Sunlight and Shadow
Sean woke to the rising heat of the she-hound at his side. He felt her growing need as strongly as he felt his own. He moved to her and slid into nature's rhythm as easily as if it were a dance he had long practiced. He lost himself in the thrust and pull of his senses. He could sense the forest coming alive around him, smell the rising of the sun as it began to send shafts of light down into the small glade. He seemed to by hyper- sensitive to everything yet completely centered on just this one moment, this one movement. She shifted her weight and pushed back into him and he flew. He simply flew. There was no other way to describe it. His release was simply beyond description. Holding still until his spirit fell back to rejoin the thunder in his veins, he found himself still gripping her. She was rigid as well. They moved apart and then circled each other. She wrapped her head over his neck and seemed to exhale. Something felt incredibly right and connected. Sean curled his neck around to better cradle her.
The other hounds began to rise, Ian among them. Sean could tell from his gaze that he had not been sleeping as long as the others. It did not matter, he was proud and happy. He nuzzled the she-hound. He thought for a moment that it would be nice to know her name.
The human rose and began to gather his gear, a roll of blankets and such. He tied these up in leather straps and set them off to the side, then he pulled out a bag with what appeared to be dried meat and bread and squatted down, rocking on his toes to chew. The other hounds disbursed, apparently to hunt. Ian encouraged Sean to come. He nudged the she-hound, but she seemed reluctant to go. She moved off toward the man, settling near him. Sean watched for a while, and then turned to go off with Ian.
The hunt was better this time. Sean could smell everything. The scents were pure and crisp and if not exactly what he would have considered clean, they were identifiable. They soon caught what appeared to be squirrel, one apiece, and settled down to devour their morning meal. The morsel did not take long. The meat was wild and tangy in his mouth, and a bit stringy, but good nonetheless. He and Ian finished roughly at the same time. Ian rose to leave, walking at his usual plodding gait away from their makeshift picnic area. Sean let him go about twenty feet and then he set himself. In a low crouch, he watched as Ian went into a lower area as the ground dropped away in a swell. He took off as fast as he could and launched himself in the air. He expected to land right on Ian's back, but he sailed clear over him, landing roughly on the other side. Ian pounced on him. They tussled there on the forest floor, making a loud and fairly obnoxious commotion. When they pulled apart they were both patning from the exertion.
"Time to head back," stated Sean.
"Head back where?" replied Ian.
"To the pack."
"We have no business with that human," Ian noted harshly.
"You don't, but I do," said Sean.
"You mean the she-hound?" asked Ian.
"Of course."
"She will just replace you with another hound if you don't come back. It's her time and she only follows her nature." Ian loooked at him as if he were a small child who could not understand a very simple concept.
"She is more than that," replied Sean coldly. "She carries my seed."
"What?"
"You heard me. I am pretty sure that she won't be in season any more after this morning," said Sean. "I don't know why I know that, but I do. At least I believe my pups have taken root in her womb."
"Do you realize what you are saying?" Ian responded with wide open eyes.
"I think I do. And if you don't mind, I think I should take something back for her to eat. Would you like to help me scare up a rabbit?"
Ian looked at him for a second or two like he had just grown horns. "Of course I will help you hunt. That at least is fun. But I think we should reconsider staying with that human. You saw what he did to that other hound."
"He only did that because the other hound was too wounded to make it out of the forest on his own. I am sure he must be fine, why else would all those hounds follow him around?"
"Maybe he has some kind of talisman that makes then stay close?"
"I don't think so. And it doesn't really matter. I have to go back. If she is having my pups, I have to know. I have to at least see them."
"You don't even know if you will still be a hound when they are born."
"Then I can do everything I can for them now."
Sean stood there, his chin high and backline firm. He was in that moment regal and certain. He was unchallengeable. Ian thought to argue more, but knew from his lines and the look in his eyes that there was no point. And in the end it made little difference. He did not think they could find their own way out of this damn forest.
"Let's hunt," Ian growled as he set off at a trot under the canopy of leaves.
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