was…

“Timbre!” Melody yelled.

She ran over to the wolf, who continued running until he reached an empty chamber at the end of the main chamber.

He slid Timbre to the ground.

Timbre didn’t move.

“Oh no…” Melody said, as she saw what had happened to him.

He was drenched in blood, and it looked like he’d taken a hit to the chest.

Dash walked in just then.

“What… what happened?”” Melody asked, never taking her eyes off of Timbre.

Dash sighed.

“There was a hunter, and… and I guess Timbre saw him first, cause he… he jumped in the way He took a rifle bullet in the chest…”

“Is.., is he dead?” Melody asked.

She lost it then, and collapsed into tears.

“Not yet.” Dash said. “We’ve lost him several times, but he’s come back so far.”

“We’ve got to take him to a vet.” Melody said.

“Sis, you know as well as I do that the vet would just kill him. Timbre’s a wolf.”

“I… I know,” Melody said, “but… but we have to do something!”

Dash sighed.

“The only thing we can do is wait.”

Melody said nothing, just laid down beside Timbre.

Dash sighed again.

“I’m gonna go talk to Aleu, I’ll be back in a little while.”

Dash turned and exited the chamber.

Melody looked at Timbre, who was breathing, but just barely.

“Oh… oh Timbre, I’m… I’m so sorry.” Melody said. “I’m sorry Timbre, I’m sorry for the way… the way I treated you, for… for everything.”

She laid her head on his side, and wrapped her paws around his neck. She didn’t seem to notice the blood she covered herself in by doing this, she just held him.

“Please come back to me Timbre, please….”

At that moment, Talkeet was creeping up the outside of the Storme clan’s cave.

The only light was that of the moon, and the shadow’s concealed his movements.

Talkeet’s mind floated back to the many lessons Lightning had given him on keeping himself quiet and concealed.

He smiled to himself, at the irony of the situation.

“He taught me everything I know, and now I’m using it against them.”

He stopped, as he saw an opening.

Talkeet looked down at the ground far below him.

It had taken almost an hour for Talkeet to scale the outside of the cave.

“Another useful thing he taught me. He always said I’d be the best, now, we’ll just see.”

Talkeet crept up to the entrance.

There was a single gray wolf guarding the entrance.

“If their cave is set up anything similar to ours, this entrance will lead me right to the Alpha’s chambers.”

Talkeet laughed softly.

“This is just too easy.”

Talkeet lowered his body until it was very close to the ground, then he crawled until he was underneath the small ledge that the gray sentry was standing on.

“Now for a little bait.” Talkeet thought.

He looked around and saw a rock near the edge of the ledge.

Talkeet put his paw on top of it and scraped it against the rock of the ledge.

The gray wolf’s ears perked up at the scraping sound that Talkeet produced.

“What’s that?” He said.

He walked over to the edge, and looked down.

Talkeet was waiting for him.

His paw caught the wolf’s shoulder, and Talkeet threw him off of the ledge.

The wolf didn’t make a sound, as Talkeet watched his body bounce off of several rocks, before crashing some two hundred feet to the ground far below.

Talkeet pulled himself up onto the ledge, and walked forward, into the Storme cave.

Talkeet crept slowly into the chamber.

He could just barely make out the shapes of three sleeping wolves.

He walked quietly up to them.

“Not here…” He thought.

Just then, the mother’s eyes opened.

She yawned.

“What…” she started to say.

Talkeet moved quickly.

His paw came down sharply on the side of her head, knocking it back into the rock floor. She yelped once, and Talkeet put all of his weight onto his front paw.

Her head collapsed.

Talkeet pulled his paw away, and grimaced a bit at the blood that coated it.

He turned to the two sleeping pups behind him.

“Better safe than sorry…” He thought.

He walked over to the male, and closed his jaws around the young wolf’s throat. Then he bit down.

The wolf’s eyes opened, and he tried to scream, but could not. He struggled for a minute or so, then went limp.

Talkeet dropped him to the floor, and moved over to the female.

She was younger, and still slept silently.

Talkeet laid down beside her, and put his paw over her nose and mouth, then he pressed back.

Talkeet watched as her chest rose and fell, got more rapid, and then stopped.

Talkeet stood up and started to walk away, when a voice stopped him.

“What?! Who are….”

The wolf stopped as his gaze fell on his family.

The mother and son were clearly dead, and as he continued to watch, tears coming to his eyes, he realized his daughter wasn’t breathing.

“What… have… what have you done?!”

“Who are you! And… and why…”

The wolf collapsed into tears.

Talkeet calmly stepped out of the darkness, and into the moonlight.

“Talkeet!” The wolf said.

“Kitok.” Talkeet said.

The two wolves stared at each other.

“Why?” Kitok choked out, “why have you done this?”

Talkeet smiled, and leapt at Kitok.

The wolf, who was much older than Talkeet, was slow, and Talkeet’s attack caught him by surprise.

Talkeet’s paw smacked Kitok right in the face, and he staggered back, out of the chamber, blood running from a cut above his eye.

Kitok shook his head, and looked up just as Talkeet hit him again.

The old wolf backed against the edge of a drop all the way to the bottom of the cave, some two hundred feet.

Kitok glared at Talkeet.

“Why have you done this?! We... we could have defeated the Uniea, you were the best out there!”

Kitok growled, and lunged at Talkeet, catching the young wolf off guard, and slamming him to the floor.

Kitok was on top of him before Talkeet had a chance to get up.

Talkeet slid under Kitok, as he slammed his paw into the rock, intending to hit Talkeet’s face.

Now under the wolf, Talkeet tore into his belly and tripped him with his paws.

Kitok screamed and fell forward.

Talkeet got up on top of him, and snapped his jaws around the back of Kitok’s neck.

Talkeet jerked his head sideways, and felt blood spray on his face, as the fight ended with a snap.

Kitok’s head fell to the rock.

The old wolf was dead.

Talkeet got off of him, Kitok’s blood covered his face and chest.

He howled, long and sharp.

The wolves of the Storme clan all emerged from their chambers, wondering what was going on.

They saw Talkeet, and one of them started to charge up toward him.

Talkeet drug Kitok’s body to the edge, and threw it off.

It landed, and virtually exploded in the middle of the crowd of wolves.

Collectively, they all gasped.

Each looked, one to another, wondering what they should do, then, slowly, the one in front knelt down.

Soon the others followed suit, until all of the clan members knelt before Talkeet, their new Alpha…

Chapter 12

Talkeet woke early the next morning.

Gareth and the attack units were up as well.

“Today is the day.” Talkeet said. “Today Aleu dies, and war along with her.”

“Do you think it’s wise to do this so soon after your fight with Kitok sir?” Gareth asked.

Talkeet nodded.

“Aleu doesn’t know about the Storme clan’s shift in allegiance, that’s what will help you and your units win the fight on the ground.”

Gareth nodded.

“Now, leave me, all of you.” Talkeet said. “I must dedicate myself and my thoughts to the attack ahead. This is going to take everything every one of us has.”

“Yes sir.” Gareth said.

The wolves turned, and led by Gareth, they left the chamber.

When Talkeet was sure they were gone, he knelt to the ground.

A cold wind blew through the chamber.

“Shade.”

“What is it, my servant?” A dark voice answered.

“I’m going to need your help oh lord, if I am to pull this off.”

“Yesss,” the voice hissed. “You will have it.”

“Does our deal still stand?” Talkeet asked.

“You kill Aleu,” Shade said, “and I promise you peace, and the power to keep it.”

Talkeet nodded.

“Are you sure you can do it?” The voice asked.

“Yes my lord,” Talkeet said, standing. “I will do whatever is necessary.”

“Good,” the voice said, “now go, go and do that which you have been commanded.”

“I will my lord.” Talkeet said.

The cold breeze stopped, and the voice spoke no more.

Talkeet didn’t like dealing with Shade, but Daie had taught him that only through the power that evil could provide, could he triumph over Aleu.

Talkeet walked from the chamber.

The sun was just beginning to rise, when Talkeet came within site of the cave.

He