Taming the Moon CHP. 1)
Author's note: Another story concerning a feral wolf and a human set in approx. the renaissance. Sadly I decieded to fore-go my usual style, for this one has absoultly no naughtyness. Anyway, It's basically a bunch of little ideas for a story I had all rolled up into one that has been sitting in my lap-top for quite some time. So I hope that this little mesh of half-baked idea's makes a really good read, I liked writting it a lot! I plan on writting another chapter if this one has half decient out-turn. So weither or not that happens is entirly up to you guys, the readers! ^._.^ Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave any crazy comment that pops into your head. I love feed back of any kind and it helps me know where my strengths are and what I need to improve upon. ~Willace <>
________________________________________________________________________ ~Taming the Moon~ -Chapter one- ________________________________________________________________________
Heavy gusts woke Amune from a light sleep. The wind crept inside the cave and swirled about like a mintiure tornado, tossing leafs and debrie in every direction. "All the better, I suppose," Amune thought raising from his makeshift bed. He circled the spot a couple times and then streacthed. Something he did upon waking each night and before falling asleep in the morning as well. Yellow jewels peered back at him as he lapped from crystal-clear water puddles. Safley he stood, blocked off from the cold wind by his cave's formation.
He was fortunite to have found this haven, high in the mountains and away from others. Away from wolves and away from humans. Limestone arrows pointed down from the roof of his abode as he sat down quietly by the entrance once more, the wind focing his granite-shaded fur to dance around. Being alone in this place, cut off from his own speices, truly blissful.
Amune took to all four and walked against the blowing winds towards the opening. Outside, the dimness of evening faded ever quickly into abyss spread across the sky and the stars growing brighter by the seconds. "I rather think I fancy a walk, perchance I can snare a rabbit upon the way." A joke. Rabbits never ventured this far up the cliff-side. No, if he wanted a meal, he would need to travers the entire length of the tree-lined ridge and down into the forest. Bitter thoughts, accompanied by aweful memories were brought to mind by the mere suggestion of the forest. Amune was not always so isolated, he once ran with a pack in those woods, but no longer. They had grown tired of his independent hunts and lack of obeying the hierarchy. So they turned on him. Both his friends and rivals cast him out, turning their backs on him.
"Enough with such thoughts." He said aloud and stepped past the entrance. Waves of tempest greeted him as the decscent began, a descent away from the woods. Perhaps it was because he lacked a destination but Amune soon found himself on a twisted walk-way, over-run by dying braches and massives slopes. Mantiang his stride was difficult, the ground giving way at some spots, unwalkable in others altogether. Struggiling to continue his journy to an unknown hunting ground, a scent driffted under his nose. The scent of a human.
Not too far down the moutainous terrain Amune noticed a lone human braving the elements in search of food. He carreid no visable weapons, simply a wooden pale and a heavily dyed cloak, vibrent reds undertoned by thick swirls of black there upon.
Seeing a human without toarch or spear was an unusal sight, so much so that it tempted Amune to follow him; from a distance though. Such a spiecies was never to be trusted in his mind's eye. They captured and killed other animals, taking whatever they very well pleased. "Arragont human, I should kill you where you stand." Amune whisperd into the rushing winds. "To be so bold as to travel these lands without protection, surly this will be your undoing." Though no foul intentions formed in the wolf's thoughts. Better to leave the man be for now and observe from afar.
Amune's presance went un-noticed and the cloaked man contined sorting through piles of bushes, occasionally adding clumps of berries and leaves to his bucket. The wolf followed the man ever so carefully, so as not to set him into unwanted alarm. Still fortune was not with Amune. Without the slightest waring, a snapping sound and a sliding of the loose soil sent the poor, unprepared wolf down the slope. His body cut and beaten from the fall came to rest in a small brush and Amune panted whezzily.
"Stars in heaven, what was that!" The young man excailemd in shock and rushed to the wolf's fallen body. As Amune's concousness began to fade the human approached. Sure that it was his end he made one last desperate attempt to take the human down with him.
Amune's muzzle locked around the human's arm and paws scratched at his chest. Before he could sink his fangs fully into the flesh, their eyes caught the sight of one another. Feelings of remorse overtook the wolf and it bewilderd him. With his last concous thought, a question of why he held back surfaced. Amune collapsed his head to the ground and blackness overtook his sight. For the first time Amune drempt. As he layed, slowly dying he drempt of a warmth surrounding his body. He was carried by this warmth to a hill side where endless flowers bloomed and the smell of their wonderful scents filled the air.
* * *
To his great surprise Amune awoke from the brink of death. Pain surged through him as he tried despertly to make sense of the bright lights flashing around him. Dissoriented by the alien sights, he sniffed the open air. Strangly the flower smell in his dream still lingerd. Trying to stand he felt a wound in his shoulder open again and begen to bleed. It sent drops of crimson splattering upon floor boards of his 'cage' and he winced in pain. Another attempt to stand brought to light the fact he was wrapped in bandages and muzzled. Thrashing around he found his neck was bound to a post as well.
"What cruel torment is this?" he raged attempting to free himself. The scent of flowers grew as strong, taking his attention for just a breath in time. A human enterd the room lifting a sack-cloath curtian from the far door-frame. Upon seeing him, Amune put the peices together, loosely, His understanding obscured by basic instincts of fight or flee. The feral beast realized this human was to blame for being chained and muzzled but Amune failed to fully understand why. Nor did it dawn on the great animal that the human had bandaged his wounds. Contempt filled Amune's heart and he struggled to free himself all the more fiercly.
"Hey! Stop that or you'll kill yourself if you keep it up!" The human shouted and ran over to Amune, dropping the platter he was carrying. It clattered to the ground with a loud crash as he approached hastily. "Oh no, your wounds!" the human cried out and wrapped his arms around Amune in a tender fashion to stop his flailing fit of rage. The aroma of the white lillys now flooded his senses and he felt on the verge of passing out again. Letting his muscles loosen, his weight slunk into the human's arms. "There," the human said genly stroking the wolf's neck. "Lets get that shoulder fixed back up." Confusion plauged Amune as a blood stain seeped from beneath his bandage. Why would this human do anything like this? What was point of keeping him alive as a hostage? His eyes felt heavy and the stain begain to spread. Through the haze he saw the human leave for a moment and return with a fresh cloth and a phial. Tenderly he unwrapped Amune shoulder and examed the wound. "This looks pretty nasty. Care to tell me why you followed me on the mountain yesterday?"
Amune's thoughts caught up and he leaped upon all four paws again. A full day had passed since the accident?!? The human stubled backward and fell over, landing against a near-by table. "Stop; Please!" he cried as blood splatterd on the floor once again; tainting the air with a stench of metal. Amune obeyed his outcry, too exausted from bleeding to fight further. Seeing the animal sit upon his rump brought tensions lower. Cautiosly the human leaned forward while reaching for the crystal phail. "Now wolf, don't fight this, it will hurt at first but I promise what I do will help heal you." Trembling Amune stared at him in uncertainty. What choice did he have though? If something wasn't done soon he would die but his pride began to naw at his brain. His sense of honor tore at his mind, conflicting with self-preservation.
"I bet you're wondering why I saved you desspite the fact you took a rather upleasnt swipe at me." A ruby droplet slid from the spout and splashed into the cut. Amune anticapated the question, doing his best to wait out a burning the 'medicne' was giving. Still he felt it wise not to answer. Once finished, the human took a deep breath, his eyes held low to the floor. "Last night you held back little wolfie, and I don't think it was because of the near-death expeirance." He grinned at Amune and then reclined to continue his story. "In my religion, you are to repay those who give you a second chance, no matter who they may be. So little wolf... If I take off the muzzle will you play nice?" He reached out and loosend the leather straps. Tempted to lash out once again, Amune felt the same hesitation as on the mountain.
"See that I'm not here to hurt you. My faith grants me the courage to help even your kind. Now tell me wolf, what's your name? It would be nice to adress you properly." Amune starred at him blankly. Given the fact he could comprehnd the human, there was no way such an ignorant creature could speak his native tongue. The language of wolves was a gutteraul thing in voice; mostly communicated by body posture. Something this mere human could never do.
"Maybe in time then," The human sighed. "Perhaps wolves don't have the use for such sophisticated things," Amune took offense and let out a low throaty growl, making the young man regret removing the straps. "Anyways... If you're not going to share your name I shall share mine first. You may call me Kodie. For what it's worth my full name Is Kodien Uridakant Beck, but I think we've moved pass that formality when you tried to eat me, huh?" Amune grinned toothfully. "What's that look about?" Kodie starred at the animal tied before him, waiting for him to become at ease. "Don't get any funny ideas," He told the wolf watching him closly, poundering if the wild beast could understand the words he was hearing. "If you don't want to eat me then I'll just undo the rope I put around your neck. I'd be happy to share my little shack until you've made a full recovery and I surely do not wish to keep you tied down." Kodien's voice was so soothing while he reached a quivering arm towards Amune's restraint. " So I'm just going to reach out and loosen this... Just be... a good... boy."
"Keep your filthed paws to yourself or I won't hesitate this time!" A slip of the tounge and Amune had revield more than he wanted. Though it was said in his native tounge, it was reconizable as words. Kodie simply stared in wonderment, his arm hanging out-streaced in the air. "So you speak 'Common,' huh? I always assumed it would be how you animals communicated." Amune growled at his own stupidity. No human was allowed to know the way wolves could speak, let alone that they knew of the First Language. Still it was too late, and he was in no condition to rectify his mistake by killing the human. So with a bitter resentment Amune prepared himself for a lengthy explination. He had to drive across the idea that Kodie should never reveal this or else other beasts would come to take his life.
Amune began this time with words Kodie could understand. "This 'Common' as you call it..." he paused while doing his best to contain his frustration over the mixture of ignorance and knowladge the human had. "...Was not what I spoke. That was my native voice. Neither it nor 'Common' are things you should know of. Tell me now Kodien Urdakant Beck, how do you know of it?" Amusement filled Kodie's eyes and his replied in Common himself. "I told you wolfie, simply call me by Kodie." Pronuancing his name in his human languge amonst the 'Common' speak struck Amune as hilarious. "What is so funny?" Kodien asked, being a little offset in his pronunceation. Amune laghed all the harder, his muzzle bouncing and his tail wagging. "I cannot simply call you by that name. For your wealth of intelligance you truely are a stupid creature, human. Perhaps you know how names translate in my navtive language?" Kodie shook his head and propped his weight outstreached, his arms angled outward behind him.
The Human's naievness made Amune burst into laughter once more. "Then for the sake of what little dignity you have human, stop. Each name, even my own, has a specific meaning in your language that varies for time to time in mine. I suppose this would be the time for you to know my name." Amune paused, his bright yellow eyes blinked and he streched his paws open and then closed again. "My name Is Amune, and is pronounced 'moon' if spoken in your terribly ridiculous language. Now untie my and I'll tell you what truly humorous thing your name means." Feeling at ease with Amune, Kodie reached forward and un-did the leash. It would seem this two-legged animal was quick to trust. No sooner than his bondings hit the floor Amune felt the need to 'relieve' himself. Still even in the presance of such a backwards animal as the human Kodien Beck, Amune waited. "Your informal name to me means 'Little Flower.' The first half, 'Kod' meaning blossom, the second, 'ie' means little. Now hopefully you understand my obvious displeasment with being referd to as 'Wolfie,' something I shall hold against you for quite some time." Light laughter was given as a response and tempers fell away.
"So then Little Flower, perhaps you should let me outside your den so that I do not stain your dwelling place with a puddle. When I return I intend to seek just how you know of speach beyond your spieces." Seeing the humor in the situation, Kodie chuckled a bit more. "What an elegant way of saying you have to pee. But just so you know, if you should try to run that shoulder's going to give out and BAM! You're dead." Amune stood wierly and scoffed. "I am aware of this. Now open the door and DO NOT watch me." Indifferent at the notion of observing his guest 'allievate' himself Kodien shrugged. "Just don't say I didn't warn you, okay?"
Raising to meet the wolf's wishes, Kodie walked to the front entrance and pushed it open. As the barrior cracked scents from outside driffted in. The wind was no longer so fierce and the sun hung just above the horizion. A full day gone, Amune thought, stumbling his way out of the little shack. Soft jade-coloured grass greeted his tired paw pads and he scanned for a usable spot. A few yards off a small treeling stood, dotted by pinecones and surrounded by dead needles. To the left of it a patch of dying brush. Amune choose the latter and made his way behind the cover of the dead shrub. He lifted a sore hind-leg and relieved himself upon the brownish mesh of twigs and sparce clusters of leaves. Nearly finished it became painfully noticable he was not alone. Down a short dirt walkway he saw a fox sitting next to another hut, starring at him.
Irrtated by the lack of privacy and embarresed to be seen dressed in bandages, Amune growled loudly. Kodien emarged as well to see the cause of the noise. "Damn," the irate wolf thought glarring at the fox, "I cannot even curse Little Flower or else that unsightly voyeristic fox will hear me defile my tongue by speaking around a human." Instead, Amune set his leg back down and walked to the tiny tree, glaring at the samll vulpine. Kodie watched from his doorway as Amune wobbled to it and sat down. To all of their surprise, the fox opend his maw and shouted.
"Hello wolf, is Little Flower carring for you as well?" in disbelief, Amune slammed his aching paw to the earth. "I will not stand for this!" He shouted and thought to charge at the fox. A half-hearted step reminded him of his pain and Amune gave another growl. It was enough to frighten off the firey furred kit, forcing it to scamperd behind the building. Too tired to actually run after, Amune slouched his wieght against the tree and panted. "Little Flower, I cannot walk." He winced, the buring of his wounds subduded him and Kodie approached his side. A pair of strong arms lifted the tired animal up and gently carried him back inside.
Once they had reached the main room Kodien set Amune upon a pile of blankets. "Rest now," he instructed and layed next to him on the floor. Too worn-out to protest, Amune closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. His pride was nearly gone, constantly being insulted by the hour he sufferd had through and the day had left his with so many strange thoughts. Perhaps it wasn't a friendship but the animocity he felt towards his captor had wained. Could it be this stange animal who walked upon only two legs was not the enemy he first seemed? Torrents of questions swirlded in his mind but were softly washed away, the scent of lillies slowly replacing any uncertaintly and Amune faded off into a deep slumber once more. For the second time in his Life Amune drempt, and it was wonderful not to dream alone.
-end of chapter one- (* * * * *)