red face.

Chinook was awkwardly lying by the door. We hadn’t spoken since the meeting and I felt helpless. He had been so nice to me and the fact that I didn’t have the power to help him made me upset. What could I do really; I was born as a house pet and lived for a while as a house pet. It would take me a lot to gain the trust of the pack, but for right now, I was tired and weary. I lied on my side and fell asleep.

***

I woke up before the sun rose over the mountains and made my way to the hunter’s den. Inside I saw Kolle and Emerella in the center of the sleeping hunters cuddled up next to each other. She looked happy where she was and I didn’t intend to wake her. I sat outside the cave and waited for my new mentor to wake up.

While I sat patiently for my blue friend to wake up, I noticed a few people were also up and about. I glared as I saw Kolen walking with Junt. He just smirked at me and went back to talking to our alpha. A few moments later, three young wolves came up and sat next to me. The one closest looked up at me and asked,

“Are you the new one in the pack that came with a human?” she asked curiously. She was tawny colored with a brown spot on her eye. She and her two companions looked at her two with her similar curious expression.

“Yes I am.” I answered to the young wolf, “but you can call me Riley.”

“Riley?” said the one next to the tawny colored pup. He was dark grey, with bright yellow eyes, “That’s a weird name.” he laughed.

I sighed and then thought it was just a pup, no biggy. I smiled at the pup and asked, “What’s your name, then?” He straightened up with delight and said, “I’m Odin.” He was a prideful one.

“I’m Ashitaka.” Said the tawny one. Then the reddish one that was farthest away then stood up and finished the name call

“And I’m Klondyke, but our names aren’t really that important until we become hunters.” He said.

“Oh.” I said dumbly, “Then what are you?” they looked at me with disbelief.

“Wow, you are new!” Ashitaka yowled with laughter, “We’re apprentices, Duh!”

I was getting made fun of by little wolves; I really needed to get the pack thing right. Moments later, Kolle walked out and looked at Klondyke, “Ok, come on, Klondyke. Today, you’re starting hunting skills.” The little red wolf followed his mentor and yipped proudly.

Then a brown wolf walked out and took Ashitaka and Odin, “Odin. Your mentor, Ulysses is very ill and I’ll continue your training.” And then walked off out of the camp. Then Emerella popped her head out and yawned and gasped when she saw me.

“Oh bear-skin! I forgot, I’m so sorry, Riley!” she apologized. She didn’t look like the type of being a good teacher but I trusted her.

“Don’t worry about it; I barely woke up this morning myself.” I reassured her. She smiled and I followed her to the training grounds.

***

The training ground was along the border of the territory and was huge! I’ve never seen so much space in my life, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Emerella took me to creak that flowed through the territory and said, “Drink up. You’ll need good strength today.”

I did as she said and then faced her. She gave me a serious look and said, “Why don’t we work on your self-defense skills? It won’t be hard for you after the way you challenged Kolen yesterday.” She giggled to herself. She then unexpectedly lunged at me and I dodged it quickly. I got in fighting position and waited for her to attack again.

She did so by clawing at my feet. I tripped and fell on the ground and Emerella put her foot on my chest with pride and howled. When she wasn’t looking, I kicked at her feet, sending her to the ground. She gasped and I growled at her, then I had a horrible flash back of a bull dog looking the same way.

“Oh my!” I gasped, “Did I hurt you? Oh god, please don’t be.”

“Relax!” she laughed, “That was excellent! The way you maneuvered and sending me to the ground was terrific. You should be proud to have fighting skills as high as you!”

I didn’t know what to say, I thought I really did hurt her but then maybe I did have good fighting skills, it explained me killing the caribou.

“All right, let’s get to hunting.” She said getting up.

***

At the end of the day; I passed my self-defense, failed hunting, and passed at sneak attacks. Hunting was a problem because I kept making noise. She said that we’d work on it tomorrow at noon, which was a better timing. I walked with Emerella back to her den, laughing like girls would, then night fell and I had to get to my home. I couldn’t wait to tell everything I learned to Chinook.

As I walked, I heard someone rustling around in the leaves. I looked behind me and there was no one there. Then I heard someone yell,

“You have no right to be here, you miserable excuse for a wolf!” It was Kolen. I saw him through the bushes. He was yelling at Chinook.

“I’m sorry. Ok? It’s not my fault that badger attacked Ulysses!” Chinook fought back in his crouching position which wasn’t at all a good way too. He didn’t make I contact or look up.

“Yeah, but it’s your job to guard the senior hunters the best you can!”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t send me off to help Riley get to know the pack or offer her shelter that night that wouldn’t have happened!” I didn’t believe it, was I a burden to everyone? After all I did for him he thought I was clueless.

“Well thanks a lot, Chinook!” I growled walking out of the bush. He gasped and Kolen looked pleased.

“Riley, that’s not what I meant…”

“Yeah, I’m just a poor, helpless little house dog that needs to be taken care of, right, Chinook.” I snapped at him. He looked shocked and upset. Kolen stepped away and I heard him laughing.

“Riley, I didn’t mean it I swear.” He pleaded.

“After all I did for you?” I said and I stormed off.

“Wait.” I heard him say softly, but I kept going. After that, I got sick to my stomach as I left Chinook, but why should I care what happens to him, he obviously stabbed me in the back!

    I walked in the cave and stormed by Jack’s sleepless body. He was getting skinnier by the minute and I saw he sketched drawings on the walls. I made my way to the back of the cave where no could hear or see me and lied down and started crying…

***

It was early in the morning when I woke up. I could see the fire Jack had and fallowed it. I saw Chinook by the entrance. He was wide awake and his eyes were red. He didn’t look like the happiest wolf in the world. He looked at me and said, “I’m sorry.” I stormed off and said behind me

“You think you can just say sorry and everything will be fine?” I looked at his face which was covered by a lot of sadness, “I stood up for you and tried to be your friend and then you go and talk bad about me behind my back?!” I walked away and he didn’t answer.  I took off toward the hunter’s den and waited for Emerella to wake up from her sleep. Ashitaka and Odin were there also and then a little bit later Klondyke showed up.

Klondyke looked at me, “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, “You look like you want to kill someone.”

Almost,I thought to myself. I didn’t really want to hurt him but I wasn’t happy about what he said about me either. He had been a hurt wolf who needed someone and I was the only who helped him but he didn’t have to do what he did. Then I wondered if he did kill Lucia. It made sense for someone like him to take away something Junt cared about. He was the one that made him gnaw wolf. But that was impossible, he was with me the whole time.

“Not really.” I told Klondyke. The reddish puppy then waited for his mentor to come.

Emerella was first to come out of the den and we went back to the training grounds. We were at a different place this time and the sun shone through the bare land. It was like a meadow.

“Why don’t we start with your hunting again?” she said happily.

I was better than yesterday at hunting. I caught two mice, a vole, a squirrel and I got lucky by catching a rabbit two. But it was beginning stuff anyway. Real hunters hunted moose’s, deer, antelope, and even mountain lions! It was going to take a life time for me to get it.

At the end of the day, Emerella ended training early to talk to me about something.

“I heard you and Chinook got into a quarrel last night.” I looked at her frustrated, “What happened? I thought you two were going great together.”

I sighed and replied, “I’m sure we were, until he stabbed me in the back.” I told her about what happened with Kolen and Chinook arguing.

“Well, I’m pretty sure he was just mad. That’s all. I mean, I say things I don’t mean when I’m angry.” She told me, II hadn’t thought about that, “aw well, there goes another world’s best couple in the scrap pile!”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked her.

“Well I mean, you two would have made good mates. That’s all I’ meant.” she said. I never had thought about Chinook that way. It took me off guard for a moment. He was