"What is he? What are you?!" Their voices were so loud, coming from the kitchen. Zohariel pulled the blankets tighter over his head. Something crashed and his mother screamed. "Zephiel, please calm down and let me explain!" Another crash; "Explain what? How you're not human! And you made my son that way too! If I'd have known about your...your....ability, I would have never had married you!" All of this because of what he had just done. Angry at another boy for cheating at a game, Zohariel had wanted to hurt him so badly that he'd changed shapes, into a white wolf! Not realizing the change, he'd attacked and badly hurt the boy and scared the other children away. It took his mother to stop the anger and help him change back. The fighting continued.

Jaslyn started to cry, "I didn't think it would matter..." "Of course it matters! You're part wolf!" He slammed his hand into the wall. "I'm leaving you and taking the boy! You no longer exist to me, but maybe I can beat it out of him..." She stood up and blocked the door to Zohariel's room. "You can't take him! I won't let you." Zephiel stood a good head and shoulders taller than Jaslyn but he still feared her, because of the wolf. She could take that from at any time. "Fine, but don't expect this to be the end!" With that he turned and left, the sound of galloping hooves fading into the darkness. Sobbing, Jaslyn sunk to the floor and suddenly took her wolf form.

Grey fur and black eyes, she ran out the door and howled. It was a long, mournful sound that trailed out into the moonlit forest, rousing sleeping creatures from their holes to sit up and listen at the heartbroken sound. Soon a few more howls rose to meet the cold stars and mingled in a forlorn chorus. Something deep within Zohariel stirred, something primal. It wanted to run out and let his voice join that empty sound but he resisted, pushing it back down and closing his eyes, wishing for sleep to come. He could hear the words that floated along with the sounds, unanswered questions hung in the midnight air to be dissolved by the morning sun. Listening to the softly fading cries, Zohariel slowly fell asleep. He had dark dreams.

The mist hung low on the damp ground, slithering its way through the trees and making the edges of everything soft. Whispers floated along with the mist, barely distinguishable from the rustling of leaves. Footsteps followed him as he walked along, catching brief glimpses of things whiter than the fog lurking just outside his field of vision. A heavy black form traveled with him, always blending in with the shadows once his eyes focused.

"Why is he here?" "What does he want?"

The whispers strengthened and seemed to be guiding him along a winding trail that led to an open clearing "Hello?" he called, voice echoing back on him. "Hello." He whipped around and saw the black thing that had been following. It was a wolf as black as the void itself, with burning red eyes that cut through everything they gazed upon. "Who are you?" Zohariel asked the wolf. "I know what you seek." it responded, sitting far back into the night so it was half hidden by shadow. Confused, Zohariel looked around. "I don't seek anything." "Yes you do." the wolf said. "You seek the truth, the reason why." He was beginning to get scared now, and it showed in his shaky voice as he said, "I don't know what you're talking about." The wolf rose and swept toward him like a shadow on the wing. "Come, I will show you."

Unbidden, his legs moved to follow the wolf as his surroundings sped by. Everything came to a sudden stop in front of an open hollow in a monstrous tree. "Who are you?" Zohariel asked again. The wolf looked at him with his fire-eyes. "I am the Guide of Lost Souls, the one who leads the dead to their eternal rest." "I'm...I'm dead?" Zohariel swallowed hard. "No, you are not dead little pup. You are lost. I have come to show you your path." "My - my path?"

A light began to grow within the tree, illuminating the ground. Zohariel looked to the tree, watching the ball of light grow larger and larger, revealing carvings inside. "What is this?" he asked, turning back to the wolf. It shimmered darkly, almost as if no light could touch it. "I must leave you now, but do not fear little one, you are protected in this wood. No harm will come to you." The black wolf faded into the darkness, leaving only a pair of red eyes hovering for a last look, then nothing.

"Wait!" Zohariel shouted, "I still have questions!" He was answered by the light in the tree, it grew in intensity and then faded, drawing his eyes to it. Slowly, Zohariel entered the hollow and watched as the carvings began to move. They looked like wolves, a whole pack running across a field. Suddenly, people came from behind them with sharp spears. They took the pack by surprise and killed all but one. The last was mortally wounded, with just enough strength to reach the humans camp. There he found a woman in childbirth, and crept to the entrance to the tent. Murmuring a spell in a mounful howl, he called on the Guide to lead his spirit into the newborn, creating a half wolf/ half human creature with the ability to change from either form.

"This....this is the birth of wolf shape-shifters?" Zohariel breathed.

"No, just your clan, Ech'inee."

A whisper echoed out of the very tree itself. "Who's there?" Zohariel called out, turning to defend himself.

"I am the Tree of Visions. I've shown many of your kind how you came to be. I hold the record of your existence."

The voice sounded old and wise as well as strong and powerful at the same time. "What did you call me...Ech'inee?" he asked the tree.

"Your wolf-name is Ech'inee, it is what those who truly know you will call you."

"Impossible, my mother doesn't call me that, and she's the same thing I am." Zohariel wanted to leave this dark place terribly. He missed his warm bed and the soothing sound of his mother's voice. "I...I want to go home, now!" he shouted at the tree.

"Very well, Ech'inee. I will call you back, when you are ready to know of your heritage."

Abruptly the light went out, and Zohariel was left in pitch back. A low rumble crept across the ground, followed by howling winds, winds that sounded like wolf calls. He turned and ran out into the black forest, being chased by ghostly white figures that danced in the dark. Suddenly, he slammed into something hard and fell onto his back, out cold.