Fall of the Packs: Blood Ties

Chapter Twenty-One

"Are you with me, Storm Pack?"

Aaron stood in the center of the clearing, gazing solemnly at his assembled packmates. The day of the battle was upon them, and they were all up before dawn. Aaron was certain that they were prepared for this, but he wanted to make sure that his packmates believed as strongly as he did.

"There's no mistake that some of us may die today," he said. "The thought can be frightening. But we were not made for fear. We are Storm Pack, and we don't do fear. We're not going to run because these wolves have large numbers or skill in battle. We will stand and fight and if we die, then we die in honor and glory. Are you with me?"

The pack responded with a deafening cry of agreement. Exhilaration flooded Aaron. This was his pack, and they would triumph today. What wolf could stand in the face of their courage and loyalty? "It's time to go," he barked. "We will stand together as a pack and fight, but if any of the healers would like to stay behind they may."

"Never," Zephyr said, shaking his head firmly. "I know I speak for all three of us when I say that we want to fight beside our pack until the end, whatever that end may be."

Aaron dipped his head to the dark brown Tervuren. "You do us honor with your bravery." He hesitated for a moment, hating what he had to say next. "...Mercy? You... you also can stay if you wish."

Mercy gave him a baffled stare. "Stay behind while my entire pack goes to fight? How could I?"

"Do you really deserve to fight beside us?" Chronos challenged. "You betrayed everything Storm Pack stands for."

"Neither you or your misbegotten pups have the right," Blizzard growled. "You don't deserve to even call yourselves Storm Pack."

Before Aaron could say anything, Mercy stood up, her eyes flashing. "I know what my crime was. I'm reminded of it every single day. And... yes, I regret what I did. But I am still a Storm Pack dog, and so are Kuro and Mira. I would give my life for this pack and I would have given it long ago. Today of all days, let me stand beside you. Let us stand beside you. If we lose our lives to defend our home, what other way could we prove our loyalty?"

No one said anything. Aaron felt pride and love blossom in his heart. "You are a Storm Pack dog, Mercy," he declared, "and so are you, Kuro, and you, Mira. You have fought and hunted for this pack all your lives. Maybe it's mingled blood that flows in your veins, but it doesn't make a difference when that blood is spilled. The same blood ties all of us together, the blood of Storm Pack, blood that believes in loyalty and in bravery. And if you're willing to die for your pack, I don't think it matters who your father is."

Noticeable shock swept through the group. Aaron knew that what he had just said was incredibly scandalous to some of them, but on a day like this he couldn't be bothered to care. The joy of recognition that shone in Kuro and Mira's eyes warmed his heart and he felt as though he had become a true alpha for the first time.

"Solstice?" he barked, turning to the preceptor, the last dog who could stay behind if she desired. "I trust you'll be joining us as well?"

"Of course," the Swiss Shepherd answered with a flick of her tail. "Did you even have to ask?"

Aaron smiled and looked up past the trees to where the sky was beginning to turn pale blue from the rising sun. "Come, Storm Pack. We go to war!"

~

As Storm Pack arrived on the meadow, directly behind Night Pack, Aaron saw the form of a rocky outcropping in the distance with a crowd of dogs around it. Leading the pack over, he saw that Wind Pack and Lake Pack had already gathered and he joined the other three alphas.

They all exchanged polite greetings, but Gannon and Ranger were staring at each other as though they could kill each other with just their eyes. "I haven't forgiven you for killing my father," Gannon growled.

Ranger's face was impassive. "I never forgave him for killing my mother."

Aaron raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard of such a thing in pack gossip before.

"Please," Cassidy interrupted. "Today of all days, we need to put old grudges aside."

Aaron nodded in agreement. "This is a day we'll never forget," he barked. "This may be the first time the packs have ever united like this. Maybe it will be the last."

"We have to entertain that possibility," Martin growled, having just arrived with Frost Pack. "I can't believe I agreed to this."

Aaron flicked an ear at the old alpha. "They would have come for you eventually. Better to face them now, with us."

He considered that it really was bizarre, all the packs uniting like this. For his entire life Aaron had considered all of these dogs queer and inferior, simply silhouettes in the face of Storm Pack's greatness. But on a day like this, they all had the same goal of defending their lives and their homes, and they were going to do so without fear. Although he would have been rather reluctant to admit it, Aaron's respect for them greatly deepened.

"Earth Pack doesn't seem to be coming," Ranger growled after they had waited for a while. Aaron simply nodded. He understood Cordan's reasoning, but on a day like this, where all the packs would unite, how could he stand to the side?

Then, appearing like a crest on the horizon, the wolves came into view. Judging by their expressions, Aaron guessed that they weren't even intimidated by the packs, which he had to give them some credit for. But it's pride that goes before the fall.

Songan, leading the wolves as before, drew closer and called out in his melodious voice, "This is your last chance, dog chieftains. Leave or die."

Aaron rose and walked forward, the other four alphas shoulder-to-shoulder beside him. "If leaving means you desecrate the land of our forefathers, then I choose death," Gannon answered, venom in his tone.

Songan merely dipped his head. "As you wish."

He turned to face his pack and threw his head back so far that his body almost followed. Opening his long muzzle he let out a howl, similar to the song the wolves had sang when they first arrived but also completely different.

"ATTACK!"

This was the warsong, the endsong, and it marked the beginning of a battle that neither side would leave unscathed.