Wolf Winter

Chapter 19

After we had recovered from our surprise problem (the grizzly bear), we finally managed to get across the river. Except, I was the one who helped Holly across, though she was the one who was my current blockade. I helped her across by being at her side to make sure she didn't get swept away; her shoulder now rendered unable to swim. Her scar was open but it had stopped bleeding. She had cleaned my claw wound but it still hurt dreadfully. In a way, we both helped each other.

When we reached the opposite shore, we shook off the water and then we continued on our way. I wasn't scared of being murdered by Holly now because it was clear from the way that she protected me from the grizzly that she wasn't planning on it. The paw prints ended at an open glade; which was covered in the winter snows. It looked beautiful; the winter sun made the snow and ice dance joyfully. It looked like a wonderland; an entirely different world from my Pack life. Holly was amazed by the sight too. We wandered out into the clearing; where we were greeted with a faint hissing that I picked up. My whiskers picked up the vibrations from the creature and I could hear each of its foot falls. I growled loudly my teeth bared, tail swishing from side to side and claws extended; ready for battle. Holly noticed me become agitated and she was on her guard immediately. Out of nowhere, I saw a puma lunge at Holly; which I quickly countered by leaping up into the puma's face and grabbing it with my cat-like claws. Holly watched me for a few seconds as I tumbled around the snow with the big cat.

She grabbed the cat by its tail and pulled; turning the big cat's attention on her, allowing me time to sneak off and get to her. The cat didn't attack me or Holly when we managed to get back together. Instead, it started backing away, hissing and spitting as it did so. It obviously didn't want to get in a fight when there were two of us. Holly was baring her teeth at the cat while I kept up a low growl in my throat and swished my tail high in the air like a cat does when its dominating.

"What are you doing here, wolves?!" snarled the puma, its back arched. "This is meant to be a private area that only Layla is supposed to know about. Speaking of her, she hasn't been here for months now for her monthly, maybe daily, packages." My ears perked and I stopped the low growl in my throat, lowering my tail to the ground. I looked at Holly and nodded for her to stop. The puma's ears perked but it kept its back arched.

"You knew my Mother?" I asked quietly, lifting my paws up one by one to retract my claws back into my paws. Both Holly and the puma watched my claws retract into each of my paws; amazed.

"You mean Layla? Yes, I knew her!" spat the puma, going back to the aggressive tone. "What is it to do with you...you...cat wolf?!" I smiled slyly. My ability to retract my claws must've stunned the big cat and made it unsure of what I was. Holly barked warningly as the puma unbended its back, retracted its own claws and walked over to us - looking from me to Holly and back.

"I'm Demi." I said politely, sitting down in the snow. "Didn't Layla mention-?"

"Yes she did mention how she rescued a pup from a Pack." interrupted the cat, its tail curled over its front paws as it sat down. "But that was months ago. Where is she? Is Layla sick or something? I have a whole pile of food in just one cave for her and she hasn't come to collect it - no one has."

I looked at Holly who was busy studying the puma. I told the puma about her passing and how my Pack was starving. The puma's ears perked when I mentioned my real parents and how my Mother's name was Lily. The puma looked away from me when I mentioned how Adeline, the wolf who had promised Layla not to touch me, had killed my real Mother. Holly also looked away from me - as if she knew something about my real Mother and Adeline that I didn't.

"Oh...I see," said the puma, shortly. "Well, my name's Isa (EYE - SA) and I live in this little glade. I guess you might as well have some of the fresh kill that I have been saving for her this past year - I can hunt for some deer or rabbits when I need food. You can come back with your friend whenever you need a top up or just for a general chat." I nodded my thanks and I asked Holly to go locate the cave while I talked with Isa.

"Isa, because my foster Mother was known as the White Wolf by my Pack, do you think I could become the Silver Wolf?" I asked, my head bent, looking down at the snow. "I..I think I should be because I want to continue with Layla's line - no matter who my real parents were."

"I don't know, Demi," replied Isa, quietly. "You can only be who you are and you can only do what you are capable of doing. Don't think you have to live up to any sort of name."

I nodded gratefully and we went off to go find Holly, who was howling as a signal that she had found the cave. Me and Holly grabbed as much fresh meat as we could, with Isa helping us by carrying some for us and we went on our way, Isa helping to bring the kill across the river by using the trees to her advantage. It clicked to me when I saw her in the trees that I could've jumped through the tree tops to get to the other side of the river; but who would've helped Holly get across? Holly and me swam through the treacherous river with as much food in our mouths as we could carry.

Isa came as far as the edge of Pack camp with the meat that she had been carrying, then she had disappeared. Literally. Me and Holly walked into camp; our mouths stuffed to the brim with meat. I heard several yips and barks from the other Pack member and I heard Lupin and Shadow howling in celebration. Me and Holly put the kills on the pile then I told two middle ranks where to find the rest of the food. Turned out, we had arrived at the exact same moment that the Alphas and the rest of the hunting team had gone to get our elk herd back. Holly turned to look at me and smiled, her tail wagging gently. I smiled back at her and nodded my head in gratitude.

We went to the apprentice corner where we both lay down underneath the tree, silently happy with one another's company. Lara came over to both of us and looked at our wounds; giving me a herb which stung to help with mine and placed a leaf on it. She did the same with Holly's scar. I sensed Lara was a bit tense when she tended to Holly's wound but I could tell that Lara and Holly wouldn't harm each other. Not now. We thanked Lara and I said that she should go get some food - she deserved it after all. She thanked me in return and left us.

"Wow!" murmured Holly, looking at the amount of wolves that were crowding around the kill pile.  "You wanna get something before it.s all taken?" I nodded my head but I didn't move for some reason. Holly was about to get up to head over to the pile to get something for both of us; when she lay back down in slight panic. I saw my friend and my boyfriend heading over to us; both of them had two pieces of kill. They stopped short when they saw Holly lying down next to me and I knew that they were going to attack her. Shadow came over to me and put a piece of kill at my paws and put his down next to mine before he returned to Lupin's side. Lupin was holding her pieces in her mouth; her eyes narrowed at Holly. There was a tense silence as my friends studied Holly. Suddenly, Lupin dropped her pieces of kill and snarled loudly at Holly; her teeth bared. Holly got up and growled; which made both Shadow and Lupin charge at her. I jumped to my paws and stood in front of Holly, which made them both stop in surprise.

"Let her go, Holly!" snapped Lupin, still thinking that Holly was trying to harm me. "She's not done anything to you!"

"Quick! Whisper!" yelled Shadow his ears forward. "Run!" But I stayed where I was. Holly was looking at me; surprised that I had defended her when she had been giving me nothing but grief. She smiled gently at me; her eyes full of gratitude. I turned to look at my friend and boyfriend, who were both on edge.

"You leave Holly be, guys." I answered coolly, turning to face them. "She's cool now." Lupin stayed where she was but Shadow came over to us. I moved out the way for him; making sure that my wound was hidden from view. He asked her if she really was cool and she nodded her head at him. He looked back at Lupin and nodded at her. Lupin was weary as she came over. I smiled at her. The two of them eventually settled down with us and we all began talking and eating our pieces of kill like nothing happened. Holly told them about how I had saved her from a grizzly bear and I told them how she had saved my life twice - once from the river, once from the grizzly bear. Lupin and Shadow asked about my cheek wound and I told them about the grizzly that I had distracted to save Holly.

Suddenly, the Pack erupted into howls of welcome as the Alphas and the hunting team came into camp. Alpha Tina was looking around the camp; as if she were looking for someone. She locked her eyes on our little group, but she made sure that me and her were locked in a stare. She nodded and I knew that I was being summoned to the Alpha cave. My friends wished me luck and Shadow gave me a lick on the head for extra luck. I strode alongside Alpha Tina into the Alpha cave.