Mystic lied on the ground, lost in her thoughts. She longed for a friend, but wasn’t sure who was able to be trusted or not.

‘I’m just too wary of others,’ she thought. ‘The next canine that I meet, I’ll try to befriend.’

She sighed, and dropped her head onto her paws. She sighted a couple of birds flitting around not to far off. As she watched them, she couldn’t help but think, ‘Even the birds have friends!’

“Well,” she muttered, shutting her eyes, “at least you’re not lonely.”

Zetsumei padded into the valley when she smelled something. 'Hm... a fox...'she sniffed again. '...with a hint of wolf. It's on the wolves' side.'

Mystic's ears perked. The wind carried a scent of another canine. She sniffed the air and determined that it was an Ethiopian Wolf.

She stood up and called out, "Who's there?"

Zetsumei thought for a moment. If this canine knew Japanese, it might know just what her name meant... 'death'. "I...I'm Zetsumei."

'Zetsumei!' Mystic's heart skipped a beat as the name rung through her mind. She knew well that it meant 'death' in Japanese. She quickly dismissed it as nothing important, and shook off her fear. It was just a name, nothing more.

"Hello, Zetsumei. I..." Mystic faltered, but quickly regained composure, "I am Mystic. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Zetsumei looked away for a moment. "Hello, Mystic..." she said quietly, almost sadly.

Mystic cocked her head to the side in confusion. Was that a hint of sadness she heard in Zetsumei's voice? Her concern got the best of her.

"Is there something wrong?"

Zetsumei sighed. "You know the meaning of my name. This isn't the name I was born with. I was originally Akai, 'Red'. I always seemed to appear just before a packmate died. They banished me and gave me a name to show 'how terrible' I was."

"They banished you?"Mystic didn't enjoy the thought of that at all."Perhaps it was just a coincidence that you showed up just before a packmate died! Did they think of that?! Surely you are not nearly as horrible as the perceive you to be!"

Mystic wasn't even sure if she believed what she herself had said, but what Zetsumei said angered her.

Mystic growled, doing her best to hold back her anger.

"They had no right to jump to conclusions! They should have heard you out and treated you fairly!"

"I should say so! I would never want a pack like that!"

Mystic snapped a stick in her jaws, and through the pieces to the side.

"I thought packmates were supposed to look out for one another, not turn on each other due to some coincidence!"

Mystic nodded in reply. 'The way they treated her, they have no right to consider themselves a pack,' she thought.

"I'm sure that you'll find others that do care and wouldn't jump to conclusions, unlike that 'pack' you had before. I, for one, can tell that you are a wonderful wolf and not a terrible creature that they saw you as."