by Forest Wells
The male protested again. “Jinta, I can’t. My leg won’t go anymore.”
“Then carry it! I’m not leaving you. We live and die together.”
My heart stopped. Something was chasing them. Something that had them running scared enough to keep moving despite the male’s injury. I didn’t hear anything else, and the wind was blowing the wrong way to carry any clues. I could only guess they were running from a rival pack, or perhaps another predator, like a bear or mountain lion.
“Jinta, get out of here,” the male said. “If you don’t leave, the humans will get you too.”
Questions answered.
“Humans?” Estrella said. “Tell me they’re not the same ones we just got away from.”
With the wind still at our tails, we only had our eyes and ears to help us find any sign of the humans. We found nothing until we heard a loud thwack, followed by birds squawking as they were scared to the wing. Our eyes followed the commotion, where we found a pair of humans with thunder sticks. One of whom, whose head was utterly bald, I recognized as a member of the pack that came every year. Should have known better. Humans don’t do quiet. The other, I didn’t know. He was so young, I guessed this was his first hunt, possibly even the bald one’s pup. Whatever their relation, they were traipsing through the forest as they’d always done: loudly.
My hackles bristled, as did Estrella’s. She was the first to growl, but I was the first to move. A trot became a run, a run became a sprint, a sprint became a snarl-filled charge. I would not allow this. Not this time, not to my blood.
The humans heard us too late. The bald one only had time to see me leap into his neck. I dug my fangs deep, tearing flesh with repeated bites. The human gasped and gargled as we hit the ground, blood covering us both. He didn’t last much longer. The second human had turned my way, only to have Tilhack tackle him from the side. His first bite tore out the human’s throat. His second snapped it before he could bleed to death.
I turned to check on Jinta and found Estrella already there, having more luck with the male than she had. Jinta, meanwhile, was shaking her head for some reason, though I heard Estrella say something about a long story. Perhaps Jinta, like me, was needing to readjust to the idea that Estrella wasn’t dead after all.
As for her companion, I saw for the first time the gash on his right foreleg, fresh blood staining a coat I still felt I knew. No wonder he couldn’t run. With a wound like that, it’s hard to do much of anything. Especially if it’s half as fresh as it looks.
Estrella had him standing, but he still refused to step forward. That needs to change. As much as he needed to, we couldn’t let him wait for the wound to seal.
“Come on,” I said. “We can’t stay here.”
Now the male moved. He stopped me cold when he turned around to snarl at me. He winced with tucked leg while his glare bore through me. A glare that suggested he was ready to kill.
“I’ll go nowhere with you. You didn’t want me before. Why would you want me now?”
My confusion at his timing silenced all other thoughts for the time being. “Never wanted you? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you remember me? Don’t you remember the pup you rescued only to abandon the same day?”
My ears perked in shock. I mentally bit myself for not remembering or recognizing his voice, even if it was different as an adult. His pelt hadn’t changed much as he grew. Toltan said he’d caught Jinta’s eye. Seems little Folar, not so little anymore, had done more than that. He’d grown strong within the pack. Strong enough to give me pause despite his injury. Were danger not likely close by, I might have spent more time admiring the adult Folar had become.
Instead, I turned my ears back at my choice of words. I prayed they’d pacify Folar long enough to get to safety.
“All right, I deserve that, but you don’t have a lot of choice right now.”
“Don’t I?” Folar said. “You told me to learn the pain. Well, I have. Enough to know I want nothing to do with you. Now leave us alone, or face my fangs.”
Folar perked his ears forward, raising his hackles and his lips. I couldn’t believe it when I realized he was serious. Despite the certain presence of humans, he couldn’t let go of that day, even for a moment.
Folar’s challenge vanished when Jinta bit just below the wound. He yelped in pain, then turned to fend her off. He growled again while she only glared at him.
CRAACK!-cshoo-shoo
There was no blood, thank Wolfor, but fur from under Folar’s neck flew off like a dozen tufts of sheddings blown away in a wind. He’d come that close to dropping where he stood. I didn’t wait for the human to try again. I grabbed Folar by his scruff and pulled him, yelping and trying to escape into the best cover I could find. It turned out to be a thick log covered in moss, but it would have to do.
Folar was still snarling despite the cringe holding the rest of his body. Just what I need with humans around.
“Shut up and stay on my tail,” I said. “These humans are noisy beasts, but they can be tenacious too.”
Folar’s glare remained. “You can’t—”
“Shut up!” Estrella, Tilhack, and Jinta all said with a snarl turned his way. Folar became half the size he was as a pup. He tried to be angry, but he didn’t dare risk that many jaws.
I perked my ears into the forest, but I didn’t hear anything, not even a bird. Either this human was actually stealthy, or he hadn’t moved. I couldn’t risk either, so I prayed Wolfor was with me when I decided to make my move.
I tossed my head back toward my territory. I stalked forward ahead of the others, but my ears were trained behind us, in search of the humans. We kept to what shadows we could find, skittering between bushes when we couldn’t. Folar whimpered with each step, but neither Tilhack nor Jinta would let him stop a second time. Nor would Jinta let him put his injured leg down to use it. Smart wolf.
Our group snuck through the forest for as long as Folar kept moving. When his steps came on shaking legs, I knew we’d gone as far as we could. I found an area thick with trees that kept the sun from shining there, creating a deep shadow the humans could easily walk past. Folar laid inside a crease in a tree, then whined and cringed at his wound. More so when Jinta began to clean it for him. I held my vigil in the direction we’d come, more disturbed at my thoughts than the blood on my muzzle.
Luck. That’s all it had been. Luck we’d been there, luck Jinta and Folar were still alive, luck the humans were the prey instead of us, luck Estrella and Tilhack had escaped their grasp. I was getting sick of it. Sick of always running, never really sleeping, getting wrapped in terror every time I heard a thunder bolt. I could live with predators. I could even accept becoming prey, but these humans? They were just killers, and I’d had enough of them.
Estrella joined me while I watched the forest. My mind was elsewhere, considering the most outrageous of ideas.
“Any sign of them?” she asked.
I breathed stress before tapping my muzzle against hers. “I think we’re safe for now. How’s Folar?”
Estrella looked back, then flicked her ears when Folar yelped again.
“I’ve seen pups with stronger wills. I can’t believe Jinta thinks he’s worth mating with.”
“He’s actually doing... wait, mating?”
Estrella ruffed brief amusement. “You losing your touch, thorn? I can smell it on her. Jinta’s pregnant. That, and the way she’s caring for him, well... I’d think by now you’d recognize that kind of care.”
I ruffed agreement, and felt myself turn stern. My little sister? Pregnant? I couldn’t imagine it somehow. Not that I doubted Estrella. If she said Jinta was pregnant, I believed her. It made what I was thinking become not just easy. It became necessary.
“Guess I am a bit distracted,” I said. “Anyway, I wouldn’t judge Folar yet. The humans’ thunder sticks don’t always kill you. Maybe the magic doesn’t always work right, I don’t know. I just know I got a wound like that once,
and it hurt worse than three broken legs for some time. He should be better by morning. I hope he is. We’re going to need him soon.”
Estrella became grave, even guarded, as hairs rose in response. “Need him for what?”
“To end this. We can’t keep going like this. Wolves have lived here for generations. Now these humans seek to wipe us out? I won’t allow it. We have to end this. We have to drive the humans off.”
Estrella’s ears went straight while her eyes grew. “Luna! Have you lost your mind? The humans have thunder sticks and who knows what else. We’re just wolves.”
I allowed an evil glare at the thought of them doing the running for a change. “Exactly. We’re wolves. Our territory stands threatened. By Wolfor’s fang, I will see it defended.”
Estrella ears went straighter, appalled at the idea. The look faded into deep thought when I didn’t relent. How could I? I’d seen too many wolves killed, I’d heard the thunder too many times, and I’d felt its bite. Now they’d come that close to killing my sister and her pups. As the resentment grew, so did the feeling that I should have done it years ago. This forest, this territory, it belongs to me, to my kind. I’d had enough of letting the humans violate it unchallenged.
Estrella’s ears kept twitching, no doubt fighting with some unpleasant thoughts. I could see the weight of those thoughts when she turned her ears toward a more silent Folar.
“It won’t be easy, Luna,” she said. “The humans carry a lot of power and they know it.”
I stared her down, trying to make her believe as I did. “We only have to drive them off. A united pack snarling death should do the trick.”
“I’m not so sure. Convincing them we have more may not be possible without a scuffle. We’d lose lives if we took them on. You sure it’s worth that?”
Yet again, something answered for me. A chorus of howls echoed from the forest. Not Rajor, not a new pack, not even wild wolves. I knew those voices too well to think otherwise. Only one pack sounded that disorganized, and to call them wolves was an insult to all wolves.
I turned to Estrella, now fully committed. “Those are the pet wolves I told you about. Carlin’s pups? If the humans can force us to abandon the wild, what else might they do? That’s assuming they don’t just kill us. I won’t be killed by some thunder stick to have my hide carried off for who knows what. This is my forest. This is my territory. I will not allow this violation any longer.”
“Then you know where I’ll be,” Estrella said without hesitation. “I’ve followed you this long. I’m not about to abandon you now.”
“Don’t forget me,” Tilhack said. I hadn’t noticed him come close enough to listen in. “New or not, I care about her well-being, about both of you. If you’re charging into battle the humans, I won’t be far behind. Call it proof my wolf blood isn’t just red water.”
No need for that. He’d already proven a natural ability to hunt. So much so I almost wanted another harsh winter to see him shine like I felt sure he could. I bet he’d cut through the snow just like Martol did, if not better.
But a fine hunter means little in a territory dispute. Against other wolves, maybe we’d have a chance, but humans? The five of us would need to show a lot to scare them off. A larger pack would guarantee it. Unfortunately, only one remained, and they might be more dangerous than the humans.
“I’ve never doubted your blood, Tilhack,” I said. “That said, we need more. A pack our size, though fierce, may not be enough to scare the humans. To do that, we’ll need more bodies, and I know only one place to find them.”
Tilhack tilted his head. Estrella sighed deeply.
“You do remember the risk that brings?” Estrella asked.
Intimately. “I know no other way. They stand threatened more than we do. No matter our past, Rajor has to listen to reason.”
“I’m not so sure about that, Luna.”
“I am,” Jinta said. She stood behind Tilhack, glancing back at a still wincing Folar. “As I said before, he hasn’t been the same since the fall. More so since the winter.”
“What do you mean?” Estrella said. “What happened?”
“You don’t know?”
“I’ve... been away. Luna hasn’t had a chance to tell me much.”
“He lost half the pack to starvation, including last year’s litter, and much of Martol’s original pack. He’s been a shell of himself since. I think he’d be agreeable to facing a threat that could wipe it out for good.”
Or he could be bitter about so much loss, he might finally decide to have me killed.
“Only one way to find out,” I said aloud. “We’ll wait here a bit longer, let Folar’s wound stop hurting. I’ll check our trail, make sure the humans didn’t follow us.”
“You shouldn’t go alone,” Estrella said.
“I’ll be fine. The wind has changed in our favor, and it’s easier for one wolf to sneak around than two. Have a little faith.” She play-growled at me while her ears ticked forward in agreement. I ruffed a chuckle in reply before returning to the matter of the moment. “When I get back, Tilhack, you and Jinta take Folar to my den. See if you can talk some sense into him. Estrella, I want you in your place, if you’re willing.”
“Would I be anywhere else?”
Only if death could catch you, I thought with a nuzzle for her.
I HAD SO MANY ESCAPE routes planned, I felt like I knew the forest by heart. Twenty-four trees, three logs, seventeen bushes, by the time I found a border marker left by Rajor, I was starting to count birds too. A part of me wished my mockingbird was one of them. I stood on my side of the border, Estrella ever solid beside me. If only I felt the same.
“Just tell me I’m crazy,” I said. “Tell me so I know it’s really me that decided to do this.”
“You’re crazy, Luna,” Estrella said without emotion. “That’s why this will work.”
“Have a little faith?”
“See? You do learn.”
A lie I can live with, assuming I actually live.
I had to swallow a few pinecones before I could go through with it. After all, I didn’t have to. The right howls could get what I wanted, but not with the same impact. No, I needed to be sure all of the pack heard me, which left me only one way to proceed.
Another pinecone, and my paws moved. A few steps at a time, each one a violation of my sentence. They came with a thunder in my chest that pulsed through my body, for each one had a high chance of being my last.
I almost wanted a scout to see me. I wanted an excuse to abandon my plan. Wolfor never gave me one, because we never saw anyone, prey or wolf, the farther we crept into Rajor’s territory. For a moment, I returned to the pup I once was. Every sound demanded my attention and drew an extra beat from my heart. A soft crack, or a shadow, or that leaf over there, any of them could bring my end. As an adult, I knew better. It just didn’t help.
At last, my ears picked up a conversation. First, voices I never knew well but had heard before, then younger ones, then an older one I knew almost as well as I knew Toltan and Martol. Lonate was teaching the pups again. Like he’d do anything else.
I followed the sound to where the pack had always been. A steep hillside I once called home, that still bore the same den where I was born. Every tree and bush remained exactly the same as the day Toltan drove me off. From on top of the hillside, one could watch the whole pack, as Toltan did on many occasions.
Despite the low number, the pack looked well. Not a dozen wolves, pups included, but all looked strong from what I could see. Many of them were asleep in the afternoon sun breaking through the trees, while the two pups bounced around an old bone. I found Rajor watching them from a distance, oddly quiet and sullen in a shadow.
But where is Lonate? I had heard his voice, so where did he go? Based on previous experience, Lonate would be the ideal place to start, if I could find him.
A short growl from the side startled me and Estrella into cowering. Fear of attack kept us there as Lonate emerg
ed from cover. His tail and hackles were up, but he was otherwise silent. He stared at Estrella a moment with softer ears, then renewed his glare at me.
“I thought you said the humans took her,” he said.
Estrella replied before I could. “They did. I managed to escape and make my way home.”
“I’m glad to see you well. But you shouldn’t be here, either of you. You know what it means for a lone wolf to return. Rajor won’t be as kind as Toltan.”
Maybe he wasn’t so ideal after all. Too late now.
“I don’t have a choice, Lonate,” I said. “I have to speak to Rajor about...”
That dropped his fur. “You what? Are you nuts? The moment he sees you he’ll—”
“LUNA!”
I knew that voice. The pack jolted, then froze as Rajor tore from his spot up the side of the hill toward me. Lonate’s ears went flat, yet for some reason, mine never did. Not until I forced myself to go low, even appear submissive. Estrella tried to get between us, but I pushed my way in front of her. I had to give her a growl of my own to force her to back down. Rajor had to deal with me, or this wouldn’t work at all.
Rajor’s lips were curled back in a snarl as every hair stood on end. His sprint announced my doom with every step. I held my posture, praying it would work, or I’d live long enough to save myself if it didn’t.
Rajor came, and I shook for fear of the pain I may be allowing to come my way. Thankfully, it never did. Rajor stopped cold right in front of me in full display. I didn’t dare move now.
Rajor’s snarl faded, but he was still growling when he spoke. “What are you doing here? You know the law as well as I. You know the price.”
Well, here it goes. May Wolfor guide and protect me. Not necessarily in that order.
“Nothing compared to the price if I don’t come. Rajor, I bring a warning.”
“You dare? I don’t care how many times you best me. This is still my territory. My—”
