Wolves of the Wild (Book 1:Moonech)

Chapter 14

Warm Season

Trees sprouted leaves at the top of their scarred trunks. Flowers shone in the blackness. Ferns and grasses began to cover the forest floor again. Bramble and roses regrew. The sweet smelling breeze caught some ash and soot, spreading it farther around. Moonech padded with Cath, Metch, Kai, and Raths toward the old camp. Prey was beginning to return. As the wolves padded through the Tunnel, Moonech could see the repair needed for activity to begin inside. The bramble and roses that had once been the camp barrier now planted themselves to the ground, creating a stronger barrier. Small bushes and ferns could be seen growing for the Care Place, but roofs were still needed for all of the dens. Moonech turned around to face her pack mates, a list of what to do first already forming in her mind.

"Kai, I want you and Raths to find branches. Cath and I will intertwine them. Metch, I want you to find vines to drape over the Alpha Den, and don't go far."

Every wolf nodded, and set to work. By the end of the sun-up, the Healer Den roof had been fixed, and some vines were ready to grow in front of the Alpha Den.

***

Moonech lifted her head when she heard a yowl. Moonech trotted from the Beta Den, Cath following after her. At the edge of the Moon Field stood several lynxes, all of them with their hackles raised and spiked fur. Moonech pinned her ears down and showed her teeth, she scanned for any pups, and then remembered that none had been born that Warm Season. Cath growled beside her, creeping toward the lynxes. One of the lynxes in front crouched down, stretching out its paw as if to claw at the wolves. Moonech flicked her ears when she heard more of her pack mates padding with her, but she waited for Nanuk and Laema's signal. Finally from the edge of her vision, Moonech could see Nanuk's brown pelt, but he seemed to be waiting for something. Foloo padded in front of him, and then stood in the middle of the battle-ready wolves. She pinned her ears back, then barked,

"Sky Pack is with us. Attack at will, Nanuk."

Nanuk creeped up beside her, his body ready to leap.

"Amber Trees Pack, attack!"

He snapped. Moonech launched herself at the nearest Lynx, and it launched toward her, the two meeting mid-air. The Lynx ran its claws across her face and muzzle, and Moonech snapped her jaws on its paw. It cracked in her mouth, and the Lynx let out a yowl. It hissed, and Moonech felt its hind paws churning at her belly. Moonech reached her neck out and grabbed the lynx's scruff and yanked it upwards before letting it fall dazed. She yanked it up again, then tossed it into the forest and watched it limp away. Moonech saw a flash of black and saw Metch leap at Foloo. Foloo stared straight at him but just moved aside so he missed, and sent him crashing to the floor. Moonech leaped on top of him, then growled,

"Fight the lynxes not your pack mates you traitor!"

Before leaping off him. Metch stood for a moment, catching his breath. Moonech guessed her attack had knocked the breath out of him. Metch looked at her with tired yellow eyes before they flashed with anger and he launched himself into a Lynx and killed it with a swift bite to the throat. Moonech caught a flash of movement from the edge of her vision and saw a Lynx kit swatting at Belike's hind paws while she battered a Lynx, both standing on their hind legs. The Lynx shoved Belike back, and she fell onto her back. The kit was below her, and she crushed it with a squeak. The Lynx pricked its ears, and then its eyes blazed with the fire of a mother.

That was the lynx's kit.

The Lynx reared, its claws outstretched to scratch Belike's throat. Moonech swatted it off of Belike, who was still catching her breath. Belike finally rose, picking the kit up from beneath her. The Lynx was standing a wolf away, staring at the dead kit. It snatched the kit from Belike before running back away, two other kits trailing it. Moonech saw Metch chase after the Lynx, and she closed her eyes as she heard the squeals of the other kits as he killed them.

When he padded back out of the forest, Moonech stomped toward him.

"That was unneeded."

She growled. Metch flicked an ear back, and then looked behind her. Moonech looked as well, and she saw Laema stretched out, a long scratch across her neck. The lynxes had all left, except for the one Raths was battling. The Lynx had rolled him onto his back, and the Lynx was now digging its claws into his belly. Raths was howling in agony, and Moonech raced toward him, grabbing the Lynx by the scruff and shaking it before tossing it into the air. The Lynx scampered away when it landed, leaving the battered wolves in silence. Raths was beginning to still, blood pooling around him from the deep gashes in his belly. Tamka and Amai paced around the pack, Amai occasionally running back to their den and grabbing sap covered oak leaves to put on scratches. When they reached her they patched up a scratch on her belly she had forgotten she had and some root juice for her muzzle. Moonech laid down, seeing blood soak through the leaves on her belly. Amai had stayed with her, worried about the gashes. They weren't near as deep as Raths', but she was feeling weak from the amount of blood she was losing. Amai replaced the oak leaves, and Moonech finally felt the blood flow stop. Cath padded toward her, and when he saw her wounds he flicked his ears back in worry. He looked toward Amai before barking,

"Will she be alright Amai?"

Amai nodded slowly, looking at Laema and Raths' bodies that had already been positioned in the middle of the clearing.

"She won't join them yet."

Cath smiled, and then licked Moonech's ears. Moonech drifted off to sleep, the sun warming her pelt.