Forest's Journey
Chapter 6

It was two moons after the pups had been named, and they were now nearly all weaned off milk and old enough to travel. Forest was leading the hunting patrol back one dusk when Flower picked up a faint but familiar scent in the air.

“I hope I am very mistaken, but I think I can smell The Pack of Bones’ scent in the air,” said Flower.

“You’re not mistaken. I can smell it too.” agreed Thorn.

“If what you’re saying is true, we have to go back to camp now. They could be anywhere right now.” instructed Forest.

The patrol tore through the streets and arrived back in their camp quickly.

“Violet, we detected The Pack of Bones’ scent in the air. They could be here any moment. We need to leave together now!” decided Flower.

“We’ll never outrun them with so many pups. We need wolves to hold them back while the pups escape. Violet, take the pups and go with Thorn. Go north, because that’s the direction the light from Forest’s paws is heading. Remember to cross the road first. Go as quickly as you can. The rest of us will fight them and hold them back. We’ll catch up with you as soon as possible.” ordered Leaf

The wolves nodded in agreement. Violet gathered up her pups and prepared to leave.

“Why do we have to leave, mum?” asked Forestson.

“Bad wolves are going to attack and capture us if we don’t leave quickly. I’ll explain on the way, but just hurry up and come with me and uncle Thorn.” commanded Violet.

The pups nodded, their eyes wide with fear. Forest felt a twinge of sadness in his heart when he realised that the bad wolves the pups were running away from were their father and his packmates. After the pups had gone, the wolves squared their shoulders, getting ready for battle.

“Are we ready to fight?” asked Forest.

“As ready as we’ll ever be. Let’s take down the scoundrels who drove Violet and her family away from the pack!” barked Bush.

The Pack of Steel’s scent was getting stronger by the second, and it wasn’t long before some Pack of Bones wolves jumped into the alleyway. Forest grimaced. One Pack of Bones wolf for each of his wolves. They were thin, lanky and mangy with messy, tangled and greasy fur. Their eyes shone with an angry malevolence, and growls vibrated from deep within their throats.

The leader of the group, Max, picked up the scent of pups and followed it to the road, where it had long been dissipated.

“Who are these loners beside you?” questioned the leader of the group, Max.

“They’re my friends. They may not belong in a pack right now, but each and every one of them is more honourable than you, mutt.” Flower replied

“Where are my pups, Flower?” growled Max.

“You lost your right to them when you drove Violet out while she was expecting.” Flower snarled.

“They are my pups, Flower. I have a right to them no matter what I have done. Now, where are they?” questioned Max.

“We don’t know.” Flower replied, shrugging.

With an earth-shattering growl, Max leaped towards Flower, and his warriors attacked her companions. Forest was almost knocked over by a large female with light silver fur. He managed to dodge, and scored his claws down the female’s pelt. She retaliated by biting down hard on his tail, and he hissed in pain. He knocked out her legs from under her as he spun around to face her. Before he got a chance to pounce on her, however, she stood up, and scratched his face hard, missing his eye by a millimetre. Blood dripped down his face and into his eyes. Forest snarled, and shredded her right ear with his claws. She lurched left, and while she was unsteady on her paws, Forest pounced on her, pinning her down with a paw on her neck.

She struggled and spat, and pushed Forest off her. As she got up, she dealt a heavy blow to Forest’s head, and he was knocked down. She pinned him down now, and prepared to deliver the killing blow. The she-wolf reminded Forest of the cruel wolves who called themselves “the Beta’s enforcers” in his hold pack. The Beta made his dislike of lower-ranked wolves known, and secretly encouraged his followers to bully them. Those “enforcers” obeyed and abused and bullied the lower-ranked wolves. This she-wolf was like them, working at the behest of a cruel wolf to bring down weaker wolves. It was time to fight back. With a burst of energy, Forest pushed back on his attacker and pinned her down with her soft belly exposed. He drew his claws across her belly lightly, hard enough to cause pain but not hard enough to kill her. She howled with pain. While she was distracted, he knocked her out hard with a heavy blow from his paws. Forest looked around. Most of his wolves were finishing off their opponents, but Rye looked like he was having some trouble. Forest leapt back into the fray, dragging the he-wolf attacking Rye off of him. The young wolf nodded his thanks, and Rye distracted the wolf while Forest knocked him over and pinned him down. Rye dealt the finishing blow to his head. The other Pack of Bones wolves were beginning to run off too.

“This isn’t over, Flower. We’ll replace my pups, and I’ll get what I want, like I always do.” Max snarled before he ran off after his packmates.

“Is anyone badly hurt?” Flower asked.

“No, we’re fine. We have to catch up to Violet now. If we don’t we’ll risk losing them.” Forest replied.

The wolves hurriedly crossed the road and followed the light from Forest’s paws. They sprinted in silence, their minds still reeling from the attack.

After a while, they scented Violet, Thorn and the pups’ in the air. They picked up their pace, and to their immense relief, the scent got stronger and stronger. Soon, they heard the whine of a pup.

“Violet, Thorn? Are you there?” Forest asked.