Ch 1

Ch 1

Trojan watched the fires soft dance among its shells of rock that held it close. The Man pack huddled around it, speaking softly and telling their stories of the day in their growling tongues that the red wolf couldn’t begin to understand.

Across the fire’s glow Crêta was huddled next to her mate. Her thick winter pelts had been shed in favor of a thinner deer hide that the Men liked to wear during warmer days. He watched her crinkled paw draw across her extended gut. A twinge of sadness filled his soft brown eyes. Cyrus would have loved to see her Man Female so happy.

He turned away from the soft scene toward the fire. Its heat burned his whiskers but he couldn’t look away.

Beside him, a body stirred. He didn’t need to look down to know it was Athena. Her soft fur always held a touch of comfort. Her eyes caught the glare of the flames so they danced across her pretty brown globes. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” Her voice was too soft in the darkness. Trojan gazed down and tried to hide the threatening tears.

“Nothing, Little One. Don’t worry.” He licked her crimson fur in comfort but she squirmed up to meet his eyes. “You’re not here Daddy. Where did you go?” The red wolf sighed and stood up. “I didn’t go anywhere Athena. I’m still your father. I’m still Daddy.”

She cocked her head as if the thought never crossed her mind. Her whiskers twitched blankly as she spoke. “Daddy smiled.” The words broke the young wolf’s heart. It was true. He remembered the days when he was the goof. He used to make everyone smile before…

“Leave Dad alone.” Monty barked from his spot next to one of the Man pups. The pup pressed Monty’s hips down to stop him from moving but the little male easily eluded it. “He’s been through a lot.”

“Like you’d know!” Athena hissed flattening her half perked ears. “Oh and you would?” The pups began to circle weighing one for another before a heavy paw broke them apart. “Enough you two.” The sable gray and black wolf barked. Both pups immediately hit their rumps to the ground as they looked upon their alpha. “Thank you, Buck.” Trojan barked, sitting beside them. He looked from one of his offspring to the other. His heart welled at the sight of them and falling at what he was about to say.

“I need to talk to you two. Please come along.” He led his pups down toward where the high walls once stood around the den site. No one feared the demons of Blood Pack now. They were truly rotten scavengers on the outskirts of any pack.

The red wolf stopped along a small creek lined with star light. There he sat, staring at the water as it flowed past the rocks in the stream. “Much like Life, this creek.” He barked as his children sat on either side of him. “It starts out so small, so gentle as its nurtured by the banks. This water can’t fathom where its going. It only knows where its been. That’s where you pups are. You haven’t seen the world or held the scent of any other land in your breast. You were born here and have yet to travel down the stream, but farther if you follow your destiny, there’s a whole wide world for you to see: A lake, a river, maybe more!” His eyes shined with unshed tears as he prepared the hardest words he’d ever had to speak. “Pups my stream has been dammed up for a long time. It’s time to let it free. Do you understand?”

Athena’s golden brown eyes shot up to her father holding such hurt within. “You’re running away?!” She accused standing up. “But you, you can’t leave us. We need you! Ali needs you, and Buck. You’re our father Daddy!”

Trojan winced as the flood of her words drenched him to the bone. “You two don’t need me anymore. I have to leave. Your mother knew that. I have to go Athena.”

“Monty, say something!” The little female squealed. Trojan gazed to his other side where his soft spoken son. Montezuma was gazing into the cold waters with far away eyes. “I’m going with you.” He finally barked. Trojan’s whiskers twitched sadly. “My brave son, this pack needs you to be strong for them. You have to stay.”

“No I don’t. I can’t let you go alone.”

“And I can’t allow you to come.”

Father and son met eye to eye while Athena watched desperately from the side lines. Trojan knew Montezuma’s heart. “You aren’t going and that’s final!”

“You can’t tell me what to do!”

“That’s what a father does!” Trojan shot back. He could see it rearing up in Monty: The defensive wall that had caused so many battles with his mother. His next words will be-

“Some Father you are. Leaving your pups and your family to go chasing a damn stream. Well go then. See if I care. Mom was right. You don’t belong here!”

…Painful.

Trojan said nothing as he turned away from his pups. He’d wanted this to happen. It was the only way Monty would let him go. Now he trotted down the creek with his head level to his body. It was so hard to leave everything. His life, his family. All to chase a damn stream. The red wolf sighed and gazed up at the sky. Was she there, watching him? “Cyrus. I love you.” He whined. The stars seemed to glow a little brighter, making the red male smile slightly. She was still there. She was listening.

Reviews

[Empress of Shadows]

I really hope you add more to this Rev