3 points       Report

The Blood War

Chapter Twenty-four

“He didn’t kick me out, he killed me. When I go back, wolves will be staring in disbelief, not trying to tear me limb from limb.”

What fantastic parting words, Bone’s head couldn’t help but snap, as he tried once more to rise. Pain engulfed his skeletal figure, burning like a fire on the horizon. With a breathless grunt of pain, he collapsed again, clenching his eyes closed to choke the pain out.

Craning his head around, he could see the faint color of dirt-bound red beneath him, and knew straight away that he was laying in his own blood. How funny; he wasn’t sure if he would even be able to bleed anymore, or feel physical pain.

He closed his eyes, taking a pain-clogged breath as he tried to drag himself into a dream. For a while, his pain-bound body refused to fall unconscious, but finally, dark tendrils of sleep wound their way around his mind and dragged him into tense slumber.

Bone padded silently through a sun-dappled forest, the wind causing his thick, blue-gray fur to ripple. Here, in a dream, his form was intact, as was the same with every ancestor. The pain of his spine- or, his hip, as Outlander had told him- was briefly gone, enabling him to walk freely.

He thrust himself through a patch of thick, bowing ferns and found what he was looking for. Lying against a tall beech tree, sun dappling her light fur, lay the figure of a quite small wolf; apparently having died far too young.

As Bone approached, his tail swishing behind him, she sat up. She wasn’t a wolf at all, but a young coyote, strands of mist clinging to her fur as she moved.

“You have to work together, now?” she asked softly, pivoting to face him with a friendly look that was not at all fitting, judging by the fact that she was speaking with her murderer.

He sat a few feet away from her, nodding. “Funny how the world works things out like that,” he sighed. “I’m trying to keep her safe, I swear that I am. But she’s just so… reckless.”

The small coyote grinned at him. “From what I hear, you were reckless, too, when you were still alive.” Closing his eyes he exhaled, re-opening them a heartbeat later and looking down at his paws, claws curling into the dirt.

“The moment we’re done with this,” he murmured finally, lifting his head to look up at her, “and the moment that Snowblind is dealt with, I promise that I will bring her here to see you, Scavenger.”

She stood, padding over and stretching up to touch her nose to his, for which he met her halfway. “Thank you,” she sighed softly, before turning and padding away into the trees.

“He’s up here,” said Outlander’s voice, which brought him fully awake. He kept his eyes closed and ears back, but the smell of the small coywolf and another bathed his tongue.

Guess she didn’t die, his mind said sarcastically, opening his eyes to look over at them. The wolf beside her was old-looking, with one eye pressed tightly shut. The open eye was wide, staring in shock at the Bone Beast which lay in front of him.

“He was stepped on by an elk,” Outlander said, darting around to motion to his hip. “Is there anything you can do to help?”

The old wolf padded over, lowering his head to examine the injury. “I’ll try my best,” he told her.

- President Loki

More Green Coloring Tips