Crashing Stephanie

9 The Wolves

There were wolves behind, in front, and on each side, all in plain sight. Tom looked at Steph and said, "There is no doubt those wolves are hunting us now. I am sure they will attack once it gets dark." Tom started to say something else but then hesitated. Steph saw the concern on his face.

Steph said, "Tell me, Tom, and don't sugarcoat it."

Tom said, "There is no running away from them, Steph. If you run, you won't get twenty yards before they grab you with their teeth, pull you down, and start ripping you open. You will still be alive when they start eating you. Wolves are apex predators, and we must be smart to survive."

Steph said, "I'm listening."

Tom continued, "I'm no expert on wolves, but I've seen other pack animals hunt their prey. They know they can't defeat the whole herd, so their goal is to separate one animal from the rest. Once an animal is separated, the pack moves in and overwhelms the prey. We can't let them separate us, and we must fight as one."

Steph asked, "How do we keep them from getting between us?"

Tom said, "Throughout history, there were examples where a few could fend off many times their number. Perhaps the most famous is the Spartans at Thermopylae. They used an area that limited their opponent's approach, just like we did with the bear."

Tom continued, "The ancient Greeks were famous for their battle formation, which was a square. Each man had a shield and a sword or spear. They would form a wall with their shields. The man with the shield had several men behind him who could reach over the wall of shields with their spears and kill the enemy. They had depth for both offense and defense."

Steph replied, "Wasn't there a movie a few years ago about this?"

Tom said, "Yes, exactly! We don't have a shield, but by limiting the wolves' approach so that they can only come at us from the front and us standing close together, maybe one in back of the other, we both fight, and the wolves can't get between us."

Steph asked who would be in front. When Tom replied that he would be in front, Steph was relieved. But, thinking about it, she did not want Tom to bear the brunt of the attack simply because he was the man. Tom added, "Look, Steph, the simple fact is I am physically bigger and stronger than you. I will be the shield, and you will be the spears behind the shield. You will also be the one who keeps us from getting separated. If you don't, we both die."

* * * * *

Early afternoon, they passed two large trees that had fallen close together, forming a tight "V." Both Tom and Steph agreed this would be where they would make their stand. The trunks were thick but not thick enough to prevent a wolf from jumping or climbing over. They spent the rest of the afternoon building up on top of the tree trunks to prevent the wolves from getting at them from the sides or back.

Steph used a club-shaped piece of wood to pound one end of the limbs they had collected into the ground. Tom was impressed with her ability to hit the end of the limbs every time and with enough force to drive them firmly into the ground. Steph explained she had been taking tennis lessons from a professional tennis player since she was six. She had a fearsome reputation at the tennis club for being able to hit the tennis ball very hard. Tom suggested she keep the club handy for when the wolves attacked. Steph agreed.

By the time the sky darkened, their fallen tree "fortress" was complete. They collected and stacked a pile of wood at the entrance to their fortress they could light as a last-ditch effort to keep the wolf pack out. Remembering how good it felt to throw the stone at the pack, Steph collected stones just the right size for throwing.

Tom and Steph practiced fighting with Tom in front and Steph right behind him. Tom could sense some hesitation in Steph's actions when thrusting her spear toward an imaginary wolf. Tom was concerned that since Steph had never hunted or killed an animal before, she might hesitate when faced with a real wolf. He hoped when the time came, she would be able to kill.