Screams rent the air as the long pregnant woman finally goes into labor. She's long overdue, and looks even further along because any spare fat she had had transferred itself to her bulging belly. She was deep inside the cave, and alone, because that was her wish. As the moon rose, she called in her mate. She weakly licked his face then gestured to each of the three. Soto, Salina, and Dyen. Only two wiggled weakly, the third did not move.
Niphk carried Dyen outside, where they would have greeted the pack had he survived. The leader, Diero raised his head. "What's the outcome?"
Niphk bowed, "Triplets. One is dead, the others are very weak." He returned to the cave, where he watched two of the children suckling at his mate's teat.
He nuzzled Kelsa, noting the lack of energy in her eyes. "Two," he said trying to perk her up. "The male Soto, and Salina. They will strengthen our pack."
She sighed. "There would have been so many. The pack is so small."
Niphk tried to coax her from her despair. "The first litter is always the hardest. And this winter has been particularly vicious to us. There will be many more children in Half Peak Pack."
"They will not be mine." Kelsa said. And she closed her eyes. Frost crept over her nose and lips, and she stilled.
Soto and Salina took as much of the cooling milk as they could, and Niphk curled up next to them. He called out to Diero, and announced "Kelsa is dead; the labor was too great for her."
"We look to your Salina to bring the future of our pack. From the looks of her, she will be a great fighter."
"There is no chance for either of my children to survive." Niphk said stonily. "Not without milk. Dried meat is no substitute for those without teeth."
"Then it would be better to kill them mercifully, to bury them with their mother and brother." Diero said.
Niphk wavered. "I could not kill my daughter, or my son. Kelsa lives on only in them."
But as the night wore on, the children's cries grew louder, as they became increasingly hungry. As dawn broke, Salina gave in to her exhaustion and stopped. And she, the last hope of Half Peak Pack, was gone. Niphk screamed, and yelled with anguish.
Niphk left his one remaining child with Diero, and left to mourn in private. He closed his daughters blue eyes-they wouldn't change fully to green until a child matured- and kissed her tiny face. In his world death was not uncommon, Despite the large size of litters-usually three or four at a time- most of the babies would die. But Niphk wasn't seeing sense; he saw his dead wife, son and daughter. He laid Salina to rest inside a small hollow, and covered her with snow.
As he raised his head, two threadbare figures appeared in the distance. He raised the alarm, and the rest of his pack came to him. Diero, the leader carried Soto, then were Kelsa's brothers Kerven and Hyll with ranks just under his own. Finally Zeke, a twisted and malevolent adolescent with a weak mind and body trotted up. A small group of bachelors knocking about in the wild. Niphk wondered irrationally how badly they would smell after a week without Kelsa's nagging. And of course none of them really knew how to parent. But they were well prepared to defend their camp from a ragged pair of invaders.
Niphk was going to lead the attack however Diero called him back. "Kerven will lead this one for me, look after your son"
"Am I being demoted?" Losing his position as lieutenant would have been too much to bear.
"No, your son needs his father more than I need you as lieutenant right now. I promise Kerven will never replace you." So Niphk trotted back to the cave where he tended the fire and tried to coax the infant Soto from crying. Eventually the men returned catching him humming to the child. Embarrassed he surveyed his pack. No losses, in fact hovering at the rear near Diero were two women.
They were obviously Saber. Only their eyebrows were different, slanting upwards instead of down- a difference that Niphk knew meant they weren't from the area. One of them, Mindis was fairly statuesque and proud. She was clean and almost elegant; her fur was slightly ragged by travel, but one could tell that initially it had been a shiny amber. The other, Danask, was downright skinny, her bones stuck out, her breasts were distended and leaked milk. Her face was homely and her fur matted.
Diero circled in front of them, surveying. "You said that you needed to have sanctuary."
Mindis, who was clearly the bolder of the two nodded.
Diero continued to evaluate. "You will need food, protection. And neither of you hunt. You will need to work for your keep."
Mindis nodded again. Kelsa's brothers exchanged excited glances.
"Mindis you will be my woman, Danask you will act as wet nurse for Niphk. You will also do… other things for the rest of my band in your spare time." Niphk's heart leapt, his son would survive.
1.
Danask and Mindis kept their respective promises. By the time Soto was weaned, Danask had been with the majority of the pack except for Niphk who detested her. He refused to let her spent any more time with Soto than necessary. Kelsa's ghost was heavy on him, and he knew that she would hate her son looking to any other mother. Especially to the camp whore. His attitudes were emulated by his son, who would growl at her has soon as he finished nursing. It was a relief for both when his milk teeth developed.
As Soto grew, so did the embryos in Mindis' womb. Diero had made her follow through on her promise, and after a few years of waiting, she fulfilled her bargain. Niphk couldn't hate her. She had the dark eyes of a strong saber, a noble, not the dull pallid eyes of Danask, who he could only assume was her sister. Watching her pregnancy continue was painful, but he didn't wish death on her. Niphk had seen enough pain. He knew that their pack was barely struggling on.
Two years after Kelsa's death, Niphk woke up to screams coming from the direction of the birthing cave. Thinking it was a dream, he wandered towards it, only to be stopped by Diero.
"Kelsa?" He asked.
"Get back to your son," Diero said tensely. "Winter hasn't yet set in, but this night is too cold for a child to lay alone."
"But I heard her," Niphk protested, "she's screaming." He started again towards the cave only to be blocked again.
"I say go back." Diero growled. "Your woman is long dead." As a particularly loud moan rent the silence, he added "Mindis goes into labor early. I'm standing sentinel for her. You should go."
Niphk turned, and returned to Soto, whom he clutched close.
By morning, a pale Mindis crept out of the cave carrying two infants. She held Diego and Shetar up to the weak autumn sunlight, and introduced them to the pack. Diero looked to Niphk to say the proper blessing to the children, but he turned away. Kerven, the next highest ranking male that wasn't the father stepped up. "Diego son of Diero, may you grow to be greater than your father. Shetar, we look to you to be the next mother to us all." Shetar let out a wail of protest at the cold, and Diero's expression was one of disappointment rather than pride as she went back inside to nurse them.
Niphk sat alone on a boulder facing away from camp. Soto napped, so Niphk could be alone with his thoughts.
"I had hoped you'd have been able to put it behind you." Diero said shortly.
Niphk turned with dead eyes. "Put behind my life?"
"There are always childhood deaths. You still have a son. But you ruined the presentation of my children, of our future."
"And my son isn't our future? Soto is older than your son. Undoubtedly he'll be stronger, faster, more adept to lead. He doesn't have outlands blood."
"Hierarchy will prevail." Diero snapped. For he also noticed how quickly Soto was developing. "But you weren't angry at my son."
"No, your daughter gets to live while mine died. She gets to know her mother."
"Kelsa was weak." Diero said, riled by his friends refusal to congratulate. "She chose to die."
"No mother will choose to die while her child cries. And she never was weak. Her eyes were nearly as dark as yours, and they burned with energy."
Diero glared.
"You're just jealous that she chose me." Niphk added.
Diero gripped him around the throat. "Get over yourself. Kelsa is dead now, Mindis is alive to bear more children. It is through my children that the essence of our pack will flow. Either move into the future or leave. And your sons stays either way, because as you said, he is pure Half Peak." Diero released him, and Niphk laid on the ground weezing.
"I wouldn't abandon my pack."
"Good. Now let's put this matter behind us. There is a hunt we need to plan for." They shook hands, and the leadership of Half Peak Pack was back in accord. Mostly.
2.
Soto was immediately fascinated by the wiggling bundles. He was perplexed when his father continuously steered him away from them. Saber children mature quickly, but at just over two years old, Soto was still very likely to cause trouble. He didn't have the judgment that corresponded to his half-adult size. Under Mindis' watchful eye, he would curl up with them, and occasionally be allowed to hold one. Diero protested, but Mindis believed that having connections to Soto would be beneficial to her young.
However Half Peak suffered another hard winter the following year. Danask died of exposure, she had always been weak. And Mindis followed her out of grief- she had been near term on a second pregnancy, and four infants were lost. She walked out into a snowstorm-vanishing- and was discovered at the next thaw. Again Half Peak had only one female, Shetar, on who all hopes would rest.
3.
The pack completely fell apart during Soto's fourth summer. The ice age had set in. Temperatures were near frosty and looked to become even colder. The beast herds had moved south and food was very scarce. Soto was almost at full adult size, but already was as tall as his father, nearly as broad. Although he had yet to take his first hunt, he had already taken on some adult responsibilities, and stood sentinel frequently. There were traces of human activity in the area, and every man was needed to run sweep. Even Diego, still a child by all means was required to help with the men's work. Shetar remained in camp, always under guard.
Soto was returning from watch when Diego sprinted up to him. Soto noticed the other male's ungainly adolescent appearance, with too-long legs and large feet. Yet Diego still appeared more gracile than Soto had at that age, both he and Shetar took after their mother's foreign look. After wiping out in the snow, Diego sprang back up. "I was watching the northern border today, and there are humans building a village by the waterfall!" He exclaimed.
Soto appraised the boy, debating his desire to go back to camp and sleep, or to go check it out. Curiosity won. "Show me." He commanded.
After about a mile, they got bored of walking. Diego said "we both know the way, let's race!"
Soto was amused by the enthusiasm, but agreed and used his longer, stronger legs for a victory. He saw the smoke by the waterfall, and scrambled up the slight cliff that protected the village from the wind. It was already on a hill, but part of the hill was higher and unreachable by the clumsy humans. Soto heard a scream and to his horror saw Diero drag a human girl-child from a tent to a safe distance away. The girl's screams subsided as his 7 inch fangs ripped out her throat.
Soto turned but Diego was also clambering up the ridge. But beyond Diego, another slightly ungainly figure ran through the snow. Shetar had followed them. Soto internally cursed Diego for talking about humans so close to camp and piquing his sister's curiosity as well as his. "Diego stop!" Shouted Soto, but it was too late, the boy arrived just in time to watch his father attack the girl's entrails.
Diego blanched under his coat and began shaking. "No," he started in disbelief.
"It doesn't matter now." Soto said. "Your sister is coming, and we don't want her to see this."
Diego swallowed his disgust- humans were not ever to be considered prey- and turned around. He psyched himself up to tell his sister to go back to camp, and to act like nothing had happened. But both Diego and Soto heard the sound of the new human leader's grief when he saw a saber crouched over his dead sister's body. Spears flew towards Diero, but the large cat escaped.
Soto and Diego intercepted Shetar as they also ran back towards camp. "They spotted us, they attacked!" Panted Soto, lying through his long teeth. He turned to Diego as they approached their rendezvous site. "And not a word about what we've seen. Not to Diero, not to Shetar, not to anyone. If you need to talk single me out."
Diego nodded his assent.
4.
The human leader quickly took revenge on Half Peak Pack, and the revenge was harsh. Soto was sitting watch on the northern border, his usual place, when he noticed the hunters filing out of the village. They then began lightly jogging in his direction, heavily armed. Soto immediately turned and ran back to his pack faster than he had ever run before. On reaching it he shouted out a warning and people filed out. Diero was absent and Zeke, but Niphk and the other males were there.
Without thinking Soto looked at Diego "Take Shetar out of here into the hills."
Diego was about to argue. "I can fight too!" He said proudly.
"I said go!" Roared Soto as he pinned down the younger boy. "We will meet you there."
At the look in his eyes, Diego was no longer willing to protest. He shakily got up, and collected his sister.
The other males rallied around Niphk. Soto joined their ranks. Niphk proudly looked at his son and nodded once for Soto to stand at his right flank.
Soto watched as spears flew through the air. He saw Kerven jump on a human and then fall as a spear pierced his heart. He watched Hyll be killed by one of the human's pet wolves. Part of his own heart was torn out when Niphk fell. He clawed at the humans blindly and ineffectively. In a flash, Zeke ran into the fray, was sliced across the face, and retreated. Soto stepped over his father's body. "Go." Niphk said. So Soto ran, calling to Zeke, to join Diego and Shetar in the hills.
Young Diego tumbled out of his hiding place as soon as he saw the pair. "You're back!" He said joyously.
Soto raised his head. "Everyone died. I'm leader now."
They all lowered their heads in remembrance.
Finding Diego alive was one of the happiest moments of Soto's life but he knew chances of their survival were slim. Only Zeke had ever hunted before, but he was dysfunctional. Soto had learned basic skills, and Diego and Shetar were still children. They were nowhere near ready to be a pack without adults. But Soto forced himself to be an alpha for them all.
5.
Soto was six when Diego and Shetar matured. Against all odds, the ragged group survived, even picking up two other lone sabers: Lenny and Oscar. They were nowhere near thriving, but Soto's troops were well ordered and alive. Soto had grown up driven on need and revenge and his ambitions made him hard. He was a large male, very commanding, thick fanged and bodied, and every inch a dominant male.
"Diego," he called. And his lieutenant padded over silently. The enthusiastic and gangly cub had grown into a lean saber, handsome even. He was the only capable member in the pack Soto thought. But he had lost his happy demeanor- Diego was cynical, often sarcastic, and as devoted to the pack as Soto. Nobody could do his job better.
"Yes." Diego responded.
Soto nodded his approval, "good approach, very silent." He temporized, complimenting the other. He was acknowledged by a closed eyed bowing of the head. "Diego I know we've agreed it's her choice but… there is only one."
Diego looked towards his twin sister; she lounged in a patch of sunlight looking regal. She had darker patterns on her coat, but other than that they were identical. "It's her choice Soto. I can't give her to you."
"She'll need to mate soon." Soto mused. "Other than me, you'd be the only available alternative but you're her littermate."
"I know." He said in a low tone. "But we agreed to let her be independent until she first goes into heat."
Shetar, instinctively knowing they were talking about her, looked over. At the expression on her brother's face, she got up and stalked towards the pair. She got right under Soto's face, flexed in a way that drove him crazy, and whispered "There's not a chance I'll mate with any of you."
Diego had to interrupt Soto's backhand.
Later that night, he and Shetar curled together against the cold. "He's not a bad man." Diego explained insufficiently. Shetar would never know the secret that he shared with their volatile leader.
"I still don't want to mate with him. I want my kittens to have fresh blood."
"We are fresh blood." He answered.
Shetar closed her eyes, but during the night she snuck out of the cave and headed west searching for new territory. Soto, upon noticing her absence, blamed the human presence in the area.
From the hill overlooking the human camp he called his lieutenant to him. "These humans have been here long enough. They wiped out over half our pack and wear our skin to keep warm. We raid tonight." Then he assigned Diego the special mission. "And bring me that baby-alive. If that man took my future offspring, I'm definitely taking his."