"Can we stop yet?" a small voice called to her.  "Sorry honey. But no we can, but--" she cut off her sentence.

            "Auntie J?" he asked quietly.

            "Shh." She smelled the air. "Micah....." she breathed, "Micah I want you to stay here. Okay?"

            It wasnt a question, she was telling him he had no choice. He knew that she ment that he would have to hide while she did all the fighting, because that was her job.

"Micah?" she patted a stack of leaves into a pile. "Micah..." she gave him a sad look.

"Okay. When are you coming back?" he stared at her.

            She turned away, to look at the sun setting behind her.

            "Auntie J?" he crawled in to the leaves and laid down very still.

            "I'm thinking." She cocked an eyebrow at him and smiled. "I'm debating weather or not I should have left you with the bears or not."

            Micah broke out into a smile. "Yeah, whatever Auntie J."

            "No I'm serious. I'm starting to think that I could have taken a bear cub, instead of you and the cub would have ate less than you!" She teased her young nephew.

A branch snapped. Her smile disapeared quickly. She laid down and looked Micah in the eyes, "I will be back before the moon rises." Then she stood up.

"And if your not?" he asked quietly.

"If I dont return before then go to sleep and I will be there before you are awake." She took a step.

            "But--"

            "Dont you 'but...' me mister. Now stay quiet till I return for you. Get it?" She awaited his reply

            "Got it." he sighed unhapply.

            "Good." She darted off in to the trees, silently.

Sometimes he admired her--his Auntie J. He loved her free spirit, and kind heart. She taught him everything he knows, besides his insticts. But even then she taught him how to control them, when to listen to them and when to let them take control. He wished that he only had her coat. It was a silver yet blue, and it glowed in the moonlight--

Crunch. Crunch.

Micah stopped breathing. That wasnt the way Auntie J. sounded when she walked. This must be the tracker.

He felt like howling for his aunt--

            'No!' he thought, 'I am not in danger, even if I was I am certainly not a little pup who cries for his mother...er...aunt, everytime something scares me.'

Crunch. Crunch. Growling.

'Not good.....AUNTIE J!!!!!' he thought.

Sniffing. Crunch!

A paw stopped in front of his leaf protection. It was black. And vaguely familiar.

            "Micah?" The voice clearly was male.

            'YIKES!' Micah listened to his own heart. It was louder than normal....actually it was loudest he's ever heard his heart go.

            "Try to calm down, Micah." A new voice came. "Your gonna have a heart attack."

            A smokey brown paw was placed near the black.

            'Mother?' he thought, he was a bout to move when another thought came to him. 'This might be a trap plenty of dogs have that color of fur....but thats to big to be a dog's paw, must be a wolf.' he dibated with himself. 'no. i'll wait for auntie j. she'll know what to do.'

            "Where's J? She would never leave Micah behind." the brown wolf spoke.

            "Yes she would. If it were a life or death situation she would lead anything away from Micah. Rather than Micah being killed. You know she adores him." A new wolf appeared. This time a dark gray paw was by the others.

            "Shh, you two!" the wolf with the black paw interjected. "Listen."

There was a soft pitter patting. behind Micah. 'Auntie J! Thank the heavens!' he sighed to himself

            "Well, well, well." the voice he knew belonged to Auntie J.

            "Goodevening Jolene." The wolf with the brow paw spoke. She sounded sincere.

            "What an evening its turning out to be. Micah? You can come out now." Jolene called.

Micah stood up and shook the leaves off. He looked up at the wolves before him. He remembered the brown one as his Mother, the gray was Aunt Claire, the black --he pretty sure-- was his father.

            His Mother smiled at him. "Hello Micah."

            "MOM!" he ran to meet her and snuggled into her lower shoulder.

"Micah, why didnt you come out when me and your mother called?" Auntie Claire asked sweetly, and licked his face.

Micah looked down, then at Auntie J.

            "You scared him Claire." Auntie J, smiled at her teasingly

            "No i didnt." She put her nose in the air snobbly. "did I?"

            "Ummmm......"

            "Oh no!! I did scare you!!!" Shock took over any emotion on her face, "Oh darling I'm sooooooooo sorry!" she gasped.

Auntie J. doubled over in a giggle fit. "Oh Claire," she shook off a tear, "how I missed you both so!" She ran over to them. The three of them put there heads together.

            The black wolf coughed loudly.

            "And Ty!" Auntie J. bounded out of the circle, and ran around him.

Micah stood by Brownie, as the big black wolf came by him. He was frozen stiff.

            "Micah…do you remember him?" Brownie nudged him forward away from her.

            "H-h-hello dad." Micah managed.

            "Hey there." He smiled.

'he remindes me of Auntie J. in a way.' Micah thought.

            "Sooooo.....now that introductions are done I'm gonna go find something to eat!" Auntie J. smiled, walking away.

            "What about me Auntie J???" Micah rushed over to her side.

            "No way! You're hangin out with you mom!" She started to jog.

            "BUT IM HUNGRY!" Micah sat down. Ty pulled out a gaint bone from outa nowhere and gave it to him and a "Here." came out muffled.

            "Yeah! I havent had a quiet meal and days!!" she turned her head to teased him, and sprinted off.

"She's not gonna come back is she." Brownie stared blankly at Claire.

         "Nope." Micah gnawed at his bone