Chapter 8: An old friend's shame
Josiah's POV-
I staggered a little when Fern had told me what her brother, Tholestes, was doing. It couldn't be possible. A black stripe?
Was it even allowed here on the island?
I knew for a fact, from Fern and Kara, that raptors mated for life when they choose a partner to be with.
But Tholestes and a black stripe female raptor?
"Fern, that can't be possible," I said as I adjusted my self on the ground. I really did not like sitting on damp earth. My my pants too wet on the bottom.
Fern let out a soft hiss, shaking her snout. "It is true. I can smell the scent of a black stripe on him. Oh, he washes himself in the stream to get rid of the stench, but I can still catch a whiff of it on his hindquarters."
"Do we know who it is?" I asked.
Fern again hissed. "I think it might be Pava."
What she said nearly threw me. I knew deep down that Tholestes had some-sort of feelings for Pava when I was on the island last time. But to go behind his pack's back and mate with her? Jeez!
I then asked, "How long has he been doing this, Fern?"
What she said next did not comfort me or my nerves.
"For about two weeks now. And for the past few months he's been the alpha."
"Two weeks," I said, rubbing my chin. "It doesn't sound that long, Fern. Surly it..."
"It does to a raptor!" Fern growled, more to herself then at me. "He's been sneaking off since the first week of this season. A female raptor goes into season around this time. Tholestes has already done his duties here with the other females, but now he's going off and probably mating with a black stripe. And in our pack that is nothing more then dishonor."
I raised an eyebrow. "Dishonor? It's that bad?"
Fern simply nodded. "It is. You don't seem to understand. Our pack prides itself by having our males mate with successful females and produce healthy chicks. Those chicks would grow into successful hunters and protectors that would benefit our clan. But when a member mates outside of our pack with another raptor that is not of our clan, that brings nothing but shame to our pack. And that clan member is branded a traitor and a disgrace to the pack."
Oh, dear. That could be a problem.
My raptor friend was fraternizing with a female black stripe raptor who was responsible for kidnapping me and having Zephyr killed by her pack mates. And to top it off, he probably was mating with her. I didn't want to think the worst of Tholestes or anything, but what if Fern was right about this whole shame to the clan-thing?
I felt a little relieved when Fern decided to change the subject.
She wanted to know how things were on the outside world and I filled her in on the goings-on after I had left the island. She asked the questions and in turn I again tried as best to answer them. While we spoke for the next few hours, I thought about what Tholestes could be doing right now. Was he coming back to the nest...or still out there somewhere with Pava?
Tholestes' POV-
I was laying on a nice patch of grass, my body exhausted from the workout Pava and I had given each other. Though it had been great getting all that tension out of my system, I still felt a deep shame that I was betraying my pack. And deep down I knew I was. My pack meant everything to me, including my sister and younger brother. How could I face any of them when or if they found out?
But I knew that I couldn't run from this forever.
I was the pack's alpha now. This was my decision and my decision alone to make.
Pava yawned and nuzzled the crook of my neck with her snout, purring with satisfaction. She had wanted this. And so did I. True it broke many of my clan's rules, but I technically was not in my pack's territory. So this shouldn't be a problem. As long as the pack didn't know, and I make them believe I was just patrolling around our new home, then no harm was done.
Looking at her, I could see that Pava was beautiful and strong. Even though she was a black stripe. We weren't mates, not yet. But she soon would be. But my mind never left that one little question; Was I doing the right thing by being with her?
Right or wrong, good or bad, I had mated with her and now was treading on thin...thin...oh, what was that saying humans used?! Frozen water? No, that's not it. Well, whatever it was, I was treading very thin on it. The pack needed an alpha to lead them. Not a traitor.
If my grandfather was here, beside me and my brother and sister right now, then he would wisely tell me to do what was right for the pack and for myself.
But what was right?
Kara had helped me to lead the clan during those months and had taught me how to be an alpha. But she didn't have time to teach me what I should do in this situation. Was it right to be with Pava and to mate with her? Or chase her away and make her and her pack sisters my eternal enemies forever?
I let out a deep breath through my teeth, laying my head down on the soft grass. There would be time to think about this later when I got back home. Right now Pava wanted my attention.
"Yesssss." Pava hissed, stretching herself. "Again, Tholestes."
I got to my feet and shook my head, my neck quills rattling together. "No, Pava, I...I can't"
She then suddenly got to her feet and growled angrily, "Again!"
I took a step back, unsure if she was going to attack me. But then her face became sad as she dropped her head saying, "Again...again...again..."
I leaned forward and touched her with my snout.
"Oh, Pava," I said softly. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I don't know if I'm ready for this," She said, leaning into my nuzzle. "Not this soon..."
I smiled at that. It was as if we had both had thought the same thing. I let out a soft purr in her ear hole.
"We were both not ready for this, Pava. Months have passed since the battle, and we're still getting use to each other."
I looked up at the sky through the canopy, spotting a few flyers whoosh overhead.
I growled softly. "You really think any of us were ready? From the time we were freed from our cages from the keepers and given our freedom to rule this island, the basic instincts of our kind just never kicked in. We didn't know what we wanted back then but now we do. This is our choice, Pava. We'll have to live with it and face the consequences when they come."
Nodding, Pava turned away from me and began to walk back in the direction of her home.
"I don't know what the future will hold for us, my foolish lover," Pava said, scratching at a spot on her chin. "but I hope that me and my sisters can be a part of it."
"You will, Pava," I said. "I promise you that."
She chuckled a little and retorted, "Don't make that sort of promise that you can't keep, Tholestes."
And with a flick of her tail she left, disappearing into the underbrush.
Standing alone in the clearing now felt more lonely. True I had only been seeing Pava for a few weeks in the past two months, but it would be all the better if I could just have her and her sisters be a part of my pack. Now that Kara was gone and I was the alpha, I could probably impose that Pava and her sisters could be part of the pack. The other females wouldn't like it, but I made the rules now. I was older, practically a full-grown adult, and the pack would go along with whatever decision I made. And if any of the pack members even thought about driving Pava off then they would be dealt with.
Deciding to give my thoughts a rest, I headed back in the direction of my home. But as I made my way back, I felt within myself a deep shame. I was fraternizing with the very raptor that our pack fought for so long. And if or when the pack found out they would probably see me no longer as their pack alpha. Instead they would see me as a traitor. Any respect they had for me would be lost. The clan would vote for a new alpha. And I could probably guess that my sister would take over command. She was after all a beta, and was older now. But if peace was possible for any of our clans, then I had to take that chance.
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