Warriors but Wolves: Into the Wild

Chapter 23

     Firepaw could tell there were several wolves in the patrol, traveling fast. He couldn't recognize the individual scents of the wolves through the musty bog odors, but he knew it was ThunderPack. He held his breath as the pawsteps raced past and away.

"Are we really going to try to rescue the pups from ShadowPack alone?" whispered Ravenpaw.

Yellowfang answered him first. "I might be able to find us some help from inside ShadowPack. Not all the wolves support Brokenstar." Firepaw pricked up his ears and Graypaw flicked his tail in surprise. "When he became alpha," Yellowfang explained, "Brokenstar forced the elders to leave the security of the inner camp. They had to live on the boundary and hunt for themselves. These are wolves who have grown up with the Warrior Code. Some of them might help us."

Firepaw stared into her old eyes, thinking quickly. "And I might be able to persuade the ThunderPack hunting party to help us too," he barked. "If I can speak to them before they see Yellowfang, I might be able to make them believe her story. Ravenpaw, you wait at the dead ash, where we smelled the pup blood, till one of us returns."

Ravenpaw looked worried. "But do you really trust Yellowfang to bring back help?" he murmured to Firepaw.

"You must trust me," growled Yellowfang. "I will return." Ravenpaw looked at Firepaw, who nodded. Without another word Yellowfang sprang past the two apprentices and disappeared into the bushes.

"Have we done the right thing?" asked Ravenpaw.

"I don't know," Firepaw admitted. "If we have, we are heroes and the pups are safe. If we are wrong, then we are as good as dead."

Firepaw sprinted after the patrol, around brambles, past gorse, and through nettles. The trail was easy to follow. The angry ThunderPack wolves weren't trying to disguise their presence in ShadowPack's territory. Overhead, the thick layer of cloud had finally rolled away. Beyond the treetops, Silverpelt glittered across the night sky. The moon was just rising, but its cold light couldn't pierce the mist that clung to the shadowy undergrowth.

Firepaw concentrated on the scent from up ahead. He could smell Whitestorm. He sniffed again.

Bearclaw wasn't with them. He raced to catch up and skidded to a halt behind the band of ThunderPack wolves. The warriors turned and glared at him, fur bristling, ears flattened aggressively. Darkstripe was with them, and the young she-wolf Mousefur, as well as the pale warrior Runningwind. Willowpelt was there too.

"Firepaw!" growled Whitestorm. "What are you doing here?" Firepaw gasped for breath.

"Spottedstar sent me!" he panted. "She wanted me to find Yellowfang before—"

Whitestorm interrupted him. "Ah!" he barked. "Spottedstar told me I might find a friend out here. Now I understand what she meant." He looked thoughtfully at Firepaw.

"Is Bearclaw nearby?" Firepaw asked, feeling a tingle of pride at their shared gaze. Whitestorm looked at him curiously. "Spottedstar insisted she needed him to remain at camp, to protect the

remaining pups."

Firepaw nodded quickly, relieved. He barked urgently, "Whitestorm, I need your help. I can lead you to the pups. Ravenpaw is waiting for me. We plan to rescue them tonight. Will you come?"

"Of course we'll come!" The warriors tossed their heads with excitement as they murmured amongst themselves.

"It will mean raiding the ShadowPack camp," Firepaw warned.

"Can you lead us there?" asked Runningwind eagerly.

"No, but Yellowfang can. And she has promised to bring help from her old allies in the camp."