A Little Help from His Friends
When the she-wolf's eyes opened again, Garth was pacing around the cave's entrance and shaking his head. She blinked and got to her paws, stretching her legs and yawning as she approached Garth. The red-orange Alpha murmured. "Great, just what we needed. Just great. Oh well, as long as Lilly doesn't-" he paused when he noticed Lilly. "Oh, Lilly. Um…"
"Oh my…" Lilly stopped just before the pile of snow building and collapsing at the entrance. She craned her head towards the sky, now stricken with sickly whitegray lines and dark gray clouds.
Garth passed her and pushed against the pile, scattering most of it across and over the ledge. The wind ruffled his red-orange fur as he raised his left forepaw to shield his eyes. A chunk of snow hit him squarely in the face. He growled and retreated into the cave, wiping it off. "Great. Well, it looks like we'll be staying a little longer than I planned."
"It's not so bad," Lilly smiled. "It is a nice cave."
Her mate narrowed his eyes at what he can see of the sky. "Knowing Dad, I'm sure he's probably sent somebody to come find us. Great. All I wanted was a little romantic getaway, and now I'm gonna have to explain myself to Dad, and probably your mom. Great, just great," Garth rubbed his temple with his left forepaw.
Lilly brushed her tail against his side. "Don't worry about it, Garth. I'm sure it'll pass soon enough. In the meantime, let's just focus on making ourselves comfortable if we're gonna be stuck here for a while. Not that I mind..." She tried a more seductive tone.
Garth blushed, but managed a nod. "All right then. Well, I should probably try to find some food. I'm sure there's a caribou out there somewhere. There's usually at least one that got trapped in the snow."
The she-wolf stepped back and took another look at the snowstorm outside. "Are you sure?"
"Relax, Lilly, I've dealt with worse snowstorms growing up. All part of my Alpha training," Garth grinned. "Don't worry about me. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Lilly looked uncertain, even as Garth licked her cheek. The red-orange wolf walked to the cave's entrance and stretched his hindlegs as he prepared himself to run through the snow. Lilly watched for a moment before joining him, readying her hindlegs in a similar fashion. She was about to run when Garth cut her off with his left hindleg.
"Please just wait here, all right? There's no sense in both of us getting caught out there. I'll be back soon, I promise."
Lilly stepped back, her bangs bobbing over her eyes. Garth's concerned frown briefly morphed into a reassuring smile before he vanished into the snow. She sighed and retreated to the back of the cave. "He'll be just fine. He's my mighty Alpha after all." Lilly grinned.
Outside, Garth ran along the path, taking care to ensure each step was made perfectly against the snow. He kept his head lowered and slowed down as he approached the lines of trees standing defiantly against the gray and white covering the scene. The red-orange Alpha paused for a moment and sniffed the air. Through the chill, he picked up on the scent of something big down the way. Garth proceeded with caution, taking note of his own pawprints and checking for any others. He sniffed the air again, the scent getting stronger. With any luck, he'll be back at the cave soon.
His etching of the howling wolf with unaligned teeth was barely visible beneath the chunks of snow sticking and sliding down the tree. Garth took another moment to blink the white flecks from his eyes. The tree had collapsed, with its stump snapped like a broken bone. The Alpha cautiously approached the tree and noticed the gigantic pile of snow cluttering its still-intact branches.
Not far from his position, caribou tracks stopped just before the fallen tree, immediately rotating back towards the downhill path. Garth examined the tracks and followed along the tracks, taking care not to obliterate the caribou's prints with his own. The scent got stronger as he ran downhill, breaking into another Alpha sprint and kicking up snow in his wake. Stronger now, Garth slowed to a complete stop about halfway down the path. His green eyes widened.
Ahead, a lone caribou feebly kicked its left hind leg into the snow while its right hindleg lied wounded and useless. Another broken bone tree rested atop him, pinning the caribou by the left flank. A low branch that survived the crash jabbed into the caribou's neck, drawing more blood as the creature struggled. The scent of copper hit Garth's nose, making the wolf tremble.
The caribou froze when Garth made his approach, his breathing becoming more labored. He raised his antlered head and looked at Garth. The red-orange Alpha looked back with wider eyes. The caribou wheezed and kicked its left hindleg faster, but the tree remained firmly in place.
Garth felt a pang in his upper chest and tried to soothe it with his left forepaw. The caribou's left hindleg collapsed, wiggling a little before it became as limp and useless as the right. The wolf watched as the caribou tried again to slide the jutting branch out of his neck wound, succeeding with a heavy grunt and one final spurt of red. Sighing in relief, the caribou let his head fall against the snow and looked back at Garth. Much to the wolf's surprise, the caribou weakly laughed and arched his neck. Unable to resist the scent any further, Garth snapped his jaws into the caribou's throat. The caribou closed his eyes.
After a few seconds of biting and tearing, Garth pulled back and coughed, feeling a light layer of warmth drip down his chin. He got another look at the trapped caribou's corpse and shuddered, brushing his bloodied chin against the snow. Garth took a deep breath and pushed against the fallen tree. His hindpaws dug as he strained, barely managing to make the tree roll over. Several branches snapped as the tree arced clockwise, crushing the caribou's head but still pinning his left flank. The red-orange Alpha fell to his stomach and groaned. He got back to his paws and tried again, slipping against the weight of the tree. The remaining branches bent slightly and closer, grazing Garth's left forepaw. Garth growled and stepped back, brushing the scratch with his other forepaw.
With another grunt, Garth tried to push the tree further and slipped, smacking his chin against the bark. The red-orange Alpha winced and tried again, only for his hindlegs to slip again. Garth growled and shook the chunks of snow and raised dirt from his face. The snowfall quickened above him. Garth turned his attention to what he could see of the caribou's left side. Thinking of Lilly back in the cave, Garth prepared to divide the salvageable pieces of the carcass.
Someone howled.
Garth jumped to his paws and turned around, baring his teeth to the wind. Seeing no one, the red-orange Alpha calmed himself and moved back to the caribou when a growl reached his ears. Pawsteps echoed around him against the quickening wind. Garth lowered himself behind the fallen tree and sniffed. A new scent. It seemed familiar…yet…
Something hit the other side of the fallen tree. Garth readied to jump when a snowball flied directly into his eyes. The red-orange Alpha stumbled backwards and tried to shake the snow off when something charged right into him. Unable to open his eyes, Garth bit in his attacker's direction. Another snowball struck him in the mouth. Garth recoiled and fell onto his back, kicking his legs into the air. His attacker leapt away as Garth rolled back onto his paws.
Another growl.
When Garth opened his eyes, a wolf stood a few feet away. Garth tilted his head and growled as well. The other wolf took a step forward, revealing its unkempt and unusually light fur that almost faded against the snow. It took another step, snapping its teeth. Its eyes appeared black and empty beneath the shifting hair around its forehead. Garth noticed its forepaws are scarred and maroon with caked blood. He thought of the stories…
Garth glared and made the first move, charging directly at the White Wolf. The White Wolf leapt to the side and bit at Garth's rear. The red-orange Alpha whirled onto the White Wolf and just missed her left cheek. The White Wolf jumped over the fallen tree, landing near the caribou's throat wound, and disappeared. Garth approached the tree and leapt to the other side. A trail of pawprints led down the path, touched with drops of red slowly being wiped out by the falling snow. Garth panted and backed to the caribou, taking care not to step in the blood. He waited a few moments for any sign of the White Wolf. Seeing nothing, Garth lowered his head to take a bite when his stomach rumbled.
The White Wolf lunged from behind and sank her teeth into the back of his neck. Garth howled and bucked, but his attacker held on as he ran and tripped down the path. The White Wolf moved to take another bite around his throat when Garth kicked his hindlegs, throwing the White Wolf onto her side. Small warm drops trickled down the back of Garth's neck as he turned to confront the White Wolf while she got to her paws. She snapped her jaws and jumped to her left. Garth snarled and followed, throwing himself to the right as the White Wolf charged him. The red-orange Alpha slammed into her, knocking the White Wolf into the nearest tree. She groaned and collapsed into the snow.
Garth cautiously approached the fallen wolf and tried to get a closer look. Something seemed off about the color. Not quite white, but more like-
The red-orange wolf cried out as something slammed him directly into another tree. Garth tried to get up when it charged again. It shoved a pawful of snow directly into his eyes and rammed him again. Garth threw himself ahead, falling out of his other attacker's reach. When he managed to clear the snow from his eyes, the White Wolf went directly for his face with her mouth wide open. He threw his forepaws around her muzzle and pushed her off. As she stumbled about, Garth readied to bite her throat, or right foreleg-whichever came first.
Something seized him by the tail and dragged him backwards. Garth dug his forepaws into the snow and flipped onto his back. The White Wolf leapt down and tried to bite at his throat once more. Garth countered her with his forepaws until he swung directly into another pair of trees. The red-orange Alpha struggled to hold back tears as his sides and legs screamed in pain.
The White Wolf's jaws seized around the back of his neck and slammed Garth's head against the bark. Garth pushed his hindlegs to anchor himself, but fell back, staring towards the canopies of the trees hit hard and fast by the snowfall. He felt more warmth run down the back of his neck as the White Wolf threw him.
Garth rolled down an incline among the trees and landed squarely into a hole conveniently fitted to his size. His head pulsed and his vision blurred into falling chunks of snow. His mind turned to Lilly pacing worriedly in the cave, tempted to run into the storm to find him. He growled and struggled to his paws. Head still spinning and filled with images of a scared Lilly, Garth dug his claws into the snow walls. They failed to pull up and a crack formed towards the opening. Snow dropped on Garth's head and knocked him onto his rear. The red-orange wolf groaned as his head suddenly felt like a dull weight. His forelegs slipped down the wall again.
The White Wolf stood over him and laughed. Before Garth could move, she began kicking snow into the pit.
Lilly shook herself awake for the fourth time since Garth left. She licked her lips and massaged her stomach. The she-wolf stretched her forelegs and watched the snowflakes that managed to creep onto the cavern walls. She yawned as she walked towards the entrance to check for any sign of Garth. Her mighty Alpha did not appear with fresh caribou meat. She frowned and retreated into the cave.
The she-wolf turned when she heard panicked pawsteps approaching the cave. In stumbled Stephen, skidding a little along the snowy cavern entrance floor, as he tried to catch his breath against the wall. He looked to Lilly. "Oh! Miss Lilly! Miss Lilly! It's terrible!" Stephen winced as his forepaws gave out, dropping him to the floor.
Lilly ran to Stephen and helped him to his paws. When she looked up, a familiar cinnabar wolf approached her, eyes widened and muzzle quivering. "Oh, Lilly…it's horrible."
"What's horrible?" Lilly asked, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her heart.
Stephen blushed and grinned a little against Lilly, thankfully something she didn't notice when she brushed him aside. Edmund hung his head. "We saw Garth tailing a caribou down the way. But then…something got him. Another wolf, it looked like. Probably another damn Rogue. They never learn!" Edmund stomped his left forepaw.
Lilly rushed to him. "What?! Who did it?! Who attacked my Garth?! I'll rip out their leg bones and make a tent out of their CARCASS!" She growled, just as her mother might.
Edmund calmly raised his forepaws. "Settle down, Miss Lilly. We don't know who did it. What we do know is that it looked like a white wolf attacking and driving him further into the snow. And the only white wolf we know of in these parts is you. But of course you wouldn't do anything to hurt your…mate, correct?"
Lilly death glared.
Edmund nodded. "I didn't think so. The Rogues must have recruited some other white wolf to make sneak attacks in the snow. Didn't think they'd be able to handle a snowstorm, but that shows you must never underestimate them-"
Lilly snapped her teeth. "Where is my Garth?!"
Edmund stepped back. "Now, calm down, Miss Lilly. We'll find him. Stephen and I were prepared for this sort of thing thanks to Alpha School. And I'm sure Garth can handle himself. But just to be sure, we're going to investigate immediately. We just wanted you to know so you can be prepared in case he returns here-"
Lilly stomped her right forepaw. "Returns, nothing! I'm not gonna sit here while he's out there struggling for life! Take me where you last saw him!"
Edmund glanced over to Stephen who then nodded. "Very well, but stay close to me. Although I'm sure you Omegas probably have some experience with snowstorms, it is crucial that you stay right beside me. We don't need you getting lost, either."
Lilly followed close to Edmund as he vacated the cave and crossed the narrow path near the ledge. Stephen sidled alongside Lilly and offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Miss Lilly. I'll make sure we don't lose you."
"Stephen!"
The pale tan wolf tensed up and then cast Lilly an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry. Miss Lilly. That was unprofessional of me. We'll find Garth right now!"
Stephen rushed ahead of Edmund, hoping to overcompensate for his cheap flirt. Lilly rolled her eyes and kept her pace as the cinnabar wolf met with Stephen at the top of the path heading downhill through the trees. Stephen leant over and whispered something to Edmund. The cinnabar wolf nodded and craned his head towards the trees to their left. Stephen nodded back before he quickly disappeared among them.
"Stephen is an excellent tracker despite his shortcomings. He'll search along the trees extending to our left, while we'll scour the path. But remember, we need to stay toge-"
Lilly ran ahead, trying her hardest to shake the mental image of a bloody and beaten Garth trapped out in the snow. She blinked the white flecks from her eyes as she slowed down to follow the disappearing sets of wolf tracks among the fresher ones left by Edmund and Stephen. The she-wolf tilted her head back and sniffed around for any trace of Garth's scent. Nothing came to her. Her ears folded against her head.
She continued along the path, halting just short of the first fallen tree. Crouching for a second, she leapt over the bark and kept moving. In her mind, Garth battled the White Wolf as she tried to sink her teeth into his throat. The wind picked up and shifted her bangs into her eyes. Lilly blew them out of her face and broke into a run as the snow came down against her back. Somewhere behind her, Edmund called her name, yelling for her to wait up.
Lilly slowed as she neared the second collapsed tree with the dead caribou pinned beneath it. She leapt over it and landed atop a half-frozen puddle of blood. The she-wolf glanced down and screamed, falling back against the tree. Edmund landed a few feet from her and turned around. He immediately checked her paws and noticed the dead caribou's throat wound.
"Miss Lilly, calm down. It's just caribou blood," Edmund patted her back as Lilly caught her breath. The cinnabar wolf moved to check the cluster of frantic, interweaving pawprints ahead of them. "Yes, this is where our suspected Rogue attacked Garth. It appears…" He shook his head with a growl when his eyes traveled over the barely-visible drops of blood heading down the path. "It appears he's-"
"Edmund! Miss Lilly! Edmund! Miss Lilly!"
Lilly turned and watched as Stephen stumbled through and over the snow, calling their names, over and over. He collided with the fallen tree and groaned as he recovered. Rubbing his nose with his left forepaw, Stephen climbed over the tree and made his way to the cinnabar wolf. "I saw him! I saw Garth heading back that way!" He pointed towards the top of the path. "I think he was trying to get to the cave!"
The white wolf jumped over the fallen tree and started making her way back uphill, ignoring Edmund and Stephen's calls for her to slow down. In her mind, Garth dragged himself towards the cave and stared in horror when he didn't find her. She broke into a run, expertly leaping over the other fallen tree without looking back. Her bangs brushed about her forehead, purple eyes glaring into the oncoming snow. Suddenly, her forepaws caught on a thicker pile and she tumbled, landing against a tree. A sharp ring echoed through Lilly's head.
Edmund slowed down and helped Lilly while Stephen ran ahead. Lilly looked up, seeing the barely visible etching of the younger Garth with his unaligned teeth and the birds above. She turned back to the top of the path and noticed the shallow impression, like a wolf dragging himself with each effort he could muster. Pawprints led from the trees to her right, laced with drops of blood.
"Miss Lilly!" Stephen called. "Edmund! I see him! He's in the trees down there!"
The cinnabar wolf moved ahead of her, and joined the pale tan wolf at his left side as he looked over the ledge just outside the cave's entrance. Lilly followed and, much to her horror, saw the pawprints and drag trail heading over the side, just outside the entrance. Edmund and Stephen crowded the ledge and called down to Garth. Lilly paused and raised her right ear and nose. Getting neither Garth's scent nor voice, Lilly slowly walked towards the two wolves overlooking the ledge.
Stephen shivered a little as Lilly approached. Edmund turned back to her. "Miss Lilly, he's down there. Poor bastard can't even move." He looked over the edge. "It's all right, Garth! We see you! Lilly's here! She's right here!"
Lilly's ears folded against her head and a growl formed in her throat. Her eyes returned to the pawprints and drag trail heading over the ledge. Some more pawprints with drops of blood in them curved from the rocks jutting out of the cliffside and ended just behind Stephen. Getting a closer look, Stephen's forepaws were scratched and bloodied. And the fur on his undersides was wet and dusted with snow…
The she-wolf released the growl from her throat and readied to attack Stephen. She failed to notice Edmund as the cinnabar wolf charged directly into her. Lilly tumbled forward and threw out her forepaws, managing to claw into the ledge with her hindlegs kicking wildly. Stephen watched in horror as Edmund buried his claws directly into Lilly's forepaws. Lilly screamed when Edmund pulled his claws back. The cold air stung against the scratch marks and drops of warm blood coated her white forepaws.
"Do we have to do this, Edmund?" Stephen asked, ears folded against his head.
Edmund didn't take his eyes off Lilly. "We have to do what's best, Stephen. And she will just make thing worse than she already has."
Lilly glared. "What are you talking about?!"
Edmund dug his claws deeper, making Lilly scream some more. "You and your boyfriend ruined the natural order! An Alpha and an Omega! That's not how our society works! We have traditions! We have ways! I spent so long learning how to become an Alpha, and I'm not going to watch as you RUIN EVERYTHING!"
Stephen whined. "You don't have to hurt her."
"It's because of her and that idiot that our pack will never be the same! Think about it, Stephen! Alphas like us will no longer have the status and position we've so worked so hard to achieve! Omegas will overtake everything, and we'll be stuck with nothing. Because. You. Don't. Know. YOUR. PLACE!"
Edmund released Lilly's bloodied forepaws and shoved his into her face. Lilly grabbed for the cliff as she plummeted. Her claws barely scratched the rocky edge before she slipped. The she-wolf flipped onto her back and landed atop the extended branches of the trees below. Their barbs dug into her back. The branches broke and twisted, sending the white wolf spiraling down the lower branches. One cut her cheek as it snapped. Lilly closed her eyes and felt herself being flung back and forth between the two trees, cracking more branches and slamming against the bark. She threw her claws out to seize anything she could. Keeping her eyes closed, she continued to fall.
Stephen bent over the ledge as far as his scratched forepaws would let him. He watched as Lilly disappeared in the raging snow below, her purple eyes fading and fading. The pale tan wolf glared at Edmund who watched with a look of horror on his face. The cinnabar wolf examined his bloody claws and groaned. He rubbed them against the snow, watching as thinning pinkred drops of red crawled over the ledge. Edmund took another look down.
"It had to be done, Stephen," Edmund managed after a few seconds. "It had to be done."
Stephen frowned.
"Come on, Stephen."
As the two wolves departed, Lilly collided with a snow bank below. She tried to lift herself with her scratched hindlegs as she sank back-first into the bank. Lilly pressed her forelegs up and tried to flip herself over. The snow bank gave out underneath her. With a scream, she rushed forward over the edge, and landed directly into another snow bank several feet below. Lilly closed her eyes and winced as she hit face-first. The thick snow stung her muzzle and nose, and her head seemed to explode into a cacophony of rings and pulses.
She forced her right foreleg up and reached for the surface of the bank. The wind burned against the scratches on her legs sticking out of the snow. Lilly coughed up snow threatening to gag her. The she-wolf desperately kicked with what strength she had left-anything to get onto her rear, so she could climb out. The snow worked against her and she began to sink.
Coughing more snow, Lilly tried to howl. Her attempt broke into a frail, tuneless whimper that soon broke further into an ugly moan. She tried to move her right foreleg again, but continued to sink into the snow. Her eyes still closed, she thought of Garth looking for her in the snow, beaten and bloodied. And Edmund and Stephen following him close behind, teeth readied…
Lilly made one attempt at pulling herself out of the bank as the snow fell atop her chest. She cried softly as her foreleg collapsed to the stinging cuts and wind. Somewhere in the distance, Edmund and Stephen searched for Garth. And here his mate sank deeper into the snow and kept her eyes closed tight. Lilly
runs along with Kate across the snow. She hates that her sister keeps running too far ahead, leaving her far behind. It's bad enough that she teases about how easy it'd be to lose Lilly in the snow because she'd never leave pawprints. The little white wolf growls, feeling reassured every time she looks behind her and sees pawprints following her every move.
"Kate, get back here! Mom said you aren't supposed to leave me behind!" Lilly yells at Kate as she disappears behind a tree. She growls again and runs to the tree, only to find Kate gone once again. "Come on, Kate! This isn't funny!"
Kate leaps from behind a tree several feet away, spooking Lilly into running. "White wolf! White wolf! Scare her away!" she teases. Her sister runs directly into a tree and cries a little, rubbing her head with both forepaws. Kate runs to her sister's aide, gently separating her sister's forepaws and giving a comforting lick to the spot. Yet, she can't help but giggle.
"Not funny!" Lilly pushes Kate away. She winces and rubs the sore spot again.
"It was just a joke," Kate protests. "Geez, Lilly. You cry over everything."
"That's not funny! You're just like those mean wolves from the story!"
"That's just it, Lilly. It was just a story."
Lilly snaps at Kate. The elder sister falls back, surprised she would even try that. "What is your problem, Lilly? It was just a joke!"
The little white wolf doesn't relent. "I'll tell Mom."
"Oh, come on, Lilly! Learn to take a joke!"
Lilly shakes her head. "Just shut up and leave me alone, Kate!" The little white wolf turns and breaks into a run among the trees.
"Lilly! Wait! Get back here!" Kate follows.
Lilly ignores her and keeps going. Now hoping her pawprints really will disappear, Lilly leaps into unmarked snow curving around a cluster of trees ahead. She tucks herself in a nearby shrub and waits. She hears Kate calling for her, pawsteps coming towards and then passing by the shrub. Lilly huddles in the shrub until she doesn't hear or see any trace of her sister. The little white wolf lets out the cry that has been building up in her throat since she felt the barbs dig into her back. Lilly immediately moves out of the shrub and continues along the unmarked snow.
Several minutes of silence pass, save for the sound of snow crunching and sinking beneath her paws. Lilly looks around for any sign of Kate. She sighs with relief when she doesn't see her sister among the trees. The little white wolf keeps walking, stopping every once in a while to check for her pawprints on the snow. Shaking her head, Lilly admonishes herself for still doing that. Her sister is just a jerk.
And she is lost.
Lilly sees more snow untouched by wolves, or any creature for that matter. The trees get closer and closer together, forming dark shadows along her way. She shivers as the cold really starts to set in. Lilly comes to a stop before a large tree growing directly ahead of her. The little white wolf cranes her neck and watches in awe at how the tree seems to stretch for miles above her, vanishing into a dark abyss of leaves. Just like the other trees around her.
The little white wolf panics and runs around the tree's base, fearing that something might jump out at her. She growls and tries to mimic Eve's threatening postures. Nothing appears. Lilly sighs with relief, until she looks ahead of her. Her eyes widen at the sight of unmarked snow ahead of her. Her pawprints finally vanished into the snow.
Lilly shivers and clings to the tree. Her eyes tear up a little as a small wail works its way up her throat. It's just like Kate said. One day, her pawprints would disappear completely, and she'd be lost. Lilly claws the bark and begins to cry and scream. More tears flow freely as she digs her claws deeper. Her growing bangs droop over her eyes, spreading her hot tears across her cheeks and the bridge of her muzzle.
"Kate! Mom! Dad! Somebody! Somebody! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, Kate! Someone! PLEEEEEEEASE!"
Lilly chokes on a breath of extra cold air and hides her face against the bark. She shivers so hard her fur feels like it may fall out. Her ears fold tightly against her head. Her claws dig deeper into the bark.
She hears pawsteps coming towards her. Lilly keeps her face hidden and her eyes closed.
The little white wolf jumps from her place against the bark when she feels a forepaw rest on her back. A foreleg wraps around Lilly and pulls her close. Her tear-clouded eyes see only a world of mushy whites and grays. But that lick atop her head is unmistakable.
Lilly tugs on her sister's mane and cries a little more. Kate brushes her right forepaw along Lilly's back. "It's all right, Lilly, I've got you. You're gonna be all right."
"I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry I wished my pawprints would disappear in the snow, like you said they would. And now they're gone, and now I don't know where I am, and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Kate…"
Lilly lifts her head when Kate chuckles a little. "Your pawprints didn't disappear, Lilly. They're right over there." Kate guides her little sister around the tree and shows her a set of pawprints leading directly to it.
Lilly glances between them and the ones beneath her paws. Her mouth quivers a little. "I'm a stupid Omega!"
Kate brushes her sister's head. "You are not stupid. You just got scared. It happens to all of us. Even me."
"Really?" Lilly looks at her.
Kate nods. "Well, yeah. I got scared that you might have gotten lost for real. Listen, Lilly. I'm sorry I was being mean to you. I won't do that again."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Lilly nods and brushes the remaining tears from her eyes with her right foreleg. "All right then. But I'll make sure you keep that promise."
"I will. Now, we better get home. Or else Mom'll freak."
Kate follows the pawprints. Lilly follows her and keeps at her right side. "Um, Kate…you don't have to tell Mom about this, do you?"
"No. As long as you don't have to tell her about my mean joke."
Lilly nods. "I won't."
Kate smiles. "Good. Now, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."
The little white wolf nods again and follows her sister closely as the unfamiliar trees recede behind them. Lilly
gasped for air, kicking her legs around, like the turtle trapped on its overturned shell. She rolled onto her side and skittered across the ground, eventually tripping over her panicky forepaws. The white wolf groaned and coughed up a few flecks of snow. She blinked.
The snow bank disappeared, replaced by some unknown and barely lit cave. She examined herself. The cuts had stopped bleeding and stinging. Lilly then closely inspected her forepaws. They were scratched, but had since stopped bleeding as well. They were also a little damp. Someone else was here.
Lilly stood attentively, expecting Edmund or Stephen attempt a sneak attack. She calmed down when she saw no one else around, but the growl from her throat was soon replaced by the growl from her stomach. The white wolf looked around the cave for any bits of food, maybe some pieces from that fallen caribou.
To her left, a worn tan bag was against the wall. Lilly cautiously approached it, taking note of the bag's black markings on the front (reading JASPER NATIONAL PARK SERVICE). A familiar scent hit her nose and she carefully lifted the flap with her muzzle. Inside the bag, caribou meat sat waiting for her. Lilly's tongue hung from her mouth, already drooling at the sight of presented food. Without thinking about it any further, she bowed her head and began feasting on some of the bag's contents. The meat was delicious.
When she was about a third of the way through the bag's contents, a mental image occurred to her. Garth struggled over the snow and called her name over the harsh wind. He winced and groaned with each step, revealing a new and bleeding injury each second.
"No, not Garth…" Lilly murmured. "No, no, no, I have to find him."
Lilly readied to leave the cave when she remembered the bag. She nudged the flap back into place and noticed the bag's long strap. Moving the bag just slightly, Lilly fit herself through the strap, situating the bag onto her back. It fit perfectly, with the strap fitting nicely against her upper chest. Ensuring it wouldn't slip, Lilly stepped out of the cave.
The snowstorm slowed to a mild scatter of white flecks over the world. The paths and trees ahead were far more visible now. She appreciated the slower wind that didn't sting her cuts and didn't knock the bag off her back. Lilly took a few more cautious steps into the open and took note of her surroundings. They didn't look familiar-or at the very least, she could not see Garth's cliffside cave, or the path leading up to it. Lilly frowned.
Something caught her eye in the distance.
Lilly took a few more steps forward and watched as another wolf manifested on the horizon. It slowly walked over the small hill towards her, treading rather expertly over the clumps of snow. The she-wolf readied herself for a fight, expecting the wolf to reveal itself as Edmund or Stephen. But the mystery wolf came no closer than fifty feet. Lilly tried to get a closer look at her visitor. From what she could see, the mystery wolf looked a lot like her, mercifully with fur that was white and not pale tan or cinnabar.
"Who are you?" Lilly called.
The white wolf didn't answer and instead turned its back to Lilly. It tilted its head to sniff at the air. It stood to attention and turned back to her, nodding its head in the direction ahead of them. Lilly paused for a moment, wondering if she should really follow. Unfortunately, the mystery wolf did not give her much time, and immediately took off. Lilly followed after it.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Lilly called as she pursued. "Wait! Hold on!"
The mystery wolf did not answer her, remaining focused on its path ahead of her. Lilly noted the pawprints trailing from behind and picked up the pace.
Garth's mate passed over two small hills and through multiple trees. The mystery wolf continued on, stopping here and there to ensure Lilly was following. Lilly heeded its gestures and moved along, ensuring that the bag of caribou meat didn't fall off or disrupt her run. The mystery wolf kept going, expertly navigating around trees and rocks jutting from the snow. Lilly avoided tripping over several overturned sharp stones that rose from the ground like teeth scattered by the storm. For some reason, the trees became familiar, although Lilly couldn't place them. Her leading wolf paused again at the top of the next path, waiting as Lilly caught her breath and shifted the bag back into place.
"Hold on!" Lilly tried again. "Where are you going?! I have to find my husband! He's out there in the snow, and might be in even more danger! And-hello?! Are you listening to me?!"
The mystery wolf acknowledged her once with an over-the-side glance and nodded. As Lilly neared, the mystery wolf took off once again. Lilly groaned and kept running. For some reason, she could not break away, even as the other white wolf increased speed and briefly vanished into the snow ahead of them. Taking another moment to shake the collecting snow from the top of her head, Lilly once again pursued the mystery wolf.
Ahead of them, a series of inclines lined a taller hill. Lilly halted at the sight of it, wondering how she would climb something so steep. The mystery wolf didn't take long to show her. Like in the amethyst chamber of Garth's cave, several collapsed stones lined the side of the hill, resembling dissembled flights of stairs. The mystery wolf leapt from one to the other without breaking a sweat. About halfway up, the other white wolf paused and looked down at Lilly.
Lilly approached the first collapsed stone and lifted herself atop it. The bag of caribou meat shifted to her left side, prompting her to rebalance it back in place. She saw the next one a few feet above her. With a sigh, Lilly crouched and leapt onto the next collapsed stone. Her forepaws managed to keep her anchored as she dragged the rest of herself onto the stone. The bag swayed, threatening to spill its contents once or twice.
Predictably, the mystery wolf leapt to the other collapsed stones, eventually making it to the top. Mustering what strength she could, Lilly jumped to each collapsed stone and, barring one occasion where she barely avoided plummeting thanks to a well-placed hindleg, made it to the top without much trouble. She dropped onto the snow, panting heavily as the mystery wolf watched over her. Much closer now, Lilly tried to get a better look at her fellow white wolf. For a moment, she saw that the mystery wolf's forepaws were scarred.
Immediately, the mystery wolf took off again, much to Lilly's annoyance as she resumed the chase. The mystery wolf ran along a path lining the hill's ledge and disappeared around the top. Keeping the bag in place, Lilly followed and emerged on top with a pant and a grunt.
The mystery wolf settled on what looked like a patch of shifted snow. With one scarred paw, the mystery wolf broke the snow and started to dig. Lilly slowly neared the mystery wolf as it continued digging, tossing some snow that barely missed Lilly's head. The mystery wolf's digging became more frantic as its forelegs almost completely disappeared. Lilly leaned forward.
She reeled back as a red-orange forepaw shot through the snow. Its digits curled just slightly as the forepaw shivered. Lilly took a sniff…and immediately jumped into the hole. The bag dropped to her side as she pulled up and removed the snow around the raised forepaw. She panted as a foreleg pierced through the snow, shuddering in the exposed cold air.
"Garth! Hold on! Please hold on!"
The mystery wolf vanished among the trees. No signs of pawprints leading away, either. Heavier snow began to fall, and the bitter wind pushed against her back. The bag swayed and threatened to trip her up. Lilly let out a frustrated groan before she threw the bag of caribou meat off her back and onto the outside edge of the hole. She winced when the snow scraped against her scratched forepaws, but the sight of the barely moving foreleg kept her digging. The foreleg reached for hers as more of it was exposed. Lilly stopped for a moment, and held the foreleg in both of her forepaws. It made contact with her cut cheek.
"Yes, Garth, I'm here. I'm here."
Despite her forepaws threatening to crack open and bleed again as the embedded ice crystals and abrasive chunks of snow rub against them, Lilly continued to dig. Suddenly, the snow shifted under her, making Lilly yelp. The foreleg grabbed the surface and pulled. Right next to Lilly's right cheek, another foreleg emerged and reached for the ground. Lilly dug some more, faster now, even as one scratch on her right forepaw split open and stung under the touch of the wind. The she-wolf gritted her teeth and forced the forepaw down, removing another layer of snow with a swipe.
The snow beneath her shifted again as something else emerged. Lilly cleared more snow from the figure's head as a muzzle broke through the snow. Garth weakly gasped, his forelegs still trying to pull himself out. Lilly carefully removed snow from around his muzzle, revealing more and more of her mate's face. When she brushed the icy chunk from his tightened eyelids, Garth's brilliant green eyes flew open. He tried to scream.
"It's all right, it's all right. I'm here," Lilly gave his muzzle a reassuring lick as she stepped back and continued digging. Another scratch on her left forepaw split, leaving a few drops of blood on the snow. Lilly ignored it as she unearthed Garth's ears. She leaned close. "I'm here. I'm here."
Garth's brilliant green eyes closed and his breathing slowed. Lilly stifled a gasp and dug faster, feeling her claws threatening to pull out of her forepaws. As Garth's neck emerged from the snow, she gave it a tug. Garth let out a low, disturbing moan, making Lilly release him immediately. She inspected the back of his neck, and noticed the bite marks and drops of frozen blood like little rubies. Lilly frowned, but again tried pulling on Garth's neck.
She fell into the hole, feeling the snow of the storm collapse atop her. With a growl, Lilly kept pulling and dragged more of Garth out of the snow. Releasing him, she moved around and positioned herself around his forelegs.
"Garth, listen to me. If you can, wrap your front legs around me. Just like you're hugging me, all right?"
Garth weakly nodded and shifted his forelegs around her. Feeling his mighty Alpha forepaws rest on her backside, Lilly pulled up, throwing her weight against her hindlegs. Garth began to slide out some more. His eyes remained shut, but he began licking Lilly's face once his muzzle made contact. Lilly blushed as she continued to pull as hard as she could. Almost all of Garth had risen from the snow, save for his hindlegs still rooted underneath.
Her mate whimpered a little when she broke his hold on her. Heartbreaking as that sound was, Lilly jumped to the top of the hole and rooted her hindlegs into the upper layer. In the hole, Garth blindly reached for her. Lilly lowered her forepaws and gently grabbed the top of his head. Picking up on her cue, Garth turned towards the snow wall rising up towards Lilly.
"Easy, Garth," she told him. "Easy. Now, please come up slowly."
Garth nodded and stretched his forepaws to meet with her upper forelegs. She pulled back, trying to keep her weight off her forelegs. The snow wall threatened to break beneath her. Lilly growled and kept pulling. Garth's head was about level with the top of the hole as Lilly shifted his forepaws from her upper forelegs to around her sides. She dragged him up onto the side of the hole, grunting and panting. Garth's forelegs shook and shivered, almost making her lose her grip. Lilly brushed her right forepaw against his face, calming him almost instantly.
With another heave, Lilly freed Garth's hindlegs, which hung limp as she dragged him out of the hole. Garth tried to stand, but instead collapsed right next to Lilly. She whined and pressed her right ear against his chest. His heart still beat and his chest still lifted slightly with each inhale and exhale, but his eyes stayed shut. Reassuring herself that her mighty Alpha was still here, Lilly retrieved the half-buried bag of caribou meat and carefully moved the strap around Garth's head, settling it against his upper chest. Garth groaned a little. Lilly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her scratched paws ached, her backside felt sore, and her legs threatened to give out under her. She ignored them as she mentally prepared herself.
The she-wolf pushed herself under Garth's left side, propping his left foreleg and hindleg over her back. She carefully pushed further, moving Garth atop her back with his legs straddling her sides. The bag of caribou meat thankfully stayed in place as Lilly pushed to keep herself from collapsing under Garth's weight. She remembered the times he seemed to carry her so easily. Like that time when he chivalrously carried her on his back across a field of mud. "Couldn't let her beautiful paws be tainted by such filth", as he had told her. Or all those times he propped her up on his back so she could climb hard-to-reach spots in their travels. Her mighty Alpha made it seem so easy. But now, she had to be his mighty Omega.
"Be strong, my mighty Alpha," Lilly said quietly as she positioned Garth just right. She looked ahead, ensuring that Edmund and Stephen were nowhere in sight. Seeing neither a cinnabar or pale tan wolf, Lilly started to walk. Garth's muzzle shielded her eyes from the most direct snowfall, although his cold undersides sent chills up her spine. Lilly shivered, but continued onward.
Moving among the trees, Lilly soon recognized the upcoming path. Garth's weight and the bag of caribou meat kept her from moving too fast, but Lilly forced her paws and legs through the building layers of snow. Her scratched forepaws ached and stung some more, but she disregarded them. She checked ahead and saw the tree with the etching of the howling wolf. Lilly smiled and went onward, making it to the top of the path. Her mate let out a heartbreaking moan and tried to open his eyes.
"We're almost there, Garth."
Garth and the bag almost fell off her back as she reached the narrow path heading back towards the cave. She shifted both of them to her left just slightly as she walked along the ledge. Lilly did not look to her right, not wanting to see the trees with the broken branches, or the remnants of Edmund and Stephen's attempt on her life. She growled as she hauled Garth and the bag into the cave. A little howl of triumph escaped her lips as she rested Garth and the bag against the inner cavern wall.
Lilly turned back for a moment and wondered how long it would be before Edmund and Stephen came back to see if she was really dead. She grunted and moved to the rock blocking the entrance to the amethyst-lit chamber. Her hindlegs ached, but Lilly nevertheless pushed herself against the rock. Dirt and dust smudged against her already snow-coated right side. The rock barely budged, all while shifting like it might fall back into place. Lilly jumped back when it shifted too close. She stomped her right forepaw and threw herself against it once again.
"Come on…come on…" Lilly murmured. "Please…"
This time, the rock miraculously fell to the side, revealing the entrance to her. She felt the warmer air within. The purple light greeted her, the cluster of crystals still shining. Getting Garth and the bag of caribou meat onto her back once more, Lilly carried him down the collapsed stone stairs, tripping up once when her left hindleg gave out. He groaned a little as Lilly placed him next to the pool. Noticing his cuts and frozen drops of blood, Lilly dipped her paw in the sweet water. It was much warmer than she remembered. She bit off a chunk of the bag's flap. Garth whimpered as she set the wet cloth onto his back.
"It's all right, Garth. You're safe now," she cooed into his ear as she cleaned the bite marks on the back of his neck. "I'm here."
Garth managed a smile. Lilly returned it and nuzzled him lightly. When she finished tending to his neck wounds, Garth's mate rested against him. He immediately clung to her. She felt so pleasantly warm.
"Rest easy, my mighty Alpha," Lilly whispered as she sank into his embrace.
