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 Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:03 am
 Ah Ha! What a holy day indeed! The young wolf who was so new to adulthood trotted beneath the spiderweb canopy with a smile on his face and a bounce in his walk.
For on this day the young wolf had fled his mother's irritating voice to find a life away from her and her nattering. It was time to find some intelligent life out here, or maybe just some idiots to fool.
A sly smirk crossed his face then, glittering in the golden eyes that he had inherited from his mother and his grandfather. Not that he cared. He had no interest in family life, all his interests lay in were seeing how many pranks he could pull.
The mangy male moved to a halt then, ears twitching at the sounds of a breaking branch. Then suddenly up ahead a squirrel darted across his path, startling him into leaping backwards.
Oh Lordy! What the 'ell was that, eh? He didn't seem to notice he was speaking aloud. Oi yoo, beastie of trees! Come back 'ere and show yerself to meh! He stomped one paw on the ground as if the action would force the squirrel to return. The only thing he did get was a high-pitched squeak that he figured might be laughter.
With a grumble the male lowered his head, huffed, and continued onwards.
Bloody tree folks...
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Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:56 pm
It seemed like only moments ago, but it really had been days now. Almost compulsively, the stocky male scratched at his neck in a very juvenile manner, still feeling the rope attached to his neck. It had been an enemy to him these past days- but now, it was a kind of familiar reminder. He was not just some wolf. He had a man- a man who had loved him, or at least, in his own eyes. But life had gone from that man, and after three days of watching him rot and starving for food, Malcolm finally bit the rope in two and went into the wild.
The rope was still there though. It had confined him once when he was hungry. Now it was the only link to his civilization. A man would see the rope and know he was a good dog. He’d not meant to abandon his master- but there had been nothing more for him to do for the old drunk. Crows and ravens had started to eat him now, even though he had spend the first day barking and shouting for them to go. But by the end of the day- the birds realized he was tied, and not actually going anywhere.
Now he was thirsty, and strange smells were filling his nose. The wolf rose his head and snorted, his snout flinching as he inhaled. Pine, dung. He knew those smells, but he’d never actually needed to survive on them. “Bother.” He muttered and shifted his tail, glancing once at a rock and knocking it with the side of his paw. He’d never actually had to find water before- and unlike food, which he had been able to catch, he could not track it.
Clumsily the wolf stumbled down the embankment, digging his large paws into the ground as a brace. There was another creature trotting along, and it piped his interests. “Hey, brother.” He called to the slinking creature. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can get some water, would you?”
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:57 am
Fluke gave a high pitched, almost girly, scream as the strange wolf appeared. His whole body jerked up to press against the nearest tree, his back arched, tail curled between his legs and head down. For a moment he looked like he was going to keel over and then his nostrils flared wide and he raised his face to glance warily at the brown creature.
Yoo talkin' ter me? After a moment of glancing over both shoulders Fluke assumed that he was. Well no. Jes follow yer nossle, eh? He sniffed at the air as if to show the wolf what he should do. Anee, wolf could doo that, heck even I coul' do that and I ain't even got a brain cell to call me own. He laughed then and shook his head. Then slowly he lowered himself to a sitting position and raised a hind leg to scratch almost feverishly behind one ear.
Damn fleas, always rrr'bitin'!
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:06 am
Malcolm’s entire body went ridged as the wolf screamed. Had he stepped on a trap? Had he spotted something? The brown wolf’s head jerked about nervously, his hackles rising and his ears angling forward in bitter repose. Where was it? He might not have been something wild, but there wasn’t nothing that fought quite like a dog. Why else would Man trust them with their lives? He bristled and snorted, but after a few seconds of silence [save the remaining scream and whimpering of the other male], Malcolm realized with some surprise that there was nothing near them.
The male had doubled over onto himself, and it suddenly dawned on the brute that the wry male might have been afraid of him. He balked in surprise and flattened his ears, the tipped one drooping against his face. “Woah, woah-...” He spoke. “Relax brother, I ain’t here to bother you. Just looking for some water, that’s all.”
He seemed to settle, and suddenly started talking. It was good to hear another voice again. “Well, I’m no wolf.” He spoke simply. “I’m afraid I never got a smell for water. But there’s nothing wrong with your head- everyones got brains in there. Do you know where some is, brother?”
He paused as the male took to scratching. It seemed an odd thing to do- but sympathetically, he wagged the end of his tail. "You should roll in some mud. I hear that handles fleas some."
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:24 am
Fluke paused in his scartching and slowly lowered his leg, getting to his paws once more. For a moment he looked as if he was going to laugh but instead he took a small step forward and turned his head toward the brown wolf...who apparently wasn't a wolf.
Wait! Did that mean...!?
His ears perked up and again he took a step closer, wavering sideways almost as if he were trying to do some sort of strange dance. So yer not a wolf? Does that mean yer a wog? A wog was the name that Fluke had given himself after being told by his mother what he was. That his father had not been a wolf and that he was in fact some strange hybrid.
I'm a wog. Apparently.
His fur had thinned out in patches all over his body where he had been scratching and made him look rather pathetic. Yet there was life in his eyes that showed him to be healthy despite his poor fur coat.
It seemed that Fluke was not going to say anything more about the water until he had this information classified.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:00 am
“A...wog?” Malcolm asked. He’d never heard of that term before. Or- at least not from the mouths of a wolf before. Whatever it was, this wolf claimed to be one as well. “You mean- you’re not a wolf either?” He asked, his tail gently bobbing eagerly. He knew there were others like him- but he’d never seen any. Mother had said so, it was why the Men bred him like he had been. “A wog... I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that phrase before brother. But, I see what you mean- that’s not a bad word for us at all.”
He moved off the embankment with a slight hop, his tail shifting in greeting as he walked forwards. “I’m Malcolm.” He introduced. “I’m afraid my Man has gone Still.” He paused for a moment, and flecked his blue eyes downwards. “I’ve been trying to find something to drink. Plenty of foods, but...I’m used to water, not blood.”
Now that he was closer to him, he could see the distempered state of the male’s coat. He frowned and flattened his ears. Would that be him, in just a few months time?
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:15 am
Yer. A wog. He nodded sharply as if all should know what the word meant then smiled when this other said he didn't. Well ter be honest I jes made it up. My idiot of a mother decided to ge' jiggy with a dog cos she's an a** who can't tell the difference. Then a couple of months later she gets fat and out pops me. And d'yah know what she said when she saw me!? He bristled, She called me a fluke, a fluke! Well I weren't no fluke, i was there cos of her grosse behaviour.
His nose wrinkled and then with a sigh he moved onwards along the path he had been following, jerking his head at the other male to tell him to follow. He was thirsty himself so finding a river or stream wouldn't be too bad.
My turn to ask a question, keh? Wassa man? He questioned. Not heard of that before. It live in these 'ere trees? Then as an after thought he added, Yeh can call me Fluke.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:41 pm
Malcolm titled his head as Fluke recounted his tale. He found it shockingly unfortunate that his mother had acted in such a way. His own birth had been divinely ordained- that is, the men had set her to run with a wolf they had already kept for some time. His father though had to be shot one day when he got the foam, so he never knew him much. But his mother! She was a fine Shepard dog if ever there was one. Just the thought of it made him arch his neck. She’d been smaller then him, but she had a sloped back that made all the other females jealous. She did not pull carts like the other dogs- men trust their lives with her. She was a different sort.
But mother had never said to brag- so he did not bring up his mother to the poor wog. He seemed disbarring enough. “Man? Surely you know man if you are a wog?” He asked slowly. “Man is the ruler of all the forests. He can change how the very earth looks. He is a god.” He spoke dutifully. “Dogs are their protectors and servants. It’s our birthright.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:17 am
Fluke snorted in annoyance at the brown wolf's words, his paws stumbling a little. How could such a powerful creature such as man go unnoticed?!
I don't b'leeve it/ He muttered, tail hanging low so that its tip brushed against the ground. Then with a twist of his head he turned to face the larger male. Mother ne'er told meh where father lived. She didn't care. He drew his head up at a proud angle and inhaled deeply.
I may be a wog but I 'ave pride. I were not born a servant. So far as I are concerned tis the wolves who rrr rulers of the forest.
Could Malcolm be right though? Could there be creatures higher in the food chain than themselves? He didn't like that thought. Not one little bit.
Don't go speakin' like yoo were born to serve. Yoo were born to b'free. Yoo don't need them to live 'ere.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:14 am
Malcolm shook his head. “I don’t understand you, brother. It’s my honor to serve. What would I need with being ‘free’ for? It’s only a word.” He remarked, and took a few pad steps to the side. The air was thick- but he couldn’t tell if that meant water. “Besides, I am free now. It doesn’t please me. I have no purpose anymore. No one to watch after. No one to listen to, no one to guard. No carts to pull, and no salty meats. No new places.” He ended, trailing off.
“It might be good for you wogs and wolves to be as free as a bird, but what does it bring to you? Where do you get any sense of accomplishment?” Dogs had words for wolves and wild beasts. What exactly did any of that running free with the flowers nonsense ever do?
“When I was a child, my mother told me stories of great things dogs have done. A greyhound who saved a child from drowning- dogs like that are admired and worshiped. But this place...” This new world was so far from home.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:48 am
He listened to the strange male and for the first time questioned his existance. Why was he here in this forest? What was his purpose for living?
He quickened his pace as the scent of water grew stronger, not speaking again until the little snaking river came into view. Then slowing to a stop by it's edge he dropped his head and drank noisily. Water splashed up over his face and dripped from his muzzle as he raised his head to speak.
Out 'ere in this place things aren't so black n' white. Yoo dun follow orders less yoo are in a pack. Yoo make yer own decisions, yoo live yer own life. He snorted out a spray of water that had gotten up his nostrils and continued.
No one knows what they rr gunna do wif their lives. Yah can still bee a hero like those dogs. Instead a' savin' man, save the lives of yer fellow brothers, eh? Fin' a pack to lead, to join, protect 'em. He shook his head and dribbled slightly. Howz that sound to yer? Or do yer wan' more?
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:57 am
Malcolm followed Fluke silently as he lead towards water. His throat was still sticky and burning for clean moisture, so he let the other continue speaking until they were both situated at the river. The brown creature took a few steps forward and inhaled, trying to memorize the smell. It was such a strange one- it didn’t really smell like anything. It smelt like...humidity, but even that wasn’t really a smell. It would take some time for him to be used to it.
With a grunt he lowered his head, lapping up the water. The rope dangled into the water, and he watched as the current tried to carry it away. “I don’t know.” He said simply, and rose his head, licking the water off the end of his mouth. “It doesn’t seem enough...I don’t want to do great things. That’s not what I mean. But I need a purpose. I can’t just be free.”
"Are you in a pack, brother?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 11:15 am
Peh, yoo really thin' a pack would want meh? A scrawny, good for nothin' wog whoo dun know nothin' of anythin' His ears twitched, nope, no pack, prolly for the best. I'd be pushed to omega an' that'd be 'ell I reckon. He sniffed, Cos in this world the strong become alphas and the weak - like meh - become toting li'l servants. And he swung his head around to face the brown wolf, an' I dun wanna be a servant, not for anee one.
Lis'en to meh for a mo, eh? He dipped his head again, took a long drink and then continued, spluttering water from his mouth. Searchin' fer a purpose is an a'venture. I guess tha's what I'm doin'. I can't bee in a pack an' I can't be 'lone so where do I goes? Well tha's what I'm gunna find out.
He gave a sadistic smile, an' if I dun find out soon then I'm as good as dead. Cos if yer can't 'unt and yer can't join a pack then yer starve. 'Specially at this time o' the year when the sky is ready to fall.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:14 am
Malcolm frowned, and looked to the sky. He had not considered actually being stuck in these woods for the winter. It was his first year still- and the idea of snow fall had only faintly struck to his mind by some past flurries in early autumn. But he’d yet to really experience the cold and hardship. “Well, dogs don’t need packs.” He spoke simply, his ears shifting. “We have teams. Or bands or rabbles. Just takes a few dogs to make a team, although you gotta be rough on the ends brother to have a rabble. That’s one funny thing about wolves. It’s all politics.”
He took another gourging of water, before sniffing and swinging his head. “I don’t think you’ll be dead brother. You seem a wily sort. Strength isn’t everything to dog kind. We’ve got all sorts of roles. Just because you ain’t an alpha sort has nothing to do with your survival.”
“Although...” He pursed, and looked outwards at the winter greyed land. “Dogs do need food.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:13 am
Zackly He replied with a nod, no longer caring about these so called dogs. He cared nothing for the creatures he was related to, wolves or dogs. As far as he was concerned he was better off without any ties.
If he could find some idiots to hunt for him until he grew in strength and learned to do it himself then that was enough.
Even the biggest, strongest wolf could be manipulated into doing something if the right words were spoken or the actions taken. Though the fact that Malcolm was a fellow wog made Fluke resist the temptation - or perhaps because he didn't think the bigger wolf would be of much use either. Either way the young male had found a kindred spirit and it was comforting to know he wasn't the only hybrid around.
With a sigh he returned his head again and began to lap thirstily, enjoying the soothing cold as it ran down his throat.
Slap!
With a startled yelp the gangly little male bucked upwards, away from the cold, wet thing that had just smacked into his face. For a moment he staggered about on the bank, trying to regain his footing and then suddenly he was slipping face first into the water.
The recent surge of rain had caused the river to swell and the current was strong enough that it was able to sweep the poor wolf from the bank and down into its clutches. For a moment he was tugged downwards and his lungs fileld with water, then eve as he feared he would never again see the sky, the river seemed to release him. He exploded up out of the water, gasping for water as he tried to swim against the current to the bank.
Yet even as he tried to move sideways he felt his hind legs being swept away and again he was forced beneath the surface.
Blue. Everything was blue.
It felt like flying in liquid ice, the touch so bitter, so sweet and so deadly that Fluke could not resist it. Like the snow queen herself. So beautiful and yet, so horrible.
Again he resurfaced and in the corner of his eye he could see the tiny blurred figure of the brown wolf he had just spoken with. His vision blurred and he fought to keep control of his consciousness.
He couldn't die yet! Especially not by the wicked fin of a fish!
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