The Mountains of Augustus

Chapter 2

"Hey! Look! A small cave in!!" River barked all of a sudden, her ears pricked now.

Cave-ins were common along the mountains, simply because of the heavy melting of the snow during summer...which reveals small caves that dot the white peak's surface.

"Niceeee..." Solister mumbled under her cold breath, a smile creeping along her muzzle as her ears pushed a little backward, her bright blue eyes lighting up. "We could stay here for the night!" Artic, a wolf with translucent, iridescent feathered wings--that only emerge when he wants them to--yelped excitedly.

Then, coming up closely behind, were the siblings, Kibble and Aiko.

"Haha, finally!" Kibble grinned, swishing his tail, and nudging forth his quiet sister. Aiko never really talked much, only in dire situations would she dare show her voice, and her skills. The small pack entered the cave, all at a gaging trot. River carefully and cautiously sniffed the cave, to check if any other wolf had already been here, or if there were potential dangers.

The sniffing proved efficient. There was no other wolf scent other than a few insects, and the faint smell of a smelly mountain goat, who must have took this as shelter before.

"Okay, cave clear." River huffed, bright white mist escaping her nostrils.

Solister and Kibble both smiled gently, and took their place in the cave. He had one spot, she had another spot. Aiko and Artic took the other side of the cave. Aiko found a nice corner with a smooth surface and quietly laid down, her fluffy tail placed casually over her hind legs. Artic was panting, but he laid himself down just beside Aiko's corner, giving her a little more space.

Outside, the pearly white snow was still. There were no signs of any avalanches or snow storms coming their way....The evening sun inched its way below the horizon, creating a gorgeous sunset that made this place wonderful for the view. All of the wolves felt peace and calmality soothe their aching hearts.

"Wow..." all of them breathed...the sight was astounding. The orange rays had shone down on the mountains, causing the snow to glitter like freshly cut diamonds. The cave was lit with the light, and it brought warmth to the wolves as it gently caressed their fur.

"Made it just in time for night..." Kibble smiled, placing his fore paws over each other as he stared out the entrance. As the sun finally reached the end of its reign of day, the sky and the territory fell into the hands of the crescent moon. Its soft gaze and pimpled face quietly made creatures go into slumber, all around the region.

The pack of River all took one last gaze at the moon, before yawning and greeting each other goodnight.

The silence of the mountains brought peace to the sleeping wolves. Their fur gently ruffled in the soft wind, and their bodies were solemnly protected by the walls of the cave, that separated them from the outside...

Back at Home territory

"HEY! YOU!!" a shrilling voice shattered the silence that was around the remaining wolves.

"I-Im sorry...I-I p-promise it won't h-happen again..." a soft voice mumbled, sounding worried. Well, he should be. Standing right in front of him is the Chief Commander of the Claw Guardians himself. The Chief narrowed his eyes and stared right into the unlucky wolf's soul. His eyes had the look and intention to kill.

The wolf was probably scared to death. The Chief's fangs were not filed at all, meaning they were almost saber teeth. The side of his mouth was dotted with other sharp fangs as well, but the smaller ones... His fur was sharp at the end, and it was a bright greyish brown, with an interesting coat pattern.

His belly was white, but it faded into spots as it became a lighter shade of brown, before dotting up again to the main greyish brown.

Other than this, he had massive, 15 feet, grey-purple bat wings that presented proudly by his sides, and a sharp, punkish mane that made him look like a commander in an army. He also has a really furry tail. The fur is about double the length of the norm, thus it makes him look like a monster, but not as revolting.

His huge size and menacing features make him all the while scarier, and more powerful. The Claw Guardians treasured him and worshipped him like a god, as he brought them to new heights, just as August had done with his own pack.

The Chief snarled at the young wolf, his paws stuck firmly upon the ground.

"Your highness, we cannot kill another, otherwise, shortage of wolves will be apparent, and our mission may not progress as well as before." a silent whisper came from behind the Chief. It was his advisor. He let out a low growl, glancing behind him with only his iris as he spoke.

After a tense few seconds, the Chief finally commented.

"You are lucky... young peasant... Today might have been your last. Get on to work, no more mistakes shall be tolerated. Understood?" he spoke with an incredibly low and mature voice. The wolf's eyes brightened as he stood straight.

"Y-Yes your honor, I understand! Thank you for sparing me, I shall forever be under your debt!" he stammered, trying to please the Chief.  "As you wish." he smirked back, turning to trot away.