The Wolves of the Gems

Chapter 3

12 miles from territory border: Former Storm Pack Territory: Forest Pass: Late Spring

The forest was dense and dark. The stars shone high above the land, the moon was full at the time. The trees were pine, thick trunks, small branches and needle-like leaves. A path, weaved its way through the trees and patches of grasses. Flowers sprouted from the patches of grass. A bear and her cub walked across the path and then deeper into the forest.

A stone was kicked along the path as a midnight black wolf with grey markings ran along it. Her strides were sluggish as she pulled to a stop, looking behind her. Behind her were two adult wolves, a dark brickstone grey male wolf with light grey markings and a female silver wolf. Darkness easily kept up the pace of two females, even though he was limping. He rose his head, looking at the adolescent female before turning to his sister.

"Why did we bring her along? She won't be any help," he growled quietly to the lighter wolf.

"She could help us, I mean she has got one of the gems," she whispered to her brother.

"That's why we should get rid of her. Iowa would have informed her alpha by now and we will have the whole Rogue Pack on our tails soon."

"She won't be able to stand against a whole pack, and what do you think they'll do to her once they find her? Hm?" Silver growled at her brother, "they'd tear her apart and take her gem, and then the Rogue Wolves would be more powerful."

Darkness lowered his head at his sister, gentling his voice, "but we can't look after her, we can barely look after ourselves."

"We'll find a way," she reassured, nudging her brother, "and besides, that kid has already been through a lot, we can at least help her fight against it now."

The adolescent, Faita, continued to kick the stone with her paw, her head down. Her mind raced with flashbacks from twelve months ago. Her mother killed in front of her, her brother torn away from her, and her father, his fate was sealed once he fought the wolves. Faita closed her eyes, a tear escaping.

Wind blew across her face, making her stop in her tracks. A smell, strange to her filled the air. The two older wolves walked up next to her, Darkness smelling the air, trying to figure out the scent.

"What's wrong? What's that smell?" Faita asked as the male growled.

"Darkness, what is it?" Silverwing asked, hating the fact she couldn't smell what it was.

"Humans." Silver and Faita widened their eyes. "And by the smell of it, they're close."

"They?" Silver asked, her voice just above a whimper.

Darkness nodded, "we must leave, now."

A bullet hit the ground beside them. All three wolves jumped and immediately bolted for cover. Darkness and Silver ran into the trees on the side of the path, while Faita turned around, running along the path. Bullets continued to hit the ground beside her and behind her. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. Her strides were long and fast, but not balanced. The moment a root came along the path, she tripped and landed on her side. A human stepped ever closer to the adolescent. Hecocked the gun and placed a fat finger on the trigger. This was Faita's first incounter with humans and it was going to be her last.

The human squeezed the trigger and the bullet went flying. But its impact was not in Faita's head, it was in the trunk of a tree next to her. A dark wolf had appeared from the shadows and launched itself at the human, clamping its jaws on the human's neck. The human didn't even have a chance to scream before it fell to the ground, dead. The gun fell to the ground beside it as the wolf turned to Faita.

"Come on, Kid!" Darkness ordered as he turned back to the shadows and disappeared in the trees. Faita still laid there, stunned. She shook herself from it and got to her paws, following Darkness into the trees. Once they caught up with Silver, Faita's eyes widened at the sight. All the humans lay dead, their throats torn out. "We better leave before more humans come," Darkness said. Faita turned her head towards him before Silver and herself nodded and headed away from the bodies.

---

An hour later, the three companions continued down the path, Darkness leading the small pack, his head high and his eyes narrowed in concentration. Silver was beside her older brother and Faita was lagging behind, her head and ears down in both fear and shame. Silverwing turned her head slightly to look at the adolescent behind her. Seeing the face on Faita made Silver think. 'What really was going through the mind of that kid?' She thought as she sighed before slowing her gait down so she could be next to Faita. Faita moved her eyes to look at Silver, but looked back down almost immediately.

"So what's your story, Faita?" Silver asked, her head lowered slightly so she was eye level with Faita.

"Can we not talk about it?" Faita said quietly.

"Sure, but I want to know what's going in your head," Silver pushed on, wanting to get even the smallest answer. Faita turned her head away. "Alright then, how long have you been alone?"

"Leave the kid alone," Darkness growled, turning to face to the females. Silver lowered her head at her brother. The dark wolf turned back around and continued walking, the two females following at a slower pace. The male made a sudden turn into the trees and his companions followed wordlessly.

Darkness came to a stop at a fallen pine tree on a slope, with a gap between it and the ground. "We'll rest here for the night," he ordered, walking in the gap and laying down. Siver laid down beside him and Faita laid down away from both of them, curling up into a ball, her tail wrapped around her.

A howl in the distance caught their attention. Darkness and Silver snarled at the howl while Faita put her ears back in fear, she didn't want another run in with a Rogue wolf.

"They're looking for us," Silver snarled.

"No, not us," Darkness snarled, lowering his voice as he looked at Faita, "her. We should have left her behind."

"You didn't have to save her from the hunter," the silver wolf shot back, before tilting her head, "why did you save her anyway?"

"Does there need to be a reason?"

"Yes, there has to be," Silver snapped, "you're the hardest wolf I know, I bet you could even meet The Storm Wolf without showing a glimpse of fear, but the moment you realised she wasn't with us, fear was the only emotion I saw in those eyes."

Darkness turned his head away, not wanting to look his younger sister in the eye. "Because she could possibly be the only one able to put the Rogue wolves in their place."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when our pack came back from a hunt twelve moons ago?" Darkness asked Silver who nodded, "remember they said all wolves had been killed of the Storm Pack, except one, a pup had escaped just before The Storm Wolf had arrived."

"You don't think she's the one?" Silver asked looking at her brother.

"I... can't be certain."

A small, quiet snore caught their attention. Darkness put his head on Silver's shoulders as they looked over at Faita. She had her tail over her face, the gem around her neck was only just hidden by her chest.

"I'll take first watch," Darkness said, taking his head off his sisters shoulders. Silver nodded and placed her head down between her front paws, closing her eyes. Darkness looked out into the night, his ears perked.