Ami scoffed. "...and hows that, punishment?"

Achak shook his head. He had an almost saddened expression on his face. "...much worse than that Ami." He said. "...you're going to have to learn from experience."

Achak turned and walked away.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9:

 

Ami hopped over a log and looked back behind her. She watched as Nick followed after her. As he lifted his head to look up after his leap over the log he caught her gaze and tilted his head to the right. He crossed his eyes and smiled at her. In spite of herself Ami smiled and giggled a bit. She shook her head and turned to face the front again...

...the wolf sailed into her with no warning whatsoever.

One moment Ami was laughing at Nick, and the next she was rolling in the snow and fighting for her life.

The black wolf snarled and swiped his paw at her muzzle.

Ami saw the strike coming an d rolled to the side. She narrowly avoided the strike and threw one of her own. She rolled over and threw the wolf off of her.

The wolf jumped up and rushed her.

Ami rolled onto her paws and sprang forward. The wolf and Ami met in the air and Ami twisted her body so that she landed on top of the wolf. She wasted no time in snapping her jaws around his throat and ripping it out. The wolf thrashed around for a moment and she held him down as his struggles slowed, and then stopped all together. Ami was breathing hard as the wolf's last breath wheezed it's way out of his muzzle. Her ears were still ringing with the howls and barks of the enemy wolf.

Slowly her tunnel vision cleared and the ringing in her ears deadened. The clearing was covered in wolves, both her unit and shadow clan members, all rolling and growling and fighting.

"AMI!" Nick yelled.

Ami turned, almost in shock as she saw the state of disarray her unit had so quickly fallen into. She turned and tripped over a member of her unit who was thrashing on the ground. When Ami stood again she was covered in blood and the wolf had ceased struggling.

"Ami, come out of it!" Nick yelled.

Ami shook her head and her thoughts cleared. She turned to Nick. "Nick, run to the cave, sound the react, bring Achak!" She yelled.

Nick looked behind him at the flood of wolves headed down the hill toward Ami and the rest of the beleagered second unit. "...but Ami..." He started.

"Never mind them, you're the fastest runner." Ami yelled. "Now go!"

Nick hesitated for just a moment, then he nodded and turned. Nick sprinted off through the woods.

Ami turned back to face her unit. She tilted her muzzle skyward and howled. "Second Unit, rally on me!" She yelled. "We have to hold them here!"

One by one the wolves began to assemble beside and behind her. Ami looked ahead of her and growled as the shadow clan's soldiers approached at a dead run.

 

Nick was running as fast as he could. He hopped over a log and he could see the main entrance to the cave just down the hill.

"Hey you, stop!" Someone yelled.

Nick kept running and heard the other wolf star off after him.

"Alert at the Main Entrance!" He heard the wolf cry out. "...incoming from the front!"

Three wolves quickly moved to cover the Main Entrance, and Nick was nearly there. He slowly lost speed until he finally trotted up to the three wolves.

"Nick, what happened?" One of them asked.

"...trouble on the patrol?" Asked another.

Nock nodded and fought to catch his breath. "...ambush..." He said. "...ten... ten minutes southwest of here... in the... in the gulley."

One of the wolves nodded at the other, and then he turned and sprinted away, howling the alarm.

One of the other wolves stepped up. "Sit down Nick." He said. "...catch your breath, before the react comes."

Nick sat down, still gasping for breath.

"How many were there?" The other wolf asked.

"...twenty." Nick said. "...maybe more."

Achak ran up then, his unit close behind. "Nick, the guard was yelling something about an ambush." He said.

Nick nodded. "In the gulley... ten minutes southeast."

Achak nodded. "We'll respond then." He looked at Nick for a moment, taking in his condition. "You going to live son?"

Nick nodded. "I'm not your son, and I'll be fine, let's go."

Achak nodded and then Nick turned and took off.

Achak had a hard time keeping up.

 

Ami grunted as another black wolf slammed into her side. This was the fourth time she'd been knocked down in this battle and she was getting tired. The wolf snarled as he got on top of her and straddled her. Ami had a lot of training under her belt and she knew this was a bad position for her to be in. She kicked the wolf in the stomach, trying to roll him off her like she'd been taught, but she was tired and didn't have the strength to complete the maneuver. The wolf growled an snapped at her and Ami raised her paw out of reflex. The wolf's teeth sank into her leg and she yelped in pain. She knew she was losing. "Oh Aniu..." She thought. "It can't end like this van it? ...not now. Help me... please."

Suddenly she heard a yell and the wolf flew off her, another wolf growling and snapping as he rolled on top of him. THe wolf sank his teeth into the wolf's neck and he fell silent. AMi's savior climbed off the wolf, leaving him thrashing in the pink snow.

Even covered in blood Ami thought that he was the best thing she'd ever seen.

Nick's expression turne to one of alarm as he saw the blood on her leg. "Are you okay Ami?" He asked.

Ami hopped to her feet, and though her leg hurt, she could rest her weight on it, so she knew it wasn't bad. "I'm fine." She said. "Did you get..."

Achak howled as he came over the hill, his unit close at hand.

Ami smiled as she saw him. Everything was going to be all right now. "You did good

Nick." She said.

Achak's unit moved to flank the enemy wolves and Ami turned to her unit. "...fall back!" She called. "Third unit, cover the react's rear!"

The beleagured wolves didn't have to be told twice. They disengaged and let second unit through to the front.

The fighting there was fierce, but short lived. The second unit was fresh to the battle and they quickly mopped up the remaining enemy.

It wasn't long until the black wolves were running over the hillside.

Achak let them go and retreated back to Ami and her unit. "Everyone alright?" He asked.

Ami nodded. "We've got some walking wounded, but for the most part we're alright."

Achak nodded. "Well, you and your unit look tired, and that leg looks like it could use some rest. Head on back to the cave and take over react. We'll handle the patrol from here."

"Are you sure Achak?" Ami asked.

Achak nodded. "We'll swap again when we get back."

Ami nodded at him. "Thank you Achak." She said. Then she turned to her unit. "Second Unit, fall in, we're headed back to the cave. ...and keep a sharp eye. They may try to circle around and hit us again." She sighed and turned to Nick. In her heart she knew why she hadn't sensed the ambush. "Nick, take rear security. I'll lead."

Nick looked surprised. "Ami I'd rather..."

Ami cut him off. "Last time I checked Nick I'm a Lieutenant, and I gave you an order. Now take the rear and let's move out."

Nick blinked and then regained his composure. "Yes Ma'am." He said.

Nick moved toward the rear and Ami started back toward the cave.

 

Ami sighed and walked across her chambers for the twentieth time since she'd sent her new executive officer to get Nick. "How can I do this?" She asked herself. She shook her head and turned around. "I have to.' She said aloud.

Nick walked in, unsure of what to do or say. He and Ami hadn't talked much since the ambush. "What's up Ami? I was told you wanted to see me?" he said, walking into the chamber, but standing by the door

Ami sighed. "Nick... ...stand at attention please..." She walked over and stood in front of him.

Nick resisted the urge to sigh, smirked and snapped to an exaggerated attention. "Sir, yes, sir!" he said, his voice falsetto and deep. He couldn't keep his concentration and broke into a laugh, still at attention. "What's going on?" he queried again, a look of honest puzzlement mixed with good cheer on his face.

Ami shook her head. "Nick, now's not the time for jokes..." She sighed and then pulled her head up straight. "...ten-hut!"

Nick sensed that she was serious and the smile drifted from his face. He stood at an appropriate attention, looking straight ahead, and waited for her to continue.

Ami sighed and snapped to attention herself. "Nick, for personal reasons applicable to the efficiency and safety of my unit you are ordered to stand down from your duties with second unit and will report to Lieutenant Achak tomorrow morning which is where you will resume duty. Do you understand?"

Nick paused a moment, digesting this statement. His face took on a baffled and somewhat offended look, as though he'd been offered something unpleasant to eat. "What?" he asked. "What do you mean, report to another unit? Why?"

Ami sighed. "Nick... Achak was right." She said. "He told me this would happen and it did. We were lucky no one got killed... I'm sorry Nick." She said.

Nick face took on a petulant, hurt look. "Well, see, that's just the thing. No one got hurt, well, not seriously at least. Everything is still fine...we just have to be more careful." He broke the attention and stepped to Ami's side. "I mean, come on, Ami. That ambush was just one of those things. It could have happened to anyone."

Ami closed her eyes and turned around. "Nick, you're at attention!" She snapped. Then she sighed. "Nick... it could've happened to anyone else, you're right, but... but it didn't. What if I had lost someone? I didn't see that ambush coming because I was looking at you... I could be talking to someone, telling

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