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Bravo!! It Is really good.. I cant wait to read the rest ^.^ *luffs it* Keep Up the Great work Balto ^.^

*glomps* YAY! New chapter but as always! More!!! Great job!

Loverly new chapter! Can't wait read the next chapter!

Ok, say hello to Chapter 4! I know I'm moving along fast, but I just loooove writing so muc, I can't stop myself! ^_^

Chapter 4: Awakening

Oh God, my whole body feels like it wieghs a ton! Kalil thought as all he saw was darkness. He looked left, right, up, and down, but nothing except the infitie blackness. Then he felt warm; warmth all over his body. Great, he thought, I'm dead. I died. I'm dead... Then he heard a sound he thought he'd never hear again: water. What? Suddenly a bright light filled the darkness and he felt as if he was being pulled towards something. Now I know I'm dead! he thought as the light consumed him.

Kalil's body twitched and shuddered as his eyes slowly opened. At first, everything was a blur of light and color, then the colors began to take a definite shape. A forest... he thought as trees, bushes, and grass appeared before him. He glanced around; he was lying on what seemed to be one of the many shores of the Syn River. Beside him lay Najan, unconscious, but still breathing. Oh, thank God he's alright! he thought and struggled to his feet, falling once, but finally getting up. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth and put his left paw in, pulling out, releaving some blood on his paw. Great. Tychon sure took a toll on me, he thought and mentally cursed himself for being so careless. Beside him, a small groan was heard and he spun around, smiling widely as Najan moved.

The blackness that had engulfed Najan finally lifted and he saw masses of green and brown. W-what's going on? he thought and then saw grey and white as well. He stared curiously at it until it took the shape of Kalil. "Kalil?" he asked wearily and his brother nuzzled him warmly. "You alright Najan?" he asked as Najan slowly got to his feet. "Yeah... I'm fine..." he said and looked around, Kalil following suit. "I'm... I'm not sure..." he said slowly, trying to get his bearings. Suddenly, a twig snapped behind them and Kalil turned his attention to a nearby bush as a black wolf stepped into view and eyed them for a moment.

"Um, hello..." he said, confused by the two wolves' presence, "You... you two aren't River members, why are you here?" Kalil stared at him for a moment. "Wait... River members? You mean this is River Pack territory?" he asked and groaned when the black wolf nodded, "We drifted about 500 miles downriver..." "Beg your pardon?" the wolf asked again, still unsure of what they were doing here. "We... ah, fell into the Syn River about 500 miles upriver..." "Jeez! Then you've got a long walk ahead of you two!" he said, surprised to learn of their origin, "500 miles north. That's Sanarin territory. You're Sanarin members?" Kalil nodded and the black wolf thought for a moment.

"My name's Toron. I'm a member of the River Pack," he started and bowed his head respectfully to them, "I can lead you to our north border; it's not too far away from here. From there on, you're on your own." Kalil smiled at Toron. "Thank you Toron. We accept. Let's get moving. The sooner we get home, the better." Toron led them northward until they reached the border. "Here it is!" he said and motioned for them to go on, "Take care of yourselves, alright?" Kalil was about to say "Thank you," when another black wolf leapt out and pinned him to the ground, snarling threateningly. "You're an intruder in River territory!" the wolf snarled and was pulled off by Toron. "Taran, no!" he said, holding the wolf back, "Sister, please. They are here on accident and are leaving now." He nodded at Kalil and Kalil grabbed Najan in his mouth and ran out of their territory. "You let him go?" Taran asked him. Toron nodded. "They're too young to die just yet. I won't be responsible for their blood," he said and looked at his sister, "Now I'm not. Let's get back to the others. I'm sure they're waiting..."

Ok, Chapter 4 is up and running. Author's Note: The point of this chapter is to get Kalil's and Najan's 'quest' home started. It just really explains what they have to do from here. Hope you liked it and will start working on Chapter 5 either later tonight or tomorrow. Whichever suits me better. As always, looking for any and all comments! Balto5670 out!

Wow! I really should have read this sooner.
Great job so far, Balto5670, keep it up!
I look forward to the next part, but Chapter...Three was the best thus far.

Write on!
-LWf

Wow! Go you Balto! Your first fic and already got a comment by LOne Wolf, pretty spiffeh!

Great job! as always more and I can't! WAIT. GREAT Job!

Ok, I'm really, really anxious to write Chapter 5, so I shall! Here ya go, Chapter 5!

Chapter 5: First Blood

"Kalil, I'm tired!" came the weary complain of Najan. Kalil chuckled and looked at his younger brother, padding alongside of him. "You just said that five minutes ago," he replied and carried on walking. Najan groaned, but kept up with him. "What if we get attacked again?" he asked, "You'll need your strength to fight back!" Kalil laughed, but realized that Najan's fears may be well-established. They had no idea what they'd encounter on their way home and this was no walk in the woods, this was 500 miles of travelling ahead of them Well, about 485 miles by now, Kalil thought, but kept that to himself, not wanting to hear his brother complain anymore. "Don't worry Najan. Your big bro can take anything that's thrown at him!" he said, trying to keep Najan's morality high. "Alright, but how much longer until we can rest?" Kalil looked up at the sky. The sun was about to set, so he reasoned that they had an hour or two of daylight left. "In about one hour, Najan," he answered and carried on, trudging through the undergrowth of the forest, little Najan by his side.

As the sun touched the horizon, every single wolf of the Sanarin Pack gathered at the cliffside, mournful expressions on their faces. "Dear comrades, fellow wolves," Niran began, tears in his eyes, "We've gathered to pay our final respects to my two dear sons, Kalil and Najan... They were taken from us too early when they fell at this very spot... They will be missed dearly. I loved them both with every fiber in my body... To lose them while they were still young..." He couldn't finish and tears fell down his powerful muzzle. "Thank you all for attending. It means so much to Lunera and I... Thank you..." Niran walked over to Lunera, who buried her face into his fur and sobbed uncontrollably. Tychon stood up. "It was a tragedy to lose my brothers, my two best friends in this world... But I manage to somehow look on the bright side... At least they're in a better place now..." he said solemnly. That, and I get to be the Alpha once Dad dies as well, he thought and held back a grin. "To Kalil and Najan!" The twilight was suddenly filled with lamenting howls, signaling that two young wolves had unfortunately lost their lives.

As stars began to fill the sky, Kalil stopped in a clearing to try to get his bearings. About 50 miles... he thought and shook his head, We've gone about 50 miles. Only 450 miles to go. Oh dear... Najan lay down as Kalil looked up at the stars. "Goodnight Kalil," Najan said with a yawn. Kalil smiled down at the little grey furball curled up next to him. "Goodnight Naja-" he said, but was cut off when something pounced on him, the two forms rolling on the ground for a moment until they stopped and pulled away from each other. What in God's name was that? he thought as he stood up and saw a pitch black wolf glaring at him.

"Who are you?" Kalil demanded as he stared down the other wolf. "My name is none of your concern!" the other wolf spat back in a gruff voice, obviously a male, "But I'll tell you this: I enjoy the taste of blood." With that, the wolf lunged for Kalil's throat, but Kalil was faster and side-stepped just in time to dodge his attack. The male spun around and hit him in his face with his paw, leaving four scratched on his muzzle. Kalil stood up again and the wolf bit into his shoulder, drawing blood. "Aaaarrrgghhh!" Kalil screamed in pain and hit the male with his paw, knocking him away.

"You b*****d!" the wolf shouted as he stood up again, glaring at Kalil, "I was going to make your death quick and painless, but now you'll suffer!" He ran forward and slammed into Kalil's chest, sending him flying into a tree. Kalil crumpled to the ground and stood up, his legs shaking, most of his strength gone. The wolf leapt on him again and pinned him to the ground. "Say goodnight, you fool!" he snarled and pressed his paw down on Kalil's windpipe. Kalil desperately tried to push him off, losing oxygen quickly. The wolf grinned evilly down as Kalil felt himself start to blackout. Not this time! he thought and with the last of his strength hit the male in the side of his face, sending him to the ground. Kalil rolled over to pin the male and bit down onto his exposed throat, holding his jaws down until he felt his attacker stop struggling.

Kalil walked off the body of the viscious wolf that attacked him and looked around. Najan was nowhere to be found and Kalil began to get very worried. "Najan?!?!" he cried out in worry and a rustling was heard in a nearby bush. Slowly, a small grey pup stepped out and looked at him. "Is it safe now Kalil?" Kalil ran over and nuzzled his brother happily. "Yes, it's over now..." Najan saw the dead wolf and pointed to him. "Is... is he-" "Yeah," Kalil cut in and started pushing him off, "Come on, let's find a cave or something we can rest in, away from danger." It took them all of ten minutes to find an empty cave and get settled in. "Goodnight big brother..." Najan said sleepily. "Goodnight Najan..." Kalil whispered and smiled as he heard a light snoring. Kalil rested his head, his shoulder hurting and stinging like crazy, but managed to fall asleep.

There's Chapter 5 for you! More to come later, but as for now, I have a few things to take care of. Should be able to post the next chapter tomorrow as always. Until then, so long! As always, gimme comments! I like comments!

Hey, I just read all five chapters and you are doing an awesome job on your fanfic so far!

Alright, by popular demand, here's Chapter 6! Read it and rejoice, all fans of Traitor! ^_^

Chapter 6: Threat Lurks In The Darkness

Kalil groaned as he fell face-first into the dirt again. Come on! This is my fourth fall today! he thought as he struggled to his feet, a razor sharp pain running through his shoulder where he'd been bitten the night before by the wolf he'd killed. Najan ran up and looked at Kalil, his facial expression one of worry. "Kalil, you've hurt yourself," he said, "You need to rest a bit." Kalil laughed and started walking again. "Nonsense!" he said back, keeping his spirits high, "It's just a cut, it's not hindering me in anyway. Besides, it's noon already! We'll rest when nightfalls. I'll make it until then!" The next thing Kalil knew, he was on the ground again, Najan standing right in front of his face. "No you're not," Najan said in a matter-of-factly voice, "You're hurt. You keep falling." Kalil got to his feet again and did his best to ignore the pain in his leg and shoulder. "I'm fine," he grunted as he stood and kept on walking, limping slightly. Another ten feet and Kalil was down again. "Alright, you win," said a defeated Kalil, "I'll rest... but only for a bit. Then we keep moving."

Back home, Niran was sitting in their den, still overcome with unbearable grief for the loss of his sons. "Kalil... Najan..." he whispered, tears in his eyes, "I never should have let you go there. It's my fault..." The Beta walked into the den, Tychon right behind him. He took one look at Niran and sighed, looking back at Tychon. "He's here. I'm not sure why he summoned you, but he said it was dire," the Beta explained and bowed before walking out. Tychon took three steps forward and stopped. "Dad, you wanted to see me?" he asked. Niran quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up, walking until he stood a foot away from Tychon. "Tychon, son," he started and took a deep breath, "Now that Kalil is... no longer with us... by natural law, you are the next eldest born, therefore, you will take my place as Alpha when I'm gone. Do you understand? This is a big responsibility, but now it falls from Kalil to you..." Tychon almost cried out in joy. His plan went perfectly. "Yes Dad," he said solemnly, "I gratefully accept. I'm only sorry that it falls to be because of Kalil's passing... I wish he were still here..." Almost as much as I wish I was dead, Tychon thought bitterly and hung his head in fake sorrow. Niran placed his paw on Tychon's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do fine," Niran said and walked out. Tychon waited a few minutes before letting a huge grin spread onto his face. "Yessss!" he cried out in happiness and lay on his back, laughing a laugh both gleeful and evil as the last part of his diabolic plan fell neatly into place.

By the time the pain in Kalil's shoulder had subsided, it was already dusk and was growing darker by the minute. "Kalil," Najan said to him as they walked along, "I'm tired, and it's almost night." "I know," Kalil replied, looking around, "I've been trying to find shelter for the past half hour, but I haven't seen any, and after last night, I'd prefer not sleeping out in the open..." They carried on searching until it was almost completely black out. Kalil growled in frustration as it became harder and harder to see in front of him. Jeez, it's getting to be a real pain going home! he thought and stopped in a clearing, trying to find a place, anyplace, to rest for the night. Kalil heaved a sigh and looked down at Najan. "It looks like we're a little lost..." he said. "Lost, eh?" a voice said from the darkness and Kalil's glance snapped left and right, trying to find the speaker.

From the darkness stepped a grey wolf, smiling wickedly at them. "You took a wrong turn somewhere?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. Kalil put his guard on high alert as he eyed the wolf. "Najan, get back," Kalil commanded and Najan hid under his brother's strong frame, "Who are you?" "We..." said another voice as another wolf stepped into view, "Are the owners of this territory." Kalil looked from the one to the other as they circled him. "Stay back..." Kalil said angrily and heard a laugh in front on him. A third wolf stepped out if the shadows, his eyes a deep red as he scanned Kalil. "You're in no position to be making demands young one," he said and took a few steps forward, "You're in Bloodpelt territory, and you're talking to their Beta right now." Kalil stared at the Bloodpelt Beta and the other two wolves. Great, he thought, This is bad...

"Look, we don't want any trouble," Kalil told them, "We're just passing through. Show us your borders and we'll gladly leave." "Leave?" the Beta snapped back, "Oh no. You won't be leaving this place... alive." The other wolves snickered and Kalil knew that fighting was inevitable. "Any last words, stranger?" the Beta asked and smirked at him. "Yeah," Kalil said, and crouched down, "Goodbye." As soon as he spoke, Kalil lunged forward past the circling wolves and pinned the Beta. The two that had circled him had fortunately forgotten about Najan and ran toward Kalil. Kalil slashed the Beta's face before one of them tackled him to the ground. Kalil rolled to his feet and grabbed a wolf by his neck, pulling him to the ground and placing his jaws firmly around his attacker's neck, twisting until he heard a sickening crack. He dropped the body and was hit by one of the two remaining Bloodpelts, rolling until he hit a tree.

Kalil groaned annd stood up, opening his eyes to see the Beta making a fatal attempt at his neck. Kalil dodged just in time and hit the Beta with his paw and turned to the other wolf. The wolf leapt forward and pinned Kalil to the ground, attempting to bite Kalil's neck, bit missed in the increasing darkness and bit his already hurt shoulder. Kalil shouted out in pain as the wolf bit his wound and bit into the wolf's shoulder in return. The wolf howled in pain and got off of him, allowing Kalil to pin him. Kalil could hardly see hit target as he bit down randomly, hearing the wolf scream in pain and knew he'd gotten his throat. Kalil pulled back and ripped out the wolf's throat just as he was kocked down again. The Beta, he thought as he struggled to his feet again.

"You lucky b*****d!" he spat at Kalil, "You may have killed my comrades, but you'll die to Aran of the Bloodpelt Pack!" The wolf, who Kalil knew as Aran, bit his good shoulder and pulled him to the ground. He placed his paw on Kalil's chest and slowly dragged his claws across, cutting into him. Kalil struggled to get away, but found it nearly impossible. I'm gonna die, he thought as Aran hit his muzzle with his paw, sending him across the bloodstained ground, I'm gonna die. I let Najan down... Kalil's mind shifted to Najan and to the promise he'd made Najan a month ago, before any of this had happened. "I won't let anything happen to you Najan. You have my word." With renewed vigor, Kalil spun around and hit Aran in the muzzle, sending him backwards into a rock. Kalil ran up and bit into his front paws, then tossed him to the dirt. He leapt atop the bloodied Beta and bit into his back and grabbed his neck, tossing him into a tree.

No, that's impossible! Aran thought as Kalil bit into his front paws and tossed him to the ground, biting into his back. Aran screamed as he felt a white-hot pain sear his back. Suddenly, he felt himself being tossed and smack into something hard; a tree. That's imossible... I had him... Aran's world started to go black, blacker than it already was, That's impossible... Kalil walked up to Aran and saw his chest heaving, but he wasn't moving. "Sleep tight, you b*****d..." he said and spat out some blood onto the ground. He walked over to Najan, who was still quiverring with fear in the same spot he'd been and picked him up, placing him on top of his back. Without another word, Kalil walked on through the night, following the North Star, his compass home, as Najan drifted off to sleep on his back.

Ta-da! Chapter 6! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Um, can't really think of what else to say here, so yeah... Anywho, comments. I like comments! Keep up the positive responses, it's really encouraging to hear such good things about my writing, even if it is my first fanfic. I just have one question: Is my writing really that good and that addicting? I've had my friends and family say it is, but I've always wondered. I'd like to hear about this too please. Chapter 7 will be coming soon, so keep your eyes out!

MORE! MORE!! I"m dieing here!

Chapter 7, coming right up!

Chapter 7: An Emotion Never Felt Before

"Kalil, you gotta rest! You've been walking all night!" Najan argued as the sun finished rising in the East. Kalil grunted and shook his head. "After what happened last night Najan, I'm not stopping until..." he started and drifted off, collapsing to the ground, battling to stay awake. Najan ran up to his face and put his small paws on Kalil's muzzle, looking at him in the eyes. "Big bro, you need sleep," he said and Kalil felt his eyelids start to close. "But... what about you?" he said and yawned. Najan sat down in front of him. "I'll wait right here! I'll be good!" he said, sitting down. Kalil yawned again and knew he was fighting a losing battle against fatigue. "I'll... just sleep for... a... few..." The next thing Kalil knew, he was in a deep sleep. Najan looked around and sighed with boredom. He lay down next to Kalil and fell asleep as well in the warm sunlight.

Kalil saw Tychon in front of him. He glared angrily at his brother and crouched low, growling at his enemy. "Tychon," he said, fury in his voice, "Why did you try to kill us?" Tychon just laughed and leapt on Kalil, biting into his chest. Kalil cried out in pain and pushed Tychon off with his back paws, rolling to his feet. He looked up and saw Tychon's paw collide with his muzzle, sending him flying sideways and rolling on the ground. He coughed, some blood hitting the ground. He glared at Tychon and leapt at his throat, but he passed through him and landed on the other side. "You can't fight your nightmares, Kalil!" Tychon said evilly and bit into Kalil's front paws, snapping them upward and breaking them. Kalil crumpled to the ground, looking up at Tychon as he placed his paw on Kalil's throat. "Tychon..." he gasped, getting harder and harder to breathe, "W-why?" Tychon laughed again and dug his claws into Kalil's neck, pulling back quickly. The last thing Kalil saw was a puddle of his own blood growing underneath him and then it went black.

Kalil quickly bolted upright, gasping for air. He looked around and saw himself in the same place he'd fallen asleep in, Najan curled up in front of him. He sighed heavily and looked up at the sky. It was about noon. Kalil nudged his brother awake with his nose. Najan groaned sleepily and opened his eyes. "Hey big brother," he said and yawned, "Is it time to go?" Kalil smiled down at Najan. "Yeah, it's time to go..." They both stood up and stretched. "So, which way do we go now?" Najan asked and Kalil got a strange look on his face. "Big brother, did you hear-" "Shhhh," Kalil cut in and looked around. Najan scowled at Kalil. "Hey, you don't have to be rude! I was just-" "Najan, shhhhh," he said again, looking side to side, ""We're not alone..."

After a few minutes of waiting, the forest had gotten deathly silent, worrying Kalil more and more. He sniffed the air, clearly smelling another wolf nearby. Where are you? he thought and sniffed again, inpointing the position. He growled and leapt into a bush, hearing a gasp of surprise as he tackled another wolf who was crouched down behind the bush. He pinned the wolf down, not getting a clear look at their face at this point. "Who are you?" he asked angrily. "None of your business!" came a soft, yet fiery answer. A female, he thought and felt her place her paws on his shoulders and rolled, reversing the pin. He looked up at her and could only see her clear blue eyes. "Why are you in our territory?" she asked, glaring down at him. Kalil didn't trust her, he'd been attacked too many times in the past few days. Not taking any chances, he placed his back paws under her stomach and kicked her off.

Kalil rolled to his feet and glanced back to see her try to bite into his shoulder where he'd already been bitten twice before. He crouched and dodged her bite, ramming into her side and throwing her off her feet. He saw her roll and stop on her feet. Time to end this, Kalil decided and leapt at her just as she leapt at him. The two collided in midair and fell to the ground, rolling down a slope in the ground until they both hit a large boulder at the bottom. Kalil's vision fogged a bit and he struggled to his feet, feeling like his legs were going to give way at any second. He looked over at the girl and saw she was just as dazed as he was. He growled at her and was about to attack again until he heard another voice. "Kelia, get down!" he heard a male say this time. Kelia? he thought and turned around to see another wolf hit him in his muzzle. Kalil's head hit the boulder hard and he fell to the ground, unable to move his body. As his vision blackened, he saw another wolf run down the slope, Najan struggling in their mouth. "Lady Kelia, are you alright?" "Yes, I'm fine... Take them back to our pack... Be careful of this one..." Kelia? Then Kalil lost sight of the wolves as his world went dark.

All Kalil still saw was darkness, yet he heard voices now. "What do you think we should do with him?" "I'm not sure Kelia... You said he attacked you, so maybe we should just kill him..." Kelia? "Maybe... but Daddy, he has a little pup with him... Probably his brother. I don't think they meant any harm..." Daddy? Kalil heard a heavy sigh. "We'll have to see why they're here... once he wakes up that is... You sure did a number on him Kelia!" "Actually, I didn't knock him out... Glyan did." Glyan? Kalil groaned and slowly began to open his eyes, a rainbow of colors filling his already blurry vision. "Ah, he's awake!" he heard the deep male voice say that he recognized as Kelia's father. "W-what? Where... where am I?" he asked, his voice shaking. Slowly, his vision cleared and he saw a grey wolf that looked much like his own father smiling down at him. "You're in Crystal Pack territory," he answred, "My name is Bacar. I am the Alpha of my pack." Kalil looked around at all the crystals inside the den he was lying in. "Who... who hit me?" he asked groggily and Bacar chuckled. "Well the one who knocked you out was the Beta, Glyan. He's out hunting right now," he answered. "The female was me," he heard a female say and looked to his left to see a solid grey female, the same female who he'd fought out in the forest, "My name's Kelia. Sorry for attacking you, but we weren't sure if you were invaders or not..."

Kalil struggled to his feet and looked from Kelia to Bacar. "Where's... where's Najan?" he asked, "Where's my brother?" Bacar placed a paw on his shoulder. "Calm down boy, your brother is fine," he said calmly, "What's your name son and where are you headed?" Kalil sat down, his head still throbbing from being slammed into the boulder. "I-I'm Kalil... My brother and I are headed home..." "Then how did you get those horrible wounds?" Bacar asked pointing to Kalil's shoulder and his scratched up chest and muzzle. "These," Kalil started, "Are proof that there are evil wolves out there willing to kill in cold blood... Now where's my brother?" Bacar motioned towards the entrance and in walked a wolf with Najan at his side. "Najan!" Kalil cried out happily as his little brother ran to him and buried his face in his brother's pelt. "Kalil! I'm glad you're alright! I was so scared for you!" Najan said, and Kalil gently patted him on his back. "It's ok, I'm here, I'm alright..." Kelia smiled warmly as she watched Kalil comfort his little brother. It's so strange to think that an hour ago, he was fighting me, she thought and looked over at her father who was giving her a sly-looking grin. She gave him a confused look and he mouthed the words "I'll tell you in a moment."

Bacar cleared his throat and Kalil looked at him. "My guard will show you to a spare den you can stay in for a few days," he told Kalil/ Kalil bowed his head to the generous Alpha and smiled at him. "Thank you sir," he said and nudged Najan with his paw. Najan reluctantly followed the guard out of the den they were in, Kalil right behind him. As he went to walk out, Kalil looked back at Bacar and Kelia. Kelia flashed him a warm smile and Kalil smiled back before walking out. Bacar chuckled slightly and caught Kelia's attention. "What's so funny?" she asked and he smiled at her. "I think you know," her father said, "I've seen the way you look at him. You like him, don't you?" Kelia looked surprised and blushed a bit. "I-I don't... That's not true!" she shot back and Bacar laughed. "You'd better not get that flustered around him, or you'll be a dead giveaway!" "I told you, I don't like him!" she said and he gave her a suspicious look, "I'm telling the truth!" "Whatever you say Kelia," he said and stood up, walking towards the entrance, "But if I were you, I'd work on keeping my cool. You don't want to start fumbling over your words when you talk to him." Kelia opened her mouth to say something, but closed it and looked at her paws, thinking about what her father said. Am I starting to like him? she asked in thought and followed her father out of the den.

Ok, there ya go: Chapter 7. Hope you like it. Only a few more chapters to go! I'll post Chapter 8 either later tonight or tomorrow.

Nice story. I want the next chapter please.

Ok Surface, here it comes!

Chapter 8: A Newfound Strength: Love

Well at least we're not dead... Kalil thought as he nodded respectfully to the guard as he showed him the cozy den with two elk skins laid out on the floor as beds. Immediately, Najan ran onto one and curled up, falling fast asleep. Kalil chuckled and sighed. He must be tired, Kalil thought as he watched his little brother, He's travelled 350 miles in the last few days... Kalil heard a noise at the entrance and turned to see Bacar walk in and look at him, then saw Najan. "I trust your lodging is to your liking?" he asked in a whisper. "Yes, thank you sir," Kalil replied, nodding and Bacar chuckled silently. "You don't need to call me 'sir' all the time," he said and smiled at Kalil, "You're guests! No need to treat me like your master." "Yes si-... alright..." Kalil answered. Bacar chuckled again and walked out. Kalil looked back at Najan and sighed, wondering what to do with the time he had at hand. Well, it's about mid-afternoon, so that gives me about four hours before they should be back with dinner... Kalil lay down and rested his head on his paws, closing his eyes, but not quite falling asleep.

Kelia slowly made her way through their pack, thoughts running through her head. What do I think of Kalil? she asked herself in thought, walking to nowhere in particular, I think he's a pretty good fighter for one. He's strong, protective, determined, cute... Kelia was shocked by her own thoughts, then heard her father's voice in her head. "You like him, don't you?" Kelia shook the voice from her head and kept walking. Do I? she thought and sighed. Looking up, she found herself at a den they had for guests. A quick sniff and she could tell Kalil was in there. Why did I come here? Kelia thought and decided to check on them and make sure they were comfortable. She quietly padded in and rounded the corner to see the two of them asleep. She looked from Najan to Kalil and sighed quietly. They must be tired from travelling, she thought and stared at Kalil, Plus Kalil seems to have done all the fighting. He must be even more tired than his brother! Kelia reasoned that she should go, but her paws wouldn't move. She just sat there and stared at Kalil. "You like him," she heard in her head again and didn't bother to fight back against it this time.

Kalil still hadn't fallen asleep. He found it to be near impossible, for he wasn't tired at all. Which doesn't make sense, he thought, his eyes still closed, I was beaten unconscious and I've been travelling with little sleep for days! Suddenly, he smelled another wolf in their den and recognized it immediately. Kelia. He opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. Ooooook... he thought, slightly confused and smiled up at her. "So, am I that interesting when I seem asleep?" he asked sarcastically. Kelia was snapped back into reality and blushed, her ears lowered against her head. "I-I'm sorry..." she said sheepishly, "I was just coming to see if you two were alright, and... I'm sorry." Kalil chuckled and sat up. "It's alright," he said and shook his pelt off, "I wasn't asleep." Kalil then noticed a light blue crystal necklace hanging around her neck. "That's interesting," he complimented and pointed at it, "Where'd you get that?" Kelia smiled and placed a paw on her necklace. "My Mom gave it to me... just before she passed away..." she said slowly and Kalil immediately started to apologize, but she held up her paw to stop him, "It's ok. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. She'd been sick for awhile and I think it was better that she wasn't in anymore pain..." Kalil nodded slowly and smiled at her, suddenly feeling unlike himself. What's going on with me? he thought and felt his heart warm when she smiled back at him.

Kelia shuffled her paws nervously and looked back up at him. Kelia, you like him, she heard her inner voice say, Start a conversation, take him around your home, do something! "Hey Kalil, wanna take a walk? I could show you around," she offered and he smiled at her. "Yeah sure!" he said happily and stood up, "That'd be great! Let's go!" Kelia took him around, showing him the home she'd lived in since she was born, ending the tour at the Syn River, which ran through their lands as well. They both sat down and shared stories of when they were pups and friends they had. "My best friend is-" Kelia said, but was cut in when another voice was heard behind them. "Me!" said a cheerful voice. They both turned around and saw another female wolf, smiling at the two of them. "Hey Moonlight!" Kelia said and looked at Kalil, "That's Moonlight, my best friend! Moonlight, meet Kalil. Kalil, Moonlight." Moonlight walked up to him and bowed her head, he followed suit. "I haven't seen you here before Kalil, are you a traveller?" she asked and Kalil nodded. Then Moonlight gave a smirk at Kelia, "I thought you said you didn't have a mate..." "He's not my mate," Kelia said at the same time Kalil said "I'm not her mate." Moonlight laughed at the two of them. "I was just kidding! But hey, you never know!" she said and walked off.

Kelia shook her head and looked back at Kalil. "Don't mind her," she said with a laugh, "She's been bugging me about getting a mate, since I just turned one." "Oh really?" Kalil said, "I turned one a few months ago." Kelia smiled at him and looked out at the river. "That's the river that carried Najan and I down to River Pack territory..." Kalil told her and winced as he realized she'd want the whole story. As expected, Kelia turned her attention back to him. "What? Why? What happened?" she asked and Kalil sighed. "My brother and I... we're really not supposed to be here... Our other brother... He pushed us off a cliff into that river and we drifted 500 miles downriver... Now we need to get back to our pack: The Sanarins. That's why we were travelling north through your lands," he explained and looked back at her. "So you've been walking for about 400 miles?" she asked, amazed at his strength and endurance. "Yep," Kalil said, then counted in his head, "Actually, it's more about 350, but you get the idea..." "That's impressive..." she said and stared into his eyes, losing herself again, but she pulled herself back into reality, but not before Kalil noticed. Kalil blushed and looked back out at the Syn River. Go now, make your move! his inner voice said and he sighed. "Kelia..." he started, still looking at the water's surface, "What would you say if I said I liked you?"

Kelia felt her heart stop when he said those words. "What would you say if I said I liked you?" Time seemed to stand still for her as she thought. He likes me... He likes me... Go on! Stop sitting there and tell him! "I'd say..." she started and looked at him, a smile on her face, "I like you too." Kalil was stunned by her response, but not so stunned. She'd been pretty easy to figure out. He turned to look at her and found himself pressing his muzzle to hers, both of them locked in a passionate kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, the two reluctantly pulled apart and gazed into each others eyes before kissing each other again. "I love you Kelia," Kalil said in between their kisses. "I love you Kalil," she replied and smiled at him. From a perch on a nearby cliffside, Bacar watched the two of them, a smile on his face. "I'm glad you've found the one, Kelia," he said into the wind and smiled.

Later that night, Kalil was lying down on his back on his elk skin, thinking of Kelia. Najan noticed his brother, deep in thought, and smirked. He silently crept over and leapt onto his brother's exposed belly. "Gotcha!" he shouted triumphantly and laughed. Kalil was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a weight suddenly press down on his stomach. He looked up, saw Najan, and laughed back, picking Najan up with his paw and laying him down on his back, tickling his belly. "No fair Kalil!" he said amidst the endless laughter. Kalil stopped and sighed. "Alright, time for bed!" he said and Najan caught his breath, lying down on the other elk skin and quickly falling sleep. Kalil rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, starting to fall asleep. Kelia looked down at Kalil's den from the hill she was sitting on. I love him so much, but am I ready for the next step? she thought and sat there for a few minutes before her eyes filled with determination, Yes. I'm ready to go further with Kalil. I just hope he is... Slowly, Kelia made her way down the hill and snuck into the den. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness and padded silently up to Kalil, who was lying on his side. Kelia raised her paw to tap him on his shoulder, when he grabbed her shoulders and rolled her onto her back with him lying on top of her. "I could smell you the second you walked in," Kalil said and smiled down at her, "What can I do for you?" Kelia felt herself freeze up a bit, unsure how to say this to him. "W-well..." she started and stared nervously at her chest, "Kalil, I love you... alot... I was wondering... if you were ready to go further or not..." Kalil was taken by complete surprise and didn't know how to answer her. "Kelia... I... I... I don't know what to say..." he said and she put her paw over his muzzle. "Just say 'yes' or 'no,' but answer truthfully Kalil..." Kalil sighed and smiled down at her. "Yes Kelia... I'm ready," he said and grinned at her, "Let's get started..."

About an hour later, Kalil fell onto his side, his chest heaving as he panted like crazy. "I... love you, Kelia..." he said between gasps for air, hearing her panting as well. "I... love you too... Kalil..." she replied and curled up next to him. Kalil smiled warmly at her and heard her breathing get heavier, knowing she'd fallen asleep. "Goodnight Kelia..." he whispered and draped a paw over her, cuddling close to his love as he fell into a deep sleep.

The End of Chapter 8. I know, I know, it's a bit more of a romantic one than the other, more, shall I say 'violent' ones, but there's a point to it. You'll have to see what Kalil gains from falling for Kelia and vice versa in later chapters. For those of you who are already anticipating the finale, the final chapter will be coming soon. But until then, I hope you enjoy reading what I've done so far with Traitor. Ta-ta. --Balto5670

I want MORE! Chapter 9. Hey Balto, post Traitor on Alderon,