Chapter 10: The Confrontation

Bone was confident that his plan would succeed.  He would rule both the Forest Pack and the Stone Pack, and soon, he would rule all of the Fire Mountain.  After the Forest Pack fell, the Plains Pack would be next. 

Owl was a lucky find.  The tawny wolf was so eaten up with hatred of Thorn and Ivy that he would do anything, anything, to have Thorn lying at his paws.  Bone believed that once Thorn was dead and Star was Owl’s, Owl would be content to lie in Bone’s shadow.  Owl would rule over the Forest Pack, as Bone’s loyal Beta.  As for the Plains Pack, Bone figured that he could put Hawk in power. 

Hawk too was a lucky find.  He was naturally power-hungry, full of contempt for lesser wolves.   He would make a loyal servant, as long as he got his share of the power.

The hunting trip had been a mere decoy to keep the rest of the Pack away from the den while Blaze was taken care of, along with the Forest-Brat.

Soon Owl would go to scout Forest Pack territory and make sure that the search parties were in good positions.  Bone laughed.  Good positions to be attacked by his Pack, that is.  It was all too easy.  He would be the ultimate ruler, the first in many seasons to make an attempt to take over the Mountain.   He was not the first to try, but he was sure that he would be the first to succeed.  He had been told tales when he was just a pup, of the many wolves who had tried to be the ultimate ruler.  He remembered his mother explaining how each of them had failed. 

“The Fire Mountain is too large for any one wolf to hold for long.”  His mother would say.  “The number of Packs changes, but never has there been only one Pack.  Never has been, and never will be.”  Bone was determined to prove her wrong.  He would rule all of the Fire Mountain.  He would defeat Thunder and the Plains Pack Alpha, Tempest.  He would triumph over the ancient customs that declared that would never be only one Pack.  He would become the Wolf Supreme, the Alpha of his Pack, the almighty Stone Pack!

*   *   *   *   *

With Vale and Falcon in the lead, and Gale and Thunder beside them, the Forest Pack loped steadily towards the Stone Pack border.   Storm was at the back as a rear-guard, and because he couldn’t quite keep up with the rest of the Pack.  Ivy stayed right by his side.  The twosome’s affection for one-another was no secret to the rest of the Pack.  Thorn ran beside Pine and Star.  Pine was still rather awkward around Thorn, feeling embarrassed for her brother’s sake, but Star was determined to make Pine understand that the two hybrids would not see her merely as Owl’s sister, but as a true friend.

Vale was the first to scent the two pups.  She and Falcon veered slightly to the left and halted abruptly when they arrived where the pups were waiting.  The entire Pack was shocked by what they found.

Hawk was dead.  The force of his landing combined with the sharp metal teeth of the trap had nearly snapped his leg off, and he had bled to death in a matter of minuets.  Falcon stared at his brother’s carcass, hardly able to believe his eyes.

River leapt forward joyfully, and began to examine her pups.  Thunder stepped forward and stared sternly at the two miscreants.  River backed slowly away, and Cattail’s tail went down and tucked between her legs.  Pond mimicked her sister, then rolled over, exposing her white underbelly. 

Thunder was torn by indecision.  He had to get to Stone Pack territory and deal with Owl, but he was afraid that the pups might get in the way if it came to a battle.

Star solved his dilemma by stepping forward and saying, “River, I’m putting you, Storm, and Ivy in charge of the pups.  If push comes to shove, the three of you are to protect the pups while the rest of our Pack deals with the adults in the Stone Pack.”

At first, Storm looked indignant; however, he did have to admit that he wouldn’t be much use against a strong, agile Stone Pack wolf with his leg still not completely healed.  Protecting the pups would mean that he wouldn’t have to move around as much, which would relieve a lot of pressure on his injury. 

Vale was worried about Blaze; she didn’t know how many wolves he was up against. Her tail began to twitch as she waited for the rest of the pack to get moving again. 

Thunder noticed her impatience and said,”We’re running out of time.  The fastest runners will run ahead with Vale, Falcon, Gale and I.  The rest should follow at a slower pace as back-up.”

Vale almost flew across the stony fields, dodging large boulders and scrawny trees.  Thunder followed close behind with Gale, Falcon and Pine.  Pine wasn’t the fastest runner in the Pack, but she had to know for certain: Was her brother truly a traitor?  All the clues said he was, but she had to see it with her own eyes.  If her brother truly was a traitor, she would never forgive him.  Her heart pumping and her eyes burning, Pine followed Vale and Thunder into the Stone Pack Camp, afraid of what she might find.

Burn lay dead on the ground, killed by Blaze.  Owl had fled, but his scent had not faded, and his blood was in pools on the ground.  Blaze was there, bleeding and exhausted, but very much alive.  Vale raced to Blaze, happy to find him alive.  Thunder nodded respectfully to Blaze, hailing him as a powerful battler.

“Blaze, are you alright?”  Vale asked anxiously.

“I’m fine, Vale.”

Pine sniffed around the Camp, her heart sinking as she caught Owl’s scent.  She walked urgently up to Blaze, and asked, “Was there a tawny Forest Pack wolf named Owl here?” her heart already dreading the answer.

Blaze nodded, and said, “Yes, but he ran off just a few minuets ago when I managed to kill Burn.”

Pine turned abruptly away, blinking back tears of sorrow and shame.  Star walked up and put a comforting head on Pine’s shoulder. 

Blaze looked confused.  “Was it something I said?”  He whispered in Vale’s ear.

Pine didn’t catch Blaze’s question, but Star did.  Star turned to him, her bright eyes solemn.

“Owl is her brother.” Star said quietly.

“Oh.”  Blaze turned away awkwardly, not exactly sure what else to say.

Just then, the rest of the Forest Pack loped into the clearing.  Cattail wagged her tail merrily at Blaze, blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation.  Pond nodded to Blaze and allowed herself a small tail-wag in his direction.  Thorn, who had stayed in the back-up group, sniffed around, his eyes narrowing when he caught Owl’s scent.   Pine looked and saw him, but she couldn’t look him or Ivy in the eye.

Storm climbed to the top of the Stone Pack Cave, and barked in alarm.  The Stone Pack was approaching rapidly, with Bone in the lead and Owl by his side.

“Thunder,” Storm cried.  “The Stone Pack is heading this way, and I think Owl is with them.  What do we do?”

Blaze stepped forward, his eyes narrow.  “Let me handle this.  It’s time that Bone and I settled this for good.”

Thunder hesitated, then nodded slowly.  “We’ll head back to our border, and—“

Thunder was cut off by Bone’s howl of territorial claim.  The Stone Pack swept in and surrounded the smaller Pack with the classic pincer movement, cutting off the Forest Pack’s escape route.

Blaze stepped forward and howled back at Bone, challenging his claim.  Blaze’s tail shot up and he bared his teeth and growled deep in his chest.  Bone stepped out in front until he was just a fox-length away from Blaze.  Both males shot their ears forward and narrowed their eyes aggressively.

“I challenge you, Bone, and claim the leadership of the Stone Pack,” Blaze growled.

“I accept your challenge, Blaze.”  Bone curled his lip up to expose yellow fangs, stained with moose blood.

Thunder had gathered his Pack into a small knot of snarling, defensive wolves, the pups and their guards on the inside.  However, they were still surrounded and unable to escape.  Then Owl emerged from the line of Stone Pack wolves, and took his place just behind Bone.  The Forest Pack erupted into growls and Cattail began to yip aggressively from the center of the Forest Pack.  Owl didn’t back down.  He bared his teeth in a sneer and words seemed to drip out of his mouth.

“Thorn, I hope to see you dead before the sun sets this day, you and your weakling sister.”   A horrible expressionless laugh oozed ever so slowly from his dripping fangs.  The growls from the Forest Pack grew louder in warning, and Pine could be heard to whimper.  Thorn pushed his way to the outside of the Forest Pack and fixed his yellow eye on Owl.  His ears went forward aggressively, and when he spoke his voice was loud and choked with rage.

“Just try and make me dead.  I’m more than a match for a pathetic traitor like you, Owl.  Just try.”

“I think I will.  You’ve been a thorn in my side ever since you arrived, dog.”  Owl’s hackles went up and his sneer turned into a snarl.