The Big Bad Wolf

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Chapter 9


“Tan wait! Wait for me!”

Las ran after Tan, trying to catch up with him. They had been doing this running/walking ritual in the forest for 30 minutes now and Las was starting to get mad.

“Tan! Damn it, stop! Woah! Ouch…”

Tan turned around and saw Las sitting, gently holding his foot and wincing when he tried to move it. Tan sighed and then turned back to Las.

“Want some help?”

“Yes.”

Tan turned his back to him and Las carefully climbed up. Tan gripped his legs and let him loop his arms around his neck. He then lifted his head and sniffed for water. He soon found it and started to walk towards it. They were silent but Las tried desperately to find something to talk about. He didn’t get the chance because they were there. Tan sat him down on the edge so Las could dip his foot into the cold water. It was a small lake and it was freezing cold!

“I’m gonna go and try to find some leaves and something to…”

“Yes, that would be good. I can tie it with my belt.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

“Promise?”

Tan stopped in his tracks and gave a small smile and nodded.

“I promise.”

Tan ran away and Las slowly started to inspect his foot. It wasn’t so bad, only some swelling. The swelling had started to turn blue though so Las knew it would get worse. He sat there for some time before he started to worry. Where did Tan go? He hadn’t run away, right? Or…

“Tan?! Do you hear me?”

Tan was walking around, searching for something that Las and he could use to tie around his ankle. He felt a little bad, because if Las hadn’t followed he wouldn’t have hurt himself. He thought back at the pack and when they had been free and oh so innocent. Now was different. He didn’t know if Las knew but today was two months exactly since Las was…thrown out. Tan had been so mad, even madder than Naure. And when he was practically forced to mate with Sillie he knew that the pack was insane. They needed a new alpha and that quickly. He hoped that his disappearance would make the pack see things more clearly. He found some big leaves that he could use to bind around Las foot. Then he would take him back to those wolves and then he would leave.

Las was starting to get really worried. He wanted to go and look for Tan but he knew that he wouldn’t get far with his foot and they could also miss each other in the woods.

Celio was running in his wolf form, following a very worried alpha. After Pen had beaten the shit out of him in his hut for making Las mad they had started to make their way after the two dogs. They were both injured after the fight so they couldn’t push on too much. Pen hadn’t spoken a word too him after the fight so the tension was high too. He really hoped that Las was okay, otherwise Pen would kill him. And that green eyed dog… He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. Now that he had taken time and thought about it he realized how childish he must have behaved. He hoped that the two dogs were still together. If they weren’t he would sniff that other up so he could apologize and then take him back to the pack. He knew that Las still missed his pack, or more like a few of the members.

Las was scared. No he was terrified. He could hear something or some things sneak around in the forest around him. He didn’t dare to call for Tan, but he slowly made his way down in the water and climbed up on a rock in the river. Soon a tiger, a real one, started to creep out. Its eyes were yellow and intense, only focusing on Las. It looked rather skinny and filthy, it was probably sick and too sick to hunt down a dear. Las was fast, but with his foot he wouldn’t get away. The tiger stood at the lakebank and then slowly started to walk down into the water. Las could feel his heart race and he tried to swallow the knot in his throat. Suddenly a rock hit the tiger making it roar and turn back towards the riverbank.

Tan stood, panting for breath, staring the tiger down. He quickly shifted to his dog form and started to growl. The tiger started to stalk up towards him. Even though the tiger was sick it was still a big threat and he could easily kill Tan with a bite or two.

Las tried to stand up but a bark from Tan made him sit down again. Tan made the tiger focus on him and Las knew Tan would defend him, or die trying. He shuddered when he thought about it but kept quiet. The two animals started to circle each other and snarled at each other. Tans’ hackles had risen and he snarled loudly. The tiger answered with his own growl before they leaped.

Pen and Celio heard Las shout before growls and snarls reached their ears. They looked at each other and then raced towards the sounds. They grew louder and fiercer by the second. They heard a wounded yelp. That was definitely a dog. Then an outraged growl. Tiger. Then a pained whimper. Dog again. The worst was that they didn’t know if it was Las or Tan or both that was getting injured. Suddenly they burst through the tree line and almost ran into a tiger.

Celio saw a bloody tiger and an equally bloody dog. He also heard Las shouting so he guessed that the dog must be Tan. Without thinking he jumped at the tiger, taking a bite in its shoulder blade. The tiger snarled and reach back to grab him but he quickly jumped off. Pen rammed right into the tiger, which made it stagger.

The tiger realized that he was outnumbered when the two wolves showed up. He really didn’t know why they helped the two dog demons but he wasn’t going to risk his life. He was sick, but not deadly. He saw the grey dog sitting down and panting. Though he was young he had fought good and gotten more hits and bites. The wolves smelled like an alpha and a beta so he didn’t want to risk getting chased by a pack. He started to back off, growling softly. Warning them to follow him. Then suddenly he leaped and grabbed the grey dog around his neck. The dog howled and tried to scratch him unsuccessfully. He bit until he was forced to release because the brown wolf bit him hard on one side of his face. He turned and ran; pleased with the revenge he had managed.

Las jumped into the water as soon as the tiger attacked Tan. He saw Celio jump the tiger, making him release Tan. Then the coward fled. Las dragged himself up from the water and Pen was there helping him up.

“Are you hurt?” Las growled at Pen and then started to limp towards Tan.

He was in his more human form now, bleeding from several wounds. Celio had ripped his own shirt and was trying to tie it around his throat to stop the worse injury. When Tan saw Las coming he smiled and held his hand up for Las to grab it.

“Not hurt?”

“No, I’m alright.”

“Good. At least I could protect you from something. Sorry you had to see that Las.”

“Silly! Why would you do that?! You could have left.” Tan frowned.

“But I promised that I would come back, right?”

Las smiled and then felt his eyes water up.

“Hey, hey. Don’t cry Lasore. This isn’t your fault. If I had been stronger I would have won. I mean, I ruled the fight and-” Tan coughed, spitting out blood.

Celio and Pen looked at each other. They had to leave now if he would have any chance of survive this. Pen coughed and when he had the two dogs attention he stood up.

“Las you’re going to jump up on my back then we’re going to race to the village while Celio take Tan. You’re foot is going to hurt because I have to be fast and I can’t be gentle. Okay?”

Las eagerly nodded. Together they helped Tan to get up on Celios back before Las quickly jumped up on Pens’. Pen then nodded towards Celio and then they ran. Pen rushed through the forest, holding Las’ legs tightly. He sometimes heard Las bit back a hiss but he knew that Las wouldn’t complain because off his friend. Pen had to admire the grey head. He could have won over that tiger and even if it had been ill it was still powerful. To be so young and still manage to fight it off was admirable.

Celio was running a little slower because he didn’t want to rip Tans’ wounds up to much. He still tried to run faster because he could feel his blood trickle down his back.

“You know what Celio?”

“What?”

“I’m glad that Las isn’t here right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because if I die now, he won’t cry so much. Or have nightmare seeing me die.”

“You’re not going to die so shut up.”

“Oh I’m going to die. I can feel it, or more like not feel it.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t feel my legs. And my head starts too feel heavy too.”

“Stop this dog. Do you think that Las wants you to die?”

“He must be the only one, except for my dad.”

“Still. If you die Las is going to get depressed. Then Penullus is going to get frustrated and then he will kick my sorry little ass for saying what I said.”

They continued in silence for a couple of minutes.

“Sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry that I said those things, really stupid of me. Don’t know why I said it.”

“Sexual frustration?”

Celio laughed and shook his head before he quicken his steps a little. If this little brave dog died it was not only his father and Las that would be depressed.

One hour later Pen and Las raced into the village. Pen yelled for Em, Sabel, Shabelle and Tricker the healer. Em and Sabel looked after Las while the others started to prepare for the others return. When they were done they sat down to wait. Las crawled over to Pen and sat in his lap.

“Not mad anymore?”

“Still mad. But I’m scared. What if Celio comes back and Tan is dead? Or if he dies when-”

“That stubborn little dog won’t die. He is strong, stronger than many wolves in my pack. They wouldn’t last that long against a tiger.”

Las smiled and nodded. Pen was right. Tan wouldn’t die from something small like this. Right?

They were sitting outside Trickers hut when suddenly Celio came sliding around the corner. He nearly collapsed when he reached his destination and he felt several pair of hands pick his precious load being lifted off of him. He saw Sabel carry the dog inside, followed by Tricker, Em and Shabelle. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Pen standing there. He wasn’t looking at him but at the entrance, but he knew what Pen thought.

Several hours later Shabelle came out and the three outside jumped her for details.

“Now, now. It was close, but Tricker succeeded. He sewed everything back together and bandaged him up. Give him a couple of weeks and he’ll be fine.”

Las started to cry and hid in Pens’ arms while Celio sank to the ground, thanking everyone that came to his mind. Shabelle looked at them and smiled.

“Now you can go and rest because he won’t wake up until in the morning so you can go and try to get some sleep.”

They nodded and slowly made their way to their huts.

Hours later no one noticed one lonely wolf sneaking inside the hut holding the injured dog…




And who do we think that is...?