A Warrior is Made, not Born

Story by rovean on SoFurry

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Ok, I'm taking a bit of a break from my other story- trying to think of a better one than day 4... not too happy with how it turned out- so this is my attempt at a new story. Enjoy, and nobody under 18 read... and all that boring talk nobody actually reads.

It was still very early when Silver woke up, stretched out and got up, "Great, another day out in the wilds." As he got up he pulled on a worn out pair of leggings. "Hey, time to get up. HEY!" The ball of fur next to him started to move, sighing in frustration Silver nudged his older brother with his foot. "What the hell, whatever happened to respecting your elders?" As he said this Amethyst started to move more, and Silver gave up on getting him to move faster. The older wolf looked at his brother with a mixture of exhaustion and jealousy. Silver was, in many ways, the opposite of Amethyst. Silver was taller, around six feet, more muscular, and far more popular with the other people of their tribe. Amethyst on the other hand was gifted with intelligence, and was on the road to becoming a shaman. "Amethyst, get up, and get your bow. You need to get something for breakfast." Amethyst smiled and laughed a bit, "Why, can't you fire a bow well Silver?" In truth Silver was jealous of Amethyst because Amethyst could fire a bow from a father distance, and far more accurately. "I may not be able to shoot well, but I can still kick your ass." They met each other's gaze and broke out laughing.

As Amethyst went out hunting Silver built up the fire and took stock of their supplies. Silver was still rummaging through the pack when Amethyst came back with three dead rabbits. Silver then took and put them on spits to roast over the fire. "So, why do you think dad sent us out here?" Silver asked Amethyst. Amethyst took a second to respond, "Probably to teach you some patience," he laughed as his brother hit him in the arm, "Also probably to get you ready for your right of passage." Silver looked into his brothers blue eyes and saw that he was not joking. In their culture you needed to go through a trial given by their chief in order to become a man, and it was just Silver's luck that no two trials were the same. As he sat their lost in thought he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up into his brothers eyes, "Relax Silver, you're strong and very tactical. You shouldn't have a hard time completing the trial." They ate in silence, but Amethyst wanted to tell his brother their purpose for leaving their territory. The real reason they were here was for Silver to get used to being away from their tribe for extended periods of time, they had already been gone for three weeks.

Silver stood up, and stretched out again. He looked at his still sitting brother and laughed. People always confused them for twins because they looked so much alike, but Amethyst was older by four years and had a different mother than Silver. Amethyst was about 5foot 8, and skinny- not particularly muscular. The other big difference was their eye colors, Amethyst had blue eyes, while Silver had green. "Well, let's get moving." As Amethyst got up the wind changed directions and Silver immediately dropped into a defensive stance. "Stay down, we're being watched." As soon as Silver said this he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and drawing his knife he spun to meet the intruder. As he turned he saw who had agitated them, it was a female tiger, who looked at him with surprise.

"What purpose do you have sneaking into our camp tiger!?" Barked Silver. She looked at him warily, and that's when they heard the marching of other people heading in their direction. "We are here to clear this land for settlement. We are prepared to offer compensation for what we take, or we could just take it. The choice is yours savage." It wasn't what she said, it was the way she said it, it really pissed Silver off, then he heard his brother. "You are fools to come this far into the wild. You seek to expand your empire, to take what is not yours. What do you offer in return? You wish to trade us for our land? You think we are whores to be bought with your dirty money?" The tigress was taken aback, she had obviously not expected this. Silver seized the opportunity to disarm her, "Carry a message back to them for us. Leave, before we kill all of you." With that Amethyst and Silver slowly back into the denser forest.

"We need to tell the tribe about this." Amethyst said, "You do know what just happened right?" Silver just shook his head; he was only thirteen after all. "Fine, well, those people are from the far end of the forest. They are looking for more land to put their tribe on, except their tribe is not just one species. They have lost their way and seek to come here and take the land from us." As Amethyst explained the situation Silver could feel his blood starting to boil, "Why would they do that?" he asked in anger. "Simply because they are at war with the humans. The humans are causing too much of a problem, so the tribe- they call it an empire- is trying to find a quick way to move their warriors to the front lines." Amethyst looked back at his brother and saw anger and frustration in his eyes, "Why didn't we just kill them and get it over with?" Amethyst sighed and suddenly stopped running, "Because, we don't want to give them a reason to wipe out our tribe. If we were to kill all of those warriors, then their chief would just send more to kill us. Now, no more talking about this, we need to hurry."

As they entered the camp Amethyst told Silver that he would do all of the talking. As they entered the chiefs hut Silvers nose was immediately assaulted with the smell of stale tobacco and other spiritual herbs. "We have news father." As Amethyst said this a white wolf stood and looked them over, "I see your brother is still safe and sound, that is good Amethyst. What have you learned in the wild?" As Amethyst told them of the encroaching band of warriors their father smiled, and looked at Silver, "What do you think of this tribe?" Immediately Silver responded, "We should not let them walk freely through the fore-" he was cut off my his father's staff hitting him in the head. "The forest is everyone's, not just ours, and they have shown no signs of aggression. First we extend the hand of friendship, but be wary of these "warriors", not all of them fight with bow and arrow, some fight with words." The old wolf stood and said, "Silver, you are at the proper age to receive your right of passage. I think I have the perfect one for you. While we will hold onto our traditions, we will also open up to this "empire", I charge you with going to them and making sure our wishes are heard." The smile was now gone from his face, "You will join them, but you must never forget who you are, and where you come from." Silver was dumbfounded, "Father, what did I do wrong... This is as good as banishment, I have done nothing wrong!" Silver then felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Amethyst's. "This is to be your passage into manhood. Leave the tribe, and join with the invaders. The tribe is growing small, too many over eager males, and too few females. Our tribe is dying out, you need to make it survive. It will survive through you brother." With that Amethyst placed a charm around Silver's neck and looked away from him. "You can't be serious... Please, I can't survive out there in their world!" They just ignored him and carried on as though he was not there.

Silver looked back once as he left camp, and never looked back again. "That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do." As he said this he turned to his eldest son Amethyst and said, "Our people are gone, in a few years time our tribe will be nothing but a memory. Are you sure you don't want to leave with your brother? It's certain death to stay here." Amethyst smiled up at his father, "My place is here, and his place is there."

It was four days later in the pouring rain when Silver reached the edge of the forest. He was cold, wet, and hungry when he passed out from exhaustion and fever. He woke up in a strange place, and then he heard, "Dad, he's awake!" He looked for the voice that had said these words and saw a female cat with brown fur sitting next to where he lay. As he looked around he saw he was in a house, and in a bed, he looked at her and asked, "Where am I?" She smiled down at him, "You're at our farm, I found ya yesterday at the edge of the forest. You had a really high fever, and next to no clothes on." She blushed at this and Silver noticed that she was wearing many- for him- clothes. Then he heard loud foot steps and saw a male cat enter the room, he was wearing strange leggings that connected with his loin-cloth. "So, yer awake now are ya?" He smiled under his hat, he was smaller than Silver, but carried a large presence, especially for a 5foot 6inch tall brown cat. "How did I get here?" The farmer laughed and said, "I carried ya, but where're my manners. My names Kris, and that's my daughter Elizabeth." The cat then extended his hand towards Silver but silver just looked at it. "You're supposed to shake it," whispered Elizabeth out of the corner of her mouth. Silver took his hand then and shook it, "My name is Silver." The farmer smiled and said, "Well, seems like yer not from around here. I got a pair a breeches ya might wanna put on." Silver had no idea what the man was talking about until he was handed clothes and was explained what jeans were.

"Come on out, let's see how ya look boy." As silver walked out into the kitchen he felt different, he was wearing a flannel over-shirt that was un-buttoned, and baggy blue jeans. "Well now, we gotta get ya a pair a boots ta cover up yer feet now." Silver was handed an old pair of work boots that he was told to put on. "Um... Where are my clothes and things?" As he said this Elizabeth, or Liz as she preffered, handed him a pack that contained all of his things except his clothes, "They were to torn up to fix so we had to pitch them." "Thank you, I don't know how I can re-pay you for your kindness." As soon as he said this the male cat, Kris offered him free room and board, he just had to help work in the field. Silver agreed, if only as a way to re-pay the kindness he was shown, and to be around Liz more. She was a plain brown cat, with long hair, and a nice body. She had hazel eyes, a well rounded bottom, and a pair of D sized breasts.

"That's enough for today Silver, lets head on in. Liz's probably done with dinner by now." Silver looked up from the weeds he was pulling and smiled, it had been almost two months since he had come to live on this farm, and he had acclimated fast. As they approached the house Silver could smell the food, and immediately realized how hungry he was so he sprinted the rest of the way. As he reached the kitchen he reached towards a pork chop and was smacked on the hand by a spoon wielding Liz, "wash your hands before dinner." He scowled off to the hand pump, and when he got back they all sat down to eat. "So, Silver, where do you think you'll go from he-" Just as he was finishing his sentence Kris noticed the plume of dust coming down the road. "You two, get under the porch." As he stood he went into his room and came back with a weathered old rifle- at least Silver thought that's what they were called- and walked out the front door. Silver took Liz's hand and pulled her outside and under the porch.

"Hey, old man, we heard you got yourself a wild wolf living here." The three men on horseback were not deterred by Kris and his rifle, "That all depends on why you're lookin fer him." As soon as Kris said this one of the three humans drew a pistol and put two bullets through Kris's skull. Silver held Liz against his chest and his hand over her mouth. "Think a how much cash we'll get if we can sell a wild wolf." Said the tall man. "well, think of how much we can get if we sold a wolf, and a hot young cat!" Said a pock marked man, and at that they all dis-mounted and proceeded towards the house. Two went in, while the pock marked one stayed outside. Silver drew his knife and slowly came up behind this man, and quickly placed a hand over his mouth and plunged his knife into the mans stomach, then proceeding to slit his throat. Stripping the man of his weapons and putting them on himself, Silver snuck into the house.

"Where the hell are they!" As the tall one said this, the one that had killed Kris smacked him, "Shut the fuck up and keep looking. I know plenty of people who'd pay to have a wolf or a cat as a slave." Silver looked down to the pistol he now carried and cocked it. As the two men walked back towards the door, Silver stepped around a corner and blasted the tall one. Then with the practiced speed of a killer drew his knife and hamstringed the murderer. As he looked down at the murderer, now pleading for his life, Silver was filled with revulsion, and thought, "This is a human. All bark and no bite." Then he plunged his knife into the mans chest and walked outside to Liz.

She was in tears when he reached her, and he was not sure how to comfort her. "Why? Why are humans so bad?" She turned to him and buried her face into his shoulder. "It will be alright Liz, I wont let anything bad happen to you ever again." With that he picked up the body of Kris and lay it in the freshly plowed field. As Silver dug he could still hear the sobs of Liz behind him, and then he lay Kris's body into the ground and covered him up. Liz then took a piece of wood, and carved her fathers name in it with her claws.

As they headed back towards the house Liz asked, "What are we going to do now?" Silver abruptly turned to her and said, "We need to get supplies and head towards this empire of yours. It will be safe there." She looked up at him, "What about those bad men?" Silver looked at her with cold eyes, "Birds need to eat to don't they?"