Howl- A Ongoing Story
|
Howl- A Ongoing Story
|
|
|---|---|
|
Posted 2023-10-26 08:53:40
Chapter OneBoneI walk back to my pack through sleet, the ice pellets beating steadily into my back like a heartbeat, a beaver in my jaws. I glance around as I enter the small clearing I and a few select others called home. Beach was raking her claws on a treetrunk over and over, battle training while Ice, our youngest pup, looked on in feigned boredom. Hush was, as always, mixing up medicines in his den. Mud, our only scout, was asleep in his den, Rock and Slate curled up together beside him, the pupsitters head on top of the small pup. I drop the beaver into a slowly dwindling pile and walk into Hush's den. "Hey." I mumble, laying down in a heap beside him. He hums in greeting and continues smushing some kind of herb into a piece of bark. I sneeze a little at the overwhelming scent of herbs, glancing around at the colorful concoctions that lined the den. My eyes linger for a moment on a pale purple salve in the corner, an ache forming in my chest. It had been almost a moon since....The Attack. A moon since almost everyone in my pack had been killed. The only survivers had been myself, Hush, and Mud. And my pups, Oasis and Overshadow, who I had screamed at to run as the Corrupted Wolves broke into our clearing. Beach, Rock, the pups...They had all come after The Attack. Replacements for those we had lost. Including the love of my life, Deathmask. Hush looks at me, my pain reflected in his eyes. "I haven't made any new ones." He says suddenly. I glance at him. "Any more wound salves." He clarifys. I sigh. Deathmask was always getting wounds all over him from running through undergrowth to catch prey. I close my eyes for a moment, focusing on shoving the pain deep down. I was the leader. I needed to set an example. I open my eyes slowly. "Hush-" I start to say hesitantly, before opening my eyes fully, just in time to catch the tip of a gray tail as he exited the den on silent paws, leaving me and my pain by ourselves. |
Parasite #127695 |
|
Posted 2023-10-27 05:38:46
Chapter 2HushI run out of the den as quietly as possible, rushing over to where Beach and Ice were battle training. "This," Beach huffed as she raked her claws deep into a treestump "is how a real warrior fights!" Ice eyed her skeptically. "Warriors fight like their about to pass out?" She muttered. Beach scowled at her. "Beach." I say, carefully placing the medicines I had grabbed when Bone wasn't looking on the ground. Beach yelps, hair going up on her back as she glares at me. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She snaps, swaying a little. Ice snorts at Beach's reaction, but looks a bit shaken by my sudden appearance as well. "Sorry." I mumble. "I got the medicines. Had to have some help from some friends though." I glance behind me to make sure Bone was still in my den. Bone didn't know that the whole pack had gotten sick with the flu. Twice. Beach steps forwards and laps up the medicine while I pushed the other remedy toward the smaller ice-colored pup. She blinks in gratitude and sips it, shuddering a little as the medicine takes effect. "Thanks. I guess." Ice grumbles, rolling her eyes. Or at least, I think she does. A half moon ago, her eyes had turned a milky white, which had thrown the whole pack into panic. But it seemed to not affect her vision, or be a symptom of any ailment. Though it did make a bit harder to tell is she was being sarcastic without being able to tell if she was rolling her eyes. I pause, peering closer. "Your nose is white." I note. "Wow, really? It's WHITE? Like how it's been white my WHOLE LIFE?!" Ice says with a mocking gasp, jaw hanging open. "No way!" I growl at her. "I meant it's completely white. Before, it was off white. It matches your eyes now." I clarify. Ice frowns as Beach leans closer. "Huh. Hush is right." She says. Ice shrugs. "I'm growing up. Color changes a little as you age, right?" She mutters. I nod hesitantly. "Yes." I say uncertainly. Ice stalks off before I can say anything else. "So...Bone doesn't know we're all sick?" Beach asks quietly. I nod. The last thing that Bone needed right now as she was coping with grief was to know the whole pack was being racked with influenza. "But you two were the last ones." I say. "I managed to heal everyone else." Beach's eyes widen. "Really? But I though you said the ingredients were rare." I sigh. "Oh, they are. But I uh....borrowed...some of Bone's Silver Cones, and a few friends helped out and gave me some." I chew my lip. "I mean, she's barely in camp anymore. Always hunting or exploring." Me, Bone and Mud...we all had different ways of coping. I spent all my time mixing medicines or foraging so I could avoid everyone, Bone tried to be the rolemodel leader and fix all our problems, and Mud...I didn't know how he coped. But he seemed to have it all together. "I...have to go." I mumble. "Get more herbs, in case the flu comes back." Before Beach can even utter a word, I'm already gone. |
Parasite #127695 |
|
Posted 2023-10-30 07:20:29
Chapter 3MudDay 2I sit in front of my replacement and frown. Ice frowns back. "You don't look old." She notes, staring at me with those unnervingly fully-white eyes, brow furrowed. "I'm not. Only about 5 years old." I say. "But Bone says I should start training you anyways. Before I start getting joint pain and such." I explain, huffing a sigh. "Ironic, in a way. Bone is the youngest adult in the pack, yet she's the leader. Must put a lot of strain on the poor pup." Ice arches an eyebrow. "Do you think out loud often? Are you going senile?" She mutters. I manage to keep my scowl off my face. "Now, your not an adolescent yet, so I can't take you out of camp-" I start. "Then whats the point of training me now? The whole point of a scout is to explore the world. As in, the world outside of camp." She points out. I take a deep breath. "What has Rock been teaching you?" I ask as kindly as I could manage. "Boring stuff. How to be a good, reliable packmate." She grumbles, beginning to imitate her pupsitters voice. "Be kind sometimes. Give someone a piece of prey if they seem like they need it. Be a good packmate, and life will reward you." I smile faintly. "That's good advice." I say. Ice just snorts. "Ok. Lets try something." I say, sitting down. Ice copies me. "Close your eyes." I say. Ice frowns suspiciously at me, but obeys. "Now. Clear your mind of any thoughts, and focus on your feelings. Just examine them, and try to figure out why you act the way you do, and why you feel these things." I close my eyes, enjoying the silence. "This is boring." Ice complains after about 7 seconds. I open my eyes. "I figured you wouldn't last long." I mumble. Ice glares at me. "I am stronger and faster than everyone else in the pack, AND I come from a long line of scouts!" She snaps snobbily. "AND my father was the leader of the pack I came from!" I take a deep breath, trying to rein in the urge to cuff the young pup. "Why don't you go battle train with Beach?" I suggest. Ice smirks and saunters away without a word. I scowl after her, turning around and screeching when I come face-to-face with Hush, who was standing right behind me. I could never figure out how that wolf was so-quiet. Even in the fall, when there had been crunchy leaves all over the ground, he never made a sound. "So thats how you cope." Hush says quietly. I stare blankly at him. "With...The Attack." He mumbled. "You meditate." I nod mutely, my heart still racing. "I...never thought of that." He confessed. "Herb taught that to me but...I never thought to use it." He stares at the ground for a long moment, before clearing his throat. "I...have some bad news." He whispered. My ears prick up nervously. Hush takes a deep breath. "We...finally managed to give away Slate." He said. I can't help but feel a bit sadened by this news. Bone wanted the minimum amount of pups in camp, after so many had died in The Attack. But I had a feeling that wasn't the bad news Hush was talking about. "And?" I prompt tensely. Hush stares at the ground for another long moment. When he looks up, there are tears in his eyes. "And Bones pups were killed." |
Parasite #127695 |