Prelude of Destiny-Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.
Kage watched in surprise as Taki carefully rose and stretched, stepping down from the top of the den. She was an even shade of gray, with white lining her muzzle and ringing her eyes, and her teeth were yellowed. Her sight was failing, and her movements stiff. She was rather gaunt, and had survived many long winters, and the hardships that came with them. She'd once been a fine hunter, but age had stopped her from being able to run with the pack the past three summers. However, her memory remained as keen and sharp as ever, and she was well respected for her wisdom.
She boldly met the alpha's eyes and spoke. "Hikari's sleeping. Her time is near, Kage. The cubs in her belly grow impatient. I've been keeping a close eye on her. I would say they should arrive by the next full moon." She wagged her tail in excitement.
The young alpha wagged his tail in return, sharing the old storyteller's joy. He lifted the meat into his jaws and stepped into the den.
Kage's beautiful mate lay sleeping on a bed of leaves, her side rising and falling in a steady rhythm. In a direct contrast to him, her coat was as white as freshly fallen snow. He remembered when he'd first met her, and been enchanted by her beauty and grace.
Her sleep would have been a peaceful one, were it not for the fact that her brow furrowed on occasion and she twitched in discomfort as her unborn cubs kicked and moved inside her swollen belly.
Kage felt his heart swell with love. He silently laid the meat in front of her, and gently nuzzled her. "Hikari, wake up."
Hikari opened her piercing ice-blue eyes and they lit up as she spotted her mate. "Kage!" She yipped in delight and rose to her feet to greet him. The pair whined and nuzzled each other tenderly, glad to be reunited.
Hikari stepped back, happiness radiating from her. Then she noticed the meat, and remembering that she was famished eagerly wrapped her jaws around the prey and began to rip into it with great gusto, determined to shred every last morsel from the bone.
Kage left her to her meal and stepped back out, where the pack were all laying about the den, either dozing, scratching, or gnawing on old bones, sated with full bellies. Kage noticed Taki feeding on a plump hare that one of the other pack members had caught for her.
He went and lay next to her and laid his head on his paws with a sigh. He noted that the stars were fading, and the colors of dawn were becoming stronger as the sun rose. He could already hear the birds singing, the soft twitters calling other animals from their burrows.
"Taki?" He asked.
The old wolf looked up from her meal at his inquiring tone, licking her jaws.
"I scented smoke at the river. I think humans are here, hunting our food." He snarled in disgust at the thought.
A shadow of fear entered Taki's eyes. Years ago, her own pack had been decimated by the humans. She'd only barely escaped. Had Kage's parents not taken her in, she surely would have starved. Kage's mother had passed from old age a year past, and two years before that, his father's skull had been crushed by a well-aimed kick from a stag, and with his death, the leadership of the family passed to his son.
"Are you sure it was man?"
Kage looked thoughtful. "I can't say for certain, but it disturbs me. My parents lived up here, because men didn't dare to venture into these mountains. The cold is too much for their fragile bodies, and the air is too thin for their lungs. And if what the birds have told me is true, they believe us to be ghosts, since the humans believe we no longer exist." Kage was amused by this. Humans held as fast to their superstitions as a cub with a bone.
Taki sighed, her voice grave. "I would not underestimate man, were I you, young pack leader. Red Moon created man to be a single-minded species, and if they want something, they will take it without a second thought. They are also adaptable, and if they move into these mountains, and it is discovered that we still live, your pack could be in great danger. You will be trapped, and have nowhere to flee."
"I won't let that happen." He announced fiercely standing up, feeling his hackles rise. "I'll see to it that we aren't discovered. My family has lived here for generations undetected. I and my family will NEVER resort to scrounging in the garbage the way those vile city wolves do. I'm ashamed that they're even called wolves. They're no better than dogs. Have they no pride? Have they forgotten who they are?"
Taki looked down sadly. "It is because they have no other choice, Kage. The world is dying. Food is becoming scarcer. The prophecy…" she trailed off, hesitating.
Kage's ears perked up. "Prophecy? You mean the prophecy of Red Moon?"
Taki nodded. "The very one. I remember telling you the tale as a cub. I'm surprised you remembered," she chuckled, pleased.
Kage whined and nuzzled her fondly. "I never forget any of your stories, Taki. They were always the best. I know the cubs will love you."
Taki yawned widely and scratched an ear stiffly. "It will be nice to have cubs around again."
He could hardly wait. However, he also felt a shadow of fear creep into his heart, misgivings he couldn't quite voice. He feared for the safety of the pack
He decided that tonight, he'd take his pack on patrol of their territory, and see if man had indeed made his presence known.