Claw - Chapter One
Hai. ^^ This may or may not be completed. The first chapter is 9 Word documents long, and as of now, I'm a super slow typer. xD Enjoy! This has no sex or intimate action, yet... I plan on that being later in the story.
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Claw - Chapter One
I was running, my feet flinging bits of earth behind them. My ear stung, and I could feel liquid warmth around it. I reeked of blood. No, I can't run anymore. I can't. My thoughts are all mixed up and I can't focus, my tail tucked firmly between my legs. I whimpered and cried, my whistle-like moans of agony slowing me down. Finally, I stood still, breathing heavily from my incessant running. My body throbbed, my legs were like fire. Where am I? I'm in a forest. Who am I? I don't know. I have no name. I am the forest; my paws are wet from the damp soil. My eyes widening, I turned around, ears flattened against my skull. I reeked of fear and blood. I was the prey.
In front of me stood a large black wolf, ears perked forward, orange eyes boring into mine. I whimpered again, lowering my head and softening my fearful gaze. Why did he want to harm me? I've already submitted. I didn't want to cause any trouble. Had I crossed unknowingly into his territory? The brute's lips curled up in a snarl, so loud it boomed in my burning ears. I lowered myself to the ground completely, rolling onto my back so my belly was toward the sky. Just whimper more, tell him you give up, you want no fight, my thoughts hissed at me.
My forelegs were folded upon my chest. No more, no more. I let out a sharp cry; my hind legs were spread out, my tail tucked between them still, hiding a portion of my underside. The black wolf padded slowly toward me, loosing distance between us. He was no longer snarling. It was just little huffs as he examined me. I remained perfectly still, for any movement I made caused him to jolt, eyes hardening into a glare. Sorry... My mind was racing, and I felt like I was losing it. I was panicking. My breathing increased, and I could feel the fast pulse of my heart within my ears, which were still bleeding slightly.
Why hasn't he killed me yet? Why am I still breathing? The aggression seemed to have completely left him. Gently, the wet tip of his nose touched my muzzle. His nostrils flared, taking in my scent, his black pelt standing out against my white. I let out a soft whimper as he brought his nose down to my neck, continuing to sniff. In a gesture of friendliness, I lifted my paw up to his nose and swatted softly. It was in a playful manner, and maybe this would persuade him to spare me.
My plan backfired. He snarled, a growl vibrating strong within his chest as he angrily nipped my paw. Withdrawing my paw, I whimpered more and wiggled slightly to adjust myself. The growl calmed, and the male lifted his head. His eyes seemed young, but carried a wise knowledge behind them as he stared at me. Possibly just past a yearling? He was smaller for a male, and was about my size. He had the faint scent of death lingering on him.
After a silent moment, he backed away and shook his pelt, licking his chops. I blinked. Rolling onto my side, I let my ears lift a little, and let my tail ease its way out from between my legs. Rolling onto my stomach, I then lifted myself up nervously and emitted a small yip. My gaze met the black wolf's. He stood, completely still among this thriving forest. Did he realize I was not a threat to whatever it was he attacked me for? I didn't know, but the relief that flooded through me was magnificent. He wasn't going to kill me, so I thought.
I inched toward him, lowering myself to look small in his presence as I made my way closer. Hackles raised, he let out a warning growl. Stay back. Every instinct made me want to fall onto my back and submit again, but instead I chose to lift my muzzle to his and lick his chin, my tail wagging slightly. I was thanking him that was all. He continued a low growl, but remained still. I could feel his tension, no, I could smell it. It wasn't an angry tension, more of the tension you get when you're unsure of how to greet a stranger. He wasn't angry. I knew he wasn't angry. I licked his chin once more and slid back, straightening my stance.
Could we be friends? I was always a friendly soul, and while I thought he wanted to kill me just minutes ago, I felt an overwhelming need to get to know him further. Now we were a safe distance apart, each of our gazes colliding like in an invisible battle of the minds. My eyes closed and I craned my head back in a yawn, my tongue curling back against the floor of my mouth. At that moment, it had dawned on me how tired I was.
The black-pelted wolf simply stared into me. His orange eyes were hard, intimidating. I sank down just a little and leaned my head slightly to the side. My tail wagged, and I yipped again. He wasn't buying it. He just stared. I scooted myself closer, flicking my tongue out and flattening my ears again.
What are you doing?
My eyes widened and I stopped immediately. I guess pleading to be a friendly acquaintance was foreign to him. Why else had he asked me? I hadn't communicated with another wolf in months. It startled me.
Thank you for not hurting me.
My mind was weak, and I knew that. I whimpered, resting on my haunches. Maybe he was part of a pack. I'd been searching for one forever, my lonely howls gaining no replies. I lowered my head to the ground and looked up at the stranger, setting my paws on my muzzle. My tail settled onto the damp soil, and I maneuvered my paws below my chin.
He didn't reply, so I decided to send another thought. Do you have a pack? I barked softly, restlessly squirming in the dirt as I hopefully awaited a reply.
No.
The male blinked and took one step closer to me. He had a musky, damp scent, too. The death was barely noticeable. I lifted myself to a stance and stepped closer as well. My underside was brown with filth, my paws no longer white. I stank of adrenaline and fear now, and only the faint scent of dried blood lingered around me. My nostrils flared, and I sniffed the ground in front of me. I wanted so bad to join a pack, because being lonely was the worst feeling in the world.
My ears were raised in alarm, and I was still very nervous. It felt so odd to have another wolf glare at you, especially if just moments before, you could have sworn it was going to kill you. I swallowed. Turning my head to the scent of water, I sighed, padding in the scent's direction. I left him behind. He wasn't following me, which seemed to feel like both relief and disappointment. It felt odd.
Perhaps I was dreading being alone again. Well, obviously. I felt so hollow without the sound of others around me. What was the purpose of living without having a purpose at all? My only reason to wake up every day was to see if I would ever come in contact with a wolf who would take me in. Was I too weak? I growled softly to myself, kicking a small pebble with my forepaw. The water was closer, I could tell. I could hear the current of a stream nearby, the quiet shh as water traveled from its larger source.
Trotting at a graceful pace, my tail held low as always, I reached the edge of the shallow, murky water hole. It wasn't the purest, but the events from earlier had left me parched. My tongue collected dollops of water, refreshing despite the faint grit of dirt. After a moment, I paused, freezing my bent figure as I heard a rustle in some bushes nearby. Flee. My instincts were raging for me to run. Fight or flight? Flight. Flight was always the option I chose. I caught scent of a wolf, but it wasn't the black one. This one smelled of rotting flesh and burnt wood. And death. Death was so strong. I tucked my tail between my legs and whimpered, already preparing to submit. It was a wolf, but it wasn't him. I swiveled my head toward the movement and barked in a friendly manner.
Two golden eyes stared back at me. They weren't orange. I barked again, this time not so friendly. Fight. My hackles raised, and I curled my upper lip back, exposing my fangs. My tongue slid between my canines, ears pricked forward aggressively. I didn't know what to do. I've never fought before, but this felt right. The eyes still glared in my direction. How many wolves were in this forest? Why did they all act as if I was a threat to them? Did they not hear my howls, begging for companionship? I was no threat.
My throat rumbled, releasing a growl that didn't sound like any noise I'd ever expected to create. I raised my tail in a display of dominance, walking stiffly over to the wolf in the brush. Suddenly, I realized how I should get all this dirt off my paws and myself. It was drying and I felt slightly heavier with all this dirt matted on me. I glanced at my paws, still as dirty as ever. I've been travelling forever, but I had never thought of cleaning all this off until now. There was a fine line between filthy and dirty. I had crossed that line...
The animal behind the bush lunged at me as I gazed at the dirt the covered me, snarling and snapping its jaws at me. It was a grey wolf with hints of brown and white along its pelt. It was huge, much larger than I. Its awful scent was flowing into my nostrils, causing me gag. It was male, I could tell from a moment's glance.
It sunk its teeth into my muzzle, causing me to cry out in pain, muffled by other whimpers as I thrashed on the ground under his weight. His teeth were locked onto my face, dragging across my cheek and toward my neck. It seemed as if I was enduring a seizure, my legs flailing and my jaw hanging crooked to the side. I was too shocked to even think of snapping back. It wasn't in my nature. The whole growling and snarling show I'd put on was merely a bluff.
My tail hid between my legs, although my stomach was now exposed toward the sky, my spine merging with the soil.
Stop, stop, stop!
I gained the courage to bite at my attacker, barely gaining breath as he snapped at my neck, clamping his jaws around it and releasing. I could smell blood everywhere. I squirmed as my assailant continued to pin me down and bite me. The pain was numbing as he continued ripping at my flesh. After a few moments I stopped moving, giving up on the fight altogether, too tired to care anymore. This whole journey had been a waste of time. I traveled all this way, only to end up in a forest full of homicidal wolves.
The grey wolf paused as I lay still on the ground, my shallow breaths barely noticeable.
Finish me off.
My paw twitched, and I blinked slowly, almost too long to be considered a blink as I barely lifted my head to meet the glare of my attacker. What a waste of time this was. I wondered that, if I were to survive, how many more times would someone try to kill me? The thought was amusing, but honest. I let my skull fall limply onto the ground, my tail escaping from between my legs and batting the ground in a wag. I don't know why, but an overwhelming happiness struck me. Perhaps dying was the best way to end this journey. I never would have found a pack anyway. I would have died alone. At least here, another wolf would witness my death, even if he was the cause of it. My eyes stared up in the snarling wolf's direction, friendly and happy. They must have looked that way. They must have.
These events were so sudden, and maybe it was too much for me to handle because I was happy. The grey wolf looked at me, confusion reflecting his expression. I whimpered, begging for him to kill me before I changed my mind. I lifted one of my paws that he'd mauled and swatted at his leg, smearing some blood on it. His growl rose again and he gripped my throat within his jaws, squeezing tightly. I couldn't find breath. It hurt. I couldn't breathe and this pain was enormous. I was just closing my eyes when I saw another figure burst from behind my attacker. Then, black.
Snarling.
Growling.
Yelping.
Whimpering.
I opened my eyes, surprised that I could breathe.
In front of me, two blurry figures were engulfed in a bloody brawl as they tore into each other. The scent of blood was so strong that I wrinkled my muzzle back in disgust.
Get away.
The voices in my mind cried, foreign to my thoughts. It was him. I squinted, making out one of the blurry figures to be the black wolf. My eyes widened and I squirmed to get up. Wincing, I realized that there was no way I could put pressure on my left forepaw. It was bloody, torn meat exposed to the outside. I whimpered quietly to myself and limped away. I wasn't fast enough to gain much distance. Every wound on my body stung with unimaginable pain. My neck felt wet from the amount of blood that soaked it, the gash along my muzzle causing my eyes to swell with tears.
After just a few minutes, I tripped over a fallen log and emitted a sharp cry. Landing with a muffled thud, I dug my hind legs into the soil and pulled myself forward with my right foreleg. I was so tired. I had to be at least a few hundred feet away from the fight by now. Perhaps now I could just remain sprawled on the ground and hope to heal. My eyes closed, and I brought my left forepaw up to my nose, sniffing it.
Blood. It was a strong and sickening smell. I nursed the wound, washing it with my tongue, cleaning it. It hurt, but at least now the only remnants of blood were the stains of my fur. I whined and cried, howling in short, pathetic yelps. My vision had cleared up, and now I could clearly see what lied before me. The trees were scattered ahead of me, peaceful. I thought that, if I were a tree, would I ever have worry? Would I ever feel pain? I hoped not. I hoped that these trees were always at peace, even when the two-legged, furless things chopped them down. I hoped that those trees were never scared.
Whimpering again, I managed to curl myself up, my back against the fallen log I'd tripped over. Go to sleep, I thought to myself. Or maybe I should wake up. This was a nightmare. It had to be. I wished to be in the comfortable embrace against my mother, who had cared for me so much until I decided to leave. I had betrayed my entire pack.
It was early summer...
I had just finished rabbit hunting with my brother, a light brown wolf with white spots scattered along his back. We were exchanging friendly glances and barks, wagging our tails and thinking about the rabbit we'd eaten just minutes ago. He was so nice to me, even when I was weak. I licked his cheek and barked lightly. He returned the lick and sent a friendly thought into my mind.
Fun to be with.
My tail continued wagging happily as we crossed into the alpha's den. My mother, the alpha female, lay in the narrowest part of the den. She had a white pelt like me, and she was easy to see in the darkness. I greeted her, licking her chin and nuzzling her in a friendly manner. She nodded to me and lowered her head to the ground, closing her eyes. I yawned and trotted out of the large den, laying next to a large tree, the enormous deciduous forest lying beyond me. I lived in such a beautiful, peaceful place. What had made me want to leave? I couldn't even remember.
"Rooooooooooooo."
Before I'd even realized, my head was tilted back and I released a single, lonesome howl. It echoed against the trees, bounding through the forest at speeds I cannot comprehend, delving into the ears of all creatures that were near. My eyes opened tiredly, and I lay my head upon my paws. I was an idiot to not care if any hostile wolves were nearby, but I felt no pang of worry or fear. My injured paw was still stinging as clots of dirt dried upon the raw meat exposed, and I winced slightly as I adjusted it.
There was a rustle in the leaves, just behind the log I was resting against. My head jolted up, ears pricking every which way, listening. Another rustle. I was in no shape to run away now, and even the distance I'd traveled to escape the conflict was something that I was still suffering from. My flesh ached, and I felt slightly light-headed from being strangled. I closed my eyes, praying that it wasn't the grey wolf.
You okay?
I opened one eye, spotting a dark figure in front of me. I opened my other eye, and recognized it as the black wolf that'd... saved me. My tail tiredly wagged, pounding against the forest floor. I emitted a short, sharp cry of joy as I struggled to regain footing. He looked startled as he gazed at my neck. He seemed uncertain of something. I wondered if I had been too loud, lowering my ears and dropping my joyful stare.
Yes.
He was just a few feet ahead of me -- still, yet alert. I kept my left forepaw hovering over the ground so no more dirt would get on it. It hurt so bad, I held back a whine. Trembling from both fear and exhaustion, I rested on my haunches and held my gaze on the ground. My tail swayed gently side to side, my head craned down and ears flattened back against my skull. I licked my maw, tasting a hint of iron and dirt.
He stepped closer, and I caught a whiff of fresh blood breeze past me. Whimpering, I wondered - if just for a moment - if he was alright. Then I saw it, a huge gash, raw crimson flesh glistening in what little light there was in this dense forest. It was diagonal across his chest, from the left corner of his jaw down to his right shoulder. His virile figure was shivering, if just slightly, pelt quivering from the contact of the gentle breeze.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on sending him an image of the wound, my mind projecting it into his. I could tell he received it when he blinked, head leaning slightly backward as he sorted it out. He leaned slightly forward, and then lowered his cranium slightly as he gazed into my eyes.
Suddenly, a dark image jolted through my mind, sadness and anger bounding off the core of my thoughts. I saw images of another black wolf, with grey along its muzzle and surrounding its ears. It was older, probably at least five years. Its eyes were gold, and along its stomach...
I gagged, the images in my thoughts were... horrifying. There was a giant gash along this wolf's stomach, all of its insides were... they were... I closed my eyes and tried erasing those images from my mind. I wanted to tear him -- the one that had just saved me -- apart. How dare he...
My mother.
Just as I was about to send vulgar thoughts into his mind, this is what I received. His mother. She was that wolf who had been torn, barely recognizable as a once living creature. The sight was absolutely horrific. I felt a pang of guilt for being so offended; he was simply showing me why he was so aggressive. I thought you had killed her, until I noticed you lacked the scent of death.
Blinking, I lowered my head as he sent another image. It was me in the distance. It did look suspicious, and I could see why he attacked me.
I'm sorry about her.
I felt horrible now, this young virile having lost his mother and attacking me simply because he thought I was the culprit. Staring at my forepaws, head low to the ground, I pondered on whether my own mother was still alive.
It's alright now, she's in the after world.
He looked away, ears sheepishly crooked as he most likely felt sorrow for the loss. All I could do was look like an idiot as I tried to think of something to console him. Or at least something that would distract him.
Your name?
A wolfish smile curled upon my bloodied lips, my head tilted slightly to the right as I awaited his answer. I couldn't quite remember my name, since I had gone so long without it. And besides, my old name would carry burdens of my past along with it. I looked up at the sky as I patiently waited. Maybe he didn't quite want to keep his old name, like I.
The sun's rays peaked through the thick canopy of trees, like transparent golden fingers reaching for the ground. This place was truly beautiful. If I had seen this without my recent experiences, I would have thought this was heaven.
Scorik.
The rush of words into my mind caused me to jump slightly, hackles rising just barely.
I'm Claw.
It was the only thing I could think of, the flurry of claws and fangs snapping at each other in a frenzy. But "Claw" stuck out to me, and I liked it. I'm sure it was a common name, given that wolves typically were named after parts of their body that could cause harm. Fang was common in my pack. Scorik nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes half-lidded. He appeared fairly fatigued, and his wound was still bleeding, although only slightly.
I should get some rest. Don't try to get yourself killed again, next time I won't be there to save you. Sighing, I heard the words fairly quickly in my head, and sorted them out with ease. I didn't want him to leave, but I'm sure he had better things to do with his time other than exchanging thoughts with some fool. I nodded in reply, rising to three feet, one still hovering. I heard him pad away, his steps nearly silent upon the ground. He was extremely cautious and stealthy.
I took off as well, limping as I searched for an exit to this madhouse of a forest. My tongue lolled from my mouth as I panted, becoming easily tired from the blood loss. I believe my cuts and gashes had at least dried and clotted by now, but too much movement might reopen everything. Who cares? They wouldn't be as bad as they were when they were inflicted, either way.
At a steady pace, my body began to numb slightly, but I happily ignored it. The sun was beginning to set, creating a swirl or pink and purple clouds, with a hint of orange on the rims. It was gorgeous. A smile made its way to my lips, surfacing crookedly as my eyes scanned the atmosphere above me. Gasping, I dodged a tree, having almost run into it while I gazed at the brilliantly colored sky. I exhaled shakily, amused at my failure to retain my awareness.