The Lycanthrope Tails. Chapter 17.
The Lycanthrope Tails
Chapter 17
By Roofles
They had left early in the spring morning and it wasn't even afternoon by the time they got to the coast line, far North-West from where Jared's home town lay. The salt air was even sharper to Jared's nose now that it had ever been in his entire life. The sea air blew in his hair as he stood on the cliff side, arms up and soaking it all in.
His senses weren't only just heightened. Jared could feel things he had never thought possible. It was like he was one with nature at times. His bare feet could feel the earth beneath him, the minerals in it, the rain that had fallen recently. If he concentrated he could even feel the earth worms and insects moving in it.
The wind didn't just carry scents, it carried stories. Of what was going on with the world there. Of the rain that was to come. Of death, of life. And it was exhilarating in itself. He could stand here all day and 'listen' to the tells they weaved.
The smell of the human town nearby agitated the beast inside. It growled at the smell of oil and car exhaust. Of the trash and waste that polluted their nature. It made the wolf angry, wanting revenge against those that ruined this for them. People going about their lives, just living day to day and unaware of the run off.
Life. Jared focused on that word above everything else. They were just living their lives the best they could and Jared buried the darker thoughts away.
"I am not you." Jared breathed out before looking back at the other two. Dakota was laying nearby, human form once more, in the sand staring up at the moving clouds above. As long as Jared was within view, Dakota seemed content no matter where they went or what they did.
In and of itself that worried Jared more than he let on. He didn't know what the red wolf was thinking, what he wanted; other than to be close to him. Jared could want to go to the moon and Dakota would just follow without question. Without reason. Without retort. So long as he could sit next to him on that rocket as they shot for the stars.
"Is he happy?" Jared wanted to ask but couldn't find the courage to ask. If it wasn't for Dakota, he wouldn't be in this mess. Rather, Jared focused on how without Dakota he wouldn't be able to find and save his sister. In these dark times he needed that someone to always be there with him, for him.
Frostbite was down on the shoreline waiting. The wind blew his silver fur and he just closed his eyes as he 'listened' to the world around them. It was a trick Frostbite had taught Jared. To sense the world around them. Not just the sight but the sound. The smell, the feel of things. Each created their own picture of the world and when they overlapped with one another you could see things that you'd normally miss.
Such as the black shape watching them from the nearby hillside, crouching the grass. It was low to the ground and neither of the three could make it out, yet they all knew it was there.
Frostbite waited. Not wanting to make the first move. It'd be rude. They are the ones who came into their territory, just on the edge to get their attention. They didn't cross the border that was marked in more ways than one, invisible to humans eyes and senses.
The black form descended several feet away after making sure the coast was clear save for these three. It rose up and Jared could see, even from up high, that the wolf had disguised itself with seaweed and dirt. Able to blend into the foliage almost perfectly. If he was still fully human, Jared wouldn't have been able to notice it as it crouched back low to the ground.
There was a sound. A growl. A warning. Frostbite ignored it however.
"I am here to see sister Sylvan." He called aloud, showing that he was no stray wolf as he rose his head up high. If one wanted into a pack they would come slinking in, begging on their belly or even back to get in. From there they could challenge and work their way up the ranks. Frostbite held no want or need for such weak displays. He was here for a sole reason and nothing more.
"Sylvan is resting." The wolf spoke up, stilling growling under his voice. He kept himself low and it was impossible to see how large or small he was in the messy web of seaweed and twigs he wore. "Leave." It ordered, threatening now with raised hackles.
Frostbite ignored him and looked past, down the shoreline. "Even with the sea breeze, I can smell you." He called out.
Silence met him, only the waves crashing against the shoreline made any sound.
"Leave!" The other wolf barked now rising up higher and taking a step forward. "I will not let you threaten our Alpha."
Frostbite wasn't too surprised to hear that. Sylvan had taken his advice, as he wished others would do too looking at his two pack mates off to the side. Sylvan wasn't as strong as most. Yet, she possessed something most didn't. Common sense. Not letting pride or anger or even hunger distract her away from the truth. Unlike others, she was one of the very few who hadn't had the wool pulled over her eyes.
There was movement behind the seaweed covered wolf and he turned back with a startled yelp. "M-mistress, please. Stay hidden. I will handle them." He said confidently, lowering his ears and head in respect as Sylvan walked out from the rocky shoreline.
"At ease, Sveil." She took a step forward, rising tall before Frostbite. The silver fur wolf wanted to laugh but held his tongue, knowing it best not to insult an Alpha in their own territory. They were on a diplomatic mission after all, needing their help above all else.
"It is good to see you again, sister." Frostbite bowed his head if only a fraction of an inch in respect. He couldn't bring himself to lower it any further or fear risking laughing at the very notion that Sylvan was indeed an Alpha.
"That is Alpha, now." Sylvan corrected. The only warning she gave.
"Of course," Frostbite even placed an arm over his chest with his head still lowered. He didn't say the word and Sylvan didn't miss that fact, knowing this was going to be troublesome. "We have a favor to ask of you."
"You come into my territory, unannounced and without an offering? And dare to ask a favor of me?" She scoffed, eying the two up on the shore line. Her eyes narrowed not on Dakota but of the man standing next to him. He looked human but his scent was anything but. Was that the same human from way back then?
"Yes." Frostbite only answered giving her a smug smile, his eyes laughing at her now.
"And why should I?" Sylvan dared to ask. The other wolf wasn't alone now. Three others had joined her out here. They were unaware how little their numbers meant to someone like Dakota or even Frostbite.
"Because, sister." Frostbite didn't say the word but mouthed it slowly. Mockingly. "We are hunting."
Sylvan ear batted at that and she looked back up on the shoreline. As she did Dakota sat up, yawning loudly before standing. He was talking with his pet, something clearly irrelevant to the conversation the two of them were having. Something about food.
"Hunting, what? Exactly." She dared to ask knowing they would not leave otherwise. They were getting the younger wolves behind her worked up. They were new, itching for a fight. Only pups months ago. She had her hands full as it was trying to keep everyone in line and didn't need three new mouths to feed.
"Hunters." Frostbite grin only widened at the look on her face. The other wolves behind Sylvan cowered back at the very idea, knowing even in their naïve arrogance not to mess with them.
"I see..." Sylvan just figured they were after the same ones that had destroyed their pack and attacked that human's town.
"It would be in your benefit too, of course. Getting rid of hunters in the West." Frostbite only went on, really hammering it down that this was in her best interest. He didn't even need to pull out his ace in the hole; the very wolf up above wanting food. Sylvan had seen firsthand the destruction that monster could bring on a pack.
Sylvan wanted to just agree, to get rid of them as fast as she could. Still, as Alpha she could not just show such signs of weakness. Not with the others able to listen in.
"Very well. A trade then." She took a seat, offering for him to draw closer. Frostbite took a moment before doing so. Walking several paces and sitting down far out of arms reach from the other wolf he had once called sister. "I have been increasing my pack."
Frostbite ear flickered at that.
"Peace." She raised her hand. "I am not a fool like the old, decrypt Alpha was. Only those who are wanting, willing and know the risk." She clarified. "Lost souls."
"More like lost sheep, led astray by a wolf in a shepherd's skin." Frostbite glared back. He didn't want to go through that again. Not again.
"Well, there has been a few problems of late." Sylvan laid it down for him. "One of them strayed from the pack. Trying to form his own now, gathering up others and well..." She rolled her paw.
"And you want us to take care of it?" Frostbite lifted an eyebrow. Cleaning up others problems wasn't his job.
"I'll do it." Dakota yawned, walking down towards them. The man had drawn far closer than any of them were aware until he was almost in arms reach. That unnerved Sylvan whose hackles rose at his approach. The red wolf in human form, yawned loudly and covered his mouth. Clearly he was bored with all this. "Just point them out and I'll get the job done."
"Right." Frostbite frowned. It wasn't his job, it was Dakota's job to take care of strays that threatened a pack. That's why Sylvan even brought it up. She had planned to use Dakota, just as the previous Alpha had.
"I don't like it." Jared jogged down towards them making nearly every head turn towards him now. Sylvan narrowed her eyes on him, still partially blaming him for what had happened back then. "I don't want you to just go killing again." Jared wasn't talking to them, any of them. Only Dakota. He even took the other man's hand in both of his.
Dakota didn't falter, he just smiled back. "Ok. I won't then." Was all the wolf said on the matter.
Frostbite gritted his teeth a bit. Now he would have to convince Jared to let his pet go do what he was bred for! The wolf didn't know why he stuck around them.
"What? This is not your decision, pup!" Sylvan snarled at him.
Frostbite was too late to warn her about that.
Dakota laughed. A soft, almost hollow sound as he petted Jared cheek with one hand and turned back towards them. His head tilted oddly to one side, his eyes boring into the so called Alpha of this pack.
"Apologize." Frostbite wanted to shout but kept his voice low, almost a whisper. "Now."
Sylvan wanted to back away under that gaze, it was like twin suns staring at her. "I misspoke." She quickly corrected herself. "I only meant to ask." She corrected her correction quickly enough. The other wolves with her looked confused on the matter.
They were young. The young and stupid don't live long to grow old as she has.
Sylvan cleared her throat. "These strays are not only a threat to us." She said addressing Jared but talking to Dakota. "They are threat to this city, to humans as well. They do not follow the rules. The balance will be disrupted and the hunters will come."
"Good." Dakota just shrugged now, dismissing her. "When they do, we can get one and interrogate them for information about your sister, my Jared." Dakota was talking only the other man now, forgetting about the others.
"Everyone?" Jared was focused on what Sylvan had said. "I don't want any more bloodshed..." He looked away now trying to think that over. At what cost was that? No more of what happened that night.
"Then send your... Dakota." Sylvan wanted to growl but kept tactful with her words. "He'll handle everything, the humans won't even be aware of him."
"Neither will they." Dakota agreed smugly, still talking to Jared. "Until it's too late. Not one of them will escape."
"Unfortunately, I do agree with her on this." Frostbite spoke in trying to be the voice of reason. He usually was and Jared did listen to his advice.
"I..." Jared wanted to start but Dakota held his face with both hands now, not caring the others were watching.
"I'll be fine." Dakota promised.
"I'm not worried about that, I know you will be." Jared pulled one hand down to hold and looked at him. "You're so much more than just that."
"You will never have to bloody your hands." Dakota smiled softly at his words. "Let me carry that burden, for you. These hands will never be clean." Dakota looked at his own, and then smiled once more as Jared placed his smaller ones in his. "Yours will be. Until the end." And Dakota gave his cheek a lick, taking a breath of his hair before moving out.
Dakota didn't have to warn the others about Jared safety. They all were too aware of what would happen to them even if a single hair on Jared's head was missing.
"You don't know where they are!" Sveil called after him, the seaweed wolf almost moving to follow. Sylvan stopped him.
"He doesn't need too..." Was all she said watching him go. "I can't believe you brought him here. After everything." Sylvan growled now at Frostbite.
"I'm sorry," Jared interjected. "It was my fault. I asked Frostbite for the assistance. If you have anyone to blame, it's me."
Sylvan scowled at that, looking away from the wolf in human form. His scent? His voice, that look in his eyes. It made her angry.
"I will not lead that thing back to our den." Sylvan warned instead.
"We could care less about your den, your majesty." Frostbite just smirked, enjoying to mock his old packmate in front of her own pack. The others didn't catch the sarcasm concealed in his voice, to the fact he was in fact insulting her repeatedly. The others were young. "We just need to know the location of the hunters."
"Why would you risk so much for that?" Sylvan was talking about Dakota now, having kept one ear in the direction the wolf had headed off in.
"For family." Frostbite was the one to say it. Jared was going to say his sister but the silver fur wolf had cut him off. Jared was thankful for that and even scratched the top of Frostbite's head, behind one ear. Sylvan watched in half-shock. That someone was actually touching Frostbite and he wasn't ripping their hand off for doing so.
Jared took a seat next to Frostbite, not a move the wolf would advise during a confrontation like this. It was risky to sit in human form, was too vulnerable. Still, Frostbite didn't complain as Jared rested against him and the silver fur wolf looked out over the ocean.
"Oh," he thought to himself. This is why I stayed.
The wolves slowly took seats around Sylvan, some even laid down with their heads on their front paws. They weren't used to sitting around doing nothing. With their age, they wanted to be running and chasing things. They all were of the same brown fur Jared wolf form was and that piqued his interest.
"Uh, excuse me." Jared asked making Sylvan turn an ear in his direction. He wasn't talking to her but Frostbite now. That somehow annoyed her more than his presence. "What clan are they?" He asked in a whisper that every wolf here could easily hear.
They were in a shallow cove on the beach, away from the line of sight of anyone on the nearby road. The rocks helped shield them from the wind and waves alike.
"Forest skulkers. Or dwellers back before in infighting started." Frostbite just educated Jared as he had been doing. The wolf was almost like a teacher to the man, training him on their ways as well as explaining the things he didn't understand.
"Am I one, then?" Jared asked and that caught a few of the others attention. Some even opened their amber eyes to look at the fur he was showing Frostbite.
"From what I can tell, yes. The one who infected you had himself been infected by one of the Forest clan." Frostbite nodded. "I am from the tundra hunters, like the old Alpha before me." He explained, going on now. Frostbite just loved to boast about his knowledge on the subject. Sylvan was just surprised the wolf was talking so much. "We hunted in the snowy plains of the far, far North."
"And Dakota is a Blood Moon?" Jared nodded, recalling. It was hard to keep track of everything with the constant animal instinct interfering with their lessons.
"Yes, one of the last. Possibly the very last one." Frostbite lowered his head down onto Jared lap.
"Is... is that why he's so blood hungry?" Jared dared to ask.
"To an extent." Sylvan chimed in, not wanting to be ignored. "He is also a Fang."
"Right." Jared frowned a bit more at that. "You bred him to be a killer." He said not to any particular wolf here.
"Something like that, yes." Sylvan frowned now seeing the worry and despair cross over Jared face. The new pups were always so easy to read.
"What?" Jared finally asked, worried he had something on his face.
"Nothing. Nothing. You just... remind me of someone I knew, a long time ago..." Sylvan looked away now and went back to listening for Dakota's return.
Sometimes silence was best. Jared hated the sound of it and was thankful for one thing about this all, his hearing had nearly quadrupled since he was changed. He could listen to the ocean and found peace in it. In the vast empty space that stretched to the horizon and beyond.
Of the birds flying overhead, the seagulls chirping away. Jared almost smiled at that. That annoying sound of the sea birds; was it even chirping? It had bugged him as a kid and now he found a comfort in it. Of the peace in it.
Frostbite laid in his lap, almost fully on him as he snored away. The wolf had never slept so peacefully in the open during his time with the pack. Things truly had changed, Sylvan thought as Jared turned around sharply up to the cliff face above. It was only then that she even noticed that Dakota had returned.
Before she could catch a good glimpse of him there was a large splash off the coast and a large, wet red wolf swam back to shore. He shook himself dry and trotted over like a prized stallion winning gold in a race. That smug look on his face told them just how successful his hunt was.
Frostbite nearly yelped as Jared got up in a hurry and ran over.
"Hey," Dakota lifted his head high in pride.
"Are you hurt?" Jared asked quickly, looking over his chest and arms. The large wolf frowned a bit at that, expecting and wanting praise for a job well done. He took a seat and sighed, letting his mate look him over from head to toe.
"I'm fine." Dakota huffed, shaking off once more and getting Jared wet. He laughed and smacked the massive wolf's chest with the back of his hand. That laugh was like music to Dakota's ears and they perked up, tail wagging.
"Ass! You could have at least warned me first." Jared growled back, showing off his sharp incisors.
"Where's the fun in that." Dakota only teased, looking down at him.
An it was there, at this moment, Sylvan could finally see it. See the world that this monster lived in. An entire world, an entire galaxy all focused and centered on his "Sun." Or maybe, to Dakota, he was his moon.
The moon was how the wolves told time. Remembered the things of the past and of the dead. Of the cycles it went through and how, they too, much go through such things. Changing from one form to another always the same and yet different. It was the center of their being, their focus and some, like Sylvan, believed there was a spirit in the moon that helped guide them in life. A religion, almost.
"No," Sylvan thought then. The moon was harsh and unforgiving. It was something that brought good and bad with it, like the tides coming and going. Jared, this once human, was more like the Sun. Bright and unrelenting even when hidden away on the other side of the planet. Then? Would that make Dakota the very universe around him, forever circling in orbit? Doomed to one day collapse in on itself when his sun was gone.
Or worse, taken from him.
Sylvan had only seen a Fang's wrath once and never wanted too again.
"Then why did you jump into the ocean you dimwit?" Jared laughed, teasing him now.
"I needed a bath?" Dakota offered, not about to admit it was to wash off the blood from his hunt. The best way to soak himself in the sea after cleaning up the best he could before. Coming upwind from them just to make sure Jared wouldn't be able to smell the mess he had made. Even then Dakota had gone the next step and had taken care of the threat using whatever he could in the area instead of his own claws and fangs.
These things would be lost on his human, and he didn't mind. Dakota didn't do that to be praised after all. He did it because it was what Jared would have wanted.
They bumped noses before going back over.
"I have a pack to run." Sylvan growled at Frostbite. The silver fur wolf had enough of these games and had demanded Sylvan hold her side of the agreement. Frostbite was disgruntled being woken up by Dakota's return wanting to stay in the comfort of Jared's lap a little longer.
"Are you going back on our deal?" Frostbite hackles rose at the thought of betrayal on the matter.
"I never said that." Sylvan countered. "I simply said that I would not be able to tag along with your little... group," she looked between the three in disgust at the very thought. "One of my pack will track down these hunters you seek. No more. No less." And she turned to talk amongst who group quickly.
"Are they helping or not?" Dakota asked walking over to forcibly join the conversation. His adrenaline was still pumping and wouldn't mind another good work out if they were turning on them. The look in Dakota's eyes said it all.
"Just a misunderstanding. I'm fixing it." Frostbite had to be the tactful one of the group. The smart one. Jared was too naïve and trusting. Dakota was a blood thirsty monster. That left it to him to make sure the three didn't end up walking into some trap.
"Sveil will go with you." Sylvan finally chose, talking about the wolf still in his seaweed dress. "Do this and your position in the pack is guaranteed." She spoke to the black fur wolf.
"Consider it done, Alpha." The wolf bowed his head to her. He stripped the suit he wore off and left it where it fell, walking ahead of the three. "We know the general area they headed already," he told Frostbite with a low growl. "It'd be best to start there." And he took off running down the beach.
"Joy." Frostbite stretched out, looking over at Jared. "You ok with this?"
"It's not like we're adding another to our marry band. We just have a guide now." Jared shrugged with that careless smile. The silver fur wolf shook his head.
"Best to get going then." Frostbite gave one final look at his old pack mate. Without a word, he left her there to raise her own pack. To fail as all the others, have. At least this time, he wouldn't be around to watch it burn to the ground.
Jared climbed onto Dakota's back as he had before, the russet red wolf crouching down for him to mount up.
"Thank you." Jared smiled at Sylvan.
"Careful, pup." Sylvan said before he could leave. "The brightest of candles are always the first to fade away." She warned cryptically.
"Then I best make the best of it while I can, huh?" Jared mushed Dakota onwards and they took off after the other two wolves.
"Then I best make the best of it while I can, right sister?" A voice spoke from the back of her mind.
Sylvan froze at those words, watching them go and covered her muzzle as tears formed in her eyes. It was the very same thing her own beloved sister, Lily Pad, had said to her before they became separated and she was lost.
"Why do the good ones always die so young?" Sylvan had to ask aloud. She was a sinner. Frostbite was a sinner. They were the ones who should have died first. A betrayer and a coward. And here they still were, forced to live with these sins for the rest of their days.
"Mother-Sylvan?" One of the wolves spoke up. The young had called her this since she was their guardian, raising the pups of her dead sister. Only a foster mother to them, they had become her own family and now her pack.
Sylvan only shook her head. "Let us go back to the den. It has been a long and stressful day."