Waiting for the Rain CH3

It felt like being reborn in a strange sense. Finally I had this wolf that I could talk to, hunt, and howl with. I found out that she was four winters old, and I was actually quite surprised when I heard this. Hunts became easier, and with this newborn income of food, I began to gain weight and muscle tone. My skin tightened along muscles now instead of bones, and I had more energy than I had in a long time. I could run further than before without tiring. Kipya started to even call me by name instead of Scrawnywolf.
Another moon after Kipya's arrival, there came a night where I couldn't fall asleep. I lay there at the opening of the den and just felt the cool breeze flowing through my fur. I wonder what Tsuki, Alice... and Thorn are all doing right now. I thought to myself. Tsuki must be asleep, and so are the others. Something deep inside told me that when I looked up at the nearly full moon, Tsuki was watching it too. A noise rumbled deep in me, and then before I knew it, a howl shot through the air. It woke Kipya, and she stared over at me with a startled look on her face.
"What is it?" She asked inquisitively
"Sorry to wake you," I apologized, "I was just thinking about something."
"Anything you want to talk about?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.
"No, not really." I answered.
"Well if you ever do, you should know I'm here for you." She told me sadly, as if disappointed with my reply.
I looked at her sympathetically. She looked away, but then looked back staring into my eyes. Her gaze was full of questions, and a look I didn't recognize at first. It was a look of wanting to understand. This time I was the one to break her gaze, and I glanced back up at the stars.
"I'm tired, and I think that we both need to sleep if we plan on hunting tomorrow. We haven't killed anything the past few suns1." I told her as I walked back into the small dark cave.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She replied with disappointment in her voice. I looked back as I heard her disappointment, but she had already rested her head down and closed her eyes. I lay there watching her for a while. I couldn't quite figure her out. She seemed really sweet from her voice, but I could see a hard coldness in the way she carried herself. I didn't let it bother me for long, for I wanted to get to sleep and see Tsuki in a dream again.
In the morning, before the sun was above the horizon, I was awake and stretching my muscles. I was ready to hunt. Something told me that today we were going to catch something even larger than a deer... maybe like a elk. As the thought of elk drifted into my thought, I could taste the delicious meat on my tongue.
Come on Kipya wake up! I thought impatiently as I watched her sleep. I walked over and nudged her sharply in the ribs with my nose. "Wake up!" I suddenly barked as my other attempts were failing. She lifted her head, looked at me grumpily, and then stretched. "Lets get going. The sun is already starting to peek above the mountain." I told her as I looked to the east. "Soon it could be too warm to hunt." She sighed, and then agreed. We both headed West, our tails to the rising sun.
Soon we were laying in the tall grass by a pond, watching a small herd of deer. Kipya lay crouched next to me. Our eyes themselves were like teeth already digging deep into the neck of a doe. "There." She pointed her muzzle to a fawn straying from the group.
"Good." I whispered back. We started to stalk around the herd, and approached the fawn. I think the mother saw us because she started to walk closer, and watch her fawn carefully.
"Should we still go for it?" She whispered.
"I'm not going to let this mother leave me hungry. I will distract the herd and pull their attention to me. Go for the fawn as they scatter, and I'll join up with you soon." I directed.
"Are you sure?" She asked, and I nodded my head. I jumped right from the grass and ran right into the middle of the herd. I growled and snapped at the stag in the group. He reared up and brought down his hooves trying to trample me. I dodged to the side as its hoof came down by my head. Other deer started to follow his example and reared up. It was like a deadly rain coming down on me, and I was expected to dodge every drop. Dodging in and out, I wove through the deer as their trampling turned into a stampede. Dust flew up, and I couldn't see very far in front of me. Hooves slammed down around me, and I started to panic. I didn't expect them to stampede like this! There has to be a opening, I thought quickly as my eyes searched for an exit. Suddenly to my left I saw what looked like my only chance. I jumped and landed on the outside of the herd that was still running trying to smash my body into the earth. I ran away from the stampede, before they could notice I was even missing.
I panted and almost forgot that Kipya was waiting for me. I followed her scent, and tracked it back deep into the woods. Suddenly the smell of blood lingered on the air. She must be near, I thought as slowed to a walk. I turned the corner and called, "Hey Kipya, did you catch it?" I searched for less than a minute when I saw her standing by the body of the fawn. She was staring at something though... I got closer and saw exactly what it was she was looking at.
A large dark brown wolf stood staring at her. There were quite a few scars covering its muzzle and side. There was a large scar on its back leg, and it looked to me like a stick had been pulled down through the flesh. Just like Kipya, almost all of both ears were missing. I took a few steps closer to Kipya, and I didn't know if I should growl or stay silent. As I got closer, I could see happiness in its hard eyes. Thats when it spoke.
"Kipya?" There was disbelief in its voice. I saw as I got a better look at it, it was a male. He looked about the age of five, and he ran up to her and pressed his head into her neck. She was still staring at where he had been standing. She looked like she had just seen a ghost. He moved back and stared into her eyes. "I can't believe I found you!" He smiled to her. "Your mother has been worried about you!"
He then turned to me and growled, baring his white fangs. It surprised me, and I jumped back baring my fangs to his. I felt so small compared to him. His size was larger than any average wolf.
"Who's this Kipya, some mutt that you found hanging around?"
"I am no mutt I assure you!" I challengingly snarled at him. Kipya had just now been able to turn her head, staring still in disbelief.
"I suppose he is just some waste. Want me to kill him?" No quiver in his voice, no fear, he said it as if he had killed many other wolves before me. At this sentence however Kipya seemed to snap back into reality.
"No! Please Rufus, don't kill him..." She looked at him sadly as she jumped in between him and me. "There is no need for this violence!"
At this he stopped his growl, and switched back to his softer tone. "Okay, if you want him to live, then I will let him." There was something about his presence that scared me. It felt like I had met him somewhere before, or at least seen him. That was impossible though, this was the first time I had ever left the Scarlet Valley pack territory. It was if though his face had haunted me in a nightmare before.
"Sabine is not happy with your leaving Kipya." He said now in a very serious tone. "She has convinced your father that you must be put before the pack."
I broke in, "Kipya what is going on, and what does he mean you are a part of a pack? You never said anything about this."
"Yes I'm part of a pack called the Blood River pack. They live north of here, and are capable of terrible things." She replied quickly, and then went on, "My father's name is Genghis, and he is Alpha of the pack. Sabine is my sister and Akela is my mother."
Blood River... I had also heard of that name before, and it was as if it were a distant memory. "Why did you say you were alone?" I asked curiously.
"I was confused, and didn't know if I wanted to leave the pack completely. Thats why I told you, when you asked how long I would stay, it could be a long time or a short time." She looked back over at Rufus, who had not taken his eyes off me since he had made his threat to kill me. "Rufus, I don't want to go back there, but I would like you to live with Rain and me."
At this question he didn't just say no immediately as I thought he would, instead he walked off for a little bit. He returned a moment later and smiled at Kipya. "I will do it for you, but I will have to return to the pack. You best come along, and tell your parents of your decision."
"My parents won't let us leave, and you know that! Going back there will just cause unnecessary fighting." She said with a certain intensity that I didn't expect from her. "Plus you know I don't agree with what our pack has done."
"And not going back would just cause even worse trouble. They would send out scouts, and they would find us. In order to take us back, they would kill any bystanders. Rain could be killed for no reason, you know how they are." He looked over at me with such a serious glare that I wanted to whimper.
Kipya looked at me with a slight sadness, and then looked back at Rufus. "Did you get sent out to find me by my father?" At this he looked away. I thought maybe because the answer was yes, but I was wrong.
"No, I snuck out of the den site while the pack was out hunting. That was just this morning, when the sun was rising. They should be returning now to find I'm gone, but I don't think they will think much of it unless I don't return by dusk." He looked up at the sun, and then sighed nervously. "You need to make your decision quick. We are running out of day light." He looked back at her trying to comfort her. "Your mother is worried about you, she thinks you're dead."
"She always thought of me as dead, and she is just now starting to care?" She said with scorn in her voice.
"I could just return, and say that I was out scouting the lands. I don't have to mention you, and we could just not see each other again for who knows how long." He said with a somewhat sarcastic tone. She looked at him, with sorrow in her eyes.
"No, that wouldn't do either. I don't want to be away from you all that time again." She told him.
"Why did you leave in the first place?" I asked curiously.
She said nothing at first, but just looked down and stared at the floor. "My pack has done terrible things in the past, and they plan on doing them again. I don't want to be a part of that." She looked up and smiled at me. "You helped me stay calm and remember what it was like to be a true wolf."
"A true wolf?" I asked confused.
"Yes, to hunt and live the life of a wolf who has not had their life complicated by violence and hate. I could sleep for the first time in a long time where my dreams didn't haunt me." She smiled even larger now, but Rufus was starting to get a worried look on his face.
"I must return now. Will you come with me, please Kipya?" He looked at her hopefully, wishing she would say yes. I looked over at her too, and she started to smile.
"I will come, but I fear for what my father might do." She said worried. They started to walk north together. I stood there for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened. I started to walk after them.
"Can't I come along?" I asked awkwardly. As I said those words, they both looked back and said simultaneously, "No!" I stood there for a few moments and watched as they disappeared into the forest. It wasn't until the acrid smell of the fawn filled my nose did I snap back into reality.
I said goodbye to its spirit, I had been raised to respect the spirit of an animal that you eat since it served you a good feeding, and after eating my fill I started my journey back to the den. When I arrived back, the sun was once again on my tail. I went and laid back in the small cave, and watched as the sky darkened. It was as if the sun had finally exhausted, like me, and all I wanted to do now was sleep.