Within the Shadows (Rough Draft)

Excerpt from Within the shadows

Edit: This short clip was written over a year ago. If enough people express interest in this story I will write the rest of the it.

    It was dead silent. The air was frigid and stiff under the morning sun. The ground was a miserable grey and the few stalks of grass that it gave life to looked cold and unnatural. Dagger-like rocks jutted out in odd angles ready to impale any unexpecting victims.
One might have thought it impossible to survive, had a pack not occupied this area. Deep in the wasteland, in a place so dismal that I shudder to think of, lay a gaping cave.
It was shaped like the mouth of a fearsome beast ready to swallow every living thing within sight. Inside this cave, a few scrawny animals sought refuge. They were once the noblest pack of the lands, but now they were nothing but a gaunt group of animals barely clinging on to life.
They consisted mainly of wolves with the exception of a few dogs. Their alpha was quietly sitting near the wall of the cave, staring down at her paws. Muscles rippled underneath her sleek, brown pelt and her eyes were a fire of rage. One was a vivid green, the other a bright yellow.
Although her demeanor was potent, worry was lurking within her. Her pack was sick and dying, and there was almost nothing she could do about it. Almost. They'd been forced to leave their home when the rivers, their only water source, had become contaminated. The poison had killed many, including their beloved alpha. Now she, an inexperienced dog, had to fill their alpha's place.
Another dog entered the cavern. He would have been identical to her if not for his eyes, which were a gentle yellow. Unlike his alpha, his ribs were clearly visible underneath his pelt. His pawsteps were light as he quietly approached her.
"Alpha," he began, dipping his head in respect to only be cut off by his alpha's fierce gaze snapping up to make eye contact with him.
"Brother, there is no need to bow down to me. I am no more deserving of this role than you are."
"Well, yes, but-"
"Kaidez!" The alpha cut him off sharply getting to her paws. Kaidez smiled at her and sighed.
"When will you ever stop being so stubborn?" he asked half-jokingly as he lifted his head to meet her fiery gaze.
The alpha pretended to ignore his question, but a slight tug at her lips betrayed a rare smile. Giving up on her mighty appearance, she let out a soft laugh before her features once again became serious. "What is it that you wanted?" she asked. Although they were siblings, she doubted that Kaidez came here just to see her. Not now. Not in a time like this.
"Well..." He paused to consider how to phrase his question. His sister was proud and stubborn. Would she see what he was going to ask beneath the dignity of this pack? "I was thinking, Alpha, that maybe we should seek the help of the pack neighboring us."
The alpha did not respond for a while. The only thing that kept the cave from being seized by silence was the steady dripping of a nearby brook. When she finally responded, her tone was emotionless.
"The Pack of Thundering Paws has met their demise, surely you know that?"
Now it was Kaidez's turn to be silent. He stared at his sister and his sister stared back. He knew she knew what he was trying to say, and he also knew that she was daring him to.
"I wasn't referring to them, Alpha, I was talking about the-" he shakily inhaled- "the Pack of the Twisted Stones."
    The Pack of the Twisted Stones wasn't always called that, but their new alpha demanded that their name be one that instituted fear upon those who spoke of it. They hated the pack that Kaidez and his sister had been born to, which was nicknamed Shadepack. The nickname was intended to humiliate the pack's strike-and-run tactic, but the pack took pride in it and began to refer to themselves by it.
When Kaidez was once again met with silence, he continued, "I know we can't trust them, but our situation is dire and-"
"No!" barked the Alpha trembling with fear and rage. "Are you suggesting that we plead for help from the enemy?!" She had stood up and was towering over Kaidez, who met her gaze with fury of his own.
"Look at us, Sage. We're weak and dying- can't you see that?! There's a point where pride doesn't matter- and it won't if we're dead, so why don't you get off your high rock and act like an alpha. If you can't choose between your stubborn pride and the lives of your pack, then you're nothing but a coward!" And with that, he stormed out of the cave.
***
In no time, Alpha Sage had gathered a patrol and was cautiously creeping into the territory of the Pack of Twisted Stones. Kaidez stood right next to his sister, while Darwin, Robin and Helmer (who had been named after the last alpha) made up the rear. Robin was an old she-wolf and the mate of the last alpha. Darwin and Helmer were her two pups, who had insisted on coming to protect their mother.
The Pack of Twisted Stones, amazingly, had a territory even rockier than their own. A thick, ominous fog made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them. Wind eerily screamed through nearby caves.
"Named aptly, eh?" Kaidez chuckled nervously.
His sister said nothing, unfazed by their surroundings.
    Eventually their path became steep and narrow, forcing them to walk single-file. It was a tedious process, but miraculously none of them fell into the darkness below. After what seemed like ages of balancing on the edge of what they assumed was a cliff, the path widened and transformed into soft ground. But after they reached safety, a low, rumbling growl split the silence and a huge, dark figure emerged from the mist.
It was a wolf, covered in scars from head to toe. His eyes were a dark purple, gleaming with malice.
"What do we have here?" he cooed softly, realizing who they were. More dark figures began to appear from behind him, laughing.
    "Itty-bitty Shadepack lost their way?" a coyote to the right of the scar-covered wolf jeered.
Sage took a step forward and dipped her head politely to the wolf.
"Alpha Phantom, I sincerely apologize for intruding on your territory, but I need your help. My pack is suffering from-"
Alpha Phantom began to laugh. It was a cruel, high-pitched cackle which made the alpha of Shadepack's blood run cold. He then pressed his face into the other alpha's and whispered softly, so softly that all the other present creatures strained to hear.
"I've waited my entire life for this moment to come, and now it finally has. I will make sure that every single member of your pack will be begging me for mercy as I tear them to shreds." Then he let out a blood-curdling howl. "Kill them!"
"RUN!!" Sage barked, turning to sprint away. Darwin and Kaidez soon vanished in the fog. Just as she was about to run after them, she turned back to see if Robin and Helmer were following. Her eyes widened as Alpha Phantom pinned Robin down, and the coyote carelessly tossed the bloody corpse of Helmer out of the way.
"No!" Sage screamed - but it was too late.
Robin turned to look at her with pleading eyes.
"Leave me, save yourself!" she gasped out as Phantom wrestled her to the ground.
The coyote lunged at Sage with a savage gleam in his orange eyes. Barely managing to dodge in time, Sage whipped around and retreated into the fog, disgusted at her own actions.
What have I done? She whimpered as she sprinted down the path. Her paws slipped dangerously, but she paid no notice. All she could think about was the hatred and twisted excitement in Alpha Phantom's eyes as he held down Robin, and the sickening realisation that this was all her fault. What kind of alpha am I?
***
    With a shuddering sigh, Alpha Sage padded into the clearing where her pack awaited her. "Robin and Helmer are dead," she announced, heart full of heaviness. "The Pack of Twisted Stones has made it clear that they don't have any intention to help us."
    Some of the pack gasped while others hung their heads. Darwin shakily pulled himself to his paws and took a few steps towards Sage, his eyes wide and distraught.
    "What do we do now?" he asked, fear shimmering in his tear-filled eyes.
    "Now-" She shot a glance at Kaidez who had an auror of distress clouding his features- "Now, we run. We'll leave at sunrise." And after that, I'll make Phantom pay...