Dark Stones Novella #2: Escape From the Army

Chapter 3 - A Difficult Decision

The next day, Cloud-eye Four, Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five, and Furless One had been put to work in the deepest caves. Pale Six wasn't with them today, instead having been assigned to cleaning the soldiers' nests.

Lucky Pale, thought Cloud-eye Four miserably as the soldiers led their squad of enslaved wolves into the dark depths. The tunnels here had been carved out by slaves over the years, and were unlike the rest of the cave system, laying deep underground. They would be pitch-black if it weren't for the torches the soldiers were carrying and had attached to the walls to shed some light. They were also far more dangerous, with cave-ins during construction being a semi-regular occurrence.

One of the soldiers gave Furless One a big shove, with Cloud-eye Four, Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five and the five other wolves quickly following him. They had been led to a round cave large enough to fit about twenty adult wolves without touching one another. Along the sides, Cloud-eye Four saw several indents in spots where the entrances to future tunnels had been marked.

"Now then," one of the soldiers, a cream-and-brown male called Sharp, began. "You all know why you juniors are here. We need tunnels, and you're gonna dig 'em for us."

Cloud-eye Four saw the reluctant faces of his fellow nameless wolves around him. Digging tunnels here was tricky business, yet voicing any opposition would result in a beating at the very least. Furless One seemed especially fearful, and Cloud-eye Four quickly shuffled closer to his friend to touch flanks.

"Well then, get to it!" Sharp snarled.

Without hesitation, Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five chose an indent with a lot of large boulders in the way, their shadows looking eerie in the flickering torch light the soldiers were holding.

"Come on, let's take the one beside her," Cloud-eye Four whispered to Furless One. The duo headed for a tunnel indent at Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five's left side, one of which progress had already been made.

There's a lot of loose gravel and earth here. Should be easier on Furless' paws, Cloud-eye Four thought sadly. He soon started digging in, with Furless One following behind him. All other enslaved wolves had found their indents as well. The soldiers carrying the torches, meanwhile, walked around in the room and sometimes sat down beside each indent for a while to light the scene and keep watch. Only Sharp remained in the center to oversee everything.

Heaving, determined breaths caused Cloud-eye Four to look up. He saw how his sister was yet again making a show of her task, trying to push away the larger boulders as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

This continued for what seemed like forever. Furless One worked slowly, careful not to damage his vulnerable paws, but as soon as a soldier approached his pace quickened. Cloud-eye Four had found a good rhythm in his task and tried to conserve his energy in this way. Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five continued at her rapid pace.

"Hah." A soldier named Boulder was standing beside his sister, illuminating her with his torch. Seizing the opportunity to show off, she started digging even more furiously, as if she was enacting her anger for the soldiers on the earth itself.

However, after only a moment Boulder moved on to regard a duo of slaves further away, without any further comment. Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five glared over her shoulder at him and suddenly ceased her work. "Hey!"

Cloud-eye Four's fur spiked up as his sister suddenly called out to the soldier. Everyone in the cave, soldier and slave alike, froze.

Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five stood with her tail held high and her lips bared. "Don't just walk away like that!"

"Gray!" Cloud-eye Four yipped softly.

Ignoring him, Gray-and-Cream Twenty-Five stepped forward. "I'm sick of this, you know! Each day I show that I'm stronger and faster and more skilled than any wolf of my rank! And you still regard me as if I'm nothing!" Her voice was filled with raw fury. "For crying out loud, notice me!"