You Worry Me

Chapter 2

Badru stalked forward, needles jabbing his paws as the maples of his familiar forest home transitioned into pines. Small amounts of light shone through the canopy, casting dark , blue-green puddles of sunlight onto the ground, giving the entire forest a creepy aura.

The cold made Badru shiver, it's whispy tendrils snaking deep into his fur. Where am I? He thought. A low growl sounded behind him, and the dark wolf whipped around as fast as he could. Behind him stood a handsome golden wolf, around his age, who's legs were unusually long, probably making him quite fast. "I am Swift, Delta of the Norther Pack. What are you doing on our territory?" 

Badru stiffened, thinking his next words carefully. "My name is Badru. I have no rank and am not from a pack" he lied. Swift's hackles dropped. "Oh that's good. For a second I thought I would have to attack you, but that seemed unnescacary. I'll take you to our Alpha!" He said happily. Badru examined him. His lack of cautiousness would get him in trouble one day, but it was kind of adorable.Badru followed a few paw steps behind, taking in the territory. Now that he was used to it, it had lost all creepiness and held nothing but beauty. I wish I could live here... he began, then realized he could. He could challenge the Alpha. Badru shook the thought off with an exasperated huff. He had just failed to beat his father, so to think he could beat the Alpha of a major pack? Ridiculous.

Swift slowed to walk next to him. "So, how's life as a rogue?" Badru thought. "Tiring. It's hard to hunt by yourself with no one to help heard or cut off the animal," Badru began, his voice thoughtful. "And competition with others gets pretty fierce, then of course avoiding pack territory is a pain in the tail." The golden wolf next to him was listening intently, his ears pricked to catch every word. "That sounds so amazing. I wish I were a rogue, but my pack needs me and I have no challengers."

The young male's tail drooped. "Your so lucky to be free of the stresses of a pack." Then he perked up again. "We're here!" He barked happily, his aura changing completely. The two pushed through into a clearing, much like the one at home. A dark brown wolf strutted towards them. "What did you drag home this time, Swift?"

Swift dipped his head in respect, though fury flashed through his amber eyes like a spark that was there one second and gone the next. "Snalik. This is Badru. I met him while patrolling, he is a friend." The wolf who he assumed was the beta of the pack, looked Badru up and down with a scathing yellow gaze. She pinned her ears. "Alpha Mooka! We have a 'visitor'!" She called. An elderly brown wolf with a severe limp came forward. Badru almost laughed out loud. This would be to easy! "What is your name, young one?"

"Badru." He said curtly without dipping his head. Mooka's eyes flashed for a second. "You are a rogue aren't you?" Badru nodded. "Then you are unfamiliar with our ways. In packs, we how our heads to our alphas." Badru snickered. "Oh I knew THAT, I just thought that it must be impossible for a bone bag as old as you to be an ALPHA!"

Badru stopped laughing. "Mooka, I challenge you for leadership of the Northern Pack." Mooka snarled. "You dare come into our home and challenge me?" Badru nearly laughed again. "Well I don't know how else I would have gotten to you. Sit in the middle of the territory and tell every passing wolf that it would be rude to challenge you for leadership in your own home?" The elderly brown wolf growled again, before leaping at him. Badru stepped to the side with ease, reaching out with a paw and slashing open Mooka's shoulder. Mooka howled in pain and tried to attack the black wolf once again, this time managing to land a soft blow on Badru's hip, which barely broke skin.

Badru's ebony fur gleamed in the sun as he tried the move he had failed to master just yesterday. He dove under Mooka's belly, curving his back and hooking his paw around the alpha's foreleg, pulling it out from under him and sliding out from under right before he hit the ground. Badru lunged and sank his fangs into Mooka's throat, the metallic taste of blood coat his tongue. Mooka struggled for a few seconds, making an attempt at a furious snarl, before he fell limp in the new alpha's jaws.