Wolf Bonds (book 2 in the wolf blood series)

CHAPTER 2 The first challenge

Chapter 2

As soon as I was in the tunnel I realised the tunnel wasn’t straight but twisted, turned and split into more tunnels.

I followed the tracks as far as I could but even wolf vision can’t see without at least a small source of light. I stopped, I could hear the others somewhere back in the tunnel. I looked around but I couldn’t see a thing.

I think it’s best to shift, my bones start to stretch and soon I’m in my wolf form. I close my eyes focusing on what I feel and start to use the earth sight.

It’s a strange sensation, using the earth sight. I can see everything in my mind and feel where I am in comparison to it. I was feeling the earth and discovered what I was looking for a trail of earth disturbed by feet.

I followed it and focused on everything else as well. I could feel the quarts deep within the stone and the other wolves behind me and in separate tunnels. Eventually something came into my sense.

Approximately 40 metres away down my tunnel on the left hand tunnel there was an opening of flowing of wind. I followed the trail until I finally arrived at this opening. When I opened my eyes I saw not the exit but I was now standing in a cavern.

A lake was at the bottom of this cavern and the water glowed a soft green. I don’t understand why it’s glowing. I can hear someone else coming I turn around to see Chase he is in his wolf form I regard him as he comes forward to look at the lake. “I guess we have to swim down?” said Chase, I looked at him, I think we showed swim across, “there is a source of light down there” he pointed his head to a place deep beneath the surface. I look closer and I see it.

I jump into the water, my coat keeps me warm but the water is clearly cold. I hear Chase jump in just as another two wolves arrive. They look at us then across the lake they jump in and start swimming. I stop just above the light source but it’s so deep you can hardly tell it’s there. Chase joins me. The other two wolves swim past us and are heading for the other side of the lake.

I take a deep breath and dive down, Chase following close behind. I feel my lungs slowly getting painful as I hold my breath longer and longer. Chase overtakes me and soon he is at the light source.

I join him and am surprised to find it’s not a source of light but a panel of ice, through the ice I see a blurry image of a snow covered field and what appears to be the packs. Beneath us is a large pile of snow. I swim backwards and start ramming the ice. Soon Chase is joining in.

I can see more wolves swimming overhead but haven’t noticed us. My lungs are about to burst I paddle upwards frantically my paws and tail propelling me up. I reach the surface just in time but I find myself in the way of a large red wolf. He looks at me puzzlingly but I simply breathe in a huge breath and dive back down.  Soon I’m back hammering at the ice, I swim towards the ice as fast as I can and ram my shoulder into the ice.  As I was swimming back to hit the ice again, suddenly I feel a movement beside me I see the red wolf. I start swimming towards the ice. He follows and soon all three of us are hitting the ice over and over again. Finally I hear a strange cracking sound, the water made it sound dull.

CRACK.  Then the ice broke and water began rushing out. I tried to swim away but the water was too strong and I was sucked out, followed by Chase and the red wolf. I was only aware that I was through the gap the ice had left. I was tumbling halfway between air and water finally, after what seemed an eternity I hit the ground.

 The water and snow cushioned my fall. I was flat in my stomach water crashing overhead. I started to get up but suddenly a huge weight landed on top of me followed by another. I whined as my back complained. I crawled out and saw that Chase and the other wolf had fallen the same way as me.