Chapter 7: Meeting Her Own Kind.
Darcia was sleeping peacefully.
He had found a cave not far from Star.
He opened his eyes slowly at the welcoming light.
He was curled up in his wolf form.
When he woke, it was then, that he felt a body against his back, breathing softly.
He positioned himself to where he could see who was there.
He almost laughed at the sight he saw.
Star, in her white wolf form, was curled against his fur, sleeping soundly.
Since when did she get here?
" Star." Darcia whispered nuzzling her cheek.
Her eyes slowly opened, but when she saw him, her eyes widened and she jumped up backing away.
" Sorry." Star said quickly.
" For what?" Darcia asked, as if he didn't know what had just gone on.
" I... Slept...Here, I was... Scared." Star said.
" Star, it's ok, are you ready to go?" Darcia asked.
" Yes," She said and they headed out.
" Do you know how much farther Paradise is?" Star asked.
" We still have a long way to go. Trust me, when you are near, you'll feel it." Darcia said.
" Feel it? What will we feel?" Star asked.
" You'll know soon." Darcia said.
" So, what's Paradise like?"
" Paradise, is a place for wolves, a place, for wolves to be free. No more sadness, misery, or death. It is perfect for a wolf. But, wolves aren't the only ones who have a Paradise." Darcia said.
" Oh?"
" Nobles, or as known as the humans, they want to open Paradise for them, where they can be free, and the wolves will suffer sadness, misery and death. Now, wolves and humans have their own Paradise to search for." Darcia explained.
" Humans are selfish." Star said.
" indeed, they may be, but, humans are also our life, without them, we would have no food, they created animals, and we hunted them to survive." Darcia said.
" I wish we could all live free." Star said looking down.
Darcia and Star continued walking in silence.
Hours later, they were beginning to come near a strange and almost empty town.
" Where are we?" Star asked, looking around.
A group laughing came to Darcia's ears, and he looked over at a group of men sitting at a small fire, and drinking.
Star was luckily on the other side of Darcia, where she was well hidden because of their size differences.
" Star." Darcia whispered to her.
" yes?"
" I want you to stay next to me, at all times, this town doesn't smell right, see those men over there?"
Star lowered her head looking beneath Darcia at the laughing men.
She looked at them for a while, and then it changed image, the men were all wolves, some sitting up, and some laying down.
" What are they?" Star asked.
" These are lone wolves, very dangerous ones, stay close and keep hidden on this side." Darcia said, and continued walking.
Star kept up with his length.
She was scared.
" You lost?" One of the men rang out.
Darcia stopped as did Star.
" We are only passing through." Darcia said, without making eye contact.
" Who's the pretty girl?" Another man said, obviously seeing the white fur hidden on the other side of Darcia.
Star silently gulped.
" Where you guys headed?" A man asked.
" None of your concern, now if you excuse us." Darcia said, and continued walking with Star fast at his side.
" Are we ok now?" Star asked looking behind her.
" no, those wolves will try to follow us, stay close." Darcia said.
" Ok, what's wrong with those wolves?" Star asked.
" It must be rare that a wolf comes here, and if my calculation is correct, I think I know why." Darcia said.
" Why?" Star asked.
They stopped when another group of men gathered in front of them, this time, Star couldn't see their wolf side.
" Because they have humans on their side." Darcia said.
The men lifted their guns and shot.
Darcia had spotted a little alley while they were gathering.
He quickly grabbed Star by the nape of her neck and took they disappeared in the alleyway.
The men surrounded the entrance.
" Where did they go!" One shouted.
Darcia and Star were in a small corner from the ally, Darcia had Star pressed to the wall of it.
He put his finger to his lips, shushing her silently.
" They couldn't have gone far! This is a cave in! Search the ally!" Another man shouted.
Star looked over where their voices were coming from, then back at Darcia and nodded.
He recalled his wolf form and curled himself in the small opening, waiting for the men to come closer.
When they were, he jumped out, taking out the closest man there.
Star closed her eyes as she listened to the gunshots fill the air.
She still heard Darcia growling and fighting which was a good sign.
" What's going on here!" A male voice shouted, and the shooting stopped.
Star opened her eyes, looking over at the exit of the ally, and a man stood there.
" Sir, these wolves are tresspassing our land!" One of the soldiers said.
" Who are you?" The man asked.
Darcia made his human form.
" My name is Darcia, we are simply passing through, when we were stopped by these soliers." Darcia said.
" We? Is there another one of you?" The man asked.
Darcia looked at Star.
He held out his hand to her.
Star made her human for and took his hand, slowly walking out.
" This is Star, we mean no harm, if you let us pass through, we will leave immediately." Darcia said. He put his arm around her shoulders protectively.
" Sir? Orders." One of the men said.
" let them go. I have no need for them." The man said, and he walked off.
After a few minutes of silence, one of the soldiers turned back to Darcia and Star.
" Sorry, you may pass. Have a safe trip." The man said, and they stood aside.
Darcia released Star and they walked past the men, and were back down their path.
" Darcia, are you ok? Did they hurt you?" Star asked.
" It's just a scratch." Darcia said.
" Well, I'll take a look at it when we stop to rest ok?" Star said.
Darcia continued walking in silence.
" Alright! Hold it there!" Darcia stopped, as did Star at the sound of a voice.
Star heard a loud snap of a whip. It hurt her ears.
" What's going on?" Star asked.
" it is not our concern, Come." Darcia said.
He continued walking, but Star remained where she was.
" Star, Come." Darcia said.
He looked back at her, and he saw she was running off to the sound of the men.
" Star!" Darcia growled and followed after her.
She was a pretty fast one.
When he finally found her, she was standing at a railing looking down.
" Star, Come, it is time to..." Darcia froze when he looked down at where Star was looking.
Wolves were tied up, pulling a huge machine.
Darcia heard Star silently crying.
" What is this?" Darcia said aloud to himself.
" It is my pack, every week a train comes to drop by little food, and the pack moves it here. The humans let us live, because they found us wolves useful. Since I am the Alpha of this pack, they follow most of MY orders." The man's voice came.
They looked over at him.
He was looking down as well, but, a desire was in his eyes, as if he loved seeing the wolves... No, his pack being tortured.
Darcia was more concentrated on the man, that he forgot about Star, who when she heard the yelp of an elder wolf, she screamed out.
" NO STOP!" Star screamed grabbing Darcia and the man's attention.
She was making a run for the railing stairs, running down to a man who was whipping the elder wolf that layed lifelessly on the ground.
" Damn kid!" The man jumped over the rail.
Darcia watched as Star was in her wolf form, and she lunged at the man who was whipping the helpless wolf.
The man who had jumped over the rail, was in his wolf form now, and he pushed Star to the ground, digging his teeth in her neck.
She let out a whimper.
Darcia called his wolf side, and ran to her aid, pushing the male wolf off her.
" LEAVE HER ALONE!" Darcia growled.
They returned their humans forms.
Darcia stood in front of Star and the man stood before them.
Star began walking past Darcia, but he grabbed her shoulders trying to hold her back. She struggled against him.
" YOU! YOU USE AND ABUSE THESE WOLVES LIKE THEY'RE GARBAGE! HOW CRUEL CAN YOU GET!" Star screamed at the man trying even harder to get to him.
" You!" The man came up to Star.
She stopped struggling, Darcia still having a hold on her, she looked up at him.
" How dare you!" The man shouted, lifting his clenched fist.
Darcia pulled Star aside, and grabbed the man's fist firmly.
Snaps and pops were coming from the man's fist.
" Don't ever...-" Darcia tightened his grip with more snapping sounds coming from the fist, the man began falling to his knees.
" EVER Lay a hand on her!" Darcia said in a low voice.
Darcia roughly released his fist, which fell uselessly to the ground.
The man cradled it, looking at Darcia with scared eyes.
Without another word, Darcia turned, put his arm around Star to turn her around and push her ahead, and they walked off.
Star avoided eye contact while talking to herself.
' what was that all about? Darcia had never acted this way about me.'
As they left the town, Star noticed a couple of men putting the elder wolf in his grave.
The men there took a look at the two, but then looked away quickly.
Darcia must have REALLY scared them.
" Darcia?" Star tried to start something.
Silence.
She shut up after that and they just walked off into the afternoon.