"Whoa…"
Hashim and Izaya stood on the edge of the engawa, their eyes wide with awe as they stared at the scenery around them. A thick blanket of snow covered everything in the forest, icicles hung down from the roof, and the cold air nipped at their wet snout.
The wolf pup next to Izaya took a deep breath and exhaled, watching his breath appear in a misty cloud in front of him. As he poked his head over the hanging roof, a snowflake gently fluttered down and landed on his nose.
He let out a gleeful giggle and bounded around the engawa, his claws clicking against the wood. "It's snowing! It's snowing!" He spun around to face Izaya, his eyes wide with excitement. "I've never seen snow ever before!"
The kid's excitement was rather contagious, to the point that Izaya found his own tail wagging in response. "Really?" He made a thoughtful noise. "Well then, I suppose we'll have to have a snow day, won't we?"
The small grey wolf pup began to squirm with barely contained energy as he gave Izaya a hopeful glance. "Really? Can we? Please?"
Izaya made a long humming noise, as if he was thinking very hard. Then, when it looked like the pup was about to finally burst with impatience, he chuckled and relented. "Of course we can!"
"YES!" Hashim howled as scurried back into the old house, crashing into the slumbering forms of Tom and Eiji. "Wake up! It's snowing! It's snowing!"
Tom blearily opened his eyes and sat up, half of his fur flat against his face from sleeping while Eiji simply groaned and rolled over, trying to continue sleeping for a little longer. Hashim was relentless, however, and bumped his head into the black wolf's side.
"Eiji! Eiji! It's snowing! Wake up, Eiji!" The child yapped over and over, his tail wagging so fast that Izaya could barely see it.
Eventually the black wolf let out a loud groan and turned his head to look at Hashim. "I know, kid!" He answered in a cheerful, but tired voice. "It's super awesome, but Eiji-san wants to sleep for a little longer." He flopped back down with a sleepy huff.
Tom rolled his eyes as he nudged Hashim back towards the door. "It's okay, Hashim. Don't worry about Eiji, he's just a baby when it comes to the cold."
"I have short fur..." Eiji indignanty grumbled as he curled up further into the pile of blankets that the four wolves had made their bed out of.
Hashim giggled at the older man's petulant whining, and hurriedly spun around. "That's okay! I can play in the snow for both of us!" He suggested.
"Good idea!" Izaya said from the engawa, his red eyes betraying his own childlike excitement.
The pup let out a squeal and then backed up a few steps. He crouched down and shook his backside before he took off in a sprint. He flew over the edge of the engawa, and then disappeared into the thick snow on the ground. After a few moments, his head reappeared with snow piled on top, and he let out a loud giggle.
"It's so much fun!" He dove back in the snow, and popped back up a few feet further away. "Come on!"
Izaya allowed the contagious excitement to win, and jumped into the snow as well. He landed heavier than the pup, the snow as high as his belly. He let out a happy bark and trudged further away from the house.
Tom watched them with amusement in his eyes as he gingerly placed a paw on top of the snow. He pressed down a bit, seemingly testing the strength of the snow. When he was satisfied, he tried to step down on top of it. But, it quickly gave in under the weight of the wolf. With a yelp, Tom fell face first into the snow, his back legs hanging awkwardly in the air.
Hashim burst out in a peal of giggles while Izaya turned his head away to hide his own amusement.
The brown wolf's legs kicked out for a moment before he managed to flip himself around. He looked bewildered for a moment, until he caught sight of the giggling pup. His eyes lit up with a mischievous plot, and he crouched down. "Oh, I'm gonna get you!"
"N-no!" Hashim cried out between giggles as he spun around and took off with snow flying underneath his paws, Tom hot on his heels.
Izaya laughed as he watched the two take off, and quickly burst into a sprint after the other wolves.
They galloped into the snowy forest, the trees passing by in a blur as they descended further. The two older wolves ran slower than they usually would, allowing the pup to run ahead where they could watch him.
Hashim's paws hit the ground and his tongue hung out of his mouth. After several long bounds he crouched and leapt into the air with a loud whoop of happiness, landing gracefully on his paws and continuing to run.
Izaya found that his happiness seeped into himself, as he began to grow playful. He sped up and then skidded in front of the pup. "I gotcha!"
The pup yelped in surprise, but he didn't try to stop. With a glint in his eye, he burst forward and crashed into Izaya's side. The black wolf let out a grunt as the small form hit his ribs, and they both fell into the snow.
Hashim quickly scrambled up and climbed up Izaya's side, standing on shaky legs. He let out a bark, sinking his sharp teeth into Izaya's scruff and tugging a few times. Then he let go and raised his head proudly, his tail wagging. "Ha! I beat you!
The informant let out a fake moan of pain. "You did!" He exclaimed dramatically, even letting out a few coughs. "I've been defeated! This is the end for Orihara Izaya!" He let his head flop back with a fake dying breath.
"No! Izaya!" Tom exclaimed and turned his gaze to Hashim, crouching down in a playful position. "I'll avenge you! I'll defeat Hashim!"
The pup giggled and crouched down as well. "No you won't!" He charged forward and crashed into Tom as well, which sent them rolling a few times before he stood triumphantly in front of the brown wolf. "I win again! Nobody can beat me!"
At that moment, the snow on the large tree next to them fell down and crashed on top of the gray pup, burying him inside the snow as he let out a surprised yelp. His head popped up a few seconds later, with a mound of snow balancing on his head.
The three wolves stared at each other in silence for a moment, and then all burst into laughter. Tom chuckled into his paws, Hashim giggled as he squirmed free of his snowy prison, and Izaya laughed freely while watching. With all the stress they had in their human lives, it felt good to simply relax and be happy for a least a little while.
Late that night, Izaya found himself sitting on the edge of the engawa, a blanket wrapped tightly around his body as he held his phone against his ear.
"Hashim is doing very well, he figured out how to catch on to smells fast! He tracked both me and Eiji-kun the third time we tried!" Izaya proudly listed. "He's still getting used to our heightened senses, but he's doing well with that too! And we've only been here for a week!"
Shizuo chuckled on the other end. "Sounds like everything is going good over there. I saw the forecast on the news, is it snowing over there?"
Izaya hummed. "It is, it's barely stopped since we got here." He looked at the moonlight as it sparkled through the icicles. "I wish I could have brought you with me, Shizu-chan."
"Bah… I would have just gotten in the way of your training, and I needed to help out your investigation like I promised." Shizuo hesitated and cleared his throat. "But maybe I can come next time…"
The informant didn't stop the grin that appeared on his face at the idea. "That sounds perfect. I can show you all the best spots in the forest to nap."
"That sounds great, it'd be nice to have somewhere peaceful to relax."
Izaya lowered his gaze away from the moonlight, and his red eyes turned to the old wood of the engawa. He scratched at it with his nail as he built up courage. "How is that… Other thing going, by the way?"
On the other side of the phone, he heard Shizuo make an awkward noise. "Me n' Celty followed the directions you gave us based on where the tranquilizer came from, but the seller was gone, it was like he'd never been there!"
The werewolf sighed and shook his head. "I'm not surprised… The type of tranquilizer is not legal here, so he's probably an underground seller. If I had to guess, he moves around often to keep the authorities from sniffing him out."
"So the gun is useless?" Shizuo questioned, the emotion in his voice betraying his frustration.
Izaya scrunched up his nose. "Well, not completely. He isn't completely gone, he's probably just moved his selling to somewhere else. It's pretty common for someone in that profession to do that. I'm sure if I do some digging I can find him again, but with the internet all the way out here… It may have to wait until I'm back… But that's okay, it might make them act carelessly again and easier to catch."
Shizuo was silent for several moments as he soaked in what Izaya had said. "... I'm sorry, flea…" He eventually whispered. "I know how badly you wanted to figure this out, I'm sorry it didn't work out."
The raven blinked in surprise, and then let out a fond sigh. "Shizu-chan… How is it that you always know just how I'm feeling?" He wondered aloud as he lowered his head. "I just… I just wish this was over, I wish they would make some stupid mistake and I could catch them and stop them. I hate that my pack, all the packs, are in danger… I hate that I had to drag you and Celty into this…"
"You didn't drag Celty and I into anything, Izaya. Werewolf or not, there's no way I'm going to let my boyfriend deal with this bullshit by himself!" Shizuo sounded like he was pacing as he continued. "And I want to have everyone be safe as much as you do, but if we get frustrated all we're going to do is make mistakes and hurt people."
Shizuo's words were surprisingly wise, but Izaya knew he likely was speaking from past experiences with his inhuman strength. He felt the blush returning to his cheeks, and allowed himself to smile slightly. "You're right, Shizu-chan. We have to do this right, for the sake of all the packs."
He heard the man make an affirmative noise, seemingly satisfied with Izaya's agreement. "No matter what happens, me, Celty, and your pack will be here to help you stop these bastards. Don't you forget it, flea!"
Izaya felt his smile widen. "They're your pack too, remember Shizu-chan? Honorary pack members are just as important as normal pack members."
On the other end, Shizuo chuckled. "I know, I know. But a certain louse seems to be forgetting that too, since he's trying to do everything himself!" He paused for a moment. "And also… You know, still getting used to the whole 'the guy I love being a werewolf'"
"Don't let Erika hear you saying that!" Izaya teased.
Shizuo let out an amused chuckle at the idea of the anime-obsessed woman finding out about the relationship between them, and then they descended into silence. It was a comfortable quiet, one where they were simply enjoying the company of one another.
Eventually, Izaya shrugged off the blanket on his shoulder and stood up. "I think I'm going to go for a run. I need to clear my head and think about what our next move can be. I'll call you again tomorrow, Shizu-chan… I love you."
The young man made an affirmative noise. "I love you too… Stay safe"
The moon's gentle light shone down on the forest, making the snow glow even more beautifully than the sun had.
With gentle, soft pawsteps, Izaya trekked into the forest with his sides heaving from his run. He slowed to a walk, shook the excess snow off of his thick black fur, and turned his eyes up to the sky. His run had helped calm his frustrations, but what was left over was a forlorn werewolf.
His red eyes focused on the moon, not quite as full as she had been a week ago. "Shizu-chan is right, I know he is. I can rely on everyone to help, and we need to keep trying to fight these kidnappers… I know I shouldn't act recklessly, but…" He let out a low whine. "I want to save the werewolves, I want to protect my pack, but I don't know what to do…"
His ears flattened against his head, and his tail curled close as he gazed sadly up at the moon, the one who granted him his powers. "I'm… I'm scared…" He weakly admitted. "For myself, for my friends, and my pack. I've… I've never had people to care about before, and now I might lose them if I can't stop these people…"
"I know nothing about them, it's like fighting a ghost…" He sighed and shook his head.
"I've never had people to care about before, and now I do… My pack, my friends, Shizu-chan…" His ears flattened against his head, and his tail curled close as he gazed sadly up at the moon, the one who granted him his powers. "I'm… I'mterrified that they'll all be taken from me…"
Izaya sighed and lowered himself into the snow, desperate to feel the comforting glow on his chilled fur. His mind was a tangle of fears and insecurities that he did not know how to unravel, but when he was under the warm light of the moon, it felt like a gentle, protective hug that helped to settle his worries.
The werewolf had just about calmed down when his ears picked up on a strange sound. His ears rose and swiveled, just in time to hear the sound of someone screaming in pain. Instantly he jumped to his feet, alert and tensed as he searched for a source.
He stayed in the same spot, his head turning from side to side until he heard another sound: A loud guttural screeching sound followed a scuffle of movement. There was another cry of pain, and then a voice called out.
"NO!"
The werewolf burst into a sprint, his paws light as he hurried towards the source of the cry. He skidded around a tree and gasped in shock as his eyes landed on the sight of red stained snow.
There was a human laying on the ground, the red stains surrounding their prone form. Standing above the injured person was a large and intimidating wild boar. Though it was hard to see in the darkness, it looked like there was blood on its tusks.
The boar turned its head, and let out a loud screech at the sight of the black wolf. It spun around and charged forward without a warning, leaving Izaya to scramble and lunge in order to avoid the hulking creature.
He scrambled back onto his paws just in time for the boar to charge again. Izaya jumped to the side as the boar sped past him, and quickly ran towards it. With a loud growl, he jumped up and sank his sharp teeth in the boar's thick skin.
The boar screeched and then began to thrash, the sudden movements forced Izaya to let go. He quickly stumbled backwards, but not fast enough. The boar charged again, this time crashing into Izaya's side.
The werewolf let out a terrified howl as the pain laced through him, his body crashing into the snow. He barely managed to escape the huge hooves that landed right where he had been moments before. He panted, his sides stung with pain in every breath.
When it charged once more, Izaya let out a vicious snarl and met the charge with one of his own. He bit into the boar's back fur and tugged, using his strength to throw the boar to the side and send him rolling. The harsh throw made the wounds on Izaya's side burn with pain, his vision swirling momentarily.
The creature was back up before Izaya could fix his blurry vision, attacking him with another charge that had him stumbling backwards. He only managed to stay on his feet thanks to the tree he landed against.
Izaya felt panic grip his heart as he took several steps back. The boar paced a few moments as it stared Izaya down, letting out an angry noise. For several long moments, neither of them moved, and the werewolf even began to hope that maybe the boar would turn and run away,
The boar didn't care for such hopes. Instead, it let out another screech and then charged forward once more. Before those tusks sunk their way into Izaya's wounded form, a loud howl rang out in the forest and a grey blur burst through the brush.
With a loud wham, the boar was sent stumbling backwards and onto the ground. Where he had been standing was now occupied by a familiar grey wolf. Izaya let out a soft gasp, he knew exactly who that was, it was the wolf that had taught him how to heal.
There was no time to exchange pleasantries, the boar was quickly back on its feet. It let out another confident screech, but this one didn't have as much strength behind it. This time, the boar was outnumbered.
The grey wolf raised his hackles and bared his teeth as he lunged forward, his threatening pose gaining the boar's full attention. As the creature screeched at him, Izaya quickly trotted around the beast and nipped at its flank. When the boar turned to try and charge at Izaya, the grey wolf did the same to his shoulder.
The boar began to get overwhelmed as it realized the danger of the situation. This panic led it to try to turn and run, but it was too late. The gray wolf bit down on the creature's flank, tugging it backward while Izaya jumped forward and snapped his jaws around the boar's snout with a loud snarl. Both wolves hung on tight until the boar's thrashing stopped, and its body went limp.
Izaya finally unhinged his jaw, letting the heavy boar flop to the ground. His sides heaved as he looked at the grey wolf with appreciation. "Thank you…"
The grey wolf bowed his head in acknowledgement of his words, but his eyes displayed his true feelings of anger. "What were you thinking attacking a boar by yourself? It is good prey, but it could have killed you!"
"I wasn't hunting it! I heard noises, and when I came here to see I found it attacking-" He gasped, he had totally forgotten. "The human!"
Ignoring the grey werewolf's confusion, Izaya limped over to where the red stained snow was. He cringed at the amount of blood, he knew he needed to heal the human before they bled out and died. But as he approached, he froze in disbelief.
The injured human was a farmer, the same old farmer that had caught Mizuki in a trap and had tried to kill Izaya with a pitchfork. There was no sign of that hateful man that he had battled before. All that remained was a shivering, whimpering old man.
Izaya lowered his ears as he stared at the farmer, feeling conflicted. He thought hard about what to do, and then sighed. He stepped forward, and placed a paw on the man's prone form.
He heard the grey wolf behind him release a disbelieving noise. "What are you doing? Why are you healing him?!"
The black werewolf ignored the other's exclamation as he howled, using what energy he had left to heal the wounds the best he could. He was able to close most of the wounds, but the terrible bruises and scratches remained. He knew if the grey wolf had helped, he could have healed them completely, but he doubted his companion would agree.
Once he had done all he could manage, he limped backwards and waited. After a few moments the man's eyes slowly forced themselves open. He blinked slowly and looked around with a confused frown. When he finally realized there were two wolves watching him, he let out a horrified gasp and scrambled backwards in the red colored snow/
"Let's go!" The grey wolf frantically barked as he turned and dashed away.
Izaya watched the grey wolf go, and looked back at the farmer. The old man was still hunched over in the snow, but he didn't try to run or attack, he just stared back at Izaya with a strange expression on his face.
With a weak whine, Izaya turned and ran after the grey wolf. He couldn't keep up thanks to his own wounds, but was able to follow his scent easily enough. When the grey wolf finally slowed to a stop, they were by the half-frozen river where they first met.
The grey wolf panted for air, his fur ruffled and ears twitching cautiously as he looked back the way they came. It seemed as though he was waiting for someone to chase after them, but nobody did. He sighed in relief, and turned his attention to Izaya.
He healed Izaya without prompting, and ignored Izaya's whispered thanks once he finished. Instead, he moved to the edge of the riverbed and sat down, his tail curled close to his body.
The black werewolf tilted his head, and slowly moved to sit next to him. They stayed together in silence, watching the rushing river and the occasional fish that swam past in the icy water.
Eventually, the grey werewolf sighed and shook his head. "Why did you heal him?" He asked, his tone filled with confusion.
"He was badly injured." Izaya flattened his ears and looked up at him. "He would have died."
The grey wolf growled and shook his head. "And?" He lashed his tail side to side. "He wouldn't have done the same for you, he would have let you die!"
Izaya let out a growl of his own, his fur raised. "You think I don't know that? Of course I do!" He realized he was raising his voice, and quickly tried to calm down. Once his fur was flat again, he continued,"Of course I know he would have, I know that many humans hate us. But if I didn't heal him, if I left him to die… Then I wouldn't be any better than him."
His companion's ears lowered the slightest bit, and he quickly turned his gaze back to the river. "I see…" He let out a quiet whimper. "Forgive my outburst, I let my feelings towards humans cloud my judgement."
The informant chuckled. "You don't have to apologize, I knew that's why you were angry. I almost didn't heal him for the same reasons."
"And yet you did…" The gray wolf hummed thoughtfully as he got to his paws. "I can see why the moon shines brightly on you." He trotted to the shallow edge of the river and began to wade across.
Izaya quickly jumped to his feet and hurried to the river's edge. "When can I see you again?" He asked his mentor hopefully.
The gray wolf hesitated, and looked back at him with a guilty expression. "This may be the last time… The humans in this area are taking more of the forest. My pack will not be safe, we have to move further into the mountains. I'm sorry… But, I'm glad I was able to see you once more before we did."
The informant's ears lowered sadly and he let his shoulders slump. "Oh… I see." He looked back up at his mysterious companion and bowed his head. "I wish you and your pack safety."
After a brief silence, the gray werewolf turned around and motioned toward the forest. "You could come with us, you know. You and your pack would be welcome in ours, and we'd all be far away from the dangers that humans bring with them."
Izaya wouldn't lie, the offer was very tempting. He wanted more than anything for his pack to be safe, to be free, and to not have to worry about losing anyone else he cared about. But…
"I can't, I'm sorry… The danger in the city, werewolves being taken, and it won't go away if I run. My pack and I will be safe, but what about our missing packmates? What about the other packs? I can't go anywhere until those bastards are taken care of."
The grey wolf gave a nod. "I understand, and I wish you luck."
As he turned to walk away, Izaya quickly stepped forward. "I hope we will meet again one day."
"I am sure we will." The grey wolf motioned upwards, to the shining light in the sky. "Don't worry. We are the moon's children; As long as she shines down on us, our kind will never be far apart."
He pushed his way across the rest of the icy river and disappeared into the forest, leaving Izaya alone. He stayed at the edge of the river by himself for a few seconds before he decided that it was time to return to the old house.
When he finally found his way back, he found Hashim laying halfway out the door, his eyes half open. When he saw the informant approaching he raised his head slightly, and his tail wagged in a slow, sleepy manner.
"Hashim?" Izaya questioned as he climbed on top of the engawa. "What are you doing up so late?"
The pup opened his mouth to respond, but a yawn escaped before his words. Once the yawn was finished, he scooted closer to Izaya and looked up at him with drowsy eyes. "You were gone an' I wanted to wait for you. I didn't want the bad guys to get you."
Izaya gently took the pup by his scruff, carrying him into the old house, and placing him down on the warm pile of blankets. "Well, you did a very good job, and I'm back now, so we should get some sleep."
Hashim let out a panicked whimper. "I don't wanna go back to sleep!"
"Why not?"
"When I close my eyes and sleep, I have bad dreams. The bad guys come back and get me, or.. Or they hurt you and then they get me!" He whimpered and frantically shook his head. "I don't wanna have those dreams anymore!"
Izaya sat down and gave the pup a comforting nuzzle. "It's okay, Hashim. You don't have to worry, I'll stay right here and chase those bad dreams away."
"Y-y'promise?"
"I promise."
His gentle declaration seemed to calm the pup's worries. He curled up in the pile of blankets, his eyes watching Izaya until they began to slide shut. After a few minutes, the drowsiness finally managed to pull Hashim into the realm of dreams.
Once the pup had fallen asleep, Izaya lowered his snout down and pressed it against the pup's head. A gentle white glow surrounded him as he called on his dream weaver abilities. He could already sense a nightmare brewing in Hashim's mind, and quickly replaced it with a more pleasant dream, of running through freshly fallen snow.
The pup let out a happy sigh, and curled up further with his tail wagging in his sleep. Satisfied with the reaction, Izaya circled the blanket pile a few times before he settled down as well, his tail wrapped protectively over the other werewolf.
As he thought about his night, the talk with Shizuo, the fight with the boar, his small conversation with the mysterious gray wolf, he found that his worries were less overwhelming in that moment.
No matter how dangerous the fight got, he knew one thing for sure, he wouldn't be fighting alone.