A Noble's Pet

The Exposed Traitor

We are all on the bridge. Despite Kiba's newly found determination we still haven't left the town. Kiba look out over one side of the bridge, towards west, while Hige and Blue sit on a bench, Toboe stand on the rail to the bridge looking towards the north, Tsume is leaning on it further away and I sit on it dangling my legs back and forth right beside him.

"They went that way, right?" Toboe asks us, probably talking about the path of flowers.

"They sure did" Hige answers him without looking at the pup.

"Are we going?" Toboe asks and look back at him.

"Well yeah, we have to" Hige answers smiling.

I notice that Tsume slightly glare at Kiba and I wonder what it is about this time. Is it maybe that we didn't leave last night like we thought we would?

"So where are you guys headed?" Blue asks and look at Hige.

"We are all trying to make our way to paradise" Hige answers her.

"Paradise?" she asks slightly sceptical.

"It's something every wolf must try to do" he continues and I don't think he notice the concerned expression on her face as he say so.

"Oh right" she says and smile. "To find paradise"

"You're gonna come with us, aren't you Blue?" he asks her and again she looks concerned.

"It sounds tempting" she answers. "But I can't go"

"Well then I'm not going either" Hige says determined.

"Hige" she says.

She obviously didn't expect him to say so and neither did I. He must really be into her if he is willing to skip out on paradise for her.

"You know you'd probably be better of if you stayed with the humans" Kiba says and turn around. "It's not too late to turn back"

"What the hell are you saying, Kiba?" Hige asks looking at him angered.

"I have no intention of going back!" Blue answers Kiba. "I can never return to the way I was before. Not now"

"Blue" Hige says and look at her with sad eyes.

"I just, I need to find out what I really am" she continues.

"Well then" Kiba says. "The only thing you can do is move forward"

"Yeah, he is right!" Hige says more cheerful than before and stands up as Toboe jumps down from the rail to the bridge. "You just got to move forward. Right?"

"Oh yeah" Tsume says in his usual bored voice and laugh quietly, knowing exactly what Tsume will say next. "I can see right through you, porky"

"Now if only Cheza was with us" Toboe says and receives a small punch in the head from Hige.

"I told you not to say that" he says to the pup and then speaks up. "Okay, now that everything is settled time to get a move on. On to paradise!"

He points towards the north, but Kiba stands facing west and points in that direction.

"We are going this way" he says while Hige is still talking.

"Hu?" Hige says confused.

"Paradise isn't over there" Toboe says to Kiba.

"But Darcia's keep is" he answers.

"His keep?" Hige says even more confused now than earlier.

"Yeah" he answers him.

"Do you think Cheza is there?" Toboe asks him and Kiba simply nods to answer him.