The Bitten Wolf

Chapter 21: Courage

   Penny's bushy tail bobbed inches away from my face as we pelted through the forest, away from the sounds of battle. I cringed as a howl rose into the air, full of pain. Unfortunately, it belonged to a member of my pack. I fought the urge to turn around and fight with them; I had a mission. From this moment on, until we were safe, I had to keep Penny protected.

   So, I followed the cloud of light brown-grey fur. Her tail brushed against my face, making my nose twitch. I tried to hold the oncoming sneeze in, but it came out anyways.

   It was loud and seemed to echo off of the bark. If no one had heard or seen us slip away before, then they would certainly find us now.

   Penny glanced back at me, horror in her eyes as she came upon the same conclusion. Her eyes widened, confirming my fears. Pricking my ears, I picked up the sound of paws slapping against the ground as they gave chase.

   I quickened my pace, nudging Penny's haunch, urging her to go faster. We were running at top speed, but we both knew that we wouldn't be able to keep it up for too much longer. I shot a quick look behind us. There were two wolves following us, both bigger and faster than us. Behind them, I could barely make out the figures of the fighting wolves, though their snarls and cries continued to bounce off of the trees.

   I turned back to Penny in time to see her launch herself over a fallen tree. Without breaking stride I leaped after her, clearing the thick log. I ran for a few more steps before realizing that Penny was no longer with me.

   With my heart in my mouth I raced back to the fallen tree and jumped onto it. Penny was clinging to it with the tips of her claws, frantically trying to pull herself up. I leaned forward and grabbed her by the scruff, hauling her up just as one of the wolves' jaws snapped closed right where her tail had been moments before.

   We took off again, our hearts racing as fast as our fur-covered bodies. I could still hear them, not too far behind us but far enough that we didn't have to quicken our pace anymore. I don't think we would've been able to even if we'd wanted to. My paws were throbbing and Penny's breathing was laboured, her sides heaving with effort. We were losing speed fast.

   The two of us made it another few metres before Penny stumbled and fell to the ground. I dragged her to the base of the nearest tree and scratched my claws against the bark, hoping that she would understand what I wanted her to do.

   She was in human form before I could blink, pulling herself into the tree. I watched her progress, willing her to climb faster. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the two wolves coming closer.

   I whipped around just as they reached me, ripping my claws through one of their muzzles.

   Two against one, I thought before I deliberately turned the human part of my brain off and let the wolf part take over. In a battle where the odds were against me it would definitely know what it was doing.

   I focussed on the brown wolf before me, it's strangely human brown eyes not phasing my wolf part. It's mind was on the fact that it had to survive, no matter the cost.

   I ducked down, twisting my head so that I could fasten my teeth into the brown wolf's throat. I felt them sink into soft flesh and blood squirted onto my muzzle, staining it red.

   Something yanked me painfully back by the tail. My teeth loosened and I lost my grip on the wolf's throat. It breathed in deeply, letting air fill its lungs again, then turned to me.

   They had me from both sides - the white one behind me and the brown one in front. I was trapped, done for, as good as dead.

   I was distracted from thoughts of my surely oncoming death by the creak of a branch. Then, the forest floor shuddered beneath my paws as the white wolf behind me crashed to the ground under the weight of Penny. A sharp crack told me that by dropping onto her, Penny had managed to break her neck.

   In my moment of distraction the brown wolf took his chance and clouted me across the head with a heavy forepaw, claws unsheathed. I felt blood trickle into my eye, blurring my vision. I shook my head, trying to shake off the blood - I couldn't see a thing.

   Suddenly, I felt teeth graze my throat. What does death feel like?

   Before I could find out, there was a thump and the teeth disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

   I blinked open my eyes, scrambling away from the brown wolf and its attacker. The new wolf, a small brown-grey creature with flashing fangs, threw itself at the larger wolf again and again, dodging this way and that in order to land blows on every part of its body that it could reach. The brown wolf tried to keep up with the smaller wolf, but his every move was slower and slower. The little wolf's moves were too unpredictable for him to follow; he seemed to know he was fighting a losing bottle.

   The small wolf paused in its attack. The brown wolf reared up, claws outstretched, the glint in his eyes telling me that he was ready to kill. Somewhere in the back of my mind where the human part was hidden, I knew I should be doing something right now. The wolf part, however, remained frozen.

   I felt a movement behind me and a ball of brown-grey fur shot past me, straight for the brown wolf's claws. The human side of my mind returned just as the wolf's claws sliced into Penny.

   I shot forward, ready to take the brown wolf's life, but Tommy beat me to it. Penny hit the ground and Tommy bounded over her, jumping at the brown wolf and tearing out his throat in one swift bite.

   The dead werewolf returned to its original human form. I quickly averted my eyes from Ryley's torn out throat, swallowing back the bile that had risen into my mouth.

   "Penny," I heard Tommy whisper, "Penny, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have done that for me. I was supposed to be the one protecting you, not the other way around. You shouldn't have to die, not for me. Please stay." His breathing was loud and ragged as he sobbed over her body.

   I wished I could comfort him somehow, say a few kind words or give him a hug, but all that was impossible. I couldn't change, even to offer him those little things.

   He was kneeling in front of Penny, blocking her from my view. Not sure I wanted to see how badly she was hurt, but knowing that it was my duty to check, I circled around him until the little girl came into my line of sight.

   She had changed back into human form and at first I thought that Ryley had killed her. Then, I detected the sound of her shallow breathing and the tiniest of movements as her chest rose and fell beneath a net of claw marks.

   With the blow meant to kill Tommy, Ryley's claws had left deep cuts on the little girl's body, starting at her ear and cheek. From there, the cuts ran down her neck and onto the right side of her chest, then all the way to her right leg, ending just above her knee. If she survived, she would have to carry her scars forever.

   Scars of courage, I thought as I gazed at her little body, What she did for Tommy today is an example of true courage. In her was the courage I lacked - I had failed in my mission to keep her safe.

   Tommy turned to me, the same question I kept asking myself shining in his eyes: What do we do now? We sat in silent vigil beside Penny, listening and watching.

   But it wasn't a sound or an image that gave us our answer. It was the smell of smoke.