The next morning Zohariel felt none the worse for wear, despite a throbbing headache. Reassuring sounds of his mother moving around in the kitchen and the smell of hot klah found their way into his bedroom. "It was just a stupid dream." he told himself, even though his heart didn't agree. Eager to see his mother he leapt from bed and dressed quickly, trying to act as though he hadn't heard the night's previous happenings. "Good morning, sleep well?" his mother asked, smiling as he walked in. "Yes, but I'm hungry!" She laughed and set down two plates and joined him at the table. Zohariel dug in, truly hungry. He didn't notice his mother picking at her plate and watching him with sad eyes. Once he was finished, he washed his dishes and set them to dry. "Thanks mom, it was great! I'm going down to the river."

"Zohariel, come here for a minute." His mother sounded worried as she unconsciously wrung her cloth napkin. "Yes?" Kneeling down to eye-level with him, she began. "Honey, your father and I had a....a discussion last night and he left. I want you to know he still loves you very much but you might not see him for a while. Also, I want you to stay close to the house during the day and if you see your father or anyone who you don't recognize I want you to come straight to me. Is all that clear?" Knowing what she meant but acting as if he didn't, Zohariel nodded. "I will. Can I still go play by the river?" Smiling, his mother hugged him. "Yes, but stay on our side, don't cross or go into the hold." He left, silently glad to be away from his mother. Keeping an innocent and carefree attitude was hard when last night's dream still lingered in the back of his mind. "But it was nothing but a dream," he murmured as he walked, looking at the ground "the Guide wasn't real. Nothing was, just my imagination."

Yes it was, and you know it!

A little voice seemed to be screaming in the back of his mind. It told him that every single word of what the Tree and Guide had said was as real as the sun beating from the sky and the Thread that fell from the Red Star. Hoping that a swim in the icy river would clear his thoughts, Zohariel turned and went toward the river only to find the friends of the boy he'd hurt the other day waiting for him. "Hey freak, looking for someone else to eat?" The bigger boy, Gautan called from where he stood atop a boulder on Zohariel's side of the river. The other boys jeered and taunted from their safe places on the other. Face burning with anger, Zohariel had to suppress the same clawing thing that had fought its way out yesterday. "Go away Gautan, you're on my parent's property." he hissed through clenched teeth. "Oh, what are you going to do, dog-boy? Gonna bite me?" Gautan chortled loudly, his chorus singing behind him. "Why don't you come over here and say that." Zohariel murmured under his breath. "You say something?" Gautan's pudgy face was red with laughter as he narrowed his brown eyes at the scrawny wolf-boy. "Nothing you'd understand." Zohariel taunted louder and headed downstream. Foolishly, Gautan and his gang followed, calling after him. They just didn't know how hard it was to control the inner wolf that resided in him.

Soon, it became too much, and the wolf inside was nearly exposed. "For your own sake, will you shut up!" he turned and shouted to the boys, unaware of the low growls that came out with each breath. Gautan's groupies froze in their tracks but Gautan (never having been accused of being particularly smart) kept right on. "Oh, no! Dog-boy's gonna hurt me! Oh, what will I do?" He laughed and turned when his friends weren't laughing along. "Maybe you should stop, lookit him." one of the boys said, pointing at Zohariel's flushed face and clenched fists. "He really hurt that guy the other day." another piped up. "You guys are nothing but a bunch of ninnies. He ain't got the guts to even touch me. His freak mother will have to come and rescue him again!" At the mention of his mother, Zohariel lost it. He shifted forms, fangs bared as he leapt at Gautan. The boy turned tail and ran along with his friends, but he had one major problem: there was no way he could cross the river here, it was too deep. Only if he made it back to the rapids could he cross and have hope of escaping Zohariel. The white wolf kept pace with him as he ran, snapping at his heels.

Gautan screamed and ran harder, if only he hadn't had that fourth helping at breakfast! By some miracle, he managed to make it to the rapids, panting hard. Flinging himself into the river, Gautan could touch bottom and walk across while Zohariel scrambled across the rocks. The wolf made it to the other side first and met Gautan at the shore, snarling. His face went white as he began to realize that dog-boy was going to bite him, and much worse...