Wilderness

Chapter 4

 The two boys walked away from the girl, who calls herself Rain, and walked deeper into the woods. River hadn’t said a word since they left Rain. He was just looking down at the ground in his brooding way. Raven looked at his friend and sighed, “We’re not actually leaving her alone.”

River looked up at his friend, “What?”

“You really think I’m that heartless that I’d leave her there to die?”

“No, but you made it sound like you were,” River shook his head.

 Raven rolled his eyes, “I thought you knew me, River. Why would I go to such lengths as to threaten my mother if I was just going to leave her in the end? No, I want to test her, see how much she really needs us.”

“How are you doing that by making it sound like you don’t care?”

Raven smiled, “We go back to her as wolves. We know where we left her and we know her scent, therefore if she does wander off we can find her.”

“So, that’s your great plan?”

“It’s always been my plan. She infuriates me, but she also makes the pack feel uneasy. I can’t let her just wander around on her own,” Raven shook his head before stopping and turning to look at his best friend.

 “You sure she infuriates you. Sometimes you get infuriate and fascinate mixed up,” River smirked. He knew what was going on in his friends head, he wasn’t stupid.

 Raven scowled, “I know the difference between infuriate and fascinate, River.”

River smiled and put his hands up, “Okay, okay, if you so.”

“I do say so.”

River smiled before turning into a wolf and looking up at Raven. Raven shrugged and turned into a wolf as well. Both boys started to head back to where they left Rain.

 When they got there she was sitting under a tree trying to keep herself warm. The boys looked at each other before going over to her and laying down beside her. She looked at Raven and smiled before looking at River.

 She timidly pet both boys heads before she started talking, “So you brought a friend back with you, huh, Raven. That’s nice. Does he have a name, too?”

River barked his answer before getting up and going to the stream near by. She watched him closely, “Stream?”

River shook his head, and she smiled, “Hmm, maybe...River?”

He barked his answer again before going over to sit next to her.

 She sighed, “River and Raven, then?”

The boys nodded and looked at her.

 She sighed again, “I guess that’s okay. I’m glad you guys weren’t here a few minutes ago. I was such a horrible person. These two guys… They were trying to help me and I was extremely rude to them. I even slapped one of them in the face. I just… I was so mad at them. They knew their way around the woods and I was an idiot that couldn’t figure it out. The thing is though, I didn’t even mean anything I said to them. I wish they would just come back, but I know they won’t,” she sighed.

 Raven looked at her and then at River, I almost feel bad now.

 River snorted, You almost feel bad? You do remember that it was you who made the decision to leave her?

 Yes, pup, I know, Raven snarled at River.

 Rain looked at the two boys confused, but shrugged it off, “I’m just glad I have you two. Now, I’m not alone.”