Planetfurry BBS

[Virmir]

I don't know what to do.

This is my last chance to turn back. My last chance to break my promise. Do I care? No. I don't care about anything anymore.

Then why keep it? Why not send a courier instead? Because it is a promise. I cannot break a promise. I don't know why, but I cannot.

There it is. His dwelling. A moss covered structure built into the side of the hill. His pack is in there. His family. I am scared to death.

My claw rises to feel the rough fabric tightly wound about my face. The bandage between my left ear and muzzle. I will never see with that eye again. I don't care anymore. It itches more than it burns.

Feeling moisture upon the pad of my paw, I withdraw it with a heavy sigh. Blood. I changed the wrap this morning so I would frighten them less, but it bleeds still. It doesn't matter. The message will be the same.

I finally make it to the oaken door. This is it. I pause. There is laugher inside. I wait for it to die, to allow them a few last seconds of happiness. With my tail ducked between my legs I knock.

Silence.

A shuffling of furniture. Foot paws upon stone…

The door creaks open. It's her, the other alpha. His mate. She's bigger than me. All wolves are bigger than me.

She gazes at my face for a moment with her mouth drawn open, perplexed and horrified at such an awful torn visage. Then slowly a glint of recognition materializes in her eyes as she at last recognizes my scent.

"... Julian...?"

She remembers my name. My task is almost complete. I drive it home.

"... Your husband... Jonathan..."

By now the portal is awash with lupine faces. Some children, some older juveniles not yet of age to fight. Brothers, sisters, cousins... Their fur is all the same shade of gray, slightly darker than mine. They know what's coming.

"... Jonathan is dead."

Wails of dread fall upon my ears even before the last word. They are defeated. Stripped of all joy forevermore. There. I did it, my old friend. I was the one to tell them.

I turn and walk away. It is all that I can bare as their mournful lamentations stab into the mountain air. Why do they do this? These wolves, bonding so tightly that if a single one is torn away, they all bleed. Why do they cling together so? I don't understand. I will never understand. I wipe the tear from my eye. Further down the path I go.

I lost nothing. That is because all I have is the forest, and the forest can never be taken away from me. Home. That is where I'm heading. No more pain. No more suffering. No more war. Just the forest. I take one last glance at the den of the broken family behind me, howls still ringing in my ears. I will never see them again.

"Hey! Mr. Fox!"

I stop. One of the wolf cubs is following me. She has escaped from the pandemonium raging in her home, slipped away while the others are too distraught with grief. She approaches my side, her head barely high as my waist.

"Where are you going, Mr. Fox?"

"Home." It came out as a dry, horse growl.

"But you said you'd play with me when you came back!"

I probably did. So very long ago... She doesn't understand. She's so young... I can't say anything.

"Why are you crying? Does it hurt?" She points to the bandage wrapped around my face. I touch my claw to it, wincing slightly from the sudden flash of pain.

"No."

"Where's Daddy? Didn't he go with you?"

Oh gods. I crouch down to her level, trying to meet her gaze with my good eye. I can't do it. I just can't...

"Ask your mother, dear..."

It hits me all at once, the regret. Why couldn't it have been me instead? Jonathan was part of a whole. There are many that loved him. This pack of his, odd and foreign that it is. His absence is a festering wound. So many are hurt without him.

But me? All I have is the forest. The forest can do with one less gray fox. No one cares. I don't care.

I am snapped back into reality by the yanking on my tail. The girl is cradling it in both arms, burying her tiny nose in the fluff.

"Your tail's very pretty."

I just watch her for a moment. I hate it when someone touches my tail. Hate it with a passion. But she is gentle, running her tiny claws through it, combing out the mats. No one has ever done that before. It actually feels... nice. She speaks up again in her tiny high pitched voice.

"I like you, Mr. Fox."

Like me? Why? I'm stunned, my jaw hanging open slightly. What's to like about me? She releases my tail.

"Will you come back and visit us?" she asks.

I stand, angling my eye to the forest. To home. Away from all this confusion. The battle is over. There is no reason to associate with wolves any more. Why would I want to?

"Please?"

I turn back to her. She is grinning slightly, revealing tiny white teeth.

Visit.

I turn back to their home, built into the hillside. It's quiet now. Visit them. I don't suppose it would hurt.

In fact, I think I will. Just stop by and visit. I have nothing to lose. I bend down and run my right claw over her head. Her fur is thin and fine, a sharp contrast to my own.

"I will. I promise."

END


Thanks for reading!

[Luther]

A bit sad for my taste, but the ending finished it up quite nicely I think.

Overall nice job.

-L

[Teric]

A change of heart, a change of paradigm. Very interesting.

[Syrius]

Perhaps you don't want to follow it up... but what happened earlier? Combat? Duel? Survival adventure? Alcohol intoxication?

[Virmir]

Hehe, I'm not entirely sure what happened myself. It just sort of came out. I'm thinking war between canids and some other sort of group.

Thanks for reading!