Zane stared after Taylor as she left, a sad ex
pression on his face. He hadn't meant to upset her. He glanced at Vic for a second before standing up. "I'll keep watch," he said quietly. He walked over the a rock and climbed on top of it so he could see the entire camp. He sat down and crossed his arms over his chest, saying nothing more. 

Yuri looked at Allen. "Doesn't he need rest." he asked quietly. "Yeah, but there's no point in arguing with him." Allen answered. He and Yuri stood up. "Show me your den?" Yuri nodded and walked off with Allen keeping pace with him.

Vic watched before slithering over to Zane, who didn't even look at him. "I'm not a bad guy...err...snake. I'm not asking you to trust me, but let's call a truce." The snake offered. When Zane didn't answer his sighed and slithered off to carry out Shadows orders. 

Taylor sighed and shrugged off of Shadow's back. She sat down on the floor and Shadow sat across from her. He examined her. Their markings would look identical if they were both wolves. Sapphire swirls laced around her arms and her legs. He knew there would be a sapphire streak down her back. She yawned. "So what's up." She asked him and Shadow chuckled. "What's up. Human terms. If you mean what is happening right now..." She nodded and he continued. "Something's changed about you. I don't know what, but I'm pretty sure we'll find out soon enough." He said.

"And Deomi?" Taylor asked. Shadow shrugged. "I thought something was different about her, but I may have been mistaken." Taylor nodded absently, but her thoughts were elseware. "You care for the human Zane, do you not?" Shadow asked and Taylor focused her eyes back on him. "Yes." She answered. He already knew the answer anyway. "Just remember. You cannot lose your focus on what you think is important. Sacrifices will be made in these wars to come and you cannot give someone your heart without it being damaged on its journey to happinness." He said, his eyes filled with ancient knowledge. Taylor sighed. "I'll just pretend I understood that." She muttered sarcastically.

"Good. You will soon enough. Tomorrow, I'm taking everyone out to train." He said, his eyes sparkling with mischeif. "But for now, you must rest." He said and walked over to a corner of his cave, giving her peace. He settled his head down on his weary paws and quickly fell asleep.

Taylor looked at Shadow and put her head on her arms. She sighed before lying on her back. She twisted and turned for a few minutes before giving up on sleep. Her arm was bugging her so she hauled herself back up and walked to the edge of the cave. She looked up and to her right and saw Zane sitting on a tall rock overlooking the camp. She sighed again and headed up. "Hey," She said hesitantlly as she approached.

(( Aww, bye! :3 )) 

Zane started at the sound of Taylor's voice. He had been so focused on watching the camp, he hadn't heard her. He gave her a shy look. "Hey," he said, "I thought you were mad at me." He scratched the back of his head nervously. He frowned slightly. His hair, and pretty much the rest of him, was still damp from swimming. He hoped in the morning they'd be able to find some better clothing back at the wreckage. 

----

"Here we are," Yuri purred, pushing away some plants hiding the entrance to a medium sized cave. He lead Allen in and looked around. In the slight darkness, Allen could make out many feathers and other trinkets hanging on the walls and a large soft-looking nest made of multi-colored leaves. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "Well don't just stand there, the bed's big enough for two," Yuri said, walking over to the nest and stretching out. Allen joined him and curled up beside him. The bed was quite warm and Allen found himself instantly asleep.

Taylor looked down at her soaked shirt. It was one of her favorites. It was just a simple black tank top that wasn't revealing or nasty like some other girls wore. Blue, cutoff jeans that went down to her knees were her most comfortable pair. She wasn't wearing the prettiest stuff, but at least she was comfortable. Or was before her jeans got wet. She slid the top of her tank down and saw that she still had her bathing suit on. "Wish I had remembered that." She muttered and looked back up at Zane.

"Swimming wasn't that bad. Maybe next time, when we have more time, I can teach you to swim properly." She said. "It's really amazing once you get used to it. When you're underwater, you almost feel like you're flying. Well, at least that's what I think. That and the fact that it's silent." She said and realized she was droning on. "I'll shut up now." She said with a grin.

Zane chuckled slightly. Something about Taylor just seemed...normal. Most of the other girls he knew were all stuck up and fake. He ran his hand down the leg of his black jean, smoothing it out. 

"You don't have to. I don't mind listening to you." he said. "Although, I'm not sure I'd be up for another swimming lesson any time soon. You may like it, but it's scary for me. I don't think that'll ever change." He began smoothing out the other leg of his jeans. The day's events had exhausted him, but they also had made him alert and slightly jumpy. He felt like he needed to be doing something with his hands in order to keep calm and he didn't see anything else he could do but fidget with his clothes.

Taylor watched him run his hand down the length of his jeans and stifled a smile. "I feel the same. Tired, but too wired to sleep." She said and looked up. Her gray eyes shined as she looked up at the billions of stars clustered across the sky. "You don't see too many stars back home." She said. "The lights from the ground block out the stars. It's too bright to see them. I was sad when I heard that. How humans have been destroying the earth and the terrible things people did to each other." She stopped and realized she had said humans like she wasn't one of them anymore. Her eyes glazed over.

"Sometimes I feel like I want to go back. Like I'll die if I don't. When I think about my friends and what family I have left, but then I realize what I would go back to. Our world's been changing and most of that change isn't good." She said. "Even we have changed." she said and spread her arms out in front of her. The sapphire patterns shone lightly in the stars light. "Shadow said something happened when he healed me. He doesn't know what, but something's different. I can even feel it. I don't know what though." She said frustrated.

Zane glanced over at her, focusing on her arm. "Don't worry too much about it. Whatever change happened, I don't think it'll effect who you are nor do I think Shadow would have done something bad to you. The Spirits need us. They wouldn't do anything to harm us." He stretched out on the rock and looked up at the sky. The stars shone brightly and almost seemed to radiate warmth. 

"Humans are destructive creatures. We long lost are ability to work together with nature and now we fight against it. It's a tough change from our norm, but I think that living on this island will be good for us, well, except for the threat of Lunar and the others." He paused as he sat up, turning his body so he was facing Taylor. "Don't worry too much about it now." He repeated. "We can solve problems as they come." He gave her a reas-suring smile.

((hmm we haven't heard from Maksis in a while....a long while >.>))

Maksis yawned and walked out of Sasori's cave. It was a lot smaller than Shadow's. Sasori usually stayed there for the night, discussing battle plans with Shadow until well after dark. He went into Shadow's cave and saw the wolf fast asleep. Taylor wasn't in sight and he spotted her up on a ridge with Zane. Okay. Ew. He thought and turned back around, being careful not to be seen.

--

Sasori padded along a ridge on the rocks and found Maksis scrambling along the thin trails. She chuckled and he looked up. "Oh, hush!" He said and scrambled over to her. They were close to the ground floor of the camp and Sasori jumped down, Maksis following behind. They walked over to Deomi and Ame. "Ame, shall we take a run around the camp boundaries to double check the borders?" She asked. Sasori was silently filling Maksis in on all that had happened. He argued with her. ((too lazy to put the argument.)) Eventually, Sasori won, promising Maksis that he could fight next time. Meanwhile, rolling her eyes.

((there. Some interactions with your charries. lol))

((yes. yes, it was. but we're here for you. *pats back XD*))

Maksis climbed onto Sasori's back. "yes, she is bringing me. This human has a name and it's Maksis." He said, a little annoyed with the tiger. Sasori tried to contain her amusement, but flicked her tail instead. "Let's go." She said and set off.

-----fail, too...snoweh, stop rubbing off on me----

Yuri yawned and slid out from under Allen, who had decided to use him as a pillow. Not that Yuri minded, he liked how clingy Allen was. It was cute, for a human at least. He padded his way out of his den and looked around. He spotted Vic, who was mumbling and hissing to himself, and walked over to him.

"Shouldn't you be on guard?" The cheetah asked. Vic glared at him. "Camp's fine." he sighed. "Zane seemed so interesting at first but it's like he completely hates me!" Yuri simply shrugged. "Give him time. You picked a difficult one, but he'll warm up to you eventually." 

----

((Fail))

Zane noticed her shiver and pulled off his jacket. He wrapped it around her shoulders. "Good thing this is still dry," he commented, glad he had taken it off before going swimming. "It'd be a lot easier if we'd just strip." he added with a nervous laugh. It didn't bother him either way, but he knew Taylor would probably mind. 

((*is contagous* LOL))

Ame laughed, "I'm sorry Maksis. I just didnt know your name."

Deomi felt a wave of anger, "Well someones a happy camper." she sneered sarcastically, stroking Ame's fur, "Its not like I knew who you were either." she said with a glare in his direction. She could feel her emotions giving radiating off her in waves.

Ame felt a random surge of nervousness and fear as Deomis anger grew. It was as if Deomi was giving of an angry aura, telling that she was to be feared and a force to be rekoned with.