Pack Pride
Pack Pride
Shagclaw was an Irish Wolfhound of age to join the Sharptooths and become a larger part of the hunting parties. Wolfhounds, being the only dog large and powerful enough to take down a wolf, are prized by even the most prestigious hunters in Ireland for their strength and physical hunting prowess. For his mission to join the elder wolfhounds he was sent out by his master to bring back the carcass of a wolf for his master to turn into a throw rug.
Shagclaw's human master and trainer was a gruff, no-humor, friendless, emotionless-on-the-outside trainer with a passion for killing wolves after his mother had been killed by a wolf. Shagclaw had been abused from the moment his trainer had chosen him.
From the clan's home, he went east to the woods to search for a wolf to slay. When he arrived, he was nearly immediately attacked by a wolf patrol. He fought for several minutes against six wolves, maiming the leg of one, scratching the maw of three others, and then getting rolled and badly bitten by one of the unwounded two. The one that hadn't rolled him walked forward and gave the command for his attacker to let him up. Puzzled and badly bleeding, he sat up warily, fiercely attempting to keep up his fighting spirit that was falling to his curiosity. Finally he gave up and asked, "Why did you not just finish me?"
Much to his curiosity, the powerful wolf chuckled and said, with a hint of amusement, "We've been watching you. I wondered when you'd be charged to come out after one of us. Why do you think we haven't killed you yet?"
Still on his guard, he gave several heartbeats of thought before replying timorously, "I don't know." Giving in to his curiosity, he asked "Again; why did you not kill me?"
"Did you ever notice how some of the others of your clan regard you? How they are wary of you? Do you even know your father?"
Thinking back on his life as a pup and an apprentice, he replied "No, no, and no. I guess I never really thought about it...." Back to the question reverberating through his head, he inquired "Again.... Why have you not killed me yet?"
_ _ The wolf, now with a look of seriousness Shagclaw had never before witnessed, said "Your mother may have been a pet of one of your hunters but your father is my pack deputy."
This realization hit him harder then one of his masters drunken rages when he came back with no prey. It explained so many of his questions that he was caught speechless. I'm sitting before the pack leader. The same pack leader that watched me maim and claw at his warriors and just stood by is now telling me that my father was a wolf.
_ _ He got to his paws, taking the weight off the bitten one, and circumspectly solicited, "Why are you telling me this? Everything I learned from my mentor and master says that it's against the laws of the wolf pack and the dog clan to mate with one another."
Another chuckle from the chieftain caused a wave of fear to roll through Shagclaw. The chief, in an extremely amused tone, said that, "Its against the laws of the dog clans but the wolf packs don't mind for it brings a stronger wolfhound/wolf into the world. It scares the humans to think of animals that could tear them apart being any stronger."
Bewildered, Shagclaw began to ponder the things that were possibly caused because his father was a wolf. If the clan realized that I was part wolf then they might have been trying to beat it out of me for all these years. "So what am I supposed to do now? If I kill one of you you'll kill me but if I go back without a wolf carcass then I'll be beaten to death."
Now taking on a solemn tone, the chief replied, "That is a bit of a problem. Come. We'll discuss this when we get back to the camp," adding on when he saw the puzzlement in Shagclaw's eyes, "You said yourself if you go back then you'll be beaten to death."
The wolves' camp was a large area deep inside a cave commonly passed by during hunting expeditions. He would, most likely, never understand how the scents of so many wolves and the imprints of a frequently walked path carved into the rock had slipped by unnoticed. The nests' were made of bracken covered by moss while the floor was coated for the most part in sand. Where they made their dirt he knew was not near the cave, deeper in the cave (by far), or a bit higher up the mountainside.
The wolves in the cave that weren't out hunting, for Shagclaw knew there must have been more, raised their heads to look at the returning group, and find the source of the blood scent, with an enthusiasm that scared him to no end. A large, powerful, and menacing wolf walked up to the chief, with a glance of disgust at the strange canine, and asked, "Runningwind, what have you found along the border? He certainly isn't a wolf from his pelt's color and his scent reeks of upwalkers".
Runningwind responded, "Wait 'til I address the pack. You shall hear the full story once when I tell the pack members currently here and once when I tell the pack members still out hunting." The chief went over to one side of the area and leapt up onto a pile of boulders. From the way the pack members gathered around the rock pile, Shagclaw could guess that it was where the chief usually addressed the pack from.
Runningwind announced to the pack, "As I'm sure you all have noticed, we found an upwalker pet in the forest and brought him back. Before you start chorusing your disagreements, we would not have brought him back if he wasn't, and don't say anything before I'm finished, part wolf. Even had we planned to kill him, he dazed, or in Redpelts case mutilated, 4 of the members of our patrol before being rolled, bitten in the paw, and pinned." As he waited for the arguments to die down, Shagclaw noticed a few looks of bewilderment from some of the members of the pack.
At that moment the hunting patrols returned with 2 wolves carrying a deer between them. When the wolves turned to look at Shagclaw, Runningwind told the patrols an abridged version of what he had told the wolves that were already in the cave.
When Runningwind had finished his speech the wolves all around the cave were silently staring at Shagclaw. Although the silence only lasted a few minutes, to Shagclaw it felt like ages before one wolf walked forward with head held high and chest puffed out. Stranger still, then wolf walking proudly forward, was when the wolf nuzzled him and said, "Welcome home, son."
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! HOW COULD YOUR SON LOOK LIKE AN UPWALKERS DOG BUT BE THE SON OF A WOLF!" shouted a tall and loud wolf. "If he really is part wolf then I challenge him to a Fang-fight to prove his worth."
From the resounding gasp that the wolves watching let loose, Shagclaw could guess that this did not happen very often. Walking toward Shagclaw with a grim look, Runningwind told Shagclaw, "A Fang-Fight is an honor duel between two wolves when one wolf thinks another is not worthy of being a pack member. It is fought until one wolf has pinned the other. Do you except Yellowpelt's challenge?"
With a determination not to show weakness, Shagclaw nodded and said, "I accept the challenge."
"Follow," said the chief, leading them deeper into the cave. At last they arrived in an open area with a sudden dip in the middle at least 2 tail-lengths deep- 4 to 5 feet deep. Pointing toward the dip, Runningwind motioned for them to enter it. The other wolves of the pack, excluding Redpelt, followed the chief in, surrounding the dip to watch. Runningwind then said, "First wolf to be pinned down for four seconds loses. Begin!"
Immediately Shagclaw started circling; Yellowpelt mirroring his movements. With a lurch Shagclaw sprang at Yellowpelt and nipped the wolf's back left leg. Yellowpelt retaliated by mirroring Shagclaw's attack. Yellowpelt now had the advantage, for Shagclaw's paw was still hurting him.
This time, Shagclaw waited until Yellowpelt lunged, diving underneath his opponent, bucking up his back to toss Yellowpelt across the dip, and finishing by pouncing upon the winded Yellowpelt, pinning him with all the weight Shagclaw could muster.
Runningwind stepped forward and said, "One.... Two.... Three.... Four.... Shagclaw has won his honor and a place among the pack should he choose to stay."
Stepping off of Yellowpelt, he said to Runningwind, "If you would have me, then I would like to stay with the pack." Before he could say more, wolves were walking forward to congratulate him on his win and welcome him into the pack. One of the first was his father, followed by Runningwind; next being Yellowpelt. The rest of the wolves that congratulated and welcomed him told him their names.