Ch. 04: Run
It was the same dream, it was always the same dream, but there was something different now. As his past self dressed and prepared for a shift he'd never be clocking-in for, his present self was ignoring the scene, wondering why he had pants on.
I know this... I know why, but I just can't remember.' It was the strangest feeling, to feel Deja vu in a dream instead of the waking world. The human briefly turned towards his work vest, staring at the fuzzy nametag he could never quite read. It's the same. I've forgotten?' The human thought a little harder, drawing plenty of conclusions before he found what felt like the right one.
`No... I didn't forget either of those things. I just won't let myself remember them. Is it that I just can't accept that I deserve them? The name nor the kindness?' He stared back at his pants for a while, unsure of where they came from, but marveling over them still. He was clean now, his hair shorter than it usually was in this dream, plagued with the question of why. He noticed something missing then; something that was quite hard to miss. His hand reached for his stomach in disbelief.
`The scar from the first bread is... gone?' His eyes went wider than ever, wondering if he had simply forgotten that as well.
`No... that was THE first time I ate the bread. It was a reminder not to, it was why the bread made it into the gospel in the first damned place!' That scar was missing, he had no doubt. He wasn't sure if he was afraid of this development or relieved by it, but he was running out of time to ponder on it.
His past self was stopping in place, the glowing light of that doorway to a false promise enveloping him; enchanting him; enslaving him.
`Blessed with great might... as if any part of this could ever be a blessing.' He coldly mocked the light, surprised he was able to still feel anger in any form. He had thought that beaten out of him years ago.
He watched as his old self fell for the ploy, sighing heavily as he was forced to repeat the mistake yet again. `Well... at least there's pants.'
A large hand coated in the darkest fur clasped itself firmly over his shoulder. The human turned in fear at the new development, finding only pitch-blackness awaiting him. His past self was gone; off to make the biggest mistake of his life, leaving only him in the dream.
`What is...? This, this isnt right. I-I usually wake up after that part.' He blinked, catching the faintest glimpse of something watching him. It was the shortest flash of red peering down; a gaze amid the striking ebony darkness.
And then he awoke with a jolt, sitting up from the safe spot between his new master's arms. He had finally slept off his larger breakfast.
The human panicked the first few seconds he was awake, as he usually did, but quickly calmed down. After reassuring himself he was not breaking any of the new master's rules, he exhaled briefly, relaxing back against the wolf. The human was staring down at his lap as he tried to recall why his dream seemed stranger than usual, finding it already fading from him. He found something far more miraculous in its place, sitting up a bit more as he inspected his stomach.
`The scars really are disappearing....' He thought, staring down at his abdomen as the master's horse carried them ever onwards. He was lacking scars he distinctly remembered receiving. Sure, there were still plenty covering most of him, but some were definitely missing.
`Is the new master doing it? And if so, is he why I feel so much stronger now?' The human turned slowly, feeling his pulse quickening as his instincts and gospel fought to stop him. Persisting, he completed the brave gesture, peering over his shoulder to peek at those vibrant eyes yet again, reminding himself that the new master allowed it.
The dark wolf lowered his gaze, meeting the human's own as he cocked his head the slightest bit in inquiry.
Like two rubies....' The human mused to himself, Treasure of sorts, I suppose.' He scoffed at his cheesy yet poetic musings, turning his eyes away from the wolf and back to the trail before them. He just enjoyed looking, finding the warmest smile forcibly creep over his maw every time he was permitted to look at his master's face. It was so euphoric after so long without looking at anyone, but more than that, the human was just happy to know he could still manage a smile at all.... He was worried he had forgotten how to do that as well.
The human let out a long and relaxing sigh, leaning back against his master, feeling more alive and invigorated than he had since he could even last remember. The wolf was healing him as he slept, the master just had to be....
~ ~ ~
Wonder if he's hungry?' Hatchet thought to himself when the summoned awoke and randomly turned around to stare at him yet again. On second thought... he ate BOTH rabbits before we left camp this morning. Does he FINALLY need to shit yet, or at least, take a damned piss?'
Of all the strange parts of the summoned Hatchet tried not to think too deeply on, this was the one subject he avoided the most... it was simply too weird to linger on. `This human hasn't answered the call of nature ONCE since we've met.... It's not natural.'
The wolf grimaced, worried this was more of the slaver's handiwork, some `alteration' the white wolf had made to the summoned.
The human relaxed against him again, disrupting the beast's thoughts as they were forced back to less-favorable topics. `Speaking of nature's call....'
Hatchet pulled back on the reins, gently guiding his mount to stop for a moment. The beast put his hands on the saddle in front of himself, pushing his weight up and off the back off the horse in one quick dismount. The large wolf took two creaky steps towards the tree line before he stopped and stretched heartily, releasing a needed yawn as his muscles tensed and his bones creaked.
"Long rides always make me impatient." The sell-sword muttered to himself, shifting around to pop his shoulders and back some more, squeezing a little life into them. He caught the human staring again, something that made Hatchet smirk just the slightest. Stealing glances seemed to be the human's new favorite obsession, right up there with eating and sleeping. The wolf knew he should probably be complaining about the extra funds spent, the food being blown through, and having to do everything himself, but Hatchet just couldn't find a true complaint for this mission anymore....
`Well... except for the bath. That was pretty horrible. Smell of death lingered all night....' He playfully reminded himself. He couldn't let all of his complaining just up and vanish, after all.
The wolf took four more steps towards the nearest tree, dropped his pants down some, and tried his best to just piss... despite the fact he knew damned well the summoned would be watching him the entire time, the same as every time he had to go. Hatchet was not shy by any means, but it felt like one of those things still hanging around from when the human was enslaved... it felt like when he wouldn't eat, or when he wouldn't look the beast in the eye. The wolf huffed, muttering to himself as his stream finally started flowing, despite his audience. "Finally."
~
`Dare not fight and dare not run. Dare not think a drink to shun.' The human idly let the gospel cross his mind. It was impossible to so easily abandon what had sheltered him for so long.
`The new master gives me water.' The human reassured himself. Initially, he was almost certain the wolf not using his maw was a means of depriving him; that the new master would let his thirst build to insufferable heights before finally offering the one drink he was allowed....
He shuddered, feeling disgust at the memories. The first master made the slave eager to drink from him, for that was the only way the human could ever quench his thirst... but perhaps even more disturbing to the human was the realization that he wanted to drink from the new master again, even though he had no real cause to.
`It's just hard to see it wasted. That's a normal response. It's insane, but that was all I had for so long, so maybe it isn't such a strange reaction. Not even a week ago, I'd have cried to see the master denying my thirst like this, even though I know better now.... I do know better now, right?' The human was struggling to accept this change, to say the very least.
He let out a defeated sigh, finding himself wanting to just curl up and cry. His confusion was replaced by panic when the master's horse took an abrupt step forward, followed by another.
The human felt his fear spike, not prepared to guide the horse, unsure of how to make it stop.
The horse could feel that fear as well. The feral picked up into a trot, and a half-gallop shortly after, leaving the preoccupied master further and further behind as the horse built up more and more speed. The human leaned forward, desperately grabbing the animal around the neck as he tried to hold on.
The horse turned without warning, slowing some as it took off into the tree line, making its way down a game trail invisible to most eyes.
Please....' The human begged silently, squeezing his eyes tighter, fearful that the master would be angered. Stop.'
The large steed took two more clunky steps, slowing before it yielded in what seemed to be compliance. The human exhaled in relief, finally sitting back up and opening his eyes again. He quickly found what had motivated his master's horse.
There was another horse, a smaller one; one that was more a size from his world. She was almost entirely a lighter reddish-brown, with the rim of a long white sock peeking out on a front foreleg. Over the face of the horse was a creamy white patch, with a similar splotch on the horse's rear flank and stomach. The mane and tail were a yellowish-brown, almost a blonde... well, they were, before they had been caked over with so much mud.
The new horse was buried passed its knees in a thick mud, quite evidently stuck. The horse seemed to accept its fate; like it had been fighting and tiring itself out for a while, never quite able to pull itself from the muck that held it so firmly down. The ears on the feral were twitching wildly. Its eyes were so blue they were almost translucent, but the human could clearly see the fear behind them. He didn't anticipate the powerful feeling of camaraderie that overtook him.
~
Huh... a Palomino paint mare.' Hatchet mused to himself as he caught up to his horse and the summoned. Guess this is what Shade was smelling. No real surprise, he has been away from his mares a while now. Still, he's a larger work-horse, one built for stamina and long rides. She's more the smaller, faster variety, so can't say this will work out so easily for him.'
The wolves of his world were large. As such, the Clydesdale working breeds were far more popular among riders. A smaller horse like that was only good for a lighter, learning pup, and even that required the horse to be well-broken. They could reach speeds the larger mounts had no hopes of following, making for a difficult time subjugating them.
Hatchet grimaced at the situation, knowing there was no way to easily free a tamed horse in this scenario, let alone a wild one. The wolf noticed something strange and took two steps forward, waving his hand side to side before the feral, noting that the mare didn't follow the movement at all.
`As I thought with eyes so blue... she's blind.' Hatchet assumed she was traveling with a herd recently. It was the only way that made sense of how she had survived for even this long. When the mare got stuck, the herd likely moved on without her.
Hatchet sighed, knowing there was nothing to be done here.... He could at least make it where she wouldn't suffer. The wolf drew his sword, taking another step. The mare reacted anxiously to the sound of sliding steel, her wary ears darting all around. A thud against the dirt behind him drew Hatchet's attention away from the horse. The summoned had dismounted, failing spectacularly at the task as he hit the ground.
With a groan, Hatchet sheathed his blade, returning to assist the summoned up and assure he was fine. The human startled Hatchet then, he wasn't usually so bold.
The summoned had latched onto the wolf, his hands clinging desperately at the beast's own as he stared up with those normally subservient eyes, pleading with Hatchet to find another way. The wolf stared back into that beggar's gaze, soon realizing there was little way he could easily deny this request.
The wolf shook his head solemnly, pointing towards the mare with an evident frown. Getting the needed bridle and rope on the thing would be impossible, something the human just didn't seem to grasp. Hatchet understood, if you've never been bitten by a horse before, you wouldn't know how much it hurts. You wouldn't know how stubborn they are; how much they will fight you at every turn in the beginning. The human had a good heart and good intentions, but this wasn't something so simple.
Hatchet walked back to his own horse, Shade. Turning back to the summoned, he looped a finger around the bridle, pulling a little, coaxing Shade to take a few steps forward. Hatchet pointed at the bridle, pointed back to the mare, and shook his head again. He didn't know how else he could say it, but he just had to make the human understand.
He understood perfectly. The master needed a rope on the smaller horse. That was something he could manage.
Hatchet was taken aback, wondering what exactly the summoned was doing.
The human quickly began to strip. He was shedding his cloak and pants, setting them on the master's horse carefully, leaving to wolf to question how misconstrued his attempt at reasoning was. The summoned stood staring at the wolf while wearing only his collar and leash, holding a hand out towards Hatchet, as if in waiting.
The wolf kept peering at the human, studying him for a moment. The summoned didn't shy away at all, something Hatchet found surprising. The wolf gazed towards the mare, shifted back to his stallion briefly after, and finally settled back on the expectant human just before him. The beast let out a long sigh.
`Fine... he will have to just learn for himself... the hard way.' Life had a way of teaching the most important lessons when they were most needed, at least in Hatchet's experience. The wolf walked over to his mount, pulled a long and bundled tug-rope off the rear of his saddle, and brought it back to the summoned. He plopped it in the human's hands, making the summoned fumble with the unexpected weight at first.
The human readjusted, shouldering the loops as he started right in, turning and trudging into the muck. It swallowed him up to his thighs almost immediately.
`If I end up having to retrieve him too....' Hatchet groaned to himself, smiling a little in spite of it, thinking of how comical a sight it would make.
The summoned never really hesitated, he just kept approaching the trapped mare, struggling with the sticky mud more than he expected to; courtesy of his busted knee.
Hatchet was holding his breath. The sloshing from the summoned was making the mare nervous. She was flicking her tail in warning, huffing out of her snout. Her ears shifted in a constant barrage of signals to stay away. The summoned seemed oblivious, right up until he was finally within arm's reach of her ivory face so speckled with grime. He gently extended his free hand, bringing it right up to the bridge of her long snout.
She sniffed the hand cautiously, unfamiliar with the scent of a human, but wary of the presence all the same. The summoned smiled briefly.
And then Hatchet scoffed. The mare reached forward and bit all four of the human's fingers, just like the wolf expected.
`OUCH!' A thought quite clearly expressed by the human quickly withdrawing his hand. He was fairly certain she had broken all four of his fingers. The blood-blisters were already healing, though, so the more pressing concern was how violently the mare started to thrash again.
`What spooked her?' Hatchet was focused on the scene even more now. As he looked at the mare he saw true, unfiltered panic and non-understanding. There was something in her eyes, something that must've really unsettled the feral.
The summoned was panicking as well, doing the last thing one should do in that situation. He reached forward and tried to grab the mare's face. She responded with another whelping chomp on his arm.
`THAT HURTS! Please... stop fighting and let me help you!' He was practically begging her to just calm down.
Hatchet heard her whinny loudly, shaking her head with that same petrified and confused look. She stopped trying to bite the summoned, and instead was suddenly still, eerily so, as if she had panicked until her body froze.
Hatchet was worried, this was getting far more dangerous than it was worth risking. The wolf took a step forward, about to intervene, but stopping in disbelief as the wild mare finally seemed to be coming down.
`You don't know me. You don't like strangers touching you. I understand that, but I can get you out of here. So please, just calm down and let me help.' The human was rubbing the mare's face in a soothing manner, cooing his soft mental reassurances, speaking them more to himself, as he usually did. He assumed it was his physical touch that soothed the horse.
Hatchet knew better. This was beyond what should be possible. Sight and sound were lost on one or the other, yet still, with only touch, the summoned had calmed a trapped animal.... A trapped wild animal.... This wasn't possible. It shouldn't be possible. Hatchet's doubts were turned to awe as the summoned slowly began unfurling the rope, struggling to really use it. The mare didn't budge.
The wolf stared a little longer in unwariness before he followed the summoned into the mud, cautiously approaching the mare to assist with the rope. She almost started fighting again as she heard the sloshing steps, but the summoned returned to petting on her and easing her worry.
`Please... he is my master, and he is a kind one. He won't hurt you.' The human was starting to get the sense that the horse was actually listening to his intent, or rather, that she could at least tell he meant no harm.
"This still shouldn't be possible...." The wolf remarked to himself, even as the trapped mare allowed him to fashion an entire halter from the rope, weaving it over her head. Hatchet knew it would be a lot of force on her neck, so it needed to be pulling on the proper places. As the wolf finished his work, he turned back to the summoned, staring with a new degree of curiosity and respect for the smaller creature. Hatchet nodded, conveying he had done what was needed.
The way the human's eyes lit up made his freshly soiled and filthy fur immediately worth it to the wolf. Hatchet smiled softly, turning back to his own mount, tying off the rope to a loop on the rear of the saddle. He slowly walked his stallion forward and swung partly around a large tree to place a little more tension on the tether, remaining cautious when it drew tight.
`Now or never....' Hatchet thought to himself, nodding towards the summoned one final time as he tugged on Shade's lead rope.
The human proceeded with bated breath, standing beside the mare, chest deep in the muck with her. He pushed with all his strength and asked her to do the same. She leaned further forward, the rope nearly vibrating as it was drawn tighter and tighter. Just when the human was beginning to worry they wouldn't be able to help, there was a break in the suction at last. Her front hooves had been freed, and the mare immediately went back to trying to climb out of the pit; her will to fight restored.
The master held steady on his horse's lead, urging Shade to keep every inch of ground they managed. His eyes were practically glued to the human and the mare. After a few worrisome moments of reclaiming leverage bit by bit, the mare had managed to clear the hazard, stepping onto solid ground, shaking some of the muck from her coat in delighted freedom.
The human was plodding up beside her, grinning ear to ear, both absolutely filthy. Hatchet couldn't help but chuckle, knowing they were all three in need of a bath.
~ ~ ~
Hatchet was still rinsing the filth from his thick fur, having to soak a little longer than the mare or the human had to come clean. The wolf was squatting waist-deep in the small creek, splashing the last bit of water over himself before he was satisfied with his bath. The wolf stood, giving his coat a little shake, letting the remaining droplets drip off the tips of his fur. He turned back to the bank, laying eyes on the summoned once more. He smiled absent-mindedly at the sight.
The human had his eyes closed, his damp and dark hair still glistening under the evening sun. The breeze was pleasant, leaving a wash of goosebumps where it kissed at his torso and whipped at his pants. His leash brushed against his chest, a comfort he still didn't want to let go of. It was a soothing reminder of his new master's permission to move, it was proof he served a new master entirely. He had his brow pressed to the mare's own, a softer smile on his face as he lost himself in gratitude.
`I'm really happy we could help you.' It was nothing short of truth. He had not begged the new master for anything before. When he would try to beg the first one for anything, it only made things worse. He was afraid his actions would be reprimanded, but he was grateful he had pleaded on the mare's behalf. He was happy he could pull someone from the filth, just as the new master had done for him.
The master's horse came up beside the smaller mare, brushing lightly against her side, nosing her and sniffing her. She seemed uncertain about the unknown scent of the stallion, but the human acted as her eyes yet again. He knew how scary the world could be without sight. `Its alright. I think he just likes you.'
The mare seemed to calm down some more, taking a moment to sniff at the darker stallion, familiarizing each other.
The human kept smiling, kept his eyes closed, and kept on petting the mare's forehead. When all seemed calm, he decided to really test the limits of what was so undeniable at this point. `Can you really hear me?'
She lifted her nose further into his touch, brushing up against his hand.
`I've... never been heard before, not actual words at least. I can't hear, but I can see. You can hear, but you can't see. It's not easy being like us.' The human was humbled, not even questioning how it was possible; simply grateful for the miracle.
He swallowed, thinking another question. `I don't know where your family went. Mine got tired of dealing with my limitations, I think they must have. I don't see why they would have abandoned me as a toddler otherwise.... It's hard being left behind, but... if you want to, you could come with me; with us.'
The mare went still. The human panicked a little, already thinking of an apology. I'm sorry, I didn't mean-
She nudged his hand again, gliding it over her head, guiding it to the bridle still tied around her face. The human gently grasped a hold of the dangling lead the master had left at the end. The rope reminded his of his own leash, of how he enjoyed having his new master to guide him through the dark uncertainties of his own path forward.
The human felt his heart flutter, daring to take more action. `There's something I'd like to try....'
Hatchet was just stepping into his pants when he heard a whinny. The wolf turned to lay eyes on the human and the mare, and felt an unexpected sense of urgency as he rushed to stop the foolish human from the mistake.
"YOU CAN'T JUST RIDE A WILD HORSE!" The sell-sword shouted, knowing the summoned wouldn't hear him. He was bolting over, desperate to reach them before....
`There's no way....' His thoughts were scarce as the wolf stopped in place, staring in disbelief at the mare that wasn't bucking at all. In contrast, she was starting to walk, slowly at first. She quickly became more comfortable with the idea, as evident by her more confident steps.
The human was laughing in delight, ecstatic that she would trust him in this way; that she would choose to stay. He noticed a branch in their path, and quickly moved his hand to her shoulder, warning her about the hazard. She turned with the thought, avoiding the danger altogether, finding herself trotting faster and faster with the realization of what having sight could change for her. A little help was all she ever needed.
The mare was happy, the human could just tell. He understood. He gazed at his busted knee, the thought coming to him invasively at first.
Dare not fight and dare not run....' The mare slowed for a moment, uncertain about the new intent behind his thoughts. The human continued after, For a very long time, that was something I had to live by; a rule that kept me safe. Running meant I would be hurt. Even trying to run meant I would be hurt....'
He touched his kneecap gently, feeling a familiar sting in his eyes over his permanently-hobbled posture. `I think you know what that is like. You could never run either, only shuffle your way around the dark, knowing the world was too dangerous to chance otherwise... but that's different now.'
He was shedding tears as he spoke to her, feeling something loosen in his own chest at his soothing reassurance. `You get to run now. You finally get to run, and you will not be harmed for it ever again, not while I am with you....'
He lowered his body, leaning closely against her back, bracing around her neck as he squeezed tightly in preparation. His eyes were forward and focused, his thoughts clear and determined. `SO RUN!'
She reared up and let out an excited whinny before her front hooves hit the ground in a full-gallop. She was kicking up a storm of dirt, pummeling the earth for all she could manage, finally learning what freedom felt like. A thought from her guide came to her, and she veered to the left, avoiding a hazard, only galloping more determined than ever before.
The mare was incredibly fast, even by speed-horse standards. Hatchet was watching the pair in awe, standing in silence beside Shade, idly petting at his work-horse. A wild and blind horse, and a deaf-mute human, defying all logic. They were impossible, but together they were incredible.
`There's a lot I don't understand about him yet, but I'll have to stop underestimating him. He's more a wonder than I thought.' The wolf flashed his fangs in delight.
The pair sprinted quite a way before the human coaxed her to stop, standing just on the top of a hill as he wistfully faced the dusk on the horizon. There would be another dawn soon, another sunrise. He looked back, realizing at last how far he had travelled. The master and his horse were a good distance away.
`They couldn't catch us if we ran....' The realization was sharp, and acute. He faltered briefly, finding the familiar phrase coming to him yet again that day.
`Dare not fight and dare not run....' He was accepting that he wasn't so bound by the gospel anymore, but he found it strange in that moment. He did not want to fight this master, and he did not want to run, but for entirely different reasons than before. Perhaps the gospel could still find some use for him after all.
`Come on, let's go back,' He patted the mare's side in gentle coaxing as he passed her the thought. She turned around, and began confidently trotting back the way they came. The human was watching his master, both wearing smiles after such a display.
Then the human saw the master's demeanor shift. The wolf was shouting something the human couldn't hear, a look of fear mixed with panic overtaking the new master. The wolf was drawing his sword as the mare was drawing his attention, turning her head towards the sound. The human looked over at last, just in time to be knocked off of his horse and into the dirt by the blow.
~ ~ ~
Weird chapter, but needed. Hope its clear. Will be honest, wrote this mostly on little lunch breaks, so may not translate well. Regardless, 2 more chapters of setup before we get answers and to the next arc. Thoughts and feedback always appreciated greatly. Thanks for reading.
~Red Bayou