Chapter 6: Appearance
*Candu's POV*
I hit the ground hard, unfortunately landing right on top of Hutch. He yelped in pain and I jumped up quickly to keep from hurting him anymore. I looked up to see what hit me, and saw a wolf sitting there looking at us like nothing had just happened. He weilded a grim smile hidden behind dark brown fur, and soul peircing yellow eyes that reminded me of lightning.
"Get out of my way," I demanded. He just let out a small laugh at me command.
"What's the matter Candu, is poor little Hutch hurt. Do you want to help that pathetic slob," he laughed. I grit my teeth in anger and pounced straight towards him. He rolled to the side avoiding my attack with ease.
"Don't you ever talk about my friend like that," I yelled.
"Why not pipsqueak, does it hurt your tiny little feelings," I was in so much rage that I instantly jumped straight for him. Again he jumped away like he was toying with me. Then it struck me. How in the world had he known both of our names, and that I don't like my size being mocked.
"Who the fuck are you," I growled. He just esmiled at me like he was naming himself superior.
"Language little puppy," he laughed. I snapped at him and slashed at him with my claws but he was moving to fast for me to even try and swing at him.
"I asked you a question," I shouted.
"What does it matter who I am, what matters is that I want to help Hutch," he laughed. He obviously didn't want to help Hutch, otherwise he wouldn't have tripped me.
"He doesn't need your help," I rushed him as he looked towards Hutch. I was mere inches from him when his paw came up and struck my jaw. I was sent flying a few feet away in horrible pain. My nose was bleeding and my entire jaw ached.
"Oh really, what's the matter Hutch feeling alone. Is it because poor little Victoria was killed by Slade," he laughed. I could hear Hutch's whimpers of pain and greif from where I was laying. He wanted to get this guy, but he was too weak.
"Shut up you asshole, can't you see he's in enough pain," I screamed as I jumped back up.
"How much does that name hurt you Hutch, Slade, I bet it makes you want to rip my throat out," he mocked. Hutch whined even more and tried to get up but he was powerless.
"Leave him alone," I shouted as I rushed him again. Without warning he whiped around and sunk his claws right into my chest. He scraped them down my sides andI howled with pain.
"Don't interupt little one, the adults are talking," he laughed at me as I fell to the ground in excrutiating pain. I yelped as I landed and it felt like my sides were on fire. I could feel my warm blood seeping through my wounds, and I thought that I was going to die right there.
"Now, back to business Hutch. Oh yes I know how much you hate Slade for what he did, how much pain he caused you. Your poor little wife Victoria, she didn't stand a chance against him. But she died like she lived, a whore," at that insult I could hear a bloodcurdling growl, but it wasn't Hutch.
"Luxus, leave them alone," called out a voice as a wolf jumped from the trees and planted his claws into the larger wolfs back. Lexus let out a howl in pain and slung his attacker off, who wwasn't phased by the counter, and jumped up to protect us.
"You," Lexus barked, "you should have never shown up,"
"Get out of here," he shouted at Lexus who turned and fled in terror. The wolf was half Lexus' size, and would have been crushed by anything Lexus would have thrown at him, yet Lexus ran like a pup when he saw his shimmering silver fur.
"Who are you," I asked weakly. He turned to me, and his eyes were as blue as the ocean, they were warm and inviting, they made me feel safe.
"That's not important, just stay away from Lexus, your friends are comming, I must go now," he said and without another word he dashed off after Lexus. I could barely here Hutch's breathing, and I began to feel light-headed, the last thing I remember before I blacked out, was the sound of wolves closing in.
*Blackjack's POV*
When we found Hutch and Candu they were both passed out, and bleeding badly. Hutch was especially bad off. His front paws had cuts all around them and he had lost a lot of blood. Candu was cut worse, but he hadn't lost as much blood as Hutch had. Even to the touch Hutch was cold, we were losing him.
"Come on, we have to get them to the healers now," Garth said as he picked up Candu onto his back. Hutch wouldn't like it, but I had to carry him back. I managed to get him onto my back and then rushed behind Garth to get them to safety.
"What do you think caused this," I asked as I ran.
"Doesn't seem likely that Hutch and Candu would fight, must've been someone else," Garth replied.
"Who do you think would do this, I haven't been here long but I don't know of anyone out to get these two," I said in confusion. It didn't make sense, Hutch and Candu would never do this to each other, but we found them alone in critical condition. The healers had thankfully came to meet us halfway back and instantly began bandaging up the two. We stepped back to give them some room, and were met by Winston and a brown wolf, both with concern and anger written all over their faces.
"Blackjack this is Tony, he is the pack leader for the eastern pack and Garths father, now I want you two to tell us what all of this comotion is for," Winston said sternly.
"Well, Garth showed up in the alpha hangout a little bit after I did, and so we decided to go for a walk. Kate met up with us a little after that and we walked off towards Hutch's den to see how he was. While we were walking we heard what sounded like a fight, and Candu was screaming, a lot. We went to go see what had happened and found blood all over the ground. Kate ran back to get the healers while me and Garth went to check out the scene. We found Hutch and Candu passed out with cuts and both bleeding very badly," I explained. Garth nodded in agreement and the two nodded as they assesed the situation.
"Could you tell if there were any other wolves there," Tony asked. I shook my head in response.
"None, just Candu and Hutch," Garth added. Winston walked up behind the two healers and looked down at the injured alphas. He sat there for a second before Tony joined him. They were talking to each other but we cfouldn't hear what they were saying so me and Garth just made small talk.
"Do you think they'll be alright," I asked.
"Candu maybe, Hutch I'm not so sure," Garth replied grimly.
'Hutch you better pull through this,' I said to myself. I could feel my eyes watering up with tears. I didn't want Hutch to die. Kate arrived shaken up badly.
"What happened," she asked nervously.
"I'm not sure, but its starting to look like Hutch fought Candu," Garth whispered.
"But Candu and Hutch would never fight over anything it must have been someone else," Kate argued. But the question was, who.
*Lexus' POV*
"Dammit Byron why can't you mind your own business," I shouted to my persuer. I had been trying to several minutes to shake him, but he was chasing me like I was a caribou.
"As long as Blackjack is here this is my business," he replied. I ducked under a low laying log in an attempt to lose him, but I heard his claws scrape the trunk as he jumped over the fallen pine. I knew exactly where he was leading me, and at this rate, I would be forced to go there.
"There's no use defending him, if I don't get to him Hutch will," I laughed.
"Not as long as I'm around," he replied, his tone unaffected by my comment. It was irritating how calm and collected he always was. Nothing seemed to get on his nerves, and that made me more angry than anything else, because I loved getting into peoples minds and messing them up.
"You won't always be able to watch out for him, so just give up, before I have to kill you," I attempted once more to slow him down.
"You'd kill me either way Lexus, now leave Blackjack alone before I have to kill you," he shouted. I jumped up onto the trunk of the nearest tree and propelled myself forward through the air. It put me a fair distance ahead of Byron, but he would be fast to catch up. I dived through a thick patch of brush and wound up in the clear. I was safe, for now.
*Candu's POV*
I woke up slowly with my sides feeling like they had been struck by lightning. My chest was almost as bad, it felt like I ran chest first into a very sharp rock. I felt light headed and tried to raise my head with little success. I finally began to take in the scenery, I was in Winstons den, Hutch was laying a few feet away from me, and there were three others. Winston, Tony, and Eve all sitting at the edge of the den arguing about something.
"He's awake now, let's go ask him," demmanded Winston.
"Now dear he just woke up, let him rest for a minute," Eve said lightly, yet sternly. The three still approached me and with the assistance of Winston and Tony, I was able to sit up.
"Candu, tell us exactly what happened," Tony said. I thought back to what had happened. I remembered finding Hutch, and then getting knocked down, and as far up to a silver wolf saving us, but there was something I just knew I was forgetting.
"Well, I went to go check up on Hutch and I found blood covering the floor of his den. It was even in the dirt oustide his den leading through the woods, so I followed the trail where I found Hutch with his wrists cut badly. I knew then that he had been cutting himself and tried to help him. I managed to get him onto my back and start carrying him through the forrest when I was tripped and attacked by a dark brown wolf. He kept saying stuff to Hutch, stuff that made him angry. He was the one who cut my sides and chest, and had it not been for a silver wolf who jumped in, we would probably be dead," I explained. The three nodded as they took in the story and sat in silence to examine it.
"Did you get the names of those two wolves," Winston asked. I thought back, and I was sure I heard the brown ones name, but I couldn't remember it.
"The silver wolf didn't say, but I'm pretty sure the brown wolf told me his name, but I don't remember it," I admitted.
"Was either wolf from one of the packs," Tony budged in.
"I don't think so, but the weird part was, the silver wolf was half the size opf the brown wolf who attacked us, and yet he ran him off like it was nothing," I said as more details of the fight began to some back to me.
"Winston, you don't think it's-" Tony started but Winston interrupted.
"I know it's him. We have to talk now," Winston urged. Tony nodded in agreement and the two stepped outside leaving me alone with Eve.
"Is Hutch going to be alright," I asked in concern as I looked back to him. Eve looked down as if avoiding my gaze.
"I'm not sure. He lost a lot of blood, and he was barely alive when he was brought here. He will need a lot of rest to rebuild his strength. And since he's been cutting himself we will need someone to keep a close eye on him. Do you know why he was doing it in the first place," Eve asked as she walked over to the shivering Hutch.
"He misses Victoria. He said it was the only was to make his pain dissapear. He must have been dong it for a while because some of the blood that was in his den was pretty old," I said as I walked over to my friend and layed next to him to keep him warm.
"He's lucky to have you as a friend Candu," Eve said as she turned away from us.
"And I'm lucky to be his friend," I whispered as Hutch finally stopped shivering.