Running With Wolves

Two - Attack

     "We found something, Alpha! The Nofurs have invaded our territory!"

     Roaring Bear's words were met with angry howls. Star snarled while Owl and Night whimpered in fear. Snow looked mad, and the other two betas looked furious. "Alpha, what do we do?" several asked. Star looked up at the two mates hopefully.

     "I will go and investigate. I want Bone, Bear, Star, Owl, Water, and Swift to come with me. The rest of you, stay here if the Nofurs decide to invade the camp," Alpha Fox commanded. Alpha Wind gathered the remaining wolves closer to the dens.

     Star followed Pale Bone as her patrol left camp. She wanted to race ahead, to chase the Nofurs away herself, but she couldn't break rank. Alpha Fox let Roaring Bear lead, and she led the wolves opposite the direction of the Great River. They passed a small copse of pine trees as they entered the grassland, running to get to the place where the dawn patrol was in time.

     The Grassland Pack's territory was once very large before the Nofurs came. Star had heard tales from the pack's elder before she passed, about how huge bison once roamed the territory. There used to be nice Nofurs too, ones who wore deer pelts and left the pack offerings of meat and bones. They left each other alone and lived in peace. When the other Nofurs came, everything changed. They slaughtered the bison, took the friendly Nofurs away, and poisoned the water.

     Star leaped over a small stream. The water inside was choked with foam and Star tried to remember a time when it was clean. She and her sister had drank from it before they were found by the pack and while it tasted funny, it hadn't been as bad as this.

     Roaring Bear slowed down. Ahead of the wolves was a small hill. The bets gestured to the top. "That's where they were, they must be gone now, but I swear, I saw them."

     The hill was surrounded by gorse and heather, small yellow and purple flowers dotting the rise. Star smelled their sweet honey-like scent as the wolves crept cautiously up the hill. Star looked behind herself. They had travelled really far. She couldn't see the camp anymore. At least they were not close to finding us.

     Alpha Fox peeked over the hill cautiously, ears down. "They aren't there, but I want to be sure. Water, check for scents."

     The light gray she-wolf raised her nose and breathed in. "I can smell their scent, Alpha Fox, but it's stale. They left not too long ago. There's something else... are we going to go look, Alpha?"

     Alpha Fox crouched down. "Swift, since you're the fastest, I want you to check around this hill. Make sure you aren't seen if there are any Nofurs." Swift nodded his head and loped off.

     Star crouched down near Owl and Pale Bone. Roaring Bear sat down nervously. "Alpha, the Nofurs were poking at the ground when we first found them. It looked like they were digging."

     Alpha Fox acknowledged what her beta said but didn't say anything herself. Water whined in fear. "I smell something bad, Alpha."

     "Don't let them smell your fear-scent, Water," Star growled. She was smelling it too: it was sharp, like smoke, and made her head dizzy. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. But Star wasn't afraid like Water was. Swift returned at their right flanks quickly.

     "Alpha Fox, I scented the Nofurs, but their trail was leading away from here. There was a coyote den not too far away as well."

     The alpha's amber eyes blazed with cold fury. "We will hunt them down, just you wait. But first we need to see what's at the top of this hill. I smell the foul odor too." The she-wolf padded cautiously up the rest of the mound. Star followed, paws crunching on the soft heather. At the top of the hill was a small clearing free of plants. The Nofurs had cut the grass and gorse away, leaving a section of clear dirt and chopped stems. In the centre was a small, gray shape sticking out of the ground. It looked like a tick, but it was the biggest tick Star had ever seen. Why was its head buried in the soil?