Lonely Little Dragonfly (Closed)
Jun 26, 2016 16:05:12 GMT -5
Post by Rykett on Jun 26, 2016 16:05:12 GMT -5
((Hey, so this is a solo thread... Yep, I'm rping with myself! XF This is mostly for personal reference and to create more continuity in Volka's plot. I'll be editing this post often with updates until this post is very long and this thread is all wrapped up. 
))
Piala:
A grey pup swung from Piala's jaws as she padded through the forest. Her wrath towards the pup's father had cooled white she'd trekked in the redwood part of the forest. The pup's mother was her focus now. Piala needed to find her and return the stolen pup that she held in her jaws, but all she had to work with was the scent on the pup's fur. The leafy scent was evident, through it narrowed Piala's search radius drastically, finding the pup's mother would still be like searching for stone shard in a bone pile. It seemed nearly impossible, still she had to try.
It occurred to Piala that the pup may know these woods better than her, and, therefore, know the way back to his home. Yet, she'd rather not wake the sleeping pup. He probably had been through a lot in the recent days. Piala internally sighed as she carefully raised her head, smelling the wind for any whiff of a scent similar to the pup's. Nothing, wait no... there was something. Piala's ears swiveled upward, indicating her focus. The hint of the scent drifted away. It was gone, leaving Piala still unsure of which way to go. An orange light shone through the canopy as sunset approached. The Alphess figured she should find some food and shelter.
...
About an hour later, the pup was sleeping peacefully under the roots of a dead tree and Piala was returning to him with a plump squirrel clutched in her jaws. The white she-wolf exhaled, exhausted after a full day of drama and exercise, as she brought her form to a recline beside the slumbering pup. She gulped down half of the squirrel before setting aside the prey for the next morning. Piala yawned and rested her head against her paws. Her eyelids drooped closed and she was asleep within minutes.
Volka:
Volka shivered as he woke. There had been too much. Dad, the she-wolf, the river, the hurt. But, that was all gone. Volka blinked at his incredibly familiar surroundings. No Dad or mysterious she-wolf or river, just towering redwoods and sleeping white she-wolf beside him. Volka poked his head between two rotting roots to get a better sense of the forest outside. A dragonfly darted past his face to alight on a browning fern nearby. He looked at it for a second before scanning the rest of the forest. The leaves overhead were filled with colors. It was Autumn.
Returning his attention to the area under the roots where he'd awoken, Volka's ice blue gaze fixated on the older she-wolf. Approaching cautiously, he poked her with a paw. She shifted slightly in her sleep. "H...Hello?" he whispered hesitantly. No response. "Hello?" he raised the volume of his voice to a casual level. Again, no response. "Hellooooooooo?" his confidence was returning as he raised voice slightly and pawed at her with a dark grey paw.
Piala:
Piala groaned softly as she awoke from her dreamless sleep. The sun's rays seemed to originate from the East so at least it was morning. One thing was more than obvious. The pup was awake. Yawning, Piala raised her head and stretched out her legs in front of her. Her joints creaked with the movement. Focusing her orange gaze on the pup, she smiled at him. He must be confused. She was happy to answer any and all of his questions "I'm awake, little one. What seems to be the trouble?"
Volka:
As the she-wolf woke, Volka scrambled away. He stared at her as she spoke as if surprised that she was actually awake. At her inquiry, Volka immediately leaped to his questions. "Who are you? Why am I in the forest instead of by the river? Where's Daddy? Is he hurt?"
Piala:
Questions. Piala knew there would be a lot questions. The pup probably had even more stored up in his brain. "Let's take this one question at a time. My name is Piala. I am the Alphess of Eternal Snowfall. What is your name?" In all the commotion, Piala had never gotten the pup's name. It was about time she knew.
Volka:
An alphess! Volka had never met an alphess before. This was so cool! And she even wanted to know his name! "I'm Volka," Volka said as he bounced on his pawpads. He was about to barrage Piala with another round of questions, but he remembered what she'd said about one question at a time, and repeated one of his previous questions. "Why are we in the forest?"
Piala:
"I'm taking you back to your mother. She misses you very much and it's time you returned to her," Piala hoped her answer wouldn't lead to questions about Savu. That monster didn't deserve this pup's concern, but Piala knew the question would come. Multiple questions would have Savu as the focus as the pup's first round of questions told.
Volka:
"Mommy?" Volka's muzzle spread in a wide smile. He couldn't wait to see Mommy. "She'll be so proud to see how much I learned from Daddy! I wonder if she'd like to see him... Wait, where is Daddy?"
Piala:
There it was. The first question about Savu that Piala was expected to answer. She decided to put off elaborating Savu's crimes to this pup in the hopes that he wouldn't have to be burdened by the past. "Your father is far away from here. You won't see him again."
Volka:
That confused Volka. His brow wrinkled in thought as the tip of his tongue stuck out between his teeth. Why? It was the only question buzzing in his head. Why would Daddy be so far away if Volka was here? Why? Didn't he know that Volka was in the forest? Surely, Volka would see his father, again. Daddy was his dad, for the Taboo's sake! Why did Piala say otherwise? So, Volka asked his one pounding question with a cock of his head, "Why?"
Piala:
How to explain Savu's crimes to a pup? Piala took a deep breath, carefully organizing the words in her head. "Your father hurt a lot of she-wolves. He was a good wolf, once, but he turned evil. He broke those wolves’ hearts and gave them pups they weren’t ready for. I had to send him away. A wolf like him shouldn't be raising a pup. I'm sure your mother will be a much better parent."
Volka:
Volka's little brow furrowed in thought. He looked at his paws as he pondered Alphess Piala's words. Daddy had hurt wolves? He hadn't hurt Volka. But, there was that she-wolf... hadn't she said things... Volka decided he didn't want to know. If Daddy was once a good wolf, but turned bad then whose to say that he didn't turn good again. He was good when he was caring for Volka and that was all that mattered to Volka. He looked up at Piala and moved on to another subject. "How long until we get to Mommy?"
Piala:
Piala smiled at the pup. He must understand what a monster Savu is or else he'd be asking more questions on the subject. "I'm not sure. You know these forests better than I. Does this place look familiar?"
Volka:
The grey pup peeped out into the surrounding forest. Forests often appeared invariable to the untrained eye. Few obvious landmarks, and the same trees over and over again. But Volka's ice blue eyes lit up. He recognized that tree. It was notably thick with red white spotted mushrooms growing up one side. Mommy had taken him and Ursa this way once on a short walk. "I know where we are! Home's really close! Come on!" Volka bounded through the sunlit forest. Piala stumbled to her paws and loped to keep up with the excited, energetic pup.
Volka wove between trees his eyes fixed on a single direction. Home. Ursa and Mommy would be there and he and Ursa would play and Mommy would cry and say how much she missed him and he could tell them all about Daddy and he could show off his new alphess friend and he could show Ursa how to fish without getting too close to the water of course and- Volka screeched to a halt in front of a den, his den. "We're here!" he trumpeted to Piala. He galloped inside. "Ursa! Mom! I'm back! You won't believe what happened!" His own voice echoed back at him in the silence. "Hello?" Nobody was home. He turned to Piala as she approached. "They must just be out on a walk or something. They'll be back!"
Piala:
As Volka turned to her with almost desperate eyes, Piala scanned the den. Her nose twitched as she picked up the scents of she-wolves. They were relatively recent. Perhaps it was as Volka said and they'd be back soon. Still, Piala worried. What if Savu had decided to reek his revenge further by destroying young Volka's family? But, there wasn't any scent of blood. "I believe you, Volka," Piala reclined against the nearest wall, "I can wait with you here until-" A howl sounded in the distance. Piala perked her ears and stuck her head out of the den. Her white ears swiveled, pinpointing the direction from where the howl came from. Tranquil Meadows, of course. It'd probably be a wolf requesting entry. Piala couldn't allow such a call to go unanswered.
"Someone calls for me back in my territory. I have to go," Piala sighed looking to the youngling. She couldn't just abandon him here, waiting for a family that may or may not return. A plan flicked into Piala's mind. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best she could come up with on such short notice. "Listen, if your family doesn't come by the end of the day, go back to the dead tree. I'll be waiting there at sunset. I can take care of you until they return. If they come back, you need not meet me at the tree. I'll know that you are safe with your family. Don't leave this den until sunset or your family's return. Deal?"
Volka:
Volka nodded glumly. It didn't look like he'd get the chance to introduce his family to Alphess Piala. Piala smiled and turned to go. What if this was the last time he saw Piala? Suddenly panicked, he asked, "I can come visit you, right?"
Piala:
The alphess smiled at Volka one last time. "Of course. I'll always be in Tranquil Meadows. Goodbye, Volka," Piala left the den and loped towards her territory. New scenarios popped into her head about what might happen to Volka as she left behind the forest. Couldn't she have come up with a better plan? Some plan that wouldn't leave Volka so alone? Praying that it would suffice and the pup would be safe, Piala galloped away from the forest and through the grasslands.
-Exit Piala-
Volka:
"Goodbye..." Volka watched his friend depart. He puffed out a breath and settled down to wait and wait... and wait. Hours passed. Volka waited. Bored out of his mind, Volka kept shifting position and pacing. He dug at the dirt and chased bugs. Then he waited some more. He stomach growled, empty and eager for food. How would he get food? He only knew how to fish, not hunt. Mommy would bring him back food! In the meantime, though... Volka found a worm. It wasn't that tasty of a snack.
The sun was bowing towards the west and Volka's family still hadn't returned. They had to cone back! Volka was sure they would. Piala had said she'd take care of him if his family didn't come. She'd only said that just in case, right? Maybe she believed that Volka's family was never coming back. He'd prove her wrong! He'd come prancing into Tranquil Meadows with his family and she'd see that Volka was right.
The sun met the horizon. Volka had decided not to meet Piala. His thoughts had been running over what the alphess had said. Volka had concluded that she'd never believed they'd find his family. She had just been taking him out here to show him the "truth." She'd probably lied about Daddy, too. Bitterness replaced the kindly words exchanged. He had to prove her wrong.
Volka huddled in the back of the den where leaves and moss had made bedding for the wolves that'd slept there. Now, Volka slept alone. Morning came with a starving stomach. Volka groaned as he peered around. Were they back yet? No sign of Ursa or Mommy. Volka approached the exit of the den. He hesitated before stepping into the morning sun. Piala had told him not the leave the den, but it was past sunset and he'd decided not to listen to Piala. He had to find food. He couldn't wait any longer for that. How to get it, though. He had to learn to hunt!
The pup trotted through the forest, eyes flicking around for food. A grey paw snapped a twig and a bird hidden in a bush in front of him exploded from hiding and flapped out of reach. Volka jumped back. 'First lesson, I guess. Be quiet.' He padded more quietly from then on. He continued onward, roaming, searching for prey. There! Volka's icey eyes fixed on a squirrel. It rustled through leaves, as it searched for a nut.
Volka approached the squirrel, careful not to step on any twigs. He teetered during one step as he had to avoid a pile of sticks. Then he tumbled to the ground, sending the squirrel up the nearest tree. Volka huffed as he picked himself off the ground. 'Lesson two. Don't fall,' he told himself, 'But how do I avoid all the twigs and not fall at the same time?' Maybe it just took a bit of skill. Volka decided he should practice stepping over the pile of sticks. He kept falling. Maybe there was a trick. Something that adult wolves did while hunting. Volka conjured up an image of a hunting wolf in his mind. The wolf approached its prey carefully, body low and feet light... That was it! He wasn't crouching. Volka lowered his center of balance and tried stepping over the stick pile. The stride was just too wide and Volka fell again. Volka growled, frustrated. When he got to his paw, he stamped on the pile of sticks, angrily. A few snapped, but others did not. So it was possible to step on sticks without breaking them. Maybe he just had to be lightfooted like the wolf in his mind.
Volka searched for more prey as the day dragged on. He found a mouse snuffling the base of a tree root. Volka crouched and approached, his eyes fixed on the prey. His feet were careful as he stepped around and over noisy obstacles. He drew close enough to pounce and he hesitated. How did he do this next part? He leaped, clumsily. He reached for the mouse, but landed just to the right of the prey. The mouse squeaked and ran for its burrow. Volka gave chase, but the mouse was too quick. Volka pawed at the hole down which his prey had disappeared. Hunting a bit like fishing. You have to capture the prey before it barely knows what's happening. So, lesson three... wait, wouldn't this be lesson five? Well, I never thought the 'lesson three' or 'lesson four' until now, but... um... lesson three, crouch, then lesson four, be lightfooted, and lesson five, surprise and also don't miss.'
Volka stalked through the forest, frustrated, tired, and hungry. Why couldn't he catch anything? The sun's orange evening light cast long shadows through the woods. Volka's sunlight was disappearing and Volka wasn't sure if he wanted to be out alone in the dark. 'Just one more try then I'm going back. One more.' Volka found a sparrow pecking at an overripe berry on the forest floor. He crouched, his eyes filled with determination. He stalked forwards, got within pouncing range, and hesitated. Then he leaped! His paws outstretched to catch the bird. The sparrow was flapping for freedom having noticed Volka's obvious, sudden movement. Volka's paw brushed the feathered body as the sparrow flew right between his paws. It bumped a furry grey ear in its escape. When the flurry of feathers was gone, Volka stared at his paws. A single feather was stuck between two of his toes. He'd been so close! He'd touched the prey! 'It was luck. It just had to be luck. I did everything right! It was just luck!' Volka sighed and hung his head. Dejected, he walked back to the den.
As he approached, hope and excitement filled Volka. They had to be back by now! They were probably waiting for him. Volka galloped into the den, grinning. His grin faded. Nobody was there. Volka padded to his empty bed. He plopped down in it with a sigh. Ursa and Mommy would be back tomorrow. He just had to keep going. Sleep didn't come easy that night.
The morning came with an aching stomach and a dry mouth. Volka groaned softly as he rolled out of bed and stood. Blinking groggy blue eyes, he looked around. Still no Ursa or Mommy. There was a steady drumming on the top of the den that thrummed through Volka. He padded to the exit of the den. Rain fell heavily outside. Volka licked a few raindrops out of the air, hoping they’d quench his thirst. They didn’t and as unwilling as Volka was to do out in that downpour, he had to at least try to find some food and water.
With pinned ears, Volka exited the den. His eyes were downcast and depressed. He quickly found a puddle. Volka lapped up the collected water, eagerly. His fur was drenched by the time he drank his fill. Now for food. Volka doubted any prey would be out in this weather unless they were as desperate as he was becoming for food. Volka stepped on something wriggling. He jumped and looked down at the worm that he’d half squished with his paw. The unsquashed half waved, panicked. Volka blinked at it then ate it. It didn’t taste near as bad as last time he’d eaten a worm. Maybe it was just his hunger. When he was looking for them, he found a bunch of worms squirming through the mud. He ate as many as he could find and his tummy didn’t ache as much.
As he bowed his head to pick up another worm in his maw, a brown frog suddenly jumped away from the descending wolf head. Volka froze, eyes fixed on the creature. ’Prey?’ Volka crouched and stalked forward, worm abandoned for the larger meal. Volka pounced, landing on the unfortunate amphibian. He quickly grabbed it between his jaws. He raised his head, triumphantly. ’I caught it! I did it! I can hunt!’ Volka galloped back to the den to devour his prize out of the rain.
Entering the den, Volka shook off the majority of the water, yet his fur was still incredibly wet. Mud splattered his dark grey paws. Volka was too excited about his success to care. A couple paces into the den, he dropped the frog. A leg twitched and Volka slammed it with a paw to make sure it was dead. ”Down the hatch!” Volka said smugly to the food. He gobbled down the slimy creature. It didn’t taste the best, but it finished filling the void in his stomach. Volka’s tail wagged, contentedly. He glanced around the empty den. His tail stopped wagging. Feeling at least satisfied, Volka decided that a nap might be a good idea. He hadn’t really gotten the best rest last night and he didn’t want to go out in that rain again. Volka settled down in his bed and closed his ice blue eyes.
His eyes flew open as thunder crashed outside. Volka got to his paws as he listened to the tumultuous wind and rain outside. The storm had intensified while Volka slept. The young pup whimpered as his pain blossomed in his tummy. He felt hot and nauseous. What was wrong with him? He stumbled to the exit and wind blew roughly through it his fur. He wretched, losing the meal he’d managed to scrounge up. Through blurry eyes, Volka returned to his bed, panting. Tears pricked the edges of his eyes as he curled into a ball. Why did life have to be so unfair?
When Volka next woke, the storm had departed and along with the worst of Volka’s sickness. He still felt hot and exhausted. He padded out of the den. He had to find more food. No frogs or worms this time! Hunting was more difficult in Volka’s sickened state. He quite getting dizzy and stepping on twigs or missing the prey when he pounce. He managed to snag an elderly, scrawny squirrel. There wasn’t much meat on the creature, but at least it was something.
The next day, Volka’s sickness was gone. He felt refreshed if still hungry. He trotted through the forest, eager to find something to hunt. Most of his attempts were unsuccessful, but he had figured out how to hunt and could succeed enough to stay alive. Now, all he had to do was keep waiting for Ursa and Mommy to come back.
…
”They’re not coming back. Are they?” Volka asked the dead partridge. Weeks had passed with no sign of his family. The corpse didn’t respond. ”I’ve been waiting and waiting. They would be here by now if they were. I thought maybe they just were on a hunting trip or something. I thought maybe Mom took Ursa to the hunting plains for a couple days to teach her how to hunt, but they’d be back by now. Maybe they moved to a different part of the valley. Maybe they’re dead, but all I know now is they’re not coming back. She was right. Piala was right. She was lying to me. She gave me false hope. She acted like we’d find them, but she never really believed that. I know she didn’t. I could tell. I always knew she was liar. She lied about Dad, too, you know. She said he was an evil wolf, but I know he wasn’t I met him. She couldn’t fool me. Even if Dad did do what she said he did, he must’ve had a reason. He wasn’t a bad wolf. Maybe those she-wolves did something to him, maybe it was fun. Do you think that kind of thing would be fun?” The partridge wasn’t one for conversation. ”It doesn’t really matter, anyways. He didn’t do it.” Volka sighed and ate the bird.
…
A couple months later, Volka lay belly up in the snow. It was winter and food was scarcer. However, Volka had become a better hunter. He managed to scrape by. Now with a full belly, he had some time to relax. ”Maybe he did do it.” He said, glancing at the large rock beside him, ”My dad, maybe he did do was Piala said he did. She said that he broke she-wolves’ hearts and gave them pups they weren’t ready for. Well, Mom raised me alone. She never talked about Dad. It was just Mom, Ursa, and me. It would explain why Dad wasn’t there, but if he was so evil, why did he care about me? He was kind to me. He was worried about me. When he talked about Mom, he seemed to miss her. There was a reason. I just don’t know it. I think there was a greater purpose to it all. He had to do what he did. Mom’s pain didn’t matter as much as that purpose. I wish I knew what it was. Then I’d have a purpose. My only purpose now is survival. When Spring comes, it won’t even be that hard to get food. You’ll still be here at least. Do you know what your purpose is?” Volka rolled over and looked at the rock eagerly. No response. ”Wait! I think I know. Your purpose is to be here for me, so I can talk with you. That’s it, right?” No response, but Volka acted as if he’d recieved an affirmative. Volka smiled, ”You’re the best… um… do you have a name? You need a name… um… How does Mason sound? Like y’know in Mom’s stories about the Power. There’s these wolves that control stone, and sometimes, she’d call them stonemasons.” Another silent and motionless affirmative from the rock. ”Great! Well, Mason, in case you didn’t know, I’m Volka. Nice to meet you.”
…
The snow was starting to melt and Volka was talking to his rock, Mason. His front legs crossed on top of the large stone. Volka’s chin rested on his legs while the rest of his increasingly large and lanky stretched out behind him onto the ground. ”Y’know, Mason, I think I figured it out. Why Dad did what he did? I figured out the purpose. Dad did it for me. He knew that Echo had to be in pain for me to exist. He did what he had to do. He gave me the chance to exist. He knew that I would do something great. I don’t know what that great thing is yet, but I think others will show me it eventually. I’m important, Mason. It feels good. You’re important, too. You’re important because you’re helping me. I don’t know why other wolves haven’t come here to help me, yet. They will, I’m important.” Volka was silent for a couple seconds as if listening to a question. ”Oh, the other she-wolves. Piala did mention that Dad hurt more than one. He might’ve been practicing. That or fooling wolves is fun. I think I can see why it’d be fun. I mean Piala tried to fool me into that Dad was evil, Echo tried to fool me into thinking I had no father, and Dad fooled Echo and all the other she-wolves. It must be really fun for so many wolves to be doing it. I really wanna try it out. I wanna see what’s so fun about it.”
…
Volka was a young adult when spring arrived. His form had filled out. His shoulder muscles rippled under his now sleek grey fur. Most of his fur was sleek, but he had his father mane-like scruff. The fur around his neck stuck up with a messy feel to it. He had a rugged feel about him, one that she-wolves would probably find handsome. Volka was completely unaware of this fact, however. He had few ideas about what she-wolves’ like and what they didn’t. His experiences with she-wolves were distant and seen from a completely different wolf’s eyes. He supposed that they liked what he liked. They liked feeling important and involved. Of course, their importance was trivial in comparison to Volka’s, but that was besides the point.
The young male lay beside his rock friend. Leaning against the familiar stone, he spoke casually to it. ”It’s just as I thought. Spring’s here and food’s easy to find. I think that I’ll leave this place. I’ve never thought of doing that before or if I did, I just dismissed it. Why should I leave a familiar place where I knew where water and the best hunting locations are? Now, food's not a problem. I can find other wolves and try fooling them. I can find out my purpose. The only thing I might miss is you, Mason, but you’ve fulfilled your purpose and it’s about time that I found mine. Don’t worry. I won’t talk to other rocks. You’re the only one who understands me.” Volka stood and gave the rock a pat with his paw. ”Goodbye, Mason.” Volka turned and left.
-Exit Volka-
((It’s over!!! That took way too long. Now for the fun part!))
))Piala:
A grey pup swung from Piala's jaws as she padded through the forest. Her wrath towards the pup's father had cooled white she'd trekked in the redwood part of the forest. The pup's mother was her focus now. Piala needed to find her and return the stolen pup that she held in her jaws, but all she had to work with was the scent on the pup's fur. The leafy scent was evident, through it narrowed Piala's search radius drastically, finding the pup's mother would still be like searching for stone shard in a bone pile. It seemed nearly impossible, still she had to try.
It occurred to Piala that the pup may know these woods better than her, and, therefore, know the way back to his home. Yet, she'd rather not wake the sleeping pup. He probably had been through a lot in the recent days. Piala internally sighed as she carefully raised her head, smelling the wind for any whiff of a scent similar to the pup's. Nothing, wait no... there was something. Piala's ears swiveled upward, indicating her focus. The hint of the scent drifted away. It was gone, leaving Piala still unsure of which way to go. An orange light shone through the canopy as sunset approached. The Alphess figured she should find some food and shelter.
...
About an hour later, the pup was sleeping peacefully under the roots of a dead tree and Piala was returning to him with a plump squirrel clutched in her jaws. The white she-wolf exhaled, exhausted after a full day of drama and exercise, as she brought her form to a recline beside the slumbering pup. She gulped down half of the squirrel before setting aside the prey for the next morning. Piala yawned and rested her head against her paws. Her eyelids drooped closed and she was asleep within minutes.
Volka:
Volka shivered as he woke. There had been too much. Dad, the she-wolf, the river, the hurt. But, that was all gone. Volka blinked at his incredibly familiar surroundings. No Dad or mysterious she-wolf or river, just towering redwoods and sleeping white she-wolf beside him. Volka poked his head between two rotting roots to get a better sense of the forest outside. A dragonfly darted past his face to alight on a browning fern nearby. He looked at it for a second before scanning the rest of the forest. The leaves overhead were filled with colors. It was Autumn.
Returning his attention to the area under the roots where he'd awoken, Volka's ice blue gaze fixated on the older she-wolf. Approaching cautiously, he poked her with a paw. She shifted slightly in her sleep. "H...Hello?" he whispered hesitantly. No response. "Hello?" he raised the volume of his voice to a casual level. Again, no response. "Hellooooooooo?" his confidence was returning as he raised voice slightly and pawed at her with a dark grey paw.
Piala:
Piala groaned softly as she awoke from her dreamless sleep. The sun's rays seemed to originate from the East so at least it was morning. One thing was more than obvious. The pup was awake. Yawning, Piala raised her head and stretched out her legs in front of her. Her joints creaked with the movement. Focusing her orange gaze on the pup, she smiled at him. He must be confused. She was happy to answer any and all of his questions "I'm awake, little one. What seems to be the trouble?"
Volka:
As the she-wolf woke, Volka scrambled away. He stared at her as she spoke as if surprised that she was actually awake. At her inquiry, Volka immediately leaped to his questions. "Who are you? Why am I in the forest instead of by the river? Where's Daddy? Is he hurt?"
Piala:
Questions. Piala knew there would be a lot questions. The pup probably had even more stored up in his brain. "Let's take this one question at a time. My name is Piala. I am the Alphess of Eternal Snowfall. What is your name?" In all the commotion, Piala had never gotten the pup's name. It was about time she knew.
Volka:
An alphess! Volka had never met an alphess before. This was so cool! And she even wanted to know his name! "I'm Volka," Volka said as he bounced on his pawpads. He was about to barrage Piala with another round of questions, but he remembered what she'd said about one question at a time, and repeated one of his previous questions. "Why are we in the forest?"
Piala:
"I'm taking you back to your mother. She misses you very much and it's time you returned to her," Piala hoped her answer wouldn't lead to questions about Savu. That monster didn't deserve this pup's concern, but Piala knew the question would come. Multiple questions would have Savu as the focus as the pup's first round of questions told.
Volka:
"Mommy?" Volka's muzzle spread in a wide smile. He couldn't wait to see Mommy. "She'll be so proud to see how much I learned from Daddy! I wonder if she'd like to see him... Wait, where is Daddy?"
Piala:
There it was. The first question about Savu that Piala was expected to answer. She decided to put off elaborating Savu's crimes to this pup in the hopes that he wouldn't have to be burdened by the past. "Your father is far away from here. You won't see him again."
Volka:
That confused Volka. His brow wrinkled in thought as the tip of his tongue stuck out between his teeth. Why? It was the only question buzzing in his head. Why would Daddy be so far away if Volka was here? Why? Didn't he know that Volka was in the forest? Surely, Volka would see his father, again. Daddy was his dad, for the Taboo's sake! Why did Piala say otherwise? So, Volka asked his one pounding question with a cock of his head, "Why?"
Piala:
How to explain Savu's crimes to a pup? Piala took a deep breath, carefully organizing the words in her head. "Your father hurt a lot of she-wolves. He was a good wolf, once, but he turned evil. He broke those wolves’ hearts and gave them pups they weren’t ready for. I had to send him away. A wolf like him shouldn't be raising a pup. I'm sure your mother will be a much better parent."
Volka:
Volka's little brow furrowed in thought. He looked at his paws as he pondered Alphess Piala's words. Daddy had hurt wolves? He hadn't hurt Volka. But, there was that she-wolf... hadn't she said things... Volka decided he didn't want to know. If Daddy was once a good wolf, but turned bad then whose to say that he didn't turn good again. He was good when he was caring for Volka and that was all that mattered to Volka. He looked up at Piala and moved on to another subject. "How long until we get to Mommy?"
Piala:
Piala smiled at the pup. He must understand what a monster Savu is or else he'd be asking more questions on the subject. "I'm not sure. You know these forests better than I. Does this place look familiar?"
Volka:
The grey pup peeped out into the surrounding forest. Forests often appeared invariable to the untrained eye. Few obvious landmarks, and the same trees over and over again. But Volka's ice blue eyes lit up. He recognized that tree. It was notably thick with red white spotted mushrooms growing up one side. Mommy had taken him and Ursa this way once on a short walk. "I know where we are! Home's really close! Come on!" Volka bounded through the sunlit forest. Piala stumbled to her paws and loped to keep up with the excited, energetic pup.
Volka wove between trees his eyes fixed on a single direction. Home. Ursa and Mommy would be there and he and Ursa would play and Mommy would cry and say how much she missed him and he could tell them all about Daddy and he could show off his new alphess friend and he could show Ursa how to fish without getting too close to the water of course and- Volka screeched to a halt in front of a den, his den. "We're here!" he trumpeted to Piala. He galloped inside. "Ursa! Mom! I'm back! You won't believe what happened!" His own voice echoed back at him in the silence. "Hello?" Nobody was home. He turned to Piala as she approached. "They must just be out on a walk or something. They'll be back!"
Piala:
As Volka turned to her with almost desperate eyes, Piala scanned the den. Her nose twitched as she picked up the scents of she-wolves. They were relatively recent. Perhaps it was as Volka said and they'd be back soon. Still, Piala worried. What if Savu had decided to reek his revenge further by destroying young Volka's family? But, there wasn't any scent of blood. "I believe you, Volka," Piala reclined against the nearest wall, "I can wait with you here until-" A howl sounded in the distance. Piala perked her ears and stuck her head out of the den. Her white ears swiveled, pinpointing the direction from where the howl came from. Tranquil Meadows, of course. It'd probably be a wolf requesting entry. Piala couldn't allow such a call to go unanswered.
"Someone calls for me back in my territory. I have to go," Piala sighed looking to the youngling. She couldn't just abandon him here, waiting for a family that may or may not return. A plan flicked into Piala's mind. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best she could come up with on such short notice. "Listen, if your family doesn't come by the end of the day, go back to the dead tree. I'll be waiting there at sunset. I can take care of you until they return. If they come back, you need not meet me at the tree. I'll know that you are safe with your family. Don't leave this den until sunset or your family's return. Deal?"
Volka:
Volka nodded glumly. It didn't look like he'd get the chance to introduce his family to Alphess Piala. Piala smiled and turned to go. What if this was the last time he saw Piala? Suddenly panicked, he asked, "I can come visit you, right?"
Piala:
The alphess smiled at Volka one last time. "Of course. I'll always be in Tranquil Meadows. Goodbye, Volka," Piala left the den and loped towards her territory. New scenarios popped into her head about what might happen to Volka as she left behind the forest. Couldn't she have come up with a better plan? Some plan that wouldn't leave Volka so alone? Praying that it would suffice and the pup would be safe, Piala galloped away from the forest and through the grasslands.
-Exit Piala-
Volka:
"Goodbye..." Volka watched his friend depart. He puffed out a breath and settled down to wait and wait... and wait. Hours passed. Volka waited. Bored out of his mind, Volka kept shifting position and pacing. He dug at the dirt and chased bugs. Then he waited some more. He stomach growled, empty and eager for food. How would he get food? He only knew how to fish, not hunt. Mommy would bring him back food! In the meantime, though... Volka found a worm. It wasn't that tasty of a snack.
The sun was bowing towards the west and Volka's family still hadn't returned. They had to cone back! Volka was sure they would. Piala had said she'd take care of him if his family didn't come. She'd only said that just in case, right? Maybe she believed that Volka's family was never coming back. He'd prove her wrong! He'd come prancing into Tranquil Meadows with his family and she'd see that Volka was right.
The sun met the horizon. Volka had decided not to meet Piala. His thoughts had been running over what the alphess had said. Volka had concluded that she'd never believed they'd find his family. She had just been taking him out here to show him the "truth." She'd probably lied about Daddy, too. Bitterness replaced the kindly words exchanged. He had to prove her wrong.
Volka huddled in the back of the den where leaves and moss had made bedding for the wolves that'd slept there. Now, Volka slept alone. Morning came with a starving stomach. Volka groaned as he peered around. Were they back yet? No sign of Ursa or Mommy. Volka approached the exit of the den. He hesitated before stepping into the morning sun. Piala had told him not the leave the den, but it was past sunset and he'd decided not to listen to Piala. He had to find food. He couldn't wait any longer for that. How to get it, though. He had to learn to hunt!
The pup trotted through the forest, eyes flicking around for food. A grey paw snapped a twig and a bird hidden in a bush in front of him exploded from hiding and flapped out of reach. Volka jumped back. 'First lesson, I guess. Be quiet.' He padded more quietly from then on. He continued onward, roaming, searching for prey. There! Volka's icey eyes fixed on a squirrel. It rustled through leaves, as it searched for a nut.
Volka approached the squirrel, careful not to step on any twigs. He teetered during one step as he had to avoid a pile of sticks. Then he tumbled to the ground, sending the squirrel up the nearest tree. Volka huffed as he picked himself off the ground. 'Lesson two. Don't fall,' he told himself, 'But how do I avoid all the twigs and not fall at the same time?' Maybe it just took a bit of skill. Volka decided he should practice stepping over the pile of sticks. He kept falling. Maybe there was a trick. Something that adult wolves did while hunting. Volka conjured up an image of a hunting wolf in his mind. The wolf approached its prey carefully, body low and feet light... That was it! He wasn't crouching. Volka lowered his center of balance and tried stepping over the stick pile. The stride was just too wide and Volka fell again. Volka growled, frustrated. When he got to his paw, he stamped on the pile of sticks, angrily. A few snapped, but others did not. So it was possible to step on sticks without breaking them. Maybe he just had to be lightfooted like the wolf in his mind.
Volka searched for more prey as the day dragged on. He found a mouse snuffling the base of a tree root. Volka crouched and approached, his eyes fixed on the prey. His feet were careful as he stepped around and over noisy obstacles. He drew close enough to pounce and he hesitated. How did he do this next part? He leaped, clumsily. He reached for the mouse, but landed just to the right of the prey. The mouse squeaked and ran for its burrow. Volka gave chase, but the mouse was too quick. Volka pawed at the hole down which his prey had disappeared. Hunting a bit like fishing. You have to capture the prey before it barely knows what's happening. So, lesson three... wait, wouldn't this be lesson five? Well, I never thought the 'lesson three' or 'lesson four' until now, but... um... lesson three, crouch, then lesson four, be lightfooted, and lesson five, surprise and also don't miss.'
Volka stalked through the forest, frustrated, tired, and hungry. Why couldn't he catch anything? The sun's orange evening light cast long shadows through the woods. Volka's sunlight was disappearing and Volka wasn't sure if he wanted to be out alone in the dark. 'Just one more try then I'm going back. One more.' Volka found a sparrow pecking at an overripe berry on the forest floor. He crouched, his eyes filled with determination. He stalked forwards, got within pouncing range, and hesitated. Then he leaped! His paws outstretched to catch the bird. The sparrow was flapping for freedom having noticed Volka's obvious, sudden movement. Volka's paw brushed the feathered body as the sparrow flew right between his paws. It bumped a furry grey ear in its escape. When the flurry of feathers was gone, Volka stared at his paws. A single feather was stuck between two of his toes. He'd been so close! He'd touched the prey! 'It was luck. It just had to be luck. I did everything right! It was just luck!' Volka sighed and hung his head. Dejected, he walked back to the den.
As he approached, hope and excitement filled Volka. They had to be back by now! They were probably waiting for him. Volka galloped into the den, grinning. His grin faded. Nobody was there. Volka padded to his empty bed. He plopped down in it with a sigh. Ursa and Mommy would be back tomorrow. He just had to keep going. Sleep didn't come easy that night.
The morning came with an aching stomach and a dry mouth. Volka groaned softly as he rolled out of bed and stood. Blinking groggy blue eyes, he looked around. Still no Ursa or Mommy. There was a steady drumming on the top of the den that thrummed through Volka. He padded to the exit of the den. Rain fell heavily outside. Volka licked a few raindrops out of the air, hoping they’d quench his thirst. They didn’t and as unwilling as Volka was to do out in that downpour, he had to at least try to find some food and water.
With pinned ears, Volka exited the den. His eyes were downcast and depressed. He quickly found a puddle. Volka lapped up the collected water, eagerly. His fur was drenched by the time he drank his fill. Now for food. Volka doubted any prey would be out in this weather unless they were as desperate as he was becoming for food. Volka stepped on something wriggling. He jumped and looked down at the worm that he’d half squished with his paw. The unsquashed half waved, panicked. Volka blinked at it then ate it. It didn’t taste near as bad as last time he’d eaten a worm. Maybe it was just his hunger. When he was looking for them, he found a bunch of worms squirming through the mud. He ate as many as he could find and his tummy didn’t ache as much.
As he bowed his head to pick up another worm in his maw, a brown frog suddenly jumped away from the descending wolf head. Volka froze, eyes fixed on the creature. ’Prey?’ Volka crouched and stalked forward, worm abandoned for the larger meal. Volka pounced, landing on the unfortunate amphibian. He quickly grabbed it between his jaws. He raised his head, triumphantly. ’I caught it! I did it! I can hunt!’ Volka galloped back to the den to devour his prize out of the rain.
Entering the den, Volka shook off the majority of the water, yet his fur was still incredibly wet. Mud splattered his dark grey paws. Volka was too excited about his success to care. A couple paces into the den, he dropped the frog. A leg twitched and Volka slammed it with a paw to make sure it was dead. ”Down the hatch!” Volka said smugly to the food. He gobbled down the slimy creature. It didn’t taste the best, but it finished filling the void in his stomach. Volka’s tail wagged, contentedly. He glanced around the empty den. His tail stopped wagging. Feeling at least satisfied, Volka decided that a nap might be a good idea. He hadn’t really gotten the best rest last night and he didn’t want to go out in that rain again. Volka settled down in his bed and closed his ice blue eyes.
His eyes flew open as thunder crashed outside. Volka got to his paws as he listened to the tumultuous wind and rain outside. The storm had intensified while Volka slept. The young pup whimpered as his pain blossomed in his tummy. He felt hot and nauseous. What was wrong with him? He stumbled to the exit and wind blew roughly through it his fur. He wretched, losing the meal he’d managed to scrounge up. Through blurry eyes, Volka returned to his bed, panting. Tears pricked the edges of his eyes as he curled into a ball. Why did life have to be so unfair?
When Volka next woke, the storm had departed and along with the worst of Volka’s sickness. He still felt hot and exhausted. He padded out of the den. He had to find more food. No frogs or worms this time! Hunting was more difficult in Volka’s sickened state. He quite getting dizzy and stepping on twigs or missing the prey when he pounce. He managed to snag an elderly, scrawny squirrel. There wasn’t much meat on the creature, but at least it was something.
The next day, Volka’s sickness was gone. He felt refreshed if still hungry. He trotted through the forest, eager to find something to hunt. Most of his attempts were unsuccessful, but he had figured out how to hunt and could succeed enough to stay alive. Now, all he had to do was keep waiting for Ursa and Mommy to come back.
…
”They’re not coming back. Are they?” Volka asked the dead partridge. Weeks had passed with no sign of his family. The corpse didn’t respond. ”I’ve been waiting and waiting. They would be here by now if they were. I thought maybe they just were on a hunting trip or something. I thought maybe Mom took Ursa to the hunting plains for a couple days to teach her how to hunt, but they’d be back by now. Maybe they moved to a different part of the valley. Maybe they’re dead, but all I know now is they’re not coming back. She was right. Piala was right. She was lying to me. She gave me false hope. She acted like we’d find them, but she never really believed that. I know she didn’t. I could tell. I always knew she was liar. She lied about Dad, too, you know. She said he was an evil wolf, but I know he wasn’t I met him. She couldn’t fool me. Even if Dad did do what she said he did, he must’ve had a reason. He wasn’t a bad wolf. Maybe those she-wolves did something to him, maybe it was fun. Do you think that kind of thing would be fun?” The partridge wasn’t one for conversation. ”It doesn’t really matter, anyways. He didn’t do it.” Volka sighed and ate the bird.
…
A couple months later, Volka lay belly up in the snow. It was winter and food was scarcer. However, Volka had become a better hunter. He managed to scrape by. Now with a full belly, he had some time to relax. ”Maybe he did do it.” He said, glancing at the large rock beside him, ”My dad, maybe he did do was Piala said he did. She said that he broke she-wolves’ hearts and gave them pups they weren’t ready for. Well, Mom raised me alone. She never talked about Dad. It was just Mom, Ursa, and me. It would explain why Dad wasn’t there, but if he was so evil, why did he care about me? He was kind to me. He was worried about me. When he talked about Mom, he seemed to miss her. There was a reason. I just don’t know it. I think there was a greater purpose to it all. He had to do what he did. Mom’s pain didn’t matter as much as that purpose. I wish I knew what it was. Then I’d have a purpose. My only purpose now is survival. When Spring comes, it won’t even be that hard to get food. You’ll still be here at least. Do you know what your purpose is?” Volka rolled over and looked at the rock eagerly. No response. ”Wait! I think I know. Your purpose is to be here for me, so I can talk with you. That’s it, right?” No response, but Volka acted as if he’d recieved an affirmative. Volka smiled, ”You’re the best… um… do you have a name? You need a name… um… How does Mason sound? Like y’know in Mom’s stories about the Power. There’s these wolves that control stone, and sometimes, she’d call them stonemasons.” Another silent and motionless affirmative from the rock. ”Great! Well, Mason, in case you didn’t know, I’m Volka. Nice to meet you.”
…
The snow was starting to melt and Volka was talking to his rock, Mason. His front legs crossed on top of the large stone. Volka’s chin rested on his legs while the rest of his increasingly large and lanky stretched out behind him onto the ground. ”Y’know, Mason, I think I figured it out. Why Dad did what he did? I figured out the purpose. Dad did it for me. He knew that Echo had to be in pain for me to exist. He did what he had to do. He gave me the chance to exist. He knew that I would do something great. I don’t know what that great thing is yet, but I think others will show me it eventually. I’m important, Mason. It feels good. You’re important, too. You’re important because you’re helping me. I don’t know why other wolves haven’t come here to help me, yet. They will, I’m important.” Volka was silent for a couple seconds as if listening to a question. ”Oh, the other she-wolves. Piala did mention that Dad hurt more than one. He might’ve been practicing. That or fooling wolves is fun. I think I can see why it’d be fun. I mean Piala tried to fool me into that Dad was evil, Echo tried to fool me into thinking I had no father, and Dad fooled Echo and all the other she-wolves. It must be really fun for so many wolves to be doing it. I really wanna try it out. I wanna see what’s so fun about it.”
…
Volka was a young adult when spring arrived. His form had filled out. His shoulder muscles rippled under his now sleek grey fur. Most of his fur was sleek, but he had his father mane-like scruff. The fur around his neck stuck up with a messy feel to it. He had a rugged feel about him, one that she-wolves would probably find handsome. Volka was completely unaware of this fact, however. He had few ideas about what she-wolves’ like and what they didn’t. His experiences with she-wolves were distant and seen from a completely different wolf’s eyes. He supposed that they liked what he liked. They liked feeling important and involved. Of course, their importance was trivial in comparison to Volka’s, but that was besides the point.
The young male lay beside his rock friend. Leaning against the familiar stone, he spoke casually to it. ”It’s just as I thought. Spring’s here and food’s easy to find. I think that I’ll leave this place. I’ve never thought of doing that before or if I did, I just dismissed it. Why should I leave a familiar place where I knew where water and the best hunting locations are? Now, food's not a problem. I can find other wolves and try fooling them. I can find out my purpose. The only thing I might miss is you, Mason, but you’ve fulfilled your purpose and it’s about time that I found mine. Don’t worry. I won’t talk to other rocks. You’re the only one who understands me.” Volka stood and gave the rock a pat with his paw. ”Goodbye, Mason.” Volka turned and left.
-Exit Volka-
((It’s over!!! That took way too long. Now for the fun part!))
