Chapter 11
Newcomer
Kavik awoke in the early hours of that same morning and yawned, his eyelids fluttering back to expose the faded blue orbs concealed beneath as he did so. He stared out at the rising plume of orangey red that was the slowly assenting sun spreading its fingertips of warmth over the land as it climbed the ladder of the sky. He blinked, turned his head to the right – the sun was just too bright to look at this early and besides it hurt his eyes like no tomorrow – and then froze. In spite of having just awoken, he was suddenly the most wide-awake wolf on the planet, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as he stared at the face of the animal lying almost on top of him.
Lakota lay on her side, her head having gently slipped from its perch atop his own either at some point during the night, or just now when he'd first stirred and then awoken to be blinded by the day's approaching light. One of her large yet delicate paws was draped over his side and he pushed it gently away with the tip of his nose, trying not to rouse her.
Had the light only a bit stronger, he would've stopped to marvel at her beauty, for she was beautiful, the most voluptuous creature he'd ever laid eyes upon. Now, however, all he was concerned about was getting outside and down to the small brook that ran into and through the central clearing to tend to his wounds, thereby making himself acceptable for Roland's address later that morning. Catching some grub for both himself and the other occupants of his temporary residence wouldn't be a bad idea either, come to think of it, and he promised himself that, should the opportunity present itself, he would not pass it up.
With utmost care, he gently slipped out from under Lakota, going slow and making no sudden moves in an attempt to allow her to sleep on – god knew how she needed it. He finally managed to gain his feet, his muscles and injuries moaning and groaning as he did. Turning to the entrance of the cave, he somehow managed to half-limp, half-stumble over the rest to come into contact with the strangely cool air. He sniffed the fragrant breeze. Something was up…Why did it feel like spring when he knew couldn't possibly be that warm…?
Shaking his head, deciding to leave such matters for later consideration, he stretched and nearly fell; his leg injury throbbed and the pain flared up once more and he clenched his jaws together until his muscles ceased their agonized howl. Even then he was forced to suppress the groan of delayed agony that wanted to come spilling from his mouth. No, wouldn't do for him to wake the rest in such a fashion, wouldn't do at all. He to somehow dealt with the pain and began to limp down the long sloping path that led to the clearing, wincing at every step. He told himself that the twinge he felt was nothing; he was just sore. Yeah, sore. Right. Just keep telling yourself that. And for a while it worked. But, by the time he reached his destination, his head had begun to pound with the steady, rhythmic pulse of his throbbing body. It was all he could do to even keep upright, let alone put one paw in front of the other. After a period where his pained limb reigned supreme and blotted all the rest out – a time that seemed to last for years and years, though it had really only been five minutes – he came to the bottom of the last incline and began to pad slowly over to towards the steady babble of brook. Finally, when he thought he could stand it no longer, he gained the stream…and by God, wouldn't you know it, he tripped over a rock and went sprawling.
He let out a short yelp of panic and tried to prepare his body for the jarring double-edged effect of that frigid water soaking first his fur and then his skin, adding cold to his now blazing pain. Oh, man…yes, this was going to suck something awful, you bet! His eyes squeezed shut…and then flew open with a slight gasp as, contrary to his expectations of what he was sure would feel like liquid ice, he felt his fur being soaked in surprising warm water. In truth, it actually felt pretty good. Hell, scratch that; it felt heavenly. "Thank you…God," he sighed as he pushed himself into a sitting position with great difficulty, letting the water runoff worm its way down along his back like long balmy threads. As he dipped his muzzle into the blessedly warm water again and preceded to clean all the wounds he could reach, he surmised that, judging from the temperature, the stream must've been made from the melted snow runoff from the mountains as it tricked down to the valley below.
Needless to say, where the water came from hardly mattered to Kavik; all that mattered to him at this moment was enjoying this feeling of peaceful serenity as the warm water cleansed and sanitized his cuts and gashes – not to mention silencing his aggravated muscles. So, it can come as almost no surprise whatsoever that, being engrossed as was in his ritualistic healing process, Kavik failed notice the small group of wolves until they came padding into the clearing…
However, this in not to say that they took the same amount of notice of him as he did of them, oh no never think it. They all froze immediately and for a space of perhaps ten seconds, only stared at him with cold eyes. On the other hand, while it would be true to say Kavik may've been occupied to a large degree by his pain, it did not mean that his instincts – which had been honed to razor blades in the wilds of Alaska – were dulled in any way. His head snapped up, instantly focusing on the leader, eyes hardening the slightest bit. He liked neither the feeling nor the looks he was getting from the small party. 'I'm not getting a good felling about this,' he thought and felt a twinge of unease. 'Nope. Not good at all...'
They were a small group consisting of only five or six and had obviously just come back to report a successful night's hunt, for they stank of fresh blood and there were traces of meat hanging from the mouths of one or two. One was black, another two brown and one other was beige, but the fifth…he was a pale gray, an odd color for a wolf, even in these parts. While his color may've seemed odd, what struck Kavik the most about this wolf wasn't his looks or his aura of bad-temperament; it was his size.
The other three were all pretty average when you got right down to it – he towered over them by at least eight or nine inches – and he could sense a trace of fearful respect in them, as was only natural; he was larger and therefore their superior. But the last easily stood three feet tall and probably a little more. The gray wolf was almost his equal in size and just this in itself was amazing. It should not come as any surprise to us that Kavik – whom, you must bear in mind, was himself just an inch or so under three and a half feet tall and so being was as rare as they come among his kind – was blown away by the possibility that there was another so close to his physical status.
Oh sure, there was Roland and his offspring who were all very large for wolves but Kavik had long ago learned of the link connecting him to his lupine friend. Both their mothers had belonged to the same pack, except that it had been made up almost entirely of Great Wolves. It was – or had been – the last remaining pack of his true ancestors, his true kin, in the north. Then, humans had come – as they inevitably always did and nothing you did could ever change that as he himself learned the hard way many, many years later – and the pack had been forced to scatter like mice before cats, never to be reunited again. His own mother Aniu had been but a year and a half old and was, sadly, separated from all of her family save two; her mother Sophie and Roland's own mother, a beautiful pitch black female named Amara. The two females had been…no, were the last of their kind and had stayed together as long as possible…but the Great Spirit hadn't been with them one fateful day during a nasty encounter with a group of hunters and they had been forced to split up, leaving Aniu with only her mother for guidance. Kavik had heard this story from Roland himself years ago after they had first met and had been pleased to know that there was a small smoldering roach of hope for his dwindling kind…
He shook his head slightly, cursing himself. It hurt a bit and he felt a momentary dizziness, but he did it anyway; it cleared his head of all those troublesome thoughts about the past, and it wasn't the past that should be most concerning him now, it was the present and immediate future! Based on Roland's tale, Kavik guessed that the gray wolf must've been one of the offspring of one of those who – like his own mother – had eluded the humans and lived on. But all that was by-the-by, and the reality of it was that Kavik didn't much care where this wolf had come from, for the gray beast began to move forward and Kavik could smell the reek of disgust and suspicion pouring from him with every step he advanced. He noticed with an inward twinge of alarm that his carefully controlled features did not suggest, that the rest of the hunting party seemed to have taken this as a sort of signal from their 'leader' and were beginning to follow in his wake. Kavik swallowed. The situation seemed to be getting worse and worse by the moment….
The wolf continued to stalk forward, paws crunching in the snow, the sounds amplified by the silence of the early morning. Kavik would've also stridden forward to meet him, but was prevented from doing so by the pain raging through his exhausted body. Finally, the monstrous lupine halted, and fixed his eyes with Kavik's…and the white hybrid found himself somewhat startled by their color. The left was the dull gold of over-ripe tree sap whilst the right appeared to be the color of…blood. A blood so dark, that it was almost black. Heart's Blood in other words… They looked at each other, and as they glared piercingly into the other's face, Kavik saw that the wolf's eyes had almost no reflective property, as if they displayed a soul so dark, so corrupted by dark desires, that it gave him the glassy-eyed expression one often sees in the eyes of the newly deceased.
The wolf seemed to be studying him not as a threat, but as one studies an annoying insect that can be squished at any time. This is not to say that Kavik was intimidated, even to the slightest degree. It bears repeating that he was normally a very kind and gentle soul, and would not, under other circumstances, have answered aggression with aggression. But, though he was only a few years into adulthood, life as a lone wolf in the wild had taught him much, and he was wise beyond his years, and he knew what sort of creature this wolf was at a glance and could've told you that words would do no good with one such as him. Pain was the only thing that could get through to his kind. And so, Kavik returned the stare, his own eyes narrowing in likewise suspicion. His normally soft and loving expression turned to one of grim determination mixed with a flash of warning. His eyes blazed as if with blue flame, yet remained as sharp and hard as frozen steel or the polar ice caps.
Suddenly, his adversary's scowl of distaste was replaced with the flicker of a smile. "What's your name, mutt?" he sneered, voice dripping with all too obvious disgust that he made no attempt to mask.
Kavik felt a growl trying to rise in his throat and fought to keep it at bay, but was only marginally successful as he replied, "My name is Kavik, first-born kin to Aniu and Loki." He was surprised to feel himself practically trembling with rage. What was it about this wolf that made him feel so angry…? "And, what may I ask, is yours?" he added, slipping in his own slight edge of amused disgust into his voice.
The wolf merely continued to smile, though his eyes flashed as with mirth as he let out a slight chuckle and replied, "Not that it's any of your concern, trespassing dog, but I am Juji, son of Nikita and Cujo." He sniffed the air in front of Kavik's nose and then seemed to recoil slightly, snout wrinkling as though he were about to vomit. "Ah…I see. You speak the truth; you are his son. After all, who could ever forget that half-breed's stench?" He sneered and Kavik his face grow slightly warm with suppressed rage. "You dare call yourself a wolf? You reek of those disgusting creatures that make it their duty to crawl on their bellies before the humans…." His sneer morphed into a sly smile of contempt. "You're no better than a dog…"
This time, it was Kavik's turn flash, not with mirth, but with a species of almost uncontrollable fury. "I would watch your tongue when you speak of those whose blood runs though me, Juji, son of Cujo," he retorted, his voice trembling, so great was his resentment at hearing his father addressed in such a manner. He felt his hackles begin to rise yet paid no heed; his whole attention was focused upon keeping his temper under control. "Or of my own self for that matter…for I have no quarrel with you or your mates."
"Oh really?" Juji growled in return, his own hackles now rising. "And why, pray tell, should I take orders from one such as you, a cowardly mutt who has the nerve to sneak into our land and think he has the right to our recourses?"
"Because," Kavik said through clenched teeth, "I arrived here late last night, in the company of your Alpha, Roland, son of Virgil, and his daughter, Lakota, and am here as her father's honored guest and good friend." He had hoped the mention of his Alpha's name would give Juji second thoughts about whatever he was obviously planning, but realized almost at once that his words had fallen upon deaf ears; Juji did not so much as twitch a single whisker.
In any case, Juji continued on smoothly as though he hadn't heard, although his eyes gave a flicker of his own warning sign. "I knew your mother Aniu, Kavik," he said, letting the second name spew from his mouth as though propelled by vomit. He suddenly grinned and it made him look, for lack of a better word, quite insane. "Oh, she was a real looker she was, and she knew how to do the most exquisitely dirty things late at night…" He chuckled, and the rest joined in. "…The things that bitch could do with her mouth to your c – "
"Shut up." Kavik suddenly snarled in a tone that was low and deadly and trembled in fury. He threw caution to the wind. Hang the consequences as well! He knew this was the sort of reaction Juji had been hoping for, but he would die before allowing this scumbag to degrade his mother, his own mother Aniu–who was known widely for her undying devotion to his father, Loki (she'd even followed him into exile)–with such filthy and slanderous lies! "Don't you dare say another word about her, you sick bastard!" He felt as if he would simply explode! An emotion so great that even the word 'hatred' did not do it justice billowed from his every pore and his lips writhed as he snarled like a rabid animal.
"Oh my, it looks like someone's got quite a temper…" Juji remarked blithely to the others, who were now looking a trifle nervous, despite the fact that they outnumbered him 8 to 1. "I thought you knew all about your dear, sweet slut of a – "
"I'm warning you," Kavik interrupted him, eyes blazing like hot coals. "One more word – "
"And you'll what, Kavik?" Juji interrupted him, his own tone abruptly matching Kavik's own, his own eyes flaring with the anticipation of what he knew he could drive Kavik into doing. It was quite clear he was looking forward to combat. "What'll you do if I – "
"…If you don't shut your ugly – " (here Kavik used two or three words his mother or indeed even his foster parents had never dreamed of telling him and nor did he want to think about what their reaction to his sinking to the level of using such language would've been) " – mouth right now and walk away, so help me God…I'll kill you." This last was spoken in a voice so low that it could almost have been classified as a whisper…except that it was a thousand times more unnerving and more terrible than any raw shout ever could've been.
"You'll kill me?" Juji inquired in an equally low and deadly tone, as though he doubted or hadn't taken the threat seriously. "Do you honesty think that I'd let the son of such a dishonorable cur and his whore of a mate even – " But just exactly what Juji wouldn't allow Kavik to do nobody ever found out, for at that very instant, Juji had gone too far. He'd pushed the hybrid's last button.
Kavik could no longer hold himself back and he discovered with a slight surprise that he no longer wanted to. Even if he had, there would've been no point in trying, for he had reached the outermost limits of his restraint and couldn't take it any longer. The rage and bloodlust roiling within him could no longer be contained; he had to act. Words were of no more use here. Without a snarl, a bark, or even so much as a growl, he suddenly sprang for the other's throat, his pain forgotten, as was that morning's previous feelings of exhaustion. He had never felt such a blind hatred as he now did for Juji and he felt a red mist begin to cloud his mind.
Juji, obviously not quite prepared for this, tried to roll with the blow and nearly succeeded all the way, though Kavik's fang's still ripped deep into his shoulder and dark blood spurted out, staining the white snow a deep crimson. Juji spun back to face his opponent, snarling, his eyes blazing as if with the very fires of Hell itself. He quickly tried to counter with a strike to Kavik's injured flank, but only managed to tear a long, shallow gouge across the other's back.
Kavik grimaced as he felt Juji's teeth slice into his unprotected back, and swung round, snapping at his enemy's momentarily unguarded left foreleg. Juji tried to flit out of harm's way but wasn't quick enough and Kavik's jaws locked around the limb like a steel vice and, before the gray wolf sank his own teeth into Kavik's own shoulder, twisted it viscously to the right. Each let out a yelp of pain that was muffled by whatever pieces of each other they had a hold of and both instinctively released their grip.
Juji leaped away, muzzle stained with Kavik's blood, his shoulder deeply torn and soaking the fur around it with blood. He breathed an inward sigh of relief; the mutt hadn't managed to break his leg entirely, for his angle of attack had been awkward to begin with. Still…it was a near miss. Juji allowed himself a slight smile. He'd almost given up hope of finding someone like this…and now here was this wolf/dog Kavik. He was a worthy opponent all right…
But Juji felt as though he'd had enough fun for the day. It was time to get this over with. He signaled the others and before Kavik had time to react, he suddenly found himself beset by three different pairs of fangs. Smiling in triumph, Juji swiftly attempted to strike for Kavik's exposed throat. It was all over…
Or so he thought.
Kavik cringed and was helpless to suppress a few yelps of pain as he felt the teeth of his adversaries' rip into him. One went for his forelegs, another for his right shoulder, and the last buried his teeth in Kavik's already ripped back and untouched right side. He swung his head to the right, smashing his skull against the brown wolf clinging to his shoulder, stunning him. His head flared in pain but he did his best to ignore it and sank his teeth into the stunned wolf's face, driving them clean to the bone. The wolf yelped and slashed franticly at him, ripping into Kavik's own face. They were trying to knock him off his feet and if they succeeded, any chance for victory–or survival–would be lost. Then, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Juji–the lowly coward–spring for his unprotected throat.
As it was, with a wolf tearing at his back, another at his leg and one more occupying his jagged maw, Kavik was ill disposed to successfully fend off his gray nemesis. So, in desperation, he did the only thing left; he swung his head around, wrenching the brown wolf whose face his still held in his jaws away from his shoulder and flung him bodily into Juji's face – tearing out a good chunk of the brown lupine's cheek as well as most of his ear as he did so. Thankfully, the wolf was smaller and lighter than he was so the action did not require as much effort.
Unfortunately, this rash action invariably caused him to loose his balance, and he toppled over with a cry of dismay. He felt a primal sort of joy as the other black wolf who had been latched onto his back, himself gave a yelp of dismayed pain and surprise, having been crushed and pinned by Kavik's superior weight and size. Hearing his comrade's cry, caused a second's hesitation in the other's attacks, and it was all the opening Kavik would ever need.
Snapping his head downwards to his right, he sank his teeth into the black wolf assaulting his foreleg at the base of the neck, ripped him free with a roar of effort – his awkward position made the movement all the more strenuous – and repeated the same tactic as before, hurling him into the advancing Juji, effectively stunning him just enough to administer a few brutal bites and gouges from his rear legs to the one attempting to free himself from under Kavik's bulk. Free of all that dead weight, Kavik jumped to his feet just in time to meet Juji head on.
The other three watched, lying in their own respective pools of spreading blood as the two titans clashed and battled with one another. They were awe-struck by the scene unfolding before their eyes – as were a good many others who had been roused hastily from their sleep by the din they'd made with their fight. Never had any of them a more ferocious or brutal confrontation; Juji and Kavik hacked and slashed at one anther, bit and tore and each attempted any number of tricks and maneuvers…the only difference was that Kavik tried to fight with honor and dignity whilst it was all too clear that Juji was willing to resort to any means to achieve victory, no matter how such low-leveled attempts were looked down upon. He threw dirt, went for Kavik's tail, and even once tried to go for his eyes.
At last, Kavik managed a lucky snap to his already injured foreleg, causing Juji to trip himself up. Juji landed flat on his back, an appeasing move if there ever was one. For a moment, he glared up at Kavik as though daring him to do it…yet, Kavik held back.
"What's…the matter…Kavik?" Juji asked in a maddeningly mocking tone, grinning wildly. "Can't you…do it?" He voiced a brief chuckle of disgusted pity. "Pity…your father…ain't here…to see what a…coward his son is…" He taunted.
But Kavik, who, unlike Juji, was not a cold-blooded killer at heart, and took no pleasure in ending the lives of others without just and credible cause, made no attempt to strike; it was not in his nature to sink so low as to deliver a finishing blow to one of his kind when they were down, not in a fair fight, anyway. But this had long ago ceased to be a fair fight so…
No…no, he would not be baited, and certainly not by the likes of this mutt. Not twice by the same despicable wolf. "My father," he said, between gasps for breath, "wouldn't…approve…and neither would…my mother…or…my sister for that matter." He said. And then, he did something very unusual, even suicidal; he stood up, drawing himself to his fullest height…and turned his back on the very wolf that had tried to kill him and had even sunk to new levels in the attempt. Kavik knew he would've gained neither honor nor respect in taking the life of such a creature…besides, if he did, he'd probably catch something really nasty from having bitten him…
The rest looked on in wonder; never had they seen any beast nobler – or, in the eyes of a few, more foolish – than the one who now half staggered over to the stream once more to return to his task before he had been so rudely interrupted. A few who had known his mother and father felt tears spring to their eyes at the thought of what Aniu and Loki would've said were they among them to witness their son's actions. Suddenly a cry of outraged alarm went up, for Juji suddenly sprung to his paws and set upon the tenderhearted wolf/dog's unsuspecting back. Kavik cried out in surprise and pain as he felt Juji's claws and fangs sink into the torn flesh once again. He felt the strength run out of his legs and he collapsed, falling face-first into the bloodied snow. He squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to brace himself for the fresh wave of agony as Juji ripped into his unprotected back once more. Once, twice, three times Juji hacked and slashed into his back. Luckily, the gray wolf was just as exhausted as his prey, and therefore, was unable to deal much life threatening damage to that particular wound. Juji spat out a mouthful of blood and leaned down, jamming his bloodied snout into Kavik's ear.
"Shoulda' taken me when you had the chance, Kavik." Juji sneered in his ear. Kavk watched their reflections in a tiny pool of water from the stream as Juji raised a paw to deliver the final blow. He watched as the claws flexed and the paw curled and was surprised when, instead of the wave fear and shame he would've expected to feel had he been about to be slaughtered as he now apparently was his fate, he felt only a surge of guilt at the sorrow his death would no doubt induce within Roland and his family…especially Lakota, who was as kind and loving as she was attractive. He puzzled over this last revelation, but his curiosity was interrupted as Juji went on. "Really, I marvel at your stupidity. I mean, what kind of dumb shit would walk away from an opportunity like that?" he inquired, punctuating the curse with a gob of mucus that he launched into Kavik's face. "I, on the other hand, won't be so – " He was interrupted by a suddenly loud and imperious voice, one that boomed through the clearing to reverberate off the valley's slopes.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, JUJI?" The voice was so powerful in its obvious rage and outright shock that Kavik felt a chill run down his spine and was not at all surprised when he both saw and felt the way Juji's own body shook with fear. Whoever it was, their temper was both larger and more malignant than the two of them combined at their most volatile levels of aggression.
Kavik felt the weight slowly slide from his back and at first, could do nothing but lie there, hardly daring to believe how close he had come to being killed. After a few labored breaths and sip of water from the stream, he attempted to push himself into a sitting position. It hurt like you wouldn't believe but he somehow managed it, despite the blaze of pain that rippled throughout his torn back. He glanced at himself in the pool and grimaced at the ghastly reflection he cast; he was bleeding from over a dozen different wounds and his left ear seemed to have been badly ripped in addition to the indescribable signals being sent to his brain from his battered body. Tearing his gaze from the reflection, he looked upwards to see to whom that God-like voice belonged…and saw Roland, standing on the edge of the cliff that served as the exit for the his family's den.
And he looked furious.
No, Kavik decided. It would be better if he did only look furious; the emotion Kavik really did see burning in his friend's face was something like livid rage, fury and sadness all mixed together to create one of the most startling and awe-inspiring continuances Kavik had ever seen.
He came slowly down from his perch, sending wolves scurrying backwards a few steps so as not to obstruct his path. Four more followed him, but Kavik had no eyes for them; he was fixated upon Roland, who no longer looked a day older than he himself was. In his current state, the Alpha seemed to be a hundred times bigger that he normally was. Finally, Roland reached the clearing and even Juji, cocky and somewhat foolish though he was, had his head and ears submissively lowered as a sign of fearful respect. Kavik too, had assumed this position, though in truth, he did not realize it until his back – which could not support such a posture – suddenly cramped and he was forced to sit straight up with a strangled groaning cry of pain.
No one said a word. All were silent. No one even dared to breathe as Roland repeated; "Well, let's have it, Juji! What's going on? Why have you, the son of one of my closest and oldest friends, taken it upon yourself to attack this wolf?"
"Well…you see Roland, it's not my fault! I didn't even growl at him and he just jumped – " Juji began but was silenced with a yelp of pain as Roland's paw, faster than blue blazes, whipped out and smashed against his wounded cheek.
"I ASKED FOR AN EXPLINATION," he roared, and Kavik was helpless not to let out an involuntary whine, "NOT A LIE NOR AN EXCUSE!" He glared at Juji. "Do not make the mistake of taking me for a fool, Son of Cujo, for I know for a fact that Kavik was injured far to grievously to do any 'unprovoked springing' as you say!"And when it seemed that the gray wolf would not – or more likely, could not – speak, Roland turned and padded over to Kavik.
Kavik himself instinctively lowered his head submissively, not daring to do otherwise despite the fact that his forelegs began to tremble from the effort. He kept his eyes locked on the ground in front of him, unable to look his old friend in the face. He waited for Roland to begin shouting at him as well – he might even disserve it – but…he never did. Instead, the black wolf placed a gentle paw under Kavik's bloodstained muzzle and slowly but surely forced Kavik to look him in the face. And Kavik saw that tears were coursing down the older wolf's cheeks as he asked; "Kavik…Oh, dear friend…Since the other cannot or will not speak to me, will you tell me what happened out here? And why you and he were engaged in an unnecessarily brutal conflict?"
"I…I came down here, maybe fifteen minutes ago to clean myself up and tend to my wounds in the stream…I wanted to be…presentable to the clan." Kavik said, uncomfortably aware that every pair of eyes was resting upon him. "I witnessed…a group of wolves coming out of the forest and assumed they were returning from the night's hunt."
"And were they successful, do you think?" Roland asked him mildly, a note of polite interest in his tone and raised eyebrows.
This was such an exact opposite of any question that he had been expecting to hear that Kavik blurted out; "Yes. I…I could see and smell blood about them." Roland nodded and made a twirling motion with his paw, as if indicating that Kavik should go on with the tale. "He, Juji I mean, came over and we stared at each other for a while…" Kavik paused searching for the right words to describe the feelings flowing between them. "I got the feeling…that he didn't care much for me."
"Ah, and how did you know this?" Roland asked.
"I…I could smell it," Kavik replied, "It was like…he hated me, no, like he loathed me."
"I see," Roland replied thoughtfully, seeming to reflect deeply upon this. After a moment or two, he said. "Go on. What happened next?"
"He asked me who I was. I told him my name was Kavik and that I was the first-born son of Aniu and Loki and then I asked for his name and he told me he was Juji, son of Nikita and Cujo." Kavik's eyes and voice hardened as his next words ground out between clenched teeth. "And then he called me a 'trespassing dog' and said something about how I smelled like my father, Loki and how it wasn't easy to forget a stench like that…"
"That isn't tr– " Juji began, but Roland swiftly overrode him, shouting; "SILENCE! I will hear your version in a moment, but not before I've given Kavik a chance to recall his own!"
"You can't –" Juji started, beginning what Kavik thought would've been a sentence only an absolute retard would utter. Saying, 'You can't do that' to the Alpha was like signing your own death warrant. In any case, Roland's son, Bane growled, "Shut up." and then silenced him with another backhanded blow to his injured cheek. And, deciding to act like a good little coward and follow instructions, Juji shut up in a hurry.
"Please, Kavik, continue," Roland invited him warmly.
Kavik gave his friend a small smile and said, very softly, "Thank you, but before I oblige your request, can you do something for me?"
Returning the smile, the black wolf replied, "If I can and it's reasonable within our laws."
"Please, try not to hit him in the face anymore." Kavik asked in a very serious tone, glancing at Juji. And when Roland only stared at him, his jaw hanging slightly ajar, Kavik went on, "I've hurt him enough as it is and I'd prefer for him not to have to suffer any more than he already has."
"Very well." Roland said, "I will bow to your wishes."
Giving a nod of thanks, Kavik picked up his story again. "I told Juji that I wished to hear no ill will spoken against those whom I love and tried to assure him that I had no quarrel with either him or the rest of his party."
"And how did he respond?"
Kavik smiled a trifle grimly. "He asked why he should bother to take orders from someone like me who 'sneaks into the pack's territory and uses their recourses without consent'." Kavik replied, shooting Juji a sideways look of distaste. "And I tried to explain that I had arrived with you and Lakota and the rest of our own party last night and that I was an old friend of yours…" He trailed off, suddenly unsure how to proceed. How could he tell them what Juji had said about his mother?
"And?" Roland said, now a trifle impatiently, twirling his paw again in that 'go on, go on, can't you see time's wasting?' gesture of his.
"And…and…" Kavik had to pause to draw a deep steadying breath. "And then he…insulted my mother…" At this there was a murmur amongst those attending, for some of them–as I've said before–had known both his mother and his foster parents and knew Aniu to be a kind and loving creature, as were .
"How did you respond to this?" Roland asked, and although his voice gave nothing away, Kavik could tell the fires of his rage had once again been sprinkled with kerosene.
"I told him to shut up, of course!" Kavik suddenly burst out, and then embarrassed, he said, "I told him to shut up and I…I called him a…sick bastard." Again, a flurry of mutterings was roused by this statement, though not nearly as many as when Kavik had told them of Juji's ugly lies about Aniu. "And then he…he…" Sincere though he wished to remain, even Kavik had trouble suppressing the tones of rekindled anger and outrage as he cried out, in a strangled half-roar; "He…he called my mother, my Mother Aniu, a slut! And then he…started going on about how she'd…" again, he had to pause and gather the courage to speak the words. "He started going on about how she'd…done…things to him at night that my mother would never have done in her life! She would rather have died than do something like that!"
This raised the greatest clamor of all, for even those who hadn't known Aniu as well as the others had at least heard of the kind of queenly creature she was, and Roland was finally forced to call for silence before things got out of hand. He shot Juji a look of pure venom and snarled in a deadly whisper, "If I find that this is true, Juji, the punishment for committing such an offence will be far greater than you can imagine…For I knew Aniu very well, as did many members of this pack, and I am sure that I speak for us all when I say such an offence against her good name will not be tolerated!" The eyes in that face were like two roughly hewn emeralds that blazed with an emotion so strong that Juji wilted before his gaze and averted his eyes, a shudder racking his bloodied body.
When Roland turned back to Kavik, the white hybrid was touched to see that two large fat tears had fallen from his eyes and he looked as if he might just loose control and begin to weep at any moment. This time, Kavik needed no prompting to continue. "After that I…I lost control and we just started having at it…" He shuffled his forepaws uncomfortably. "I admit he tried a few dirty tricks and didn't fight fair, but then again the same might be said of me; I used two of those wolves you see lying on the ground as both a shield and a distraction…" Kavik finished, looking at his paws, his cheeks aflame.
Roland took a moment to steady himself and then said "Very well, Kavik, son of Aniu and Loki." He turned to regard Juji. "And what say you, Juji, son of Nikita and Cujo?" and although his voice was low and utterly devoid of emotion, Roland's eyes burned with a passion unlike any Kavik had ever witnessed. Juji opened his mouth, but before he could begin, Roland added, "You would do well to remember Juji, son of Nikita and Cujo that the penalty for this action is either expulsion or…death, whichever we members of this pack decide." He paused. "However, should you attempt to deceive those present with falsehoods, your punishment shall be much more severe. Choose your words carefully…and keep in mind your situation among your elders in light of your previous engagements with other members of our pack…."
For a moment, Juji looked unsure, as if finally considering the consequences of his brash and unreasonably violent behavior. He might be killed a few minutes from now…. Finally, opting for forgiveness, he growled, "I have nothing to say in contradiction to Kavik's story. It's all true…every stinking word of it."
There was another wave of disgruntled muttering among the assembled lupine colony, but they fell silent at once as Roland raised a paw. He fixed Juji with a leveled stare that was striking in its enmity and asked, "Do you realize what you have done by confirming Kavik's story?"
"Yes," Juji all but spat out, shooting a hate-congested glance towards the wolf in question.
"So, you admit to attacking him without provocation?" Roland roared.
Juji growled out something to the affirmative.
"And do you also realize the consequences of your cowardly attempt to take Kavik's life whilst his back was turned after he had shown you mercy when he could very justifiably have ended your life then and there for this action? Speak!" Roland asked, his voice strengthening and rising in tone and volume. To this Juji said nothing but he nodded, though he and Kavik still starred at each other, both with eyes narrowed in furious loathing. Wordlessly, Roland returned his gaze to Kavik and said, "According to our ancient laws and customs…his life forfeit to your will. You may deal with him yourself, or you may turn partial or even complete judgment over to the council if such is your desire…" He shot Juji another of those wilting sidelong glares before returning his expectant gaze unto Kavik once more.
Needless to say, Kavik was somewhat taken aback by this turn of events. He had known about this type of situation but had never imagined it would fall to him to decide whether or not his would-be assassin should either be banished from the pack or not live to see another sunrise. His brow furrowed in concentration as the two halves of his conscience fought it out. One was saying that he should spare Juji because he, Kavik, just couldn't give the order for one of his kind to be executed – it went against not only his mother's teachings but his own morals as well. 'I…I can't. I can't sentence him to that. Such a sentence would be too harsh…even for the likes of him.' he thought. The other side was screaming for him to go for the kill or to at least order that Juji be killed like the backstabbing, underhanded piece of garbage that he was. 'He tried to kill you without just cause and let's not forget what he said in regards to your dear sweet mother…' that side whispered and Kavik nearly decided right then and there to simply rip out the troublesome gray wolf's throat after all. And really, he'd deserve it… Reason reasserted itself within seconds of this thought. 'How dare you think of going to such extremes!' Aniu's voice rang in his head 'He may be a hotheaded monster, that's true and what's truer still is that he's a cowardly trickster, but his crime does not warrant a punishment of such a high degree…' After a few more seconds' internal debate, Kavik finally came to a decision. "Roland, son of Virgil?"
"Yes, Kavik, son of Loki, have you settled on your choice of action?" Roland replied, seeming to steel himself for the answer he knew as coming.
"I have."
"And what is your decision?" Roland asked, again steeling himself for whatever answer he expected.
"I choose…to spare his life." He said. A great babble of noise, the loudest yet broke out. Some applauded, others begged him to reconsider, and still others looked unsure of which side to stand with. Finally, Roland, for the last time that day, called for silence.
When all the talk had died down he asked, "This is your final decision then?" He seemed slightly surprised by Kavik's choice but deep down he'd known that it had been the only one Kavik would've been capable of levying upon the unfortunate lupine.
"It is. I have only three conditions." Kavik replied, in a strong, firm voice that his state of body – small pools of blood had begun to form from the places where the crimson fluid had dripped onto the snow – hardly supported.
"Name them."
"Firstly," Kavik said, "I request that Juji be sent forth from the pack for a sentence time of up to 2 months, mayhap less." There were several murmurs of approval at this. "Secondly," he went on "I request that, before he is sent forth, all his wounds be tended to and his body given time to begin healing." More muttering followed this. "And thirdly," Kavik went on, raising his voice above those assembled. "I request that those whom aided him in the unjust attempt upon my life are to share his sentence and receive the same degree of medical attention before they too are sent away in his company."
Much talk followed this last statement and Kavik waited patiently for their decision, even though he was beginning to feel rather tired himself as a result of the amount of excruciating damage done to his already exhausted body. Finally, the hubbub quieted down and Roland asked in a loud, clear voice, "What say you, council of the White Wolf pack? Though Juji tried to kill him, Kavik has opted to spare his life and instead expel him from our order for a set time. And, though the decision is his to make, the final word still rests with the council. Now, I ask; Does this sit well with you?" The response was immediate and unanimous: "AYE!" called out some forty and odd voices. It could be no clearer; Kavik's verdict held.
The wolf/dog smiled wearily and shot Roland a small, satisfied smile that the other returned…except there was something weird going on. Kavik squinted, puzzling over this latest development. Since when did Roland have two identical twins? Come to think of it, he'd never mentioned that Lakota had two twin sisters either. His smile became slightly listless, and his eyes lost their focus. 'Perfect. I'm seeing double. No doubt I'm also about to pass out from the pain and blood loss,' he thought and chuckled, seeing Roland's face darken in sudden concern tingled with a hint of fear.
He tried to rise to all fours, but his legs felt wobbly and unreliable and so he stumbled a few times before managing to coax his weary paws into supporting his immense weight once more. Even so, he overbalanced and it was up to Roland to hurriedly support him.
Upon seeing Kavik teetering on the edge of balance, obviously in a lot of pain, Roland started forward and it was a good thing too; had he been only a second or two slower in his movements, his old friend may very well have fallen flat on his face, adding a bruised nose to his already fully stocked arsenal of current afflictions. "Whoa, there, easy." Roland cautioned him, not liking the unnaturally high temperature of Kavik's body against his own. "We've got to get you fixed up, right now. You're really hurt, Kavik…" Roland said, trying to hide the worry in his voice. 'Dear God, please, don't let it be a fever,' he prayed to whoever or whatever deity would listen. 'I'm not sure if he could survive such an illness in this state…'
The white wolf–or so the Alpha judged him worthy of being called–nodded and sprouted a slightly crooked smile as he chuckled and said, "Man…I've really stepped in it this time!" He glanced over towards where Juji and the rest of his small party were being shepherded – none too gently – into a small cave by an older wolf who had a sort of look about her that said she would take extra care to make cleaning their wounds as unpleasant as possible. "Make sure they're taken good care of…"
Roland was slightly confused by Kavik's request. Here he was, bleeding, his wounds re-opened and made even more serious, and in spite of it all, he was still trying to see to it that the very animals responsible for his miserable situation were not mistreated. 'He's certainly his mother's son and his father's pride and joy, wherever they might be….' he thought and smiled. Then he and Kavik were making their way to his den again, this time with Roland supporting him instead of his daughter.
Finally, after much panting and more than a few eager helping paws offered from many a wolf along the way, the two made it to the Alpha Den where Roland laid Kavik down on the stony floor and then ran – albeit reluctantly – to make sure Kavik's request was being carried out. Kavik watched through half-lidded eyes as several other wolves crowded into the den upon Roland's departure. He looked over their faces and was a little alarmed when he suddenly realized he couldn't make out a single one. His vision was going very fast and he knew already that loss of consciousness would follow in short order. He began to shiver at the thought of being surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces and scents – some of which might not be so sympathetic to his condition in regards to the aftermath of the morning's brawl. His teeth began to chatter and he suddenly let out a shapeless groan. Why did he feel so hot…yet so cold at the same time? What was wrong with him?
He knew of course; they all did. He had pushed himself far beyond his physical and emotional limits in too short a time span and was now paying for it with the onset of some sickness. He shivered once more as he remembered that most wolves that contracted any illness didn't survive for very long. 'No…not here, not now…' he thought, his mind already becoming jumbled and murky. 'I can't die…not like this…It'd make Roland and Lakota sad…not to mention all the others…. But what chance do I have of survival?' Slim to none, that's what. At this last thought, another tremor racked his body and he felt like he was barely four months old again and he found himself wishing for his mother and father, the warmth and comfort afforded by their furry bodies…
Strangely, as if this thought alone had summoned them, he suddenly felt two warm bodies press into him on either side. He tried to open his eyes and look to see who it was so he could thank them, but his eyelids felt like they weighted ten pounds. "M-mom? D-dad?" he asked stupidly, hardly aware of what was spewing from his mouth. His brains felt like mush.
He moaned softly and flinched the slightest bit as he felt the creature at his back give him a comforting lick on his bloodied muzzle. Lakota's angelic voice drifted to him even as he sank down into the darkness of a troubled half-sleep; "No, Lakota and Eravice. Don't worry, you're going to be fine." He heard these words but, in his delirium, thought the two voices belonged to two angels who, it seemed, had been sent by a merciful God to spirit him off to the Great Beyond.
Whether or not it was true, he couldn't think of a more beautiful way to go, wrapped in their loving embrace…
