Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain. –sings- Oh I wish! xD
Before the Red Moon
It just so turned out that the rescue mission to save the wolves in the prison had been decided to be executed that night. Sanyu and Odakota, Ren's guards and good friends had delivered news that Lady Sheshkemana was going to kill two of the wolves in the cell. They didn't have details, but sent Toboe and Ren into a panic. When they had calmed down enough to think straight, the plan had been moved for that night.
It was going smoothly so far…
Toboe was following Ren through the long corridors, taking detours that seemed painfully slow and time wasting, so they could avoid those security cameras. Toboe's eyes were wide, his heart was pounding in his throat. Fear was making him crazy. Every shadow that loomed in the heavy darkness seemed to be tall and angular, like Sheshkemana herself, the dark red lamps, whose hellish light never faded, seemed to accent the terror. His tongue was lolling out, his large amber eyes flicking back and forth. The clink of his bracelets seemed magnified by ten thousand; his very breathing seemed louder than a winded bull.
"Calm down, Toboe," Ren told him from up ahead. Her ears were flattened, and though Toboe couldn't see her slender face, he was sure that she was also scared. Her voice had a slight tremor in it, and her panting was easily audible. At least, to Toboe.
"Why…does your mother have to do things like this?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from rising in panic. "Why does she hate wolves? Why? She seems to want to kill us all, but wasn't… your father was one?" He was asking for two reasons, one, he was genuinely curious, two, he wanted to distract himself from horrific thoughts…he could all too easily picture Hige getting stabbed, or Tsume getting shot, Kiba dying from numerous wounds, Marel getting crushed, Getsuei, being choked to death…he shook his head, trying to clear it from those morbid illusions.
Ren sighed, as if physically pained by the memory. "Toboe…it was other wolves who killed my father. They found out what he had done, and said no punishment other than death would suffice for his crime of loving a Noble. My mother…was not a beast, like she is today. After my father's death, she was left to raise me, only pup at the time. She at first only wanted to go to Paradise together, and we'd see Caden—my father—again. But over time, when her searches had been fruitless, bitterness turned her heart to stone, to the point where she blamed all wolves for father's death, blamed me because of her useless searches. And she thought that Paradise would ease the bitterness of her life. Her love for me withered and died, like a starved flower."
Toboe was quiet for awhile. Why would Ren tell him what had happened to her so easily? Was it because she trusted him, or because she needed to distract herself too?
Or perhaps she never had anyone who would listen? Not even Odakota or Sanyu? Pity stabbed at his heart like blackthorns, making him flatten his ears in sympathy at the tale…Ren seemed tired, and so much older, even if her face wasn't visible. Her tail had started to drag a little, and her ears were flat. Her posture was a bit slumped, too.
"…That's…that's awful…" it was all he could say. His tongue felt like it was tied in knots. A half wolf, stuck serving a mother who had nothing left to live for…in a sick realization, he wondered how many of the other Nobles were like this…the thought made his stomach clench uncomfortably.
A sudden clanking noise that was hideously familiar wrenched him violently from his reverie. His ears went up, his eyes widened. That noise…
"Oh damn!" Ren whispered bitterly. Her ears were flattened. Toboe recognized the sound with a sickening jolt. Soldiers. Marching.
Ren quickly dove into the shadow, grabbing a fistful of Toboe's shirt in attempt to drag the pup, who was standing numb with shock in the center of the hallway. She forced him down into a corner, but Toboe could see the looming shadows of the troopers. There had to be at least twenty of them, trooping down the hallway, all in heavy armor, wearing faceplates that obscured their eyes, noses and mouths—faceless terrors. All of them carrying a heavy weapon that looked like a short spear. There was an odd projectile mounted just behind the blade, and Toboe could gess what it was used for.
The horror and dread of where they were going sunk into Toboe like water soaks into parched ground. His mouth went dry, and he started to sweat. They were going to the cell! "They're going to kill them!" he said in a panicked whisper.
"Screw stealth!" Ren shouted, her lip curling back to reveal her long, sharp lupine teeth as she lunged out of the darkness with a vicious snarl, charging after the nobles down the hallway. Toboe followed with a barking growl of his own, letting instinct and fear for his friends take over. His subconscious self was horrified and scared—he had never fought like this before. But the spirit of the angry wolf was burning in his blood.
The troopers turned around with surprising speed, and just before Toboe launched himself into the air, he heard one of them exclaim, "What the hell—?" but the soldier's words were cut off as the brown wolf pup smashed into his chest, sending them both down the long staircase—that was at the end of the hall—that let to the prison. They crashed down with much clanging, yelling and snarling. The other militia followed, with yells of, "It's that wolf!" or "I've never seen that one before!" or "SHOOT THEM!"
Toboe was barely heard what was going on behind him. All that mattered was stopping these noble troops! He clawed vainly at the soldier's armor, using his long teeth in attempt to get at his neck, but his opponent was strong. He brought his spear-weapon down on Toboe's forehead, shoving the pup away with a yelp. Toboe barely felt the pain. Is this how Tsume, Kiba and Hige fight on so hard? The sane part of him wondered as he launched another attack on the noble. It wasn't long before both combatants entered the prison wing with a crash—followed by several others who immediately started to shoot at Toboe—at least seven of them…
"What the hell—is that—TOBOE!" All of the wolves in the prison had been up, brooding and waiting, but all had been stunned when they heard the sounds of battle. Tsume had been the one that cried out when he heard the familiar cries of Toboe. The battle scared gray wolf watched in horror as the pup was shot at, but to his surprise, Toboe wasn't doing as bad as he feared. He was dodging many, despite the grazes and hits we was getting…he looked almost like…
"What's going on with him—?"
"Don't just stand there you idiots, try and get out of here!" yowled Marel as she heaved herself to her paws and started tearing at the little hole that Toboe had escaped through. Ren had finally entered the scene, the remaining ten nobles that had attacked her following. She had killed one already, and didn't look sorry in the least.
Tsume immediately forced himself to forget the pup for the second and attacked the bars with his teeth, desperation feuling his strength. Hige, Tsume and Getsuei did similar, but they were making painfully slow progress.
"Toboe!" he heard Ren's voice yell above the din. "Get your friends out of there!" the last ended in a shrill yelp of pain as he saw the blonde wolf's body fly into the wall with a bang, but even after she slid to the ground, she staggered to her feet and lunged again.
Toboe jumped away from a squirming noble troop, his eyes wide with a mixture of anger, fear and urgency as he bounded over to where his friends were. His belly was clenched, and his face was no longer creased in a snarl. "Are you guys all right?" he panted, blood dripping from several wounds he had received as the battle raged around them.
"We're fine!" Tsume growled roughly as Getsuei rumbled, "Get us out of here! There's no telling when Sheshkemana—"
His sentence remained unfinished as a spear slammed down where Toboe had been a fraction of a second earlier—the pup had rolled out of the way just in the nick of time, and the spearblade had slammed the gate holding the other wolves in. His heart jumped violently in his chest as he moved, and the door fell apart, the right half falling with a creak and a clang, and the left following shortly after as Kiba, Tsume, Hige, Getsuei and Marel leaped out, snarling and attacking with much vigor.
To Toboe, the fight seemed endless. In seconds, there were only ten of the twenty soldiers that had come down to kill them! He was panting heavily. There was blood in his mouth…The bitter, coppery taste of it made him want to gag as his blood dribbled from his own wounds as he looked in shock as the humans that he, Toboe, the runt, had killed. There had to be at least four of them…
But there was no time for that now. His face contorted in a snarl once more as the wolves, in a semicircle were forced with their backs against the wall by the remaining soldiers, threatening them with the points of their spears.
The leader—Toboe guessed—brandished his weapon violently and barked, "Surrender, or we'll forget our orders from the Lady and kill you all!"
A/N: Sorry for the long wait! School's almost out, so homework won't be an issue anymore! Eeeee! Glad to hear you guys enjoy the story! And welcome, welcome, Metaligod and Dynasty! Always great to have new reviewers. Tweak and Metaligod, your reviews made me laugh. -gives muffin- Don't think I've forgotten the steadfast Lonegrey, -also gives muffin- Thankies very much, luff your comments, and Saberwolfie's –gives cookie- words. -gives muffins- I'm really happy to hear you like Marel, Saber. Here's a poll, which one of the OOC's do you guys like best? Just out of curiosity…xD
