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Chapter 5

The next few days with Sion were ones of peace and content that Keeno had not anticipated. It began to rain. Hard. As a result, they spent many days in the cave, and Sion would hold Kilyan and Zalia on his knees as he told the children stories of the forest.

They were stories Keeno remembered hearing before - from elders around the village, during village festivals, and even from his parents. Stories of the Secret Valley, the curse of the winter wolf tribe, the wolves of the river, and the nymphs that haunted the forest. Even stories of foxes and mountain lions - creatures that were not mere beasts but could talk and walk upright and had magic.

"Then what happened?" Kilyan wondered sleepily. He dropped his cheek on Sion's shoulder.

Sion smiled his faint smile. "The princess awoke and her memory was restored."

"Because of the kiss?" whispered Zalia, who was looking up at Sion with large, engrossed blue eyes.

Sion smiled again. "Yes," he said, his arms around Kilyan and Zalia. "The magic kiss."

Magic. Keeno scoffed. He was not big on such stories, but he knew Kilyan and Zalia were. Kilyan especially. There were many nights when they would fall asleep in Sion's arms or in his lap. Keeno remembered half-waking to discover that Sion was tucking him into bed. The young male lovingly set Keeno in the bear furs with Kilyan and Zalia, and with a soft light in his black eyes, he pulled another skin over them. Keeno remembered smiling as Sion's gentle paw smoothed down his mane.

That such a caring stranger could have been a lone wolf baffled Keeno, and he knew the others were confused by it as well. Lone wolves were depraved, greedy thieves. "Stay out of the forest" had been drilled in their heads again and again and because of this fear of the lone wolf.

But Sion was not unkind. He went often to hunt, leaving the children alone for long hours. But he always returned with rabbit, pheasant, gathered berries and roots. He fed them and cared for them and promised that one day soon, he would lead them back to the village. Though he could not go himself. He would lead them as far as he dared, then it was up to them to follow the rest of the path. He was adamant in this.

"But why can't you return with us?" a sleepy Zalia whispered as Sion held her.

They were huddled close together as outside, night had fallen. They had not eaten that day as Sion had decided against going out to hunt: there was a sudden swarm of summer wolf warriors in the forest, and Keeno could only suspect that their parents were leading a search for them. He exchanged miserable glances with Kilyan.

As a result of the teeming activity in the forest, they had retreated deeper into the cave. Sion held Zalia close as he sat against the wall, trying to keep her warm. He refused to light a fire now, and so Keeno and Kilyan were wrapped in bear furs each night, shuddering against the cold as Zalia slept in Sion's warm arms.

"If you just said you were sorry," Zalia went on, drowsily dropping her cheek against Sion's chest, "then you could come back with us . . ."

Kilyan shrugged. "Yeah, Sion. Whatever you did, tell the council you're sorry! My dad makes me do pushups when I'm bad. Maybe that's all they'll do to you."

Sion's face darkened, and Keeno got the feeling the village council would have done far more than punish him with pushups.

"Stop bothering Sion, you two," Keeno said, "and let's go to sleep."

When the children grew hungry again, Sion finally gave in and decided it was safe enough to venture out. He took them to the river, carrying Kilyan on his shoulders as they traveled through the bright sunlight. Along the way, they were quick to notice the tracks in the earth: summer wolves had searched the area. Sion was extremely wary after discovering the tracks and bid the children not to laugh too loudly or shout.

"But why fear them?" Keeno wondered, laughing. "They wouldn't hurt us. They would take us home . . . then our parents would hurt us."

Up on Sion's shoulders, Kilyan laughed miserably. "Keeno's right. Our dads are gonna kill us. Then our moms will kill us. Then their _friends_will kill us."

Sion laughed. Keeno was glad to hear that deep sound and was secretly proud that they were able to put a smile on the young male's face - which was often moody and sullen.

"IIIIII won't get in trouble," Zalia squeaked. She hopped along behind them, clinging to Sion's tail. Keeno glanced at her irritably when she jerked her chin and said smugly, "I'll just tell Daddy you dragged me along! That I kicked and cried the whole way!"

"Ha," said Keeno flatly. "As if Kel would believe that! We all know that if you didn't want to be here, you wouldn't be. You would have knocked Kilyan on his tail first."

"She would have," Kilyan confirmed when Sion laughed again.

"Nonetheless," Sion said in his calm, deep voice, "we will continue on as stealthily as possible . . ." He glanced back at Zalia, and Keeno grinned when she sheepishly stopped bouncing. "The patrols from the village would not harm you, that is true. But they would kill me on sight. I'm a lone wolf. The three of you seem to forget."

"Because you're unlike any story my dad's ever told me," Kilyan insisted. "There's no _way_you're a lone wolf. I bet you never broke in someone's house or stole their wife!"

"True," said Sion darkly, "I never."

"Then why!" Keeno blurted, ignoring it when Zalia glared at him. Zalia had cautioned them both the last few days not to push Sion for answers, but Keeno was tired of tiptoeing around his feelings. He wanted to know the truth.

Sion sighed but otherwise did not answer. He glanced at the little tan one, who always seemed to pick up on things much easier than the other two. Somehow or other, Keeno had more knowledge and more experience when it came to the world, while the little black siblings were very innocent. It was more than obvious that Kilyan and Zalia had been sheltered and coddled, while little Keeno had been raised in a completely different manner. Keeno probably had a father who was not afraid to let his son face harsh realities. Kilyan and Zalia probably had a father who was afraid.

Clutching his fishing spear in one paw and Kilyan's little ankle in the other, Sion peered off into the trees, thinking of Sierra. He had dreamt so often of having children with Sierra. One night as he was sitting on the roof of his father's house, he told his little brother about his dreams, never realizing until much later that Sicheii had been eavesdropping.

"Whacha doin', Sion?" piped Isikia.

Sitting on the roof and peering at the stars, fourteen-year-old Sion smiled as his little brother scrambled up to join him.

Isikia was seven years old, small, skinny, and dark gray like his brother. He had inherited Tuala's eyes and their pretty shape, and his long gray mane hug loose around his curious face. Like all of Sion's little brothers, he adored Sion and followed him around as much as he could. The only difference was, he did it more than the others. Suni often laughingly called Isikia Sion's shadow as he ruffled the boy's mane.

"I was gonna crawl in your bed with you," Isikia said, folding his legs. "But you weren't there."

Sion looked at the boy fondly. "You know how Mom feels about you climbing on the roof with me."

"She doesn't want you ta do it either!" the boy cried defiantly.

Sion laughed. "But I can get away with it because I'm getting too big to spank."

Isikia looked away stubbornly. "Whacha doin' up here anyway?"

Sion sighed, thinking of Sierra. "Dreaming."

Isikia looked at his brother curiously, his eyes growing round. "What about?"

Sion glanced at him sideways. "Can you keep a secret?" he whispered, his eyes crinkling up with a smile.

Isikia nodded eagerly. He crossed his fingers and held them up. "I swear!"

Sion looked away again, his eyes softening. "I love a girl."

"Ew!!!" Isikia cried at once.

Sion laughed.

"Aren't you worried about cooties?"

"What are cooties?" Sion said, feigning ignorance.

Isikia looked at him in amazement. "We have to have a talk, Si."

Sion laughed again. "I already had that talk with Dad, don't worry."

"Why do you love her?" Isikia asked in a hushed voice. He dropped his head on Sion's shoulder and yawned. Sion smiled: he was going to have to carry Isikia to bed soon.

"Well . . ." Sion cleared his throat. "Sierra is beautiful --"

"Prettier than Mom?"

"Mmm . . . we'll call it a tie. But she's beautiful and she's sweet and I know she'll be a good mother. This little pup fell in the street and scraped his knee. She comforted him . . . . helped him find his mother. He was lost in the market, but she took care of him. And she's always helping old wolves who drop things or hurt themselves . . . She's . . ." He sighed happily. "So nice. I'm going to marry her."

"Why."

"So I can have kids with her."

"Why."

"Cuz that's the whole point of life! You know that mating season the adults are always talking about? The point is to take a mate and make pups."

"I know how pups are made."

Thinking of the shamelessly loud sex Suni and Tuala were always having, Sion snorted. "I bet you do."

"The boy puts his wiener in that soft place between the girl's legs --"

"I don't need instructions!" laughed Sion.

It was Isikia's turn to snort. "Of course you do. You don't even know about cooties!"

"Zalia!" Keeno wailed, breaking Sion from his thoughts. "Cut it out! I don't want cooties!"

Sion glanced over and smiled: Zalia was bouncing circles around Keeno as he walked. Every now and then, she would lean over and lightly lick his cheek. It was clear that she liked him, but he was nothing but annoyed. He grabbed her forehead and pushed lightly. She bounced backward, tipped, but caught her balance.

"I said cut it out," Keeno griped, ears flat and irate.

Zalia jerked her chin, looking very satisfied.

They had come to the river at last. Sion set Kilyan carefully on his feet, and the children watched as he waded into the shallows. This part of the river was a common fishing spot. The water rushed very fast here, spilling down over a dip in the rocky earth. As a result, many fish leapt from the water as they cascaded over the small plunge.

Sion had brought a sharp stick, which the children knew he used for fishing: they had seen their fathers with such sticks all their lives. They were known as fishing spears in the village, though Sion's had been crudely made with whatever random stick he had found in the forest. Watching as Sion began spearing fish, Keeno thought of Yzlo's beautiful and elaborately carved fishing spear back at home. His father was a great fisher and had taught him well. He could see that Sion's father had taught him well as well: the young male speared three fish in two seconds flat.

"Can we eat them now?" Kilyan wondered excitedly.

Keeno felt his stomach rumble and nodded eagerly.

Zalia frowned. "Don't be stupid, you two. If Sion lights a fire here, the patrols will come from miles around."

Kilyan rolled his eyes. "Or they'll just assume some lone wolf is eating breakfast and maybe leave us alone?"

Sion smiled as he waded ashore. They watched as he stabbed his fish-laden spear in the grass. It stood upright, and the speared fish hung on it, dripping with blood and water. "Collect some firewood then," he said, and his smile widened the tiniest bit when Kilyan and Keeno bounded off.

Sion cooked the fish for them, adding to it the herbs and spices he had collected from the forest. The herbs were kept in a pouch on his hip, something he had fashioned from the pelt of a rabbit. He had many such possessions in his cave: knives he had stolen, bows and arrows he had crafted himself, skins of bear furs and pouches, even ponchos for the winter. Keeno had to wonder just how long Sion had been surviving out in the forest on his own.

They talked and laughed over breakfast as the first few rays of light reached through the gloom of the forest. Grinning at the others, Keeno almost felt as if he was at home, listening to his mother as she cracked jokes over breakfast, watching in amusement as his serious father attempted to keep a straight face. Yzlo didn't know it, but Keeno was perfectly aware that his mother's sense of humor was what his father treasured in her most. Hye could always make Yzlo laugh.

". . . be lucky if I ever see the light of day again after this," Kilyan was saying. "Dad is always tellin' us not to go in the forest. And to stay away from lone wolves . . . even the ones that seem nice." He glanced at Sion apologetically.

Sion didn't seem the least bit perturbed and ate quietly.

"What happened to you?" Keeno said to the young male. "You must've done something terrible if you can't even approach the village with us! But I can't . . . I can't understand how you could. You seem alright." He exchanged worried glances with Kilyan.

Zalia stared over her fish at Sion with frightened blue eyes, and Keeno suddenly realized that whatever Sion had done was probably something she did not need to hear. But he looked at the young male again, and he wanted to know. Finally. After days of waiting for the rain to stop, after days of living with this mysterious male deep in the forest, he wanted to finally hear the truth.

"I was wrongly accused," Sion muttered after a pause. "They said I did something. I did not." His black eyes glittered angrily and he took an almost violent bite of his fish.

The three pups sat very still, watching him with ears pricked forward.

". . . what did they say you did?" Keeno asked - because he knew the other two would not. He waited, watching as Sion's black eyes welled up with fury in the bright morning light.

Around them, birds were singing and the river was rushing. The water was sparkling in the oncoming light of day, and the vibrant greens, browns, and yellows of the forest pressed in all around. It was a beautiful day, and until Keeno had pushed his questions, they had reveled in that beauty. He saw Zalia cast him an irritable look and knew she was wishing Keeno had kept his mouth shut. He had quite possibly ruined the day.

But he didn't care. "Sion," Keeno pressed, "what did you . . .?"

"They said I hurt a female," was the quiet response. "I didn't. I loved her. I would never have hurt her . . ."

They were silent through the rest of breakfast. On the way back to the cave, Keeno cracked a couple jokes and was happy to see Sion smiling again. The other children joined in, and by nightfall, they were sitting around a fire outside the cave, laughing and talking as the sun went down. Keeno entertained everyone with a ghost story he'd heard during that summer's camping trip, and Kilyan - who had heard the story as well - irritated him by jumping in at the best parts.

Sion watched in amusement as Keeno and Kilyan began to bicker, and Zalia squealed with laugher when they suddenly began to fight. The boys rolled through the dirt, snarling and biting, tails flashing as they grappled. Zalia nimbly leapt out of the way but tripped and fell over with a shriek. Keeno and Kilyan stopped fighting at once: Zalia had cut herself.

"Ow!" Zalia shouted, cradling her bleeding arm. "It h-hurts!"

"Shush," Sion whispered, leaning over her. "Let me look. Ah, it's not so bad, see? Take a breath and be still . . ."

"Ow!"

"I know, I know . . ."

Zalia continued to whimper and cry as Sion crouched over her. Exchanging guilty glances, Keeno and Kilyan went to stand beside Zalia. Kilyan put his arm around her as she sniffled and shouted in pain. The boys watched as Sion carefully wiped the blood away and applied pressure. His big body blocked the forest from view as he worked, so they didn't see it when Kel and Yzlo stepped out of the trees, faces etched in alarm.

Without hesitating, Kel hurled his spear. It found its mark, and the children watched, horrified, as Sion coughed up blood.