Father's Love
The forest, the quiet song of the crickets and slight breeze in the treetops; nothing mattered to the alpha more than the sight along his arrow. His silver fur brushed against his cheek as the shaft was pulled taut. The feral deer not forty feet below him, grazing among the underbrush, was clueless of her own impending doom. Her strides were lazy, his heartbeat was steady. The partially chewed grass glided across her hooves, his breathing slowed and held. The doe's muzzle passed from grass to bush, a perfect alignment for the kill.
Crunch!
Ears and tail up, the doe bolted. His arrow flew, too late. It thumped into the tree trunk beside the bush. Archer cursed as he notched another arrow, leading the doe's progress through the foliage as a brown figure charged from cover thirty feet to the alpha's right. In his line of shot, the youth gave chase for the kill that was rightfully theirs. On all fours, he lunged. His teeth bore, calling for the flesh to meet them in a deep growl.
With his teeth only a few more inches to flesh and blood, the doe side-stepped. Light tan of fur was replaced with the dark brown of bark. In the blink of an eye, pride for his first kill changed to fear of failure. Edge slammed into the tree with a yelp. The world swam in front of his eyes as a bounding figure disappeared into the foliage. He cursed himself for his pride as he tried to pick himself back up. Yellow lights flashed and he was now on his side, whimpering at the throbbing in his skull. His paw met a warm liquid as he cringed and leaned against the tree. The thump of paws on the ground across from him alerted the youth of another's presence. His pain escalated as his thoughts went to the berating he was about to receive.
A growl worked into the alpha's throat as he holstered his bow, "You're too impatient, Edge!" His paws paced in front of the youth, Edge's muzzle never lifting to meet his alpha's glare.
"My instructions were clear: wait for my first shot BEFORE you move for the kill!"
Edge whimpered quietly, hoping the older male screaming at him wouldn't notice, "I...."
"No! No excuses! By Lupus what am I going to do with you?!" Archer brought a paw to his eyes, rubbing them harder then was necessary, "I've taught you everything I know. Your coming of age hunt is less than 4 moons away and yet you insist on charging early every time."
Edge choked back a sob and held his paw to his head. He looked away; futilely trying to shake off the glare he knew was still boring into his mind.
The alpha sighed, taking a deep breath. He looked the youth over, "Where is your spear?"
Every muscle in Edge's body seized at once, panic flooded his vision as both paws frantically searched around him for the wooden hilt of his closest companion. A yelp escaped him as the panic was replaced by pain. Both of his paws gripped his head as he fell back against his former adversary, the bark now comforting him against the blinding stars before his eyes.
The fuming anger fizzled and was replaced with warm compassion as the youth fell back whimpering. Panic grabbed at the alpha's mind but experience pushed it away as he knelt down next to his trainee. As both of his silver paws found the soft brown of Edge's, he shushed the youth gently.
"Calm down," the alpha cooed, "calm down, it will be alright. Let me see."
The youth whimpered again, Archer's words calming him enough to relax and move his paws away from the throbbing. A slight scent of copper reached the alpha's nose. The wound didn't look more than a flesh wound. He leaned forward and licked at the small cut above the youth's right ear. The warm taste of blood made Archer cringe along with the youth as he lapped at the wound, cleaning it.
As the blood stopped flowing onto his tongue, the alpha leaned back with a smile. His paw absentmindedly stroked the youth's paw as the other came up to gently scratch under his muzzle. Edge's soft tan chest fur moved slowly as his heart rate decreased. His natural sweet scent of pine overwhelmed the smell of copper as the alpha took a deep breath, suddenly lost in the lustrous golden eyes of his companion. A light moan built inside the youth causing a peaceful smile to spread across Archer's muzzle.
"You need to be more careful Garret," the alpha chuckled, "what would the clan think if they saw ME carrying you back to camp?"
"Uncle?"
Archer's smile disappeared, his vision shifting suddenly, the golden eyes shifting to the bright green of his apprentice. The alpha pulled his paws back and stood slowly, trying hard to control his heart rate. The last thing he needed was Edge to see his flush of embarrassment. As the warm feeling of failure began to flow into his ears, he turned away and rubbed his paws together.
"Rest a moment Edge," Archer's shaking paw took a step into the underbrush, "I shall return after I scout the area." Without waiting for a response, he stalked quickly back into the wilderness leaving young Edge with his thoughts.
Edge blinked, his mind was having trouble piecing together what had just happened. He sat at the base of the tree for a while longer before noticing something: the pain was virtually gone. One paw prodded at the spot above his right ear, but all that remained of the blinding pain was a small stinging sensation. The alpha's tongue had cleaned and soothed his nerves to the point of healing. He smiled as his mind went to his father. Archer had actually compared Edge to him, pride swelled in his breast even though it was short lived. As with every other time his prideful thoughts of his father, he was reminded of his loss as well. He drew his legs in close to his body as a tear ran down his cheek. Even after 4 years, the alpha had never got over his father's death.
He gasped, something his mother had said years ago just clicked in to place when thinking of the intimate look the alpha had given him not moments ago. Edge's ears swiveled around, the alpha hadn't come back yet. How long had he been sitting here? He looked through the trees at the reddish orange clouds, "Not too long," he muttered to himself. The young wolf stood, his muscles arguing against the change of position, but with a stretch they were ready to go again. The youth's brown tail swished happily at the new revelation that had clicked into place. He couldn't wait to confront the alpha about it. He moved around a few trees back to his original hiding place.
Edge's natural instincts had made him jump after the deer without his spear. He cursed himself for forgetting the alpha's first rule: Your weapon is your most reliable companion. As the youth dug through the he had used for cover, panic once again found its way into his mind. His spear was nowhere to be found. He frantically tossed aside weeds to no avail, his spear was not where he had forgotten it. Fear replaced panic as the subtle sound of choking off in the distance brought him to a well trained silence.
Everything the alpha had taught him came screaming back to him in the seconds following the initial sound. His ears swiveled back and forth as further echoes streamed into them. The young wolf turned his muzzle to the north, the source of the unnatural sound was there. Edge breathed out slowly as his digitigrade foot paws expertly found their silent footing. As he crept closer to the source of the sound he recognized it not as the sporadic gasps of a restricted airway, but as the shuddering gasps of sorrow.
After circling down-wind, he stepped out into a small clearing with a hill, gradually sloping up away from Edge. His ears went back as he recognized the area as one he knew all too well; the burial site of his parents. The gentle scent of the flowing stream from the other side of the hill was overwhelmed by the flowering blossoms of the apple tree at the crest of the hill. As he made his way up the short hill, he laid his ears back as all he could see of the source of the sorrow was the drooping silver tail and foot paws of alpha himself.
Edge swallowed the lump in his throat as he made his way around the tree. Archer was kneeling next to an overgrown mound just to the left of a slightly smaller yet fertile mound covered in roses, his mother's favorite. The alpha's sobs let up just enough for Edge to see him gazing at a small object in his paw. Two small stones, one blue and one yellow, were woven together through a small hole in each end by what smelled to be wolf fur, both brown and silver.
Archer's ear twitched as his hunter instincts warned him of the presence behind him. He took a long deep breath as he stood, the pads of his paws clenching at the hardwood of Edge's spear. The alpha barely looked at the youth as he tossed the shaft to its owner. Edge jumped, barely able to wrap his paws around the spear without dropping it.
"How did you....?"
Archer forced a chuckle out, sniffing back a sob, "Y... Your father used to sneak up on me all the time," he looked back down at the mound, "was his second favorite game."
Edge laid his ears back at the mention of his father, his eyes trailing down the cold wood in his paws. He clenched his eyes shut; fighting back the tears that threatened to push forth. Edge had thought himself past his father's demise. He thought himself strong, but despite his efforts and time, it still haunted him.
A sniffle brought him out of his thoughts. Archer was back on his knees, his muzzle bent back to the stones in his paw. He was no longer crying but the muffled sobs told Edge that he was just putting on a mask to hide his sorrow. Despite their age difference, Edge couldn't help but kneel next to his mentor and do his best to comfort him. His paw rested on the silver fur of Archer's shoulder.
"Of the entire clan, including myself, you took my father's death the hardest."
Archer's paw came away from his muzzle, his sad blue eyes now developing another emotion as he gazed into the stones. Fear tied his stomach in knots as the questions he had for so long dreaded answering were about to be asked. The alpha tried his best to hide the fear with a nod and a forced smile, "So they say."
Edge took a quick breath as he placed the spear down in front of himself, freeing his other paw to caress the alpha's, "Mother once told me something that I didn't understand at the time."
Archer's voice took on the deep quality he had learned to give it after years of practice as alpha, "Understand what?" his gaze moved from the stones to his apprentice.
Edge's heart skipped a beat. Other than the tear streaked fur around his muzzle, the alpha looked the critical leader he was known for. Edge swallowed back his apprehension, determined to remain strong.
"She said, 'The bond two males share is both strong and enduring. It is something I could never understand or share with your father. Our alpha is a very lucky wolf,'" Edge looked deep into the alpha's eyes, "I never understood it, until today."
Archer opened his muzzle to speak, but nothing would come out. She knew. She had known all along and was happy about it. A sincere smile made its way across his muzzle. His gaze settled over the smaller mound.
"You always were smarter than the two of us combined, Lily," Archer closed his eyes, "Garret never spoke ill of you, not once. Even when your pregnancy spoke out at him, he always loved you."
Edge bit his lower lip, "You loved my father, didn't you?"
Archer's muzzle came down and looked away as it was his turn to bite his lip. His silver tail tucked under his rear.
"Garret wanted to say something. He never enjoyed hiding it from you or your mother," his paws clamped over his eyes, "but I was afraid! I was weak and couldn't face either of you."
As the tears started to flow between the alpha's fingers, Edge knelt beside him, speechless. His mother had always respected the alpha. Had she survived Ed's father, she would likely have become the alpha's mate. She loved both Archer and Garret and would have done anything to make either one of them happy. All Edge could think to say was, "Why?"
Archer's paws dropped to his sides, his eyes wondering off into the setting sun, "If.... If either of you would have had a problem with... we... I would never have been able to handle it."
The alpha lunged at Edge; his arms wrapped around the youth's shoulders.
"Even though I was never with your mother, I had always thought of you as my son," he shook his muzzle, "I couldn't bear the thought of losing everything. I loved your father, I still do. Had your mother been angry it would have torn us apart. Both your father and I, as well as the relationship I wanted with you."
Edge couldn't hold back any longer. To be so loved by not two but three parents was more then he could take. His tears flowed freely, soaking his fur as his arms wrapped around his mentor, "Mother loved you both and she would have done anything for you. She knew... Lupus know she knew," he pulled Archer back to arms length shaking his muzzle, "never would she have had a problem. She... I'm sure she enjoyed the fact that I had two father figures to look up to."
Archer looked into his green eyes, the eyes he'd seen so often in the female his love had been mated to for so long. The boy was his father's son in every way, except those eyes. The wisdom was definitely not his father's. The thought of Garret trying to be smart led Archer to fit of laughter that, although Edge didn't comprehend, led him to join in as well.
The two embraced again for a time before Edge was able to speak through the welling joy forming inside his breast, "I have always looked to you as a father, my alpha."
Archer shook his head, placing a finger to Edge's nose, "when we are alone it is Archer."
Edge tail thumped against the ground, the pride and joy he had not felt since before his parents death could not be contained any longer. He hugged Archer hard until breathing became difficult.
Archer stood slowly, guiding Edge up; his tail unable to contain his own joy as well. The two started down the hill back towards camp. Edge stopped suddenly and ran back up the hill. He slid to a stop, kneeling to get his forgotten spear once more.
Archer shook his muzzle, whipping away one last tear as he looked up at the tree where he and Garret had frequented often, "Our little boy is growing up so fast Garret. I think he will be better than both of us one day," He held out his paw, gazing once again at the medallion he and Garret had made all those years ago, "I hope I make you as proud as Edge makes me."
Edge stumbled back down the hill as night finished its descent upon the small hill. The shimmering water of the creak reflected the gentle moon light as the first petal fell from the tree, gliding ever so slowly onto the large mound at its base, passing the engraved words of two youngsters from ages past, Never to be torn apart.