Disclaimer: With one exception, the named characters in this story belong to Lions Gate Family Entertainment and Crest Animation Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
Chapter 1
"Guys, we really need to head for home," Humphrey said as he and the other Omegas untangled themselves after yet another long sliding run ended in a wreck. The early summer sun was sinking low in the western sky, and although the mountains were bathed in a golden radiance, long, deepening shadows were already filling the valley. Reluctantly, the others concurred. The afternoon had been a lot of fun, and no one wanted it to end.
The path they chose for their ascent was more gradual than that which they had slid down, working up the western facing edge. Near the top, Humphrey saw it first: another tree, bark split, and just beyond it, another steep slope. "The Grand Finale," he said. He had no sooner gotten the words out when Salty and Shakey began pulling the bark into position. Mooch, a step behind, joined the others, and soon the bark was positioned on the lip of the precipice.
"This is going to be awesome," Salty exclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," agreed Shakey, excitedly.
The four friends peered over the embankment. Their climb had taken longer than they realized, and now the valley below was lost in shadow. They had never ridden a slide after sunset, and this would be a run which they had never done before. Humphrey felt slightly ill at ease, and thought he detected concern by his friends as well. "Are we gonna do this?"
None of the wolves wanted to be spoilsports nor could they afford to wait any longer. The run promised to be epic! All agreed that they should make the run, so they climbed onto their makeshift sled which teetered on the edge of the outcropping. Moments later, they were off.
The run was rougher than they expected. Bouncing and shaking uncontrollably, each wolf did his best to hold on. Faster and faster they went, the Omegas screaming with exhilaration as they descended into the darkened valley. Enveloped in the shadows, it became harder to see, making it impossible to brace for approaching obstacles. Suddenly, they shot over the side of the gully, and the earth dropped away. For a few heart-stopping seconds, they were airborne.
Seconds later, they impacted the ground. Each tumbled to a stop, shaken and bruised. Achingly, the wolves slowly rose, cautiously checking to see that everything was in order. Salty and Shakey shook themselves off, and then joined Humphrey just as he was rising to his feet. Some distance away, Mooch also untangled himself and then joined the others. Once assured that all were okay, they felt the exhilarating rush of adrenaline which made them feel practically invincible. They were all excitedly voicing their own version of the run, not realizing that the others were doing the same. Lost in the moment, no one was listening to one another.
"We did it!", "That was great!", "What a run!" the wolves exclaimed almost simultaneously.
Another steep climb awaited the four. Mooch, especially, did not relish another long climb, though no one else really looked forward to it, either. They were just about to start up the slope when a pair of two large wolves emerged from the trees, with four others close behind. After encircling the Omegas, the first wolf snapped, "Trespassers!"
Surprised, Humphrey and the others froze. Outnumbered by wolves who were clearly larger and stronger than they, the four friends went with the six strangers when they were so ordered, and were escorted deeper into the River Pack's territory. Humphrey was glad that his friends didn't panic and try to escape, for now was not the time. They needed to take stock of the situation before deciding on a course of action. It was possible, he hoped, that they might just be allowed to leave. They hadn't intentionally crossed into the other pack's domain.
The sun had long since set when they reached the area where the River Pack had its dens. One of their escorts approached the largest, central den and spoke to one of the wolves at the entrance, who disappeared inside. A short time later, he reappeared, an even larger, rough looking wolf at his side.
"You were arrested for trespassing into my territory," the large wolf began. "That is a serious violation." He then questioned them - what were their names, where were they from, and why were they there?
Humphrey and his friends answered, explaining the circumstances that lead to their intrusion into his territory. The dominant male listened intently, and appeared to give careful consideration to their answers. He seemed somewhat startled, Humphrey thought, when they told him that they were from Jasper's Western Pack.
The pack leader weighed their answers and then said, "While it appears that you entered my territory unintentionally, your actions were reckless and you did violate pack law. For the crime of trespassing and unlawful entry into my territory, your sentence is death. I will have my wolves kill you at mid-day tomorrow." His voice was emotionless, powerful, and definite. He turned to the wolf next to him and had the prisoners placed into a small, vacant den, with two large wolves guarding the entrance.
The den was tiny and cramped. In a shaky voice that betrayed his fear, Salty whispered, "Now what?"
"When we don't come back, Kate will have the search teams called out," Humphrey answered. "They'll find us." He then assured the others that they might be able to escape without help from Kate and the others. He had an idea, and with modifications suggested by the other three, they thought they had a plan that would work. They pretended to be asleep, and some time later Humphrey rose and at the entrance, told the guards that he needed some water.
The senior wolf turned to his companion. "Take him to the river. Kill him if he causes any trouble."
"I won't," Humphrey said with a smile.
A few minutes later, they were back. Inside, Humphrey said, "I think our plan will work. Now try and get some rest, you'll need your strength tomorrow."
The Omegas couldn't sleep. They were squeezed into the cell-like den like sardines in a can, and the knowledge that their lives depended on pulling off a risky escape weighed on their minds.