they were talking and... uh... " He hit a roadblock in speech as he tried to put his thoughts into words.
An impatient dog nearby growled and tapped his paw, but stopped as soon as Kale gave him a stern look. Then he turned back to the younger dog. "Take your time. No need to rush it.", he said.
Jasper nodded his head and then took a deep breath. "They... they knew that we were there sir. They knew we were watching them." The crowd went silent and they all began to look at each other. Then the exact same thought ran through all of their heads all at the same time. What else did they know?
The dogs all erupted into speech at the same time, chaos breaking out. Kale sighed and shook his head. He looked back at Leon and nodded. The second in command returned the nod. "Hey!! Pull it together and be quiet!", he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Kale wishes to speak!"
All the dogs in the room became silent almost immediately. Kale looked around the room. "Let's not overreact here!", he said. He looked back at Jasper. "Is there any way that the wolves could have spotted you?, he asked. The scout shook his head. "You're absolutely certain?"
Jasper nodded his head. "Y-yes sir. We were too far away to be seen through the trees before, and they wouldn't have spoken as loud as they did if they had known I was there when I got closer."
Kale slowly nodded his head. "Alright... alright.", he said. He gave the young scout a firm pat on the shoulder. "That's good work, son. Good work." The leader turned and walked back to the platform. "It seems that these devils are smarter than we thought.", he said to the crowd of dogs around him.
A black and white female from the crowd took a few steps forward. "What now?", she asked. "If they know when we're watching them, they might know when we plan to attack." This drew nods from everyone in the room.
The leader nodded his head with them. "You speak the truth, Nina.", he said. His keene eyes swept the room, looking at all the anxious faces around him. "Which is why we're going to do something unexpected." He turned to Leon, who stood next to the platform. "I need you to help me get everyone ready.", he said. Turning back to the crowd, he stated, "The attack will be moved up to tomorrow!"
****
Veena walked slowly through the forest as sunset cast rays of red and yellow light between the branches. Her legs seemed to move of their own accord, carrying her where they willed. She felt an almost overwhelming sense of defeat, and anger. Thoughts of revenge that were not her own poured through her mind like sand through an hour glass.
She suddenly stopped, and found herself staring at a wall of thick thorn bushes, impossible to get through. The young wolf then turned to the right and moved along the wall, looking for a break or gap that could be squeezed through. She finally found one. A small space at the very edge, where the trees and bushes were stopped by a wall of rock. The she-wolf stepped through, and into an open space filled with sunlight.
Veena looked around the clearing that she stood in. The tree line of the forest stood to her left, curving to form a half circle. To her right, a cliff rose high above the ground. The ground was shielded from sight by an unearthly vail of mist.
She looked about again, but saw no one nearby. Then, a loud swish of disturbed air, followed by a large thudding sound and a crunching of snow under a heavy weight caught her attention. She turned around and saw a dark figure laying upon the ground, crumpled from what she guessed was a long fall from the cliff above her.
Veena looked up at the top, but didn't see anything. She turned back to look at the body, but to her surprise, it was gone. She turned around, looking for the disappeared figure. The last thing she saw were flashing teeth aimed for her neck...
****
Veena jerked awake, gasping for air. She sat up and took in her surroundings. She was once again back in the pack's cave, perfectly safe, with no fangs coming forward to end her life. She sighed with relief.
Then a voice softly spoke behind her, "Veena? Are you alright?"
She turned to see Arlen standing behind her, concern plastered across her face. Veena shook her head. "It was just a nightmare. I'm fine.", she said.
Arlen walked forward and laid down beside the young wolf. "I know how you feel.", she said. "I had nightmares for a long time after my mate was taken. He was the first from our pack who were killed by the dogs." The she-wolf closed her eyes, a tear leaking down her left cheek as old memories brought back an almost forgotten pain.
"Wow. I'm sorry.", the younger wolf said. Veena and Arlen had become very good friends in the short time that the traveling wolves had stayed, and she looked up to the older wolf as a motherly figure.
Arlen smiled kindly at her. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right here.", she said.
Veena smiled back and laid her head down. "Thanks.", she said, closing her eyes. Soon they both were asleep once more.
****
Winter's ears twitched as she picked up on the clicking of claws on the ground. Her eyes opened and adjusted to the dim, pre-dawn light of a new day. The dark outline of a wolf stood outside, watching the distant horizon. The white she-wolf got up and silently made her way towards the other. As she got closer she saw that it was Navare.
The white wolf walked up next to him and sat down. "What are you doing out this early?", she asked.
Navare looked at her, then back up at the brightening eastern sky. "Watching the sunrise. It calms me to see it sometimes.", he replied.
Winter nodded, then turned and looked in the same direction as he was. "You, know, I just don't get it.", she said suddenly.
The red wolf wolf glanced at her. "You don't get what?", he asked.
She turned towards him and said, "When we first came here, you were completely against us being anywhere near you. But now... you aren't. Why?"
Navare looked at her, and opened his mouth, but he stopped. He realized he didn't really know. He shut his mouth again and shrugged. Winter thought about pursuing the subject further, but decided to let it drop. The two watched in silence as the sun rose over the horizon.
The white wolf gasped as the first rays of light swept across the glistening landscape. "Wow...", she breathed.
The red wolf nodded. "Yeah. It's amazing, isn't it?", he asked.
She nodded, her eyes riveted on the scene. "Yes. Yes it's beautiful.", she said. Her eyes moved to look at him, his fur a fiery red in the morning sunlight. She smiled and placed her paw over his. "Thank you for sharing it with me."
Navare looked down at her paw, then at her and returned the smile "You're welcome.", he said. With that, Winter turned and walked back into the cave. He watched her go and then turned back to looking at the sunrise, an oddly warm feeling spreading through him.
****
Twilight lay in the darkest corner of the cave he could find, staring at a crack in the rock wall. His siblings were fools if they thought it best to stay in this place, where they would surely die. The need to be absolutely alone swept over him and he silently got up and made his way out of the cave. No one saw him leave.
Walking through the forest, he thought over his situation. He could stay here, and maybe convince the others that they should leave, or he could go off by himself. Go his own way. Leaving the others had a certain appeal to him, but logic told him that any lone wolf would have difficulty surviving in the wild. Therefor, at least for now, he would stay with his siblings.
Almost regretting his choice, he turned back toward the cave, but suddenly stopped. The world slowed and time became a thing of no importance. His yellow gaze lighted on the sky, where the early morning sun cast a red hue upon a formation of clouds, which looked curiously like a river. A river of blood.
The black wolf broke from his trance, and understanding hit him like a tidal wave. "They're coming.", he softly to himself. In the same instant, he took off, his feet carrying him faster than ever before. He practically flew as he jumped over the bushes around the clearing and dashed into the cave to deliver his message.
****
A group of eight dogs slowly moved in on the wolf pack's cave. The leader, a yellow husky, nodded his head and said, "Yep. Right where that scout said it would be." The dog nodded his head again and the attack force moved up to the edge of the cave clearing. All was quiet. After only a moment of hesitation, the leader nodded a final time and the attack began. The dogs rushed from the forest, barking and snarling, teeth bared, fangs showing, ready for battle... but they weren't ready for what came next.
An almost unearthly howl suddenly rose from the trees, shooting off to the sky like a flare. The dogs stopped dead in their tracks, fear suddenly blossoming in their stomachs. More howling calls joined the first. The leader became nervous and looked all about him.
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