Ivy's Sorrow

Chapter 2

As Yip raced across the clearing her Pack had made camp in, she crashed into something, tumbling sideways. She leapt to her bared, baring her teeth ready to defend herself from whatever that she crashed into then calmed down. 

"Sire-Dog!" Yip yowled.

Yip's Sire-Dog raised his spotted head then smiled "You'd better watch where you're going next time!" He gave Yip a lick on the ear and Yip responded with a squeak. 

"Sire-Dog!"

"Sire-Dog!"

Both Grunt and Howl rushed over at the same time. 

"Sire-Dog! You promised when we were old enough, you'd take us into the forest! We're old enough now!" Howl yapped, her tongue lolling.

"I promised, didn't I? And I'm not the type of dog to break a promise!" Sire-Dog laughed. "Come on, follow me!" He padded out of camp, with Yip, Howl, and Grunt at his heels. 

"What's it like being Beta?" Yip asked.

"It's certainly different from being a hunter, that's for sure." Sire-Dog responded.

"Do you like to boss everyone around?" Grunt put in.

"There's a lot more to being Beta than just bossing other dogs around! You have to be a good role model, a good leader. You have to make the Pack's decisions when the Alpha can't. Any dog would consider himself lucky to be chosen as Beta. When the former Beta died, Alpha knew he needed to make a young dog, a strong dog, a wise dog, his new Beta. And, well," Sire-Dog wagged his tail "He chose me."

Yip was wagging her tail too. I hope I can be Beta someday!  She thought excitedly.

Suddenly, Sire-Dog  halted, pricking his ears and scenting the air. 

"Pups, get behind me." Sire-Dog ordered, not looking back at his pups.

"But-" Howl began.

"Get behind me NOW." 

Yip scrambled to get behind her Sire-Dog and pressed close to her litter-siblings. 

"Show yourself!" Sire-Dog snarled, raising his hackles.

A massive dog-like creature stepped out. She had long, muscular legs and a large bulky chest and the most silver coat Yip had ever seen. She must be a wolf.  Yip remembered the stories that her Mother-Dog told her and her litter-siblings about wolves, who had been sworn enemies to their Pack. This was the first time Yip had seen one in real life.

"Why hello there," The wolf began, baring her teeth.

"What are you doing on Dog Pack territory?!" Sire-Dog demanded.

"Aren't you the dog that Spade made his new Beta after I killed the old one?" The wolf let out a bark of laughter "Oh, you aren't much better." The wolf glanced at Yip who was huddling chose to her litter-siblings. "And I can see you have some offspring." The wolf licked her lips. "it's been a while since I've had dog pups for Prey-Share." Yip was trembling.

"Sh-sh-she doesn't mean that d-d-does she?" Grunt whimpered beside Yip.

"If you lay a whisker on my pups I'll shred you!" Sire-Dog snarled.

The wolf lowered her head and let out a growl "Is that a challenge?"

Suddenly, Sire-Dog lunged at the wolf, sinking his fangs into her shoulder. The wolf let out a bark then shook Sire-Dog off of her, then bit into Sire-Dog's flank. Yip stared at the ferocious battle, the blood dripping from her Sire-Dog's wounds. Suddenly, the wolf rose to her hind legs and batted Sire-Dog with a paw, sending him flying. Sire-Dog laid beside a bramble bush, weakly raising to his paws. He lunged at the wolf, but as he did so the wolf sunk her powerful fangs into Sire-Dog's throat and bit down hard. Blood gurgled from Sire-Dog's mouth as the wolf shook him vigorously, then flung his body at a tree.

"NO!!"  Yip screeched, racing to her Sire-Dog's side. "He-he can't be dead! He can't!" Yip started licking his wounds, the sharp tang of blood flooding in her mouth as she lapped her tongue across her Sire-Dog's wounds. 

The wolf looked up, her blood splattered mouth curving into a smile. "I told you he was weak. Now it's time to kill his precious  pups." The wolf stalked towards Howl and Grunt, who were still frozen in shock.

"NO!!" Yip leapt to her paws and dashed towards the wolf, taking a mighty leap and sinking her fangs and nails into the wolf's eye. 

"AGH MY EYE!!!" The wolf howl in pain, and Yip sank her fangs and teeth deeper into the wolf's eye. The wolf shook her face forcing Yip the let out and land next to her litter-mates. The wolf stared at Yip, one eye swollen shut and the other full with fear of the pup whom had just attacked her. She suddenly let out a yelp of defeat and raced into the undergrowth. Howl and Grunt stared at Yip's bloody paws and muzzle.

"That was really, really  brave!" Howl yapped.

Yip nodded then looked back at her Sire-Dog's body and rushed over to it. "Grunt, you're the fastest. Go to camp and tell the Pack what happened, and Howl, help me lick Sire-Dog's wounds." Yip ordered. Grunt nodded and raced to camp and Howl sat down beside Yip, licking her Sire-Dog's wounds.

"He's not breathing." Howl commented.

"Just keep licking, Howl. He'll be alright." Yip assured her sister. I hope, at least. Yip added to herself silently.

Yip raised her head as Grunt burst back into the clearing, with Alpha, Mother-Dog, and a few of the hunters and patrol-dogs.

"NO!" Mother-Dog ran over to Sire-Dog's side "Oh, Shadow..." Yip saw that her Mother-Dog's eyes were sharp with grief.

Alpha turned to Yip and her littermates. "What did this wolf look like?" He demanaded

"Sh-she was a massive silver female with long legs and a bulky chest,"  Yip whimpered.

"Whorl." Alpha bared his fangs. "I should've known."

"It was only a matter of time until she killed again." Commented Sleek, a female Swift-Dog hunter, with a shake of her head.

"She was probably headed towards the camp," Thorn, a massive long furred male, growled. He shifted his gaze from Alpha to Sire-Dog's body. "Beta stopped her before she could reach the camp."

"So how come Whorl didn't kill the pups after she killed Beta?" Sleek mumbled through clenched teeth.

Thorn looked at Yip "Why are you covered in blood?"

"W-Whorl was about to attack Howl and Growl s-s-so I attacked her instead." Yip stared at her paws. "I-I think I blinded her in one eye." She whimpered.

"BLINDED HER?" Alpha's screech rang throughout the forest as he stared at the pup.

Yip's pelt felt hot with embarrassment, pawing the ground she replied. "I-It was nothing, really."

Sleek let out a bark that made Yip jump. "You half-blinded our worst enemy who has killed and threatened our lives for seasons and seasons past and to come! And you say it's NOTHING?"

"There's no need to raise your voice Sleek." Alpha growled. "We'll discuss this later. Right now," He looked at Sire-Dog's body. "Let's burry Beta."

Yip let out a small whine. Was Sire-Dog's death my fault?