Ash: The Wolves of the World's End

Chapter 12

The loud, obnoxious sound of the barking of dogs grew louder as Selena led the pack in a retreat. The short day had already burned out, and the full moon lit up the snow a stark silver. Shadows of trees shot by them like ominous giants as they rushed towards the mountain haven.

     They reached the river, and Selena sniffed for the scent of Samson's pack. Good, they hadn't made it yet.

     The ascent towards the denning area was steep, and she heard Bianca slip. She turned around to see Jet holding her by the fur from falling off the edge. "You okay?" she asked them. Both of them nodded, dazed.

     "We have to hurry, " Ash pleaded. Selena nodded in agreement. Samson's howls were getting louder, even with their good pace. What are we going to do when we get there? she wondered. Fighting was useless against a pack double their size. But we have to do something, she thought to herself as she led them around the last bend in the mountain path.

     The small plateau was stiller than a windless night. "We beat them, " she breathed excitedly. "Everyone, our main task is to protect the haven. They'll take this mountain path first." She looked to Jet, his black fur almost blending into the night. "I need you to find some small boulders, something we can push over onto the dogs. Take Remus with you." Jet growled in compliance, and the two of them raced off. Next she turned to Bianca. "Stay on guard until they get within range of us. Then join up with the pack. Give us a warning howl when they're within sight." The dark brown wolf bowed her tail, then hurried off to the cliff side.

     She thought for a moment while Ash stood. "Ash, go scout out an escape route for us. We're going to need it." Ash bowed his head in acknowledgement. "And Ash?" She approached him slowly, like a lynx stalking a bird. "Good luck." Her muzzle nudged the side of his face, and she couldn't help but smile at his surprise. "What about you?" he whispered back.

     She grinned. "I'm going to pull a trick of my own on Samson."

---

     She found the den's entrance just as she remembered it. The darkness might have hidden the crude hole in the earthen wall from her vision, but her nose was her guide. Her tail quivered at going back into that nightmare again. But the howls of Samson pressed her. Crouching low, she pressed herself through the earthen walls, and resisted the urge to shake the dirt from her thick fur. Her vision was pitch black, so she cautiously relied on her sense of smell.

     Celeste's memories began to swell back through her, but she concentrated all her thoughts on Ash as she forced her way into the den. That was the only way to fight it. She brushed her body over the walls and rolled Celeste's scent into her skin. The feelings were pushing against her like a strong gust of wind, forcing her to acknowledge them. She pushed back with her mind, recalling everything she knew about Ash; his grey fur with the dark stripes down his back, the sound of his voice and the smell of his fur. She worked her way towards the tunnel and towards the fresh air, bursting out to the sound of Bianca's oscillating howl. They were here.

     She heard a loud THUD, followed by angry barking. Good, she thought. Those rocks might've actually worked. Remus' and Jet's cheers gave her a flicker of hope, no matter how naive it may seem.

     Ash bounded to her side, scrunching his nose. "Selena, are you alright? You smell different."

     "That's the point. Have you found an escape route?"

     "Yes, if you could call it one. The path hasn't been used in years though; it was a miracle I could smell it as a hunting trail. It leads north, into the mountain range."