Wild Wolf

Chapter Six

Daddy dearest

Disclaimer
I do not own Ranma 1/2 that great honour belongs to the artist and author Rumiko Takashi neither to I posses any hold on the world of the wolves by Alice Borchardt. Please don't sue me I'm small and insignificant.

Warning: low level swearing

Enjoy!

"To me a wicked man who is also eloquent
Seems the most guilty of them all.
He'll cut your throat
As bold as brass, because he knows he can dress up murder
In handsome words. . . "

-Medea Euripides, dating 460 B.C.E approx

Snow was settling on Ranma's deep red mantle as he pressed down on the throat of the wolf that he believed to have been following since last night. "Who are you?" Ranma added a little more pressure with each word. The wolf squirmed and whined. "What is a wolf doing in the middle of a town just where I happened to be. There is no such thing as coincidence." Ranma could swear the wolf looked guilty for a second then started to pant and bark. As if to say I'm not a wolf just a really big puppy, Aren't I cute. "Who are you? I am quite happy to sit here until morning." The wolf stoped barking, and just looked up at Ranma. "I don't know if you'll turn into a human or a hippo I don't care. Who are you?" A shiver in the air flashed over the wolf underneath Ranma and he found himself with an arm underneath the throat of a human man with short ash blonde hair. The man had a thin tanned face and green eyes that didn't stop moving they followed Ranma then traced a snowflake. "Hi"

"Umm, my Japanese isn't that good but I was wondering if I could change back it's you know cold?" Ranma jumped back startled. "Yeah, but first why were you following me?" The man who had been a wolf shivered and smiled "well, someone told me too." Ranma stared at the man "I have said this before but who are you?" Putting a finger to his jaw the man looks up at Ranma "Ohh, did I forget my name's Aver, and I'm cold." Pulling his own mantle tighter around him Ranma spoke. "We need to talk but not here. Can you follow me I think I know a place where we can get out of the cold?" Rubbing his hands up and down his arms the skinny man shivered again. "Good idea I don't want to lose any of outer extremities." With that Aver shivered and turned back into a thin grey wolf. Ranma stared at the wolf.

Looking at the red cloth he now wore he wondered how he could keep it with him. It reminded him of the garden and the motherly figure of Nenia. If he changed would it disappear. Taking it off Ranma felt the snow settle on his back and folded the robe into a small package with the pin firm attached. Turning inwards Ranma looked for the wolf the part of him that was always the wolf, it was slumbering on the edge of conscious with a thought Ranma brought it forward and he was a wolf once again but the red mantle had disappeared. Turning in a quick circle Ranma could not see it. Turning back he found himself again dressed in the cloth. After changing several times Ranma discovered that the mantle changed with him and would always remain on his form. Finally staying a wolf Ranma felt sure that when he changed back the robe and pin would be with him. This was another gift from Nenia

Ranma traced his way back through the town. Making sure he would be able to return to Nenia's garden so he could bring her, her flower. What did a 'lily of valley' look like? The edge of a false dawn was piercing the night and the town was waking up. Sleep deprivation was again making itself know to Ranma as the last time he had managed to sleep was for a short nap before Pop had tried to tie him up the first time. Becoming a wolf flushed some of the weariness from his system but the combination of everything that had been happening for the past three days was weighing down on his body and mind. With effort Ranma was able to find his way back to the main square with it's medieval houses. From there he could find his way to the bar. It had been shut for a few hours by the time Ranma turned up with Aver tagging along behind. Peering through back window Ranma could not see his pack or his father who was going to sleep in the kitchen. Maybe the old man had run for it when he had escaped, maybe he thought he had gone to far for once. Ranma thought about that then shook his head nah his father's ego could move mountains.

Wrapping a bandage around his bloody calf Genma scowled. The plan had been perfect, it had in one form or another worked for them before. He could see right now his wolf some being led out into the fighting pen. All the boy needed to have done was kill one dog; he would have rescued him from the pit owners before the morning when he turned back. Ranma gad entered into fighting comps before him turning into a wolf, nothing should have changed. Looking out at the park that surrounded him Genma scratched the itchy bandage. If all those idiots hadn't off panicked he wouldn't have been bitten by that Rottweiler. In the end it was all that damn boys fault that this had happened. Genma huddled in his blankets, he had been kicked out of the bar Ranma had worked at all day because he had come back fro the dog fight bloody, then proceeded to drink the bar out of liquor. Ranma's transformation only partly worried Ranma as long as the boy was still human most of the time it truly did not matter to him. Just as long as the body did what he said. There was only one thing he was truly dreading, sooner rather than later he was going to have to ring his wife.

Turning back into a human as he hid at the back of the bar, he motioned to Aver to change. "Look, I thought my old man would be here so I could get some clothes and kick his arse." Aver was huddling up next to the wall. "Your Dad, I saw what he did, I was watching and I think he's an idiot, but if you want track him down I think I can find him for you." Ranma thought about this did he really want to find his Pop again. What he had done to him was terrible and it wasn't like it was the first time the old man had done something stupid and he had been the one paying for it. "We really need to talk and the only place I know where we can grab some clothes without shocking anyone is from my pop. He is a bastard I know that. But you can't turn your back on family just like that. I'm going leave him for a while, even if he knows where my mother is or what I am." "Okay, that's great but I'm cold so lets go."

Following Aver across the square, the early morning traffic of town was beginning. Bakers, and milkmen, trash collectors and street cleaners, were passing through town in the early morning light. These men and women stopped to watch the two wolves one black and silver the other thin and grey race through the streets passing quickly past them. Reaching a residential park Ranma could now smell the scent Aver had been able to follow it was the ripe and fetid smell of his father. In a corner of the park underneath a tall pine tree, Ranma could see the sleeping form of his Pop. Quickly reaching him, Ranma turned back into a human and spotted his pack. Moving quietly Ranma collected his things and changed into some clothes he carefully stored the mantle in a pocket of his pack and placed the pin back in his hair. Lifting Gemma's pack Ranma searched the pockets until he found the stash of money, papers and their passports Grabbing the money, which was probablywhat Genma made selling him into the fighting pit. Papers and his passport Ranma chucked the bag on to the ground. Telling Aver to stay a wolf Ranma crept over to his father and placed a booted foot at his neck.

"Wake up old man, I've got a surprise for you." Ranma ground his boot down on his father's neck. Gasping Genma woke. "What in hell are you doing boy." Grabbing Ranma's foot Genma pushed upwards and flipped Ranma over, landing on his feet, Ranma gestured to Aver sitting to the side. "Pop, have I ever thanked you for the hell you have made my life. You have made my childhood a joy to live for the past nine years and I don't know how I could ever thank you. This is a new friend of mine Aver. We have something's to talk about. At the moment I know that even with my improved abilities I could not beat you. So what I'm going to do is train and practice until I am the Greatest Martial Artist ever just like you wanted. Then I'm going to find you and have the great pleasure of kicking your arse." Struggling out of his sleeping bags Genma stood up. "Boy, I am your father and I have only done what ever I do for your own well being." Ranma snorted "Right you know that somehow I don't really believe you anymore. You have lied and you have stolen what rights do you hold over me." Genma scowled "I am your father, I will always be your father, no matter what you do you only have one father and that's me." Rushing forward at Ranma Genma reached out and was stopped when a pressure on his waist. Glancing down, Genma saw the wolf Aver grasping the back of his gi. It didn't look happy. Growling Aver tugged on the material. "Call your dog off." Ranma smiled "He's not a dog. I have already said his name is Aver. Now I'm going to leave and don't try following us." Walking backwards Ranma kept an eye on Genma till he was out of sight then turned around and waited, five minutes later Aver trotted around the corner with a scrap of white cloth stuck in his mouth.

Walking into an alleyway Ranma pulled out a shirt this one saying 'All true Wisdom is found on t-shirts." pants and a pair of his training shoes. 'Here get changed." Where the wolf Aver had sat the man stood. Picking out the piece of material he had stuck between his teeth. "Your Dad tastes terrible by the way; thanks you know it would be so much easier if our clothes changed with us. Like that cloak you got, but those are pretty rare. Nothing's as big of a conversation stopper as seeing a naked man steal your washing." Ranma grinned and hoped he would never have to resort to that. "There has got to be a place open now, a cafe or something we can stop there and you can finally talk to me." Aver tucked his shirt into his pants, "Do you mind if I make a call there are some people I know that will be really interested to see you. Getting something to eat sounds good to. You know following you wasn't the easiest thing to do." Ranma shrugged his bag back on his back. "Fine, let's talk while we find somewhere to stop. This is kind of weird but I should be used to it by now. So you're a werewolf." Aver grinned and started jumping the gutter going off and on the pavement. "Yip, I have been for Oh lets see, it must be 360 no I tell I lie 365 years." Putting a finger to his chin Aver looks up into the sky, "You know how some human women don't like telling their age well image it 100 times worse for were's." Coming to the small town centre Ranma spotted a bakery opening, "Yeah okay, look I'll ask them if they'll let us use their phone and get us something to eat." Walking in Ranma had a short talk to the girl serving behind the counter. Aver was staring into the glass cases of the bakery that had just been filled with freshly baked bread, cakes, and buns. "Do you think I could have a chocolate muffin, and a pie, and a cinnamon donut, and a fruit twist and, a . . ." "Wait wait, do you want all that."
"Well I haven't had the chance to grab something to eat since the other night."
"You know I think the last time I ate something that wasn't drugged has been a while as well. If you make your phone call I'll buy us some breakfast."

Walking out of the bakery Ranma and Aver's mouths were stuffed full with fresh baked goods. Ranma had a cup of coffee in one hand and was sipping it between bites. "So, how did you find me?"
"Do you remember that pack of wolves you ran into a couple of days ago that was me well us? We had been out hunting and we heard you. You sounded very depressed. Then we followed and caught up with you. I got told to follow you and then call when we got to town." Ranma pushed half a donut into his mouth licking his fingers free of sugar. "So, who are you?" "I said, I'm Aver. I like donuts. Who are you?" Ranma pulled another donut out of the paper bakery bag. "I'm Ranma Saotome, and I was on a training trip with my Pop, but that plan's gone to hell. I have no idea what I'm going to do now. At some point I'm going to have to go back to Pop and question him properly he may be a bastard but like he said he is my father I'm going to have to deal with his sooner or later." "You know I saw that wolf baiting that your Dad sold you too, he sucks as a father figure. I know some people that if you want will make him disappear." Aver stuffed the last of a meat pie into his mouth and sprayed crumbs everywhere when he smiled. "If you don't know being a were wolf is passed down through the family, usually. If your Dad isn't one then it must be your Mum. I'm surprised she hasn't talked to you already about this." Ranma sighed and sipped his coffee. "Well the old man and I haven't been home in nine years and I haven't seen my mother since I was five. If she is the one I get this from then I need to get a hold of her." Aver picked a sausage roll out of the bakery bag. "There aren't that many of us in the world we probably already know her or of her." Ranma crumpled the paper cup in his fist and chucked it into a public rubbish bin. "Who were you calling?" Aver turned the bakery bag inside out and tried to lick the last crumbs of food out. "Oh, I just got a hold of my Pack they had to head back to our campsite and left me to follow you. I just got our leader on his mobile they had just got back when I called. He really wants to meet you. They have to drive to this town and should be here by noon. You know that in the old days it would take, well days to get anywhere. The internal combustion engine got to love it." Aver grinned at Ranma and turned around. "You know I'm still kind of hungry do you think we could get something more to eat?"

Authors Note:

Just a note on the changes to Ranma becaue of his change, the only noticeble difference would be the extreme senses hearing, vision, smell touch, the strength and speed would be very similar to what he had before he was human.

Reviwers thanks

WonderBee31, Innortal: I can just see cologne trying to tempt him with a doggy treat to be her son in law, or evil fleas, Hmm an idea for another story, Jerry Unipeg, Lord of the Pit, and Bob The Mercenary: I would love to beat up Genma but there are so many other fanfics that do that, I'm saving the Genma beating till later.

This is just short chapter but the next should be much longer

This was meant to happen last chapter but it didn't. It was also meant to come out a couple of days ago but my computer decided to freeze before I could save. I swear they do that deliberately. So this chapter is short and sweet but next week Ranma will finally meet the wolf pack and we will discover the plot. There is going to be an actual plot I swear.
Thankyou very very much for reviewing.