Post by Bristle + War on Nov 20, 2007 20:14:13 GMT -5
Prologue
The cry of a human child broke the dead night air. The child had suddenly woken at the touch of a cold, wet nose. A black wolf let out a surprised, high-pitched yip; his black neck fur bristled and his ears were pinned to his head. “No!” he whispered urgently. “Sh, it’s okay.” He narrowed his blue eyes softly and grasped his jaws around the baby’s deerskin coat collar. The child kicked the air in protest for a moment, but he seemed to realize the wolf’s good intentions and settled down.
On the short journy back to the Altria pack’s den, the child fell asleep. He placed the human in front of a gaping hole in the front of a huge boulder. The black wolf called out cautiously, “Alpha Arrow?” A dark brown timber wolf with lighter brown flecks plodded out of the cave, his eyes shut tight and his jaws opened wide in a jawn. As the alpha opened his eyes, shaking his head, you could see one of his eyes was a bright, grassy green; the other was a dark, muddy brown.
“What is it, Nakoma…” He broke of as he saw the sleeping bundle of deerkskin. “Is that a human child?” he growled, his eyes flaring.
“Yes, Alpha—but it’s not what you think,” Nakoma barked hastily.
Arrow drew his lips back in a snarl. “Then what is it?” he growled.
Nakoma’s blue eyes widened, and his fur stood on end. “I found it alone!” the black wolf cried. “I was just trying to help it.” He bowed his head.
Arrow dropped his tail, which he had raised in his anger, and his eyes softened. He padded closer to the hunter, who still huddled fearfully. “Do you realize how the humans will react?” the alpha asked Nakoma quietly. The black wolf nodded quickly. “And will you take it back tomorrow at noon?” he continued.
For a moment the hunter was confused, but then he realized it—the humans would think he was trying to attack if he came into their village at night, but during the hours of daylight, they might realize he meant not harm. Still Nakoma brought his head up to look at the alpha, then glanced warily at the child. “It is unwell,” he stated simply. Arrow gave a low growl. “I just think we should nurse it back to health,” Nakoma added hastily.
Arrow shook his head. “No,” he barked roughly. “The humans will attack if we don’t get it back soon.” He began to turn to go back into the cave, but Nakoma gave a whimper.
“He will die! You know how horrible the humans are at healing. Won’t my sister do a better job?” he said proudly. Fareena, the beta female and Nakoma’s sister, had a broad knowledge of treating illnesses—as beta females were meant to.
Arrow lowered his gaze to the child sleeping between the two wolves. “Fine,” he grunted eventually, then turned and stalked into the cave. Nakoma heard the alpha growl something, and seconds later a slim black wolf—much like Nakoma himself—dashed into the open.
Fareena’s blue and brown eyes widened at the sight of the little human. “What is this?” she gasped, her light, honey-like voice barely loud enough for her brother to hear.
The hunter grunted laughter. “I found it,” he barked casually, and when his sister eyed him skeptically, he continued, “It was out alone in the field. Arrow said tomorrow I should bring it back, but…What do you think?” Nakoma looked from Fareena to the child—a male, Nakoma had determed on the way home—and back again.
The beta female padded cautiously to where the little male lay, sniffed him apprehensively, and stood back. “It’s ill,” she stated simply.
Nakoma grunted agreement.
“But I can’t be sure what kind of illness it is,” Fareena barked. She hesitated before saying, “The humans know how to treat their own kind. I…I agree with Arrow.”
At this Nakoma’s eyes widened. “How? How could you agree with him? You know more about healing than any creature I know, you know more than the rabbits!” The many rabbits in the land were known for their knowledge of herbs and their uses—Nakoma was over-exaggerating when he said Fareena knew more than them, but she did know quite a lot.
“Not humans, though!” Fareena whimpered. “I’ve never dealt with human sicknesses before, I’ve only helped our own kind!” She turned her back on Nakoma, and stopped before going into the cave. “Do as Arrow says, Nakoma.”
The hunter stared in disbelief at the place his sister disappeared into the abyss. Do as Arrow says? he thought to himself. Arrow is saying that I should bring the child back to its death…I won’t do as Arrow says! He picked the child up and carried it into the cave, then settled down into his bed of moss near the opening of the cave—where hunters slept. The alphas, Arrow and Leera, slept in the center, where it was warmest.
As the sun rose, the alphas and betas rose with it. They woke a hunting party, and soon after that party left a patrolling party woke. While all this was happening, Nakoma was allowed to sleep, so as to give him more energy for his ‘big journey’ ahead of him. He and the child slumbered alone when every other wolf left the cave, and finally when the sun was almost at its highest, Arrow nudged him roughly.
“On your four,” the alpha grunted, his eyes narrowed. Nakoma’s eyes blinked open and he shook his head.
Finally the hunter stood, stretching and yawning. “What is it, Alpha?” he said sleepily, flicking his ear. He glanced from the child and back to Arrow, and nodded. “I’m on my way,” he barked, nudging the little child. It woke quietly and quickly, and as Nakoma lifted it off the ground, it made a strange giggling sort of sound.
Arrow grunted. “Take it back. Now,” he growled, then turned around and trotted out of the cave.
Nakoma smiled around the little furless thing and trotted cheerfully out of the camp.
[well this...this is mah book c: (that's BUUK, not BOOK.) so yeah. what do you guys think? CRITIQUE please!]
