most cheeky way, because he turned to human bridge. Eight wolves entered the wooden stricture and in just moment were on the other side. But it was no longer Pack’s territory – it was Humans Land.

*

January fell down without warning. His body gave him no signal that was so bad. Of course – his body was giving him such a signals since two days, but malawolf didn’t know that end of those was the ultimate call of despair. He was running in deep snow of field, continuously submerging and emerging paws from white mass. But one time some barrier in him failed – after his step/jump ahead he lost his balance and fell down. Maya was thrown into snow and malawolf drown in mass of whiteness. He barely raised his head to see above snow surface and his stare met with eyes of Aarre. Old commander was five hundred yards farther, on the slope of valley, but somehow they saw each other clearly. In moment of clarity January understood that help would not come.

“Sorry, boy.” Seemed to tell Aarre. Fro  that distance it was imposable to read from lips, but hybrid read it from the soul. He was left on his own. Instead of panic or thinking it over, he made quick and ultimate decision.

“Maya…” he gasped. “Are you… alive?”

“Unfortunately… yes!” she replied. “But it hurts!”
”We must go to the humans.” Said malawolf. “I can’t carry you anymore!”

“I’ll try.” Said brownfurred. “But Jan… where exactly we are going?”

Hybrid stood up and started to hobble in her direction. He gave a quick look back to see that was too late – Black and Stardusters ran just after them, forming a fan formation. “As if we were able to run from them!” snorted wolfdog with anger. Then he supported Maya side and they started to hobble north.

*

Alam was focused on mission, what partially decreased his awareness. But after some time he couldn’t ignore the human silhouette, skiing in their direction with nasty looking, long and narrow object on his back. Wolf cursed badly.

“We must do our mission and get out of here.” He said, looking on man on skies. “Get
Maya and go to the forest. Any forest, closest one.”

“Pack’s territory!” noticed Kaup.

“Screw it! That human has some real gun!”

*

Arashi Tazaku was a bit tired, yet morning ski–runs were necessary. As a doctor, he understood exigency of movement at his age and knew that staying in place could mean death long before heart stops. So he decided to keep his condition for all cost.

Old, hoary Japanese was almost seventy years old, yet as only physician in Buckland he had to stay healthy – to help his patients efficiently. He used to be a great marksman, but age claimed sharpness of his sight and then Arashi wasn’t so sure of his skills as few years earlier. That’s why to defend himself he had no ordinary rifle, but gun he didn’t have to aim too closely. In his late sixties Arashi Tazaku used to miss his single shot of hunting rifle. But on twenty rounds that produced his Browning Assault Rifle in single burst at least one was always a score.

“What a…” he finished with Japanese curse which meaning unknown in Alaska. He had sight problems, but no so severe to see phantoms. And he spotted several wolf silhouettes, running in deep snow right in his direction. That was highly odd behaviour, even for starved predators. Arashi suspected rabies, so he grabbed his weapon and pointed barrel at the closest creatures.

*

“Kill them!” yelled Black and pounced on running two.

He hit Maya’s back, sending her three yards away. Then he attacked January. Malawolf was too tired to defend himself properly. He shunned Black’s jaws and grabbed his nape in his own. But then he had no strength to clench them. Darkfurred easily shook adversary away, preparing another charge.

“Maya! Run!” called January, but it was said in wrong time.

Seven Stardust wolves got all over Talbourne princess. Hybrid rushed to help her, but when he was in the air, Black hit his back. Both canines slammed into mass of fighting wolves. Most likely that saved Maya, because in few seconds of chaos January managed to got to wolfess and pushed her away from the crowd. But it would be taken in vain anyway, if not Kaata’s squad.

Six wolves hit in tight formation, pushing Talbourne away. Kaata instantly pounced on Black – still holding January’s nape. Soon whole situation returned to previous state – that meant: to chaos – but with one slight difference: Maya was already outside circle of wolves. But she got her share anyway.

Arashi Tazaku hated wolves. Forest predators killed few years back his favourite dog – wolfbitch Sky and since that time he had no scrupled from shooting encountered creatures out. He pressed the trigger and in one rapid burst twenty O point three bullets left the barrel. From distance of hundred yards eventual hit were more the matter of coincidence than aiming, but they were anyway.

Snow’s head almost exploded as projectile hit his forehead. That was only instant casualty, but few more canines were wounded. When shooting sounded, all quarrels among wolves ceased and creatures – joined by primal fear - recoiled in shock. Not waiting for human to change the clip, everyone who was able to, set off to mad run to the nearest forest. On the blooded snow stayed just four silhouettes – lifeless Snow, Kaata, Maya and January.

“Run!” cried malawolf. He got to Maya, somehow managed to put her back on paws (or at least three of them), then jumped to Kaata. Silverfurred was lying in snowhole, spraying red from pierced thigh.  “No…” gasped hybrid.

“January…” smiled wolfess, focusing her sight on future alpha. “I’m so sorry.”

“No wait…” he called. Then he heard a soft clap, as Maya fell to the snow. He turned to her, then back to Kaata, to finally say with weary voice. “Whatever gallant I look, I won’t carry you both at once! Maya, GET UP!”

He knelt down and dived in soft snow to get Kaata over his back. Then he stood up, shivering on whole body. Took a look around then ordered with decisive voice.

“Maya, slowly stand up and check where is human and where we could go.”

“Yes… Jan.” she answered with fainting voice, but obeyed. She gave a quick glance over the surface of snow, then crouched again. “He is there…” pointed north direction. “I see no cover… except that human-made thing. That cottage.”

“Lead the way!” said malawolf and they started to march in snow.

That was possible only because layer was thin and Kaata’s fur silver. Wounded and unconscious wolfess was above the surface, but in sunrays of midday, sparkling on whiteness, she was almost invisible. Strange human gave no other shot from his gun and January soon after sniffed that he was gone. “But he’ll be back.” Thought bitterly.

They reached empty cottage about quarter later. Maya didn’t want to batter down the door, she just tripped and hit it, making old wooden plate break. So the human house was open. January put motionless Kaata on pile of furs in corner of chamber, then took a look around. It was abandoned cottage, where perhaps some hunters lived in summer time. But then there was just silence and emptiness.

“Search for something to eat…” ordered January to Maya. “We will eat, then think how to get out from here.” In that moment sounded a howling of Alam.

*

“They are alive.” Said Tenu’s sergeant to his soldiers, after finished talk. “As you most likely heard, they are in human cottage, there, next to bank. They are trapped.” Wolves looked on building and quickly understood situation. House was standing almost on bank, so one direction of escape was blocked by water element. On east was a plain – wide space of flat snow layer and if any wolf entered it in daylight, he was easy to shot by good hunter. Alam knew nothing about skills of Arashi Tazaku, but assumed the worst. Human took his place in hunter’s ambo, on brink of the forest. He had a cleat shot on whole clearing.

“Well…” continued Alam. “Enemies… wait, we don’t know exactly who is our enemy… I mean: Stardusters drew back to forest and they surely won’t make a move, because of hunter. Pack’s squad got to slope and united with… another Pack’s squad that was inactive previously due to unknown reasons. So we are the closest ones to do the job.”

“Yeah, sure.” Nodded Kaup. “But what is our job, again?”

“To retake Maya for all cost and January if that’s possible.” Replied sergeant. “And if she is dead… our secondary mission is to take out January. Without Maya he is no good for general.”

*

Aarre understood that situation went out of his paw. So, instead of riding off Ea’s son, he endangered Kaata. Awareness of failure was burning in his skull, driving him crazy. He had no good words for soldiers – his Uniea ones and scouts of RAIA squad.

But then sounded a howl from the bridge. In short message Talbourne commander, calling himself sergeant Alam, promised to save the day. He declared that his mission was to retrieve Maya back and he had no interest in killing January. He asked just for safe passage back, if situation forced him to enter Pack’s territory. Aarre gave his agree and they announced to move out at evening.

“What is going on, sir?” asked Tomu.

“Most likely, it’s all going fine.” Replied beta-alpha. “It’s just me who lost.”

*

In fact cottage contained tons of food, but that was humans food. Coffee, flour, even some biscuits – perhaps tasty for omnivore homo sapiens but not for canis lupus. Finally Maya found big bag of sugar and January judged that was thing closest to acceptable diet there. They ate solid portions of white powder, then vomited most of it – but malawolf was convinced that was because of stomach exhaustion, not awful taste of nauseating sweet mass. Then they went back to corned and laid down next to unconscious Kaata.

“And what now?” asked Talbourne princess.

“We must wait for the dusk.” Said hybrid. “Then we will try to

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Next page