"Bae? Brae!" Tengai hurried through the woods; this couldn't be happening! Okay, it turned out that Brae was a thief and he told her he came back to steal something, but still... to be murdered by another gang of robbers... no, it couldn't be!
If only the IceHunters would have come a little sooner... just a tiny moment, before those two men dragged Brae away...
Tengai blamed this all on her, even though her brains told her it was not her fault. He was the one who spyed on her, kidnapped her, let her go, barged into her home.. so why did she care about the stupid guy?
Following the traces, with her tibe far behind her, Tengai followed the trail to the forbidden territory; the lands of the SnowWolves. If they would have taken him there...
Tengai stopped and put her hands before her mouth. Gasping in shock, she looked at the remains at the ground. Fresh, killed without mercy... men she used to know.

In a flash, her telepathic message had returned. > Please!< She had called out. >Someone, please help Brae!<

The two men who had dragged him away, had met a dreadful fate, but what about the red-haired young man? Where was Brae?
Within a snap, Tengai turned around, staring into the yellow eyes of white snow wolf. Frightened, Tengai knew the stories well. The SnowWolves lived in the forest and tolerated the IceHunters, but if they entered their territory, that fragile truce could get broken.
The wolf stepped forward, letting her paws touch the ground. Tengai worried about what to do; the red stains on this wolf clearly showed she was responsible for the masacre behind her. However... instead of attacking... the wolf changed.
The wolf changed into a human; fragile and elegant. Knowing only one wolf capable of such a thing, Tengai whispered the woman's name: "Verah*..."
The woman named Verah turned back, raising her hand, and two young wolves joined her. Their faces were clear of blood, but apparantly Verah wanted to show Tengai something.
The two young wolves changed as well, but could not get a full human figure; they seem to get stuck halfway. A boy and a girl. Wolf ears and tails, the children quickly changed back, as well as Verah.
Back to their wolf's body, back to their origin. Tengai now knew what had happened to Verah, when she left the IceHunters during Yume's reign. Verah, the shape-shifting wolf, had not only returned to the tribe that had cast her out as a cub... but had also taken the place of the Alpha-female. At least two cubs could be called hers, as they shared a part of her power.
It was the reason why the Snow Wolves had obeyed Tengai's cry for help: because Verah told them to.
And now Verah turned around, walking away and leaving Tengai behind. Tengai wanted to ask what happened to Brae, until a voice called her from the trees: "Tengai! Look out for the wolves!"
Looking up, Tengai couldn't control her tears any more. "Brae!" She called out. "You're okay!"
Brae carefully climbed out of the tree and told her how the wolves had attacked them. Tengai told him that they did not attack him, but saved him, because she asked them to.
Tengai noticed his bandana was gone; probably lost during the fight. She also noticed the many scratches that were on his body, but luckily nothing serious. "You're all right..." She whispered, but only then noticed his frightened tears. It could only be expected; not only tried his former gang to kill him, but he also witnessed a merciless attack by wolves.
Suddenly he grabbed Tengai's face. "Praise the High Ones!" He called out. "I was so worried they'd hurt you!" Shocked, Tengai didn't know what to reply. "When they said they wanted to use you as bait, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know they would do this, Tengai. I'm so sorry! I... I..." He swallowed for a moment, looking away. "I feared I had lost my Sonaï**..."
Hearing that one fateful word, Tengai suddenly pushed Brae away. No way, no way! No way he was her Sonaï; that was impossible! "You are NOT!" Tengai gasped. "You are a thief! And I don't love you!"
"Oh great." A sigh could be heard from behind. "Why do our Chieftesses always attract boys with a past?" The other IceHunters walked at the two youngsters.
"Oh Spunk, don't be mean." Another girl said to the rough looking girl. "Tengai's father was a full blooded IceHunter."
"Tengai's father was born with a blood curse, Yelle." Spunk said back. "I'd say that qualifies as a past."
Relieved no one was hurt worse than these few scraches, the IceHunters returned back to MorningSnow. Tengai walked aside Brae, but couldn't speak another word. He, meant to be for her? That was impossible! She didn't love him, and Sonaï always meant true love...
But then she realised what Brae had come back for. He had come back to steal an important thing, like he had told her.

He had come back... to steal her heart.


(*Note: this name is just a placeholder, to not spoil things for people
** Sonaï: meant to be. The one you are destined to live forever with.)

Forever Young Mirai - Scene testing © Kitty Ocean (which is me)
Image: Markers and pencils
Digitally enhanced. Brushes used from