CHAPTER FOUR: Home Sweet Home
Thankyou, reviewers! To all people who haven't reviewed, REVIEW! It's what I live on! (By the way, I'm not going to start labeling the chapters as their title because it's a little late now xD)
CUSS/GORE WARNING
I do not own Wolf's Rain or Tsume.
A snowy morning with greyer clouds illuminated the world before them. A long winding road with snow piled here and there slithered along the scene. If one looked beyond it, they would see Sun City.
Tsume handed the dusty brown cloak back to Auntie, who was waving the jeep-driver away. "Goodbye! We won't need a pickup!"
Gabby nodded and waved as well. The driver was yelling something inaudible over the noise of the jeep but they assumed it was an 'OK.' Once he was out of range, the three travelers started up the road to Sun City.
All were silent until they reached the city gates. On each side stood two guards, complete in fine black armour and shining black halberds. The guards raised the halberds and let them pass, lowering them behind instantly. Tsume felt himself growl silently at the preposterous procedure.
When the grey wolf looked up, however, his growl turned into a silent gasp of wonder. How fantastic that his sight had healed to quickly. Sun City was lively place. Tables of men gathered outside one café, a crowded flower shop in the corner, exotic goods sold in the opposite direction, even a row of houses with an alleyway! This is how he would have described it a week from then.
In his wonder, he bumped into Auntie, who was chatting animatedly with Gabby.
"Watch it, cub!" she growled. Tsume noticed Gabby's eyes flash when she said it, and Auntie seemed to notice it too. She whipped around and continued talking with Gabby hurriedly. Gabby hesitantly joined into her conversation.
Tsume looked up ahead of them to see where the two women were leading him. A series of very high triple-story houses loomed before him, several in ruins and others noticeably empty. The one-story houses seemed most popular.
Auntie and Gabby walked up to one at the far back in ruin. It was a white building with pealing grey paint and in some areas exposed red brick. The door was stiff and rusty, just like its brown hinges. Auntie and Gabby stood there for a moment, transfixed on the door… and then Auntie nodded to Gabby. Gabby pushed the door inwards. It fell with a great clutter, making Tsume wince. The two elderly women entered without hesitation.
Inside was an old rotten table, two chairs, one window and several bear bottles. Both bear and wolf wrinkled their nose in disgust. Gabby flung toward the staircase and disappeared.
"What is she doing?" asked Tsume, who heard some faint banging from upstairs.
"She's checking what's been stolen," replied Auntie.
"What's been… stolen?"
"You must understand this is a popular town, cub. Surly there are thieving gangs flying all over the place," she said with a wink. The grey wolf nodded slowly.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from above. Tsume heard crumbling cement and scrabbling feet. Another shot echoed.
Auntie bowled Tsume over as she ran up the stairs toward all the noise. She didn't realise that her bear claws had scratched the young wolf as she fled… but being a wolf, he only received a shallow cut to the flank.
When he entered the room where all the fuss was from, the first thing he noticed was the stinking stench of blood. In a corner struggled Gabby with her arms over her head and on top of her lay Auntie, bleeding from a wound to her leg.
A man was standing with a pistol in his hands ("I've… I've shot a granny…"). He jerkily pointed his gun at Tsume as soon as his head appeared in view. In the life-threatening situation they were in, his wolf instincts took over.
"What the fuck is that dog?" he stammered desperately as Tsume, in wolf form, raced towards Auntie and Gabby to stand as a shield.
Before the man was a vicious grey wolf with sharp golden eyes. It had blood dripping slowly from his side. The drooling white fangs, the pointing tail, the flashing claws, the steady muscles; but most noticeable the fresh scar upon the creature's chest. It was a fatal wound to any man, a battle scar and a warning of danger. The survivor dog with the beautiful fur, a fighter 'til the death.
In his fear and desperation, the man shot his gun into the roof.
"Go away or it's next!" he cried to the grannies. Despite Tsume's human appearance earlier, the man refused to accept him as nothing more than an aggressive dog.
Tsume growled in a dangerous tone and flashed his shining gums and fangs. He took a step further… mistake. The crazed man shot him in the leg, making the wolf fall to a limp.
"Make that piece of shit stay away from me!"
Auntie had recovered from her wound. She whipped up from her craving spot and ran toward the man, turning into a bear at the last second.
"Bastard!" she roared. The man fell to the ground with a loud clank. His bloodied corpse lolled gently on its side dripping large amounts of blood from the mouth and neck.
"You didn't have to kill him, Hur!" Gabby gasped, jumping up like a rabbit. Auntie licked her mouth.
"Sorry. Instincts got the better of me," she said simply. Gabby huffed and took a nearby chair. Auntie shuffled awkwardly with her wounded leg toward Tsume who was lying on the ground with bloodlust in his eyes.
"Hey. Get up and lay next to the window there for me." She said gently. Tsume snorted and limped like a ragged doll to the glassless window. It blew fresh wind into his face and calmed his nerves.
"So what's your name anyway, wolf?" said Gabby out of nowhere. The grey wolf's back fur rose slightly. She knows I'm a wolf… she knows about wolves... and she's accepted everything she saw without fear.
"Tom," he replied inscrutably. Gabby chuckled and Auntie smiled in the corner.
"No… your real name."
"It's Tom!" he growled irritably. How did this woman know his name? Unless Auntie told her… he hoped she hadn't.
"Wolves have very unique names. When translated, they mean a word like 'moon' or 'fur.' What is your name?"
Tsume stiffened. I don't like this… He turned his head into Gabby's direction and looked her straight in the eyes, and to his frustration she stared right back.
"Tsume," he said with a faint gruff tone in his voice. "And who are you?"
"I'm someone who knows everything about wolves… and bears," she replied with a wink at Auntie. "I've lived among wolves- it's second nature to me and I know immediately when a wolf is about."
"You're being awfully open for one who is wolf at heart," observed Tsume.
"I trust you. You are a part of my pack now. Do you not feel the same way towards me?" she said. Tsume detected no challenge in her voice.
"No. I don't know you. I only just found out you know about wolves. I haven't seen you risk your neck for me with my own eyes," he snarled.
"Good. No sane wolf would open himself to a complete stranger." Tsume's expectation was that of outrage. This woman obviously dealt in 'his case' before. He laid his head on the window sill and stared into the open eyes of the sun.
"What happened to you?" Gabby asked surprisingly sorrowfully. "What happened to you to separate from your pack so early?" This made him prick his ears.
"Erm… actually…" began Auntie, but was cut off by Gabby. "No. I have to know."
"I'll tell you when I trust you," he mumbled. "I don't trust you."
Gabby looked on and nodded quietly.
"You don't have to be so blunt!" shouted Auntie with a paw on Gabby's shoulder.
"I'm a wolf. My nature is honest."
Auntie snorted and shifted into a human again. She poked Tsume in his bleeding leg, making him yelp.
"Sop whimpering. It's only a bullet, you have four legs! Help me move the bastard over here." She pointed to the bloody dead man with the gun. She reached to him and yanked the pistol out of his hand and gave it to Gabby who immediately checked it all over.
"We're putting him in the park. It's a protected area and hosts some of the oldest and largest trees. He'll make good soil," she said. Tsume nodded and shifted into human form, wincing at the pain of moving his leg. He grabbed the man's legs with his hands and (made the blood left spurt) shuffled him downstairs with Auntie at his head.
"Finally!" exclaimed Auntie. "No one to bother us here!"
Tsume saw instantly why no one came very often. Around the tree was a surprisingly marshy scene. From somewhere came some liquid and made the reserve a swamp of mud. The entire lot stank like a million leaves- but it was the first natural thing the grey wolf had encountered on his journey; this made it a heaven.
"Right. Find a deep root and drop 'im in."
"Wh…what?" Dumping a body without some sort of…remembrance ceremony was too strange a thought! Whenever an elder died in the pack, each would pay their respects.
"Yes! You heard me! No one comes here and no one but us creatures can distinguish the flesh from the swamp stink! It's good for the tree, just do it." She said with a marshy stick in her hand. The bear began to poke under the roots of the great mystical tree also sniffing here and there.
Tsume decided that he would just look around. Although he had the same balance now as he did in wolf form, his brain still told him to be cautious.
From somewhere behind the tree sounded a large, "GOT IT! Bring the bastard over here!" The grey wolf picked up the corpse and dragged it toward the sound. Auntie had found a fantastic hole under a root of the great tree… it already smelled faintly of flesh and bones… suspicious.
"Hehe… join your buddies, bastard," She cackled while stuffing the man's corpse down the swamp-hole. At least she doesn't hide it… I'm not sure which I prefer actually. Whatever.
"Don't lick your paws, cub. Humans wash their hands with water."
"I'm a wolf, not a human."
She flicked him on the ear. "Yeah, but you'll get into the habit of licking! The last thing we want is to look suspicious!"
"What exactly are we doing anyway?" he mumbled with a red ear.
"You want the truth or a hint?" she whispered cheekily.
"The truth."
"Then you'll have to wait a while."
The grey wolf groaned. "Let's go back then. We look suspicious enough as it is in this park."
Auntie nodded and led them back on the trail to the house. Gabby had something in her hands that was exceedingly shiny and bright.
"Turns out they've all turned dim-witted. Didn't check the main stash, but they definatly tried to wipe the house clean." Said Gabby the Auntie.
"Time's ripe again. All we need is a proper food stall and some rehearsal. We may as well teach the cub a few tricks…"
"You really are an evil Noble. Poisoning the minds of the young," she chuckled. "But hey,it's always good to have one more man on the squad, eh? Especially a wolf…"
Tsume didn't like the greedy smirks on their faces at all… uh oh. This doesn't sound very familiar…
REALLY sorry about the ultra-late update! It was hard to choose the right direction, I just hope you're happy with the result. I think you can see what kind of content next chapter will hold :D