you dear?"
Kiona sighed. "Yeah... yeah I am, not thinking about it, but I'm doing it."
Olathe smiled. "So you weren't going for a walk then. were you?"
Kiona smiled sheepishly. "Well... a really long one."
Olathe smiled and walked up beside Kiona. "I thought as much. Today got you shook up didn't it?"
Kiona nodded. "Yeah... yeah it did."
Olathe smiled again and laid her paw on Kiona's shoulder. "Kiona... as the Alpha female you have a lot of weight placed on your shoulders, and I think you're just getting to learn that now. Even though Achak leads the pack, you and your relationship have to stand the absences, the seperation, and the fact that even though Achak loves you, and would give his life for you, ultimately you have got to be second in his life. It's no easier on him than you dear, believe me..." She smiled and looked into Kiona's eyes. "I know Achak never seems to show a weakness, but I've had my share of talks with him in the middle of the night too."
Kiona smiled. "Thank you Olathe, really, I appreciate your concern... but I have to go after him."
Olathe nodded. "Ultimately you must do what you feel is right of course." She said. "...but before you go, I believe you asked me a question that I haven't answered yet. Do you remember what it was?"
Kiona smiled. "Alright Olathe, I'll bite... what are you doing up so late."
Olathe smiled. "I knew I'd meet you here."
Kiona laughed. "Alright Olathe, now you've got my curiosity up, how'd you know you'd meet me out here?"
Olathe smiled. "I was young and impatient once too Kiona. Cheveyo had to go on a long excursion one time just after we met.. I was sick at the time and he told me to stay behind. ...and I did, for a while... but then I got worried about him. He was investigating the news that some humans had moved up near where we had the pack then. I decided to go after him."
"What happened?" Kiona asked.
"I nearly died." Olathe said. "A snowstorm kicked up out of nowhere, and now not only was I sick, but I was caught in a blizzard. I howled for help, and eventually Cheveyo found me... if he hadn't... I wouldn't be standing here talking with you right now."
Kiona smiled and looked up. "Well there's not a cloud in the sky Olathe, so I don't think I have to worry about a blizzard. I'll be fine."
Kiona turned to walkaway, but Olathe's voice stopped her. "Kiona, you know he's not going to be happy to see you. As your Alpha he ordered you and as your mate he asked you to stay here. He won't be happy that you defied
him."
Kiona sighed and looked behind her. "I know Olathe... but if that's the consequence of being with him then so be it. I don't care about anything else right now."
Olathe nodded. "...be safe Kiona."
Kiona nodded. "I will be."
Olathe turned and walked back in the cave, but Kiona just stood there for a moment. "Odd," she thought. "I thought she'd try to stop me."
Then she shook her head and turned back to the forest. "I need to keep my focus." She thought. "...of all the times to lose it, this would be one of the worst."
Kiona waited for her eyes to adjust to the pitch blackness of night, and then she set off through the woods at a dead run. "Hang on Achak..." She thought ."I'm coming..."
Chapter 10
Aleu's eyes fluttered open. She'd been awoken by someone shaking her. She blinked the effects of sleep away from her eyes to see that that someone was Shadow.
His face bore a look of concern and sighed. "Aleu, we have to get you out of here, quickly."
Aleu sat up. "...why Shadow?" She asked. "What's wrong?"
"Humans in the cave." He said. "Now come, follow me."
Aleu nodded. "...let me wake the kids."
Shadow shook his head. "There's no time Aleu. I'll come back for them. First we have to get you out of here."
Aleu nodded. "...alright." She said.
Shadow turned and started to walk out of the chamber. Aleu started to follow but a voice stopped her. "...mom?"
Aleu turned to see Lima standing there. She smiled. "Hey Lima, why are you awake at this hour?"
"I heard dad talking so I came in here." Lima said. "What's wrong?"
Aleu shook her head. "Nothing... nothing is wrong sweetheart, go back to bed. You'll need your rest."
Lima smiled. "Okay Mom." She said Then she turned to walk away.
"...and be quiet." Aleu added.
Lima turned to look at her mother.
"...your brothers are sleeping." Aleu said.
Lima nodded. She was about to speak, but an explosion cut her off.
Lima's face disintegrated and a wash of blood and gray fur splashed against the wall.
"LIMA!" Aleu yelled.
"Come on Aleu!" Shadow yelled.
Another shot rang out and a chunk exploded out of the rock right beside Aleu.
Shadow ran past her and Aleu followed, running into the kid's chamber.
Tears pured down Aleu's face as the events of scarcely a second earlier played itself over and over again. "...Lima is dead..." She thought.
Aleu collapsed on the floor.
"Get up Aleu!" Shadow called.
This noise woke the other two boys. Thunder was up first. "Mom, what's wrong?!" He asked. Then he saw Lima's paw sticking out of the entrance to the door and the pool of blood that was rapidly spreading from underneath it.
"...Lima!" He yelled. Then he ran toward her.
"No, Thunder don't!" Shadow called, but it was too late.
As soon as Thunder crossed the threashold of the chamber another shot rang out and Thunder dropped.
"...Thunder!" Aleu yelled.
Thunder pulled himself up on his forelegs and with some effort, finally made it to his paws. He turned and Shadow gasped.
A hole the size of his paw had manifested itself in his son's chest. The front of Thunder's chest was covered in blood and a line of it was tricking out of his mouth. His muzzle trembled and Aleu's mouth dropped open as she stood and walked toward him.
"...Thunder?" She said.
Then another shot rocked the chamber and Thunder's muzzle exploded forward and disintegrated into a mixture of blood and fur that splattered on Aleu's face and chest. What was left of Thunder's head fell to the right and he slumped to the ground.
Aleu stood there, her muzzle trembled as if she were going to say something, but no sound came out. She shook her head and body, trying to fling the blood out of her fur, but it was no use. It was there to stay.
A man stepped into the chamber then, rifle held to his shoulder. Aleu just stood there as the man aimed at her.
"...Aleu!" Shadow yelled. He leapt forward and collided with Aleu just as the shot went off.
Aleu was knocked to the ground. Shadow didn't catch himself, but sprawled on top of her.
She picked up her head and Shadow smiled. "I... I love you." He said.
Aleu felt something wet on her shoulder then and looked down. A large round hole was letting blood squirt in a steady pulse from Shadows neck, where it splashed onto her shoulder.
"...Sh...Sha...Shadow?" Aleu asked.
Shadow laid his head on her shoulder. "I'm... I'm sorry Aleu... sorry... sorry I couldn't save... save you and... and the kids..."
At this Aleu looked up to see the human smile as he raised his rifle again.
"...dad!" Luke yelled.
Aleu shut her eyes as the shot went off. She didn't need to look to know that her son had been killed. The silence was enough.
She sighed and tears continued to poor down her face. She couldn't even speak anymore. She just pulled Shadow close to her and held him as his breathing got more and more shallow. In reality it was only a minute, but to Aleu it seemed much longer until finally she didn't feel his warm breath against her neck anymore.
She looked up to see the human level his rifle at her. Aleu stared down the barrel.
"...why?" She thought.
The last thing Aleu heard was the shot...
Aleu's eyes fluttered open. She'd been awoken by someone shaking her. She blinked the effects of sleep away from her eyes to see that that someone was Shadow.
His face bore a look of concern and sighed. "Aleu, we have to get you out of here, quickly."
Aleu sat up. "...why Shadow?" She asked. "What's wrong?"
His reply sent shivers up her spine "Humans... in the cave..."
Chapter 11
Shanaea sighed. She stood on the top deck of the old trawler, looking out over the expanse of frozen snow and ice below. She glanced back over her shoulder at the wheel house. She could see the blanket that she slept on every night, and right beside it the pale blue one that Tiembe had slept on.
She turned her head toward the frozen plains again and sighed. "I wonder where you are." She thought.
It had been only a few days since she'd went to sleep beside him. When she awoke the next morning he was gone. At first Shanaea had thought that
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comebacks some how I've got my fingers crossed