Little Hooves in a Dark World

by David Silver

16 - Wolves in Forests

The forest stretched out around them. Trees were everywhere, trunks rising from the earth and flaring into great crowns that towered overhead. The leaves of those trees provided cover from the sun. They kept things cool in the warming summer air. Little glades and paths wound through the wood, and trails cut through the spaces in interesting ways.

Lucky's tail streamed behind him as he took the lead, using his hooves with grace and ease as he charged ahead.

Raspberry dashed up beside him, wings extended for balance as she matched his speed. They dashed up hills and around rocks. In a way, it was more fun to let it all out than to just run back home.

At least until they heard a growl. They slid to a stop just in front of a wolf that was glaring at them. Its fur was mottled, almost like tree bark.

Raspberry held out a hoof. "Shh. Just be still." She held her breath as the wolf leaned forward with bared teeth. It sniffed them over carefully.

"We don't mean any harm." Lucky was breathing hard, but he didn't dare move any further.

A snap of a twig. They glanced in time to see a human approaching with folded arms. "You ponies crack me up every time I see you. That is how you get eaten by a wolf."

Raspberry turned away from the human to look back at the wolf. She realized that it wasn't angry, or ready to attack. It was happy, its tail wagging like a mad thing. It got right into Raspberry's face and let out a canine laugh just before slobbering her with a wide tongue. She laughed, pawing at it with a hoof.

Lucky blinked as the two began to play as if nothing was wrong. "Oh, um. Hello?"

The human laughed and walked over, holding out a hand. "Yep. Let me guess, you're new to the whole being a pony thing? If not, you should really learn how to make friends with nature." He flashed his teeth. "But, I'd watch out. Nature has a bite, always did."

Raspberry tipped her head in confusion. "I'm not one of those ponies." She waved a hoof over herself. "I've been like this for years, ever since I started to grow up." She spread her wings a little. "Sorry. We were just enjoying a good run. Are we in the way?"

Lucky whinnied softly as he realized the wolf was at his flank, looking him over. He ducked away from it and slid around behind Raspberry. "Hey, wolf, nice, stay there."

Raspberry bumped against him with a laugh. "Don't be scared. They're such a good boy." She sniffed at the wolf, but her eyes were on the human. "Did we make anyone upset?"

The man shook his head. "Not in the slightest. Some people come out here to get some peace and quiet. And then they find horses racing through their spot." He pointed off into the woods. "You're getting close to where we would be mad. Little ponies shouldn't be galloping into wolves' dens."

Lucky gasped at that. "Dens? That's dangerous!" He sidled away from the wolf that seemed to be a little too happy to see him. "Do you think we should move on?"

"That would be smart." The man pointed where they came from. "Right back where you started. Gaia doesn't frown on you little ponies, but she isn't welcoming you here either."

Raspberry dipped her head with a whicker. "We don't want to cause any trouble." She raised her head and stared right at the human. "Is this land owned by anyone?"

The man laughs at that. "Owning nature, the very idea of it. So very human." He throws up a hand. "We own it by being here. We own it by protecting and nurturing it. We do not own it with a slip of dead paper."

Lucky tilted his head slightly as he tried to wrap his mind around that idea. "Are you with Gaia, then? Is she a group, or a society?"

"A little bit of both." He shrugged his shoulders. "And a person, vast and mightier than any of us. Little ponies, you truly wandered in here blindly. If it weren't for me, I shudder to think what would have happened."

Raspberry shifted to human form and extended a hand. "That sounds dire. I'm Sandra, and this is Louis."

Lucky became Louis, standing as Sandra had. "Nice to meet you." He kept Sandra between himself and that wolf though.

The man bowed to the two ponies. "Ah, how very human of you." He looked over their clothes carefully. "Modern and stylish, too." He raised a hand towards them. "I am Hunter, proud protector of the land." With his free hand, he gestured at the wolf. "They're Pepper, and they seem to think you two are good people."

Pepper yipped happily, tongue lolling.

Louis nodded at that slowly. "Um, okay. So we should go?" He wanted to understand the nature of the group here. He liked running in the forest, but he didn't want to annoy people.

Sandra offered a hand and was soon stroking and softly rubbing at Pepper. "I never had a wolf this close. Are they usually so friendly?"

Hunter smirked as he watched Pepper snuggle into Sandra. "In my experience, no. In general, wolves are better than humans. They understand when to let nature run its course, and when to act to protect it. This wolf, however, has a mind of their own, and they have decided they like you."

Pepper let out a huff and nipped at Sandra's fingers, mildly painful, but not breaking the skin.

"Oh!" Sandra leaned back. "No biting! But you are still so very good." She giggled softly as Pepper snorted at her and butted in for more head pats. "Such a good wolfy!" She grabbed Pepper in both hands, ruffling twice at once.

Hunter shook his head. "Pepper, you're doing a terrible job of chasing her away."

Pepper whined as they glanced between the two people.

Sandra stopped what she was doing. "What? You want us to go?"

Pepper nuzzled into her hand, demanding more pets without words. This was a request Sandra was happy to oblige, petting the friendly wolf, at least until he casually knocked her over. "Hey!"

Hunter chuckled softly. "I think he wants to play with you as a pony, if you'd oblige?"

Louis laughed as Pepper started licking all over Sandra. "Is that alright?"

Pepper quickly decided that was more than okay and attacked Louis with slobbery affection.

Sandra became Raspberry, flicking her tail. "Silly thing. I'd say to just ask, but I guess a wolf can't really do that."

Hunter folded his arms. "Mmm, I don't know about that. I think they could if they wanted to, but why bother when you can push the weak-willed around?"

Raspberry glanced at him. "Hey now! Don't go calling me weak. That's rude, really."

He prodded her, her new hat specifically. "What is this? It stays on your head even as you change, or move."

Raspberry glared up at the brim of it. "A hat. We found it and it won't come off."

Hunter reached down and grabbed at it. He tugged and pulled with all his strength. But it was just pulling Raspberry along with it. "Interesting. It feels alive."

Louis frowned at that. "Wait, really?"

Sandra smirked. "It is. And it speaks to me."

"Oh?" Hunter grabbed her hat again. "What does it say?"

She frowned at that. "Mmm, I'm not sure. It's kinda mysterious. I'm still trying to, hey!" Her words were interrupted by Pepper coming in to headbutt her and demand attention. "I get it, you want pats."

They laughed in a wolfish sort of way, a panting really, then pounced on her. It was time to play, and they seemed to want to do it with the pony as a pony.

Raspberry grunted as she had a hundred and twenty pounds of furry wolf pushing into her. "Okay, okay! You win! You get to play with me!" She slid away from the happy animal, but not fast enough to avoid getting some more licks across her face. The two began to run away, playing a sort of tag with touches of their snouts before dashing back and forth.

Lucky inclined his head at the two. "Um, we're not bothering, are we? They seem to be having a good time."

Hunter watched the wolf and pony with a growing smile. "No, I think it's fine. This is one of the joys of Gaia's existence. If you are happy, express it. If you are angry." He flexed a fist. "You express it. It's nice to see a moment of happiness."

Lucky cocked his head slightly. "Are you religious, then? In the usual way, I mean?"

Hunter took a step away from him. "No. Don't talk to me about that false god." He huffed at the thought. "A delusion humans comfort themselves with, that god won't help us, or you, little pony. You don't fit into their songs."

Lucky took a nervous step away from him. "Sorry. I didn't know. You seem like a religious type of person, so I just assumed."

Hunter snorted at that. "Never assume. One of the first rules to living in nature. Little horse, your kind are not unknown to us. Bringer of lighter emotions, it is a wonder you were not already wiped off this world in these troubled times."

Lucky frowned at that. "People wouldn't do that."

"Not intentionally." Hunter walked away from him slowly. "But there are more ways to snuff out a life than the obvious." He folds his hand, eyes turning towards the tops of trees far above. "The world isn't friendly to kind thoughts. Even you must admit that."

Lucky walked up next to him. "I've never really thought about it." He reached up a hoof, standing on his hind legs. "The sun's warm and welcoming. The moon is good to relax by." He rubbed at his neck with a sigh. "Even the night is good for wandering, and being free."

Hunter laughs lightly at that. "You don't need to convince me that the forest is a better place to be than the suffocating city you both stink of."

Lucky frowned at that. "Harsh. I don't think it's so bad. People can be good, you know? We're not all trying to just do our thing."

"Most of you are." He watched Sandra and Pepper playing. "Maybe not the ponies. This is why we came, to ward you away, instead of tearing you apart. Little ponies, watch your steps."

Lucky was watching too. "What did I say?" He leaned back on his haunches with a frown. "Are you warning us about wolves, or people?"

Hunter laughed, light and mirthful. "People don't come here too often, not this deep. This place 'belongs' to us wolves."

Lucky's ears sagged as he considered that. "That sounds sad. Isn't there enough room for both of you?"

"In theory." Hunter huffed out an almost-laugh at the idea. "The world is large enough for all the creatures on it, but humans want much more than their share of it."

Lucky gave him a look over. "It doesn't have to be that way. We're working to make things better for the ponies. Why can't we do that for wolves too?"

Hunter clapped Lucky on the shoulder. "You're a good pony. But this isn't your fight."

"It could be!" Lucky took a step away from him, whinnying his objection. "The world is bad because people think it has to be. Why do we get to decide that? Who said that wolves have to suffer just so humans can have their cars and cities?"

Hunter smirked at the very idea. "Because cars need roads. Roads cut off natural places and paths. How do you have both at once?"

Lucky blinked, considering that problem. "Mmm, I don't know, but maybe we could figure it out." He dipped his head with a huff. "There has to be a way."

Hunter pats the confused pony on his withers. "You're a nice pony, but just a pony, thinking impossible, but kind, thoughts."

Lucky nudged into his hand. "Maybe it's impossible, but if nobody tries, it'll never happen."

Hunter took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "Maybe so, but now is not the time to fight that battle. The world burns. Such dreams have long since passed us."

Raspberry suddenly yelped, pinned under a wolf. "Hey! Okay, I give!" She laughed as Pepper got a few good licks in. "Oh you crazy wolfy!" She half-heartedly kicked out at them. "You've had your fun, now let me up."

Pepper stepped off of Raspberry, looking quite pleased for having proven himself superior.

Hunter snapped his fingers. "Come on. We have to continue the patrol. You two, get lost. Don't get hurt."

Raspberry looked after them. "Do you come here a lot?"

Hunter shrugged, setting off at a lazy pace. "Only when needed. Don't come looking for us."

Raspberry trotted up next to Pepper and nudged against him. "But we want to play more."

Pepper snorted softly, glancing at her.

Lucky nodded his head as he caught up to the pair. "Yeah, let's keep playing! We didn't get to run enough before you showed up."

Hunter quirked his lips to one side as he looked between the three of them. He pointed to some marks on some trees. "See those? Do not pass those. They are the final warning. Do not pass them and you have not gone too far."

Raspberry took a look at the markings, then glanced back at Hunter. "What happens if we do?"

"Don't." He made a sweeping gesture. "Return the way you came."

Raspberry bobbed her head. "Alright. We'll come back, not past those, to play again another time, okay?"

Pepper snorted his answer and started to trot away.

Hunter nodded his head slightly. "Maybe so. Now, we are busy. Go." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "You don't belong here. Not yet."

Raspberry paused a moment. "Yet?"

Hunter chuckled, but didn't speak further. He set off into the dense forest.

Raspberry turned to Lucky. "That was exciting, in a good way, I think. That wolf was so fun!"

Lucky rolled his shoulders. "They were nice. Let's head back? It sounds like there are places we don't belong."

Raspberry quirked her lips slightly as she led the way back. "You weren't listening. They weren't just telling us 'don't be there'. They were telling us where we could go!"

Lucky frowned as he followed her back. "What? I thought they wanted us gone."

Raspberry tilted her head with a huff. "At first, maybe, but then Pepper said he liked us. He told us exactly, Hunter that is. He said where we couldn't go, which meant the rest was where we could go. If we want to see them, we go up to those marks, but not past them. We wait like good people and not any further."

Lucky hummed softly. "I don't know if I trust them. That human seemed dangerous."

Raspberry led him back the way they came, over some rocks, through a few streams, and away from the deeper forest. "Of course they were dangerous." She inclined an ear back at him. "Didn't you realize what they were?"

Lucky pawed at the ground slowly. "He was a Gaian."

Raspberry laughed gently. "They weren't just that. They were a Gaian that also wasn't human. We just met two werewolves. Don't know what else they could be. If we had annoyed them, they woulda went all growly and torn us apart."

Lucky gulped audibly. "I guess so." He panted softly. "What now? What does it mean?"

Raspberry hummed as she ran. "Well, I guess it means that if we want to come back and play with Pepper again, we don't go past those marks, or Pepper might get mad, easy as that." She hopped up onto a log, trotting along it. "He was nice."

Lucky shook his head as he followed her. "Okay, I don't think we should bother them again."

"Of course we will!" Raspberry dropped off the log, landing on the other side with a snicker. "They need a smile too, maybe more than most. If I can get them to smile and enjoy the moment, which I think I did, it was worth it. They need to smile."

Lucky was working to keep up with her, hooves hitting the ground with soft thumps. "They seemed nice, but not exactly friendly."

Raspberry scoffed at that. "Would you be?" She nudged against him. "They're warriors, I heard. Not sure what they fight, but they fight it really hard. Warriors come off as a bit grumpy, but they're still alive, and they want to smile. Did you see how happy Pepper was, playing with me?"

Lucky smirked slightly. "Maybe so. Maybe he just likes ponies. You said that before."

Raspberry paused her running to bump into him. "It could be anything. But if he wants to smile, I'll be there to help."

Author's Note:

Woof! Is visiting the wolves a good idea?

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Comments

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Raspberry wants to help a wolf smile? I've herd of worse goals.

[David Silver]

11997727
She is laughter. Right up her alley!

[dlambchic]

Gaia, the living soul of a living planet. Gaians are protectors of the living world.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

Pepper the pupper.

I'm guessing there's some Werewolf: The Apocalypse influence going on here, though I'm only assuming that due to this story being a World of Darkness crossover.

[David Silver]

11998178
You would be correct!

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

11998322

Neat! I'm glad I picked up on what you were going for.