all nodded.

“Sounds good to me.” Talkeet said.

The brown wolf moved to the front of the group.

“Well let’s get going then.” Light said.

Talkeet walked to the end of the small pack, beside Snow, and the group started walking through the snow.

 

It was some hours later.

How many, Talkeet didn’t really know, but it felt like they’d been walking forever.

Snow was starting to stumble a little ahead of him.

Talkeet was concerned.

“Stop!” He yelled.

Everyone stopped.

“What the…” Light said, as Talkeet walked up to him.

“Hey, I’m the leader, I’ll say when we stop, okay?”

“Snow’s having problems, and the rest of us are going to start to have them soon, it’s just too cold. We’ve got to stop.”

“No,” Light said, “we continue on, it’s the only way to reach the end of this thing.”

“If we don’t stop, none of us will make it through this!” Talkeet yelled.

“Look,” Light said, “I’m the leader.”

He looked around the group.

“You all chose me, right? Now let me lead.”

There were mixed emotions among the group.

Most wanted to stop, but saw the truth in what Light had said.

“Now come on,” Light said, “we continue on.”

The group started forward again.

Talkeet shook his head and fell in to the rear.

 

Two hours later, Talkeet was still walking through the snow.

The only wolf he could see was Snow, as she stumbled through the storm.

“We’ve got to stop.” Talkeet thought, “Snow isn’t going to make it if we don’t.”

Suddenly, Snow stopped walking, and fell on her face.

Talkeet ran up to her.

He knelt down beside her, all of the coldness that he had felt a few moments ago, gone.

She was dead.

“Stop!” Talkeet yelled.

Again, everyone stopped.

Light came to Talkeet this time, or to where he could see him anyway.

He looked angry.

“Talkeet, what did I say back…”

Talkeet cut him off.

“Why don’t you just shut up and get your butt over here!”

Light walked forward until he too could see Snow laying on the snow covered ground.

“What’s the matter with her?” Light asked, a bit of irritation coming into his voice.

Talkeet lost it.

‘SHE’S FREAKIN DEAD, THAT’S WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH HER!”

He looked down at Snow’s unmoving body.

A tear rolled out of his eye.

“Snow is dead.” He said again, softly, “she’s… she’s dead.”

“She knew the risks,” Light said, “same as all of us.”

“Talkeet stood up, even angrier now.

“Don’t you feel even a little bit responsible?!”

“No,” Light said, as he gazed down at the dead wolf. “The weak will die off to make room for the strong.”

Talkeet was so incensed, he wasn’t able to say anything, he just began to shake.

He knew, as he looked down at Snow, at what had happened to her, and why, what he had to do.

“Light, I challenge you for control of this group.”

‘What?” Light asked.

Talkeet assumed a defensive pose.

“You heard me.”

The other wolves circled around the two.

“You don’t want to do this Talkeet.” Light said, “I’d hate to have to kill you.”

Talkeet glared back at him.

“You’re right Light, I don’t want to have to do this, but I have to…”

He tossed his head at the wolves surrounding them.

“… for them.”

“So be it.” Light said.

Then he rushed Talkeet.

All of the training that Talkeet had undergone kicked in then, and for the first time, he fought as he was taught, defensively, reacting to the opponent’s attack.

As Light jumped at him, Talkeet sidestepped, and snapped his jaws shut.

He felt his teeth tear through skin, and muscle, and then a lot of blood flooded into his mouth.

Light didn’t land on his paws.

He hit the ground on his side, rolled a few times, and was still.

Talkeet almost fell over.

“I… I did it again.” He thought.

He looked down at the unmoving wolf.

Talkeet had ripped a large hole right through Light’s throat.

Blood steamed in the coldness, as it puddle in the snow.

Talkeet turned back to the startled group before him.

“Alright, we need to find shelter, anyone know anyplace?”

A gray wolf stepped forward.

“There’s a small cave a few miles from here, my sister and I used to play in it all the time when we were younger.

Talkeet nodded.

“Then we’ll go there, wait out the storm.”

He moved to the head of the group.

“Someone get Snow, I’m not going to leave her out here.”

Another gray wolf walked over, and the other’s helped settle Snow’s body on his back.

“You,” Talkeet said, tossing his head at the first gray wolf. “Lead us to that cave.”

The wolf nodded his head and took the lead.

The small group began moving again soon after.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

Talkeet and the group he now led made it to the cave about two hours later.

They were all freezing by the time they got there.

Two of them had collapsed, and the rest felt as if they would.

The two wolves that had been carrying the ones who had fallen sat them on the ground.

Snow was left outside.

The wolves padded slowly out of the storm, into the cave.

Talkeet lingered, looking to see if they could see him… they couldn’t.

He knelt down beside Snow.

She had been out in the storm long enough, that when Talkeet touched her…. she was frozen.

He couldn’t believe she was dead.

His thoughts drifted back to the day that they’d met….

 

Talkeet’s first day of training to hunt was today.

He padded slowly into the chamber.

Most of the wolves in the chamber were older than him, and had been training for the last year.

Talkeet wasn’t actually supposed to be here yet, none of his siblings were, but… everyone, including Shadow, had said that he was maturing faster than the other wolves his age, so they had moved him up.

He didn’t mind, it was a very good thing.

But it left him all alone, he didn’t know any of the wolves before him, because the pups were expected to socialize with other’s their age. Thus… all of his friends were still in the nursery.

He was a little afraid, not of the training, he knew that he could do that, it was fear of not being accepted.

The other, older wolves regarded him with mixed stares, but most of them were questioning.

He stood over there, by himself for a little while, before a white female walked over to him.

“Oh great.” He thought.

Talkeet had never been able to handle himself well around females; he was scared he’d say something dumb.

“Hey,” she said, a smile spreading across her face. “You new?”

Talkeet nodded.

“You look a little young for the training.” She said.

“Yeah…” Talkeet stuttered.

“Man, this is a beauty.” He thought.

“…well… Shadow said I was ready.”

She nodded.

“Good enough for me. My name’s Snow.”

“Hello Snow.” Talkeet said.

She smiled again.

“What’s yours?”

“Talkeet,” he answered.

She laughed.

“Well Talkeet, come on, I’ll introduce you to the others.”

A brown wolf walked up then.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“He’s training with us Light.” Snow said.

“Well, you look a little young, try to keep up. I hate it when Shadow has to go over something over and over.”

Talkeet nodded.

“I think you’ll find that I’m a fast learner.”

Light frowned.

“Well, watch that attitude, or I might have to cut you down a notch.”

Talkeet was about to reply, when Snow unknowingly cut him off.

“Oh Light, be nice, for once.”

Light looked down at her.

“Did you practice those rolls Snow, cause if Shadow has to teach those things again, I’m gonna lose my mind, and that’s not pretty.”

Light walked away, then turned, still walking.

“Just watch yourself youngster.”

Snow sighed as he walked toward a group of what were obviously his friends.

“Sorry about him Talkeet.”

“Why do you have to be sorry?” Talkeet asked. “I don’t know.” She said.

She smiled again.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to a few of my friends.”

The two of them walked toward a group of young wolves.

Talkeet sighed, as the memory ended.

He lightly nuzzled Snow’s face, and pulled back sharply when he felt how cold she was.

I never told you…. well, I guess it’s too late now.”

He paused, and a single tear ran down his face.

“I… I can’t believe it….” He said aloud, “you had such a life to live….”

He sighed again and turned to walk into the cave.

Then he stopped and

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