7. Into the Mountain Pass
The wolves set out at dawn as Humphrey had ordered. Kala lazily got to her paws, blinking sleepiness from her eyes. Throughout the night she dreamt of Winston's story about her parents' journey to Idaho. She had never heard of it before, nor did she know where it was, but she was mesmerized by the fact that her parents had actually gone through all of that. She was astounded that they were privileged enough to go on such an amazing adventure, and wondered what they'd think of her if they knew she was on her own adventure with the pack.
She arched her back and yawned deeply in exhaustion. She felt energized and ready to move on, yet the daunting task of having to walk all the way to the mountains again was terrifying for her. She had hardly managed to move forward the previous day, needing help from the she-wolf just to get back on her feet, and still Kala was left far behind the pack by the time they came to a stop. Apprehension plagued her as they waited for Humphrey to lead them across the plains to the mountain pass that they were heading for. When the pack had assembled in front of him, they turned and began to walk north once more.
The mountains loomed ahead, casting long, dark shadows over the land. They were only a few leagues away from them now, having made a considerable amount of progress the day prior, far more than any wolf had anticipated. The snow-capped peaks could be seen from their position and the land became more rigid and began to roll as they closed in on the mountain pass. The flat grasslands gave way to sparsely forested regions of land. Trees dotted the land in sporadic, random locations. It was not a forest in the typical form of speaking, but there were finally trees.
It was the closest Kala had ever been to a tree before. She had seen them from afar in their life at the Small Grounds whenever she looked south, but she did not ever go near them for fear of becoming lost and by the strict regulations of Lily and Garth. Garth had punished Firetail severely when he snuck out of the den to the south. He was banished to the badger set that they had adopted as their home for three days and was forbidden to leave save for when he had to 'go,' in which case he was still accompanied by Garth or Lily as he did so. It was a miserable three days for him, something that gave Kala much satisfaction; after all, Firetail was quite the bully of a pup to her and deserved no better than a good punishment.
Now that Kala was finally near the trees, she could see them up close and know what they were all about. She sniffed tentatively at the trunk. She tapped it with her nose and leapt back in case it did something. The tree remained rigid and still. She touched the rough surface with her paw and pulled away, noticing a sticky substance on her pad. She panicked and ran over to Lily, crying out that she touched the tree and got something stuck on her paw. Lily laughed in amusement and explained that Kala's paw was covered in something called 'sap,' something that could be easily wiped off in a river, lake, or stream and was perfectly harmless. She began to calm down, her breathing slowing down as she calmed down. She noticed that dirt and other objects on the ground were beginning to stick to her paw. She tried to shake the objects off to no avail, grumpily trekking forward with everyone else.
She was able to wash the sap off in a nearby river when they stopped for the night, the mountains closer than ever. She noticed something on her paw pad that she had never seen before, a type of marking on her right paw that resembled three white scratch marks. A line jutted down from the lower of the three marks. She shrugged, knowing that it must have been a birth mark or a cut she had received earlier in her life. She had seen birth marks before; Winston showed her a mark on his left hind paw, something that resembled a crescent moon. She asked how he had acquired such a marking and he explained to her how and where birth marks came from. This, she decided, must be her own birth mark. She liked the look to it; it was a nice design on her paw. She sat beside the river, looking out at the mountains.
Garth had told her that mountains were enormous in size, but she had never truly been captivated by the size of the mountains in their entirety. The mountains were like massive behemoths, their jagged peaks reaching high into the night sky, clouds hanging low over them, obscuring the tips of the largest mountains. The mountain pass was between a twin pairing of mountains in the front of the range, leading into the rest of the forests and mountains within. She could see the twin mountains now, ominously sitting side by side, watching out over the vast grasslands of the south. Kala peered at them, seeing something move nearby. A bird of some sort was flying high amongst the peaks, a falcon or an eagle perhaps. She had been told that a Falcon was larger than Kala was at her young age, and this bird was barely visible amongst the mountains at all save as a black speck silhouetted against the snow-capped mountains. She hoped beyond hope that they wouldn't have to scale the mountains during their journey!
Humphrey padded on to look at the mountains as well. There was a lost look in his eyes as though he was missing something valuable. He looked around at the mountains, then to the skies above. The stars glimmered upon his eyes as he searched the night sky for something. Kala tilted her head, confused; what was the Leader Wolf doing? Then, her eyes were drawn to something on the Leader Wolf's right leg, a small object wrapped tightly above his paw. She couldn't tell what it was from the distance that she sat from him, but knew there was something there. What could it be?
**Day Eighty-Three**
The day was cool and the wind was low, lightly brushing their fur pelts to cool them down. Kala enjoyed the presence of the breeze, smiling as it whipped through her silver fur. Firetail was not as fond of it however, as the wind was blowing his fur over his eyes (he wore his fur just as his adopted mother, Lily had in the past). He growled each time that the wind blew the fur over his face, wishing that it would go away. Kala, on the other paw, loved the brilliant feel of the breeze on her body.
It was midday when they reached the base of the mountains. Humphrey stopped the group before the pass between the mountains. Silence enveloped the group as they looked up at the massive land formations above them. Kala was amazed that anything could be so large in the world. Now she knew how small insects must have felt compared to herself despite her small size.
Humphrey looked at the forest, clearly unable to think of what to do next. The wolves were all very intimidated by the mountains, hesitant to proceed through. Even Humphrey and Scourge, the wolves that were quite arguably the toughest wolves of the pack, seemed to be shaken by the forest and mountains. Humphrey had been in the mountains before, but not these mountains, and all that Kala knew about his experience in the mountains is that it didn't go too well after he encountered bears in their snowy peaks. She had asked what he was doing up in the mountains, but Winston neglected to tell her. It always annoyed Kala when the wolves wouldn't tell her anything, especially anything about her parents, the Valley Territory, or Humphrey. How was she supposed to learn anything if no one would ever tell her anything?
Finally, Humphrey stepped through into the mountain pass. The wolves followed, looking around them at the massive, rocky slopes. Wind howled in the mountains above them, yet the forest was still very much alive and teeming with life below. Once winter came, that would change, but for the while, there seemed to be a harmony between the two current seasons of autumn and winter. They traveled through the mountains, searching for a place to stay. Humphrey didn't want to stay in the forest as there were still animals that may call it their home, animals that may not exactly appreciate the presence of a wolf pack in their territories.
They reached a cliff edge overlooking a rocky valley that showed the mountain range in its glory and immense majesty for endless leagues in any direction. The cliff allowed over fifty meters of room for the wolves to lie around and call a temporary resting place before they continued into the mountains. Scourge, Garth, and Humphrey went into the forest, leaving the rest of the wolves in the clearing. Lily tried to tell Firetail that he should show his eyes to the world like Lily allowed herself to do and move his fur, something that Firetail defiantly rejected. Salty and Sweets talked quietly to each other and the other four wolves of the old Eastern Territory sat together and conversed quietly amongst themselves. Kala sat near the edge of the cliff, looking out over the mountain range ahead.
She had never seen anything so amazing in her life, counting herself as one of the luckiest wolves alive to have the privilege to be traveling through them with her pack. She parted her jaws and scented the air as she'd seen her parents do in the past while hunting for prey. A host of new scents flooded her senses, almost overwhelming her. The multitude of various scents of the forest that she could hardly distinguish from one another, the snow-capped mountains, the cool air above them, and something else…an odd, tangy scent coming from further away in the mountain range. It smelled like nothing she'd ever scented before, like water but not like water, and it smelled as though there was a lot of water (if that was what it was, of course).
The hunting team brought in a massive animal into the camp, something that required the work of all three wolves to haul into the camp. It had massive antlers jutting from its cranium and a gash in its neck and hind legs. This, she realized, was a creature called a moose. All of the wolves looked hungrily at the massive creature and began to dig into it. Kala stood by its neck, looking at the massive creature. She knew how to rip and tear into small animals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits, but she had never done so with something so massive.
She bit into the moose's flank and pulled at it. The tough flesh would not tear, however, her small fangs proving useless in this battle for food. She tried using her claws to tear into it as well, but she couldn't get into it. Everyone else was eating the meat, though; even Firetail had managed to get into it. She whined pitifully for help, but the pack was too busy gorging themselves to hear her. Blood coated their muzzles as they dug into the animal, eating away at the meat, fats, organs, and tissues ravenously. She let her ears lie flat on her head and she walked away, lying down meekly as the rest of the pack ate away at the moose. Lily collapsed to her back, smiling ruefully, her tongue lolling out of her mouth when her hunger had subsided from eating the massive creature.
"I haven't eaten anything that good in moons!" She exclaimed. The rest of the wolves agreed, even Firetail. He, however, was doing so just for show; everyone knew that he hadn't eaten anything like that before. Kala sighed, looking away as the pack finished off every last scrap of the moose. Her heart felt heavy and her belly growled fiercely at her, but she ignored it and decided to not look at the moose and simply eat the next day.
Suddenly, a large slab of meat landed in front of her. She looked up in confusion to see Humphrey there. He dipped his head slightly at her and then walked away. She smiled and looked back at the moose he'd given to her so graciously. She began to tear into the already-ripped meat, quenching her thirst and hunger for the moose. Her mouth watered and senses tingled as she tore into the succulent meat, savoring every last individual bite of the precious food that she instantly fell in love with. It seemed impossible that anything could ever taste so good, yet there she was, eating the best piece of meat she'd ever sank her teeth into.
When she finished, she collapsed like Lily, her belly full and her eyes heavy. The stars and moon began to peer out from the cloud cover above, casting a luminescent glow over the ledge. Winston cleared his throat and gave a formal proclamation of thanks to Fenrir the Wolf God for providing them with the food and protection that they so desired and required, as well as a thanks to Humphrey for leading them there. The Leader Wolf grunted in response when he was mentioned and the wolves began to howl into the night sky.
Their voices intermingled and sang in the air like one glorious voice. Firetail began to howl as well; despite his more high-pitched voice, he was still able to successfully howl. Kala grinned as she watched the wolves howl into the night, their voices reverberating around the mountains and singing majestically into the heavens. She looked to the right near the cliff edge and saw Humphrey sitting there alone, looking out over the mountains.
Kala frowned, wondering why he always refused to howl with everyone. She looked at him and saw a glint in his eyes, a look that clearly portrayed agonizing loneliness. She felt a pang in her heart for the poor Leader Wolf, knowing that he had no one to howl with. She looked at him sadly…and then, she walked towards him. She took all of the bravery she could muster and walked towards him. She hesitated halfway, then persisted and sat next to him.
"Leader Wolf, sir?" Kala asked him. He looked at her, startled. Kala looked into his bright blue eyes, seeing the loneliness and despair that he tried so hard to bury deep within himself. She needed to talk to him, and she felt he needed her to talk to him as well.
"Kala?" Humphrey asked her. "What is it?"
"Why aren't you howling with the rest of the pack, sir?" Kala asked him curiously.
"I, well, I just…" He said, looking back at them, then back at her. "I just can't."
"Why not, sir?" She asked him.
"I haven't howled in a long time," Humphrey told her, looking down. "I haven't had anything to howl for."
"You got us into the mountains, though," Kala pointed out. "You can howl for that! We're howling in thanks for you."
"Why aren't you howling, pup?" Humphrey asked her. "I told you why I'm not howling, so why aren't you?" She looked down, shuffling her paws in embarrassment. Her ears lied flat on her head and she slouched over, looking away.
"I'm not a very good howler," she admitted shamefully. A ghost of a smile crept to his face when he heard her say that.
"Knowing your mother," he said. "I find that hard to believe."
"You knew my mother?" Kala asked him interested.
"Yeah," he replied wistfully. "I knew your parents. Your mother was an amazing howler, and if you're anything like her, then you'll have adopted that same great howl that she had."
"Really?"
"Really."
"What was my dad like?" She asked him. Humphrey stiffened and hesitated, looking for the right words.
"He…" Humphrey began. "He was a good wolf. He loved to have fun and loved your mother very, very much."
"Was he strong like Uncle Garth?" She asked him. Humphrey chuckled.
"Not quite," he replied. "Like your mother, he was a kind, caring, fun-loving wolf, and it was the most difficult decision of his life to give you up. He, well…he regrets that decision every day of his life."
"What's 'regret' mean?" Kala inquired.
"It means he wished that he never did that," he explained. "He wishes that he never gave you up, and he hopes that one day, you'll find it in your heart to forgive him."
"Do you think I'll see my dad one day?" Kala asked him.
"I think so, pup," he told her. "He's, ah, well…he's closer than you think."
"I hope I can see my dad one day!" She exclaimed. "I bet he's the best dad in the world!" Humphrey gave a weak, sad smile to her, nodding.
"I hope he is, Kala," he said. Uncomfortable, he decided to change the topic. "So, what's your howl like?" She looked away in embarrassment.
"It's not very good, sir," she replied.
"First of all, you don't have to call me 'Leader Wolf' or 'Sir;' you can just call me Humphrey," he told her kindly. "Second of all, let me hear your howl!" She nervously nodded and tilted back her head and released an attempt at a howl. Her voice shook and cracked. She coughed and looked away in disappointment.
"It's not that bad, pup," Humphrey told her softly.
"Yes it is," she whined pitifully. "I'm a terrible howler!" Humphrey looked at her sympathetically.
"You know," he said. "I wasn't very good a howling when I was your age either. Then, I learned the secret to howling." He said the last part with a wry smile and a wink. She looked at him in excitement, her tail wagging furiously.
"What's the secret?" She asked him, hopeful.
"I'm not so sure you're ready for the secret just yet," Humphrey said, grinning. "You may not be able to take the truth of the secret."
"Oh, please, Humphrey!" Kala pleaded. "I really want to know the secret!"
"The secret," he whispered softly, tapping her heart with his paw. "Is to sing from right here, okay? Don't worry about how you sound, just let your voice flow from your heart, alright? When you start, I'll join in." She nodded and closed her eyes, lifted back her head, and howled from her heart. As soon as she began, Humphrey joined in, their voices mingling and joining into one glorious howl.
The other wolves began to cease their howling and listen, watching Kala and Humphrey howl together in shock, disbelief, and true happiness. They thought he had told Kala who he was and she had accepted. Though they were wrong, there was one thing that could be made clearly certain: Humphrey and Kala were finally getting along and bonding with one another as father and daughter. Kala's howl began to grow in strength and her voice began to sing in the glory and beauty of her mother.
Humphrey heard her voice and stopped abruptly, listening to Her voice. It chilled him to the core and he began to see Her again. He saw Her face. 'No', Humphrey thought angrily to himself. 'Don't think about Her.' He saw Her beautiful smile. 'No'. He heard Her voice, looking deep into Her eyes. 'No'. He heard Her declaration of love to him. 'NO!
Kala stopped howling and looked at her conflicted Leader Wolf. She looked down in despair, knowing that he hated her howl. In truth, it wasn't that he didn't like her howl; it was the howl itself; it was 'Her' voice. It was Her howl. 'No, no, no, no, NO!'
"I told you I'm not good at howling," she mumbled sullenly.
"No, no, you, ah, you did good, pup," Humphrey told her quietly. "You have a really good howl, Kala. Keep up the good work." With that, Humphrey left, Kala looking after him sadly.
**A/N: This was a BIG chapter for Kala and Humphrey if I may say so myself! Finally getting to talk with one another and even allow Humphrey to help her discover her howl? That's a big thing for them! Well, what's going to happen next? What did you think of the chapter? Thanks for reading!**
**Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapter. Until next time!**
**-The Dishonored Wolf**
