Hush of the Forest

Your chosen wolf sips the colourful ichor and lies down, suddenly exhausted. Their nap is long, and the dream they had was life-changing, to say the least.

Your chosen wolf eats the elk's heart. It's the most thoughtful and romantic gift among your kin.

TW: heavy manipulation, reference to non-con sex

Hush of the Forest lifts his head and his first emotion is relief and shock at the fact that he is awake. The last thing he remembers is being cornered by a dozen wolves in a remote part of the forest while he was traveling through. Life is hard for a lone wolf, and often packs will take solitary males as a threat and kill them. He certainly remembered being battered and slashed until he lost consciousness, and trying to even raise his head brings shock waves of pain racing throughout his body. However, his eyes still work, and Hush rolls them in every direction, trying to figure out where he is and what's happened while he was unconscious. It's night, wherever he is, and the air is filled with the scent of nocturnal critters and dew collecting on leaves and grass. Hush can only see a couple shadows in front of him, but they seem to be two wolves guarding him, one male and one female by their scent. He knows he can't move or they'll notice. Being a brilliant white has never worked out for him stealth-wise in the night. He was planning to head to the mountains, where the snow would disguise him more easily, before he was waylaid.
Even a twitch of his tail against the leaves rustles, and the guards turn to look at him, their eyes glinting in the night. Hush half-closes his eyes in a hurry, hoping they'll still think he's unconscious. Under his eyelids, he can see them surveying him for a minute, but eventually they turn back around, one muttering something about muscle twitches.
The male resettles himself on his haunches and says, "I don't see why we have to guard this loner all night anyway. He's been out for a while, and doesn't seem like he's going to wake up any time soon."
"She," the female corrects, almost absentmindedly. "She'll wake up soon. We don't want her escaping then."
Hush can't help but blink in confusion. Why are they referring to him as a she-wolf? He still smells like a male, so it's not like they wouldn't know, unless they're both scent-deaf? Something doesn't add up here.
After another moment of silence, the she-wolf adds, "It's luck we found her. Needed one like her to add to our pack, and you know that pack to the west has that stud. Perfect for her. She'll give us more pups like herself whether she wants to or not."
Hush's ears twitch in consternation, albeit painfully. What is this wolf talking about? Clearly they've got him mixed up with somewolf else, somehow.
"I guess..." the male says, somewhat nervously, and the female swings on him, her eyes shining.
"This is important to our leader. That means it's important to us too. It's not your place to ask questions, Aurora," she snaps. The other wolf, Aurora, quickly flattens his ears and ducks his head, whining in submission, and she licks his muzzle in forgiveness, though it seems almost peremptory.
Hush strains his ears for more speech, but the two settle into a tense but familiar silence, and after a bit, the exhaustion of his body trying to heal itself overtakes him and he sinks back into the darkness.

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When Hush next swims out of the darkness, the first thing he notices is that it smells like night again, but with a strange, rocky scent. He groggily opens his eyes and blinks a few times to focus his vision. Then, returning to himself, he feels the weight on his front and hind legs. As he struggles, the two guards from before push him down harder, keeping him pinned. Giving up and looking around, Hush realizes he's in a big cavern. Bioluminescent moss coats the walls and floor, and in the center is a dip in the rock filled with a swirling, multicolored liquid in hues of blue, pink, and purple. However, he is not alone, and he soon sees the many, many wolves in this cavern, lining the walls and creating a wind effect as they whisper and mutter. Everyone from gray-muzzled elders to fidgeting puppies sit surrounding the reflective pool.
"Sh-she's awake," Aurora announces to the group of wolves, and they suddenly fall silent and still, turning into just eyes glimmering in the semi-darkness.
A powerful, tall wolf emerges from the throng and pads over to where Hush has his muzzle forcibly shoved into the moss.
"Show. Respect," the female guard hisses in his ear before dipping into a bow to match Aurora's.
The leader stares down at Hush for a long moment, and Hush shivers at what he sees in the wolf's eyes. Not a single emotion for him as a wolf. Merely a considering look, as if he were assessing a fresh piece of meat.
"Who are you?" the wolf intones, and Hush blinks a few times.
"Excuse me?"
The female beside him sucks in a breath at his impudence, but the leader just considers him more closely.
"What's your name? Where do you come from?"
Hush stares up at him, confusion painting his face. "My name is Hush of the Forest...I was born into a pack that didn't have room for me, so I left on my twelfth moonday. I was heading for the mountains when you...found me. I promise, I mean no harm to your pack. I just want to find a new place to call home."
"My name is Fir's Cones," the older wolf declares formally. "You have had the good luck to enter the Three-Prong Pack, Hush of the Forest. You will remain here until the end of your days, and you will serve us as best you can. Someday, you will even come to enjoy your duties as a broodmother and a hunter. You will pass down your...unique pelt for generations upon generations. Be proud to think of the incredible things your spawn will do for the pack. Your role has been predetermined, and there is no fighting it. Do not struggle during this ceremony." Hush gets the feeling this is an often-repeated script with only a few alterations for him.
"A broodmother? What- what does that mean? I'm a he-wolf. I can't do...whatever that is. You must have me confused! Please, please let me go!" Hush says desperately, pushing against the guards to no avail. He's still too weak from his injuries and however long he's been asleep, and they easily prevent his escape, holding him until he tires out and slumps down, panting.
Fir's Cones eyes him for a moment, making sure he's not feinting, then gently grips a bowl-shaped leaf from beside the pool in his teeth. He dips the leaf into the liquid until it's brimming, then carries it over to Hush, with not a drop being spilled and not a drop touching his own lips. Hush looks up at this strange, menacing wolf with pleading and fear filling his eyes. How did this happen? How did his ordinary, boring life come to this point? Where is this place? Who are these wolves? None of these questions stop the implacable approach of Fir's Cones with that mysterious, sinister drink.
"Open," Fir's Cones commands, but Hush shakes his head frantically from side to side. Aurora and the she-wolf pin him down and force his muzzle open, with Hush too weak to stop them.
"Nah...plahse...halp!" Hush begs, even with his jaws forced apart, staring at the endless eyes in the shadows. They simply watch him. A mother comforts her pup who whimpers in fear at what is occurring, but her eyes hold no sympathy for what he's seeing, only a toleration for what she sees as the pup's irrational reaction.
Fir's Cones sets the leaf down in front of him and turns to the assembled wolves. "Let the gods see what we do today, let us walk in their moonlit pawsteps. This young unbeliever has come before us unenlightened. We will show her the right path. The path her paws were always meant to walk, though she may not realize it yet. This is the will of the moon and the stars."
Throughout the cavern echoes murmurs of "This is the will of the moon and the stars."
Hush realizes he's shaking like a leaf, even with the wolves holding him down, as Fir's Cones picks up the elixir and brings it to Hush's maw. Whimper after helpless whimper escapes him.
"Drink deeply, sister. Drink and kiss the stars," Fir's Cones murmurs, almost sweetly, as if he were administering a necessary yet unpleasant herb to a sick young pup, and not holding down a fully grown wolf and forcing something down his throat.
As much as he struggles, Hush can't escape the liquid as it trickles into his mouth and down his throat. It tastes like honey and night air and poppies in a field, but he fights it. He tries to hold it in his mouth, but they are too prepared. His nose is stopped up and his throat rubbed until he has no choice but to swallow it all and then inhale desperately, praying he won't drown on this. It seeps into his stomach, and he feels it going down. Feels it on his teeth and tongue, on his throat, in his body. Unnatural. And yet...addicting. Pleasing. A pulsating warmth spreads throughout his pelt and his joints begin to buckle, sending him careening back onto the ground. His nose thumps back onto the ground as his eyes roll back, only partially aware of the words the leader is murmuring over him, blessing him in his "return to the earth" as he drifts into unconsciousness yet again.

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When Hush opens his eyes again, he's in the daylight, finally, and in a bed of soft moss and shredded feathers. As he returns to himself, the first thing he notices is the smell surrounding him. It's the smell of a she-wolf, but it's...odd. It's so intense, like nothing he's smelled before, even sleeping curled up with she-wolves for warmth back in his old pack. And intermingled with this female scent is his own, but twisted and wrong. It's almost like it's in him. And with a full-body shudder, he realizes it is. Feeling is returning to his body, and quickly he realizes that he's missing something. And appears to have gained something else. The realization spurs him into action, and he attempts to jump up, but ends up just flailing weakly in his nest before slowly tottering to his feet.
He's in some kind of shelter or den covered by an overhanging rock. A few nests dot the edges, well out of the way where rain would puddle. There's one other wolf in a nest, a small pup who looks at him with feverish eyes. Across the small clearing, a wolf sits sorting through herbs, muttering to himself. When he hears Hush stir, he turns around, tail raised in a friendly greeting.
"You're awake!" he says happily and pads over to nose at Hush, checking his various wounds, which seem to be largely healed and barely cause him pain at all. This wolf is lean, but with a thick pelt, and has an interesting pattern on his face and body which remind Hush of a badger, besides his piercing yellow eyes. "Welcome to the world of the waking, Hush of the Forest! My name is Sunset Shines Over Lake, and I'm the herbalist of the Three-Prong Pack. You've gotten some scrapes, but you're almost completely healed."
"Where am I?" Hush says, voice raspy from lack of use.
Sunset tilts his head and smiles again, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "What do you mean? You're in the Three-Prong Pack, of course! Did you hit your head?" He begins to look deep into Hush's eyes, presumably checking for concussion, but Hush shies away, flattening his ears. This wolf seems friendly, but he's not taking any chances.
"No, I mean, what happened to me? What is this place? What did you all do to me? Who am I?" He realizes he's blabbering on, close to a full-blown panic, and Sunset begins shushing him, licking his muzzle in an attempt to calm him, as a she-wolf would calm a pup throwing a tantrum.
"You're safe now...you were leading a dangerous life, and we saw fit to give you a new place to stay. This is your life now, and you should forget any false memories of another you led before. The mind can play strange tricks on you...the Three-Prong Pack is your home. Forever. Don't you remember?" His voice changes, becomes sweeter and more alluring. "After Hallow's Eve died, you've been training to become the newest chaser in our hunting party - with Sparks in the Night, and Sun's Blessing, and Wild Paws, and Dew on Fern? You got scraped up pretty badly on a hunt and you've been recuperating in here ever since, sister." His smile is even tighter than before, but Hush can't bring himself to care.
"I'm not your sister...I'm a he-wolf. I've always been a he-wolf. What did you do to me?" Hush whispers, horrified. Sunset Shines Over Lake can't seem to meet his eyes.
"Please don't be like this, Hush. You know this is how things were always meant to be. Why struggle?" And with that, he makes an abrupt about-face, his tail almost smacking Hush in the muzzle. "When you're ready to cooperate, if you need any...refreshers...on what your life is like, feel free to ask me. I'm always here to help."

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After a few hours of laying in his nest, Hush feels like his mind is going to explode with the thoughts whirling in his brain. He doesn't feel strong enough to make a break for it yet, and he knows that there are dozens of wolves in this pack, all with the intent to keep him from escaping. And anyway, where would he go? He's too weak to hunt for himself, to survive on his own. Sunset is pacing on the other end of the den, mixing herbs and medicine and filing them away in the nooks and crannies.
Suddenly, another snout appears at the entrance to the den, and Hush raises his head in trepidation. What fresh hell was about to happen? He soon recognizes the scent of Aurora, that wolf who had guarded him and then held him down, and he swallows in fear. What now?
But when Aurora approaches, his distinct pink pelt rippling nervously, the only expression his face holds is timidity and sympathy, not the cold stoicism or the uncaring gazes that he's seen on the other wolves. The he-wolf sits a polite distance away, but close enough to talk without being too closely overheard by the herbalist. He looks nervously at Hush, who gives him a side-eye.
After an awkward moment, Aurora clears his throat carefully. "My name is Aurora Borealis. I just- I just wanted to...to welcome you. To our pack. And..." his eyes flick to Sunset, and his voice lowers further, "to apologize."
Hush turns away from him so his back is facing the other wolf. It's a petty move, but he doesn't want to hear any more manipulation or, even if he's sincere, to absolve some other wolf of his guilt. The guilt he earned. 'Welcome to our pack' his furry rump.
There's another beat, then in a whisper so quiet Hush has to strain his ears, Aurora says, "I know what you're going through. I was the last one."
That gets Hush's attention, and he rolls back over, but remains silent. His pink eyes lock with Aurora's black ones, demanding that he continue.
"I was taken from my pack less than twelve moondays ago. My first hunt. I got separated from the others, and the next thing I knew, I was cornered. Ambushed. Torn up until I begged to be allowed to do something for them. Anything to make the pain stop. Anything to stop them. But there's no stopping them."
Aurora pauses here, his eyes clouded with the pain of his memories, and Hush pulls himself up in his nest to listen more attentively. No wolf can fake that gaze. Aurora isn't lying to him. Hush asks, "So you're a she-wolf?"
Aurora winces and glances at Sunset, who doesn't seem to care about their conversation, then continues, "No. I've always been a he-wolf. You're the first - in a while - they've done that to. The others they tried, they, well, they didn't survive." He shudders again, and continues on in a halting manner, haunted. "Their bodies mutated horribly...twisted out of shape and bulged in the wrong places...eyeballs popped...limbs grew and shrank...Fir's Cones said it was the work of the goddess, that they were all unworthy. Maybe there's something to that, I don't know. I had to kill one of them as...it...begged me from a swollen, twisted jaw to make it quicker. They couldn't stop their tongue lolling out of their mouth, but...it moved with a mind of its own..." Hush feels sick to his stomach at this revelation. He's lucky to be intact, and not some half-alive monstrosity. Aurora looks like he is about to be sick, his throat working and his scruff bristling, but he swallows heavily and shakes his pelt out, recovering himself.
"Why did they do this to me?" Hush asks Aurora after a suitable pause for recovery, but from the things he's heard these wolves say, he has a sneaking suspicion he knows what he's here for. Still, he asks in the hope that he's wrong.
Aurora lays with his belly flat on the ground and crosses his paws in front of himself. He doesn't meet Hush's eyes as he says, "Well. A few runs away is a pack. With a wolf with the same, unique coat as yourself. They can't have him, so they took you. And they plan to...breed you to him. For a price, a pack will do anything. This wolf doesn't seem to be of the highest moral fiber anyway. I am...I am so sorry."
Hush falls silent again. It wasn't like he wasn't expecting it, but still. This is beyond unholy. Beyond immoral. "I have to escape."
Aurora looks at him bleakly. "Please. Please do not. I will be required to report that, because if you try to escape, not only will they find you, they will kill me. This talk, just the fact that we are talking at all, about anything, right now, would be ground for death, and I have no real reason to be kept around. You are rare, unique. They will not kill you. I am just another hunter, and if they think I've rebelled, they will simply kill me and find another."
Hush's ears flatten back in anger. "Why did you come talk to me then? You've doomed us both. Now I'm responsible for your life. You fool."
Aurora shrugs hopelessly. "I just wanted to warn you. There's no escape. I wanted to explain how this place works, and to apologize. But you can do whatever you like. It's not like I have much to live for anyway."
Hush looks at him for a long moment, then shakes his head. "I can't kill you. I won't escape. I will bear that wolf's pups, and I will raise them as best I can. But you will be helping me. You will pay a penance."
Aurora laughs mirthlessly. "Pay a penance. You almost sound like them."

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Two days later, Hush returns to the camp. He walks stiffly, but his head is held high. That wolf was a brute. That wolf was cruel. But he has survived. No wolf has broken him. And though he knows that he's harboring new parasites in his body that will grow and feed off of his unnaturally changed body, he has not bent or cracked. This is how he will survive. Aurora trots behind him, head hung like he was the one who just had been violated, had every piece of his soul stripped away from him, but at least Aurora is still there.

Continued on Aurora Borealis