One Stubborn Wolf
Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain.
Tsume had been traveling for over a month now, never seeming to catch up to the pack that had taken Ari. He felt hunger biting at the pit of his stomach, but would ignore the pain and keep running, determined that just a little further and he'd take care of his physical needs. Slowly weakening himself down until he had to stop and search for something.
The land was lifeless by now, nothing but snow wherever he looked. His vision had gotten blurred, so when he thought there might have been something headed his way, he didn't know if he should believe it. Then a voice reached his ears, calling out his name.
"Tsume!" The young brown wolf called, running toward the weakened friend with Kiba in tow.
They reached him and couldn't believe his appearance. His ribs jutted out against his patchy fur grotesquely. His eyes looked glossed over. "Am. . .Am I dreaming?" His rough voice choked out the words.
"We're here, Tsume." Kiba spoke, placing a comforting paw on his shoulder.
"We've been so worried!" Toboe exclaimed, wanting to show the other how much he missed his presence physically but worried he wouldn't like it.
"Where's Hige?" Tsume asked, just realizing the absence of the mouthy pack mate.
Kiba and Toboe glanced at each other, a silent question in their eyes. This made the gray wolf feel even more uncomfortable.
"He went to follow this other pack we ran into." Kiba began.
"They had this human woman with them that said she knew you!" Toboe continued.
Tsume's eyes widened and his bony frame shook with rage, his ratty fur rising on the back of his neck. "We need to go after them!" He attempted to move when a hunger pain in his stomach brought him to the ground.
"You need rest and nourishment, trying to fight them in this condition won't get you anywhere." Kiba spoke, watching Tsume work though the physical pain and glare at the white wolf.
"She needs me damn it!" He growled, contemplating ripping the other to shreds.
"Hige's there right now, he'll take care of things till we meet again. You know you can't win this fight even with us by your side, until you restore your strength. Toboe, go find some food, I'll stay with him." Kiba ordered the pup, watching as the brown youth obeyed and trotted off.
Tsume and Kiba sat in silence, Tsume refusing to look at the other.
"I never pictured you with a human." Kiba stated, making Tsume grunt and raise his hackles.
"She wanted us to tell you something, but I'm not sure if you're ready for it." This got Tsume's attention; He looked Kiba straight in the eyes, "Tell me."
Just then Toboe came up, hauling the small carcass of a rabbit in his jaws. He laid the dead creature in front of the starved wolf, watching silently as he greedily chowed down. With his meal finished, Tsume looked to Toboe, "Tell me what the woman wanted me to know."
Toboe looked for a sign from the white wolf; Kiba nodded his head in yes. "You're going to be a father." Tsume stared dumbly at the young wolf, his eyes distant. Tsume was a lot of things; a fighter, a hunter, a loner. A father? The thought of having offspring had never occurred to him before. Even when he had been with Ari, making love to her had been a mere act of pleasure, not an attempt at creating a family.
_O_O_
Hige had decided to hang back and follow the other pack discretely, while the other two searched for Tsume. Things had been going fine until they'd entered a canyon, somehow a few of the wolf's had doubled back and come around him, surrounding him and making him come with them to their leader.
"Well well, what do we have here?" The faded black wolf chuckled as he was presented with Hige.
"He's been following us." One of his lackeys informed him.
"Weren't you with that other pack, at the spring?" Taj asked, "Why stray so far?"
"Oh them!" Hige chuckled a bit nervously. "I was just using them, you all seemed like you were going somewhere important, so I thought I'd come along." Hige, explained, always quick on his feet with a response.
"Oh, you're right about that, but what makes you think you can join our pack so easily?" Taj mused, circling the pudgy wolf.
"What, is there some sort of ritual to join up?" He chuckled halfheartedly. Taj stopped and chuckled as well.
"You could say that." Taj began, a strange smile creeping on his muzzle. "You see, there's only so much room in this pack, if you want in, you'll have to fight one that's already in it for his spot." Hige tried hard to keep his cool at hearing this. Kill or be killed? Was that how this pack was run? He had to stay near, and joining would be the ultimate way to stick close to the woman. He didn't want to kill another wolf over it! Then again, the way they all were staring at him, he highly doubted he'd walk away with his life. He would have to fight.
Taj saw the realization in the other wolf's eyes and nodded for a young fawn colored male to step up. Hige and the other began to circle, praying that he could end this with a draw.
_O_O_
The group had stopped, Taj had left her side for quite some time, and of course leaving another in his place to make sure she didn't 'run off'. After a while she heard the sound of a fight going on, growls and snarls filled the air, a sense of dread filled her, wondering if that could be her Tsume. Not that fights amongst themselves didn't occur, yet still she had a feeling that something was off. The vibe the pack was giving off was different than usual. There was a loud snap, and a howl of pain, followed by an unearthly silence.
Soon Taj came back to her, an unfamiliar wolf following him; his muzzle and fur bloodied.
"This is our special companion. She will need to be watched over every moment, she's been known to try and…run off." He smirked, patting her head in his human form. It always bothered her eyes when he'd switch back and forth so dramatically, then again, was about Taj didn't bother her?
"I'm to be her guard then?" The newcomer asked, Taj nodded, "For now." He bent down and took Ari's jaw in his strong hand, "Be a good girl while I'm gone." He forced his mouth on hers, always showing his dominance, and then let go. He left the new member with Ari, she waited till he was long gone until she spoke towards the other wolf.
"You look familiar, have we met before?" She wanted to be discreet, she remembered him from the spring.
"Yes, the group from the spring. My name's Hige, I never got yours."
"It's Ari." She moved to act as if brushing off blood from his shoulder, only to whisper, "Is he coming?"
"They went to find him." Hige whispered back, Ari pulled back, and the two acted as if nothing unusual had happened.
"So, the wolf you fought, did they let him live?" She asked, watching as Hige turned pale and sit down.
"He was wounded. . .He could have healed with time, but they. . ." His sentence trailed off, Ari looked at him knowingly.
"They make it so you don't have a choice." Ari finished for him. Hige closed his eyes and held back the need to vomit. Ari placed a hand on his head, letting him know he wasn't alone in this hell.
