FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

So this is the first part to the trilogy. Hope you like it! Maybe yiff to come... :P

Lone Wolf

The omega sat on the edge of the snowy cliff, staring down at the frozen water below. Small white flakes of snow slowly drifted down onto his fur, as he turned his attention to the cut on his arm he had received earlier that day. The Alpha had kicked the shit out of him when he tried to get a piece of meat before it was his turn to eat. She left a fairly large cut as a reminder of his place, the scapegoat, the punching bag... He let out a sigh and fell onto his back. He was not happy at the fact that he would need to get back to the village before darkness fell, and the sun was already setting. He stood up, and looked at the smoke that was rising above the forest. The village fire was still going nicely, but it wouldn't hold for much longer unless he got the firewood back. He turned to his side and picked up the wood that the Alpha sent him to get when she was done smacking him around.

He stuck it under his arms, and walked into the frozen forest and headed to the village, where he assumed there would be a nice greeting party ready to relieve the days stress on him. He solemnly walked to the village, using a dim light coming through the treetops to see. The only sounds came from his breath and the snow crunching beneath his feet. He looked at the cut again, and began to wonder why he was returning to the pack. The only things they had that he wanted was shelter and food. But that was enough to bring him back, he supposed. He kept walking in silence, and soon, he saw a light coming through the trunks of the trees. He had unfortunately made it back to the village.

The pack had already gathered around the fire and begun feasting on the kill of the day, chatting with one another in a large circle. The omega silently walked to the fire and set down the wood he had gathered, his ears flattened and his tail between his legs. Looking around, he noticed that most were too busy in eating and conversation to notice him. He was luckily given a reprieve. He eyed his spot around the fire, and walked over to it. When he sat down, though, he got a good thump to the head by the wolf next to him. "You're not stealing any of my food," he snarled. "I won't, I promise," the omega whimpered. The wolf sneered, and turned back to the wolf next to him to resume their conversation. The omega let out a whine and turned back towards the fire. He sat quietly for some time, and after a while, it was obvious that they left no meat for him, so he felt like he had no real reason to be there. He stood up, and began to walk away. This, of course, caught the attention of the Alpha.

"Going somewhere, Felan?" she asked, finishing a bite of meat. The omega slowly turned to face her, and tried to make a response. "I, uh..." was all he could push out. The Alpha silently motioned him over to her. He shakily walked over to her, the rest of the wolves watching him. He got on his knees in front of her. For a minute, nothing happened. Felan slowly looked up to see what was happening. When approached her, he got a smack to the face, knocking him down. "Since you are so eager to leave, you can go take care of the pups," the Alpha said, taking another bite of meat. Felan stood up, and said in a subordinate whine, "Yes ma'am." The Alpha paid him no attention; she had already gone back to conversing with a friend. Felan stood up and started walking to the hut where the cubs were housed. He got halfway there, and looked back at the Alpha. She was beautiful, with silver streaks running down her black fur. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce anyone she looked at, and her bushy tail always looked great in the wind. She was cruel to Felan, though, so he was by no means in love with her.

Felan turned back to the pup's hut, and went in, where he was greeted with a warm welcome. The pups were the only ones who appreciated him. "Felan, Felan!" they cheered. "Hey guys!" he cheerily responded. Even though others treat him like crap, he would never take it out on the pups; he loved them. Bending down, he asked, "So, how's everyone been?" They all gave different responses, ranging from great to mad to sleepy. He smiled at them all, and said, "So, who wants to hear a story?" All of them immediately said yes. "Alright then, gather round," he said, motioning them towards him. Sitting down, he remembered one of his favorite sayings: don't let the truth get in the way of a good story. "Is there a certain one you guys want to hear?" he asked, scanning over all of the little wolfs around him. "Can we hear the one about the big lizard thingy?" a shy voice asked. It was a little silver wolf, who's mother was killed in a raid by an opposing pack. Felan picked him up and said, "Ah, the story about how I killed the dragon. Alrighty then." He put the pup on his lap and began.

"So there I was, on the other side of the cliffs, to the far away land of Sweden, looking for the mysterious treasure of the dragon. It was freezing, and the sun never shined there. There was no food, and only a little water. I traveled for days and nights, and finally got to the dragon's cave. I walked in, and there he was, sleeping. I tried to tiptoe past him, but it didn't work. He woke up with a big roar!"

Felan made a roar, and all the pups gasped.

"He tried to burn me with his fire breath. But it didn't work! I jumped, and ran behind him. I ran up his back, and onto his head. I pulled out the only thing I had, a small stone dagger, and got him right in the head!"

He pretended to stab himself in the head, and all of the cubs yelled out in victory.

"He fell with a mighty thud. I jumped off his head, and walked over to the huge pile of gold that he had behind him. I started to pick it up, but then, the cave started to fall! I had to leave it. I ran out of the cave just in time, but I left without any gold." The pups all gave an 'awwwww'. "It's a good thing! If I tried to take any, I wouldn't be here right now! But anyways, that's how I killed the dragon," Felan finished. The pups all yelled a "YAY" and jumped on top of Felan, toppling him. Just then, a wolf walked in and said, "Felan, let's go. Laren wants everyone outside, now." The wolf walked out when he finished. "Alright, guys," Felan said, "I've got to go, be good, okay?" The little pups climbed off of him. "We will," they all shouted. He smiled at them one last time, and left.

He closed the door to the hut, and walked over to the fire, where the rest of the pack was assembled. He sat down in the circle of wolves, and started listening. "As you all know, the winter solstice is coming up," said Laren, the Alpha. "So, we'll need to prepare for the festival. Tomorrow, we'll start putting the decorations up. Zen will be in charge of this." Zen was the beta of the pack, and, as the alpha, was nice to everyone but Felan. "Accalia, your priestess," Laren continued, "will be in charge of making sure the idols and the magik is good. And Felan will start collecting firewood for the festival." Felan shrugged and quit paying attention after his job was announced. He was hungry and tired, and didn't really care about what was going on anymore.

The assembly went on for a little while longer, then ended, and everyone went back to their hut. Felan stood up and walked over to his shelter. It wasn't a hut, but more of a tent. It worked for him, though. He slipped inside the tent and onto a small mattress he made. He laid down, and went straight to sleep, as there was nothing else to do.

Felan woke in the early morning, before anyone else was awake. It was still dark out when he slipped out of his tent. He woke up about now almost every day, to go do his favorite thing. He walked to the woods behind his tent, with something in his hand, and sat down. He brought his mothers harmonica up to his mouth and started playing. His mother had also died when an enemy raid happened, and the harmonica was all she was able to give him before she passed. It was Felan's prized possession. He had gotten good over time, and was now a master. He played to himself every morning, and his mother was always in his thoughts. A tear rolled down his face as he played. It was a tear for more than his mom, however. He felt overwhelmed, and uncared for. Being the omega sucked. He felt pretty bad, and the harmonica seemed to be the only thing that could console him. He played, not caring about anything, just focusing on the music.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before he attracted another wolf with the sound. Zen peered his head around the tree that Felan was under, and watched. This would inevitably reach the Alpha. Zen listened for a few moments, then ran back to the village.

Felan heard a noise behind him, and snapped around. He saw no one, but he figured he best get back to the village. He walked back through the new snow and into the now awake village. He walked over to his tent, and put his harmonica up. He set it in a small wooden box by his mattress, and closed it. He walked outside, and set off to gather some firewood, as the Alpha had so nicely asked him to do. He grunted, and walked off into the woods. He walked around for a bit, picking up some nice looking logs and sticks here and there. Scavenging for wood was much better than chopping it, and he did what he preferred.

When he had two arms full, he would go back to the village and set it down by the fire, then head out for more. He was making these trips quite often; he was finding a lot of wood. The day was going by slowly, too, so wood really seemed to be coming in fast. Which was good, if he found enough, maybe he could finish early and possibly get rewarded. He kept going and finding more throughout the day, and his throat kept getting more dry as well. He hadn't had water all day, and would need some soon. The bitter cold wasn't helping, either. He picked up one last batch of sticks, and headed back to the village for some water. He came into the village and headed toward the fire when he noticed that the Alpha and the Beta were standing by it, as well as a few other wolves who were probably curious. Felan walked over to the fire and put the wood down. Standing up, he heard Laren address him. "Zen tells me you know how to play this," she said. Felan looked up, and gasped at the sight of his mothers harmonica in Larens paws. His muzzle hung agape; why would they steal that from him? "Play something," Laren commanded, tossing the harmonica at Felans feet. He picked it up and said, "I can't. My throat is too dry." This seemed to aggravate Zen.

"Play something now!" he demanded. "I can't if my throat is too dry," Felan replied quietly. Zen started growling. "You may want to start playing," Laren said. "I need water first," Felan pleaded. "Fine! If you won't play it now, you won't play it ever again!" Zen shouted. He ran over to Felan and snatched the harmonica from him and threw it into the fire.

Felan stood there silently, shaking. He stared at the burning harmonica, muzzle open, tears swelling at his eyes. He fell to his knees and continued to stare at the instrument. The wood was burning, and his mother's name was now disintegrating to ash, and the metal plating was melting. The fine oak was now blackened, and his most cherished item was now gone. Tears flew down his face as he continuously stared at the dying memory. The memory, the consolation, the joy...all gone in the blink of an eye. Even the Alpha was shocked. She hadn't expected Zen to go that far. "My mother..." Felan whispered, "My mother gave that to me just before she died. And now it's gone..." Felan felt like he had been stabbed in the heart. He let out a cry of anguish, and fell on his back, shaking heavily, overwhelmed by desolation and sadness.

Laren too felt as though she had been stabbed when she heard that it was from his deceased mother. Zen was showing regret as well. The only sounds came from Felan's sobs and the crackle of the burning harmonica. Without a sound, Laren turned to Zen and gave him an evil look and a good smack, knocking him to the ground. By now, most of the pack was watching, many being attracted by the howl of Felan, who was still shaking on the ground. He cried, and cried, and cried. Even after years of being the omega, he had never felt this bad. His prized and practically only possession was being burnt away as he wept.

Later that night, Felan was resting in his tent. Laren had given him the rest of the day off, so he was thankful to her for once. He laid down on his mattress, staring at nothing. The light from his candle still shone bright, though it flickered some. All was quiet in the tent as a sleepy haze set over the village. Felan was getting tired himself, so he was getting ready to put out his candle and go to sleep. Of course, no plans ever last, for just then, a wolf entered his tent. Her name was Lira, and she was just another pack wolf. She and Felan never really talked before, so Felan was at a loss as to why she had entered his tent. "Hey," she said in a sweet voice, "I saw what happened at the fire today. I'm really sorry for your loss." She walked over to him and sat down.

"It'll be fine..." Felan said quietly. Lira looked over at the omega and sighed. "If it makes you feel better, Zen has to do your job now. Laren doesn't take to kindly to destruction of personal property, even if it belongs to you," she said. "Especially since it came from your mom," she continued. Felan didn't respond, but instead sat on his mattress, staring at the little flap that was an entry way into his tent. Lira stayed quiet for a while, waiting to see it Felan would say anything. When it was obvious he was not, she got up to leave. She stood, and walked to the flap, just as Laren entered. "Oh! I'm sorry," Lira said as she bumped into the Alpha. Laren nodded at Lira, and walked over to Felan.

"You have my...apologies for Zen. I'm sure he didn't mean to do what he did," she said, sitting next to him. Felan just nodded his head. Laren said nothing for a second, then picked up with, "So it was your mother's, huh?" Felan nodded again as he felt a tear swell at his eye. Silence ruled once again as no one said anything. Lira was still there, curious as to why Laren was there, but now that she knew, she slipped out and headed back for her hut. Laren stayed in a bit longer, and soon said, "Look, I'm sorry. Zen should know better than to go that far. I suppose you are still one of the pack, so he will get what he deserves. I'm going to go, so sleep well." Felan just nodded, and Laren left.

He laid back down, a tear crawling down his face. Did she say that she 'supposed' that he was one of the pack? What did that mean? And she gave Zen his job. Firewood collecting was a blessing to Felan; it gave him time away from the pack, and alone time was more valuable than gold to him. And now, he would have to find another excuse to leave the village. Or would he...he could just leave. If all Laren did was 'suppose' that he was part of the pack, then maybe...yes, he could just leave. He was sick of the place anyways. Always treated like crap, doing the lowest of work, being fed last. It sucked, and he wanted out. Yes, he would leave. It was no big decision; it was fairly simple, in fact. Leave or be treated like crap. The choice was obvious. He rolled on his side for one last night of sleep in his tent before he would walk down a hard path: the path of a lone wolf.

Morning came swiftly, and with it, so did the time to depart. Felan slipped out of his tent in the early hours, only to find half of the village awake! They were busy working on decorating the village for the solstice festival. Snow was lightly falling over the forest, and a cold breeze danced through the trees. Felan looked up at his destination; the cliffs above the shelf that their part of the forest was on. Even though that was where their rival pack was, he had heard that it was good hunting ground. Felan looked around, and saw no one looking at him, so he turned and walked onto the other side of the huts that the pack lived in so that he could make a smooth escape. But of course, Lira would be there.

"Hey Felan, where are you going? You don't have to get firewood, remember?" She asked. Felan stared at her for a moment trying to think of a response. "Well, I, uh I..."He didn't really have an excuse. He took one last look at the one wolf who was just starting to care about him, and darted into the forest. His name echoed behind him. He would need to get away fast, before the pack went looking for him, if they even would. He ran through the trees and snow, deeper into the forest, towards the cliffs. It would take him a while to get there, but he had some time. He would run for now, and take breaks later.

He ran, not as fast as possible, as he wasn't running from anything. He was simply getting to his destination. He felt good, free even. As he ran, he realized that his pack had been dragging him down for years, and now they were nothing to him. They couldn't annoy him, or beat him, or scrutinize him anymore. He was a lone wolf, and despite hearing stories of the hardships, he felt amazing. He hadn't felt this good in a long time. The wind felt good against his fur, and the snow kept him cool.

He ran most of the day, stopping a few times for water. The cliffs drew closer and closer, though they weren't that far away to begin with. Felan had already gotten on the trail that led up the cliffs, and decided to stop for the night. He decided to rest underneath some old dead trees on the side of the trail. As night grew closer, he began mumbling to himself. "It's getting kinda creepy without the pack..."

It was still the twilight hours, but without the pack around, Felan felt more than lonely. Which was odd, considering that he felt great a few moments ago. He still felt an odd freedom, but it was quickly drowning in concern. Food, clean water, shelter...these were all necessities that he should've thought of before he left. He had problems now, and he was just realizing it. Maybe it was a bad idea to leave so suddenly. Worry was shown on Felan's face now as he was clueless what to do. Food he could obtain by hunting. Snow would work as water for now. But shelter was still a problem; without it, he wouldn't do well.

He rest his head on the trunk of the dead tree that he was under, and sighed. One problem was gone, but another arose. This may not be the great opportunity he thought it once was. He sighed again, and curled into a ball, slipping into a rough sleep.

Little did he know, Agra, the Alpha from the rivaling pack, as well as his scout team, was watching from the trees. "I want him," Agra told the scout to his right. The scout nodded, and pulled a blowgun up to his muzzle, and shot.