The Wolves of the Gems

Chapter 27

30 miles from territory border: Northern Forest Pack: Densite: Late Autumn

  The wolves of the Forest Pack had become less wary of the newcomers, many studying the big black wolf, Stormcloud. But the rest, including the alphess Rain, had soft smiles on their muzzles as they looked upon the Storm Wolf and the alpha's pups, who ran around him or jumped over him.

  And Stormcloud loved the attention he received from the pups. He didn't growl when they pulled his ears or tail. He didn't shake his head when a pup placed its paws on his face. And when a pup wanted to fight him, the Storm Wolf gently pushed them over with his paw, earning giggles and laughter before he was launched at by the same pup.

  "Who knew the Storm Wolf was such a big softy?" Rain chuckled softly as she watched her pups, laying beside Silver and Faita, who was sleeping soundly.

  Silver glanced towards the alphess, "I remember hearing stories of him, fearing him. A black shadow who harnessed the power of storms. But staring at him now, those nightmares were a waste of precious sleep."

  Rain chuckled softly, "his stories never reached my pup-hood. Where I came from had legends of their own," the alphess lowered her head, "and just as much evils."

  Silver tilted her head at the brown she-wolf, "I was led to believe the Northern Lands were a sanctuary to all."

  "The evils there were small in numbers, barely becoming rumours within many packs," Rain said as she looked to the skies, "my sister was thought to be one of those evils, but when she was exiled for murder, my pack had no defence in the storm to come. I barely escaped with my life from both the wolf who brought the foamed mouth disease to my pack, and the ones who became infected by it."

  "I am sorry, and excuse my insensitivity for my next question," Silver said, "but how could one wolf protect a pack from a disease? Especially from 'that' disease?"

  "Ever heard of a Star Spirit?" Rain inquired.

  "Star Spirits are just myths, and wolves who have the same eyes are a complete coincidence," Ghost said as she walked up to the two she-wolves, her ears pinned slightly.

  "To each their own," Rain said with a flick of the ear.

  Ghost narrowed her eyes at the alphess. To her Star Spirits were nothing but a false hope of peace, and if they did exist, where were they during the Rogue Pack's reign? Wouldn't they have come to stop it?

  But Ghost was brought out of her thoughts as a raven cawed high above. The pack and their guests looked up as the black bird flew down, landing in front of the alphess.

  Jazz bowed his to the she-wolf, "Alphess Rain, I have a message from Alphess Snowstorm."

  Stormcloud raised his head, hearing his sister's name. Ignoring the pups' whines, the Storm Wolf stood to his paws, walking over to the she-wolves and raven.

  "Go ahead," Rain said to the black bird, allowing him to speak the words.

  "Alpha Snowstorm has declared war on the Mountain Pack," Jazz said, puffing out his chest, "and has called on other packs to aid her in defeating the Rogue wolves."

  "My sister cannot do this," Stormcloud barked, "she must wait until we return with the rest of the gems."

  "Without knowing her intentions, we can't question them Storm Wolf," Rain said as she stood to her own paws, "but don't fear, my pack will aid her no matter what my mate says. So much is on our side now that it would be foolish not to join her."

  "Then we must come up with a plan," Silver spoke, "and quickly."

  "And what do you suggest?" Rain inquired.

  "Well, we need the wolves with gems to get to the Volcanic Plains Territory and get inside the Fire Mountain Matla spoke of before," Faita said.

  "And that will be a suicide mission," Ghost countered, "the Volcanic Plains Pack has experience much like this pack, they fight dirty, and they'll have a serious advantage. They know the land, where it is most lethal and where it is not. We won't survive to get to it."

  "We still have to do it, we must give the gems back to their rightful guardians," Faita insisted, "otherwise we might as well sit here and wait for the Rogues to come and kill us."

  "Faita is right," Silver agreed, "if we continue to come up with excuses, continue to sit on our tails then we are no better than the Rogues. We either complete the task we were given, or die trying."

  "Then what do we do?" Ghost asked, lowering her head.

  "You leave and fight your battle," a voice said as Fenrir and his wolves entered the densite, soon followed by Darkness, Fang, Chinook, Nightsong and Matla. "They have the gems, they do not need our aid."

  "Well, I already agreed to aid them," Rain said, looking to her mate.

  "What?" Fenrir asked, his eyes narrowed at the she-wolf.

  "This will be our only chance to defeat the Rogues, Fenrir, we take it and defeat them, and stories will speak of us as heroes," Rain said, unfazed by her mate's gaze as she raised her head, "or we sit by and watch as our legacy dies and our story is of cowardice."

  Fenrir lowered his gaze at his mate, "then what is the plan?"

  Stormcloud looked to the raven, "Jazz, listen closely, I will need you to take this information back to Snowstorm, before tragedy should strike."