A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back! And here is the lovely chapter 14!
A few thanks are in order, first of all. I should have done this a long time ago!
desirae668: Thank you for your lovely comments and reviews! I'm glad I am able to keep you interested as well as entertained. And, plz, two sugars...I think I really need it! The coffee will go great with the cookies you gave me! (Which were UBER delicious, by the way) ;)
Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967: I am super glad you love my story and are always eager for more XD Thanks for the steady reviews!
And, last but MOST DEFINITELY not least, XtreamDreamz, a.k.a, Dreamie: Thank you so, so, so, so, so much for your heartfelt reviews! Every time I read one, it makes me smile and, almost always, laugh. And I'm glad I adopted you. You're a lot of fun and I feel honored to (semi) know you, as much as I can on the Internet :) You make my world go round and the sun to shine and the birds to sing and, and, and...well, everything :) Thanks a million for all your hugs and special thoughts, you're DA BEST! Luv you, girl!
But of course, to everyone else, HERE'S A HUGE HUG AND KISS! And thanks to all of you who have favorited my story and keep a close watch for the newest chapters. I'm honored, more than I can say :)
Now, ON TO THE SHOW! Oh, and DISCLAIMER: I do not own Wolf's Rain at all.
I never realized just how good it felt to be a wolf, running into the wind without a care in the world. The sun shining brightly down on you, warming your fur and coating the world in a bright, sunny blanket. Our pack had finally passed into a beautiful new world, where the grass was lush and green and the rivers as blue as the sky. Birds and other wild animals were plentiful, giving us all a chance to forget about the worries of the past and simply enjoy our time together as a pack.
Not too long ago, Hige, with his unfailing nose, had scented a herd of strange antelope-like deer grazing just over a hill about three miles away. Tsume dug his claws into the soft earth in anticipation, as did Kiba and Blue. I, myself, could scarcely contain my enthusiasm. Ever since my encounter with the saber tooth monster, Kiba hadn't let me out of his sight, so I looked forward to a chance to stretch my legs and use my claws and canines like they were meant to be used.
The tall, waving grass provided excellent cover for the four of us as we crept slowly closer to the base of the hill, not wanting to rush in case the antelope overheard our approach. Kiba took the spearhead position, quietly leading us towards our quarry. Blue and I fanned out to the left and right respectively, taking up the wing positions. Tsume prowled last, bringing up the rear with as much dignity as he could muster. He was in charge of tackling the antelopes back legs and tripping it up so that Blue, Kiba, or myself could latch on tight to bring it to its end.
The feel of the grass tickling my underbelly was pleasant, and it soothed my bunched nerves and helped me to think more clearly, playing through multiple approaches to our attack. If Kiba could herd one of the less healthy bucks or a slightly more gullible female out into the open and individualize her, Blue and I could swoop in and take hold of her throat and muzzle, leaving Tsume with absolutely nothing to do except take a chunk out of her backside. Or, Tsume could take a bite at the antelope's hoofs and trip it up so that the rest of us could tackle it and smother it until it silently choked to death. Or I could even zero in on the animal and bring it down myself with a quick snap of its ankle.
But as soon as the thought entered my mind, Kiba's feather light touch entered my head, quickly admonishing me and discouraging that plan. I grumbled to myself. Ever since the attack, he hadn't taken any chances, keeping me glued to his side and out of any harm's way. Tsume, or Hige, or even Toboe couldn't approach me to speak without Kiba growling warningly from wherever he was sitting. It had gotten to the point where they didn't even both approaching me, simply relying on our mind link to ask whatever it is they needed to ask.
But with Blue, Kiba couldn't care less. I suppose he thought that since she was a female, she wouldn't dare harm me or try to take advantage of me in that way. I guessed I should be grateful for at least that much from him.
The four of us silently and cautiously topped the rise, peering through the luscious grass at all the deliciously fat antelope just waiting for us to pick them off. They grazed on the sweet grass, never once looking up or even thinking to expect danger. They just assumed that since there were many of them, nothing dared attack them. Oh, how wrong they were. Such simple minded creatures. It was a wonder that they hadn't died out already.
Kiba flicked his tail once, quickly, to the side, sending Blue and I scuttling off the side of the hill to circle around the long way. I flicked my ears back and forth, listening carefully for any signs of distress from the herd. When nothing happened and they continued grazing, I stalked closer, eyes shining in the afternoon sun. I'd made it to my designated position, so I went on the lookout for Blue, who should be just on the other side of the herd opposite me. I found her, crouching between two large trees that seemed to poke up out of the ground right in the middle of nowhere. They were the only trees in sight for miles around. Odd.
Suddenly, an antelope's head shot up in alarm, and its ears swiveled on its head to detect whatever had startled it. I knew that Kiba must have shot down the hill in his starting advance and revealed himself temporarily. Other antelope began following suit, lifting their white tails into the air and sniffing the wind curiously. It was as if they weren't afraid of whatever they sensed, merely wary of a new presence. Very odd.
From out of the thickest part of the tall grass, Kiba sprung forth, aiming for the buck that had raised its head first. But, to my amazement, instead of turning tail and running, the stupid animal remained planted to its spot, gazing at Kiba contentedly while exaggeratedly chewing its cud. Very, very odd.
Even Kiba didn't know what to make of it. He skidded to a stop, pushing his haunches into the ground to slow his momentum, bringing him face to face with the outrageous antelope. I could tell from where I was crouched that his eyes were wide in disbelief, hesitating in the face of such an oddity. He must have been thinking what I was thinking: How can I kill something so obviously not afraid of me? That won't even put up a fight and run?
Apparently, however, Tsume had no such qualms. He shot out from wherever it was he was hiding and latched onto the throat of the defiant antelope, growling and digging his claws into the animal's thick hide. Now it came alive, keening so high and frightful it hurt my ears to hear it. It began bucking and kicking at Tsume with its front hooves, just barely missing each time. Tsume held on despite this, determined to bring down this dumb animal.
Its sudden desire to live propelled me forward in the hopes that I could help Tsume in any way possible, even though now he'd bungled everything up by acting outside of the plan. Blue shot forward also, and together we sprung onto the buck's back and sunk our teeth into its spine, snapping it in two. The animal groaned in pain and staggered beneath our combined weight, legs beginning to shake and buckle.
Finally, Kiba shot around to its back, taking one hind leg in his mouth and crunching down on the thin bone there. The warm, coppery taste of the antelope's blood poured into my mouth and over my tongue, bathing my receptors in euphoric bliss. After eating cooked food for a few days, this was like taking a bite out of heaven.
I heard its blood also begin to splash out of the wound in its neck and sprinkle onto the ground. Each drip landed with a satisfying plop that had me gripping its back tighter and squeezing more blood into my mouth and down my throat. Delicious.
Kiba, sharing my thoughts and feelings as he burrowed into my mind, slinked up beside me and took a bite out of the still struggling animal as well, sending a jet of blood slicing into the air, tinging the grass beneath him red. His pupils dilated in ecstasy and my own answered. The thrill of the hunt was still upon us, whether or not we'd actually had to work for it.
I spared a glance at Tsume, who was slowly slipping in his hold on the buck's neck. He grunted, and finally just let go, tearing the poor animal's throat out in the process. It tried to lay down, throwing us all off its back, and with one, final gurgle, it lay still. Tsume came to stand over top of it, panting and gazing down at it in unfettered pride.
Surprisingly, the rest of the herd had merely stood and watched the spectacle unfurling before them, chewing their cuds absentmindedly. It didn't seem to matter to them that one of their own had just been slaughtered without remorse. In fact, they seemed to be enjoying watching us tear into the stomach of their ex-herdmate. One even ventured closer, sniffing delicately at its fallen comrade. Tsume angrily snapped at it, sending it jumping back several paces. Well, at least it wasn't fully stupid.
When we'd had our fill, Kiba raised his muzzle to the sky and called Toboe and Hige to him, alerting them of the position of the kill and how much was left. In seconds, they eagerly topped the rise, tongues flopping from their open mouths. But, they skidded to a stop just at the base when none of the animals ran for their life. Hige cocked his head, and one heartbeat later jumped up to bark at the nearest antelope. It merely raised its eyes once in mild curiosity before bending back down to begin cropping at the diminishing grass.
Kiba barked at the two, propelling them from their seated positions. They approached warily and stopped before Kiba, crouching low and tapping the underside of his jaw as lower ranking wolves were meant to do before sharing a meal with their leader. Kiba gazed at them with kingly pride but allowed them to pass, which they did in barely concealed impatience.
They tucked in as well, eating until nothing remained but bone and hoof. The skeleton of the antelope was an oddly uncomfortable thing to look upon, and I swiftly turned my back on it to begin cleaning my muzzle and paw of the smudged, drying blood. Blue came to sit with me and clean herself also, and together we cleaned each other in places where we normally wouldn't be able to reach ourselves.
Through all of this, no one had had to say a word, or communicate anything through the mind link. It had all come from instinct and the bond we all shared through the pack. It was amazing, really, how quickly we had come together like this. To be able to have a successful hunt on the first try was truly something to be proud of, and I could see it shining in every single one of my packmates' eyes. We were all connected now, a true family. Life couldn't get any better than this.
Later, after sleeping off the meal, we all participated in yet another hunt. This one more for fun and something to do than anything else. The antelope behaved just as they had before, letting us waltz right up to them and sink our teeth into their waiting flesh. As simple as one, two, three.
By the end of the day, our bellies were tight and distended, full of the meat we hadn't really had to work for. Even though the climate had changed, it was still pretty cool in the evening, so we all huddled together and curled up into balls against one another to conserve warmth. Kiba curled himself tightly around me, his noble head resting atop mine, and his tail curled possessively around my own. His warm breath blew in my pricked ears, making them flicker in slight annoyance. He laughed inside my mind, rubbing his cheek affectionately against mine and licking my ear in apology.
Tsume growled from where he lay propped against Toboe. Kiba picked up his head and glared a challenge at Tsume, who was wise enough to lay back down and go to sleep. Even he didn't want to pick a fight with an angry Kiba.
I smiled to myself. We sure had come a long way from our first meeting, when I'd been more apt to sinking my teeth into his neck than kissing along his jaw. My, how time could change a girl's perspective.
The next day shone bright with a new promise for fun and relaxation, something that had been foreign to us until now. Unfortunately, the antelope herd had moved on during the night, so we were left with nothing to take our energy out on except each other.
Toboe was just coming out of a huge stretch when Hige jumped on his back and bit the scruff of his neck, making him yelp in surprise. He swung around and tried nipping at Hige's legs, but he would have none of it, scrabbling more firmly onto Toboe's thin back.
Blue soon joined the fray, nipping gently at Toboe's heels and trying to get him to trip onto his back and surrender. But Toboe was putting up quite a fight and standing his ground nicely. That is...until Tsume joined the mix. He launched himself full force into Toboe's ribcage, knocking him sideways and completely off his feet. Hige, unfortunately, didn't move fast enough and huffed as Toboe's full weight crashed on top of him some distance away. Blue was lucky enough to have seen Tsume coming, so she'd easily sidestepped him as he charged into Toboe.
Toboe sprung to his feet, crouching low and growling menacingly yet playfully at Tsume, who in turn snarled back and leaped at him again, this time for the throat. Toboe easily avoided him and swung wide, hoping to catch him off guard and grab his tail, but Tsume anticipated it, planting his forelegs into the ground and bucking up his rear end, slamming his back paws into Toboe's jaw.
Toboe recoiled, spittle dripping from his slack mouth. "Ouch, Tsume," he groaned, rubbing his throbbing jaw against his shoulder, "That really hurt!"
"So what? Are you going to cry about it? Or come get me?" He raised his hackles and snarled, issuing a direct challenge that no wolf could refuse.
Unfortunately, the wrong wolf took that challenge up. Hige sprung onto Tsume's back, much the same way he'd attacked Toboe in the beginning, except with Tsume, he got a firmer grip and dug his claws into Tsume's unprotected shoulder. Tsume grunted in pain and leaped into the air, hoping to throw his attacker to the ground. Hige was prepared, however, latching on even tighter than before when an especially rough leap almost sent him sprawling.
Kiba and I looked on in amusement, laying curled against each other in companionable silence. Every once in a while, Kiba would teasingly nip at my haunches, coaxing me to join him in play, but I was more content in watching the boys harass each other, enjoying their heartfelt game. Kiba's mind gently brushed against mine, curious as to why such a thing could make me so happy. I humored him, showing him flashes of my childhood in my old pack, of me running through fields of wild daises with my brother following close behind. I showed him the pack, squabbling goodnaturedly with each other in staged play fights that became an entertainment for all to sit and watch.
He chuckled along with me, sending tendrils of warmth and gratitude for opening myself up to him and allowing him full time residence inside my head. To tell the truth, I enjoyed having him there with me in my most secret place. Not a lot of people had been allowed in there since my banishment, and it was a comfort to know that he cared enough to always check to see how I was feeling at any particular moment.
A moment such as now, when a more distraught yelp than normal came from Toboe's throat. Instantly, my ears pricked forward and my senses roared to high alert. Toboe was hurt. I untangled myself from Kiba's body and trotted up to the three other wolves, who stood staring down at a writhing Toboe. I easily parted them with one touch of my nose, and I made my way to Toboe's side, who was bleeding from a gruesome looking gash in his left foreleg. Hige hung his head in shame when I silently questioned the culprit to step forward.
"I guess I was a little rough on him. Honest, though, I didn't mean to! It just...happened."
I nodded, quickly touching my nose to Hige's before Kiba could bully his way through. "It's alright. These things happen. Especially to little ones who try to wear big shoes before they're ready."
Carefully, I leaned down and licked at the wound, lapping up the trickling blood and sending healing saliva into the open cut. Toboe trembled from the pain, but was otherwise silent, allowing me to continue my healing uninterrupted. When I was satisfied that he would live, I backed away and licked my chops, cleaning my muzzle of his blood.
He stood to his feet shakily, rotating his wounded shoulder and finding that it felt infinitely better. He barked his thanks and bellied up to me and pressed his nose into my cheek in gratitude. I silently chuffed into his face and licked his wet nose. He whined and stepped back.
"Thanks a lot, Nakita. I'm feeling much better now. Can I still wrestle?"
I considered for quite some time. If I did let him continue, he could open up the wound again. But if I didn't, he'd be heartbroken. So, I did the only thing I could do. "Alright, you can play. But, please, be more careful Hige, okay?"
Hige nodded ferociously. "I will, don't you worry!"
Together, they sped away, Tsume and Blue hot on their heels. Kiba looked at me fondly and his mind touched mine again. "It's always amazing to watch you work. How do you do it?"
"Do what?" I questioned, sincerely at a loss.
"Calm everyone so quickly. Like the two kids that followed you around back at the village, Toboe, Tsume...me." He looked away bashfully.
I snorted in disbelief. "I don't calm you. If anything, I bring out your more wild side."
Kiba barked a laugh. He leaned his shoulder against mine and licked my cheek, his tongue a gentle but powerful caress. "I won't deny it."
My body began to melt and my blood to boil. Darn it all. Just when I thought I could control myself around him, he had to go and tear down all the walls I'd managed to build with simple words. But, there really wasn't anything for me to do but succumb, and together we slunk away to a private place, not returning for quite some time.
When we did come back, it was to the amused glances of the pack. I laid my ears flat on my head and growled a warning, letting them know I was in no mood to be teased. With silent chuckles, they backed off. Toboe and Blue began a rousing game of tag, which I happily joined in, feeling much more apt to having a little fun after the heated moments I'd spent with Kiba.
Blue sauntered up to me and bumped her hip against mine. "You're...IT!" She dashed away, a care free chuckle floating back to me on the wind. I grinned and shot after her in mad pursuit. No way was I going to remain it.
Toboe winced as I approached him, thinking I'd tackle him and call "It!", but I sped past and aimed for Blue, who I was quickly gaining on. My legs were a bit longer than hers, so it was easy to overtake her, swiping out a paw and swatting her on the rump. She yelped and spun around, eyes wide in desbelief.
"You can't have caught me already!" she screeched, lips curling in a combination snarl and grin. I chuffed and sprung away when she attempted to tag me again. The chase began anew.
But, not to let Toboe feel left out, Blue charged him instead, sending him scuttling away as fast as he could to avoid being tagged. Tsume, Hige and Kiba looked on in amusement, yelling words of advice like "Oh, watch that sharp turn!" or "Hurry up! She's right behind you!" Toboe was kept in a continuous state of anxiety, thinking Blue was going to jump him any second.
To his credit, he managed to avoid her for longer than anyone thought he would. She didn't end up tagging him until after about ten minutes of chasing had passed. When she barreled into him, he simply let himself flop onto the ground, refusing to get back up until he'd had quite a bit of time to rest. Blue and I pouted, energy still zinging throughout our muscles.
And that's when Kiba joined the game, sidling up to Toboe and allowing him to tag him so that he could shoot towards Blue and I. We both squealed and raced away, keeping just out of his reach. Unfortunately, the struggled ended shortly. He was upon me in seconds, tackling me easily to the ground and pinning me by the scruff of my neck. His warm breath blew ruffled my fur and sent chills down my spine. I looked up into his face pleadingly.
"Come on, Kiba, that wasn't fair! You can't just make somebody tag you! You have to earn it!"
"I don't care," he growled. "I find that I like this game very much." He wiggled his nose and slowly released his grip on my neck, allowing me to stand to my feet. I shook out my matted fur and sent him a scathing look, ego and pride bruised.
"Still," I sniffed in indignation, "you didn't have to make it look so easy."
He grinned and bumped my shoulder, his silent laughter floating in my head. I scowled and pushed him off. Blue was sitting patiently a yard away, tail wagging and tongue panting. "Are you guys finished making out, or what?" she teased, barking at the two of us.
Kiba snarled, but it only made her smile wider.
The game resumed and life went on. We played until none of us could bear to stand a second longer. We smoothed down a patch of grass and settled in for the night, listening to the quiet bedtime chirpings of the many birds and silently watching the lighted glow of the fireflies as they carved luminescent paths in the sky. My eyelids dropped low over my eyes, and my final thought was that I hoped we had as much fun tomorrow as we had today, before, finally, I succumbed to blessed sleep.
LoLpOpSiClE: Well, isn't that cute? Lol. They FINALLY get to have some time off from soldiers, mad men, alcohol, huge monsters, and mistrust. So, as you can see, this one isn't as long...I got kinda lazy :( So sorry! The next chapter will be longer, I swear! Cross my heart and hope to die! Anyway, hope you liked! And don't be afraid to review!