Shade

Shade

A Story by #3993 Running Wild

“He’s so young…”

There was a hint of pity in the dame’s lulling voice. Her expression had softened and her eyes showed the sadness she felt. Her eyes lingered on the male as he strode rather confidently out of the thick brush that made up the majority of his territory. He shook out his pelt – debris falling away from him and down to the grown.

Shade paused to pick free a few leaves and twigs that were determined to cling to his dense black, grey and white mottled coat. When he was finished his task, he lifted his head and glanced towards the two wolves sitting at the edge of the clearing. The damsel felt her breath stolen from her chest as his piercing yellow eyes settled on her.

Subconsciously, she felt a deep respect for the young wolf.

He offered her a small smile and a polite nod before moving through the clearing and going to check the dens. Responsibilities weighed heavily on the youth’s shoulders, but he felt more than capable of handling them. He could feel the eyes of the two wolves on him. Irritation pricked at him from beneath his thick coat. Shade was more than aware that they were talking about him. “Let them gossip,” he decided silently.

The dame finally tore her eyes away when the grizzled male beside her cleared his throat. “He may be young, but he’s a hardheaded lad with quite the stubborn streak.” The older male let out a raspy chuckle. “It takes quite a wolf to overcome tragedy… Shade was one of the only wolves to survive the burning of the plains a while back…” He voiced his thoughts aloud, without really thinking about the female beside him.

The damsel gasped. “How terrible.”

“Shade is strong… Without him, this pack wouldn’t exist.”

The old male blinked. His thoughts were steadier than they ever had been. “He has quite a ways to go, but he seems to be driven to prove himself. We’re lucky to have him; we’re lucky to have a strong leader...”

The greyscale Alpha slid from the final den and stretched in the sunlight. Despite the tall forest trees, warm light still dappled the denning area ground. As warm rays caressed him, he glanced back to the two wolves sitting close together. With a coy grin, he bounced back up into a standing position and he trotted over to them with a pep in his step. Despite his duties as Alpha, he portrayed a liveliness that bespoke youthfulness. “You aren’t dragging my name through the mud, are you Grizz?” Though he sounded amused, there was a slight echo of a challenging, authoritative note to his words.

“Never, Shade, never,” Grizz chuckled heartily. “Only good things.”

With a swing of his tail, Shade paused and considered the response. His tail was lifted ever so slightly – a silent display of his dominance. He tended to leap before looking. Only now, he realized he may’ve

overreacted to the idea of wolves gossiping about him. With a light laugh, he tilted his head, “I figured. I wouldn’t want to have to pick a fight, today.”

His grin widened and his yellow gaze shifted from one wolf to another. “Well, since that’s that, I’ll take my leave. An alpha’s duties never end!”

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Before the two could respond, Shade was trotting off. His pace was quick and determined. Shade knew he had many challenges ahead of thing. Not only did he have to overcome the challenges of leading at a young age, but he would be responsible for tolerating or acknowledging that other wolves would talk about him. He wouldn’t let their words get to him.

Never.