Starlightlynxes: Stars in the Sky #1: Twilight

~Chapter 14~

I hope this works. Storm thought. There was a prick of doubt in her head. She blocked it out. No, everything will be fine. We've got this! This plan was thought out hard. It will work. It has to.

"So," Hawk meowed. "Just to go over the plan one more time. So, we go and find some wolf scent, and we get it on our fur, then me, Storm and Owl will surround the camp, and run around, acting like the big wolves, and not let the other wolves see who we really are, while Starlight goes to the back and frees River and Dawn. Let me just ask, why are these wolves scared of the wolf stench we're going to find?"

"The wolves who captured River and Dawn are actually coywolves, so they aren't as big as normal wolves." Star explained.

"Another question." Storm flicked her ears. "Where is Owl?"

"She went out to find the scent already. She should be back soon." Star replied.

"Okay, so we sit and wait until she returns?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

It wasn't very long after that that the trio heard rustling, and out stepped Owl.She had a stick in her mouth that smelled extremely stinky.

"What's this?" Hawk backed away. "I'm not going to get wolf dung all over my pelt! That's gross!"

"It's that or nothing." Owl dropped the stick. "I'm not too keen on getting this all over myself, but we've got to do it."

"I would just recommend that you wash yourselves in a river or something after this. It might leave a weird taste in your mouth if you don't."

"Lucky. You aren't going to have to have any of this stuff on you." Storm laughed.

"I guess I am lucky. Now, we have to hurry so that we can do this before morning."

"Yes, let's hurry."

Storm followed Star as she led them through the pine forest. She swallowed hard as the four of them caught scents of the coywolves. "We're here." Starlight whispered. "Stay low, and try to be quiet until you see the moon start to rise. That's when all of the wolves should start to come out of their nests and dens- whatever they like to call it. Got it?"

"Yes." Hawk nodded.

"I got that." Owl agreed.

"Me too." Storm quickly added, and they split up to wait. It felt like she would have to wait for a while, so Storm settled down at the entrance of the wolf-camp. Eventually, she saw a white rim of the moon start to show above the trees, and sure enough, she heard the rustling from the inside of the camp, and she got up quickly to hide- gagging at the stench coming from her fur for disguise.

She crouched, waiting for something to happen. Then she heard a howl from one of the other entrances- or exits. "There's a wolf!" It howled.

"What?" Another one barked as it went over, then stepped back when blood dripped from its muzzle.

"We're under attack!" Yet another wolf ran away from the exit Hawk was at.

All three lynxes ran, circling the camp, and they were fast enough to seem like a whole army of wolves.

One of them tried to jump out of the entrance when Storm was passing, so she quickly screeched to a stop to hide in the shadows and lash out. It yowled in pain and ran back into the camp.

Good.

. . .

This should work. Star thought as she crept to the back of the camp. River and Dawn are back here. But she could hear the slight whispers.

"No, go back."

"You mustn't try."

I'll be okay. She comforted herself.

"Yes, you will."

Yes, I will. But as she lifted her head to check the den in front of her, all her horrors came true. River and Dawn were not in the den.

She held her breath as she scrambled up a tree to check the camp. She scanned it, and she saw the two lynxes huddling in a different thorn den surrounded by coywolves, who were looking around in panic as they thought they were being attacked. Oh no! This will never work! How in the world am I supposed to get over there now?!

She caught a glimpse of something and turned her head to see... four coywolves. They were surrounding Owl, Storm and Hawk with the three lynxes noticing.

She yowled as loudly as she could- not knowing exactly what she was doing. But while she distracted the wolves, Storm saw them. Star breathed a sigh of relief when she beckoned for the other two to creep away. It took the wolves a few minutes to realize where she was, and that they'd been tricked.

"Stop being fools you fools!" The black one barked at the coywolves in the camp. "They're not wolves! They're lynxes!"

Then it was then that the other coywolves jumped to their feet and started running.

And a few of them surrounded her tree. That was okay with her- she was quite good in trees. But the others were being chased. She hoped they'd get away as she jumped to the next tree, the wolves following.

. . .

Storm spun around as she heard Star yowl. She saw her in a tree, jerking her head to behind Storm. She turned to see four wolves.

No! Why?! She silently found Owl and Hawk- who were still running around.

"There's wolves over there. They know we're here. We have to go!" That caught their attention right away. "We have to go!"

"What about Star?" Owl hissed as they ran.

"She's in the trees. She'll be fine." She was trying to convince herself as much as Hawk and Owl.

"We'd better hurry." Hawk warned. "They've spotted us."

Sure enough, when she turned, Storm could see five coywolves running after them, growling, their longer legs making it so they gained on the lynxes easily.

"Maybe we should split up." Owl suggested as they ran. "It would be harder for them to catch us."

"But if we get separated," Hawk added, "And one of us does get caught, how will the rest of us know?"

"Easy. Don't get caught."

"Easier said than done." Storm pointed out. "They're much faster than us. If we get separated, they'll easily catch all of us."

"That's true. Forget I mentioned it." Owl nodded. "But how do we get away?"

"You know, you two are really very good at not getting paranoid that the wolves are getting closer, thus making us get closer to our doom!" Hawk shouted. From a bit farther ahead.

"Why thank you." Storm hissed, focusing on her paws as they drummed on the ground.

"Up here!" The meow came from above Storm's head.

"Stop." She told Hawk and Owl. They both stopped and looked up. Starlight was crouching in one of the trees.

"Climb a tree. They won't be able to get to you."

"Okay." Owl nodded, launching herself up to the one nearest to her and hooking her claws into the bark. "Hurry up!" She was glaring past the two lynxes still on the ground. "The wolves are almost here!"

"Ugh," Hawk muttered as he jumped into the nearest tree, scrambling his way up to the strongest branches. Storm followed, but on a smaller tree. As she was climbing, her pelt started to tingle.

"Storm! Jump to a different tree! Now!" Star commanded suddenly.

"Wha-?" A loud crack interrupted her. She yowled as the whole tree rocked, and the branch she was on bent down. She launched herself to the next tree just in time to see the branch come crashing down- right on top of one of the wolves.

But she wasn't safe yet. The branch she had jumped to was also very thin. Without a sound from any of the lynxes, the branch snapped.