Ch 18 Dream of an Oasis
It'd been a few weeks since that event. Luna, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe walk in silence in their wolf forms, the snow falling gently around them. Luna's wolf ears drop along with her wolf head as they walked on, barely pulling their paws off of the snow-covered ground.
Tsume's wolf ears raised up a bit and he licked her behind the ear to assure her. Luna looked at him for a moment, her yellow eyes filled with sadness, and she nuzzled him back.
"He's gone… why can't we find him?" Toboe asked, his bracelets softly jingling as he walked. "His scent is gone, guys," Luna said.
"Look, we did what we could. He's just not here," Hige sighed, dropping his wolf ears. They tried what they could do to find the white wolf, but it was fruitless.
They walked in their human forms. "He can't be… could he?" Toboe asked, hands in his pockets. "Who knows? Maybe he is…" Hige sighed.
Tsume and Luna stopped in their tracks. Tsume turned around and started walking away, Luna following him. "Hey, where the hell are you two going?" Hige asked, looking over his shoulder.
"To find him again," Tsume said. "He's out there somewhere, Hige. We gotta keep looking," Luna added, hands in her jacket pockets.
Hige sighed in disbelief and looked off to the side. "Why bother? It's just a waste of time. I keep telling you, he isn't out there," Hige scowled, turning away from them.
Luna turned around to to look at the Mexican wolf, raising a brow. "What're you saying, Hige? Are you giving up that easy?" Luna said, waving an arm outwards.
"Why not? It's hopeless. I don't givea damn anymore," he said with a shrug. He turns his back to the other three wolves. He laid down in the show, arms behind his back.
"What are you saying?" Tsume asked. "I'm saying count me out," Hige answered.
Luna's heart sank when he said that. He has changed a lot since they first met.
This angered Toboe and he clenched his fists together. "What? You can't be serious!" He shouted, clenching his fists together.
"Hige, what's changed your mind? You seemed happy to come with us," Luna asked in disbelief. He was quitting, just like that. They've come so far together.
"That's just it. If I hadn't met him, none of this would've ever happened to me. I could just live my normal life and not worry about all of this," Hige sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Hige… maybe you're right. Things would be a lot different if we hadn't met him. I wouldn't have Tsume as my mate," Luna said, holding Tsume's hand.
"Yeah, we wouldn't be in this mess. We could've just stayed in the city without too much trouble," Tsume added. Luna sighed and looked down, remembering what her father had once told her.
"There's something that my father said a long time ago. He once told me that a pack is supposed to stick together, protect them no matter what the cost. The human have no control over what we can or cannot do. You have to follow your instincts," she explained to them.
"Forget that, Luna. Those damn Nobles are trying to wipe our kind out completely. We don't got any free will," Hige said, still looking at the sky.
Luna clenched her fists together, ready to wolf out on him. Tsume took her hand again and squeezed it, calming her down. "That's what my father told me," she spat at him.
Toboe's body started to tremble from the arguing. He just couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, knock it off, will you?" He said quietly, kneeling down in front of Hige while hugging his arms, "Isn't it bad enough that our bodies are wrecked already?"
The other three wolves look at him in silence. Toboe looked up at the sky with a melancholy look in his eyes. "Why does everyone have to fight about everything? Arguing and stealing from each other all the time? It's a big enough world. Why can't we share it? Wolves, humans, birds living as equals? It'd be like that if we just find paradise…" he explained, making good points.
Luna and Tsume look at one another, realizing that he was right. Everybody in this world seemed to forget about what being in this world was really about, having some humanity and purpose.
After a while, a familiar scent reaches his nose. He stood up and started to sniff the air. "What is it?" Luna asked. "I don't know but it's a familiar scent," the red wolf answered.
Toboe sprinted in the direction of the scent, the others follow him to where the scent was.Turns out, it was Quent's scent. He was half dead in the snow, being blanketed by it. The wolves make it to him. Toboe knelt down to him and checked his body.
"It's him," Luna growled, a hand on her hips. Toboe checked the old mans' pulse and his eyes widen. "He's almost frozen to death," he said to them.
Luna and Tsume both glared in hatred at the half-dead human who tried to kill them many times before. "Leave him here. He deserves it," Hige coldly says, crossing his arms.
Toboe looks over his shoulder angrily at the Mexican wolf. "How could you say that when he's important to Blue?" He said in shock.
Hige huffed and looked away curtly. "We… also couldn't do anything to save Blue…" Toboe muttered, hoping nobody would hear it, but Hige did.
He gritted his teeth and jumped on top of Toboe in his wolf form, baring his wolf fangs at him. Toboe cowered down, tucking his wolf tail between his hind legs.
Hige looked like he was going to kill Toboe. Luna leaped at him and pushed Hige over by sinking her fangs into the side of his neck and using her forepaws.
Hige rolled a couple of times before struggling to get to his wolf paws. His tongue hung out of his jaws.
"Would you stop it?" Luna said, giving him a warning growl. Hige stood up in his human form, rubbing his neck on the spot where Luna bit down. Luna glared at him as she help Toboe to his feet in their human forms.
"Don't take it out on the kid," Tsume agreed in a serious tone. Hige huffed at them in anger. "We're looking for Kiba right? Let's go," he grumbled, before he walked passed them.
Tsume looked at the disgruntled Mexican wolf before looking back at them. "Luna? Toboe?" Tsume said. Luna looked at Toboe, who felt hurt by Hige's response.
"Tsume, go on ahead and follow him. We'll catch up with you," she told him, walking up to her mate. She kissed him for a few seconds. "I'll stay here with the kid," she said in a whisper.
"Don't come crying to me when that human wakes up and shoots you two," Hige yelled from the hill. Luna rolled her eyes curtly at Hige.
"Okay, but you two be careful. He's a human after all. Last thing I want is to lose you," Tsume said, kissing her again before hugging her. He let's go and walks away in Hige's direction, finding it hard to leave his mate behind.
That made Luna wonder if Hige was falling in love with Blue? He wasn't usually this defensive over anything.
Luna sighed and turned around to face the red wolf. "You okay, Toboe?" She asked him, rubbing his shoulder.
"Yeah, ]I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he said, smiling weakly at her.
Luna looked over at the human. "What're you gonna do?" She asked. "I know what to do," he answered.
The two wolves walk over to the human in their wolf forms. Luna's knotched ears rose a bit as she watch Toboe snuggle underneath the old mans' arm.
She kept her distance from the old man, sitting down and wrapping her wolf tail around her. It amazed her how Toboe still trusted this human after the many times he's tried to kill them.
The old man squeezed onto Toboe, making Luna stand up a bit. The red wolf looked over at the black timber she-wolf, assuring her that he was okay.
Luna sat back down, ears raised a bit. The human squeezed onto Toboe and he started talking in a raspy voice. "Blue… there's my good girl…"
Luna tilted her wolf head in confusion. Quent was delusional if he thought hw was hugging Blue. Quent cracked his calloused eyes open and looked up in Toboe's direction, but he didn't see the red wolf, he saw his young son, Rouse.
"Rouse…" he sobbed, hugging Toboe closer. When tears fell down his face, Toboe licked them away.
Luna had a sudden feeling that she needed to lay down as a tight pain came from her stomach. She laid down in the snow on her belly, her forelegs in front of her, her hind legs on her right side.
Toboe had gotten out from underneath Quent's arm and walked over to her, raising his ears when he saw how sick she looked. "Luna, you okay?" He asked, licking the top of her wolf head.
"I don't know, I just… felt sick for a minute there," she answered, pushing herself up to her wolf paws, "We should go before he wakes up,"
Toboe nuzzled her, dropping his ears. The two wolves walk on, following Tsume and Hige's tracks that went up the mountain. Luna was amazed of how Toboe saved Quent like that.
They walk in human form, talking about the way Toboe helped Quent. Toboe had optimism that every human deserves a chance to live. At this moment, she saw just how much humans mean to him.
As they were walking out of the tundra, Luna felt a sick reflex in her chest, her temples were throbbed. Her legs were beginning to feel like noodles.
Her body was going from hot to cold at the same time. Toboe noticed that she was falling behind a bit. "Luna, what's wrong?" He asked, running back to her.
"Toboe, I think I'm gonna be sick…" Luna exclaimed, running over to a lone tree.
She was hunched over, using the tree to keep her standing up. She started to vomit, her stomach giving a painful lurch each time. When she was done, she felt Toboes hand on her back, rubbing ever so gently.
When she finished, she wiped her mouth and groaned from the pain. "You alright?" Toboe asked in such a caring tone. Luna looked over at him and nodded. "I'll be okay," she said, putting a hand over her belly, which felt hard to the touch.
Luna's eyes widen when she touched it. "No… I can't be…" she gasped, losing her breath. There was no way she was pregnant. She couldn't bring a puppy into a world like this. It wouldn't be fair.
"What is it?" Toboe asked, noticing her distress. "Toboe… I think I might be pregnant…" she said. The red wolfs' eyes became big in shock. "You sure? You gotta tell Tsume, Luna," he said, helping her walk forward.
Luna's eyes became wide in fear. She rarely ever felt scared like this, but she she didn't know how Tsume would react if he knew she was pregnant. Last thing she wanted was to lose her mate.
"I can't tell him…" she said, her heart racing in her chest. They stop walking when she said that. "He's gonna figure it out when your stomach gets bigger," Toboe said, pointing to her barely extended belly.
Luna looked down at her belly, seeing the baby bump. She knew she couldn't hide it for long. She sighed and looked at the red wolf. "You're right. I'll tell him," she agreed. Toboe grinned at her.
The two wolves walk on out of there and into a dusty canyon. The weather was sunny and warm. Luna caught Tsume and Hige's scents, meaning they were close.
For a moment, Toboe thought he heard hoofbeats from behind them. Luna looked over her shoulder at the pup. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Toboe sighed and looked at her. "It's nothing. Thought we were being followed," he said, walking again. Luna looked over her shoulder for a second and walked on.
However, the hoofbeats were getting louder and louder. "What the hell?" Luna said, looking over her shoulder with Toboe. Coming at them on horseback, was two Indians holding up bows and arrows.
Luna's eyes widen in fear and she grabbed Toboe's hand. "Run!" She yelled, starting to sprint away from the humans. Toboe ran too, letting go of Luna's hand.
The long haired Indian aimed the arrow at the two wolves and fired it. Toboe and Luna howled in distress to get Tsume and Hige's attention. The arrow missed them and hit a stone in the ground.
The Indians caught up with them, stopping in front of them. Toboe fell to the ground on his face while Luna stopped in place, standing in front of Toboe, protecting him. Her maternal instincts had kicked in. One of them pulled his bow and arrow back, ready to fire.
Tsume and Hige had heard their howls and ran to their aid in their wolf forms, leaping at the Indians with their jaws open all the way. They knocked the two men were knocked off their horses when the two wolves jumped on them.
The long haired Indian fell on his back and was pinned by Tsume and Hige was holding the other against the canyon wall. Toboe sighed in relied and was helped up by Luna.
"Are you one of Jaguras' flunkies?! What the hell does she want?!" Tsume demanded, holding his knife against the Indians' throat. Lunas' heart jumped into her throat; she knew that noble.
The Indian was perplexed at that name. "She's the one capturing wolves and we want to know why!" Tsume corrected. What he did know was that these four are wolves. He begins to laugh hysterically, leaving the four wolves dumbfounded.
"Why the hell are you laughing at us?" Luna asked in confusion. "You four should've said you're wolves to begin with!" The Indian answered, scratching his right cheek nervously, "Ah man, the elder's gonna have my hide for this,"
Tsume lowered his knife and walked to his mate, hugging her out of relief. The Indian, whose name was Iyk, stood up and saw Luna's extended belly.
"Excuse me there?" He said, making them look up at him. "What?" Tsume said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "If we had known that she was pregnant, we would have stopped sooner," Iyk said.
Luna and Toboe froze. Luna didn't want Tsume to know just yet. Tsume went quiet and looked down at her. "Tsume… I…" she stammered. All the grey wolf did was sigh and he said, "Let's talk about this later,"
"We can get her checked out by our healer when we get to our village," Iyk said, mounting his horse and holding onto the reins.Afterwards, then seven walk in then direction of the Moung Tribe, where the Indians were from. "Sorry about attacking you guys back there. You see, some of our friends had been attacked by strangers and we assume that you guys were the ones that did it," Iyk explained.
"Well, it wasn't," Tsume corrected, holding his mate's hand while they walked. "I know now. We of the Moung Tribe believe in wolves in both existence and spirit," Iyk said, smiling at them, "Besides, it couldn't have been wolves since the ones who did it were carrying guns,"
Toboe glanced up at the Indian. "Believe in us?" He asked but it was unnoticed. "Wait, I thought you humans didn't believe in wolves?" Luna said, trying to understand why these humans see that their kind exists.
(The Moung Tribe)
They make it to the tribe, seeing that it was bigger than they thought. There were kids running around, laughing as they played with their pets. Luna was warmed when she saw this as it reminded her of when a she'd play with her family.
"So do you live here together?" Toboe asked, entranced by the community. "Of course. We travel as a unit. We treat everyone as equal as the next. Horses, dogs, and humans," Iyk answered.
They kept walking through the tribe until they reached two little girls, tending to a dog that had herbs for his wounds. Iyk got off his horse and knelt down in front of them. "How's he doing?" He asked.
"He's all better now! And he stopped whimpering!" One girl said with a smile. "He drank some milk a little while ago," the other said. "He did?" Iyk said with a chuckle. The two girls giggle as they took off running.
Iyk knelt down to tend to the dog. "Is he one of them that was attacked?" Luna asked partly curious. "Yeah, but we don't know if it was poachers. They shot the dogs and left. This one has been fighting to the very end," Iyk said with a shrug.
"There's someone that might've done this. That old human," Tsume said with a growl. Toboe jumped up at this and started to get defensive.
"But he was half frozen in the mountains! It couldn't have been…" he said. Hige glared down at him and growled at the red wolf. "How come are you trying to protect that old geezer?!" He shouted.
Toboe glanced up with a sad look in his eyes. Luna knew what Toboe had done, seeing him so dedicated to saving that humans' life like that, made her more attached to him.
Toboe looked away, dropping his head a little so locks of hair covered his face. "He was talking… in his sleep. He kept saying how sorry he was to Blue…" Toboe explained. "It's true, Hige. I watched him do it," Luna said, looking at the Mexican wolf.
Hige glanced down at her, raising his brows. "You did?" He asked, his eyes softening. "Was it Jagura then?" Tsume inquired.
"If that's it then, wolf or if it looks remotely like one, that bitch will do anything to get her hands on them and kill them," Luna said, thinking logically. Jagura is doing everything she can to wipe the wold species out. It doesn't matter how she does it.
The others look at her in silence for a moment, wondering if that was the case. Tsume looked at Iyk again. "Hey, you said something about believing in wolves? What exactly did you mean by that?" He asked.
Iyk looked up at the grey wolf before looking down again. "Exactly what I said. Wolves are the ancestors of every human being. Except for the nobles if course," Iyk answered.
They were all confused. Neither one understood how their kind were the ancestors of humans. Then, an elderly man walked over to them, hands behind his back.
It was the elder of the tribe. "Ihk?" He spoke in a raspy and calm voice. They all look at the elder. "Yes, elder?" Iyk said in a respectful way.
"Bring along our guests, would you?" The elder spoke. They were going to get more information about what Iyk was talking about. They needed know how wolves were associated with humans, the one species that feared them the most.
Just as they were going to the elders' tent, a sharp pain shot up Luna's stomach and lower back, making the black she-wolf double over and gasp in pain. She grabbed her abdomen and Tsume caught her.
The elder heard this and he turns around. Toboe rubbed Luna's back comfortly, knowing the trouble she was in. Hige grew concerned for her and walked over to her.
"Are you alright, young she-wolf?" the elder asked. Iyk walked over to him and said, "Elder, this she-wolf is expecting. Could we get her to the healer?"
The elder glanced over to the small pack and said, "Of course. Which one of you is her mate?" The elder asked, looking at the three males. Toboe was too young to even think about a mate, Hige has his eyes set on Blue so that wasn't it.
"It's me," Tsume said, keeping his arm around her. The elder smiled and waves at them, gesturing for them to follow him. Tsume and Luna follow him while Toboe and Hige stayed with Iyk.
The healer was a middle aged woman with long black hair and blue eyes. The elder had told her what was going on. She checked Luna out, using her skills to help her.
"My dear, you are indeed expecting. I sense that you're having a little girl," the healer said with a smile. Luna was in shock to hear this. Not only was she pregnant, it was gonna be a little girl.
Tsume was still in shock that was pregnant. He didn't know whether to be happy, upset, or surprised, or all three.
Luna glanced over to the healer and asked if they could have a word alone.
She nods once in respect before leaving the tent. Once they were alone, Luna looked up at Tsume in concern.
"Tsume, please don't be mad at me," she said. "This shouldn't have happened. We can't raise a pup in this world.
We can't raise a pup in this world," he said, shutting his eyes for a moment. Luna looked at him, feeling guilty that she didn't tell him to stop before they officially became mates with him. "I'm sorry, it's my fault…" she said, looking away from him as tears rose in her eyes.
She didn't want him to see her cry; it was something she hadn't done in six months when she lost her pack. Tsume did see this and pulled her face to make her look at him by holding her chin
"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice soft.
Luna wiped her emerald green eyes and sniffled.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice soft
Luna wiped her emerald green eyes and sniffled. "I'm scared, Tsume… With everything that's happening, something bad will happen," she said, rubbing her belly. Tsume feels his heart break when he saw the tears in her green eyes.
Tsume held her face gently with both hands, thumbing away any tears that fall.
"We'll figure this out, okay? Don't worry," Tsume said, kissing her again. Luna looked at him, feeling a lot more confident that they would good parents for the time they do have left. The two wolves walk out of the healers' tent.
Hige and Toboe were waiting with Ihk at the elders' tent, awaiting the news of Luna's condition. When they came back, the trio looked at them. "What did she say?" Hige asked, hands in his hoodie pockets. "Well, I'm having a pup. We're gonna have a girl," Luna said, having a smile on her face.
Ihk and the other two wolves smile at her, happy for the wolf couple. "That's wonderful news," the Indian said with a nod.
The four wolves enter the elder's tent, which had a warm and comforting feeling. A small fire was lit in the middle of the tent, gently lighting up the walls with a orange-yellow color
There were engravings of wolves howling, fighting against the humans.
The four wolves sit around the fire, the elder sat in front of them and started to speak to them. Luna felt Tsume's arm wrapped around her waist.
"Long ago when man was still an animal, there was evil living thing here known as Fenrir. He'd been sent her to destroy the world. Our mother-earth opened the gates to paradise, bestowing the wolves to the earth," he spoke, looking at the wolf engravings on the tent walls.
"These wolves fought heroically against the evildoer and defeated the monster. To the ignorant human beasts that were left behind, the wolves had taught many things. The wolves created humanity, parting from their own bodies," the elder continued, speaking smoothly yet raspy.
"Wait, so are you saying that the humans were created by wolves?" Toboe asked, clearly confused. "Yes, little one. When they world was as young as yourself and as young as her child there," the elder said, referring to Luna.
"When the wolves seek out Paradise, the world shall be lost in darkness. However, Fenrir was reborn in the body of a dark colored wolf. If he finds it, then all will be lost. It will be obscure which which will happen first, but the world will cease," the elder explained.
Luna looked down for a moment, realizing that going to Paradise was completely irrelevant. They couldn't keep going like this, especially with a pup on the way. She looked up at Tsume, seeing him look down.
"So tell me, who was it that began the search? Was it you?" He asked, looking at Luna. "No, it wasn't me," she said. He looked at Hige and Toboe, which they denied. Tsume didn't reply when the elder turned his question over to him.
"So if we keep going, we'll die?" Luna asked. "I don't know as of now, young she-wolf. No matter how nature goes, we simply have to follow it," the elder said.
That's something they'd have to think about.
The elder gave the wolves a couple of tents to sleep in for the night. Luna and Tsume took one tent and Toboe and Hige took the other.
Luna and Tsume laid down in their wolf forms..Luna laid down on her side, all four of her legs on one side of her body. Tsume laid like the sphinx, resting his head on her neck.
Luna's yellow eyes opened, but she didn't move. She found it hard to sleep. She did have many sleepless nights before but this was ridiculous.
"Luna, you awake?" Tsume asked, raising his ears. "Unfortunately," she sighed, rolling over to every she was laying in the superman position, tail between her hindlegs.
"What's wrong? Why can't you sleep?" the grey wolf asked, licking his mate behind her ear. Luna sighed and let her knotched ears drop a little bit.
"I'm scared, Tsume," she admitted, dropping her ears all the way.. "About what?" He asked, lifting his ears a little bit. "About bringing our daughter to this world. That noble won't show any mercy if he sees her," Luna replied, closing her yellow eyes.
"Hey, look at me," the grey wolf said,very seriously. Luna looked at him, raising her knotched ears a bit. "We'll protect her. I won't let anything harm her or you. I promise you," Tsume said, determined to keep his mate and pup safe.
Luna nuzzled him under his chin, tilting her ears back. "Thank you, Tsume. I don't know what I'd do without you," she said, feeling him lick the back of her neck. "Likewise. Now try to get some sleep, okay? We still need to find that idiot tomorrow," Tsume said with a short chuckle.
Luna laid her wolf head down on her crossed forelegs, closing her eyes to sleep.
(The Next Morning)
The pack walks out of their respective tents and walked to Ihk, who was getting his horse ready to leave somewhere. "Ihk, we have to leave," Luna said, standing close to her mate.
Ihk turned around to face the four wolves. "Already?" Ihk asked in surprise, not expecting them to leave so soon. They had to keep moving, Kiba was out there somewhere and they had to keep looking for him.
"We're looking for a friend of ours, but we can't pick up his scent anywhere," Tsune said. Luna glanced over her left shoulder, seeing a trail leading up the sandy and dusty mountain. She got an ominous feeling when she looked at it.
"Ihk, do you know what's up that trail?" She asked, pointing at the trail. Ihk looked over at the trail Luna was talking about. "Nobody treads there. It's far too dangerous," Ihk answered, lowering his voice.
"So you're saying that it's a place nobody will be able to find?" Tsume asked. Ihk glanced down at his feet. The Indian was reluctant to take the wolves up that mountain, but he pushed it back and did so.
(The Mountain Trail)
Ihk lead the wolves on his horse, telling them about whats in the desert ahead. "Beyond those mountains is a place called Deserts Bones," Ihk explained, "It's because the earth is so dried up that it only left sand behind. Rumor has is it that one will receive true happiness if they venture in it,"
Hige's eyebrow raised up, clearly confused. "Who the hell would find happiness in a desert?" He asked, hands in both pockets. Nobody in their right mind would be happy in a desert where it's hot all the time.
"The spirits of this land speak of a large grass that's been there for thousands of generations. It guides anybody that lays underneath it to the Gatden of Eternity,"
Ihk said.
"Wait, does it lead to paradise?" Toboe asked. "Nobody knows. Those who have gone there never returned," Ihk answered. The Indian looked down at Luna. "It was our friend who started this whole journey," Tsume said, much to Ihk's surprise.
"You four can stay with us. You can have your pups here," he offered. Luna thought for a minute, but she couldn't leave her mate and two friends. "Thanks, Iyk, but I can't leave them. We'll find a place," she denied, taking Tsume's hand.
Iyk nodded, understanding what Luna wanted. Luna, Tsume, and Hige walked on,but Toboe didn't move. "Toboe, you coming?" Luna asked.
Toboe looked down, not moving from his spot. "No. I'm not going," Toboe answered. The other three wolves stop and turn around. "I… I want to stay here," he said, glancing at them.
