Desperate Waters (Ace)

[Anvil]

Water hit the rocks violently, waves rising high, showing their white lining. Sharp scents of the salty ocean were in the air. Patches of grass were wilting slowly beneath the golden sand. Shells were buried deep beneath the sand. The moon was high in the sky. Fireflies lit up the ocean, showing a dreadful scene.

A ship lay crashed on the sand. Men were all around the ship, dead, with many gashes of blood. No more than five feet of the men and ship was a Caspian Sea Wolf. The wolf also had many injuries, but he was the only one surviving. The wolf was unconscious, though.

[Ace]

The smell of the blood filled his nostrils, and his paws drove deeper into the wet sand as the wind rushed through his dark fur. He could feel that deathly stench come closer and closer to him with each passing step. His body darted amongst the rocks, dodging every sharp crag. Each movement forced him to turn rapidly. His muscles tensed with every bound and leap, but his breath stayed calm and even. What had happened here? Finally, the stench hit him harder than ever, and he could see the whole of the shipwreck before him. The light of the pale full moon and the glowing fireflies revealed the ravaged bodies, and he began to walk among them, searching for some life, some sign of vitality. It was then that he noticed the unconscious wolf. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, hoping for a reply.

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The wolf could hear a faint voice. It was almost a longing voice. In fact the voice made him want to stand up. One thing he hated were wolves, but that voice... Even if that voice belonged to the cruelest wolf of time, he wanted to see who that voice belonged. Usually, the wolf did not care about appearances or voices, in this matter, but it was almost inbearable. As best as it could, the wolf opened its eyes to see a wolf standing before. Every bone and spot of its body ached with everything evil. Still, it wanted the wolf before it to know that it was alive. So, the wolf spoke as best as it could. "Help me."

[Ace]

The dark wolf grimaced at the sound of the injured wolf's voice. His eyes glanced over the wreck before looking back at the weak wolf at his feet. A crow called in the distance, and the wolf leaned over the hurt wolf again. "Well, then, I suppose I need to move you from here at least," the wolf growled. Lowering his head, he sunk his fearsome fangs into one of the wolf's hind legs and tried to force the wolf onto his back. After the wolf was halfway on his back, the black wolf began running away from the scene, charging through the swarm of fireflies.

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As the black wolf began to run, the injured wolf lost conciousness again. It began to dream of the images of the wreck, the hurt people, the damaged ship, and the black wolf that it was laying on. The dream became a nightmare, but especially the black wolf. In the nightmare the dark wolf wanted to rip out the poor wolf's heart and let it die. As it was sleeping, it was shaking violently. Still, it lay on the fearsome dark wolf.

[Ace]

As he ran, he could feel the injured wolf convulsing on his back. He growled softly to the other wolf, "Hey, calm down a little, or I'll probably drop you." He shifted his back to adjust the wolf carefully. His feet were making his body glide across the beach. To a passerby, he would have been a black ghost on the sand. He smirked at the thought. He was fine with being a ghost. Nevertheless, he had to find a wolf pack soon. This wolf might not make it if someone could not take care of it properly. His teeth bared in frustration. If a wolf pack could not be found, then he would probably have to drop the wolf off under a tree and watch it throughout the night, and that was something that the black wolf did not want to do.

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The wolf moaned slightly. The only words that it could gasp out were, "Sorry." Then, the wolf fell back into consciousness, having a dreamless sleep. The wolf was then stiller than ever. It did not budge once more throughout the entire ride on the black wolf's back. But even in the wolf's sleep, it thought one thing over and over again. "I can't trust wolves." It did not know why, but it knew it could not. It had not proof of why it should not trust wolves, but it knew it for a fact.

[Ace]

After two hours of fruitless searching, the black wolf gave up. He was not going to find another pack if he had not already. Then, he heard the sound of a stream. Panting, he approached it and lowered the wolf onto the cold soil. The fireflies were here, as well, but rather than giving a grisly sight as they had previously, they revealed the moonlit stream of the forest. The wolf's blue eyes considered the scene in wonder. Then, he turned to face the other wolf who was breathing softly on the ground. He did not feel comfortable when a stranger wolf could attack him while he slept. He glanced back at the stream and had an idea. Since the stream was far from wide, he crossed it, his paws splashing lightly in the water and went to the other side. He curled up among the piles of leaves. When the other wolf awoke and approached him, he would likely make a lot of noise by crossing the stream and leaves. That should wake him, he decided. Letting his thoughts fade, he drifted to sleep.

[Anvil]

The moon was shining brightly on the sea wolf when it awoke. Standing up in the water, the wolf became relieved. The wolf was in its rightful place: the water. The wolf walked deep enough into the water until it was swimming. As the reddish-brown wolf was swimming, another wolf came into sight. The wolf swam to the ground ahead. When the wolf stepped on to the ground with its bare paws, the realization of pain came immediately. Still, the wolf stood in front of the stranger wolf. "What's your name, sir?" the male wolf asked in a calm voice.

[Ace]

The black wolf had heard the other wolf coming through the water, and his blue and white eyes had opened just in time to see it approaching. "My name is hardly of any importance," the wolf muttered softly. "Something that is important is whether you should be walking or not." Frankly, he did not want to concern himself with another wolf's health, but he could not have let it die out there. "Are you alright?" It was his plan to get the wolf to where it could walk again, and then they would go their own ways.

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"Hm." The injured frowned upon the black wolf. "My paws are sore and my back has a major gash, but I shall be fine soon. I should be able to walk normally in a few days. When that is so, I am going to get out of this place, and find the hugest ocean in the world. There is where I will spend the rest of my life. I may need a few herbs in the meantime, but like I said, I shall be fine soon. I have to say thank you, but that is all. I'm going back to my sleeping area," the wolf said to the dark one. He turned around to go back, but then he paused. "I do have to ask one thing, though. Where's your pack? I thought wolves were supposed to be in packs, not alone..."

[Ace]

The black wolf did not raise his white-tipped tail in anger. It was not an insolent question, and he replied simply, "I don't have a pack. I left my pack along time ago. To be honest, I was raised by humans. As I said, you wouldn't want to hang out with someone like me anyways. I'll stay with you for the night, but in the morning, I'm leaving. I have my own journey to attend to."

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The wolf nodded. "Well, I better be off, now." With that he turned around and walked back to his sleeping thoughts. When he lied down, thoughts began racing through his head. Will I be able to find more humans again? If I do will they all die too? Will I die with them? Has my life forever changed? The fearsome questions in his head did not leave him the least bit at ease. He lay on the ground for endless hours it seemed. Still, sleep did not come to the unfortunate wolf.

[Ace]

The black wolf found that sleep came easily that night. The stars above were a friendly sight, and the sound of the running river was rather enticing. His rest was dreamless, which was a considerable blessing. Nightmares had come to him far too often lately, but it was without bliss. Gradually, the sun peeked through his eyelids as the dawn came.

[Anvil]

It was dawn and the wolf finally got a few hours of sleep. He rose from his spot and fell into the river, filling blissful water wash over his tired body. Still, the water refreshed him greatly. After his nice moment, he began to stretch. He began to run then. He ran as fast and far as he could. There not one bit of panting coming out of his mouth. He smiled with such joy. Running was amazing to him. After such a long time on his wondrous ship, it felt amazing to run once again. As he ran he recalled his injured leg, he knew for sure that at that second, it would hurt again. Still, it did not hurt. He felt better than ever. He knew he would feel pain later, but he felt like the wind.