"Yes, then," Herakles said, pleased now, and his bushy tail began to wag. "I see you often when I go to eat, or deliver things, but you're always busy, so I've never said hello before."
"Then....forgive me for being forward, but why now?" Kiku asked.
"You seemed uneasy out here. I just finished delivering a package and I thought I'd keep you company so you wouldn't be looking over your shoulder all the time," Herakles said. "You shouldn't walk alone so much...it's dangerous."
"Thank you.....I must admit you're different than the other wolves I've met before," Kiku said.
"Herakles tilted his head, his silky ears twitching. "Wolf? I'm of the dog tribe," he said.
"Forgive the assumption, you smelled and looked like a wolf to me," Kiku said apologetically.
"I have wolf in my lines from my father's side. My mother is from the dog tribe. But I've never really considered myself a wolf," Herakles said. "Pack order has no interest in me...everyone who knows me says I act like a cat in a dog's body. "
"I see," Kiku said. His ears flicked. Wolves could lie, though foxes were more known for cunning and lying. He didn't smell the acrid stench of lies, though. Some were known to hide it so well that it couldn't even be scented, but those were mostly very talented foxes. Besides, a part of him – perhaps the humanesque part – didn't believe Herakles was lying.
Herakles titled his head again. "It was me you were afraid of, not Francis....? Why...?"
"Francis is no threat. He only is interested in as he puts it 'l'amour'. You...I assumed you were a wolf," Kiku said.
Herakles looked sad. "And that was all you needed to know about me?"
"Wolves are...they're predators," Kiku said. "I am of the sheep tribe, and deep inside, whenever I am near a predator, my instincts tell me to be wary."
Herakles touched him lightly on the arm, and Kiku flinched. "Listen to me," he said in a low, intense voice. "I would never hurt you, no matter what my blood is."
"I...." Kiku said.
"I'm sorry if I've ever startled you," Herakles said, drawing back now. He looked grim, and Kiku missed the smile which had lit up his features.
"These things are hard to fight....prejudice is one thing, but this is instinct. Everything within me tells me to run. Isn't it the same for you?"
"No," Herakles said. He turned away. "Everything within me tells me to protect you."
He wondered if he should ask the pressing question of why? Why take the trouble? Why have a desire to protect? Perhaps his mother's side had been a sheepdog. Was that it?
The trees thinned as they walked in silence. It wasn't comfortable, and Herakles seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"I wish it wasn't like this," Herakles said, looking out at the cloudless sky. "Everyone assumes that because I have a wolf for a father, I'm bloodthirsty. "
"It's an unpleasant matter," Kiku said carefully. "But it's in our blood. What can we do?"
Herakles let out a sigh. The trees were thinning ahead as the noise of the city preceded the widening of streets, the many loud noises and smells that made Kiku's inner instincts want to panic at any given moment. They were of course, illogical most of the time, but living as their tribes made them illogical by nature.
Wolfsbane 3/5
"Then....forgive me for being forward, but why now?" Kiku asked.
"You seemed uneasy out here. I just finished delivering a package and I thought I'd keep you company so you wouldn't be looking over your shoulder all the time," Herakles said. "You shouldn't walk alone so much...it's dangerous."
"Thank you.....I must admit you're different than the other wolves I've met before," Kiku said.
"Herakles tilted his head, his silky ears twitching. "Wolf? I'm of the dog tribe," he said.
"Forgive the assumption, you smelled and looked like a wolf to me," Kiku said apologetically.
"I have wolf in my lines from my father's side. My mother is from the dog tribe. But I've never really considered myself a wolf," Herakles said. "Pack order has no interest in me...everyone who knows me says I act like a cat in a dog's body. "
"I see," Kiku said. His ears flicked. Wolves could lie, though foxes were more known for cunning and lying. He didn't smell the acrid stench of lies, though. Some were known to hide it so well that it couldn't even be scented, but those were mostly very talented foxes. Besides, a part of him – perhaps the humanesque part – didn't believe Herakles was lying.
Herakles titled his head again. "It was me you were afraid of, not Francis....? Why...?"
"Francis is no threat. He only is interested in as he puts it 'l'amour'. You...I assumed you were a wolf," Kiku said.
Herakles looked sad. "And that was all you needed to know about me?"
"Wolves are...they're predators," Kiku said. "I am of the sheep tribe, and deep inside, whenever I am near a predator, my instincts tell me to be wary."
Herakles touched him lightly on the arm, and Kiku flinched. "Listen to me," he said in a low, intense voice. "I would never hurt you, no matter what my blood is."
"I...." Kiku said.
"I'm sorry if I've ever startled you," Herakles said, drawing back now. He looked grim, and Kiku missed the smile which had lit up his features.
"These things are hard to fight....prejudice is one thing, but this is instinct. Everything within me tells me to run. Isn't it the same for you?"
"No," Herakles said. He turned away. "Everything within me tells me to protect you."
He wondered if he should ask the pressing question of why? Why take the trouble? Why have a desire to protect? Perhaps his mother's side had been a sheepdog. Was that it?
The trees thinned as they walked in silence. It wasn't comfortable, and Herakles seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"I wish it wasn't like this," Herakles said, looking out at the cloudless sky. "Everyone assumes that because I have a wolf for a father, I'm bloodthirsty. "
"It's an unpleasant matter," Kiku said carefully. "But it's in our blood. What can we do?"
Herakles let out a sigh. The trees were thinning ahead as the noise of the city preceded the widening of streets, the many loud noises and smells that made Kiku's inner instincts want to panic at any given moment. They were of course, illogical most of the time, but living as their tribes made them illogical by nature.