Survivors The Path Of The Pack: Thunder's Journey

Chapter 11

Thunder growled as Beetle darted forward, leaping for her. She easily dodged his clumsy move. Thunder whipped around quickly, ignoring all of the sound coming from around her. As Beetle hurried to his paws, Thunder snapped at his foreleg, tugging hard.

"Ow!" Beetle yelped, kicking Thunder wildly.

He's not fighting smart! Thunder thought with great glee. But it went away as Beetle's sharp foreclaws hit her muzzle, causing her to wrinkle back. Thunder growled again and jumped back from Beetle as he recovered from her bite.

"I will have your rank!" he growled.

"Not likely!" Thunder snapped back.

Beetle snarled and pounced on her. Thunder tried to dodge, but the Farm Dog's paw caught her tail. He started snapping at her neck, ripping her fur, and pulling her ears.

This doesn't feel like the fight with Mickey because he was holding back. Beetle isn't. He wants my rank,
he wants it bad!

Thunder let out an exhausted breath as she couldn't shake him from her back and he was seriously starting to hurt her.

"Remember...!"

Thunder turned at the sound of the voice. It was Breeze. She was trying to push her way through the dogs who had front-row seats to the challenge.

"Remember, fight smart!" she yelped, disappearing into the excited crowd of her pack.

Thunder nodded inwardly and started to slither backward. Soon Beetle rolled off of her. Thank you, Breeze! Thunder exclaimed in her head as she lunged for Beetle's foreleg again. She missed by an inch, instead sliding forward and feeling hot blood slip down her thigh. Thunder cursed in irritation as she struggled to her paws. Beetle had quickly put distance between himself and Thunder. His grin was vicious and wide.

"C'mon, Thunder! Don't you like your rank?" he taunted, prancing from paw to paw.

Thunder snarled. Do not let him get to you. It's what he wants.

Thunder took a second to calm herself before creeping toward Beetle on sly paws. He looked ready for anything she threw at him.

Just wait for him to pounce...

Taking the bait, Beetle took his chance and jumped for Thunder, and she slid out of his way. Beetle landed on his back with a thump and Thunder got ready to rip at him. But she'd also fallen for a trap. Realizing too late, Thunder yelped as Beetle threw a furious kick at her head, making her dizzy. Thunder stumbled and landed on her back, panting wildly.

"My head..." She groaned softly. Thunder coughed once a heavyweight hit her stomach. She ignored the slashing she felt on her belly and took a moment to look at her pack.

Sunshine was yipping frantically, looking at Thunder with scared eyes. Daisy was beside her, covering her eyes with her paws. Moon was hidden between two dogs. She barked encouragement to Beetle and threw Thunder sad looks. She thought she could hear Breeze trying to give her another tip, and closely, Thorn sat triumphantly with a wicked smirk on her snout. Then there was Storm. She sat farther from the pack, watching the fight with emotionless eyes. There was no hint of satisfaction, anger, or helpfulness. Only cold unstaring eyes.

Thunder came back to the fight and realized that Beetle had his claws deep in her stomach.

"Yield," he growled, lashing his tail, "or I'll tear you apart."

Thunder huffed as her vision started blurring on the edges. "N-no... Never!"

Beetle raked his sharp claws down Thunder's stomach a little, opening a wide gash.

"I said yield!" he hissed, slamming his forepaw down on Thunder's aching leg, making it throb.

Why do his claws feel like thousands of teeth? Thunder thought as she groaned in pain.

"Do it!" Beetle barked, sliding his claws down a little farther, "Yield or else! You can't take the pain forever."

He's right, Thunder realized, I won't be able to do this forever. I might not even last the next few seconds! She huffed sadly but didn't utter a word. I don't want to be a coward! I just got here and I want to prove I'm worthy! Not a coward...

Thunder shrank a little as a loud howl started to form in her throat, but she swallowed it back. Her gash had grown half the size of her foreleg.

"Last chance," Beetle whispered. Thunder could see something in his eyes. Was it resentment?

Maybe Sunshine was right, maybe this was Storm's idea. Make them angrier after I got a higher rank than them and encourage their urge to want to fight me. Then she could inflict pain on me without actually doing anything. I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry Breeze, Mickey. I've let you down...

"I... I yield," Thunder whined.

As soon as she said it, Beetle unchained his claws from her stomach and barked in victory. Thorn immediately ran to him, licking her litter brother happily. All Thunder could do was lie on the ground and hope it had been a dream.

Is the pain real? she thought, Is the blood that I feel coming down my sides real? Am I dreaming? It'd be nice if I was dreaming. Maybe I'll wake up and find out that I'm just on another patrol–

"Thunder!" came an anxious voice.

It was one Thunder envied.

"Breeze?" she replied.

"It's alright, Thunder, you did amazing for your first fight," Breeze murmured.

Thunder growled a little, but she was too tired to try, "Stop that, Breeze. I can smell your nervousness. What's wrong?"

"You've got to get up so we can tend to that wound Beetle inflicted," Breeze whined, nudging Thunder.

Thunder shook her head slightly. She coughed a little. Was that spit or blood? "I can't do it," Thunder mumbled, "I'm sorry, Breeze. Just leave. Celebrate Beetle. I just need rest."

It was Breeze's turn to shake her head, "Sky Dogs, no! Even if I was rooting for Beetle, which I wasn't, I'd still look after you. Now lean against me. I know you can do it."

With Breeze's soothing words, Thunder tried to climb to her paws. Slowly, she was able to do so. Leaning against her friend, Thunder was able to limp back to the patrol den where a few dogs waited for her. Mickey quickly helped Thunder lay on her side, and Sunshine ran to fetch water for her. Daisy licked Thunder's wound helpfully and Breeze stayed close.

Finally, after they patched her up a bit and tried to feed her some prey, Thunder's caring friends left her alone.

I need to sleep, she thought, her eyes already closing at the thought. The last thing she saw was Sweet padding towards her.
  

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AN:

Well, did it turn out how you thought?

More importantly, will Thunder be okay?