Chapter 13: The Protectors of the Forest
The group immediately set out and began walking through the forest, heading northeast toward where the red dot on the map was. They traveled slowly and carefully, always keeping their ears and noses open for any sign of Viggo in case this was a trap. It was early morning and the sun was beginning to rise when they stopped. Stinky smelled a pack of wolves nearby and Runt climbed up a tree to try and see farther into the trees.
“Now remember,” Humphrey was saying, “Viggo is a master of deception. We need to stay one step ahead of him, or it’s game over.”
“It could already be game over and we would never even know it,” Oscar said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Humphrey replied.
“I see something,” Runt announced, “deep in the trees.”
“What is it?” Kate asked.
“I don’t know,” Runt replied. “It looks like some kind of machine, I think.”
“Well, let’s go ask them,” Steven said, beginning to head farther into the trees.
“Whoa, whoa, wait,” Adam said. “We don’t know anything about these wolves; if they’re friend or foe. We should do a little surveillance first.”
“Adam’s right,” Humphrey agreed.
“Come on,” Steven said, “since when has anything I’ve ever done ended in disaster?”
Everyone looked at him, knowing of many times in the past when his actions led to something going wrong.
“Come on,” Humphrey said, “we’ll go in from the side.”
They slowly headed around the side, keeping the distant dens of the pack barely within sight before starting to cautiously head in. It wasn’t long before they heard the rustling of leaves in the bushes and smelled wolves nearby, but they saw nothing.
“Um, I’ve got a bad feeling,” Humphrey said nervously.
“You want a worse feeling?” Kate asked, looking off into the forest at something.
“Uh, not really, no” Humphrey replied.
“Too late,” Viper said, following Kate’s gaze.
As Humphrey joined them, he noticed a bunch of wolves standing around them. Even from a short distance, he could see that many of them had scars on various places on their bodies. Viper discreetly slithered to safety up a tree as the rest of the group was led to a large clearing. Viper secretly followed them, slithering from tree branch to tree branch, carefully watching them from above. The group was surrounded by the strange pack and for a moment, nothing happened.
“Who are these guys?” Stinky asked.
“I have no idea,” Humphrey replied, “but I think we’re about to find out.”
One of the wolves stepped up to Humphrey. He had scars across his face and body, his dark brown coat occasionally interrupted by lines of pale scar tissue.
“My name is Darren,” the wolf said.
“Um, I’m Humphrey,” Humphrey replied cautiously.
“Save it for our leader,” Darren told him.
At that moment, the pack around them casually parted and another wolf walked through. The wolf had black fur like Adam, and like Darren, he had many scars covering his body, but was also missing an eye.
“This is Mordecai, our leader,” Darren explained.
“Who are you people?” Humphrey asked.
“You have no right to speak to me,” Mordecai replied, coldly.
“Excuse me?” Humphrey said, surprised at Mordecai’s rudeness.
“We are the Protectors of the Forest,” Mordecai continued. “We work hard to protect Jasper and its inhabitants from the threats they can’t protect themselves from, like you. You and your kind threaten everything we strive to protect. The peace of life has been disrupted because of all the death you bring.”
“What are you talking about?” Jonas asked.
Mordecai walked over to Darren and whispered into his ear.
“Put them in one of the empty dens and leave some wolves to guard them. We’ll question them later.”
The group immediately set out and began walking through the forest, heading northeast toward where the red dot on the map was. They traveled slowly and carefully, always keeping their ears and noses open for any sign of Viggo in case this was a trap. It was early morning and the sun was beginning to rise when they stopped. Stinky smelled a pack of wolves nearby and Runt climbed up a tree to try and see farther into the trees.
“Now remember,” Humphrey was saying, “Viggo is a master of deception. We need to stay one step ahead of him, or it’s game over.”
“It could already be game over and we would never even know it,” Oscar said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Humphrey replied.
“I see something,” Runt announced, “deep in the trees.”
“What is it?” Kate asked.
“I don’t know,” Runt replied. “It looks like some kind of machine, I think.”
“Well, let’s go ask them,” Steven said, beginning to head farther into the trees.
“Whoa, whoa, wait,” Adam said. “We don’t know anything about these wolves; if they’re friend or foe. We should do a little surveillance first.”
“Adam’s right,” Humphrey agreed.
“Come on,” Steven said, “since when has anything I’ve ever done ended in disaster?”
Everyone looked at him, knowing of many times in the past when his actions led to something going wrong.
“Come on,” Humphrey said, “we’ll go in from the side.”
They slowly headed around the side, keeping the distant dens of the pack barely within sight before starting to cautiously head in. It wasn’t long before they heard the rustling of leaves in the bushes and smelled wolves nearby, but they saw nothing.
“Um, I’ve got a bad feeling,” Humphrey said nervously.
“You want a worse feeling?” Kate asked, looking off into the forest at something.
“Uh, not really, no” Humphrey replied.
“Too late,” Viper said, following Kate’s gaze.
As Humphrey joined them, he noticed a bunch of wolves standing around them. Even from a short distance, he could see that many of them had scars on various places on their bodies. Viper discreetly slithered to safety up a tree as the rest of the group was led to a large clearing. Viper secretly followed them, slithering from tree branch to tree branch, carefully watching them from above. The group was surrounded by the strange pack and for a moment, nothing happened.
“Who are these guys?” Stinky asked.
“I have no idea,” Humphrey replied, “but I think we’re about to find out.”
One of the wolves stepped up to Humphrey. He had scars across his face and body, his dark brown coat occasionally interrupted by lines of pale scar tissue.
“My name is Darren,” the wolf said.
“Um, I’m Humphrey,” Humphrey replied cautiously.
“Save it for our leader,” Darren told him.
At that moment, the pack around them casually parted and another wolf walked through. The wolf had black fur like Adam, and like Darren, he had many scars covering his body, but was also missing an eye.
“This is Mordecai, our leader,” Darren explained.
“Who are you people?” Humphrey asked.
“You have no right to speak to me,” Mordecai replied, coldly.
“Excuse me?” Humphrey said, surprised at Mordecai’s rudeness.
“We are the Protectors of the Forest,” Mordecai continued. “We work hard to protect Jasper and its inhabitants from the threats they can’t protect themselves from, like you. You and your kind threaten everything we strive to protect. The peace of life has been disrupted because of all the death you bring.”
“What are you talking about?” Jonas asked.
Mordecai walked over to Darren and whispered into his ear.
“Put them in one of the empty dens and leave some wolves to guard them. We’ll question them later.”
