A Long Path
Written By Dracowolf
A story of White Fang's life
Cover by Dracowolf
-words bold are in White Fangs point of view.-
Small whimpers can be heard coming from the small ice cave. An adult wolf, Avila, births alone, and in constant danger at her state. Her mate was killed in war for territory, leaving her to birth by herself. She was scared, with no experience, trying to keep the little ones alive. 4 pups were to be born, but to a tragic momment to mother, the 3rd woudn't make a sound. She licked and nuged the hopeless pup, tring to get a sound. No response. Avila is torn by this, with no thought of hope for the others, she mournfully cries. Then, another pup came. Filled with joy, but often reminded of the horrible loss, she fends them with her life. But the horrible storm rages on. "Names", she wispers into the darkness. The first pup was black, with gray ears and paws, and gray on the tip of his tail. "Tundra" was his new name. The second was grey, with a white muzzle, chest, & underbelly. Her ears were black, and she had a black strip down her back. Her name was to be "Koharu". Then came "Amarok", he name was an Inuit wolf god. He was a white pup, with black eyepatchs and ears, and his grey tail with a black zag. Then there was "White Fang". She looked burly for her, young, female body, and was given a powerful name. She had a gray body, black ears, with a white tail tip, with a line of black behind it. Her chest and lower muzzle were white, with a moon-like pattern behind the White eye patch. With the pups named, the storm slowed a bit. She needed food. She had not eaten in days. But she could not leave her pups to freeze. She had to stay.
The next morning, hunger roared in her stomach. She had to get food soon, else she, and her pups die. Avlia needed to keep the pups warm, though. How could she do both? She had to leave them, but for only very little time. she snugled them up together, and left. How could she live with herself if they froze? She had to hurry, but pregnacy left her weak. she could barely run "Must......hurry....." She continued into the empty swirling light. Her breating was heavy, she had to hurry! She would not let herself die, not with the pups still in the cave. She came to a small rabbit, nestled in the ground. It thought it was safe. With the roaring of the wind, it could not here the wolf's haevy breath. She crouched, and lept into it, killing it swiftly. She heredly ran back to her cave, using the puppies faint scent as guide. She rerturned back, fearful of what might have occurred. The pups were still alive. She quickly wrapped herself around them. She was tired to an extreme. She ate, slowly, but carefully. She did not want an upset stomach. She was very unhealthy, barely alive. Avila had to live, for the pups.......but life was draining from her. She was very surprized she had caught the rabbit. Her light within was slowly fading, but she had to hold on. Small whimpers were heard from the pups, keeping Avila alive. The sound strenghthened her, but she could not hold on......Her breathing was heavy,slow......the light in her that bound her to life was flickering, ever so slowly......then the light went out, and she was over.The temperary body heat from the dead body kept the pups warm. Milk came, but there was no chance for their survival. The pups, so helpless and new, had no idea they were to die. They whined and whimpered when the heat left, and the milk with it. There was no hope........But during their dying hour, a warmth came...a loving warmth......a caressing tounge came over them.
They did not know of who it was, but it gave the thoughtless pups a chance. It has to be female, for the wolf gave milk. The wolf cared for the pups, and had to have been close to the mother, for she had known what their names were, but did not know which pups were named what........she puzzeled, tring to get them right......She got White Fang right, knowing the burly female had to be White Fang. So Koharu had to be the other girl. Then the boys......She mixed them up, Tundra was now Amarok, and Amarok Tundra. She loved the pups as her own. She at once had her own, but many had been separated from her in her early years as a mother.
As they grew, they found Aniu's (the adult wolf)scent did not match their own scents. This puzzled them, But it did not phase them much, as they were still pups.
The pups were half a year now, and knew nothing of a wolf's life. They knew not how to hunt, care for themselves, or how a pack life runs. They did not live in a pack, it was just them, White Fang, Aniu, Tundra, Amarok, & Koharu. The pups did observe her hunting from time to time, rather amazed by the power. They loved meat, it was their favorite food. Of course, all they ate was rabbit, squrrels, and the occasinal fish. Despite their bad training, Aniu always told them they could be great in the wolf's world one day.
"Aniu, why don't you teach us to hunt! I want to grow strong! And I can't eat scraps of meat all my life!" Amarok insisted. "Because, my young pup, your not ready." She answered. "Yes we are!" Tundra put in. "Come on! We need to learn how to hunt! We'll die if we only have you feeding us scrapes of rabbit meat!" Koharu put in. White Fang sat back and watched the arguement, not yet wanting to get involved. "hmm...I'll show you another day, it is to late today." Aniu answered. "No its not! I want to know!" Koharu shouted. "I will have no more of this! Today is not the right day. Now, go play amongst yourselves. But be careful!" The pups, very disapointed, went off into the woods.
"Fang," The pups nickname for White Fang,"Why didn't you help us back there? You know she listens to us if we all join in." Tundra asked. White Fang ignored the question, and continued off in the snow.
"Whats eating her?" Tundra said. "Who cares, lets just try hunting our selves." Amarok put in."..uh..how?" Koharu said. "We don't know how." "So? Thats why we try to hunt. Try. Get it?" Amarok was never very nice to Koharu. Koharu immeadetly leaped over and clamped on his tail. "YOW!" Amarok jumped up into the air, yowl'n his head off.
I whirled around at the sound of Amarok's yelps. I bounded back to them, thinking, what did he do now? "Whats going on?" I asked. "Koharu bit me!" Amarok shouted, just after Sonya let go, she had a look of satisfaction on her face. 'Koharu?" I looked in her direction. "Me?" Koharu turned tword Amarok, "You insulted me! Yell at him, Fang!" "Did you?" I asked. "Who died and made you boss? Sure, I did, but I had a good reason. She was being a wimp!" Wow, I though. Amarok being Amarok. "Well, I guess you shouldn't insult girls and you won't get bitten." I stated. "Bwah?!?! no fair! SHE bit ME! How come she doesn't get yelled at?" "That is Aniu's job. I'm just here to protect my sis." I walked off, back to the head of the group.
"Why thank you, sis!" Koharu shouted to her sis. "Ha-Ha! She likes me better!"
"No she doesn't, she just likes you 'cause your her sister!" He retorted.
"You're jealous."
"Nu-uh!"
"uh-uh"
"nu-uh!!" He howled at her.
"okay, okay, fine" she addmitted, and yet:"........yes...you...are." She wispered. And with that, he lept onto her, and they fought thier little puppy fight.
I turned around for an instant to see Amarok and Koharu fighting. Shocker. I bounded back to separate them, but a large creature jumped out before me! It was tall, and held a large stick.
"Come 'ere you." the large man reached for White Fang.
It reached for me, saying words I did not understand. I shrunk back, fearful for my life and frozen. I would not work. I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried. Fear had me. Suddenly a flash a white dashed out onto the creature. Tundra! He leaped onto it!
"Ack!" The man shouted. Tundra had lept onto the man! He brushed the little pup aside. But Tundra wouldn't let his sister down.
"Leave her alone!" Tundra lept again, but this time the man intercepted his leap, and cought him by the scruff of his neck. Tundra wimpered and yelped, causing the two fighting pups to look up at the man taking their syblings. The man grobbed White Fang, and she bit him, but he didn't flinch. He stuffed the pups in his rucksack. He turned to find two cowering pups, which he quickly stuffed into his bag.
But then a large white wolf lept onto him, knocking him over. She tore for his neck, but the man knocked her aside, and quickly went for the rifle.
I head a loud bang, which shook the forest. I was scruched in a small bag with my syblings. I was painfully twisted. My brothers, sis and I were all wimpering, as the smell of blood was in the air.
The man had shot Aniu. Their last hope. He took the pups away on his dogsled, a few miles away. The pups are lost in this situation. What will happen?