"You know," Laika said, "When I was a pup, I never could have ever imagined meeting a real-life wolf. I never really wanted to, but I can't say I wasn't curious." The night had grown long, and the moon outside peeked in to the darkness of the den with a small sheen of pale blue light. The moon had risen perfect align with the hole's entrance and now shone dimly upon Laika and the wolf's faces.

The newly-named Afore tilted his head with a questionable look at Laika's comment, and said, "Curious of what?"

"Well, I was curious as to just how vicious wolves truly are. If they were monsters like everyone said they were."

"And? Are we?"

Her eyes glared, a mere glint of amber in the dark, "I still believe that. You killed one of my tribe."

Afore winced. He had done that, after all, and it was a memory he had forced to the back of his mind. But now, out and under the moonlight, the memory flooded back to him, filling his senses with the cold familiarity and getting his heart drumming. He wished to forget that feeling, the feeling of a strong adrenaline rush and the excitement of a fight, the excitement of competition. He hated it. Oh, how he hated it, and how it made him hate himself.

"You we're trying to kill me," Afore responded, a little coldly. A little weakly.

Laika cut him off, ignoring what he had said, "It's your turn to ask a question."

"I'm not sure I want to play anymore."

"Whether you like it or not," the dog snapped suddenly, teeth bared, "We are stuck here together. I want to know if I should be fearing for my life where I stand or not!"

"No, Laika! Believe it or not, but if I wanted to kill you, then you would be dead already!" Even the wolf stood up, his ears touching the den's ceiling, his eyes narrowed, saying, just try me. The side of his face was gently illuminated by moonlight, and the other side was darkened to black, only the glint of an angry brown eye visible. He looked like the moon, half of it dark, and half of it bright. In a way, he was a lot like the moon. A part of him was sinister, tucked neatly away, and another part of him was approachable.

Laika jumped up and snarled, "Like you're not just enjoying the hunt, you sick canine!" Her teeth flashed white against black as she moved. Her tan face and neck markings looked grey in the pale lighting.

"Oh, you," the wolf groaned, "You, you!"

"I what? What about me, wolf?" Her voice was risen.

"Everything about you!" Afore snapped, "Everything about you drives me insane! You judge me before you know me, and everything is about you!"

Exasperatedly and with sarcasm, Laika responded, "Yes, everything is about me! All about me! Because I was the one that caused both of our lives to be ruined!"

Afore, then, with a growl, "You should have kept out of mine."

"I wish I had!" Laika said loudly, "Oh, how I wish I had!" With a huff, she laid down, curled up with her dark back to Afore. Afore did not respond to her final remark. Instead, he let the silence sink in deep to his bones like ice and snow. He suddenly became alone again.

Curling up opposite to Laika, the wolf spoke quietly, "I am sorry for getting on your nerves. I'm not quite sure what I did."

"I should be home, in my hut, sleeping in my bed right now," Laika hissed, lifting her head to glare back at him.

He looked at her with wide eyes, "I know. I'm sorry..." The silence was insufferable. Laika rested her head back on her paws, turned away from Afore. The air suddenly felt hot and stagnant. "Laika?" He asked again.

"What?" She spat.

"Why don't you?"

"What? Why don't I what?"

"Why don't you sleep in your bed tonight?"

Even more frustrated than before, Laika sat up once again, "You're kidding!"

"No, no. They're probably searching the whole forest, but I doubt anyone is searching your tribe for us. They'd never expect us to return so soon. We could go and you could sleep in your bed."

"And you?"

"I don't know," Afore shrugged, "We'd run again then, or maybe someone would cut us loose. But if you wanted to sleep in your own bed tonight, I can make that happen for you."

She scanned him with hardness. Creases ran down the centre of his face, his eyes sharp and bright with a strong determination. Laika found her own gaze softening as their eyes met.

"Okay, Afore. We can do that."

"You're not too tired?" He seemed a bit taken aback, as if he hadn't really expected her to say yes.

"No, not at all. All of that running earlier really woke me up."

"Oh, really? It just tuckered me out."

"We can wait-"

"No." He stood up tall, shaking the loose soil from his coat. "If you want to sleep in your bed tonight, then that is what is going to happen." A familiar excitement crept to his paws, itching his scruff.

"Okay," Laika said, a small smile on her face. "Let's do it."

"Good." One after the other, the two canines squeezed out of the burrow and into the open, cool night air. The forest was beautiful beneath the gentle blue touch of the moon. The night's soft light dripped on everything like dew. Or perhaps like blood. Out in the open, the two stretched, putting paws to the ground and stretching out their hind legs, shaking out their coats which suddenly seemed much more brown than they used to. Their breathing appeared as little puffs of white dew in the cool night air.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Afore said, eyeing the forest that surrounded them warily. He could hardly see every dark crevice and corner, long shadows casted black against the dim moonlight.

"Afore, we are alone. They won't be looking for us in this area after they've already looked, especially not this late at night. Don't look around at these trees," Laika stepped up beside him, pushing his bottom jaw with her nose, "Instead, look up." As she pushed his head up, Afore obeyed and looked upwards. The sky behind bare tree limbs was black and blue and sparkling. It was beautiful. "I've never seen the stars shine so brightly before, have you?"

Afore admitted, "I'm not entirely sure. I've seen them a thousand times, but tonight, they seem brighter than ever."

"Maybe that is a sign we are to have good luck tonight."

"I think so."

The two gave one another a comforting glance, assuring the other that there was no reason to be nervous or worried or scared at all, even though they both clearly were. Then, their mission was put into motion and the two began at a quick but cautious pace through the thistles of the woods. Afore led the way, although not by much. Laika kept pace with him easily.  They both kept ears, eyes, and noses alert, glancing around every corner and stopping to sniff the gentle wind with billowing white breaths.

"I can't wait for the winter to finally be over," Laika commented.

"Oh, how come?"

"It's just too cold for me." Then, eyeing Afore's dense coat, "But I bet it isn't too cold for you, is it?"

"No," he admitted, "Not really. I enjoy the cold, actually."

"Just another reason why dogs and wolves don't mix," Laika said cheekily.

"No, that's why salukis don't mix with any canine that has hair."

"I have hair."

"Really? Where?"

Playfully, she growled, "You must be slow with all that extra weight, wolf!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, and I'm not talking about your fur, either."

He smiled, "Now, that's just unfair."

The two trotted along, all too aware of how far their voices may have carried and how loud the crunch of frozen Anertha was underfoot. So, as they neared the border to Veal Tribe, they subconsciously grew quiet, stiff, and slow, with ears erect and eyes wide and alert.

By the time the pair had wandered upon the tall wall of Veal Tribe, they were practically in a crouch as if stalking their prey. In a way, they were.