[fic] State of Mind - Chapter Six
Title: State of Mind
Author: elric_ward
Rating: M! Naughty language here :|
Genre: Survival.
Word count:2,829
Summary: Ward never liked the world, but he was content. Then life decided to turn things around and make it difficult for him.
Author Notes:Numero Six already. Ward has no survival instincts. Nada. Zilch. Also trying different views. Anyway, a couple of sketch pages for those who like concept scribbles
Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five |
State of Mind
A Fullmetal Alchemist Zoofic by Elric ‘Hunter’ Ward
Copyright:
The Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) and all its respective work and ideas are copyrighted by Hiromu Arakawa and her distributors.
Comments and critique welcome.
Chapter Six
Days had passed slowly as Ward wandered about, morose in his thoughts of abandonment. Between the water, berry bush and ‘surprise’ food he managed to keep himself alive as he listlessly plucked at the pelts the masters gave him or attempted to groom his hair as the masters used to. He wasn’t very good at it, or anything. His life had been easy in the Master’s house, he now realised. He’d spent all his time snarling and snapping at them when he good and they’d gone and dumped him. It was his own fault really.
He sighed again, hitting a stick against the nearby trees as he walked
Now what was he to do? He could keep living as he was, the Elric figured. The current daily chores kept him somewhat busy and he was doing more each day than he used to, sitting in his room back at Master’s.
He shivered and drew the tattered pelts around him closer. The air was definitely getting colder. He would have to get new pelts soon. His first through was return to the hard grey river and wait for masters to come out and get some, but the idea of returning there and a remembered throb in his leg made him anxious.
Frowning and muttering angrily under his breath, he gave the next tree a particularly hard THWAKK.
<‘Oi! Quit it, runt!’> The tree yelled back at him as Ward dropped the stick in shock and leapt back, tail fluffing and ears flattened.
<‘What the fuck?!’> He yelled back at the tree, staring with wide eyes as it laughed at him. Slowly he moved his gaze upward to the source of the laughing from IN the tree. The leaves were shaking as a narrow face peered down at him and split into a toothy grin.
<‘Hello there,’> purred the newcomer, violet eyes narrowed. <‘I don’t know you.’>
The Elric stared back and tried to smooth the hair on his tail. This new stranger didn’t seem dangerous, not like the Mustang. Just…strange looking with spiky green hair long and loose. It was wearing weird black pelts and had funny red markings. He gave Ward a funny feeling though, so he eyed the stranger warily.
<‘Whaoo…’> he cleared his throat before trying again, <‘What are you?’> Ward tilted his head as he spied tail and ears similar to his own, pointed and smooth. Not longhaired and floppy like the Mustang’s. That seemed for a promising start.
The new creature elegantly dropped down from the tree and landed in front of him, grinning. <‘Me?’> he asked as he circled the Edward in a tightening spiral.
<‘I’m a Homunculi.,’> he whispered as he drew closer. <‘An Envy…just Envy…and you are an Edward.’> The Envy licked his lips.
Ward shivered at the closeness of this…Envy. He felt somewhat disconcerted at the presence of another stranger. He had had little experience with others who were not masters in his life and was unsure of the proper responses.
<‘I…ahmmm, I am Ward.’> He stammered, shuffling back a few steps from the Envy who was still circling him slowly, teeth gleaming.
He was beginning to feel a bit concerned, as he suspected this was not normal.
<‘That’s nice, pipsqueak.’> Envy responded absently as he circled closely, sniffing at the Edward.
<‘M’not small.’> He muttered grumpily, uneasily pressing back against a nearby tree from the toothy grin. <‘It’s Ward.’>
He felt some growing alarm in the back of his head clambering for attention as Ward tried to sidle to the left, but the Envy leant in his way. <‘I need to go now…’>
<‘Leaving so soon? I was just about to eat.’>
The smaller of the two quickly turned to go the other way, head tucked down and ears lowered. <‘I have my own food. Bye.’>
<‘I didn’t say you could leave.’> Envy’s face peered down into Ward’s, face cold and unsmiling. A cold shudder went up the Edward’s spine as his palms went clammy. <‘I’m still hungry.’>
Ward shuddered as cold, too cold, hands grasped his wrists lightly. Long nails pressed against his flesh.
<‘Let me go, bastard!’> he snarled at Envy and pulled backwards, shoving constraining hands aside and scrambling back down the way he came. The Envy gliding closely behind.
<‘I like it when they ruuuuun.’> Envy laughed.
Fuck, fuck, FUCK. What the fuck?! Ward scrambled away in heightening fear as mocking laughs followed behind him. Fuck! He didn’t know what was with Envy, but he needed to get home. He skidded frantically around a tree and shot off in the direction of the river. If he could find the river he could find the den and…then what? Fucking shit he didn’t know how to defend himself?!
Panting desperately, he surged onwards, ears keeping track of the sounds behind him. His breathing was becoming heavy and his pulse pounded in his ears. The world was a narrow blur of every of shapes and colours as he bounced through a pair of trees.
He was in front of him!?
<‘Hello, prey,’> purred the Envy as Ward scrambled to a stop to avoid crashing into him. <‘You’re not very fast.’>
The Edward panted as he desperately looked for help. Grabbing a couple of rocks from his feet, he flung them at the Envy. <‘Fuck off!’>
Grabbing another rock, the flung it hard at the Homunculi. Envy laughed as it bounced off his chest.
<‘Haha! You’re the most pathetic runt I’ve ever oh shit-!!!’> Envy yelped and leapt straight into the air as flame boiled between them.
<‘MOVE [PUP]!’> a voice yelled from out of sight as more fire SWOOSHED through the air with a snap.
Ward shut his mouth with a click and moved. He leapt back and scramble frantically around the trees until he ran into someone. Stumbling back with a snarl, the Elric crouched down low.
<‘Hi [pup]!’> chirped Flash, eyes twinkling. <‘Enemy of my enemy is my friend! We will help you.’>
Ward looked at the Hughes, ears flickering uncertainly as he tried to calm his breathing. More fire shot up in the background, coupled with Envy’s yelps and insults. Every now and then he heard what must be the Mustang’s voice rising above the confusion. The Hughes had so far kept him free of threats and was certainly a better bet than the Envy.
<‘Follow me! I’ll take you back to your territory!’> Flash grinned. <‘[Commander] Sting has it under control. He’s good at fights and keeps the Envy from coming onto our territory.’>
<’Right.’>
With another wary glance behind him at the two threats yelling it out between spurts of fire, Ward hesitantly followed the friendly Hughes through the forest. A particularly large explosion sent their hair and nearby dust through the air as the Edward anxiously walked faster.
They walked in silence for a while, Ward nervously keeping an eye on the older and taller. Flash strode along confidently, unafraid of what might spring out at them. He knew this area and was confident that Sting’s flames would have sent any potential enemy fleeing. Ears perked and alert, he found his eyes sliding towards the tatty Edward.
<‘What’s your name, [pup]?’> the Hughes enquired, ending the silence.
<‘…Ward.’> The Edward kept his eyes on the path ahead of him, avoiding Flash’s gaze.
<’Not a bad name.’>
A grunt in reply.
<‘You should avoid Envys. They are very dangerous. You should stick to your own territory too.’> The Hughes smiled, <‘Not that I mind, but Sting is so uptight about it.’>
Ward ignored the smiling and kept his gaze steadily down.
<‘You seem very unexperienced for an Edward,’> Flash observed. <‘Do you have no pack?’>
He trudged on faster, ignoring as the other yipped playfully and leapt after.
<‘You can join our pack! It is a good pack and our [commander] protects us and keeps us fed and warm.’> Flash prattled on, <‘We can get you foot-wraps and more food and teach you how to hunt. [Commander] might even teach you to transmutate. Will you come join us?’>
Ward hesitated. He could, reluctantly, admit that he needed a little amount of help. Yet, if he joined the pack that meant…
<‘He will not.’> The Mustang stepped out of the trees ahead, brushing off the remains of some ashes. <‘I will not have an Elric in my [base]. It is food, not pack. Let’s eat it.’>
Ward bristled angrily, <‘I didn’t want to join your useless pack anyway!’> he snarled. <‘I can take care of myself…and I’m not for eating!’>
Sting slowly looked him up and down before flicking his whole ear dismissively. <‘I can see that.’> The Mustang flicked some imaginary dirt off his pelts with a smirk, <‘You’re surviving quite fine without us. All dirt and pelt-holes. You probably even taste like dirt.’>
Ward clenched his fists tightly and looked away, face burning. So what if he was a bit tatty and dirty in comparison to the gunbu? He was surviving and that’s what mattered. Not his hair or his pelts or his lopsided den with its leaky roof. At least his tail wasn’t crooked and his ears intact! A hand lightly resting on his shoulder made him look up. Flash was frowning at the Mustang, whose ears were lowered back angrily and staring at the nearby trees. A foot covered in hard black foot-covers scuffed the soil hard as the tail stood out stiffly.
<‘We’re not eating him. We need to increase the pack [commander]. We are struggling on. Even an Elric [pup] would be a valuable help.’> the Hughes pointed out. <‘Ever since-’>
<‘Quiet!’> The Mustang snarled, turning on them. Ward pressed backwards into Flash, stifling a whimper as fingers tightened around his shoulder. <‘We do not speak! I said no Elrics!’> Growling, the Mustang strode off, snapping his teeth at empty air. <‘They’re rebelling! Can you believe them? We feed them and protect and they-‘> were the snarls as Sting’s voice faded off into the distance.
Flash sighed as Ward looked on. <‘Do not worry, young [pup]. Sting is… conflicted. I will talk to him. You stay safe.’> With a companionable pat on his back that made Ward wobble in his steps, the Hughes disappeared into the forest after the Mustang, leaving the Edward standing outside his clearing with his tail twitching uneasily.
What an excitable day, but he was relieved that his troubles had reduced back down to just the pack. The Envy seemed much more dangerous with no Hughes on the Elric’s side. He would avoid that area of the forest from now on.
<‘There you are!’>
With a heavy sigh, Ward turned round to regard the fourth to speak to him today. It was the quiet Heiderich with the brown ears. Probably the least stressful of all the others he had met ever since he had been forgotten in this horrible place. Yet, he was tired and not in the mood for idle chatter.
<‘Hi.’> he muttered as he brushed past, ignoring the faltering smile as he stumbled his way tiredly to his den. Knocking his pile of door-twigs, he curled up in the entryway. Ward was exhausted and not inclined to care about the Alfons’s presence unless he wanted to eat him too. In which case he had already decided to roll over and let him at it. It didn’t matter to him anymore.
Fons popped his head into the entryway, smiling again. <‘I brought food!’>
Silence was his answer.
The food was placed in the corner as Fons settled down in front of the Edward. He looked around the Den, noting the holes and dents and cold metal. Why was the Edward living in such an inhospitable den? Fons frowned down at the dirty blond head and leant down to Ward’s level, sniffing curiously. He smelt of soil and rain, a reassuring combination.
<‘Why don’t you fix the den?’> he asked. Ward frowned back at him from over his shoulder.
<‘You need to transmute the holes.’> he explained, slowly clapping his hands together and pressing against a hole. <‘Heiderichs can’t transmute, but Edwards can.’>
Ward rolled over and presented his back to Fons, the only evidence of his attention being the one ear twitching. The Heiderich stifled a hurt feeling at the reaction. This Edward did not act like other Edwards. He didn’t understand why the Edward said he was not searching. Edward’s only left their pack when searching for mates. Why then was this Edward here? Why wasn’t he transmuting? Did his sires not teach him?
<‘Oh, you cannot transmute?’>
An annoyed roll of the eyes was his reply.
An Edward who couldn’t defend. The Heiderich frowned as he looked down at the smaller one. This changed things. Leaning closer to Ward’s head, Fons whuffed at the hair and watched delightedly as it moved under his breath. One grumpy eye frowned up at him in confusion. Maybe an Edward who couldn’t transmuate was okay. He would court this one and show him Fons was a good Heiderich. He whuffed again. He would court and he would be the defender. He would teach the Edward to defend.
Ward frowned up at the Alfons. What was the Heiderich wuffing at himself for, and why was he so close to Ward? His frown deepened as Fons grabbed his arm gently and pulled him up into a sitting position, back to Fons. Latent instincts in the back of his mind told him it was a bad idea to protest too harshly. The Elric was tired enough to listen to them.
<‘Whaddya on about now, Heiderich?’> he muttered, not in the mood for strange wild-almost-Elric games. <‘M’tired.’>
<‘Grooming.’> was the short reply as hands patted his hair. <‘We start with grooming.’>
<‘Whaah,’> Ward tried to turn around, <‘Start what?’>
Any reply by Fons was lost as Ward’s entire body shuddered with pleasure as fingertips lightly brushing his scalp behind his ears. He melted backwards as skilled fingers combed through his hair and separated tangled and dirty strands. What…was this? It was so overwhelmingly nice. The masters had never felt nice when they groomed him, it was always hard yanking and pulling. But this…oh this, Ward never wanted to wake up from this.
Fons smiled down on the Edward as he melted into him. Alphonse-fathers were right, Edwards did love being groomed…and Ward certainly needed grooming! Fons was amazed at all the dirt that had tangled the hair together. The hair was rough and a cautious sniff with wary eyes on what he had concluded was an extremely touchy Edward revealed that the hair smelt even more strongly of a comforting den in a cold night. Chirruping happily to himself under his breath, the Heiderich carefully braided the hair together into an appropriate braid. Alphonse-fathers had taught him well the methods of courting an Edward. Always start with grooming and play-fighting. Fons thought it might be too early for play-fighting, so he would settle for grooming and gifts food.
Giving the braid some cleaning licks for shine, he peered down into the Edward’s face. The biggest smile Fons had ever seen was spread across the face, erasing the perpetual frown. Fons didn’t think he was that good, but guessed the tatty Edward didn’t have much experience with a proper grooming along with no transmutation teaching.
Leaning in closer, he whuffed at the face until golden-eyes regarded him dazedly.
<‘Done!’> he chirruped triumphantly.
Ward blinked his eyes at Fons once more before closing them with a tired sigh and dropping off to sleep. The Heiderich blinked down at the unexpected reaction, then laughed quietly at the small smile on the Elric’s mouth.
<‘Very well then, good night.’> Fons scratched one of the ears lightly and trotted off to his own den. He would visit again soon.
= = =
Hopes lost for stolen Elric
Hopes are fading for the stolen and abandoned Elric of the Carter’s Mansion. When Mr. Carter’s prize Elric was stolen from his home a fortnight ago by the animal liberationist’s society, the EPS (Elric Protection Squad), there were hopes that the lost animal could be recovered quickly and safely.
It now appears likely that the Edward has been taken in by a well-meaning family, unknowing of his current ownership, or has holed up somewhere. Mr. Carter has stated that his Edward is very domestic and completely unable to survive in the wild without human aid.
Mrs. Josephine, John Carter’s wife, worries over their Elric, “He is such a precious little thing. We’ve never seen him use alchemy and we are so worried about our little dear. He’s got three ribbons and was a promising specimen for the Edward Showing Society.”
Without their prize Elric, the gene pool for the already rare Edward show ring has been reduced and the Carter’s have lost much in stud fees along with their beloved family pet.
Anyone who spots the missing Elric is told to phone 1800-Lost-Elric. There is a reward offered.
Next Chapter ->
Author: elric_ward
Rating: M! Naughty language here :|
Genre: Survival.
Word count:2,829
Summary: Ward never liked the world, but he was content. Then life decided to turn things around and make it difficult for him.
Author Notes:Numero Six already. Ward has no survival instincts. Nada. Zilch. Also trying different views. Anyway, a couple of sketch pages for those who like concept scribbles
Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five |
State of Mind
A Fullmetal Alchemist Zoofic by Elric ‘Hunter’ Ward
Copyright:
The Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) and all its respective work and ideas are copyrighted by Hiromu Arakawa and her distributors.
Comments and critique welcome.
Chapter Six
Days had passed slowly as Ward wandered about, morose in his thoughts of abandonment. Between the water, berry bush and ‘surprise’ food he managed to keep himself alive as he listlessly plucked at the pelts the masters gave him or attempted to groom his hair as the masters used to. He wasn’t very good at it, or anything. His life had been easy in the Master’s house, he now realised. He’d spent all his time snarling and snapping at them when he good and they’d gone and dumped him. It was his own fault really.
He sighed again, hitting a stick against the nearby trees as he walked
Now what was he to do? He could keep living as he was, the Elric figured. The current daily chores kept him somewhat busy and he was doing more each day than he used to, sitting in his room back at Master’s.
He shivered and drew the tattered pelts around him closer. The air was definitely getting colder. He would have to get new pelts soon. His first through was return to the hard grey river and wait for masters to come out and get some, but the idea of returning there and a remembered throb in his leg made him anxious.
Frowning and muttering angrily under his breath, he gave the next tree a particularly hard THWAKK.
<‘Oi! Quit it, runt!’> The tree yelled back at him as Ward dropped the stick in shock and leapt back, tail fluffing and ears flattened.
<‘What the fuck?!’> He yelled back at the tree, staring with wide eyes as it laughed at him. Slowly he moved his gaze upward to the source of the laughing from IN the tree. The leaves were shaking as a narrow face peered down at him and split into a toothy grin.
<‘Hello there,’> purred the newcomer, violet eyes narrowed. <‘I don’t know you.’>
The Elric stared back and tried to smooth the hair on his tail. This new stranger didn’t seem dangerous, not like the Mustang. Just…strange looking with spiky green hair long and loose. It was wearing weird black pelts and had funny red markings. He gave Ward a funny feeling though, so he eyed the stranger warily.
<‘Whaoo…’> he cleared his throat before trying again, <‘What are you?’> Ward tilted his head as he spied tail and ears similar to his own, pointed and smooth. Not longhaired and floppy like the Mustang’s. That seemed for a promising start.
The new creature elegantly dropped down from the tree and landed in front of him, grinning. <‘Me?’> he asked as he circled the Edward in a tightening spiral.
<‘I’m a Homunculi.,’> he whispered as he drew closer. <‘An Envy…just Envy…and you are an Edward.’> The Envy licked his lips.
Ward shivered at the closeness of this…Envy. He felt somewhat disconcerted at the presence of another stranger. He had had little experience with others who were not masters in his life and was unsure of the proper responses.
<‘I…ahmmm, I am Ward.’> He stammered, shuffling back a few steps from the Envy who was still circling him slowly, teeth gleaming.
He was beginning to feel a bit concerned, as he suspected this was not normal.
<‘That’s nice, pipsqueak.’> Envy responded absently as he circled closely, sniffing at the Edward.
<‘M’not small.’> He muttered grumpily, uneasily pressing back against a nearby tree from the toothy grin. <‘It’s Ward.’>
He felt some growing alarm in the back of his head clambering for attention as Ward tried to sidle to the left, but the Envy leant in his way. <‘I need to go now…’>
<‘Leaving so soon? I was just about to eat.’>
The smaller of the two quickly turned to go the other way, head tucked down and ears lowered. <‘I have my own food. Bye.’>
<‘I didn’t say you could leave.’> Envy’s face peered down into Ward’s, face cold and unsmiling. A cold shudder went up the Edward’s spine as his palms went clammy. <‘I’m still hungry.’>
Ward shuddered as cold, too cold, hands grasped his wrists lightly. Long nails pressed against his flesh.
<‘Let me go, bastard!’> he snarled at Envy and pulled backwards, shoving constraining hands aside and scrambling back down the way he came. The Envy gliding closely behind.
<‘I like it when they ruuuuun.’> Envy laughed.
Fuck, fuck, FUCK. What the fuck?! Ward scrambled away in heightening fear as mocking laughs followed behind him. Fuck! He didn’t know what was with Envy, but he needed to get home. He skidded frantically around a tree and shot off in the direction of the river. If he could find the river he could find the den and…then what? Fucking shit he didn’t know how to defend himself?!
Panting desperately, he surged onwards, ears keeping track of the sounds behind him. His breathing was becoming heavy and his pulse pounded in his ears. The world was a narrow blur of every of shapes and colours as he bounced through a pair of trees.
He was in front of him!?
<‘Hello, prey,’> purred the Envy as Ward scrambled to a stop to avoid crashing into him. <‘You’re not very fast.’>
The Edward panted as he desperately looked for help. Grabbing a couple of rocks from his feet, he flung them at the Envy. <‘Fuck off!’>
Grabbing another rock, the flung it hard at the Homunculi. Envy laughed as it bounced off his chest.
<‘Haha! You’re the most pathetic runt I’ve ever oh shit-!!!’> Envy yelped and leapt straight into the air as flame boiled between them.
<‘MOVE [PUP]!’> a voice yelled from out of sight as more fire SWOOSHED through the air with a snap.
Ward shut his mouth with a click and moved. He leapt back and scramble frantically around the trees until he ran into someone. Stumbling back with a snarl, the Elric crouched down low.
<‘Hi [pup]!’> chirped Flash, eyes twinkling. <‘Enemy of my enemy is my friend! We will help you.’>
Ward looked at the Hughes, ears flickering uncertainly as he tried to calm his breathing. More fire shot up in the background, coupled with Envy’s yelps and insults. Every now and then he heard what must be the Mustang’s voice rising above the confusion. The Hughes had so far kept him free of threats and was certainly a better bet than the Envy.
<‘Follow me! I’ll take you back to your territory!’> Flash grinned. <‘[Commander] Sting has it under control. He’s good at fights and keeps the Envy from coming onto our territory.’>
<’Right.’>
With another wary glance behind him at the two threats yelling it out between spurts of fire, Ward hesitantly followed the friendly Hughes through the forest. A particularly large explosion sent their hair and nearby dust through the air as the Edward anxiously walked faster.
They walked in silence for a while, Ward nervously keeping an eye on the older and taller. Flash strode along confidently, unafraid of what might spring out at them. He knew this area and was confident that Sting’s flames would have sent any potential enemy fleeing. Ears perked and alert, he found his eyes sliding towards the tatty Edward.
<‘What’s your name, [pup]?’> the Hughes enquired, ending the silence.
<‘…Ward.’> The Edward kept his eyes on the path ahead of him, avoiding Flash’s gaze.
<’Not a bad name.’>
A grunt in reply.
<‘You should avoid Envys. They are very dangerous. You should stick to your own territory too.’> The Hughes smiled, <‘Not that I mind, but Sting is so uptight about it.’>
Ward ignored the smiling and kept his gaze steadily down.
<‘You seem very unexperienced for an Edward,’> Flash observed. <‘Do you have no pack?’>
He trudged on faster, ignoring as the other yipped playfully and leapt after.
<‘You can join our pack! It is a good pack and our [commander] protects us and keeps us fed and warm.’> Flash prattled on, <‘We can get you foot-wraps and more food and teach you how to hunt. [Commander] might even teach you to transmutate. Will you come join us?’>
Ward hesitated. He could, reluctantly, admit that he needed a little amount of help. Yet, if he joined the pack that meant…
<‘He will not.’> The Mustang stepped out of the trees ahead, brushing off the remains of some ashes. <‘I will not have an Elric in my [base]. It is food, not pack. Let’s eat it.’>
Ward bristled angrily, <‘I didn’t want to join your useless pack anyway!’> he snarled. <‘I can take care of myself…and I’m not for eating!’>
Sting slowly looked him up and down before flicking his whole ear dismissively. <‘I can see that.’> The Mustang flicked some imaginary dirt off his pelts with a smirk, <‘You’re surviving quite fine without us. All dirt and pelt-holes. You probably even taste like dirt.’>
Ward clenched his fists tightly and looked away, face burning. So what if he was a bit tatty and dirty in comparison to the gunbu? He was surviving and that’s what mattered. Not his hair or his pelts or his lopsided den with its leaky roof. At least his tail wasn’t crooked and his ears intact! A hand lightly resting on his shoulder made him look up. Flash was frowning at the Mustang, whose ears were lowered back angrily and staring at the nearby trees. A foot covered in hard black foot-covers scuffed the soil hard as the tail stood out stiffly.
<‘We’re not eating him. We need to increase the pack [commander]. We are struggling on. Even an Elric [pup] would be a valuable help.’> the Hughes pointed out. <‘Ever since-’>
<‘Quiet!’> The Mustang snarled, turning on them. Ward pressed backwards into Flash, stifling a whimper as fingers tightened around his shoulder. <‘We do not speak! I said no Elrics!’> Growling, the Mustang strode off, snapping his teeth at empty air. <‘They’re rebelling! Can you believe them? We feed them and protect and they-‘> were the snarls as Sting’s voice faded off into the distance.
Flash sighed as Ward looked on. <‘Do not worry, young [pup]. Sting is… conflicted. I will talk to him. You stay safe.’> With a companionable pat on his back that made Ward wobble in his steps, the Hughes disappeared into the forest after the Mustang, leaving the Edward standing outside his clearing with his tail twitching uneasily.
What an excitable day, but he was relieved that his troubles had reduced back down to just the pack. The Envy seemed much more dangerous with no Hughes on the Elric’s side. He would avoid that area of the forest from now on.
<‘There you are!’>
With a heavy sigh, Ward turned round to regard the fourth to speak to him today. It was the quiet Heiderich with the brown ears. Probably the least stressful of all the others he had met ever since he had been forgotten in this horrible place. Yet, he was tired and not in the mood for idle chatter.
<‘Hi.’> he muttered as he brushed past, ignoring the faltering smile as he stumbled his way tiredly to his den. Knocking his pile of door-twigs, he curled up in the entryway. Ward was exhausted and not inclined to care about the Alfons’s presence unless he wanted to eat him too. In which case he had already decided to roll over and let him at it. It didn’t matter to him anymore.
Fons popped his head into the entryway, smiling again. <‘I brought food!’>
Silence was his answer.
The food was placed in the corner as Fons settled down in front of the Edward. He looked around the Den, noting the holes and dents and cold metal. Why was the Edward living in such an inhospitable den? Fons frowned down at the dirty blond head and leant down to Ward’s level, sniffing curiously. He smelt of soil and rain, a reassuring combination.
<‘Why don’t you fix the den?’> he asked. Ward frowned back at him from over his shoulder.
<‘You need to transmute the holes.’> he explained, slowly clapping his hands together and pressing against a hole. <‘Heiderichs can’t transmute, but Edwards can.’>
Ward rolled over and presented his back to Fons, the only evidence of his attention being the one ear twitching. The Heiderich stifled a hurt feeling at the reaction. This Edward did not act like other Edwards. He didn’t understand why the Edward said he was not searching. Edward’s only left their pack when searching for mates. Why then was this Edward here? Why wasn’t he transmuting? Did his sires not teach him?
<‘Oh, you cannot transmute?’>
An annoyed roll of the eyes was his reply.
An Edward who couldn’t defend. The Heiderich frowned as he looked down at the smaller one. This changed things. Leaning closer to Ward’s head, Fons whuffed at the hair and watched delightedly as it moved under his breath. One grumpy eye frowned up at him in confusion. Maybe an Edward who couldn’t transmuate was okay. He would court this one and show him Fons was a good Heiderich. He whuffed again. He would court and he would be the defender. He would teach the Edward to defend.
Ward frowned up at the Alfons. What was the Heiderich wuffing at himself for, and why was he so close to Ward? His frown deepened as Fons grabbed his arm gently and pulled him up into a sitting position, back to Fons. Latent instincts in the back of his mind told him it was a bad idea to protest too harshly. The Elric was tired enough to listen to them.
<‘Whaddya on about now, Heiderich?’> he muttered, not in the mood for strange wild-almost-Elric games. <‘M’tired.’>
<‘Grooming.’> was the short reply as hands patted his hair. <‘We start with grooming.’>
<‘Whaah,’> Ward tried to turn around, <‘Start what?’>
Any reply by Fons was lost as Ward’s entire body shuddered with pleasure as fingertips lightly brushing his scalp behind his ears. He melted backwards as skilled fingers combed through his hair and separated tangled and dirty strands. What…was this? It was so overwhelmingly nice. The masters had never felt nice when they groomed him, it was always hard yanking and pulling. But this…oh this, Ward never wanted to wake up from this.
Fons smiled down on the Edward as he melted into him. Alphonse-fathers were right, Edwards did love being groomed…and Ward certainly needed grooming! Fons was amazed at all the dirt that had tangled the hair together. The hair was rough and a cautious sniff with wary eyes on what he had concluded was an extremely touchy Edward revealed that the hair smelt even more strongly of a comforting den in a cold night. Chirruping happily to himself under his breath, the Heiderich carefully braided the hair together into an appropriate braid. Alphonse-fathers had taught him well the methods of courting an Edward. Always start with grooming and play-fighting. Fons thought it might be too early for play-fighting, so he would settle for grooming and gifts food.
Giving the braid some cleaning licks for shine, he peered down into the Edward’s face. The biggest smile Fons had ever seen was spread across the face, erasing the perpetual frown. Fons didn’t think he was that good, but guessed the tatty Edward didn’t have much experience with a proper grooming along with no transmutation teaching.
Leaning in closer, he whuffed at the face until golden-eyes regarded him dazedly.
<‘Done!’> he chirruped triumphantly.
Ward blinked his eyes at Fons once more before closing them with a tired sigh and dropping off to sleep. The Heiderich blinked down at the unexpected reaction, then laughed quietly at the small smile on the Elric’s mouth.
<‘Very well then, good night.’> Fons scratched one of the ears lightly and trotted off to his own den. He would visit again soon.
= = =
Hopes lost for stolen Elric
Hopes are fading for the stolen and abandoned Elric of the Carter’s Mansion. When Mr. Carter’s prize Elric was stolen from his home a fortnight ago by the animal liberationist’s society, the EPS (Elric Protection Squad), there were hopes that the lost animal could be recovered quickly and safely.
It now appears likely that the Edward has been taken in by a well-meaning family, unknowing of his current ownership, or has holed up somewhere. Mr. Carter has stated that his Edward is very domestic and completely unable to survive in the wild without human aid.
Mrs. Josephine, John Carter’s wife, worries over their Elric, “He is such a precious little thing. We’ve never seen him use alchemy and we are so worried about our little dear. He’s got three ribbons and was a promising specimen for the Edward Showing Society.”
Without their prize Elric, the gene pool for the already rare Edward show ring has been reduced and the Carter’s have lost much in stud fees along with their beloved family pet.
Anyone who spots the missing Elric is told to phone 1800-Lost-Elric. There is a reward offered.
Next Chapter ->