Kabian watched from the Hot Sands as the vessel which had brought the creatures turned around and sailed away over the Undrinkable Water. Soon it was out of sight and his head dropped down. Everything that had been his life had now ended. He was only a month old, and already so much had happened.
He had been told that what he knew was all there was. That there were only the wolves and the forest and the mountains. That this was the entire world. This sudden arrival of strange creatures that walked on two legs and carried sticks of thunder caused him to doubt everything that he had learnt.
Slowly he turned from the water and began his walk back to the knoll. His fur was still sticky with the blood of the night. He walked as if in a daze, hungry from not having eaten from the kills during the night, and confused about what he was to do now.
When he arrived back at the knoll, the carnage of the early morning struck him again. He turned his head away from the bodies of his clan and made for where the meat was kept after a kill. The deer were still there. Half devoured. Some crows had started to attack them too. He leapt at the crows, growling loudly, relieving himself of some of his anger.
They took off from the dead and squawked loudly. This was the only dead they would touch. The creatures of the forest knew too well not to touch the wolf dead. With his meal now secured Kabian ate his fill. He needed his strength for what he was about to do.
Again making for the knoll he did not turn away. Instead he made his way right to the top where the body of Hakai had fallen. His corpse was not there, the creatures had taken it with them. He would forever wander without being led to the great halls. But Kabian could help the others with their after life.
All day he toiled, digging shallow graves for each of the clan, then one by one dragging them up the knoll. With each clan member he placed in the ground his resolve grew, and he gathered new strength. By nightfall the entire clan was buried atop the knoll, churned up now by the constant digging.
Kabian hoped something would grow there, to mark the fall of his clan. He was all that was left of the Hot Sands clan now. And a clan with only one wolf wasn’t much of a clan. As the sun fell below the horizon and the moon shone above him, a tear rolled down the fur of his cheek and fell atop the mounds.
With anguish in his heart he let out a mournful howl. Praying to Monok to allow his clan to enter their god’s halls and be forever at peace. Praying also that Hakai be allowed to enter the halls, even though his body had not been placed in the ground. He didn’t know enough of his god though, to be able to tell whether his prayers would be answered.
When he finished howling he lay down on the ground and looked up at the stars. In the far distance he could hear some howling. Whoever was howling would not have been able to hear him. And from the sound of the howls it was another clan hunting. He quickly stood and scanned the horizon in the moonlight.
He could see the knolls from this vantage point, and remembered what the elder Mitsui had told him about them. They were the homes of the other clans, much like this was the home of the Hot Sands. Maybe he could find solace amongst them. Maybe they would help him.
He looked towards the closest knoll, that of the Oak Wood clan, and started to trot off in its direction. He glanced back at the burial place of the Hot Sands clan, and then turned away with head lowered and made for Oak Wood.
The first light of day started to make its appearance in the forest, and fell between the trees where he made his way. He had no trail to follow and every now and then had to stop and try and get his bearings as to where he was going.
Suddenly a smell assaulted his nose and he drew away from it, back to where the smells seemed normal. Slowly, with nose forwards, he made his way towards the smell. As he neared where he had been before he started to realize what the smell was. Wolves. But not the wolves he knew. Their smells had been different. This was the smell from another clan. He must be at the border of the Hot Sands territory and whoever this new smell belonged too.
As he wasn’t even sure he was on the right track he had to think to himself for a few moments. He then let out a short howl, announcing his presence to the wolves of this new clan. He waited for an answer but heard nothing in reply. He howled again, a little louder this time. Still there was no answer. This worried him slightly, but he took charge of the situation and left the safe smells of the Hot Sands lands and moved onwards.
The smells around threw his nose into disarray, and confusion set itself upon his mind. He staggered slightly then shook his head to remove the smells. His nose cleared momentarily, but the assault continued shortly. He lay on the ground with his tail between his legs and covered his nose with his paws. The world danced around his eyes for a few moments and then seemed to settle.
Slowly his nose adjusted to the smells, and soon he could stand without leaning to one side. He didn’t think it would have affected his elders as much as it did him, but with everything new that was happening, it didn’t surprise him.
As his nose cleared he could smell the distinctive markings left by the clan leader and headed away from them. It was easier further in, as the strong smell of the clan boundaries faded. Soon he could smell the other animals of the forest again. The deer, the rabbits, and the skunk. He shook his head again and changed direction away from the skunk.
Still there was no answering call from the clan, and the light was beginning to get stronger as the sun rose above the horizon. All he could do was push on through the forest, trying to get as close to the clan’s knoll as he could. But without being able to see where it was he would have great difficulty. He panted as his exhaustion started to take hold of him. He had been on the move now since the hunt had started the night before, without any time to sleep. He sniffed at the air, and above the smells of the animals and those of the ground and the leaves and the flowers, he could make out the trace of fresh water.
He moved in that direction, nose held into the air to make sure he didn’t lose the scent. His foot caught a root, but he stopped and pulled it free. Soon after he started walking he came to a very small clearing with a creek running through it. The creek was only small, but it was fresh water. He looked into the small cutting that hid the creek and jumped down to a likely looking rock. Soon he was lapping at the water eagerly.
A sound made him raise his head. He sniffed at the air, the water dripping from his jowls. He didn’t smell anything different than had been there before. His started to drop to the water again, and stopped halfway there. He remembered the hunt he had been taken on. This was exactly the way the deer were taken. The hackles on the back of his neck grew stiff and stood on end as he turned around to look back where he had come from. There was nothing there.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
He leapt back up to the top of the bank and scanned the trees. Still he could see nothing. He hadn’t really expected to, he was still barely more than a pup, and these would be full grown wolves. He pulled his lips back from his teeth in a snarl and crouched down in preparation to pounce.
Slowly something came out from the trees in front of him. It was a wolf. It looked similar to those of his clan, but there were enough differences for him to tell it wasn’t. Especially since he had seen them all die. He had buried them himself.
The wolf that came out of the forest stopped well short of Kabian and sat down on its haunches. It barked a laugh out.
“So now the Hot Sands take to sending their pups to try and take our land?”
One of the wolf’s front paws was thumping on the ground in time with its laughing. He could tell the wolf before him was female. But still, it didn’t need to be laughing at him.
“I do not come to take any land,” he let out in a snarl, “I come because I have nowhere else to go.”
The wolf before him stopped laughing and stood. Seriousness crossed its face. Two more wolves came from the woods on either side.
“What is it you mean pup?” She sounded perplexed.
“I am a pup no more! My name is Kabian! Use it!”
He didn’t let his guard down, and the two wolves beside her started to snarl as well, until she gave them a quick bark to tell them to calm down. They backed a few steps away, but stayed prepared.
“Alright then. Kabian it is. My name is Tomi. Let’s try this again then. Why do you, Kabian, cross into our lands?”
She was very calm, and tilted her head to one side. Kabian relaxed slightly, and the hackles fell flat against his back again.
“I am alone Tomi. I have nowhere else to go.” The memories of the days and nights just gone were still fresh in his mind, etched deep within it. He shuddered and Tomi appeared to take a step forward in concern.
“Alone? Have you been forced to leave through some dishonour? No, Hakai could not do that to one so young. The pups are the life of the clan. To drive a pup away would make others doubt him. And he is a strong leader.”
Kabian’s body was so racked with grief that his whole frame shook. His eyes started to glaze over as tears welled in them. He fell to his stomach. Tomi came over and rubbed her face against his to try and calm him down. The other two wolves came in and pulled her away.
“They are all dead,” his voice was very low, and the three wolves only barely heard him, “some strange creatures came and killed them all.”
Tomi and the two wolves pulled back in shock.
“What you say cannot be true. The Hot Sands were a strong clan. How can anything in this world have killed the whole clan?” She looked at the two wolves with her and motioned for them to help Kabian. “You must come with us and see Kamide. He will guide our paws along the right path.”
The two wolves came up on either side of Kabian and helped him to stand. All three wolves then followed Tomi, with the two wolves staying close to Kabian’s side in case he wandered off course or stumbled.
It was not long before they came to the knoll belonging to this clan. It seemed to Kabian he hadn’t been too wrong in the direction he had travelled, but he still would have missed it if they hadn’t found him by the creek.
The wolves of the clan were sleeping on top of the knoll in the midmorning sunlight. Tomi announced their presence with a short howl that made some of the wolves stand tall. They moved down the hillside to confront Tomi, a small pack of them. They fanned out in front of Tomi at the bottom of the knoll.
“What is it you do here disturbing our rest this morning Tomi?” The wolf in the middle gave a shake of his head at the intrusion. Four other wolves were with him. And soon the two wolves beside Kabian had moved off to join the crescent.
“Stand aside Poi. This is none of your business. I must speak with Kamide.”
Tomi made as to move past Poi, but he stepped to the side to block her.
“I make it my business Tomi. Kamide is not disturbed after a hunt without good cause,” He sniffed the air quickly, “what is this stray you bring?” He growled deeply, “he smells like Hot Sands!”
The crescent that surrounded her and Kabian moved back slightly, then readied themselves to attack.
“How dare you bring Hot Sands scum to our knoll! You cause us dishonour Tomi!”
Tomi tried to ignore Poi, but the wolves surrounding them seemed to be making Kabian even more nervous than he already was. She let out a small howl that was cut off by Poi.
“Move Poi! What I do here is for the good of the clan.”
“You don’t know what is good for the clan Tomi. Be careful lest you be driven away!”
“Enough!” a growl came from up the knoll of them.
Poi’s tail started to move between his legs, but stopped and straightened. He turned around to face the growl.
“I am sorry, Kamide, that you have been woken. But it is only Tomi with a stray. Nothing to cause you alarm.”
“You try so hard to act like the clan leader Poi. But yet you still dare not challenge me.” Kamide paced down the side of the knoll and past Poi, who backed away. The rest of the wolves also backed away and sat on their haunches.
“Tomi would not want to see me unless she deemed it important.” He threw his gaze in Poi’s direction and Poi flinched. Then he turned to Tomi and Kabian. “So tell me Tomi. Why is it the Hot Sands young come into our land?”
Tomi bowed her head to Kamide as she spoke. “I think it best he tell the story himself my lord. But what from he already told us, it appears the Hot Sands are no more.”
Kamide was taken by shock at the news and his paws stamped the ground quickly and then were still. His eyes were wide in what might have been called fear. “There is no way that is possible. There is nothing in this forest that could kill an entire clan. Tell me what has happened pup.”
“He prefers to be called Kabian, sir.” Tomi quickly interjected.
“Well then, a name already, and his eyes are still blue. Cannot be more than two months old. Then Kabian it is. Kabian, tell me what has befallen the Hot Sands.”
Slowly Kabian raised his shaky eyes to look upon the wolf that was standing before him. He looked much like Hakai did, in size, but his manner was different. The wolves around him seemed almost fearful. He dropped his eyes again as he began to relate the tale.
“Some creatures came from the water,” his voice was low and didn’t carry far, Kamide moved closer to listen, “they came during the night. We met them down on the Sands. But they suddenly killed old Mitsui.” He sniffed.
“Yes, we heard the mourning cries for Mitsui. He was a gallant old fighter. I was glad to hear that Hakai had spared his life.”
This last comment took Kabian by surprise but it didn’t matter now, they were dead, so he didn’t ask, just continued the tale.
“We mourned for his loss. But while we were sending him to the halls of Monok, more of the creatures arrived. They killed the rest of the clan on our own knoll. I was amongst trees when it happened; I had fled at the start of the attack. My litter mates were all killed in front of the den. And even Hakai died, leaping at the leader of the creatures. There were only seven of them. But they killed everyone.”
Kamide was shocked. How seven creatures could kill an entire wolf clan, he could not fathom. “This still seems impossible. What were they? Where are they now? They must be killed before they can be allowed to attack anyone else.”
Kabian just shook his head solemnly. “They have gone. Back into the Undrinkable Water from where they came. I do not know what they were. Not even Hakai and Mitsui knew what they were.”
Kamide laughed. “This is the wildest tale I have ever heard. Strange creatures coming from the Water, killing a clan, then going back in to the Water. I have never before seen such as this. But I must take it as the truth. We didn’t hear the sounds of their hunting.”
Kamide turned to the waiting wolves. “Poi, take some wolves, have a look at the Hot Sands knoll and go out to the Sands themselves. Don’t go on them, but see if you can find these creatures young Kabian mentions. I want to know if there is any truth in this tall tale.”
Poi turned and left the clearing with a few wolves in toe. Kamide turned back to Kabian.
“Do not fear Poi yet. He wishes for my position as leader, but doesn’t have the strength to take it from me. Come rest, you look tired. Tomi will watch over you. We’ll see what Poi says when he gets back tonight. Then we will hunt our deer and feast in honour of the Hot Sands. Enjoy.”
Kamide turned and moved quickly back to his spot on the knoll. Tomi came over to Kabian and led him away.
“Kamide seems to like you,” Tomi said softly to Kabian, “I think it’s because you had the courage to seek us out to tell us. But be careful here. There is no trust for the Hot Sands.”
She led him to a small section of the knoll that was away from most of the clan but still in the sun. She motioned for Kabian to rest, and then stood watch on him as the day wore on.