Shadow of the Wolf

The Meeting

The next morning was as usual, but Akira never saw DaKota that morning. Or the next day, or the next day. It was as if what he said was so bad, he just vanished off the face of the earth. Akira never heard Riko banish him, nor did she hear why everyone now hated him so much. She knew it had to do something with Akia. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was that he said before everyone gasped.

Akia...Akia is... She couldn't remember anything else. Akira had attempted to ask Kamiko about DaKota, but he would either just look at the ground and shake his head sadly, or walk away. The den felt empty without DaKota around, and she missed him terribly. Akira could usually walk in and find Kamiko lying in DaKota's bed, whining and fidgeting, like a lost pup that couldn't find it's mother. She knew Kamiko's best friend was DaKota, they always would hunt together, eat together, and she would sometimes see Kamiko push his bed closer to DaKota's every night, just to be closer to him. She had wondered why Kamiko liked DaKota so much, then it hit her. Throughout the tough months when Akia had been exiled, and she and Kamiko had no father, DaKota had become their father figure. He always brought them prey to eat when they were too weak or sick to get prey from the stock. Akira frowned and rested her head on her paws when she thought about DaKota, and slight whines were very common in the den.

Akira woke up from her depressing sleep. "Kamiko," she shook him awake. "I'm going out to look for DaKota."

Kamiko looked at her with sad eyes, but she could notice a small glimmer of hope in the dark blue eyes. "Akira," He reminded her, "DaKota is gone, and I don't think he is coming back,"

Akira shook her head, "No, Kamiko. We should at least try."

Kamiko thought about it for a while, then nodded. "I will tell Riko we are just going on a patrol,"

Akira and Kamiko entered the thick forest, sniffing every tree and rock for any sign or scent of DaKota. "Ugh," Whined Kamiko, "I can't find anything!" His voice was choking, and his eyes filled up with tears. Akira rushed to his side before he fell over to the ground and gave up.

"Come on, Kamiko," She whispered in his ear. "We can find him".

Kamiko lowered his head, then realized something. "The den!" he yelled.

"We were just there," Akira reminded him. "What would we find there?"

"Not that den! DaKota and I always had a place to sleep, in case we couldn't get back to the camp in time from our hunts!" Kamiko leaped forward, and Akira struggled to keep up.

Kamiko stopped when they reached a large tree, surrounded by rocks and bushes. Kamiko broke into a wide smile then sniffed the air. "I can't smell anything," whined Akira.

"We don't have to smell him, come on," barked Kamiko.

Kamiko led Akira to a small opening in the ground right beneath the large tree. They both slipped in to a large opening, surrounded by thick, smooth wood, and right in the middle of it all, something that seemed to resemble a walking dog corpse, was slowly breathing.

"DaKota!" Barked Kamiko, and he rushed forward and layed down beside him, and licked his ear multiple times.

"Kamiko..." DaKota rasped.

"What are you doing here? Riko never banished you!" His eyes began to fill with tears again.

"No, you don't understand, Kamiko." DaKota began. "If I had told the pack the truth, they would have me killed on the spot. I had to leave, I had to get away from them."

"What?" Said Kamiko, completely confused.

 DaKota looked around and finally spoke, "Akia is my brother," He answered.

Akira tilted her head. So what? We're his son and daughter, how is being Akia's brother any worse?

DaKota seemed to tell what Akira was thinking. "You two," he rasped. "Are from different litters, 3 years apart."

"We know" Responded Akira.

"Where are your other litter mates?" asked DaKota.

Akira paused, then looked at Kamiko, who looked back at her. 

"Well-" Kamiko began.

"No, you don't know." hissed DaKota. "You will find out, but on your own time," He choked.

"But, that leaves one question," Said Akira.

"And what's that?" Asked Kamiko.

"Well, you said that they would kill you, so you had to leave. But, they never banished you, so they must not have been that mad at you, and if you lied, what did you tell them?" Akira asked.

DaKota looked at her for a long time, then answered. "You see," He said, "I didn't lie to them, I hoped you wouldn't come and look for me, I didn't want to say this, Kamiko, but."

"What?" Asked Kamiko.

"I came here to die."

The way DaKota said it seemed so unreal, so fake, even kinda funny, in a way. Akira and Kamiko exchanged glances, then looked back at DaKota, who seemed to be dead serious. Akira knew that when dogs get old, they tend to run away to die, but she had never actually thought DaKota as being old, she never took time to think about it.

"Please, Kamiko." He said, as he saw Kamiko's face welling up with tears once more. "My time here is over, and I want you to know this," he said.

"Anything, DaKota." said Kamiko as he looked at the ground.

DaKota smiled for the last time, and spoke. "It will be okay." He layed down his head on the dirty ground, and Kamiko and Akira watched with tears as his last breath left the limp body of the old German Shepherd.

On their way back from burying the body, Akira had stopped and looked  back at the tree. Suddenly, a dark figure shot across her field of vision, "Whoa!" She said, as she lost her balance and fell over. Without Kamiko noticing, she got back up, and looked to where the figure had come out of. Strange, she thought to herself, then returned back to follow Kamiko.