Fan Fiction: Spice and wolf

Title: Eternity and wolf

A/N: Wow! So much positive feedback! Heh, for all that have reviewed this fan fic, you guys are really great and an absolute help! It seems the more I get, the better for my morale. The better my morale, the better my fan fic! Thanks, guys 'n' gals! I'll try and not disappoint your expectations. Whew! Alright, just wanted to get that out there. I'm good now. Moving on! ^w^

Chapter# 6- Parting and starting

They sun hung high overhead as birds sang their song to the clouds. Holo had awoken to find that she had buried herself deep into Lawrence's fur, and became embarrassed. She was quick to shift the blame onto Lawrence, stating that he was at fault for moving so much in his sleep and had almost crushed her. Lawrence barked back in his defense and pushed Holo back with his big black nose, unintentionally using too much force that made Holo fall back onto the grass.

It was the alchemist Agetha who had seen them bicker and argue since she had risen. She couldn't help but to giggle to herself at seeing how easily (or uneasily) the two got along, despite the sudden turn of events. She was a little worried at first, afraid this entire ordeal would put a strain on their relationship but after seeing them argue, she had a good feeling that she had nothing to worry about. Smiling to herself, Agetha turned to her horse and climbed onto her wagon, taking the reins and situating herself at the drivers' seat.

"Well, it appears that you two will do just fine after all."

"I appreciate what you have done for Lawrence and me. We are in your debt, Agetha."

"Oh, it was no trouble. Of course, I will not be able to do it again for a while, so please take better care of yourself, Mister Lawrence."

"I will be more careful from now on, I promise."

As he finishes speaking, Holo jabs her elbow into his arm, making him let out a beastly grunt as she did.

"If this great big dunce knows what's good for him, he had better."

Agetha laughs at seeing them like that. It was something she had never had herself but she felt it for the better. Letting out a pleased huff, Agetha took firm hold on the reins.

"I wish the absolute best for the both of you. Now Mister Lawrence, you must not strain yourself too much. Get used to your new form but do not overdo it. I'm sure Miss Holo will be more than happy to help you out in the future."

"Already I can feel her unrelenting teachings forced on me. Heh, I should be so lucky. I get to relive my apprentice days. Joy."

Agetha smiled at the huge white wolf standing beside Holo. She can tell they would indeed be alright. However, she had to make one thing clear to them.

"In alchemy, for every action there is an equal reaction. For something that is given, something of equal measure must be forfeited."

They nodded at her words in understanding.

"Though I' am not able to tell what it was that has been taken, I'm sure you two can pick up the slack for me and figure it out for yourselves. Well, may our paths cross again, my friends."

The two nodded, not needing to say anything as the bid their new friend farewell. Agetha got her wagon moving, waving back at them as the distance between them stretched out farther. Seeing as how he could not wave her off as Holo was doing Lawrence let out a low howl as his way of parting. It made the horse jolt but otherwise, his farewell got through to her. Soon, her entire wagon disappeared among the rolling hills.

"Doesn't feel so hard, I may have this whole wolf thing figured out yet."

"'Tis true. You're smart enough but you will have to be educated in the ways of being a wolf."

"Huh?"

Lawrence watches as Holo walks around him, sizing him up with her eyes. It becomes quite clear what it was she was expecting, and Lawrence begrudgingly gets up, allowing her to walk around his legs and feet, feeling her eyes scan over his body.

"Really, Holo, is this necessary?"

Holo ignored his words and continued to look over his frame. He was huge. She dared to think that he may have been a foot or so bigger than herself (had she been in her wolf form). His coat was fine, with a silver glint in the hairs. His paws and claws looked quite strong and slightly different from her own. She could see that instead of six dew claws, Lawrence had a total of ten, and his tail was puffy as hers was. She went out from under him and gestured with her index finger for him to come close to where she stood. He did so, lying down on the ground and bringing his head down. Holo felt his muzzle, peeling back his upper lip and examining his teeth. They were as white and as sharp as her own. She nods her approval and moves to his head. She stares into his eyes, as if trying to bore right through them.

"Alright, that's quite enough already."

Lawrence says and snorts loudly, causing Holo to fall away from his face. Holo steps back as if she were trying to take in a portrait and nods to herself.

"Mm-hmm. Very nice. The alchemist has made vast improvements on you; I daresay very good ones at that."

The look in her eyes made Lawrence, despite his towering frame, swallow nervously. He wondered if that was the same way she eyed a bushel of apples right before consuming them mercilessly. There as definitely something in the works somewhere in that thick skull of hers.

"Not bad, merchant. Not bad at all."

"I suppose I should be grateful that you approve then?"

Holo lets out a soft chuckle.

"You are learning. Well then, what should be our next move? Surely, you cannot be going out like that where humans can see you, 'twould create a problem for us, and I for one am in no mood to deal with anymore foolishness."

Lawrence sighed heavily and sat himself down.

"I agree. I cannot go about like this, I'm too big. I can smell pine somewhere far in the direction ahead. If we are close, I would like to move as quickly and as carefully as we can. However, moving with urgency is out of the question now. So, I suggest we make camp here again."

Holo nodded, a little too quickly from what Lawrence saw. She did not fuss or argue, so what was it now?

"Er, by the way Holo."

"Hmm? What now?"

"So tell me, how do I go about going back to my previous form? As in, my human self?"

Holo looked as though she was asked to sprout wings and fly. She stared at him incredulously then scoffed.

"I know not."

Lawrence's wolf ears pricked up as they caught something. It sounded like a dull heart throb or the sound of one's pulse. It seemed to quicken slightly before becoming regular again. Had Holo...lied to him just now?

"I see. Very well. Camp it is."

Out of habit Lawrence went to the wagon to let his horse loose for a while but was soon reminded of his form after his horse neighed in a panicked manner, the whites of its eyes showing as he moved his head frantically about.

"Oh, right. Sorry, old friend."

"Leave the small matters to me. Why don't you be a male and catch us something for our breakfast?"

Now that Holo had mentioned it, Lawrence was beginning to feel hungry. He felt his empty stomach begin to come alive as it growled in his gullet.

"Er, very well. This should prove to be something entirely new."

Lawrence rose onto his feet and scanned the area. Not too far from the east he could smell the fresh vegetation of woods. It was far off of their main objective since Yoitsu was due north, but if they were to reach Yoitsu they had to be alive long enough to do so.

Once again, the evening appeared quicker than the morning. The day's events rolled away with the sun, and the moon took its place high in the night sky. The fire of their camp had diminished to dying embers, brought back to life briefly by the winds only to dim again. The horse grazed lazily on grass, a thing he had been doing since they sat down for their meal.

Holo lay beside Lawrence, tucked snuggly into the fur against his neck. Lawrence had dozed off but a few moments ago, but Holo lay awake in the darkness, hearing his breathing against her ear. She had felt restless the entire day, with the memory of his little hunting experience not making it any easier for her to find sleep.

Lawrence had gone into the neighboring forest intent on finding their dinner. He had left Holo in charge of setting the fire up for cooking the spoils of his hunt. As he neared the forest, Lawrence had recalled hunting only a few times in his life. Since he only had himself to worry about back then, he would hunt only small game like rabbits or small boars. Now, he realized, this moment would put all his know-how to the ultimate test. However...it did not go well.

He had gone into the forest and in no time, he spotted a small creature scatter away into a near-by bush. He grinned to himself and went into a hunters' stance, crouching low with his ears forward. He neared the brush where the animal had run into. Once he felt he was at a good enough distance, Lawrence dove in and went for the creature, a series of snarls and growls coming from his mouth as he fought with it.

From where Holo was, she thought he was wrestling a small bear or a huge deer. She then began to think of how they would prepare the animals' meat for their meal. Drying it out into jerky would no doubt take time, but they could also make it into a stew or just roast chunks of the meat over the fire. Or, she mused with a toothy smile, they could devour it raw. It was a shame they had no wine or bread to eat the meat with. Meat only tasted good with a full cup of fine wine and warm bread to eat it with. Just as Holo was getting into a day-dream daze fantasizing over the possible meal, she heard a terrible whining cry ring out. She guessed that Lawrence must've brought the creature down from giving chase.

She saw as Lawrence ran out from the forest, bounding up to where their camp was with nothing in his jaws. And yet, she sensed that something had happened. As he came closer an awful smell began to waft to her direction. It did not take long for her to recognize the smell. Holo acted immediately, running behind the cart and yelling for Lawrence to stay at a distance. Fortunately for the both of them, the creature, which Lawrence found out was a skunk, did not spray Lawrence entirely. A long while later, Holo was able to get close enough to him without pinching her nose.

It was a rough start but Lawrence eventually got the hang of it, taking down an adult male elk on his second try. That had been the first time he had ever killed anything with his teeth, the sound of the elk's bones crunching in his mouth and grinding against his teeth. Had he not understood an animals need to hunt and kill live prey, he would have preferred dying of starvation. They had settled on roasting the meat over the fire. Whatever they could not cook properly Lawrence swallowed whole. With stomachs full and energy renewed, the evening went on.

It was a good day overall, as opposed to the disaster Holo had originally thought would occur. Lawrence, being the usual good sport of their relationship, followed her directions wordlessly and took to heart what she had to offer him as far as the ways of the wolf went. He was a dangerously apt student, grasping lessons quick and (almost) without fail, ones that took Holo time to fully understand herself.

And just as quickly as the day had come, quicker still was the night. Holo had felt restless the entire day. At first she did not understand why she was behaving so much like an impatient youth since Lawrence's change from man to wolf. It wasn't until she lay in his fur a second time that Holo understood why she was feeling the way she was, and it frightened her a little. In her younger days when that matter had risen among her and her friends, Holo dismissed them, saying that thinking that way was disgusting and distracting. It was something to worry about in the far off future. But now here she lay, among the silver white fur of the man (male) she was indebted to. She knew his scent, the taste of his blood, and dangerous still, she knew where this male held her in. And that was his heart. She could hear her own words coming at her from the not so distant past.

'If I fell in love with you...it would be a problem for me.'

It was what she felt at that time. Lawrence, the fool, had his chance to become a shop keeper and fulfill his dreams. And what did he do? He went and bought her back, forfeiting his dream to just go and get Holo back. It made a bitter feeling rise into her chest. Bitter...and warm. Even after all that, he had chosen her for the second time.

And now, he was the same as her. He was a wolf. A male wolf, whose form was as big as her own, if not bigger. She began to let her mind wander as she buried her face in his fur. How must he look now that he has changed? Hopefully her merchant has not changed too drastically, in either way. Holo feels her eyes become heavy; indicating that now would be a good time to let herself sleep. She wrapped her long tail around her waist and let herself sink against Lawrence, letting out a soft sigh on a smile.

Lawrence stirred awake as the sun's light began to break over the horizon. Smacking lightly, he tries to move but feels the weight of his companion against his shoulder. Irritated, he brings up his hand and pushes her a little so that she was now lying against his side rather than his shoulder. A light morning breeze blows by, making Lawrence shiver slightly as it swept over his skin. He shakes his head and sniffs out once. HIs eyes snap open then, sniffing again, He looks down at the ground and sees that he is no longer covered in fur, nor was he large or a wolf for that matter.

Sometime during the night time Lawrence had shifted back into his human form. He also discovers he is also as naked as the day he was born. In a start, Lawrence makes a dash for the wagon bed, making a sleeping Holo fall onto the ground so suddenly that she let out a loud curse before she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She could make out Lawrence, grabbing the tarp in the wagon and draping it around his naked body. Seeing this made her senses wake up and a playful grin to spread over her face.

'Oh, this was going to be fun', her now fully alert eyes seemed to say as she stayed where she was. Lawrence let out a groan and shook his head, with his hand at his temple as if to say 'what else could happen?'

-End

A/N: Alright, people! End of chapter 6! Wow, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I'm on a hot streak! This is actually a personal best for me. I hate to admit it but this chapter came out shorter than I expected, and don't worry, waffle-dude, trying to ease into Lawrence's new look. More descriptions to come, promise. (It seemed longer in my head though...w") Oh, well. I will continue on! Gonna keep goin' strong! WOOF!