FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Cries to the moon

Instincts

The howl echoed through the den as Justin entered the back room in time to see Daniel barrel past him and the others to the front entrance of the den. A sound of splintering wood filled the room as Daniel's body hit and cleared the door, leaving it a wrecked shamble, before he took off into the woods. Daniel's mind was a blur, barely clinging to sanity as he darted through the forested valley. He had no heading and no purpose to his movements as he made his way towards whatever his senses told him was safe.

In the den Justin pulled himself from the floor and ran from the cave after him. He cleared the door and leaped toward the slope, shifting quickly in the rush he had felt. He landed running after Daniel's scent, following the same path he had taken. Ruby, meanwhile, stepped from the cave with Shane following close behind. Shane was busy staring at the remains of the door while Ruby looked towards the valley Justin was running to. "These doors held the twins back when they were both going at it." He muttered before standing and facing Ruby. "How in the hell did he break them?" Shane stepped up to Ruby and nudged her. "Should we go after him?" he asked. Ruby was gone to him, lost in memories of years long since past.

"He's going to her den." She murmured. Shane's eyes widened as he turned towards the rustling trees. Justin had nearly lost Daniel's scent due to the sheer unpredictable pattern of his run. He had no clear motive and had passed cave after cave that he could have stopped in. Daniel, meanwhile, had become lost in himself. His mind was lost to him, along with any chance of control. He slipped back to his memories, letting go of his body. Justin's words flew through his mind as he fell into the darkness. "Your instincts will take over." This phrase echoed through the reigning chaos as Daniel's memories flooded his thoughts once more.

A woman held him, she was warm and her smile looked as if it could have warmed the sun itself as she beamed down at him. Her voice was peacefully soft as she spoke to him. Over her shoulder a second, familiar face, his father's, smiled down at him. "Daniel." She whispered to him. His father brushed the hair from her forehead and kissed it, smiling. His scar wasn't there and he seemed a changed man. He looked like the ideal father and the woman looked like an ideal mother. "Mom." He whispered suddenly realizing who she was. As he said this he could vaguely recall the smell of her hair. A smell he was picking up on, even if unconsciously.

Justin had been left behind, unable to track the scent as he moved through the woods. As he was about to turn back Ruby exploded through the trees and Shane followed closely behind. Justin followed Ruby as closely as he could before the twins caught up to him. Something was up if the whole pack was moving after Daniel. Another howl ended the chase as Ruby and Shane ground to a halt before a new cave.

Ruby reverted first followed by Shane and the twins before both she and Shane turned to him. Justin reverted as well kneeling to the ground as Shane walked to him. "Is he?" Justin began before Shane cut him off, "He knows you best and if we go in he may feel cornered." Shane said pulling Justin to his feet. "Go in and make sure he stays here." Shane explained. Justin began to protest but a sharp glare from Ruby reminded him of his place and he walked towards the cave entrance.

This den truly was worthy of a wolf, complete with a small opening Justin had to duck to get through. As he entered the cave his sight compensated for the lack of light to vaguely make out the sight of Daniel lying in the corner of the small den. He faced a small tablet which stood in the corner facing the den's entrance. A small flashlight rolled into the cave which Justin picked up and pointed into the corner to see a cross. Immediately Justin knew why the others had not entered the cave as a tiny glint of a silvery locket sparkled in the light of the flashlight.

Justin walked slowly over to Daniel who raised his head snarling viciously at him. "Easy mate," Justin whispered soothingly. Daniel's mind was a blur but that tone which reminded him so much of his mother's calmed him enough to tolerate Justin. "You're alright." Justin continued whispering, taking another step forward. He neared Daniel and placed a single hand to his matted fur. Daniel turned his head back to the cross in the corner and whimpered softly. From where he now stood he could make out the words he dreaded to read. From the cross a silver locket hung its chain crossing the words 'Julia Hemmingway'.

Outside the cave Ruby spoke to Shane in a hushed voice. "Take Dawn and Sam back to the den. I'll stay with the boys." Shane nodded and looked to Sam and Dawn who had since reverted and curled up into a ball together and were sleeping quietly. As Shane walked over to Dawn and Sam, he too, reverted into his gray wolfen form. Ruby turned, as Shane woke the sleeping pups, and entered the cave, standing just at the entrance to the dimly lit room.

Justin looked over to her glaring in nearly the same manner she had been using earlier. Daniel had since fallen asleep and Justin sat leaning against the depressed wolf. Ruby opened her mouth to speak but words failed her. "You knew this was where he was headed." Justin whispered waking Daniel with his tone. Daniel raised his head and looked to her whining softly and laying his ears back. Ruby, for the first time since Justin had met her, seemed unable to face Daniel. "During the first change, most are confused." She began. "Some look for normalcy and some look for comfort. That locket belonged to his mother." She whispered. Daniel looked back at the tiny locket and Justin ran his hand though his fur.

Daniel had returned to his mind by now only to see the horrid shock of the tombstone before him. His father had always maintained that she had left him. That made this all the more painful and pitiful as he lay there mourning, for the first time, his mother's death. Justin continued glaring at Ruby who refused to move from the door. Her mind screamed to leave but she was unable to tear her eyes from Daniel's pitiful state.

For the first time in the night she could see him clearly. He had taken a form that was eerily identical to his father. Ruby even remembered his first turning. The same display of force leading to the same pathetic state as their mother found him huddled up in a hollowed tree. All with the exception of Daniel's eyes, he had his mother's eyes. Ruby sighed as she looked to Justin and caught his glare again. "Mutt, you better fix that face." She warned giving him an equally threatening look to match her tone.

"I've done nothing wrong here." She explained. "You want to know who to blame? That would be his father." She muttered. Justin looked to Daniel who had turned to see Ruby while perking his ears to both of them. He wished the night was simply over but he knew that it would still be hours before the sun came up. Ruby moved for the first time since she had entered and walked over to Daniel gently running her hand over his forehead and ears.

"You really are your father's child you know?" She said, smiling weakly. "He also pulled this same stunt when he first changed." Ruby stood back up and walked to the entrance ducking and placing her hand on the cave wall. "We can't stay here. Robert will expect it." She said in a low voice. "Pup, pull yourself together. You've got five minutes and then we're leaving." She said, walking out of the cave.

After a few minutes Daniel emerged from the den to be greeted by Ruby. Justin walked out after Daniel and reverted along with Ruby before they left the solemn tomb behind. Behind, but not alone. As they took off, a single wolf leaped from the shadows and entered the cave. His dark fur gently brushed the walls of the cave as he padded inside and looked at the grave with his yellow eyes. He sniffed the air a few times catching three scents, one in particular catching his attention.

As he left the cave he tracked this scent trailing a short bit behind the trio. After twenty minutes, they reached the hillside den and Ruby walked into it before reverting and hugging Shane. She whispered inaudibly to him and he looked to the door growling and looking back to her. "I'll get Sam and Dawn out of here." He whispered as Justin walked in reverted to his semi-normal self. Daniel padded in next to him and walked over to the bed to lie down as Ruby pulled Justin aside.

"Look mutt, we've got about five minutes before our visitor gets here." She said in a low tone to him. "Visitor?" Justin asked eyes going wide. "He found us?" Ruby nodded solemnly and continued. "He's been tracking us since the other den." As Ruby spoke, black fur ruffled in the door frame and Justin's blood ran cold. "Speak of the devil," She muttered as the rain picked up where it had left off. Robert stood in the entrance for several seconds before padding in and reverting to his human form to look over to Daniel.

"Hello Ruby, how's my boy been?" he asked, taking a few steps inside of the Den. Ruby grasped Justin's shoulder and squeezed it as he tensed. "Easy mutt, don't get so worked up over my fur-ball of a brother." She whispered. "Now, now, Ruby. I didn't come here to fight." Ruby's eyes narrowed in on Robert's. "Then why are you here?" She demanded as Daniel stood and walked between Robert and Ruby.

"You took my son Ruby; did you honestly think I would let that go?" He replied, scoffing and taking a step forward. Daniel's mind began to blur again as the stand off continued. He was torn between being happy to see him and wanting to thrash him for all that had happened. Justin's body tensed again and this time Ruby simply let go. As Justin leaped his body contorted and shifted until he landed on Robert pinning him to the ground and snarling.

She waited a few seconds before speaking. "Robby, I refuse to let my nephew be torn apart by that rabid clan you call a pack." She said stepping to the side of Justin so he could get a good look at her. "Oh?" Robert began, "Is that why you're keeping little Justin here?" He asked. Ruby's eyes widened as he spoke. "Don't tell me. He doesn't know?" He sneered. "Your old man is the reason," Robert went quiet as Justin's mouth neared his face. Ruby whistled sharply and Justin let Robert up. "Got him wrapped around your finger, don't you sis?" Robert said, standing and brushing himself off.

"At the very least I know he wouldn't try to kill me in my sleep." Ruby said taking a step closer to Robert. "Oh no, why go after you when he can take Daniel? You know what his father did to Julie and yet you've let him live. Worse yet, you've let him become attached to my son." He said taking a step towards Ruby. His motion was quickly halted as both Daniel and Justin snarled at him. "You've got a lot of nerve Robert." Ruby said in a deadly tone. "Calling him your son. You're never home, you're always playing with your pack and you think you can call him your son?"

"So you're taking him?" He said, resigning himself to the fact that he held nothing in this situation. Ruby nodded as Robert turned. "It really is like the last time Ruby." He said facing the now-torrential rain. "You're taking what matters to you and running away while I get caught up in clan politics." Ruby looked to Justin and nodded towards the back room. "Mutt, take the pup out to Shane and get ready to leave." Justin growled to her eliciting another glare from Ruby before he led Daniel away.

"You wanted this Robert. I tried to get you to reconsider." Memories of that night poured through Roberts head as he pulled a small book from his coat and began writing. As he finished and ripped the paper off, he spoke again. "This is the number for a bank account I set up for Daniel." Robert held out the paper and looked to Ruby. "This also has the address of a safe house I bought when Daniel turned ten." Ruby nodded and took the paper. "You have four hours to clear out of here. And best to do it before the rain stops." He said as a flash of lightning struck.

"Why should I trust you?" Ruby inquired stuffing the paper in her pocket. "You shouldn't, but do you think I'd endanger my own son? If my clan found you they wouldn't think twice about ripping Daniel apart just like I did to their alpha." He explained before reverting. Ruby said nothing more as Robert took off into the rain with a rumble of thunder. "Ruby? What happened?" Shane said poking his head out of a corridor. Ruby shook her head and walked back to him. "We're leaving. There's a safe house my fuzzy brother set up for Danny we can stay at until we plan our next move."

Shane stammered for a few minutes before managing a somewhat coherent sentence. "Ruby, we just got here and how can you trust him?" Ruby caught him in a cold stare. "Well then, we're moving." Shane said and turned to the back of the cave. He placed his index and thumb fingers in his mouth and gave a shrill whistle, gathering the other pack mates from the back of the cave. As they passed Ruby caught Justin and pulled him from the pack. "We're moving again right?" he asked.

"That's not the question you wanted to ask, is it?" she asked after Daniel was gone. "What did he mean when he said, 'He doesn't know?'?" He asked taking an almost childish tone. "Your father was his pack's previous leader." She said continuing to look into his eyes. Justin's face reflected confusion and pain back at her. He had been told what Robert had done to the leader of that pack which made the whole situation that much harder to bear. Justin turned and began to walk back towards the entrance Robert had left from before Ruby grabbed his arm. "He's too much for you. And he's long gone by now." She murmured hugging him to her. "I'm sorry Justin." She whispered as the thunder rumbled once more.