Chapter three: The discovery

The forest was silent. There was no single sound but the wind rushing past trees and ice. Half of the forest was covered in ice. Animals had fled this place. It was deserted. Wolves arrived at the border of this forest. Slowly they walked in. There were about twenty wolves in this pack. The old pack that lived here was about fifteen. The alpha male stepped over the border.

'What happened here?': He spoke to himself.

Slowly the pack moved further. While they walk through the forest the ice melted.

'Who is doing this?!': the alpha asked firm.

'Sorry alpha, I didn't mean to': a wolf responded humbly.

'We do not defrost this ice until we are sure it's safe': the alpha spoke firmly again.

The pack moved ahead. Everywhere they saw ice.

'Split up! Howl if you find something of interest!': the alpha said firmly. The wolves scattered to search the entire area. The alpha sighs. 

After a few hours half of the pack returned to the alpha. None of them had found anything. The last search group was not back yet. The pack waited calmly for those five to return.

‘I can’t find anything here, let’s go back. All the other groups are there already’: a fire wolf said to the other four. Three wolves responded and turned.

‘Kenji are you coming?’: the fire wolf who spoke before asked. Kenji did not respond. He was looking through the trees as if he was in trance. ‘Kenji!’: the fire wolf yelled. Kenji swiftly turned around to face the fire wolf.

‘Huh, is something wrong?’: Kenji replied.

‘Yes, you are not paying attention. We decided to go back’: the fire wolf said.

‘Can’t we check a little longer? I feel something is close’: Kenji pleaded.

‘I can’t leave you behind, so I’m sorry but no. We are going’: the fire wolf said firmly.

‘Come on, I don’t care. Leave me, I know where to find you guys’: Kenji said.

The fire wolf looked frustrated and turned to his fellow wolves. ‘It’ll be alright, just let him’: one of them said. The others nodded in agreement.

The fire wolf turned around to look at Kenji and sighed. ‘Fine, you can check for a little longer, but if you sense anything wrong howl immediately and be careful.’

‘Yes! Thanks, I will’: Kenji said overjoyed.

The four fire wolves turned to go back to the alpha while Kenji walked the other way. Kenji felt that strange feeling from before again. It took him in his grasp. Kenji could feel pressure around him in the air and saw he was walking towards a darkened part of the forest. Chills ran through his fur, but Kenji kept on going further into the dark. Most wolves would not dare go on alone, but Kenji was determined to find what was out there.

Suddenly the amount of trees thinned and slowly Kenji could see the darkness lift. He heard a sudden crack behind him, which made him jump forward causing him to land in a open place. He looked behind him, but he didn’t see anything there. Perhaps he was just a little on edge. He looked around the open area. It was filled with light, not like that part he just walked through.

Then his eyes spotted something that made him amazed, curious and flustered at the same time. In the middle of the open area stood a boulder of ice. He slowly walked towards it when he noticed a dark shape inside. Then he felt something under his paw. It was sticky and felt like a liquid. He looked down to see a small puddle of …….. blood! He jumped back in shock and let out a frightened high pitch howl. He looked around frightened to be attacked. But nothing happened. He looked around more and noticed more blood in the open area. It looked as if either a fight or a slaughter had taken place here. His thoughts were pulled back to the ice boulder. Now he noticed what the shape inside was. It was a wolf! He took a deep breath and howled loudly to call for the pack.

The four wolves who were with Kenji before, arrived back with the alpha. He looked at them wondering where Kenji was. The fire wolf who decided to come back stepped forward and told the alpha they had split up. The alpha thought deep and decided it was alright. Kenji was old enough to be on his own and he was a capable wolf. He directed his attention to the other wolves when suddenly a high pitch frightened howl sounded through the forest. As suddenly as it had sounded it was gone. All the wolves started to worry and felt uneasy. The alpha listened deep to hear if there was another sound. Nothing, it stayed quiet.

He was about to say to the others to find the source of the sound when they heard Kenji howl to them. He was calling them. The alpha turned to his pack and howled shortly. Then he quickly ran in the direction of Kenji’s howl, followed by his pack. While he ran he noticed the darkened area in front of him. He felt the pressure of the darkness, but swiftly made his way through it with his pack, who followed him without doubt. In the distance they could see light. The alpha jumped over a tree trunk and landed in the open area. His pack stopped behind him. Kenji was right in front of the pack staring at something. The alpha walked over to Kenji. Kenji looked at him. He lifted his paw and the alpha saw blood drip from it. Kenji shook his head in a way of telling the alpha it wasn’t his blood. He pointed with his paw at the middle of the open area. The alpha looked and saw the ice boulder with inside it …… a wolf!

In the far north a snowstorm was blowing hard. A lone wolf moved through the thick snow dragging one of his paws. He entered the mountain area, which was territory of the snow wolves. While he slowly moved further into the area, about 20 pair of eyes watched him from above. If the lone wolf would look up he would see the mountains covered with those eyes, but he didn’t look. He looked in front of him hoping to spot a cave or any other shelter. The snowstorm blinded his sight. He couldn’t see further than three meters. Because of this he couldn’t see the eyes surrounding him, nor could he hear them through the sound of the storm.

But he could smell them. He stopped dead in his tracks when he smelled about 20 wolves. He realized they were around him blocking every direction to escape. The wind blew their smells towards him and the lone wolf knew he was in danger for he was trespassing in territory of strangers.

The snowstorm suddenly lessened and he could see dark shapes surrounding him. The wind still howled passed his ears when one of the dark shapes came forward. The lone wolf looked straight into the leaders eyes. The response he got was suspected. The leader growled heavily for staring at a wolf of higher rank was disrespectful. The lone wolf did not look away for he was determined to overthrow this wolf and take his pack. The leader wolf howled and went straight for the lone wolf with his mouth open and ready to strike. The lone wolf readied himself for the attack as he saw the leader wolf only inches away…………………..

Kenji was staring at the ice boulder as was the alpha. The rest of the pack looked confused at it until they noticed too that there was a wolf inside. All the pack members stepped back and looked at the alpha for what to do. The alpha was thinking deeply about what could have happened here. It was then that he noticed the whole area was covered in blood and ice.

‘What happened here?’ He said to himself out loud.

‘It looks like there has been a fight or maybe a slaughter’: Kenji replied.

The alpha looked at him almost forgetting why he came here.

‘Are we going to help this wolf?’ a pack member asked.

The alpha turned around and looked at his pack. Then he looked back at the ice boulder. He walked towards it and looked closely at the wolfs face. The look in the eyes was fear, but also sent out determination. He turned to his pack.

‘Yes, we will help this wolf’: he said firmly.

‘But what if this wolf is the one who caused this?’ another pack member asked.

‘Then we’ll deal with it. It’s just one wolf and besides. I don’t think this wolf did all this. It’s just a feeling so be alert. Now we’ll need to do this carefully and bit by bit. Everyone who is very skilled will focus on warming the body. The others focus on the ice around it. But all of you must use a little amount of fire and don’t focus on the same spot. When I give the sign you are allowed to use a little more fire or perhaps less fire. So pay attention to me. Get ready!’: the alpha said.

All the fire wolves surrounded the ice boulder. The wolves who had to warm the body stood closer to the boulder and the others a little behind them. The alpha howled shortly and the back wolves started to slowly melt the ice. After a minute the alpha howled again and the other wolves started to warm the body. At this rate it would take a while, so the alpha had assigned a few wolves to sit back and swap with the ones that were exhausted. After half an hour the ice boulder had been melted more than half. The body was going slower so that it wouldn’t be ready before the ice boulder was gone. One more quarter and the ice boulder was completely melted and the wolf inside was warmed up nicely.

The alpha jumped forward and caught the wolf and slowly put her down. A few wolves were still warming the wolf. Finally they were done. The alpha checked the wolf.

‘It’s a female!’: the macho of the pack said.

Everybody looked at him with disgust. The alpha then noticed she was not breathing. Her throat was not warm enough. He hold a small flame near her throat. Within a minute her body went up and down from her breathing. The alpha motioned the other wolves to stay back so she wouldn’t be startled to much when she woke up. She was in bad shape. The alpha ordered most of his wolves to start melting the forest. He and Kenji and the group Kenji was with earlier stayed.

After a while the wolf’s eyes were moving. Slowly she opened them. They were bright blue, but didn’t focus on anything.

‘Are you alright?’: the alpha asked.

The female wolf was so startled she squeaked and looked around hastily.

‘Easy, I’m not an enemy. Me and my pack saved you’: the alpha said.

The female wolf looked in the direction of the alpha, but she still didn’t focus her eyes one him. She stood tense ready to defend herself at any time. The alpha stepped forward making a slight sound. The female wolf jumped back in fear bumping against a different wolf behind her.

She howled in terror as she jumped forward again and her breathing went rushed. She held her tail horizontal and tense and she growled in every direction.

‘Step back Raju’ the alpha spoke calmly. Raju did as ordered and the female wolf turned to the alpha. She strained her ears as her eyes only saw black.

‘Please calm down. We will not harm you. We just want some answers’ the alpha spoke gently.

The female wolf calmed down a slight bit, still on edge just to be safe.

‘W…who are you?’ She asked nervously.

‘I’m the alpha male of the Fire Pack. Next to me is Kenji my nephew and four Fire wolves from my Pack’ the alpha stated calmly.

The female wolf listened closely and sniffed to find the different wolves. There was one problem. She could smell the six different smells, but she could not tell which one belonged to the alpha or his nephew.

She closed her eyes and after a few seconds opened them. However there was no improvement. All around her everything was black and it scared her a lot.

The alpha wanted answers to what happened here, but from the female wolf’s movements he could tell she wasn’t ready for an interrogation. Therefore he let her ask what she wanted and if possible he answered them. Then when she calmed down he could ask some questions.

‘W…where am I?’ she asked tensely.

‘We are currently in a forest where we found you. It’s the territory of the Frost wolves, but rumors said they had abandoned this place one weeks ago’ The alpha said.

The female wolf stood completely still as she heard this. She was holding her breath unknown to herself. Her eyes were wide open though still unfocused and her mouth was slightly ajar.

‘No, no, no, no, no’ she mumbled as she started to panic. ‘That’s impossible! They wouldn’t leave! Why did they leave?! Why was I left behind!? Dad, mom, grandpa…..they wouldn’t leave me! And Mailo and Pearl.....’ Suddenly she fell silent.

The Fire wolves watched her closely as her breathing became ragged. Without any warning she suddenly collapsed on the ground tears running down her face. The alpha was a bit surprised by this, but nevertheless moved closer and carefully snuggled her face. At first she pulled back in shock, but the emotional pain she felt was too big to handle alone. She just lay down letting the Fire wolves comfort her.

Somewhere far away in the mountains far North a metallic smell filled the air. In the deep snow stood many white wolves staring at something in their midst.

An unknown white wolf stood proud and grinning. In front of him lay another white wolf, but it was barely recognizable. It was covered in blood, its own blood. The unknown wolf had defeated the leader of the Snow wolves and took the alpha position over for this pack. Though he wasn’t a real snow wolf there was no one who dared to stand up against him now.

The pack made their way to some caves. The former alpha lay dead in the snow replaced, but never forgotten as all the snow wolves loved their former leader and in their hearts they were crying.

After a while Frosty woke up. She had cried herself to sleep when she broke down. She found she was in a different place as the smells were different and she smelled far more than before. She smelled about twenty different wolves. She was about to panic not knowing what they wanted form her when she smelled one coming closer.

‘Hey’ Kenji said gently. The female wolf moved her head in the direction of his voice.

‘Hey’ She responded nervously.

She hadn’t told them anything about herself, not even her name and she had asked so many things. She kinda felt embarrassed.

‘Did you sleep alright?’ Kenji asked trying to sound confident.

He was nervous himself. He wanted to know more about her and even though he sensed she was kind, he couldn’t help but wonder if she had anything to do with all the blood in that area.

‘Yeah it was fine’ the female wolf responded as she lay her head down trying not to think about what she dreamed about.

‘We brought you to the rest of our pack. It wasn’t really a great place to sleep where you were’ Kenji explained to her. She nodded slightly. ‘C…can I….ask you something?’ Kenji asked carefully.

The female wolf lifted her head in his direction and tilted it sideways a bit. Kenji took that as the signal to ask away.

‘Uhm....can I ask what your name is?’ Kenji asked nervously.

‘Oh…yeah. Well I…I’m Frosty’ She said a little afraid.

She felt like she could trust these wolves, but she was taught not to give away her name to strangers. Still they had offered her help and she felt like she could at least give them some information.

‘That’s a cool name’ Kenji said.

Frosty managed a small smile, but it vanished soon after as memories about her family came back. Mailo had said something similar to her.

Kenji heard the alpha nearby and turned around to face him. The alpha stopped in front of Frosty who had heard someone coming. She moved into a sitting position her eyes closed.

She felt uncomfortable with her eyes open as she couldn’t see anything anyway. It was all black, even after this long. So she decided to just keep her eyes close to let them rest and maybe she could see eventually.

‘How are you feeling?’ the alpha asked.

‘I’m alright sir, thank you for helping me’ Frosty replied.

‘I’ve got some questions to ask you’ The alpha said calmly.

‘Alright sir’ Frosty replied.

‘First thing, what is your name?’ The alpha asked.

‘I..I’m Frosty, sir’ Frosty replied.

‘Alright Frosty, you don’t have to say sir every time’ He said. Frosty nodded keeping her eyes tightly closed. ‘Is something wrong with your eyes?’ the alpha asked.

‘What? Oh well actually…….I can’t really……see’ Frosty said in a sad tone.

‘You can’t!?’ Kenji blurted out. The alpha shot him a stern look. Kenji knew he had been a bit disrespectful by speaking while the alpha was asking questions to Frosty.

‘No I can’t see. I could see before, but now not and I can’t remember what happened!’ Frosty said feeling panicked. ‘I can’t remember what happened! I know I was here in the forest and something happened and then I woke up around you and couldn’t see ,but I can’t remember!’ Frosty spoke in one breath.

‘Calm down. We will find out what happened’ the alpha spoke gently. ‘Listen you need to know some stuff’ the alpha spoke.

Frosty took a few deep breaths and listened to the alpha. Before the alpha spoke she felt something nearby. A wolf was seated next to her. She recognized the smell as the one who came closer a few minutes ago, so it probably was Kenji.

‘We heard rumors that something bad had happened with the Frost pack. A week later rumors said they had left this forest. We were traveling at that moment and decided to come see this forest. We arrived here earlier today. Kenji here had found you. Frosty, you were frozen in an ice boulder’ the alpha said.

Frosty tensed up and Kenji felt it. He looked at her worriedly. Frosty was breathing ragged again. Memories flashed through her mind. Water, ice, blood, death, betrayal. Her paws shook from the emotional that was building inside her.

‘Kael’ Frosty managed to say before tears began streaming down her face and she shook uncontrollably. Kenji softly snuggled her face and she took comfort in it a moment.

The alpha knew he needed more information so he pushed on with his questions.

‘This Kael, you know him?’ the alpha asked and Frosty nodded more tears streaming down her face. ‘Who is he? Was he important to you?’ the alpha continued.

Frosty looked straight at the alpha thought she didn’t see anything. She had opened her eyes in shock, but now they only showed anger, hatred and pain. Kenji noticed and he felt her body tense up like she was about to strike.

Frosty stood up on her four paws and stepped forward to the alpha. Their noses were only inches away form each other, but the alpha didn’t move.

‘Important to me!?’ Frosty said loudly and angry, questioning his question. ‘Kael was a monster! He ruined everything! I hate him!’ Frosty barked as loud as possible.

‘Then who is he?’ the alpha asked. What did he do?’

‘He was my uncle and killed my brother and sister!’ Frosty shot back at the alpha. Shortly after she collapsed as she kept seeing their lifeless bodies.

‘Your uncle?’ the alpha asked unbelievingly. He knew wolves sometimes fought for the alpha position, but this sounded too harsh.

‘He was born last out of four. My dad was first and he became the alpha of the Frost wolves. Kael couldn’t handle it and……and……’ Frosty explained as she broke down again.

Kenji lay down next to her trying his best to offer some comfort. Frosty snuggled against him. The alpha let Frosty alone for now. She had dealt with enough for today.

Three days had passed since the Fire pack had found Frosty. Frosty had told the whole story about Kael’s attack. Frosty understood why her pack had left. The forest was half frozen and they couldn’t defrost it. Many animals had left the forest that first week ,but rumors told the Frost pack lingered around until they really had to go.

Frosty was sad about losing her pack, but she knew it would be difficult to find them again, especially since she was blind now. Kenji had in those few days become a good friend of hers. He guided her whenever she needed it. She had identified nearly every smell with a name and even felt comfortable around this pack.

The Fire pack had excepted her. Frosty was amazed by their fire powers and they were amazed with her water. The alpha had ordered the forest to be defrosted and perhaps the frost pack would return eventually.

Frosty had asked if they could help her train. She wanted to be strong  and it would be helpful as she had lost her sight and was an easy target. The alpha had agreed and the Fire wolves would help her learn hunting again, fighting and other things.

Frosty wondered where Kael had gone and if he had been successful in taking her dad’s place. She hoped she’d find them again and if she ever came face to face with Kael again she would not lose! She howled this promise to the moon that night. The Fire wolves just listened amazed with her spirit. After all that pain the fire inside her heart had grown and she was even more determined than before.

TO BE CONTINUED!