Another story? YEP! A collaboration between SierraCanine and WolvenLights!
I hope you all enjoy it! I worked hard to get this in a story format from the original RP... XD
I'll only put the disclaimers once, so here they are:
Tiberius © SierraCanine
Tsume © Bones Studio
All Others ( especially Catori ) © Wolven Lights
Story concept by Sierra, perfected by Wolven...
Mark of the Traitor chapter 1- The Pup Who Never Smiled
"Dad? where are we going?" The young tan pup asked his father. They had been traveling for what seemed like forever to the pup. He really didn't mind and all, but he really would have liked a break.
"Just keep walking boys..…" The large two toned gray wolf grumbled.
"But Da..?!" The small black pup whined. He was the youngest. His brother was a year older than him and was his only friend. Ever since he was born they were all he knew. His father and his brother Tiberius. Tib, as he was fondly called, always looked out for the runt, keeping an eye on him as he grew. His father, Alvar, blamed the pup for his mates death, and it was only because of his older son that he even let the pup live. Beowulf, the black pup, was hardly able to keep up, but somehow he managed. Their father wouldn't help them, as he saw it as weakness. It was bad enough that he was stuck with the runt. But it was of no concern to him anymore. If the pup stopped he would just keep going. All he cared about was moving on with his life, and the less attachments to his past the better.
"I don't want to here anymore!" He growled as he glared over his shoulder at the two pups. The black pup had a tinge of sliver fur on his muzzle and the tips of his still floppy ears. The older one was a little on the round side, but had his fathers stamina and determination. The runt? Alvar didn't know what he had.
"Sshhhh... don't make him mad again Beo…" Tiberius tried to console his little brother.
"But my feet hurt…"
Alvar let out a low growl as he continued to move on, neither picking up the pace, nor slowing down.
"Hey how 'bout we play a game!" Tib suggested. He needed to distract his brother fast if he wanted to avoid getting in trouble. As long as they didn't complain they could do pretty much what ever they wanted. So long as it didn't involve their father, or slowing him down.
"A GAME !" Beo said excitedly.
"Yeah, I spy... with my golden eye.…"
"A TREE!"
"Hey! I didn't even say yet!"
"Slow poke…" The black pup giggled.
Alvar paused and sniffed the air along the mountain trail they had been traveling on. Something wasn't right.
"Boys..…"
"Huh? what?"
"Hey! Stop pushing... " Beo stated, nipping back at his older brother.
Alvar looked cautiously around the forest around them. "You need to be quiet now.…"
"Aww... But dad." Beo complained.
"If you had any brains in that skull of yours, you WILL be silent this INSTANT" Alvar snarled at his pup.
Hardly a sound escaped Beo's mouth as Tiberius clamped a paw over his muzzle.
"Tiberius...do you hear anything?" his father asked.
"….no.."
"Exactly...Something is hunting close by...I would rather we didn't disturb their hunt...…" he silently continued forward, leading the two pups further along the trail. The two pups followed closely behind him. They both knew that their father was worried, and that they'd better obey. Alvar came to a sudden halt as a flash of gray shot from one bush to another.
"WHOA! What was that?!" Beo exclaimed, forgetting to remain quite.
"Silence!" He growled at him and then retrained his focus on the bush the blur had disappeared into. A large Sable and brown wolf stepped out of the brush from in behind him in a calm but firm manner. Beo lowered himself to the ground, covering his head with his paws as he started to whine.
" That's close enough." Alvar let out a low warning growl as he spun around to face the strange wolf.
" You dare growl at ME in MY territory...when you are surrounded?" The wolf snapped back. As if on some hidden cue, a dozen other wolves step out of the surrounding brush including a young gray she-wolf that Alvar had first spotted.
"You threaten the safety of my pups, of course I'll growl... at all of you.." cautiously eyeing the other wolves in the small band.
The strange wolf calmly eyes the two pups cowering under their father. "And what would a male, such as yourself be doing wandering these mountains with ones so young?"
"Ehh…" Alvar started not sure what to say. "It's my own business as to where I travel with my sons.…" he growled as he tooka defensive stance over them.
"True as that may be, you are still in my territory...and I decide who can pass through or not.…"
Alvar was silent for a moment as he stared at the wolf before him. "...We travel to a place we can make our own...I have no pack and my mate died in the recent years…"
'I am sorry for your loss.…" the stranger bowed his head slightly.
"I don't need your pity...just safe passage for me and mine."
The sable coated stranger looked towards the sky that was peeking though the trees. "The day is growing late and my territory is rather large...You won't be able to pass through it all by night fall...There is an empty den in our valley that you may stay in for the night if you wish"
Alvar looks at his pups... both of them completely worn out from the many days of travel. As much as he didn't want to take the wolfs offer, he felt he had to, for his pups anyway. It would be what his mate would have wanted.
"...Renee?" The sable wolf said looking towards a young gray she-wolf as she took a step forward. "Race ahead and inform the others that we shall have guest staying with the pack tonight.…"
"Yes father" she nodded her head and zipped away up the mountain trail.
" What names do you go by?"
" I'm Alvar... this is Tiberius, and Beowulf…" He lets out a slight snicker to see the black pup with it's paws over its eyes.
" Strong names to give to ones so young...I am Joseph...and I am the alpha of our pack here in this part of the mountains"
"Hmph…" he nudged the black pup with his nose. "Get up…" he growled.
"If you will follow me...My sentries and I will escort you to the valley"
" Sure…" He grumbled, the pups literally inches from him as they started off.
Joseph and his pack mates led the trio up to the peak of the mountain, where a pass opened up to reveal the massive valley below. Trees blanketed the surrounding mountain sides, hiding the scattered dens through out. In the middle was a calm and wide river that started and ended with raging rapids near the feet of the mountains. Joseph cam to a halt and stood proudly, overlooking the magnificent valley.
"Welcome to my homelands"
"...wow" Beo said in amazement. He hadn't seen a place so beautiful in his short life.
Alvar glared at the pup, causing him to grow silent. "...It's very nice... Joseph"
Joseph gave him a sideway glance before barking an order to the wolves behind him. "Taknar... Brog...you two will stay with me...the rest of you may return to your kin" The rest of the pack began to leave as the two brown wolves flanked the alpha.
" I will take you to the den to rest...I will also have someone bring some food for you as well"
"...Thanks.. " Alvar followed behind him, he took a quick look back at his two pups. "Hurry up you two!"
Joseph lead them down into the valley to an empty den. A view of the river from the entrance, as well as a field of wild flowers a little ways off.
"Thanks... for letting us spend the night... " Alvar said, almost regretting how he had acted earlier.
"...I hope you find it comfortable"
Renee came running up, barely able to carry a large deer leg from the morning's hunt and sets it down.
"Ah there you are!" her father exclaimed.
"Sorry it took me so long father.…"
"That's quit alright...go and make sure your sister is staying out of trouble…"
"Yes father" she glanced at the two pups. Her tail wagging slightly when she noticed the tan one was close
to her age.
"Go Renee.…" He smiled, catching her attention.
"Whoops... Bye!" She took off running, dashing back along the way she had come.
" wow... she's fast..…" Beo said aloud, his jaw wide open as he stared off after her.
"Oh come on... she's too old for you anyway." Tiberius teased.
"You'll have to excuse my oldest, she has a good head on her shoulders, but she has a tendency to become distracted over the slightest things," Joe apologized, chuckling slightly.
"We won't be distraction for long... you have my word." Alvar scowled at his two pups.
"Your welcome to stay for a few days to rest."
"Just the same... we'll be gone by morning…"
"Very well..…" He took the deer leg and set at Alvar's paws. "...it would do and yours well to rest...you may stay as long as you need too."
"Thanks…" he grunted, turning to his pups. "Boys..?"
"Yeah dad?" Tib perked up. His little brother looking up, his tail ceasing to wag at being addressed by his father.
"You two can split this...I...I'm not hungry…"
Joseph raised his brow curiously at him, "...I shall leave you to rest then...my sentries will be here first thing to escort you to the other side our my territory" He stated to leave, the two brown wolves following close behind him. Alvar nodded as the three wolves left, turning towards the den.
"Hey that's mine!" Tib shouted, shoving his little brother away.
"No it's not! I had it first!" He nipped back.
Alvar laid down in the mouth of the abandoned den. His back to the pups as they wrestled over the bits of food. "Can you two keep it down!" He growled as he tried to get some shut eye.
The brown wolf Taknar spoke to the alpha as soon as he was sure they were out of earshot of the den. "Sir...do you think it wise to leave him unguarded?"
" If I felt that he was an threat to our pack and our valley don't you think I would have?" The alpha reassured him.
"...My apologies sir...I did not mean to question your decision..…"
Joe chuckled slightly, "You have always been a wolf of great caution...If you are truly wary of a father traveling with his pups, then you may go and guard your den."
"I will guard your's first…"
"I know that.…" He sighed, "and with MY daughters, I should hope so…"
Crickets chirped quietly outside the den where the three wolves slept. A full moon as blue as the morning sky rose high over head of the valley, lighting the world below it. White Lunar Jasmines bloomed everywhere in the field outside and a the faint sound of someone singing by the river, was enough to wake the little black wolf pup. Beo opened one eye, checking to make sure his brother and father were fast asleep before he slowly stood up. He slowly made his way to the entrance of the den. Being careful not to wake the two snoring wolves. He made a dash for it, bolting towards the field of flowers where the sound was emanating from.
Beo crawled on his belly through the flowers… not hidden too well by their stark contrast to his coat. he was getting closer to the source of the singing. It was the mostly wonderful sound he had ever heard…
"…Deep in the meadow... hidden far away... A cloak of leaves... a moonbeam ray... Forget your woes and let your troubles lay... And when again it's morning, ...they'll wash away…."
Beo listened to the words of the song... but more importantly to the voice of the young pup that sung them. "Crap.…" He said aloud as he stepped on a twig and snapped it in two. He flattened himself in the flowers hoping she wouldn't notice.
The small pup froze and stopped singing listening to the sounds of the night, looking for the source. Her sable color blanketing the top half of her silvery gray body almost seemed to glow in the moonlight, a crown of roses rested between her ears and twirled around listening for a moment longer. The black pup held as still as he could. His body shaking out of fear of being discovered. The sable pup, sensing no immediate danger started to sing again.
"…Here it's safe... here it's warm... Here the daisies guard you from every harm... Here your dreams are sweet... and tomorrow brings them true... Here is the place where I love you…" She barely smiled as she started bouncing and spinning around, trying to dance as she sang. Beo's ears perked up at as the voice continued.
"…Deep in the meadow... under the willow... A bed of grass,... a soft green pillow... Lay down your head... and close your sleepy eyes... And when again they open... the sun will rise…"
Beo closed his eyes and stared to sway with the music... as a gentle breeze made the flowers sway majestically in the moonlight.
The sable pup spins on one of her rear paws and falls backwards into a pile of grass across from Beo, squeaking in surprise, "...AHH!..offt!..…" and very quietly starts to giggle.
Beo lifted his head in surprise. The silver tufts of his ears just poking out from underneath the flowers. The sable pup's giggled faded as she looked up at the stars briefly before standing up and shaking her soft puppy coat out. Beo held as still as possible as he watched her, the flowers starting to tickle his nose. The sable pup sat down and proceeded to use her rear paw to scratch just behind her ear, shaking her head when she was done. She started to hum a low tune as she goes and sniffs a flower a few feet from where Beo was hiding. Beo was doing his best to hold it in but…
"ACHOO!" Flower pollen and petals sent flying up in the air.
"AHHHHH!" the pup yelped and ran behind a nearby tree out of shear surprise.
"Ahh... man...…" rubbing his nose as he looked up, knowing he'd been caught. The sable pup peeks out from behind the tree to look at him briefly before hiding again.
" Please don't tell my daddy.…" Beo whined, lowering his head to the ground.
The other pup slowly peeked back out from behind the tree. "YOUR daddy? ...I'm more worried about MY daddy.…"
"Your daddy? We're not even supposed be here…" he said, glancing up at her.
"I'm not supposed to be out here by myself...…" she hides back a little behind the tree "...I-I won't tell your daddy if you don't tell my daddy."
" I don't even know your daddy..…" He said, growing more curious. Who was this pup anyway?
"...I guess I didn't think about that...kinda hard to tattle when you don't know who to tattle too"
" That's true…" he commented as he sat up.
The sable pup carefully came out from behind the tree, but keeping her distance.
"I'm Beowulf... but everyone calls me Beo... what's you name?" He said, cocking his head to one side.
"...I'm...I'm Catori.…" She paused to watch him. "...but my daddy and sister sometimes call me Cat...but I don't like it much.…"
"You don't..?" His tail wagging making the flowers sway rhythmically behind him.
"What kind of wolf would like to be called a cat?" wrinkling up her nose in disgust.
"I never thought about it that way…" scooting his furry butt closer to her.
"I just wish they would come up with a better nick name..…" She sighed and finally sat down.
"Like what?" still inching closer…
"anything but Cat...YUCK!"
Beo paused to sniff the air. "Are you a girl?" He asks innocently.
Catori cocked her head to the side. "Of course I'm a girl! What id you think I am?"
"Oh... I've never met a girl before... Your nice."
Catori's eyes go wide and a very faint blush taints her cheeks that's almost invisible in the moonlight.
"Do girls change colors?" he asked, noticing her cheeks turning pinker.
Catori grows a little pinker, "N-not N-normally...…"
"So they can change colors? Like you?" His tail wagging harder.
"...w-well s-so would you if.. if someone said something nice to you!" she tucks her chin into her chest as her blush grows a bit more.
"No I wouldn't... I'm tough... like my daddy" Sticking out is little chest, little tufts of fur curling up from the black coat.
The faintest of smiles creeps onto Catori's muzzle, "...I b-bet you would so…"
"Uh-uh…" he shakes his head, his silver ears flopping against his head.
Her faint little smile holds as she watches him "...yeah huh..…"
"Nope... My daddy says someday I'll grow up to be just like him... he doesn't ever change color... he's always red…" He giggled at the thought.
"Red?" cocking her head to the side again.
"yeah... he's always mad at me and my brother…" he said, looking down at his paws.
"...oh...I...I hope you don't be mad like him..…" looking down as well.
"Me too…" he giggled. "I want to be big and tough like him…" he smiled a toothy grin.
Catori smiles faintly again. "..you didn't look so tough against the flower that made you sneeze.…" she said, trying to tease, but afraid because she's never done it before.
"Well... I blew it up, didn't I?" his ears perking up.
Catori blushed slightly as her smile grew, "yea and scared me!"
One of Beo's ears flop down against his head, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you... it... you... your... the.. the song.…"
Catori's smile fades away as she looks down. "... It's okay if you don't like it... my song"
"No, no... I liked it... it was very... very…" trying hard to think up the right word.
"...stupid?"
"No... it was…"
Catori looks up at him with wondering green eyes that shimmer in the moonlight, waiting for his answer. Hoping he's about to say what she thinks he's about to say.
"Oh... I give up... is handsome okay?"
She faintly starts to giggle. Slowly getting louder until she's falls back into the grass laughing.
"What? What's so funny?" He stared at her rolling in the grass. The look of utter confusion on his face.
"S-sorry...I... I didn't mean to laugh.…" suddenly stopping when she notices he's not laughing.
"I don't get girls... they're weird…" he mumbles.
"...boys are handsome or...or even cute...girls are supposed to be pretty...or even beautiful...I...I was laughing because I realized how true it was bout...about you never being around a girl before..…" She blushed again and looked at the ground. "...I'm sorry I laughed at you…'
"That's okay.…" he glanced back in the direction he had come from.
"...what's wrong?"
"I should probably get back... before my dad finds out I left.…"
":...oh okay...will I get to see you again?"
"I don't know... I think my dad said we were leaving in the morning…" he said, looking up at her sadly.
"...but...but I don't want you to go..…" she said, meeting his gaze.
"Me too... I don't want to leave.. I like you…" his tail swishing back and forth.
Catori wags her tail a little, getting used to the motion. "I... I like you too, Beowulf..…"
"Maybe I'll see you before we leave?" he says, getting up, ready to head back.
"I hope so...…" Trying her best not to tear up. "...nobody has ever made me smile or laugh before.…"
"Well... I've never met a girl before, so I guess were even…" he giggled.
"...I guess we are aren't we?" She gave a weak smile.
"yeah... See you later? Maybe?" he queried, looking over his shoulder at her. His silver muzzle shining in the moonlight.
"See you soon...hopefully" her green eyes almost glowing with hope in the moonlight.
"Good night, Catori.…" he hollered as he bounded off across the field. Just wishing that his father would change his mind.
"Good night...Beowulf."
"I should have known you would be out here..…" a large wolf comes up behind her, smiling down at her knowingly.
"Daddy!"
"...that pup...it was him that made you smile and laugh wasn't it?" Joseph asked his youngest daughter.
Catori looks up to him nervously nods her head. "...he...he said he has to leave tomorrow..…"
"….I've never even seen you smile, nor heard you laugh once since the day you were born...Come to bed little one...I will see what can be done in the morning.…"
"Thank you daddy!" She bounded after him, giving him his first smile. They returned quietly to their den, a brown wolf standing guard over the entrance. Catori quickly fell asleep, eagerly awaiting dawns first light…
"Rue's Lullably" The Hunger Games
Hope y'all liked it! Don't forget to comment/review, follow and fave!
Don't forget to check out the other stories by both SierraCanine and WolvenLights... we worked hard to bring our stories this far... it would be great if you would take the time to read them.
'till next time,
Sierra