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Chapter 17
Dannen
“I call upon the haiena clan to witness a naming ceremony. The lady haiena, Sanda-ba-do Thunderbird, has given birth to a pup!” Leader Musouka, Dreamer of the haiena clan called me up to her. I stumbled awkwardly towards her for the respected nose-touch that was accustomed among haienas. The dreamer recoiled in fear when she looked into my eyes. Rippling murmurs and gasps echoed throughout the clan. “Dannen! You shall only bring hopelessness to our clan! You shall be the one who abandons hope!” I saw my mother, Musouka’s sister’s, tears and accepted my horrible and lonely fate.

I was so happy to be chosen for the hunting party. I had always been left out of the normal activities in the clan. “The hopeless mutt is coming on a hunting trip? We are all going to starve!” Akisame of the autumn rain snorted.
“Akisame! Don’t say such horrible things!” Irihi of the evening sun scolded, embarrassed.
“He killed his own mother, we may be next!”
“Shut it, mutt! Dannen didn’t do such a thing, Sanda died in a hunting accident!” Irihi’s twin sister, Yonagi of the evening calm snarled.
“I-I believe Dannen is v-very hopeful!” Irihi mumbled. She had already proven her destiny, in the evening sun, vicious Urufu Clan warriors attacked her hunting party. Sanda sat down and quietly took her death, while Irihi battled ferociously against her attackers, while Akeru, the one to dawn ran swiftly to get help. Irihi was left for dead, with many scars and a blinded eye, while my mother committed suicide, allowing her death to come swiftly, said because I was her son. Akisame and I hated each other because of a stupid puppyhood crush on the beautiful Yonagi, but she hated Akisame for his prideful ways and treated me like a brother, or a son in place of my own mother. I lead the attack of Lady Kisa, hoping to clear my name, but I only got more jeers from Akisame. Lady Yuki’s dog-napping pleased Akisame and gave me a chance to start over.

I gazed up at Hachi-ko from my laying position in the grass. “Wake up Mr. Hopeless, we are leaving!”
“Why don’t you just leave without me?”
“Yuki would have my skin if we left you here, she really loves you.” I stood slowly and gazed down at the little vixen.
“You and your clan are a strange set of creatures.”
“Well, you’re one of us now, Dan!” that was the first time I had heard those words, and for once, I felt like I really belonged somewhere. Suddenly, I was lifted off the ground.
“Dannen, time to goooo!” Lady Yuki cooed. I glared at her, but let her cradle me. Yuki picked up Hachi-ko in her other arm. Lady Kisa gripped Sir Shishou and rose off the ground.
“We are going to try and fly!” Hachi-ko grinned. Something in my gut really disagreed with that, and from the look on Sir Shishou’s face, his gut agreed with mine. All I could hope for was that my stomach wouldn’t blow.