Wolf at Heart

Chapter Six: Fight in the Forest

Fighting back the rising urge to panic, I told myself to calm down. After all, everyone has a scent, and I could just follow my own to camp.

I was only a couple steps into this plan when I realized it wasn't the best.

My trail zig-zagged everywhere as the result of wandering around to pick various herbs. It could take me the other half of the night to get back, and I didn't even know how long I'd already been out.

Deciding to give it a shot, I became a wolf and trailed after the scents as quickly as I could. Eventually, it had to lead me somewhere.

Eventually.

Since I didn't know the land well, none of the landmarks stood out to me. I raced past blackened stumps, a waterfall, and a small stream where I'd taken a short break. Good thing there weren't any clouds blocking the moon, or I'd really be in the dark.

I heard rustling in the bushes and my ears pricked up. Getting to my paws, I growled to the trees, "Who's there? Come out!"

The thing hopped out of the underbrush and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a rabbit. If the others were here they'd laugh at how jumpy I was tonight.

Then it got real.

Behind me, two tough-looking Lupine emerged, masks over the lower half of their faces.

The first one, a fox, chuckled. "Looks like we got a feisty one today, huh, Sirius?"

The one named Sirius gave a barking laugh and shifted into a coyote, a wicked grin deforming the scar over his muzzle.

I tensed, sensing there was about to be a fight. Silently scolding myself for going so deep in the woods, I bared my teeth, a low growl in my throat, trying to sound intimidating.

It didn't work, no surprise. If anything, it made them even more excited.

"This little cub needs to learn to respect her elders, ey? We'll give you a lesson you'll never forget," The red fox said, and launched himself at me with a snarl.

I let out a laugh to cover up my fear, "Hah! You? Elder? You'd be lucky if you even live that long!"

Though he was strong, he was clumsy, and I sidestepped, sinking my fangs into his arm. While he was yelling in pain, I shifted into my human form and clubbed him on the head with the hilt of my knife.

Too easy.

He crumpled on the ground like a felled tree, moaning loudly.

One down, one to go.

I was turning around to face the coyote, Sirius when I felt a blow to the back of my legs. Pain shot up my spine, and my knees buckled.

The coyote didn't let me fall, though, he grabbed me by my throat and slammed me against a tree trunk.

I clawed at his fingers, struggling to breathe. Remembering my other knife, I inched my hand down to the sheath.

Grasping the hilt, I swiped up towards his face, but he saw it coming. He slapped me so hard my ears rang, and I dropped my last weapon.

Ouch, that hurt.

I couldn't even shift into a wolf now. The edges of my vision turned black, and I stopped moving to focus on breathing in and out.

Maybe this is it, I thought hazily, my mind fuzzy from lack of oxygen. I hope they'll at least send my body back to my brothers, my delusional head thought.

Yeah, right...

There was a streak of white across my line of sight and the pressure on my throat disappeared. I slid down, gasping on the cool grass.