A Loveless Legacy

[Lozloxfeafcakerat]

(I found this slightly confusing. Probably just my dumb head)

Edited January 31, 2023 by Modiano Ourania
Edited slightly due to possibly offensive wording

[CosmicChaos21]

The whole pack was somewhat startled at seeing Ruby and Wren run into camp, looking somewhat tired and extremely alarmed. Tangerine spoke first though.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, wondering what caused the two to look as panicked as they did. Wren was too busy catching his breath to answer, seeing as the two kinda just escaped a life threatening situation, so Ruby answered for both of them.

“A killer bearyena! It’s way too close to our home” Ruby’s words made Tangerine feel like cold water had been dumped on him, he knew what he had to do but it would be a bit harder with his young son.

“Which direction was it in?” Tangerine asked to make sure they didn’t run right into its jaws, that would be a dumb choice. Ruby caught her own breath a little before speaking.

“That way” She said as she pointed a paw in the direction they just came from, making Tangerine nod before giving his order.

“Everyone run that way!” He shouted and pointed in the opposite direction making the pack nichelings all get up and start running. He quickly grabbed Whistle by the scruff before running after the rest of the pack.

As he ran after the pack, slowly catching up, he noticed a few things as he ran. While Ruby and Wren were lagging a bit because Ruby was trying her best to guide Wren along, Blank was trying but lagging behind even him because she had no one to help her. The bearyena suddenly growled and he saw it start to gain on the pack making Tangerine panic before seeing an opportunity, a cruel and messed up one but an opportunity nonetheless.

He carefully slowed his pace so he was level with Blank, though the thought of messing this up and getting Whistle killed terrified him, before taking a glance at her paws and running a bit faster than her. Blank was too panicked by the fact she could hear the bearyena right on her tail to notice anything else. Tangerine kicked out his hindleg which hit Blank’s fron leg causing her to yelp and try to regain her balance. It didn’t work and she fell to the ground with a yelp of pain, Tangerine felt a tiny bubble of guilt but pointedly ignored it annd ran as fast as he could, holding on tightly to Whistle’s scruff so he didn’t drop him so he started to quickly catch up to his packmates.

Meanwhile Blank desperately tried to get back up but the bearyena was already there and Blank turned her head towards the sound of its growl just in time for it to clamp down on her neck. She felt anger as she recognized the scent of the nicheling near her before she was forcibly tripped…then everything faded to darkness.

Meanwhile things were more peaceful with the other group of nichelings, in fact something good was happening.

“Who are you?” Mustard said suspiciously as she looked at the nicheling with an odd snout and slightly unnerving amount of scars and scratches. The nicheling scanned Mustard for a little bit, wondering if divulging any information to this nicheling would be a bad move.

“Salmon, you?” The nicheling decided that giving her name wouldn’t hurt, though she swore she heard the sound of other pawsteps so she hoped she didn’t just step into an ambush, even if she knows she could survive it would add more injuries to her already scarred body.

“…Mustard” Mustard spoke though she thought of something, if this nicheling was that scarred it must mean they know how to survive well, they must have survived lots of battles and therefore has good experience. “I’m in a pack, would you like to join, we’ll offer some protection and more food” Mustard didn’t like inviting unknown nichelings but she knew their small ‘pack’ needed more members if they wanted to change surviving a bearyena attack, a small bearyena as she knew a killer bearyena is something they can’t hope to beat. Salmon hummed in though and was silent for a bit, making Mustard want to take back the offer but before she could Salmon spoke.

“Sure, I’m sure I could offer some help” Salmon said as she knows being a useless member could get you kicked out or worse. Mustard didn’t actually expect her to accept but nodded.

“Alright follow me” Mustard said as she gestured to follow with her paw before turning around and starting to walk.

/

“You brought another nicheling for the pack? Of course you can join!” Bumble couldn’t keep the excitment out of his voice, another member! The pack would be stronger and now they had a better chance against the smaller bearyena so they wouldn’t have to run as often.

“As long as you’re not dead weight I don’t mind” Bell spoke with a shrug, he just didn’t want a nicheling that would eat their food and lay around, that would drain their resources and every bit of food was precious here.

“I assure you I won’t be, I will carry my weight” Salmon said in a formal tone, being dead weight doesn’t help anyone and she doesn’t want to be a waste of food or space. Bell simply nodded to show acknowledgment before giving Salmon some berries, which she took gratefully. “Thank you”  She said politely before eating.

Bell and Salmon quickly started to get along well, they saw eye to eye.

“You get in a lot of battles with bearyena?” Bell asked as he vaguely gestured to all Salmon’s scars. Salmon shrugged in response before actually answering.

“Most of these are from nichelings actually, you’re quite kind nichelings for this island. Most are extremely hostile and with try to take out an eye if you get anywhere near their food, which I can understand” Salmon said casually while Bell was a bit shocked at how easily she spoke of her injuries.

“All the one’s I’ve met have been pretty decent” Bell said, Mustard was stubborn and a bit rude at times but never really hostile or cruel. Salmon chuckled with slight bitterness.

“You’re pretty lucky than, or maybe I just have abysmal luck” Salmon said as she remembered all the times she had almost been killed as a pup for the crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, wondering how nice it must have been to be raised in a pack instead.

“Well if you’re in the pack you probably won’t deal with that nearly as much anymore” Bell said as he looked over at Salmon, wondering how hard it must’ve been to deal with so many hostile nichelings if they gave her so many scars. He’s seen nichelings with scars but none with as many as Salmon had.

“I suppose you’re right on that, wanderers would probably think twice about messing with a pack nicheling” Salmon agreed, though a small part worried of a cruel nicheling slipping into the pack and rotting it from the inside out, she’s seen that happen before and it’s never a pretty sight.

The two shared conversation and a few berries as they relaxed, well as much as one could on an island as dangerous as this one.