Animation Source Forums

Jerome heard Sparrow's words and jumped to his feet. "What?" He asked urgently. "What's the matter? Wolf attack?" He looked around widely and relaxed as he noticed he was still by the waterfall. Noticing he fell asleep he said, "Oh. I must have fallen asleep while getting a drink." His ears folded back and he looked sorry for being away from the den so late. "It won't happen again Sparrow, I'm sorry." He looked into the crystal clear water and thought he saw something. But when he blinked, the figure vanished.

Richiev looked around awkwardly and nodded to Koyuki before leaving. Chima returned with a leaf full of water. "Drink if you get thirsty. If Sparrow decides to keep you out of the territory, you might as well be healthy." Chima said before turning back and curling up in her den. The silver pool of water that trickled through her den comforted her, and she soon fell asleep, dreaming about the day the wolves attacked.

Chima had just finished treating a rat bite on her pack mates shoulder and picked up some borage leaves. She headed towards the nursery den similar to Chima's where Kya, Jerome's mate lay with her two pups, Meng and Kin, beside her. Jerome had left three days ago on a mission to spy on the dogs in town who roamed through the forest willingly. Meng looked up as Chima got near, "Hey Chima!" She barked in greeting. Kya ate the borage leaves and a howl was coming from outside the cave. She heard Sparrow bark, "Wolf attack! Get ready to battle!" Kin, a Golden Shepherd who looked like his mother leapt to his paws, "I want to fight!" He said. Meng, a German Shepherd like her father, swatted Kin. "We can't fight until we are old enough." Kin sat down and listened to the ruckus.

Chima dashed outside the den and followed her pack mates out into the moonlight. She felt a wolf jump onto her back and bite down into her shoulder. The wolves where attacking them, and there where too many! Richiev and another dog chased off three wolves and most of them fled, leaving her pack mates with some pretty deep wounds. The leader, Jet, pounced on Sparrow and no other dog had the strength to help him. The moonlight gave her enough light to see Jerome leap to the rescue. After chasing off Jet, the pack made their way to the den. The ones who made to to their dens, curled up to rest, and the ones that couldn't collased and slept till morning. As the sun rose, Chima sniffed around the pack, dragging away the two carcasses of her dead friends. When she checked on the nursery, she gasped.

The bedding had been pulled from the spot where Kya slept and the body of Jerome's mate lay in the corner, limp and lifeless. Choking back tears. she knew what was next. As she slowly turned her head, the remains of Meng and Kin made her want to throw up. Jerome had heard her shocked gasp and appeared behind her. "No...No!" Jerome ran to his mate, digging his muzzle into her fur, weeping for her and his pups to return to him. "I came back! Please! Kya!" Chima couldn't bear watch her friend this way, and turned around and padded back to her den, passing the eager dogs who wondered what had happened.

Jerome pricked his ears once more and nodded, trying not to think about the dreadful day. He couldn't think of anything to say in response so he just pulled himself up of the cold stone he had slept on. Crouching down, he leapt into the trees, catching himself as he almost fell off. Regaining his posture, he leapt from tree to tree, not looking back to see if his leader actually followed him. As he returned to the cave, he settled in the old nursery, where his mate and pups used to live. No dog used that den anymore when they where expecting, they knew that if they did, their scent might cover Kya's. And who knows what Jerome would do to them. Jerome gazed around his pack, imagining his pups grown into dogs, his mate Kya beside him. For a second, he felt the warmth of another dog's coat beside him, but when he looked, nothing was there. Then, through the trees, he caught a glimpse of the Aurora. I'll be with you soon. You wont have to wait much longer. Jerome promised.

Chima awoke with a start and the bright sun shone through the den. She had overslept, being awaken from her dream in the middle of the night, she had found it hard to fall asleep again. Now she was awake and Sparrow was supposed to pass judgment today, if he decided to. Getting up, she stretched her limbs and back, looking around. She couldn't tell if Koyuki was asleep or awake so she padded out to where the pack stored their prey. She picked up a fish and trotted back to her den. She dropped the fish at Koyuki's paws and stared at the pack, wondering what would happen if they launched their plan for revenge on the wolves today.

When Jerome blinked himself awake, he saw that he had overslept. Pulling himself up, he stretched his limbs and gaped his mouth into an enormous yawn. Padding over to the prey pile, he pulled out a chaffinch and lay down to eat it. Is Sparrow making his decision today? Jerome asked himself as he gulped down the prey. Then he froze, Why am I so eager to know? Whatever. He though as he stood up and saw Sparrow walking across the cave. Jerome fell in step with his leader and followed him to Chima's den. "She's a house pet. Her owner left her in a human car, she followed him and ended up in our forest, I think." Jerome told him, trying to make sense of what she had told him.