Light Em Up!

Exploring was perhaps his favorite past time now that they were settled in the range. A few had stopped and asked him if they would move back to the old land. Gerhardt had to admit he had considered the idea, but moving Ghost and her newborn pups was not practical. Besides, this land offered a wider range of prey, and a different view. The King was rather pleased with it. He'd taken up his home in the lean to that still stood in the pasture. He thought of it fondly as his head dipped to the surface of the lake. Cattails stood around him, jutting up from the muddy soil in small groves. He'd heard they were good to eat, but the King hadn't been brave enough to try. He wasn't that hungry anyway. Leaning down, he took draught after draught from the lake's depths, relishing in the fact that this land remained green and fertile through the summer. Patches of grass had receded and dried up, but overall the range seemed untouched by the harsh fingers of summer.

To his left stood (or half stood, as the case was) the rusty colored barn. A few wolves had taken refuge inside, and Gerhardt wanted to see the appeal of it. He understood the need for shelter, and the obvious advantages to having walls around yourself, but he much preferred the solitude and quiet of the lean-to. Three sides protected him, while one allowed fresh air and the morning sun to stream in freely. What more could a King ask for? He pivoted from the water's edge, muzzle dripping with moisture, as he headed for the barn. Perhaps Loccian or Bronze would be around, or even one of his children - or anyone to talk to. The King felt distanced lately, and wanted to change that.

As he approached, he noted that the cattle were very near the barn. That was suspicious, they usually stuck to the trees where they felt safe. Oh well, he couldn't do much about their presence except tolerate it. The thought to steer clear of them flashed through his mind, but he knew it was foolish. He had intended to see the barn, and see it he would. The cattle wouldn't bother him anyway, except perhaps one of the bulls. They usually only put up a fuss when cornered, and he had no intention of doing that. A flurry of black motion caught his eye. Elphaba. She was moving at far too rapid a pace for a normal wolf. Something was amiss. It took only half a second to realize what was wrong, and when he did, the King wasn't sure what to do about it. A bull was chasing her, he had had one charge him, but not full on chase. What was the solution to this problem? The King honestly didn't know.

Picking up his pace, he fell in beside her, more than anything trying to show her that she wasn't alone. However, he had a feeling that this wasn't going to fix the problem, and so he sidestepped away from her and pivoted, letting out a menacing growl as he did so. He was now facing the bull, but a bit out of its direct path. If he could get its attention on him, he might be able to get it off of her tail. That would be a good plan. The only fault was when he did get it to divert from its original track, it would then be focused primarily on stomping him into the ground. He thought to let out a howl for help, but he didn't want to drag anyone else into this situation. As the bull neared him, Gerhardt lunged for it half-heartedly. If only he knew more about fighting these creatures! Suddenly, something occurred to him. The bull was quick in a straight line, but couldn't dream of catching a wolf who was running angles. The King shouted in her direction as he hit the earth without coming near the bull. "Elphaba, circle back, pivot, turn, do anything but run straight!" He hoped it would work. He needed it to work. The thundering of the bull's hooves matched his heartbeat as he watched the scene unfold, hoping desperately he was not about to see the woman trampled.


"Speech"