Dancing In the Shadows

-Original Fiction-

Kita & Kala

by Pookie

The cold wind made the weak flames shiver, pulling them even closer to their death. Inside their little cave, a lone pair was trying to pass the time as a snowstorm hindered them from reaching their destination. They had left early that morning in hopes of reaching the big city in time. The spring festival was about to start and it was the best time to have some fun and meet new people. But unfortunately, around midday a huge snowstorm hit, forcing them to seek shelter. The woods they were traveling were too treacherous for them to even consider crossing, blinded as they were. So they had sought shelter in the small cave. That was a few hours ago. The sun was now setting, and their small supply of wood was growing very thin. But they were not terribly worried about facing the bitter air without the fire; they were more than accustomed to this type of weather, and they were sufficiently covered. The taller of the two slowly got up and scanned what little he could see of the sky. He let out a sigh and faced his companion.

“I think we will have to spend the night here...” he commented. Under the colors of the flames his silver fur seemed alive. He sat down facing his friend, curling his thick tail in his lap.

“I wish we had packed more food. I’m already starving.” Onkitaro rested against the rocky wall and pouted. A soft laughter rose from across the flames.

“Ah Kita, will you always think with your stomach?” A slim shape reached for his backpack and started rummaging through it.

“Ohhhh you have something there for me?” Onkitaro watched his friend with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Though smaller than him, the orange-furred fox had nonetheless managed to beat him in every fight - probably due to his sneaky techniques. Onkitaro never could accept that he, the pride of his pack, was always beaten by this fox. But this rivalry was the source of their friendship, and both knew it.

Suddenly the fox grinned and pulled out a neatly wrapped sandwich from his pack. He waved it teasingly at his wolf friend. “Would you like some?”

“Of course!” The wolf restrained himself from jumping and stealing it away, suspecting this was another one of the fox’s tricks.

“Then please, share with me.” The fox smiled brightly, his graceful features embellished in the crimson light.

Onkitaro rose and took a seat closer to his friend, his eyes never leaving Enkala’s smiling face. “Thank you. I should have guessed you had some food left over.”

Enkala grinned and proceeded to cut the sandwich in half, giving Onkitaro a piece. “This is all I have left though, so don’t eat it all up at once.”

“Hmmmm,” Onkitaro mumbled, his mouth already stuffed with food. Enkala sighed and started eating his piece, trying to ignore the ravenous Onkitaro. Having finished his small meal in record time, the young wolf decided to lie down. His eyes were drawn to the little food Enkala still had. He sighed and closed his eyes, intent on getting some rest.

Upon hearing the heavy sigh of his friend, the fox hesitated finishing the little food he still had. He knew very well how much food Onkitaro needed, but he was also still a bit hungry. “Oh well,” he thought, “I still have enough food for breakfast. I can wait.”

“Hey, Kita?”

“Hmmm? I’m sleeping here...” the wolf mumbled.

“I’m not hungry anymore...Want the rest of my food?”

The wolf opened his eyes and looked at the food dangling before his face. He licked his lips in anticipation. “Are you sure, Kala? You haven’t eaten much of it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” The fox smiled and stuffed the food in Onkitaro’s mouth. “Now eat,” he added with a grin. Onkitaro slowly chewed his food, his eyes never leaving his friend’s face. As he swallowed the last of it, Enkala turned around, getting ready for some well-deserved sleep. Onkitaro grabbed his arm, causing him to whip around sharply, his eyes full of surprise. “What?”

“I... Nothing... Sorry.” Himself confused with his action, Onkitaro thought he should let go of the arm. But he couldn’t; all he could do was stare into the fox’s eyes.

Enkala felt his heart beat faster under that gaze. Something about it was so magnetic, and it lured him closer and closer, until he realized he was only a few inches away from the wolf’s nose. He could feel the soft breath on his face. The smell of dinner lingered, only making Onkitaro’s lips more desirable. Onkitaro slowly raised his hand and caressed the young fox’s cheek. As Enkala nuzzled the hand, Onkitaro asked softly, “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know,” Enkala smiled and nuzzled his nose gently. Onkitaro reached up and softly scratched the back of the fox’s ear, eliciting a light purr from him. In response, Enkala deposited a tentative kiss on the wolf’s soft lips. He never did get the opportunity to pull back after that. Onkitaro had not hesitated to roughly pin Enkala under him For once he had power over the sly fox. It did not take him long after that to start exploring the depth of Enkala’s mouth, enjoying it even more as he heard the fox moaning under him. Behind them the fire was slowly dying out, but they did not care. They were both completely devoted to each other now. As the faint glow of the flames died off, a loud howling sound was suddenly heard, echoing through the forest. Onkitaro’s head pulled up, his ears listening carefully as he stared out into the wilderness. As the howling died off, his ears dropped low and he looked at Enkala lying under him with the most embarrassed look.

“They are headed this way...”

“Who??”

A torch suddenly illuminated the scene as a tall black wolf entered the cave, a stern expression on his face. “They are over here!” he yelled over his shoulder. He glanced down at the pair, and tried not to smile as he added in a lower voice, “You have less than a minute before they arrive. Might I suggest you get off one another?”

Even in the dim light, both were blushing fully, and not only out of embarrassment, but out of anger that he of all people had found them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soft sound of snow being crushed echoed throughout the empty forest as the small group made their way down the unmarked path. Walking in the lead, the silver wolf held his head high, trying to the best of his ability to ignore his other two traveling companions, especially the tall black wolf walking a few feet behind. A flash of orange danced in the corner of his vision as his fox friend gently caught his arm and whispered in his ear.

“Ne Kita, we need to get rid of him...” His sounded sure of himself and a small smile graced his face.

Feeling the warmth of Enkala’s body so close to him and his breath tickling his ear, Onkitaro swallowed hard, trying not to look at him. “Yeah, you have an idea?” His voice was low.

“At the bend over there. We’re two, and he’s alone. We can handle him, especially since he would not be expecting...” He never had time to finish his sentence. Suddenly the two youths let out surprised cries as they were pulled off the ground by the scruff of their necks.

“What are you two up to?” a deep voice asked with a grin. Enkala sighed, his ears hanging low in resignation while to his side Onkitaro grunted angrily, wriggling under the black wolf’s hard grip before giving up and crossing his arms. “I hope neither of you mind my company...” he said, his underlying threat as clear as the skies above them. Neither answered and after a while the black wolf seemed satisfied and put the two young ones back down. Onkitaro quickly turned around and slapped his hand away before continuing down the path, mumbling angrily. Enkala shook his head and quickly followed his companion, his mind already hatching new plans to get rid of their unwanted babysitter. They crossed the woods in a heavy silence for another hour before Onkitaro suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes were riveted to the sight before him. Enkala quickly caught up to him and followed his gaze. Below them, in what used to be a vast prairie now stood a proud city, a tall golden dome shining brightly in the noon sun. A clatter of sound could be heard coming from the town, a subtle mix of music, shouts and metallic clangs. They could smell the wondrous food even from this distance. Onkitaro’s nostrils took in the smells and his mouth quickly started to salivate. The black wolf stood behind them and took in the sight with a big smile before patting both of them on the back. “Come on, we have a festival to go see.” Even he seemed to be affected by the excitement coming from the city. The two didn’t wait for any more invitation and quickly made their way down the soft slope, anxious to be part of the festivities.

Once inside the city, the excitement became palpable. People all around them were laughing, eating and drinking. Shouts from merchants trying to sell their exotic wares were soon drowned with the claps and songs of wandering troubadours. Onkitaro’s senses were quickly overtaken by all the various smells of food that lurked in every corner. His stomach was starting to grumble, yet he could not decide at which of the many stands he should stop. Vendors from all around were calling out to him, handing him small samples of food he gratefully gulped down. Enkala’s attention was quickly taken by a large stand where cloths and metal works from faraway lands were displayed. As his fingers touched the silky fabrics, his mind wondered how it would feel to wear such clothing. It wasn’t long before the old lady at the stand started pulling out rolls of cloth and wrapping it around him, commenting on which color and fabric suited him better. He laughed happily, enjoying the attention before the black wolf swiftly pulled him away, much to the dismay of the vendor. They quickly caught up to Onkitaro who was being lured into a bar and made their way over to a tavern. As they took their seats outside, the big wolf ordered a round of ale and some food before smiling at his two companions. “So do you know where you want to go after lunch?” Onkitaro quickly gulped down his ale and shrugged his shoulders, glancing over at Enkala.

Enkala smiled and said, “I heard a lot of interesting things were happening down by the river. I didn’t get what it was though.” He looked over at Onkitaro and smiled, “It sounded like there are many things to do, including a tournament.”

Onkitaro’s eyes lit up and he slammed his glass down “That’s where we’re going then!” A hearty laugh brought their attention back to the black wolf. He chuckled as their food was being served. “We’ll see about that after lunch, ne?” And with that he attacked his juicy piece of meat. The silver wolf and the orange fox both exchange a glance and started eating too, wondering if they would ever get rid of him.

Their meal was soon interrupted by the sound of music and clapping. They looked up and saw a swirl of color approaching them. “Gypsies” was the word was on everyone’s lips as the crowd parted to let them approach. They were a small group, but their presence seemed overwhelming. They wore light dresses, colored veils dancing around them at the sound of cymbals and claps. Neither Onkitaro nor Enkala had ever seen gypsies before. They were a race of cat people who lived freely, unrestrained by any laws or countries. Rumor had it that because of this, and of course because of their feline nature, they were often contracted as spies. Even if these were just rumors, they added to the mysterious charm that always encircled the Gypsies. None of this mattered though when, to everyone’s surprise, the gypsies made their way to Enkala and Onkitaro’s table. One of the dancing cats made her way towards the black wolf and gently teased him, stealing a small kiss. The black wolf’s eyes grew wider, and a small grin appeared on his face. The lady then turned towards Enkala and winked at the boy. Onkitaro stared mindlessly at the scene before him and unconsciously gripped his glass tighter. Enkala felt his face heat as the cat took his hands and pulled him out of his seat. He looked back at Onkitaro with a confused look on his face. The wolf only answered with the same confused look. She started pulling him into her dance with a laughing smile while the crowd murmured around them, awed and slightly jealous. It didn’t take long for Enkala’s naturally graceful body to move to the exotic rhythm. He laughed and waved towards Onkitaro, inviting his friend to join him. Another gypsy made her way towards the silver wolf and attempted to drag him in their dance. But Onkitaro merely followed her, keeping out of the dance. She quickly gave up on him and the small band continued their way down the street, Enkala dancing and laughing amongst them, Onkitaro following quietly behind, his eyes never leaving his friend.

The black wolf quickly paid for their lunch and tried to catch up to them. Suddenly the sound of breaking glass and loud shouts interrupted the festive mood. A limp body flew out a window and slammed into the black wolf. The entire street froze as a second person stepped out of the bar and started yelling angrily. The bar brawl that had been happening indoors quickly spread outside, and the black wolf was caught in the middle of it. Onkitaro smiled brightly and quickly caught up to the gypsies who had resumed their trek. Their music was even louder and more joyful than before and both he and Enkala exchanged smiles as they were finally able to roam about freely. They drifted with the gypsies, Enkala dancing about happily, Onkitaro still hesitating to join him, as they made their way down to the riverside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Senses overflowed as a mass of people gathered down by the docks: merchants trying to sell off all their exotic goods, rich patrons displaying their wealth as they paraded around, small children with eager eyes hungrily drinking in all this vast merriment. But all these colors, sounds and excitements paled in comparison to the preparation of the main event: the annual tournament.

Like many others on this day, Enkala and Onkitaro were lost in wonderment at the frenzied activity. Never had they experienced so much in such a short lapse of time. And the knowledge that more was to come only made things seem that much sweeter. Onkitaro inhaled deeply, his nose catching a whiff of sweet roasted meat, making him drool with anticipation.

“Ne, Kala, let’s go over there!” he practically dashed into the crowd following the smell before a strong pull yanked him backwards.

“Oh no you don’t, Kita! We already followed your nose once and look where it got us.” Enkala gripped firmly the fabric of the other boy’s shirt, a small smile on his face.

“Well we made it to the docks, right?” Onkitaro crossed his arms across his chest, not about to admit he had almost gotten them in trouble.

“Yes you did, but only after being chased by an angry shopkeeper and then by an angry guard because you just slammed into him! We’re lucky we managed to even escape!”

“Oh stop complaining. You were laughing all the way through it.” Onkitaro grinned as Enkala shrugged in that ‘Who, me?’ manner of his.

“Well I’m still mad we lost those gypsies though. They were really something weren’t they?” As Enkala started talking about the mysterious dancing felines his face seemed to brighten, making Onkitaro smile to himself.

“Well I’m sorry already. We found them once, we can find them again.”

“They found us, Kita.”

“Whatever!”

Just then the sounds of trumpets echoed across the city, pausing momentarily all other sounds and activities. The silver wolf looked around him in confusion before casting a glance towards his equally confused companion.

“Don’t look at me; I have no idea,” answered the orange-furred fox

A small child suddenly ran straight into Onkitaro, practically bouncing off him to the ground.

“Hey watch it Kid! You...” Onkitaro growled before quickly shutting himself up at a glance from Enkala. He brushed himself off and looked away while his fox friend leaned to help the boy back up to his feet.

“And where are you running off to so fast, little one?” he asked.

“To the tournament of course! The trumpets sounded! It’s gonna start soon now.”

Onkitaro’s ears turned lightly at those words and a grin formed on his face.

“Well then you should hurry up and get there then,” Enkala answered him with a smile. The boy looked at him for a second, slightly confused. Enkala was crouched on the ground with his tail wrapped around his legs, a bright smile on his face.

“Are you going to the tournament too?” the child finally asked. Onkitaro turned towards the kid with a great grin.

“Of course! And I’m going to win this tournament!” he acclaimed proudly.

“Yes we’re going to the tournament, but we don’t know where it’s being held,” Enkala answered the child, completely ignoring his friend.

“Do you want to come with me?” the child seemed to follow the fox’s example and also ignored Onkitaro, much to the older wolf’s despair.

“Heyyyy! Don’t ignore me like that!”

Enkala tried his best not to laugh. He stood up and patted the boy’s head. “Sure we’ll come with you.”

“We have to hurry then!”

“You’re just gonna slow us down kid,” Onkitaro grumbled.

“Oh yeah? I’m the fasted kid on the block you know! No one has ever beaten me!”

“Oh yeah? Wanna race then?” Both Onkitaro and the kid stood glaring at each other.

“You really are just kids...” Enkala said with a smile.

“Shut up!” both answered before the kid suddenly dashed off.

“I’ll show you, you little punk!” Onkitaro growled as he ran after the kid.

“Last one there buys dinner!” The child called over his shoulder, sticking his tongue out at the silver wolf.

“Wait a sec! That’s not fair!” Enkala suddenly sprinted after the two as they turned a corner. “I am not buying dinner for you guys!”

The trio dashed down the streets, jumping over stands, dodging people and carts as they made their way towards a large arena. Behind them they could hear angry shouts from storeowners and poor passersby that got caught up in their race. But the laughter and smiles on their youthful faces quickly soothed any complaints and they simply kept racing through the docks.

The wild trio suddenly came to an abrupt stop as they rounded one last street corner. Before them stood a large arena, plainly decorated and light in its architecture. Yet even from where they stood the building seemed alive, the stands buzzing with the mass of people present.

“Wow…” was all Onkitaro could manage as he looked at the sight before him.

He felt a small tug on his sleeve and abruptly looked to the side. “Over there.” Enkala’s soft voice guided his eyes towards numerous small rings gathered around the main entrance. Large wolf guards stood there, directing people into the arena or towards the rings. There various organizers and judges sent people from ring to ring, some leaving with their tails down, battered and bruised, others walking triumphantly into the arena. These were the preliminaries.

“Come on, Kala! Let’s go!” Onkitaro said as he quickly headed down towards the rings.

“Ehhhh? He’s really gonna fight?” asked the startled kid as he watched Onkitaro eagerly waving and talking to one of the guards.

Enkala patted the boys head and smiled. “Oh yes, he’s definitely going to fight. Come on, let’s go wait for him inside.”

“Hey Kala, you coming or not!?” Onkitaro called out.

“Nah, I’ll give you a chance to win this time,” Enkala answered with a small smirk as he and the kid entered the arena. Behind them, they could hear Onkitaro yelling after them.

“Is he really strong enough?” the kid asked doubtfully. “The champion is really strong you know. He defeated everyone with one punch last year…”

“Don’t worry, Onkitaro is much stronger than you think,” Enkala reassured him as they made their way through the crowded stands towards a pair of empty seats.

“What about you? Are you strong?”

For the briefest second a fierce smile appeared on Enkala’s face, instantly replaced by a modest smile. “Onkitaro has never defeated me,” he admitted. “How long before the tournament starts by the way? Do you know?”

The kid took a seat and looked at the arena floor. Jugglers and dancers were entertaining the crowd with their music and acrobatics. “It shouldn’t be very long now.”

Enkala sat back in his seat and really looked at his young companion for the first time. He was a young brown wolf. A colorful bandana across his forehead held back his untamed hair and his tail was small and coarse, hints of grey fur indicating his mixed parentage. He held himself with the pride of someone who was used to being out in the streets. “He reminds me a bit of Kita when he was younger…” Enkala thought with a smile.

Inside the arena, Onkitaro quietly glanced around him, his gaze full of anticipation as he looked over the fighters. Some were tall and wiry, others short and stubby, yet he was not going to underestimate them. If they had made it into the pit of the arena, then they could not be just small fry. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder about some of them… On one side of the room was a small, almost frail looking cat. He moved slowly and carefully, averting his gaze from all the other fighters and trying to hide himself in a corner. His pure white fur made him look almost noble were it not for the red tint of his eyes - an albino. Not the type you saw often anymore. Onkitaro wondered for a while how this frail looking being had even passed the preliminaries.

With a shrug he decided that he would know soon enough and continued to look around. His jaw almost dropped when he noticed a pair of tall antlers. An Elk!? Here?! Unbelieving he made his way closer, inadvertently bumping into a tall black figure.

“Hey you runt! Watch where you are going!” The tall black wolf growled out as he grabbed the boy by the back of the next. Onkitaro froze on the spot, convinced his mentor had found him already and would kick him out. His momentary silence earned him surprised glances from the other fighters as well as a booming laughter from his captor.

“How did a pathetic little dog like you got in her anyways?” he said mockingly. “This tournament keeps lowering its standards.”

“Oh let the boy be. He’s probably a much better fighter than you,” a light voice challenged from behind.

The wolf growled and tossed Onkitaro aside before angrily turning to face the one that dared insult him so.

Everything happened so fast that Onkitaro never really had time to react. He landed heavily at someone’s feet and immediately sprang back up, anger boiling in his eyes at the insult. “Dog!?” he growled as he starting making his way back towards the tall black wolf.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder, making him whip around in anger. “What the!” He raised his fist in automatic response but froze instantly.

A pair of dark black eyes were looking at him, tall antlers standing proudly on his head. The grip on his shoulder belied the impression of weakness of the graceful body in front of him.

“You…” he stammered. He had never seen an elk before and had always been taught to hate them as mortal enemies. But the creature in front of him did not look dangerous at all. Quite the contrary; the elk almost looked friendly.

“No fighting before the match begins. You would be no fun to pummel if you were already hurt,” the elk said in a soft voice, finishing with a smirk in the corner of his mouth. He then released Onkitaro and turned around, walking away.

“Why you!” Fuming the silver wolf clenched his fist, taking back any positive thought he might have had about this elk. Any further thoughts were cut short by the clear chime of a bell followed by a loud sound.

The roar of the crowd resonated against the walls that still held the fighters, effectively stopping all forms of conversation as anticipation appeared in their eyes. An official appeared and calmly laid out the rules as two lines of fighters were formed. Onkitaro was absently listening to the official when the elk was suddenly shoved to his side. Before he had time to utter a complaint, their hands were bound and they found themselves outside under a blazing sun.

The crowd was cheering and clapping wildly, their energy and anticipation fueling the adrenaline rush that was rising in all the fighters. Onkitaro glanced at the stands hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of his friend amidst the mass of people. Just as he thought he had found the familiar patch of orange fur, his arm was brutally yanked.

“Now why did I get paired with a weakling like you?!” the elk mumbled angrily, his eyes darting across the arena floor, assessing the other pairs.

“Well I didn’t ask for it either,” Onkitaro snapped back, seriously considering beating the elk down now.

“Don’t even think about it. We’ll have to deal with it for now,” the elk said not bothering to look at the silver wolf. “I intend on winning this.”

Onkitaro growled, his eyes glaring at the tall elk. He saw him suddenly frown and followed his gaze by reflex.

The black wolf was standing proudly under the acclamation of the crowd. “Last year’s champion,” the elk said noncommittally. Standing by his side was a noble looking pure white wolf that also seemed favored by the crowd. “And the runner up. They might hate each other, but they still make a dangerous pair…”

A serious look crossed the young wolf’s face as he pondered those words. “Do not underestimate me,” he said in a low growl, earning himself a surprised glance from his new partner.

“When the melee starts, they will be the first attacked,” the elk added, almost smiling as Onkitaro nodded somberly, his eyes fixed on the white wolf.

“Look, there he is!” The brown wolf yelled from within the crowd, tapping eagerly on the fox’s arm and pointing down to Onkitaro on the arena floor.

“And he’s been paired with…” the boy’s words were abruptly cut off by a loud outraged cry behind him.

“AN ELK!! They let an elk enter?!?”

Amidst the initial cheers and shouts, the presence of an elk in the fighters did not go unnoticed by the crowd. Insults, jeers, and laughs were soon directed toward the odd pair.

“What kind of a wimp would fight with an elk?”

“Poor kid! Kill the elk now and then fight!”

“Death to the elk! Death to the elk!!”

The wolf boy opened his mouth to protest, about to turn his body to attack the rowdy crowd, but only a small yelp of pain escaped him. Enkala was squeezing his arm tightly and he glanced towards the orange fox to protest.

“Don’t do anything yet. Wait and see…” Enkala muttered against clenched teeth, barely releasing the pressure on the boy’s arm. His eyes were focused on his friend, the dangerous glint in them enough to make the young wolf at his side look away almost afraid.

“Had I known it would be pairs I would have entered…Kita will never allow anyone to step all over him…” He gazed intently at the elk, taking in his sharp glances, his calm yet alert pose, and especially noting the proud way he held his head.

At that moment Onkitaro seemed to have noticed his friend and nodded in Enkala’s direction, a reassuring smile on his face.

“I can only hope, Mister Elk, that you are not as arrogant and vain as your kind seems to be…” Enkala said softly, the words easily lost in the crowd, before smiling and nodding to his friend in return. The fact that the elk seemed to have also nodded his head did little to reassure him.

“He’s going to be ok… right?” a small voice asked, bringing his thoughts back to the scene at hand. “I mean…if they made it here, they must be strong already, right?”

Enkala blinked and stared at the kid. He was nervously clenching a small piece of paper in his hand, a token of the wager they had made when entering against the returning champion. Enkala patted the boy’s head and smiled. “Just wait and see. You will be buying a lot of cakes tonight to celebrate.”

Across town bells rang the passing hour and the crowd suddenly fell silent. The fighters took their fighting stance and waited. The tournament had finally begun!

The tension on the arena became almost palpable as the presiding lord let a blood red scarf fall to the ground. The instant it touched the ground a cloud of dust rose as the fighters suddenly launched their attack. Of the twelve pairs on the field, all but three rushed the main pair. A fierce battle started in the center of the arena as both the black and white wolves fought to defend themselves.

to be continued…