Wild Dogs: Run

Chapter Five

I walk into the cave Roseycheek and I are staying after a "peaceful" evening hunting patrol. Cedartail, the wolf leading the patrol, promised that he will make sure that it's perfectly peaceful, but one of the wolves on the patrol, Stonetail insulted Riverbend, Cedartail's mate, about her disability. The other two wolves, Ferntail and Crowclaw, couldn't keep themselves out of it.

It's been two days since since Tigerfir warned us not to go on the hunting patrol that Squirrelfoot was offering Roseycheek and I.

"I caught these for you when I was on the hunting patrol." I greet Roseycheek, dropping the two voles in front of her. She went on an afternoon hunting patrol- King Snowfur's orders- probably so Roseycheek and I don't escape.

"How was that patrol?"

"Horrible." I say dramatically, hoping to put a smile on Roseycheek's face. I settle down beside her.

She turns to face me, shocked (and with a piece of the vole dangling slightly out of her mouth). "What happened?" Roseycheek says loudly, her voice muffled.

"Cedartail promised me that it would be peaceful-"

"But it wasn't?"

I reluctantly sigh. "Yeah. Stonetail insulted Riverbend about her deformed spine and Ferntail and Crowclaw thought that it was better getting into the argument than staying out of it. I'm pretty sure they scared most of the prey away."

Roseycheek snorts with amusement.

"Anyways, how have sitting here been?"

A sad look comes back to her. She drops her head. "Terrible. I was about to run out of here because I want to leave so badly."

"Me too." Guilt suddenly washes over me. "Remember that I mentioned an omen a couple days ago?"

She turns to me and nods.

I explain the omen to the best of my ability, every little detail included the mysterious she-wolf."

"Oh my..." she trails off in shock. "I um... has an omen too. Last night."

An omen given to a student? That's unusual.

"What was it about?"

"The exact same thing, except the she-wolf wasn't there."

Terror crawls in my belly.

"I think we should leave tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, that kind of sort if sounds like a plan we should've done a while ago, but since King Snowfur is a complete and utter fox-heart you have to create another plan that ends up with us staying here longer than I would like."

"Alright, so we're leaving tomorrow morning."