Of Wolf and Man - Chapter 2 - PG-13
Title: Of Wolf and Man
Author: Kavikalphawolf
Beta: None
Band/Pairing: None yet. (Will be ones in later chapters)
Chapter: 2/?
Rating: PG-13 (For this chapter)
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Action
Warnings: None yet.
Disclaimer: Do not own these guys.
Summary: All Hiroto had ever known were the sights and sounds of his native lands, of the wild open that was his forest home. That was where he had been born, where he had been raised, and where he knew he belonged. However, when there came change in his lands, he did not flee from it like the rest of his pack, nor did he become aggressive, attacking the source of change like some. No, his curiosity would win over his heart and he would be compelled to seek it out, to try and understand it, and by doing so Hiroto will get more than he had ever bargained for.
Comment(s): Finally finished the second chapter. =D Hope you enjoy it!
Previous Chapters: [1]
Silence permeated the air all around them as Hiroto rested in one side of a cave and Saga sat on the other side. The pair of them had taken shelter here, in an abandoned old cave, when the rain had became worse and night had taken hold over the land. There was no telling how close or far from a city they were, or to which way Saga's companions had fled. They all probably thought he had been killed, though Saga didn't truly blame them.
"What are you?"
Hiroto's rounded ears perked and his blue eyes opened, focusing on the injured man across from him. He could tell that Saga was hurting and that was keeping him from even attempting to sleep.
"A shapeshifter." Came Hiroto's reply moments later, lifting his head to better his view of Saga. He could tell that those dark eyes of the stranger were still filled with fear, even though Hiroto didn't understand why he would be scared of something he could communicate with and not be scared of something that he couldn't.
"So you can change into anything?" The man's voice wavered, unsure, scared, wary.
Hiroto shook his head. "No. Just from a man into a wolf, and a wolf into a man." Not feeling the need to explain further he just laid his head back down again and resumed his resting.
Something shifted in the air then, and Hiroto could sense it. Anticipation filled Saga and he seemed almost eager to emit his next words. "Then change into a man. Please." Maybe it was because the wolf form scared him now that they were alone, or because he wanted to see the change for himself, but Hiroto understood in that plead that Saga truly wanted him in his other form.
"I don't change into it often... and I don't have clothing..." He trailed, knowing that the cool air being blown in from the mouth of the cave wouldn't feel too good on the exposed skin of his other form. "No fur or anything..."
Saga didn't say anything else, eyes focused solely upon Hiroto, as if waiting for him to change as he said. It didn't seem to matter to him that Hiroto would be cold if he changed, and so Hiroto resigned himself to do as asked. Standing up on all fours he summoned the mindset to change, and as quick as a flash the wolf was gone and in its place a young human.
Baby-faced though he was, the age was fifteen, close to sixteen. Blue eyes stuck out on otherwise Asian features, and upon his head was mussed, natural brown hair. In height he stood smaller than Saga, though not by too much, and his body was lean, yet there were hints of muscle here and there from his life running and surviving in his pack. His skin was mostly pale, yet lightly tanned from his days in the sun. Someone who appeared to enjoy indoor and outdoor play.
Arms immediately wrapped around himself a little, the cold not as harsh as he would have thought, but still not pleasant either. His body temperature was higher than a normal human's so it warded off some of the cold. Just not all.
"You... You really can change..."
Saga's breathless words drew Hiroto's attention in his direction, and those blue eyes focused on a fearing expression. Why is he scared of me? The shapeshifter didn't understand, and maybe he didn't want to understand that unyielding fear.
"Yes... I told you I could." This time his lips moved like true speaking, something he couldn't do in his wolf form because of the shape of his mouth.
Then there came the silence again as Saga reached out, trying to touch Hiroto, seeing if he was real. The youth watched him carefully and took a few steps closer, kneeling down to his level so that Saga could do as he pleased. That hand brushed his shoulder and then became more firm, cupping his shoulder in the palm of his hand, fingers splayed to touch his skin near to it. "I don't... It's hard to believe."
Hiroto didn't know what to say to that, even though he was sure this was more than just a little shock to the other man. It would be to any human.
Then as fate would have it Hiroto felt that hand descend off his shoulder, and as he turned to meet gazes with Saga he found the man was out cold. At first he believed the man had passed out from fear, but then upon further inspection it seemed as though he was just extremely tired and his body was drained because of the pain it was going through. Hiroto was almost sure he could smell the infection in some of his wounds, and not to mention the probably broken ankle he was sporting.
"Humans are weird."
The words were muttered as Hiroto shifted back and laid himself between Saga and the mouth of the cave, not allowing the cold wind and rain to come in anymore and make the man be cold.
"But... I feel so strange when I'm helping them. Like I'm supposed to be."
Just as he sighed at the thought, a long, piercing howl cut through the night air. It was a call. A call for him. His family was missing him and obviously thought he may have been tangled up in the gun-shooting business that they no doubt heard earlier that day.
The howl was followed by more and more until a whole chorus was called up just for him. Rounded ears perked and then flattened against his skull, Hiroto laying his head on his paws. There was no way he could go back to them now, because if he did he would be killed. Not to mention he couldn't leave this defenseless, wounded human here all alone. It would be unkind.
Hiroto turned his head in Saga's direction and sighed again, picking himself up off the floor of the cave and moving closer to his companion. No answering call would come from him. It was the sacrifice he had made when he'd spoken and revealed himself to Saga.
As those chilling calls continued Hiroto wept softly with his head in Saga's lap. In a few moments of foolishness he'd changed his own life forever, and devastated the family he loved.
"I'm sorry... Please understand..."
That night the howls never ceased. Not until the break of dawn did they fade off into nothingness, and the pack finally relent, trying to accept that the boisterous pup they knew and loved was gone forever.
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The next day found Hiroto tired and with dampened spirits, but as he pulled himself up from his resting place of Saga's lap, he knew something wasn't right. He drew his eyes up Saga's still-sleeping form, until he was met with the other man's face. Sweat dotted the skin there, and Hiroto could hear that Saga's breathing was irregular. "He'll never be able to travel like this... But I can't leave him..."
Hiroto fought this inward battle with himself as he shifted, pressing a hand to a steaming forehead. "He's got a fever too..." He knew this had to be brought on by the infection the human was sporting.
Shaking his head, Hiroto walked towards the entrance of the den and looked out into the rain-soaked morning, the heavy downpour never having stopped the night before. "Maybe... I could find one of his friends. But I can't leave him here...Aw, man... What do I do?"
Turning to look back at the human, Hiroto knew that there was a slim chance Saga could hold onto him if he were to carry him on his back, and him walking was completely out of the question. So was just sticking around here and waiting to be found. It was a conundrum. Beyond a conundrum.
"Wait, duh, I can carry him in human form." Hiroto's eyes lit up when he figured out his problem with a rather blatant solution. Even as small as he was in this form he still had that wolven muscle he had grown up with, and carrying a slender, seemingly light human wouldn't be a problem.
"But... I have no clothes."
Looking down at his bare body, Hiroto tilted his head back and forth before looking over at Saga. "Well... he's wearing clothes... But it's not enough for me too... It's going to be cold..." The last part was said on a whine, before Hiroto sighed and shook his head. "I'll deal with it."
Hiroto walked over to Saga's form crumpled against the cave wall and gently lifted him into his powerful arms, carrying him on his back. "He really isn't that heavy..." The comment was idle as Hiroto moved Saga's head to lay on his shoulder and his arms to be around his neck as well as they could be, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. It would be a long walk and with the rain falling from above, it was due to be an unpleasant one.
The small youth exited the cave with Saga in tow, holding him close and praying the other would stay asleep while he walked. It would be hard carrying him if he started struggling while awake. "I'll get you help." He murmured, smiling some at the warm weight against his back, the only heat source he had right now through the pouring rain without any clothes or fur.
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Hiroto's nose twitched, scenting the air around him as he walked with Saga still firmly on his back. He had been catching some scents of people here and there, but he didn't know if it was Saga's pack he was smelling, or if he was close to a human city. There was no telling how long he had been traveling, or in which direction. The familiar forest had long since passed. This was a part of it that he had never been in before.
"Please where are you?"
It wasn't so much that he was tired of walking, but rather that he was worried for Saga's sake. His fever seemed to be spiking higher every hour or so, and Hiroto didn't know what to do.
"I have to move faster. But I can't run with Saga on my back."
Biting his bottom lip, Hiroto decided that he needed to let Saga down and shift into his wolf form to find someone. It was faster that way, and it didn't smell like there was any danger here.
Gently stopping by a nearby tree, Hiroto slid Saga off his back and made him comfortable at the trunk, laying him against it and out of the still-pouring rain. "I'll be back. I promise."
Saga had woken up only once on the trip, and even then it was barely, and groggily. His eyes had only slightly cracked open and he had mumbled something unintelligible before falling unconscious again. It had made Hiroto feel slightly better at the time, but it only worried him further now.
Shifting his forms, Hiroto took off, nose in the air and paw pads hitting the earth in rapid succession. He just had to find somebody to help Saga.
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It was when dusk started to appear over the horizon that Hiroto finally stumbled upon a human establishment on the outskirts of a nearby town. The overwhelming scent of asphalt, exhaust, human food, and the like hit his nose like a sledgehammer and he recoiled from it, expression set in a grimace. "How do they live here like this?" Shaking his head, Hiroto lifted his nose again and scented the air. Somewhere in the mixture of awful smells he smelled the tall man from Saga's pack.
Tora
Excitement shivered through him and with a smile on his maw, Hiroto bounded forward and kept sniffing, following Tora's smell right up to the door of the building. Like he did with the previous building he tried to push the door back, but it was shut firmly. Oh, come on... open up!
Whining and whimpering, Hiroto scratched at the door over and over. Saga needs you! Hiroto's large claws left gashes in the wooden surface of the door, evidence to how hard he was trying to get inside.
"Yeah, I'll see who it is."
Hiroto stopped as he heard footsteps and that ever familiar voice, his blue eyes concentrated upwards and waiting impatiently for the door to open. This was it. He had finally found help for Saga.
The door opened mere moments later, and Hiroto wagged his tail some, a wolf-ish smile on his muzzle. Tora!
Said man arched an eyebrow as he looked down at Hiroto, evidently not the least bit amused by him. "What do you want, dog?" It was hard for Hiroto to tell if he was recognized or not. Tora's face was set in a horrid scowl that made Hiroto nearly cringed. "Get out of here. Go on! Get!"
Surprise flushed through Hiroto when Tora suddenly stamped down in his direction, trying to get him to go away. "Go!" The shout came angrily, as if Tora had no time for him. No, don't do this, stupid man! Hiroto growled in his mind, though wary about challenging Tora's words and actions. He never had been the authoritative type.
The stamping came again and this time Tora advanced towards him. Hiroto could only instinctively bare his teeth in response, growling and lowering his head, ears back in a submissive, unsure posture. Not that he expected a human to be able to understand that he was only defending himself from the boot headed in his direction.
It got Tora to stop either way, him now being the unsure one. His face was a mixture of confusion and fear. Hiroto wondered what made him so frightened of his kind. Humans were the ones with guns and traps. They shouldn't have anything to fear but each other.
Oh, this is getting me nowhere...
"Look, I'm not here to fight you." Hiroto resigned himself to speech, something he hadn't wanted to do now of all times. He sheathed his teeth and stood normally, seeing shock and disbelief wash over Tora's face.
"Did you just-"
"Yeah, I talked. Now shut up and listen." Hiroto's patience was long since gone. Saga needed help and he needed it now. "Your alpha is hurt and I came all this way to find you. Now come on and follow me. We need to go now!" He moved to the side, as if urging Tora to follow him right that second.
Tora blinked, thoroughly confused and not knowing what exactly to make of the talking animal standing before him. Hiroto perceived that he probably thought it was all in his head with the way Hiroto's mouth didn't move when he spoke in this form.
"My... alpha?" Humans really were morons, weren't they?
"Yes! The other man you were with yesterday! That you escaped with! Saga! Now come on!" Hiroto ran to Tora's side and tugged on his shirt sleeve with his teeth, a whine escaping his lips when Tora still didn't budge. "Look, I know this is a shock, but come on! He's really sick!"
That seemed to snap Tora out of his reverie, and however skeptical he felt, he seemed to understand the urgency in Hiroto's tone. "Alright. Where is he?" Hiroto could tell from the expression on his face that he didn't quite believe him, but either way he was simply glad that Tora was willing to follow him and go to Saga's side.
"In the forest. I had to leave him to travel faster. We need to go right now. It took me a long time to get here."
Tora nodded and dashed back into the house. Hiroto whined in frustration until he saw Tora come back out again now with a jacket and shoes on, and something tucked up under his arm that he stuck over his head. Hiroto guessed it was some kind of protective gear, but from what he didn't know.
"I'll get my motorcycle." He spoke, confusing Hiroto immensely. The young wolf could only nod, though, standing there and waiting for Tora to go around the other side of the building to get whatever it was he had mentioned.
Impatient paws padded at the earth as he waited, Hiroto anxiously looking between where Tora had gone and the forest behind them. Minutes later Tora was wheeling some contraption around the side of the building, much to Hiroto's confusion. Instead of ask, though, he simply turned towards the forest and prepared himself to run. Hopefully Tora wouldn't travel too slow lugging that thing around.
Imagine Hiroto's surprise when Tora mounted the large metal thing and put a key in the ignition, startling Hiroto with the loud sounds it made. Blue eyes widened and Hiroto backed away from the motorcycle, only to be coaxed closer again by Tora.
"It won't hurt you. It just makes me able to go faster. Lead the way. Run as fast as you can." Tora adjusted the thing on his head and revved the engine, again startling Hiroto.
Unsure, Hiroto nodded his head and took off into the forest as fast as his tired paws would carry him. Tora pushed off after him, the motorcycle not as nimble as Hiroto, but able to keep up with him effortlessly. It was a relief and a nerve-wracking thing at the same time for the young wolf.
No words were exchanged as Hiroto led Tora through the forest, somehow understanding the machine's lack of quick reflexes and taking only gentle turns to get where they were headed.
Neither noticed as dusk melted into nighttime and Tora had to turn on his headlights to keep Hiroto in sight ahead and to the side of him. It was unusual for Hiroto, but he wasn't complaining as long as Tora was keeping up with him and headed to where Saga was at.
"How much farther is it?!" Tora called over the roar of the motorcycle engine, Hiroto's ears perking to listen.
"Not much!" Hiroto called back, beginning to slow down, which in turn caused Tora to do the same. His nose led the rest of the way and before either knew it they were coming upon the place Hiroto had left Saga. Hiroto skidded to a halt, followed by Tora, who almost flipped over the front of his motorcycle due to the abrupt stop
Much to his surprise Saga was still there in the same spot, unscathed and untouched. It was a major relief. "Here." Hiroto proclaimed, leading Tora from his motorcycle over to Saga's feverish body. Tora's eyes widened slightly and he knelt in front of Saga, feeling his face and checking him over.
"He's alive.... How?" Tora was perplexed as he looked over to Hiroto's form, his blue eyes glinting red in the bright glow of Tora's headlights.
"I saved him and cared for him last night. I thought he would be okay, but this morning I woke up and he was like this." Hiroto explained softly, panting from all the running he had done. He was exhausted, but he didn't want to show it. Now wasn't the time for it.
Tora nodded what seemed to be a thanks and lifted Saga up into his arms, carrying him over to the motorcycle. Hiroto watched, and for the first time all day wondered what was going to happen now.
"I.... I can't go back to my pack." Hiroto blurted as Tora was getting on the motorcycle, situating Saga between him and the front of the vehicle. "We're not supposed to speak with humans. We're killed if we do."
Understanding sparked behind those pale eyes and Hiroto was grateful for it. "Come on. Follow me back." Hiroto wagged his tail at the words and nodded. As Tora revved up the engine and took off, Hiroto followed, unaware of the pair of canine blue eyes watching him from the shadows behind them.
Author: Kavikalphawolf
Beta: None
Band/Pairing: None yet. (Will be ones in later chapters)
Chapter: 2/?
Rating: PG-13 (For this chapter)
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Action
Warnings: None yet.
Disclaimer: Do not own these guys.
Summary: All Hiroto had ever known were the sights and sounds of his native lands, of the wild open that was his forest home. That was where he had been born, where he had been raised, and where he knew he belonged. However, when there came change in his lands, he did not flee from it like the rest of his pack, nor did he become aggressive, attacking the source of change like some. No, his curiosity would win over his heart and he would be compelled to seek it out, to try and understand it, and by doing so Hiroto will get more than he had ever bargained for.
Comment(s): Finally finished the second chapter. =D Hope you enjoy it!
Previous Chapters: [1]
Silence permeated the air all around them as Hiroto rested in one side of a cave and Saga sat on the other side. The pair of them had taken shelter here, in an abandoned old cave, when the rain had became worse and night had taken hold over the land. There was no telling how close or far from a city they were, or to which way Saga's companions had fled. They all probably thought he had been killed, though Saga didn't truly blame them.
"What are you?"
Hiroto's rounded ears perked and his blue eyes opened, focusing on the injured man across from him. He could tell that Saga was hurting and that was keeping him from even attempting to sleep.
"A shapeshifter." Came Hiroto's reply moments later, lifting his head to better his view of Saga. He could tell that those dark eyes of the stranger were still filled with fear, even though Hiroto didn't understand why he would be scared of something he could communicate with and not be scared of something that he couldn't.
"So you can change into anything?" The man's voice wavered, unsure, scared, wary.
Hiroto shook his head. "No. Just from a man into a wolf, and a wolf into a man." Not feeling the need to explain further he just laid his head back down again and resumed his resting.
Something shifted in the air then, and Hiroto could sense it. Anticipation filled Saga and he seemed almost eager to emit his next words. "Then change into a man. Please." Maybe it was because the wolf form scared him now that they were alone, or because he wanted to see the change for himself, but Hiroto understood in that plead that Saga truly wanted him in his other form.
"I don't change into it often... and I don't have clothing..." He trailed, knowing that the cool air being blown in from the mouth of the cave wouldn't feel too good on the exposed skin of his other form. "No fur or anything..."
Saga didn't say anything else, eyes focused solely upon Hiroto, as if waiting for him to change as he said. It didn't seem to matter to him that Hiroto would be cold if he changed, and so Hiroto resigned himself to do as asked. Standing up on all fours he summoned the mindset to change, and as quick as a flash the wolf was gone and in its place a young human.
Baby-faced though he was, the age was fifteen, close to sixteen. Blue eyes stuck out on otherwise Asian features, and upon his head was mussed, natural brown hair. In height he stood smaller than Saga, though not by too much, and his body was lean, yet there were hints of muscle here and there from his life running and surviving in his pack. His skin was mostly pale, yet lightly tanned from his days in the sun. Someone who appeared to enjoy indoor and outdoor play.
Arms immediately wrapped around himself a little, the cold not as harsh as he would have thought, but still not pleasant either. His body temperature was higher than a normal human's so it warded off some of the cold. Just not all.
"You... You really can change..."
Saga's breathless words drew Hiroto's attention in his direction, and those blue eyes focused on a fearing expression. Why is he scared of me? The shapeshifter didn't understand, and maybe he didn't want to understand that unyielding fear.
"Yes... I told you I could." This time his lips moved like true speaking, something he couldn't do in his wolf form because of the shape of his mouth.
Then there came the silence again as Saga reached out, trying to touch Hiroto, seeing if he was real. The youth watched him carefully and took a few steps closer, kneeling down to his level so that Saga could do as he pleased. That hand brushed his shoulder and then became more firm, cupping his shoulder in the palm of his hand, fingers splayed to touch his skin near to it. "I don't... It's hard to believe."
Hiroto didn't know what to say to that, even though he was sure this was more than just a little shock to the other man. It would be to any human.
Then as fate would have it Hiroto felt that hand descend off his shoulder, and as he turned to meet gazes with Saga he found the man was out cold. At first he believed the man had passed out from fear, but then upon further inspection it seemed as though he was just extremely tired and his body was drained because of the pain it was going through. Hiroto was almost sure he could smell the infection in some of his wounds, and not to mention the probably broken ankle he was sporting.
"Humans are weird."
The words were muttered as Hiroto shifted back and laid himself between Saga and the mouth of the cave, not allowing the cold wind and rain to come in anymore and make the man be cold.
"But... I feel so strange when I'm helping them. Like I'm supposed to be."
Just as he sighed at the thought, a long, piercing howl cut through the night air. It was a call. A call for him. His family was missing him and obviously thought he may have been tangled up in the gun-shooting business that they no doubt heard earlier that day.
The howl was followed by more and more until a whole chorus was called up just for him. Rounded ears perked and then flattened against his skull, Hiroto laying his head on his paws. There was no way he could go back to them now, because if he did he would be killed. Not to mention he couldn't leave this defenseless, wounded human here all alone. It would be unkind.
Hiroto turned his head in Saga's direction and sighed again, picking himself up off the floor of the cave and moving closer to his companion. No answering call would come from him. It was the sacrifice he had made when he'd spoken and revealed himself to Saga.
As those chilling calls continued Hiroto wept softly with his head in Saga's lap. In a few moments of foolishness he'd changed his own life forever, and devastated the family he loved.
"I'm sorry... Please understand..."
That night the howls never ceased. Not until the break of dawn did they fade off into nothingness, and the pack finally relent, trying to accept that the boisterous pup they knew and loved was gone forever.
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The next day found Hiroto tired and with dampened spirits, but as he pulled himself up from his resting place of Saga's lap, he knew something wasn't right. He drew his eyes up Saga's still-sleeping form, until he was met with the other man's face. Sweat dotted the skin there, and Hiroto could hear that Saga's breathing was irregular. "He'll never be able to travel like this... But I can't leave him..."
Hiroto fought this inward battle with himself as he shifted, pressing a hand to a steaming forehead. "He's got a fever too..." He knew this had to be brought on by the infection the human was sporting.
Shaking his head, Hiroto walked towards the entrance of the den and looked out into the rain-soaked morning, the heavy downpour never having stopped the night before. "Maybe... I could find one of his friends. But I can't leave him here...Aw, man... What do I do?"
Turning to look back at the human, Hiroto knew that there was a slim chance Saga could hold onto him if he were to carry him on his back, and him walking was completely out of the question. So was just sticking around here and waiting to be found. It was a conundrum. Beyond a conundrum.
"Wait, duh, I can carry him in human form." Hiroto's eyes lit up when he figured out his problem with a rather blatant solution. Even as small as he was in this form he still had that wolven muscle he had grown up with, and carrying a slender, seemingly light human wouldn't be a problem.
"But... I have no clothes."
Looking down at his bare body, Hiroto tilted his head back and forth before looking over at Saga. "Well... he's wearing clothes... But it's not enough for me too... It's going to be cold..." The last part was said on a whine, before Hiroto sighed and shook his head. "I'll deal with it."
Hiroto walked over to Saga's form crumpled against the cave wall and gently lifted him into his powerful arms, carrying him on his back. "He really isn't that heavy..." The comment was idle as Hiroto moved Saga's head to lay on his shoulder and his arms to be around his neck as well as they could be, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. It would be a long walk and with the rain falling from above, it was due to be an unpleasant one.
The small youth exited the cave with Saga in tow, holding him close and praying the other would stay asleep while he walked. It would be hard carrying him if he started struggling while awake. "I'll get you help." He murmured, smiling some at the warm weight against his back, the only heat source he had right now through the pouring rain without any clothes or fur.
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Hiroto's nose twitched, scenting the air around him as he walked with Saga still firmly on his back. He had been catching some scents of people here and there, but he didn't know if it was Saga's pack he was smelling, or if he was close to a human city. There was no telling how long he had been traveling, or in which direction. The familiar forest had long since passed. This was a part of it that he had never been in before.
"Please where are you?"
It wasn't so much that he was tired of walking, but rather that he was worried for Saga's sake. His fever seemed to be spiking higher every hour or so, and Hiroto didn't know what to do.
"I have to move faster. But I can't run with Saga on my back."
Biting his bottom lip, Hiroto decided that he needed to let Saga down and shift into his wolf form to find someone. It was faster that way, and it didn't smell like there was any danger here.
Gently stopping by a nearby tree, Hiroto slid Saga off his back and made him comfortable at the trunk, laying him against it and out of the still-pouring rain. "I'll be back. I promise."
Saga had woken up only once on the trip, and even then it was barely, and groggily. His eyes had only slightly cracked open and he had mumbled something unintelligible before falling unconscious again. It had made Hiroto feel slightly better at the time, but it only worried him further now.
Shifting his forms, Hiroto took off, nose in the air and paw pads hitting the earth in rapid succession. He just had to find somebody to help Saga.
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It was when dusk started to appear over the horizon that Hiroto finally stumbled upon a human establishment on the outskirts of a nearby town. The overwhelming scent of asphalt, exhaust, human food, and the like hit his nose like a sledgehammer and he recoiled from it, expression set in a grimace. "How do they live here like this?" Shaking his head, Hiroto lifted his nose again and scented the air. Somewhere in the mixture of awful smells he smelled the tall man from Saga's pack.
Tora
Excitement shivered through him and with a smile on his maw, Hiroto bounded forward and kept sniffing, following Tora's smell right up to the door of the building. Like he did with the previous building he tried to push the door back, but it was shut firmly. Oh, come on... open up!
Whining and whimpering, Hiroto scratched at the door over and over. Saga needs you! Hiroto's large claws left gashes in the wooden surface of the door, evidence to how hard he was trying to get inside.
"Yeah, I'll see who it is."
Hiroto stopped as he heard footsteps and that ever familiar voice, his blue eyes concentrated upwards and waiting impatiently for the door to open. This was it. He had finally found help for Saga.
The door opened mere moments later, and Hiroto wagged his tail some, a wolf-ish smile on his muzzle. Tora!
Said man arched an eyebrow as he looked down at Hiroto, evidently not the least bit amused by him. "What do you want, dog?" It was hard for Hiroto to tell if he was recognized or not. Tora's face was set in a horrid scowl that made Hiroto nearly cringed. "Get out of here. Go on! Get!"
Surprise flushed through Hiroto when Tora suddenly stamped down in his direction, trying to get him to go away. "Go!" The shout came angrily, as if Tora had no time for him. No, don't do this, stupid man! Hiroto growled in his mind, though wary about challenging Tora's words and actions. He never had been the authoritative type.
The stamping came again and this time Tora advanced towards him. Hiroto could only instinctively bare his teeth in response, growling and lowering his head, ears back in a submissive, unsure posture. Not that he expected a human to be able to understand that he was only defending himself from the boot headed in his direction.
It got Tora to stop either way, him now being the unsure one. His face was a mixture of confusion and fear. Hiroto wondered what made him so frightened of his kind. Humans were the ones with guns and traps. They shouldn't have anything to fear but each other.
Oh, this is getting me nowhere...
"Look, I'm not here to fight you." Hiroto resigned himself to speech, something he hadn't wanted to do now of all times. He sheathed his teeth and stood normally, seeing shock and disbelief wash over Tora's face.
"Did you just-"
"Yeah, I talked. Now shut up and listen." Hiroto's patience was long since gone. Saga needed help and he needed it now. "Your alpha is hurt and I came all this way to find you. Now come on and follow me. We need to go now!" He moved to the side, as if urging Tora to follow him right that second.
Tora blinked, thoroughly confused and not knowing what exactly to make of the talking animal standing before him. Hiroto perceived that he probably thought it was all in his head with the way Hiroto's mouth didn't move when he spoke in this form.
"My... alpha?" Humans really were morons, weren't they?
"Yes! The other man you were with yesterday! That you escaped with! Saga! Now come on!" Hiroto ran to Tora's side and tugged on his shirt sleeve with his teeth, a whine escaping his lips when Tora still didn't budge. "Look, I know this is a shock, but come on! He's really sick!"
That seemed to snap Tora out of his reverie, and however skeptical he felt, he seemed to understand the urgency in Hiroto's tone. "Alright. Where is he?" Hiroto could tell from the expression on his face that he didn't quite believe him, but either way he was simply glad that Tora was willing to follow him and go to Saga's side.
"In the forest. I had to leave him to travel faster. We need to go right now. It took me a long time to get here."
Tora nodded and dashed back into the house. Hiroto whined in frustration until he saw Tora come back out again now with a jacket and shoes on, and something tucked up under his arm that he stuck over his head. Hiroto guessed it was some kind of protective gear, but from what he didn't know.
"I'll get my motorcycle." He spoke, confusing Hiroto immensely. The young wolf could only nod, though, standing there and waiting for Tora to go around the other side of the building to get whatever it was he had mentioned.
Impatient paws padded at the earth as he waited, Hiroto anxiously looking between where Tora had gone and the forest behind them. Minutes later Tora was wheeling some contraption around the side of the building, much to Hiroto's confusion. Instead of ask, though, he simply turned towards the forest and prepared himself to run. Hopefully Tora wouldn't travel too slow lugging that thing around.
Imagine Hiroto's surprise when Tora mounted the large metal thing and put a key in the ignition, startling Hiroto with the loud sounds it made. Blue eyes widened and Hiroto backed away from the motorcycle, only to be coaxed closer again by Tora.
"It won't hurt you. It just makes me able to go faster. Lead the way. Run as fast as you can." Tora adjusted the thing on his head and revved the engine, again startling Hiroto.
Unsure, Hiroto nodded his head and took off into the forest as fast as his tired paws would carry him. Tora pushed off after him, the motorcycle not as nimble as Hiroto, but able to keep up with him effortlessly. It was a relief and a nerve-wracking thing at the same time for the young wolf.
No words were exchanged as Hiroto led Tora through the forest, somehow understanding the machine's lack of quick reflexes and taking only gentle turns to get where they were headed.
Neither noticed as dusk melted into nighttime and Tora had to turn on his headlights to keep Hiroto in sight ahead and to the side of him. It was unusual for Hiroto, but he wasn't complaining as long as Tora was keeping up with him and headed to where Saga was at.
"How much farther is it?!" Tora called over the roar of the motorcycle engine, Hiroto's ears perking to listen.
"Not much!" Hiroto called back, beginning to slow down, which in turn caused Tora to do the same. His nose led the rest of the way and before either knew it they were coming upon the place Hiroto had left Saga. Hiroto skidded to a halt, followed by Tora, who almost flipped over the front of his motorcycle due to the abrupt stop
Much to his surprise Saga was still there in the same spot, unscathed and untouched. It was a major relief. "Here." Hiroto proclaimed, leading Tora from his motorcycle over to Saga's feverish body. Tora's eyes widened slightly and he knelt in front of Saga, feeling his face and checking him over.
"He's alive.... How?" Tora was perplexed as he looked over to Hiroto's form, his blue eyes glinting red in the bright glow of Tora's headlights.
"I saved him and cared for him last night. I thought he would be okay, but this morning I woke up and he was like this." Hiroto explained softly, panting from all the running he had done. He was exhausted, but he didn't want to show it. Now wasn't the time for it.
Tora nodded what seemed to be a thanks and lifted Saga up into his arms, carrying him over to the motorcycle. Hiroto watched, and for the first time all day wondered what was going to happen now.
"I.... I can't go back to my pack." Hiroto blurted as Tora was getting on the motorcycle, situating Saga between him and the front of the vehicle. "We're not supposed to speak with humans. We're killed if we do."
Understanding sparked behind those pale eyes and Hiroto was grateful for it. "Come on. Follow me back." Hiroto wagged his tail at the words and nodded. As Tora revved up the engine and took off, Hiroto followed, unaware of the pair of canine blue eyes watching him from the shadows behind them.