18smiths on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/18smiths/art/Fire-and-Ice-Chapter-1-Reflections-44872763518smiths

Deviation Actions

Fire and Ice ~ Chapter 1: Reflections

Published: Apr 19, 2014

412 Views

Description

I look out across the land, to the rocks where I was to take up my place during my patrol shift. I back up and smirk. I'd been practicing. With a large few bounds, I leap.

"Umph!" I yelp as I smack into the side of the stone. Too low. I drop to the grass with another thump.

I sit up and shake myself out, my ears flapping along the sides of my head. Jumping is not my strong suit. Not a lot is. Just running. Must be why I was ranked as a patrol guard.

Patrol was one of the lowest ranks one of us could get. It fit below messenger and above pup-sitter. At least I wasn't an Omega. I shudder at the thought. That was the position of the lowest. Omega's were stripped of their name and shown no kindness, only hostility. That's just the way things are, and we have to learn to except that.

I huff and gaze back up at the rock. Scowling at it, I vow to myself that I will someday beat it at its own game.

"Great job, there, little brother," A female voice laughs. I turn around to see my sister's brown pelt turn the corner.

"Shut up, Mori," I grumble. I straiten, holding my head high. I know I'm supposed to lower it to a wolf of higher rank, but she is my sister, and I won't allow her to control me all of the time.

"Patrol guards have to be able to actually jump, you know," she teases, trotting over to nip my ear. "You know Alpha won't give you an easy time if you don't start showing some progress."

I flatten my ears and shift my gaze to the ground. She was right. Our Alpha would chastise me for failing to jump better. I've been corrected enough times to know.

     "Yeah, yeah. I know. I have a job to do, and so do you," I sigh, looking back to her. Her green eyes are dark, the reflection of my own optics. She always claimed to be older, where as in reality, she was born only a little before I was. I really disliked the constant orders she would give me. And the worst part is that she can, being three ranks higher.

    She was a hunter, higher than the subs and lower than the spies.
    "Then get to it, Tarak," she barks.

    I roll my eyes but do as I'm told. I climb up the rock and walk along the small ridge. It borders our territory, all the way to the river. Alpha says that we aren't to cross the river, that enemies wait for us on the other side. I've never seen our enemies from the Ridge, but a forest borders the water on the other side, so they would be obscured anyway.

Truthfully, I'm not exactly sure who our enemies are. Alpha told us that they were selfish wolves that lived in the cliffs to the north. The alpha there was said to have exceptional powers. Of course, Alpha had powers, too. He was proud of them but used them often. He always says that they are special, that they will only be used in severe or dire cases. That's how he'd deal with traitors. The sight of Alpha's white body flaring up to strike one of them has been branded in my mind since I was a pup. The enemy alpha's powers did the opposite, and they were said to bring shivers to those who witnessed.

As I follow my given route, I reach the river's edge. Before turning to continue, I stop. It is against pack law to indulge oneself while on duty, but I do it anyways. I dip my head to lap some of the cool water. It tastes clean and clear. When I finish, I stare down at the rippling water atop the wet, smooth pebbles. My reflection stares back, his green eyes dark. The black fur on his body is glossy, the silver on his ears and streaks on his face gleaming. But my flaw sticks out like no other: the white patch of fur on my chest. I whine and flatten my ears.

The only other wolf in the pack with any marking of white was Alpha, who was completely so, besides the silver on his back. He'd told me it was an impurity, that a white marking was the sign of an outsider. I'd only remained in the pack because my mother took my place and left instead. But the mark I bear is only a reminder that I'm lower than everyone else and was meant to be so.

Yay! Decided to do art for each chapter. I need something to fill my free time!

So here's the first chapter of F+I! The art is of our main characte, Tarak, looking at his reflection in the water!
Characters & art (c) me

Image size

1000x700px 480.07 KB

Comments1

Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In

Sliverclaw2931

Apr 19, 2014

Nice