Running With Wolves

Nine - Taken

     The Nofur's raised stick nearly touched Star's nose. She stared down the length of it, almost going cross-eyed from the effort. The creature's paws shook as it cried out to its pack.

     No way is it getting near mine, Star growled.

     Pulling her lips back to show her teeth, Star barked and growled. As the Nofur shouted, she broke away and started running, passing three arriving Nofurs in a flash of grey.

     Her territory was a dizzying maze of scents in the night. Clouds covered the moon as Star shot through the grass, baying to keep the Nofurs on her tail. Even with them hunting her, she felt alive. Star's paws thumped over the ground, taking her back in the direction of the Nofur camp. She would dash through, check on Water, then continue onward.

     The orange lights appeared through the grass ahead. Star exploded into the middle of the camp, startling a group of Nofurs. They fumbled for their sticks but Star snapped at their paws, filtering through the confusing scents until she found Water's. There! The she-wolf was laying on the ground, unmoving... but she was alive!

     "Water!" Star howled. She hoped to see her packmate tilt her head, flick her ear, whine – anything! – but she was still. As a Nofur roared and lifted his stick, Star darted forward and grabbed it in her teeth. It scraped the inside of her mouth painfully but she shook with all the might she had in her. As she shook, Star stared into the narrowed eyes of the Nofur. You'll pay for attacking my packmate!

     A click sounded close to her right ear. Star let go of the stick in time to see another pointed at her. She was surrounded!

     With a savage snarl, Star leaped at the raised stick. Before she reached it, a bang! tore through the air and into her hide. Star collapsed at the paws of the Nofur.

     I'm sorry, Snow, she thought. I won't be at your side anymore, but I'll watch over you from the ranks of the Star Wolf's pack. This is for you!

     Her limbs feeling heavy, Star struggled to her paws. Her teeth flashed in the orange light of the Nofur camp and she saw them reflected in the eyes of the one in front of her. Star snarled and leaped again.

     Bang!

     She fell. This time, Star did not get up. Her last thought was, I'm sorry, Snow, before her sight was drowned in darkness.

*

     The darkness still surrounded her, but now sounds and smells were added. The world shook and sharp clangs! echoed in the small space she occupied, ringing in her ears and bouncing around her skull. Star blinked open her eyes, her vision coming fuzzily, but coming nonetheless. She was alive!

     Pack! was her first thought. Did they get away?

     "Alpha!" she cried, struggling to her paws on the smooth ground. There was no purchase for her claws. All she could see was darkness. Then her eyes adjusted, and the darkness became a deep grey with her darker shadow crossing over it. Slits of reflected light shone in front of her, and as she turned, Star was blinded by sunlight.

     "Alpha!" she cried again. She closed her eyes and tried to smell. Nofur, poisoned smoke, and death-scent permeated the air. But was that-

     "Shooting Star!"

     It was Water! Water was alive!

     "Water! You're okay!" Star cried back. She pressed forward, feeling a surface like the ground press into her fur. It seemed impossible, but amid the shaking of the ground and walls she felt small scratches on the wall in front of her. "Is that you?"

     "Yes! And I think Swift River is beside me! Who's behind you?"

     Feeling safe enough to open her eyes, Star tested the light by squinting. To her right, a wall had small slits cut into it that let light inside. It was too bright to see outside, but feeling the shaking of the ground Star could sense she was moving.

     Water's wall was to her left. Star turned right, clawing at the smooth wall and howling over the roaring: "Who's there! I can't smell you!"

     "...Star?" came the response.

     Alpha Wind! Star's heart felt broken at hearing the pack leader so despondent. "Alpha! You're alive!" If Alpha Wind is okay, then maybe Alpha Snow is too, and the pups!

     "You are, as well," he replied. With a shaking lurch, the world turned, throwing Star to the side of the den walls. She heard his claws scratching the floor. "But we'll all die soon! The Nofurs have eaten us!"

     "Eaten us!?" Snow-

     "We're inside one of their beasts!" Another clang, and Star was bounced up into the ceiling. It was awfully low, and she banged her head on it.

     Eaten! How horrible! But at least her pack was here. Star tried to stand but found the movement too hard for her to keep her balance. She spread her paws like she was crawling on ice and called to Alpha: "What happened? Do you know if Alpha Snow is-?"

     "-We tried to run, but there were more of them than we thought. You chased four away but six more appeared. I... it was too late."

     Fear seized her limbs. The pups...

     "Shooting Star?" asked Water from her other side, "Is that Alpha?"

     "Yes," Star replied. Her mind was racing. Eaten? All of them?

     Before she could contemplate the horror any further, the ground shook less and the movement of the beast slowed until it stopped. Then it quieted completely, until two bangs sounded from further ahead. Star tilted her ears to listen.

     A Nofur was moving outside. It came close to the side of the beast, then, hearing Owl's snarl and snapping jaws, yelped and jumped back. It barked something to its packmate, and Star heard to familiar click of their sticks.

     "Watch out!" she howled a warning. "The Nofurs are-"

     Something screeched as it slid, then Owl cried out as she was hit with the stick. The BANG! was louder than before, amplified by the small space.

     "No, Wise Owl!" Water howled.

     Star's blood ran cold as Swift River was hit. Then Water.

     A slit opened in the beast of the belly before her. Star stared at the stick that was poked in. Before the Nofur could kill her again, she darted forward and grabbed it. It shouted and wrestled with her for the stick, raising a clamour from other Nofurs. Alpha howled beside her, and with the beast quiet, Star could hear more of her packmates on the other side. If they could work together, they might still have a-

     The stick was ripped from her teeth. It jabbed her in the face. Star yelped, reeling, and flinched as she was struck a third time. The BANG! echoed in her head even as her eyes closed.