Fantasy The Curse of The Howling Moonlight

[Valjean24601]

His breath billowed out of his nostrils and slightly gaping jaws in fogs of white as the night approached and the temperture dropped. The scent was crisper, sharper now in the cool clean air, yet it stung his nostrils and had him wrinkle his nose in distaste.


"A human village." He spat and snarled before his massive paw came to rest on a pile of rubble, a baby cradle destroyed.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Ash gave a weak and tender chuckle. "I forgive you." Glad for the horrible tension between them to have eased for now, but he still wanted to leave and he knew she wanted to stay. They were both new to this strange world of parenting which was why he wanted his pups to have the best survival he could give them.

 

[Valjean24601]

The pups pawed and kicked at the lining of their mothers stomach, as if eager to greet their father, to see and know him. The soft grumbling of hunger followed and Vivian stepper reluctantly away from her mate and slide hesitantly from his strong arms, blossoms of blush colouring her cheeks.


"It seems as though the puppies are hungry." A soft embarressed giggle escaped her as did a quiet grunt as one pup gave a mighty kick.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

A look of tiresome panic crossed his face at the thought of also having to learn how to made a wooden sword on top of all this training, but when Marius said it was time for a break he relaxed again. Lottie skipped up to them a spun in a circle showcasing her decorated hair to Marius and Fredric with a giggle. "What do you think?" Amber followed and smiled at young Lottie "She looks just like a princess doesn't she?" Immediately Fredric with a smile, eager to appease Amber and she chuckled. "What should we make for lunch?" She asked Marius clasping her hands behind her back. 
"Let's go." Mary said quietly to her sister pulling her with on their way to the tailer. Mary paused seeing all the destruction in the village that was slowly being repaired.it was worse than she had thought it had been. She sighed turning to enter the building when she saw a face that she would never forget but how she wished she could.


"Good morning Gaston!" Maddie suddenly called out to him waving about her hands to catch his attention.


"Maddie!" Mary scolded quickly pulling her hands down but she knew it had been too late to stop her. 
He smiled his hand resting on her stomach feeling their pups rolling around inside her womb. He gently kissed her forehead. "Then I suppose we should feed them, huh?"

 

[Valjean24601]

His face was a fine one, strange for a blacksmith's son. His high cheekbones were painted a dusty rose colour and his thin lips the same, his chin and jaw were strong and definite as was his nose. Inky black curls danced in small spirals in the center of his forehead and down to his nape. Two orbs of a curious amber peeked out from beneath these curls and now stared from a far at Maddie. He raised a calloused, burnt hand waved back before slowly dropping it to his side as he caught sight of the lady accompanying her.


"Mary?" 
Vivian rested her hand on his tricep and smiled up at him graciously,"I would've hunted for myself while you were out but I couldn't bring myself to." Her lower lip quavered cautiously as she glanced at him, her mind roiling as restlessly as the babes inside her.


His eyes gave away nothing. And she longed to know if he loved her still, it seemed as though he did, he had said so but her mother had told her she loved her too, right before she branded her right arm with the Star of David. She cringed at the memory and how awful it was to think of Ash as she thought of her mother.

 

[Axeykins]

"Don't worry." He laughed at the sight of Fredric's face. "Making a wooden sword isn't difficult at all, it only takes a lot of patience." His smile only widened when Lottie came skipping over. "I've never seen a prettier princess." His smile was sweet as he watched the little girl show off the braids. She was so adorable, it almost made him long for a family of his own. When Amber asked about lunch he turned to her with a confused expression. "I have no idea. What would you all like? Before you say anything too complicated, let me remind you that I cannot cook to save my life."

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Instinct told her to flee, but she knew that would be horribly rude. She straightened her cloak around her body and followed the skipping Maddie slowly over to him.


"Hello Gaston..." She said weakly with a nervous smile. She felt terrible remembering how she had simply left with no warning to anyone. She had been so desperate to leave her uncle's wrath she hadn't even acknowledged that Gaston could have been a way out for her as well.


"Good to see you again..." She said remembering the countless times she had gazed into those eyes of his, played with his curly hair and just sat in his arms, enjoying his warmth. Her eyes ran over his body regret filling as her eyes sank to the ground avoiding looking at him.


"Mary are you alright?" Maddie asked seeing this but Mary just nodded avoiding having to speak anymore for fear of her voice falling her. 
They opened their mouths to make requests but hearing Marius saying that their mouths shut tight. "How about sandwiches? Do you have ham, bread and cheese?" Amber asked thinking she might just have to make them lunch after all.

 

[Valjean24601]

"I don't believe you mean that, Mary."


His chest tightened, constricted by the agony she had caused him. A weak smile caused his plush lips to tremble, oh lord she grew ever more beautiful. Her golden locks had always been a fascination of his, how lovely they looked in the sun just as her smile did pressed to his.


"How have you been Mary?" He found himself completely ignoring young Maddie now, days wasted without his Mary needing to be redeemed.

 

[Axeykins]

"I do not have ham, but I do have bread and cheese. Would slicing pieces of venison into chunks and cooking them be a good enough substitute? I can at least cook meat over an open fire." He felt bad about not having any ham or beef, but it had become more difficult to get now that he could not go into the village to get any. The others could go to get it, but even with all of them working together it would be difficult to bring back without causing too much suspicion.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Ash nodded in understanding. "I will go get you something then alright?" He said softly, stroking her cheek.

 

[Axeykins]

"Calm yourself brother." She spoke softly as he snarled. Watching curiously as a cradle was smashed. 'Now why would a wolf need such a human creation in their den?' Knowing that this was one of that pack's dens she made sure to lock it in her memory for later use. Then turned back to Apollo. "As I said, we shall deal with them later. Our first priority is to locate where this pack is and our second is to find some place for ours to call home for the time being."

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"Fine...Just fine..." She said nodding to herself. She knew Gaston could read her like a book so she kept her eyes from him. Her lip trembling a bit, her hands hidden by her cloak nervously rubbed her abdomen. "How about you?" She asked her blue eyes going up to his and pausing only for a second before she tore them away from him. 
Amber nodded. "That would be just fine." she said smiling but Lottie pouted. "Can I just eat the cheese?" She asked she was not a fan of venison. But Fredric simply frown at her. "You get what you get and you don't through a fit." He said promptly as they headed back for the cabin.

 

[Valjean24601]

"Thank you," Vivian cooed softly to him, sliding her hands his arms to his shoulders where they tangled into the sleeves of his shirt before finis hushing quietly with a tender,"my love."


Her mouth pressed lovingly to his, her kiss longing and heartfelt. She would believe he loved her until he gave her a reason not to.


"Of course sweet sister." He grumbled and used his great paw to swat the disembled cradle violently from beneath his feet.


"These... Halfbreeds, wolves, whatever they are... We will eradicate them? As we have the others?" Apollo questioned his sister casually as if asking what was for lunch.


He furrowed his brow in confusion as she fumbled about beneath her cloak nervously. Something was wrong. Dreadfully so and he could see that clear as crystal.


"Again, Mary I don't believe you," His sweet voice quieted,"you at least owe me the truth after everything that's happened. How are you really dearest?"


Gaston hadn't meant for his tender words to slip but he couldn't seem to help it.

 

[Axeykins]

Marius chuckled and quickly leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Of course you can sweetie, but only if you promise to eat aaaaall of your dinner later. No matter what it is. Okay?" He looked at her sweetly with those bright, goldenrod eyes that decorated his face. "And I mean all of it young lady."


"The halfbreeds, yes. As for the pure wolves...only if they choose to oppose us and refuse any offers to join our ranks." She responded calmly, as if it were nothing but normal. Of course, for them it was completely. "I am hoping that they do though, we could use a few more powerful warriors on our side."

 

[Valjean24601]

"I grow tired though sister and we both grow ever older, perhaps after taking a chunk of this pack we will put down permanent roots."


Apollo countered carefully. His sister was ruthless yes, but he knew even she must yearn for home at some points.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Ash kissed her back holding her close as he could with her baby bump in the way. "Are you sure you want to stay here? Having our own pack would be so much safer." He said not wanting to restart something but he needed to know.

 

[Valjean24601]

"Ash..." She sighed tiredly and rested her forehead against his,"ask me again after pups are born. Ask me again when we have a pack of our own to stand behind us. We can't make any rash decisions. Not now of all times." Her voice remained cool and steady though an undertone of irritation could be heard.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Mary flinched hearing him call her 'dearest'. "Not here, I don't want to say anything here." She said looking around then up at him worriedly. She didn't want to tell him any of what truly happened but she knew she had to tell him something. You couldn't just go two months away with absolutely nothing happening. Maddie looked from Mary to Gaston concerned, but didn't say anything. 
Lottie smirked. "Yes sir!" She said with a playful stern look at she saluted him with the wrong hands and pranced off into the cabin. Amber chuckled watching Lottie her hand slipping into Fredric's and she leaned beside him as they walked. Fredric blushed a bright red at this and looked to Marius for help. Should he say something? Lean into her? Wrap his arm around her? Fredric didn't know but seeing Marius and his sister interacting he figured Marius could give him some helpers with this situation.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston nodded slowly and then looked to Maddie gently,"Sweet lady, you'll leave me and your sister to talk for a while won't you, please?" He spoke so softly, his voice a tender chorus of gentle notes.


Bravely, Gaston's hand found Mary's and rubbed his thumb over the bony ridges of her knuckles comfortingly. It pained her to seem so distressed in his presence.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Ash sighed hearing her say this. A small frown crossed his lips and he nodded. "Alright." He pulled away from her regretting leaving her only a little less than he had a few minutes ago. "I'll be back soon." He said softly stroking her arm then turning and leaving to go get her some food. Annoyed that she still didn't understand what needed to be done for their pups he turned into his wolf form as soon as he left the den and grumbled to himself. As he bounded out into the woods by himself on the hunt.

 

[Axeykins]

"Good girl." He chuckled, following after her to get some meat from the pantry. When he saw Fredric looking desperate for help as Amber leaned against him he had to stifle a snicker. "Go on." He mouthed to the boy. Motioning for him to take Amber's hand. "Just talk to her! She won't bite."


"Perhaps." She looked at him questioningly. "This could be the perfect spot to finally put down roots. Finally begin to build more of an empire rather than a small and slowly growing army. If the wolves here join us it would only make us even more powerful as well."

 

[Valjean24601]

Vivian waddled carefully up to the entrance of the den and watched him go, her eyes following him as far as could before she could see him no longer. She then made her way back into the den and went to her bed, but not before pausing at the oaken table that sat at the far wall.


The night before there had been at least four bottles of whiskey there.


Now only half of one remained.


She stood there now, staring at the golden content sloshing about in the bottle and her heart sunk considerably.


"Oh Ash..." She whispered,"you fool."

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Maddie looked at him worriedly but then nodded and left in search of one of her friends she had seen walking around.


Mary watched her go and jumped feeling his hand rub her knuckles. "Please, don't..." She said pulling her hand out of his grasp. As much as she had enjoyed his touch before now it only made her nervous. She loved Marius, and she had loved this man, but now... "Gaston... Do you still feel the same? As you had those months ago, or do you hate me now?" She asked looking up at him her eyes almost fearful.

 

[Valjean24601]

Apollo nodded his great copper head in agreement before halting at a sloping, wind protected valley.


"I'll set up camp here for the night, have the pack rest after such a battle. Perhaps you should scout on, sister. See what there is to be own here."


Her brother urged her as he turned his head and howled over his shoulder to the marching pack of wolves behind them.  
He clenched his fists at his side, his knuckles white and his gorgeous amber eyes so full of hurt and worry they were clouded with it.


"How could I ever hate you, Mary? You of all people?" Gaston's voice was hushed as other villagers walked past, the town was full or terrible gossips and he didn't need the nature of he and Mary's relationship floating about the village.


"I love you still as I always have. I have taken no wife. No one. It's always been you, you know that much."

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Amber read Marius's lips and she smirked. When Fredric tried reaching for her hand she playfully growled at him. Not realizing this was a joke Fredric's eyes widened and he jumped back from her. Amber and Lottie snickered. Then she took his hand showing him it was alright and that she really wouldn't bite him. Fredric's cheeks lit up embarrassed by this but he just wrapped his fingers around hers' bashfully.