A Journey Home

At Tom’s words Sheeva flicked her ears back, unhappy that they were splitting up here of all places. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and held her tongue, not wanting to start another fight. Stiffly getting to her paws, she moved to the edge of the clearing wanting to get this over with as fast as possible, hoping against hope that Tom wouldn’t find their remaining packmates.

Vixen stood up and then followed behind them. Vixen yawned as she walked behind them.

Tom glanced back at Droplet and Sheeva, his eyes narrowing in observation, before glancing back at the trail and picking up his pace a bit. He wasn't about to pick a useless argument with the dame.

Droplet let a small yawn slip from his maw. Shaking his head, wiping any trace of sleepiness that he had. "Beautiful day" the brute said sternly, trying to create small talk.

“I’ll be fine as soon as we leave this wretched territory!” Sheeva let out a breath and watched it float away as she walked, anger cooling slightly. Looking over at Droplet she continued. “It’s not that I don’t want him to find clarity… it’s just…” Scraping at the snow with one paw she floundered for an explanation. Finally giving up she asked.

“Do you know what happened to the Dawn Pack?”

Tom glanced back at the rest of his companions, giving them a nod before turning his gaze down the hill. They were reaching the base of the mountain quickly and he could see it in the distance. With a small huff, the male flicked his audits back and shot off, sprinting down the mountain until he skidded to a halt at the base of the trail, panting gently. He waited a moment, taking a few deep breaths before lifting his head and looking around. Suddenly a wave of nausea wash over him, sickening nostalgia filling him by the sight of the familiar area.

Tom had stood like a statue at the base of the trail, holding his tongue as sickness stabbed his stomach. It was only when he felt Sheeva at his side did he tear his gaze away from staring blankly at the ground and turn to the Reddish-brown furred dame. "Uhm... Yeah, it's just..." Tom paused, narrowing his eyes slightly and stepping away, "Never mind... I should be heading into the territory. Can you wait here with the others?" Tom looked over his shoulder, "I know you're unhappy with my decision on how to proceed. But please," He softened his gaze and tone, "Trust me?"

Tom smiled back, "Alright," He mused lightly before turning away and heading off deeper into territory at a quick pace. The wind was picking up and it licked eagerly at his fur, it would lick at the top sheet of snow, as well, sending snow swirling in the sky.

Tom carried on further, dropping his gaze to the ground to avoid getting snow in his eyes. It was only when he felt something crunch under his paws did he look up. He immediately felt sick. In front of the small male lay a pile of bodies. He took a step back, step back, teeth gritting as he attempted to keep the bile down. "What the-" He couldn't finish, his words trailing off as he analyzed the pile. It was mainly skeletons slicked with old skin, but few still hung with tattered parts of fur. These were his packmates... 

"Tom?"

Thomas's eyes narrowed and he whipped around, quickly recognizing the voice. Dread fell heavily upon him as he turned full around to face the unknown wolf. "Kodiak." He growled slightly. "You're alive?" He felt the words slip from his mouth in a dead tone. He was shocked that anyone had survived. "No thanks to you, or any of the pack that left," Kodiak's tone shifted majorly, his words now laced with a sickening darkness. 

Tom lifted his head, taking in a sharp breath of air, "Alpha-" He paused, "Kodiak," He corrected his words, "You know anyone who left had to go. That terrible sickness was spreading too fast... We would have been killed." Suddenly the large brute, former alpha of Tom's old pack darted forward, snapping his teeth into Tom's neck, pinning him to the ground. "Bullshit-" The large, smokey gray wolf, growled through the dark fur. "You could have stayed. Only a few did. Now look around, Tom, looked what YOU did." Kodiak snarled, tightening his grip on Tom's neck. 

The smaller male twitched under the weight of the other male, his paws scrapping desperately at the ground as he gasped for air, "I didn't- I did nothing," He growled through his teeth, eyes narrowed in pain. "Sheeva!" He tried to bark for his packmates, "Sheeva..." Kodia echoed, "She is here? That pup?" The former alpha shook Tom deeper into the snow, "Fucking runt." He snarled, "You and she decided to come back for what? Closer? PItty this is what you get."

"Sheeva," Tom called again desperately. 

Almost immediately after Kodiak's teeth were torn from Tom's neck, the smaller male gasped for air, in which he'd been deprived of. The male’s claws dug desperately into the hyperborean ground, his breathing raspy and uneven. It took several heartbeats before he could even lift his head, “Sheeva.” He barely got out, squinting at the female who’d torn the dapples gray wolf from him. A few more moments passed before the male rolled stiffly onto his stomach before pushing up, stumbling awkwardly onto his paws. “Thank you,” He grimaced, his breath still hitching in the back of his throat. “Helvete… jævla hund.” He swore in a tongue unknown to the others. With a ginger shake of his pelt, Tom pushed his focus on the pain in his neck and stepped up next to Sheeva. “I think this is all we have to see…” He growled, staring at Kodiak, who had turned on the two with a defiant look. “You’re thoughts are shrouded, Kodiak. The packmates that left were only saving themselves.” Tom barked defiantly. The brute had let out a low growl, stepping up to tower over Thomas. He snorted, his breath pressing Tom’s nose furs back. “We could have… We had it under control,” He snarled, his lips curling into a dark snarl. Tom narrowed his eyes, meeting Kodiak’s gaze. Steely eyes stared back at him, flickering with what he could only describe as fury and ignorance.

Tom lifted his head, a growl rolling in his throat. Suddenly, he pressed his cranium against the confronting brute, “Bull-fucking-shit we had it under control. I’m not sure if you notice but that’s your pack over there, stack up on each other, rotting! So, when you say ‘We had it under control’ I can’t say I see the same thing,” Tom spat, his words laced with sarcastic venom. Tom chuckled darkly, “And you have the AUDACITY to say that the wolves that left were acting selfish. If anything, we all should have left sooner! Sarah is d e a d! I begged her to leave… But no, she convinced me to stay longer with her. And you know what?” Tom paused with a small chuckle, “She’s dead!” He shoved Kodiak back into a sitting position. Kodiak stayed still, seemingly half in shock and half in anger. Tom stepped past Sheeva, his fur rolling, “You were no leader. You’re fucking petty, a control freak! I should have challenged you when I had the chance. Maybe the pack would be alive. But no. You stayed, forced others to stay too! And they’re all dead. All of them. Because. Of. You.” He finished, panting due to the lack of breaks in between his words. Kodiak now stared at Tom with wide eyes. The gray brute suddenly pushed to his paws and turned to leave, “I-” Was all Kodiak could get out before Tom shot forward and ducked under him, snapping up and grabbing his throat, flipping him over onto his back. The small male quickly sunk his teeth into the former alpha’s ear, shaking his head as he tore the sensitive cartilage.