Chapter Text
They met along the river where the grass grew long, butterflies fluttering among the tiny white flowers. Legosi loved to look at them. He smelled him before he saw him. “Hello.” Said the deer, he saw the bruise on Legosi’s cheek but said nothing. “Hello, Louis. What would you like to do today?” “Let’s go for a walk.” He said softly.
Louis's gentle smile was soothing to Legosi. The wolf had been so lost in thought about his father that he was beginning to lose sight of the fact that Louis was there with him. But he caught himself as the deer spoke, Louis's voice bringing him back to the present. "Okay," Legosi said, not wanting to make Louis feel unwelcome. "Where would you like to go?"
“Follow me.” Louis led them and they walked along the beaten path. The carnivores watched closely Legosi could sense them, those hungry eyes watched and waited for him to kill the deer. “We can cross here but it will be dangerous.” Louis warned as he point to the large jagged rocks that laid a path to the other side. “I’ll help you, just hold on to me. Legosi offered his hand, which Louis took. The first rock was easy to reach, the second was farther away, Louis faltered, nearly falling into the water but the wolf hung on to him.
“They can’t hear us here.” Louis said. Legosi held him closer. “They want me to kill you.” Legosi whispered in his ear. Louis’s breath hitched. As they embraced, Louis raised the dagger to the wolf’s back. The carnivores froze, the herbivores looked on. “You’ve a knife to my back.” Legosi’s eyes widened. “Yes…they won’t let me return unless I kill you.” Tears escaped Louis’s eyes. “Do it, Louis. I’d be a lot happier knowing you were home and not alone.” Legosi begged. “I can’t…” Louis sobbed.
Legosi felt the cold of the edge of the blade against his back as the deer was unable to bring himself to do it. The wolf could not help but feel sad for the deer whose compassion for Legosi got the best of him and he feared what would happen if he didn’t kill him. "You'll be fine," Legosi whispered as he spoke softly to Louis from so close that their breaths were almost touching.
Louis pulled him closer, kissing him gently. He let go of the dagger, letting it fall into the water as their embrace got tighter. Legosi leaned into the kiss, he heard the others yelling at him from the other side of the river. “We could never go back.” Louis said as they broke the kiss. “No.” Legosi agreed. “But how do we get away?” Louis’s big brown eyes searched the wolf’s. Legosi looked at the raging water and back at Louis, “Do you trust me?” He asked as he held Louis’s hand. “I do.” Louis seemed to understand as they turned toward the current. They gave each other one last look before jumping.
The wolf and deer were both carried by the force of the water, and they tumbled together as the river carried them away from the other animals that shouted and yelled at them. Legosi held Louis tight with one hand as he held the deer's hand with his other hand as they were tossed around. But they did not care about fighting the current, they were doing something far more important than escaping from the others. They were escaping together.
Louis woke up first, they got separated at some point. He looked around for Legosi frantically. “Please be okay…” He pleaded as he searched. He found Legosi unconscious across the way. Louis made his way to him, he was still breathing, Louis tried shaking him. The deer finally breathed a sigh of relief when the wolf stirred.
Legosi groaned as he slowly came back to consciousness. His body was beaten but he saw Louis's worried look as he felt the deer shaking him a little to wake him up. He couldn't help but smile a little, letting on just how relieved he was to see Louis still beside him. Legosi sat up, his body bruised but unbroken as he saw Louis watching over him. "Louis…" he said softly.
The deer embraced him, he winced a bit, his back and shoulders lancing at the sudden impact. “Sorry! Sorry…” “It’s okay!” “You kissed me.” Legosi said. Louis’s ears turned pink. “You kissed me back.” “I’ve never felt something like that before.” The wolf caressed Louis’s face, his big clawed hand gentle as a lamb. “Where will we go?” Louis asked, placing a hand over his.
"We can go anywhere," Legosi said softly, still caressing Louis's face. "As long as we have each other, we can go anywhere. And that's all that matters." The wolf's eyes met Louis's and his ears twitched. The wolf's gaze was intense as he looked deeply into Louis's eyes. "And I want to be with you...I want to be able to hold you and never let you go."
“My mother used to tell me stories about a forest beyond the mountains much larger than the one we used to live. I wonder if it’s really there…” Legosi said as Louis helped him up, “There’s only one way to find out.” “But…what if it’s not there, you could die crossing the mountain.” Legosi’s ears went back and his tail stilled. “That’s the price I’m willing to pay.” Said Louis, determined.
"Then let's pay it, together. I don't care if it's one mountain or an endless sea of mountains, as long as I have you, I'm not afraid of anything." Legosi said as Louis helped him to his feet.
Miyagi set out to find them on his own. If destroying the very thing that disgraced him meant shedding his own blood, he would do it happily. It wasn’t long until he caught their scent, he watched as they embraced and followed closely behind.
Snow caught them from the base of the mountain, light and slowly falling. “Will we be okay?” Legosi asked. “Let’s keep going.” Louis took his hand and lead him forward. They got to the base of the mountain and were soon overwhelmed with snowfall. Louis could hardly see. They took cover in a cave but Louis wasn’t recovering. “Come here…come.” Legosi held him close, trying desperately to warm him.
"Cold," Louis said softly as he lay in Legosi's arms, his body still shivering from the heavy snow falling around them. The wolf's body was warm and the two of them pressed against each other closely, the warmth from Legosi's fur helping Louis begin to come to.
Slowly the deer opened his eyes, Legosi’s breath caught. “You’re okay!” He kissed Louis cheeks and laughed breathlessly. “Legosi…” “It’ll be fine, this will pass and we’ll keep going.” Legosi looked upon the prone deer, ‘he’s so small…’ he thought. There was a rumble in the pit of his stomach, with it bore a hunger he tried so hard to suppress. Legosi shook his head “No no, not now.” He hushed himself. Louis saw him struggling.“When was the last time you’ve eaten, Legosi?” The deer asked. “Not since the hunt.” “It’s been four days since then. Are you hungry?” Louis reached up to touch Legosi’s face. “Wolves can go without for a long time, Louis. I’ll be okay.” He assured. His stomach got louder and he started to drool.
“I don’t think I could make it any further. But you can…if you eat me.” Louis looked at Legosi, his eyes tearful. “No…no I can’t. We’ve come so far, Louis. I won’t do it.” The wolf held his smaller hand in his. “Being with you has been the happiest days of my life.” Louis said. “Stop….don’t do this. I won’t eat you. We’ll make it. We will!” Legosi felt his instincts pulling at his mind. Drool escaped his mouth hanging from his lips, strings of clung from his teeth. He stalked. The hands, legs, belly…exposed delicate neck. He was overcome with want. “You can have me, Legosi. Eat me and make it across, find a new home where you can be happy, even if I’m not there.”
He took the wolf’s face in his hands. “Oh god…why did I have to be born a wolf?” Legosi cried. “It’s okay…it’s okay…” Louis soothed. His jaws parted, sharp fangs surrounding the deer’s slender neck. Legosi’s tongue on his pulse. “This is for you.” Louis whispered.
“I love you.” Legosi sobbed into his shoulder. “I’d rather be dead beside you than live on the other side of this mountain with only memories of you. I need you.” “I love you, Legosi…” Legosi’s ears flicked when he heard it, a wolf howling in the distance. “No! Not him…” Legosi growled. “Who?” Louis asked. “My father…stay here.” Legosi got up slowly, looking around. He saw him up above, golden eyes glaring.
“You bastard, you’re no father to me. Come! You want to kill me? I won’t make it easy for you. Come!” Legosi beckoned. The older wolf jumped down from where he perched. “What happened to you, Legosi? I guess it’s no surprise, you were never much of a wolf. Hardly ever killed, now you make your bed with a deer.” They stepped forward tentatively, Miyagi body tense with scorn and Legosi, a hungry animal backed into a corner to try and protect his mate. “I’ll kill you and be rid of my shame!” Miyagi growled. Snarls filled the air, Legosi pounced.
As the wolves attacked each other with teeth and claws the snow was kicked up and they rolled away from Louis who remained in the cave away from the danger and sight of the struggle. Legosi's muscles bulged as he pounced on his father, using his strength to force him to the ground. He didn't feel any hesitation or guilt as he sunk his jaws into his father's neck, biting down hard to inflict as much of a mortal wound as he could. His father was the reason he had these urges within him and the reason he had to deny the feelings that he had for Louis.
The young wolf growled and his body heaved and jerked as he tried to contain his hunger. It had been long since he had eaten. There was no way he could stop himself unless he took the life of another. But there was no chance he was letting that life be Louis. Legosi gave in. He tore at his father catching him off guard, he bit into him ripping away what he could and swallowed. Miyagi’s eyes widened and for the first time in his life he looked at Legosi in fear. He tried to toss the younger wolf but Legosi held on they rolled to the edge of the cliff when a strange sound caught Legosi’s ear. Miyagi was laughing.
The wolf lay on top of his father and looked at the older wolf with vengeful eyes with the scent of blood surrounding them. Miyagi continued to laugh and Legosi could not comprehend why his father was laughing now of all times. “You’re eating me.” He laughed. “You’ve a deer in your grasp and you’re eating your father.” The older wolf continued to laugh. “That deer is precious to me. You would never understand…because no one ever mattered to you. Not even me!” Legosi snarled, taking bites of him again, the laughing became a gurgling fit as Miyagi’s mouth filled with blood. With the last strength he could muster, Miyagi held onto Legosi as he hurled them both over the edge. The last thing he could hear were Miyagi's last breaths as the two of them both fell into the snow below.
Louis felt the sun on his face. The snow stopped and Louis left the cave to look around. He saw it, the forest lush and green. Where no one knew them. And no one to force them, they were here. “Legosi? Legosi!” Louis called out. There was no answer. “He went to confront his father…but where is he? Did they leave?” Louis made his way down the other side, slowly. When his feet touched the warm ground below, he felt tears burn his cheek. He continued to walk. “I shouldn’t have asked him to eat me. He was so hurt…” Louis lamented. “Did you leave to save me?” Louis looked around. It was more beautiful than anywhere he had ever been. “This was supposed to be ours…”
Louis quickly came to love his new home, but the sight of his lover, the wolf with whom he had come so far, nowhere in sight, filled him with sadness. The forest was full of life and trees, but Louis could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, a feeling that Legosi should have joined him by now.
“A wolf!” Small creatures cried as they ran past Louis. “Where? Where is he?” He asked. “There beyond the trees! He stalks the field!” They told him. Louis ran the other direction hoping this wolf to be Legosi. He made his way past the trees, in a field of grass, small and empty was a gray-furred wolf. “Legosi! Legosi it’s me! I’m here.” The deer called to him. The wolf didn’t walk towards him, however. It stalked. The last thing Louis remembered was the wolf pouncing and heavy claws pinning him to the dirt.
Louis laid there helplessly as the wolf loomed over him. The wolf's eyes were wide with hunger and the deer could feel the claws digging into his skin as his back was pinned against the dirt. The wolf's teeth were close as if he meant to sink them into him and tear at his throat. The deer tried to turn his head to look at the wolf, seeing into those menacing eyes. "Why..." Louis uttered. He did not think this is how his life would end and he certainly did not think it would be at the hands of the wolf he loved.
“I’m a wolf. You’re a deer. Wolf eat deer. How could you ask why?” The wolf chuckled darkly. “I love you, Legosi. Don’t you remember me? We crossed that mountain over there together. You left your home for me.” Louis explained. “I don’t know that name. And why would I do that?” Legosi eased off him slightly. “So that we could be together. That blood on you…you killed your father to save me.” Legosi looked down at his shirt saturated with blood and claw marks.
He picked up the deer taking him to a small cave just under the hill where they sat. He lay the deer down and sat at the entrance. “You spin a pretty tale, and I have to admit, it amused me. But I don’t recall such a thing and I think any wolf who would do that, is a damn fool…but I tell you what I’ll make it romantic, I’ll let you see the moon and the stars one last time before I devour you.” He told the deer. Louis lay there, watching him, his eyes soft. “Fine.” He whispered. The night fell, Legosi turned to the deer, baring his teeth on his hands and knees, stalking. Louis never stopped smiling.
Louis was too weak and exhausted to resist now. After the long journey, the deer had run out of enough energy to do much of anything and he was now completely at the mercy of the wolf. The deer had no idea what to say to make Legosi remember. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked up directly at the sky, waiting to be taken away by the wolf.
“Even as you’re about to eat me, I’m so grateful we met that stormy night.” Louis said, reaching for Legosi’s hand. The wolf froze. “That st…stormy night?” Legosi recalled. The way they had hidden from the rain, the secret meeting, the confessions of love, the kiss before they left everything behind to be with each other. “Louis…” Legosi looked at him. ‘That smile…his smile!’ “Louis!” He scooped the deer up into his arms. “My wolf…” Louis kissed him. Soft lips against fangs. Legosi pulled him closer.
For the first time in so long, he felt something good wash over him. He wrapped his arms around the deer, holding them close as their bodies fit together seamlessly. Legosi closed his eyes and let out a sigh, feeling like everything was right with the world once more. The wolf kissed the deer back. "My deer..." he replied as they embraced under the light of the moon.