Run Free - 5. Chapter 5

Alice hummed to herself as she stitched together a little pillow. Angel in the doorway, she had just entered, closing the door behind her.

“Mother what are you thinking?”

Alice didn’t look up from what she was doing. “What are you thinking my dear?”

“I am thinking of Alex and Martha’s safety mother!”

Alice sat down the unfinished pillow and looked at Angel. “You are also thinking of their unhappiness. More so Alex’s.”

“Alex is missing an eye mother he needs to be watched carefully.”

“Not by you. I understand you are worried.” Alice rose from her seat walking across the room and pouring a cup of tea. “I know you only want the best for our dear Alex but there is something you need to understand.” She turned to Angel. “This Kingdome belongs to Alex. Not you. He is to make the decisions and lead an army. He is to tell the people what to fear and what not to. These all his duties. You protected him as a child yes and I know you regret what happened to him but it...”

“I am the one that told him to go get Martha. If I had gone with him…”

“You might have been killed! You had other things to do you had to make the barrier at that time. Alex was only trying to get Martha to safety as you were. Don’t blame yourself. Alex needs to get out he needs to understand the world, he is the one to take in the thrown. You know that Angel and though you fear it will be too much for him you have to accept that it will be if you shelter him the way you do. That is why I asked Red to take him with him that is why I told Ruka not to let you have Alex. Leave him alone Angel. He will come home when he is ready.”

“And if he is never ready?” Angel folded her arms disappointed. “What if he becomes too attached to the Hellhound? He is a human now after all. I wouldn’t put it past our dear Alex to do something like fall in love when this hellhound is protecting him and looking human and not wanting to come home.”

“Well Angel. That is good thinking. I am proud of you but maybe he won’t come home because of you?” With that Alice walked out of the room leaving Angel to think.

----

Alex groaned as he slowly began to wake up. Snuggling into the warmth he then realized he was laying on something rather furry. Sitting up quickly Martha was next to him and again he was lying against Tarry.

“He came in later last night. You and Martha were bundled so tightly under the blankets he decided it was better you guys laid against him so you can be warm.” Kaji said from across the room where he sat in his wolf form

“Oh…” Alex looked at Tarry then noticing the hellhound was awake. Tarry leaned up licking Alex cheek and Alex face flushed as he could only imagine Tarry as he was when human like kissing his cheek. He opened his mouth to say something and Tarry tilted his head but Alex realized Tarry couldn’t speak yet.

Noticing this Kaji sat up a bit. “Oh right, I will be teaching Tarry to shift. I figured with Snow being a hellhound he could teach him but Snow refuses. I don’t think Snow likes you very much Alex but I will try to help Tarry out so he can talk to you again.”

Alex faced flushed a bit more as he realized Tarry must have been telling Kaji about what happened. He wondered if Kaji knew everything. Alex looked around the room and so far Snow was nowhere to be found. Only himself, Martha, Tarry and Kaji were there. “where’s snow?”

“He stormed out last night after Tarry came back. I can’t tell you what happened though.” Kaji looked at Tarry as Tarry just laid his head down.

“Did he say something?”

“Not a word yet. Told you he didn’t speak much.”

Alex stroked his fingers though Tarry’s fur and Tarry’s tail flicked slightly.

“Are you mad at Tarry Alex?” Kaji asked

Alex looked at Kaji. “Oh no why would I be mad at Tarry. He has been nothing but help to me and..”

“Snow.” Martha said as she stretched curling into Tarry and looking up at Alex. “You guys are loud but Snow. You seemed so upset when he came up.”

“I wasn’t upset at all. I mean I have no reason to be.”

Martha rolled her eyes before closing them, attempting to go back to sleep only to look up when the door opened and Snow walked in.

Snow looked at Tarry and Tarry back at Snow before Snow looked at Alex. “I will never understand you Tarry.” Snow sat a bag down in front of Alex. “I got you something to eat.”

Tarry rose his head and looked at Snow now.

“Is it wrong to try and be friendly with the child, goodness.”

Snow flopped down on the floor in front of Alex and Martha pulled the bag over to her to look inside.

“Where did you get all the fruits?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Snow leaned back on his hands and looked at Alex. “So I am curious about you Alex”

“Why?”

“Well my beloved Tarry seems to have taken a liking to you.”

Tarry eyed Snow but Snow was ignoring it.

“um.. well what do you want to know?” Alex looked at Tarry then Kaji as if searching for and answer but Kaji just shook his head. Tarry hadn’t said a word.

“Do you like Tarry?”

“Of course he does.” Martha said and Alex reached over and pinched her. “Hey!”

“I never said anything about liking him...”

“Have you said you don’t?” Snow asked. “You see, Tarry never told you but he did have a liking for me though he denies it. We are only after all one human year apart. Though he never liked other hellhounds we grew up together in a way. Our masters spent a lot of time together so of course so did we.”

Alex glanced at Tarry then Kaji but again Kaji shook his head. Nothing has been said.

“Tarry remembers, we were really close back then but he soon began his missions and would skip between realms. I would guard the gate with a few others. I wasn’t old enough to just be left there so my master, the one training me was with me. Our masters would talk for a while and I would play with Tarry. Don’t you remember Tarry.”

Tarry now had his head down looking away from Snow.

Alex didn’t say anything but he did wish Tarry would say something.

“So why does this matter to us? Why does this matter to my brother, Snow?” Martha said biting into a peach.

“Tarry doesn’t really hate me. Do you Tarry? You can’t deny it now, that we had our own little bond.”

Tarry looked up at Snow and Alex looked at Kaji but Kaji said nothing as if waiting form Tarry to say it was alright to speak. Alex didn’t wait that long. He wasn’t sure why but he felt like his heart was heavy. He got up. “I need some air.”

“I smell a Sin.”

Alex looked at Snow as he smirked. “I smell jealousy.”

Tarry growled at Snow but Alex only turned away Martha soon following after him.

“Alex, I am sure there is an explanation for all this.” Martha said as she pulled on Alex shirt to stop him.

Alex said nothing but he felt a tear roll down his face. Quickly he whipped it away but they didn’t seem to stop. Martha wrapped her arms around her brother. “Alex…”

“Hey you two.” Kaji called as he walked over to them.

Alex looked up at Kaji as he stood before him and tried to wipe the tears away. Kaji sighed and placed a hand on Alex head. “It’s ok. I came with a message from Tarry.” Alex looked up at Kaji once more and Kaji noticed he had Alex full attention now. “He says don’t mind Snow but it was true they were close when they were younger but they were nothing more than friends. Besides Snow was always a pain in his ass.”

Martha smiled. “See Alex, told you there was an explanation so you’re not going to lose Tarry.”

Alex wanted to ask what she was talking about but it was hard to act like he didn’t care at this point. It was pretty obvious that he liked Tarry. He wasn’t even sure he could say he just liked Tarry he loved the hellhound. Knowing about Snow did actually bother him. He was jealous because someone else liked Tarry and knew Tarry better than himself.

Kaji turned to walk away. “I will get to helping Tarry shift and hope he hasn’t tried to rip Snow apart yet.”

Alex smiled slight. “T-Thank you Kaji.” He called out but not as loud as he wanted to. He thought Kaji wouldn’t hear him but the wolf rose a hand to show he heard him.

----

“Angel are you sure?”

Angel nodded. “Alex will listen to you. He always has and if he goes Martha will too.”

Xan was requested to see Angel that morning when he had a chance and here he was. He had heard a Hellhound was in town but never thought it ran off with Alex and Martha.

“Do you know where they are?” Xan asked leaning against the wall.

“No but hopefully we will get word on it soon. Will you bring them back for me?”

Xan looked at the picture of Alex on Angels desk and sighed. “I will try. I don’t like going against Alice but, like you I don’t think I would be able to live knowing something happened to him and Martha. I will try to bring them back.”

-----

Alex finally returned to the Cottage after spending some time playing with Martha. They got a bit dirty but not much. Alex pushed the door open and Martha walked in first and he looked up to see Tarry sitting on the floor. Not as a hell hound but as his human like self.

“Alex, Martha, welcome back.”

Alex felt like his heart skipped a beat and Martha pushed him over to Tarry. Stumbling Tarry got up and caught Alex before he could fall over. “Careful.”

Kaji smiled and leaned back against the wall. “It was tricky but we got it. He can shift now.”

Alex smiled and decided to give in. He wrapped his arms around Tarry. “I’m glad, I can talk to you again.”

Tarry smiled wrapping his arms around Alex. “I am too.”

Martha looked around and frowned a bit. “Where is Snow?”

Tarry sight and released Alex to sit down and pulled Alex down into his lap. “We got into another fight.”

Alex looked up at Tarry concerned. “Why?”

“That should be obvious Alex, because of you.” Kaji said as he shifted into a wolf and laid down.

“What?”

“I didn’t like the way he spoke to you. He kept taunting you and making it seem as if I was supposed to be in love with him when he already knows I like you.” Tarry explained.

Alex felt his cheeks get warm. Even though he knew and everyone in the room knew Tarry liked him and that he clearly liked Tarry, hearing it out loud was a bit embarrassing. “But aren’t you guys friends?”

Tarry shook his head. “No not really. We were at one time kinda like friends but I can’t say he was one of those people I’d like to hang around all the time. In fact he use to always get me in trouble. I tried to avoid him most of the time and even more when I found out he had this creepy obsession with me. He has always been claiming me as his lover and I hated since I never liked him more than a friend and hardly that most of the time.”

Alex nodded understating now. He felt Tarry nuzzle his neck and he flushed a bit more trying to pull away now. As much as he liked Tarry it was a bit too early for affection.

Martha sat by the fire that was going to warm herself up. “So I hate to bring up a problem but what do you think happened to Angel?”

Alex honestly had completely forgot about Angel and wasn’t sure what she was doing. “That’s a good question. I doubt she gave up. Maybe she’s still with Ruka.”

Martha shrugged a bit. “You know, even if we do return she won’t let Tarry stay. She’s going to tell him to go away and pretty much declare war against him.”

Tarry sighed a bit but said nothing, only wrapped his arms tighter around Alex who was trying to get away.

Kaji opened his eyes and looked at Alex. “I’m slowly gathering everything here but aren’t you the prince in your Kingdome?” Not really being too much involved with anything he was in lack of information.

Alex nodded and glared at Martha as she mumbled princess, clearly referring to him. “Keep it up Martha and you will be the ghost of this here cottage.”

Martha gave a sweet smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about brother dear.”

Kaji shook his head a bit. “Well then Alex why don’t you just take command. I mean in the long run its your Kingdome anyway so just tell everyone they have to listen to you and make your sister leave you alone.”

Alex sighed. “Easier said than done.”

-----

Snow had been walking for quite some time and ended up in one of the nearby towns. He didn’t have anywhere to go but he had to find a way to get rid of Alex and that sister of his. The sooner they were gone the better.

“We are looking for this boy. He was kidnapped by a hellhound have you see him?”

“No I am Terribly sorry but I haven’t. I do hope you find him.”

Snow blinked and perked up his ears as he listened to the guard ask people about a missing boy. Snow walked over looking at the picture.

“Excuse me sir but have you see this boy. He has been...”

“Yes. I know where he is. Would you like me to take you to him?”