6 Chapter 6 - A Friend Among the Wilderness

I woke up with heavy eyelids, the chirping of the birds resonating together with my rumbling belly. I yawn, stretching my paws and claws, until the lack of weight on my back makes me have a sudden panic attack as all that happened yesterday downs on me, making me quickly search for my brother only to find him laying beside me, deep asleep and even snoring a little.

The sound of his heartbeat was like music to my ears, making me heave a sigh out as I look at his sleeping calm face. With a quick look I see that my stamina went back to normal, only with a "slightly hungry and thirsty" over the status line. My brother's, however, was still like this: 

HP: 30-70

MP: 300-300

SP: 85-125

Status: Tired, Lack of Blood, slightly hungry and thirsty.

Ok, at least he didn't get anything worst like an infection and is recovering fast from the wound. The problem now is how am I supposed to hunt alone and bring water to him? Hell, I hadn't left the cave that we were born before without mother, and now I'm completely lost, alone, and in a strange place, and in need to care for both of us.

My little stump tail goes back and forth, annoyed as I think about the situation we were in; it didn't take a genius to know how bad it was for a pair of pups to lose their mother in the wild.

Especially in this weird magic woods, where anything was possible.

I shake my head. No, I should focus on getting food, anxiety wouldn't get me anywhere, and most importantly… I needed to become strong. As cliché as it sounds.

Wait…What does cliché mean?

Ugh, where are these words coming from?

I lick my nose when a thought comes to mind; That's another thing too… I'm not a simple pup it seems, I have the advantage of intelligence, of these unique abilities that Reincarnetad brought with it.

I wasn't a young naïve pup. A pup, yes, but with more up my sleep that my brother and others from my age have.

I need to stay hopeful, I think, nodding as I stretch my sore limbs, feeling better than yesterday, and give a big yawn. I Move my brother into a crevice, hiding him in the shadows and make sure that the cave is safe; no bones, no scratch marks, no signal of life or an occupant. Good.

I didn't even have time to grieve for mother.

It may have been only for a month, but for that period she was our world; the food bringer, the shelter, the protector, and I could tell with one look how much she loved us. I'm sorry mother, sorry that we could not even take your body away from those creatures.

Anger wanted to boil inside of me, and I let it. Better been angry than sad and depressed; At least it would help me keep yourselves alive.

I reached the outside of the cave, the blinding light of the sun hitting me square in the face. Ugh. Yesterday we had a feast, but me alone wouldn't be able to take something so big, so better try foxes and rabbits for now.

One good thing at least is that I already know their smell, and I scent it before coming here.

Hm…Maybe I could give blood for my brother to drink for his thirst, but how would I make him drink? I hope he wakes up soon…

A chilling void spirals inside me once I start walking away from him, letting him alone, unconscious and defenseless inside a strange cave.

Shit, don't start it now, get a hold of yourself. The quicker we are done here, the better.

It took longer than I would like but I found the rabbits; but even worst was to hunt them down. At least I knew a few things from… whatever those memories and clasps of information came from, so I advance against the wind, stay low, and wait patiently.

With my belly on the ground and half a day later I get closer to their nests, and unfortunately for them I was not a normal hound; so when they try to hide, I pour a blast of flames inside their holes underground.

Many escape using the other openings, but most get out confused and sick from the smoke, slowed down enough for me to grab them by the neck and squish.

Their desperate cries make me sick, but I do not let go.

The smell of blood would bring other predators - lesson learned -, but there was nothing I could do about it.

As night starts to come and cover the sky in purple and dark blue I dash back towards the cave, only slowing down by the entrance as my eyes scan the place up for any signs of intrusion.

That's when I hear something… A little voice emerging from inside the cave as I walk in.

 "B-brother?"

 An arrow of happiness pierces my heart at the sound of my brother's voice. His first word is brother? Awwww, that's too cute for my heart; I-I mean, I'm glad he is better now.

 "I'm here pup. Are you hungry?"

 He nods, his eyes glinting happily as his stump tail wiggles back and forth.

 I droop the rabbits in front of him, sitting with my back straight and my ears up. I overlook the entryways as he got out of the hole.

 "Here, eat it all."

 "But what about you?"

 "I ate a few outside, don't worry about me. What you need to do right now is to regain your strength. Now hurry up" I said moving my paw up and down.

He eats, content, and I needed to hold back the rumble growing in my belly. He needed the food more than I, to replace all the blood and energy he lost.

And I had nimble a little of meat before, just barely enough, but he didn't need to know that.

I was lost in thought when he finishes his meal, a happy light filling his eyes.

"Thank you brother, you are the best"

I snort, looking away. Of course I'm.

"Now now, what would mother say about that appearance hã? She taught you better than that. Clean that face up, uhm."

He smiles, licking off the blood dripping from his snout.

"You are no better yourself brother."

"Nothing I can do about it now. Now you go back to sleep, I will be gone for a little longer, ok? I will be back by night"

He didn't look happy but agreed, yawning as he disappears in the hole. God, I needed to sleep too so badly, but I haven't eaten my fill yet, and I needed to learn how to take care of us fast.

Even more because we still had the humans to worry about; And they weren't going to wait for us to grow and get stronger.

~~~~

I had a fox after a little more than two hours searching and hunting and was ready to head back the cave when something caught my attention.

The smell of fire and smoke, coming from the north.

Mother?

It wasn't possible, but few creatures could make fire… and one of them were humans. Funny that they couldn't even control the flames but would try nonetheless.

It wasn't far, so for our safety it was better to check it out; not only because I was curious, of course.

Hiding in the shadows I got another level up in my stealth skills. Following the smell, I ended up with the vision, between the foliage, of a circle of fire at the slop of the small hill, the flames appearing celestial over the cover of the night, even more ethereal when I start to hear singing and chanting, something tribal and enchanting, while some creatures danced in circles around the fire, stomping their feet and making the ground shake.

That got me in a trance. I have never seen or heard such a fine combination in my life. It was tribal, animalistic, filled with life and words that unfortunately I could not understand, like a calling to the forest.

"Oh, is just a small pup"

I paralyze in place. The voice came from behind, far too close for comfort.

"Don't need to be scared little one, we mean you no harm"

I look behind me only to see an enormous white deer with his blue round eyes looking straight at me. His horns were huge, like the branches of a tree, growing all around. He flapped his ears at me, a friendly frown on his face.

"Did you like our little dance, little hound?"

"H-how can I understand you? Who are you?" Probably not the smarted questions to make, but were the first ones that came to mind. He cames closer, stinking his white hooves on the soil with every step, his blue-sky eyes holding my attention.

"I speak a little of your tongue, though some barks and shouts are hard to make. I'm Elfihe, leader of this humble deer herd." He walks beside me, laying down, and for the first time I saw that flocks of snow surrounded him like butterflies, soon covering the floor around him, but never reaching me, as if he knew that ice would make me uncomfortable

"You seem… quite lost, little pup. We heard from the forest that some turmoil happened down the hill, including some cows and humans. Wouldn't be you're doing now, would it?" Hey, how did he know that? And it was my doing?

Once he has a good look at my guilty face a melodic giggle resonates from his snout.

"Leader!"

A two-legged child came running up the hill, stopping to catch his breath. I gave him a look over, and he did the same with me, an eager curious childish light shining in his eyes.

He wasn't human though.

He hard horns, still little and hiding in his bird-nest brown hair. He had flecks, and deer ears standing low at the sides of his head.

Once I look beside me my breath was caught; instead of the white deer now stood a man, white smooth skin, long white hair, and icy blue eyes. He smiles at me, making the earrings of his deer ear dance with the movement.

"Don't worry child, life can be hard sometimes, but you can get through it. I can see a fire in your eyes, and as long that that is there you have nothing to fear."

He patted my head, and for some reason I let him. I watch as he walks away, still too astonished by the events to rationalize, like I'm going through a fairytale.

"Wait!"

He stops, and curiosity got the best of me. Information could be vital for our survival, and he was the first creature that did not try to kill or capture us, the only one I could ask anything out of this mess.

"Yes?"

"What was that… singing for? What language was that? And how did the forest told you anything?"

He smiled gently at me, like a parent having his child asking too many questions.

"Why don't you accompany me so I can show you?"

Any doubts and suspicious I could have of him pass quickly; after all, if he could sneak at me like that he could easily catch me or attack, probably been far stronger than I, so no point in thinking that I could escape if he didn't intend to let me go.

He starts to walk in a leisure way, resting his hands inside the big round sleeves of his robe.

"We were singing for the forest, for Mother Nature." He starts as I accompany him, going down to the little hill with the campfire on in. " And in return it gives us advice, the Voice of Nature. You would be surprised at how much the trees and rocks know, old as the oldest of our kind to have ever existed."

"I can do that too?" He looks at me sideways and shrugs.

"You can only know your limits once you have tried them." He continuous, adding: "That language was our own, the same way you have your's little hound. There are as many languages as species, but of course you can use the common language to communicate, so best have that higher up."

We were close enough now that I could see the deer and fawns standing in their humanoid form, some holding hands at the outer circle while others dancing in the inner circle, making a white path of snow behind them.

"This is our goodbye to this forest. Tomorrow we will be heading to the colder parts up north, but will be back here when the winter comes. By them, I hope to see you doing well too." I nod, but when he turns his back on me, I mumble:

"We probably won't be here next year, but thanks for your kindness stranger."

After that, with a full mind, I go back to the cave, thoughts coming and going as the moon shone brightly over my head, a headache coming from the amount of things to think, but still I was more fired up than ever.

I could become strong. I would become strong, to never, ever, have to run from anyone again.

For my brother.

For my mother.

And especially for myself.