Tales From the Alps Short Stories #8: Rou's Destiny

Rou's Destiny

The two puppies kept squirming over one another. The bigger one was a male, still in his dark gray puppy coat. The smaller one was female, also gray, though with hints of brown on her chest. Laika regarded the vulnerable duo lovingly from her side of the den.

"They're beautiful," her mate, Bryce, said as he reached over to nuzzle her cheek.

"And nuisances," Laika added affectionately. She loved both of her pups very much, but they were far more hyperactive than she'd ever imagined. Especially the male, whom she'd named Rou. His sister at least knew when to quit it, but Rou was seemingly never tired of play-fighting with her.

"They'll grow up as valuable members of the Clan," Bryce pointed out. His amber eyes showed pride, but also something else Laika couldn't quite put her claw on. Worry?

Laika remembered when she'd first met the Clan. Not long after the vanishing of her brother and mother, her father had contracted an illness and died before she had even been able to process it. Being a Lone One pup left on her own, Laika never would've survived if it hadn't been for the kind Clan animals taking her in.

She'd heard that the Clan would sometimes make Lone One pups do awful things: killing other Lone Ones in the way of the Clan. But, for whatever reason, they had instead given her a foster mother, who raised her until she was able to be her own participating regularly-ranked member of Saedin's Clan. Her mate was one of the soldiers of the Clan, as shown in the scars he bore across his pale gray, nearly white pelt. Laika herself had been given the base-guard role, but for now was let off her duties to care for her pups.

"I'm gonna getcha!" Rou bayed as he leapt on top of his sister, Jewel. The gray-brown female let out a surprised yelp, but soon retaliated by playfully biting Rou in his ankle. "Ouch! Let go, you meanie!" he snarled.

"I think Rou'll follow in your footsteps," Laika told Bryce. "He shows the build and spirit of a future soldier."

"Has yet to display the discipline of one, though," Bryce murmured softly, so his son couldn't hear it.

Laika suddenly looked up to hear Jewel yelping loudly, more so than usual. Rou had gripped her left ear between his teeth and kept pulling on it. "Mommy! Daddy! Rou is hurting me! My ear! STOP!"

Laika got up and gently nudged her son. "Come on, Rou, dear. Let go of your sister's ear."

"A twue swoldier nwever gives wup!" he mumbled through his mouthful of ear as he frowned, his blue eyes fully focused on Jewel.

"Listen to your mother," Bryce commanded as he approached the trio of other wolves as well.

"Nwo!" Rou barked.

Seeing no other option left, Laika simply grabbed her son by the scruff. She figured he'd let go when he felt he was being held, but instead he stubbornly clung onto Jewel's ear. The weight of his sister became too much for it to handle, and with a tear and a yelp the female pup fell onto the ground, her left ear bleeding from a notch.

Laika instantly set Rou down. "Rou! Look at what you've done!"

"I'll go get a healer," Bryce muttered before running off.

Jewel was crying. "My ear! It hurts! It HURTS! Mommy! IT HURTS!"

Laika shot Rou a warning glare. The pup at first met her eyes challengingly, but then slowly moved his head aside as a sign of submission.

Laika settled down beside Jewel and started licking the little pup's ear. She looked at Rou again. "Apologize to your sister! Do it now!"

Rou stared at the ground with a frown.