A few days later, the group was relaxing, with the Plantars on the could doing individual things, while Anne was in wolf form, sleeping on the ground. The door was kicked open and Marcy ran in.
"I triangulated the location of the second temple!" Marcy said.
"ROW?" Anne let out, standing on her feet and shifting to normal. "Already?"
"Dang girl, you work fast." Polly said, stopping her drawing with Frobo by her side.
"Maddie was a big help too. Her experience scavenging for potion ingredients makes her a wiz with old maps." Marcy said as she walked in, putting her map on the rebuilt coffee table,"Now, it's somewhere in the mountain, so it will be cold."
"Cold?! It's gonna be freezing! It's not as bad as Hiber Day but it's still slime freezing!" Hop Pop said, shivering already.
"We're gonna need heavy coats for that. Think you can hook us up from Newtopia, Marcy?" Polly asked her.
"Way ahead of you. I already requested some after finding the temple." Marcy said, having sent Joe Sparrow with a request to the king.
"Well, I think I'll be fine." Anne said, "Wolves do well in the cold."
"The same could be said for eagles but they go through a change in behavior to help to survive the coldest months." Marcy said.
"Really? What sort of behavior do you get, Marcy?" Sprig asked her.
"I mostly just hunt for food and stay in the nest." Marcy said, "Eagles can last in the cold as long as water isn't frozen, but we aren't as adapted as wolves or bears for it."
"Well, that's interesting to know but it's good to know you both will be fine compared to us at the mountain." Hop Pop said.
"May Frobo come with you?" Frobo asked them.
"Well, Marcy, do you know if he will do good in the cold?" Polly asked.
"I'm not sure. I'd have to pop him open and study him a bit, but his armor looks strong enough to resist the cold and ice." Marcy said.
"He might be useful." Marcy said.
"So he can come? Sweet!" Polly cheered for her new friend.
"Sweet!" Frobo copied, pumping his fist.
"Polly, stop doing things that he will copy." Hop Pop said, "I don't want to call Loggle to fix the table again."
"I am! He's not breaking anything, is he?" Polly said, gesturing to Frobo. "Besides, what's so important to break on the way up the mountain?"
"Knowing this group, we'll find something." Hop Pop said.
Everyone but Marcy let out a chuckle at this, knowing how much trouble they get into without meaning to.
"Well, guess all we have to do is wait until the supplies from Newtopia arrive." Marcy said.
"What do we do until then?" Sprig asked.
"No playing with the robot in the house!" Hop Pop quickly said.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I need to stretch my legs." Anne said, "And find out who's been marking my territory around the town."
"Marking?" Sprig asked.
"It's what certain animals do to establish a place belongs to them or they protect it." Marcy explained.
"No, I know what Marking means. I'm asking what could possibly mark where Anne had already marked?" Sprig asked.
"Simple, Sprig. Another predator that wants to claim it or a prey that doesn't know it's marked." Hop Pop said.
"You know, I should probably follow her." Marcy said.
"You're worried she might get hurt?" Sprig asked.
"A little, yeah." Marcy said before she quickly followed after Anne.
The wolf ran around the woods, sniffing a bit, while the Eagle watched from a branch.
'It wouldn't surprised me if Anne claimed this whole forest around Wartwood.' Marcy thought, watching Anne track the new scent in her territory.
While Anne's nose was better than Marcy, Marcy's eyes were designed to see up to three miles away, which is why she wasn't surprised when she saw someone in the woods far away from them.
"CAWWW!" Marcy screeched, getting Anne's attention before she flew towards the person.
'Marcy must've found them. Good!' Anne thought, running to follow the eagle.
The two got to the place the person was at and Marcy shifted back.
"What the- the footprints just disappear!?" Marcy said.
Anne raced up behind her and shifted back, kneeling down at the end of the trail.
"They can hide their feet but they can't hide their scent." Anne said, sniffing for them again.
To her surprise... they can... because the scent was gone.
"No fucking way, I lost their scent!" Anne shouted, slamming her fist into the ground!
"Whoever was here is gone now." Marcy said, "We should head back."
"But this thing is still out there. What if they attack Wartwood?" Anne asked.
"We'll defend it, together." Marcy said with a smile.
Anne sighed and Marcy led her home. From behind the trees, someone watched them.
"Is she the one we've been waiting for?"
This person was watching from the trees, high enough to avoid Anne's scent or Marcy's eyes. They watched from above to see they had tracked them this far as a test, mostly for Anne, and it was safe to say she passed.
'Hm, I'll see you at soon.' The old newt in black said.
With a snapped of their fingers, the newt disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
YOU ARE READING
Spirit Animal 2: Lone Wolf
FanfictionAs most would say, a pack is only as strong as its weakest member. But when the weakest member of a pack is put in a new world, how would she go from being the weakest wolf to the strongest pack leader in Amphibia? Sequel to Panther Pride. I do not...
