Warriors but Wolves: Into the Wild

Chapter 18

     "Are you telling Firepaw how I protected Longtail?"

Firepaw felt a cold shiver ruffle the fur on the back of his neck. Graypaw whipped around, eyes wide with fear. Bearclaw loomed over them, his lips drawn back in a menacing snarl.

Firepaw jumped up and faced the new beta. "He was just saying he wished you had been here to take care of Mooseheart as well," he yipped, thinking quickly.

Bearclaw looked from one to the other, then stalked away in silence. Graypaw's yellow eyes clouded with terror, and he started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Graypaw?" Firepaw barked in alarm. But Graypaw didn't even look up at him. With his head held low, he slunk back to Ravenpaw and crouched next to him, pressing his fluffy gray body next to Ravenpaw's black fur as if he was suddenly cold. Firepaw looked helplessly at his two friends as they huddled beside Mooseheart's body. Not knowing what else to do, he padded over and settled himself beside them, ready to sit out the night.

As the moon passed overhead, other wolves came to join their vigil. Spottedstar arrived last, once the camp was calm and quiet. She said nothing, but sat a little way off, gazing at her dead beta with an expression of such unbearable grief that Firepaw had to look away.

~~~

At dawn, the elders took Mooseheart and Rosetail's bodies away to be buried. Ravenpaw followed to help dig the hole where the great warrior would rest. Firepaw yawned and stretched. He felt chilled to the bone. Leaf-fall was nearly here now, and the woods were clouded with mist, but above the leaves Firepaw saw a rosy morning sky. He watched Ravenpaw disappear into the dew-soaked undergrowth with the elders.

Graypaw jumped to his paws and hurried back to the apprentices' den. Firepaw followed him slowly. By the time he arrived, the gray wolf was curled up with his nose tucked under his tail, as if asleep. Firepaw was too exhausted to speak. He circled around on his mossy bed and then settled down for a long sleep.

~~~

"Wake up!" Firepaw heard Dustpaw's voice calling through the den entrance. He opened his eyes. Graypaw was already awake, sitting bolt upright with his ears pricked. Ravenpaw was stirring beside him. Firepaw was surprised to see the familiar black shape. He hadn't heard him come back after burying Mooseheart.

"Spottedstar's called another meeting," Dustpaw told them, and ducked out of the ferns. The three apprentices crawled out of the warm den. The sun was already past its height, and the air felt cooler than before. Firepaw shivered, and his belly growled. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, and he wondered briefly if he would have a chance to hunt today.

Firepaw, Ravenpaw, and Graypaw hurried to join the crowd gathered below the Highrock.

Bearclaw was speaking from his position beside Spottedstar. "During the battle, our alpha lost another life. As we do not know how many she has left, I am going to appoint a bodyguard to stay at her side constantly. No wolf will be allowed to approach her unless the guards are present." His amber eyes flicked to Graypaw and then back to the rest of the crowd. "Darkstripe and Redtail," he continued, turning his gaze on the warriors, "you will act as Spottedstar's guards." Darkstripe and Redtail nodded importantly, and sat taller.

Spottedstar now spoke. Her voice sounded gentle and calming after her beta's commanding howl. "Thank you, Bearclaw, for your loyalty. But the Pack must understand that I am still here for them. No wolf should hesitate to approach me, and I am happy to speak to anyone with or without my bodyguards." Her eyes darted briefly in Bearclaw's direction. "As the Warrior Code says, the safety of the Pack is more important than the security of any single member."