Travellers, part one chapter three

The gentle breeze made the whispy strands of his fur jump and dance, some bits detached and drifted in the wind. He was shedding his winter coat, spring brought that among many things. It was not supposed to bring the death he had experienced all winter. Every member of the pack had either died or abandoned it. They had left their pack-mates to die, left them at the time they needed them most.
He had stayed, he had kept his vows and now? What good had it brought him? He sat here mourning the loss of hundreds and he was sure he was next. What good had all of this brought him? He had served and honored and worked yet now he sat here with nothing. He was prey to a disease that no healer could heal. Even the witch had run off with her tail in between her legs when her glowing water had changed color. He shook his head, growling at the clouds before entering the darkness of the den. He stopped for a moment, allowing his eyes to adjust and then he walked to the den of the sick. He didn’t share a den with them, not because he didn’t love them of feel brothership towards them but simply because he was afraid. The strong and mighty protector was afraid. Afraid that he would suffer the same fate; except he would be alone.
He entered the den and stared at the three sleeping peacefully in the cool spring afternoon air. Their rasping breath sounded like claws on stone and their shivering bodies looked anything but peaceful but he knew it was the most peaceful they could get. Most nights they screamed out in pain and writhed and cried. No, this simple shivering was peaceful. They lay against the wall of the circular room, each on their own bed of furs.
“Seth” the word was whispered but in the silence it was as loud as a scream. He walked over to the black wolf that had called out to him and lay down next to her. He let his head rest on her neck, keeping her warm.
“Yes?” he asked and she chuckled, a chuckled that turned into a cough, he stood up and went to the back of the room. He came back with a herb that he gave to her to chew on. She shook her head and a pained look crossed his face.
“My time is soon” she said simply and he sat down, leaving his head to rest on his paws; their noses touching. Tears were forming in his eyes.
“No, no just-“ he started and then he stood up, racing to the back of the room. “Something here must help! Something must work!” he said, his voice catching.
“No one has lived through this baby” She said, her voice calm and strangely peaceful. It was a releasing feeling knowing one was about to die after suffering for so long. She had being one of the first to catch this disease. The pack had ostracized her and put her away in a dark den where only healers would visit her. No one else had being allowed in, not even the child who now cared for her and her colleagues. The other two in the room had being young and full of pride. They thought themselves immune, they had helped Seth care for her until they caught it as well. Everyone caught it in the end.
“You must leave son” she said and he shook his head, the tears creating a dark line down his face.
“No” He croaked out, his voice filled with emotion. He had labored to long for this! He had worked too hard for this!
“It is natural, death claims us all” She said roughly, getting angry at the wolf she had raised from birth. Her body shivered as she struggled to stand, she would die with dignity and strength. She would die with the honor she had lived with. She, the queen of the warriors would die fighting. She would not have people crying at her death, no. She would have people celebrating her life! And so with those thoughts she stood up, her limbs fighting against her. They were weak yes, but she had experienced things far far worse. She walked to her son, her face resting against his as she struggled to stay upright.
“Do not follow” She whispered, unlike her first call to him in the silence this did not sound like a scream. No it was the request of one condemned to death. Like all creatures she didn’t want her death to be something for others to watch, it was not an entertaining thing. No her death was private, between herself and mother nature. She would die the way she had come into the world. Her mother would come call her for the afterlife and together they would celebrate their reunited union and her beautiful life.
She turned, walking slowly out of the den. She limped down corridors and up the slopes until she reached the room. The room that had brought her into life, the room that was filled with bones and skulls and herbs and magic. The ancient room, the room her healer mother had claimed for herself. They had tried to remove the healer but her mother had being a stubborn woman. She laughed at the thought as she stood by the door looking in to her childhood.  The great bear skull had being a hiding place, the small mouse skull a teething toy, the furs a bed, the smell of herbs comforting. She made her way to the furs, dragging her dying body. She could feel each organ as it shut down, closing for the longest sleep she would ever have. It was as if someone was flicking switches throughout her body. Her back legs gave in halfway to her destination. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes as she pulled herself forward. Her body was going numb, her head beginning to droop. She did not expect death to be this slow. She took one last breath and leaped to the bed, but she fell only inches away. Tears wove their way down through her fur. She didn’t want to die, she wanted to go out fighting yes, but death. No death was full of fear and danger. She didn’t want to leave behind her baby boy. She closed her eyes, biting her lip and trying to stop the tears.
She was lifted up, her eyes fluttered open and she landed gently on the furs, her son’s bright blue eyes staring into her own deep blue. So much was said, the love, the fear, the worry and the loss were passed silently. Then, with a last breath she closed her eyes, her body stilling. The rattling breath stopped, the shivering stopped, the pain stopped, the life stopped. Death was nothing like she imagined.