The guardian and his last chance. Realization

XXXIII

The snow crust give away under my feet. Making me stumble as I run. Heading westward. The woods are silent as I past the trees. I move faster and faster. The big tree trunks just fly by. Over fallen trunks I jump over. As luck have it the snow in the forest are not so deep. But still a half fot, is much when you run. If anyone would as me. Why I am running this way? I would not have good answer to give. As my instincts and feelings are driving me forward. Even if I run, at a super human pace, I have full control. Of eveything. I slide to a stop. Making the snow twirl. Slow I turn around a full circle. My eyes scaning everywhere. Hearing trying to get anything. All of my senses are heightened. As I try to find my track. The feeling. Or more correct instinct, are telling me to hurry. And that I am in the right place. But the question of the day is how close or far off, am I. I shut my eyes. So I can concentrate fully on my ears. I shuffle thru all I hear. Snow falling from branches. Branches that brake from the heavy snow load on them. Rodents that are walking in their tunnels, under the snow. At the same time I heard the sound I searched for, I bolted. As each step or yard I leave behind the sound get louder to my ear. And what I hear, make me cleanch my grip on the axe harder. My face get harder. I know that my eyes are starting to turn golden. My instinct to protect, are screaming for me to fight. And I will spill blood. What are even making me like this, you ask?

The sounds are of a female being beaten and some more. I even don´t want to speak of that vile action. But so You know, it is r**e. No one should be taken against their will. NEVER. So I make my steps longer. I hear her pleading voice between the panting of pain. I know I am soon upon them. As the wind change the direction, the smell of wolfs hit me together with the irony scent of blood. I can even smell how many they are. A certain smell, make me see red. The typical scent of innocent young. In a state of fury, I crash thru the bushes. In to a small clearing, I crash. Fast I get a glanse over the scene. Just as the scent from them all tell me they are wolfs, it even tell me they are folkless, aka rouges. Infront of me are 6 chocked and confused males. Their confusion made it possible for the she-wolf to run. But she didn´t run far. My lips twitch as I see her shield 3 pups. 1 seems to be 6 years. A twinpair at the age of 2. The young are out cold. I can see blood come from their heads, all 3 of them. The she-wolf, their mother are not in a good state her either. I can tell she fought these males. But she was not strong enough. I turn my gaze to the males. Their confusion have blown away. And has been replaced with anger. Anger from being disturbed. The one that seem to be the leader turn around to face the she-wolf again, growling laudly. "Kill the human."

2 of them start to walk against me. The rest of them turn around to have their fun again. BUT it is I that will have some fun. Killing rouges is just a way for me to serve the all mother as her last guardian. But this time, it will give me great pleasure to do it. The 2 wolfs are grining at me. They shift as they charge at me. I step to the side, and throw my elbow down. I feel it connect. Just as I felt it, I step to the side again. As the wolfs head past me, I shut my free hand around its neck. With ease I throw him. The wolfs heavy body smack in to 3 of the 4 that had walked to the she-wolf. The wolf I had given a hard hit on the head, whine as he rise again. I smile at his grogginess. As the wolfs at the other side of the clearing rise and turn to me, I swing my axe. I have both my hands on the handle, giving great force to the overhead swing. The wolfs head were split. It was like splitting fire wood. EASY. The rest of the wolfs shifted, except of their leader. They stalk against me. Growls and snarls are sounding. Again the leader turns to the she-wolf. I can feel his arousal, he wants to finish his deed between her legs. He freeze in his step, when I roared out. "Take me on, Bastard!"

He turned around. His eyes are red. A snarl he lets out. "What did you say?"

"Fight me!" I taunts, letting my rage burn and strengthening me. "Or are you a cowardly dog!"

Before he shifts into his black wolf. He smacked the she-wolf right in to the face with closed fist. The color of his wolfs tell me that he have alpha blood in his veins. Then the fight started for real. They jump at me from all directions. But I dance around. As I see openings in their deffence, I attack. I punch, kick, and cut with the axe. I paint the snow red with blood. I get tackled by the black wolf. The axe I dropped. In to its snarling and chomping mouth, I put my fore arm as I put it infront of my face. His spit and drowl fly. My free hand grip his front leg. One movement I brake the bone. He let go of his attack, by the pain. But I continue, as I have still my grip under the brake, in one fast movement uppwards. I thrust the sharp bonebrake, thru the skin of the leg and deep into the pelt on his side. He whimper of pain. Limping greatly he tries to get away from me. One push and I am on my feets again. Using my leg strengt, I jump upon his back. He tries to throw me off. As he tries, I flex my thigh muscles. Making me sit sturdy upon his back. I shut my arms around his neck. I shut them close, as a pearl clam. And my grip hardens by the second. As I have no time to take it slow, I twitch my back. A satisfying  crack and snap resounded. His body limper down. I feel the rush of doing what I am made for. War and battle. I rise slowly. The rest of the wolfs are standing with their tails between their legs. A whimper make me give the she-wolf a fast glanse. She collaps, as I look at her. Her trauma and wounds are taking their price. My head snaps to the wolfs, I know are still there. I take a step forward. "All mother I will pay" They whimper, and whimper as I step closer. "the tribute. The price are" As they have realised that I will not spare them, even as they are showing submission to me right now, they start to attack again. "BLOOD." My mind turn black and red.

I pant lowly, as I have just come back to my senses. A few times in my life I have blacked out as I fight. This time it seem that I did. In the center of the clearing I stand. I look around and let everything sink in. For a fact I know, that I didn´t shift. Becouse of the damage is not from my true form. But my half form. The human battleform. I walk over to my axe, and pick it up. The scene is baffeling. Wolf hide, legs, claws and teeth are spread all over the place. The whole of the clearing, that were white when I arrived is now blood red in color. A few patches is pinkish red. Even if they were not good. They didn´t deserve to be torn apart like this. I sigh. Slow I take the knee. Right knee in the ground. I set the axehead to ground. Both my hands are rested on the handle´s end. On my hands I put my forehead. "All-mother. The tribute has been paid. Let these souls rest. May they be reborn in a better life."

It was so long ago I had done that. Remembering of the she-wolf and her pups, made me rush to her side. The sight I get, make me almost want to punch the tree infront of me. They all are starving. Their bodies are filled with old and new wounds and bruises. f**k, bloody f**k. And hell on that. I need to get them to my home. So I can patch them up. But I can´t carry them all in my arms. Even if I am as big as I am. So here the rope  will play it´s role. Fast, becouse I have done this before, I build a makeshift sleigh. For bedding I use needles from redwood. Carefully and softly I lay them all on the sleigh. I felt how their skin is cold. Real cold. I take of my damaged jacket. It will give some warmth to them, atleast. With the jacket closest to their bodies, I cover them with more redwood needles. Happy with their so called cocoon, I start to drag the sleigh behind me.