He was running, large paws pounding against the muddy ground below as his breathing came in raspy gasps and formed misty clouds in the air. The sound on his own heartbeat thudded in his ears, but the thundering of horse hooves was clearly heard as the large animals closed in on him with hunters riding upon their backs. Even with his large , sleek strides and long legs the wolf was still being diligently chased with the gap between himself and the men closing.
It was just the beginning of dawn, streaks of purples, reds, rich blues, oranges, and yellows coloring the horizon like an oil based painting. It was a chilly autumn morning, a light fog covering the rolling hills in which a group of seven horse with men on their backs chased a single wolf across the muddy grounds. The night before it had rained, soaking the already moist earth with its wetness and causing many puddles to form.
The hills went on for miles, stretching from a small village at the east to a vast forest at the west. The forest was well known for its legend of wolves that walked as men, yet no one ever believed the brash story that men came babbling about in a fit of insanity. The men were hunting the single wolf on belief of this rumor, believing that he had also hunted their precious sheep while they were sleeping.
The wolf was as tired as the horses were becoming, his long strides faltering as his paws slid through the slick mud. He was oddly colored for a wolf, a mask of red fur covering his face and rimming his ears while his thick fur was scattered with reds, blacks, and browns. Mud plastered the fur to his body, showing how skinny and lacking of meat he was. It seemed as if he had been starving himself for days, possibly weeks.
Slate gray clawed paws left bloody prints in the mud, the pads cut and worn from hours of running. Various cuts were scattered across his body, his constant movement only making the blood flow more freely. As he reached an icy cold river rushing with rain water the panting wolf was forced to stop running, pacing quickly in several inches of water. Even if he was in fit shape it would be dangerous for him to attempt to swim across the wide and deep river, it would be suicide to do so now. Whimpering he knew he was cornered, garnet eyes watching as the seven horses with armed men perched upon their backs came closer and closer to him.
One of the leading men rose their crossbow, his arm steady despite his mounts slipping footfalls. Pulling the trigger the bolt went flying towards the pacing wolf, just barely missing its figure as it jumped deeper into the river's pulling waters and to the left. With a feral growl the man loaded another bolt effortlessly, aiming quickly and pulling the trigger. This time the bolt grazed its target, deeply nipping the right shoulder of the wolf.
"You've wounded the monster, Steven. Kill him now before he starts running again, our horses can't take much more of this." A man larger than the others pulled the reins of his large bay mare, effectively pulling the hooved animal to a skidding stop in the mud. He had bright green eyes and messy blond hair, his name Spencer.
"I'll kill him and anymore like his kind, the beast. He will be the example to the rest of his monstrous kind, filthy wolf." Aiming a new bolt Steven pulled the trigger, his dark eyes locking with the garnet eyes of the wolf he was intent on killing, yet as soon as his finger touched the trigger he knew something was off. He saw the shift in the wolf's eyes, and it was too late to react as strong jaws of a pure white wolf locked around his wrist, throwing his aim off.
Yelping as the arrow lodged itself into the meat of his thigh the wolf pacing the river's water jumped back from the intensity of the hit, and though it missed anything vital he was thrown into the rushing waters of the river and pulled under its cold surface. Despite his struggles he could barely keep his head above the water, his weakened state not proving to be much help. His world was soon fading to black.
The white wolf, larger than the one the seven men had been hunting, was now taunting the horses, nipping at their hocks with his sharp teeth and dangerously strong jaws. Icy blue eyes were furious, and the artic wolf didn't come alone it seemed. Rushing to join him were six more wolves, each varying in size and color.
Breaking away from the pack of the wolves, allowing them to chase off the now overly frightened horses, a sleek black wolf raced down the river's bank, trying his best to catch up to the now unconscious wolf that was being carried by the cold waters. He was the fastest of their pack next to their only female, his legs long and body sleekly muscled. As soon as he saw his chance he was leaping into the frigid river water, jaws closing on the scruff of the other wolf's neck. With his laws paws digging into the soft bottom of the river the black wolf hauled both himself and the other out of the water, dropping the limp form onto the muddy bank to shake the wetness out of his thick winter pelt.
"Rei!" The voice came from Kai, the largest of the wolves when he was in wolf form and the leader of them all, as he raced in his human form with the others right behind him towards where the black wolf was standing next to the unconscious unidentified wolf. The others were just behind them, clothed in something simple in which they had grabbed form the bushes when they had shifted back to their human forms. Among them was Tala, Kenny, Lee, Mariah, and Brian. The seven were a pack, a clan that relied on each other since they were mere children.
Coming to a slow stop Kai draped an extra cloak over the black wolf's shoulders just as the form shifted into a human being. Amber eyes danced with worry as they looked down at the other wolf, raven colored bangs plastered to Rei's forehead from having jumped into the river to pulled out the other.
"He's certainly one of us, Kai." Frowning as Tala kneeled down next to him next to the red toned fur masked wolf Rei withdrew his hand from resting upon the soaked fur of the wolf's neck. "He'll survive this attack physically, but there is not telling what kind of mental state he'll be in. Look how thin he is…"
"I doubt he's had anything to eat for several days, weeks maybe. Those men must've been after him for another one of their sheep being killed, but he shows no signs of even consuming a meal; his stomach is completely empty still, minus the good amount of water he probably swallowed on his trip down the river." Rolling the wolf onto his less wounded side Tala yanked out the arrow protruding from the wolf's thigh, immediately placing a hand over the wound to keep it from bleeding too badly. It took but a moment for the body to shift into human form, healing most of the wounds a good deal as the wolf part of the male withdrew into the far reaches of his mind.
"Why, he's no older than we are." The comment was from Kenny as he stooped to get a better look at the male laying unconsciously on the soft mud of the bank. The teen was pale skinned, his slate gray hair shining with its wetness. The natural coloring of his fingernails was a natural darker gray, something as unique as his markings as a wolf were. His ribs were clearly seen, countable at that and the dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn't been sleeping well.
"Who do you think he is? I've never seen him around here before, not even in the village." Peeking cautiously over Kai's shoulder Mariah tried to get herself a better look at the young male on the ground, her rich amber eyes blinking slowly. Stepping up and around the others came Brian, her curiosity peeking as she watched the lavender haired teen kneel down and pick up the limp form from the cold ground.
"We need to get him back to the den before the hunters come back with more people and weapons." Brian wasn't known for speaking very often, though he had a habit of pointing out things that needed to done when times were uneasy and tense. He was a gray and white colored wolf, looking much like Kai except he had hints of brown mixed in with his coat while he was also taller at the shoulders than his leader.
Kai nodded in agreement, taking a moment to think things through before raising his voice so the others could hear it. "I want everyone to meet at the den in an hour. Lee and Mariah, I want you two to carefully move along the forest line and cross at the creek that runs through the hills to make sure those men went all the way back home. Be careful to not get caught, they're bound to send more hunters out before nightfall. Tala, Kenny, and Rei.. I want you to search the forest, make sure that we haven't left anything behind that will lead the hunters to us. Catch something to eat if you can, we'll need to extra meat for when our brother wakes. Brian and I will walk on foot back to the den with the newcomer. Is everyone clear on what's needed to be done?" There was a nod from everyone before they broke apart to go their own ways. Those who shifted back into their wolf forms left clothes for the others to gather and rehide around the same area just incase they were needed again.
Back at the village, a near half an hour later, then group of seven men had returned. In total one of their good horses had died due to the hard ride and the stress from being taunted by wolves. Its throat had been cut, to relieve the animal from the pain it was suffering through. A crossbow had been shattered both from the bone crushing force of the white wolf's jaws when he had leapt at the man again as well as the fall to the ground. The man Steven suffered from a punctured wrist while another would have a permanent limp from having one of the wolves tear at his calf, sharp teeth having dug to scrape against bone. When the wolves hadn't perused them Steven wanted to turn back, but the horses were having none of it.
Stable boys were now caring for the winded, stressed, and frightened horses, brushing their coats down to rid of the sweat that had covered them and giving them cool water to drink after they had calmed down enough. Fresh hay was provided, allowing the animals to lay and rest their weary legs. The village had so few horses, and six out of the nine in total weren't able to be ridden until they were no longer tipsy upon their four long legs.
Tending to the wounded men were healers. They properly washed the wounds, cleaning them before placing a ground mush of herbs over them to keep infection from starting. Fresh white cloth was then wrapped around the wounds, to keep the herbal mush there while also keeping them from bleeding too significantly. The healers chided the men, warning them to just leave the wolves in peace before they irritated the animals enough to bring them to terrorize the city.
As the healers left a younger woman came in, blonde hair and blue eyes giving her a kindly motherly look yet a sternness that kept most men from trying to flirt with her. The man wounded in the leg was in a tonic induced slumber, leaving the woman Judy and the hunter Steven to be inside the wooden healer's shack alone. Wounded or not she was going to make the man listen to her, and hopefully see the logic that she did in his errors.
"You know that the wolf you were chasing didn't kill that sheep, Steven." She was trying to coo him with a gentle tone in her voice, seeing if the man would even listen to her without protesting. However it would seem the Gods were against her today because he opened his mouth to speak, and in response she slapped her hand down upon the tabletop hard, blue eyes growing fierce.
"Don't even give me the line 'What are you talking about woman' because I very well do know what I'm talking about. I may not be an elder in this village, but even they have seeked my counsel because of how knowing I am of the things of the world today. Did you even go to look at the area of land where the sheep was killed?" Leaning her weight upon her hand resting on the table Judy glowered down at the seated Steven.
"I don't need to see the land, you fool. The animal was running away from the sheep's dead body, and that's proof enough for me that he killed it." He was angry now, olive green eyes dark and bitter as they stared up at Judy through messy brown bangs. She held several years over him, but he was a man and saw himself better than women.
"You lazy cow! That ground there was dry as could be, and the whole area is scattered with spots where something has burned holes into the grass and dirt. It even ate through rocks! Are you trying to tell me that some skinny wolf that had no meat upon his bones did that? That the wolf who had been looming about the sheep's pen for days and not touched a hair on any of the animal's heads was the one that shattered the fencing and left massive paw prints in the ground? Steve you've gone mad if you don't see things clearly here, the wolf is innocent." Judy was well beyond angry herself now, very well knowing that her son Max and his friend Emily had even gotten the wolf to come to them, causing the no harm and keeping them from wandering away from the village.
Going red in the face Steven stood up from his chair, near growling at the shorter woman in front of him. "Lazy cow! Who are you to call me lazy? You do not hunt for food, you to not protect this village, and you do not keep this place from being nothing but a dirty place where people steal from one another and commit unsayable crimes to others. You need to know when to hold your tongue, woman!" Drawing his hand back, readying to strike Judy as she stepped back, he found his injured wrist being grasped and held from moving forward by a decently large hand of a man.
"You, Sir, should hold your own tongue and learn that hitting a woman is a crime in my eyes. Touch her and you will be punished under my laws, do you understand..?" The man spoke calmly and clearly, a soft latin accent lining each word that slipped from his lips. It was hard to tell when in the argument he had entered the healer's shack, because despite his stocky and tall frame he hadn't made a sound.
"And who are you to tell me what I can and can not do in my own village? I am ruler here, not some new comer to these lands." Steven hissed these words through his teeth, pulling his injured wrist back to him as the man released it from his strong grip that had looked very well effortless.
"On the contrary Sir, this is not your own village. The elders have agrees to let me rule over them and provide whatever aid they might need, so now this is my village meaning I have every say so to do as I please as long as it be by the laws put forth by my kingdom. I do suggest you leave.. To rest yourself." The man stated this all evenly, not sounded prided or greedy about the addition to his growing kingdom.
Steven merely gave both of the two a deep withering glare before tromping out of the healer's shack and slamming the door shut behind him. His muttering could be heard as he walked behind the shack and to his own small home down the dirt pathway a good distance. He was swearing something, cursing rather vibrantly before his voice faded off from the ears of those in the shack.
""Well, that was certainly an argument that I only caught the tail end of. What were you two going on about anyways?" Turning his blue eyes to Judy the stranger smiled, pulling out a seat at the table for her before actually taking a seat himself in a chair across from hers. His dark brown hair was shorter than Steven's was, and though he was thick framed with lean muscle he still carried himself lightly, explaining why Judy hadn't heard him come in in the first place.
Judy gave a chuckle, smoothing her white linen shift and dress out before settling down to tell the whole story. She had never seen the royal man that the elders had spoke to her about, but they seemed to have lacked to tell her that he was coming to visit that and he was still quite young. "You see," she started slowly. "Our sheep are very important here, and when one is killed the men usually hunt down the animal who has killed it. Lately there has been a wolf hanging about here, oddly very friendly yet still rather skittish. My son Max and his friend Emily even got the animal let them touch it, and he had never once bit or growled at them. This morning a sheep was killed, and Steven automatically thought that the wolf killed it."
"But you think differently, and frankly so do I. Wolves do not just go around killing men's sheep unless they are mad in the head or their supply of food has been cut off. There is plenty of game around here, so there is no real reason for the wolf to kill one of your flock. The elders even took me down to the sight, actually." Pausing to scratch thoughtfully at his chin the man gave a light hum before shaking his head slowly. "No.. The wolf didn't kill the sheep, it's impossible that it did really. A wolf doesn't leave near nothing behind unless the animal is dragged off, and in this case it wasn't. The paw prints in the area are also too large to be a wolf's, not even a large dog. There is also those singed areas in the ground, like something has burned away holes into the earth. I'd have to check with the people I have working for me back at my castle, but I think we have a magical creature on our hands.. But only one sheep.. That's so unusual, as usually the magical creatures who kill like that devastate entire villages."
"What about the legends that go about this area? The ones where the wolves walk as men and can shift at will? Do they really exist, or is it just rumor that's been floating about to scare people?" Curious now Judy yearned for information, just as she had done as a child. Anything she didn't know about she wanted to learn, which made her something of a scholar among the people of the village she lived in.
"I really couldn't answer that, but it's possibly. It's said that they prefer to live with their own kind in a pack where no one will find them, yet close enough to society that they can get news of things that are happening about their lands. For them it is not uncommon for their mates to be male, and in fact there is supposed to be some ritual that they go through to be connected to their mate for life. If one dies the other dies of grief and loneliness not too long later." With a friendly smile the man lapsed into what he knew about the wolf-people, very well wishing to satisfy the hunger for knowledge that the woman in front of him had.
"The legends tell them to be very loyal beings, but they can be very fierce when needed. They are very good fighters, it's said, and will often die to save another being, whether it be their own kind or not, if they were partial to them. It's said they are supposed to be gentle lovers of nature, family, and to their mate." With a sudden idea the man gave a toothy smile, flashing his white teeth as his blue eyes danced. "When I return my castle I will have my scholars dig up information for you, and I'll have someone bring it to you so you can read up on the legends yourself."
Judy's blue eyes widened at the offer, more stunned than anything. "You would do this for me?" she questioned, as if trying to make sure she wasn't hearing things. "You'd have someone bring me information? Such a wonderful man you are! Yet where are my manners.. My name is Judy Tate, but please just call me Judy. Miss or Lady Tate makes me feel so ..old."
A hearty chuckle was drawn out from the man's lips, blue eyes dancing in amusement at the words spoken. "Such a rare type of woman you are, so outspoken yet still so kind and thriving for knowledge. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you, Judy. You may call me Mathias, but most know me as King Mathias Cernai II. I shall indeed be sending you information, as one day you'll be a wonderful woman of knowledge and the perfect confidant."
"You flattering man!" cried Judy before she fell into a gentle and friendly laugh to show she really did not mind the comments or compliments. "I do believe you will make a wonderful king; walking among your own people! Never before has one did this, as they thought themselves too high and mighty to walk among their own people. I shall wish you the best, and I thank you very kindly Mathias. I, however, need to go find my son Max before he goes and gets into trouble with Emily. Good day." With that Judy rose from her chair, smiling towards Mathias before stepping outside and calling for her son.
"You would make a wonderful queen, but with a child already I can only assume that you are already mated with another man. I now can only wish you well and aid you and your people as I can, dear Judy." These words were spoken after the woman left, and after a moments time the king followed behind to gather up his horse and things before heading out for the long ride back to his castle; a glorious stone structure that was still being worked upon.
"When do you think he'll wake up Kenny?" questioned Mariah softly as she stuck her head into the pitched up tent just near the pack's camp area. She'd taken the liberty of returning to camp early to get a fire going and some food cooking, though she had also pitched the tent and lined the bottom of it with warm furs from animals the pack had killed and ate. Nothing was ever wasted.
"It's hard telling, but maybe not for days. Yet then again he might wake up in a few hours at the least. It all really depends on him rather than us. I'm sure his body understands that he isn't in any danger," explained Kenny as he gestured to the sleeping male in the bundle of furs on the floor of the tent. "But.. His mind not understand that he isn't, meaning he isn't getting a very restful sleep either way. I think it's critical that we just let him wake when he wakes, and when her does so not bother him with so many questions."
"Kai will keep the others away, we both know this already. Poor Rei, though. I can't believe he went into that river after this boy! He could've gotten himself killed, or have been swept away from everyone so many miles down the riverbank where it would take forever to get back to where he started." The concerned look on Mariah's face made Kenny smile, and though she was complaining it was for the right reasons.
"But that didn't happen. Rei knew what he was doing, he always does. Unlike some of us he doesn't jump in head first into things without knowing the consequences. Come now," requested Kenny as he rose to his feet and pushed back the flap of the tent, gesturing with his hand towards the others that surrounded the campfire. "We should let him rest without us hovering over him. Besides, Kai needs my report on how band the damage really is."
Brushing herself off as she followed Kenny out of the tent Mariah found her way over to Lee, settling herself in his arms as her amber eyes watched Kenny and Kai over the flames of the fire. "Do you think the kid is as bad as it looks, Lee? Those hunters.. It's hard to tell how long they had been chasing him, but the poor man was so frantic.."
"Don't worry about it, Mariah. Kenny can help, whatever the wounds may be. There is no doubt the kid is one of us, but we don't know his temperament. If he's gone mad then we're going to have to kill him, for our safety and others. We could always use another pack member, though," hummed Lee as he wrapped his arms more tightly around Mariah to ward off the cold of the night.
Though the night was cool there weren't any clouds in the sky, leaning the waning moon and the glimmering starts to be clearly visible in the darkened sky. Tracks had been covered and clothes rehide in the brush so that the pack may use them another time. The hinter's path had been followed back to the village, and after hours of waiting to make sure that they weren't going to go back out on the hunt the wolves had returned back to their home deep in the woods.
They were all grateful when they had found their campsite clean and tidy with the pent pitched and the fire already burning brightly. Mariah had been well rewarded for this act; a bigger portion of the meat that was in the stew prepared for the meal that night. Not far from the campsite was a large cave, and despite the fact it was colder out the pack had decided with the night being clear they would sleep under the stars comfortably instead of in the stuffy cave that they had made their home so long ago.
The others watched on as Kenny spoke with Kai and Rei, taking in the expressions made and the gestures given with the hands and body. They were all curious, but they also all knew the routine very well despite the fact very few people happened upon them and their home. It was the way things had to be, the way Kai set them, and the clear understanding that Kai was indeed the alpha over them all.
"What do you think , Kenny? There is no doubt he's one of our kind, but there is certainly something off about him…especially about his scent. The way he smelled.. I can't really explain it, but it was the strangest thing I've encountered before. Even though his fear was so strong the scent that followed him was still unusually stronger. Can you explain this?" Leaning forward with his elbows on his knee and his chin held up upon his entwined hands Kai looked indeed thoughtful and perturbed. He wasn't sure what to make of this new arrival.
"I wish I could explain it Kai, but I'm afraid I can't. In fact after having washed him down with warmer water to keep him from getting sick the scent was gone, completely. It was almost as if something was tainting his scent, or at least soaked into his flesh." Sitting back slightly Kenny took a moment to take in both Kai and Rei, both who were paying close attention to what he had just said. On a lighter note he continued to answer the first question he had been asked. "He's not as badly off as we thought he was, but he does need to be carefully watched so that he gets the food he needs and meat back upon his frame. Most things have been healed wound-wise, but where he was hit with the crossbow bolt there is still an open wound there, though much smaller."
Nodding Kai closed his crimson eyes to think to himself in silence, taking comfort in the presence of Rei resting against his side, chin now resting upon his shoulder. "Make sure he gets what care he needs," responded Kai finally. "He's one of us, and if he so wishes he can stay with us as a part of our family, but something tells me he knew we were there to begin with.. I want to know why he didn't come to us."
"Like Brian," said Rei softly, "he might be more of a loner and not want to join us.. Or he could be like Tala, distant but still wanting to join yet not really knowing how to approach it. Only time will tell, but we need to support whatever his decision is in the long run. If he believes we're going to go after him for the wrong choice he might make.. Then that could be our downfall in the long run."
"You're right, as you usually are Rei. I still would like to go to the village though and speak with that woman Judy there. She's always been welcoming when we show up at the village, and maybe now she might have some more insight on what actually happened or what's going on. We don't need hunters after us again," stated Kai darkly, very well remembering the last time hunters were after his family.
We'll go to Judy then, but not now. Things need to settle, and we need to help our brother along his road of healing. If he does choose to not join us then we must at least make him stay until he's healthy and able to live on his own," comment Kenny as he rose from his spot, brushing himself off before turning away from the two to make his way over to Tala without so much as another word or waiting for a response.
"Kenny is right, you know. We should take care of our newly found brother before making any drastic decision or act. Leaving him in charge of things concerning the health of the other is probably the best thing to do right now; he's always been able to nurse everyone back into perfect health. And," yawned Rei as he gave a mighty stretch before sprawling his form out on a bed of grass and leaves, "we need to go hunting tomorrow morning, just before the dew disappears."
"Again..? But we've just gone hunting a few days ago and brought down a few hares and a good sized buck, not to mention I told the others to try to catch something," questioned Kai as he rose from his seat and settled himself beside Rei, smiling as the his mate curled up against his body almost what seemed automatically. What he would've done without the tell male was beyond him, but he knew he'd never let go, couldn't let go for fear of insanity and madness.
"We have another mouth to feed, and the rest of our supplies are starting to dwindle away. In a few weeks we should restock, maybe then we go to see Judy. She always gets us good deals, doesn't even ask questions." Rei suddenly grew serious though, brow furrowing lightly. "That hunter is going to be a pain, though… He didn't like us there last time nor the time before that. It's a wonder he hasn't done anything to harm us yet, the brute."
"Don't worry about him; he's no worry to us anymore. We protect each other; the pack. Even just one of us could take him down if we so wished to." Wrapping and arm around Rei the leader of the pack proceeded to give a low, calming rumble at the back of his throat. "Just sleep…We'll hunt before sunrise."