Journey of Survival Part 2

By KingAhura Werewolf

Rachen looked out of their den it had been to days since Progue, Jos, Cesa had perished at the hands of the humans. Now only he and his mate Gardez with the remaining pups Rez and Bien who were both Progue and Jos’s.

Behind him Gardez stirred her jaw snapping at an invisible enemy in her dream while Rez whined a bit and Bien lay there still. Rachen turned from them and looked at the rising sun he took a deep breath and exhaled he thought “how am I suppose to get them into the mountains” he walks back and lays next to Gardez who snuggles next to his warm body and lays content. Later that day Rachen woke up and found Gardez standing at the mouth of the den her tail was erected her ears cocked forward listening for any sound. Gardez turned and sensed Rachen’s gaze she turned and said quietly “there is something out there” Rachen got up and walked to the mouth of the den he cocked his ears forward and listened quietly, he heard the shouting of humans as the clanging of swords as humans in the woods below the den were fighting one another. Rachen could smell the burning of wood as the humans torched the forest, Rachen turned and nuzzled Rez and Bien awake. They looked at him dreamily and Rez says “what’s going on” Rachen replies “I don’t know but the humans are coming this way” Rez barred his teeth and growled saying “let me at them” he started towards the mouth of the den when Rachen stood in his way saying “is that how your parents would want to be remembered by getting yourself killed” he lowered his ears and whimpered saying “fine” Rachen looked from him to his sister Bien who stood there eyes wide with fear.

Bien felt her heart beat faster it felt as though it would burst, her thought were consumed with the fires that killed her mother and her brother Cesa. She though “please God don’t let the humans get to me” tears formed in her eyes, Rachen walks over to her and nuzzles her under the chin saying “I will not let anything happen to you little one” this made Bien feel better and she relaxed a bit.

Rachen, Gardez, Rez, and Bien left the safety of the den and headed north to the mountains of Scotland where it is rumored that in times of trouble wolves would flee into the mountains for safety. Rachen and his small band of wolves stopped at a stream and he took a drink of water for the first time he saw himself in the rippling water.

His fur on his face was covered in soot from the fires his emerald eyes stared blankly out from behind the black fur that hung down in front of his face. He chuckled at his appearance in the water, just then he heard a rustling in the bushes in front of him and saw a small grey and brown female wolf appear out of the bushes she took no notice of Rachen and went to the stream and began to lap up the water.

Once she was done she looked up at him with her sapphire blue eyes and says “who are you” Rachen struggles to answer because he is overwhelmed by her beauty and says “I am….Ra…chen” she says “I am Zaire” she says “where are you from” Rachen wondered why she would be asking all these questions and says “me and my clan are from the southern parts we ran into some humans that killed our leader and his mate and one of his offspring, so now I am traveling with my mate and two of the remaining offspring of our leader” she looks at him and says sadly “me and the remnants of my clan are from the area around a human city called London, our pack was slaughtered my mate was our leader he was felled by arrows piercing his chest the rest of the clan met their fate on the swords of the humans” Rachen looked at her and said “sorry” she looked at him and said “yeah so am I” Rachen turned from her and said “it’s ok everyone you can come out” Zaire watched as two small wolves and a large female emerged from the bushes from behind Rachen.

They all looked from Rachen to the female wolf standing opposite him, Gardez barred her teeth saying “who is that” Zaire snorted and barred her own teeth at Gardez. Rachen stood their and said “Gardez this is Zaire, Zaire this is my mate Gardez” he then said “Gardez Zaire is like us she has lost many members of her clan and lost her mate to the humans” Gardez upon hearing this stopped barring her teeth and Zaire did the same, Gardez says “I am sorry for barring my teeth I thought you would take Rachen from me” Zaire unabashed by this smiled saying “well he is a rather handsome wolf but is not my type” Gardez and Rachen stood there shocked by this statement.

Zaire turned from them and says “follow me” they all nod, she leads them through the forest and into a clearing where they see wolves of various colors and shapes staring at them. Rachen walks up next to Zaire and says “who are all these wolves” she replies “some of them are apart of my pack while others joined us after the humans destroyed their homes” Rachen looks from her and looks sadly to the wolves that surround him. He notices a pup laying on the ground dead. Rachen walks up to the lifeless little body a female wolf looks at him and says “those damn two leggers killed him he didn’t even see his first winter” Rachen looks at her and howls in sadness.

Later that day as the sun went down Gardez walked over to Rachen as he sat on a cliff watching the sun set he says “we can’t stay with them we have to move out when morning comes” Gardez says “why” Rachen replies “because we have to move on alone they will slow us down” Gardez says “well they are going to the same place as we are” Rachen says “yes but you must understand a large pack of wolves roaming the country side would make a perfect target for human attacks” Gardez nods. They watch as the sun sets casting a giant shadow over the land with only the flicker of firelight in the distance from a human camp.

As the morning peaked over the hills Rachen awoke with a start he looked around as he heard something approaching the large wolf pack through the woods all of a sudden arrows started to fly as the humans surrounded the wolf pack. Rachen got up he watched as Zaire bit into the next of a human the human fell dead to the ground other wolves ran panicked on to the swords of the awaiting humans. Wolves fell dead everywhere pierced my arrows others managed to escape. Rachen turned and watched as Gardez fell to the ground a arrow had pierce her chest he screamed “Gardez no” he rushed over to her and she climbed onto his back he looked for the pups Rez and Bien and saw them cowering near a tree he screamed to them “lets go” they looked to him and nodded.

Rachen and the pups ran away from the clearing until they could no longer hear the sounds of battle, Rachen gently set Gardez on the ground she looks into his eyes and says weakly “I am sorry my love” Rachen says “don’t speak” she says “Rachen I am finished I can feel the life leaving me” Rachen says “no” Gardez eyes dim and her body grows rigid. Rachen lays down next to her crying the pups howl in agony, Rachen laid there for the better part of an hour before he got up. Rachen turned to the pups and says “stay here” Rez says “where are you going” he replies “to see if anyone survived the humans attack” Rez nods, Rachen turns and runs back towards the scene of battle.

He comes into the clearing he sees many wolf and human bodies covered in blood he sees Zaire’s body laying under the tree he rushes over to her and sees she is still breathing he cries “Zaire” she smiles and is gone. Rachen makes his way back to the pups and says “there were no survivors” Rez and Bien say together “what do we do now” Rachen replies “keep heading north” they nod and walk away from the lifeless body of Gardez.

Many days later Rachen and the pups make it into the Lowlands of Scotland, Rachen says “it isn’t to much farther now” Rachen notices a group of wolves following behind them and recognize them as some of the survivors who were in Zaire’s pack. He says “will you join us” a old grey male with tired eyes steps forward and says in a cracking voice “yes we will join you” Rachen nods and leads them farther into Scotland.

Later that day while the pack is resting humans find the pack and before they can surround them Rachen says “everyone get up and run for it I will stay behind and hold them off” the wolf pack runs away from the humans leaving Rachen to fight them alone.

Rachen jumps on one them and bites into his throat Rachen tastes the warm blood in his mouth the human drops dead twitching. Rachen turns and rushes at another human but the human slashes Rachen across the back, Rachen falls to the ground and growls in pain he feels the hot blood running down his sides and his vision starts to blur he shakes his head and the blurriness remains.

Rachen stands surround by they humans his teeth barred the only though going through his mind was Gardez tears appear in his eyes one of the humans looks Rachen in the face and sees so much suffering and pain in his eyes he says “let this one be” they all look at him and say “why” he says “look at him” they look at Rachen and see the pain in his eyes and one of the humans with a sword in hand says “lets leave this wolf be there