A Drizzle of Home

18 | A Drizzle of Courage

The sounds grew louder as I drew closer: a roar, a snarl, a whine.

I broke through the line of trees and into a clearing where Cloud and Spruce were already facing the scene.

My attention snapped toward a thundering growl. A mountain of dark fur rose on two wide and trunk-like legs, while a small, white form dashed back and forth in front of it. Cloud kept its attention on herself, all the while dodging swipes from a pawful of deadly, black claws. She met the ground with a skid in the soil, then whipped around to face the creature. Pushing off the dirt, she soared through the air toward the bear's throat.

In a blur of flashing dizziness, her fur turned gray. The she-wolf leapt from the shadows, colliding with the cougar as he strode toward me. Her body slammed into his chest, and the feline stumbled back. She landed on top of him, and the two writhed on the ground in a growling ball of hazy terror. He tore at Mother's side with sharp, curved claws. Even as she threw her whole weight into him, determined to get the beast down and beneath her jaws, the cougar used his bloodied fangs to tear at her flesh.

I shut my eyes, unable to watch anymore. Any more blood. Any more death. I wanted to run and leave it all behind. To find somewhere safe and quiet away from all the danger. I longed to be curled up in my mother's sweet warmth.

The bear roared again.

No. I had to be brave. I had to be brave like my sister and fight. I had to stand up, face my fears. For Ripple. For Wade. For Mother. I couldn't cower any longer.

When I opened my eyes, they focused on the other side of the clearing. A tree lay against a small face of crumbling rock. The stone had collapsed over a hollow opening in the earth.

Spruce was paws-deep in the rubble, his claws moving quickly to dislodge the heavy rocks and scoop out the layer of crushed stone and dust. A group of small pups cowered beneath his legs, with rounded bellies not even weaned. The furry balls of brown yowled in fear, staring with wide, tear-filled eyes at the monster before them.

The towering creature still swatted at Cloud as she darted a tight circle around it. She had it handled.

I ran to Spruce, who was working to keep the pups contained and help their trapped mother. When I tried to usher them out from beneath him, they only ducked further under his legs. They crowded his paws as he tried to dig, tripping him up and slowing his progress.

Finally, their yelps quelled, but they were hesitant to leave their temporary source of safety. I met their teary eyes with a gentle smile, but they weren't convinced, and they gazed longingly at the she-wolf trapped beneath the stone. But as the monster made a thudding bound through the clearing ahead, they were persuaded to follow my beckoning nose. The four gathered beneath me with terrified squalls. I was at least less scary than the bear.

Once they'd gathered beneath my legs, making each limping step even more of a struggle, I led them away from the scene. We crept into the edge of the forest, and I picked a tree a distance from the clearing. We could still hear the chaos, but maybe they wouldn't have to see it. If only I could keep them from witnessing the same horrors I'd been through as a pup.

My mother faced a gruesome death to save my life. I couldn't let them see a grizzly tear any wolf apart. I wouldn't let it harm a hair on any of their tiny muzzles. And we would save their mother.

I used my muzzle to shove them into place at the base of the tree's winding roots. I cleared my throat in an attempt to sound stern and barked the order: "Stay put."

They seemed to understand, not yet old enough to respond with anything but whimpers and trembling nods. I didn't have time to see if they'd listen, turning on my paws and running back to help Spruce.