Treter: On Cause

We had no words after hearing that devastating attack. For words never came from our own mouths as we just stared upon the canine that was in front of us of whom had delivered the news straight towards us. I had wanted to growl; curse or do something to remove my own thoughts away from such a thing. But my mind was preoccupied with it however. For it was rather impossible to look to somewhere else.

As the silence had loomed over us with the birds chirping somewhere in the background, I growled so suddenly that it had startled everyone else. They turned to me; my eyes narrowed towards the canine in front of me. Ears flatten against my own head; darkness formed upon the surface of my own face. Yes, I was that angry. That suddenly, I barked loud towards my own packmates whom were startled again and shift their attention back towards me. Eyes widen, opposite of my anger and aggressiveness, yet none of them said or spoke anything at all which had allowed me to continue.

“Find him and bring him straight here into the opening fields of the plains." I started without hesitation as the words blurted out so suddenly that I had no hesitation or time to even ponder as to what I had just spat from my own mouth. For I watched the others nodded their heads; stating nothing upon their snouts as they drifted off from me. Peeling themselves away from the pack and headed off into different directions. For they scattered themselves immediately as I turned towards the canine behind me. He had looked equally as frightened however that I could see the color of his fur turned a brighter shade of color. For his eyes widened; ears straightened out as if he was poised to flee at the moment's notice. But I just stared at him; snorted and shook my head before departing from him. Still angry about the sudden shocking news that he had brought upon that I had wished I could had just killed him then. 'But that would makes us criminals' My subconscious suddenly spoke. I ignored it otherwise.

For those who are reading this; having no idea what was going on. Let me clue you all in. It is really that simple however. Virkoal Forest has a mass murderer killing. I did believe from the news that was spread; many of the canines that had attended Virkoal Forest had perished. Who could say that even Hunters themselves had so as well. Ending their series right there and then upon their deaths? I just chuckled at that however; though it was just soft and to a whisper. I still felt aware of my own isolated surroundings. Fearful about someone that would noticed my ponderings and come to take me away from the plains otherwise.

But glancing around the place; there seem to be nothing here. The plains were empty and isolated at best. For the inhabitants of canines were perhaps getting along upon their own way however. I just shook my head and prevented not to hear my own thoughts just say that while I just ran off into a random direction, fleeing from the spot of where I had stood to get along with whom the culprit is about. Onto my understanding; I had believed that it was just five of the canine species. If, by the chance, it was not them. By proof of evidence that does point to the reptiles or anyone else other than the canines or by the gossip and rumors that were already spreading in canine, then I will take action.

But regardless of my own ponderance, I just kept moving straight ahead upon the direction that I had chosen. Whereas the plains drifted passed me, the forest grounds swaying by my own running winds as I drifted passed them. I continued passed upon the edges of the forest beside me. Into the deeper ends of the plains where Wyott was standing there. Glancing at the grounds beneath himself, staring at the yellowish color beneath him. I had called out towards him; his ears picked up and he glanced over. Meeting my eyes. I walked up towards him; but also glanced towards the other parts of where he was at. Having noticed that the plains was empty. Nothing here was a bit interesting and worth for our own time however.

He rose his head and spoke towards him; a curious look was upon his face as I glanced back towards him. “I had found some footsteps here. They lead circling the forest that we had just ran by of." “From the forest behind us?" I questioned him, pointing my snout over my shoulder; pointing in the general direction of where I had believed it to be which Wyott nodded his head. “Yeah. Surprisingly or not, he did came from there. Then circled around and came back; but never reentered the forest again." I turned back towards him; a long silence was between us. But I just nodded my head with a drift of a smile coming from my own snout “Then lets find where this tracks go then." “How were the others?" “I would not know." I responded, dipping my snout low and sniffing at the grass beneath us.

Indeed, Wyott was right however. I could smell a distinctive smell from the grass beneath me. It was between something rotten and pleasant. Although I would not know what is what; considering that I had never taken a bath before. Shaking my head at that distracting thought and upon the words of Wyott behind me, I just ignored him and kept my head low. Continuing sniffing the grass before speaking towards the coyote behind me, “Come. This way then." “Towards the South?" He questioned, “Bypassing the forest." I commented, he just nodded without hesitation as I raised my head and sprinted through the plains with him following me behind.

Just as planned, we bypassed the forest. Heading a bit further away from our starting point behind us whereas the plains was somehow getting shorter however. An introduced color was before us too that somehow clashes with the yellow and greens that surrounded us. “A color of white." I heard Wyott muttered to himself, yet loud enough for me to hear him. I gave a soft nod towards him as we continued moving a bit further. From the forest grounds that was now behind us, drifting far as we move deeper through the plains. Till it was gone behind us. All we had left was the plains itself; which somehow turned from greenish or yellowish to not white and a bit of red sprinkled at rare locations surrounding us. Wyott takes notice of the red sprinkled and drifted himself closer towards them. Lowering his snout down to sniff upon them, before raising his head. Turned his attention to me and said, “These red paint are fresh somehow." “Our killer must had carried the blood of the canines out of the forest and towards somewhere else then." I commented, “Think it was the hunters?" Questioned Wyott, a sudden popping suggestion which I shook my head. “If either of them had gotten insane and murdered everyone in Virkoal Forest. I would not be surprise if it was indeed them." A short pause, then I answered Wyott's concerning look “By them, I meant the Hunters."

Silence came from either of us as we followed the trail of red paint further. Getting deeper through the plains as our eyes rose towards the horizon; glancing to where the sun was now sinking into the line too. With the last of its ray faded from the world and the temperature rapidly dropping, I shivered and closed my eyes while giving off an exhale of a breath before opening them again. At Wyott's concern again, I gave off a smile towards him as we continued advancing through the plains at the evening's light however. But getting further from the forest and the realms themselves, we heard nothing but the slight ringing noise into our own ears. It was something that Wyott had stopped so suddenly that he blinked; flinching with his eyes so closed as I stopped some steps ahead of him before turning back, gazing at Wyott in silence.

Watching him as he glance at both his sides. Looking for that slight ringing that echoed in his ears. He had looked so panicked and stressed about it with his ears flattened upon his skull. I just chuckled softly at him and stepped close towards his; decreasing the distance between us while I spoke almost to a whisper. “Calm down, Wyott. It is just your inner ringing." “Our inner ringing?" Started Wyott with a frown as his eyes now turned towards me again. I gave off a nod to him and smiled. With the silence between us again and the ringing, he claims is now gone, faded, we continued a bit further until we had stopped.

For Wovan and Wivina were in front of us; eyes up into the black skies. Watching the stars and the moon danced before them. They had looked happy for some strange reason as if they had nothing to care about the realm surrounding them. With their tails wagging behind themselves, me and Wyott walked forth towards them. Then raised a paw high; dropping it down onto their bodies as they flinched. Turned around and rose up to their feet. Wyott started laughing with the two coyotes in front of us glaring at him. But I shook my head following them and spoke, getting right into the point therein. “What have you guys found? Why are you guys here also?" “Just about to ask you the same questions, Whitti." Responded Wovan as his eyes turned to me. “We had found nothing when we came to this spot of the isolated plains." Commented Wivina, flattening his ears glancing back towards me which I gave a nod to him. Yet he followed that up with, “Yet how we came here. We just followed the blood that was carried from an unknown location, westward from our starting position." “What 'Unknown location' ?" Wyott blurted out while the two glance to him answering his question.

The pair had claimed to be from a cabin that was nearby the forest. Blood trails appeared behind the cabin leading it straight here. But as I thought over that statement, the more questions appeared onto my own head. As somehow I felt myself tilted to the side at the statement physically which had caused the three other coyotes to turned over to me, glancing at me with those hard on stares as I glance responding to them. “What were inside the cabin?" “Nothing." Responding the two, “The cabin was locked from the inside. So that was why we had to look around the perimeter of the cabin, hoping to find a key." “And that was how you two found the blood trails instead?" Started Wyott, Wovan and Wiviana nodded their heads suddenly which both me and Wyott glanced at one another and nodded too. “Guess that does explain it." Wyott comment and I spoke to them, “Well… Where is the key then?" “We were hoping that the blood trails would lead us to it. But it had indeed ended here." Commented Wovan, lowering his head upon the plains beneath him. With the silence following all four of us, I exhaled a breath before nodding my head, “Then I guess we can find that key then."

Upon everyone's nodding head, we all split up from one another. Stretching our cover far from the center meeting point which was deep within the plains. Passing whatever was behind us. And in front of another forest grounds. I continued heading Northward. I was alone for now however as my partner whom was always coming with me had drifted to somewhere else now I had guessed. As of Wovan and Wivina, the two went off towards the South and East. Yet neither of them entered the forest grounds that was in front of us. The forest itself was something of interest that I had yet to explore about and somehow, I did find myself glancing back towards it for some strange reason. I shook my head each time too and just focused upon my own job. But something in the forest was calling out towards me; something like a voice or a song or something.

I frowned; wanting nothing more than to walked to its entrance. Hoping to find whatever was inside. But was hesitated and just stopped immediately; just staring back at that forest instead. With my feet stopped, I find myself staring and not moving. At the forest that was now in front of me. I frowned; feeling my heart beat heavy for some reason. My fur tingled at the warmth. I did unconsciously flick my ear which had called upon my own attention anyway. As I stared at the forest grounds in front of me, I heard other shouting out. Their voices were carried through the silence of the forest. Drifting forth towards the starting meeting point which was ahead of me. There was running. Sprinting as rapid feet rushes back. Out came the three coyotes; all of which were panicking for some strange reason. As I exhaled a breath and closed opening my eyes, I waltz back towards the group as their voices grew louder with every step closure towards them.

“I heard it!" Wyott exclaimed, “What was it?" Wovan questioned which Wyott explained what it was causing Wovan and Wivina to widened their eyes at Wyott who nodded his head rapidly as if he was excited about something. The continued conversation trailed onward; even when I was close to them and find myself stopping so suddenly that I just sat down onto the grass beneath me and watched them go at it throughout the young of the night. For by midnight; two hours of long non stopped conversation between the three of them, they all fell to silence. Eyes blinking a bit before their attention was drawn towards me. I stared at them for a moment; they flinched. Startled as Wyott exclaimed “How did you get here?" “You mean, how long were you standing there?" I corrected him, Wyott frowned and exhaled a breath, closing his eyes to calm himself down before looking back towards me, nodding his head in response.

At first, I had said nothing in response towards them. Because something behind us had stopped our conversation. As we all turned around upon the sounds of something walking straight towards us however, we stared into the mists of the darkness. Then at least several seconds into the tenseful silence surrounding us, we noticed something sprinting bypassing us. For back into the forest grounds behind us it had went, disappearing into the forest while each of us flinched and were startled by such a thing. “What… what was that thing?" Commented Wovan as his eyes drifted from Wivina who just shook her head, having no idea what or who that was however towards me who just kept silent watching them flinched. When all eyes stared to me, I nudged my head forward. Pointing straight into the horizon whereas that the creature had came from however. All three shivered; shaking their heads in union. Fearful of what was to come or to whomever was there within the forest grounds. Yet they all comply afterwards as I drifted through them. Leading the pack straight into the forest, disappearing from the plains with the other three following close behind me.

We entered. With no plan or any understand of what the forest had for us. Our feet walked through the dirty grounds beneath us where the grass covering our legs and feet, preventing us from being able to see anything there however. Our attention was drawn towards the covered horizon where the forest trees were in front of us. It was rather impossible to see whatever was up ahead however. Regardless, we just kept on walking. We drifted from the shallow waters of the forest grounds, gradually getting towards the deeper ends of the forest grounds where it had somehow gotten darker and more blacker with every step of the way. That the coyotes behind us had held their breaths, stating nothing except for the slight ringing that now echoed our ears.

I felt my heart pounding in my own chest with my pupils glancing scanning the area ahead of me. Staring upon nothing except for the blackness therein, I never knew if I was shivering with fear or scared beyond belief upon something that would attack us from the shadows therein. I exhaled a breath, releasing that stressfulness that I held within. Though perhaps it had done something useful for the time being however as we continued walking forward. Glancing and prancing about with the silence looming over us as if something was indeed watching.

“We should stop." I heard Wovan comment to a whisper; Wyott and Wivina agreed with that statement. They all stood still however behind me as I continued moving forward. Drifting the gap between us before I shortly stopped afterwards and glance over my shoulder. In no time at all, I had noticed how the three coyotes whom were in my group gone so quickly underneath a second. Nothing. No one was there. It was like as if I had came here into the forest onto my own however. I frowned in response; the fear working against me as I portray my mind upon the imaginable things that was around me. I rose my eyes to the horizontal skies above me, scanning the woods. Looking for something there. But it had seem that nothing except for darkness and blackness. That my own heart was now pounding; increasing its beat with every second of the way that I am lingering here for some strange reason.

But instead of getting myself caught by whomever was there. I turned back up front and continued. Never stopping; never running or turning around in fear. Just up front, walking straight through the forest grounds. Rising my head to the horizon, meeting whatever was there. Before…

My eyes slowly lowered; I had hit something underneath the sole of my feet that it had felt smooth against the paws of it however. I blinked; eyes widened before lowering my head. Gazing at the grass beneath me and drift my eyes further up towards my backside. For between my toes lies a white piece of something. Although it did look like a paper. I take three steps back; revealing the white paper beneath me. I had quickly noticed that the paper was blank; but somehow there was something faint upon the surface of the paper. Something bleeding from the other side for some reason and I was curious about it to the point that I had wanted to grab it. But to my surprise, my subconsciousness had done that as unknowingly, I had grabbed onto the edge of the blank piece of paper tightly.

Gradually, I turned it around and my eyes widened upon what I had just saw before me. Five pictures stand before me; all printed upon the surface of the paper. All five pictures were portraits of my pack. Me, Wyott, Wovan, Wivina and Wissyon. All four were crossed out which left me to be the only one. And as my heart increased in beat, I heard walking behind me. I turned around and met…