Spirit's Bitter End

Chapter 7 ~ Old Friends

        Pedrah awoke to the loud chatter of pesky little birds that had made their nests directly above his den. He didn't want to get up, but the sunlight streaming through the mouth of the small cave made it impossible to go back to sleep. With a sigh, he stood up and went out to greet the rest of the pack. It had been several months since the fire, since the death of the alpha. Spring had slowly melted into summer, bringing with it blistering heat and much uncertainty. Ty had become the new pack leader shortly after the alpha's untimely death. But many wolves had their doubts about him. Ty was certainly wise for his age, but the other pack members didn't always agree with his decisions. It was mostly the males that seemed to have issues with the new alpha. They believed that Ty would lead the pack to it's doom, although all the young wolf had done so far was provide for them. Pedrah quickly spotted the snow-white wolf, standing calmly near the howling stone. Slowly walking over towards the alpha, Pedrah nudged him, figuring that he could use some support. He had stood near Ty loyaly ever since he had become alpha. The older wolf was not only his own personal hero, but also a dear friend. Ty jerked at his touch, shaking himself before turning to face Pedrah. He had obviously been lost in thought.

        "Oh, Pedrah. Sorry, I was just..." The white wolf paused, unable to finish his sentence. He seemed nervous, tense even. Pedrah wondered what was wrong. Was he having doubts again? "Alright, you deserve my honesty more than any other wolf here," With a large sigh, Ty sat down, and Pedrah did the same. It seemed he may be in for a long venting session. "I feel that I make an inadequate pack leader. Compared to fa-... compared to the previous alpha. You've seen it, you know. The other wolves disrespect me. They undermine my authority and ridicule me. I don't think I'm fit for this position. Perhaps it's my age, or my lack of experience. But I do know that you're the only one that listens to me now. I thank you for your support, but I think it may be time for me to back down. What's a pack without a strong leader?" Pedrah rolled his deep green eyes, earning a half-hearted glare from Ty. They had been over this countless times, his heritage proved that he was a worthy alpha, it didn't matter what the others thought.

        "Ty, look at me. I was just a pup when the previous alpha died, so I don't know much about him. But what I do know is that you share his blood. Back during that fire, you saved my life, and the life of my father. You're just as strong as any wolf.  I've told you before, you need to show more confidence. Run this pack with an iron paw and a just heart like your father. I know you can do it, I've seen it in you. And why are you asking me for advice? I've only just reached adulthood." Pedrah gave Ty a playful nip on the shoulder. The older wolf let out a soft laugh, though he still sounded nervous. It was frustrating, seeing his friend in this situation. He was certain of Ty's worthiness, though others just couldn't see it. As the young alpha opened up his mouth to speak, a distant howl could be heard, carried in the weak summer breeze. Ty's ears perked up, twitching as he listened to the melodic howl.

        "The eastern pack. They say their territory has been... burnt to ashes by a terrible fire. Their alpha died in the chaos." Ty relayed the message loud enough for the rest of the pack to hear. The whole camp went silent, even the birds seemed to have stopped twittering. Soft, uncomfortable murmurs slowly started to make their way through camp. How odd, the same thing had happened to them only a few months back. Was this just a coincidence, or was there something more going on? Pedrah frowned, not certain how to process this new information. Everyone else seemed just as uneasy. The muttering ceased as another howl was heard. Ty took a step forward and hesitantly hopped up onto the howling stone in order to send the neighboring pack a reply. As the young alpha responded to the distant howls, Kari walked up to Pedrah, a worried look flickering in her sapphire eyes.

        "What do you think this means? First us, now the eastern pack. Do you think that perhaps... the northern and southern packs are in danger as well?" His sister's voice was filled with concern. Pedrah had never seen her so nervous before, not even when their own pack had been endangered. He had no clue as to why these things were happening. Though, all of it felt familiar, in an odd way. Almost as if he had already experienced it, in some distant past. But that was impossible, he was still so young. Turning to face his sister, he gave her a puzzled look.

        "I'm just as confused as you are, Kari. I honestly have no idea what is going on." He paused, looked over at Ty, why was preparing to speak to the whole pack once again. Kari started to speak, but he shushed her as the alpha stepped down from the howling stone.

        "The eastern pack has helped us in the past, now it is time for us to return the favor. I will allow them to hunt on our land until their own home starts to recovery from the devastation caused by the fire." An angry growl seemed to ripple through the group, many of the older wolves were displeased by this. Pedrah let out an exasperated sigh. Why make a big deal out of a small act of kindness? Sharing their territory was the least they could do after everything the eastern pack had done for them. "Enough! They helped us after our own land was burnt to ashes, now we must do the same!" Ty snapped, silencing all complaints. Pedrah chuckled under his breath, it seemed the young alpha had actually listened to his advice for once.