"JASON?" Janet was calling out as loudly as she could. "JASON WHERE ARE YOU?"

Ray had awoken in the morning to find a missing red haired windian and a fire that had almost died out. Rousing Lucy and Janet, the three had started a search party for their lost companion. They had been following the apparent trail that Jason had made in the night, and had just reached the spot where the windian had fallen off of the bluff. Lucy gazed over the drop-off and looked at the ground below it where the stream could be seen running quietly.

"His footprints continue down there." She motioned to the wet ground around the stream.

"Right." Ray sighed as he looked for a way down the bluff. "Then we'll keep looking down there."

The trio managed to make their way carefully down the bluff, stepping onto the loose, pebbled ground and scanning around for any sign of their lost companion.

"Jason?" Janet started calling out once more. "Jason Burnhart? Are you out here?"

"Come on," Ray motioned for the girls to follow him. "Maybe we'll find him up ahead." The three continued to follow Jason's trail as Janet called out for the windian.

"It goes off into the woods here." Ray glanced into the underbrush to where he could make out the broken foliage from Jason's mad dash through the woods.

"What the hell was he doing out here anyway?" Janet rubbed her arms uneasily as she glanced around. "JASON? JASON, WHE- ... oh my god..." Janet stopped as she spotted something lying on the ground ahead of the group. "What's that?" The trio made their way over to where Jason's crossbow was laying on the ground, right next to a spilled quiver of arrows. Around the weapon they could see spots of blood that had soaked into the ground. Janet's efforts started again, this time more frantic as she called into the forest.

"JASON BURNHART, THIS ISN'T FUNNY! GET OUT HERE NOW!"

"Janet..." Lucy did her best to calm her friend before the windian could scream herself hoarse. "He's not out here..."

Janet was on the verge of hysteria as Lucy finally managed to quiet her down. The windian just kept shaking her head and muttering.

"He's not dead, he's not dead, I know he's not dead, he can't be dead." Janet was shaking as Lucy tried to lead her back to the stream.

"Come on, Janet, we need to go." The raven-haired windian's quiet voice did its best to sooth Janet as Lucy motioned to Ray, giving the dragon a look that said 'I've got her taken care of.' Ray nodded and glanced around at the empty forest.

And then there were three... The dragon sighed as he gazed down at Jason's abandoned crossbow and arrows. "What about these?"

"I'll take them." Janet rushed by Lucy and picked up Jason's weapon and ammo, slinging them both across her back. Ray gave her a curious look and Janet managed out a quiet response. "He's alive... I know he is... and he'll want these when we find him again." She shoved her way past the dragon and headed back to the stream. Lucy and Ray exchanged worried glances before they followed after her.

'Welcome to Rasner' is what the sign read that arched over the threshold of the town. The trio let out a happy cry as they rushed into the village.

"Real food!" Janet was chanting. "No more fish! Real beds to sleep in! No more logs!" The trio gazed at the village around them as they made their way through it.

It was a quaint little town, one occupied mostly by forestclan members, or so it appeared to the group that had yet to run across anything other then the wolf-like people that filled the town. The buildings were all log, and glancing around at some of the shops in the town it was obvious that this place thrived greatly on the woods around it. Fishing and hunting shops seemed to be a popular place in the village, the group noted as they made their way over to a tavern.

"'The Hungry Wolf Tavern.' That's kind of a catchy name." Ray read over the sign of the tavern thoughtfully before the trio stepped into the building. It was wider then the one at Springton, and a lot more crowded. The three couldn't help but feel a bit out of place as they glanced around the building full of forestclan members, all sitting around and chatting to each other, or barking loudly in an argument across tables at one another. Behind a counter at the back of the tavern stood a burly looking gray wolf in the dress of a barkeep, wiping out a glass with a rag towel. The trio made their way over to him.

"Hey strangers." The wolf-man gave out a hefty growl and grinned as the three approached. "What can I get you three?"

Lucy and Janet immediately went into ordering some food for themselves. Ray waited until the girls were done and nodded to the tender. "All of that, an extra glass of water, and some information." The wolf-man chuckled as he jotted down the order on a small notepad.

"I can get you your food, but information," he gestured to the occupants of the room, "you should find out there." Ray, Janet and Lucy made their way over to an unused table and sat down as they waited for their order to be made. Janet was about to say something when the furry muzzle of a forestclan man popped up beside her shoulder. With a jump or surprise, Janet turned to glare at the man who had startled her.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry!" The forestclan man recoiled, holding his hands up apologetically and offering Janet a toothy grin. "I couldn't help but notice that you three are travelers." The wolf's tail was waving as he spoke.

"Yes, we are." Janet eyed the man. He had rough, tan colored fur, and was dressed in dark green pants that were held up by a dark brown cloth belt, and something like a guitar was slung across his back. "What do you want?"

"I? What do I want?" The wolf-man gave out a little chuckle. "Why, nothing but to entertain you fine folks!"

"Who are you?" Lucy raised her eyebrow at the forestclan man now.

"Why young lady, I am Prather." He gave an exaggerated bow. "And this..." Prather shot a glance to his left and seemed a bit startled to find that he was alone. "Uh... this... uh..." He stood up and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Hold on one moment."

The three exchanged confused looks as Prather rushed off to a crowded table, and watched as the man pried a grinning forestclan man away from his conversation with a much younger wolf girl. Prather whapped his partner upside the head and gave him an annoyed look as he pulled the second wolf-man back to the three travelers.

"And this is Banter." Prather cleared his throat and motioned to his partner. Banter, a gray, short-furred forestclan man with a shock of blue hair and wearing an outfit that matched Prather's was rubbing the back of his head and glaring at his partner. With a nudge from Prather, Banter introduced himself to the trio with his own flourished bow.

"Howdy-do!"

"Right... what do you two want?" Janet rolled her eyes.

"Why, as I said before!" Prather started up again in a musical voice. "We are here to entertain! Banter and I are bards, here at your dispense!" The wolf-man pulled up an extra chair, placing his foot on it and reached around to pull his guitar out in front of him, strumming it lightly as he spoke. "We offer stories! We offer songs! We offer whatever your sweet hearts could desire!" He shot a charming grin to Janet and Lucy. Ray chuckled at his display.

"Do you offer information?'

"Information?" Banter's gray ears perked up and he shoved Prather aside, taking his spot, as well as his pose and instrument as he turned to Ray with a toothy grin, his tail waving. "We offer information!" The wolf-man started to strum up a quiet and ominous melody. "Have you heard about the creature that haunts these woods? We have information on that!"

"Rumors!" Prather brushed himself off and growled at Banter. "Next you'll be telling them about the paranoid hunter who only uses silver bullets for his weapon!"

"That's not a rumor." Banter stuck his tongue out at his partner. "I know the guy."

"Yea," Prather rolled his eyes. "Like you know the guy who lost his tail in a logging accident and has since had it replaced by a duck's tail and no one can tell the difference. Now give me my instrument back!" He yanked the guitar out of Banter's hands before shoving the wolf-man out of his spot and retaking his place on the chair.

"Um..." Ray cleared his throat, earning the attention of the two bards once more. "What exactly are you two talking about?"

"Ha!" Banter's tail waved as he grinned at his partner. "I told you he'd want to know." He retook control of the guitar and the chair as Prather grudgingly backed off, allowing his partner to speak. Banter strummed the strings of the instrument lightly before he turned to the three at the table. "Of course you all would like to know a little about the Ivory Panther wouldn't you?" He started up a slow, low little tune to match his speaking. "Well, it's a tale from long ago..."

"Years ago, before Rasner had become the thriving town it is now, our home was little more then a small village of a few buildings, including this very tavern, our Inn, and our hunting store, as well as a few residential homes. We were a ranching community, if you can believe that out here in these woods. It was late in winter and the harvest for the year had been slim. Not much food was to be found out in the forest, and people were doing what they could to get by.

"One night a local man was awakened from his sleep by sounds coming from his barn. When he went to investigate, he was horrified to find that someone, or something had broken into the barn and demolished everything! Tools and feed were scattered all over the floor, animals had been released and chased away, or those that had stayed were lying on the ground, slaughtered. Investigating the area, the man headed outside and was surprised to find a set of cat prints out in the snow. But these weren't the prints of the normal wild cats that roamed the area. No, these prints were much larger, bigger then most any cat could ever make! For months to follow attacks like this were reported all over the little town. Farms were trashed, animals that were left outside for the night disappeared without a trace, even a few homes were attack by this mystery cat, and at every scene of something happening, the same set of prints were always found.

"Now, this sent the little town into a frenzy of bewilderment. You see, no great creatures have ever stalked this area, save for a few little wild cats or perhaps some wild curs, but definitely no type of creature who would have been responsible for attacks like these, or leave such prints! As the villagers began to keep a wary eye out for the great creature, so did the animal suddenly seem to disappear. Most thought it was truly gone before long, and life in the village returned to normal.

"It was spring of the next year, and hunting season was opening again! A hunter and his son came into town for a good rest; they had been out on hunting trips and were starting their journey back home. They stopped at the town to pack up on supplies before heading out again that very night and set up a camp a few miles away.

"It was in the middle of the night when the hunter heard a queer noise out in the woods and went to investigate, leaving his son alone by the fire. He hadn't been out more then a few minutes when the sound of his boy's shriek rose up in the air, and then stopped suddenly. Quickly the hunter raced back to camp, but when he got there he was only greeted by the nightmare of his son's lifeless body sprawled out on the ground, a set of large cat paw prints heading off into the woods.

"Enraged and sorrowed by the loss of his son, the hunter grabbed his knife and raced into the woods to look for the creature. Following the trail of the animal prints, he finally found his way to a large cave where inside waited the largest, biggest, blackest panther the hunter had ever seen. Still driven by the loss of his son, the hunter fought the cat, finally slitting its throat and leaving it to bleed to death in the cave alone. As the hunter made his way back to our little town, he could hear the angry screams of the cat. Some would have sworn that the creature was calling out its revenge on the hunter as it died.

"Weeks after the incident, the hunter remained at the little village. He refused to return home, saying that the journey he had taken with his son was too long, and he couldn't bear the thought of returning home without his boy. Almost a month had past and still the hunter stayed in the village. One day he received mail from home telling him the dreary news of his wife.

"As it was, the hunter's wife had been out in her garden one day attending to her flowers when she was attacked and taken away by what witnesses say had been a huge white cat. When they had found her body out in the woods, it appeared as though something had slit her throat and drained the poor woman of her blood; not a drop was found in or around her body. The hunter was shocked of the news, and he remembered the cat that he had killed in the forest. Believing the new creature to be the cat's ghost back for its revenge, the hunter headed home to find the cat and stop it once and for all. When he got home, he took his shotgun, a fatted calf, and headed out into the woods to find the cat, hoping to use the calf as bait to bring the creature to him.

"Days passed at the hunter never returned. Worried, his neighbors went out to look for him, but all they managed to find in their search was the calf, tied to a tree, now thin and weary, but still alive and well. Around the creature, however, was spotted the paw prints of a large cat and the footprints of the hunter. There was no blood, no body, and no evidence that either cat nor hunter retreated out into the woods, only the telltale signs of a struggle."

Banter slowly finished the quiet tune he was playing on his instrument, the magic of the ghost-story telling died away with the music. With a shrug the wolf-man continued a quick epilogue. "Of course, since then not a tail, nor hair, nor hide of the cat or the hunter as even been seen or heard from again. Well," the wolf-man ran his hand quickly across the strings in a quiet strum and he flashed the trio a toothy grin. "Until now of course."

"Alright alright," Prather shoved his partner out of the way. "You've had your moment in the spotlight, now let me do the talking. So, you're travelers right?" Prather grinned from the two windians to the dragon. "And you're going to be navigating through these forests! You'll need someone with you who knows these woods like the back of their paw! You'll need a good guide!" Prather puffed his chest out and flashed Ray a toothy grin. He was elbowed in the ribs by Banter, and with a groan quickly added, "or maybe you'll need two..."

At about that time the barkeep approached Ray and the two windians with their order of drinks and sandwiches. "Here you go," he barked out gruffly as he set the food down. "You can pay before you leave." With a quick wag of his tail, the wolf-man made his way back to the counter.

"Pay..." Ray cast an uneasy glance at Janet and Lucy.

"Brandon had the zenny..." Lucy blinked in surprise.

"You mean..."

"Oh shit." Janet muttered and rested a hand on her forehead with a groan. "So we have no money..."

"No money?" Prather raised an eyebrow at the group.

"No money..." Banter echoed his partner and the two bards turned to each other, considering one another silently before Prather turned back to the trio, clearing his throat and scooting away the extra chair he had pulled up in a hurried motion.

"Well now! It was nice meeting you three, but we really must be going!"

"Going! Yes!" Banter nodded at his partner. "Going we must be! More stories to tell! More songs to sing!"

"More must be entertained! Off we are, to do our part!" Prather's tail wagged hurriedly as he shooed his partner off. "Come Banter, let's go entertain someone else now!"

"Yes, yes! Let's go!"

The two managed a synchronized 'bye' and hurried off to another crowded table. Janet rolled her eyes as they left.

"Cheapskates."

"Yes, the are, aren't they?" A gruff voice startled the trio and they looked up to see yet another forestclan man standing over them. His long rusty colored fur and obvious hunting outfit made him look even more wild them most of the wolves the group had seen since they had entered the village. The man gazed over the startled three and chuckled a deep-throated chuckle. "Don't worry, I'm not here to sing or tell you a story." He then turned to Ray and began to explain his business.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you're going to be in need of a guide through these woods."

"Well, yea, this is true." Ray rubbed the back of his neck lightly. "Why?"

The wolf-man grinned a fang-bearing grin as he pulled up a seat for himself, straddling the back of it as he folded his arms across the top of the back support. "I'll take you through these woods free of charge. Shoot, I'll even pay for your meal."

"Why would you do that?" Janet considered the wolf skeptically. He shrugged at her question.

"I've been traveling these woods for some time now. I'm a hunter you see, and I'm looking for something out there. It would be easy enough for me to get you through these woods anyway, and it may be nice to have the company."

Ray glanced between the two windians and shrugged. "Alright I guess." He nodded at the wolf-man. "We'll take you up on that offer."

The forestclan man grinned again, reaching out to shake Ray's hand. "My name is Cameron Denrick."

"I'm Ray Bendrel." Ray nodded to the windians. "And this is Janet and Lucy."

Cameron nodded briefly as he stood up. "Guess I'll go take care of your bill then." He motioned to the counter with a jab of his finger. "May as well get myself something to eat too and we can sit here for a while, get to know each other better." The wolf-man made his way over to the tender behind the counter.

Janet shot an uneasy glance from Cameron to Ray. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring him along?"

Ray sighed as he watched Cameron walk to the counter. "I think..." he turned to Janet as he replied. "I think taking him with us may be one of the best things we've done in a while..."