Wolves of a Desecrated Earth (Dark Huntress and Julie)

[Carl]

"Alright, step lively, and keep your heads down, we'll be there before you know it," the mutt replied, turning and trotting away down the alley. He felt surprised and accepted. These wolves were letting him lead them around. They chose to trust him not to lead them to humans and certain death. "I won't let you down. You guys can count on me. My blood isn't an indicator of my personality, you'll see that," he said eagerly as he bounced up onto a crate beside a building and looked over his shoulder at the wolves.

When the she-wolf told Bilkiba not to sneak off, he wrinkled his nose at her. "What do you care?"

He was planning on sticking with them for now anyway, but it didn't make sense to him for them to care one way or the other about what he chose to do. He looked back up to the dog leading them and watched him jump into the building through the window.

Gerard hit the ground hard, casting dust into the air and then trotted forward, looking back over his shoulder again to the window. Rats scampered into hiding as he entered, and the light from a streetlamp poured in through the window just enough to make sight visible.

"Here we are guys, this is it," he said proudly as he smiled and cast his gaze around the room they'd come into. There were a few random holy blankets and pillows strewn about the room that had obviously been left by the humans that had once left this place. There were piles of wood and debris that could help to hide them, and only the one window was broken, so not as much cold air would be getting in. There was an open door at the back of the room that led into another room that was darker and harder to make out features of.

[Dark Huntress]

Ona smiled at him. "Blood seldom is," she replied, sticking her tongue playfull out at him then poking her nose into the space. Almost immediately, she darted into the darker room. A plank ran from the floor to the rafters. Giggling like a pup, she strotted up it, checking if it was sturdy. Fäol shook his head.

"You act like you're a pup, Ona!" he called.

She stuck her head down to look at him, white fur glowingly bright, "Thanks."

Tala gave Bilkibo a pointed look. "We don't like to leave debts unsettled," she retorted. Her tone lightened as she stepped into the room. "I'm Tala. And Eyulf is by Marrok." She gestured to the wolves curiously poking around the rooms. The dark spaces were more comfortable than they'd been in for a long while and for some reason it felt like home to the playful, innocent pack.

[Carl]

"Charmed," Bilkiba said in almost a droll tone, "And trust me, you guys don't owe me a thing. You owe more to that mutt. The little bit I helped only made up for my bad behavior."

With that, he slowly began to walk away from her and into the darkness of the other rooms. He found a rickety staircase in the back and made his way up it, looking for somewhere alone to be. He found himself in a hallway when he reached the top and wandered aimlessly down the hall, turning into one of the rooms on a whim. It was mostly empty except for a chair in the corner and the framework of a bed against another wall. There was a pillow caught between the metal springs and a torn blanket underneath one of the bed frame's legs. There was a little bit of starlight coming through a hole in the roof and illuminating the room ever so slightly.

The dingy wolf padded over to the bed frame and wrestled the pillow lose. He dragged the cushion to the wall beneath a boarded window and positioned it carefully. Then he went back for the blanket, caught it in his jaws, and tugged on it until the corner beneath the metal leg tore loose and let him make off with the bigger part. He dragged it over to the pillow and situated himself on his new "bed." He sighed, laying his head on his paws, and turned his eyes up towards the hole in the roof, lost in his thoughts. He ignored the growling of his stomach and just stared, almost lifelessly, through the little gap into the heavens.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Gerard had snagged a rat and was munching on it happily. The wolves had all dispersed, exploring his little hideaway, and he was pleased to think he may not have to be alone anymore. He had actually been somewhat surprised that the brutish white wolf and come along, but he suspected that one would mostly keep to himself and not be much trouble.

"There's not many holes in this building, so the cold winds don't get in much," he said loudly enough the nearby wolves should be able to hear him, "so it's perfect if you guys came to the city to escape the winter. And the abundance of blankets helps with that too. The humans that ditched this place musta gone in a hurry or something to have left behind so many of them."

[Dark Huntress]

Ona explored the rafters and finally decided upon a little nest in the corner, she pulled a dingy blanket up into it and half of a flat pillow before curling up in her new perch. It was only a few minutes until she heard a voice. "Room for two?" It asked. She poked her velvet nose over the blankets to see Fäol, who'd apparently made it up there, and his own more fluffy blanket.

"Of course," she smiled. The pack had always done a dogpile to keep from freezing. Fortunately, there was enough room for the massive wolf, even without him invading her personal space. "Night," she smiled.

Tala rolled her eyes at the white wolf then traipsed up the stairs behind him. She turned into a different room and was much confused by the room's metal tub and odd assortment of small, soft blankets. With a shrug, she pulled them into the tub, making her own little bed. It was nice. Marrok and Eyulf slept in the front room to keep watch and it wasn't long before the pack was asleep, more comfortable than they had been in a long time, besides just being bushed.

[Carl]

Gerard hopped up and padded over to a corner of the room where a radio was perched. He liked to listen to the sounds of it when he slept, so he pawed at the device until with a burst of static, it came on. He pawed at the dial for a moment and then trotted back over to his own bed and made himself comfortable. The voice floating over to him was that of a human, of course, and it was talking about human matters and concerns, some of which he didn't understand, but that didn't matter. The voice was soothing and he liked to just lay back, eyes closed, and listen. His hind legs sticking up in the air as he lay on his back with a paw over his eyes and a pillow clutched to his chest.

"...coldest winter since...[static]... Post-Earth may not continue to be so... prosperous, though I use the term loosely, as it is now. Estimates show that... the economy is suffering [static] loss of trade with the other cities... [static] more quilt makers. It is suspected that some cities will not survive the winter. [static] ...rabid plague demolishing the population. The Prime Minister of Anglekia has issued a code black in regards to the city's situation, and all civilians are advised [static] indoors as often as possible. Meanwhile opposition from the Federation Party denies blankets and hot meals to the hungry [...] "

The sounds reached Bilkiba on the second floor and disturbed him more than he cared to admit. Having lived in a human home for part of his life, the white wolf understood everything the voice was talking about. The city was expected to perish this winter. As much as he detested humans, without them, it would be nearly impossible for his kind to eat. They wouldn't be able to stay here, that was for sure. He shivered, and curled up into his makeshift bed.

"I miss you," he mumbled out loud, thinking of the warm bodies he'd use to enjoy the proximity of before the fire. It was all long gone, and it wasn't coming back. His human was dead. And his love... he had no idea what had become of her. He didn't know if she survived, or if she fared well or if she was stuck out in the wilderness... He just didn't know. But he vowed that when this city failed, when he was forced to leave again, he would find her. He'd find her, or he'd die trying.

---

Sunlight coming through the hole in the roof awakened the wolf. He stretched, yawned, and headed downstairs carefully and slowly. When he reached the room they'd come in through, his jaw dropped as he saw Gerard grinning beside a huge pile of scraps of food. Next to the mutt was a empty trash bag.

"Whoa..."

"Hungry, grumpy?" the mutt queried in a sing-song voice.

"Where did all this come from?" Bilkiba asked incredulously.

"I have a few tricks mastered by now, you know," Gerard replied smugly.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is. There just so happens to be a human restaurant around the corner from here, and they throw out this much food in a day. So, I snatch the trash bag the next morning before the garbage truck comes 'round, and voila, breakfast is served," he said, gesturing with his paws as he spoke.

"Hmph, whataya know? It seems I've misjudged you. You're not so bad... for a mutt."

"And you're not so bad for a stuck up purebred," the other countered.

"Heh, I guess I deserve that."

"Right. Well, dig in, I'll wake the others," Gerard said. Then he raised his muzzle into the air and let out a low howl, loud enough to get the attention of the wolves who hadn't shown, but not loud enough to carry out far enough for the humans to hear.

[Dark Huntress]

There was a sudden frenzy of scuffles and clicking as the wolves set angled themselves from eachother and charged the front room, eyes wary and ears perk and alert. It only took a few terse moments for them to realize there was no danger of any kind and begin poking around curiously. Tala and Marzokh dug in slowly and carried their scraps to the far end of the room while Ona and Fäol played around for a moment, her sprains mostly healed and nerves dulled with sleep.

"Good morning," she giggled breathlessly as she dashed by Gerard and Bilkiba to snatch a scrap and dart away playfully again.

Fäol rolled his eyes as he came to a halting stop. "You're more playful than a pup," he laughed, nosing through the pile.

"Speak for yourself," she retorted.

Fäol rolled his eyes and turned to Gerard and Bilkibo. "Thank-you," he said hesitantly, tossing his head towards the pile of scraps.