Our Land – Offspring

Chapter 1 – Wolf in the herd.

…..

"Seth, if you're going to be part of this herd, you're going to have to share."

The light brown wolf looked at the mammoth sheepishly. "What do you mean? I am sharing."

Manny rolled his eyes. "I mean you can't just expect Shira and Diego to always hunt for you. You should do something yourself as well."

"I don't remember being in the hunting party." Seth said stubbornly.

"We aren't a pack, Seth," Manny explained, trying not to lose his temper. "We are a herd. And in a herd, you have each other's back. We do something for you, you do something for us. Now get off your lazy butt and go do something, we all have to do something to help the herd. So hurry up."

"I don't remember this being in the job application." Seth complained as he slowly stood up.

"Can't you be a little more thankful to us for letting you in our herd?" Shira asked, sitting down next to Manny.

"What are you talking about?" Seth said. "I made a deal with you guys, remember? I would spy for you, and you would give me anything I wanted. I asked to be in your herd, that was all. I didn't ask to be your slave."

Manny sighed in frustration. Seth wasn't exactly the best new herd member. He Wasn't really a nice person to hang around with twenty-four seven. He also often acted childishly and was like a third wheel most of the time. But well, a deal was a deal. And Manny didn't want to be known as a deal-breaker.

Seth walked into the forest, probably going out to hunt for himself for a change. He didn't look behind him at the rest of the herd, who stared at him until he disappeared.

Ellie sighed when the wolf had finally disappeared into the forest.

"Part of me wants to send him back to Hamlin's pack," she admitted to her husband.

Manny nodded in agreement. He felt the same. Seth just wasn't the type you wanted to be part of your family. He didn't work well with others.

Seth was aware of what the herd thought of him. If he could, he would go back to the pack… but he couldn't. Not in his book. He wasn't part of that place anymore. Living with his mother was out of the question as well. He wasn't a little cub anymore. Also, his bond with his mother wasn't really the best. There were too many years missing.

No, Seth knew where he really wanted to go. And if he could, he'd go there right now. But he couldn't, and the herd was his best option. The herd provided a place to live and protection. But if he could choose, he'd run off to the mountains and go live with the lone wolf Sierra. But it was clear that she didn't want him around, and that was the sad truth.

Seth stopped at the edge of the forest and looked out over the hills in front of him. He could see the Badger village from here. Some of the badgers were out in the fields hunting, Seth could see them as well from his position.

"Hey, Seth!" a voice behind him suddenly said. Seth looked over his shoulder and frowned in annoyance. Sid the sloth approached him.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked. "Aren't you supposed to be with the herd?"

"I'm going off to visit my Granny," Sid said with a smile.

Seth couldn't help but chuckle a little. Sid's Granny was the old sloth who was married to the young king of the badger village. She was probably the weirdest creature Seth had ever seen. He didn't know what that badger king Baen saw in her.

"Do you wanna come too?" Sid suggested.

Seth shook his head immediately. "No way," he said. "I'm staying far away from that crazy hag."

"Hey, my Granny is not a hag!" Sid protested. "She's maybe crazy, but not a hag… whatever a hag is."

"Sure," Seth said while standing up. "Well, Good luck over there. I'm off."

"Where are you going?" Sid asked curiously.

"That's none of your business," Seth snapped. He ran away to the fields. Sid shrugged and continued his walk to the village.

The sloth met his Granny in front of the large hut she shared with her husband Baen. She was trying to eat an apple. The moment she saw Sid, she handed the fruit to him.

"Here, Sidney!" she said. "Chew this for me!"

Sid didn't answer to that, but quickly put the apple away. Knowing Granny's memory, she would forget about the apple in a second.

"Hi, Granny," the sloth greeted.

"What's high?" Granny asked, and she looked up at the sky.

"No, Granny, I mean 'Hi' as in 'Hello'," explained Sid.

"Well then say 'hello'," said Granny. "Really, you young people and your modern language…."

"Sorry Granny," Sid apologized. He sat down next to the old sloth lady.

"So what are you doing here?" Granny asked.

"I just came to see how you're doing," Sid replied with a shrug.

"You think I can't take care of myself?" Granny looked insulted. Her grandson quickly held up his hands.

"No, no," he said. "Of course you can, Granny."

Baen stepped out of the hut behind them.

"Oh, hello, Sid!" he greeted happily. "Glad to see you again. How are you and the herd?"

"Well, Seth is a pain in the butt." Sid admitted.

Baen shook his head. "Wolves," he shrugged. "They're not the most pleasant of animals. And especially not a wolf like Seth. He's not really the family type."

Baen sat down next to Sid.

"But other than that, everything alright?" he asked.

Sid nodded this time. "Oh yeah, sure," he said. "We're all glad the whole thing with the Witch Wolf is over."

Baen put a hand on the sloth's shoulder.

"We all are, Sid."

Suddenly, one of the badger hunters came running towards them.

"Boss, boss!" he cried out. "There's a human trap in the field, and there's someone stuck in it."

"Humans?" Baen said as he jumped up. "What are they doing here?" He quickly shook his mind. "Nevermind that, we have to go help this poor creature. Show me where it is."

The badger hunter nodded and ran towards the field. Baen, Granny and Sid followed him.