Ash: The Wolves of the World's End

Chapter 5

The next month of Ash's life would have been perfect if Selena wasn't constantly on his mind. Thoughts of her clung to the outskirts of his consciousness; thoughts of longing and affection, but also jealousy.

     Since the pack accepted them, Ash had met the other wolves. There was Remus, who seemed friendly enough, always trying to crack jokes whenever things got tense. There was Jet, whose thoughts and emotions were as concealed as his jet black fur at midnight. And there was Bianca, whose brown fur all the way down to her legs could be mistaken for a tree trunk if she ever could stand still enough.

     Wyrden led the pack north the day after they had arrived, and since then Selena had been by the alpha's side most of the time, while Ash hung in the middle with the others.

     "You smell jealous," Remus commented from his side.

     "I don't want to talk about it."

     Remus chuckled. "Come on, it'll be good for you. So, how did you meet her?"

     He sighed, realizing that Remus wouldn't take no for an answer. "We were pack-mates back in our old pack, before we made it to the mainland. That was it."

     The sun had risen even lower that day, and it was only an hour or two before night had fallen completely, blanketing them under thousands of stars. Other that the soft sound of his paws and the wind, it was almost completely silent. The strong moonlight made the snow they ran on a dazzling white, and for a moment, Ash felt completely at peace in the chilled air of the tundra.

     "Have you ever seen a hunter?" he asked.

     "I have." Bianca had caught up to him and Remus. "Do you mind if I join the conversation?"

     "Why not?" smirked Remus. Bianca rolled her eyes. "I was talking to him. And it doesn't matter, I would have joined in anyways. I'm higher ranking than you, if you've forgotten."

     "No, no, go ahead. We're all ears." Bianca turned her head to face Ash. "I remember when the hunters came." He voice was full of dread and her scent full of fear. "I was with Celeste, Wyrden's mate. She had gone out alone, said she wanted to groom herself. She was out for only a couple of minutes. That's when I heard the sound. It was almost like thunder.

     "At first I was terrified, but I heard Celeste's howls of pain, so I ran as fast as I could. By the time I got to her, they were retreating." She paused to think. "They stood on two legs, and they were taller then you are long. They don't have any fur, but they wear other animal's pelts. But the strangest part is their scent. I've never smelled anything like it; it's unnatural."

     "And Celeste?" Ash pressed. "She died then?"

     Bianca snorted. "Of course she did. How many wolves do you know that have been attacked by a hunter and lived?" Ash sighed. He knew the answer.

     They continued on through most of the night, across the treeless tundra. Ash grimaced at feeling so exposed, wondering if they were being watched even now. The land was so open; there was nowhere to retreat or hide. He turned his gaze towards the horizon and noticed the clear outline of mountains. He felt drawn to them, like bees to flowers, as if there was some security in the snow crusted peaks.

     Eventually, the small bumps on the horizon grew, and Ash felt tiny beneath their awesome power. The scent of pine and fir filled his nose, along with the faint but clear smell of hundreds of small prey.

     Remus sighed with relief. "We're almost to the border. Can you smell it?" Ash concentrated hard and let his mind open to the surrounding woods, until he stumbled upon the scent of a wolf's territory. It was dimmer than he expected, and harder to find.

     "How long has it been since Wyrden marked it?" he asked.

     "Oh, it was a while back during the spring. During Celeste's birthing season. None of the pups survived, though." A low howl echoed from farther up the mountain. The other wolves hurried up the rocks towards it. "Hurry up, " called Bianca. "Wyrden's waiting for us."