Chapter 11 Rat's Voice of the past, Lilly's cubs, and alphas leave
Rat's POV
A few weeks passed I wasn't a small cub anymore instead I was a pre-teen wolf. I still had trouble talking though so I still mainly used sign language. In a few days the alphas will leave and I would be left with Runt and Cristie. I was at my den with Lilly, Candy said she was due any day now. Garth seemed to be getting worried about it as each day passed. Personally I thought everything was going to be fine.
"Rat come on." I walked out of the den where Runt and Cristie were. We ran off together towards a hill were we had set up a logboard. Runt was in front, Cristie in the middle, and I sat in the back. "Alright let's go!" Runt yelled as we started on the way down. Cristie leaned back to try to center our center of gravity as we took our first turn avoiding a rock. We could see Claudette and Stinky wrestling each other we began moving in that direction. Runt had become more daring than the rest of us when it came to logboarding, he moved us into position and we scooped up the two alphas.
"RUNT!" they yelled as they sat down.
"We just we should say bye." Cristie laughed.
"We don't leave for another three days!" Claudette yelled, I rolled my eyes as we sped down the hill towards a pond. SPLASH! We were skipping across the water until finally sinking. We swam out of the cold water to Winston who had seen everything go down.
"A little early for a swim Runt." He said on the verge of laughing . My mane hung over both my eyes I couldn't very well see luckily for me all I had to do was follow Cristie's laughing.
"You're mane needs to be cut!" She laughed before I tackled her back into the water.
"Ugh would you two stop flirting for a day." Claudette said as we got out.
"What's wrong Claudette missing Fleet?" Stinky asked but he really wasn't up for what was going on between Cristie and me to.
"Shut up I'll see him when we leave." She replied
"I think more importantly we should work on Rat's speaking skills since Lilly's about to give birth and I don't think those pups will learn sign language anytime soon." Runt suggested he had a point but Claudette and Stinky had already begun leaving.
"Maybe when we aren't soaked." They replied.
"Well I got to go Rat I have to meet Candy for herbal medicines today." Cristie was wanting to be our pack's next healer so she rarely had time to hang out now. So it was soon just Runt and me, he hti my shoulder and pointed to her.
"When are you two going to actually start dating?" He asked and I shrugged he groaned granted he wasn't exactly mister love guru himself he and Magril were still friends to. "Alright let's get to work on talking." After he and I dried off we walked to the tall grass.
"repeat after me. Hi." He said
"hi." My voice was still barely audible.
"try raising your voice." He suggested
"hi." I said again and he face pawed.
"Ugh this is going to be a long day." He replied. We worked together for the rest of the day before finally going home. Where I continued to practice raising my voice to where it could be heard.
"Rat time to eat." Garth said I walked in and ate while also trying to make conversation. Which went about as well as the time I walked into the cave.
"Rat are you trying to learn to talk better for the pups?" Lilly asked I rested the urge to nod.
"y..yes" I said my words were often butchered and fragmented.
"Well you're doing well." She encouraged me though I knew better than that. I went to sleep a few hours after that, the next morning I woke up and headed to Runt's. He was already up and waiting for me, I sat down in front of him and we started where we left off.
"Ok now to work on making your words less staggered." He said
"Al…right." I said
"Stop pausing in the middle of words." He instructed.
"Ok." I said and he smiled.
"Now you're getting the hang of it." We kept at it for several more hours till Kate ran in.
"Lilly's gone into labor." She said frantically and we ran back to my den where Cristie and Candy were helping Lilly through it. I stayed outside not wanting to see what was going on. I covered my ears so I didn't have to hear all the painful screaming.
"You're such a baby." Claudette taunted me I rolled my eyes at her. I looked over at Runt who was doing the same thing as me. I eventually got up and began walking.
"Rat wait up!" Runt called out as he followed me. "What's wrong?"
"I just don't want to hear all of it." I replied he laughed a little and we continued on our walk.
"So what do you want to do?" he asked I didn't know, we kept walking though until a bird stopped us.
"I'm looking for a wolf named Rat." It said it was a Puffin of all things.
"I'm him." I replied
"Your brother sent me to find you, he wants you to meet him and the rest of your family in Alaska." I was speechless again. My family wanted to see me how did they learn I was still alive? I had to sit down.
"Rat are you okay?" Runt asked me.
"Um yeah sure I'll come." I said, Runt looked at me like he just heard that I was in that cave again. But I ignored him and went to go inform garth, Lilly, and Cristie of it. When I got there three small pups were feeding.
"Um I'm going to Alaska." I said as the puffin landed on my shoulder.
"Alaska? What could possibly be up there?" Cristie asked and the puffin explained everything.
"Rat I don't think it's a good idea to go by yourself in the middle of winter." Garth said.
"I'll go with him." Runt said.
"no No NO!" His mom yelled and Cristie glared at me.
"Garth's right Rat it's too dangerous." She said well this was fantastic no one wants me to go. The puffin took everything into consideration before coming up with a solution.
"I will inform them they must come here." The puffin said before taking off.
Runt's POV
"So what are their names?" I asked trying to break the awkwardness of Rat's family coming here.
"The girl is named Maria and the two boys are named Traves and Fallo." Garth said Cristie left with rat I guess the thought of seeing his family bugged him a little. The next day it was time to say bye to my siblings. I hugged them and my mom before they finally left for the winter.