hearing no such a sound they finally entered the other clearing…

…and that time an ambush went perfect. Avengers were split into two teams, one to kill one of the leaders. Steele pounced on Ea and Kostan attacked Bilir – then other wolves had to flood victims with mass if their commanders failed to kill in first approach. Two corporals had no chances to survive, but the main fear of Avengers was to prevent them from alarming the rest.

Uniea Pawmaster overturned enemy wolf. When they were both falling down, he grabbed Bilir’s neck and clenched his jaws. Then he stood on paws, waving held enemy and wagging them like a just caught game. He finally hit with adversary to the trunk of pine, squashing his spine. Steele had a harder piece of meat.

Ea – however she was much weaker than Bilir – was much faster. She evaded first charge of malamute and even jumped aside then wave of wolves came to her to finish the job. Driven by some supernatural sense of duty, she understood that her main quest was to alert the pack. She inhaled deeply… then fell to the snow, being tripped by Venn, who lost the first wave of attack, but reacted properly, seeing enemy aware of danger.

Ea – spitting with snow that had gotten to her mouth - rolled aside, shunning jaws of Venn. She tried to stand up after few metres of roll, but before she erected her paws, from the air came another persecutor. It was Muista, who knew her job well. Silver wolf put her jaws around muzzle of enemy and pressed, keeping her from opening her mouth. Then came Steele with his aftermatch. Without deliberation he bit corporal’s throat, second time on that evening killing in one move.

Practise makes perfect. That was all.

“Crap!” he snorted, letting dead body of Ea loose. “That was close…”

“I see you’re getting old, December.” Said Kostan, coming to commander. “It took you two attempts.”

“Hold on still and we see if third time I’m be lucky!” snorted dog.

“Boys, calm down.” Said Elske. “We have a serious problem.”

“Yeah, we must think fast, before they notice something is wrong.” Added Annen. “Any plan, December?”

“Right, listen to me.” Started Steele. “I don’t know how numerous it that group, but we have two options. They are too strong for us, so we must flee anyway, or we could win with them, and we will do that. I will decide when I see the enemy… If they are too strong, we are roasted, because our cover is up. That’s why if that is possible, we will try to wipe them out. All of them! We will sneak closer and attack, leaving no one alive to alarm Home Cave. Is that clear?” Reflections of bared fangs was only reply to him. Avengers finally smelt a real blood to be shed. “All right, so follow me. I’m on lead, November follows me, August closes the group. Don’t charge unless I told you, but after that, kill everyone. I hope that I don’t have to explain that order?” He turned to Tro and smiled with malicious smile. “This time you have my permission to make up your pretty muzzle as you wish!”

Unit formed a sneaking formation and set off to forest.

 

IV. Killing Time

 

Clearing where Talbourne group was camping was not too large. It was elongated backwater of some torrent, about fifty metres wide and about hundred long. Around it pine forest was tightly embracing that glade, what made any sound from the other clearing inaudible. That also helped Avengers in sneaking to enemy. They were coming very fast, trying to attack before any of Talbourne soldiers would react. However it was vain fear, because second squad slept deeply for all the time when their leaders died.

Steele regretted that there was no time to teach his subordinates the Morse code, that dog had learned during human-service. On the other paw he hadn’t learned wolf-hunting-code too well, so silent communication of body language was very limited during that mission. But they established quickly few things.

The weather was very unfavourable for Avengers – it was clear and frosty night, without any snowfall nor wind. Maybe running of eventual survivors from Talbourne group would be hard, but conditions gave enemies an opportunity to communicate via howling. If any of attacked wolves got away from valley there was a serious chance that his call would alarm some nearby Talbourne units. Avengers didn’t know that there was no military Talborne units in range of howl, but Steele assumed that as a born-pessimist. That why he gave orders to exterminate any survivor, before she or he would alarm anyone else.

But rest of conditions support assassins – due to dense forest they were able to sneak almost to enemy and even form a typical horse shoe-formation. Moreover soldiers were grouped in eastern part of glade while civilians were farther. Steele prayed to his bloodthirsty ancestors that Talbourne warriors would decide en bloc to stand for civilians instead of running away with alert.

Avengers had crushing advantage over claners – maybe counting civilians Talbournes were more numerous, but about military personnel it was eight to twelve. Additionally claners were still sleeping and Steele hoped to take out at least half of them before some real combat start. So plan was simple – kill soldiers, then kill anyone who could betray Avenger’s position.

“Go!” malamute wagged a starting signal with his tail. Twelve death-shadows set off from their hidings.

“Sarge, is that you?” asked Kelleth, private of beta squad, taking dark fur of dog as coat of Darko.

“Guess.” Replied newcomer and pounced towards surprised soldier.

This fight was quick – wolf was still on the ground, while Steele attacked him for ideal position. With first blow dog pinned enemy to the snow with all his mass, then grabbed his throat. Then started a harder part – he didn’t want to kill soldier yet, only to knock him down. Steele had given order to save at least one military to interrogate him, but he suspect that his bellowed Avengers after entering a blood frenzy would slash all living foes, not looking on consequences. So he had to worry of every detail.

“Wait!” wheezed choking soldier. “I’m giving up.”

“That’s cool!” replied Steele and hit forehead of prisoner with his head. Kelleth lost his consciousness.

Then dog stood up and looked back on battle behind him. It was a beautiful view for Steele – he killed so many creatures in his life that we was able to appreciate artistry of bloody scene. Talbourne had been taken from surprise and three of them (not counting Kelleth) had been hit down before they wake. But four remaining soldiers managed to stand up and fight, even if that was no use to win. Kostan killed his adversary and ran to main battle where four privates had been surrounded by tight circle of avengers. He called to Steele.

“Get civilians, we will handle them!”

Dog wagged his tail and five wolves followed him. He stormed on chaotic mass of waking up refuges, giving his bites at random. He was aiming in legs, trying to stop all eventual runaways. But just after him were going Tro and Else, mercilessly finishing what dog had started. Steele heard nauseating sounds of squashing tracheas and breaking bones. But he didn’t stop, knowing that his companions would do the job properly. He just moved ahead, catching more and more victims in his grab. It wasn’t hard – most of them were elders and females.

“Can’t you fight as a male, with equal enemy?” yelled hoary furred old wolf, whose leg Steele squashed in one bite.

“I can, I did and got bored with that!” replied dog plunging his fangs into wolf’s neck. After few seconds of pressing he threw lifeless body of enemy to the ground.

Meanwhile the battle with four living soldiers was going weird – privates tried to pierce the circle and get away to help slaughtered civilians. One of them – older male called Berky (he was commissioned once again after heavy losses of Talbourne just after deflection of Talkeet) – managed to jump over line of Avengers and rushed ahead. Muista crossed his path and hit his side. Both wolves overturned.

But Berky was much tougher that he looked – he quickly grabbed Muista’s paw and pulled hard, standing on his legs in the same time. Wolfess rolled aside, yelping from pain, while male prepared to another pounce. Muista was thrown on snow and due to shock she stayed in place for three seconds. Meanwhile Berky pounced from the ground and…

…as hit in side by Kostan. Pawsmaster flew with enemy two metres aside, aptly reaching his neck. They both fell on the snow, submerging in whiteness and wrestling in white clouds of flaks. Before Muista stood up and ran to that fight, snow around two wolves turned to red.

“Kostan!” called silverfurred with fear. She know that it was impossible for ordinary wolf to win with pawmaster, but view of red scared her in first impulse.

“I’m here.” Replied blood-spotted warrior, standing up. “God, it was close!” He jumped to wolfess and nestled to her side. He was scared too – she just had avoided her death.

“Thanks… November.” Whispered Muista, hugging him. “But I’m all right. We have a work to do.”

So they instantly turned back and rushed to friends. But silverfurred noticed as Blad finished last living soldier, so she turned back again to the columns of civilians. There Steele, Tro, Elske, Brann and Sno were finishing the quest. The most successful runaway made his way only to half a distance to brink of forest. Then malamute took him away with aimed hit in the neck. The battle was over.

“Pack!” barked Steele. “Come to me!” Seeing that all were unhurt (apart of really minor injuries) he sighed with relief. “Good, good. But come here, all of you.”

“Mission accomplished.” Smiled Venn, showing his blooded lips. He personally took one of soldiers. That was his first personal kill.

“You deserved a monument, but now we must think about something. No!” he called, seeing as Elske

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