Strength In Unity

Chapter 17: Locking Up

There was a different feeling in the air to the wolves, the day after the attack. Given the tasks for the moment to secure and aid all the villagers, the pack set out and broke off into teams of twos and threes to help everyone. Knocking and lifting various amounts of debris out of the way, the wolves soon found more and more casualties amongst the destruction. A few sheep and pigs had been buried under the rubble by the devastation of the blasts, once or twice theyd get lucky and find one or two still breathing, haul them out and get them to safety, others not so lucky,

Entering one of the homes, the wolf looked around the small home that was owned by the Dofurn family, a four member group of goats that ran several retail shops in the valley.

"Hello? Is anyone inside?" He asked stepping lightly around the loose floorboards, keeping his ears perked for signs of life. They also had to be on alert for those of the fox clan that had fled into the village, not all of them were accounted for. He stopped for a brief second, his hearing picking up the faint sound of breathing in one of the side rooms. Opening the door to a children's room, the wolf looked around for a minute. He could've sworn he'd heard something inhale a breath in this room. As He walked closer to the bed, he heard it again, followed by a slight gasp when he stopped. The wolf narrowed his eyes at the bed, reaching down and grasping the sides with his paws, the canine lifted the entire bed frame and looked down. Huddled together were all four of the Dofurns, shaking and whimpering lightly as they held each other tightly. Pushing the bed all the way over the wolf dropped down to his stomach on the floor, giving the family his best attempt at looking none threatening, though the drying blood on his armor didn't help.

"Hey. It's over now, you gotta come with me ok." He reached out and gingerly pawed at one of them, hoping to break them from their terrors. Taking a different approach, he rolled over on his side to get a better look at them, giving himself a rather playful/ submissive look. The mother finally opened her eyes and looked over at him, still shaking.

"There was so much screaming. I haven't heard that since Tai Lung."

"I know, it's over now though, you don't have to be scared. I won't harm you." He said reaching over again and slowly laying a paw down on her shoulder. It wasn't in her family's nature to trust these dogs, all their life they'd been raised knowing if you faced a wolf, you probably wouldn't make it out alive. Their guardian and overall master of the valley Shifu had placed trust in them to protect the valley, and they did. It was something of a new realization, but the mother succumbed to the large canine's pleas.

"There you go, come now, everyone up." He said lifting the youngest to his feet, the child giving a small grunt as he was hoisted up shaking his head in attempt to use his underdeveloped horns. Standing back to his full height towering over the family, the wolf adjusted his new uniform and cracked his neck as he turned expecting them to follow in which they did accordingly. He stopped outside the doorway of the home and had them walk out in front of him, looking up he noticed seven others herding out 3-5 person families and guiding them up into the palace arena. Holding the hoof of the father goat, the black faced wolf led the family along with the others and then went off in search of others.

Heading down a side alley between the backs of stores the soldier strode through the empty village, his eyes scanning the area for signs of threats. His nose picked up the fox's scent outside a small shack that had blood on the door frame smeared with a small pool below it drying in the sun. He flagged over one of the wolves passing behind him.

"Keep eyes behind me, something's in here." He instructed, the other wolf nodding and taking a defensive position. With both paws on the door, the wolf snarled and wrenched it off it's hinges. Both wolves looked inside, there was a blood splattered white robe on the ground, bloody fox prints along the way behind it leading over to a trap door near the back wall. Each of the dogs looked at one another before taking a look back down at the door. If the tunnel led anywhere, the foxes they missed could've used it or were currently hiding from them inside wherever this door led.