Wolf Camp (Bear Naked 2)

Chapter 5, part 3

"I couldn't find it," Jonathan complained as he pulled his sweatpants on.

"What do you mean, you couldn't find it?" Connor shot back. He held up the compass he was carrying and a map. "It's got to be there," he pointed.

Jonathan didn't bother to put his shirt on. He came over to stand at Connor's side.

"See that tree right there?" Connor said.

"Yeah, I see," Jonathan said. "And that's where I went, right there." He pointed.

"No," Connor said, "not the hill to the south, the one to the north, there."

"You said that hill," Jonathan said.

"I did not," Connor protested. "I said that hill."

"Did not," Jonathan insisted.

"It doesn't matter," Amanda said, interrupting the fourth fight of the day. "Just go to the hill that you didn't go to last time and find the flag."

Just then Tanner broke from the brush in wolf form, a short wooden pole with a flag attached in his mouth. Brianna took it from him and he transformed. "How are we doing?" he asked as he pulled on the sweats Erica handed him.

"Jonathan went to the wrong hill," Connor said.

"No, I was sent to the wrong hill," Jonathan said as he pulled his sweats off. Before Connor could contradict him, he had transformed and bolted off.

Connor sighed and gave Amanda a look. She shrugged.

"I guess orienteering isn't our strong suit," she said.

"Is anything our strong suit?" Brianna muttered.

"Are you sure that's where the last flag is?" Tanner said.

"I've checked it three times," Connor said.

"Settle down," Tanner said. "I was just asking. Okay, then why don't you take the girls and head for the next base location, it will take you guys a while anyway."

Because I can't transform or run like any of them. She hated being the weak link in the group, or one of them anyway, she thought as looked towards where Jonathan had disappeared.

"I can stay here and as soon as Jonathan's back we will follow." Tanner was finishing.

Connor was nodding, "yeah that's a good idea. Brianna, Erica, Amanda?"

They all nodded. Amanda hoisted her pack. "Only two more stations and six flags to go," Connor said encouragingly. It didn't matter. The first set of wolves, Mitch's by the sound of it, had let out a victory howl almost five minutes ago. Two more packs had howled since. That they would come in last seemed a foregone conclusion. It was just a matter of how far behind they were. With that depressing thought in mind, Amanda followed Connor down the path towards their next station.