Rain fell overhead, hard and heavy, as the mute-colored wolfess moved. Hardly four years old, she felt fourteen. When she moved, she moved with a slowness that she'd never expected, not when she'd trained as a young adult under Ziva, not when her grace used to be liquid purity...
No, instead it was like a plague had taken over her body and mind, wrapping tendrils around her legs, around her chest. They'd long-since wrapped around her muzzle, sealing her vocal fate.
This place was killing her...
And so the serpentine female dipped down under a ledge and into the den, letting her soaked coat drip rainwater onto the stone floor...
The same stone floor she'd raised four pups on.
=
Siki growled looking skywards, he disliked the rain. Greatly. Shaking his pelt fruitlessly he picked up his pace, moving through the brush and grass quickly. He was far from his den but he knew there was another close by, as Beta he had the privilege of using any den he found suitable. He still wasn't quite sure how he managed to become second-in-command to Piper but he wasn't one to doubt or question his fortune. He held himself tall, even in the rain, the confidence that radiated off him was most likely the reason he gained the rank.
Reaching the mouth of the den he stepped inside, giving himself a good shake, ridding himself of water. "'Lo?" He sniffed the air, he wasn't even sure if this den was occupied. He hadn't made the rounds since the new alpha femme had taken over and there were many pack members, new and old that he wasn't familiar with.
He caught the scent of another and he took a couple of steps, yellow eyes sweeping through the darkness until they landed on a white and silver femme. He blinked and thought about all the pack members that had been described to him. The dinosaur on her back was what made him remember. "Ah, Gerda, greetings" He was nice to the silver wolfess even though his alpha thought badly of her mother. He had heard rumours that Piper was going to be rid of Gerda in the future but he didn't speak of these, rumours did no good until proven true.
=
Gerda gazed off into the distance for many minutes, watching the puddles form as water pounded earth into submission. Her lip raised once, memories swirling round her head like a tornado and she gave a little wheeze-growl. No. She'd not go back to those thoughts. She needed a plan. Think for today, not yesterday.
So she'd curled up in the back of the den, her body wrapped around itself. And she'd thought. At least until she dozed off.
Her ears lay loosely on her head -- at least until the deeper vocals of another male invaded her silence. Then they were pinned, her entire body leaping into overdrive, beginning to panic at being both woken up and trapped in this little den.
But...
He knew her name?
Gerda cocked her head to one side, taking the blue male in with both eyes. She wasn't blind. Was this her daughter's second? Or was he Lilith's?
=
Sikittok smiled, trying to be friendly. For a moment he wondered why she didn't speak, but then he remembered someone mentioning that the femme was a mute. He'd never dealt with a mute before, should be interesting. "I'm Sikittok, Beta of Gomorrah, second-in-command to Piper." His voice was formal as he introduced himself, he was used to the long introduction. As he spoke his tail was curled up, just lower than the alpha's would be.
When he was finished speaking he relaxed, but his tail never fell lower than the line of his back. He moved forwards, padding to Gerda's side. "I hope you don't mind me barging in like this....I detest the rain and yours was the closest den." He felt the need to explain even though he wasn't required to. Maybe it was because she was mute, or maybe it was because she was hated by her own pups. Siki couldn't imagine the toll that would take on a femme or a male for that matter. The cloudy wolf didn't have pups of his own, but if he ever did he would hope that they would love him and their mother.
=
So the rumors were true.
Piper was alpha of Gomorrah.
She had taken after Tabansi, that was for sure. All of her pups had had vices. Akiva's hadn't shown up for awhile, until he began to have outbursts of rage. Beauty was vain. Abital was a greedy pup...and Piper. Piper's name might as well've been 'Lust'. Gerda just hoped that her daughter wasn't like her father in the way that she took what she wanted with or without the other's consent...
Gerda gazed back up to greet Sikittok's eyes. When he relaxed, she followed suit, meandering up to sit beside him.
Her den... She shook her head. No. It wasn't her den anymore. She didn't want it. She opened her mouth slightly, but only a hoarse whine came out. She wanted to go home. She felt like a pup again, kept away at a friend's house and homesick.
She missed her mom. She missed her dad...But most of all, she missed Laos, her brother...
=
Watching the female shake her head, he cocked his own in confusion. She didn't mind or she did mind? He wasn't sure exactly what she was trying to get across.He sat down next to her, tail wrapping around his haunches.
"You do mind?" He asked stupidly, he wasn't used to feeling stupid. He was usually the one in control of the conversation and situation but this femme unsettled him. How could he be in control of the situation, when he didn't know what she was trying to say. "I'm sorry, it's difficult for me to follow..."
And now he was sticking his paw in his maw, it wasn't her fault she couldn't talk. He snapped his jaw shut, not wanting to continue to sound like an a**.
=
This was familiar. For the past few years, the times away from Laos, she'd learned to communicate herself. But not having a voice had major disadvantages. It was like an endless game of charades!
The beta's confusion was amusing and a grin spread over her maw, her tail beginning to loosen and wag a tad.
So she shook her head again, raising a paw and placing it between them, claws scraping stone. Once more, she tapped at the spot, then took two steps back and gazed between it and him.
Trying to convey 'my home is your home' to the higher-status wolf.
Sikittok...was nothing like Tabansi...
=
Siki couldn't help but feel a little miffed as he watched the grin spread along her maw, obviously she found his confused, unsure nature funny. After a second though the disgruntled expression dropped from his muzzle and he smiled a little. There was a time that he could laugh at himself even if his sister laughed at him enough for the both of them. Sadness filled his yellow eyes for a moment as he thought of his dead sister and parents, but then he gave himself a mental shake. The past was in the past and he had a new pack, a new home now.
He was helped out of his nostalgia by the female's movements. He watched as she tapped the cave floor, and then looked at him and then the spot again. He tilted his head trying to figure the message out, he considered himself intelligent, but he as starting to rethink that the way this femme made him feel.
"Yours is mine?" He grinned, he thought that's what she was getting at, she kept looking at him and then at the spot that she scratched. Conversing with her was interesting to say the least.
=
She watched him with a keen eye, the smile never wavering. It wasn't a harsh smile; rather, one that she'd not used in a long while... Not since before her puppies were old enough to think for themselves. A few years.
Her eyes grew wide as he figured it out and it took her a second, but she bounced up once, wanting so desperately to bark and bark but knowing it would come out a less-than-pretty squawk, so she nodded her head enthusiastically, eyes holding her grin.
Quickly, she gazed outside. The storm was a small one, but still raging. She didn't need to get any wetter and he obviously hated the rain.
One thing she was quickly realizing though: as much socialization as she was getting in this moment -- and this was as much as she'd gotten in months -- she was feeling that 'old' start to leave her bones. Maybe she just needed to get friends.
And to get out.
But Sikittok couldn't know that, as beta of Gomorrah.
So instead, Gerda flopped down on the spot, panting and grinning up at him. He would catch on...but she was used to following, not leading.
=
When she bounced up the beta's yellow eyes widened and he laughed, rearing up from his sitting position, pawing at the air. Coming back down he chuckled, a grin on his maw. "That's obviously a yes," He realized, in the back of his mind, that he was having fun, innocent fun. It had been a while since he had any innocent fun. All the fun he had nowadays was purely sexually.
He followed her gaze outside and shivered, he refused to go back out in the rain. He rather fight a bear than travel in the rain, he had to do that too often after he left his pack.
Looking back to Gerda he chuckled as he saw her on her lying down again, he returned her grin, his tail brushing against the ground as it wagged. "Well, I thank you. The rain is one of the things in life I truly hate, I've spent much too much time in it before coming here." He didn't mention that the other reason he hated the rain was because his sister loved the rain and whenever the sky opened up it was as if the heavens were crying for the lost femme.
=
There were things she wanted to ask him. Where are you from? Why are you here? What's that dark cloud hiding in the back of your mind? I can see it in your eyes...
Instead, she would have to wait for him to tell her.
Sometimes being mute was a difficult thing.
So intead, she tilted her head to the side slightly, smiling at him a wolfish smile. She was at ease now; another beta's company was nice. Hell; company in itself was nice.
She gazed out at the rain, and then back at him, giving a wheeze. He'd have to start the conversation...
=
He looked around the cave then back to the femme, he returned her smile his brain racing to find something to talk about. What did you have a conversation about when only one of you could talk?
He sunk down to the ground, lying next to her. One yellow eye looked at her, the other staring at the wall.
"Hmmm," He rolled onto his side with a sigh, and here he thought himself to be a good conversationalist.
After a minute or so of silence he opened his maw."You would've liked my sister, she never stopped talking. She wouldn't even notice you were mute, even if you weren't she wouldn't let you get a word in edgewise." He laughed, it was awkward talking about his sister but it was the only thing he could think of to talk about, and since he was the only one who could talk it was up to him.
=
Gerda watched him, golden eyes focused on the bigger male the entire time, ears pricked. He smiled back at her and she closed her eyes for a moment.
Was that the first time someone other than family, or Ziva, that she'd been smiled at? Sure, her babies used to smile...before they grew. And even then, they would smirk. And Tabansi used to smile, but...his always had a second meaning.
She shivered. She carried with her a secret that no one would ever hear about. No one could.
And she stared at Siki as he began to speak.
Slowly, a smile returned upon her muzzle although it was a sad one. Her head canted to one side and she stared at him. Curse this language barrier...
Continue...
=
Glancing towards her he could see the sad smile and nodded slightly, interpreting the unasked question. Now that he had opened the door it seemed he couldn't stop talking about the past. "She's gone, as is the rest of my family and home pack. A disease ran through the pride, it killed nearly every wolf. She had just found a mate," His smile faded and became a frown. "They were excited, they wanted to have puppies, my parents were excited for them as well. Of course, they were disappointed that the first born didn't produce grand pups for them first, but excited none the less." He shrugged a bit, he never found a female he wanted to have a family with.
=
With a whine -- and it was one -- she lowered her ears, dropping her jaw slightly. Looking into his gaze was like a warzone and she had to stare away, out the opening of the cave.
But you don't deserve that! she wanted to cry. She wanted to curl up next to him, motherly, and lick his inner wounds away. Something no one had done for her.
If anyone deserved that, she did. Perhaps a disease would wrap itself around Gomorrah, strangling her children one by one, strangling Tabansi. Strangling the past.
Her lips rose into a snarl but she shook it off, moving slightly closer and resting her head on his side.
=
He heard her whine but he didn't react, lost in the past for a moment. Remembering the way he felt when he realized everyone he ever loved was dead was horrible, he had thought he had left all of those feelings but apparently he hadn't.
He didn't come back to the present until he felt her head press against his fur. Blinking, he glanced down at her, yellow eyes confused for a moment. She wanted to mate now? That's the only reason any females had touched him since he had joined Gomorrah. After a second he realized that she didn't want to mate, but that instead she was comforting him.
Comfort? The idea confused him for a moment, but then he smiled. Comfort was nice. Twisting, he maneuvered his head so the tip of his snout was touch her fur. "Thank you," He smiled, he wanted to curl up around her properly, but he wasn't sure if that would be too forward.
=
Something about the other wolf made her feel almost maternal, her eyes fluttering closed as she breathed in his scent. Musky and hot, she couldn't quite put a paw on what was so familiar.
The liquid silver of her own eyes opened once more, gazing at him. Her head lifted at the touch and she turned away, almost bashfully when inside emotions were raging.
She had to be careful.
He'd given her a piece of his past, but it didn't mean he was trustworthy. In this forbidden land called Gomorrah, you didn't put your shields down for too long... Or else you get used and put away wet.
Ears flattened against her skull as she moved away, leaning back to back against him. She didn't want his thanks. She wasn't sure what she wanted. Peace of mind? But he couldn't prove to the disillusioned fae that he was trustworthy.
No, he'd have to earn that.
And the female lowered her snout to rest at the edge of the cave, raindrops falling upon it.
=
Siki listened to the female breathe a smile growing tentatively on his muzzle. This was nice, just sharing a moment, sharing silence with another. He didn't share time with other wolves quite like this. Usually he was mating, or doing his duties as Beta. He never had time to just relax, granted he didn't want to have time to relax most of the time. When he relaxed his past came back to him, but with Gerda, it didn't seem to bad. She comforted him after all, which was nice.
His tentative smile dropped when she turned from him. Confused he sat up, rolling over so that he was curled around the femme, but not pressed up against her. Not touching the mute femme.
"Gerda?" He looked down at her, yellow eyes confused. "Did I do something to upset you?" He wanted to rest his head on her side and comfort her the same way she comforted him. The dusky male wasn't sure if that would be such a good idea, she had moved away from him when he had moved closer before. "I apologize if I did." Looking past her he realized the end of her muzzle was sticking out of the cave. "Gerda, you should come back in the cave, you're going to get sick." Great now he was nagging her like his mother used to nag him, it seemed his charm had been washed away with the rain.
=
She was such a slut...
Anger boiled up at herself, at being so friendly to this brute. He was Piper's second, afterall... What if he wanted to get close, tag her, and leave. Just like Tabansi. She'd put that behind her. She wouldn't deal with it again.
Or maybe it wasn't completely behind her.
Either way, it wasn't safe. Boys weren't safe.
As he turned over, his body cushioned hers, their auras blending. It made her head reel and her chest hurt. All the weeks her pups curled into her came rushing back and it was like a slap to the face.
But he was as confused as she to her behavior. She shook her head, almost dejectedly. He'd done nothing. It was her. All her.
At his nagging, she showed her pearled fangs, bristling. She gave a wheeze, a bark-sound erupting from her malformed vocals. She couldn't say to him what she needed to say. Tears of frustration burned her eyes.
=
Sikittok kept his yellow eyes trained on the white and silver she wolf, concerned and confused. She seemed to be dealing with some sort of internal conflict but he had no idea what it was about, and he doubted he would ever truly know- she couldn't speak and tell him.
When he saw her shake her head he relaxed, but just barely. If it wasn't something he'd done, then what was it? He suppressed a whine, he was never supposed to feel this helpless! With a growl he pushed himself to his paws turning and stepping away from her, deeper into the den. She was frustrating him but it wasn't her fault.
Reaching the end of the den he turned back around, stalking back towards her. Looking into her eyes he could see the tears, and the frustration he felt himself soften. His shoulders dropped and he sighed. "I apologize, Gerda....It's difficult not knowing what's wrong or what you're trying to tell me." He sat, a couple feet away from her now, staring at the stone floor.
=
When he turned away, angered, she gave a growl. Why was she wasting her time on him?! Why was she even bothering to -care-?!
Because he was the first wolf to care about what she had to say. Or not say.
If she could find Laos... If he could speak for her...
No. Her brother was gone. Perhaps they'd moved on with the pack when Tabansi had led her here.
She was on her paws, her tail flagging upwards when he returned to her side and sat. Ears pinned against her head, she let out a rumble of a growl then jerked her head in a 'come hither' motion, heading to the very end of the cave.
There she snuffled the ground, breathing in the deep, slowly but surely dissipating scent of her litter. She gazed between him and the corner, growling deep again.
=
Hearing the female's growl Siki lifted his head looking at her, he cocked his head to the side confused. It seemed that most the time spent around the she wolf left him confused. He was about to open his maw and ask what she wanted but he was cut off by the jerk of her head. That wasn't hard to understand, pushing himself onto his paws, he turned and followed her.
Reaching the end of the cave he blinked, looking to her to see what was going to happen next. He watched as she sniffed the ground then looked to him, she wanted him to sniff the ground as well? What did this have to do with anything? Instead of asking questions and potentially upsetting the femme, the dusky male stepped forwards, dipping his head to breathe in the scent that covered the stone floor.....puppies? He glanced at Gerda, her puppies? Why would she want him to take in the scent of her litter? "I smell Piper, Beauty and Abital, but I don't understand what you're trying to tell me" He didn't bother to try and hide the confusion in his voice, it was written across his features.
=
Gerda was pleased and relieved that he understood a head-jerk. He wasn't a stupid brute...but for a Beta, he wasn't trained very well in body language.
Ziva had been, but she was glad the General herself was a figment of the past.
She stepped back, watching him. Waiting on him. Yes... He was getting it. Her hopes rose up and her tail gave a wag.
But it was for nothing. With a huffed sigh, she dropped her maw to the ground once more, breathing the scent in one final time; it had been a time of happy days and love for this female. But it was over now.
She knew what she'd had to do.
With a soft growl, she nodded softly and then attempted to mount him, hoping he'd fight her. She would have to show him what Tabansi had done to her...
=
When she looked hopeful he smiled, maybe this whole interpret obscure hints thing really wasn't that hard. Or maybe it was. His smile dropped as she sighed, he was wrong, again. He hadn't been wrong this many times since he was just a pup. He watched her sniff the ground again, shifting his weight from paw to paw, trying to figure out what she was trying to get across.
He was shocked from his thoughts when he felt a weight on his back. Instinctively he bucked up, trying to throw her off, a growl rising from his throat. He twisted and shook himself, trying to get her off without hurting her. "Gerda, what the hell are you trying to do? Get off!"
=
She let out growls of her own, maw biting and nipping at the back of Sikittok's neck, saliva mingling with fur as her hips thrust against him.
Useless, of course. She wasn't a male. Every time he squirmed, she growled and clamped down harder.
Then she hopped back off and dropped to the ground before the puppy scent-spot. With a sigh, she gazed up at him, eyes distant as the ache in her heart grew.
=
He yelped, not expecting her to bite him. What has gotten into her? Is she actually insane? Snarling he fought against her harder, this was ridiculous! Especially as she began to thrust her hips against him, what was she trying to do rape him? It wasn't even physically possible.
When she finally got off him, he turned to face her, fur bristling. He was about to open his maw to yell at her and demand answers but he was silenced by the look in her eyes. He looked from her to the scent spot and then back to her, when he added that in with the pain in her eyes and what she had just done to him his jaw dropped, stunned. "You were unwilling?" He had never heard that part of the story, if it were true it wouldn't be something a wolf would want spread around. Things slowly started to make a little more sense in his head.
=
Yes...
He understood. He would never understand that she was young, not even a year old. He would never hear that Tabansi was older, seven or eight, and a perverse wolf at that, storyteller or not...
She nodded rapidly, harshly, ears bobbing up and down as she lunged to her feet. Ziva hadn't understood. She couldn't go to Lilith or Karrim... And Tabansi knew. He'd worn the guilt on his sleeve. He'd had the nerve to slink away before he was caught!
With a strangled sob, she buried her muzzle into his chest, curled into a half-sit, shivering, knowing he'd be upset with her for what she'd done. She could tell that from his eyes.
But someone understood...
=
Yes, Siki was a male, and a dominant one at that, but his momma had raised him right and he knew that taking a mate unwillingly was wrong. Mating didn't have to be about love, he wasn't so diluted as to think that, but it was supposed to be mutually wanted. He processed this new information, shocked and appalled.
He was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't even see her get up and move towards him. The touch jolted him and he jumped, but didn't pull away. At the moment he had forgotten that she had attacked him, he'd remember that later, now he just felt sorry for her. Dipping his head he ran his muzzle through her fur. He tried to comfort her the best he knew how, which wasn't very well- since he left his family years ago he didn't have anyone to comfort.
"Everything's going to be okay, I'll protect you." And he realized in that moment he would. He'd stand between Gerda and any wolf trying to attack her, even Piper if it came down to it. He didn't know why but he needed her.
=
She felt him brushing against her coat. Her insides wanted out, she wanted to pull away, but he was being gentle. And he understood now...
And besides, after what she'd done, she deserved a reprimand.
What Tabansi had held for her had been lust. Perhaps that's why she hated her daughter, Gomorrah's alpha, so much. Because she held the same 'respect' for other males, just like her sire had held that 'respect' for females. Young females...
At his words, her head jerked back, silver eyes searching him. Almost accusingly. Could he protect her?
Can you protect me from yourself? she wanted to snarl. When she went into season? Could he keep himself to himself?
=
He blinked as she jerked away from him, what was it now? His yellow eyes stared into her silver ones, trying to decipher the words held within them. He wanted to find the words that would make everything alright, the right words to make her trust him. He doubted they truly existed though. It took him a couple moments to read her eyes but when he did the message hit him hard. She doubted him, he'd never had anyone not trust him to keep up his word.
"I can protect you from anyone! I can keep you safe, I know I can." He puffed out his chest, his tail curling above his back. He was fairly large for a wolf, and strong enough to stop anyone that attacked her or him. Of course, he didn't realize that she was worried about what he would do to her, the blow to his ego had skewed his thinking.
=
She didn't look away, instead glaring deep into his golden gaze. Why should she trust him. What could he possibly do to prove that he was trustworthy, that he wasn't just Piper's pawn?
As he spoke, her hard shell melted down once again and her snarl dropped into a wistful smile. If only he could do what he said he could.
He couldn't possibly know how she felt towards males now. Even him. He couldn't. Could he? It would be by a streak of luck and proof that she'd ever trust another boy again.
=
Once she smiled he calmed as well, maybe she didn't mean it as a blow to his ego. He had a feeling she did but since she couldn't correct him he decided to assume it wasn't.
As they stood there Siki realized that it was suspiciously quiet outside the den. Turning to look outside the den he realized it had stopped raining just as suddenly as it started. He turned back towards Gerda, he wasn't going to just leave her there alone in the cave, unless she wanted him to.
=
Gerda's head raised, following Sikittok's gaze. Puddles stood where rain had fallen hard, but it had stopped finally. They were no longer trapped in the den together.
Slowly, she meandered to the opening of the cave, seeing clear skies, the clouds passing quickly. A sigh left her maw and she turned back to the corner where she'd raised her pups once more.
She breathed in their faint puppy scents once more, knowing that if she ever was to come back, they would be long gone. And then she padded out of the den once and for all.
Standing with forepaws in a puddle, she gazed over her shoulder to look at Sikittok, admiring his colors for once, admiring him as a wolf. She smiled at him, nodded, and began to pad off.
=
Siki watched Gerda move out of the den, not making a move to stop her, he had no reason to.
He continued to watch as she stepped outside and looked back at him, he returned the smile and the nod he knew he'd see her again eventually.
After a moment of just standing in the cave he made his way out into the sunlight, stretched out and then headed off into the forest, hungry for lunch.
