Lilly, Underground
For a few seconds, Lilly soared above the ground as she charged into Edmund, knocking the murderous cinnabar wolf away from Stephen. She saw the world spin around her as she attempted to get back on her paws. Suddenly, she was dragged backwards towards the large hole in the center of the chamber. Garth reached for her, and their purple and emerald eyes met for one fleeting moment. Then…she was gone.
The sound of her husband screaming her name was drowned out by her own screams as she flipped over in the darkness. She threw her legs out to grab anything that would stop her fall. Nothing came within reach while she tumbled. The white she-wolf yelled Garth's name, her legs kicking helplessly in the cold, open air. Lilly shut her eyes as they lined with tears, wanting it all to just be a bad dream.
Her eyes popped back open when her backside made abrupt contact with the walls of a vertical shaft. She couldn't see anything aside from the darkness in front of her, but could feel a sudden chill in the enclosed space. Still in freefall, Lilly curled her tail between her hindlegs, and threw her forepaws in front of her in another attempt to stop herself. Her claws uselessly slipped and glided on the smooth walls, just like those back in the cave that were cold to the touch. She pulled them back, and tucked her legs to her chest as she continued to descend. Lilly's white fur clung to her body as the air got colder and colder. She fought back her tears, fearing they'd freeze her eyes shut, or glaze over them like the yearly ice layer on the lake. No, she had to make it back to Garth somehow!
Further down, she could make out the sounds of someone cursing and screaming. It took her a bit before she recognized that voice. Lilly growled as the realization of who pulled her down here came to mind. Had space permitted it, Lilly thought of how she would throw herself forward so she'd fall face-down. The cinnabar wolf would continue plummeting, preferably face-first, as she would advance and brutally maul him for trying to doing all this to her and Garth. And Stephen too! Yes, she'd-
Lilly shuddered and forced those thoughts back down, recalling how horrible it was when she attacked Stephen and Edmund back in the snow, almost killing the former in the process. The memories of their wounds' blood and bits of hair lodged in her mouth came flooding back to her. She shook her head and tried to refocus her attention on getting out of here somehow. But she just kept falling and falling. The white she-wolf considered pushing her forepaws out against the walls again, but the mental image of the claws being filed to nothing, or even ripped out by the friction, kept them tight against her chest.
The shaft abruptly curved into a ninety-degree angle, followed by an equally abrupt slant. Lilly groaned as she bent backwards before she readjusted to the downward slant. Fighting against the cold air and forces pressing her head down, Lilly could see the darkness continued on, with no sign of the cinnabar wolf ahead of her. Her head fell back as she felt the back of her hair being tugged by the gravitational forces at work. Lilly groaned and silently prayed that the friction would not scalp her before she made out of here. If she made it out of here.
A few more minutes (or maybe a few more hours, who could tell?) passed before Lilly felt like she was going to suffocate on or freeze to death in the cold air surrounding her. She mustered some effort to further press her legs to her chest, to make and conserve as much body heat as possible. Lilly closed her eyes and tried to force herself to think of warmer things, just like Eve told her to do when she was a cub caught in winter's chill. Running through the grass on a summer day. Helping Kate tow the fresh carcass of a caribou. Feeling Garth wrap his forelegs around her and…Lilly blushed guiltily at that last thought.
She didn't think of warmer thoughts for much longer. Her breathing became easier as relatively warmer air flooded into the shaft. Lilly forced herself to look down as a light radiated from the end. The shaft ended abruptly at a smaller hole that dropped her into another chamber. Lilly shut her eyes, and braced herself for the crash against the cavern floor.
The Omega let out a yelp when she…bounced?
Something beneath broke Lilly's fall, and caused her to lightly bounce a few inches before she came to an abrupt stop near the cavern wall. She let out a succession of tiny yelps and shrieks before she settled. The floor beneath her was shaking up and down, and seemed to sink with her weight. But it didn't feel like dirt or mud. It felt like standing atop a loose log as it wobbled back and forth. When she stopped moving, Lilly slowly opened her eyes.
Yet another small cluster of purple crystals hung from the ceiling and illuminated everything around her with a light source coming from who knew where. The white she-wolf calmed herself as her eyes adjusted to the amethyst glow that bathed the chamber. It was far warmer in here than it was in the vertical shaft. And there was no sign of Edmund, either. He must have run off when he landed. Lilly sighed with relief.
She tried to get up when the floor wobbled beneath her and sank under her right forepaw. Lilly looked down and noticed a strange pattern of cloud-shaped markings all along the dirty white surface. Little flecks of whitegray fluff sprouted along the wobbly floor. Lilly leant down and picked one small patch between the claws of her right forepaw. The white she-wolf sniffed it and stuck out her tongue. She shuddered at the dull, dry taste of the fluff and threw it away. After the bad taste left her mouth, Lilly shifted to her left…and suddenly rolled off, landing on the cool cavern floor.
Lilly regained her composure and looked back to the dirty whitegray lump next to her. Seeing from this angle reminded her of those soft beds some wolves made from clumps of leaves, mud, and grass for pregnant mothers and couples in love. Perhaps this bed was no different. Giving it another sniff, she could definitely pick up a faint hint that it was used for something like that. She giggled.
The white she-wolf explored the other facets of the chamber. There wasn't much aside from a few rocks and a scattered assortment of brightly colored leaves that looked like they once held something inside them. Something like the garbage that came from humans that sometimes wandered around the outskirts of the territories. Humans, that explains it, Lilly thought with an amused smile. She brushed them aside, and found what looked like a thin stick of shiny brown meat emerging from a long, clear strip. It smelled funny and was a little hard, but she managed to bite off a piece. Not bad. Tasted a bit like the caribou meat some wolves left out to dry in the sun.
Biting off another piece, Lilly chewed on it as she noticed the chamber curved around a corner to the left. Swallowing the piece of caribou-like meat, the white she-wolf cautiously walked around the corner, taking her time just in case a certain cinnabar wolf happened to be lurking where she couldn't see him. Another growl steadily rose in her throat, but she choked it down. As she neared the chamber's exit, she paused to take a deep breath before she peered through it.
Ahead, a tunnel led onwards into darkness, broken up by the occasional crops of light emanating from smaller clusters of crystals here and there. Lilly shook her head. Great, more darkness, and more shadows where Edmund could be waiting for the right moment to attack-exactly what she needed. She turned back to the amethyst-lit chamber and considered climbing back towards the hole that dumped her there in the first place. Unfortunately, the white she-wolf couldn't reach it, even when bouncing on the bed with her forepaws. Even more unfortunate, she recalled how her claws and paws uselessly skidded down the smooth walls of the shaft, anyway. Cursing her luck, Lilly took another deep breath and exited the chamber.
The walk down the tunnel was uneventful, although after nearly getting murdered on two occasions, and almost committing murder when she lost control (as well as sliding down a hole that could have gone on forever), Lilly was thankful for that. She looked back once or twice, feeling a bit mournful to leave a pleasant little place like that. But Garth and Stephen were up there, somewhere. Lilly's frown worsened as she thought of Garth worriedly tearing up every inch of the cave in a desperate attempt to find her. Her mighty Alpha…crushed under giant boulders. Or trapped in a crack in the earth. Or lost in one of the endless tunnels. Or fallen down another hole that led somewhere less pleasant. Or accosted by Edmund who went for his throat…Lilly held her head in her forepaws and shuddered.
Be reasonable, Lilly. You know him better than that. Right now, Garth's running down here to find you, and he won't let anything like boulders or holes or Edmund stop him. Now, you have to do your part and find him.
Lilly nodded and continued down the tunnel until she reached the end that opened up to a world of darkness, with few fragments of light along the way. Colder air hit her almost as soon as she crossed the threshold. It wasn't as bad as the suffocating chill of the shaft, but she readily preferred the chamber to this. However, she fought the urge to turn back. She had to find a way out no matter what. Just as Garth would.
After a couple of minutes navigating around a series of low-hanging stalactites and mid-to-high-rising stalagmites, jutting out like the mismatched and unaligned teeth of a crudely claw-scratched wolf, Lilly noticed something on the left wall. In the dim patch of light, she could see a series of arrows painted onto the wall in sharp red and yellow colors. The red ones pointed in the direction of the chamber, while the yellow ones pointed further down the path. She sighed with relief. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Someone else was here before, and now conveniently provided a way out. Her tail wagged at this bout of good fortune.
Feeling far more confident, Lilly started to run along the path, guided by the yellow arrows that reliantly trailed down. Once or twice, she nearly tripped over her forepaws when she came across a rut in the ground, or an overturned rock that broke off from the stalactites above. The white she-wolf nearly collided with a plump stalagmite that seemed to manifest just as she neared it. Shrugging it off, Lilly checked for more of the yellow arrows. They continued and so did Lilly, feeling she would soon be reunited with Garth.
Eventually, the path reached a slope that curved downwards into a far lower section of the cave at her right. She turned to the left, and saw the yellow arrows pointing in the direction of collapsed stones arranged like the stairs of the chamber in Garth's special cave. Lilly's heart soared at the sight of the exit. She couldn't help but smile. "I'm coming, Garth! I'm coming!"
The excited white she-wolf barely took a step when a red blur emerged from a blind spot to her left. When she turned to face it with her forepaws readied, the red blur slammed directly into her with a growl and a grunt. She stumbled for a bit, but forced herself back in the direction of the collapsed stones. She was so close! No! So close!
The red blur did not give her that chance, sprouting forepaws that shoved her down. Lilly snapped her teeth and tried to jump over the red blur when it ducked down. Its forelegs kicked against her stomach. The white she-wolf rolled onto her back and tumbled towards the slope heading into the lower section of the cave. She rose to her paws and readied her teeth to take another bite at her attacker's face. For a moment, the red blur looked a lot like a cinnabar wolf…
Suddenly, Lilly soared through the air as the red blur slammed into her. She screamed as she flew into the darkness below. For a moment, she heard someone laughing…
Please no…I was so close…please…I was so close…Garth…please i don't want to die…i'm sorry garth please…
Lilly struggled to force her eyes open as the mental image of the red blur assumed the form of a laughing cinnabar wolf. Edmund laughed as she fell into the darkness and followed after her. She continued to fall and failed to hold back her screams. The scene replayed in her mind as she struggled to force her eyes open. The laughter degraded into a sinister echo, flowing through the abyss.
BASTARD! Lilly mentally shouted as Edmund's laughter died down. If I ever find you, I'll tear off one of your legs and SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT UNTIL YOU GAG ON THE BROKEN BONES!
Lilly's eyed opened at last. When she fully came to, she felt very…cold…and very…wet…like she was floating…
She groaned as icy chills and pangs struck her at all sides. Lilly spun helplessly for a few seconds as the current shifted her around and around. The white she-wolf threw up her forepaws, sending a frigid wave of water in the direction ahead of her, and splattering some unforgiving drops on her face. She coughed and blinked them out. Lilly rubbed her eyes with her damp forepaws, and tried to figure out where she was. She could barely make out the shape of a shore to her left and a few ominous stalactites pointing down at her. They moved steadily out of her limited field of vision as she drifted.
The bitter chill bobbing along her spine became unbearable. Lilly kicked her hindlegs to guide herself to the shore to her left. She continued to kick, feeling a little warmer as her legs worked against the current. Lilly stretched her forepaws out to the shore, and touched ground. Once she felt the wet but stable rocks against her pads, the white she-wolf flipped over onto her stomach. A splash of cold water struck her in the mouth and under her chin. She spat and coughed as she dragged herself onto the rocks. Icy water sloshed around her as she got to her paws and shook herself. Her whole body shivered, with her hindlegs threatening to bend and drop her right back into the water. Lilly took a few steps forward and collapsed. She only now realized just how fast her heart was beating.
When she gathered enough strength, Lilly huddled near the wall and curled up with her tail curving around her forepaws. She closed her eyes and took deeper breaths, doing everything she could to calm herself. Lilly let out a low sigh as her heartbeat slowed to a manageable pace. After a few seconds, she reopened her eyes and surveyed as much of the area as she could. Once again, she could barely make out a few more stalactites and the continuing stretch of the shoreline ahead.
"I was so close. So close…" Lilly quietly growled. "I almost got out of here. I almost got home, back to Garth. All I wanted was to just spend a nice romantic evening or two with him. That's all I wanted. Was that too much to ask?" She craned her head towards an unfeeling stalactite. The white she-wolf felt an angry howl begging to be let out, but she kept her forepaws over her mouth. Deep down, her instincts told her to keep quiet. Lilly turned back once to check for anyone else. Fortunately, nothing manifested behind her, red blur or cinnabar wolf or otherwise.
Taking another deep breath, Lilly stepped cautiously forward. The rock felt solid beneath her paws, but some pebbles and grains dug at them. She stifled a groan as she lifted her nose to check for any particular scents. Lilly picked up nothing and felt her heart sink a little. In her mind, Garth was frantically tearing through the rocks to find her. He could be just above her, overturning every stone and inspecting every alcove. She briefly considered shouting at the ceiling, yelling his name, anything that might get his attention if he just happened to have his ears close to the cavern floor…but kept quiet. The last thing she needed was to alert Edmund. Even with the burning desire to crush his skull between two rocks, Lilly was no in shape to fight the cinnabar wolf. She sighed heavily as she walked.
The ground continued for thirty more feet before it abruptly curved inwards to her left, causing her right forepaw to slip into the water. The frigid current tugged on it as Lilly started to lose her footing. She forced her weight onto her left forepaw, anchoring herself as she pulled her right forepaw back onto solid ground. After shaking her right forepaw and blowing some heated breath on it, Lilly cautiously felt for where the path took her next. She guided her left forepaw across a few inches until it hit a large slab of rock jutting from the side. The white Omega shifted until her left side made contact with the uneven wall. Lilly stifled a yip as a small dagger-like rock struck her in the left foreleg. Taking care to avoid it, she moved along, keeping her left side pressed to the wall.
The narrow path stretched on for several feet as Lilly carefully walked along the eroded rock, taking care not to slip again. She moved nice and slow, occasionally pulling her tail back when it drifted into the water, immediately retracting and curling close to her when the chill shot through it. Lilly paused for a moment when her right forepaw threatened to slide down the edge of a gap between the two chunks of rock. She stepped back and carefully stretched her left foreleg until her pads touched solid rock again. Stretching her whole body now, Lilly made her way across the gap, touching down with her forepaws and carrying her hindlegs across. She nearly slipped when her left hindleg caught on the slope, but pulled herself up before it made contact with the water.
Nature cut her some slack as the ground grew thicker and wider, giving her more walking room. Lilly let out a sigh of relief and walked a little further, pausing as she approached a circular slab perched along the underground stream. She sat down, curling her tail around her as she closed her eyes. The white she-wolf tensed when something smacked the surface of the water a few feet behind her. She whirled around, readying herself to attack Edmund with claws and teeth. But she saw nothing.
Probably just a rock. Silly Omega, you're getting paranoid, Lilly chided herself. You need to focus. Where do we go next?
She tried to pick up another scent trail and again found nothing. Lilly groaned as she got back to her forepaws and resumed walking. The white she-wolf paused as a faint echo reached her ears. For a moment, she figured it was probably just her pawsteps over the sound of the current, but noticed that these sounds came to her even as she stood still. Lilly leaned close to the wall, tilted her left ear towards the cavern ceiling, and waited. After a few seconds, another set of pawsteps continued, moving ahead of her on the other side of the wall.
Someone's on the other side, but who? Garth? Stephen? Edmund? Lilly stifled a growl building in her throat as the last candidate came to mind. She shook her head and waited until she couldn't hear the pawsteps anymore. The white Omega carefully stepped and took smaller breaths. Occasionally, her eyes would direct themselves up the rock wall, just to see how high it went. She could make out that it was a few feet tall, with a series of points lining the top like mismatched and unaligned teeth. Fortunately, she didn't see the shape of the monstrous cinnabar wolf with snapping teeth and bared claws, clambering over the top points and swiping his forepaws at her. She breathed a little easier.
Unfortunately, the path started to narrow again as the ground beneath her curled towards the wall. Uttering a tiny groan, Lilly pushed herself to the wall and stepped carefully. The current brushed against the thinning path, occasionally sprinkling her paws with icy drops. Lilly shivered but continued on, keeping her ears raised for any further signs of the mystery figure on the other side of the wall. Pawsteps echoed for a few seconds before vanishing again. She waited, just in case if they started up again. Hearing nothing, she continued on with her left ear raised.
Her forepaws slipped as the ground gave out beneath her.
Lilly looked down and saw the path abruptly ended with a cracked chunk of the rock splitting away just as her pads touched down. She fell forward with a scream as she tried to anchor herself with her hindlegs. They collapsed as she fell face-first into the freezing water. Lilly gagged and coughed, forcing herself to surface when her head kept bobbing under. Her eyes clenched shut, stinging with drips of icy water jabbing at her eyelids. She threw her forepaws ahead of her and kicked with her hindlegs. Despite the chill whipping her undersides, Lilly began to swim back towards the wall.
With her extended left forepaw, Lilly made contact, feeling the wall along the edge, but no more solid ground. She groaned as the current shoved a wave over her back, further drenching her head. Lilly kicked her hindlegs some more as the current tried to pull her away from the wall, tugging on her hindpaws. The white she-wolf winced when her right hindpaw collided with a rock jutting from the bottom. Her right hindleg instinctively retracted against her body, giving the current an opportunity to drag and spin her around by her left one. Lilly grunted while she was rotated further and further from the wall. She forced her right hindleg back into kicking motions as she ignored the pain and returned to the wall.
Her heart cringed, frigid pangs coursing up and down her chest. Lilly shut her eyes for a moment, hearing her struggling heartbeat thunder through her body. The rushing sound of the current around her faded for a few moments as the Omega's heart thudded. With an angry scream, Lilly kicked faster, pushing herself further down. She glared into the darkness ahead and, with one more forceful kick of her hindlegs, she flew forward.
Just as her chest threatened to fall numb, Lilly's extended forepaws touched a slab of rock ahead of her. She dug her claws in and dragged herself up from the water. The current attempted to pull her back in by her hindlegs when she made it halfway. With a White Wolf-worthy growl, Lilly dragged herself onto the rock and collapsed, spread-eagled, with the sound of her thudding heartbeat fading from her head. Lilly coughed up a little water that made its way into her mouth and shivered.
When the feeling returned to her legs, Lilly rose to her paws and violently shook herself. Icy drops left her white fur and were collected by the current. Despite the cold pangs that lingered in her body, Lilly leaned forward to check for any more gaps in the path. Another gap formed a few feet down, marked by a wave curving to the left and smacking against the wall. The white she-wolf stretched her legs and readied for the jump. Eyes narrowed, like Kate or Garth going for the kill, Lilly leapt onto the other side. Her pads slid a little against the rock as she landed, but she kept herself from falling over the side. Once again, the path was wider. Lilly smiled a little and continued in spite of the cold around her.
Lilly walked for what felt like several minutes (or hours, who knew down here?) while her legs threatened to give out. The white she-wolf continued until she felt the wall disappear beside her, just before a sharp curve in the path. Remembering the pawsteps she heard on the other side of the wall, she cautiously peered around the curve. Another path headed back in the direction she came on the other side. It was far wider and its stream, although still pushing forward with a heavy current, was much smaller. Much to her relief and sadness, there was no trace of another wolf.
Her left forepaw motioned to move down the other side when she collapsed. The white she-wolf let out a little growl, cursing herself for giving up now. Her chest clenched, still reeling from the time spent in the frigid water. Lilly coughed again and quietly hoped that she wasn't getting sick. No, she had to get back to Garth, and to get out of here with Stephen before Edmund came back. She had to.
After a few minutes of mentally cursing her body for quitting on her when they finally found a way back, Lilly's legs twitched as she rose back to her paws. She took easy steps, taking care to keep an ear out for anyone else around her. The white Omega recalled the pawsteps she had heard on the other side of the wall and wondered if, maybe, they were just her own after all. Lilly pushed these thoughts from her mind as she walked onwards, feeling the warmth and strength return to her body as she moved. Her tail started to wag a little.
Her paws clicked against the solid ground as she made up for lost time, periodically checking behind her, just in case. She stumbled after a few careful strides as her right hindpaw recalled its collision with the underwater rock and began to ache again. Lilly waited a minute or so, uncurling her right hindpaw as the aching welled down. She lightly stepped against the stone and, aside from a couple lingering sore spots, her right hindpaw was cooperative once more. Lilly walked a little slower now, taking care not to step on the occasional rock or cluster of pebbles that came her way.
About where she had suddenly plunged into the water on the other side, Lilly noticed a small, but deep pool formed by the stream next to the main path, which looked big enough to hold a full-grown Alpha inside it. The water fell over a raised split-V rock and dropped directly into the deeper hole, occasionally splashing the edges. The current shuddered in ripples across the deep black surface of the small pool, before it trickled out through a channel that led deeper into the cave behind her. Despite spending more time than she wanted in such freezing depths, Lilly suddenly felt compelled to take a drink. Her tongue hung from her mouth.
Checking behind her once again, Lilly carefully approached the pool and bowed her head to the rippling surface. Despite the cold touch that made her tongue and teeth shudder, it had hints of that sweet water from Garth's secret cave. She swallowed, and waited for the chill rushing down her throat to subside before she took another drink. A small wave brushed against her muzzle, making her gag a little as she spat the excess water. Lilly stepped back and looked to her left.
Three hairs rested near the edge of the pool. Lilly leaned in for a closer look and noticed a few more heading around her. At close range, they had hints of red…
Lilly's world was suddenly filled with cold water.
The white she-wolf kicked her hindlegs as she was pushed head-first into the pool. She forced her head back to the rippling surface, and gasped as heavy forepaws pushed her back down. She blinked against the moving cold water while it flowed around her and against her face. Lilly clenched her mouth shut and held her breath as she kicked her hindlegs again. She threw herself up against her assailant and rose again, gasping heavily for the air as she tried to pull herself back onto and away from the edge of the pool.
For a moment, she saw the shape of another wolf reeling back while she shook and blinked the bitter cold water from her eyes. The wolf shape shuddered violently and raised its forepaws in her direction. She heard it growl as it approached. Lilly gave a growl of her own as she charged it. The wolf shape tumbled backwards, its forelegs stretched into the air like one of the defeated wolves in Garth's claw etchings. Lilly stepped back and ran her left foreleg over her eyes to brush the remaining water out. When she drew her foreleg back down, the wolf shape leapt at her.
Lilly fell back-first into the pool, easily holding a small Omega inside it as she went under the rippling surface. She flung her forelegs up against the water, violently shaking as the forepaws pressed against her chest again. They worked their way up to her throat and pushed against her throat. Lilly clenched her eyes and mouth shut while she shook. Her forelegs and hindlegs continued to swing, trying to make contact with her assailant's body. Or even the edges of the pool. Anything.
Above the rippling surface, Edmund ignored the water coursing over the raised split-V rock when it splashed against his forehead. The cinnabar wolf also ignored the painful chill running up the bones of his forelegs as he pressed his forepaws against the damned Omega's throat. He couldn't see her beneath the deep dark surface, but he could feel her struggling, scraps of her fur tickling the edges of his forepaws. Several bubbles drifted to the surface, prompting Edmund to push harder. He could feel the water shifting beneath him and begin to slow down as her kicking grew weaker. His mouth stretched into a wide White Wolf's grin, and he put all of his strength into his forepaws. The Omega would pay for ruining everything.
Underneath, Lilly's vision was getting dark as her mouth gave out, shooting a stream of bubbles to the surface. She groaned when Edmund pressed his forepaws harder against her throat. Her eyes clenched shut, and she gave one more kick with her hindlegs. Her right hindpaw ached again as it collided with something. She kicked it again despite the pain, feeling wet fur clinging to flesh. It felt like one of Edmund's hindpaws, positioned uneasily against one wall of the pool and slackening its grip. With a mental growl, she forced her aching right hindpaw against it.
Edmund felt his left hindpaw slide down the wall of the pool. He tried to reposition himself, digging his claws into the rock. As he turned his focus away, his left forepaw slackened its grip on Lilly's throat. The cinnabar wolf quickly realized this, and tried to refocus his strength back onto her. Her felt her kick again and his left foreleg slipped underneath him. Edmund dropped, his forepaws involuntarily swinging up and away from Lilly's throat. The cinnabar Alpha's head smacked the icy surface.
Lilly's head sang of aches and pains as the white she-wolf forced herself to rise the second she felt Edmund's forepaws swing away. She stretched her mouth and revealed her jaws, going directly for Edmund's throat. The white she-wolf sank her teeth into the cinnabar-furred skin, icy water spurting through the sides of her mouth. Despite his Alpha strength and his Alpha durability, Edmund flew upwards as Lilly pushed herself up, keeping her teeth clenched around his throat.
Take those beautiful teeth of yours, go for the throat, and don't let go until the body stops shaking, Eve advised in the back of Lilly's mind.
A surprised and angry cry died in Edmund's trapped throat as he brought his forepaws down onto her. He tried to rake her back with his claws, breaking matted clumps of her white fur sticking to her skin. Edmund failed to draw blood, but raked her back again. She did not let go. The cinnabar wolf shuddered violently, and tried to push her back under the icy water.
Lilly tugged down, smacking Edmund's jaw against the split-V rock. He groaned as she brought him down again and again. After the fourth time, Edmund stopped trying to shove her off. The white she-wolf finally released and pushed the cinnabar wolf onto his back. She dragged herself out of the pool, feeling a layer of freezing cold peel off her back in the open air, and trying to stay on her paws. It seemed her body recalled her near-death experience the second she slipped out of the frigid water. Her head ached and her legs threatened to give out beneath her as she refilled her lungs. The white she-wolf stumbled away from the pool and vomited water, leaving blackgray splotches against the rock. Her lavender eyes drooped and she fell onto her right side.
No…please…no…so close…please no garth stephen someone no…
Lilly managed to extend her left forepaw into the darkness as the world faded around her. She tried to drag herself when her body gave out. The white she-wolf
sees a new trail before her, the darkness of the cold underground replaced by the light of the cold winter's day. Blackgray trees caked with snow line the path forming ahead, untouched by anyone else. She looks behind her and notices there aren't any pawprints in the snow. Yet, she breathes easier.
Lilly watches as she begins to walk. She tries to turn her head around and look for any sign of Garth, but her eyes stay focused on the path. Soon, she breaks into a sprint among the trees to her right. Despite her paws making contact with the snow, they leave no prints. She stops at the edge of another path and peers down. Pawprints are scattered everywhere, showing evidence of an ambush. The white Omega groans as she once again recalls the attack on Stephen and Edmund. It doesn't get any better when her field of vision shifts down to reveal scarred forepaws leaking blood.
Soon, the cinnabar wolf appears, looking for something. Her body shifts away, repeatedly appearing and disappearing as Edmund looks around. She glides and slinks along the trees, curling around the bark as Edmund finally met her eyes. Lilly stays in place, watching him from several feet away.
Things shift across her vision as Edmund lunges at her, her body expertly jumping back. She turns and runs, stopping once as she leapt ahead when Edmund charges her once again. Her body aches with anticipation and excitement, her heart soars as this stupid Alpha pursues her. She glides to the left as Edmund stops, still trying to find her. With a wide grin, she sneaks behind him and breathes heavily and warmly on the back of his neck. Almost lovingly.
He runs and Lilly watches as her paws guided her in the chase that follows. Her mind races with the mental images of all the things she could do to this Alpha, her teeth and claws providing all sorts of opportunities. She only has to get him to go to the cave.
After what feels like several minutes of straightforward running, the stupid Alpha runs into the cave, into the trap. In a flash, she bites at his flank and then at his right leg. A few drops of tempting blood splatter over her teeth and tongue. Edmund screams and tries to fight her as he runs. He looks scared. Terrified. Like she was when the Alphas attacked her so long ago…drove her into the snow…
Lilly mentally shrieks when these teeth sink into the back of Edmund's neck, drawing more blood. She recalls the wound from when they found in the alcove. Edmund, the mighty Alpha, begs her to stop. He pleads between threats. He cries. He tries to fight back but fails. He pleads some more. Excellent, just as she wants.
The white she-wolf watches as Edmund disappears, leaving more drops of blood and cinnabar hairs in his wake. Despite the White Wolf's mouth stretching back into a laugh, Lilly started to scream. Her head
ached when her purple eyes opened. The white she-wolf screamed into the darkness around her, the underground stream and cold air returning. Despite the other aches and pains that awakened with her, Lilly rose to her paws and looked around. She saw nothing but the solid stone and the stream continuing to flow. The white she-wolf held her left forepaw to her chest, her pads kindly pressing to calm her beating heart. After a few seconds, her heartbeat slowed to a comfortable pace.
She forced the unpleasant images of the dream from her mind as she turned to the right. Lilly cautiously approached the pool, and shuddered as the near-death experience returned to her. The white she-wolf glanced over her shoulder again, expecting to see Edmund reappear and try another attempt on her life. Thankfully, she saw nothing. With a heavy sigh, Lilly refocused her attention on the path heading back in the direction she came from. The mental images of the near-death experience and the violent dream floated away with the current heading behind her. She sighed again and walked on.
The journey down the other side of the wall was uneventful, save for the occasional wave that kicked up in the current. Lilly kept her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of the cinnabar wolf. Her right hindpaw no longer ached and she was thankful for that. She thought again of Garth tearing through the rocks to find her. Yes, she had to do her part and find him. She had to.
Ignoring the lingering pangs throughout her body, Lilly tried to run when her forelegs faltered. She forced the growl building in her throat to go back down and took smaller steps. The white she-wolf paused as she approached something…someone lying in the path ahead of her. Lilly cautiously approached the fallen figure and her eyes widened at the sight.
Edmund was collapsed before her forepaws, his forelegs stretched in front of him in a last-minute effort to drag himself just a little further. The cinnabar wolf wore a pained expression, dripping a little blood onto his whiskers and chin. His paws were still somewhat wet from the attempt on her life, but otherwise unremarkable. But it was his throat that drew her attention. Despite mentally begging herself not to look, Lilly gently propped Edmund up just a little, enough to show where she had bitten. Much to her surprise and relief, there was no blood. But the teeth marks and torn bits of fur made her all the more uncomfortable.
Lilly stepped back and felt a dull weight feeling manifest in her stomach. The white she-wolf raised her left forepaw to her own throat and brushed against it, feeling the imprints of Edmund's forepaws against her skin. She growled and snapped her teeth, moving her left forepaw as if to strike Edmund's unconscious head. Her forepaw stayed in the open air as the memory of the White Wolf (her) biting into the back of Edmund's neck flashed before her eyes. The White Wolf (she) could taste his blood and feel his fur on her tongue. She (Lilly) loved the sound of his screaming and his pleading. Oh how she-
The white she-wolf shuddered and let out a loud yell. She fell to her forepaws and clenched her eyes shut, already feeling tears line the space between her eyelids. Her mind raged with Eve and White Wolf-worthy growls, demanding to know why she would feel this way about that damned Alpha that tried to drown her not long ago. The very same Alpha who tried to kill her Garth and ruined everything…he who-
Lilly clutched her head and shook those thoughts away. She shivered and kept her eyes shut. The image of Stephen collapsed in the snow, beaten down by her attacks, flashed back to her. She growled and tried to shake that thought away too. The mental image of the pale tan wolf faded into the real image of the cinnabar wolf. Lilly moaned and turned away, choking back the bile threatening to rise in her throat. When the nauseous feeling subsided, Lilly rested on her stomach and sighed. Her bangs drooped over her purple eyes as she closed them.
A minute or so passed on before she reopened them. Brushing her bangs from her face, Lilly saw that Edmund was still collapsed with that same pained expression as before. She frowned and cautiously extended her right forepaw against his left side. The cinnabar wolf was still breathing. That dull weight feeling in her stomach drifted away. She spent two more minutes standing by the cinnabar wolf as she calmed herself. The white she-wolf sighed heavily and raised her right forepaw. A lingering flash of anger resonated, but she retracted her forepaw before it would come down on the cinnabar wolf's head. Lilly let out a low sigh and started to walk again.
The white she-wolf did not look back, figuring Edmund would stay where he was, until he came to and assuredly attacked her again. The wall eventually reached an end, sloping into the rounded corner of the rock. She saw and heard the stream rushing much faster, much louder now, smacking the sides of the ground she stood upon. Lilly stepped back as a wave splattered on the edge, leaving a layer of ice cold water dripping back into the stream. The sound of the current was almost mesmerizing in its steadiness. Another wave struck, snapping Lilly back to attention. The white Omega shook her head and looked around for an exit.
To her right, a new tunnel appeared, curving upwards at a forty-five degree angle for a ways. The walls were made of the same smooth, cold stone like the tunnels above and the shaft that led her down here. Several stones jutted out of them like a series of mismatched and unaligned teeth. The one closest to the base seemed to be extended just for her. Lilly groaned, having had her fill of climbing rocks. But it was better than staying down here.
She approached the extended rock and jumped atop it. Lilly looked up and lifted herself onto the next rock three feet above her. The white she-wolf anchored herself with her hindlegs as she reached for the next rock two feet to her right. She winced as the sharp edge of the next rock scraped against her stomach. The white Omega slid onto her back and rubbed her stomach with both forepaws. Craning her head up, she could see that the next rock was about three feet to the left above her. With another groan, she flipped over onto her stomach and got to her paws. She stretched her forelegs once again and pulled herself onto the next rock.
After a succession of five more rocks, including one that bent at a dangerous angle that threatened to drop her right back at the bottom if she slipped, Lilly reached a tunnel that reminded her all the more of the vertical shaft. She felt an icy aura emanating from the smooth walls around her. The ground, thankfully, permitted her paws and pads to walk. The white she-wolf tensed as the image of the cinnabar wolf, stricken with rage, made his way up the rocks and followed her into the tunnel. She looked behind her, and was relieved Edmund wasn't there.
She took a few steps up the new path, and cautiously rounded the corner as it curved directly into the rocky wall of the rest of the way, raised several feet above her. The white she-wolf grunted and perched herself atop a collapsed stone at its base. Lilly placed her paws onto the jutting edges and dug her claws into the grooves of the rocky wall. She growled a little when her right forepaw almost lost its grip, but managed to scale towards the top. The white Omega threw her forelegs onto the surface and dragged herself onto the next section of the path. With a triumphant sigh, Lilly smiled and rested, her tail curling around the back of her hindlegs.
Her ears perked up a few seconds later. The sound started small, but steadily grew. Down there, something was moving, pawsteps erratically shifting about. It scrambled up the rocks with grunts and growls that were unmistakable. Lilly rose to her paws, shaking her head in disbelief. She kicked her hindlegs into motion as the growling got closer and louder. Her heart shuddered as the growl shifted into a low, ominous howl that echoed behind her.
I am an Alpha after all, you stupid Omega, Edmund smugly proclaimed in her mind.
Lilly leapt through the tunnel's next opening and nearly collided with a large rock that rose in her path. She saw several others jabbing out of the earth like defiant teeth. The white she-wolf maneuvered towards the nearest one at the right edge of the chamber and ducked behind it. She closed her eyes for a moment as she steadied her breath and rested against the rock. Her eyes reopened as her assailant clambered up the rocky wall. The low, ominous howl died down, and the growl returned as Edmund stomped into the chamber.
The cinnabar wolf paused for a moment to sniff the air, for any trace of that damned Omega. He growled again as he slowly walked in, keeping his eyes peeled for any flash of white fur between the rocks. His jaw still ached from their earlier encounter, and he felt like returning the favor. Edmund stopped just before the rock Lilly almost ran into a few seconds before, taking note of the others. The Alpha's growl died down, and was replaced by an amused chuckle, much to Lilly's surprise. Nevertheless, the white she-wolf remained hidden as Edmund's laughter soon died down too.
"Don't bother trying to run," the cinnabar wolf spoke softly. "I know you're in here." He brushed his right forepaw against the rock in front of him. "You're going to die. But I must admit, I am impressed. For a lowly Omega, you actually manage to fight like an Alpha. Of course, you're probably just copying whatever good ol' Garth does, right?"
Lilly resisted the urge to growl and waited behind the rock. She heard him approach and prepared to run.
The cinnabar wolf stopped just short of the nearest rock at the right edge of the chamber. "Let's not delay the inevitable, "Miss" Lilly. You and I both know what must be done for the future of the pack. And don't think I've forgotten what you did to my jaw back there."
Must not be that bad if you're still whining about that, Lilly thought with a smirk that drooped into a scared frown as Edmund started again. She threw herself ahead and curled around the next rock in line. The cinnabar Alpha spun around with his teeth bared, and found only the open air where she once stood. Edmund inspected the next rock and leapt atop it, prompting Lilly to run to the rock behind him. She ducked to the rock to his far left when he turned back. He laughed again.
"This is just adorable. You think you can keep this up forever? You might be able to fight like an Alpha, but you're still acting like a brainless Omega. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the one who ruined everything for us."
Lilly slipped behind the next rock ahead of her as Edmund leapt two rocks behind her. She tried to steady her breathing, but felt her heart pumping hard in her chest. When Edmund moved to her position, she curled and snuck around behind him. As the cinnabar wolf took a moment to check the rock to his right, she moved to the one to his left. With his back turned, Lilly motioned to move two rocks ahead of him, when she tripped over her forepaws and ran directly into the rock in front of her. She clenched her mouth shut, but a whimper still escaped her.
Edmund whirled around and lunged directly at her, teeth aimed for her tail. Lilly leapt out of reach and ducked behind the nearest rock.
"Are you seriously trying to hide when you've already given yourself away?" Edmund laughed. "Is that one of your Omega jokes? I get it. It's quite funny."
Lilly stifled yet another growl building in her throat. She took a deep breath. "Edmund, I don't want to fight."
"Good, then just lie there. I promise I'll be quick."
Edmund slipped behind the rock and charged directly at her. Lilly threw herself to the center of the chamber and glanced in the direction of the way out. She turned back and saw Edmund getting back to his paws. The cinnabar wolf did not lose his amused expression as he approached her. Lilly kept her eyes concentrated on Edmund while she walked to the right. Edmund grinned and walked to his right, as well. Neither of the wolves broke eye contact as they circled one another. At least two minutes passed in silence as the two wolves followed each other's gaze and steps.
Lilly spoke first. "Edmund, please. I don't want to fight you."
Edmund uttered another bitter laugh. "Sure didn't seem that way when you went for my throat."
"You didn't give me any other choice!"
"And neither did you. You ruined everything. You, and that traitor who readily traded away the future of his fellow Alphas for some frail Western Pack girl."
"I didn't ruin anything, and neither did Garth! And don't give me that crap! Stephen told us everything. He told us you were afraid. He-"
Edmund laughed even louder now, startling the she-wolf. "Stephen? In case you didn't notice, he's rather infatuated with you. He'd jump off a cliff if you told him to, just he could stay in your good graces. What a fitting fate that would be for a traitor like him. But I'd rather dispose of him, myself-"
"Please, Edmund, I don't want to fight you. We need to get out of here-"
The cinnabar wolf broke their circling and rammed directly into her. Lilly stumbled against a nearby rock and barely shifted to the side as Edmund brought his forepaws down. She readied to turn around when Edmund leapt onto her back. Lilly cried out when he bit into the back of her neck, trying to draw blood (just like the White Wolf). The white she-wolf flung herself to the left, slamming Edmund against the rock. His teeth slackened, releasing the back of her neck, and leaving little more than a few scrapes and drops of saliva. He growled and tried to bite down again when she kicked him in the upper chest with her hindlegs. Edmund snapped at her right hindpaw. She kicked again, hitting him squarely in the face. Edmund reeled backwards and rolled over, his muzzle shuddering.
The white she-wolf turned and ran for the exit, curving around every rock that stood between it and her. She heard Edmund get back onto his paws and follow her, probably with that same grin as before. The path ran along the side of a rocky cavern wall and stretched to another tunnel on the other side. Parts of it looked weak and threatening to crack and spread, taking large sections with it. Lilly cautiously stepped onto the first few feet of the path and paused to look over the edge. She saw the darkness below with the sound of the rushing underwater stream. But she was closer now, so close.
Lilly screamed. Edmund sank his teeth into her tail, tugging back. She pulled it from his teeth and whirled around, biting into his muzzle. Edmund kicked her in the throat with his forepaws, forcing Lilly to release him. The white she-wolf choked and fell back. She turned to run further down the path, ignoring the cinnabar wolf as she moved along the cracked sections. Edmund let out another low, ominous howl behind her. Lilly whirled around and jumped back as he charged her again. He skidded across the ground beneath her, knocking a loosening V-shaped piece from the path. It fell into the darkness below and struck with a sound splash.
The white she-wolf glanced over the edge and immediately moved herself back towards the cavern wall, looking for any other threatening cracks. Edmund lowered his head, like a ram, and slammed her directly against the wall. Lilly screamed and threw up her forelegs to shove him away. Edmund lowered his head and slammed his head against her stomach. Lilly's head smacked against the cavern wall, her whole world exploding with colors and pain. Her head tilted back, unfortunately giving Edmund the right opportunity to open his jaws and move for her jugular.
The cinnabar wolf's teeth stopped just short of Lilly's throat as his right hindpaw slipped back. Edmund glared down and saw that a chunk of the path was breaking out from under him. His eyes widened as his right hindpaw dropped between the cracks, spreading the damage. In an instant, both wolves felt cold air beneath their pads as the ground gave out.
Lilly threw herself to the right and slammed her forelegs against the ground, digging her claws into the dirt. Her hindlegs kicked at the open air for a few moments before she got her paws on solid ground. She turned and saw Edmund clinging to the edge, his forelegs and muzzle barely over the side. The cinnabar wolf slowly slid backwards as his grip slackened. His eyes flared with panic.
The white she-wolf recalled every moment of pain he inflicted upon her. Every moment he laughed. Every moment he threatened Garth and Stephen. Every moment he accused her of ruining everything. Every moment he laughed at her. Every moment she spent remembering how he dug his claws into her forepaws and threw her off the cliff into the snow below.
She pushed these thoughts aside and dove down with her forepaws extended to grab Edmund's as the cinnabar wolf sank back. Lilly firmly pressed down on his forepaws and leaned forward. Edmund's panic-flaring eyes met with hers as she moved to slide her forepaws down his forelegs to anchor him down. Lilly leaned forward a little more and pressed her muzzle just beneath his. The cinnabar wolf growled, but she ignored it. She pushed up and-
The ground beneath her started to crumble. Lilly instinctively threw herself back onto solid ground, trying to drag Edmund with her as her forepaws clung into his forelegs. For a moment, the cinnabar wolf's growling face faltered into a fearful one.
Her forepaws lost their grip. Edmund screamed as he plunged into the darkness below. A dull splash echoed shortly after. Lilly felt like vomiting, but choked it back down. She groaned as she forced herself to turn back in the direction of the other tunnel. The white she-wolf carefully walked over the remainder of the path. She did not look back. No, she had to find Garth and Stephen, now. Still…if only she had been a little quicker…
He's gone, Lilly. And don't forget, he did try to kill you. At least, he won't try to hurt you or Garth ever again, right?
"Yes…" Lilly whispered as she hung her head for a moment. "But…I'm sorry, Edmund. I wish you could have understood how wrong you were…" she shook her head mournfully, but then refocused her attention back to the path.
The walk to the tunnel was uneventful, aside from a couple moments when Lilly checked for any sign of Edmund suddenly jumping from the water and scaling the wall to get her. For a while, she thought of the cinnabar wolf's body drifting and shifting in the current. A dull chill ran through her bones before Lilly shook it off. She had to get back to Garth now. He was tearing through rocks to find her, after all.
She tensed at the tunnel's opening as a new cold chill bombarded her. Like the vertical shaft and the tunnel leading here, its walls were the same smooth, icy surfaces. Lilly sighed and moved on. However, she paused as she noticed a pair of red and yellow arrows. Her heart lifted a bit in her chest as she recalled the arrows down below.
The white she-wolf froze as voices and pawsteps echoed ahead of her. Her mind pictured a violent and vengeful Edmund coming back to kill her. But soon, the voices melded into familiar ones...
"I think I heard someone down here. I think I heard howling, and a scream-"
"Lilly? Lilly!"
"Wait!"
"Lilly! Lilly! Hold on, I'm coming!"
With a sigh of relief, Lilly ran around the corner towards those voices, her heart soaring in her chest. The frigid water, Edmund's attempts on her life, and wandering through the darkness left her mind. Her legs ached and her back groaned, but she moved forward. And soon enough, two wolves appeared before her. One of them pale tan, and one of them red-orange with that cute little curl…