A Father I Shall Be

W

hat a crazy time it had been. Tiberius had thrown himself into the clutches of war, for the first time he felt as though he needed to do something to protect the forest home. The attackers thought they were in the right, but they were not. Their numbers fell until Jacob's army came after him alone when he would not stand down. They threatened him, and if there was one thing Tiberius was not, it was a coward. He thought he could take them all on. So he fought and fought until his body could take no more of it. He was taken away to jail and held there for one week's time. It had felt like it was much longer, sitting in the loneliness of it all. The ice cold bars were a constant reminder that he was being forced into this situation. He did not know when he would be free again. Upon his release, he was quick to make his way back home.

To the fae forest he went, not stopping no matter how tired he may have been. Being able to run as fast and far as he wanted, he was not going to stop, plus his child would need him. "Tybalt!" he called out to the pup, searching for him. His voice echoed off the trunks of the trees. "Tybalt!" He was now walking through the forest, so that he could possibly hear if his son was nearby.

@Tybalt

code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Tybalt Aetós

He had slipped away from his watcher… Again. The old spinster was no fun, and his father still had not returned to reclaim the child. Tybalt knew nothing of war and prisoners. He only knew that he was bored. Now he was on the lookout for something to do as he trotted through the enigmatic forest, strange eyes looking this way and that, searching for nothing in particular.

He had given up looking for the wolf known as Dad, who had been absent for a while now, which in puppy time, translated to much, much longer. Tybalt wasn’t aware that his sire had been locked away in a prisoner of war camp kept by the Highlanders. The boy didn’t know Dad the wolf very well anyway, since Tiberius had left him behind to fight in the battle not long after claiming him from the white wolfess who had birthed him.

The child stopped short when the sound caught his attention - it was the name he had been given only recently, but he recognized it instantly, moreso than the actual voice who called it. Still, Tybalt could guess who was looking for him, since no one else really bothered. His tiny tail began to sway behind him as he called out in return: "Dad?" But the impatient child wasn't about to wait to be found, not after so much time had passed. "Dad! Tá mé anseo!" he announced: I'm here!

With a giggle, he darted ahead heedlessly, unaware of the dangers that lurked between him and the wolf called Dad. He was slow and clumsy and noisy as he rushed through the forest. And it was enough to alert another forest dweller of his presence. The sound of a snarl was all that Tybalt heard as a warning before a flash of onyx and ivory came careening toward him. A very hungry badger had decided that Tybalt would make a worthy meal, and the boy squealed with fright as a scary mouth threatened to devour him in one big bite.



@Tiberius

T

iberius heard the child calling out to him. He said the word "dad", which honestly was a weird thing to hear. But he would have to get used to it. But then it trailed off with some other language. It sounded like whatever that white wolf used to speak to him. She would speak something he understood and then a bunch of gibberish. He recalled one of the last times they saw each other. She was so angry, so aggressive. But he chalked it up to her just hating that he was yet again a mother. Either way, he recalled the sound of it, though when the boy said it, it was much softer. He had not yet been hardened by the bullshit of life. He was pure and innocent. Surely, Tiberius knew that would not last for very long, not with him as a father. He moved closer to the voice of the child, but soon a snarl rippled through the sky. Tiberius felt the fur along his spine stand on end. If this was what being a father was going to be like, he wasn't sure he was ready to make sure something so little did not become lunch for something else. Luckily, he wasn't too far from the pup and with him running full bore, he would find them soon enough.

Leave it to a child to not watch his surroundings. The kid had either crossed the badger's path or moved too close to the mean animal's den. This would, of course, cause this sort of reaction from the beast. Dashing to the aid of the child, Tiberius leapt over a large rock, clearing it and placing his form between Tybalt and the badger. Bared fangs were exposed by the snarl that emitted from his maw. Saliva dripped from his jaws as he locked eyes with the badger, threatening it with his much larger size and aggressive stance. His ears pinned back to make sure they would not get attacked, should the badger choose to rile up towards his face. "Stand back Tybalt..." He snapped his jaws once towards the badger, hoping that would be the end of this.

@Tybalt

code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Tybalt Aetós

Mismatched eyes were fixed upon the hungry badger when a flash of colors, tan and cream and ebony, appeared from behind an enormous boulder. They were the very same colors that decorated young Tybalt’s growing form. Despite his fear, the boy was relieved to see his protector as he called out with renewed strength: ”Dad!” This was a side of Dad the wolf that Tybalt had not yet experienced, all snarls and sharp fangs, very intimidating, but the pup had no fear of Dad, even though he was a behemoth. The badger was enraged now, and it stood its ground, even in the face of the enormous wolf.

"Stand back Tybalt..." Although the words seemed strange and foreign, the boy understood their meaning, and he backed away as quickly as his terror would allow. His sire bared his sharp canines at the badger, snapping his jaw to frighten the animal away. The aggressive posture seemed to work after several agonizing, anxious moments. The badger scurried away to its burrow, leaving father and son alone.

Tybalt's eyes were still wide with shock as the scary animal vanished, and in a flurry of action, the child lunged, attaching himself to Tiberius' foreleg, clinging tightly. Tybalt was certain now that there could be no wolf braver than the one before him, the man called Dad, and the boy’s mismatched sights looked up to his father with admiration and a toothy grin. ”Tá tú cróga!” - You are brave! It didn’t occur to the boy that Dad didn’t speak the same language as the white wolfess had, and he continued to watch expectantly. He asked, headtilting curiously, "Cá raibh tú? - Where were you?



@Tiberius

P

rotecting his son was the priority, and if he had to kill the badger for a worthy life lesson, then he would. But he really didn't wish to do so right now. It had been a long time since he was able to spend any amount of time with his son. He wanted that to be the focus, but after snapping his jaws, it had seemed the badger understood that they were not on the same level. He stared and watched the badger in its fleeing, making sure it was not going to launch some surprise attack once Tiberius felt there was a level of safety for himself or Tybalt. It was only when his child barreled into him and clung to his body, that he snapped back to pay attention to the child. Lowering his head, he looked over the boy. A fine strapping young thing looked back up at him. There were many features of the child that Tiberius knew were from his genetics quite easily. He was not white, for starters.

The boy's mask was much darker, larger, and covered more space than his own. He was a handsome kid, much like himself. But when the boy opened his mouth to speak, Tiberius did everything in himself not to shout at the child to speak normally. It was clear that the white wolf had spoken to him in this gibberish. He had learned it, and while Tiberius had no wish to learn it for himself, he realized he was going to either find a translator for his kid, or teach the kid to speak the way that he did. He lifted up his head, stared up at the sky and rolled his eyes, so the child would not see what he was doing. It looked like he could have been stretching. "Tybalt... you gotta stop talking like that.." he said with a certain softness in his voice. "I mean, Dad. Speaks. English." He sounded out the words and hoped that the kid knew a little of what he was saying. "I. Don't. Know. What. You. Are. Saying..."

@Tybalt

code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Tybalt Aetós

Dad craned his head up toward the sky and, like a shadow, Tybalt did the very same. Green eyes squinted as he searched for whatever was so interesting up there before snapping back to attention when he was addressed. Hearing his still-new name caused his ears to prick forward in anticipation as the older wolf addressed him… in words that caused the boy’s head to tilt questioningly. He parroted back one of the words that he could decipher: ”Stop?” The white wolfess had said that to him, too, in harsh tones when Tybalt had done something bad. The child’s expression fell: Was he already in trouble with Dad? Was the grown-up mad at him?

"I mean, Dad. Speaks. English." Had Blythe intentionally taught the boy the “wrong” language? Nothing she had done in her lifetime was without purpose; it was no accident that much of what was spoken between father and son now was lost in translation. But the one-eyed lady spoke in English every once in a while while the pup still lived with her. Thus, Tybalt wasn’t entirely ignorant of his father’s language, but the halting words still earned a confused look from the child. "I. Don't. Know. What. You. Are. Saying..."

Frowning, Tybalt back away from the world, his uncertainty scribbled across his ebony visage as he studied the older wolf's expression for disdain. ”Dad is mad at páiste?” The last word was one that Blythe had called him: kid. He stammered out an apology: "Tá brón orm -- sorr-y."



@Tiberius

T

hat witch had gone and taught this kid a language he did not know. Was it to spite him? Tiberius was angry with her, not with Tybalt, and yet - he could barely communicate that with the kid. His patience was not the best with little ones, and never had been. He didn't know if it would get better. This road block between them of language disturbance was a pain in the ass. He was a dad, so he needed to be like a dad. His only point of understanding was from his own father. His father would tell him to take a deep breath, and try to sound it out better. "I am not mad at.... you.... not at Tybalt..." He placed his paw on his chest, "dad." He placed his paw on Tybalt's chest, "Tybalt, son." He smiled to the young wolf and licked the top of his head. "You are a good boy," his voice was low. He didn't really know what to do now.

Tiberius stood up and started to walk away, "come on..." he said as he turned to look at the other wolf. He hoped that Tybalt would understand this. "That creature was a badger. B A D G E R," he said slowly. "He would have gladly eaten you." He didn't know if it were actually true, but what was a little scaring to keep a child in line? Adults did it for all the lives of the younger ones. He wasn't really sure where they were going to go or what they would do, but Tybalt needed some hard facts of life.
@Tybalt

code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Tybalt Aetós

"I am not mad at.... you.... not at Tybalt..." The fumbling way that Dad tried to communicate inspired a childish giggle from the child. He lingered upon every syllable his father spoke, young mind trying to make sense of it all. He was a fast learner – and since Tiberius hadn’t shown an interest in learning his first language, it was up to the toddler to figure things out. ”Dad,” he mirrored, pointing a small paw to the grown wolf. Then, he put his paw against his ribcage, and he puffed out his chest with an air of pride. ”Tybalt son.”


The grown-up leaned down to lick Tybalt’s head affectionately, and the boy looked surprised and ecstatic. The woman who had birthed him had never done anything of the sort, unless he was dirty – and even then, she might have just left him marred by mud if he had gotten himself into trouble. His tail began to wag behind him wildly as his father spoke again. "You are a good boy.” His strange green eyes seemed even brighter set against the dark mask of Tybalt’s face as he beamed, looking up at his father as he chirped: ”You!” Dad was a good boy, too!


In a low voice, his sire would beckon: ”Come on…” The boy followed without hesitation or complaint, still smiling brightly in the wake of the tenderness he had just received from Dad the wolf. Cinnamon-hued ears pricked forward as Dad explained what the scary animal had been, adding that the badger would have made a snack of Tybalt. His face was contorted in a mixture of horror and admiration. ”Cá bhfuil –” But the boy caught himself mid sentence, knowing that Dad wouldn’t like if he messed up and said the old words some more. ”Where’re goin’ta, Da’?” Maybe they were finally going to where Dad lived? Tybalt wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain: he would follow Tiberius to the ends of the earth… at least when he could, when his father wasn’t busy with his own life and the beautiful women he so admired.




@Tiberius

H

is son was trying to understand him, trying to get a grip on this language that his mother never graced him to know. It angered him, deep down. But he couldn't take it out on the kid. When he found Blythe again, he would talk to her about this for sure. Tybalt was really trying, and he was glad that he could see that was clear. "Yes, Tybalt is a good boy, and dad is a good boy." He turned his head to look at the boy and smiled, "we are going to go hunt. I want to teach you the right way, so you will always be able to feed yourself." He said to the other and then picked up the pace. The older wolf led the boy deeper through the woods. He was picking up various scents, trying to find a decent sized rabbit to lead him to.

"I have to tell you some very serious things, Tybalt. I don't know how much your mother told you, but Imperials... Jacobites - they are all bad." He didn't really know how much he should be telling such a young wolf. And he didn't know if Blythe had ever told the child the truth of how he was conceived. Or what they had done to her. "Anyone that chooses to follow someone, based off of feeling like they want to - bad. Not like father/son, but more so a complete stranger. Adahm nor Jacob are nice, and they make their followers do bad things. They kill their own, they kill anyone who goes against them." As he continued to lead the boy through the forest, he thought of more things to tell the child. "If you meet someone in the army, just run. Run away. Don't let them touch you." Just then, he found the rabbit he had been following. He stopped and lowered himself to the ground. Gently he patted the ground next to him, alerting the other to copy him.

"There's a rabbit ahead..." he whispered to his young. "Sniff it out, right here. Get a good scent trail so you can follow it - quietly."

@Tybalt

code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Tybalt Aetós

"Yes, Tybalt is a good boy, and dad is a good boy." The boy’s tail wagged furiously behind him as Dad the wolf complimented him, offering reassurance that both were in fact good. Tybalt wanted so badly to please his father, and he nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion of learning to hunt. He had a vague understanding of what this meant – yum yum! His oversized paws worked hard to keep pace with his giant of a father, through the mysterious forest.


Dad the wolf began to speak again, and Tybalt’s face scrunched up as he tried to make sense of the many words the grown-up expressed. His voice was serious as he explained Imperials and Jacobites, who were not good. He remained silent as Tiberius explained more, and despite his best effort, it was difficult for the boy to comprehend everything he was attempting to express. He didn’t know any Adamhs or Jacobs, but as his sire explained their intent to kill, emerald gems grew wide with concern. He didn’t understand every word Tiberius said, but he definitely understood that one. "No kill," he whimpered, concern written across his onyx mask.


He had to ignore his worries, however, as the time came to hunt. He mimicked his father, lowering his tiny body to the cold ground until it was nearly touching it. The adult wolf spoke in hushed tones about a rabbit ahead, and Tybalt’s ears pricked forward expectantly. If there was one thing Tybalt was not good at, it was doing anything quietly. Still, he would do his best. Dark nostrils hovered above the earth, sniffing furiously until he had snorted in snow, causing a surprised squeal that he quickly suppressed. His maw clamped shut and he nodded his understanding. "Shh, 's a qui-et hunt," he whispered.

Tybalt didn’t wait for further instruction as predator instinct kicked in. He sprang into action with a childish growl that was more cute than intimidating. He would never see his intended prey, however, because a clumsy paw tripped over a root that he hadn't detected. The boy was sent flying a few feel before he landed face-first. Instantly, he began to cry... loudly. He sat up, face covered in dust and dry leaves as big tears streaks down his cheeks, looking back at Dad, who would surely be upset with him now.



@Tiberius