Chapter 8

ShaoMao sat down and looked deep into the eyes of Molarsh. They were beautiful, shining as if they were the only light into the world. A golden wolf padded up to stand beside Molarsh, and ShaoMao knew this wolf's name instantly. She was Alkara, mate of Molarsh, Vora of the wolf pack, and mother of three pups, Foalan, Flaria and Findraa. ShaoMao didn't know how she thought of all these. It was as if the knowledge came to her mind without her request.

The sound of heavy footballs rang around ShaoMao, and she turned around nervously, only relaxing when she saw CheengLong walking towards her, followed by CheengYoo and PeiShang. ShaoMao stood up, joy flooding through her. "I'm so sorry, I forgot about you and the cats," ShaoMao lowered her head as she spoke, feeling shameful; "I hope you understand."

"Oh yes, my dear, I can, and I always can," CheengLong stroked her hair and gave her cheek a slight kiss. ShaoMao smiled, and, turning around, whispered, "These are wolves, Wolves of the Waterfall. I am supposed to fulfill their destiny and mine, but I've never led anyone before..."

Molarsh was staring at CheengLong, hackles raised, as if he was an enemy and he wanted to pounce up and kill him. "Molarsh!" ShaoMao called at him, and then addressed the pack, "this is CheengLong. You can trust him. He has protected me since I was a very young child, and he will be aiding me to lead you. If I am your Vora, he is Vor." ShaoMao felt satisfied as the whole pack bowed down and growled, "Vor, we listen to you as you lead us along with the Vora to fulfill our destiny..."

Click...fizz...BANG!

The lead ball of a qiang flew through the air and barely hit a creamy white-coloured wolf. The cave was a chaos. Wolf howled and growled, whimpering, shrieking, tearing the night sky with their yells and hisses.

Click...fizz...BANG!

Another ball of lead was being fired, this time landing on a grey and white wolf, who yelped, and fell onto the ground, dead. Every single wolf was out of control now, all of them were trying to run away, but none of them got to the entrance of the cave. ShaoMao looked around and saw twenty men at the waterfall. Ten were firing their qiangs madly into the cave, the other ten were running towards them now, shouting their war cry as they held their weapons.

ShaoMao went into a fighting trance. The only thing she thought was to take away all their qiangs and kill the men. She had never liked blood, she detested and loathed them, but now she felt that she must save the wolves. Without thinking, ShaoMao unsheathed her sword from its beautiful blue crystal scabbard. Holding the sword's crystal hilt in one hand, ShaoMao leaped over a single white wolf and lunged at the nearest soldier.

"Clang!" Her straight sword came into contact with the soldier's broad sword. ShaoMao jumped high, and when the two swords met again, she twisted around, twirled her sword in mid-air, and sent her opponent's weapon flying across the cave and neatly plunging into the throat of one of the soldiers firing the qiangs. A furious roar came from behind her, and ShaoMao whipped around in the blink of an eye to face another soldier. She leaped up, sending a flying kick on both of her opponent's temple. The soldier's curved sword dropped on the ground, and ShaoMao picked it up and drove it into the body of the falling soldier.

ShaoMao rushed up to a high ground and looked around. The wolves were still in a mess. About a dozen were sprawled on the ground, their wounds bleeding, each with one or two lead balls burrowed in their thick fur. ShaoMao grimaced at the killing. She stood up and shouted above the chaos, "Wolves!" the noise seemed to die down as every wolf stared at her. I have to make this quick or more will die. ShaoMao thought as she took in a deep breath and let her gaze fall on every wolf, dead or alive. "You must run, run to wherever you think is safe. I will protect you and try to hold off the soldiers as long as possible with CheengLong. The cats will follow you, take good care of them. We shall meet again, when all is safe, the cats will bring you to me, for they know where I am. Now run! Run! Run for Skyah!" ShaoMao stood up and waved for the wolves to go. The waters of the waterfall echoed her cry, "For Skyah!-ah-ah-ah..."

The wolves nodded, and grouped immediately into their traditional travelling byrgyys for long-distance running. ShaoMao spotted several of them carrying the fallen ones in branch nests. ShaoMao beckoned to CheengYoo and PeiShang, and the two nodded, sadness filling their eyes to part with her. And then the wolves and the cats were running, streaming in a harmonious river, out of the cave.

When the last white-tipped tail disappeared from behind a waterfall, ShaoMao turned back to her fighting. Three soldiers were coming to her now, weapons raised, yelling. ShaoMao saw CheengLong coming towards her, cutting off the head of an unaware soldier and plunging a qiang deep into the thigh of another soldier as he used another soldier's shoulders as a stepping-stone. CheengLong landed beside her, and ShaoMao braced for the three soldiers to come, her left hand holding five darts with silk threads sewn at the end, attached to her clothes. She will release them when the three came nearer to her, when CheengLong lunges at them.

There was a sudden current of cold air coming from behind her. ShaoMao swallowed, and looked back. A qiang was pointing straight at her neck.