The Missing Pendant

Chapter 3

 Vicious growling and barking broke out as at least a dozen full grown dire-wolves jumped out of the undergrowth from all directions. A large dire-wolf stepped forward while the rest circled the girls.

"What do you want with us?" Jira asked, her tone wavering.

Is she thinking of Eclipse's warning as well? Shadow wondered. 

The large wolf spoke in a low menacing growl, its yellow eyes glowing in the dark. "You are trespassing on our land and we will not let you go on, we say leave or die!"

Dark growling and jeers broke out among the other dire-wolves, they seemed to be chanting in a chorus of menacing voices, "Die!"
The girls stared at the sea of merciless eyes surrounding them. Shadow shivered, the malice in the wolves' eyes made it feel as though they were starring though her body to her soul.

"Enough!" A sharp voice snapped. All of the wolves stopped circling and dipped their heads as a pure white dire-wolf pup stepped out of the undergrowth. Shadow and Jira both saw Jira's pendant hanging around it's neck, but neither girl moved a muscle, this pup had an air of importance about her. She walked up to the large wolf and he bowed lower. "Princess Sirachi," he said respectfully.

She shook her head angrily, "Timber, what were you thinking? I know our camp is close but this is ridiculous, they pose no threat." The older dire-wolf shrank away from the pup's harsh tone. "You are all dismissed to go hunting." As the dire-wolves around them dispersed into the woods the pup called to them. "Come with me." The pup led the way into the bracken. She sat down, "Sorry about what happened with Timber and the others back there. My mother, the leader of our pack, Fern, is ill."

"So... is that why you took my pendant?" Jira asked gently.

"Yes, it was the only thing that I sensed could help, yet it seems that I cannot make it work." Sirachi replied.

"It only works for Jira." Shadow said, cutting in.

The pup looked at them thoughtfully, "Would you help Fern?"

Shadow and Jira nodded at the same time. Sirachi led them to a large den. When they arrived, a large she-wolf lay in a patch of moss, a sick aura coming from her. "Can you help her?" Sirachi asked, as if worried they would decline. 

 "Yes, she will be fine but we need to act now." Shadow answered.

Sirachi walked up to Jira, shaking the pendant off, "This does not belong to me, I was wrong to take it." she said, picking it up in her mouth and holding it for Jira to take. Jira crouched down, "Thank you, Sirachi." she said, then she joined Shadow by Fern's head. Both Jira and Shadow worked together, combining their powers to heal Fern.

Fern lifted her regal head, "What happened?" she asked looking from the girls to Sirachi and back again. Sirachi growled lightly, it sounded more like a purr then a 'I want to kill you' growl though, at least to the girls.

Fern licked Sirachi and then turned to the girls, saying, "Thank you for healing me. This will not be forgotten. I only hope someday we may be able to return the favor."