Leaving Anathema had been easy. Easier than she had expected it to be. There had been no true attachments to the pack, nothing more than a contract keeping her there. The contract was still intact, thankfully, but she was no longer part of the pack. No longer bound by the rules. The only ones to keep were the ones she had formed herself. Amy knew that pack members that had been angered by her presence would probably feel free to harm her now, but defending herself had never been an issue. It was only when true weakness, such as being heavily pregnant, struck that she needed the help of another at all.
Having a pup with her did mean that she would need a more permanent place than her wagon to reside though. Somewhere the pup would be safe, and not get into trouble. The wagon was no place for a pup, and as young as he was Amy couldn't have him walk with her, as much as she would like him to. Everything that could be secured out of reach had been, Kohaku firmly informed that if he left the small area Amy had declared safe for him to wander in there would be punishment. She expected him to follow. As dumb as he was he would certainly listen without questioning, especially when threatened.
Amy traveled east, moving through the barren lands that had echoed with her soul. Beauty and death. Power and silence. That was what she beheld. Plants that were so fresh in the land they were just breaking through. Some areas were recovered farther, with prey and the like, but Amy aimed for the places that were still injured. She traveled until she spotted a city on the horizon. The buildings were scorched completely. Pausing Amy reached out a hand, feeling the rough shape. Ashy, rough. There would be no treasures to recover here, the city burned bare.
Amy traveled further, letting the buildings rise around them. She wasn't done yet. She hadn't found the perfect place for them to settle yet. Somewhere peaceful and strong. A place that Amy could keep barricaded against the world and revel in her treasures. A place like the home she'd grown up in. The buildings began to grow thin again, and Amy slowed, looking with care among the housing. It would be here. She just had to pick which one now.
Ever since Amy had picked Kohaku up they had traveled farther from his home then he ever expected to go. He no longer knew where the forest that housed his mommy and sister was, the distance cementing the idea that he would never see them again. Amy was strict, although she had her kind points as well. Whenever they met other monsters, he had to hide in his little corner of the wagon. For the most part, the puppy obeyed this command because Amy threatened to hurt him if he didn't. However, whenever he thought it was safe, he would climb halfway out of his are to fulfill his curiosity. They went to so many places and he wanted to see them.
At one point in time, Amy had taken him to an area that smelled strongly of wolves and the other canines that Amy told him about. Amy had told him that dogs like her were smart and something else that he couldn't pronounce, but it had something to do with her cart and clothes. She had told him that because he was a wolf he would be a powerful warrior, an idea that Kohaku really liked. She also said that coyotes were mean and "thieves" so they should be killed. Kohaku didn't understand too much of what she had told him, but at least he knew that he was better than something and that was all that mattered.
From his place in the wagon, the young male could see that they passed lots of grey and black areas. The whole place smelled like smoke and he wondered if there was a fire nearby. Kohaku grew restless in his confined space and he wiggled as the wagon moved. He wanted to run and play and his short puppy patience had worn out a while ago. His tiny neck stretched and he climbed halfway up the furs so that he could see better. The wagon slowed down and the pup let out an impatient howl. "I wan' out! Let out!" As Kohaku spoke, he slid back down into his little spot so that he wouldn't get in trouble.
Young howls from the back brought Amy's attention from the houses to the pup she had picked up. He was the reason why she was looking for a place that was more permanent after all. Stepping over she stopped the wagon completely. Contentedly the horse lowered it's head to begin searching for a snack. Amy would have to actually start feeding the horse if they stayed here, with not enough vegetation for it to graze on.
Looking in Amy stifled a sigh. The pup's scent wasn't just in the corner. It looked like he'd been looking out when he'd had the chance. Puppy proofing the wagon was going to take more work. He hadn't let himself be caught though, something that made her proud of the pup. Come on. We need to find a place to stay. Scooping him up she deposited Kohaku on the ground. Grabbing some rope in case someone ended up falling through a hole, Amy stepped over to the first house, beginning to examine it.
He was bored! Being kept in a cramped place all day and told not to move had made the young male impatient, even if he did disobey Amy's orders a little. Kohaku sat in his little corner, howling and kicking up a fuss. His limbs were practically shaking from the need to run and be active. It didn't take long for his desires to be acted upon. The slow moving wagon halted with a small jolt that rocked the tiny puppy and made him trip. Shortly after the wagon stopped, Amy's face appeared and Kohaku smiled. His bony tail thumped against the wood and he whined happily at Amy's words.
As the shifter reached towards him, Kohaku scrambled to his feet and practically jumped into her arms. He squirmed and whined until she set him down on the ground. Once his paws touched the concrete, he was off. The tiny puppy bounded through the wreckage, ignoring the giant piles as he weaved through the cleanest areas. Unlike the forest, there was hardly any greenery to be found and most of it was his size. Kohaku ran up to one such sapling, sniffing it curiously before marking the place as his own. Amy had said that they would be living there.
Kohaku continued to run, making a wide arch around the wagon. He inspected every little thing that caught his attention, which were mostly shrubs and shiny objects. Excitement filled his young mind as he expended all of the excess energy that had built up during the long journey. Kohaku let out a howl, his voice breaking in the normal puppy manner. He still couldn't produce the same powerful sounds that adults could, but that mattered little to the male.
A small hole appeared out of nowhere and the tiny puppy yipped as he skid to a stop. Kohaku stared down the hole, glad that he hadn't fallen into it. Satisfied, he stood and started to run back to Amy. Unfortionatly, his oversized paws got in the way and he landed with a thump onto the concrete. At least he hadn't actually gone into the hole.
Teaching him how to shut up and stay quiet was definitely on Amy's list of things to do. There was no way that she was going to put up with the amount of noise he was making for very long. Thankfully he shut up as soon as he was let out to explore. Amy couldn't wait for him to be old enough to travel with her outside the wagon. That would make life much easier. Four months would be about right for that. Amy was surprised by the eagerness, enjoying holding him briefly before putting him down again.
She watched Kohaku examine the place with a form of pleasure, not moving yet as he explored. Amy laughed at the broken howl, tail wagging as she stepped over to the houses. His tripping was completely ignored, expecting him to be tough enough to deal with it. Inside she wandered through, examining the rooms. It was bare in here, as expected, but the place was too fragile. The fire had enjoyed a good meal here. Another place would be needed.
Stepping back out she examined the exteriors before settling on one with a stone layering. Immediately she could see a difference. It was still hollow and burned, but the walls were more sturdy. She noted the places that would need repair silently, wondering if this would be a good place to choose. There was no rush. There were plenty of places to look over.
Soft pain traveled up the puppy's chin as he gingerly picked himself off the ground. The concrete hurt a lot more than grass did and he whimpered a little as his eyes searched for his mommy to comfort him. However, the only one there was Amy and she ignored his pain. Kohaku shook himself and ignored his throbbing chin. He didn't need Amy to comfort him, nor did he want her to comfort him. That time in the cave was something he was determined not to repeat. Amy had called him something strange and he hated it. Kohaku was determined not to let her call him by that name again.
Kohaku looked around, trying to find Amy. Her form disappeared into one of the strange structures and he ran after her with a wolfish-bark. The tiny male scrambled into the house and his eyes grew wide. He wasn't sure how to take in the site and the floor creaked beneath his paws. Kohaku paused and sniffed the ground. He sneezed as dust shot up into his nose. Kohaku followed Amy, sniffing the walls and inspecting the corners. "What do?" Bright eyes stared up at his guardian, his question an attempt at figuring out what Amy was doing. The colorful male wasn't sure why they were in such a strange place, but at least it was more interesting than the wagon.
Kohaku followed Amy back out of the house, blinking as the sun shone in his eyes making him stumble a little. He followed the dog as she moved down the rows of buildings before stopping in front of one. She seemed to like the one in front of them, but Kohaku couldn't figure out what was different about it. He ran up to the wall and sniffed it. Kohaku tipped his head to the side as he thought a bit, then turned and marked the place as his own.
Reaching out she touched the wall, pushing on it gently. Yes, this one would stay. Some repairs would be needed, but she could handle that. Tail swaying she glanced down in time to spot Kohaku marking the wall. Kohaku! Rapidly she scooped the pup up, depositing him outside. Angrily she paced, trying to think of how to explain this. She would be marking the house in much the same way, but he had to understand why that was wrong.
Kohaku, we only mark the borders like that. Only the borders. Inside we leave it alone. That way those we invite in feel comfortable. They can mix in with the pack. If we mark inside, they won't want to stay. Understand? The smell would drive anyone respectable off, offended by the fact that someone would mark the inside of their home that way. Reaching down she rubbed his head. Well, I guess we'll be staying here. Moving back to the wagon she grabbed some meat and furs, stepping in to lay it out for the house. Passing a piece to Kohaku she continued in, searching for where they'd sleep.
The tiny male wanted to step back and admire his handy work. Kohaku was proud that he had marked the wall and the area had become his. However, Amy yelled his name and scooped him up without warning. Kohaku whined, wondering why he had gotten yelled at. The world moved uneasily beneath the puppy as the golden dog totted him outside where he was deposited on the ground. Kohaku watched, confused and a little scared as Amy paced angrily. He could practically see her rage steaming off her coat. Unsure of what he had done wrong, Kohaku lowered himself to the ground and his ears became pinned to his skull.
At last, Amy stopped and gave him a big scolding. He wasn't supposed to mark the inside? Kohaku didn't really understand, but he nodded his head furiously to try and fake understanding. The colorful male did his best to soak up what the luperci was telling him and would be sure to remember it in the future. Mark outside, not inside. Kohaku repeated the chant inside his head several times to commit it to memory. A giant hand reached down towards him and gently rubbed his head. Large, round eyes stared up at Amy, begging her not to be angry. He was going to be good so that his mommy would take him back. If his new caretaker was angry, the Kohaku's mommy would never come to get him.
Sure enough, Amy's anger abated and she announced that they would be staying the home that he had peed in. Kohaku's tail began to wag and he uncoiled himself so that he could follow Amy around. She moved to the wagon and then back to the house with Kohaku on her heels the entire time. Sure enough, a piece of dried meat was offered to the puppy who took the food graciously. He sat down and began to rip at the meat, toying with it and shaking it furiously.
His eyes had somehow managed to make themselves even bigger as she spoke, blue eyes peering up desperately. Amy almost wanted to laugh at the sight, he looked so scared. She wasn't going to kill him! No, that was reserved for those she didn't find useful. Kohaku had a use, so he would live. His head bobbed like crazy, almost looking like it would come off in his determination to look like he agreed with her.
Molding the house was going to be fairly hard, considering how they wouldn't be sticking around for too long. Pausing Amy placed some furs over the usable furniture in the living room before heading to the stairs, testing their strength. It wasn't good, would have to be redone. Promptly she tore out the first few steps, using them to create a barrier. Upstairs was prohibited, too dangerous for use. Entering a good sized room Amy looked around. Carefully she arranged the area to form a bed for herself, slightly raised off the ground with plenty of thick soft furs, plus a pillow. Beside it she made a smaller nest for Kohaku to settle into.
Kohaku could figure out what he was more scared of, Amy or the idea that his mother would never take him back. The tiny male had convinced himself that he had been bad and needed to be good so that she would want him again. Even so, being good was so hard. There were so many rules and following them all was very difficult. On top of that, he didn't want to be with stinky Amy. She smelled and made fun of him. Not to mention Amy was a monster who could change her form. Kohaku just wanted to go back to his old home in the forest.
While Amy wandered around the house, Kohaku occupied himself with the piece of meat. He chewed on it and growled. The tough, dry food acted not only as nourishment but as a toy. He whined and yipped as he pawed and chewed on the meat. Kohaku's tiny tail wagged quickly through the air as he scuffled across the hard floor. The sound of cracking wood made the tiny male's head shoot up as what remained of his lunch dropped to the floor. The loud boom sounded almost like thunder and made Kohaku's eyes widen again. He looked around nervously before scrambling to Amy's side. However, he stopped and watched as she pulled up the wooden boards to build a barrier. Bluish-green eyes flicked from the golden dog to the wooden boards. "What that?"
The pup took only a second to investigate the barricade before he followed Amy into another room. She paused and looked around as Kohaku ran around the room and sniffed the various objects in the room. It was a big room and Kohaku worked to investigate every corner. Once the little male was done with his investigation, he turned to look at Amy. In the center of the room she had built a bed of furs. The large bed was finished and she was working on a smaller pile. Excited, Kohaku scrambled towards the large bed and jumped on top of the tick furs. His oversized paws sank a little as he stumbled across the furs. Happy, the tiny male tucked his paws beneath his chest and rest atop the bed while his tail wagged furiously behind him. "Mine," Kohaku proclaimed before he broke into a small giggling fit.
Amy glanced down at Kohaku for a moment, spotting him studying what she'd made. It's a barricade. Makes sure we remember the stairs aren't safe. It was for guests as well, Amy not liking the idea of leaving the stairs exposed in such poor condition. She felt better just sealing them off, making it clear that it wasn't something to deal with. Kohaku followed right on her heels as she entered the next room, various old objects scattered throughout, including a metal toy of some kind.
With the small pile almost finished she heard a voice from behind her. Turning around she found Kohaku, rather proudly claiming her bed. Angrily she scooped him up, placing him in the smaller one. No. That's my bed. You can't climb onto it. I'm the one in charge, you listen to what I say. This pointing to the small pile is your bed. She looked at him rather seriously, arms crossed.
"Not safe," he chirped. Blue-green eyes stared at the barricade, wondering why the stairs weren't safe. It seemed to the young male that Amy told him a lot of things weren't safe and that he couldn't go to a lot of places. When in the wagon, Amy had limited Kohaku's travel space to a single area and he wasn't supposed to go out of his designated space. When they stopped places and the golden dog wandered off, Kohaku had been instructed to stay by the wagon. Now, he couldn't go up the stairs. Amy had as many rules as his mommy.
Anger raged across Amy's features when she heard Kohaku playfully claim her bed. He knew it was her bed, but thought it would be funny if he claimed the giant place for himself. Amy obviously didn't think so. Kohaku's smile dropped into a frown and his tail stopped wagging almost immediately. Her giant hands grabbed the puppy almost painfully and he was placed roughly on the smaller bed. Again, Amy scolded the small child and Kohaku sunk into the bed pouting. He ears drooped and he started off into the distance as she yelled at him. The young male looked up briefly after she finished talking, but quickly looked away from her serious silhouette. Amy towered over the puppy, her arms were crossed and her anger rippled off her body.
"Okay," he whispered. Kohaku's happy mood was gone and his body lay listlessly where Amy had dropped him. Kohaku made a mental note of the incident so that he would remember that the luperci had no sense of humor.
Immediately the pup drooped down. Amy watched the ears tuck, submissive and sorrowful at the same time. Remembering how young he was Amy softened a little. She didn't deal with children much, using a rough hand with them when she came into contact at all. Perhaps her actions were a bit harsh, Kohaku willingly agreeing with her. There had to be something she could do to show that she wasn't that mean. Well, not completely.
Sighing she stooped down, petting his head softly. Hey, buck up. We still have a lot of ground to cover. Hoping that her speech was enough she left the room, moving on to the next area to investigate. She would need a place to store her goods, and a place to plant the various herbs and poisons she carried with her. Opening up the back door Amy winced, having it come off in her hand. That would need to be fixed.
Why was it that every time he tried to have fun he always got in trouble. It wasn't like Kohaku wanted to get yelled at, he just wanted to play a little. This was why his mommy had given him up and this was why she wouldn't take him back. He had to be good, but it was just so hard. There were so many rules and Amy was a terrible playmate. She didn't joke around or smile. All she did was yell at the poor puppy and call him names. Kohaku sniffed a little as he fought back tears and homesickness.
A soft hand descended and ran across his head. Gentle words encouraged him to cheer up and insist that they should get back to exploring. Kohaku raised his puppy blue eyes, looking lost and sad. He watched as the monster's form drifted away and suddenly feeling lonely, the puppy sprinted after her. Kohaku followed Amy around, not because he liked her, but because he wanted attention and company.
A loud crack came and the tiny male jumped. He looked nervously at Amy who was holding a really big piece of wood and looked almost pained. Kohaku approached the unfamiliar item and gave it a quick sniff before he bounded off into the next room. To him, the new room was the same as the other rooms and it was getting boring. He sat down in the middle and looked around without interest. Kohaku thought about returning to the other room cus he was sure there had been a toy in there.
She looked down as Kohaku briefly investigated the wooden door. Looks like we need a new one. So much of the house would have to be rebuilt. If only it was built of stone, or another material that would have survived the fire that scarred the land. Well, she was going to do the best she could. It would take a fair amount of work but she would finish it up. Placing the door on a wall she followed Kohaku into the next room.
There weren't many rooms to explore with the second floor blocked off. There was the living room, the kitchen, the hall, a small room that Amy wasn't too sure of the purpose of with a mirror and a round glass vase looking thing attached to the ground, and another room filled with various papers and books. Amy worked through sorting what was dangerous, what was in good condition, and what she'd need to repair. Amy would have to hire someone to go through the house with her. Once that was done, she began to sort through the goods in the house, figuring what she'd throw out, what would be sold, and what she would keep for her home.
Exploring the house wasn't as much fun as Kohaku would have hoped it would be. Amy yelled at him a lot and there wasn't too much for Kohaku to play with. Many things that the tiny male might have found interesting were falling apart. There wasn't anything for a puppy to do. Diligently, the puppy followed the only adult in sight, unfortunately that meant following Amy around the house as she inspected everything.
The only thing that really caught Kohaku's attention was a large, white bowl. The bowl stood at the far end of a tiny room. It was a strange item that took the pup's attention. Kohaku reared up on his hind legs to inspect the inside of the bowl. However, being a young wolf, the male had a difficult time peaking into it. His head hung awkwardly on the bowls edge as the colorful boy stretched his neck to see inside. Kohaku could get a small peak of the bowl from the corner of his eye, only to discover that it was empty. Growing bored, the male returned to following Amy around.
At long last, Amy decided to stay in one location as she sorted through the various objects that caught her interest. Kohaku returned to the rooms were their beds were laid out and amused himself by chewing on the old toy that lay abandoned on the ground. Playing by himself wasn't very fun, but it was better than being with Amy and her boring stuff.
Amy looked up as Kohaku wandered off. The home wasn't safe yet. There was still plenty of work for her to do first. The preliminaries had been taken care of, but there was still much work before it would be finished. Abandoning what she had there Amy followed Kohaku's scent back to the room she'd made the beds in. He was in there, wrestling with a wooden toy of some kind. Amy could have sold that. She almost snapped at him to release it before biting her lip.
He had been fairly well behaved. Listened, stayed out of trouble, and had only touched a few things resulting in snarls from her. Perhaps it would be alright if she just let him goof off for a time. Sitting down on the ground she watched him play before letting out a bark. Tail wagging she smiled, showing herself ready to play. She didn't bow down, as she was still in optime form, but the challenge in her eyes still glistened.
Despite being by himself, he could at least have a little fun. The toy was hard and made for good chewing. Sticks were great to chew on, but if they were too small they would break and he would always have nasty bark in his mouth afterwords. The wooden toy on the other had, wasn't so easy to break and it didn't leave disgusting peices in his mouth. Kohaku growled as he chewed eagerly on the toy. It was soon coated with his slobber and only made the toy more fun. The tiny male's tail thumped eagerly against the ground and bat the toy away so that he could chase after it.
Kohaku lunged at the rolling toy with as much enthusiasm as a puppy could muster. Kohaku rolled over his oversized feet as he landed and scrambled back towards the toy. He let out a tiny howl as he pounced and renewed his overenthusiastic chewing. Kohaku only paused when Amy came into the room. His puppy eyes looked at her and waited to be reprimanded. After all, that's all she ever did. She yelled at him all the time and called him nasty names.
Instead of getting in trouble like he had expected too, Amy simply sat down and watched him. Kohaku renewed his play with extra vigor and ended up running across the room several times as he continued to bat the toy away in a mock chase. A strange bark alerted Kohaku to Amy's change in demenor and he looked up with a slightly cocked head, wondering why she was interrupting his playtime. The boy sat down and confusion riddled his features. He understood that Amy was ready to play and wanted to join in on his game, but he wasn't sure if he liked Amy enough to really play with her. Kohaku tentativly looked back at his toy before glancing back at the dog. At last, the pup decided it was better to play with a monster than by himself.
With quick actions Kohaku grabbed the wooden object and strolled over to Amy where he dipped into a play bow. The colorful wolf bounced back and forth and gave a playful growl.
A wooden toy had been in the room. Definitely something valuable. Well, not anymore. Not with Kohaku's teeth marks covering it. It was a waste, truly. Next time she'd have to act faster. She couldn't reprimand Kohaku though. She would reprimand uncivil behavior, but taking what he wanted and making his own choices were things she wished to encourage. He wouldn't be a submissive pup to be pushed around and cower. He'd take what he wanted, and enjoy it.
The toy was batted several times across the floor as Kohaku raced after it, her tail swaying behind her happily. Confusion answered her call to play. Amy waited patiently, not believing that he would choose another way. She treated him well, after all. Sure enough, the pup picked up his toy and came to her. She ruffled her head before taking the toy and shaking it playfully, turning it into a game of tug of war. Winning she tossed the toy back, tail thumping happily.
A large. monstrous hand reached out to ruffle his head and Kohaku swatted at the appendage as it retreated. He wasn't quite ready to trust Amy completely. She was a monster after all. But, his mommy had given him to her so he would have to make do with her as a playmate. Playing by himself would get boring and he missed wrestling with his sister, even if she did beat him more then he would have liked.
The golden dog reached for Kohaku's new toy and he growled and retreated back a step as she grabbed hold of the toy's side. Would she take his toy from him? He had finally got something of his own that was even better that Lucia's rag doll. Determination filled the tiny pup's mind and his heckles rose a little. However, Amy was not trying to take the wooden toy and merely shook it a little. Kohaku's tail wagged and he was easily tossed from side to side. The puppy growled and did his best to hold on. However, Amy won the toy and Kohaku bounced back giving his wolfish barks.
After a moment the toy was tossed towards Kohaku who lunged at it eagerly. He grabbed the wooden toy with enthusiasm and did a quick circle around Amy before he dipped into a play bow to challenge her again. As with any puppy, Kohaku's boundless energy made him more than willing to continue the game for hours more.
