Chapter 2: Years of War
The day was still young when the pack began to start recovering from the latest attack. Stinky was still down in the valley, making sure the wounded wolves were getting to their dens when Claudette, Kenya, and Lisa approached from the forest. Stinky soon noticed that Claudette was clearly limping.
“Are you limping?” he asked her as she walked past.
“No,” she lied.
“Yes,” Lisa told him.
“Fine,” Claudette sighed. “We got ambushed and I got clawed on my shoulder. I’m fine. He just grazed me.”
“Okay, did anybody else get hurt?” Stinky announced. “Who didn’t tell me?”
“I got a thing in my eye,” Jax said.
“You mean that tiny little bug?” Jonas asked.
“Hey! That bug was on a mission,” Jax replied. “A mission…to be in my eye.”
“These attacks are getting worse,” Steven said. “After years of war, we’re starting to lose our ability to defend ourselves.”
“I know,” Stinky said. “We weren’t trained for this.”
“Well then it’s a great time to learn,” Runt commented.
“We already have everything we need,” Claudette said. “We know everything we do today because of mom and dad. They both taught us well and I say, it’s time to make them proud. We’ve been doing well for this long.”
“You’re right, sis,” Stinky replied. “They would be proud. Both of them.”
“Hey, speaking of which, where is Kate?” Steven asked.
“She’s up at the old den, visiting Winston,” Stinky said. “Why?”
“It’s just, she hasn’t been around much lately,” Steven said. “If anything, I figured she would’ve been here this morning during the attack.”
“Well, it is that time of year,” Adam replied, referring to the day when Humphrey died.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Steven replied. “Should I go check on her?”
“No, I’ll go,” Runt said. “I need a break from all the boring meetings anyway.”
“Wait, I don’t get a break?” Stinky asked.
“Bro, you’re the leader of the pack,” Runt said. “You’ve been bragging about this for years, ever since we were pups. You’re the one that calls for the boring meetings. If anything, you should be the one to attend them. Leading’s not as fun as it sounds, is it?”
“I’ve had a few good ideas in the past,” Stinky replied.
“Yeah, like that wolf park?” Runt said as he began walking away. “Where you could supervise us?”
“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Hey, tell mom I said hi,” Stinky called after Runt.
“You know I will,” he said back.
Runt began heading up the slope toward his old den where he used to live as a pup. Usually, this den that sat upon a cliff, overlooking the valley below, was the den of the pack leader and their family. Runt still should’ve been living in it with Stinky and Claudette. However, Kate was so stricken by grief after Humphrey’s death, that a few months after, she and the pups left and instead decided to live in a regular den just south of where they used to live. Kate could no longer bear to live there because it reminded her too much of Humphrey. Now it served as a place where Winston, Eve, and Tony could peacefully live in their old age.
Runt approached Kate as she was leaving the den.
“Hey, mom, where were you today?” he asked. “We really could’ve used you during the attack.”
“I know,” Kate replied. “And I’m sorry, Runt. Really, I am.”
“Look, I understand what you’re going through. This time of year is hard for all of us,” Runt continued. “But right now, we can’t be shorthanded. These attacks are getting worse and worse and now there’s this new pack that has suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. They’re stronger than us, better fighters. We need your help.”
“I think I know what pack you’re talking about,” Kate said. “I’ve seen these strange wolves in the woods at night while I’ve been out wandering.”
“Do they all have the same scar on their faces?” Runt asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s them,” Runt said. “We should go tell the others. Maybe this is what we need to finally end this.”
The day was still young when the pack began to start recovering from the latest attack. Stinky was still down in the valley, making sure the wounded wolves were getting to their dens when Claudette, Kenya, and Lisa approached from the forest. Stinky soon noticed that Claudette was clearly limping.
“Are you limping?” he asked her as she walked past.
“No,” she lied.
“Yes,” Lisa told him.
“Fine,” Claudette sighed. “We got ambushed and I got clawed on my shoulder. I’m fine. He just grazed me.”
“Okay, did anybody else get hurt?” Stinky announced. “Who didn’t tell me?”
“I got a thing in my eye,” Jax said.
“You mean that tiny little bug?” Jonas asked.
“Hey! That bug was on a mission,” Jax replied. “A mission…to be in my eye.”
“These attacks are getting worse,” Steven said. “After years of war, we’re starting to lose our ability to defend ourselves.”
“I know,” Stinky said. “We weren’t trained for this.”
“Well then it’s a great time to learn,” Runt commented.
“We already have everything we need,” Claudette said. “We know everything we do today because of mom and dad. They both taught us well and I say, it’s time to make them proud. We’ve been doing well for this long.”
“You’re right, sis,” Stinky replied. “They would be proud. Both of them.”
“Hey, speaking of which, where is Kate?” Steven asked.
“She’s up at the old den, visiting Winston,” Stinky said. “Why?”
“It’s just, she hasn’t been around much lately,” Steven said. “If anything, I figured she would’ve been here this morning during the attack.”
“Well, it is that time of year,” Adam replied, referring to the day when Humphrey died.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Steven replied. “Should I go check on her?”
“No, I’ll go,” Runt said. “I need a break from all the boring meetings anyway.”
“Wait, I don’t get a break?” Stinky asked.
“Bro, you’re the leader of the pack,” Runt said. “You’ve been bragging about this for years, ever since we were pups. You’re the one that calls for the boring meetings. If anything, you should be the one to attend them. Leading’s not as fun as it sounds, is it?”
“I’ve had a few good ideas in the past,” Stinky replied.
“Yeah, like that wolf park?” Runt said as he began walking away. “Where you could supervise us?”
“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Hey, tell mom I said hi,” Stinky called after Runt.
“You know I will,” he said back.
Runt began heading up the slope toward his old den where he used to live as a pup. Usually, this den that sat upon a cliff, overlooking the valley below, was the den of the pack leader and their family. Runt still should’ve been living in it with Stinky and Claudette. However, Kate was so stricken by grief after Humphrey’s death, that a few months after, she and the pups left and instead decided to live in a regular den just south of where they used to live. Kate could no longer bear to live there because it reminded her too much of Humphrey. Now it served as a place where Winston, Eve, and Tony could peacefully live in their old age.
Runt approached Kate as she was leaving the den.
“Hey, mom, where were you today?” he asked. “We really could’ve used you during the attack.”
“I know,” Kate replied. “And I’m sorry, Runt. Really, I am.”
“Look, I understand what you’re going through. This time of year is hard for all of us,” Runt continued. “But right now, we can’t be shorthanded. These attacks are getting worse and worse and now there’s this new pack that has suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. They’re stronger than us, better fighters. We need your help.”
“I think I know what pack you’re talking about,” Kate said. “I’ve seen these strange wolves in the woods at night while I’ve been out wandering.”
“Do they all have the same scar on their faces?” Runt asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s them,” Runt said. “We should go tell the others. Maybe this is what we need to finally end this.”
