Finding Family by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
The precipice of the void stands in front of you. A sea of blackness where very little light gets through. A person stands and stares up, hoping that the moonlight might pierce through at any moment. The sounds of the wild; the rustling of trees, the calls of beasts both big and small, and the white noise of running water fill one's ears. And yet…one is not lost. They are here all too willing, filled by the onset of fear that something may beset them at any moment.
Arthur was a young boy with his whole life ahead of him. As an adopted child, Arthur had a limited understanding of the true meaning of family. He had spent the majority of his life with his mother. But she had passed relatively recently and the boy found himself without any direct relatives. Yet before she went to the great beyond, his guardianship was passed to a distant relative. One whom he didn't even know existed until a few months ago when he was adopted by them.
The family in question…one of the Beastkin variety…or so they were called by their human brethren. A human boy amongst a pack of wolves. Arthur now found himself in an unpredictable environment. One which was dictated mostly by his innate fears of the Beastkin. As a human…he had been brought up that the "furry" ilk was something of a pariah. A rarely seen enigma that often was heard of but never seen.
But now…Arthur found himself in a small sect of society where the Beastkin thrived. A "warren", where the furry kind could run amok without concern of being locked up by their human brethren. It had already been 3 months for the young human and still, he wasn't used to living with a family of 5; Two lupine parents who were hard-nosed and no-nonsense guardians of the human boy and their two sons.
Arthur's newly acquired brothers weren't much older than himself. Oliver was a grey Arctic wolf who was something of a naturalist. Always out and about and looking for things outside to do. As such his parents had enrolled him in the fuzz scouts rather early in his life. Edward on the other hand was the oldest of the bunch, who often shut himself up in his room. This weekend the fuzz scouts were to have a campout and the wolf's parents were looking to finally formally enroll Arthur.
When he was confronted with the issue; the idea of being outdoors for the entire weekend. Arthur was beside himself with fear. The human boy was something of a worry wart. Always concerned about what could, and in his mind, would happen to him if he wasn't careful. But even despite his whining and moaning about the issue, his newly adopted parents simply wouldn't have it. He was to be enrolled in fuzz scouts and participate in the campout that coming weekend.
The days went by rather quickly. Arthur's anxiety about the moment only continued to increase as the weekend grew ever closer. When the day finally came, Arthur just lay in bed. Neither his mind nor his body were willing to get out of bed. Oliver was in no mood for it. The wolf boy had been looking forward to this the entire week. He'd been thinking about nothing else other than that and it was a chance for him to get a new explorer's badge as well.
The wolf tugged on the human's arm in an attempt to get him out of bed. "Come on you big doofus. We're going to be late because of you."
Arthur turned around in his bed and groaned. "Nuh…leave me alone."
"You're getting out of bed even if I have to drag you out of bed myself." Oliver shook him over and over again.
Grumbling, the human rolled himself against the wall. "Go away!"
The grey cub reached over the top bunk and tugged on the other boy. "Get out….now."
The human felt himself being rolled right along to the railing of the bunk. It was apparent that his "brother" wasn't having it. Slowly he eased himself out of bed. A look of disgust on his face, intently staring at the wolf below him. He could see his brother was already dressed in his uniform.
"It'll be fun. I promise." His wolfish smile belied his innocent intent.
Arthur sighed through the gap in his teeth." Fine…."
Oliver shoved him playfully once his brother was on ground level. "Get dressed or I'll sick Dad on you and I promise you won't like him when he's upset.'
The fleshy boy hated nothing more than the thought of making one of the beastkin upset. Before moving in with the wolf pack, he'd been taught by human society that the predatorial nature of some of the species was problematic. He trembled a bit as he stood there but soon caved in as he didn't want Oliver to be angry at him either. After a few moments, he finally made his way over to a small cabinet that had been afforded to him as his own.
Arthur had a different wardrobe than his brother. One that didn't have the cutouts necessary for tails and was a tighter fit on his body since he had no fur to speak of. He hadn't yet been given a uniform so he picked out some cargo shorts and a short-sleeved neon green t-shirt. He figured that if he got lost that he'd be easier to locate with something that stood out. The boy put on some socks and tennis shoes as he didn't have any trail shoes of his own.
Oliver left the room after he made sure his brother did what he was supposed to. The threat made by the cub was more than enough to drive him forward. Once he was dressed, he made his way out through the hall and down to the kitchen. He could hear the clatter of dishes, so he assumed his adopted family had already gathered for breakfast. The human crept his way around the corner and looked inside to make sure this was the case.
Sure enough, all three of the wolves were there. His brother sat next to their father. The two males chomping down rather fervently on a breakfast burrito. The mother shook her head at them while delicately ending her meal. The three of them hadn't noticed the human's arrival quite yet. Quietly he began to creep up on them as if he didn't want to be discovered. Yet the keen smell of the wolf pack was far too strong to not pick up his smell.
"Hello, Arthur. Please come join us so that we will not be late to take you, boys to fuzz scouts." She tilted her head back to look at him and gave him an awkward stare.
The fleshy boy stood there like a deer in headlights. His heartbeat quickened in his chest as if he expected some foul thing to happen to him. But the wolf pack remained ever intent on the prey in which they dined upon. The mother turned her head back around as she wasn't concerned with the human. Even though they adopted him some months ago, they still want quite used to his quirks.
Arthur made slow and careful steps toward the table. None of them bothered to make eye contact with him. The off smell of fur shampoo carried through the room. It was something he was still not that familiar with and it always came off as strong. He sat down at the table and looked at the plate that had been prepared in front of him. The boy soon picked up the burrito and began eating it.
It was an egg and sausage-filled tortilla meal. Fortunately for him, the thing was still warm and tasted rather good. He was rather hungry so he worked through it rather quickly. Arthur didn't say a word to his family, nor did they to him. The awkward silence shared between them didn't seem to bother any of them. Occasionally the human boy turned his gaze up to check to see what the wolves were doing. Despite his concern, the pack didn't pay much mind to him.
After they finished their meals, the older wolves got up and started to clean up. Oliver picked up a scrap of food and threw it over toward his brother. Arthur flinched as the small morsel hit his cheek. He scowled at the wolf who gave him a toothy grin back his way. The human ignored the issue and finished sipping on his drink. The cub again threw another piece of food at his brother, trying to get a rise out of him.
"No more funny business, Oliver." The older male touched his son's shoulder.
Oliver peeled up his face at his father. "Sorry."
"Grab your bags. It's time to head out." Their father pointed out the kitchen.
The wolf cub got up and nudged his brother so he would join him. Arthur looked up at the older male and could tell he meant business. Slowly he picked himself up and followed the cub back to their room. A bag had been prepared for both of them and had already been set out at the foot of the bunk bed. Oliver grabbed his brother's bag and threw it to him before hoisting his own on his bag.
Arthur wasn't quite prepared to catch the bag and it slumped along his body as it cascaded to the floor. He bent over and picked it up, holding onto it through the loop on its head. They headed out back out of the room together and to the front room.
"Let's go, I don't have all day." The man felt rushed because he had to go to a company outing right after dropping them off.
The fleshy boy flinched as his father gave him the stink eye. Part of him believed the man harbored no love for him. It was an issue the boy wasn't entirely ready to address just yet. Oliver slapped his brother on the back to get him to move. Arthur groaned as he knew there was no fighting back against the issue. Every fiber in his being told him this trip was a bad idea and yet he was being forced to go.
They filed into the car. The cub took the front seat with his brother taking the rear one. For the first time in his life, Arthur considered running off. He didn't want to go. Yet, he had no spine for it. He simmered in his fear allowing it to dominate his young mind, twiddling his fingers in his hand with a look of nervousness about him. The doors were soon locked and the truck trotted off, putting that fleeting of running off soon forgotten.
The drive to the campground wasn't a long one. The truck was an older one, the inside of which smelt just like the wolf family. The stale odor of fur, a mixture of various body odors, and a rank stench
of filth hung about as the vehicle hadn't ever been cleaned before. One would never know It was white by looking at it as it was covered in dirt and grime. Once they arrived, the father kicked them both out.
Oliver and Arthur found themselves at the campgrounds. Several rows of tents could be seen in front of them. Cubs and teens of both genders could be seen walking about. Arthur began to feel uneasy again. This was the first time he'd been to fuzz scouts and he figured he'd be the only human there. Oliver tugged on him to get his brother to follow him to the campgrounds.
They made their way into the main part of it. Only a few adults could be seen. Oliver had been told by his parents to get his brother situated. They wanted nothing more than to properly assimilate the boy. So far they'd failed in that regard and wanted to try harder to make him feel more at home than they'd had the first few months after adopting him. The wolf brought the human to a tall raccoon woman.
She looked at the human warily as they approached her. It wasn't every day she saw one "in the flesh", or so the beastkin called them when they were around. She recognized the wolf boy as a member of the fuzz scouts.
"Allo, Oli. Who's this fleshy you brought along?" She folded her leg one over the other.
The wolf put the other boy in front of him. "This is Arthur. My family adopted him."
"I see. I suppose there are no rules against a fleshy joining our kin. Oli, take him on his first hike. Bring back one token of completion and we will consider him one of us." The woman continued to eye him up and down as if he were an oddity to her.
He gave her a thumbs up. Oliver wasn't one to turn down a challenge. He didn't hate his brother, even if he was different. Sure, he was odd at times, or so he thought. But that didn't change the fact he was family now. The cub nudged his brother again and tugged on him again. Arthur just allowed him to guide him wherever. As they made their way through the various cubs and teens throughout the camp, they attracted the wary gaze of their counterparts.
Oliver and Arthur made their way to the spot where a collection of bags had been placed and put their bags down in the pile. Arthur continued to follow his brother out of the campground. The moment they passed beyond the boundary of it they entered into a more thickly wooded area. The human felt darkness surround him as uncertainty began to seep into his mind. The very sense of uncanny realization that he was about to enter the unknown did not sit well with him.
Oliver turned around once he noticed his brother had rooted himself in place. He turned around and stared intently at his brother.
"Don't be such a baby. Don't you want to fit in and make friends?" The wolf crossed his arms expectantly.
Arthur looked down at the ground as he trembled in place. "N-no…"
"Oh come on…you're coming. I'm not letting you out of this. I would never hear the end of it from Mom and Dad." The cub pulled with as much strength as he could muster.
The human was eventually pulled from where he was standing. He just wasn't strong enough to stand his ground against the stronger cub. While neither of them was athletic, Arthur was more keen on being cooped up inside while his brother was always out and about.
As they were making their way through the thick of the woods, they could hear the occasional sounds of things resonating around them. The fluttering of wings, the singing of birds, the scampering of paws, and the rustling of leaves made everything feel lush with life. Yet with every sound he heard, Arthur felt more uncertain of himself. The very core of his person was filled with fear.
They soon came from out of the wooded area and found themselves in front of a large body of water. The thing sprawled in front of them as far as the eye could see. The surface of the water seemed strange still with but a few ripples running across it interrupting the otherwise serene surface. Some trees sprouted up from the water and cascaded about, still pitting the two brothers amongst the still ever-apparent darkness of the wilderness.
Oliver huffed as it looked like they couldn't go any further. It seemed like they need to go back. He looked back at Arthur's whose blank gaze gave away his belied fear.
"You're not afraid are you?" The wolf shook his brother gently.
Arthur shook his head. "Huh? No…."
"Come on then. Prove it. Don't be such a wimp." Oliver walked past him and finally let go of his brother's hand.
The moment they separated hands, Arthur felt even more beleaguered with terror. He trembled as he looked around him. He was certain that something was watching them, even if he had no idea what it could be. Eventually, he realized that Oliver had walked ahead of him without saying anything. The human rushed forward, not wanting to be alone. While part of him still was afraid of his brother, it was still better than being alone.
Arthur soon came across a large snake in his path. A yellow and black python hissed and coiled up defensively as the human approached it. The boy screamed and yelled, the innate fear he'd been battling all day finally spilled out. His cry of terror echoed through the woods and his brother rolled his eyes upon hearing it. Of course, Oliver had no idea what was behind the scream but even still he lept into action.
The human ran frantically in the opposite direction of the snake. He stopped to catch his breath after several moments of running. Looking back to make sure the snake was gone, he realized he had wandered into a place where he didn't recognize. Immediately he began to regret falling behind his brother. He began calling out the cub's name in hopes he could be found.
Oliver could hear Arthur's voice echo in the distance. It was apparent that he was a ways away. The lupine's keen sense of hearing made it easier to determine where it was coming from. The wolf picked up pace to get to the other boy as quickly as possible. However, for Arthur he began to squat down on the ground, feeling all was lost. Only certain of one thing and that was that he'd be lost forever.
The constant screaming of his name had come to a close. Oliver sniffed the air instead, hoping to pick up the human's scent. He was familiar enough with it that he felt like he could find the boy based on that alone. The cub soon came across the same snake his brother had. The thing hissed at him but did not attempt to lash out. The wolf was certain this was the cause of the problem and hoped it hadn't bitten his brother.
Oliver called out a single time. The sound of his voice could be heard. A renewed sense of hope kindled within him. He responded calling back to his brother and stood up. Telling himself that he'd never do it again. It had only been mere moments but the feeling of being lost was like nothing he'd ever experienced. Yet even still, he remained there unwilling to move himself any further out of concern for making it worse than it already was.
The two continued to occasionally call out to each other. Luckily enough for the human boy, his brother was more than skilled enough to find him. Oliver was able to come across him after only about 30 minutes of being apart. Yet to the fearful Arthur, it was but an eternity.
"Next time…don't fall behind. Let's finish what we came here for." Oliver rolled his eyes him.
Arthur nodded and a meek smile on his face. "Sorry…."
"It's fine. Let's go. We need to get you a trinket. Then we can go back." The wolf held out his paw to help the other boy.
The cub helped his brother up and the two were off again before long. They continued backtracking down the same path. The snake they had passed had left the path so it wasn't an issue again. Soon making their way back into the thick wooded area. It became darker again and eventually, they came across an alcove of gnarled roots and twisted vines. Some squirrels scattered about as the two boys broke some twigs upon their approach.
Oliver began to look for something they could take back. He felt a bit stupid for having to do what seemed like everything for his brother. He thought the human boy was becoming increasingly overbearing and yet part of him wanted him to be accepted. The fraternal bond within him had begun to grow, even if he didn't realize it. He looked back at the human who still seemed to be lost and going through the motions.
"Why don't you help me look…it will make this go by quicker." The wolf panned over to a hallowed out tree.
Arthur was nervous but didn't want this to go along any longer than necessary. He began to graze through some of the leaves on the ground. Sifting through them and pushing them to the side. He wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for but figured it was better than nothing. Eventually, he came across what appeared to be an old stone-made arrowhead. He put it in his hand and brought it to show to the other boy.
"How about this?" He held it out in his open palm.
Oliver looked back at him and into the boy's hand. "Oh, nice find. That should work."
The wolf patted him on the back, glad that the human had managed the task more or less on his own. They began the walk back out of the alcove and back through the wooded area. They maintained a brisk pace and were able to make it back to the campground at lunchtime. Arthur was more than happy to see the familiar site of the tents. The fear of what he'd just done had finally left his mind.
They reported to the raccoon woman who was more than happy to accept their token as proof of their deed. Oliver even went as far as sharing the details of the journey, a fact which surprised and impressed her. So much so that she decided to finally award him the vaunted explorer's badge he was after. Something which the wolf boy couldn't help but feel proud about and want to share with his parents.
During lunch,
the human boy was formally welcomed into the fuzz scouts. Venerated by a short introduction by the scout mistress who went off what Oliver had told her earlier. Of course, the other members of the troop looked at him in interest. Arthur remained at his brother's side as they eyed him warily. Remaining by Oliver's side gave him a small sense of security and he was slowly beginning to gain trust in his brother.
Afterward, they retired to their tent. Oliver gave Arthur a rundown of how the scouts worked and what sorts of things that would be expected of him. Of course, he would need to get a uniform now but that would be something they could deal with later. Still, the two begin to talk much more casually than they had at home. Arthur wasn't feeling nearly so bad about the whole situation, even if he was still afraid about it all.
By the end of it all, Arthur remained much the same nervous wreck around the other members of the troop. Yet, being forced to hang around with his brother changed something about him. He learned that the wolf was there to get his back when push came to shove. Yet, even with his innate insecurity hanging about him the human boy was becoming fonder of his brother. A fact that Oliver recognized and tried to help foster his desire for a better fraternal bond.
When they were finally picked up, the two boy's parents were all too happy to see both of them with smiles on their faces. Oliver's tail wagging behind him and the human boy with a quaint smile on his as well. The two seemed to be walking together with no awkward disposition between them. Even going far as to…sit together in the car. It seemed as if their family was becoming more like one. That is…at least when Arthur would grow to accept them for what they truly were.
