Chapter 2: Responsibilities

       Could this possibly be the place life began with the sisters. Is that why their sister refused to go back to their home, Tali knew Kiwi wouldn’t know why they felt this way.

She didn’t know the story behind them. Maybe they would tell her someday. How they came to depart then agree to come back. Suddenly exhaustion overcame the group and they slowly curled up and made nests to sleep till morning.

       “When will she be getting up?” Kiwi whined impatiently. Maya annoyed by Kiwi’s constant movement, slowly crept up to the little wolf. Finally Kiwi went past Maya's tolerance and got tackled.

       “SHUT UP, YOU LTTLE, IMPATIENT, WHINING, FRUIT!!!” Maya yelled as she choked Kiwi. Before that moment Tali went inside to check on her sister. Boa was asleep. She shouldn’t still be sleeping.

She needs to take care of her pack. Tali thought as she licked Boa’s face. When she didn’t move she bit her ear. Boa jumped and glared at Natalie.

       “Get up! You’re the alpha not supposed to be SLACKING!” Tali growled. Boa looked confused as it seemed to bounce off of her. “GET GOING!” Tali circled and pushed her out of the den. They both gasped seeing Maya attacking Kiwi.

 Boa slowly trotted to Maya wedgeing her body between maya and Kiwi. Finally she got off Kiwi. Maya let Kiwi up on her feet then glared at Kiwi before trotting annoyed, further down the dried river bed to the stream, from a spring in the ground.

       Kiwi layed too stunned to speak. Tali came and licked Kiwi’s muzzle, too bring her back. Kiwi slowly stood and wobbled over to Boa. She stared at her then finally, sat staring into the woods like her alpha.

Boa twisted around flicked her tail then walked into the field. Tali called for Kiwi “time to hunt.” They came back with birds, squirrels and a rabbit not much to fill a hungry wolf.

       Meanwhile Maya napped in the sun next to the spring. She stared up into the treetops. A twig snaps. Maya lazily rolled onto her stomach and looks around.

Being as big as she was for her age she wasn’t afraid of much, but her past had helped in her fear. Maya shook herself free of loose grass and stretched. She caught the scent of the trespassers.

       The bushes exploded as too brown dogs leapt into the air. Maya knowing too well about fighting spun around hitting both with her front and back paw at the same time.

Landing the brown in the bushes as the red headed dog hit the ground. With a pause Maya ran by and grabbed the one in the bushes leg and tossed her at the other dog.

        “HOPE!” she gasped before she landed. They both yelped. Maya stood above both, having her front left paw keeping her balance. Her toes spread claws unsheathed, she snarled. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!” she growled.

 Neither of them answered. Using her advantage she slashed her open paw across the shoulder of Hope. She yelped and the other spoke up “this is our territory” Maya snarled once more then growled “doesn’t seem that way.”

       Her name was called, “Maya!” She let herself off and took a step back as Tali helped the 2 up. “Big difference in personality” Hope whispered to her companion.

“Come with me” Tali said as she led the two back to where they stayed, Maya behind making sure they didn’t run. Maya snapped at their heels when they slowed.

Mid-day

       Boa came to the conclusion that the two can’t keep the territory it belonged to them now since they outnumbered them. “It is only for this pack” Tali finished off. The two paused and slinked away. “What do you think Lily?” Hope paused almost out of the territory.

“What do you mean?”Lily asked.

“Well I just thought of how we can stay here” Hope said thoughtfully.

 “I'm not going to sneak around on someone else’s territory.” Lily huffed at Hope.

“NOT LIKE THAT! But…well I guess joining.” They paused. Lily agreed. They would go back in the morning, and ask hopefully luck will be on their side...

Chapter 3:

       “Come on Lily, hurry up!”Hope said panting happily. “What if they don’t want us here?” Lily asked. “Then we will be keen to return to our other home.” Hope answered lightly.

“Couldn’t we just stay on the edge then?” Lily said pathetically almost begging. Hope laughed then stopped she saw the pack of three sleeping as the sun just started to raise high in the sky.

       “Not early birds are they!” Lily exclaimed! They trotted down the hill and into the river bed once more. “WAAAKE UP!” Hope barked to Kiwi! She immediately jumped then recognized the two.

“Lily! Hope! You scared the bajeebies outta me!” she said shaking with excitement “Kiwi! my favorite fruit!” Lily dropped her front half and swatted at Kiwi’s face.

        Maya and Tali gathered about Tali quite pleased they returned and Maya the opposite. Hope then walked to Tali “we would be like to join if that is ok to do so.” She said as she bowed before her. Tali turned to the den to wake Boa. She wasn’t there. Panicking she ran back out and stuttered

“Well… er… she had…. Taken a walk… yea she took a walk! But i'm sure she would be thrilled to have you in the pack.” She concluded with an innocent smile.

Hope hadn’t really fallen for it as Lily had but had no other choice they had been able to join without a fight.

       Boa walked staring at her paws, letting her instincts lead her around without hitting anything. The day was beautiful, birds sang, the sun shone, the water flowed.

 Boa stopped to look at her reflection. She stared for what seemed an hour before a sound hit her ears. A lost yelp sounded. She paused and listened. The yelp sounded again so she tried to find the source.

       At the edge of the stream a black pup sat pitifully, sulking at her reflection. Clearly not belonging to somebody in the pack Boa couldn’t help but growl.

 The pup looked up, then yelped again as she realized this wasn’t her family. Boa looked around then slowly trotted over to the pup. The pup shivered and ducked her head, closing her eyes tightly.

       Boa picked the pup up fighting the instinct to harm the pup since not her own. She controlled the urge and carried the black cub back to the others.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked. Boa only looked down then without bothering she kept walking. A barking sounded where the two wolves last were.

Recognizing it Boa picked up her pace and swerved, twisted, and lightly marked the boundaries.

       Soon she couldn’t hear the noise and went back towards the den. Tali caught Boa’s scent then suddenly she caught the other.

Confused, Tali excused herself from the group and walked over to her sister. Something black dangled from her mouth. Tali came close then recognized that it was a small cub. 

       Tali grabbed the pup and dropped her onto the ground. Panicking she gripped the pup, let her go again and sniffed her. Boa smelling her confusion snatched the pup and took her into her den.

 Maya was very surprised to see the pup and suddenly remembered something. As everyone crowded around to see the little black pup, Maya snuck off un-noticed.

       The sun began to fall from the sky as Maya returned. Nobody seemed to care; Maya was thankful and fell right to sleep. Hours later she was being nudged awake by Natalie.

 “Come on we heard a howl nearby, it could be the pups May’s pack.” Maya shook herself and asked mid-yawn “whuuu’s Maaahyyyyy?” she ended with a high pitched squeak.

       “Ugh. The pup we found.” Tali answered as another howl filled the air. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo” Lily’s voice rang about answering the howl. The last and final howl rang and the night was quiet.

“Now what,” May whispered to Boa, she just glanced at the pup before falling back asleep.

       Boa’s ears were on alert the whole night, it paid off too. She heard paw steps in the night and whispering. She opened her eyes slightly to see an older white wolf but she looked too dainty to be all wolf, kinda reminded her of the huskies at Nome…

 Another was white, had a brown paw, red marks behind her eyes and a feather behind her ears. The two was placing their paws down softly in the sand not to wake the pack but look still for the missing pup.

       The young one stared at Boa then realized her eyes were slightly open; she growled then whispered to the other. The other slowly walked over to Boa and lowered her body down laying in front of Boa’s wide open eyes now.

They stared at each other an inch separating the faces. A long pause… The rescuer leaned forward and touched noses with Boa. She did nothing (I know surprising huh!).

As May woke up she saw the two from her pack and quietly sat up and yipped. The young one picked up the pup and carried her out of the huddled up pack. She stopped as she recognized Hope and Lily she snarled out of disgust and the other followed as she began to leave again. The night was still again.

Boa looked around at her sisters. Her mind raced thinking unreadable thoughts only she would ever know. She stopped, and crawled to their den only too feel comfort in the small space, she laid her head down before sleeping again