Farewell, My Friend

For Cody

Lord Saladin had sensed that this day was coming for a while now, but that did not make it any easier. No matter how many times he had gone through it over the centuries, every loss still cut to the center of who he was and left a bitter wound. And he bore many, many of those scars.

After the death of the other Iron Lords, his wolves were the only family he had. Unfortunately, the lifespan of a wolf was short in comparison to a pre-contact human's. Compared to one reborn and filled with the Traveler's Light, they were but a fleeting instant. Now, another moment was coming to an end.

Dib had been the head of his pack for a number of years. Over the last few, he had begun to move slower and clearly could not see as well as he once could. Saladin had stopped taking him on most patrols and Ulf had taken his place. Still, the old Titan had a soft spot in his heart for the faithful animal and kept him close at hand in the rare moments he allowed himself to relax.

In recent months, Saladin had noticed the old wolf seemed to have trouble getting comfortable. Whenever he tried to lay down, he had to readjust a number of times before finally settling in. Occasionally he would whimper or cry out for no obvious reason. The wolf was also less responsive than he had been in the past, often not even moving when Saladin entered the room when before he would have been instantly alert and ready for whatever his master may need.

And now he was nowhere to be found.

Many people believe animals like wolves, and their cousins dogs, went away to die for a number of reasons. Many of those reasons anthropomorphized the animals, giving them human levels of understanding of what was happening to them. Saladin had come to believe it was simply an attempt to hide from the thing that was hurting them. Of course, they never could because it was inside their own bodies. The last thing the Titan wanted for his friend was to die alone and scared.

The search was not difficult. In his lessened physical state, there were not many places on the mountain that Dib could reach on his own. Saladin found him curled up underneath an outcropping of rock near the Temple. For the first time, it occurred to Saladin how thin the animal looked. How had he not noticed that before? When had Dib stopped eating?

Dib lets out a little whimper when Saladin reaches in and gently scoops him up. A small shudder ripples up the wolf's flank as Saladin holds him in his arms. The large man looks around, momentarily uncertain of what to do. Certainty came to him then, and he strides back inside the Iron Temple.

He passes through the main entryway, stalking down the corridor with purpose. He enters the circular room ringed by statues of the honored dead. Deeper still, in the areas he had yet to open to the other Guardians, he comes to a stairwell and ascends. Finally, he reaches the upper room, a sheltered alcove with a wall made entirely of shatter-proof glass, a room that gives an unmatched view of the surrounding area.

Saladin lowers Dib to the ground, then sits beside the wolf. Dib whimpers and paws at Saladin's leg. The Titan pats his lap, and the animal crawls halfway up, his lower legs still resting on the ground. Pulling off his armored gauntlet, Saladin places his hand between the animals ears and ruffles the fur there.

"It's okay, boy," he says comfortingly. "I am here with you."

The wolf's brown eyes flick up at his master, looking into those of the big man.

"You have done your part," Saladin continues, knowing the animal does not understand the words, but hoping that it gains comfort from his voice, "You lead your pack well and were a trusted companion. No one, nothing, could have done better."

In Saladin's lap, Dib shifts around, turning his head to the left and kicking out with his back foot. Saladin continues to scratch between his ears and the wolf lets out a long breath.

"Do you recall the first band of Fallen that we encountered together?" Saladin asks, the memory bringing a smile to his lips. "You had just replaced Phelan in the pack hierarchy. We were patrolling near the wall and came across a few Dregs who were trying to find a way through. The sounds of surprise they made at the sight of eight wolves emerging at a full sprint from the darkness with stay with me forever."

All through the night, Saladin reminisces and ruffles his hand through the wolf's fur. He alternates scratching between the animal's ears and running his hand down the length of its back. At some point in the early hours of the morning, Dib lets out a shuddering sigh and is still. Saladin continues to stroke the fur of his dead friend as a tear rolls down his cheek.

As the sun finally peeks over the horizon, Saladin rises and lifts the lifeless body. He carries it back down the stairs and out of the temple. He gently sets it down and constructs a pyre. Picking up the body of his friend a final time, he sets it reverently on top of his construct and steps back.

"Farewell, my friend," the last Iron Lord states softly. "You were the best boy."

Saladin lights the pyre and steps back, watching solemnly as the flame engulfs it. In the distance, he can hear the howling of wolves and his heart cries out with them.

…

AN

A week ago I had to put the dog that I'd had him for 14 ½ years to sleep. He had developed lymphoma that had spread through his body. He was my best friend and I miss him terribly.

Order and Chaos – Qui Iudicant – Thanks for pointing those out. Fixed. Two of them were the result of last minute adjustments to the original writing. I honestly thought about dipping into the well of characters people have suggest or offered up for this, but I want to use them over in "Patrol" in the Iron Banner. Especially your guys.

FusRoDerp – After I typed about all the knee bashing, I figured someone would go there. Fitting that it would be you with a name like that.

Daydreamer B.A – Pssh, Cayde. Uphold the rules. That's funny. I know the focus here was intended to be more the Celeste/Astrid stuff initially, but I really wanted to take a moment and delve into the situation with her, Claney, and Zillah from a different perspective. Committing to sticking solely with Claney's first person view point there hampers it a little. You're pretty on the nose with Zillah and where she is mentally.