literature

Rabies: Chapter Sixty-One

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Chapter Sixty-One

< I am very much excited for all that's about to happen. It's like the first step in the direction that I know I need to go. These wolves don't know it, but they're all puppets in a larger show, and I'm on my way to be the master.>

Water dripped through the trees, the remnants of an earlier rain shower finding its way down through the canopy to the forest floor and my fur. Being so near to the border with the Pack of the Sun had me on edge, so when the first drop hit me I jumped, startling several birds out of a nearby tree. Embarrassed, I shook my fur to get the water out of it.

Glancing up ahead, I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized neither Storm nor Midnight had seen me. The three of us were the border guards for the afternoon, heading southward. In my opinion, we did not make the best team. Neither Midnight nor myself got along with Storm, and he was quite bossy. I had not been the first choice for joining the two of them, of course. Alpha Pine had wanted Leaf to go, but he had adamantly refused to work with Storm ever since a few days before, when he and the rest of the Pack learned of what had happened with the Pack of the Stars. Leaf seemed to be becoming more and more obsessed with Ino Nali and his worship of the 'god.' It pained me to see, especially with what I knew. I knew, too, that I could not say anything.

“What are you waiting for? Keep up, will you?” The harsh bark of Storm startled me from my thoughts and I hurried on ahead.

“No need to treat me like a Youngling,” I grumbled as I caught up with them. Storm ignored my comment, leaving me feeling even more irked. Midnight seemed to be doing her best to keep at least several paces away from him and keeping her nose pointed in a different direction.

As we walked with the Pack of the Sun territory on our left, I spotted a small hoof print in the mud to my right, hidden within the shade of a tree. I stepped toward it and brought my snout down to it, wagging my tail in excited anticipation as I caught the fresh scent of a young fawn. With that was a hint of fear scent. Peering around the tree, I spotted more tracks leading deeper into our land, but only one set. It must have gotten separated from its mother.

My stomach growled hungrily at the thought of tender young meat. Our Pack hadn't gotten the taste of a fawn in such a long time. Tipping my head to the side, I searched through my memory and realized I honestly could not remember a time I had eaten one.

Glancing back at Storm and Midnight, who had not stopped, I prepared myself to ask if they'd be okay with me going for it. Then, I realized I didn't need to ask Storm's permission. He wasn't in charge of me. “Go on ahead,” I called, “I'm gonna track down this fawn so we have something nice to eat later.”

“Whatever,” Storm called back, and a moment later they were gone from sight.

Relieved, I went on to follow the tracks, which were quite straightforward. Of course, a fawn wouldn't know to move stealthily through the forest. The baby deer's scent was still fresh, it could not have gotten too far.

Brushing through the brush without making a sound, I followed the trail straight west in the direction the fawn had gone. The wind was not blowing in my favor, but I didn't think the fawn would know to run from my scent, if it even caught it.

I caught sight of it after a few minutes of walking, just up ahead. The young deer had stopped walking and was now crying, presumably for its mother. Though I pitied the creature, my Pack had to eat, and their well-being and my own were far more important to me.

A lone young creature like that was not destined to survive long in the wild. Better it meet its fate at my fangs than at the ravenous jaws or beak of some scavenger that won't even bother to kill it first.

First I crept forward as close as I could, then I bounded after it, catching the fawn before it could run and dispatching it with a few quick bites. The creature was small, and would be easy for me to carry for the rest of the guard.

I was about to turn away to catch up with Midnight and Storm when my nose, so close to the fawn in my jaws, caught a strange scent. Stiffening, I dropped it to the ground and inspected the body. I noticed several smaller wounds now, ones that I had not inflected, and ones that were definitely not made with the intention to kill. These were on the neck and the soft underbelly of the animal, along with other sensitive parts of its body. My blood ran cold and my stomach twisted as I realized someone had been playing with their food. It took only a quick sniff to confirm that these wounds smelled of the Pack of the Sun, and not just one wolf.

Studying the wounds hard, I memorized the shape of the wounds, burning the images into my mind.

Then, I dropped to the ground to lay by the fawn, and I touched my forehead to the fawn's head. “The sacrifice of your life has not been in vain, you shall sustain myself and my Pack to go on living, and we shall use your energy to seek vengeance upon the rotten cowards who did this injustice unto you,” I murmured the prayer to the young.

When that was done, I stood up and gently lifted the deer in my jaws, then went back to catch up with Storm and Midnight. There was a cold determination in me now, not just to protect my Pack but to also punish the Pack of the Sun. Only a really sick-minded wolf could do this to any living creature. The sort of wolf that tortured its prey for pleasure was not the sort of wolf that could be allowed to have power.

Should they be allowed to live? Questioned the voice.

“Truthfully, I don't know,” I responded.

A wolf like that will only go on to torture wolves.

I swallowed hard, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit the consequences of that truth.

He stopped speaking after that. Never was he one for an actual conversation. Again I found myself walking in silence, but now I was not lost deep in thought but rather the feeling of anger and disgust toward the Pack of the Sun.

The silence was broken by the sound of angry barking up ahead. Eager and hopeful for battle with the Pack of the Sun, I carefully set the fawn down in a place I would remember it and raced ahead, putting my nose to the air in case I caught the scent of whatever enemies my Pack wolves might be facing.

As I drew closer, I picked out the distinctive voices of Midnight and Storm, but not one belonging to a foreign wolf. Confused, I slowed to a hurried trot until I broke through the ferns that shielded them from few.

In front of me was a scene I had not expected but probably should have. Storm was picking himself up off the ground, looking disgruntled and furious, while Midnight was crouched down in an attacking position several steps away, every fur on her body raised to maker her look twice her size. She was but a paw's length away from being over into the Pack of the Sun territory. Rage burned in her yellow eyes.

“Never touch me again!” she growled, “you have no right!”

“And you've no right to attack an older wolf of your own Pack,” Storm replied, narrowing his eyes.

“What in the name of Ino Nali is going on here?” I broken in, stepping between the wolves before they could fight.

“Not that it is any of your business, but this foolish Yearling refused to do as I commanded, and so I disciplined her,” the brown Beta explained as casually as if he spoke of the weather.

“You have no right to physically discipline any wolf!” she snarled back. Looking over at Midnight, I realized she was shaking, and I thought I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. “I will never let any wolf do that to me again. Never. You have no right. No wolf will have any power over me.”

“I do, and so does any wolf ranking over you. You will listen, and you will obey, or you will be punished.” His arrogant tone lent more strength to the anger I had already been feeling.

“Storm, you may have spent your life abusing your son, but you cannot harm wolves of this Pack. You don't have any right to attack Midnight, whether you think it's discipline or not. I will be telling the Alpha about this, and you know he will not be happy.” I knew I was not handling this in the best manner that I could, and already I was berating myself in my mind. He had winced at the word abuse, but had not retaliated to that.

“Oh, will he? Go on and tell him, then. He won't believe you,” he said, snorting with laughter.

“Really now? I think he will,” I challenged, forcing my voice to remain calm despite my growing fury.

“Will he really believe you, Rabies, a wolf who has had a grudge against me for the longest time, and you, Midnight, an outsider, over me, his most trusted wolf? Look here, she bit me,” Storm indicated a small bite wound on his shoulder. “There's not a mark on her body. All the evidence points against her. Tell me now: will the Alpha believe you? Or me?”

“How dare you!” Midnight growled. “You'd lie to your Alpha to get me in trouble to save your own hide? Pathetic wolf!”

I opened my mouth to respond, but then closed it, realizing he was right. “Fine then. I won't tell the Alpha, to save Midnight from trouble. Realize this, though. By saying you'd lie to the Alpha, and by forcing me to remain silent, you admit that you are in the wrong.”

The older wolf recoiled then, and turned away. “I've had enough of this. Go back to the Denning. I'll finish this guard on my own.”

When he was out of sight and out of earshot, I turned back to Midnight, feeling defeated in spite of everything. “I'm sorry I couldn't do more. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone with him.” I stepped closer to her, touching my nose to her cheek in comfort. She didn't seem to notice.

“He'll regret this,” she growled quietly, staring after him. “I will not forget it.”

Her words sent a chill down my spine.

“Come on,” I said, “I caught a fawn. Let's take it back to the Denning and share it, maybe with Rowan and Claw if they're around.” As I led the way, I felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, knowing that a heavy weight was being placed upon my shoulders and I could not hold it for long.

Things are happening. :^)
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