oTitle: Of
Cats and Wolves
Author: Sol aka Zefyr
Muse & Beta: Katikat
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+TBA... hehe.
Rated: PG or PG-13 at most
Warnings: Minor OOC due to AU situations; shonen-ai; fantastical
animal/people mixes; gratuitous use of improper Gaelic; crazy adaptations of
Siberian and Native American traditions.
Archiving: Please ask separately for this fic and one of us will get
back to you, since it's a collaboration. Also found at www-geocities-com/
mystera_k... Replace dashes with appropriate punctuation.
Disclaimer: We don't own, but we're having fun anyway. No harm meant.
Summary: In a world of Creatures, Heero is a young
half-Wolf who wants only to help his adopted brother, Wufei, find a good mate.
Really. Trowa, a half-Jackal, helps, and it goes downhill from there...
NOTE:
This is a joint effort. KatiKat wrote the teaser, then I saw Asuka's art for
the werepervs, and then I watched Cat People right after re-watching GW
episodes 1-5, and... the rest is history. The prologue (chapter 1) was written
by KatiKat, and edited by Sol. The rest of the chapters are written by Sol,
with beta comments and additional muse-inspiration provided by Katikat.
Also, many thanks to those who wrote me with reviews this last chapter: Mephisto Waltz, Icy Flame, Koyote, CleverYoungThief, Zaz, Kaori, Hikaru, Dyna, KatiKat, and Lainwyn. Ya'll make my day. ;-)
Duo trotted into the clearing fifteen minutes later to find Heero and Trowa slumped on the rock.
"Where's Quatre?" The half-Fox looked around curiously, then grinned as he hopped up on the rock and bumped Heero with his hip. "Move over. Saw Wufei, carting off that girl. Looked like they were getting along great!"
Trowa gave the thief a sour look. "They were not getting along great. Wufei was saving Meiran, and us, from getting our heads beaten in by Meiran's brothers."
"Really?" Duo's deep blue eyes were wide, and he stole a glance at Heero. The Wolf-boy was staring at the woods, his expression stern, and a muscle flickered in his jaw. The Fox sat back, pursed his lips, and tried to look innocent. When no one said anything, he tried again. "Where's Quatre?"
"Left," Trowa replied. His ears drooped a little, and he stared out at the same nondescript point in the distance as Heero.
"Oh, no," Duo cried. "The competition, we're going to miss the competition!" He jumped up off the rock and dashed back along the path to the edge of the clearing. At the forest's border he realized he wasn't being followed, and turned around, calling to the two young warriors. "Come on, don't you want to see the giveaway? Isn't your friend Wufei a Jaguar? And then, we've got to go see Quatre! You can't miss it. He's the best!"
Heero roused himself, still a bit humiliated at how badly his plans had gone for his little brother. Next to him, he could sense Trowa struggling with the wish to see more of the Desert Lynx. Sighing, Heero jumped down from the rock, his bushy silver tail twitching a few times as he straightened his loincloth. "Come on," he told the half-Jackal. "Let's go."
"Do you think Wufei will mind if we miss the Jaguar giveaway?" Trowa trudged after Heero, following the Wolf-boy to where Duo was waiting anxiously. The half-Jackal scratched at one ear with a claw, and twiddled the silver rings hanging there. "Besides, the Bobcats are accepting today, and their idea of music sounds like two cats trapped in a barrel going over a cliff."
"Thought you liked their music," Heero replied, his good mood returning as Duo grinned widely at him. Startled, the half-Wolf forced a frown back on his face and jerked his head in the direction of the path. "Let's get some lunch first."
"You're treating?" Duo gave the half-Wolf an expectant look, and grinned impishly as Heero absent-mindedly nodded. "Great!" There was a flash of red, and the Fox was off down the path.
"Did you just agree to buy lunch?" Trowa raised his eyebrows.
"I didn't mean to," Heero said. But as he caught sight of Duo turning to see if they were coming, he just couldn't seem to get the frown to stay properly on his face.
Not long after the giveaway, the three young Creatures were seated in the front row of the competition circle, listening to an ancient Lake Fox drone on about the warrior blade competition. Duo was snoozing, curled up on his side with his knees up to his chest and his tail wrapped around him, the white tip acting as a pillow. Heero was leaning back on his hands, digesting the overly large meal Duo had talked them into eating. Trowa was sitting forward, his ears twitching as he tried to listen for any mention of the Desert Lynx Clan. Catching Quatre's name, his tail thumped several times as he listened intently.
Heero rolled his eyes at the two Creatures and went back to contemplating how peaceful life would be when the Gathering was done and he didn't have to deal with Fox-boys or Jaguar-girls. Relena was almost looking tolerable, at the rate things were going. Heero shook his head. Being chased around the Mountain Wolf town by an infatuated Wolf-girl would never be tolerable.
Heero bumped the Fox, who sat up with a start.
"Solo, I didn't do it," Duo whined, then caught himself. Blushing, he made a show of licking his paws and cleaning his ears before sitting up cross-legged. He tugged at his blue loincloth and listened curiously as the Lake Fox completed the list of entrants. Quatre's name was near the end. The half-Fox grinned and nudged Heero with his elbow. "See, he's top-ranked. They did most of the preliminaries over the two days before the Gathering, and now we only have to watch six or seven pairs before they're narrowed down to the top two pairs. And then those two---"
"---I get it," Heero said, and sighed. "It's a process of elimination."
"Exactly!" The half-Fox wriggled in place, adjusted his loincloth again, and leaned forward, resting his chin on his fist. His tail thumped a few times, then wrapped around him like a huge red blanket, tipped with white at the very end.
The sun was halfway towards setting by the time the final four were announced, of which Quatre was one. Duo was about to say something when he was bumped from the opposite side and turned to see Wufei glaring down at him. The half-Fox squeaked and moved over to make room. Heero glared as Duo bumped into him, and the Wolf-boy tried to make room by nudging Trowa. The half-Jackal didn't move, but simply elbowed back, his attention fixed on the Lake Fox reviewing the rules for the upper levels. Heero growled and prodded Trowa again, who shoved back a second time, again without looking. On Heero's other side, Duo was now squished up against him, trying to make room for Wufei. Heero caught sight of the gold flashing on Wufei's arms, realized his heart-brother had joined them, and leaned forward with a nod.
Duo smiled at the black Jaguar, who tentatively smiled back. Then the half-Fox tilted his head, leaned back, stared at the back of Wufei's head and sat forward with a disarming smile. "Hey, that hair-band looks really---Ow!" He turned to glare at Heero, who was adamantly staring straightforward.
"Are you okay?" Wufei looked puzzled.
"Yeah," the thief said, rubbing his ribs. "I was just going to say that your--- Ow!" Duo turned to Heero with a snarl. "Would you cut that out?"
"Duo," Heero replied. "Shut up. Little brother, glad you could make it."
"All of you," Trowa ordered, his eyes still set on the competition circle, where the Desert Lynx was taking up position opposite a River Bobcat. "Be quiet."
Quatre was dressed to fight, although of the four friends watching, only Duo was aware that Quatre's fighting garb was considerably less clothing than he'd wear to fight in competitions farther south. The half-Fox was certain this would be to the Desert Lynx's advantage, as he was used to heavier and constrictive apparel, and without it, he'd move twice as fast. Quatre hadn't been convinced, but Duo's faith was unwavering. As the half-Fox regarded his heart-brother's slim form, wearing only the short white loin-cloth that flapped in the light breeze, the thief sat up a little straighter, his eyes bright.
Quatre held his two blades loosely, their crescent shape vicious even when bound with cloth soaked in blue dye. For every strike, the blue dye would be left on his opponent's bodies. His opponents, in turn, would use their knives of choice, wrapped in a different color cloth. The fights weren't supposed to be lethal, but when the fighters were at Quatre's level, the risk remained despite all precautions.
Trowa spared a look at each of the Creatures with him, fixing each with a solemn glare before returning his attention to Quatre. Heero tried not to look sulky, Duo scratched his head at Trowa's look, and Wufei sighed and rolled his eyes. As far as the black Jaguar was concerned, every single one of his friends – old and new – had gone insane. He wondered if it was due to drinking the Valley Wolves wine that the Coyotes stole. He'd heard of curses on stolen goods. Wufei was just about to entertain this line of thought when a sudden metallic clash caught his attention and he looked up at the competition ring.
Quatre was landing after evading the Bobcat's strike, not even pausing for breath before he lashed out. His blades caught the River Bobcat's wrist. The strike was meant to disable permanently. Wufei winced in sympathy for the River Bobcat, unsurprised when the Bobcat dropped one of his straight knives, reduced to fighting with one hand. The opponent still had a few tricks, though, and feinted skillfully enough to catch Quatre off-balance. But the Desert Lynx recovered quickly, twisting as he spun the Bobcat, striking down with the blades. The blue stripes left on the Bobcat's shoulders indicated a killing blow, and the sheer force sent the feline to his knees, dropping his second blade. The Desert Lynx was pronounced the victor of the match. He bowed to the judges, winked at Trowa, and headed to the back to re-wrap his blades in preparation for the next round.
By the time the sun was halfway to the mountains in the distance, Wufei had begged out of remaining, with his apologies. Watching other Creatures fight only reminded him of the lost time he could've been practicing with Osag, and he'd finally left in a grumpy mood. Duo watched him go with large eyes, but didn't move away from Heero. The Wolf-boy contemplated shoving the half-Fox away, and settled for grumbling mentally about how the smaller Creature was pressed up against him. Heero started to complain to Trowa, but the Jackal merely flicked his ears and studiously ignored him. Stuck in the middle, Heero glared at nothing in particular.
As the sun neared the horizon, Quatre's name was called, along with Zechs. Heero bristled at the other final contestant, and growled under his breath. The next thing he knew, the half-Fox had quickly moved away. The Wolf-boy's silver ears drooped slightly, then he caught himself and scowled. He looked sidelong at Duo, who was regarding him with a worried expression.
"Not you," the Wolf warrior hissed, realizing that Duo had thought his growl was because of something the Fox had done. Sighing, Heero rolled his eyes and went back to watching the match. Vaguely he registered that one side of his body was now chilly, after nearly two hours of having his legs and side in constant touch with the red-furred pest. Not that he wanted the Fox up against him, he reminded himself. It was much better to have room to move around, if he wanted to. Satisfied with this decision, Heero returned his attention to Zechs and Quatre.
Zechs was circling the Desert Lynx, who turned in place, his white-blond tail lashing around his ankles. The Wolf had height on Quatre, but the smaller Lynx had speed and agility. Zechs made the first move, and after that, the fight was nothing but vicious strikes, too fast for most eyes to track. Even Heero blinked at a few points, as Zech's left-hand knife slashed close to Quatre, leaving a streak of soft red across the Lynx's flank. Quatre twisted away in time, and retaliated with a fierce snap of the crescent blades that would've sliced Zech's hair if the blades weren't wrapped. Instead, they left a blue streak down the Wolf's blond mane, and missed his neck by mere inches. The crowd sighed, caught up in the quick movements.
Neither contestant allowed the other a chance to breathe, although both were clearly exhausted after fighting six opponents previous to this final match. Their moves were slower than their first matches, but still lethal and swift. Zechs left two more light marks on Quatre's chest, and gave a rictus grin, his canines flashing in the late afternoon light. Quatre's expression was unchanged, his eyes focused slits as he leapt out of the way, turning in mid-air to come down behind Zechs. The Wolf turned to defend, a split second too late, and Quatre's blades were wrapped around his neck. The force shoved air from Zech's throat. He choked, dropping both knives to instinctively reach for his throat. The judges were standing, and then the entire crowd. Quatre had won.
Duo was screaming along with the rest of the crowd, and Heero clapped politely, a little disconcerted by how much noise a Fox could make. On his other side Trowa was a bit more reticent, but his quickly thumping tail indicated his pleasure. Quatre caught sight of the three friends and tipped one of his blades in their direction with a quick grin. Then he gave up his blades to a judge to be inspected, and bowed politely to Zechs. The judges weren't standing on ceremony, and the small Desert Lynx was quickly presented with his winnings. His white-blond hair could barely be seen over the two striped trade blankets and a silk blanket sheet for cooler summer nights, dyed in an expensive blend of purple and deep blue.
The crowd didn't part for several minutes, as the Creatures pushed forward to congratulate Quatre and the other competitors. Heero waited, unmoving, grimacing slightly as Trowa's red-brown tail continued to thwack him. Duo had calmed down, but then disappeared into the crowd towards Quatre. The Wolf warrior sighed and stretched his legs, idly wrapping his bushy silver tail around him and beginning to groom it as he waited for the crowds to thin out.
Presently Duo reappeared, dragging Quatre by one arm, and carrying the blankets for his friend. Quatre's face was lined with fatigue, and his pale skin was a tanned color the same shade as the dirt of the fighting grounds. He was covered in sweat, and caked in dirt.
"Duo, please," Quatre was saying as he was dragged forward. "I just want to sit down and give myself a bath."
"Not yet, not yet," the half-Fox replied. "Heero and Trowa were here the whole time. You have to say hello, and then ... we can go swimming!"
"I am not swimming again," the Lynx said, his tone brooking no argument. "I just want a bath."
"Swimming is the fastest way to get rid of the dirt," Trowa told him, standing up. The half-Jackal's green eyes were bright, and he smiled shyly. "You're an excellent fighter. I've never seen those crescents in action before."
"The shotels?" Quatre blushed. "They're an ancient weapon, but I like them."
"You handle them well," Heero added, also standing.
"You three done yet?" Duo looked around, then nodded, satisfied. "Let's go swimming."
"No," Quatre started to protest. "Duo, I don't think our friends would---"
"Sure we would," Trowa interrupted. He took Quatre in one arm. Duo immediately handed the blankets to Heero, who staggered briefly under the bulky load. Duo then grabbed Quatre's other arm, and grinned across him at the Jackal. A minute later the three were pulling a loudly protesting Lynx to the Coyote encampment, a long-suffering Wolf-boy following along behind.
The group stopped, at Quatre's insistence, at traders' row to see about dinner. Heero had shoved the blankets back at Duo, who laughed and danced around with the prizes. A old trading woman chuckled at his antics, then saw Heero standing there, his arms crossed.
"You, Wolf-boy," she called out. "You're Wufei's brother, aren't you?"
Heero nodded, and Trowa glanced over, giving the old Jaguar woman a polite smile and a quick tail wag.
Anjie laughed and shook her head. "I'd bet you're hungry, even if you've eaten dinner. Boys are always hungry." Beckoning to the four of them, she pulled a basket of an'bhidh pastries out from behind her display table. "Where's Wufei?" Noting Duo's hesitation, she grinned. "It's alright. Take two. You need some meat on your bones."
"Wufei's practicing for the fight tomorrow night," Trowa replied around a mouthful of pastry.
"Ah, that," the old woman said with a sage tone. "Tell that rascal I put down forty columns on him."
"That's the last thing he needs to hear," Heero muttered. "He's in knots as it is."
Anjie laughed and shooed them away, congratulating Quatre on his win. News apparently traveled faster than the four friends, Trowa observed. The four young Creatures took their pastries over to a grassy space at the edge of the Gathering area, and settled themselves down in the dusk to eat their impromptu dinner. Duo set the blankets next to him, patting them several times happily, and began to eat. Heero watched, a little confused, as the half-Fox bit into one an'bhidh, chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, then bit into the other and chewed carefully.
"They're all the same flavor," the Wolf said.
"Just making sure," Duo replied, unperturbed.
Quatre giggled, finishing off one of the pastries and licking his fingers before starting on the second one. Two Jaguar girls walked past, unaware of the young men nearby, and the Desert Lynx sighed. "I'm still sorry it didn't go well for Wufei this morning," he told Heero.
The half-Wolf grunted and didn't look up from his meal.
"But didn't she say she'd accept a bride price?" Quatre's gaze swung between the listening Jackal and the annoyed Wolf. "We could help Wufei put together stuff for that."
"How?" Heero sighed and rubbed at his forehead with the back of his hand. Glowering at his sticky fingers, he licked his fingers carefully before speaking again. "If I could have done that, I would have in the first place."
"I think we're all in this together," Quatre replied. His blue-green eyes shone in the retreating light, and he noticed Duo's tail thumping against the blankets. Quatre's eyes lit up, and he smiled widely. "I know! I'll give Wufei these blankets. They're nothing to scoff at. Besides, he'll need good trading blankets when he lays out the rest of his gifts."
"Rest of what gifts?" Trowa tilted his head, his ears flicking nervously as his auburn hair fell in his face. Finishing his pastry, he stood up and brushed off his loincloth. Heero stood up as well, his gaze already turned towards the walkway torches being lit.
"Whatever else we can get," Duo said, catching his friend's meaning. The Fox stood up, canting his head to one side as he sunk into deep thought. Then he grinned, a finger pointed up as though he'd just come up with a marvelous idea. "If we all help, we can do it. I can help, too!"
"Duo," Quatre said, a worried murmur.
"I can steal lots of cool stuff," the Fox cried, and put his hands on his hips, proud of himself for the idea. "And then Heero can---"
"Heero will nothing of the sort," the Wolf growled. Trowa rolled his eyes and picked up the blankets, smiling as the Desert Lynx tried to talk his friend out of the crazy notion.
"Duo, we're at a Gathering, and aren't you already in enough trouble with the Foxes?" The blond's face was creased with worry.
"Oh, that's nothing," Duo replied, waving one paw airily. "You worry too much. It'll be---"
His breath was knocked out of him as Heero stooped, caught him by the midsection, and hefted the Fox over his shoulder. Duo's braid fell, hitting the ground, and the Fox yelped, grabbing the braid in his hands.
"Hey! Put me down," he demanded.
"Not if you're going to steal things," the Wolf-boy replied sternly. "You've caused enough trouble already."
"I haven't even gotten started," Duo retorted cheerfully, but then cried out in protest as Heero started walking. Trowa and Quatre trailed along behind. The Desert Lynx looked thoughtful, watching his friend hanging upside down, while the Jackal hid his grin behind the blankets. Duo scowled, his red ears flat against his head. "No, really, put me down!"
"No, really, I won't," came the calm reply.
Duo scowled deeper, then let go of his braid long enough to yank at Heero's tail. He flashed a triumphant smile to Quatre, that instantly turned into a laughing shriek. The Fox twisted on Heero's shoulder, laughing gleefully as he wriggled in place. "Hey! St-stop that! Th-that tickles!"
Quatre elbowed Trowa. "I suppose I should've warned Heero. Foxes have very sensitive tails."
"I'm gathering that," Trowa replied, just as gravely.
"Fox, stop moving about, or I will tan your hide," Heero announced.
Duo merely giggled, and twisted about some more. There was a sudden slap that echoed down the evening path, and Quatre nearly choked, trying to keep down the laughter at his friend's shocked expression. Trowa ducked his head, letting his sheaf of auburn hair cover his own smiling reaction.
"I see it works for Jaguars and Foxes," Trowa observed in an undertone. When the Lynx glanced at him, the Jackal warrior shrugged nonchalantly.
"Where are we headed, anyway?" Quatre looked around curiously, speaking in an undertone. "This isn't the way to my Clan's encampment."
"Of course not," the green-eyed Creature told him. "I think we're heading to the Coyote's encampment, to drop off your friend. Literally, I'd guess."
Quatre grinned. "And then I'll head back to my tent. I really need a bath."
"Why? You'll already be clean." Trowa gave him a smug smile. "We're going swimming."
The Desert Lynx dug his heels in and came to an abrupt halt. Ahead of them, the now quiet Fox was muttering inaudibly against Heero's bare back. Quatre tossed his head at Trowa. "I am not going swimming."
"That's what you think." The Jackal smirked. "I can easily carry you and the blankets, if you're too tired to walk."
There was a long pause, and the Lynx warrior sighed. "Then I suppose we'd better get moving. I'm not sure I want to leave your friend alone with Duo for too long."
"Might do them both some good," Trowa told him with a grin, but hurried to catch up regardless.
The sun had been down for awhile, but Duo and Trowa still hadn't let Quatre out of the water. The Lynx appeared to be resigned to being cleaned and scrubbed thoroughly, as well as tickled at a few points in retaliation for not rescuing a certain Fox from a certain Wolf's clutches. The action was returned as Trowa and Quatre ganged up to dunk the half-Fox, resulting in more splashing and cheerful protests.
On the rock nearby, Heero sat alone, slowly drying. He'd checked his loincloth and leather pouches at least three times in the past hour, still a little suspicious that the thief would snatch something if he looked the other way. Drops fell from the tips of his hair, and he flicked his ears a few times to get the water off. Someone was approaching the rock from along the creek shore, and the Wolf warrior instinctively tensed.
A large figure loomed out of the darkness, silhouetted by the Coyote's campfire. Solo grinned at Heero and held up his hands, signaling surrender.
"You're not in the water," the Coyote observed in an amiable tone as he sat alongside the young Creature.
"No," Heero replied. "I wanted...to dry off."
"Hard to do that while still in the water," Solo commented. The two were quiet for a bit, watching as Quatre and Duo proceeded to drag Trowa under the water. Solo shifted on the rock, turning to study the silver Wolf. "It's a good thing, what you tried to do for your little brother."
Heero shrugged.
"No, it is," the Prairie Coyote continued. "It's good to have friends, who will be there when we need them."
"I suppose," the Wolf said, a little reluctantly. He really didn't want to talk about it. The whole affair was beginning to get to him. Wufei had hardly exchanged two words with him since carting off Meiran. Heero hoped that his little brother would come around, but he wasn't sure. His only rival for stubbornness was the black Jaguar, and that didn't bode well for quick recoveries.
"Wufei's done a good thing, too, standing up for my little brother," Solo mentioned, softly. "Duo told me that Quatre's gifting Wufei with the blankets, as part of the bride price. Anything we can do, we Coyotes want to help, too."
"It's not necessary," Heero replied, a little stiffly. His wet tail thumped a few times, though, inadvertently indicating his pleasure at the offer. Annoyed with his lack of self-control, the Wolf-boy drew his tail closer around himself and began absently grooming the guard hairs on the thick bushy tail.
"I think it is," a second voice said, and Kio appeared. The younger Coyote settled himself next to the Prairie Coyote leader, and leaned forward to smile at the half-Wolf. "Our thief is a little enthusiastic, but his heart is in the right place."
Solo nodded. "Stealing is not the way to do this."
"Stealing is bad," Kio agreed. "But borrowing isn't!"
Heero blinked, then turned his head just as Kio dashed off. Solo was also looking confused, but then shrugged.
"I'm sure I'll find out later," Solo commented wryly. "But right now, I don't want to think about it." He leaned back on the rock, then sat up with a startled bark. "What the...hey, is this your pouch?"
Heero shook his head. "I think that's Duo's stuff." Solo held up a loincloth. Heero could just make out the dark blue color in the light of the nearby campfire.
"That's Duo's breechcloth," the Wolf said. "So I guess that's his stuff. Why?"
"Something poked me," the older Creature replied. He dug the pouch open. A blue glass necklace, a bead necklace, and a heavy iron ring rolled out into his hand.
The last item caught Heero's eye, and he glared. "What's that?"
Solo moved his hand, watching the way the necklace caught the light, and sighed. "I think that makes attempt number nine," he said. It was Iria's necklace.
"No," Heero retorted, then felt his ear. His ear-cuff was gone. "That's my earring," he said, his voice deepening into a growl as he snatched it from Solo's hand and quickly returned it to its rightful place. Then he stood up, his eyes glinting as he stared off towards the deep spot in the creek where Quatre and Duo were chatting quietly. Trowa was floating nearby. Heero took it all in with a single glance, and set his shoulders. "I am going to kill that stupid fox," he announced through gritted teeth.
"Hey, wait a minute," Solo started to say, but Heero had already dove into the water. A second later there was a magnificent splash as Duo was pulled under. Quatre started hollering, and Trowa sat up in the water, accidentally flipping himself over only to come up a minute later, coughing river water. Duo broke the surface, laughing hysterically, and disappeared with another splash and growl. Heero came up to the surface right after him, dunking the Fox again with a muted snarl.
The Coyote stood by the creek, watching and listening intently, but soon relaxed. Within a few moments it was clear to the watchful Creature that Heero was working off the majority of his aggression, and the day's frustration, and Duo was none the worse for wear. Instead, Duo was laughing gleefully as he returned the dunking. Solo could almost swear that when Duo threw his arms around the Wolf, to shove him under the water, that Heero was grinning happily.