Chapter 10

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The hunters tied him up alone that night.

     Every inch of his body was sore from the run, or from where the whipping sounds had stung him. As the younger hunter dragged him off away from the camp to tie him up, he felt ready to collapse at any moment; not just from the pain, but from the mental fatigue.

     Is this how they do it? he wondered, his legs giving out under him as he laid down. Will they run me into submission, or until I die? His memories already felt hazy as he tried to remember what selena had smelled like, or the joy of a fresh kill on his teeth. He tried to think back to him and her alone, having escaped Pandora's wolves. When he had felt free: free to go anywhere or be anything. He had been foolish.

     The wind swept through the overcast sky above the camp. How far they had travelled, Ash had no idea. The new camp was near a small stream with a thin membrane of ice already settled to the top. His captors got to work quickly, one out gathering wood, another unloading strange supplies. Ash watched with curiosity as they huddled around a stack of wood, one of them striking two stones together. Ssss! A glowing spark of yellow light jumped onto the wood, catching Ash by surprise. He had assumed that the hunters had some odd magic they used to create fire, not just two ordinary stones. Slowly, the hunters added logs to feed the flames, until it cast strange shadows throughout the camp that danced like demons.

     He watched the fire twist and sway, until he saw a shape appear. Blinking out of shock, he couldn't see how the hunters didn't notice it. Two glowing eyes emerged, their irises sheathed in darkness, staring at him. The flame spread, until it was a face, a face he recognized as his own. Every instinct from the tip of his tail to his muzzle told him to cower, to run , to do anything. But he couldn't move; he was tied to a pole. And the face advanced, its fire expanding into a sleek body with powerful legs and claws. Where it stepped, snow instantly vaporized. Ash growled, he whimpered, but still it continued, until it stood before him, a fiery beast of the wild.

     "The vine, " he whispered, and the wolf turned its gaze towards the rope that held him prisoner. With one bite, it severed, and Ash felt a surge of relief. He was free! "Now where's Remus?" He scanned the camp, but the fire-wolf growled. He could feel its apprehension as it tried to convince him to escape alone. "No," he said firmly, "those are my friends. We can save them."

     A howl nearby jolted Ash. Selena. The dogs panicked, barking and whimpering in fear. Ash saw a hunter reach out into a bag and pull out a long, thin object that shone in the firelight. He didn't know what it was, but he knew automatically that they were in danger. Remus' howling made up his mind. "Come on," he snapped, leaping into the firelight. Selena and her pack had moved into the open, circling the camp as if this were any normal hunt. In the dim light, he could still notice how much her appearance had changed after being alpha for a few days. New, dark red fur had grown down her back down to her tail and around her muzzle. She looked fierce and powerful. "Look out!" he called as a hunter aimed his shining object at her. A sound louder than thunder exploded out, and the tip of the spear burst with light as something hit a tree by Selena. "Attack!" she cried, and a chorus of howls replied.

     Ash saw the hunter with the thundering stick fumble with it, and he leapt forward, clamping his teeth around his leg, tasting blood. The hunter screamed as he struggled to throw Ash, bringing the stick down at hum. But Ash let go in time to avoid the blow, and the hunter crawled towards the fire, trying to staunch the flow of blood. Ash howled victoriously, and his fiery companion followed suit.

     The dogs barked their own battle cry, as Ash realized they had been released. Even with Jet free, they were outnumbered. Wyrden and Samson clawed and slashed at the onslaught, but they soon retreated. "Where's Remus?" he called out, but he soon spotted him, still tied and fighting with the dogs. Ash howled, scattering most of them. He raced towards Remus with his orange shadow, tackling a dog that had strayed too close to his friend. "Wait, Ash," it muttered, and Ash realized that it was Bard. "Listen, I don't have much time," the older dog continued. "Your father is heading north, to the place where two worlds meet. Follow the coast north, and you'll find him." Ash heard a clicking noise, and knew a hunter was aiming at them. "I'll hold them off for you," Bard promised. "Now go!" Ash cut Remus' rope with one swift bite. "Thank you." Remus' voice was tired, but still trusting of him.

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