as if she’d been stabbed with a knife, right in the heart. It all made since now. The way he’d been acting. She had to go warn the pack. She started to get up, and then she stopped. He was so kind to her. Maybe she could convince him to run out on his pack. No one needed to know what she’d just heard, if he’d change. He wouldn’t hurt her, she knew that. She decided to approach him after he got done talking to this wolf.  

Timbre finished talking to Iimos and walked back to the cave entrance. Melody was standing there, she looked a little mad. He walked up to her. “We need to talk,” she said, “got a minute.” “Yeah,” he said, “let’s go over here. He led her back to the clearing where he’d talked to Iimos. “Now, what do we need to talk about?” He asked. “I over heard your conversation with the other wolf. “Great,” Timbre said. His next move was too fast for her to see clearly. His paw came around and smacked her in the side of the head. She fell to the ground. “I’m sorry,” Timbre said.

CHAPTER VII

When Melody awoke, she had a horrible headache. She couldn’t believe Timbre had hit her like that. She thought she knew him. Looks like she knew nothing at all. She didn’t know what to do now. She was in a dark room, and this place smelled different than Aleu’s cave. She looked around and couldn’t see much, except for blackness. She decided she should try to find the exit, so she could escape when the time arose. She walked forward until she ran into the wall, and then she made her way down it. “Melody come here,” Timbre said. Melody turned to where the voice had come from, and started walking; she finally came to a small hole, which she crawled out of, into the light. Timbre was standing there and beside him were four wolves. “Melody,” Timbre said, “you have two choices, you can join me, or I have to leave you with these four. I don’t know what they’ll do to you. Will you join me?” She spit on him. “Jump off a cliff,” she said. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said, then he turned to walk off. The four wolves encircled her. She began to get genuinely frightened. “Timbre,” she yelled, “Timbre, please… stop.” He stopped and turned. . “Timbre what happened to us? I thought I meant something to you?” He looked her dead in the eyes and said, “you were wrong.” He looked forward again and started walking. “Timbre please,” she yelled, “I know you don’t want to do this.” He kept walking. She looked around frantically for any way to escape… but she was surrounded. The four wolves bean to circle, growing tighter and tighter. She didn't know what to do. She couldn’t back up. She couldn’t advance, but she could go up. She crouched down and prepared to leap straight up, at least that might buy her some time. Then a brown blur shot over her and collided into one of the wolves, sending him sprawling. The brown wolf was on him in seconds. He knocked the startled wolf out with a blow to the head. One of Melody’s attackers ran at the wolf. “Behind you,” Melody yelled. The brown wolf turned just in time to duck the paw that was swung at him. He hit the wolf three times; the third one threw him to the ground. The wolf got up and ran away. Another of the four ran at the brown wolf. Melody decided to help out on this one. As the wolf ran by she latched onto his shoulder with her teeth. She spun in a half circle and let go, throwing the wolf into the wall, he stayed down. The last wolf looked around, and seeing that he was alone, took off down the corridor. “Are you alright?” A familiar voice said. “Dash?” Melody said, as she walked up to him slowly. It was Dash! Her brother was covered in mud and grime. “You’re alive!” She yelled, “HA!” “Shhh,” Dash said, “someone will hear you.” “Oh,” Melody whispered, “sorry, it’s just that… everyone thinks you’re dead.” “I figured they would,” he said. “How’s Shasta?” “Horrible,” Melody said. “How did you survive?” “I think they wanted me as a bargaining chip, in case this attack doesn’t work.” “What attack?” Melody said. “I overheard them talking and they’re planning another attack, a bigger one. Aleu is the target. The battle is just supposed to get her out in the open. They said something about having an inside man, but Shadow wouldn’t let anyone get close to Aleu during a fight.” “Yes, he would,” Melody said, slowly. “What?” said Dash, “who?” “Timbre,” Melody said. “Why Timbre?” Dash said. “Because,” Melody said, “he saved Aleu, last time he was at the cave, fought off one of his own pack. Shadow trusted him enough to let him be a part of her guard.” “Oh, no,” Dash said. “She’ll never know what hit her, she trusts him too.” “I was so stupid,” Melody said. ”Why would you say that?” Dash said. “Because, Melody said, “I… like Timbre.” “So did I?” Dash said. “No,” Melody said, “I mean liked, liked…” she looked at the ground. “Loved,” she said slowly. “I met him when I was talking to all the wounded at the cave, there’s so many.” She said. “We got hit hard,” Dash said. “Anyway,” Melody continued, “I met him then.” He wasn’t hurt too bad, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he looked… guilty. I didn’t know why he would feel that way then, I do now. He told me his whole pack was wiped out, that you found him.” “Well, said Dash, “that much is true, except the thing about his pack being wiped out. I did find him, he betrayed me, I thought he was my friend…”That’s what I thought too,” Melody interrupted, “but that just shows you how much we can trust him.” “Listen Mel,” Dash said, we need to get to the pack so we can warn Aleu.” “Yeah, let’s go,” Melody responded.

The two of them were running down another stone corridor, it seemed like they never ended. This one was dark. Melody rounded the corner and bounded into a bright room. She stopped and tried to let her eyes get adjusted to the light. “What have we here?” She heard someone say. Oh great, she thought. “Dash,” she whispered. “Stay out of sight, they haven’t seen you yet. You’re Aleu’s only hope, go!” “I’m not leaving you here,” he said. “I’ll take care of myself,” she said, go.” She heard him turn and run in the opposite direction. She looked forward; her eye’s adjusted to the light now. There were six wolves in front of her. Suddenly she was struck from behind. She hit the ground and rolled to the center of the room. The seventh wolf strode up behind her. Her vision was blurry. She blinked to try to clear it, but it didn’t work. Here we go, she thought.

“Hey Timbre,” a black and white wolf yelled, “come here, I want you to see something.” “Timbre bounded over to him, “what is it Eiko?” He asked. “Look down there,” Eiko said, “I thought you said you got rid of her.” “Melody?” Timbre said aloud. “”I… I left her with four other wolves, they were supposed to take care of her.” “Looks like she got away,” Eiko said. Timbre couldn’t suppress a smile, “of course she did,” he said to himself. He saw the wolf sneaking up behind her. He wanted to warn her to call out her name but… he only watched as the wolf hit her. The seven formed a big circle around her. “Mine will get the job done,” Eiko said. Timbre watched as she was hit again, knocked to the other side of the circle, barely keeping her footing, only to have the wolf in front of her hit her again. She fell sprawling to the ground. Eiko laughed as she struggled to her feet, only to get slammed down again. Timbre found himself growing angry with Eiko. “Stop it,” he said, without thinking. “So you do care for her,” Eiko said, “foolish choice, though she is beautiful…” Timbre didn’t like the way that Eiko said this. He watched as the wolves continued to beat Melody. She was losing badly. Eiko continued to laugh as he said, “Do her slow boys.” Then, still laughing, he walked from the room. Timbre stayed, transfixed, unable to leave. What have I done? He thought.

Melody looked up and saw Timbre and a black and white wolf up on the ledge above her. She imagined that Timbre would jump down and save her, but she knew it was only a dream. I loved you, she thought. She got hit again, and fell to the ground, again. Her head hurt where she’d hit it on the rocky ground. One of the wolves hit her in the face and she tasted blood as it poured into her mouth. I’m not going to make it, she thought. Then she got hit again and the world dissolved into blackness…

Timbre walked over to where the wolves were still pummeling the unconscious Melody. “I think you got her,” he said, “join Eiko with the task force.” One of the wolves kicked her as he walked by. Timbre looked at her. She was breathing, but just barely. She’d gotten beaten pretty badly.