Unknown World part 3
Chapter 4
I follow Stem back from practicing with her. From the look in her eyes I could tell that Stem thought I wouldn't have been that great of a fighter. It was fun. Stem had shown me any basics to fighting and little to no time I had caught on to it.
As soon as we got close to camp I heard a clanging sound. Now I had never heard a sword hit another so I wouldn't be able to identify what was making the sound.
Stem looks at me for a split second before she takes off running. I entered the camp not long after Stem. Craterday and Nero were locked in a battle of some sort. As soon as I was told to practice fight Nero I hated him. He was too upstanding , wanting everything he asked for and constantly getting wolves to do his work. It's about time he does something but not fight! I thought that was against the rules! That and if Con finds out, both could be in trouble or worse!
From the looks of it Craterday was definitely going to win. He was a better fighter and easley disarmed Nero. Nero was currently backing away from Craterday slowly.
"Everyone back away!" Con's voice rings around the camp. Coil stood next to him with disappointment in his eyes. Con makes his way to the two wolves that were in the center of the crowd. Craterday still had his sword out and Nero still wasn't backing down from the challenge that he started rather he had a sword or not. Both had some blood on them rather it was theirs or not. "What happened? Nero you know the rules. I don't suppose Craterday can remember."
At that Craterday turned his sword to Con. "Don't push it stupid." He warned. Everyone could tell that it was up to Craterday to end this. Or Coil if he could. "You want the truth? Well then he was mocking me and almost clawed my eye. You expect me to allow that? I drew my sword first yes but he," Craterday points to Nero with his tail "Started it. I don't like to be pushed and your stupid group of Go Getter don't understand that. All of them would rather me dead and you know it." Nero goes for his sword and Craterday stands on his hind paws throws a dagger at him hitting him in the side. The dagger went in deep. I don't recall ever seeing so much blood. Too scared to move I stayed where I was at beside Stem. "Anyone moves wrong I'll kill them both. You all know that I can either let you help Nero or let him die. Now choose wisely at this choice. One I leave this place without anyone stopping me or coming with. Or two I let them both die."
Not wanting to, I move forward. Not knowing what I was going to say all eyes went on me like I was crazy. "Craterday, right? Listen I know he probably provoked you but is killing him the right thing? Put the sword down, you and Coil leave." Looking at Stem what I was about to say I knew she wouldn't like it. But it felt like what I was meant to do. "I'll come with. I want to see outside this place learn the other types of wolves and possibly be your friend. Just let them go." I never wanted to fight before now and didn't care about it. I still didn't like having wolves die out of cold blood. In a battle that was different but this was just savage.
Quickly Craterday put his sword away and grabbed the dagger from Nero's side which was bleeding so bad the dagger in his side looked just like blood nothing else. There was much blood around him and much was still coming out. "Fine I'll leave. I know even if I told you it would be a bad idea to come you will anyway so come on." Nodding somewhat happy I was allowed to come but scared by what he had said. As I followed Craterday past Nero's body it was obvious that he was dead. Looking disgusted I turned my eyes away and followed Craterday and soon I was followed by Coil and Stem.
"Are you sure you want to leave Leaf? I've only left and gone to the mountains once. Sword County is where they live I believe." Stem looked a bit uncomfortable with Craterday in lead and Coil followed a bit nervously.
"Yes I'm sure. It'll be fun and I feel like this is right. Not only that, I don't plan on turning back on my choice." I looked at Craterday whose ears were moving around listening to something. He held his tail up to tell them to stop. As the group stopped about four wolves appeared over a ledge and looked down to them. From the looks all had dark pelts and two had blue eyes the others had tulip red eyes. I couldn't tell their pelt colors but they were definitely dark.
Slowly, Craterday walks up to them. Coil was about to follow when he got looks from all of them. Those looks were the type of look that said make a wrong move and you or someone here will die. He returned to where me and Stem were still standing in confusion.
"Who are they?" Stem asks.
"And why only is Craterday allowed to speak with them?" I added.
"Their job is to make sure that anyone coming in knows the rules of Sword County. And anyone who doesn't needs to have at least someone who does. Just the way they are." Coil explains to them all. Looking up to where Craterday was, he was waving his tail telling them to come up.
Once they got up the pelt colors were clear. One looked like Lightning except his pelt was a dark grey and the white stripes were all the way down from the tips of his ears to the tail tip. The others looked like common wolves except much darker.
"Follow me, stay quiet and whatever you do on the other side listen to me and Coil. We know their rules and how they handle certain things. We're going through a rare way to get to the other side. I've only gone through it one other time. And it's very long and dark. Stay right by one another if you get separated stay put and once the rest of us get out I'll go in and get you." Craterday looked confident and nervous that something would happen. "Once we get on the other side let me and Coil do the talking and if anything happens let us fight. They have odd ways to some wolves but it's not odd at all." His eyes were distant, like in the past of some place. I didn't know what his past was or why everyone called him a psycho.
I chose to stay quiet with Stem but I wanted to ask if I could learn to use a sword. And possibly get a sword myself.
Everyone had made it out of the cave. Looking out it was beautiful, all the seasons were easily seen, wolves with swords were training their young, and two wolves were coming up to see the new wolves.
"Hi, I'm Kink and this is Meri. We greet the wolves that come through here." Kink was a dark sand like color and had tulip red eyes like two of the wolves who allowed us through the cave. Meri on the other hand was white with teal colored eyes. "I myself live in the forest part of this and Meri here is from the snow part. As you can tell the seasons elsewhere are all shown here with little space between them. This is not through a spell that keeps them like this it's the way it's been." The snow part was the farthest away. Spring and fall were right next to one another and summer is where we were standing on right now. The forest part was everywhere but the farther you looked the less trees you saw. Hills were more easily spotted after the group of trees.
"We have to ask, do any of you have swords?" Meri asks after Kink finishes talking himself.
"Craterday and I have swords. Leaf and Stem do not." Coil answers and Craterday pulls out his weapon showing them it. It was odd that they had to show that they had a weapon but I wasn't going to ask. Besides I only know that he has a spot for his sword but I never saw where he holds his dagger.
"And just to make sure you two remember if; what were their names again, Leaf and Stem? That if they plan on staying here for a while they are going to need to learn how to wield a sword and carry one as well." Kink reminds the two wolves who knew the rules here. "You know the reasons why." He turned Stem and I. "Are you sure you wish to go through with coming to our group?"
Stem nods her head. To me I could see that she was more excited than what she'll admit to.
"Yes I'm sure." I claim.
Chapter 5
Stem looked at Kink and Meri walking away and separating to where they live. I was glad that Leaf and I chose to stay. I haven't spent time with Coil personally in a while. Both of us knew our hearts were set for one another. Craterday seemed comfortable with Leaf and I with them. Which I think is probably for the best.
We started walking and no one said anything except Coil and Craterday to allow us to pass through some places. It was strange, few times we've had wolves draw swords on all of us just because we were strangers to them.
Soon it became night, Craterday volunteered to stay up and watch but Leaf was restless. I heard the two of them talking, at first I couldn't understand what they were saying but soon as they thought we were asleep their voices got louder.
"Come on. I can learn fast. And I won't bother you about anything. I promise to keep it a secret too. Please!" Leaf was pleading to Craterday.
I could hear Craterday sigh but he was still silent about it. Whatever Leaf was asking about he still seemed to be in thought, deep thought. "Fine but you can't say anything. Not even to Coil. He doesn't need to know what we're going to do. If they find out about it on their own fine but please don't tell." They stand up and walk away out of earshot.
Finally falling asleep I heard the two wolves that visited me the night before. We told you she would leave. Anyhow you may as well know our names. I'm Neako. This is my brother Lert. The second voice from my first time hearing them said. You know our names but don't think you'll see us anytime soon. Neako told me. It was strange that they chose me to talk to. Neako you say too much. Craterday and Leaf just leaving at night? I thought they were going to watch the two of you. Lert seemed to almost read my mind when they first walked off. You heard some things but still no clue what they were talking about. Lert continues. "What are you saying? That I can't trust my friends?" I was astonished by their accusations of my friends. No that's not what he's saying. What he's saying is that you have too much trust. Craterday and Leaf could completely leave you two behind. Neako seems like he's trying to comfort me unlike Lert who probably wants the group to go against one another. "I doubt it. Besides, Leaf wouldn't leave me. When I was living with her in the Real World we established a friendship that can't be broken, even if we argue over something." I could almost hear their sighs of disbelief. Fine, don't listen to us. But we did warn you. Lert for once seemed to be not so evil as he can seem.
I woke the next morning to Leaf and Coil gone and Craterday looking around.
"Bout time you get up. I thought I may have to get you up!" He told me. I gave him a look that said something like what happened last night? "You heard didn't you? Before you start accusing me of stuff, all we did was talk. I showed her my sword and how to stand on your hind paws."
"I trust you, no worries. But you seemed secretive, why?" I just wanted to know what was a secret. If they ended up becoming friends or even more than that I didn't care. What did he not want me to know?
"She wanted to know some of my past. So I told her I'd tell her about the fight before my pack was no more. I'm not going to give you the whole story like she got but essentially most were killed and," Coil and Leaf had returned with some fresh prey. Two rabbits that was it. "And some left. Most of the group have never seen one another for a couple of annorum." He quickly finished his sentence. I would've asked for more but now didn't seem like the time.
"This is all we could catch for now. The packs around here ain't all that welcoming. You two girls can share that rabbit and Craterday and I will have this one." Coil goes to drop the rabbit and lay down to eat when Craterdays ears perk up.
"Lay down and stay as still as possible." Craterday alone moved to greet the wolves who were coming close to where the rest were at. The other wolves drew their swords and put them to his throat. Craterday turns to grab his sword; which still had some blood on it; he draws it and stabs it into the ground. After that they talk for a while before the others leave they all grab their daggers. Craterday grabbed his clean one; and on their paws they slid it across getting some blood and touched one anothers paw.
The wolves leave with a small trail of blood and Craterday comes back with a trail of blood behind him.
"Everyone, you can get up now. We shouldn't have anymore trouble with that pack." He claims. I hope he's right about that.
"Who were they?" Leaf asks the question that they were all asking themselves.
"I don't know their names or their pack names. All I know is that what we did is a sign of trust. We should be at peace with them." Two of the wolves there were dark brown, one had dark blue eyes the other had green eyes. The last one was dark grey with dark green eyes. "Eat quickly, we need to go soon."
"Where do we need to go so bad?" Coil's voice had an odd edge to it. Like he didn't trust his friend at all.
"Does it matter? Besides they said we had to eat and leave before the Trust is broken." He tells Coil. Quite calm too, it was kinda scary for him to be calm when Coil had that edge. Craterday had been a bit scary before but never in calmness.
"It does matter." Coil mumbles to himself. But with a small angry glance towards him.
With Craterday leading me, Leaf, then Coil we walk till NoonHigh. The sun here seemed to burn through my pelt. It was hot and it started to get sandy. I think I remember my teacher mentioning something like this being called a desert. I hope it is not as bad as she said it was.
"We'll rest here. It's a bit past NoonHigh, we'll continue on tonight. I'm going hunting and I'll be back soon." Craterday leaves the rest of them. Coil takes charge to help us find a shaded spot. We ended up finding one, it was small but large enough for them all to stay. Stem took a quick look around.
Most of the desert was sandy, a couple of dead trees were scattered, many green spiky things, and lots of rocks. There was little shade and lots of lizard-like things. There were a few small things of grass areas but not many. I must admit that this place is actually not so bad. There's no water in sight but that may be the worst of it.
Craterday returns with a lizard and a jack rabbit. He hands me and Coil the rabbit and he and Leaf ate the lizard. I don't know how Leaf could eat the lizard. I was grossed out at the sight of it. How do you eat something that looks sick? It's green with yellow eyes. Just why? I could feel the heat from the sun burn my pelt now. I could tell the others could feel the sun burning their pelts. "Maybe we should find some shade?" I suggested.
"That's probably the most sensible thing you've said all day! I didn't think you could think anymore." Craterday claims sarcastically. "Alright, follow me."
Coil steps in his way. " Why are you leading all of a sudden? Who put you in charge?" Coils anger towards Craterday was unusual.
"Because I know the dessert, and I know how to find shade. And I'm in charge because no one objected to it till now." Craterday growled back at Coil. From the looks of it a fight was about to happen and I didn't want what happened to Nero to happen to Coil. The two wolves circle around one another, teeth bared and claws out. Coil goes to draw his sword, but Craterday draws his bloody dagger first and hits Coil in the shoulder squarely. He then jumps on him knocking him off balance, putting his claws at his throat he pulls out the dagger and puts it away. " I don't want to fight you Coil, but don't think I won't finish this. If you think you can find shade then lead, no one said you couldn't and no one said you could. This whole time you could've said something about leading but coming to attack me is not a good idea."
Craterday gets off Coil and helps him up with his wounded shoulder. "Thanks, and sorry. I knew that was a bad idea but I couldn't help but think about you always leading." Craterday just shrugged and started to walk away. I helped Coil and Leaf stay next to Craterday. We finally found some shade and went to sleep. All of us. Not one stayed up to keep watch. I do believe we had all tired ourselves out, Craterday who seemed to have more surprises had a small pouch that had a strap that went around his stomach and reconnected with that pouch. In the pouch he had some herbs and put some on Coil shoulder.
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