All previous parts available on my web page at:
http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/fanfic.html
Comments and the like welcome.




{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to 
claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my 
permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or
form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko
Takahashi, so don't try any funny stuff!}


		   A Wolf in Samurai's CLothing
			 by Lara Bartram


Chapter 4, Part 1


	"How long do you'll think it'll be here?" Nabiki whispered, as if 
the portal might take offense at the question.
	"I can not say, but I suggest that we conclude our business as 
quickly as possible," Kuno answered, shifting the weight of the bag he 
had slung over his shoulder.
	The two stood on opposite sides of the room, contemplating the 
thing they were about to do.  They had filled their bags with supplies 
that they thought they might need, including food and water, but other 
things as well.  Kuno was still dressed in the white gi, but had added 
a pair of sandals as well.  Nabiki was in her overalls and a large 
shirt.  She wanted to avoid busting out of as many clothes as possible.
	Kuno stepped forward and mimicked Nabiki's actions of the 
previous day, running his fingers over the surface of the portal.  He 
looked back at Nabiki.  "Shall I go first?" he asked.
	Nabiki stood next to him.  "Let's go," she said, steel in her 
voice.

***

	The two sat around the fire, one looking supremely bored, the 
other eating a half-cooked haunch of a rabbit.  The portal cast its own 
other-worldly light on them, but they preferred the warmer, more 
natural light of the fire.  Even though they didn't need the protection 
from the chill of the darkness, the fire was an old comfort not easily 
shed.
	When the portal flared again, the two were so surprised that they 
could only stare as two figures stepped out of it.  The one eating was 
the first to react.
	He stood quickly, dropping the meat.  "What the hell?  Who are 
you?  Where are Karl and Anatoly?"
	Kuno's only answer was to cover the distance between them 
impossibly fast and swipe his hand across the man's throat.  He then 
moved to the second man, who was just starting to stand, and drove his 
fist through the man's head.
	Nabiki stood where she was, watching the two fall to the ground, 
the first, with the slashed throat, was slowly stopping his movement, 
and the second was still wiggling.  "Are they..."
	"This one," Kuno said, looking at the wiggling body, "will not 
die until the morning's light strikes him.  That other one, he was a 
shape shifter."  His voice was... regretful.
	"How did he die?  I thought..."
	"No.  Only given adequate time do injuries heal.  If you should 
be injured that death would come quickly, nothing can save you.  A slit 
throat means death."
	His grave tone worried Nabiki.  This was not the place to be 
giving lessons or for her to be learning them.  In fact...  She looked 
around.  Where the hell were they?  Wilderness of some sort, firs and 
leafy trees around, though there weren't a lot of leaves on them.  That 
could mean some sort of winter.  That could mean cold weather.
	Kuno was searching through the sparse clothing the two bodies 
were wearing.  The vampire had stopped moving, but twitched every so 
often, worrying Nabiki slightly.  Unfortunately, neither had anything 
of note in their possession, and Kuno was soon going after the uneaten 
food.
	"What if it's poisoned?  You shouldn't eat that," Nabiki warned, 
though her nose was telling her it would be just fine.
	"Nonsense.  You know as well as I that there is nothing wrong 
with it."  Kuno held out half of the unconsumed animal.  "Have some.  I 
think we shall need all our available energy."  He bit off a piece of 
flesh and began to chew slowly.
	Nabiki couldn't resist what her nose was telling her any longer.  
She dropped her bag and accepted the offered meat.  Come to think of 
it, she was feeling a bit run down.  She sat by the fire, shivering a 
little, and ignored the bodies while she ate.
	Looking around the little makeshift camp, it barely even 
qualifying as a camp, Nabiki could tell that what Kuno had said about 
the two men was correct.  Their camp was a fire ten feet away from the 
portal and nothing more.  A small pile of bones was the only other 
evidence that anyone had been waiting there.  She looked over at Kuno, 
who was staring off into the darkness.  "A yen for your thoughts," she 
said.
	"A village," Kuno answered immediately.  "There is one not very 
far to the northwest."
	"How can you tell?"
	"The wind.  It carries the scent of many people.  It can only be 
a village or town of some sort."
	"Oh."  He smelled it.  Nabiki tried smelling the air, but there 
wasn't anything she could pick up.
	"It took me a time to get used to it as well, and this was even 
after I had... accepted my change."  He hoped she wouldn't take offense 
at that.
	Nabiki only looked at him strangely.
	Kuno sighed.  They didn't have time for this.  He knew they had 
to get moving as quickly as possible.  "We must leave expediently; I 
shall explain along the way."  Kuno strode over to the bag he had been 
carrying and lifted it.
	Nabiki stood up slowly and retrieved her load.  "Where are we 
heading?  Are you sure this village is a good idea?"  They needed some 
voice of reason, even if it wasn't a very sure one.
	"To the village.  I think we may find some measure of safety
there."
	"And how do you know that?" Nabiki asked, following Kuno as he
started walking through the darkness.
	"I do not, but at this point, we have very little choice."
	"Oh, right," Nabiki answered awkwardly.  At that point, she
was in over her head, and that was a feeling she didn't like.  Too
many unknowns, too many variables, too much she didn't know put her in
a very uncomfortable spot.
	"It was a strange feeling, but also very compelling."
	Nabiki realized that Kuno had been talking and she had
expertly tuned him out.  "What was that, Kuno-chan?"
	Kuno frowned in her direction, perfectly visible to her in the
darkness.  "I wish you would cease with that infernal name-calling,"
he replied sternly.
	With a faint smile on her face, Nabiki said, "Don't be such a
grouch.  It's cute."
	Kuno put on his most unhappy look while he melted inside.
	"And don't act all upset.  I know you like it."
	Damn it, she had him there as well.  He sighed, defeated by
her as usual.  Something cold and wet struck his arm, and Kuno knew
that shelter was a priority.  They could have easily survived outside,
but without a steady, easily acquirable source of food, that was too
risky.  "We must hurry before the snow arrives, or we will be
tracked."
	Nabiki nodded, and the two picked up their pace as they traveled 
through the woodland.  "How far do you think it is?" she asked.  She 
wanted to get inside someplace and out of the weather, which was 
quickly getting worse with the snow coming down quite heavily.
	"I am not sure," Kuno answered loudly, his voice threatening to 
be drown out by the sharply gusting wind.  He looked around, and upon 
seeing a tall tree, dropped his bag.  "I shall see if it is visible."
	Nabiki nodded and watched him climb the tree.  Climbing, he 
wasn't agile like a squirrel, but did it more like he was on a ladder.  
The noise as he dug his claws into the bark was audible to her, and she 
had to wonder by how many other creatures.
	Kuno clambered as high as he thought was safe, and peered through 
the falling snow to the north.  Sure enough, in the distance, he could 
see a faint yellow glow.  It was dimmer than he had hoped it would be, 
but that town was their destination.
	Dropping out of the tree, minding not to catch any branches on 
the way down in a sensitive area, Kuno landed next to Nabiki.  "Not far 
off.  If we quicken our pace, it should be no more than 10 minutes," he 
said, shouldering his bag.
	Nabiki nodded and waited for him to go.  It annoyed her endlessly 
that she didn't know where they were going and she had to wait for him 
to lead.  She didn't smell anything on the wind and wasn't totally sure 
that Kuno even really knew where they were going.  This was not a place 
the two of them could afford to be hindered by his ego and arrogance.  
'Or your whining complaints,' that little voice added.  Nabiki ignored 
it.
	 After they had walked longer than Kuno's estimation through the 
woods, in the snow and the darkness, the trees suddenly ended and a 
field stretched out before them.  Standing back among the trunks, not 
wanting to be seen, the two gazed across the barren field at the 
inviting sight: a moderate sized group of small homes.  There were 
several livestock pens and even a few small barns.  The field was no 
doubt the remains of warmer weather's crops.
	"I suggest we seek shelter in one of those buildings," Kuno said 
as quietly as he could to be heard while pointing at a rickety barn 
closest to them.
	Nabiki, who still couldn't smell anything because she thought her 
nose was beginning to freeze, nodded and tried not to let her teeth 
chatter in the harsh wind.
	Without warning, Kuno grabbed her hand and began sprinting across 
the field, not slowing until he reached the barn.  Lifting the simple 
wooden latch, Kuno opened the door enough for them to step inside, and 
hoped the latch wouldn't close.  There weren't any windows and he 
didn't relish the idea of breaking through a wall.  He wasn't one of 
those destructive Amazons, after all.
	Standing just inside the doorway, the barn was comfortably dark 
and silent.  There were a few stalls where thin, scraggly-looking 
animals were still asleep thankfully, and it was not warm, but at least 
it was out of the snow and wind.
	"we can stay here and leave before morning to avoid discovery," 
Kuno said quietly.  Of course, after that, he had no idea what to do.  
"Do you require rest?"
	Nabiki only shrugged, but the tiredness was coming off her in 
waves.  She was not used to the physical exertion like he was.  Well, 
not in that particular manner.
	Kuno shivered a little, finally realizing just how deeply the 
cold had seeped into him.  While more tolerant to the cold than he 
would have been if he was fully human, the gi he wore didn't do much to 
protect his bare skin.  Seeing a pile of clean straw, he went to it to 
test its softness.
	Not needing an invitation, Nabiki went to the straw, dropped her 
bag, and tried to arrange herself comfortably in the dry, semi-warmth.
	"I would suggest you change, but I know you find that an 
unpleasant experience," Kuno whispered, then began to cover Nabiki with 
the straw.
	Nabiki watched him then put down his bag, remove his sandals and 
top, and asked, "What are you doing?"
	Without speaking, Kuno folded the top very precisely to form a 
makeshift pillow.  He placed it behind Nabiki's head and reorganized 
the straw, acting strangely like Kasumi as he did so.  "You should 
rest; I will watch over you."  To keep warm and to improve his senses 
while he waited for night to pass, he changed.
	A slightly malnourished cow opened its eyes to gaze upon the man, 
which it was used to, change into a beast, which it didn't care for at 
all.  A goat and a sheep woke as well, alarmed even in their sleep by 
the presence of this predator.
	First, the sheep began to bleat worriedly, trapped in the pen 
with no way out. Then the goat joined in, knocking its head against the 
wooden slats that kept it from roaming the barn freely.  The cow, 
growing more panicked as the beast looked at it, began to moo in 
earnest.
	Kuno was starting to panic himself.  If the animals didn't keep 
quiet, they would be discovered and be in trouble of a manner he didn't 
want to consider.  The animals were obviously agitated by his current 
state, but he didn't trust staying human in the current situation.  
Then the answer came to him.
	The cow stamped each hoof as the beast got closer, unable to 
break from the small enclosure it had been shut in.  It mooed more 
plaintively, moving back and forth, trying to find any room at all 
where it might escape.  And then the frightened eyes of the cow met 
those of the beast, which started to glow.

	"Did you hear that?"
	The woman nodded.  The animals starting such a ruckus could mean 
only one thing: they had returned.
	The man tossed the bed covers and hurried to put on something 
more appropriate for the weather.  "Hurry and get my ax," he said over 
his shoulder as he dressed.
	The woman shook her head, not wanting to believe it.  "It can't 
be them.  Why didn't anyone see them?  They should've been..."
	"It doesn't matter.  Now hurry up, woman!  Do you want to see all 
our animals killed again?"  The man was nearly finished dressing.
	The woman, appearing to almost be in shock, shook her head again 
and started getting around.

	Kuno had finally managed to quiet the animals ,giving himself 
quite a headache in the process.  He stumbled back to the straw, where 
Nabiki was already asleep, and dropped down at the edge of the pile.  
For a few minutes, he stared at the door, but soon his own desire for 
sleep overcame him.

	The man stepped outside into the blowing snow, his light held 
high, though it didn't help much.  He strode to the barn, ax held 
comfortably in his other hand, his wife following, holding a crude 
pitchfork.
	At the barn, the man looked at the open latch.  "Well, someone 
opened it, but this isn't what they usually do."  He put his hand on 
the latch to pull open the door.  He looked back at his wife, who 
nodded and held the pitchfork up.
	Holding the light forward, the man took a deep breath, holding 
the ax awkwardly while he made to open the door.  He tensed his body 
and yanked the door open, shining the light inside.  Bringing the ax 
back up, he was ready to use it with deadly force.

	The sound of the door opening roused Kuno, and the sudden light 
caused him to spring to his feet, not quite fully alert.  Standing 
before him, in the open doorway, were two people staring at him.  It 
was obvious that they were both frightened of him, not that it was a 
surprise since he was growling steadily.
	The woman almost dropped her weapon at the sight of the wolf 
creature.  "We... we can't," she said to her husband.
	"No, I've never seen this one before," he answered, keeping his 
threatening position.  "It might be wild."
	The woman trembled and looked more afraid.  "Wild?"
	The man spared a glance at the animals and breathed a sigh of 
relief.  At least they were still alive.  "What do you want?" the man 
asked loudly, waving the ax a little.  "Why don't you just get out of 
here!"  He waved the light this time and lifted the ax up.
	"Don't get it mad!" the woman begged.  "It might attack!"
	"Good!  Then I'll cut off its damn head!"
	"Don't!" the woman said, her voice filled with fear.
	"Let's go.  Maybe we can flush it out.  If we don't, it'll think 
it's got a home here."
	"Don't go in there," the woman begged once more.
	Kuno watched and listened to the people talk.  They were treating 
him like some unwanted wild animal.  It was like they had been 
expecting to see something... threatening, and he was a little more 
than what they had bargained for.  He looked at the woman and 
determined that she was not a threat.  Then he looked at the man and 
their eyes locked.
	"Go on," the man said loudly and stepped forward.  "Get out of 
here!  Go home!  Leave us alone!"  The man was almost shouting, holding 
his arms up and completely entering the barn.  He was taking tiny steps 
forward, but also moving to the side, trying to herd Kuno to the door.
	The woman, still behind her husband, unwilling to stand 
unprotected in front of the creature, had the pitchfork in a deathgrip 
now.  The beast could probably kill them both and not have a second 
thought about it.
	Then her eyes fell on the pile of straw, barely in the light of 
her husband's directed beam.  Among the straw, she could see a girl's 
face.  She gasped.  Tugging on her husband's arm, she whispered, "Stop.  
There's a girl..."
	Her husband ignored her, still circling with Kuno.  "Not now.  
It's almost out."
	"But there's a girl."  Making a frustrated sound, the woman 
decided to check it out herself.  She began moving toward the straw, 
still holding her weapon tightly.
	Kuno saw the woman approach Nabiki, holding the pitchfork 
threateningly and moved by instinct.  Moving quickly to his left, 
dismissing the man and his ax, he stood directly in the woman's path, 
snarling with more ferocity than before.
	The woman shrieked and took a step back, thinking she was done 
for.
	Kuno grabbed the pitchfork and yanked it from her hands.  He 
tossed it aside, but made no move toward the woman herself.  Whoever 
they were, these people were definitely not fighters.
	As the man moved to join his wife, he noticed Nabiki for the 
first time.  His attitude changed drastically, as he was now enraged.  
"You sick bastard, kidnapping girls...  Were you going to take her to 
your cave and eat her?"
	Kuno was starting to get really annoyed at this man and his 
foolish accusations.  Lowering himself to all fours, Kuno paced in 
front of the man, their eyes never breaking contact.
	"Kuno-chan, wha..."
	"Girl, you just hold still and keep quiet, and we'll get you
away from this thing," the man said, now holding his ax defensively.
	"Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Just hold it a second," Nabiki
said, sitting up in the straw.  "This isn't a monster, and I have not
been kidnapped."  She stood and pushed Kuno aside so the two people
could see her better.
	The woman waved frantically at her.  "Come away from that.
It's an animal," she said quietly, with extreme urgency.
	Nabiki chuckled.  Animal indeed.  "He won't hurt anyone
without reason.  We just stopped here for the night, to get out of the
snow."
	The two people looked at her strangely, the man still glaring
at Kuno.  The woman moved to stand closer to her husband so she could
whisper to him.  "I've never seen that coloring.  And those
clothes..."
	After a few moments of indecision, the man lowered his ax and
nodded his head slightly.
	That was the only signal the woman needed.  "Come inside.  You
must tell us where you've come from," she said excitedly, taking hold
of Nabiki's arm and keep as far away from Kuno as she could.  "You
must have been very cold out in the snow..."  The woman continued to
talk as she led Nabiki back to the house.
	That left the man and Kuno alone in the barn, glaring at each
other.  "I don't know where you come from, and I don't trust you,
but...  You're not wild?" he asked.
	Kuno shook his head, feeling vaguely insulted.
	"You don't stay like that all the time, do you?"
	Kuno shook his head again, now feeling like some unwanted
stray.
	"You can come in, but I'm going to expect some answers."  The
man turned and left the barn, not waiting for Kuno to follow.
	Gathering their things, Kuno followed soon enough, wondering
what kind of mess they had just gotten involved in.

	The home was little more than a multi-room shack.  A crude
fireplace was providing the warmth inside, and the woman was already
cooking food in a small metal pot over the flames.  There was a simple
wooden table with three chairs around it on the other side of the
single main room, where Nabiki was sitting, watching the woman.
	The woman busied herself, heating some thick meat stew, and
adding a kettle to heat water as well.  There were already large cups
on the table waiting to be filled.  "Wasn't it cold outside?" the
woman asked, stirring the stew, unsure of what else to say.
	"A little," Nabiki said noncommittally.  She didn't think the
woman would take the truth very well.  She watched the woman fill the
cup in front of her with steaming water, then took a sip from it.
Whatever mix of herbs had been in the cup was quite powerful.  "Whoa,
what's in this?"
	The woman looked back at Nabiki and smiled a little. "It's
from an herb that grows in the cool weather before the snow.  It seems
to spread warmth throughout the body.  Do you like it?"
	Nabiki took another drink, feeling the liquid travel down to
her stomach.  It gave her the same warm, tingling feeling that sake
did, but without the alcohol.  "Very good."
	The door opened and the man entered, carrying his ax and
lamp, covered in snow.  He stomped his feet and brushed the snow off
his shoulders.  "It's getting worse out there," he said as he shed his
outdoor clothing.
	The woman nodded and filled another cup with hot water.  She
carried the cup to her husband, her hands beginning to tremble
slightly when she saw Kuno come inside as well.  This one, who took
the form of their tormenters, made her very nervous.  She turned to
him, but could not meet his gaze.  "Would you like some?"
	"Have some, Kuno-chan.  It's good stuff," Nabiki said,
drinking down more of her own.
	It did have a rather tempting aroma.  Kuno nodded and watched
the woman turn away to hurriedly pour another cup.  He moved to the
side of the door so it could be shut then slowly set the bags down.
It seemed best not to do anything too fast or too sudden around these
people.  He didn't want a confrontation.
	"Kuno-chan, why don't you go change?  You're making the nice
people nervous," Nabiki offered playfully.
	Kuno sighed.  He didn't think she was drunk, but she was sure
acting like it.  Still holding his top, and not waiting for an offer,
Kuno went down a short hall that led to two back rooms so he was out
of sight and changed.  No doubt the man and his wife knew what he was
and there was no reason to hide, but there was something personal;
about the change that made him uncomfortable doing it in front of
others.
	He emerged less than a minute later from the short hallway,
adjusting the top and tightening the belt.  The other were all seated
at the table and looking at him.  There was another empty chair that
had been set there for him, along with a full cup and a bowl of food
waiting for for him.
	Kuno's eyes met those of the woman, who held his gaze for only
a second before she looked away.  Then he looked at the man, who was
studying him.  Finding something he approved of, the man nodded and
gestured to the empty seat.  Sitting slowly, Kuno sipped the steaming
drink, and was quite surprised at the taste.  His next drink was a bit
deeper.
	Nabiki was already digging into the stew, eating heartily.
The woman was watching her with almost starry eyes, not eating or
drinking anything herself.  Whatever the herb was, it could make her a
fortune back in Japan.  It tasted better, had actual benefits, and 
didn't have the drawbacks the alcohol did.  Yet, she still felt like
she had a rather pleasant buzz.
	The man was eating his own food slowly.  "So," he said
finally, "do you have a name?"  This was directed at Nabiki.
	"Nabiki Tendo," she said, her mouth half-filled with food.
	"Nabiki Tendo," the man said thoughtfully.  "Does he have a
name?"  The man pointed at Kuno, but was still speaking to Nabiki.
	She smiled.  "Kuno-chan?  Sure he does.  Tell him, Kuno-chan."
	The man looked at Kuno.  "Kuno-chan?"
	Kuno's face flushed at that.  "My name is Tatewaki Kuno, and I
can speak for myself.  If you have questions, you may ask me.  My...
companion seems a bit impeded."
	The man nodded.  "This drink will do that if you're not used
to it."  He looked down at his cup for a moment, then back at Kuno.
"My name is Rhodes, and my wife's name is Anatalia.  I hope you don't
think too unkindly of us; your presence in the barn was most
unexpected."
	Kuno nodded and began to eat.  He had been taken aback by
their hostility, but he had also been the trespasser.  He was actually
more annoyed at himself for being caught off-guard so easily.
	"Around here, you can never be too careful.  Especially so
close to the mountains."
	"Did you know Mr. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan?"
Nabiki said, the drink having gone straight to her head.
	Kuno and Rhodes looked at her strangely, each for their own
reason, then returned to their conversation.
	"And what is it about the mountains that you find so
threatening?" Kuno asked, avoiding his cup now after witnessing what
it had done to Nabiki.
	Rhodes' expression turned serious.  "They come from the
mountains.  I only know the legends, stories really..."
	That earned him a sharp stare from his wife.  "Come along,"
she said, suddenly trying to get Nabiki to stand.  "You need your
sleep."
	"Nonsense.  I wanted to talk about Mr. Fuji," she replied,
remaining seated.  "What do you think of Mr. Fuji, Kuno-chan?"
	Seeing no way around it, Kuno decided to suffer the
humiliation.  He nodded as he spoke.  "He's a very nice man."
	"See?  Kuno-chan knows!"  That seemed to placate Nabiki, who
was now ready for some sleep.  She stood up and walked around the
table to stand next to Kuno.
	She bent over and talked quietly in his ear.  "Good night,
Kuno-chan," she said lustily, then began nibbling on his ear.
	"Nabiki Tendo," Kuno said sternly, barely controlling his
rising passion, "you must cease this at once and take your night's
rest.  It is important."
	Nabiki pouted, sad and exaggerated, and swayed back and forth
drunkenly.  "If you say so, Kuno-chan."
	Kuno tried not to look at Nabiki, waiting for her to be gone
so he could continue his talk with Rhodes.  Unfortunately, Rhodes was
no better, giving him an amused look.
	"It's late.  Why don't we all turn in?" he offered, rising
from his chair.  "The day begins early tomorrow."
	Kuno nodded and stood as well, which caused the woman to look
at him fearfully.
	"Anna, help our guest," Rhodes said, seeing his wife's
hesitation.  "There's nothing to be afraid of."
	Anatalia paused for a moment, then nodded, taking Nabiki by
the arm.  Leading her down the little hallway, Anatalia glanced back
at her husband once more.
	Rhodes ignored her for the time being, keeping his attention
on Kuno.  "Don't mind her.  You're the first..."  He paused, unsure of
exactly what he could say that wouldn't be offensive.  "Well, most of
your kind aren't friendly to us.  There are a handful that are less
hostile, but...  Keep your secret.  Things will be easier that way."
	Kuno nodded.  "Things were similar back at my home."
	"Good, then you understand.  Don't take any offense by my
wife's actions.  She's just afraid."  He couldn't bring himself to
talk about the rest of it.
	Nodding again, Kuno could tell there was something Rhodes was
holding back.
	Rhodes looked around the little home, his eyes haunted, seeing
how empty it was.  Barren and empty, almost devoid of life...  Devoid
of life as the entire village waited for the inevitable each day, when
maybe the next time, they wouldn't be able to withstand the attack.
	Kuno walked away slowly, leaving Rhodes to his contemplations.
Down the hall, the two doors, one on either side of the hall, closed,
he opened the one he could smell Nabiki behind and looked inside.  She
was in the small bed there, her head covered by the blanket and legs
bare.
	Shaking his head as entered the bedroom, Kuno shut the door
and began to undress.  He attempted to squeeze into the narrow bed
next to Nabiki, but she expertly managed to take up whatever space he
tried to fit into.  Finally, as her final defense, Nabiki kicked out
and struck him right in the gut.
	Breathing heavily, Kuno looked at the bed longingly.  He
sighed, then changed and settled on the floor next to it instead.

***

	Anatalia knocked on the door softly.  Receiving no answer, she
opened the door slowly and peeked her head in.  She barely managed to
stifle the scream and prevent the neighboring homes from hearing her,
but it was enough to bring her husband in a hurry.
	"What is it?  What's happened?" he asked worriedly.
	Anatalia had her mouth covered and slowly shook her head,
still staring into the room.
	Rhodes physically moved her to see what the horror was.
"Woman, you know there's nothing wrong with him," he said.  Turning
his attention to the two sleepers, he clapped his hands loudly.  "Wake
up, you two!" he said.
	Kuno was up almost immediately, looking at what had caused so
much noise.  Seeing the two people looking at him, he curled up and
hid himself as best he could.
	"Right.  Wake your friend up; you're going to have to earn
your keep, one day at a time."  Rhodes ushered his wife away to leave
the two teenagers to their privacy.
	Kuno sat up and looked at Nabiki.  She hadn't been bothered by
the noise at all, since she was still asleep.  Standing and
stretching, Kuno shook himself, fluffing out the fur that had matted
as he slept on it.
	"Mmm, Kuno-chan...  What's for breakfast?" Nabiki asked as she
did start to wake up.
	Kuno looked down at her, amazed how she could make even the
simple straw mattress look like a bed made for a queen.  He shivered as
he reverted to being human, and said, "You must awaken.  We have...
chores to do."  Strange.  He had never done chores before.  These
would most likely be nothing like the ones he might have done back in
Japan.
	Nabiki wrinkled her nose.  "Chores...  What time is it
anyway?" she asked as she sat up.
	Kuno looked around.  "I do not know.  There do not seem to be
any clocks..."  And it wasn't much lighter than it had been when they
had gone to sleep. "At my best estimation, early morning."
	Yawning, Nabiki got her legs out of the bed, still partially
covered by the blanket.  "Morning.  I hate the morning."

	"Good to see you two finally up.  Ready to do some work?"
Rhodes asked far too cheerily.
	Nabiki gave him a look that said she wasn't ready for anything
except going back to bed, and Kuno looked at him with apprehension.
	"Don't worry.  I'm sure you won't have any trouble with it.
It's nice and easy for a couple of healthy looking kids like you,"
Rhodes said encouragingly.
	Kuno and Nabiki didn't feel all that encouraged.

	"They don't like you much," Rhodes said as he tried to settle
down a panicking goat.  "Don't worry, they just smell... it in you."
He watched Kuno refill the water bucket as he put some hay and a small
scoop of grain in for the frightened animals.  "They might learn to
tolerate you."
	Kuno didn't say it, but he had no intention of staying there
long enough for the animals to get used to him.  Not if he could help
it.  Instead, he continued to refill the water.
	This was a strange situation for him.  He was doing manual
labor, staying in a house that was nearly a shack with people that
didn't know anything of the respect he commanded back in Japan.
	What a strange path his life had taken, then made even
stranger by the journey to this place.  The rest of it he was not
looking forward to.  Unless... unless he could somehow find a way to
make Nabiki happy.  If he could really accomplish that, then it would
be worth it.  Mostly.
	"Don't worry.  It's only a few hours of hard work.  I'm sure
you'll do just fine...  If you don't pass out first."  Rhodes smirked
at him.

	"You don't do much housework, do you?"
	"Me?  No way.  I avoid it if at all possible."  Nabiki swayed
on her feet as she attempted to help Anatalia.  She was still
obviously very tired.
	"That's quite all right.  You just do the best you can."
Anatalia smiled gently at the slightly scowling girl.  "Don't trouble
yourself over it.  I'll do it if you can't.  After all, I've been
doing it ever since I was old enough."  She gave a nervous laugh and
glanced quickly at Nabiki.
	"So, why don't you tell me why... why you're really here.  I
mean, I know this isn't just some... scenic getaway," Anatalia said
hesitantly, not making eye contact with Nabiki.
	Nabiki was fairly uncomfortable with the confrontation
herself.  There were several tense moments of silence in which she
couldn't think of anything to say.
	"Well?  Why?  You understand, it's not that I don't trust you.
It's just...  Why are you here?"
	"Yes, why don't you tell us from your own mouth.  No secrets
this time, if you please," Rhodes said as he entered the home with
Kuno following him.  "The truth please."
	Kuno was sweating and looked like he had been doing something
to strain even his enhanced strength.  Apparently, manual labor did
not agree with him.
	Nabiki cast one not very happy look at Kuno, who looked back
evenly and nodded.  "Fine.  How much did he say?" she asked, resigned
to the fact that Kuno talked too much for his own good.
	"He said enough to make me very curious.  Now, don't be
concerned.  I think I can say in all honesty that I trust you, both of
you.  I've gotten good at listening to my instincts; if you don't, you
don't live here long."  Rhodes' voice was calm and rational, his gaze
steady and even.  "So tell us.  Everything."
	Sighing, Nabiki sat down at the table.  "This could take a
while."
	Rhodes nodded and sat down as well.  Kuno and Anatalia
followed shortly.
	"I'm... I'm like him," Nabiki said, pointing at Kuno.
	Anatalia gasped, but Rhodes only nodded.
	"I don't want to be," Nabiki added quickly.  "It's been more
trouble than it's worth for both of us."
	Out of the corner of his eye, Rhodes saw the downcast look on
Kuno's face and wondered why exactly this was a sticking point between
the two.  He would have to ask the boy later.
	"This is the only way we could think of finding a cure
because..."  Forced to vocalize it again.  How she hated it.  "Because
I..."  The others looked at her with great interest, which made it
worse.  Nabiki took a big breath.  "I'm pregnant, and I want to be
normal.  I want them to be normal."
	To their credit, Rhodes and Anatalia did not bat an eyelash.
In fact, they appeared less apprehensive than they had before Nabiki
had said anything.
	"I can see your dilemma then," Rhodes said.  "If you don't
mind me asking, what type are you?  And the children?"  Instincts and
information.  That was how he survived.  He knew it wasn't as simple
as just someone turning into a wolf creature.  There were other
considerations.
	"Type?  What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, suddenly concerned
that there might be something more for her to worry about.
	"Well, there are two ways even the farmers know of getting...
your condition.  One is to be bitten by one.  It's passed on like
that.  The other way is to be born like that," Rhodes answered.
Everyone knew that; it was like knowing that birds and reptiles laid
eggs while mammals had live births.
	"And what would be the difference between the two?" Kuno
asked.
	Being so... foreign, alien, Rhodes has assumed that the boy
had been bitten and had probably bitten the girl as well.  That was a
story he wanted to hear.  "Someone's who's been bitten can pass it on
in the same way, or...  Someone born with it  can only pass it on to
any children they might eventually have."
	It appeared that they might be in for a very long period of
discussion.  "I don't normally talk about these things because... "
haven't always lived here.  I wasn't always a farmer.  I used to work
in one of those hellish castles, as a servant basically.  I've seen
the experiments, seen the notes...  I've seen the lies.
	"It must have been very frightening for you the first time.
I've seen men go through it, the agony on their faces..."  He wiped
something non-existent off the table before he continued talking.  "If
you're bitten, it's very... active.  If you've been injured, you know
the healing power it has.  It attacks what threatens its presence.
That's about the best way to put it because they really didn't know.
No one does."
	Rhodes smiled slightly.  "The concept was so simple, but the
process was impossible to understand.  When you're bitten, depending
on the condition you're in, it spreads through you.  The weaker you
are, the faster it works.  It gets into every part of you and stays
very active.  That is how it is passed on through the bite."
	He gestured at the fire and Anatalia hurried to get him some
food.  "The ones born with it can either be considered blessed or
cursed.  Inside of them, it's much more.. stable I think is the right
word.  It's not as active.  They can't pass it on through the but,
but... they can't be cured of it either.
	"So I ask you, what types are you?"
	"Both... bitten," Nabiki answered stiffly.  Couldn't be cured?
	"And when did you... conceive?  Before or after?"
	"Before...  Just before."  A pause.  "Before I was.  But..."
Nabiki looked over at Kuno.
	Rhodes looked at the two and nodded.  When he spoke, his voice
was solemn.  "Unfortunate then."
	That sounded... very bad to Nabiki's ears.  "What is that
supposed to mean?"
	"I'm sorry, but there's no cure.  It's never been discovered
how to cure the ones born that way.  There's just too deep a hold; it
can't be flushed out," Rhodes answered apologetically.
	"If I have to do this," Nabiki said, sounding quite dangerous,
"then I will find a cure.  There's no way I'll let them stay this way.
No way."  She gave Kuno a shove for good measure and marched outside
with an angry look on her face.
	"Will... will she be all right outside like that?" Anna asked
hesitantly.
	Kuno nodded and looked at Rhodes sadly.  "She was near death.
She would have died if I hadn't...  I could not allow that."
	Rhodes nodded, knowing exactly what Kuno was talking about,
the kind of pain he was in.  "You meant no malice by it.  If either of
you had known better, I'm sure things would have turned out
differently," he offered sympathetically.
	The guilt came back to Kuno in a flood.  Over and over again
he told himself that he shouldn't have done it.  He should have
just... let go.  So desperate, so angry though, he just hadn't been
able to.
	Kuno suddenly turn around and ran out the door.
	Rhodes stood and went to shut it to keep the snow out.  "I'm
surprised it took him that long," he said quietly.

	He found her down at the riverside, watching the swift-moving
water.  She didn't acknowledge his presence, but it wasn't necessary.
Kuno walked up behind her and sat down.  He put his legs on either
side of her body and scooted forward in the snow until they were in a
rather intimate position.
	"I don't believe him," she said angrily.  "It's not true.
There has to be a cure."
	Kuno put his arms around her and pulled her back against him,
unresisting.  "Do you believe that?" he asked quietly.
	"It doesn't matter what I believe.  It's not the truth."  The
anger had flowed from her to be replaced by... pity?
	"And what if it is?"  His hold tightened briefly.
	"I don't know.  I don't care because it's not.  You hear me?
It's not."
	His hands moved to her stomach.  "And will you care for them
less?"
	Nabiki sighed and shook her head.  "No," she said without
emotion.
	They sat in the cold winter silence with only the burbling
water to disturb them.
	"What did you dream about last night?" Kuno asked suddenly.
	Nabiki answered after a moment, "My family mostly."
	"Ah."
	"And you, but you already know that, don't you?"
	"I dream about you every night.  Every night, it's you... and
me.  is it really so bad?  I would have thought so at one time, but
not now."
	"That's not the point.  You know that has nothing to do with
it.  The only thing I'm concerned with is..."  She shrugged.
	"Not yourself?"
	Her reply was slow in coming this time.  "I suppose I can
handle it.  No, I don't like it, but..."  But it wasn't so bad really,
better than she would admit.  "If I have to deal with this, then...
Damn it!  You know what I mean!"
	"I do.  If there was any possibility, I would be as adamant as
you."
	"You really don't think there's any cure?  That they'll be...
stuck like that?"
	"I am afraid so."  He looked downcast behind her.  "I hope you
realize just because I choose to stay this way does not mean I think
you should.  Or... our children."
	That sounded so weird.  Was he really about to become a father
at 17?  And his children would apparently require a type of
instruction nobody had ever anticipated.  How would he handle that?
Could he handle that?
	He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.  "I do love you."
	"I told you not to say that.  You don't mean it; how could
you?  There's nothing about me..."
	"On the contrary.  You would wish that I list the things about
you that I desire?  The light in your eyes in the morning, the ire of
your spirit..."
	It was typical Kuno, just what she had expected him to say,
and she was not impressed at all.
	"Your body, and the way it moves, the way your skin feels
against mine..."  He nuzzled her neck.  "The way you smell, the sound
of your voice, whether used in anger or ecstasy..."
	"Stop it," she said weakly.  "I won't just let you..."
	"But it was what you wanted.  Or have you suddenly become a
shirking violet, unable to face that which you know is the truth?  I
know you better than that.  I know you better than you may think.
Simply accept these things, do not run away from them.  You deserve to
have your entire being coveted.  Do not deny this.  I would not deny
that I need you more than life itself, nor that I love you more than
life itself for all the things I could never truly see before."
	Nabiki felt that tightening in her chest again.  Was that all
it really took?  Just some guy she had never really respected before
telling her that he loved her?  And the companionship, and the
understanding... and the great sex?  Was love really such a sham?
	There was a subtle physical shift in the body behind her, and
a not wholly human tongue ran behind her ear.
	"Not now!" she hissed at him, but couldn't hide her sudden
arousal.  "Not out here... where someone... might see us..."  Nabiki's
voice had grown even weaker.
	The shift again.  "If you insist, I shall stop," he whispered.
	Nabiki turned and leaned against him.  "Not on your life, you
bastard," she warned, then kissed him.

***

	"What do we do?"
	"There's nothing we can do.  Those two are better off going
back to where they came from and forgetting this place ever existed."
	"But they can be cured.  Why didn't you tell them everything?"
	"Tell them the quickest way to get themselves killed, you
mean?  I wouldn't do that.  A life as a partial beast is better than
no life at all, don't you think?"
	"But what about... Maxim?"
	"Are you insane, woman!?"
	"He could do it.  Even the babies..."
	"Yes, he could cure them, but he'd be just as likely to kill
them!  Do you want that on your conscience?"
	"Who holds this cure?" Kuno asked from the doorway, Nabiki at
his side.  They were both covered in snow.
	"No.  You can't even consider it.  You would both be dead, or
worse," Rhodes warned, looking at them seriously.  "Anna has no idea
what she's talking about.  There is no cure.  There's nothing..."
	"I heard you.  I want a cure," Nabiki demanded.  "Tell us."
	Anna started to speak, but a withering look from Rhodes
silenced her.
	"Suicide.  Do you want to die?  Is that it?  A cure is so
important that you would risk your lives?  What kind of foolish world
do you come from?" Rhodes asked, angry and irritated.  "You're just
children!  He'll kill you!"
	Both Nabiki and Kuno looked at him with cool gazes.  "Who?"
Kuno asked.
	Rhodes shook his head, looking angry with himself.  "Damn you.
You think I want your deaths on my conscience?"
	"I have to know.  Nothing will stop me," Nabiki said.
	The strange, fiercely determined tone of her voice made Kuno
look at her in surprise.  He hadn't really seen this side of her up
close before, and it was just a little worrying.
	Hanging his head, breaking eye contact, Rhodes seemed to be
struggling internally over whether to answer or not.  "There's no
other way to describe him.  He's a monster, plain and simple.
Anything you hear about him just can't do his cruelty justice."
	That seemed to temper the teenagers some.  "How do you know?"
Nabiki asked, a little unsure of herself now.
	"Everyone knows, dear," Anatalia said.  The stories, tales,
legends of his cruelty were...  They were enough to shake any man, no
matter his age or stature.
	"He's brutal and bloodthirsty.  He is ruthless and rules
everything on this piece of unbroken land.  Rules with an iron fist.
Not that he needs to.  We are all powerless against him anyway,"
Rhodes continued.
	Out loud, their situation sounded even more hopeless than he
liked to believe.  "He could possibly help you, yes, it it entertained
him enough to do so."  Rhodes first looked at Kuno, and then Nabiki.
"Yes, it is correct to believe that he can help you..."
	"But?" Kuno asked.
	"But will he?  Your lives are inconsequential to him.  He's
seen others like you come and go over the time he's been in control.
Longer than my lifetime."  Rhodes shrugged.
	"I heard of him from my mother and grandmother," Anatalia
said, nodding her head in agreement.
	"How?  how can he be so..." Nabiki started to say, then her
eyes got wide.  "Not more of them."
	"Vampires," Kuno said with a sneer.
	"You've dealt with them?  They must have been quite anxious if
they were sending them out.  During the winter, they usually stay all
locked up, away from the people and their fires," said Rhodes.
	Nabiki still wasn't quite buying it.  "Don't you understand?
I can't just give up.  I can't.  I won't."
	"Neither shall I."  Nabiki spared Kuno a quick glance, but
that was all.
	"We can't stop them," Anatalia said to her husband, clasping
her hands tightly.  "If they're determined, how will we stop them?  We
could... we could..."
	Rhodes looked horrified.  "You can't be suggesting..."
	"They are not our prisoners.  If they are determined, we must
help them."  Anatalia looked at him evenly.  "I don't like it either,
but we can help even if they choose not to heed our advice.  We must
help."
	Nodding, Rhodes knew when he was beat.  They were right,
after all.  "If you insist.  If you think this is really the best
way."
	Kuno looked at Nabiki, then at Rhodes.  "Do not think us
ungrateful.  This is the reason we came here though, to find a way to
alleviate this condition."
	"You know you could be killed, don't you?  What will you do
then?"
	"Die," Nabiki answered coldly.
	"It would not be the first time we have faced it."  They
hadn't faced it very well, but they had faced it, and come out alive.
That was all that mattered.
	"Right now, we won't discuss this matter," asserted Anatalia.
"We'll save it for later.  Today we shall simply go about our business
as usual.  All this talk about death, it isn't necessary now."  She
looked faintly disturbed.  "It can wait..."
	And that was the end of the discussion.

	In a gesture that surprised Kuno, Nabiki took his hand.  "We
have to talk," she said seriously.
	"About what?"
	"Not here.  Let's go for a walk."  She tugged on his hand and
led him outside into the crisp night air.
	Night was the only time the clouds ever broke, and even then,
not for very long.  This was one night where they parted enough to
reveal a reddish moon and a host of stars in unfamiliar patterns.
Nabiki avoided looking at it though.  It reminded her too much of
where she was and where she wanted to be.
	She led him back to the river, slightly upstream from where
she had been earlier in the day.  Nabiki sat in the snow with her back
to a fallen tree, still holding Kuno's hand.
	He sat down next to her closely, their legs touching.  "What
was it you wanted to..."
	"Is this the right thing?  Facing death... once was enough for
me.  I don't want to do it again," she said simply.  "I'm not so sure
now.  I just want to know that I'm making the right choice."
	Kuno shook his head, watching the water flow past them.  "I do
not know.  I will stand beside you in whatever decision you make
though.  I owe it to you."
	"I don't know if I'd do the same for you."
	"I know.  It is no one's fault, but I am the cause and
understand that I can not expect you to return my feelings."  He added
quietly, "Even though I wish you to."
	"The sex isn't enough.  None of it's enough."
	Kuno sighed sadly.  Why couldn't she just try?  Just et it all
go and try?  It had made everything so much simpler for him when he
had finally given up on Akane and Ranma in the face of his sudden
powerful feelings for Nabiki.  "What would be?"
	"I... I don't know," she answered immediately, but she did.
She just didn't want to admit it.
	"I'm hungry," Kuno said abruptly.  He stood, pulling his hand
from Nabiki's.  He peeled off his shirt and removed his sandals,
leaving them both on the ground.  "Wait for me," he said before
shifting his shape and bounding off across the river.
	Nabiki shook her head as she watched him go.
	Kuno returned barely 15 minutes later with a fat rabbit and a
smaller rodent that looked similar to a guinea pig.  Many of the
larger animals were hidden away until morning, leaving the smaller
nocturnal herbivores for him to catch.
	Slogging back through the river, both corpses hanging from his
mouth, he sat down across from Nabiki, shaking himself slightly.  He
handed the rabbit to her, which she took without a word.  Immediately
he tore into his own catch, eating it quickly.
	Nabiki looked at the still warm rabbit in her hands.  She was
hungry, there was no doubt about that.  But she couldn't just eat a
rabbit like this, and she didn't want to change...  She looked up at
Kuno flatly.
	He took the rabbit from her and held it in the palm of one
hand.  Running one finger down its side, he turned it slightly so his
claw cut into the flesh.  Kuno slowly slit the rabbit open, steam
rising from the body in the cold air.  Blood spilled out, coating his
finger with it.
	As he lifted his finger to his mouth to lick the blood off,
Nabiki grabbed him by the forearm, preventing him from doing so.  She
pulled his arm back toward her and took his hand in hers so his
finger was still extended.
	Kuno watched wide-eyed as Nabiki licked his finger, then put
her mouth around it and cleaned the blood off, sucking and licking.
She ran her tongue along it, long after it was clean, her warm hands
wrapped around his, his body starting to tremble.
	He pulled his finger from her mouth slowly, revealing her
blood-stained lips.  Kuno almost lost it completely when Nabiki licked
it all off, staring at him with a smoldering gaze.


End part 1