Saved By The Enemy?

Chapter 4 - Captured

CHAPTER 4 - CAPTURED

Kuro watched fascinated as the red blood dripped from the small white wolf’s muzzle.  It was quite a trick but one that would only work on very few of their kind.  Johann being one of them. He was far too arrogant about his abilities. There were many times when he had to be reprimanded for it. Being overconfident is a dangerous weakness. One that can result in death for a rogue. He let his guard down just because the opponent he was fighting was a girl, one that had appeared to have submitted sure, but appearances can be deceiving.

  If Johann would have paid attention he would have noticed that the girls startling green eyes held a strength and fury at this world that could even rival his. There was no way that someone with such similar eyes would just give up. He wondered at it. What could have caused such eyes to emerge in such a young wolf? Well the world is cruel; he knew that better than most.  Still he couldn’t let pity interfere with his plans.

 This rogue could be a danger to him and those following him. He had no pack; neither did any of the other five wolves he brought with him when Johann was late from hunting. This wasn’t a pack, they followed him because it was safer than being alone but they had no obligation to him or any other rogue following him. And he wouldn’t want it any other way. This meant that he himself had no obligation to them. As long as they followed his orders he would do his best to keep them safe but if they became an obstacle to his mission or tried to betray him he wouldn’t hesitate to slit any of their throats. He may be cruel and ruthless but he was the only one keeping this band of rogues together, of course it was for his own purposes but not one complained. (Probably because of the gruesome way he killed a rogue that had the guts –and stupidity- to challenge him on it.)

 He mind-linked the others and ordered them to surround the pure white wolf. A white wolf was unusual but not rare. He’d seen three other females with her fur colour. Their abilities usually more powerful than ordinary wolves explained how she managed to pierce an artery on her first try. White wolves can only ever be females just as black wolves can only ever be males. A white wolf can become powerful enough to beat an alpha male but never a trained black wolf. Black wolves are often alphas, they have the strength necessary to protect a pack and handle the collision of so many different personalities that are so easily overpowered by wolf instict. This however doesn’t mean that all alphas are black wolves.

 As Johann lost consciousness the female wolf let go, looked up and was ready to set off when she noticed the five rogues under his command had surrounded her. It was obvious she was fighting a losing battle. She had to know this yet she had not given up. There was no despair in her eyes; they seemed to shine with relief. A strange feeling to have when you’re surrounded with no escape in sight but that was the emotion that came off of her.

 She tensed and let out a low growl in warning. She didn’t appear surprised at being surrounded, almost as if she expected it. This made Kuro pause. If she expected to be surrounded then she must have known of their presence. There was no other explanation. Her look of surprise afterwards must have been an attempt to cover up her mistake. They were too far away from pack territory for the rogue to be expecting an actual pack. Kuro mind-linked the others changing his orders from killing to capturing the female.

 The fight wasn’t long. Two rogues charged her at once, she managed to evade the attack from the front but the one from behind had predicted which way she would doge and was ready. He pierced his fangs into the soft flesh of her throat and the others followed suit. As she tried to fight them off she noticed her mind getting blurred, her paw became heavier and heavier with each swipe until she blacked out both from pain and blood loss.    

 When weres faint they don’t shift back but thanks to her small stature she was easy to carry. Kuro let the rogues take her to their base where she would be questioned then killed. He walked over to Johann, looked at him and growled a low feral sound which echoed in the forest. he then kicked him with his right hind leg into a nearby tree. The rogues escorting the female didn’t even bat an eye as they left. Johann slowly got to his feet and whined eliciting another growl from Kuro.

 “Playing dead? I’d be more than glad to enhance the experience.”

 “No need, boss. I think I did pretty well if I do say so myself. She was such a sweet thing. I just couldn’t bear to let her effort go to waste.”

 Kuro could feel the joy Johann got from his childish antics but Kuro had no time for jokes.  

 “She’s a liability, one that will not be around for much longer.” Kuro’s cold words brought a chill down Johann’ s back making his fur stand on end and his joking attitude disappeared to be replaced by who he actually was. Ten years Kuro’s senior and a rogue for twice that time. He was the one who understood Kuro’s aim best. Perhaps that’s what made his next line so incomprehensible.

 “You can’t. Did you get a look at the poor girl? She’s less than half the size of an average she-wolf and nothing more than a kid. Even you can’t be so heartless!”

 “Have you gone senile? Her presence here could mean the end of all of us. I will not permit any obstacle in our path. If it makes you feel any better about it than think of her death as an act of mercy. You saw her eyes, they are not the eyes that just any wolf would have, I will be putting her out of her misery.”

 To say that Johann was shocked by Kuro’s words would be an incorrect assumption. Johann knew Kuro better than most and had been there to see many of Kuro’s exploits which led him to respect Kuro despite his young age so these words were expected. What made the scene so ghastly weren’t the words Kuro uttered but the way he said them. Not once had Kuro raised his voice above his usual grave timbre and not even a speck of emotion was evident in either his eyes or voice. For the other rogues in their band this wouldn’t appear strange, he was always like that but not with Johann. Over the many years they spent together  Johann had believed himself to be getting closer to Kuro’s world of darkness, piercing it and bringing with him a bit of light which let their comradeship grow. So much so that it’s been many years since Johann directly heard Kuro’s empty words. Of course even before Kuro’s words possessed only fake emotions but at least he still tried to act like he felt something when he was talking to Johann. That had meant more to Johann then he was willing to let Kuro know. Still to have their comradeship severed by the encounter of one she-wolf was disappointing.

 “Let her join us. She’s a rogue and a white wolf at that, once trained she could be useful to us.”

 Kuro’s next words were no warmer than before.

 “She knew she was going to be attacked. Will you stop and think about what that means? She knew we were here. After I get the information I need she will be of no further use to us. We have enough wolves and no one has the time to train her.”

 With that said Kuro blocked Johann from his mind and Johann watched the black wolf walk away seemingly at ease but Johann knew better. The pain in the girl’s eyes reflected in his own caused him to lock his emotions away even further where it would never see light again. Johann followed behind Kuro with his head cast down staring at the grass and gravel mixed together on the ground. He was too late to save Kuro from his darkness but this girl would be different. This he swore to himself. He would protect her even if it meant challenging Kuro.

 The trip back to their hideout in the mountain went on in heavy silence. The mountains were chosen as their hideout due to its strategic location. It was high up surrounded by thick forests and other dangerous animals which meant the hideout was easily defended but hard to attack. Climbing up the mountain required a person to either know the terrain or be an expert climber. No rogue or pack wolf would be able to reach without those and even if they managed their hideout was (as the name suggests) hidden in naturally present caves in the mountain guarded at all times and a useful escape route if necessary.

They were prepared for the war they had started.