Chapter 3 Ylva dreams
Chapter 3 and Ylva takes dream berries and remembers her brother half tail
Chapter 3
Ylva dreams.
It has been a good day.
She has taken prey large enough to keep her pains at bay. A snowshoe hare had come to drink. This year's young, as close to full grown as makes no difference but lacking the wiles to avoid a cunning old bitch like herself. Her stomach is shrunken enough that his sacrifice will be two day's meals and she will need less moss, just enough to dull the hip wound. Her dreams will be all the deeper and more vivid.
She takes three berries, the strongest dose her weakened body will stand and as their bitterness fades on her tongue she opens her eyes again It is her brother Half Tail's skull that glows, rises up and is again covered in fur. His lopsided grin looks down on his sister and he trots over to press his forehead to hers in his familial greeting.
The scene swirls away in a flurry of leaves and it is autumn, a late litter and the pack are having to roam far to find enough food Yelva and her brother are on guard duty. Yelva has the still blind pups with her in the den while Half Tail is outside keeping watch and joking about puppy farts and pee while he listens for danger.
There is shambling crash from the undergrowth and the hulking brown figure makes its way almost unsteadily into the clearing. There is a festering wound in its side where it has been clawed by another large predator like a crag cat or another bear. Its ribs may be showing through its matted fur but this yearling male is several times the size of the wolves. Scenting young and easy prey the bear charges. Ylva springs to her feet scattering the mewling and crying pups heckles raised as her brother moves in beside her blocking the animals path to the helpless balls of grey fur.
She is fighting side by side with her brother. Injured as he is the bear would be easy prey for the pack but Ylva is already hobbled by her knee and half tail was ever a runt and Omega. So quick with a joke so self-effacing normally that is not the male beside her now. "Ready Sis ", his low growl is full of more menace than she thinks she has ever sensed or seen.
He springs for the bear's hind quarters and takes his hamstring collapsing the bear;s leg. The bear's roar shakes the trees. A swiping blow from the beast's huge paw shatters the wolfs spine but not before he latches onto the animal's thigh. The bear is in agony as he raises his head allowing Yelva to deliver a throat ripping coup de Gras. The bear rakes Yelva's flank in desperation but she sets her teeth riding his death throws till finally he is still and she can release her grip.
She pads over to the bleeding lump of fur that is Half Tail. She nuzzles her brother. A soft whine and he looks up into her eyes. There are no words needed.
She brings the pups over one by one and lays them over their great uncle and then she curls around them all. As he slowly passes he can feel the small heart beats and nuzzles of those he has given his life for. He can feel his sister against his back now as he leaves this world as he felt her pressed against him in the womb before he entered it.
His breathing is getting shallow now. Yelva murmurs softly in his ear. "I will sing your story to them brother", she tells him. "They will know that though I gave their mother the gift of life and their mother and father gave them the gift of life. You gave your life as a gift that they might live". She feels him shudder with pain and struggle to fight for the next breath. Pressing her muzzle to his she whispers "Sleep now brother your task is done, join Mother and Father and wait for me."
He sighs and is still.
His body is still warm as the pack finally returns and she tells the tale of Half Tail the bravest of brothers. The Omega who died a death worthy of any Alpha. His name is howled to the stars so that the lights can carry it to the pack beyond and prepare his place there as an Alpha in the next life.