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Loki was playing by himself with a fallen leaf just outside the nursery. He had been moved from sleeping with his mother a few days ago, having just been weaned. He was so lonely. He didn’t have any littermates. Which is why now that his mother has returned to her pack duties, making herself busy around camp, he has been left to his own devices.
He landed a pounce directly on the leaf, crushing it beneath his paws. With a triumphant wag of his tail, he shredded the remaining bits beneath his paws. His leader, Doomsday, came up behind him, “Impressive catch young pup.” Loki jumped a little, slightly embarrassed by his leader watching him play with a leaf like a nursing pup. He looked up at Doomsday’s face to see a smile on his mouth and amusement in his eyes.
“Come with me,” the pack leader motioned with his tail and began walking out of the den. “Say goodbye to your mother, Loki,” Doomsday glanced at Scandal near the entrance. “Why? Where am I going?” Loki asked, confusion clouding his face. The leader softened his expression, a hint of guilt showing, “You’re going to a new home, a new pack.”
“But why?”
“Just go say bye to Scandal while I gather the others,” with that, Doomsday turned around and left Loki alone.
Loki watched as Doomsday walked across the clearing to Elaine. He looked around his den, the den he had known his entire life, although that was only two and a half short months. He looked at Scandal rebuilding a section of the den that had been broken in a recent storm. With heavy paws, he rose and made his way over to her.
Loki came up on her side, running his muzzle through her fur, “Doomsday told me to come say goodbye to you.” Scandal’s eyes were hollow and sad, “I know.” Loki felt his heart break and tail droop at the sight. “I don’t want to go,” he said, with a whine lacing his words. “I know baby.” Scandal pressed her forehead against Loki’s, “But you have to.” Scandal pulled back to look Loki in the eye, “Doomsday will send you to a home, where you will be loved. A home you will be loyal to above anything else. Promise me wherever you end up, you will serve that pack with your whole heart and body.”
The young pup looked at his mother, pressing his body deeper into her fur, “But I want to serve this pack.” Loki watched his mother’s expression break even further, “I know you do, but you can’t. Promise me you will serve your new pack.” Loki put his head down, staring at his paws, “I will.” Scandal wrapped her head to nuzzle Loki once more, “I love you my pup.” A little bit away, he heard Doomsday call his name, “I love you too,” he responded, before turning to follow his leader.
Elaine, Doomsday, and two other wolves, both older than Loki, turned to walk out of the camp. Loki turned around, to get one last look at his mother before leaving the den. He saw her sitting there with a crestfallen expression, then he hurried to catch up to Doomsday.
Walking out of his den felt like walking through an invisible force, like gravity was trying to pull him back, not wanting him to leave. He pushed through the feeling, focusing on Doomsday and keeping pace with him. Loki pushed any thoughts of his mother out of his head, he knew he would never see her again.
The sun had just risen above the canopy of trees by the time Doomsday vanished behind a wall of brush. Loki pushed through the leaves and sticks, poking his head out into a clearing filled with other wolves. His ears perked forward and his nose began to quiver. Noticing Doomsday had gotten a few tail lengths in front of him, he hurried forward in order to stay close to him. His leader turned to Loki and his fellow packmates, “Now, this is where I leave you.” Doomsday motioned with his head, “Go stand over there with that group of wolves.”
The group turned and made their way to the other side of the clearing, Loki felt his reality fully settle in. Doomsday was the last bit he had of his home, now he had to leave his leader too. He sat there, glum as an older blue and black wolf came forward and nudged a young wolf from Loki’s group forwards. An unfamiliar wolf stepped forward and began calling off traits of the young wolf, and then ended it with, “10 silver cones.” A second unfamiliar wolf stepped forwards, “I’ll take her,” then passed something to the first wolf, coming to collect the younger wolf.
Finally, it was Loki’s turn, he watched Doomsday step forward, calling off his traits, “Tier II Base, 9 Markings, Tier 3, Tier 2, Tier 8, 100 silver cones or 1 golden cone” Loki stood there, confused, What does any of that mean? What does a tier or a base mean?. Before Loki got an answer to any of his questions, a gray wolf stepped forwards, “I’ll take him.” Loki stepped forwards to go meet her, noticing a darker gray wolf around his age behind her, with two different colored eyes.
Loki was intrigued by the new wolf, I wonder if she was bought today too or if she was already a part of the pack. The lighter gray wolf met Loki, “Hello young pup, my name is Rayn. Why don’t you follow me?” Loki looked around her to get a glimpse of the younger wolf, but instead he was met with disinterest in the darker wolf’s blue and brown eyes.
The trio had been walking through the woods not too long, when Loki smelled a rabbit ahead of them. His stomach growled. He was so hungry, he hadn’t eaten all day. He raced forwards, trying to catch the rabbit before it disappeared into the brush. He saw it just a moment before it saw him, and he pounced, landing just a hair late when it darted into the bushes.
He felt the momentum pull him into a roll before he could do anything to stop it. He rolled through the brush, and he heard the sound of running water right before he felt cold river seep into his fur. His paws churned under the water, trying to catch hold of anything below his feet. He felt his body go up and down, at the mercy of the river. He couldn’t see anything but water as the river sprayed in his face. He felt teeth grab his scruff, and he panicked. Images of monstrous things floating in the water flashed through his head, and he pushed and flailed trying to get away.
A voice garbled by water and his scruff in their mouth grunted in his ear, “Stop moving.” He froze, surely the monstrous things in the water didn’t know how to speak to wolves. Unless they did? He turned his head trying to get a good look at his attacker, but all he could see was a dark shape and churning water.
Finally, he felt his body hit the side of the river, when a second pair of jaws grabbed his skin and hauled him out. The young body lay there on the bank, breathing hard, trying to cough out the river water he had swallowed. Rayn crouched beside him, “Are you alright?” His eyes cleared, and he began to breathe easier. With unsteady paws, he got up and took a deep breath in, “Yes, I am fine.”
Behind him he heard the other wolf scoff, he turned around and glared at her. When he did so, he realized she too was dripping wet. Confusion washed across his face, prompting the wolf to say, “Yeah, I had to jump in and save you like a newborn pup.” Shame heated across Loki’s pelt. I wonder where that rabbit went. Rayn’s voice was unlike the gentle way she spoke earlier, instead she sounded slightly annoyed, hardly veiled by the calm she seemed to always have, “What were you thinking, taking off and jumping into a river? Especially since you clearly don’t know how to swim.”
Loki hung his head and mumbled, “I was trying to catch a rabbit.” Like before, the young wolf behind him scoffed. Loki whirled around, fed up with the wolf’s haughty attitude. “Do you have something to say?”
“Do you?”
Loki rolled his eyes, his ears edging backwards at the wolf’s disdainful behavior.
“May I remind you, I am the one who jumped in there to save your drowning skin.”
Loki’s features softened at that; his tail dropped, slightly tucking between his legs. The shameful wolf muttered a soft, “Thank you.”
Rayn looked at the two young wolves, “Come along now, we’re not even half way there.”
The rest of the journey goes by without another issue. Not shortly after, Rayn stopped to hunt, catching the three wolves a beaver to share. The longer they walked, the more Loki’s shame turned into annoyance and irritation at the younger wolf. She didn't have to save me. I would have saved myself. She has no right acting high and mighty, especially not when that has happened hours ago. By the time the trio reaches Rayn’s den, Loki is ready to be rid of the younger wolf.
When they walk into the den, Rayn turns to them. “Over there is where you two will be sleeping. We need two new stalkers, so if that’s okay with you, I’ll have our mentors begin training you for that.” Loki nods his head, realizing just a moment too late that means he has to spend his days next to her. But he remembers his mothers words, he does want to serve this pack the best he can, and if that means training with her, then so be it.