The Code is Broken
| Rayne Kell was enjoying a
rare peaceful moment, lying at the entrance of one of the
Kell's main dens. Her yellow-blue eyes glimmered dimly in
the evening light, her ears perked for any sound of the
returning hunting party. She was involved in a rare bout
of motherly duties, for it was unusual for the pack
leader not to go on the hunt. Yet, these were her
sister's pups, and she knew her sister was desperately in
need of honing her hunting skills. So Rayne took the
initiative and stayed behind. No one questioned her
decision. She lie between the twin pillars of stone that marked the entrance. The pillars had been placed there by dwarven smiths, showing the sacredness of the wolves in the Queen's land. Above her head lay the lentil stone, on which had the design of a wolf, made into a circle, with the star showing down upon it. It was the seal of the Queen's guard; in which Rayne had served for three years before returning to the pack, and successfully challenging the former leader, Quelas, for the title. Her rough fur shown an outline in the opening to that sacred den; a sentry in the rising moonlight. Behind her and deep in the darkness, lay a pile of various colored patches of fur, which formed the sleeping litter of pups. They slept peacefully after their evening meal. The stillness was only broken now by a slight whimper or puppy bark from those busy chasing their prey in the land of dreams. Rayne looked down between her paws; one of the pups lay asleep between them. She rested her chin atop of him, protecting him from the cold night air. This one, Ignan, the youngest of the pups and the one who was fortunate to capture Rayne's favor. She was most protective of him, the runt of the litter, and since her proctorship, had certainly outgrown the runt label. Proud brown fur lay in rather untidy patches on his small body. White fur ranged from his throat to his underbelly. He twitched slightly between her paws. He and his whelp-mates were five weeks old. Ignan had the mark of the lineage, the patch of tan on his chin. It was a mark that Rayne herself had. Rumors among the dwellers of this wood said that those who had the spot of the lineage, were blessed with special favor and while on the hunt the patch would turn from tan, to blood red. Among the more 'civilized' creatures, the quiet whispers of rumor took on a more fearful tone saying that if one ever saw the patch of blessing, they were either dead, or blood kin to the wolf. Her tongue wiped his soft puppy fur clean, showing her special affection towards this one. He would grow up mighty some day Rayne believed. A soft glint in her eye shown the pleasure she had in him. Her sister was his mother, and quite another matter from one of the blessing. Kaya, the kind noble wolf she was, was well known as a weakling. She would have died so many times long before if her sister and other pack members had not been there to save her. She never went on the journey, nor brought down a beast of the north. But Rayne cared for Kaya even still and in her wisdom, knew that Kaya needed the practice, and had sent her with the party that night, to hunt for the pack. No one challenged Rayne's decisions, for she was the chosen leader. And no one challenged it further, because Kaya was born of the same line, and was the one originally chosen, but because of her weakness was deemed unsuitable to lead. The official tale that was told was that Kaya stepped down, and it was exactly what Kaya believed she did, never allowed in on the shame. Rayne's lips curled into a very doggy smile as she thought of her sister. Kind and true, her sister's heart beat not of the wild darkness, but rather akin to a gentle stream, encouraging, nourishing those around her regardless to herself. Rayne saw that she did not serve the normal roll of the pack, but she was invaluable nonetheless. Truth be told, Rayne could not understand her sister's temperament, but loved her just the same. Kaya enjoyed special favor from Rayne, and thus, from the pack. She was held in high regard, none speaking of her weakness. This was because Rayne allowed no one to speak of her badly, the consequences of which were firm punishment from Rayne. And that, no one wanted to inflict upon themselves. No one, not the strongest pack member, wished to out and out challenge her. Rayne's fighting skills were superb, stories ran rampant told about the prey she had tracked, and the feats she had performed while in the service of the Queen. Legends were made of the white wolf with dark undertones. She, they said, had eyes which were of two tones, the amber showing her wildness, and the blue showing her cunning. One that carried the mark of the blessed and fought with the ferocity of the wild and the strength of a bear. She was not successfully challangable throughout the wild-lands, and rumors of her feats had traveled even to the border-towns of the sea. Rayne felt very little pride in these abilities, and feats. She simply knew her strengths and her weaknesses and worked within them for her life and the life of her pack. Suddenly Rayne's ears pricked forward, cones seeking to capture the smallest amount of noise. Rayne tested the wind with her keen sense, and stood suddenly, sending the sleeping pup sleeping between her forepaws for an unexpected roll. She knew it would not harm him, and strode out of the den with a purpose. Even before the party came into sight she could tell something was wrong. She could tell there were too few of them, and one was injured. The howl that they let out alarmed her, and she trotted out to meet them, Ignan, unknowingly, at her heels. The underbrush swirled in front of her, four of the eight she had sent were standing before her. She greeted the leader, a patchy wolf with the right eye injured. He went by the name of Welris. "Welris," she barked "What has happened? I sent you out with eight and you return with four." A stiff nod she sent to the injured one, Leyan, signaling two others to assist her to the den. Searching the eyes of the remaining ones she saw no signs of her sister. Before Welris could answer her previous inquiry she growled lowly another phrase, her hackles rising with increasing fury. "And where is Kaya, Welris?". "Men" he replied, panting slightly "Men have come to our hunting grounds, thrown up a fence, and killed your subjects in sport." Rayne's fury shown in her eyes, but a soft puppy noise interrupted her action. Before she acted she turned and looked at the curious eyes of the onlooking Ignan. "Go home, Ignan." She growled lowly, turning to block the injured Leyan from his view. He daren't question his caretaker's instructions and turned on his heel to scamper back to the den. Turning Rayne finally released her fury, flying at Welris in an utter rage, knocking him down. He wisely stayed down, not fighting to get up, nor begging to be released. "Welris, there have been no men in this land for as long as either of us have been alive, nor in our great grandparents time either. So help me, if you are lying…" She growled savagely, fangs only inches from his neck, her breath moving his dark gray fur as she breathed in and out. "My leader, it is as I have said, there are men beyond the edge of the wood…." He began with almost a whimper in his normally proud tone as he was one of the most respected hunters in the pack "…they have hunted and killed your subjects in sport, their bodies lie in the field being eaten by scavengers." He took a breath and breathed out the rest of his tale "We escaped but were pursued. We lost them by the great ravine, where they were to clumsy to follow." Rayne's growl only deepened in displeasure. Despite Welris' being rolling completely on his back, one leg lifted in vulnerability, her anger still stayed deep and insistant. "And my sister." It was a command, not a query. "She was captured." "CAPTURED!?" she fairly screamed at him, her rage shown in her fully yellow eyes, burning into his flesh as surely as her fangs. "Yes" he whimpered, his voice fully of a pup's "I saw her being led away, snared and in a net to the house of the men." Not a being stirred in that circle of wolves, every eye was fixed upon Rayne, waiting for her judgement in this matter. Welris trembled slightly knowing she held his very life in the balance. Rayne also trembled, but for a different reason. "Very well" she breathed out at last, breaking the tension and sparing Welris' life. "I accept your explaination." She took a step back and began to pace in the center of the circle. Welris wisely collected himself and moved beyond the gathering, licking his wounds while sitting at the base of an oak tree. The last rays of light could be seen across the hillside, and the counsel of the wolves was to be held. "Apparently the code is broken." Rayne began in a dark tone, her neck fur raised; pacing making it extremely apparent her displeasure. "The code of this land, that no man or beast may hunt another except for food has been compromised. Even our hunt of age, the journey, is fully shared by all wolves of these parts. But to hunt for sport, for pleasure!" She made a disgusted growl, shaking her head as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Further, our agreement with man, that no man may hunt a wolf has also been broken. Our agreement to man, given over a millennia ago, is dissolved. We now have no further agreement with man, and may hunt him like any other beast; eating his carcass as any other." "Well" a prim voice called, almost too prim to come from a wolf and more akin to a cat. "Before taking any action we should go see if this is true." One very brave (or very foolish) wolf uttered. Rayne turned her eyes towards Vaern, who was sitting primly on her haunches at the right of the circle. Vaern was the only one who dared question her on any matter. The calm and conveniently innocent gaze Rayne received back told her nothing. "Yes, Vaern, which is why I am leaving now." She answered calmly, lowly. Rayne snapped her head around to face Calnea, another new mother with her own littler of three. "Calnea, tend Kaya's pups until I get back." Then her eyes searched those of the rest of the gathering, to determine who to leave in charge until she got back. Her first instinct was to give Welris the pack, but he was in the doghouse for now, and not among her favorites. So against her better judgement she turned to the black wolf, the one sitting primly on her haunches, the one she never thought she'd give charge to. "Vaern, you are in charge until I get back." She narrowed her eyes at the triumphant look apparent in Vaern's face, less shielded than most of Vaern's expressions. To impress her point she lunged at her and snapped only an inch away from her ear. Then she grabbed Vaern's scruff and shook it once. Vaern, not ready for the attack, tumbled over and then stood up carefully, shaking off her sleek black fur. She spoke in a soft-as-silk tone, though Rayne knew the devious heart that lie beneath the surface. "Leader, I am not one to question you, but why did you deem I deserved that?" Rayne growled lowly "Because you were thinking." She stepped closer and added another growled comment close to Vaern's ear "You harm even one of them and I will see that you no longer exist when I return". Vaern gave the expected 'who me?' look and bowed her head in false respect. Rayne knew what Vaern truly thought of her, though Vaern kept herself quite guarded, and no one knew of the real tension between them. She gazed around the circle of wolves, her pack, minus the few missing and those in the dens still. A dark look formed in her eyes, as something beyond the ordinary had happened this night. The agreement was broken, the code dissolved. Whenever this happened, great suffering had always followed. Rayne just prayed that her pack wouldn't take the brunt of it. Wolves, were wild things, and often blamed for whatever happened. 'A dark mark is on this night. This one will be remembered for a long time. Whether it be for good, or for bad, I do not know.' Rayne thought silently to herself. Without another word she turned quickly, and started to dash off through the forest towards the location on which the deadly scene had been played. Rayne was so lost in her thoughts and anger; she didn't hear the twin sounds of another following her into the dark woods. |
If you wish to
contact me, to find out more about my stories or of me;
here is my e-mail address which you may use.
~ E-Mail
Me ~