I have too many big writing projects to be making short stories like this, but whatever.
I don't have a name for this one, just something I wanted to write. It's inspired by one that Echolight wrote recently. The names of the wolves are from the book I'm reading, Wolves at our Door by Jim and Jamie Dutcher. I might write a follow-up to this, but we'll see.
The snow crunched under the wolf’s paws as he trotted through it. He found a bare spot under a fir tree and plopped down with a sigh. He lay there for a while with his head resting on his paws, deep in thought with his eyes shut. Eventually, he heard the footfalls of another wolf approaching. He opened his eyes to see his younger brother, the alpha, approaching. Even though he had been born first of the litter, and was the largest, Lakota had never been the most dominant, always preferring to try to negotiate than to assert dominance as most wolves do. He had only been spared the humiliation of being the omega because his sister, Wyakin, was the smallest of the litter, and she would roll over in submission whenever provoked at all.
“What’s bugging you?” asked Kamots, his brother, as he laid down in the snow to be at eye level with Lakota.
Lakota sighed. “I just feel terrible about the way I bit that elk on his ankle and wasn’t able to finish him off. He must have been in so much pain before we killed him.”
Kamots looked at his brother thoughtfully. “I know you get tired of hearing this, but that’s just how it is sometimes. The Creator made us with strong teeth and jaws for cutting open our prey, and powerful legs for running it down.”
“Yes, but I hate to cause any more suffering than I have to,” Lakota said in response. “I almost wish we didn’t have to kill at all,” he said sadly after a pause.
“But that is not the way of things.” Kamots replied sadly. “Without us to keep the elk in check, they would multiply so quickly that there wouldn’t be enough plants. Just as each of us play a part in the pack, the pack plays a part in the world. The prey animals are aware of this. They wish they did not have to fear us, but they know it is for the best. But they do not live in fear of us constantly as you live in regret of killing them.”
There was a long silence as Lakota processed this. He finally replied “But.... could they refrain from breeding? Make sure they don’t overrun the earth?”
Kamots gave a grim chuckle. “The Creator made us all with a specific purpose. We must do what we are created to do. The only creatures that have a choice are the humans, and you see what sort of a state they’re in.” After delivering this, Kamots stood up as if he had realized something important. He looked down at Lakota with his ears forward and baring his teeth. “I don’t want to hear any of my pack sounding like a human,” he said with a fierce growl. “Understood?”
“Yes of-of course,” whined Lakota, trying to flip over onto his back, which was difficult because he was under a fir tree. He managed to do it, but his paws were entangled in the lower branches.
“Good,” said Kamots as he sat on his haunches. “Now I don’t expect your mind to be changed about this right now, but I hope you’ll be thinking on it. And I don’t expect you to stop feeling pity for the prey. In fact, your pity can inspire you to be all the more ferocious.”
Lakota stared at Kamots, dumbfounded. “It…. what?”
Kamots chuckled “Think about it. If you wish to cause as little suffering as possible, you will be all the more motivated to make more effective moves on our prey. I have said enough. Think these things over, but I do not expect you to have an instant change of heart. That is not to be expected of anyone.” He stood up and walked off, leaving Lakota in thought.
I don't have a name for this one, just something I wanted to write. It's inspired by one that Echolight wrote recently. The names of the wolves are from the book I'm reading, Wolves at our Door by Jim and Jamie Dutcher. I might write a follow-up to this, but we'll see.
The snow crunched under the wolf’s paws as he trotted through it. He found a bare spot under a fir tree and plopped down with a sigh. He lay there for a while with his head resting on his paws, deep in thought with his eyes shut. Eventually, he heard the footfalls of another wolf approaching. He opened his eyes to see his younger brother, the alpha, approaching. Even though he had been born first of the litter, and was the largest, Lakota had never been the most dominant, always preferring to try to negotiate than to assert dominance as most wolves do. He had only been spared the humiliation of being the omega because his sister, Wyakin, was the smallest of the litter, and she would roll over in submission whenever provoked at all.
“What’s bugging you?” asked Kamots, his brother, as he laid down in the snow to be at eye level with Lakota.
Lakota sighed. “I just feel terrible about the way I bit that elk on his ankle and wasn’t able to finish him off. He must have been in so much pain before we killed him.”
Kamots looked at his brother thoughtfully. “I know you get tired of hearing this, but that’s just how it is sometimes. The Creator made us with strong teeth and jaws for cutting open our prey, and powerful legs for running it down.”
“Yes, but I hate to cause any more suffering than I have to,” Lakota said in response. “I almost wish we didn’t have to kill at all,” he said sadly after a pause.
“But that is not the way of things.” Kamots replied sadly. “Without us to keep the elk in check, they would multiply so quickly that there wouldn’t be enough plants. Just as each of us play a part in the pack, the pack plays a part in the world. The prey animals are aware of this. They wish they did not have to fear us, but they know it is for the best. But they do not live in fear of us constantly as you live in regret of killing them.”
There was a long silence as Lakota processed this. He finally replied “But.... could they refrain from breeding? Make sure they don’t overrun the earth?”
Kamots gave a grim chuckle. “The Creator made us all with a specific purpose. We must do what we are created to do. The only creatures that have a choice are the humans, and you see what sort of a state they’re in.” After delivering this, Kamots stood up as if he had realized something important. He looked down at Lakota with his ears forward and baring his teeth. “I don’t want to hear any of my pack sounding like a human,” he said with a fierce growl. “Understood?”
“Yes of-of course,” whined Lakota, trying to flip over onto his back, which was difficult because he was under a fir tree. He managed to do it, but his paws were entangled in the lower branches.
“Good,” said Kamots as he sat on his haunches. “Now I don’t expect your mind to be changed about this right now, but I hope you’ll be thinking on it. And I don’t expect you to stop feeling pity for the prey. In fact, your pity can inspire you to be all the more ferocious.”
Lakota stared at Kamots, dumbfounded. “It…. what?”
Kamots chuckled “Think about it. If you wish to cause as little suffering as possible, you will be all the more motivated to make more effective moves on our prey. I have said enough. Think these things over, but I do not expect you to have an instant change of heart. That is not to be expected of anyone.” He stood up and walked off, leaving Lakota in thought.
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