Chapter 6

This one's a fairly short chapter, due to it being 10:00 at night!

                                                   CHAPTER 6

Please read prologue and chapters 1-5 before reading this chapter.

“WARRIORS!” Hummingbird yelled. “This may not be our camp and our home, but these are wolves that need our help! We must defend them!”

The words he spoke echoed in River’s mind. Her leader and his pack were strong and brave. These were two qualities she did not have. She was a newer warrior and had only fought three battles. All of them she had left with scars. According to the troubles happening, this looked as if it wouldn’t be any different.

Hummingbird was the first to run down to the camp, followed by all of the rest streaming behind him like a group of fish in a shallow pond. It took her a while to gather her nerves, but soon she was running right with the others.

The snow underpaw was very slippery and hard to run in, not to mention the heat of the flames that somehow didn’t melt it. Many warriors were having a hard time running too.

When she reached the camp a quick gaze around told her that the Black Creek wolves were winning. White Snow warriors littered the ground like prey in the kill pile back at camp. They were outnumbered and horribly loosing. It was the time to act.

Hedge was the first to spring. He crashed into a black scarred wolf with long and sharp claws. But Hedge was known around the forest for his sharp claws too. He was able to pin the warrior down and slash his claws across his showing belly. The wolf howled in pain and reared back, only to slip through the snow and fall unconscious.

River had been so distracted by Hedge’s expert fighting that she hadn’t seen the dark brown she-wolf sneaking up behind her. The warrior hit her back and brought her to the snow. River yowled in pain as she felt claws hit her exposed back. Bringing up her paw she thrust snow into the face of her attacker. The she-wolf fell back and into the crowd of fighting wolves.

Shaking the blood from her pelt, she turned her head to see Hedge locked in a battle with a silver wolf twice his size. She ran as fast as her paws could carry her to help Hedge, but was swept away by the cold wind blowing the fire.

The silver wolf had Hedge pinned to the ground. With a twisted snarl, he lashed his claws into Hedge’s chest. Instantly Hedge went limp as his eyes widened.

“HEDGE!” River yelled.

Chapter 5

A big thanks to my friend Stormy who is the only person that reads this who is not in my family!

                                                   CHAPTER 5

Please read prologue and chapters 1-4 before reading this chapter.

River bolted up and looked around. Hedge got up to and growled at the unseen enemy. Bronzewing ran over and pushed Hedge back with his paw. “You are not going out to fight! You are still healing and may not go out and reopen them!” He said angrily.

“I guess I’m going to have to be extra careful then.” Hedge said with a smile.

Hedge turned and bolted outside. River shrugged at Bronzewing and followed him at the same speed.

When she got out the fog had passed. The camp was filled with every warrior. She gazed around and caught her eye on the enemy they had seen. It was a white arctic wolf she recognized as Glacier, a White Snow Pack warrior. Though the White Snow Pack was not their ally yet, they were far from their enemy.

Hummingbird bolted from his den and stopped at the group formed at the entrance. He pushed his way through until he was tail-lengths from Glacier. He examined the white wolf that appeared to be out of breath. Padding up to him and opened his mouth to speak.

“The Black Creek Pack has attacked our camp!” Glacier yelled before Hummingbird good say a word. “Please! We need help!”

Hummingbird nodded. “We understand. Hill and Pond will stay back in case anyone attacks camp. The rest of the warriors will come with me and Glacier.”

River was thankful that Hummingbird had forgotten that Hedge had been hurt. She was also thankful that for once she could join the other wolves on an actual mission. She padded along with the others as they began to leave through the entrance.

When they reached the outside she could feel a disturbance in the air. It seemed hotter than usual and smelled like smoke. It overwhelmed her senses. Looking around she noticed that everyone else smelled it too. Sycamore had to keep Rose up with his shoulder just so they could keep walking. Each step made it stronger and stronger until it was almost unbearable.

“That’s it...!” Said Thistle “I can’t take it anymore!”

“Good, because we’re here.” Glacier said sadly.

River looked up to see the White Snow camp in flames. Every tree was burning; every wolf was trying to run from the fire. What scared her the most were the highly-practiced cackling laughter of the Black Creek wolves standing on the stone ledge above the camp.

Oh no River thought.

Chapter 4

And so the story continues!

                                                   CHAPTER 4

Please read prologue and chapters 1-3 before reading this chapter.

When River awoke she could only make out the outlines of the things around her. She slowly got up and arched her back, stretching her muscles as if she hadn’t woken in months. She felt around her and realized that her moss bedding had been torn up all over her corner. Must have had a bad dream she thought.

Looking around her she realized that a thick fog had formed over the night. It was gold like the rain and very wet. Padding through it made her pelt feel as if she had fallen in a stream. It seemed to move too, as if it had a current on its own.

She slowly padded outside and remembered the events that had happened during the night. Hedge! She ran over to the side of Hummingbird’s den and looked around, only to find that Hedge had disappeared.

Turning around confusingly, River looked around the camp for Hedge. He was nowhere in sight. She spotted her brother and padded over to him. Thistle noticed her and nodded a greeting.

“Have you seen Hedge?” River asked

“He’s with Bronzewing.” He answered. “Nobody is supposed to come in though.”

“I’ll make a way in.” River said angrily. This was her friend, and she could not be kept from him while he was suffering.

She turned and quickly padded to Bronzewing’s den. When she reached it she saw no warriors at the entrance and walked in quietly. Bronzewing turned his old head and put a paw on her shoulder.

“River, you shouldn’t be here.” He croaked out. “Hedge needs peace and quiet.”

“Grandfather I will not leave. Hedge is my closest friend and I need to see him.” She replied angrily. Bronzewing was her father’s father and was the oldest member of the pack. One with his skill could heal Hedge quickly, though ever since her father had been killed he had been slow and depressed.

“River, this is important to me. I couldn’t help your father and I must make up for it with helping everyone for the rest of my life.”He answered.

“This is important for me too!” River yelled. Seeing the replied look on his face she quieted her tone down. “Please let me stay grandfather.” She whispered to him.

Bronzewing groaned and nodded his approval. “Just don’t get in the way.” He turned and pulled back the huge curtain that had been strung together by tons of animal pelts. River looked in to see Hedge lying on the moss floor.

“Hedge!” She said happily. Running over to him she dug her muzzle into his fur. “I thought you were dead.” She said.

Hedge opened his eyes and smiled. “I was, but…something happened. I saw black and then it turned to gold. Then I woke up and saw the camp around me. I got off the rock and ran but then froze when everyone came around me. I couldn’t move or speak. Finally I just fell back and woke up in here. Bronzewing healed me and told me to take a rest. And now I’m here.”

River smiled as tears came to her eyes. “I’m just glad you’re okay Hedge. I missed you.” She said.

“I missed you too-“Hedge started to say but was cut off by a yowl from outside.

“INVADERS!”

Chapter 3

                                                   CHAPTER 3

Please read prologue and chapters 1 and 2 before reading this chapter.

River pushed her way through the crowd at the front of the den. Nobody noticed her trying to get through, as usual. Hedge was dead, she was sure of that. But now he was gone. And the rain...it was a pure color of gold.

Finally River got to the front of the den and looked closer at the stone.  No Hedge. She narrowed her eyes to see that the muddy outline of paw prints were all over the stone. What was going on?

As if on command, a faint howl was heard from near the back of the camp, not far from the stone. An outline of a wolf wandered around, swaying his head side to side as if he were very confused.

 River couldn’t take it anymore. She burst through the front of the den and outside into clearing. River spun her body around so that she faced the wolf. Wait…where was the wolf? It had seemed to have left. Others slowly followed River outside and into the rain.

“Over here!” Thistle said in a whispering yell. He pointed his head to the Alpha and Beta den. Next to is stood the dark wolf again. Wolves around River crouched down and snarled lowly at the shadow wolf. Something kept her from doing the same. The wolf moved familiarly. The way its stiff body moved up and down and the way its fur was drawn back into a V shape.

River’s eyes widened. It couldn’t be. She knew that wolf! It was Hedge!

“Everyone! Stop!”She yelled. Most turned their heads towards her although some acted as though she didn’t even talk.

“It’s Hedge!” She yelled “Can’t anyone else see that?!”

A low murmur went throughout the group. Some nodded, but others just thought of him as an invader.

“She just has his death stuck in her head!” Rose said with a smile. Standing beside her, Pond nodded and sneered.

River ignored the comment and looked back at Hedge. He looked around with fear and confusion. It was almost as if he didn’t recognize anyone.  It must have been too much for him to take in.

River padded through the wet grass until she was a few tail-lengths away from him. “Hedge?” She asked.

Hedge stared at her until he could not take everything in any longer. River watched as he fell onto the ground as if his body was holding up the entire pack. Gasps came out of surprise and the group behind her ran forwards. She saw Thistle run into the Alpha den and a moment later Hummingbird came out.

“Move!’ Hummingbird commanded. The crowd parted to let him in. He examined the body and then looked at the sky. The golden rain had turned to a small drizzle.

Each drop seemed to scare Hummingbird and make him shiver. He shook his head and then looked back up. “Get back to your dens. We will examine this more in the morning.”

Slowly each member left the circle and returned to their dens. Last to go was River. Each step felt like a tree was sinking into the ground. There was too much going on in her head. She almost felt like Hedge...

When she reached her den she leaned against the wall of the hollowed out boulders. She needed rest, and she knew it. Shaking her pelt, she padded inside to her moss bed.