It was all that was left in his mouth. The scarred Tainn hated what he was doing. It was so distasteful, and yet so right. To leave the family who cared naught for him. To leave the white ass who'd taken over as alpha. Swift River had never really been his family. Since the beginning he had been unwelcome by all spare for one.

Jessie.

She was the only reason Hotei had stayed. Burn on the other hand wanted to stay for another reason. To be more honorable than Indru had been. But it is better this way... They both agreed. Better for Jessie that we leave. She was too good for them. She had a family there. All we had in Swift River was a bunch of ignorant fools who couldn't wait to be rid of us. He wasn't going to be that wolf who split the family further by challenging Ice's rule. He would not dishonor himself further by doing so.

No...Better for me to leave. Let Jessie have her family to take care of. To be apart of. Hotei's heart ached. Even after he'd left the black wolf had stuck around outside of their borders for a few months. It wasn't until the new scent of disease began to coat the land that Hotei had decided to fully let go.

Now the black wolf brooded alone in this new place. A ghost scent tickling his memory. The memory of when he first met Jessie. There had been two wolves there. Jessie and a young female. Was that the old scent that he was tracking? The scent that plagued his memory? What was her name? Did she say she was from a pack? In the Willows? His mind was all jumbled. Memories from Burn colliding with his own. Of course they were all his own, but Hotei had a tough time trying to sort through them. Sort through the memories that seemed so much newer.

I can't stay alone forever. I need to join another pack. One that adheres to loyalty over anything. I don't want my new family to be fighting each other all the time. To betray each other by leaving.. Hotei thought quietly while Burn listened. Like we betrayed Jessie and left?

A snarl appeared on his face. Why was he arguing with himself?!? We had to leave. For Jessie's sake. For the packs sake. If we had stayed we would have broken them a part. Fighting senseless battles with the white brute. Hotei growled at his darker half wishing that he'd be quiet.

Ever since his last meeting with Jessie Hotei had become aware of his second personality. The one that called itself Burn. Although this had answered a few of his questions as to why Ice hated him and a few other things...Hotei did not like having to fight for control with his other half. Always fighting just to decide what to do.

I will find a new family.. I will stay with that family..fight for them.. I have nothing else to do.. He reasoned glad to feel no resistance from this "Burn" fellow on the other line.

Stepping forward the dark wolf found the gray she wolf scent crossing a mass of scents. Yanking himself to a stop the burnt man scented the border picking out individuals. This was a strong pack. Larger in number and well patrolled by the smell of it. Would they accept one other? One other who wanted to forget his old life and start a new?

Only way to tell is to try.. the black wolf raised his head and howled. He howled for whoever would come, whether alpha or guardian. It was up to this pack to show him whether they were loyal to their own.

He would try..one more time.. to be apart of a family..

"That depends on how tired you are.." He spoke plainly without emotion then looked over the female with dull yellow eyes. The two inner wolves struggling once more to figure out what to do. Burn wanted to stay quiet and ignore the female while waiting for a pack wolf to show, but Hotei was lonely and wanted someone to speak to.

The black wolf closed his Tainn yellow eyes and remained quiet. A thoughtful expression on his black maw. What do we say when they ask about our names? Or..err.. name?? Hotei questioned himself. Questioned Burn as well. Call yourself what you like.. we are one in the same, my name has no meaning to you. The darker half answered darkly. When we abandoned our pack we abandoned our previous life. Our previous names... Now we must choose for ourselves a new name.. Who are we Hotei? Burn responded to the troubled wolf whom currently controlled their body.

He opened his eyes again looking over the border waiting for either the she wolf to answer or for the pelt of a pack wolf to show. Perhaps these borders were not as well patrolled as he had first thought. Or maybe the dark wolf had just missed the patrol by the time he'd gotten there. Who knows.

"If you're so tired why not sleep? Regain your strength for the upcoming hunt? Or the traveling that fills the life for us loners?" Hotei watched quietly waiting for the woman to speak. She seemed to speak less than most of the females he'd come into contact with. Burn liked this and Hotei was fine with it.

"What are you called by?." He posed another question while sitting down and laying his ears to the side so as to stay neutral and not offend the female.

The willows groaned, their branches caught in a breeze as the two wolves sat waiting for something to happen. A rabbit stuck its head up out of the snow covered hole observing its domain and enjoying the warm breeze filtering through the leafless trees. Spring was coming, though there was still the chance that a late snowstorm would blanket the ground with more of the cold white.

The dark wolf had hunted with the sickly white male for a long time before his sickness had taken him. It was one wolf that Burn respected above many. Haku, had taught him a number of Japanese words. Though Burn would likely never be able to speak in the language Perhaps he could find a new name from his old friends words. What was it that he called me so long ago? In our language.. it was Fireshadow... But in Japanese what was it? He stood there for a few minutes just thinking upon that old name. Something to call themselves while they lived in their new family.

"My name is Kasai Kage. I have no family nor a home to go to.. That is why I am looking for one now..Have you a family or friends to go to?" He answered the female giving more information than he'd meant to. Not that it mattered. The only one's who would recognize him were the Tainn's themselves and the members of Swift River. Kasai was fairly sure the loners he'd met previously wouldn't really remember him. Though if the silver she wolf he'd tracked to this border still remembered him he would likely have to answer questions as to his new name from the pack alpha.