Chapter 1 Bastard: A young cry of the child cocked the interest of one of the soldiers leading the female herds back to the breeding lands. The child struggled against her mother not wishing to be held, the mother smiled tenderly at the child and glared at the approaching male soldier. He was not welcome to grab  the child away from her as he did yet the child clung to his armor. "Loud little brat, isn't she?" The guard asked with a grin, not expecting any reply back he held onto the child, observing her for a moment. The girl, being born but 5 years ago looked aggravated yet still she was tiny for her breed. She was supposed to be a big strong worker, yet she looked petite and her back legs didn't match her front; they looked like the rouge centaur's legs especially the hooves. Two toed, like a deer, even the marks on her hide were like the rouges. The soldier, his name Kugore, turned to the female with disgusted eyes and held the child in an uncaring way. "She is a bastard child isn't she? You know what we do with bastard children, correct?" Kugore said with a viscous smile towards the woman. She broke down in tears as her baby was tooken out of her sights and into the forest to be killed. Kugore, knowing all to well how heartless this act was, set the child on the ground near an old oak with many large nooks she could climb into, and trotted back to the cattle path. The child, wide eyed and curious looked at the world around her. Tall dark brown trees with green leaves and ripe fruit surrounded her. A twig being broken alerted her that their was someone else in the area. Her tail came between her legs and her arms instinctively reached with her pudgy fingers for the nearest branch laying on the ground. The young male rouge watched from behind a tree with fascination as the younger child looked around her and nearly missing his head with a pebble. He grinned, this little girl would be fun to play with when he showed his father. Coming out from behind the tree the young male, his name Yushiro, approached the girl with his hands up in a peaceful manner. The girl stared at him in a wary way, but set down the stick she held and trotted over to him. "Do you want to come with me? I'm sure you won't be seeing your mommy anymore." Yushiro said softly, the girl stared at him still but nodded her head and grabbed onto the back of his tail. He laughed and began a slow trot so that she could keep up with him.   Half way back to the base they met another child, much the same age as the girl yet male and larger by more than half. "Hey kid, do you want to come with me? You won't be able to see your dad anymore but at least you'll have a mother." Yushiro called. The boy grinned and trotted over to them, the girl shying away. "My name is Giro, what's yours?" the boy announced. "Yushiro, if you can keep up do you think you can help me put her on my back, she's pretty slow with those stubby little legs." Yushiro said, Giro nodded and with Yushiros help, placed the girl on his back. "So, what's her name?" Giro asked, Yushiro shrugged and turned slightly towards the girl on his back. She was small and fragile looking but she was also cute and smelled like honey dew. She giggled as a blue bird landed on her shoulder. "What's your name sweety?" Yushiro said softly, she looked at him with a confused glance. "Name? Whats a name?" She replied, Yushiro heard Giro grunt. "It's what your mommy calls you." Giro said softly. "Oh, mommy called me Mowanza." She replied. Giro laughed and Yushiro smiled. "Well little wolf, lets get back to camp." Yushiro said. Mowanza giggled, Before reaching camp they had to cross two large rivers, through a grove of sleeping mushrooms and past and ogres cave. "Are we there yet?" Giro complained loudly as they made their way off the slight mountain path. Yushiro gave him an annoyed glance as Mowanza pointed towards big platforms made out of stone and wood. Out of one of the larger platformed buildings pink smoked billowed out into the sky. "That's my fathers platform, he takes pride in his inn." Yushiro said as they went past the many yew trees. Two large rouge guards made their way towards the children. "Two new children huh?" One of the guards, the one with blue hair and white hide asked. Yushiro nodded as Mowanza reached for the Blond one with tan hide. The blond one, Art, raised Mowanza into his arms. "She has marks like Rollo does. You should take her there and see if you can get the stubborn old fool to take her." Art said smiling. Mowanza sneezed soon after when a squirrel climbed onto Art's shoulder. Art laughed and handed her back to Yushiro.She giggled and placed a big sloppy kiss on Yushiro's cheek. "I love Yushiro!" She cried as she flung her arms around his neck. "Such a lady killer, aren't yah Yu?" Riel , the blue haired one, said with a laugh. Giro placed a hand on Yushiro's shoulder while giving him a speaking glance. Grudgingly Yushiro pushed past the older men and turned right from the gates to an old worn path. The trees in the area were bent in odd positions with blackened limbs possibly from a fire long ago. The hut was situated between massive bushes and thickets of thorns. The oldest building in the rouge camp. The hut itself looked to be too small and to be falling apart, it was pretty but it was dangerous to outsiders at least. Mowanza stared at it in aw. "I wanna go inside!" She cried as she wrestled out of Yushiro's arms and fell onto the ground. Giro laughed and ran after her as she stumbled up the path. Yushiro sighed and ran a hand through his golden hair. "Hey, little wolf Giro don't get too far ahead or old man Rollo will shoot his explosive arrows at you!"  Yushiro yelled at the two little backs ahead of him, they stopped instantly and turned wide eyed on him. He laughed as he made his way up the rough path to them and picked Mowanza back up. "Wanna meet daddy though." Mowanza cried as she struggled again, Yushiro smiled down at the girl and moved past a thicket of thorns with Giro in tow. "So this is the little wolf that Melina had huh?" Rollo said, popping his head around to look at the child. She had Melina's fiery red hair and his strong piercing eyes, she also had his stubborn tail and funny ears and markings. "Daddy?" Mowanza asked uncertainly, gazing at the scar faced old man. He grinned and opened his arms to her. She grinned at him and pulled herself out of Yushiro's arms and stumbled along on young feet towards Rollo. "Daddy!" She cried, small tears fell from her serpent like eyes while she stumbled and fell more than once towards him. Rollo could feel his own tears gather in the corners of his eyes. Where was Melina? Had Mowanza been deemed a bastard child because of her flank? Why had she been saved then? Questions he so wanted to ask ran through his mind until Mowanza made the last step to him and fell into his arms breathing softly, already asleep. Rollo smiled at her and turned to the two young stallions, One boy he recognized as the chief's son, Yushiro. The other he didn't know. "Who are you, young stallion?" Rollo questioned, his rough voice making Giro laugh. "I am Giro, I'm a bastard child, at least that's what the guard called me when he brought me into the forest. I bit him before he was able to get me." Giro said, puffing his chest out with pride. Yushiro poked the younger boy's chest. He deflated soon after. Rollo looked at the green haired boy with wary eyes, Mowanza turned in his arms for a better position, He smiled. "Yushiro, Giro. I want you two to help me raise Mowanza. She will, I'm quite sure of this, be a little hell fire. She'll train with you when you take up the bow and sword. She'll play with you through the odd years and hopefully  she will marry one of you when she comes of age." Rollo said, the two boys exchanged a glance and nodded to the older man. "Hold out your palms boys. I'll get Mowanza to do this to." Rollo said as he woke his daughter up gently. "What do you want me to do daddy?" She asked as he gazed at her. "I want you to hold out your palm and to cry when you feel any pain, alright?" Rollo said, Mowanza nodded and held her small hand. "Yushiro hold out your palm first." Rollo commanded as he made a small cut in both of the children's hands with his silver bladed knife. Mowanza didn't cry when the cut was made, she wouldn't show daddy any weakness if she was to live in this village without mommy. She looked over at Yu and grinned, he smiled and gripped her small bloody hand. Rollo said an ancient incantation and repeated the gesture with Giro. "That was the binding ceremony, it tells you when the other person that you are binded with is in trouble or is in need of assistance. Yushiro, Giro I need to do one more ceremony for you two." Rollo said, watching as the ring on Mowanza's arm began to burn. It hurt, it hurt lots but she wouldn't cry not in front of Yu or Gi or daddy, she would only cry in front of mommy, she promised her mommy that she wouldn't show any sad emotions to anyone other than her and the man she fell in love with when she was older. Yushiro looked at the younger male, he was interesting to say the least. The largest child at only 3 moons he'd ever met. He was aggravating too, not to mention he was prideful. Yushiro sighed and ran his bloody palm through his golden hair.  Giro looked from Yushiro the annoying older male and down to the little girl. She was in so much pain, she was lonely to,' bet she's thinking I'm not going to show any pain in front of daddy or Yu or Gi' Giro said to Yushiro through a transmission through the mind. Yushiro rolled his eyes at the younger boy and thought back 'I bet your an idiot too' he said with a grin. Giro glared at him. " Alright boys, knock it off, your scaring her don't y'know?" Rollo said with a sigh holding the frightened Mowanza. " No fighting!" She said seriously while simultaneously hitting the two boys on the head. Mumbling ows, the boys continued the bonding ceremony. " Now go find your father Giro, cause your not sleeping here." Rollo said with a small grin, Giro grinned back and the two boys galloped off down the path. "So want to find a room?" Rollo asked Mowanza softly, she smiled and motioned for him to set her down. Rollo smiled and set her down. She caught his hand in hers and pulled him towards the large hut.