Survivors The Path Of The Pack: Thunder's Journey

Chapter 26

The three days went faster than Thunder would have liked them too. She knew she'd taken her time up on High Watch for granted. For her last days of punishment, she used the chance to get away from her curious friends and the new loving couple. As the three days had passed, she had done her best to avoid Breeze who was becoming more and more
insistent with her questions. Now the German Shepherd circled a tree as the Sun Dog started to wake up; her first day off of punishment. She made a dirt path where she went along trudging.

"Uh, you might want to stop walking around that tree."

It was the Blue Heeler dog, Whisper. He nudged Thunder as she jumped at the sight of him. "You scared me," she muttered.

Whisper sniffed at her. Something she hadn't seen cross Whisper's face before did; worry. He tilted his head, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Thunder said, resisting the urge to start growling. Whisper seemed to catch onto her mood quickly because he was silent on their trek to the camp. He split away from her without a goodbye. Thunder sighed as her heart cringed at a painful feeling.

Whisper did nothing, don't take your anger out on him! Thunder thought angrily as she watched her friend walk away with less excitement than before. Thunder kicked up dirt in annoyance as she made her way to the patrol den, but she stopped in her tracks when Breeze's loud bark found its way to her.

"Thunder, I'm assigning patrols. Get over here."

She was secretly glad that Breeze had said her sentence nicely instead of the sharp way that Moon used to. Thunder reluctantly galloped over and stopped to sit beside Chase.

Breeze paced back and forth, "Alright, tonight's patrol will be Daisy, Sunshine, and Thorn."

Thunder had nearly forgotten that Sunshine had joined the patrol dogs and that Thorn was off of her punishment as well. Beetle too.

"I don't care how you do it, but Daisy is in charge. Start at the first sign of the Moon Dog," Breeze ordered. The three dogs nodded and went to busy themselves while they waited for the Moon Dog. "Chase and Dart, you're a pair. Rake and Ruff, you're a pair. Take the lower part of our territory by the Endless Lake. Switch out when the Sun Dog is highest. Chase and Dart will go first. Go on." The pairs quickly ran off. Thunder stared at Breeze, in awe of how responsible she seemed. She hadn't gotten the chance to notice.

Thunder shuffled and wanted to beam at her friend but couldn't as Mickey crossed her mind. She looked between the remaining dogs. It was only her, Breeze, and Beetle. "We'll take the forest," Breeze barked, shaking her floppy ears.

"Fun! What can I do?" It was Tumble. His golden shaggy fur shook as he bounced up and down.

"I'll help too!" Nip yipped. The Fierce Dog mix rolled on the floor excitedly.

Breeze smiled kindly. She bent low so she could lick both of the pup's noses. "Thank you for the offer, but we're all good here. I think your mother's would like to see you, though." Nip huffed sadly, but Tumble eagerly jumped away to join their Alpha.

Breeze turned back to Thunder and Beetle, beckoning then along with her tail.
 

* * *

Thunder took another sharp turn as Breeze tried to talk to her again. The brown dog had ordered Beetle to go off in a different direction so she could have a moment with Thunder.

"Tell me," Breeze growled when Thunder made a u-turn, dodging her friend.

Thunder snarled, "Breeze! Everything is fine!"

Breeze skeptically looked Thunder over. Her brown tail flicked, "Mhm." She came around to Thunder's other side. "I can tell you're lying."

"Aww, that's too bad," Thunder snapped, continuing to stop frequently to sniff at a tree.