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Post by Mystic on Jul 1, 2009 19:06:24 GMT -5
It was a lazy summer day, and a hot one at that. Mystic lay in the shade near the dens, her head resting on her paws. Curled up right beside her were her two daughters, Forest and Juliet. All three seemed to be resting...but Magic, Mystic's son, was full of energy. He was running around, chasing his tail and trying to catch small bugs and lizards. Occasionally he would run over to his mother and sisters and try to get them to play, but the three were too tired for games.
"Your no fun!" Magic sighed when he failed, yet again, to get his mother and sisters up.
Mystic raised her head slowly and licked the top of his head lovingly. "It's too warm for play, little one. When the sun is lower in the sky and it's cooler, then we'll play. For now, rest. You need to learn to stop and smell the roses."
Magic huffed. He looked up at the sky to check the sun's position in the sky. It was directly above their heads, and he knew it would be quite some time before he would have a playmate. Magic plopped down on to the warm ground as his mother went back to resting. Magic suddenly spotted a squirrel and lept to his feet. He growled at it, pretending to be a grown up wolf on the hunt. The squirrel scampered away from the dens, and Magic followed. The little rodent led him far and across many old forgotten paths, but he didn't realize this until it finally scampered up into a tree and he turned around to go back.
"Wha..." Magic whispered. He looked around. He'd never been very far from the dens before. At least, not without his mother or his father or one pf the other wolves in the pack. "Mama? Papa?" Magic sat down and tried to remember which way he'd come from. Oh...why do all trees have to look alike?! "Grandpapa? Grandmama?" When he received now answer, Magic's ears drooped.
Oh, boy. I'm lost! he thought.
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Post by Phantom on Jul 3, 2009 9:38:29 GMT -5
Not only lost. If he was older and knew the dark scent that clung to the trees here, he'd know he wasn't even in his own territory anymore. But the ones that dwelled here noticed his arrival when he first rushed in, and now, four dark-furred wolves approached him, seeming to slide right out of the shadows. Two of them seemed barely older than Magic, but were much skinnier, shaking and almost frightened. Beside them was a full-grown wolf, much older, who snapped at their ankles and made them jump, merely amused.
The last was a small-bodied, grey wolf with a greenish sheen to his pelt, and three earrings along each of his ears. He approached at the head, like a leader, and sat before Magic, a cruel, twisted grin crossing his muzzle. "Bonjour, little pup," He purred, a thick, distinct accent in his voice. "And why are you so far from your home...?"
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Post by Mystic on Jul 6, 2009 18:56:36 GMT -5
Now, Magic had been taught many things. The most important being that everything lives in a grand cycle. Without the grass, the deer could not live. And without the deer, the wolves could not live. So he was to appreciate everything. The second most important thing being to stay the hell away from the border. And even though he hadn't heard the majority of the stories about the Blackshadow, Magic feared them. He'd heard their name whispered among the older wolves, a hint of fear and hate in their eyes whenever they uttered the wretched word. But when they noticed that Magic and, usually, his sisters were listening, they stopped their conversation.
In short: Magic was afraid. He stared up at the green-ish colored wolf with frightened eyes. He hadn't realized just exactly how lost he was. He tried, in vain, to detect the scents of the wolves he knew and loved. His mother, his father, his sisters, his grandparents, anyone! But it was all in vain. Magic was in another pack's territory.
"I-I...I didn't meant to!" Magic said, pinning his ears to the top of his head. "I'm sorry...I was playing...and I got lost..." He glanced at the other two wolves. Actually, they were barely older than he! But why were they so skinny? Magic himself was well-fed, but not exactly plump. He worked most weight off by playing with his sisters and parents. "It won't happen again, cross my heart!"
This was Magic's usual way of making a very stern promise. He often told his parents this. Such as, 'I'll never snap at Forest again, Father. Cross my heart!' And usually, Magic fufilled these promises. "Can you show me how to get home?" Magic suddenly remembered his manners and bowed his head slightly in apology for forgetting them. "Please, sir?"
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Post by Phantom on Jul 14, 2009 16:15:15 GMT -5
The head of the troop watched Magic with cold, calculating eyes. Every attempt the pup made for mercy, his cold grin grew. Finally, he just laughed, and the other older wolf joined him. The younger ones whimpered softly, and one, the younger of the two, glanced at Magic, eyes seeming to scream how much he wanted to help. But when he took the smallest step forward, the oldest wolf turned on him, grabbing him by the neck and wrenching back. With a blood-curtling yelp, the youngest fell limp, eyes staring off into space. His dead body was dropped as the two older wolves turned back towards Magic.
The leader paced towards him, calm, even after his partner had just taken a pup's life. "You're a Greenwood, aren't you, little pup?" He purred, watching him.
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Post by Mystic on Aug 6, 2009 21:18:33 GMT -5
Magic gasped. That pup had been no older than he! Magic took a slow step back. Tears filled his eyes. Tears for the poor pup and tears of fear. He gulped audibly at the question. He nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, s-sir! My mama's n-name is M-Mystic! And m-my papa's n-name is Romeo!"
Right now he wanted nothing more than to be safe beside his mother, curled up asleep beside her in the sun. What he would give to have his strong, capable papa by his side at this moment!
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Post by Phantom on Aug 11, 2009 10:41:14 GMT -5
Quite suddenly, the patrol went silent, still, and at the head, the cruel, accented wolf seemed to be thinking quickly. "Romeo..." He grinned fully, then turned to his comrade. "Take the body to the Greenwood border. Mutilate it past recognition. But first..." He glanced sidelong at Magic. "If you want to live, pup, make it believable that this pup was you. It'll need your scent on it..." He purred rather silkily, grabbing the scruff of the dead pup and dropping it in front of him. "Your mother can't know you're alive. It takes away the effect, you see." He purred, like this was all just some afternoon game to him.
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Post by Mystic on Aug 12, 2009 15:19:09 GMT -5
Magic was trembling. But he obliged. He wanted very much to live, you see, as most do. So he'd do whatever he had to. When he got the perfect chance, he'd find his way back home. He began to rub his scent off on the pup. It felt awful, being that close to a dead body. It was different when his father dragged a fawn back to their den-that was prey. This...this empty shell...was once another pup like he.
"W-When c-can I go h-home?" Magic asked once he'd succeeded in making the pup carry his scent. His voice was shaking terribly. Surely ater this horrid wolf was finished playing his sick game, he'd let Magic go home, right? What could he gain from killing him?
What did he gain from kill the other one? a harsh voice in Magic's head asked. But he smothered it. He looked up at the leader wolf with his mother's eyes. Oh, how he wished for her! Had she noticed his absence? Were they already looking for him? Oh, why hadn't he just been a good pup and rested when his mother told him to! Magic looked around hopefully. In the stories, the mama and papa wolves always jump out to save their puppies.
"I just want to go home!" Magic whimpered.
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Post by Phantom on Aug 13, 2009 11:34:39 GMT -5
As the two other wolves grabbed the body, they started back from where Magic came, back to his pack. Their leader also stood, and motioned forward. "I'm Hemitite, by the way." He introduced suddenly, moving to push Magic forward so he would start moving. "We'll take you back. But you must promise not to make a single sound, alright?" His voice had suddenly turned from harsh and wicked to innocent, soft, almost soothing. But by the way his eyes glowed in amusement betrayed that there was something he wasn't telling the pup before him. Something big, and something really bad.
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Post by Mystic on Aug 13, 2009 16:15:27 GMT -5
Magic tried to hide his relief. Now that he had calmed down slightly, his next reaction was to try and be brave. But Hemitite was too smart to be fooled by a pup's pathetic act. Magic began to walk. There still wasn't something quite right. Why had he been forced to leave his scent on the dead pup? Would they only take the corpse and leave Magic somewhere lost? Would they kill him too? Magic glanced up at Hemitite. "I promise to be silent. Just take me back to my mama, please!"
Magic was named mostly for his mother, his father had told him once. That's why he liked his name. Then suddenly Magic was filled with that deep regret again. He'd much rather be laying beside his mother, asleep in the cool shade. Or perhaps his father would have started playing with him? Papa always liked to play with them whenever he could...
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Post by Phantom on Aug 13, 2009 17:45:42 GMT -5
Hemitite paused, glancing coldly down at Magic as they reached the border. "Now, I said we'd take you back... We're not going to let you go." He chuckled as he grabbed the dead body and threw it into the Greenwood territory. Throwing back his head, he let out a long, victorious howl - something every full-grown, other-pack wolf feared from the Blackshadows. The other wolf moved to grab Magic's scruff and pull him down into the brush. "Make one sound and I'll kill you too!" He snarled, but under his breath.
Meanwhile, Hemitite waited out just across the border, a cocky smirk on his face and the dead pup at his paws. He called out, victorious. "I request for sweet little Mystic to come to the Blackshadow border! There's something she's missing we'd like to return." He purred in that same silky tone, grabbing the mutilated body and holding it high like some sort of sick display.
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Post by Mystic on Aug 13, 2009 21:18:17 GMT -5
It wasn't long before a frightened-looking Mystic came running towards the border. She'd noticed that Magic was gone, as any good mother would. And she had begun to scour the entire packlands. Of course she'd tried to track his scent, but too many deer and rabbits and other animals had crossed over his trail, making it almost impossible to track. When she got within sight of Hemitite she stopped dead in her tracks.
"No." Hemitite wouldn't hear the word, because it was so soft. But he could see her mouth make the word...and he could see her heart breaking.
No, Mama! I'm right here! Magic wanted to scream. He was too scared of Hemitite to make a run for it. But...his mother was so close! Maybe if he timed it just right...he could run to her and they could get back to the dens before Hemitite could blink! Just wait, Mama...
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Post by Phantom on Aug 13, 2009 22:14:38 GMT -5
Seeming to sense what he was planning, the older wolf let out a growl. "I take back what I said before. Make a break for it and we'll slaughter your precious mother." He threatened, not one ounce of doubt or hesitation in the hissed words. Meanwhile, Hemitite grinned cruelly at Mystic's pain, snapping his jaws down and getting a gruesome, 'squelch'ing crunch from the body as he tossed it at her paws. "Let it be a lesson to you pampered Greenwood fools. Take a step on our land and we'll show you no mercy. Not even for a pup."
As he spoke, the woods broke as Romeo dashed onto the scene, but stopped beside his mate. Unlike Mystic, his gaze betrayed a hatred and want for revenge, but at the same time was the obvious pain and agony as he drew back his ears and tucked his tail. "Magic..." He barely managed through his teeth, his legs shaking with that mix of fury and incredible loss.
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Post by Mystic on Aug 14, 2009 6:46:03 GMT -5
Magic's heart sunk. He stared at his mother. She was trying to tear her eyes from the mangled corpse, which she believed to be her son. A million thoughts ran through her head. She thought about how small he'd been when he was born, but how fast he'd grown and started learning. She began wishing she could turn back time and just play with the silly pup, never mind it was the hottest day of the summer! The most painful thing was: she couldn't exact revenge. Magic had wandered on to their territory, it seemed. They had every right to do what they had done.
Magic watched her. As tears formed in her green eyes, tears formed in his green eyes. He felt so...abandoned. His mother would believe that little pup was once him. The pack wouldn't bother looking for him anymore. And he would be left at the mercy of Hemitite. Magic thought about his family, feeling as if this would be the last time he'd ever see his mother. He thought about all the times she'd comforted him and all the times he'd played with his sisters and all the times he'd sat down and had his father explain things to him...once, Magic remembered...he had told him what hunting with the pack was like. And he had mentioned something...
"...and your mother...she's the fastest runner on four feet..."
Magic's eyes widened. If Mama was as fast as his father had said, she could run to the safety of the dens in no time flat. After all...if Hemitite crossed the border, he was on their territory. And someone else would have to be near by, wouldn't they? A lost pup was cause for alarm...it was risky, but he'd try it. He just hoped his mother was fast enough. Magic then shot out of the brush with surprising speed. Even if he was blocked, they wouldn't be able to silence his cry. "MAMA!"
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Post by Phantom on Aug 14, 2009 10:03:42 GMT -5
Hemitite's cruel grin dropped as he whipped towards the sound. Forget the cruel smiles, the sweet, purringly wickedness - a full-blown snarl ripped from his throat now, and his once-dazzling eyes turned absolutely murderous. But as his mind flew through the situation, he knew he wouldn't be able to control it with just he and the other wolf he had at the moment. He wasn't strong enough to hold back both Mystic and Romeo from their pup and he needed the other to hold Magic down. He needed help. And he knew how to get it.
He gave a tiny moment for the parent to rush for their son before letting out a long howl. It was one of those howls that called for a pack's Alpha. And it made Romeo stop in his tracks. If no one else did, Romeo knew what that would mean. The once-strong-seeming father let out a long, defeated whine and dropped his head, tears forming in his eyes as he stood helplessly. But knowing his mate might still run for Magic, he called out to her. "Don't." It tore him apart to speak to her like that, and he just hoped she would both hear and acknowledge it.
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Post by Mystic on Aug 14, 2009 15:08:28 GMT -5
Mystic started for Magic. He was alive! But when Hemitite let out his howl Mystic stopped in her tracks. She heard Romeo's call and felt her heart, which had begun to weave itself back together, shattered once more. Mystic let out a whine. Why did it hurt so much more now? Was it because that she knew Magic was still alive, but that she could do nothing to save him? Mystic let out a sob. Tears began to flow down her face. She could see the confusion in Magic's eyes. Oh, he didn't understand...
"I love you..." Mystic said, just loud enough for Magic to hear. She backed away a few paces, never turning her back to Hemitite. Guilt flowed through her. If only she'd just gotten up to play...he hadn't asked for much, had he? Just a little attention..."I'm sorry..." The words were barely audible. Mystic looked helplessly at her mate, silently asking if there was really nothing they could do. She wanted, so desperately, to run to her son. To shield him. To protect him as he believed she could.
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