WinterMoor

~Chapter Seventeen~

He zoned out a few more times, checking details.

Neither of them bothered to turn around, but kept their eyes up and shifted as quickly as possible.

The boys ran quite quickly and Lexi's wolf Tia managed to keep up, running right beside Alexos through the forest.

They both loved the feeling of twigs and fresh soil beneath their paw with the smell of the forest, but they knew that this was important, not just a run. 

The boys made a sharp left, knowing exactly where they were going from the number that Layton had given them. Most of their wolves were brown or black but Alexos and Tia were both a shade of grey with white patches, nearly matching.

The boys seemed to growl quietly, they were all practically silent as they ran and Tia tried to stay quiet like them.

They instantly slowed down when they me tone of their warriors, Alexis and Tia stepping forward to the front of the small group. She spotted the warriors in a large circle round a small cave. They heard growling and the wolves inside seemed to be bickering between themselves.

Layton shifted, not bothering to cover up. "Don't shift. Stay beside me." He told Tia who nodded, stepping forward with him.

He whistled sharply and the forest went silent. The WinterMoor wolves listened carefully. They heard the crunching of rocks as one man climbed up from the cave. He had mud embedded into his skin and looked like he had infected cuts and scars. He climbed fully out of the cave and wiped his hands on his thighs, making eye contact with Layton.

He bowed his head and got onto one knee. Layton bowed his head too.

"Do you know where you are?" Layton asked sternly.

"No." He said, still bowed. He was clearly nervous. "I don't know who they are. I was taken. I promise. I don't know..." He said, looking down.

"Dont move." Layton told him. He walked behind him slightly and one of the boys was holding a scanner. Layton took it from him and walked over to the man. Tia tried to walk forward but he turned his head and pointed at her to stay still.

Layton knelt infront of the man and reach forward, holding the scanner over his right foot, where the scanners had been placed on the other rogues.

"Code 3. Take him down to the medical centre, get those cuts seen to, don't let him go, for godess's sake." Layton ordered standing up. He walked over and ruffled Tia's ears. She kept her head down and he smiled.

He turned back around and walked closer to the cave.

"249 right?" Layton asked, and a few of the warriors nodded. "The cave only has one entrance, so you guys are stuck. And surrounded I might add." Layton spoke to them casually. "I want you to come out one at a time and kneel in front of me, and if you don't then we'll do this the hard way." He told them, walking back towards Tia slightly.

He stood proudly, against the breeze.

"Now." His voice was more stern.

He zoned out for a split second, giving instructions.

They waited. They heard more crumbling of rocks and slight movement. Someone started to climb up, a female.

She climbed our less gracefully than the man before and hesistated before kneeling down. A few warriors stepped in and restrained her.

This carried on, and they counted them, scanning their trackers. 2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.

All 14 of the rogues that gotten in last week were there and tracked. The man who they had found first had already been sent off to get medical help.

"Lexi, stay here." Layton beant down and ruffled her head again, walking toward the entrance of the cave. A few warriors assisted him and they entered the cave, confidently.

They heard Layton cursing and Tia went forward but Corey's wolf jumped in front of her, they walked forward slowly together. He wasn't going to stop her from checking on him but he wouldn't let her go alone.

He climbed out of the cave quickly with the warriors a few seconds later, scraping off his knees. He mind-linked everyone and their faces seemed to turn. He didn't have a mindlink with Lexi yet but beant down and kissed Tia's head.

"Right. Code 3. You guys know what to do with these guys. As for the cave... Let's wrapped them up and get the down to forensics. Foresics need to come down and evaluate the cave, I'll call them. Good work lads. Let me know when code three is done." He told everyone and they started to move around again.

He beant back down and Tia walked away scrunching up her nose. He chuckled, putting a hand over his crotch lightly. "Run back to the pack house, get dressed and we have to go to the office." He told her. Tia nodded and started running, knowing he would catch up.