A/N: Here it is, a longer chapter to make up for my previous shorter ones! ^_^ I rather like this one... Let me know what you think of the OCs introduced. I know this one has a little less action in it... But I hope it's satisfactory anyways. ~Penelope
Chapter 4:
The Beginning of Recompense
Just as they were about to exit the clearing, Break paused, and looked back. He then turned and loped back to the mass of torn fabric. Just plunging back into that scent of death made him want to gag, but he pushed aside the numerous patches until he finally found what he sought. After contemplating ways of carrying it, there seemed to be only one way of doing it. So, very gently, he picked up the object in his jaws, and only then did he return to Gianaval, his rescued possession cradled lightly in his teeth. Matted chestnut hair swayed with each step.
Once again by the large wolf's side, he caught the odd glance that Gianaval sent the raggedy thing with the frozen smile all as unnerving as Break's. He simply snorted, unable to respond verbally anyway; Gianaval cocked a brow, but said nothing as he continued to lead the way.
They left the clearing behind – though, Gianaval said he would be sending others back for Koba's body – and traversed the vast forest that graced the foothills of the distant mountains. Everything was quiet in its winter slumber; not a creature stirred at this time of night. The two wolves were utterly alone in the emptiness. While Break found the silence a tad discomforting, Gianaval seemed completely at peace, contented in it. There were still traces of sadness etched over the aged dog's face, the initial shock, anger, and lament seemed to be wearing off to leave a growing tiredness.
This wolf had seen much pain, and loss. Break could tell that simply by the reactions he'd seen. His sorrow passed so quickly to resignation… it could only come from those experienced in suffering.
"The others… may not know what to think of you," the old wolf said as they walked through the tall drifts. Gianaval kept his head above the snow easily, while Break was continuously plunging into it face-first. Bound, thump, flail, shake. Bound, thump, flail, shake.
Gianaval didn't seem to notice his plight. "This has not happened in many years… Since then, most of the Elders who guided the council in those years have taken the journey to the golden shores. We have many young, opinionated, inexperienced members, now. And you will become their prime target."
"Sounds pleasant…"
The grey wolf laughed. "Don't sound so hopeless. I'm sure there will be at least a few willing to help you as our temporary guest."
A few. That's very encouraging.
The woods soon gave way to an open meadow covered in several feet of hard, icy snow. Gianaval paused at the treeline, countenance sobering as he glanced to and fro over the openness. At the far end of the clearing, stood tall a great pinnacle of rock, jutting from the earth and looking completely out of place. Compared to the gentle slope of the hills and the uniform army of evergreens, the boulder looked rugged, and dangerous. Craggy and dark, it was dotted with many nooks and ledges and overhangs, which could be the perfect hiding places for any sort of creature.
Taking slow, deliberate steps, the grey one walked out onto the hardened snow. He left shallow pawprints on what little loose snow was left on the top, but the layers below supported the big animal's full weight. Break looked about, curious as to what made the wolf so cautious – it was one of the most well-known predators in the world – and then followed suit behind his guide. He took three steps after him, and then the fourth broke right through the ice, and his foreleg plunged into snow clear up to his shoulder. With a crack, and a whoosh, the rest of him followed, and white powder spilled over him.
He heard Gianaval's laugh from his little self-made pit, and glowered at the snow covering his snout.
"Look before you take each step," came the deep voice. "Test the steadiness of the ice before you lean all of your weight onto it. Paths of solid snow aren't hard to find – you just have to look for them. Otherwise…" His voice trailed off as he peered down into the hole where Break lay half-buried in snow. "You'll have a time getting out."
"Oh…" He bit back the 'shut up'. Gianaval was a stranger to him, barely an acquaintance, and his elder… maybe. Then again, perhaps not… Anyway, it would be disrespectful to say such things out loud. Instead, he groaned, and pushed himself back up to his feet. Gianaval backed up as he readied himself for the jump back out.
He picked Emily back up, crouched, and leaped… and fell right through again. Gianaval snickered.
"Not so hard – you don't need effort, you need grace. Finesse. Gentleness. Don't throw your weight into it so; land toes first."
I've got it, I've got it… He shook the snow off his face, and braced himself again.
He fell through a few more times before he finally packed down enough snow to form a ramp back up to the surface. He emerged to see Gianaval settled on his belly in the snow, chin resting on his front paws as he waited.
Break snorted, setting the blue doll at his feet. "I didn't take that long."
"Long enough; shouldn't have been down there in the first place." But the wolf was smiling as he stood, and nodded his head toward the rocky crag. "Ready, then?"
A number of retorts jumped to his tongue, all of which he swallowed before they escaped. He nodded, and after picking his little friend right back up, followed closer behind Gianaval when he began moving again. He looked more carefully before each step, and put his weight only on the solid patches of ice. The rest of the way to the pinnacle went very smoothly, if he did say so himself.
As they neared the jutting rock, he began to spot movement along its narrow ledges. By now, the moon was high in the midnight sky, and in its light, forms could be seen moving back and forth, and up and down over the jagged stone, some bounding and leaping, others moseying along at their own quiet pace… But it would seem that this rock was a hub of activity.
"Hello the pack!" called Gianaval.
"Hullo, Great Sire!" came the return, from a voice at the top of the crest. The forms began to gather at the base of the rock, where it would seem a shelf of stone kept them from falling through the snow.
Now, they were close enough, that Break could see each and every face of each and every wolf that gathered to greet them. Many of them – perhaps close to a dozen – from the old and grey to the young and blossoming. As Gianaval stepped off the high drifts onto the slab of rock, with Break just behind him, all sat back on their haunches, and bowed their heads low. Then, with a fatherly smile on his face, Gianaval bid them all rise, and each did so with a grin on his or her face. The simple, yet deep respect of the reception chased all words from his mind – why couldn't people be that way?
A wolf whose coat was no single shade of brown slipped through the ring, and approached Gianaval. The two wolves touched foreheads, and the brown one stepped back, and glanced about.
"You've returned so soon; where… where is Koba?" Cobalt eyes turned toward Break. "Who is this?"
The old wolf's expression sobered immediately, and Break felt that irritating stab of guilt in his chest. He'd done this to Gianaval, and to all these others… What would they think of him when they found he was to blame for their brother's meaningless death?
"Koba… knew the risks of his watch. He knew the dangers… of both wolf and man." The grey head lifted to look the brown one in the eye. "Koba is dead."
A murmured hush fell over all those about them, and a look of disbelief tainted with horror befell the brown one. He stared long and hard at Gianaval, as if silently begging him to say it was just a cruel joke. But no such words came from those grizzled black lips, and the brown wolf was then overtaken by grief.
The grey-blue eyes darted to Break again, and he repeated in a low voice. "Who is this?"
Gianaval glanced back as well, and the softer look on his aged face stilled the sinking feeling in Break's gut. At least someone here looked past his mistake… "This is Xerxes."
Those blue eyes widened considerably. "The guardian!"
Gianaval nodded. "Yes. The guardian."
"What… Wh-What happened? How did it happen? This…"
"Calm yourself, Binde. It was all a mistake – nothing more, nothing less."
The wolf called Binde snorted white breath, and his stare began its transformation into a glare. "What was all a mistake?"
"Koba stopped a Dark One from getting to the heiress, and then-"
"KOBA!"
The shrill voice dripping with despair cut through all conversation, just as a blur of silver cut through the surrounding crowd. It made a beeline for Break; he'd just dropped Emily when he found himself tackled to the ground. His head cracked hard against the stone, and he grimaced. Then he looked up into a snarling silver face, and icy eyes of matching color.
"You monster!"
Gianaval was beside them in an instant, pushing the younger wolf away. "Lotus! How dare you attack a guest!"
Lotus growled through tears that dripped down his silver snout, and fell onto Break's forehead. "He's no guest! He's a murderer, I say! A murderer!"
"Lotus, get off this instant!" barked Binde before latching his jaws onto the young one's ear and pulling back. Lotus yelped, and was forced to back away from Break, though tears still streaked his face.
"He killed Koba, Father! Don't you understand? That's what the Great Sire's been trying to say…" Lotus broke from Binde's hold, and stared hard at the brown wolf, breathing hard. Break, in the meantime, was pushing himself back to his feet.
The second time tonight I've been thrown on my back by a snarling wolf… he thought to himself with a shake of his head. He glanced to Gianaval, who looked at him with concern.
"Are you all right?" he said quietly, as Lotus ranted to Binde.
Break nodded. "I'm just fine, thank you," he attempted to say without too much 'it'll take more than a little punk kid to throw me down and out' in there…
"Gianaval, is what my son claims true?" said Binde, turning to the grey one, who nodded somberly.
"Yes… I'm afraid it is, my friend. Our dear son Koba was slain at the hands of the heiress' guardian, who was only protecting his mistress, as he should. He could not have known that Koba's intention was for good, not evil. Particularly after past attacks by the Dark Ones, and the heiress' fear of our kind." Gianaval shook his head, looking Binde hard in the eye. "Do not blame him for Koba's death. It was an accident, and it is past. What's done is done – we shall see Koba again, in a much better place. You know that."
"You took him from us!" said Lotus, voice strained, staring straight at Break. The young wolf took several deep breaths, glancing between them all. "He's gone, and it's all this… this… human's fault, don't you get that? And yet, you're just… bringing him here like he belongs, and calling him a 'guest'? I can't even stand to look at him anymore…" He shook his silver head. "I'll… I'll be back. Later."
He cast Break a glance as if he wanted to add a 'You'd better be gone' afterward, but he simply loped off into the meadow, shouldering him on the way past, hard enough to knock him aside.
Break stared after the broken pup until he disappeared into the darkness of the woods, guilt pounding all the harder at his mind like a hammer on a bell, the consistant dong, dong, dong of its toll making him feel sick to his stomach. If he'd had any idea that Koba's death would impact so hard…
"Forgive me for my son's behavior…" came Binde's voice, and Break turned his gaze back to the brown animal. The other wolf sat back on his haunches, and looked genuinely apologetic, if not embarrassed. "He is… Can be an emotional sort at times. He has not had experience with strangers, as we are all family here." The grey-blue orbs were much softer now, though still tinted with sorrow.
"You are welcome here, with us," he continued, and offered Break a smile.
Break himself was dumbfounded. This creature had seemed so devastated when he heard that the white wolf had been killed at his hand… for no reason in particular beyond a misunderstanding. He recalled now, catching a fleeting glance at the black wolf lying dead on the garden path… He'd assumed the two wolves had been at it for no reason, like animals were prone to do… Had he been wrong. Koba had been trying to protect Sharon, his mistress – the wolf had been after the same goal as he was when he killed it. And yet… After all that, here Binde was, welcoming him?
It made no sense.