“Why me?” Asked malamute. “Why you are attacking in banzai charge, while I have to run?”

“You are stronger than I.” Said Uniea. “In you spirit you are somehow younger. I had everything in my life. Glory, love, children, another love… another war glory.” He smiled saying that. “But you are still undone. You still are looking for your place. You are just eleven years old child.”

“All right, cut that psychoanalyse. To the point!”

“Additionally, you will live longer than I could.” Said wolf, showing his side. Careful eye would notice a oedema inside his belly. It was sign of some internal damage, most likely wound on liver or other organ. That was telling straight – wolf had not too much of life before him. “I’m glad about that. I’m going to Muista… and to many others you had no opportunity to meet.”

“Greet them from me.” Murmured Steele.

“I will.” Smiled Kostan.

“So, the last question.” Continued dog. “I know my role, but what is your?”

“Ah… the better part.” Said Kostan. “Listen to me…”

[Kostan is going thorough the forest. It’s just before dawn, few hours after he parted with Steele. He is going silently, although he is not sneaking. Just in his walk there is silence itself. Experienced soldier knows how not to be seen. He pass next to few patrols, giving them nods, as if he was one of Talbourne officers. No one tries to stop him.

He hears howls of alarm, when Home Guards are gathering for chase after Steele. He smiles discreetly, knowing that his friend is going well, successfully avoiding any danger. Few times he howls some absurd report too, to cause even more chaos among claners. Without any problem he reaches the Second Cave, current residence of Aleu.]

“You see?” asked Kostan. “I will get there easily. I’m almost sure where Aleu is and I will be there soon.”

“Cool!” snorted Steele. “But tons of guardians will be there too. I think that is a party much above your appetite.”

“Most likely it is.” Said Uniea. “I will judge the situation after examining it on my own eyes. There is high probability that I won’t be able to kill her. But I have a backup plan.”

[Kostan enters the Second Cave and comes deeper, passing by tons of wolves, who ignore him. He finally reaches the main chamber, where is Aleu’s head quarter. Apart of alpha, there are her officers and family. On brushy bedding is lying Dash, wounded and half-awaken, but telling them about his ventures. Just next to alpha sits Shadow, who just has returned with division of his forces. He is tired, however ready to defend his mate, if there is such a need.

Next to Dash is standing Teele – Lightning’s second in command, currently in charge of all recognisance units. She is asking Dash about some details. To that talk about dozen of clan elders are listening.

Then comes Kostan. He just stops next to Teele, seeing that Aleu is out of range of his pounce. He sighs quietly, but then smiles. He says:

“Aleu, of Talbourne. I, Kostan of Uniea Clan, am challenging you of leadership of your group. Let’s settle this as tradition tells us to settle!”]

“WHAT!?” yelled Steele, hearing this. “You are going to do what!?”

“Challenge her.” Repeated Kostan. “Plain and simple.”

“They won’t let you!” gasped dog. “They will tear the living flesh of you, but won’t let to come on distance of pounce to her.”

“I know that.” Replied smiling wolf. “That it’s also a simple genius of my plan.

[Shadow is looking on that scene with disbelief. Thousands of questions are calling in his mind: what does it mean? How it came to this? Why Aleu is in danger? Then a malicious voice shouts at him that he let this happening, he endangered his mate and leaderess. Aleu is slowly standing up, still not comprehending what means the appearance. Quick-tempered wolf is being pushed to action.

If wolf managed to enter territory of the other pack, and he hasn’t asked for hospitality, he is not a guest of pack. He could challenge the alpha of encountered group over the leadership. Fights are in most cases fights to death of claimant or leader. Face of newcomer is clearly showing what he is hoping for.

“I’m waiting for you, Aleu.” Says Kostan, baring his fangs.

But then comes Shadow. He has to react – in walk of Uniea he noticed what others failed to see. A spark of deadly self-assurance, readiness to kill. All others wolves there just ignores a minor threat, but Talbourne marshal knows it isn’t a minor threat. That claimant is a master-killer.

Kostan doesn’t defends himself from sudden back-pounce. He knew that it would come, but he stays indifferent, when Shadow’s paws presses him to the ground and Shadow’s teeth bites his neck.]

“Crap! They will kill you!” gasped Steele.

“I hope for that!” replied Uniea. “Do you understand it? They will break a sacred wolfish law in front of elders of the clan. For all to see how weak and deceitful is Aleu. I bet she will be eager to fight me… But surely one of her guards, maybe Shadow himself, will cut me down, sensing real danger. And that way I will win – I will prove that Talbourne is breaking the very core of our kind’s laws. That clan is an abomination, is not actually real. That it is a crack of being, waiting to be mended. You will mend that error. I believe in you!”

[Kostan is dying, bleeding from bitten neck. His blurred vision focuses on gathered elders and he wrinkles his face, not due to pain, but do to disgust.

“You!” he gasps. “You even can’t face me… You broke the sacred law, outcast! Be damned, you DOG!” and then another bite of Shadow ends his life.

But all gathered there already heard – elders in chamber are looking with confusion of their leaderess. In fact – she broke the law, using his subordinate to kill claimant who had properly challenged her. And in fact – she is dog. Some voices from deeps of minds calls with uneasy tone, asking a question if Aleu was really the best leader. Something changed in Talbourne Clan.]

“That’s only a beginning.” Said Kostan. “The very first hit to that behemoth. But sooner or later we will succeed. Not I, most likely also not you, but ones who fight under our banner will tear that wall down.”

“You are talking like a dreamer.” Said finally Steele.

“That what name of my clan means. Uniea – the ones who dream.”

“Some of dream are nightmares.” Noticed Steele. “One - created by Aleu - surely is.”

“Don’t worry about quests which are not yours.” Advised Kostan. “You have to just burn Talbourne to ashes. As the saint of cinders, you are able to do it.”

“And later?” asked Steele, seeing that Uniea stood us and turned down to valley.

“Those who come after us will worry.” Replied wolf. “But now - go. We have a world to save.”

*

It definitely wasn’t as easy as Steele thought. Initially it was going smoothly, when dog ran unnoticed thought half-sleeping forest. But he had promised Kostan he would make some noise to alert the base. After short consideration he did it in easiest way – he stormed encountered patrol.

“It’s him!” called Shora, but in the next second Steele’s jaws squashed her neck.

Dog jumped aside, letting the second guardian to attack. He decided not to kill young soldier too fast, hoping that he would call alarm. But because inexperienced guardian was focused more on fight, malamute decided to help him in drawing others attention. In easiest possible way.

In next charge, when private Marath pounced on Steele, dog steeped up, shunning the hit, but in the same time he grabbed enemy’s paw and pulled. Wolf fell to the ground, gasping with surprise and pain. But that was much too quiet.

“Auuugh!” yelled Marath, when Steele’s jaws clenched on his paw. Wave of shock was so overwhelming that he couldn’t make a move. So dog was able to press harder and in next few seconds he simply bit the paw away. Private burst with cry.

“Howl, dammit!” thought malamute. “If you don’t be loud enough, I will have to play with your eyes.”

But it wasn’t necessary. When Steele touched again pitiful remnant of soldier’s paw, young wolf gave the purest howl that one could imagine. About two hundreds of Talbourne heard that. They set off to sloped of valley, leaving the main cave almost unguarded. Seeing that Kostan exited the bushes and went the path down, straight to Home Cave.

But for Steele started a run for life. When first rays of light shone from behind the horizon, he was running the northern slope of valley, up hill. On his tail he had over thirty persecutors of Home Guard – the number much too high to even thinking about combat. So dog had to run, and he ran.

But as we said it was a way up, so with every step Steele felt his age and every scratch he had gained in last few days. He understood that even if somehow he reaches the top of hill, he couldn’t run forever. His chase was well rested and it knew the area, so every minute of escape was just bringing him closer to unavoidable death.

“How funny!” he thought. “Kostan, your hopes failed. I won’t get away from this one. You have to kill Aleu yourself.” But malamute felt that was impossible. Brink of forest, indicating the top of slope was closer and closer, however Steele had no guarantee than on the other side there is no more patrols. “All right, Kostan.” He cried in mind. “Now I believe. If there is any good spirit watching over us, could you ask him for any help? I just can’t…”

But in the same moment he exited the forest and passed by the top of slope. He gasped, seeing what was on the other side. It was a small cliff, about thirty metres high, then giant clearing, leading to the bottom of next valley. And further dense forests of Alaska – the sure sanctuary for a running dog. But there was over two miles to reach them and it was straight way down in open space. He had no place to hide. But then dog smiled. He was sick of hiding.

He stopped and turned back, to see first of his persecutors coming

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Next page