The Hooman Saga - XXXII & XXXIII - Serial Fiction

SO FAR: Now the valley of the sentient wolves has been secured. But what of justice for their own kind - who put their valley and all who lived there at risk?

XXXII

DOWN THE TRAIL FROM the Chief's den came the Chief at his slow, limping pace, with a lone strange wolf at his side.

That wolf wore a dusky fur, different from the rest of the pack, and held a rolled up skin in his mouth. He walked behind the Chief and maintained a respectful distance.

The Chief closed the distance to Soo-she and Teacher, but led his guest on inside the circle. The Chief slowly sat and the strange-colored wolf laid the roll at his feet, then moved to his left, slightly behind Chief. The strange wolf then laid down, placing his own face on his paws in submission.

Chief nodded at Soo-she and Teacher as they walked into the circle. Teacher and Soo-she sat on his right, opposite to the strange wolf to Chief's left. They all waited quietly.

Down the long trail to the far end of the valley came five scraggly-looking wolves. Four had mud covering their paws up to their chests, as well ringing their panting mouths. The fifth was covered in mud over his entire hindquarters, dripping from his mud-plastered tail. Tig came up immediately after them, with his head and tail high, a fierce look in his eye. Tig barked once as they approached the outside foundation circle, opposite the Chief's group. The five hunters dropped to the ground, their faces on their front paws, regardless of the mud.

While these wolves approached, Tig-she's hunting party returned and sat down around the outside of the circle. Tig-she came over to Tig and nuzzled him. Tig then entered the circle and sat next to Soo-she, while Tig-she took his place guarding the five wolf prisoners. She glared at the muddy five as she guarded them.

One of Tig-she’s hunting party went off to the dens and shortly returned with the other females and cubs.

Quiet, they all waited for the last of the hunting party to return.

The day was turning to dusk, and the light would leave the valley soon.

Six wolves soon came down the same path. Snarl was in the middle, with two wolves on each side and one following. Snarl was streaked with blood and panting. He was limping on three of his legs from multiple bites and scratches. His fur had tufts missing in patches and one eye was watering and weeping. The other eye was nearly swollen shut. He had a fresh notch in one ear and his jaws were red from his own blood.

The wolf guards kept nipping at him to ensure he didn't slow up as he neared the circle of stones.

Snarl stumbled over the low stone ring and his guards stopped him. He collapsed on the ground, breathing heavy, while his guards sat alert on each side and behind him.

At that, the Chief rose to his feet with a wince.

He nodded to the strange wolf, who then cautiously stood and unrolled the skin in front of the Chief that he had carried. The visitor then immediately bowed and laid back down where he was earlier, his head between his paws.

The Chief addressed all present.

"Snarl, you are charged with High Treason of endangering this pack and all its females and cubs," he broad-sent to the entire pack.

Looking down to the skin at his feet, the Chief eyed the ripped collar of Soo-she's re-entry suit. "This is evidence you took the hooman scent of Soo-she and laid a trail right to the ferals so that they had a direct entrance into this valley. You planned this in order to take control of this pack. Further, you intended extreme harm to your own den-brother to eliminate any competition to your succession.

"Your five accomplices have confessed to the plot. Tig-she witnessed your treachery with the hooman scent-scraps.”

"As Chief, I must uphold the Law. And that law is definite. Death is the punishment.

"Are their any present who disagree?"

The silence was complete.

The Chief then continued, "So I then sentence you to Death..."

Tig stood and cleared his throat.

Chief turned toward Tig, frowned, and wide-sent, "Tig, the announcement has been made, and there were no disagreements. What say you now?"

Tig looked around the pack in and outside the circle. "While the crime has been proved, and witnesses presented, there is another law that may be invoked. While Snarl has acted criminally and threatened the welfare of the entire pack, he has also been one of our best hunters and has himself saved many lives of this pack. The ferals are still out there. Winter is coming. None of his injuries are impairing. We could use more good hunters. I move we vote for Compassion." At that, Tig again sat.

Chief had a grim smile at Tig for this. Snarl was his son, but the Law was definite. Only a unanimous vote of compassion could allow the sentence to be changed.

The setting sun shown against the far valley wall, it's movement was almost noticeable as the shadow crept up that side. The rest of the valley was sliding slowly into darkness.

The Teacher stood and barked. Fires at both ends of the valley flamed high. Circling her nose in the air, she wuffed out a sigh and a circle of will-o-the-wisps appeared directly over the assembled pack. The quiet light reflected on the faces of all present.

"As Teacher, I am responsible for the Spiritual Laws. Compassion is a spiritual law, and the only law which may relieve the penalty of death," she sent to all present.

"Compassion must be agreed to by every adult pack member in order for it to be binding. And as such, the penance must be repaid to each voting member by the guilty party. So says the law," Teacher continued.

She walked directly up to Snarl who hadn't moved since he was allowed to collapse at that spot. "And you must agree to uphold the law and repay the penance assigned. If you fail, Snarl, the sentence of death must be carried out, no matter what time in the future. Do you acknowledge this law and its conditions?"

Snarl struggled to get his head far enough out of the dirt and dust beneath him so he could nod a feeble assent. Then he dropped again to the ground.

Teacher turned to the Chief. "The guilty has been informed of the law and agreed. May I ask for a vote?"

The Chief nodded.

"Let us vote," sent Teacher. ”Let any present who disagree make their voice be heard.”

The pack was still, as even the rest of the valley seemed steeped in silence.

"So be it," Teacher sent to the pack. And she returned to sit at her original position.

"And it is done," sent the Chief. "Snarl, you will have to make a new den of your own until your penance is complete. Until then you will eat only after the least of the pack has finished. May you heal quickly and then heal the rifts you have created.

"This council is adjourned." The Chief walked slowly out of the circle, limping from the strain of standing so long. A way was made for him and a huntress walked at each of his sides to ensure he made it back to his den without stumble or fall.

All the rest of the pack left in silence until only Snarl and the strange wolf were left. Snarl closed his open, watering eye and let his breath out in a sigh.

And the last wolf, a stranger to the pack, rose and left Snarl to his complete loneliness and shame.

XXXIII

TIG WATCHED AND WAITED at a distance until the strange wolf approached him and bowed in deference.

"I... know... some.. of your... talk. We... are few... who can," the strange wolf sent. "Would... you... help... us learn?"

Tig was both surprised and honored to be asked, although his face showed no sign. He decided at once. "Come, follow me," he sent to the strange wolf, then turned up the trail to the Teacher and Soo-she's den.

Soon they arrived outside their shared den. Teacher and Soo-she were both sitting and watching the stars appear.

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, especially as all the help you've both given the pack this day.” Tig nodded to each. “But this visitor has a request that your skills may help," Tig explained as politely as he could, for he knew that this might not be the best time. "He says some of his pack have learned to send to each other and they want to be taught."

Teacher raised her eyebrows and smiled at this, "A teacher's job is never done." To the visitor, she sent, "Come closer."

Tig stepped closer as well, as protection to the one Teacher they had. But the visitor put down his ears and bowed his head, closing his eyes to signal no threat.

"Soo-she, come here. Place your hand on the back of his head as you did me in the Probe," Teacher nodded in the visitor's direction.

Soo-she did as she was asked, and then closed her own eyes. She near-immediately knew the visions of the visitor, his pack and all he knew of sending. These visions she relayed to Teacher and Tig.

Then she almost opened her eyes in astonishment. Most of what they referred to as the “feral” pack were actually sentient. They had been cross-breeding with the hooman settlement dogs and now there were sentient pups inside that hooman stockade-village.

The Teacher wuffed quietly as that revelation. Her thoughts raced. With some teaching, they could train these new sentients how to use their ability. They now had a way to find out what the hoomans knew and perhaps even find some sentient hoomans.

At that, Soo-she released her hold and both she and the visitor opened their eyes. The visitor smiled as he looked at Soo-she and Teacher and gave his tail a tentative wag.

"Thank...you..." he sent.

Tig rose at that. "I'll see him out of the valley. Tomorrow we have much to talk about."

The visitor rose and followed Tig as they left for the long trail out to the nearest valley end, where the fires were burning low now.

Dusk had fallen, the moon was full and just above the horizon. There it loomed large in the sky as the stars twinkled into existence around it.

Soo-she looked up at the moon as she sent to Teacher, "Hope springs eternal, they say. It's a long road, but I might still save my family up there."

Teacher moved over to put her head on Soo-she's shoulder. And Soo-she put her arm around Teacher as they both looked up to the Moon shining down on them from its star-sprinkled backdrop.

A lone meteor streaked across the night sky.

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