you needed from me as we grew closer. So, I ask you this now. I am your mate," she smiled softly, "what do you need from me?"

The human started at her words and stared at her with wide, worried eyes. After a moment his lips pursed and a distant look entered his eyes. Their Link remained clouded as he carefully measured his response. She could sense his surprise at her question but that was about it.

"I think," he began slowly, "the most important thing right now is for you to be as patient with me as you can." Sharra opened her mouth to say something but John cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"This whole Mad Season thing and the revelation of depth of your feelings for me is a hell of a lot for me to absorb. Honestly, my head is spinning right now. I'm going to need some time and space to work through this and figure out just what the hell is going on." He shook his head. "This is about the last thing I expected."

Sharra was saddened at his words. "But I thought you understood what this means for us."

John grimaced and looked away. "Understanding is one thing. Actually living it is something else entirely. I'm not good with people and their feelings. Never have been and I doubt that will ever change. That's a big part of the reason why I've been a solitary guy for most of my life because when it comes right down to it, I don't like people very much." His end of the Link tightened down until it was almost completely closed off.

A moment of awkward silence grew between them.

"You are blocking me again." Sharra said softly, eyes downcast.

Startled, John looked up. "Sorry," he mumbled, "I often do that without thinking about it." He took a deep breath and eased open his end of their bond. Sharra reached out to him, sending the warmth of her feelings for him into his thoughts. There was a momentarily flicker of resistance as John fought with his anxiety, and then a shuddering sigh from the human as he relaxed and gave himself to their special bond.

The world around them faded and they met once more in the strange mindscape of the Link. Sharra took control, gathering her strength to bend the grey fog surrounding them into images born of memories past.

John stood quietly beside her. Sharra noted that his mental self image had changed since the last time they shared minds through their bond. His body was leaner and his features sharper. The fur on his head had grown long and his chin and cheeks were hidden behind a beard of almost a finger's length. The clean and new clothing he wore last time had become tattered and stained.

Even his eyes had changed. Their last meeting in this place had seen him confident and curious, yet as he waited silently beside her, clouds of uncertainty darkened his faded blue eyes. He showed no signs of using the iron strength of his will to wield the Link as she had seen him do before. She sensed that much of his vitality had drained away and he was adrift and anxious in this place that he had once felt so at ease.

Sharra was saddened at the sensations she felt from her mate. That sadness flowed through her and became a seed of frustration at herself and at the human's seeming inability to understand how their futures were so deeply intertwined.

For a moment, Sharra let her thoughts drift. She let go of her frustration and sought to calm her thoughts. The human had to understand what she needed from him but he also had to understand that she wanted him to be happy.

Her attention found a course of action and focused upon it. She would show him a glimpse of their future through the eyes of the past. She reached out into the fog surrounding them and twisted.

Images slowly took shape, born from a thousand memories of happier times.

... A lean, silvery grey male chased a laughing grey female through the trees, feet pounding on the forest floor. Through a forest full of the lush green growth of midsummer they wove, tongues lolling, eyes bright, the gap between the two slowly narrowing. The female kept looking back over her shoulder as she ran, a knowing look in her eyes. She redoubled her efforts and the space between her and her pursuer began to widen. Despite his best efforts to keep up the silvery male began to fall behind and soon lost sight of his quarry in the thick undergrowth. He slowed to a halt and stilled his panting for a moment, sniffing the air carefully for any sign of his prey. Pointed ears twitched as he filtered through the sounds of the forest for anything that would give away his prize.

Nothing revealed itself to nose, ears or eyes and the silvery male smiled to himself. She was as quick and as stealthy as ever. The smile still lingering on his muzzle, he closed his eyes and bent his concentration inwards, following the thread of the special bond that joined them together in mind and soul. His grin widened as he sensed the female's presence nearby. She wouldn't get him this time. As he dug deeper into their Link he discovered the she was slowly approaching. His grin abruptly faded and worry took over as he came to the realization that she was stalking him but he couldn't tell from what direction.

He had just enough time to drop into a ready crouch before a dark grey blur pounced him from behind a tangle of moss shrouded fallen logs to his left. They rolled across the forest floor, a tangle of furry limbs, laughing, and growling as they wrestled, each trying to gain the upper hand. They were evenly matched and after a prolonged minute where neither one of them could gain an advantage, they suddenly broke apart. Their laughing grins and bright eyes spoke volumes as they helped each other remove the dirt and leaves that their wrestling match had embedded in their pelts ...

More memories took shape and Sharra felt the old longing well up within. She had been happy once. Would she ever know these feelings again? She stole a look at the human beside her. His thoughts were bent inward, eyes clouded over as he watched the memories of her first love.

... The inseparable pair followed a game trail alongside a winding creek at the bottom of a lush valley. The summer breeze blew the tantalizing scent of game to their waiting noses. Moose were nearby, an old cow and a yearling calf, and the pair slowed to a stalk. Here was a bounty that would feed many mouths in the clan. With silent gestures and unspoken words, the pair drifted apart, finding their own separate trails through the dense willows, the one seeking to drive the moose to the waiting spear of the other.

Through the dense willows they crept, the instincts of thousands of generations of hunters singing in their blood. They could not see the moose but their keen noses and ears tracked their prey as the pair slipped closer to their quarry.

Sharra was the first to catch a glimpse of the moose. Through the dense green weave of the willow branches, dark brown, almost black patches of hair could be seen as the old cow moose led her calf towards the creek for an afternoon drink. Mallek was perhaps twenty spans to her right, hiding among the tall grass on the bank of the creek on the downwind side of a well travelled game trail. Sharra edged closer to her prey, setting her sights on the calf. The old cow would be a handful for her and Mallek, but the calf would be far easier to bring down.

When she judged the time to be right, Sharra sent her thoughts to her mate through their Link and sprang from the cover of the willows at a flat out run. The old cow saw her first and instead of fleeing towards the creek and the trail where Mallek lay in wait, she put her head down and charged right at Sharra. Her eyes bugged out and her ears went back and she slid to a less than graceful stop. With barely a second to spare Sharra dove headfirst into the willows as the old cow thundered past. Her spear was torn from her fingers and she ended up flat on her back. Tangled in the willows, Sharra struggled momentarily before getting back on her feet. Showing surprising agility for such a large animal the old cow spun and lashed out with a hoof. Sharra yipped in surprise and ducked. Willows cracked and thrashed and Sharra decided that she'd had enough. She bolted out of the dense brush and out onto an open trail, the old moose close on her heels.

"Mallek!" she yelled, voice rising as the sound of hooves behind her became too close for comfort.

Before any of her senses were aware that he was close, she felt his presence in her mind. His touch calmed her and she gained strength from this special male that she was bound to. His desire to help was bright and sharp in her mind, his attention concentrated on the all important task of heading off the moose that was chasing her.

Her saviour appeared in the form of a grey blur that launched itself out of the brush to her left, startling not only her but the angry moose at her heels. The old cow awkwardly slid to a halt as Mallek waved his arms over his head and yelled at her. Sharra turned and joined her mate, approaching the old cow from several paces to Mallek's left. She growled her anger and frustration at the moose, hackles raised, the fur on her back and shoulders standing at attention.

Sensing that the tables had turned, the old cow's head swung back and forth between Sharra and Mallek. Slowly she retreated back in the direction that she had come. Sharra moved to pursue but her mate held her back.

"Leave her be." he said softly. "I have taken her calf. There is no need to disturb her further."

It was only then that Sharra noticed the sharp tang of fresh blood that clung to her mate. She looked at Mallek in surprise. She had been so absorbed in escaping from the angry cow moose that she hadn't even sensed that he'd made a kill.

Mallek Smiled at the look on her face. "I would not have been able to do it without the distraction you so kindly provided."

Mallek took her in his arms. "I am so happy you were not hurt." He nuzzled her ear.

"I thought she had me there for a minute." Sharra admitted. "If it had not been for you she may well have."

Mallek held her close and used their special bond to brush the lingering fear from her mind. Sharra relaxed into him, thankful once more for this special male she was bound to.

They reluctantly broke away from each other after a moment. "Come," Mallek said, "We have much work to do to get the calf back to the hungry mouths of the Clan."...

The memory dissolved into grey and Sharra let her mind drift within the emptiness. John drifted with her, a bright spark that was never out of reach. His thoughts were chaotic, but she sensed a deep sadness within. She gently reached out to him and held him in a loving embrace. The chaos within gradually subsided but the sadness remained.

"Do not be sad for me," Sharra sent to her mate, "Life is not easy nor is it fair. I do miss Mallek and yes, his death nearly did destroy me but I have you to thank for giving me a reason to want to live again." She bathed him in the warmth of a smile.

John's forlorn reply was almost drowned out by the strength of her feelings.

"But what about us?What kind of future could we have? We are so different in so many ways. Now that I've seen what you had with Mallek I don't think that will work for us."

Those words dug deep, and Sharra held John's soul even tighter to hers. "I wish I could say that all will be as it should be but the Gods too often have other plans for us." She paused a moment to gather her thoughts. "I will show you a glimpse of what our future could be like, and what I hope may happen."

Sharra poured out her hopes for the future into the grey void, and her dreams slowly took shape. They swirled around, blending together. Some as clear as the sun in the summer sky, others indistinct and hazy.

...An odd pair hiking along a rocky ridge, laughing and joking as they travelled northeast. Away from the mountains they headed, towards flatter land where aspen and birch ruled instead of pine and spruce. There were nights spent around the warmth of a fire, sitting shoulder to shoulder, making tools and repairing weapons, talking of memories past and plans for the future...

...Times spent hunting with all senses on edge, sometimes successful but often not. The trials of working together, of learning how to use the Link and each others strengths for the benefit of them both...

...There were nights spent together with their bodies joined as one, each exploring caress sending a glorious tingle down the spine, the sensations of fur against bare skin like an electric shock...

...Making contact with a clan of Sharra's people. Their uneasy acceptance of her human mate leading to a return to a life similar to the one she led before the destruction of her own clan. Making new friends and enjoying the social hierarchy of the clan...

...A new member in the household. An orphan, a tiny ball of fluff little more than oversized feet and big ears. Laughter and joy came with him as two became a family. The years and love spent nurturing and teaching paid off and the little fluffball grew into an intelligent, confident male...

...Growing old together, telling stories to the grandchildren and the youngsters of the Clan. Sharing the experiences and wisdom of a lifetime with a new generation...

... As the twilight of life grew deep and the inevitable night grew close, an understanding that despite the many differences between her and her human mate she had enjoyed the life they had built for themselves. Echoing in her thoughts as the time left ahead of them grew thin, was the knowledge that John too had enjoyed the years they spent together and had few regrets...

Sharra let the mindscape of the Link slowly slip away. As the real world crept in there was a sense that something had shifted out of alignment. The bond between her and John suddenly felt strange. It pulled and twisted until it felt stretched so thin that it was barely there. John had drawn away from here while they were joined in the Link. He sat on the forest floor, knees drawn up to his face, his hands on his head. What filtered through their stretched out bond was distorted and sour.

"I'm not ready for this." he moaned. "It's way too much. I don't think I can be the person you want me to be."

Sharra's heart lurched. John turned his face to look up at her for a brief moment before looking down again. The hollow despair that had wrenched his features into a hideous mask tore at her soul.

She knelt beside her mate, reaching out to his shoulder with a gentle paw. He started at her touch but did not pull away. As gently as she could, she let the affection and love she felt for him suffuse through the Link. She let it flow to him of its own accord, never pushing, hoping he would accept for what it was but not willing to force it if he wouldn't.

A shuddering sign shook her mate. He didn't fight the feelings she sent but he didn't exactly receive them eagerly. Some of the tension left him as he gathered his wits but he remained silent for a long moment. We he did speak, he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I don't know what to think anymore." He spoke in a flat monotone, eyes fixed straight ahead. "The person you showed me, that's not who I am."

"Perhaps things will change-" Sharra began but John cut her off.

"After seeing what you want of me, I'm not so sure." He turned towards her. His eyes were empty and his face completely devoid of expression. At length he sadly shook his head and turned away.

"A family? Living in a village of your people? You and I ..." He gestured futilely. "... Mating?" That last word was tough for him to force out and he was silent for a moment before he could find his voice again. "You have no idea how much those things scare me."

Sharra drew back from her mate, stunned to her core.

"I ..." She began, but stopped and swallowed hard when she saw the look of hopeless fear on her mate's face. "I am sorry." She said softly, eyes downcast as she became acutely aware of what she had just put her him through. "I had no idea that you would find those things so worrisome." She sat down beside John and part her arm around his shoulders. He didn't even look at her. His end of their special bond was barely active as he fought with his thoughts.

"We're totally different species Sharra. That you even think such a future is possible for us really makes me wonder." His words trailed off as his eyes became distant. Sadness grew in his words when he began speaking again.

"I told you I needed some some time and space to work through this on my own but you pushed me down a path I don't know if I'll ever be ready for."

Sharra's jaw worked but she found that no words would come forth. John smiled sadly at her.

I'm the last of my kind and I no longer belong on this world. All I ever wanted was a simple, quiet life." His lips curled into a rueful grin. "But the things you and this world have done to me have denied me even that. The world I knew is gone and there's no hope of ever returning home. Even the person I once was is becoming little more than a tattered memory." His hands curled into fists and his teeth ground together as he clenched his jaw.

"I'm lost Sharra. Confused and adrift in a place I don't belong." His voice was a distant, scared whisper. "I don't know what to do anymore, or where to go from here."

He curled his knees up to his chin and sat there staring dismally into the trees. Sharra hugged him tight, despair sinking deep into her core. There had to be some way she could fix this. If only the Mad Season had let her keep her desires in check! She felt the tears well up and opened herself up to the Link, Hoping that John would be able to forgive her and take some comfort from her presence.

What had she done?