Wolf Winter

Chapter 17

When we finally managed to tell Alpha Tina and Alpha Rook about the missing elk, they didn't react by declaring war. We got told by them that they would take the hunting team out to the other Pack's hunting grounds and drive our elk herd back to our Pack's hunting grounds. Because of our good work, Alpha Tina said that me, Shadow and Lupin could have a break from hunting. But I didn't take the break. When we left the Alphas, I told Lupin and Shadow that I was going hunting. Shadow protested that the point of the break meant that we didn't need to go hunting. I replied that the Pack needed food now, not in a few minutes. If things were getting so desperate that Pack members would nearly kill a pup over a scrap of food already, then I wasn't going to watch another pup be injured needlessly. Instead of heading to the hunting grounds, I went up my old path - the way I used to go home with Layla.

The bushes rustled eerily as I walked past them; it was strange going down the old trail without anyone accompanying me - it was quiet. Though I got the distinct feeling that I was being followed; not by Lupin or Shadow, but by someone else. I felt self conscious but I continued on my way to my destination. I arrived at the entrance to the cove that I had blocked up with a rock. It brought back sad memories; when I remembered how rushed Layla had been when we had been pursued by Adeline and Holly. I shook my head clear and continued on my way past the passage. I sniffed around; I had secretly watched Layla go out hunting in a certain direction and I wanted to know where it was that she went. I picked up the familiar but long ago stale scent that she had left behind from her last hunting journey - which brought back a painful tang of our times together but I knew that I couldn't let them stop me. Not now. I saw the faintest of her paw prints in the dirt and I began following them.

The wind rustled the remaining leaves overhead, but in the eerie silence of the forest it sounded like a storm was raging above my head. The paw prints couldn't lead me any further; they ended at a river and continued on the other side. I was petrified of the water; ever since me and Holly had tumbled down that steep bank and nearly drowned me, I had been nervous of water ever since. I had to cross the river though, if I wanted to find out where my Mother had gone every day to find food. I was still pondering on the decision when a loud rustle in the bushes behind me which caused me to panic; I was so focused on keeping an eye out for the possible danger behind me - that I instinctively backed up...and fell into the river! I cried out in panic - what had happened? Why was I in the water? What or who had been coming after me? All these questions came in a river in my head - no pun intended - as I went under the water. I heard muffled shouts of my name from the surface; I tried to right myself but the current of the water kept me on my back. I heard a splash from not too far upriver from underneath the surface. The will to live came into my muscles and I was able to push my nose up to the surface. I gasped and yelped loudly; hoping that someone heard me.

Suddenly, I felt teeth dig into my neck fur and I felt myself being dragged against the current. I was too exhausted to fight the current or whoever was dragging me upstream. It wasn't long before I felt the muddy shallow riverbed beneath my paws; that's when I felt the urge to fight. With a loud snarl, I twisted my fur out of whoever's mouth and I went for the neck instinctually. I heard shouts coming from whoever had rescued me but I paid no heed. Finally, my rescuer managed to kick me off and I paused for breath.

"Jeez! Its been a long time since we got locked into combat!" cried my rescuer. "You have obviously gotten stronger - despite your puny size." My vision had been blurred throughout the entire thing, but now it was clear and I was shocked to see who had rescued me. It was Holly! I couldn't speak. This was the perfect place for her to kill me - whether she killed me herself or drowned me. Either way - I felt like that was it for me.