Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Moon's Anger ❯ Kept Promise ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The woods were strangely silent for that time of the day. The sun had nearly completed it's cycle and was going down fast. The birds and animals all stopped their activities and scurried away from sight.

Something stirred in the woods, gliding silently through the twilight. It was a strange couple, a man and a wolf. Neither made a sound, they couldn't. The man did not guide the wolf, but the wolf was guiding the man. To most, they looked like ghosts, coming out to haunt the night. The wolf seemed a wisp of grey smoke, and the man beside her, a demon in human form. His hair was black as coal, and his eyes, red as embers.

They were escaping from some unforeseen terror, no one could have guessed what, for only the man and wolf knew. Their escape did not go unnoticed, as they had planned. Moments later, a shrill whistle pierced the silence. They were coming after them. The wolf flattened it's ears against it's skull. The sound rung throughout it's head, and pain shot through it's ears. It did not whine, because it knew the circumstances of their position.

The wolf's cautious yellow eyes spotted something blocking their exit, a chain-link fence signaling the edge of the property. On the other side of that fence was their freedom. On the other side of that fence, was happiness. Unfortunately for the pair, it was far too high to jump, and probably electric. It changed course, running the length of the fence, forcing the man to follow it.

The minutes seemed like hours as they continued their frantic escape. The man was desperate and eager to get out, while the wolf remained calm. The wolf's sensitive ears picked up the sound of trucks, and lots of them coming in their general direction. They were still far away, but time was not on their side.

Things were not going as planned, the pair had no idea that there was a fence surrounding the area, and they weren't expecting the guards to notice their absence that early. No, nothing was going right, but they had come to expect error and would deal with it. Their sheer will to escape the pain and torture that they had endured in that place kept them going.

Soon, the man's legs began to weaken, but he did not slow his pace. They could not afford to slow down. The wolf was powerful, and hadn't even begun to tire. The trucks behind them had caught up so that now, even the man could hear their engines roar. It was the only sound in the night. Not many would have heard them, because in this isolated wooded area, not many souls could be found.

She urged the man forward by running faster, forcing him to. Though the man was in pain, he could understand her reasons and did not want to slow. His legs were screaming out in pain, protesting to the sudden exertion forced upon them.

He noticed that the wolf had changed course once again, it seemed that there was a small burrow in the ground, just large enough for her to pass through. She frantically began digging at the sides, knowing that if she could get the opening wide enough for him to enter, the inside would be large enough for them both to fit. Black dirt flew out behind her as the edges gave way to her powerful forelegs. One such clump was hurled at the man. Scowling, he brushed it off of his body. He caught on the wolf's actions quickly enough and began helping her. Though the man was not as suited for digging, he speeded up the process. Soon, they were both nestled inside and out of the guard's view.

Both had initially worn bands, around the wrist on the man and on the back leg of the wolf. They had been disabled and discarded earlier, so the guards had nothing to go on except sight. Unfortunately, the two were at a disadvantage. The guards had their high-tech equipment which aided their search, and let them see the pair in the dark. Their hole was the perfect hiding spot once the entrance had been partially hidden from view.

The trucks roared past, nearly on top of them. They men inside must have noticed that the two were nowhere to be found, because one truck stopped. The two inside the hole tensed up. If they were found out this late in the game, all their efforts would have been in vain. In other words, they would be killed. No one had ever escaped, but they had done the impossible and they were determined to stay free.

The men got out with their flashlights and guns. The man could feel the wolf shuddering at the sight of the guard's boots. They could hear them talking to one another.

"Look over there," one man shouted from the driver's seat. The beams from the flashlights came dangerously close. He could feel his heart pounding and the wolf sunk back in the corner as far as her body would let her. She let out and inaudible growl. The man put his hand on her neck to comfort her and the growling stopped.

The pair heard a shout that sounded like it came from directly over the small cavern. "They're not here boss."

"Then hurry and get back in here, they couldn't have gone far." The boots disappeared from their view and the trucks roared out of sight. They were safe for now.

Crawling cautiously out of the cramped cavern, the two surveyed their surroundings. The earth was moist from rain that had ceased hours ago. The man's shoes gathered mud as he slowly walked away from their haven. He would have wished to soak up the experience of their first time outside of the facility walls, but their current problem was one that needed to be addressed immediately; they were still on the facility grounds with no way out.

The wolf began trotting toward the fence line, nose to the ground. She could smell a multitude of different things, none helped her in the least. Although a wolf's nose is a powerful thing, she was not used to smells outside of the facility, and had never had a parent to teach her proper tracking skills, though she was certain that her instincts would take over. Her nose soon brought her the fence itself. It made her hair stand on end. It might have been only a simple fence, but to her, it was the only thing keeping her from the freedom she thought she so rightly deserved.

"Well, are we getting through that thing?" The man spoke to the wolf as though she should answer him. Instead, she began trotting south along the fence. The man was left behind, but as soon as it hit him that him companion was leaving, she could hear the dull thudding of his boots behind her.

The wolf did not know what she was looking for, nor did she know what to expect. So, naturally, she was startled when a rabbit shot out in front of her. Apparently, she had gotten a little too close and the animals had decided it was better off making a run for it. She growled and started to trail after it, but something stopped her. The man had his hand on her shoulder, holding her back. He knew what the canine's intentions were, but they had no time for a chase. After all, at the moment, they were the prey.

Glaring at the man beside her, she resumed her trek. Turning around, her head collided with the fence. A shock ran throughout her body, proving that the fence was electric, as they had initially suspected. A muffled yelp was heard throughout the area, alerting the guards of their position.

"Damn it." The man began running with the wolf, who had overcome her pain and had started sprinting as fast as she could southward, in the opposite direction of the oncoming guards. Tree branches and large bushes cut and slashed at them. The man tripped over a few low bushes a couple of times, but always seemed to catch up with the stealthy wolf. After a few mishaps, he discovered that by staying directly behind the wolf, he could avoid anymore accidents. Whenever the wolf dodged something, he did also, whenever she jumped, so did he. It was a fast paced game of follow the leader, but it was hardly a game to those involved.
It seemed that hours had passed when in reality, it had only been twenty minutes. The man was rapidly tiring, and the wolf slowed to an easier speed. She felt that they were safe for the moment, and the man could use a break. The man could not catch his breath though. He felt his lungs constricting and gasping for air. His legs cramped and he started limping as he ran. The perceptive wolf realized the condition her companion was in and stopped for the time being.

"Thank... you...," he gasped out. He collapsed onto his hands and knees and began taking in large gulps of air. Slowly, he was returning to his normal self. Ears pricked up and swirling every which way, the wolf kept guard over him, protecting him as if her life depended on it.
He flopped over so he was sitting up, still not quite normal. Seeing he was not alert, the wolf stalked over to him and thrust her head under his arm. He lifted it to allow her to lay her head on his lap. He sat there, welcoming the warmth that her body was emitting.

He came to his senses and realized that they weren't out of the woods yet. Those men were still out there looking for them, and they wouldn't be safe until they were well on the other side of that fence. "Come on, we have to keep going."

She looked up at him with her piercing yellow eyes, that seemingly questioned as to whether or not he was ready to travel. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

He stood up partially, allowing her time to get off of him. Taking that as her cue, she began trailing along side the fence once again in an attempt to escape. However, this time, they were rewarded. No more that a hundred feet south of them, the fence had been pushed up by a tree root that had grown to the other side of the property. The space created was large enough for both of them to get through without the risk of being shocked again.

The grey wolf dug at the ground, ensuring that they would both pass through unharmed, and then crouched down and made her way under. Flattening herself as much as she could, she crawled and wiggled her way through, mindful of the metal ready to send electricity racing through her body at the slightest contact. Her companion, though, was another story. Although the gap was large enough for a human body, there was little room to move around.
First he laid flat on the ground near the edge. After a moments hesitation, he trust his arms ahead of him, grabbing a root with one hand and a digging into the soft dirt with another, and pulled himself into the hole. Once he had gotten his body as far as it would go, he reached forward and again pulled himself ahead. He kept up this procedure until nearly all of his body was across the barrier.

Suddenly, the two heard the sound of trucks, soon followed by shouting. The wolf on the other side of the fence, froze, and stared in shock. They had come so close.

"Don't just stand there. We haven't come this far to give up yet." The man scrambled the rest of the way, pulling his feet out of the hole, and narrowly missing the chain-link fence. Guards and soldiers arrived moments just moments late of preventing their escape. Lights shined on the fugitives from the three jeeps, and more people stumbled out of the one truck. They took in the sight before them. They, the creatures creators, the superior race, had failed.

The two parties stared at each other in absolute amazement. Only a fence separated them... a simple chain-link fence. The wolf and the man turned to stare at each other. Nothing more was needed. The door to their freedom had been opened, and there was no turning back.

Turning back to the men, the man smiled and said two simple words before the two of them bolted off into the darkness, "We win."

The morning light bore down on them as the man opened his eyes. His eyes were not accustomed to such a bright light and he had to shield his eyes until they adjusted. One quick glance to his side told him that the wolf was up and ready to go.

They had found a small abandoned cave to sleep in. The wolf had spent the night curled up at the man's side for warmth and comfort. Both walked out into an even brighter light.

She scanned the area with awe and wonder. In all of her years, the young wolf had never seen something so completely breathtaking. The forest had waken up with the sun, the sunlight itself was shining through the leaves, creating a pattern of shadows on the forest floor.

The forest itself was a foreign thing to the creature that had not once been outside the facility walls. Her previous experiences with nature had been short-lived walks through unnatural indoor gardens, while surrounded by guards.

The man watched the wolf with keen interest and amusement. This is what made it all worth it. He, himself, had resided to the fact that there would be no other life outside those walls. It was the wolf who had thirsted so greatly for her freedom. She was a wild creature, who needed to be free.

The wolf's delicate nose caught the sent of water, and she took off in that direction, letting the natural instincts of her ancestry take over. The man followed, always keeping a close watch on his companion.

The gurgle of a stream could be heard, and her ears perked up with interest. On arrival, she instantly snuck her muzzle to the water and began lapping up the cold liquid. Knowing that she had never tasted anything so good. Her companion followed close behind and watched the grey canine for a moment before kneeling at the edge of the stream. He dipped his hands in and began drinking the water.

After they had drank their fill and were completely satisfied, the two began exploring. The wolf took the lead. Although young and inexperienced, the man trusted her and her senses completely. he might have twelve years older and more experience, but he also knew that this territory was for the wild things, and he did not belong.

She stopped and sniffed at a tall tree. Walking around the truck, she peered up into the branches. She lifted one paw and hesitantly clawed at the bark, as if expecting it to hurt her.

"It is only a tree. It can not hurt you." The wolf looked back at the black-haired man, as if realizing his presence for the first time. His calm demeanor soothed her.

Though he had never experienced nature in his twenty-nine years, the man had far greater knowledge of such things than her. He had studied things, seen things, things that were beyond her comprehension. The scientists at the facility had allowed him to learn about such things through books and videos to quell his boredom. They had learned early on that he did not need physical activities such as others, but only wanted to learn.

The wolf crouched low to the ground, then sprang up with her forearms extended. Upon impact with the rough bark, she attempted to attach herself to the tree with her claws. Unfortunately, she failed miserably and fell to the ground.

The man laughed, his first real laugh in a long time. After shaking off the remaining effects of the fall, the wolf stared at the man long and hard. She did not like being laughed at.
Getting to her feet, she tackled the man to the ground and then leapt off of him. He could have sworn that the wolf smirked at him, if that was even possible. Still on the ground, the man laughed even harder. The wolf's arrogance shattered, and she laid down, her paws on her muzzle.

"I'm sorry, but seeing you like that is way too funny." An angry whine was his only answer.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." The man's stomach growled, and he felt the familiar pangs of hunger. Ears perked up, the wolf heard it too, and the incident was forgotten.

All too soon, they both realized the severity of their plight. They were stranded in the woods, with no food or even the knowledge to get it, and the men from the facility were still on their trail. They did not win after all because this battle was far from over.

"Food, can you do that." The man looked down at the wolf hopefully. Maybe, somewhere in her subconscious, she had the knowledge of others of her kind, and the ability to use it to hunt.

The wolf simply groaned, but was gone again, off the find her companion what he needed. Her first attempts, however, were less than satisfactory.

Coming upon a field, she spotted some sort of feathered creature among the tall grasses. It looked good enough to her, and it looked slow. Driven solely by instinct, she snuck up on the smaller creature. After closing the gap, she waited patiently for it to venture close enough.
Luck was not on her side. She stepped on an out of place stick and it cracked, startling the bird. Deciding it was now or never, she leapt at the creature, teeth bared and claws ready. Unfortunately for her... it could fly.

Now, she had seen flying things of all sizes, and in her training, had been forced to catch them, but they were in room or cages with no way to escape. She was in the flying thing's territory this time, and the great expanse above them was far more than enough to ensure it's escape.

Dejectedly, she opted to return to the trees in hopes that the creatures there would be far easier to catch. Again, she was wrong. There, the creatures were suited to climbing the tree, and it had been proven earlier that she couldn't.

One such creature, small, brown, and with a bushy tail, had bitten her. She was standing on the ground at the base of the tree it had run up. It was chattering at her in it's own language from the high branches, not caring in the least that she was at least ten times it's size.

She'd had enough. Some stupid brown thing was not going to humiliate her. Gathering up the last of her dignity, she growled loudly and snarled at the fluffy menace. Scared out of it's wits, the thing ran up the tree, onto and branch, and leapt into another tree.

With a new source of pride, she trotted away from the site... and straight into dinner.
The grayish-brown creature just stood there frozen in fear. It had long ears on top of it's head that were standing straight up and a fluffy tail much like the other thing's, but smaller and white. It was, well... she didn't know what it was exactly, but it looked like food to her. Crouching low, she leapt at it will full force, just narrowly missing it as it had decided just then to try and escape.

Taking off after it, she was surprised when it didn't scurry up into a tree for protection. It seemed that the only thing that it had on it's side was it's speed - and the zigzagging patterns in which it ran. Dizzying herself from trying to follow it, she decided to strategize. By predicting it's next movements, she could catch up considerably, but not quite enough, as some of her predictions weren't correct.

Her break came, however, when the creature trapped himself in between the stream and a steep hill, carved out by time. having nowhere to go, it attempted to run back the way it came, and right into the wolf's fangs.

The thing's bones made a sickening crunch as she snapped it's neck and sliced through it's life force. The victory was a hollow one, for she had never had to kill another creature before, no matter how hungry she had been.

With a canine-like sigh, she made her way back to her friend.

It wasn't long before she found him. He was resting against the base of a tree, a fire going in front of him. At her arrival, he opened one eye fire colored eye and greeted her with astonishment.

She trotted up to the man and dropped her catch beside him. The man smiled warmly at her. "Thank you. You did well for your first time."

The look of pride that crossed the wolf's features gave him even more reason to smile. "This may work after all, don't you think?" She moved to his side and nuzzled his arm.

Grabbing the creature, he said, "I think this is a rabbit. We can eat it, but first we have to take the fur off and let it sit over the fire for awhile."

He began trying to tear off the fur, but it was clear that his human hands were not made for such a task. Taking pity on him, the wolf torn at it's skin with her teeth, making the jobs substantially easier for him.

Shortly, the rabbit's meat was put on sharpened sticks and held over the fire by the man. It would make a good meal.

Yes, they could survive like this, they could make it in the wilderness. The didn't know what else was in store for them, but anything would be better than going back.