Weathering the Storm Part I
None of them deserved what they had been given.
Not the fox, not the bunnies, and neither the little wolf who's paws were already feeling sore from digging through the frigid snow and the hard ground beneath it.
Like every canine, Antony wasn't a stranger to digging, but the work in this severe winter weather was hard. The burning soreness in his throat added to the difficulty as he still had trouble catching his breath, and the larger wolf that stood behind him kept him on edge and too panicky to be efficient with the "job" being forced upon him.
On top of all that, the task was further complicated from his vision currently being very cloudy… Whether that was from the storm conditions or the tears in his eyes, Antony wasn't sure.
What Antony was sure of was that he didn't feel he could dig much further.
His body had already been worn out from the long trek here, let alone his injury and the intense digging. Mentally the little wolf wasn't fairing much better. He struggled with why his brother had hurt him so badly, and the fear that had overcome him since his brother had struck his throat clung to him just as presently as the pain.
In short the little wolf was completely exhausted.
Digging much further would be nigh impossible for him.
Still, Antony tried to keep his pace, he really did… he was so fearful of what would happen if he slowed down; overrun with terror at the thought of facing what his brother would do to him next if he gave up.
It was a valiant, but ultimately futile effort. Try as he might, the juvenile's breath became haggard, his fingers cramped from scraping against the hard, cold dirt, and his arms grew tired.
Inevitably his paws slowed their speed, and inevitably his fears were confirmed.
Half buried in the widened entryway, his ears perked at the angry growl from his brother. He couldn't hope to get moving in time again, couldn't hope to appease the incensed canine above him. He simply laid there, offering little prayers that whatever his brother was going to do wouldn't be as painful as what he had done to his throat.
It had been a prayer in vain.
The initial jolt of searing pain radiating from his tail had forced his eyes shut. He writhed in the tunnel in an effort to pull the appendage free from the crushing weight that had stomped on top of it.
His efforts had only made it worse… Had only encouraged the incensed grey wolf to tread more harshly, to twist his hindpaw and step again with more force.
Antony was powerless to stop any of it, he couldn't even cradle his tail to try to soothe it. The only thing the young wolf could do was sob, whimper, and yelp out his pain.
So he did.
They were pitiful noises wracked with sniffling and tears. Noises that were a far cry from the piercing howls he had made earlier.
By the end of it, the little wolf was reduced to a blubbering heap. Antony laid their panting, bordering on unconsciousness and body wracked with nervous shakes. His paw pads and nose were cold with a nervous sweat, and from the little wolf's lips he plead over and over again for the one mammal he felt could help him,
"Dad… please dad."
It was fortunate that the tunnel muffled his pleas, otherwise the young wolf may have had it worse.
It was obvious that Marcus was beyond caring at this point. He only needed the slightest of reasons to punish the waste of a mammal that laid before him. He was sick of the little wolf; sick of his naivety, sick of his cheeriness, sick of how his father would look at him like-
Like-
like he's special.
…Like how Julius used to look at him before he had made Marcus change, when he had made Marcus strong.
Marcus bore his teeth at the half-buried weak wolf before him.
He would be glad if he could leave the pelt like this before his father got here. Judging by the relatively distant howls, he had time before then.
Not as much as he would like, but he did have time.
His eyes hardened when he heard the whelp sobbing beneath the dirt.
The pelt had proven himself to be exactly what Marcus had always known he was: an ant to be stepped on.
And so he had done just that to the pup.
The crunching snap from the runt's tail had been unexpected, but altogether welcomed when Marcus had stomped on it with all his might. He had an affection for noises like that, it meant that he was being effective in his tactics. So too the agonized wailing from his victim.
The pathetic, howling cries that had accompanied the loud snap had been music to his ears, food for his soul- altogether liberating, knowing that he was ridding the pack of the worst of them.
Had Antony been facing his brother, he would've been greeted by the most satisfied grin.
It was safe to say that the act of violence pleased the older wolf greatly, so much so that he indulged himself by twisting his foot over the now crumpled and kinked appendage.
"WHO TOLD YOU TO STOP, RUNT?!"
The serious anger that usually found its way on his muzzle returned as he noticed that he had indulged a little too long.
It was time for the pelt to get back to digging his grave.
"KEEP DIGGING, PELT! OR I'LL BURY YOU IN THERE WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER!"
It was an ironic threat, at this point Marcus wouldn't be above letting this be Antony's tomb. When his father showed, perhaps he would challenge him right away. That way he could force the Alpha to leave his 'Special' son buried in the dirt like they did with Sapper. Except this time there wouldn't be any need for retrieval.
Even if the threat was ironic, it was effective.
The little white wolf cringed at the enraged voice just as he had cringed at the physical trauma. In some ways it was worse than the damage to his body. He couldn't hold out against Marcus, the idea was just too insurmountable.
His legs shook as he lifted himself. His crushed and kinked tail hung limply behind him; he tried not to move it to prevent the shooting pain from wracking the rest of his body.
The little white wolf felt hollow as he tried to dig forward. His thoughts tragically turned to when Mister Wolford had praised him for having heart.
A tear ran down his face,
I- I'm sorry Mister Wolford. I- I don't have enough heart, I- I can't even-
He swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't finish the thought, it would be too much to admit.
His 'heart' had dried up, vaporized underneath the absolute terror that was his brother…
It drained the little wolf to know that he really wasn't good at anything. He was supposed to have the heart like Mister Wolford said he had.
But here he was crushed, beaten and worthless.
I- I can't do anything right.
The pup was too hard on himself, really. He was only a juvenile, hardly out of puphood. And like any young kid, there were some obstacles that were insurmountable. For young Antony, that obstacle had come today. And it had come in the form of his cruel elder brother thoroughly crushing him in both body and spirit.
Antony's sore paws slowly began to dig at the ground the best they could. He moved dirt little by little and edged closer to where his brother wanted him to go. Slowly, his progress appeased the grey wolf enough to stop growling for the moment.
But unfortunately for the little wolf, it was only the beginning of his trouble.
His brother wasn't the only mammal here.
-0-0-
Judy's mind couldn't help but flutter back to what she had told her fox.
'No matter what happens, Nick, I Love You.'
It was the truth. She loved him, and from everything she could tell about the fox… he loved her too.
He had said as much in the way he had returned her kiss.
She could still taste him on her lips too, a little fact that kept her anchored and ready to fight for them.
She knew that right now Nick was doing everything he could to get them out of there. All she had to do was halt the wolves' advance long enough for them to bug out and then he would come and retrieve her.
She wouldn't let them down. She couldn't let them down. Not with the weight of guilt still heavy on her mind.
I won't lose my family again.
She hadn't been there. She hadn't had the chance to even try to defend her family when they were attacked before, but now… now it came down to her.
I won't fail again.
Despite Nick's assurances that it hadn't been her fault, there was still a piece of her that knew otherwise. She had let her whole clan down. In her mind, her whole family had been torn apart because she wanted to be different and try for something more adventurous. Whether she was right or wrong for thinking that way, she hadn't decided.
But what she had decided was obvious.
She had lost enough.
We all have.
It was a glaring truth. Their homes, their families, peaceful sleep, and the innocence in life that her siblings had before all of this happened.
And she wouldn't allow anything else to go.
Not her new home, not her new family, not the peace she had when she was curled up next to her fox, or the normalcy and joy he brought back for the little ones.
He- he's my fox, their my siblings! You can't have any of them!
To say that she was feeling possessive was both accurate, and yet so watered down it hardly resembled the truth.
NOTHING would touch them without her say. She wouldn't allow it.
And right now if anything wanted to get to them they would have to crawl over her dead body… And with her spear in paw that was not likely.
Judy was confident as she took stock of the situation.
She peered through the small tunnel, first noting her disadvantages with it.
It wasn't very long, but she had paced it enough now to be familiar with that. She knew it was about twenty paces for a rabbit, and undoubtedly much, much shorter for a wolf. The tunnel gently inclined upwards and had a fairly straight path to the den, both of which unfortunately would work to her disadvantage as well. She wouldn't have much lighting either. The fire behind her didn't radiate very far, and the natural lighting from outside was smothered by the creature digging its way to them.
However, as bad as all that seemed, she didn't feel any less confident.
She had a tool in her paws that could slow them and the advantage that they would have to put their paws in danger of a cut every time they would try to scoop their way closer.
And that was all she needed.
With the situation assessed, Judy crawled forward along the inclining tunnel floor.
It was a tight fit for a fox, but not for a bunny. (Mobility would be another advantage she would enjoy.) She didn't have to shuffle along the tunnel floor for long before the noise of the digging wolf was apparent. Visually, Judy could make out the movement of paws just ahead of her, close enough for her to ready herself for her first strike.
Judy's ears perked at the intermittent muffled growling from above.
Her grip tightened harder on the spear and her heart beat against her chest like a drum. Her hindbrain hated that noise even more so than the howling. She couldn't help but wonder how terribly fearful her family had felt when they were in her position.
The thought both sickened her and strengthened her resolve.
Judy found herself angry as she heard feeble crying in the tunnel. Her siblings must've been so scared for her to hear the growls all the way from here. She wouldn't let that slide. No, they had terrorized her family enough!
She steeled herself once again, and squinted her eyes to watch the wolf in front of her.
It hadn't noticed her yet. It's paws weren't moving quickly. In fact, they weren't moving at all like she had originally anticipated. They were haphazard and slow, an unexpected thing to see, but definitely something that would be to her advantage.
The images of her mom and dad and nearly all of her two dozen lost siblings burned brightly in the back of her head, and the continuous sniveling cries in the tunnel both did their part in her efforts.
A hot tear unconsciously rolled down her cheek.
Loss, injustice, a need to protect what was hers, it all came together like various instruments in a song. A symphony that was harnessed by her anger and readiness. She composed her form into a defensive stance, graceful and ready to strike.
It was time to make her presence known to the dangerous predator before her.
With resolve, anger and possessiveness channeling through her entire body, she thrusted the tool right at the closest paw in front of her.
-0-0-
Antony had made it to where all but his hind legs had entered into the hole. Really, his digging was quite impressive considering his condition, and at this rate he would complete this task in no time.
His mind was cloudy and it hovered over his hopes. If he finished this maybe he could rest and Marcus would leave him alone. Then his dad would arrive. Maybe he would hug him when he sees how hurt he is, and then make Marcus stay away from him forever. Maybe Mister Wolford would pat him on the head like he did earlier that day and tell him that he was strong and-
A thin, wistful smile crossed his muzzle.
It was all a fantasy; wishful thinking at its finest. Deep down he probably knew it.
But he hadn't given up on that hope. But reality was much more cruel than the little wolf could even begin to understand.
Marcus had no intention of letting him leave this hole alive. If the elder wolf's plan went accordingly, he would share a fate just the same as Sapper's.
And it did look like Marcus' plan was on the right track.
The little wolf had been injured enough by him, and now the juvenile was about to feel the wrath of another mammal.
Antony yipped wildly as he felt another jolt of immense pain radiate through his body. The sudden force of pain made his body tremble and collapse in a heap. His right paw rushed to grip and cover his left. It felt like something had just bit his paw! He cradled the appendage the best he could, but the sharp, sudden pang didn't relent.
It was safe to say that he hadn't been expecting to be struck again in the least.
He had been obedient to Marcus completely. He had been much too frightened to stop his task after he felt his tail be crushed for stopping earlier.
...So why did Marcus just strike him again?!
It should have been obvious that it hadn't been his older brother.
It was his front paw that was cut. It wasn't possible for Marcus to have reached it from outside.
But it wasn't obvious to the little wolf, so far every ounce of pain he had endured in his life was the fault of his brother. Why would this be any different?
Antony tried to swallow his whimpers so he wouldn't incite Marcus' wrath again, but he couldn't. He cried loudly and pathetically at the sudden burst of aching torment from his paw. The sounds of utter misery only capable of an abused child.
His night vision showed him his poor leathery paw pad torn open like ripped cloth. Even in this darkness, he could see his white fur staining red with an oozing warm liquid. He had never been cut this badly before, seeing the wound made it throb all the harder.
His tongue slinked out to ease the throbbing wound. He tried to lick it clean, but it was gritty with dirt, a taste that made him gag and his stomach turn. At least holding his paw in front of his mouth helped him to stifle his cries from Marcus. Though, the tears flowed from his naive eyes unstemmed.
His paw could only stifle the whines so much though, and he found the dread in his gut building as he anticipated Marcus' angry voice to berate him once again for being so weak.
'Get back to it runt!' or 'Worthless ant, don't stop!' Ran through his mind as he waited for the hateful words colored in vitriol.
But the voice he heard wasn't anything like that of his brother. (Though it did sound just as angry.)
"Stay back, wolf!" It was a feminine voice, but that didn't take away from the chill it sent down his spine.
He blinked the tears from his eyes to clear his vision.
He wished he hadn't. His eyes focused on the end of a sharpened stick further into the unwidened tunnel in front of him.
The spear was menacing to him.
His throat still ached terribly from the cruel slap Marcus had given him outside with the one he had acquired earlier. His cut paw now made a lot more sense too, and it clearly promised that the stick he was watching would only cause him more pain if he didn't listen to the voice.
His eyes followed the spear to the paws of the mammal holding them until he saw a-
A longears?
And not the cute, tiny longears the fox was hugging earlier. Seeing that singing bunny had made Antony joyful and cheery. The little creature had been so, so happy with a family that he could express himself with… For a second the little wolf had even imagined himself being held by his own father in such a way.
It was a secret yearning of his to be close to someone in the same way that tiny bunny was with the redtail. It was his dream.
Another fantasy. Something that wasn't likely to ever be.
Indeed, as it was now, the only thing in store for the pup was hurt.
This rabbit isn't displaying behavior like the tiny one had. Her eyes were hard, and her muzzle was set in a deep frown…
She looked pissed. Even as pissed as Marcus!
But there was one thing that betrayed her fierce countenance.
Her nose was twitching. Something that looked out of place on the angry longears. He didn't know what it meant for rabbits, and his nose didn't twitch like that, but he did know what it meant when your body shies away from something dangerous… Like she did when she took an unconscious step back from him.
He had done that plenty in his life… So often, with his tail between his legs. He knew what it meant to take fearful steps away from his brother. And he couldn't help but wonder if for a rabbit, a nose twitching was something similar to when his ears pinned back or when his tail tucked itself a way.
She's scared… like me…
The thought made him relax just ever so slightly. He didn't like to be scared alone.
Antony wasn't wrong either.
Judy was indeed fearful, she couldn't stop her nose from twitching as she stared at the mammal in front of her. However, she wouldn't say she was scared of the wolf necessarily. It was something else that had settled into her gut.
I won't fail again… I won't let anyone else down.
It had only been five days before when she had discovered her home completely ransacked and her family gone.
She hadn't been there… Her family had been taken from her when she was away.
But now she was here…
And it all came down to her. In the face of adversity, in the face of her whole family- her existence- their safety hinged on her to stop them.
Like her fox, she had made a promise: I'll protect them no matter what.
She would do just that.
With hard, scrutinizing eyes, Judy watched the wolf.
She couldn't see the predator in front of her very well, but she could make out the absolute stillness.
She hadn't expected it to listen to her command.
It was slightly reminiscent of when she had ambushed Nick and had yelled at him to stop when he had tried to escape her attack. Her fox had been thoroughly confused when she had commanded him then. For some reason she didn't grasp, the act was disorienting to predators.
Her ears also confirmed that the wolf had stopped.
Both the sounds of digging as well as the growling outside had silenced. All she could hear in the hollow of the tunnel was faint licking and stifled weeping…
Undoubtedly, from her stabbing it.
Her ears drooped at listening to the canine's whimpering cries.
She… didn't find any pleasure in injuring the wolf…
It had been a thought that had secretly crossed her mind. Justice and satisfaction for what their species had done to her family…
But the uniquely canid whimpering was too familiar to her now. Hurting Nick and nursing him back to health had soured any satisfaction of vengeance towards predators. In fact, she found its cries distressing to her. Much too reminiscent of when she had hurt her beloved.
Like the rabbit, Antony's ears pinned against his head too. He didn't want to look like a threat.
He found himself unsure of what to do and desperately hoped showing an act of submission would let the rabbit know that he didn't want any trouble. He kept himself low (or as low as he could in the cramped tunnel he had dug,) and his ears pinned.
He was scared too and he wanted her to see that.
In retrospect it was a silly thing to try. Rabbits couldn't see well in conditions like this, not to mention that a gesture like that when invading someone's home would be meaningless.
Had he any knowledge of prey he wouldn't even be attempting such a gesture.
But he didn't.
The little wolf's knowledge began with overhearing what the others had said and ended with hearing the little rabbit singing about sunshine earlier that day. He had of course eaten meat that was given to him- cooked and prepared. And he had seen glimpses of dead prey carried into the camp, but had always shied away from it. It had always felt weird to him to be around things like that, it was one reason why he always stuck closer to just his family.
Not to mention, being barely out of puphood, he hadn't given much thought to the predator-prey dynamic. His head had been in the clouds, and although he hung on his father's every word, he had always interpreted them in his own way, and his father had neglected to seriously train him up like he did with Marcus.
In short, he was both severely naive and thoroughly sheltered.
He let out a pitiful whine hoping that the rabbit would understand that he was just as scared as it was… He didn't want it to be scared of him, and he certainly didn't want it to poke him with that stick again.
Antony was so sick of being hurt, he just wanted to be home. His mind drifted from the rabbit to more pleasant things. Places where he wouldn't have to worry about his brother or rabbits with spears. Mammals that would protect him. He wanted this whole situation to go away. He wanted-
Dad, please.
Antony wanted his father.
He cried softly again. He wanted his dad to come and save him, to pull his brother away like he always did. Tears rolled down his face in full force as he rested his muzzle in the dirt. If not for the tunnel encircling most of his body he would've curled in on himself.
Judy hadn't expected the wolf to actually stop digging, but what really took her aback was the wolf's pitiful crying.
Hearing it now caused a slow realization.
It wasn't Ashie crying from the den…
What she had thought had been her sibling crying from the den had actually been the little wolf all along… it should have been glaringly obvious that it wasn't her brother. They were fairly distant, and outside of when they had been startled by the loud howls and growls they had cried very softly underneath the blanket covered basket.
But she hadn't considered it a possibility that the wolf would've been the one crying.
Why should she have?
The other wolf that tried to capture Nick had been so enraged that it didn't even acknowledge her spear when she'd thrown it into its shoulder!
So hearing the soft, miserable whimpers was unexpected… and well, demoralizing.
They were a far cry from the taunts, intimidation, and growls that most dangerous predators utilized. It wasn't hard to deduce that this wolf was nothing like the fox Gideon Grey or the many weasels, badgers and raccoons that she had encountered before.
Her ears wilted at the pathetic cries from the wolf. She was angry, oh yes she was angry, but she needed to pour it out on something that…
Something that didn't resemble her fox or, well, frankly the crying kits back in the den.
She didn't know why this wolf was like this, but she did know it felt wrong to cause it to yelp and cry like it had been. She found herself not wanting to stab it again.
But that didn't mean this wolf could come any closer either.
Even if she did find a tentative pity for the wolf, it HAD to GO. She had a family to protect and that would remain first priority always.
But… maybe… If it listened to me so far,maybe it'll listen a little more. Judy thought.
"Leave." The word came from her mouth almost subconsciously, but there was still an edge to it. A warning to not come any closer.
Her word caught the little wolf off guard entirely. She didn't sound scared like him, even if he knew she was. He wished he had that kind of strength… that kind of heart.
His chest tightened at that thought before he processed her word.
Leave? Antony thought, confusedly.
He wanted nothing more than to do just that…
Leave. Be far away from here. Away from Marcus! Maybe I can talk with Mister Wolford again. Maybe he'll be my friend and tell me stories about his friend Sapper. Maybe-
Fantasy. Absolute fantasy. Another false dream that he couldn't hope to have in his situation.
Another hot tear soaked into the dirt beneath him as his whirlwind dream crashed and burned at the thought of his brother.
He couldn't hope to obey the rabbit. Not with Marcus right above him.
Why the grey wolf had gone eerily silent was beyond him, but Antony knew the moment he took a step back Marcus would hurt him again. Badly.
He was as sure of that as he was that it was snowing outside.
He buried his face in his paws. He just wanted to hide from it all.
He couldn't leave, not with what would await him out there. And as much as this bunny had hurt him, his fear for Marcus was rooted much deeper into his brain.
He tried his best to tell the rabbit as much.
He found his throat to be so painfully sore still, and what came out was more of a raspy, and feeble plea than an explanation.
"I- I'm s- sorry." His voice was smaller than the rabbit he had seen earlier and far more timid and flimsy, "I- I c- ca- n't- le-"
The little wolf choked, and tried to clear his throat, but it wasn't of any use. His throat was seriously bruised. And when he slid his paws to Touch it, he could feel that it had swelled underneath his fur.
His brother hadn't been lenient with his punch, and now Antony couldn't even speak the same.
He cried distressedly at the realization.
Like everything else, Marcus had taken away his voice too. Every bit of stability in his life felt like it had been swept from under his feet when he choked on his words. Would he ever be able to talk again? Would his dad still want him? Would Mister Wolford want to be his friend still?
He felt powerless. Well and truly powerless.
Worthless.
Weak.
Ant.
Those words had been thrown at him by Marcus for so long now that they had lost meaning.
Until now.
Right now it seemed to be finally sinking in.
He couldn't do anything.
He was small and not very strong. He wasn't clever like Brute or his dad. He couldn't even smell very well, and every wolf was supposed to be able to do that! All he had was his 'heart' that Mister Wolford had told him about ...and even that seemed to have faltered completely.
Marcus… was right. I- I am worthless. I'm nothing but-
He really didn't want to admit it. Didn't want to call himself the one insult his brother had dubbed him as-
an ant. I'm just an ant.
He tried to hold back his tears, but doing so only made the pain in his throat worse. Softly, he sobbed into his paws. Smearing the blood from his paws on his face and in his eyes.
Judy had watched and heard it all. The noises would have been heartrending in any other situation. And after taking care of her injured fox, she might've found the sympathy and bravery to try to help this hurting creature too.
But she couldn't do that here. Her family was top priority, and she wouldn't do anything to risk them.
Even if it meant she had to listen to the sobbing of another mammal.
Her chest tightened in guilt. Judy couldn't help but feel that something was terribly wrong that she just couldn't see, it was like a puzzle with missing pieces.
The wolf's behavior wasn't anything like the typical predators she had encountered. In fact, it had been nothing short of downright pitiful.
'I'm sorry, I can't.' The wolf had tried to tell her before it had broken down again.
It's voice was downtrodden and miserable. And even though it had refused to leave, it also didn't attempt to move closer. If it had meant to harm her then why was it just lying there? It could leave and try something else, or let the other wolf try to dig.
The situation was perplexing, and she couldn't even begin to solve it.
She was careful to keep her defensive stance, but her mind wandered slightly to the wolf's words.
'I'm sorry.'
The fact that it had apologized to her was shocking in its own right. She had heard Nick apologize for things, but that was her fox. Nick was a good mammal, kind and caring. Of course he'd apologize when he thought he messed up.
But she never thought she'd hear another predator apologize to her.
Her mind went to the other two words of the feeble sentence the wolf had uttered out.
'I can't'
What does it mean it can't?
Leaving wouldn't be difficult to do, and it certainly didn't look like it wanted to be here. And she had already completely ruled out the possibility that it was just too prideful about being bested by a bunny.
Her ears picked up a struggling cough in between sobs. No, pride certainly wasn't involved at all.
The wolf was clearly hurt and frightened.
She puzzled over the scene like a detective. It felt familiar in a way that made her heart anxious.
An image of a wounded fox with warm green eyes filled her mind…
No-
She had hurt her fox and that had turned out to be a terrible mistake. The guilt she had for hurting her fox had never left her, despite Nick wanting her to let it go.
No, this isn't like with Nick! It's nothing like it was with Nick!
This wolf was breaking into her home, another is right outside and had tried to hurt Nick and Ashes, and more are on their way….
So, why is it that this standoff was so reminiscent of when she had hurt her fox?
There was something about this whole terrible situation that made her feel like she was hurting another innocent mammal. Before she had hurt Nick, she wouldn't have even considered a predator being innocent as a possibility…
But now…
Her nose began twitching again, and her spear lowered ever so slightly.
Judy didn't know it, but the little wolf's eyes had settled on her.
The anger had drained out of her face, which relieved him greatly. Her nose was twitching again, which made him feel a little uneasy. He couldn't help but wonder if he made her do that. He had never been this close to a prey before, he vaguely had an idea that prey were supposed to be scared of him, he hoped that if he kept low the rabbit wouldn't be too scared.
He lowered his head to the dirt again just to make sure. His eyes watched her face with curiosity and hope. He wasn't sure if he had communicated with her well or not, but her spear had lowered at least.
Surely she understood that he was scared too, she wasn't hurting him anymore after all.
He breathed a sigh of relief, an act that reminded him how sore his throat was, but altogether soothing to his nerves. He closed his eyes, not realizing how tired he had become in the stillness of the situation.
Maybe… Maybe Marcus left and I can just stay here. It's safe and I'm not alone. Dad's coming soon and-
A soft feminine voice interrupted his quiet thoughts.
"Why can't you leave?"
Her voice wasn't angry at all anymore. In a way it was… soothing… It reminded him of his mother when he was still the youngest pup. She didn't really care much for him anymore, he had younger siblings that took precedent, and his future wasn't as bright as others in the pack thanks to his small size. But it was… nice. Nice to hear a voice that sounded almost like it wanted to know just to be kind.
An involuntary whimper escaped his throat. He hadn't heard anyone speak to him like that in a long time. He tried to speak to the longears again, to force his throat to at least tell her a little bit.
"I- I- my- bro-"
But it wasn't meant to be talked about. An involuntary string of cries and yelps filled the tunnel once again. Little Antony jumped at the sudden sensation.
It would have happened sooner or later. Peaceful moments weren't meant to last.
Truthfully, Antony should have expected the spike of pain to surge through his body at any second. He had been still much too long to think Marcus wouldn't hurt him again.
The only shock should've been that it took this long.
Antony hadn't been ready for it even though he should have. The unexpected rabbit in front of him had derailed all of his thought, and now he was paying the price.
He did his best to get himself away from the pain that licked at his hindpaw, and had managed to even squeeze his body a little further into the tunnel he had been digging…
-0-0-
Up above Marcus had been patient.
Too patient, in fact.
The snow was thickening and he wanted this done with. Especially since the last howls from the main hunting party had been significantly closer.
He had been ecstatic to hear his brother's yelp from whatever it was the animals within had done to him.
Finally, the damn pelt is getting what he deserves. Marcus thought.
His plan was coming to fruition, and just like the unfortunate Sapper, it appeared that the prey would do the job for him!...
Or at least that was what was supposed to be happening.
The silence dragged on as Marcus waited.
Is he already dead?!
He didn't think so, and when his ears picked up sobbing from within he grew angrier. He heard a voice that wasn't his brothers.
That damn longears is talking to him?!
His patience grew thin fast, and with an annoyed sigh he stepped closer to the wolf mostly buried in the fox den. He had allowed minutes to be wasted because he had thought a rabbit would have been capable of handling his waste of a brother.
That didn't seem to be the case.
Maybe a little more encouragement? He gave a wicked grin as he stared down at the wolf half-buried.
After all… If you want something done right…
His grip on the rabbit's spear tightened as he decided on what would motivate young Antony to continue his 'dig,'
...You have to do it yourself.
With a quick and steady thrust, the spear found its mark on the bottom of the little wolf's hindpaw.
Marcus' ears perked again at the newfound sounds of suffering from the tunnel. He couldn't help the satisfied grin that sprouted on his muzzle. What could he say, it was good to hear his brother motivated again.
He watched in amusement as the little wolf tucked its feet into the hole he had dug.
"Trying to get away, pelt? DIG FAR ENOUGH AND MAYBE YOU WILL!
-0-0-
That was all Antony needed to hear. 'Dig far enough… and maybe you will.'
Maybe He could get away from the pain, from Marcus. It was a sliver of hope… if he just kept on digging far enough… he would be out of reach, or maybe Marcus would leave or maybe dad would get here before Marcus could come and get him or-
It was fantasy. Another delusion formed out of false hope and the pup's naivety.
Too easily he believed his brother's words.
It wasn't really his fault for his misplaced faith. The little wolf was desperate to be as far away from his elder brother as possible.
And the only way seemed to be the tunnel that he had been widening.
So when Marcus said he could get away…
He found his paws scooping away dirt once again. His legs were wobbly and his breath was ragged and labored… but his paws, even the two that were cut and oozing blood, were moving…
With every scoop, no matter how much it hurt, he was that much further from Marcus.
… You really can… just dig… and get away… Dig…. and get away… from him.
Maybe it was cowardly to want this, to run from everything. But he couldn't face his brother. Even the thought made his whole body quiver. It was a mountain insurmountable for him to ever climb.
He couldn't ever beat Marcus. Not in a million years.
But there was something else that was bothering him, something that in his fear and sudden pain from his hindpaw he had let slip away from his mind. Something that caused his chest to tighten in anxiety.
What is it that he was forgetting?
That ball of dread sat firmly in Judy's gut again as she lifted her spear at the wolf.
Her ears twitched as the wolf's paws scuffed at the dirt walls before managing to scoop away some of the loose debris. She could make out panged whimpers when its left paw scratched at the dirt in front of her, but strange enough it didn't seem like the wolf was even acknowledging that pain… or even her right now.
It's eyes were only for the dirt in front of it. Focused on…
Escape.
She knew she hadn't imagined that feral roaring voice from up above.
'Trying to get away, Pelt? Dig far enough and maybe you will…'
The incensed wolf above had resigned itself to heated, threatening growls when the wolf in the tunnel had begun moving again.
It had dawned on her. The wolf in here… didn't want to be here.
'I'm sorry, I can't.'
She put it together.
It couldn't leave, it wasn't allowed to leave, and by that last terrible cry it sounded as if it had been physically hurt again!
She gasped at solving at least part of the mystery. It apologized, it listened to her, it cried and whimpered- it- it-
It was a victim too…
The wolf above wanted to use this one to get to them… but this one didn't want that?
She had always had a knack for figuring things out in tough situations, it was why she wanted to be a scout since she was a kit.
But she still wasn't sure what to do with her conclusion.
Is it common for wolves to force others to do this? Is it normal for them? She had no idea.
So what if this wolf is actually innocent? Or if its being forced to do this? Her hindbrain spoke up,
It's still leading the other right to our den- our family below!
She had to stop it!
Without even thinking for another beat she jammed her spear into the wolf's forearm. It cried again, worse this time than the last few times it had. Pathetically and miserably it whimpered out its fresh despair.
It made her cringe. Those warm green eyes filled her brain again.
She had stabbed Nick a second time too. It was one of her most guilty memories.
"Stop!" She yelled at the wolf. "You have to stop! You can't keep digging!"
The little wolf slowed a little, but it didn't stop. She had to back up multiple steps.
They were getting too close to the den. She could see the radiating light from the fire within. Hopeful Nick would already be packed up and ready, and have the kits prepped to get out of there.
She raised her spear again, ready to strike the wolf again.
Her paws shook. Those damn green eyes. They flashed in her mind with each whimper from the wolf.
She couldn't stand hurting another innocent mammal, but she couldn't let it get to her family.
What was she supposed to do to make the scared, hurt wolf stop?
Her conscience couldn't allow her to hurt it if it was innocent, but she couldn't let it get closer either!
Her memory dragged her back to when she had ambushed her fox.
He was lying there against the tree. A wound on his shoulder, another on his thigh. She had watched him struggle to bandage himself. He failed miserably. He couldn't manage to do it with one paw and it had been pitiful when his discomfort had become so apparent that it made her hurt.
She hated seeing it, especially since she had done it to him.
She had done something so reckless then… She had stepped forward, right next to the fox and bandaged the wounds for him…
He could've killed her. She had let her guard down completely. It wouldn't have been hard.
But Nick hadn't.
He was a good mammal. Innocent, hurt because of her; good and kind and needing of someone that cared enough to do that for him.
The thought that came to her mind next was insane.
No- I- I can't do that- what if- what if-
What if he's innocent? Her conscience spoke up over her.
And it did look that way. Everything had pointed to it except the fact that he was a predator.
She watched his paws as they scuffed the dirt weakly digging, somewhat running out of steam.
Her mind went to when Nick had sliced up those potatoes for the pancakes they had made the kits. Powerful and dangerous… able to parry apart flesh…
But not wanting to harm them.
She held her paws to her head tightly. She couldn't believe she was about to do something so stupid, so reckless, so inconceivable…
But she couldn't stand hurting this creature anymore.
She balled herself up like a coil.
She vaguely recalled the last time she had used this tactic on a predator. She had kicked a fat fox on its nose and had gotten sliced in the face for it, but it had propelled her away from the dangerous predator.
This time it would be used to get closer to one. Hopefully, this time she would get out unscathed.
With all her power, with everything she could put into her legs, she jumped from the unwidened parts of the tunnel and at the torso of the giant wolf in front of her.
Antony hadn't been expecting anything from the rabbit except for cuts.
He had accepted that. It was as scared as him, and he was making it more scared. But he had accepted that it was better than being near Marcus.
But what he hadn't expected was for the rabbit to leave the safety of the narrow passage. It had jumped at him, something that made him flinch at the expectation of pain.
But what followed wasn't agony and suffering. Not even discomfort. It was-
Judy climbed up the wolf's torso and up to its throat. Gently, her arms wrapped around the neck of the massive canine. They couldn't even really go around it entirely. But she tried.
It was all a crazy effort. But maybe, just maybe it would stop if she let it know that it wasn't alone. It was something that her fox had helped her with, and she had helped him with.
"Stop." Her voice was soft. She gently shushed the wolf's crying. It had never stopped weeping even as it had dug.
"It's okay, everything's gonna be okay."
She didn't really know what else to say. She had half-expected for it to start growling and scratching at her.
But it didn't.
So she cooed whatever soothing things she could to it.
And slowly, she felt its movements stop. It wasn't digging anymore… just sobbing…
What was happening?
Antony didn't know.
He hadn't felt something like this in a long time. The rabbit was…
Hugging him.
He had hugged Mister Wolford, but even then the wolf didn't really hug him back.
It made him cry all the more.
It was sweet and wonderful and-
Not a fantasy. Not something that he had made up in his head or a hope that wouldn't come true. It was real.
Someone was hugging him, holding him like he mattered.
His paws stopped digging as he cried all the louder.
Judy felt a weight against her back. Its paws were resting against her. They weren't harming her or trying to pull her away.
Just… holding her, a little too tightly, but that was okay.
She gave a weak, unsure smile,
"Everything's going to be okay."
She didn't know if it was true or not. She really didn't.
It wasn't like she could take this wolf with her. Even if she wanted to, it couldn't fit through the escape exit. And with more wolves coming (and sounding much closer,) and the very dangerous one outside… she couldn't do anything for it.
She could feel tears, some from her, some dripping from the mammal above her, covering her face.
She could at least be there for it right now.
It wasn't much to offer, but she gave it her empathy.
It was all he had ever wanted. For others to understand him, to accept him. Antony didn't know if that was what this really was, but he took it anyway.
And for a moment, even if it was only a moment… everything was okay. He could live in this moment forever, holding someone who cared about how he felt. She was warm and soft and her paw rubbed the side of his neck with care. It reminded him so much of when he was a little pup.
His sobs softened and for the first time… he felt comforted.
Truly comforted…
Until another voice echoed in the tunnel
"Carrots! Judy!"