Blackhearts Ch. 2
Chapter 2
The Legend
The little red eyes scanned over everything in sight, watching, learning, and each day beginning to recall a very little bit from the previous. His mind was starting to develop, his first memories being etched into his growing brain.
"Carmyne," came a gentle voice from behind him.
The pup stumbled around, recognizing his name and the voice of his mother, and gazed up lovingly at the pretty gray wolfess with very deep blue eyes in front of him, his tail wagging wildly.
"Where are you going, silly pup?" asked Aqua.
Carmyne replied with a meaningless, but very happy little yap and stumbled, one paw after the other, toward his mother. His brothers and sisters had suckled themselves to sleep and lay in whimpering, dreaming pile of youth. He trotted clumsily toward Aqua and met her at her nose, reaching his big puppy paws up to attack his giant mother's muzzle. Aqua gently flipped the pup over on it's back and licked it's chest as it tried to bat at her nose further, managing to get a bite in with his tiny muzzle full of needle-like teeth.
Aqua snorted and drew her muzzle back, "Feisty, aren't we?" she growled.
Carmyne lay still on his back between Aqua's large paws, pawing at the air, and he barked a little yip that sounded almost like he was speaking. "Mother!" he seemed to cry.
Aqua smiled very warmly at the pup, "Yes, Carmyne, mother." she said almost guiltily. Her eyes grew distant as she tried to imagine what it would be like to explain to the pup what had happened to his birth parents.
Carmyne began yapping again, trying to repeat himself, but nothing that came from his maw made sense.
Just then a large gold wolf came striding from the darkness toward the mother and her pups. He laid down beside his mate and nuzzled her affectionately. The little gray pup was watching him closely, taking in his frightening voice and his noble appearance.
Tusk noticed the pup intensely staring at him as he made small talk with his mate. "Come here little one. Carmyne" his booming voice growled as softly as it could.
But Carmyne did not venture toward the frightening wolf, instead he huddled under Aqua's foreleg and peeked over her fur at Tusk.
Aqua smiled at the silly pup then turned to Tusk, "Has Mastif returned yet?" she asked him.
"No," he whispered, noticing the pup start to fall asleep, "He's still trying to patch things up with the Bloodflames and their new Alpha. The entire pack is in turmoil over their new leader, many have left, or..." Tusk paused, looking toward the puppy, struggling to keep it's red little eyes open, "they end up like this one's father.." Tusk gazed at the little wolf, feeling a deep pity for it, but also a deep connection also because he knew he was now the pup's father.
"His parents run the White Forest now," Aqua whimpered suddenly, "rest to their souls."
The two wolves thought silently to themselves for a while before Aqua lay her head on Tusk's paws and he also lowered his head and the small family fell asleep together.
As the warm sun emerged from behind the jagged horizon, so did a small band of fierce wolves all marked with black designs. Their breath stank of blood and their stomachs swelled with success. At their front was an old and wise deep gray wolf. His muzzle and his legs were wrought with scars and his eyes told stories to keep even the bravest wolves awake at night. Behind him trotted and loped two small families and a mawfull of loners. The group was returning from a hunting trip, which was quite a sight to behold among a greater pack like theirs. Normally, wolf packs ranged from five to twenty wolves, with the exception of greater packs. When two or more packs would equal each other in size, strength, and most importantly, beliefs, they would rarely merge into a greater pack, which could have up to a hundred wolves.
Wolf packs always hunted together, using teamwork to take the best kills, and would almost always eat together. But being that greater packs had far too many members to hunt in a single group, the Alpha pair would take a small portion of the pack, always making sure to take along Omegas, and hunt. They would rotate the pack members evenly, and members left behind were to fend for themselves while they awaited the next big hunt, often surviving on small animals, or taking another small pack, but had much smaller chances of success, being they did not have an alpha wolf's quick brain at their aid.
The hunting group disassembled and spread out thru the valley the pack lived in, a valley that was narrow but open at both ends, with high cliffs on both sides, where rocks had often slid down and made some fantastic shelters there. Though hunting groups could travel hundreds of miles in search of food, and the pack members were free to leave as they pleased, the pack always reassembled in the valley.
The deep gray wolf strode swiftly to Tusk and Aqua's small stone shelter after hearing rumors in the pack of them adopting a Bloodflame pup. He stood at the entrance to their shelter and Tusk woke from his light sleep as he heard his pawsteps near.
"Mastif," Tusk growled as he looked outside the den and saw the hunting pack had returned, "I thought you had went to meet with the Bloodflames."
"That I did, Tusk." came Mastif's old and wise voice, "But I regrouped with the hunting pack afterward, just making sure they didn't go hungry." he smirked.
Mastif was extremely smart and strong for his old age, born with a fighter's body and an alpha's mind. The pack respected him and looked up to him and he knew it all too well. His love of his seat of power was his only downfall, for he focused too much on the ability to dominate and protect, and never took time to train his thoughts and focus his mind. He was constantly hunting, fighting, surviving. He was the Alpha of this greater pack.
"What has come of the Bloodflames? Do they still follow under Balkin?
"Yes," Mastif growled in confirmation, "and from the looks of it, Balkin will be the permanent new alpha. But Tusk, what is this I hear of you and Aqua adopting a Bloodflame pup?"
Tusk padded over to the litter at Aqua's belly, and nudged the gray puppy with the black dorsal stripe. It whimpered and rolled over with it's fiery eyes open, wondering why it had been woken.
"Yes, it is true, Mastif. But it's parent's were killed and it's siblings all perished also. Any wolf would have done the same."
"What... why.." Mastif was almost at a loss for words as he stared wonderingly at the gray puppy, "Why is it this pup has blood eyes, but a light color of pelt? Bloodflames are all dark-coated wolves."
"His mother was a Whitedune" Tusk whispered, "It was the strangest sight, there, under a massive boulder in a sort of cave, was a dead Whitedune with four pups, three of them dead already."
Mastif's eyes flared with interest.
"His father was killed, I'm not exactly sure why, but it appeared as if the Bloodflames had turned their teeth against him. Murdered him.
"Balkin did seem very preoccupied with finding a 'traitor', as he kept referring to it as. Every hour he would request reports from wolves returning to his plateau in the desert, coming from all directions, searching for the traitor, I think."
"Did they have any success?"
"Perhaps, just as I bid Balkin farewell, a Beta of his cam running up the plateau and I barely overhead him tell Balkin, 'It's over, he's been found and taken care of'." As Mastif growled the story to Tusk, his eyes wandered again to Carmyne, who sat in fear of the deep grumbling voices of the strong males around him, somewhat mesmerized at what a peculiar little wolf he was.
"It's a rare little wolf," growled Tusk, "What are the chances of having parents so opposite? A Bloodflame father and a Whitedune mother.."
"Mother," yapped Carmyne suddenly, vaguely recognizing the word Aqua had taught him.
Aqua yawned heavily as she was woken by the yapping puppy, baring her deadly white teeth and stretching her jaw muscles.
"Mastif," she growled, surprised, "what's going on?"
Mastif and Tusk explained what they had just talked to each other about and the three then sat in a circle, making small talk. The puppies all woke and began to suckle greedily at Aqua's belly. Carmyne, after being pushed away by the other squirming puppies, lost interest and began to wander away from Aqua. The three adults watched as he followed his nose to Mastif's great paws, which still smelt faintly of blood. Carmyne studied the great shapes and eventually his instinct at the scent of blood opened his tiny jaws and he tried to gnaw on the Alpha's paws. Mastif snorted at the pup and he scurried away, hiding his face in Aqua's fur. The adults smiled at the silly pup and all somehow knew it had a strange destiny woven in it's peculiar little eyes.
Several weeks had passed and the Summer was in full bloom. Millions of tiny insects were active on the trees and just as many little animals and birds were also scurrying around the forest going about their lives. Aqua's puppies had grown into fine little wolves with huge paws and short muzzles. They had begun to be weened onto solid food and spent the days playing and learning the ways of the wolf. Aqua had entrusted her pups to a Nanny and she and Tusk had gone out with a hunting group. The nanny was an old reddish colored gray wolf, with a smooth veil of gray creeping up her muzzle. She was watching after Carmyne, his two brothers Flint and Tuskus, his sister Azura, and a single female pup named Mihr. Mihr was a white wolf with gray fur on her back and neck, and the normally colored eyes of golden yellow and she was the same age as Carmyne and had an older brother, but he had gone with the hunting pack.
It was a humid afternoon and Carmyne and Azura were chasing each other thru the tall grass and flowers, playing a game of tag. Azura easily evaded Carmyne because she was near a week older than he and her lean female body was built for running and moving swiftly, one of a good alpha wolf.
"Azura, this isn't fair," Carmyne whined between panting breaths. "you're bigger and faster than I am, and it's so hot, there's no way I can catch you."
"What's the matter?" she teased, "does the little Omega need a break?"
"I'm no Omega, I'm a strong Beta, like father."
"But you're too small to be a Beta, Carmyne." Azura grinned teasingly at him, "Besides, there's no shame in being an Omega, other than they rarely help with hunting. Or anything else for that matter."
Carmyne growled angrily and bolted toward her, faster than his previous attempts, but still Azura evaded him easily. She pounced happily thru the grass, losing him eventually and sitting to wait for him to come bounding toward her. But he did not come.
"Carmyne?" Azura barked. There was no answer. "Carmyne, quit fooling, I know you're there." Still there was no answer. Azura waited for a couple minutes, which seemed like so much longer to an impatient wolf pup. Finally she began heading back into the grass, scenting the ground to try and find his scent. She found it, and followed it, but it just lead in circles, they had been playing in the grass for a long while and been all around the place.
"Carmyne," she whined, starting to worry, "Please come out, you win."
Suddenly he pounced from atop a large rock, landing next to Azura and throwing his forepaws over her back. "I don't need your surrender." he growled happily, wagging his tail.
Azura sighed, relieved. "Come on," she growled, "we should be getting back."
The two little wolves roamed back toward Aqua's den, where the nanny wolf was watching them. The other pups were napping, strewn about the little den on cool patches of dirt. The nanny noticed the two coming.
"Welcome back," she growled with an aged and wise voice, "where did you two get off to?"
"We were playing in the field," Azura barked, tail wagging, "Carmyne actually won a game."
"Oh good job, Carmyne." she smiled at the him warmly. "The rest of the pups just laid down to take a rest, why don't you two join them?"
Azura was exhausted from running, and she laid down in the dirt with her eyes open, but soon they began to get heavy. Carmyne was still sitting at the entrance of the den, watching all the pups sleep.
"What's wrong, young one?" the nanny asked.
"Nothing, Tala," Carmyne sighed, "I'm just not tired, may I go to the stream and get a drink?"
Tala nodded and Carmyne left the cool den and turned toward the stream that ran thru the valley. He padded slowly, the heat made him very hot and uncomfortable and he began to pant. Soon enough he arrived at the stream and lowered his body against the cool dirt on the bank and lapped his long tongue into the cool, fresh water. It felt very good to have a drink after playing with Azura and trudging thru the terribly humid day. He drank until his thirst was quelled and began to wonder where the water came from. He looked upstream, there were some rocks that the water poured over, and downstream the water got deep and dark, and it turned into a small creek.
His eyes wandered all around him, his mind asking thousands of questions about the world that just couldn't be answered at this moment. He peered across the stream into the dark and thick brush, none of the pack lived on that side of the stream, and he wondered what lay in and even beyond the thicket.
Carmyne was snapped out of his curious trance when a small white and gray wolf pup strode up beside him and started lapping at the water also. It was Mihr, she sat with her gentle golden eyes closed as she lapped slowly at the running stream. Carmyne stared intently at the wolfess, not able to take his eyes off her white body and he couldn't understand why. It confused him and he wondered why Mihr had always caught his eye, he was just too young to understand.
Mihr quit drinking and noticed Carmyne staring at her. "Hello, Carmyne," she growled gently.
Carmyne smiled and wagged his tail, he just wanted to say "Hello," back to her, but his voice had suddenly left him.
Mihr stood up and padded off toward the den, and Carmyne followed close behind. When the two returned, Carmyne's siblings were gathered in front of Tala, tail wagging.
"Carmyne, Mihr," Azura barked excitedly, "Tala was just about to tell us a story."
"Yes, come lay down, young ones. I will tell you the story of Cet."
"Cet?" asked Flint.
"Yes," Tala continued, "Many, many ages ago, before this world even existed, there was a great White Forest."
All the pups' ears perked up and they listened intensely.
"The White Forest was a vast, endless forest filled with uncountable amounts of every animal imaginable. The animals all thrived off of the endless vegetation, even the meat eaters like the Wolf and Bear. There was never death, there was never pain, there was never suffering, only animals living peacefully side by side. Every animal in the white forest was white, except for the leaders."
"The leaders?" asked Mihr.
"That's right, every species had a leader, who's pelt or scales were jet black. The leaders all watched over the endless White Forest and kept peace among the animals. The leader of the Wolf was named Cet, he watched over the wolves day and night, watching his children live in packs as they do today as they ate the grass and trees. Cet was very disturbed at watching his followers eat the vegetation, he knew in his heart that the Wolf was destined for more, far more. It's sharp fangs, it's deadly claws, it's fast and strong body and it's ability to work in groups just made it seem far too complex to be chewing on mere plant life. Cet tried to explain his ideas about their true ways, but they did not understand, this was all they had known. So one day in the White Forest, Cet devised a plan to free the wild hunter."
The cubs were all locked so deep in the story that not even an earthquake could have broken their focus.
"Cet," Tala whispered, "began to steal the ground from the White Forest, he stole canyon upon canyon of dirt and hid it away from the other Leaders' eyes. Finally, one sun, Cet had collected enough dirt and he began to sculpt it, he made mountains, forests, deserts, canyons, rivers, and oceans. When the planet was finished he finally made animals. With his crafty paws, Cet made countless replicas of all the animals in the White Forest, but gave his creations something even the White Animals didn't have. He gave them instinct. He entrusted each and every animal to a specific duty and made sure that his created world was balanced. He created instincts like Fear and Courage, Bloodlust and Compassion, Love and Hate. His work was nearing completion, all that was left was instruction. Cet came before his animals of all different colors now, and he declared, 'Animals, this is your own world. You are much more than your white counterparts, you have mind, you have heart, and you have hunger. I only ask that you do not hunt one another to extinction, make sure that each and every species will carry on into eternity. Always be true to your instincts.' He left the animals and the new world and threw his planet far from the White Forest, and ever since, we have lived, struggled, and survived as wild and free beasts."
"Why didn't Cet stay with us?" Carmyne asked.
"Well, not long after Cet had departed this planet from the White Forest, the other Leaders found out what he had done and were furious with him. They too brought their powers to craft a world, one specifically for Cet. They took water, and combined it with pain, and turned it a terrible black. They created a small planet with a great trench that wove around it like a ring, and filled it with jagged rocks, cliffs, and deadly thorns. They then filled the great rift with the black water and created the Black River. Cet was captured by the Leaders and he and all the white wolves from the White Forest were cast into it. The water was thicker than blood, it drowned them over and over, but they never died, their bodies were torn and broken violently against the rocks and thorns, and thrown over falls. Fish with teeth sharper than any fangs ever seen before fed greedily on their bleeding and torn bodies. Just as death was creeping over their bodies, and the wolves felt they would finally be at peace, they would be thrown over the Black Falls, thousands of feet they dropped, and were pierced by spikes at the bottom. Just as they closed their eyes and died, the wolves were reborn and thrown straight back into the river that circled the planet endlessly, and for all time, Cet and his wolves were cursed to suffer. But with all his power, Cet Managed to create a great bridge that his animals could cross into the White Forest. Through his torture, Cet managed to speak with his animals' minds. 'My animals' he cried, 'when your mortal bodies fail you, when your heart outgrows it's fleshy confines, find the Wolfen Bridge, and follow it to the White Forest, where there await endless spoils for all of you, Peace. But along the Bridge, my fellow Leaders have laid countless traps to lure greedy, selfish, vain, and cowardly animals to the Black River where I and my white wolves suffer. Do not fall for any traps, keep true to the Bridge and you will forever thrive in the White forest.'"
"So..." Azura growled, "Cet created all of this?"
"Yes," Tala growled, as her voice regained it's normal, kindly growl, "and all animals have a journey even after they pass. Foolish ones will be easily lured to the endless torture of the Black River, but with courage, love, and determination in your heart, you will find endless forests to hunt in, to run free thru, and to be true wolves forever."
The pups all wondered in astonishment at the powerful tale they had just heard. Their little heads clanged with the powerful image of Cet, and his terrible fate.
Night had crept upon them in the midst of Tala's tale, and they all began yawning and eventually they all fell asleep and the stars danced around the dark sky. Carmyne stirred in his sleep, his ears flicked and his nose crinkled as he dreamed heavily.
There was a set of kind blue eyes staring lovingly into his thru a complete darkness. Carmyne thought them his mother's, Aqua's. But as the voice spoke, Carmyne was mixed in fear and longing, the strange voice was one he had never heard before, but it echoed into his ears so mysteriously that he could not help but try to follow the soft growl.
"Always have courage," said the voice, "always be a true Wolf, my son."
At the word 'son', he was startled awake. "Aqua?" he whined, but there was only Tala and the other pups. His eyes were full of confusion and he laid his head back down and fell back asleep, half forgetting the powerful dream he had just had.