I wake and the first thing I register is the feeling of freefall. A blank space fills my head before my memories strike back into gear. Sweetie, drug, crate, falling? Then some idle part of my brain goes, welp, I’m going to die. I give a howl of fear as I peek through a crack in the floor, seeing the now rapidly approaching ground.I land and the crate disintegrates from the impact, leaving splinters to fly into my skin and my body to slam into the ground.
Standing with a groan I take a quick assessment of my body. Nothing broken, but everything is tender. “Where am I?” I say aloud as I do a 360 of my surroundings. I’m surrounded by thick foliage, almost impossible to see if anything is coming. Tall trees like I’ve never seen before nearly block out the skys gentle blue light. This isn’t Little Hootie’s forest… and I don’t think we’re in Adventure bay anymore…
I hail Ryder from my pup tag, and get nothing but static. The only way this thing wouldn't work is if there aren't any satellites nearby. And nowadays, if there aren't any satellites… I can’t be near civilization. My police survival training kicks in near immediately after that thought. “Just like in boot camp yeah! First thing I need to do is find fresh water.” So I head out, following the darkest patches of grass. The darker patches mean that there’s water nearby. It’s not long after when I feel my paws start to sink into the soft soil, making slopping noises as I continue on. “So far, so good!”
It only takes a couple more yards before I begin to hear the gentle splash of a flowing creek. Maybe the odds are in my favor! I think happily as I take a drink. Snap! I shoot up, my hackles and ears raised, my teeth bared, a grow ready deep in my throat.
Like a group of snakes, 8 wolves crawl out of the bush surrounding me. “What do we have here? Looks like someone’s pet has wandered to the water hole.” A darker furred one yaps, “Didn’t your precious human warn you not to wander too far?”
They all laugh as they make a tight circle around me, Wolves, wolves, what do I know about wolves? They are pack animals, they are like me. They eat by preying on animals that seem weak… so don’t appear weak! I puff my fur out as much as I can, making me appear bigger. The growl I let out sounds twice as scary as anything I’ve ever tried before. Tail sticking straight in the air to show confidence, I slowly make circles in their little ring. If I let them get me from behind, it’s game over. I can’t turn my back for long.
“With all due respect, I didn’t know this was your territory. If you’ll allow me safe passage, I’ll be on my way.” I growl at the speaker, locking eyes with the big brute. We stay that way for what feels like hours, neither repenting, until he begins to laugh. “You’re obviously dense if you think you can move right through. This whole forest belongs to the Great Wolf, the leader of the largest wolf pack in the known world. There is no place for you dog!” He spits, using the name like an insult.
“If there is no place for me, then let me leave! You damned fool! I just want out! Go ahead, attack me you mutts. You’ll attack me all at once won’t you? YOU HAVE NO HONOR!” I howl at his face, my ears flat and my tail swishing slowly. “As far as I care, one on one I could take any of you, wanna try it? You seem like the big d*ck here, me and you. Not one vs 8, one on one.”
The whole pack busts out in laughter, causing my growl to become something monster sounding. “You poor poor fool, I’m not the Alpha of the forest pack, he is.” He says as he steps aside and bows his head, a wolf twice his already huge height comes out of the bush behind him.
His fur was so dark it was almost black, his eyes on their way to matching. His fangs alone were the size of my paw, and the rest was in proportion. Oh my God… these wolves aren’t natural. The Alpha shakes his great head and howls.
I stand frozen, my tail going limp behind me. This isn’t what I had in mind… I think as I watch more and more wolves appear out of nowhere. As if materializing from nothingness, dozens, tens of dozens of wolves seem to make the forest turn to fur. “You pup,” The Alpha growls, “we’ll give you a 2 minute head start. After that… it’s up to you. If you can make it out, I’d make sure never to return. If your skills aren’t enough, and we catch you…” He leaves that threat hanging in the air, instead choosing to bark. A straight line forms to his left.
Without a second to reconsider, I dead sprint down the line. The last thing I hear come from the Alpha’s lips being nothing I wanted to hear. “After the two mintues are up, if you see him, bring him to me.”
Running as fast as I can, I run away from the wolves, leaving their pants and howls behind me. “Why did this have to happen to me?” I whimper as I dodge trees left and right. Way to make friends in new places Chase! I stop beside a big tree to catch my breath, “I’ve just got to get to the forest's edge.” A long howl has me back to running, the thundering of many pawsteps lighting a fire behind me. If I can live that long…
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The Jesters Forest
FanficChase and Sweetie are in love, neither knows it, but they both can feel it. When one of them makes what they think is a crushing mistake... it turns out to be a ride of a lifetime. Will they beat the odds and find love? Or will the force or their re...
