'Arctic Tears'

[Sl'askia]

yep another fic..*groans*. Don't worry, this one is completely seperate from my other ones...*hears sighs of relief* whhhaaattt?

Chapter 1

Tilla poked her head out of the burrow cautiously and whined worryingly. Her mate had chased after a trespassing male earlier in the day and he hasn't come back sense.
Oh please be all right... she thought. She couldn't afford to lose her mate now, not with a pup on the way and winter closing in fast.
She took a chance and climbed all the way out to look around. She sniffed the air and perked up her ears, trying to catch any hint of scent or sound. But it was quiet and the air nearly devoid of any scent. The moon was full tonight and she could see for a long ways off and she looked desperately for any sign of her mate out in the tundra, which was starting to get the first hints of frost on it in the cold night.
Tilla knew she couldn't stay out long...as her winter coat was fully in and was a very pale green, which clashed against the dark brown and green land around her, making her a very visible target for what ever predators were out this night. Worse yet, a bachelor male looking to 'steal' a burrow for the winter. Females, especially pregnant ones, were no match for the larger males if they wanted to steal their burrows and a burrow less female was as good as dead this late in the year unless she can find a new one.
All this was because, unlike their much larger southern cousins, Arctic Drakkic packs only get as big as three or four; a male, female and their pups, which are born in the spring and raised during the short summer when prey is plentiful. The pups are allowed to stay through one winter...then chased out during the following summer just before mating season. During the really cold part of winter they hibernate, until it warms up.
A cold breeze came up and forced her to go back inside. She curled up in her nest, her tentacles curling up and her overall expression turning into one of distress. Tears welled up in her pale yellow eyes and fell down her cheeks, wetting the soft fur on her face and revealing her green skin underneath. Tilla made herself as comfortable as possible...before falling into an uneasy and restless sleep....

[Lampion]

I felt as if I was watching one of those discovery Channel wildlife episodes

Now, serious, it's very good. I like the way you keep developing you character throughout the whole chapter, we are kept worrying about her fate very early, in the beginning of the story. Also, the plot line creates a suspense for the next chapter. I can't wait to read more.

you have my two thumbs up, Miss Dragadon!

[Sl'askia]

ta for the comments Lamp! Here's the next installment.

Chapter 2

Tilla woke up the next morning and saw that her mate still hasn't returned. She whined as the reality of him returning at all was now very slim. Along with it the realization that her own chances of survival has now dropped greatly...and that of her unborn pup to practically zero. All she could do now is hope that she could find adequate prey on her own and no bachelor males try to take her burrow away from her. She decided to wait awhile before going to try to hunt, for she knew it was still too cold outside.
As she waited for it to warm up she groomed, using her tongue, teeth, and claws to straighten and clean her fur. She did the best she could with her back; normally her mate would have groomed her back for her...but he was gone now. As Tilla carefully added the fallen fur she found to the lining of her nest, she caught an old scent, that of her now absent mate. She whined and felt tears well up in her eyes; oh how she wished he hadn't gone overboard and chased that male. But this particular male was very persistent and her mate had to rearrange his face a little before he got the hint and took off, her mate right on his tail. Now she felt a predator had gotten him...and that he will never return.
Tilla froze at a sudden sound at the entrance of her burrow. She perked up her ears, listening intently, trying to determine who or what it was. She heard the sounds of something scrapping dirt and she relaxed a little.
Good... she thought, it's not a bachelor male.
She knew that single males would never dig at the ground at the entrance to a burrow, lest they attract the attention of an angry Drakkic pair. Tilla quietly crept down to the entrance and looked out; there close to the entrance of her burrow, was an Arctic Rat. Unlike their southern cousins, these rats were a foot tall and had a pair of front legs tipped with a pair of large claws used for digging into the dirt and snow in the search of grass and other plant life. This one was just under a foot tall, meaning it was born just last spring and obviously didn't know not to hang around a Drakkic burrow!
Tilla wasn't going to let this opportunely pass her by; she crotched and slinked forward carefully and quietly, like a cat stalking its prey. She paused a moment, the tip of her tail twitching, then pounced. The Rat was only able to let out a short loud 'squeak' before Tilla bit down on its neck, killing it. Tilla then quickly carried the body back into her burrow; where she carefully yanked out the Rat's fur before settling down to eat.
When she was done she carefully went out and buried the remains, then went back inside and groomed herself again.
She was lucky, this meal will hold her until the next day and the fewer times she has to go out and hunt the better. For a female hunting at this time of year was like a bright beacon to the males that she was mateless and possibly had a burrow they could steal from her....

[One, Two, Middlesboogie]

This is excellent so far, Drag! There's a real sense of suspense.

My only nitpick is the mixing of tenses:

Her mate had chased after a trespassing male earlier in the day and he hasn't come back sense.

'had' is past, 'hasn't' is present. It sounds weird if they're both in the same sentence.

*runs before the tomatoes arrive*

[Melvin:squeeking paramite]

*almost passes out* Ergh.. you have so many fics to read Drag... whew...
*calms down* whew.. ok, about this one. So far, I like it a lot. Your writing style is very polished and good in this one. The descriptions and format is great. Keep up the good work! (But slow down!)

[Sl'askia]

MWHAHAHAHHAHAHA! NO I WILL NEVER SLOW DOWN!
hehehehe heres the next chap

Chapter 3

It's been a couple of weeks since her mate disappeared and Tilla's luck has continued to hold. So far the only bachelor males that came by were a couple of yearlings. These she was able to drive away since they weren't yet at their full size and lacked the know-how of stealing a burrow.
Hunting wise it was starting to get more difficult, as the first snows had fallen. While the snow did make tracking easier visually, it didn't keep scent very well, especially if the snow was wet and not dry. This forced her to travel further and further away from her burrow, making it more likely her burrow would be stolen while she was away, or a male would follow her back then steal it. So she was always looking around, seeing if any males were around.
One day it was unseasonable warm and Tilla was out hunting. The snow was melting and it was obliterating any scent there was, frustrating her efforts. As she padded along she spotted something very large (to her anyway) not far away. She caught the scent of death on a passing breeze and realized it was an arctic elum carcass. Who or what killed it she didn't care, it was food and she galloped toward it. Then she skidded to an abrupt halt when she saw that she wasn't the only one that found it...
There were other arctic drakkics there, about 10 in all. Mostly likely they were all male and they were all feeding on the carcass, their fur was red and pink from the blood of their meal. She noticed most were younger males and most likely won't know that her being out here meant she was mateless. So she trotted up to the carcass, confidently yet cautiously. None of them even seemed to notice her, so she found herself a spot and settled down to eat....

After eating her fill she headed back toward her den, making sure none of the males were following her. Once she reached her burrow she carefully checked for signs of intrusion, which there was none so she then went inside. Once back in her nest she carefully groomed herself clean, for she hadn't bothered to clean herself before after she ate. When she was done she curled up to sleep off her large meal.
Suddenly there was the sound of someone entering the burrow and Tilla jumped up in alarm. She knew what it was and she flattened her ears and charged toward the intruder. However, once she saw the intruder she knew her luck had run out, for the intruder was a large fully grown male. Tilla knew the chances of driving this one away was nil, but she was going to try anyway. She put on her best threat display, her ears fully back against her head, lips curled up into a snarl, back arched, and she hissed and barked. But the male wasn't intimidated the least bit by her display and forced his way into her nest area. He ignored her as he sniffed around, checking her status. She continued to hiss and bark at him, hoping in vain that he would just leave. But that wasn't going to happen, for the male then turned toward her and advanced, putting on a threat display of his own. She hissed and barked helplessly as he forced her out of the burrow and into the rapidly falling night.
She stared into the entrance of what was once her home and let out a long mournful wail. She just stood there a moment, shivering as a cold breeze came up, almost as if she was hoping the male would take pity on her and let her back in. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. Finally she gave up and wandered off to search for a relatively warm place to sleep for the night...

[Sl'askia]

Chapter 4

Tilla has been wandering for nearly a week now and her luck hasn't gotten any better. Either a pair or a single male had already taken every burrow she came across. She was hoping to find at least another single female, as sometimes females group together for the winter to help defend a single burrow from the males, but she hasn't found any of those at all. Plus with her being pregnant, she seriously doubted that any females would let her in, but she had to at least try.
During the nights she made do with what she came across, whether it was in a ditch or in a fallen log. Most of the mornings she woke up with ice in her fur, which she quickly brushed off. At least it was now too cold for the bugs to be out now, it would have been very bad if she got an infestation of parasites; once they are in her winter coat they are near impossible to get all out again until the spring molt, provided she survived the winter.
Food had been rather scarce as well; she has only been able catch rather small prey for the few days and that was barely enough to keep her going. She knew that if she didn't find more food soon she would lose her unborn pup or worse...starve to death herself.
She spotted up in the distance some circling birds and headed toward them. She knew what those birds where and what they meant; they were scavenging birds and them circling like that meant something had died or was about to die.
Soon she came upon a dead arctic scrab; apparently she wasn't the only one that was having a hard time finding food. But this scrabs death meant a feast for her and she didn't hesitate to dig in. She knew the chances of her coming across another intact carcass like this again were slim, so she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.
She ate as fast as she could…she knew other predators would beeline for this carcass so she had to hurry. Soon she was full and she managed to rip off one of the legs, to save for later. Then, as if on cue, the howl of a living scrab reached her ears, she quickly picked up the leg and ran off…

[super_slig]

Great story! I'm a big fan of "survivalist" stories. I have read and re-read Hatchet over and over, and have never become tired of it. That's great.

Marie(to Echa): What did you do to that Glukkon? *laughs* Whatever you did, you must have got him pretty good. *whispers* He's still trying to figure out what he did.

[Sl'askia]

Echa: *grins* oh I just rearranged his face a bit...

oy...heres the next chap.

Chapter 5
Tilla looked over at the remains of her dead pup weakly and whined slightly. Considering how bad the last month was for her she was expecting to miscarry, but it still hurt her emotionally. Food had been really hard to find and she had gone several days without finding anything editable.
In a way the miscarriage was a blessing, as now she no longer had to eat for two. However...she was already weak when the miscarriage happened and it sapped all of her remaining strength. In this way it was more of a curse...for it came far too late.
She could hear the scavenger birds starting to circle above her. She knew it would be only a matter of time before a larger predator found her and she was too weak to even stand. But Tilla wasn't about to give up; she forced herself onto her handfeet and managed a couple of weak steps before collapsing again. She rested a while and then repeated the process, managing a couple more steps. Tilla keep going until body simply refused to obey her any more.
It was then that she felt someone nudge her. Beside herself she let out a small whine and she could hear who or what ever it was walk around her. It didn't sound much bigger then her, but she couldn't tell for sure and she was now too weak and tired to even open her eyes. She felt something lift her left arm and press itself against her chest. After that she didn't know what happened, for she blacked out.

She woke up partially a bit later and felt a bouncing sensation all over her body. Someone or something was carrying her. No it was definitely someone, as she could hear the individual's breathing as it went along. Apparently whoever it was, was carrying her on its back, but...who was it and what will it do to her once it reaches its destination? She didn't get the chance to ponder as she blacked out yet again...

[ October 03, 2001: Message edited by: Dragadon ]

[super_slig]

Good story, Dragadon. Oh, no. I'm running out of complements. I don't want to repeat the same complement over and over, because it would get boring. Oh, well.

Tynna: Oh, poor pup. *sniffs* You know, before she died, my mother told me that she had another baby. It was... *sniffles* killed by a human. And, what happened to "Dawn"? I'm still leaning against a tree.

[Sl'askia]

*shrug* no idea...

Chapter 6

When she woke up again the bouncing feeling was gone. Tilla moved slightly and felt that she was laying on something soft; a nest of some sort and it was comfortably warm. She was still too weak to open her eyes fully and her vision was nothing but a blur. Still she managed to look around a bit; she saw a lot of brown colors, meaning she was most likely in burrow of some sort. This confused her; whose burrow could this possibly be? A female's? But a female wouldn't have been strong enough to carry her back...
Suddenly she heard something move close to her and she froze instinctively, closing her eyes.
"It's ok..." a soft male voice said, "I won't hurt you."
"Who...?" Tilla managed to say.
The voice chuckled slightly, "That's not important right now. You just rest and conserve your strength. I'll be back shortly."
She heard him move again, this time away from her; heading out of the burrow she guessed. But this confused her even more...a male...helping her? No it couldn't be...it had to be a different race or something, a single male arctic drakkic would never help her...not during the hardest time of the year...
Her weak body and tired mind got the best of her and she fell asleep....

Some time later she was awakened by someone nudging her.
"Wha…?" she mumbled.
"It's just me." the male voice said, "Here...try to eat something."
She felt something press against her lips; it was warm and moist and her nose told her it was meat. Her hunger flared up and she took the meat into her mouth; after a bit of chewing she swallowed.
"There we go." the male voice said and she felt another piece press against her lips; she ate that piece to. This continued until she couldn't eat anymore.
"Full..." she managed weakly and turned her head away from another offered piece.
"Ok, don't want to force you." the male voice said and she heard him move away a bit. Then she heard him eating what was left of what ever it was he was feeding her. After a short while she heard him approach her again and she felt him start to groom her.
Memories of her now dead mate flooded back into her mind and she whined softly, tears starting to well up in her eyes. She forced the memories to the back of her mind and let the soothing sensation of being groomed put her to sleep...

[Sl'askia]

Chapter 7

A couple of days passed and Tilla was getting stronger. Today she was able to open her eyes fully, see clearly, and stand up briefly on her handfeet. She knew better then to push herself too hard too soon, so she just laid in the nest patiently, waiting for the male to come back.
She flicked her ears up at the sound of someone entering the den and shaking off. After a moment the male entered the nest area and for the first time Tilla could see him clearly:
Like most other males he was larger then she was, nearly four feet tall. His mane was thick, went all the way down to the base of his tail on his back and was nearly white. The rest of his fur was a pale yellow-green and his eyes were a pale orange. She notice he had a kink in his tail, most likely from getting stepped on by a large animal. Other then that he was a rather handsome looking male.
"Sorry no food for a bit..." he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Bad storm came in." He noticed she was looking at him, "Ah...you can see clearly now. Good, that means you'll make a full recovery."
"Why are you helping me?" Tilla asked, "And you never did tell me who you are..."
His face crimpled into one of disgust.
"I never did like how the other single males treated females during the winter." he said, "Especially how bad winters have been lately. We should be helping each other to survive...not kicking each other out of our burrows to freeze or starve to death."
"The majority of the others don't feel that way I'm afraid..."
"Yeah I know...but they should at least help the pregnant females that have lost their mates. I wish I could have found you before you lost your pup." he said with a sad sigh as he climbed into the nest with her.
"As bad off as I was at the time...I doubt you would have made a difference..." Tilla said sadly, remembering how eager she was to have a pup, before her mate disappeared...
"By the way..." the male said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts, "My name's Ryke."
"Tilla."
"Tilla..." Ryke repeated, "That's a pretty name..."
Tilla smiled and purred softly.

[super_slig]

Wow. You know, even though I can't write one myself, I like any kind of love story. You're pretty good at that. My favorite fic. (from someone else): Mark of a Killer. It was fun to read.

[Sl'askia]

*grins* I Mark of a Killer, at least..I have a fic with that title, hehe. T'was the one with Kila yes?

Spider: I hear ego comin...

Quiet you!
Yeah...love stories seem to be my thing...for some reason I can't stand having my characters stay single (Spider lasted the longest so far...)

[Teal]

Aura: *pouts* Bleh, you and HER must be in cahoots, Dragon lady. SHE *points* seems to want t'get me an' JAN hooked up... *sulks* Come on, Dragon Lady, where's the red freak?

*rolls eyes and smiles* I think she likes him, really. Come on, Drag, next chapter...?

[Sl'askia]

ok here you go...and no Aura..there is no 'red freak' in this fic.

Chapter 8

"So Ryke..." Tilla asked as they waited for the storm to pass, "Why do you feel that way? I...never heard of a male like that?"
"I don't know..." Ryke replied, "I have always felt that way. My parents were of the 'normal' mind frame, as peeps would say. Don't know how I ended up being so different."
"I'm surprised you don't have a mate already. You would thing females would flock to a male like you."
"Well, you would think that..." Ryke said with a slight smile, but then frowned, "but because I'm different like that no one wants to be with me..."
"So you are an outcast..."
"Yeah..." Ryke looked down at his paws, looking sad. Tilla looked over at him sympathically and nuzzled him.
"Well I for one appreciate you being different from the rest of them." She said softly
Ryke looked at her and smiled. "Thanks." he said.
"Don't mention it..." Tilla purred, the tip of her tail wagging slightly as she looked at him with a glazed look in her eyes, "you're pretty cute." She added absently.
"Um..." Ryke's ears flattened against his head as he blushed, "Thanks...I...um..."
"You what?" Tilla asked, cocking her head in a silly manner.
"I...oh look! A rat!" Ryke suddenly said, pointing to one side of the burrow.
"Huh?" Tilla looked in the direction he was pointing.
"Got ya..." Ryke said and he pounced on her. Tilla yelped in surprise, but was soon laughing as they wrestled. Ryke was gentle with her, however, as he knew she wasn't that strong yet. It wasn't long before Tilla was worn out and Ryke started to groom her.
Tilla had enjoyed the brief bout of play, but she had to wonder if it came too soon, too soon for her to take a new mate. Playing like that was a part of pair bonding, so was grooming each other. Somewhere in deep within her heart though…she knew…he was right for her….

[Sl'askia]

two more chaps to go...

Chapter 9

A couple of weeks have passed and Tilla was back to her full strength, thanks mainly to Ryke's excellent hunting skills. He always managed to come back with some sort of prey item, he even figured out how to hunt scavenger birds, which are normally too quick and weary to catch.
The outside temperature lately, however, has been very cold and Ryke couldn't stay outside for more then a couple of hours at a time. Due to this, he had to retreat back to the burrow empty handed more often. One day Ryke was taking longer then usual to return and Tilla was getting worried.
Oh please don't tell me I lost him too... Tilla thought with a whine, I don't want to lose another...not so soon...
She hadn't admitted her feelings toward him yet, mainly out of fear fate would be cruel to her once again. But at the moment it seemed like it....
She perked up her ears at the sound of something entering the burrow. Not hesitating she got up to see who it was. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled when she saw that it was Ryke and he managed to catch something this time: a yearling shaggy elum. But her smile faded when she noticed something...Ryke was hurt.
Ryke's right ear was badly torn and his face had a couple of scratches on it; one dangerously close to his left eye. His mane looked a bit tattered and some of it was missing. There were a few cuts here and there on his body and he was limping slightly.
"Ryke...what happened?" Tilla asked as he dropped the elum carcass close to the nest.
"Another @#%$@ male tried to steal my kill." Ryke grumbled as he laid down in the nest, "Was able to drive him off though. Eat up, I'll join you once I rest up a bit."
Tilla looked at the carcass for a moment, but couldn't bring herself to eat. Instead she joined Ryke in the nest and started tending to his injuries.
"Tilla...what are...ow!" Ryke winced, he was a bit surprised at her actions.
"Sorry..." she said as she licked one of his wounds on his face clean, "I'm...returning the favor...for you saving my life."
"Oh...thank you..."
After she finished she just sat there a moment, her ears back and looking a bit distressed.
"What's wrong?" Ryke asked.
"I...was worried about you." she said, then she broke down into sobs.
"Hey..." Ryke said as he nuzzled her, "What's with those tears eh?"
Unable to hold back anymore, Tilla leaned up against his chest, sobbing quietly.
"I was afraid I had lost you..." she said between sobs, "I don't want to lose you Ryke...ever. I...love you."
"Tilla..." Ryke said softly, his own voice cracking. He gently lifted her head until it was even with his. Tilla looked deep into those pale orange eyes of his and saw joy and happiness in them. It was then she knew he felt the same way for her as she did for him.
Still holding her head up, Ryke leaned forward and kissed her....

[One, Two, Middlesboogie]

Awwww.... sweet.... I love a story with soppy bits. This is a good story, Drag, please keep going!

[Teal]

Ew, moosh!

(just kidding! But then, you knew that. )

[ October 08, 2001: Message edited by: Teal ]

[Sl'askia]

yyyeeeesssss the Moosh Queen has struck! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *cough cough* *strained voice* throat lounger plz...

Chapter 10

A few days later the weather turned downright nasty and cold. Rather then risk hunting in that weather, Ryke and Tilla went into hibernation. They stayed that way, curled up in each others arms, until it was nearly spring.
And when spring came, they started to molt their winter coats and get in their summer coat. The shed fur was saved to line a fresh nest, which they replace each spring to prevent the build up of harmful microbes and bugs. This was the time of year Tilla's pup would have been born, but since she lost it during the winter she'll be available to mate during the upcoming mating season.
This was also the time of year that, due to the warmer temperatures and excess energy, Arctic Drakkics are really hyper. It wasn't uncommon for two total strangers to suddenly go into a bout of play. Territorial disputes are more civil and relaxed, since prey is a lot more plentiful and burrows are easier to dig.
When late summer came things started to get tense again, as the prey became less plentiful and mating season approached. Males started to get in their manes and those that didn't have mates started looking for one. Ryke had to chase off a few males that were trying to steal Tilla away from him. Though, much to the males surprise, Tilla was right up there with Ryke to drive them away. She even bit a couple of them to get her point across: That she will go with no one else other then Ryke.
Fall then came and the temperature started to fall once again. They shed their summer coats in favor for the thicker and warmer winter ones. It was mating season and the chorus of still single males searching for a mate filled the air, who were answered by any single females who were also still looking for a mate.
Ryke and Tilla didn't need to add their voices to the chorus, for they had each other. In the privacy of their burrow, they did what was necessary to start the next generation....

[Gluk Schmuck]

*blinks*

oughhhgaaa, my eyes...i just read 9 chapters...well, the fact that they were good is consolation enough...

keep it up...

*blinks*

edit:
*blinks*
and yet another!
*blinks*

edit:
i just read the last chapter off your site...
(i know i'm impatient...)
awww, that's a nice ending...

[ October 09, 2001: Message edited by: Gluk Schmuck ]

[Sl'askia]

*grins* ta...heres the last chap for this fic...(and no i am not planning on any sequels!)

Chapter 11

The following winter was mild and a lot of prey animals stuck around rather then migrating or hibernating. There weren't as many bachelor males roaming that winter either, which made it less likely for Ryke to hunt for Tilla without being challenged. Tilla stayed in the burrow, resting, only coming out for brief periods when Ryke was there to stretch her legs and to drive away cabin (burrow?) fever.
The coldest part of winter only lasted a few days and the spring thaw came early. This did make it a little harder to hunt as they hadn't shed their winter coats yet, and they stuck out like a sore thumb on the large patches of land that wasn't snow covered. Eventually their bodies caught up with the weather and within a week they had shed their winter coats and got in their summer ones.
One day Tilla, who was heavy with pup, was being a busy body. She had tossed out the old nest and was building a new one out of the freshly grown tundra grasses and lining it with their just shed winter fur. Ryke helped when he could, but most of the time Tilla would shoo him away, which was normal for a female who was soon to give birth. By mid-afternoon Tilla was finished and she slept for the rest of the day.
Early the next morning Tilla went into labor and by mid morning she had given birth to two healthy pups. The pups were covered with white silvery fur and their eyes were sealed suit; which will open in a couple of days. By mid-summer they would have reached half their full size and molted their 'baby fur' in exchange for a summer coat. But right now they were more concerned about food and they were nursing rather noisily as a proud Ryke watched.
"They're beautiful." Ryke purred as he kissed his mate.
"They have a handsome father..." Tilla purred weakly, exhausted from giving birth.
"And a beautiful mother." Ryke added, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing..." Ryke said with a sniff, "its just that...in all my life I have never felt so happy."
"Nor have I my love..." Tilla said with a smile, "Nor have I..."

~Fin~

[ October 09, 2001: Message edited by: Dragadon ]