Here's the second part to the previous chapter. I'm still not sure if I want to turn these two into a separate story or not. Please give me your thoughts on that! And keep reviewing!
Disclaimer: I promise you, I do not own Lost in Blue. Do you think from now on I could stop doing this?
Chapter 10: Tomo's Thoughts (Part 2)
I followed Ocean along a ridge. I don't know what made me keep following her. I guess I was afraid. My mother often told me that a lone wolf was a dead one. Perhaps it was this fear that kept me following along. Or maybe it was my respect for her, which was quickly evolving into the same loyalty I felt for my pack. After all, she could've killed me or left me to starve when I got my paw caught.
Whatever the reason was, I followed her happily. Ocean kept on making noises, which she obviously thought was important, but I couldn't understand what she was saying. She looked back every so often and did the corners-up thing when she saw I was keeping up with her. I'd come to realize that this was a good thing. We picked our way down another cliff, not as steep as the one where StripedFur attacked my pack and I, but I was so drained from the day's events that I could barely make it down without tripping onto my own nose.
Ocean stopped in front of a cave and knelt down so she was eye to eye with me. "Stay here, Tomo. I have to go inside and tell John you're here." She stood up and started for the cave opening. I got up to follow her, but she whirled around at me. She didn't look angry, but then again, I still didn't know how this type of creature showed all of her feelings. "No, stay here." I cocked my head at her. Doing this seemed to show my confusion the best way.
Ocean sighed and dropped pelt-like thing she had been carrying. She opened it and took out something that looked like a vine. She tied one end of it around my neck, not tightly at all, and the other end around a tree. I became afraid. Was she going to leave me here to die? I whined at her. Her eyes became sad and she bent over and took my head in her paws. "Don't worry. I'll be right back. I promise," she said to me while stroking my head. I relaxed. I trusted her. And if all else failed, the vine seemed loose enough for me to back out of if I needed to.
She nodded to me and went inside the cave. I strained me ears to hear what was going on. I could pick out Ocean's voice along with a deeper voice, but I couldn't make any sense out of it. Not that it was any different from before, only this time the sound was muffled. I sniffed the air. I could smell the strange scent of Ocean and another one similar to it. It must be how that type of creature smells, I thought. Then a very familiar scent reached me. I held perfectly still as a squirrel climbed down the tree I was tied to. It didn't notice me until it was too late. I pounced on it, snapping its neck. I settled down to my meal watching the cave closely, waiting for Ocean to come back out.
I didn't have to wait too long. A few minutes after I finished eating, she came out looking very excited. She untied to vine and took my head into her paws again. "Now its time for you to come in and meet John." She walked away towards the cave. I hesitated for a moment, remembering what happened last time. Summer turned around and called to me again. "Tomo, come boy!" I trotted over to her, and her scratched behind my ears. "Now stay here until I call you." There's that 'stay' word again. She turned and headed in and glanced over her shoulder at me. I stayed put this time. She nodded and went in. More muffled noises, and then "Tomo!" I got up and trotted in.
I glanced around the inside of the cave. In one corner there was a stack of wood. Another corner had a rock ledge. Although the scent was stale, I could pick up on the smell of meat, fish, and other things. But covering everything was the smell of smoke. In the center of the cave was a fire. Panic fled through me, but it was quickly replaced by wonder. Though the fire was going strong, it didn't move from that one spot. I relaxed. If Ocean was still in here, then it must be safe. Especially since she was standing next to it.
And sitting on the floor behind her was another creature. The second one, a male, shouted angrily. I wasn't sure if he was mad at Ocean or me. I backed up and tried to make myself look as small and insignificant as possible. Ocean leapt at him, yelling back. I watched them, whimpering quietly. The male shouted again, but Ocean slapped a paw over his mouth. She hissed something at him, and he nodded feebly. Her paw dropped away and she came over to me, still talking to him. He seemed wary, but he was calming down.
I was glad when Ocean returned and patted me. I licked her cheek, trying to say thank you in a way she would understand. I was afraid that she would throw me out. They kept going back and forth with the sounds. I studied the male intently. His pelt was red on top with some sort of black and white squiggles on it and dark blue on the bottom. On his head was a pile of spiky black fur. He looked like a hedgehog to me. One hind paw was propped up on something.
Maybe that's why he reacted so aggressively. He couldn't defend himself and is relying on Ocean to bring him food and to protect him. Kind of like when Moon got hurt and we took care of her until she got better, I thought, remembering the time when another of the pack was hurt in a small rock fall. I should show him I wouldn't hurt him.
I got to my paws and walked over to him, trying to look as harmless as I could. As I got closer to him, fear sprang into his eyes and he whimpered something to Ocean. When she responded, he relaxed again, though he still watched me very carefully. Then he reached out with one paw and pinched my muzzle. Automatically, I rolled over and flashed my belly fur, just like my parents had taught me to when getting told to stay in my place. More noises. I got to my paws and licked his hand. I could smell the scent of smoke heavily on his pelt, so that's what I'll call him. Smoke rubbed my ears, slightly rougher then Ocean, but still good.
Ocean went out and came back carrying some logs she had found on the way back. I sniffed them to make sure nothing was on them. Satisfied that nothing changed, I went back to Smoke in hopes of more ear rubs. But he ignored me completely. The other wolves had never ignored me. It was simply unheard of. I got frustrated and jumped on him so he would have no choice but to pay attention to me. Smoke let out a cry (I was worried that I hurt him, but saw he was doing the corners up thing at the same time and relaxed) and Ocean came rushing over and wrapped her forelegs around my neck and dragged me off. I looked back and forth between them. They didn't look angry, but I still kept an eye on them because I wasn't sure if I interpreted their expressions correctly.
Smoke took something off and handed it to Ocean. I didn't get a good look at it because I was by something on the floor next to me. I felt Ocean next to me, but before I could turn to greet her, I felt something around my neck. I turned to see her next to my face. I thought she was hugging me, but when she stood back, I could still feel something around my throat. I wasn't tight or hurting me. It was just…weird. I shook my head in hopes of getting rid of it. It still hung on. I sighed and curled up in a corner and watched the two creatures. They were working on something and talking to each other. Every so often they would glance over at me and talk to me. I still had no clue what they were saying, but I knew that whatever they said they meant it well. I would learn how they behaved and I would figure out what they were saying somehow.
We were a pack now. No more than a pack, a family. I thought about my own pack. I wondered if they were looking down on me with anger or happiness. I had left the world of our ancestors to live with these new things that we had never seen before, but I felt that I had found my place. It's hard to explain. I had lived all of my life out in the open, with the exception of when I was still in the den with my mother, and here I was sleeping in a cave, and next to a fire nonetheless. But somehow I felt that I belonged there. I would never forget my old life, but I was excited about my new future. And I knew my new pack mates would be there living every second with me.
Like the ending? In case this does become a side story, it will be all set to go. I may or may not have more chapters like this going on through the book. Tell me if this should become separate and if I should do more stuff like this!