Loyalty

Chapter 13: Into Battle

The wind had started to pick and it whipped my hair around my face. We were all ready for this battle, we had been bumped up to a grand total of fifty wolves, so we had a big advantage. My dad and I stood at the front of the pack, I was flanked by Darcy and Tammy with Toby close behind. My dad was flanked my two big grey wolves and he stood proud, ready to win. The Alpha of the wild pack was a big, reddish-brown wolf and was flanked by a smaller grey wolf and a medium sized black wolf. Next to him stood the blonde girls wolf who stood alone. Her wolf was tiny and grey with piercing blue eyes. Everyone was in place, and my dad stepped forward. He bowed his body then raised his large head to the sky, and howled the signal of battle.

I charged into the massacre, giant fury bodies everywhere. I could hear Tammy and Darcy's giant paws thudding on the ground behind me. I found a clearing from the bodies and took in the scene. There were wolves on top of each other snapping at the others neck, I heard growls and snarls and howls of pain. The metallic smell of blood clogged my nose and made my eyes water. I felt sick, I felt like this was all my fault. I should have stayed home to watch Gem, then Mrs Marleen wouldn't have died, and I would like to think I could have stopped Jackson.

I looked around, trying to see how I could help. The white sandy beach had turned red with the blood of my fellow wolves, I had to do something. I was busy thinking about what I could do when, out of nowhere, a grey wolf was on top of me. I wriggled around, trying to get out of its grasp, with no avail. Instead I twisted around to face it. She had brilliant blue eyes and her teeth gleamed white.

"You killed my mate." She barked, "Prepare to die."

She moved head in closer, aiming for my neck. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain. Then the weight of the wolf was gone. I opened one eye and saw Darcy's wolf on top of the little grey wolf. They were scratching and biting viciously. Darcy slashed the small wolf across the face, leaving three deep cut across her eye and muzzle. The little wolf bit Darcy's leg, causing her to fall, then the little wolf ripped out her throat. I stared, refusing to believe what had just happened. Then it hit me, two people had died now to help me. How many more would do so? I howled in pure anger and charged at the little wolf. I smashed into her, knocking the wind from both of us. I stood on her chest and snarled in her face.

"You killed my friend." I snarled. "Prepare to die."

I put all my pressure on the paw that was on her chest, crushing her rib cage, and then I wrapped my jaw around her neck, squashing her oesophagus, and left her for dead. I ran over to Darcy's dead body and snuggled up to it. I nuzzled her shredded neck and howled again. I lay down next to her and Tammy came walking over with Toby. I snarled at them, and then let them lye with me. We created a protective circle around her dead body and any wolf that came over to pick a fight was killed.

The air was thick with the smell of sweat and death, the wind howled ferociously and it had started to rain. The battle was drawing to an end, and as I expected, we had won. Many of the wolves were injured and a few had passed away. My dad transformed along with everyone else and came over to give me a hug. I refused to move from Darcy's side so he came to me. I hid my face in his chest and sobbed into it.

"She didn't deserve this." I whispered. "It should have been me, Dad, it should have been me." My voice cracked and I bawled into his chest.

"Hey, don't think like that, she did this to save your life, you are being ungrateful." He pulled me away from him and looked into my eyes. "Now you can either honour her and walk away from this, happy that we one, or you can let her die in vain and mourn over this for the rest of your life."

"Your right." I replied, wiping away my tears. "Let's go banish these beasts then bury our soldiers."

I strode up to the Alpha of the wild pack, he had fresh cuts all over him. I glared at him.

"You know the drill." I barked. "We won, we get to keep the land, and if I ever see you on my land again, you won't even have time to be sorry, now scram!"

And with that, they were gone. They took all their dead pack members and left. I looked at the once peaceful beach now strewn with dead bodies and blood. I picked up Darcy's body and started towards the western border.

"So, apart from this, has everything been ok?" My dad asked.

"Yeah, the house is clean, the garden is mown and the fridge is stocked up. Gem has done all her homework for this week and Mrs Marleen has already been buried." I said, surprisingly calm.

"Good, your mother is at home, waiting for Gem, where is she by the way?"

"Oh, I sent her home with Mrs Hamper. She will be fine. And don't worry about her getting kidnaped again, she was brutal to that Jackson guy. Wouldn't stop calling him names. I almost felt sorry for him, almost." I laughed, and so did my dad.

We reached the border around noon, I forgot how early it was when Gem went missing. We buried the wolves and said the funerals vows, then we went home. I was tired and needed sleep, we were all going to be missing school again. When we arrived home my mum scooped me up and started hushing me and telling me how it wasn't my fault.

"I know it's not, calm down. Have you cleaned upstairs." I asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, are the Marleens ok?" She flustered

"They'll be fine, now let's get you unpacked."

We unpacked for most of the afternoon and then sat down to watch telly together. Gem sat on my knee while I refused to let go of her. Then later on that night I went to bed, dreaming of Darcy and how she was so happy and free. I cried through the night, and my mum came in and checked on me, she sang me a Harlington lullaby she had learnt and sent me straight back to sleep.

This routine happened for a few months until I got over it a little and could sleep without the haunting nightmares. I visited her grave every day after school and would tell her everything that happened. It was least I could do, keep her informed, since she saved my life, and I could never repay her for that, even if I tried.