(No One's POV)
"Hey, wake up" whispered a familiar voice.
Edwards' ears twitched gently as the sound started to awake him. As he opened his eyes he was met with the apathetic face of Kasai who had been taking care of him after the death of his mother.
"Come on kiddo, it's time to get up already", Kasai yawned, sounding tired himself, "You know we've gotta go hunting this morning or you're gonna be hungry".
Edward groaned as he started to drift off again.
"Really?…Why do you put me through this every morning Edward?", Kasai grumbled in displeasure, "Guess you leave me no choice". Edward still didn't budge. He lay in the burrow falling back to sleep which became a great annoyance for Kasai since Edward knew of the plans this set for this morning. Kasai left the opening of the burrow and walked about 4 metres away from the lazy wolf until a sudden bolt of pain struck the both of them. "Oww!, what did you do that for", Edward cried out getting up from his warm spot in the little den, "You do this every time!"
"Well you wouldn't get up lazy butt", Kasai giggled, "For Okami's sake Edward, I've been looking after you for 2 years now and you still need me to get you up in the morning. Surely you've grown up enough by now".
Edward looked at him apologetically. Kasai shook his head at him but laughed, he couldn't stay mad at him. Afterall he's been practically raising him since he was 5 months old, teaching how to hunt, how to find water, how to fight and to use and control Kasai's shared power. Edward really didn't have anyone else since there was no father figure around and Kasai was forcefully connected to him via this weird looking, and also painful, cord strapping them both together like a dog on a leash.
"Come on kiddo" Kasai sighed as he started to walk into the forest, gesturing for Ed to come along.
Both the wolves walked through the forest sniffing out the familiar scents that they have learnt through the years. There was a sweet scent of the berries that grew, the mossy and pastoral smell of the trees and the wild combinations of the animals which hid amongst the greenery. Of course their prey wouldn't make this easy for them.
"I was just thinking Edward", Kasai whispered, "you don't really need me to help you with this so how about I let you take the lead today". With that Kasai disappeared from Edwards sight truly to let him know that he wasn't taking no for an answer.
Edwards POV
Kasai sometimes did this to me to let me have some privacy. Kasai was kind of like a genie sometimes, it makes me laugh when I think about that but it was nice to have some alone time to be fair. Surely Kasai didn't really sign up to become kinda like a father to me but it's just by chance he did. If I had never met Kasai in the first place I probably would be dead right now. In some way I owe him everything and I truly look up to him in a way but I doubt I'll ever tell him that. I'm way too shy for that and I don't know everything about him yet. I'm too scared to ask him that too, I don't wanna pry in his life or anything though from what I've learnt so far about Kasai is that he's a ghost, he can wield a weird flame power and that he has shown me 3 different forms of himself, a ghost like one where no one can see him but me, his mortal form where everything and everyone can see him but as a physical wolf like me, but white of course, and the genie type one where he disappears completely. I still giggle at that thought, I mean, he has mentioned that he can live inside that weird stone that's in me 'like some kind of pokemon'...whatever a pokemon is, I'll have to ask him later.
I remembered my training. Everything Kasai had taught me came back to me in an instant. I start to recognise and sort through all the familiar scents of this forest until I was able to focus on one. The smell of a herd of antelope about a mile out. I steady and softened my paws and lowered myself so my body was quiet and to not stir up any of the animals. A frightened bird could flap and squark, a scared toad might rustle leaves and rabbits can thump around. This forest must stay quiet whilst I do this. Antelope are timid creatures and any sudden sounds will make them run off so I must stay silent and alert until I get to their location.
I soon arrive to the edge of the forest where
the antelope were grazing. I have never been this far into the trees before, not so much that the forest ends anyway. This place was slightly open surrounded by a cliff entrapping myself and my prey in. Kasai would probably be rather mad at me being this far out but it's not I'm anywhere dangerous… Right? I take a deep breath to calm my nervousness. Although I was hungry and knew how to hunt. I absolutely despise taking the life of another being. As a kid I'd cry every time and I still do but it's just upsetting to me and I hate it. However I swallow the lump in my throat that's beckoning me to cry and tighten my claws ready to strike. I lower my body within the grass and uncover my fangs without a sound. I'll count to 3 and I'll go. I take a deep breath until I feel ready and count… 1… 2…3...I jump out like a lion and sprint towards my prey but instead of catching one I bump into something fluffy and hear a slight yelp completely missing my target.
The antelope fleed. Even if I got up to run after them now I would never catch them.
In shock my ears flip back. I'm hearing a lot of growling coming from being me.
"... Kasai" I Whisper to myself almost tearing up. However he can't hear me that easily whilst he's hidden himself away. I must call him louder. I take a deep breath and… "HEY YOU!"
I turn my head. My body starts to shake and my tail tucks under me. There were 3 wolves standing in front of me. All of them with their hackles up and fangs bared at me. One of them was slowly coming towards me whilst the other two watched me cautiously. Though I was breathing uncontrollably I could pick up this wolf's scent and it seemed familiar to me. As it drew closer to me I started to recognise the colour and patterns of the fur. It was blurry in my mind but this was the same wolf I bumped into on my worst night a couple of years ago. I wouldn't forget a face but wow...she had grown up now.
She came close to me, her blue eyes looking down at me with such a fearless and courageous expression, she had such beautiful long fur that waved in the wind with a bit extra growing being her ear simular to a horses mane... But more suiting to a wolf of course. She lifted her head and covered her snarl still looking down on me like a house cat looking at its human.
"Who are you and what are you doing trespassing in our territory?", She demanded. I tensed up. I was so scared that I couldn't even move or speak. Kasai better come out to check on me soon. I really need him right now.
The two wolves beside her came close enough for me to see their details. One of the wolves next to the grey she-wolf looks quite snobby, looking down on me with disgust like I was a piece of dirt. His fur was almost all white apart from some patches of grey and had bright yellow eyes that outshined my own. The other wolf however looked at me curiously with his head tilted but still had the look that showed his intentions of protecting the she-wolf in front of him. He has dark grey fur, bold black ears and greyish blue eyes that looked somewhat friendlier to me.
"Norman!", The She-wolf yelled, The arrogant white wolf came closer to the girl as if to respond to the order. "Report back to my father about what is happening"
"Yes ma'am" He replied.
The white wolf did what he was ordered straight away. He turned from the scene and ran away without any question. What was she? Some kind of queen or something?
"Womble", She said a lot gentler, "please could you go find where the herd ran too, I'm sure dad won't be too happy about us being empty pawed. The kinder wolf nodded and ran past me and in the direction of where the prey ran completely ignoring my existence.
"That just leaves you and me oddears"
I look up at her again. She was still holding her fearless expression but her tone of voice was a lot calmer. She had probably realised that I wasn't really a threat considering my scared posture.
"Look I can tell you're probably the 'Omega' of your pack but that doesn't give you the right to not give an answer to a future pack Alpha", She spoke softly. I stop shivering a little enough to get some words out. I was still scared but laying here with my tail between my legs isn't going to help me any.
"My name is Edward… I- I didn't mean to come here, I wasn't aware of any other wolves and I'm sorry that I came here…", I said with slight panic, "I was just following the herd to catch one".
The grey wolf tilted her head at me but smiled a little in a kind way.
"Well I guess there is no harm done, but just remember for next time", She stated, by the way odd ears, it's nice to meet you properly this time"
Wait! She remembers me! I felt my heart vibrate in my chest as she said that, what's wrong with me. This was a new feeling. Although scared I still felt like I wanted to talk to her more, so I picked up my body so I was at her level rather than curled up on the floor like a wuss. I had to ask her something, anything, anything at all before I was made to leave or be eaten by an Alpha. The first thing I could think of was…
"Erm…Wha-What's your name?" I asked, stuttering more than a squirrel on coffee. Jeez this was slightly nerve wrecking and embarrassing. "Edward just go home" , I thought to myself.
"I'm not gonna eat you ya know", She giggled, "My name is Alice".
Her name was Alice! I felt my heart squeeze slightly. "That's such a pretty name"
