Betrayal

September

It was the first day of class after summer vacation. The hobbit children all wore gloomy frowns as they took their seats and prepared themselves for another year of school.

Miss Cora smiled when she entered the classroom and saw the familiar faces of her students.

"Welcome back, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your summer! Oh my, don't tell me this is our little Ivor? You have grown taller!"

Ivor, the smallest hobbit in their class, nodded with pride.

"I grew taller too!"

"Me too!" A chorus of voices chanted.

Miss Cora clapped to demand attention. "This is great, everyone! You are all older now. So this year we are going to be doing something new. We are going to have projects!"

"What kind of projects?" Marigold asked with an eager smile.

"You will get the chance to see how the adults do their work in Hobbiton and Bywater. You will visit farms, forges, mills, fields, and many other places."

Marigold's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Miss Cora smiled. "This Friday, there will be a meeting with your parents to decide where you will be assigned for your project. I am well aware many of your parents own farms and the like, but having the project on your own family's land will defy the purpose, so we will have to be careful while placing you."

"What about those who have no parents?" Lotho asked, directing a contemptuous look at Frodo.

Frodo clenched his fists under the desk.

"Not to worry!" Miss Cora replied. "The closest relative will do."

After class ended, Frodo sat on a bench inside the schoolyard, staring up at the clouds. Somehow, he didn't feel like working in a farm, in a forge, or the like. If it were up to him, he would rather spend the rest of his days reading books somewhere quiet. He could do farm work if he really had to, but that was not where his passion lay. Marigold had told him many times she wanted to own lots of land when she grew up, and have a field that rivaled that of farmer Maggot's.

"I wonder what your project will be," a sneering voice said behind his back.

Frodo sighed and braced himself as he turned around to face Lotho. To his surprise, Lotho was alone this time, without Sancho and Ted.

"Let's see…" Lotho pursued, "perhaps you could open an asylum for when your uncle loses it completely? Or… how about being a guardian for his imaginary treasure? Or better yet… how about you go fishing?"

Frodo frowned.

"That's right! Maybe if you become a skilled fisherman one day, you will be able to fish out the corpses of your parents from the bottom of that river."

Frodo told himself not to mind Lotho's words but nonetheless they hurt like daggers to his chest.

Lotho saw his expression and smirked. "Ha! If you ever find their corpses, I wonder whether your father's bony hands are still around your mother's neck."

Frodo stood up, not minding his bag flying off his lap. "Shut up, Lotho! My father did not kill my mother!"

"How do you know? You were not even there!"

"You were not there either!"

He shrugged. "An acquaintance of my mother saw them that day. So my mother told me the story in turn."

"Lobelia's words are worse than cow dung!"

Lotho clenched his hand into a fist. "How dare you insult someone's mother, you orphan?"

Frodo's blue eyes blazed. "Yes, I am an orphan! But you know what? I would rather be an orphan than have a mother such as yours! She is a liar and a manipulative person who only cares about getting her hands on my uncle's house! She is worse than dirt!"

"You little…!" Lotho yelled. "Do not insult my mother! At least she's here and not at the bottom of some river, like yours!"

Frodo's jaw was clenched so tight he couldn't even speak. Lotho stepped forward. "You are such a hateful little bastard! I hate you, and I'm sure your parents hated you too! That's why they preferred dying rather than being with you…"

Frodo covered his ears. "Shut up!"

"They hated you! Everybody hates you!" Lotho screamed. "And that's why you will be the only one with a senile uncle at Friday's gathering!"

Frodo pushed past Lotho and ran out of the schoolyard in a rush.

"That's right!" Lotho screamed after him. "Go away! Leave! Nobody wants you here anyway!"

Allie was standing on one of the several small bridges of Hobbiton, lost in contemplation of the green water rushing by beneath her in a quiet rumble.

As she twirled a stem of herb in between her fingers, she thought back to the events of the day before. Seated on that bench, after she had calmed down, she told Frodo about Robin. Frodo was too shocked to speak for a few minutes, but when he regained control of his emotions, he told her they should go visit Robin's grave together. All this time, he had kept a flicker of hope that Robin would come back one day for his sister, but now he had to say farewell for good. It was an unthinkable turn of events.

Allie also ended up telling Frodo everything she had learned about the wolves, and Frodo listened with his gaze lost in the trees, stunned into silence by the existence of these creatures that lived so close and yet so well hidden that their presence was not mentioned even in legends.

Allie knew the wolves still meant for her to become their leader. They hadn't reappeared ever since she left them in that cemetery, but she had a feeling they would not leave her alone. But if Informant had spoken the truth about the Blood, then the wolves couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to. So if she decided she simply wished to live her life like she'd always done without their interference, the pack would have no choice but to let her be.

She nodded at her own thoughts. Not getting further involved with those creatures seemed the best course of action.

She strolled off the stone bridge and knelt beside the clear water. Dipping her hand into the stream, she marveled at the coolness of the currents rushing through her fingers.

You are the most important person to me right now.

She straightened as though pulled by a spring. She yanked at her blonde curls. "Why did I say such an embarrassing thing?"

You are mine too.

She stopped struggling with her hair and lied back down on the grass. That rascal, always knowing what to say at times like that, she thought with affection.

A small smile danced on her lips in spite of herself as Frodo's words echoed again and again in her mind.

The sound of running footsteps on the road above the stream pulled her out of her reverie She sighed and sluggishly rolled onto her stomach. When she recognized Frodo passing by in a hurry, she hoisted herself up on one elbow.

He was crying.

"Frodo!" she called, but he didn't hear her.

She scrambled on her feet and ran after him.

She found him sitting by the lake, at the spot where he had lit the candles on her last birthday. Her strides slowed to a halt when she spotted him sitting by the lake with his knees against his chest and his face buried in his arms.

Allie played with a pan of her shirt, unsure of what to do. She wanted to go ask him what was wrong, but he might get even more upset at the sight of her. She knew he wanted to be alone when he cried, but she knew from experience how lonely it could be.

Watching his shoulders shake, a sudden and powerful desire to comfort him and destroy whatever saddened him seized her. She wanted to tell him everything would be all right, like he had done for her not so long ago.

She marched forward and stopped two meters shy of reaching him.

"Frodo," she called out.

Frodo's shaking stopped for a second, before he buried his face deeper into the hollow of his arms. "Leave me alone!" he let out in a muffled and broken voice.

Allie stood there unmoving, watching his trembling back and dark hair blowing in the gentle breeze. Then, she took a deep breath.

A second later, something cold contacted Frodo's arm. He looked up and blinked in surprise, making more tears spill out. In front of his eyes stood the golden wolf, looking at him through compassionate grey eyes as she nudged him again with her nose.

"A-llie…?"

The wolf nodded. Ever since that day in the clearing, Frodo hadn't seen her again in wolf form. And never from this proximity. Allie sat on her hind legs beside him, close enough to let her fur brush against his clothes. Looking at her from up close, her coat shone more brilliantly than ever under the sun. A sense of wonder filled him.

He raised a hand to touch her, but froze when the wolf sensed his motion and turned her big head to look at him. Through his tears, he stared hesitantly into those grey eyes, but saw soft reassurance in them.

"It's all right," her eyes seemed to say.

Carefully, he pressed his palm against the fur of her neck; it was smooth and silky, and above all, very warm. Frodo had played with many dogs before, but the sensation of his fingers running through that golden fur was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. Frodo wiped away his tears and sat there caressing her fur as he lost himself in contemplation of the blue lake spreading in front of them. The waters shone brilliantly under the sun, as if made of tiny crystals. If it had been any other day, he would have rejoiced at the sight of so much beauty. But today, their brilliance only made his eyes water.

"I really miss my parents," he confessed. "Now that I think about it, they are still at the bottom of the Brandywine. I wonder…"

He swallowed down the lump in his throat. "I wonder how the accident happened."

His hand stopped its motion on the wolf's neck and started trembling. He clenched her fur to still it. "Lotho… has been saying this for awhile. He said… he heard that… my father… my father tried to kill my mother."

One grey eye entered his field of vision and stared at him intensely; the wolf shook her head.

Frodo let out a bitter chuckle. "You are right… it is silly to believe that. Lotho is just messing with me."

He covered half of his face with one hand. "But I miss them so bad, Allie. Ever since they died, I tried to go on with my life the best I could. I tried not to cry too much, because then Bilbo would worry, and all my friends would worry. And it has been two years already, so it should be easy… but it is not."

The wolf nudged his face with her nose and then licked away the salty tears on his cheeks, her grey eyes full of a soft light.

Frodo turned away and pressed his fists into his eyes, but the tears kept coming in spite of his best efforts to keep them at bay. "I don't think I can do this, Allie," his voice came out thick and desperate.

The golden wolf shuffled closer and wrapped her tail around him.

Frodo leaned his forehead against her neck and let the tears he had been holding in all this time flow free. Allie rested her head on his and drew her tail closer around him, shielding him from the world as he sobbed his heart out for the first time since his parents died.

A sensation of warmth spread in Allie's chest as she realized she could help Frodo in her wolf form in a way that she otherwise could not. She was actually glad she couldn't speak to him right now, because she wouldn't have have been able to speak past the lump in her own throat. She just wished that keeping him company in this manner would lessen the pain of his loss.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the wind started blowing over the lake. Frodo was not sobbing hard anymore, just letting out a small sniffle now and then. Allie licked his cheek again, tasting the saltiness of his tears. Frodo gave her a small smile and wrapped his arms around her neck in gratitude. He was glad she was here next to him. He was glad he still had her, at least.

Allie suddenly lifted her head in alert. They were not alone; hadn't been alone for a while.

On the opposite shore, she picked up the scent of Protector. Of all the wolves, he was the only one who kept giving her bad vibes. She was on her guard immediately as she pondered over the reason why he was spying on her.

The second scent came from the trees behind them; it pertained to Marigold. How long had she been there? Had she seen her transform?

However, it was too late to do anything about those spectators, so Allie decided to leave them both alone.

For now.

She hadn't been in wolf form ever since the cemetery, but ever since she had spotted Protector, the Blood unconsciously pulled her into a connection with the rest of pack. Before she knew it, she could suddenly sense the location of all the wolves as though they were red dots on a map.

As she connected with their emotions, she was soon struck by an overall sense of disquiet running through the pack. The number of wolves had dwindled from ninety-six to eighty-one.

What had gone wrong already in such a short time?

Four of the red dots were brighter than the others; she knew they belonged to the core of the pack. She hesitated. Whatever was happening, it was probably best not to get involved. But then Informant's voice boomed in her head, loud and urgent. "Queen!"

"What?" she snapped back, on her guard.

"It was about time you came back!" His voice was grim. "The wolves of the North Moors have betrayed us. The previous Queen struck an alliance with them, and with their help she was able to vanquish the Queen of the South Downs, thus assimilating their pack to ours. In return, we had promised those of the North protection from the hyenas. However, my sources tell me that recently, recruits from the North started killing off our own wolves. If this persists, it might lead to open war between our two packs."

He paused. "I hope this is a private communication."

Somehow, she understood his meaning. "It is."

Informant sounded troubled, and she had never heard him troubled before.

"I suspect there is a spy in our pack," Informant continued angrily. "The wolves that have been killed were all by themselves when the attack happened, which tells me that the enemy knew their location beforehand. They cannot have access to such exact information unless someone from our pack has been leaking them. Also, they killed one of my recruits as well. I sent him to do some spying on those of the North Moors to gauge their intentions, but he died the other day. This means the enemy knew of his presence."

She shrugged. "The pack is huge. If there really is a spy, it will take a long time to figure out who it is. But how can this be? I thought wolves cannot disobey me."

"They cannot disobey a direct order from you, but when there is no order, they are off minding their own business, most usually hunting for game. It is impossible to monitor every behaviour. However, if they do something that could be harmful to the Queen or the pack, it will create a disturbance in the Blood that can be sensed by you immediately. The only thing is, if the wolf is extremely skilled, it might be possible for him to hide the disturbance from you for a short while."

"Skilled?"

"Yes, an average recruit does not have enough power nor strength to control the Blood in that fashion. The only ones who can are the core of the pack and yourself."

"Doesn't that mean the spy is one of you four?" Allie asked with a trace of accusation.

Informant snorted. "There are two reasons why that is unlikely. Firstly, for one in the core to act in such a direct manner against the well-being of the pack, the disturbance in the Blood would be enormous. We might have the skills to conceal it, but it would take a lot from us to the point where it becomes physically painful. Secondly, you have not been in your wolf form ever since these events started happening." Informant's tone was reproachful. "So even if one of the recruits were creating disturbance, you would have missed it altogether."

Allie tried not to feel guilty. After all, she had never accepted her role as leader.

She sensed Councillor trying to make a connection with her. After a second of hesitation, she opened the Blood thread for him to join their conversation.

"From Informant's expression, I can guess at the content of your discussion." Councillor's voice was warm and his diction, clear and slow. It reminded her of the old storyteller at the Prancing Pony who traveled across Middle-earth telling stories for a living. His voice seemed to gain a life of its own as it told its tales. Councillor's voice gave her the same feeling.

"No doubt there is a spy," Councillor continued. "This does not occur often, but when it does, it is punishable by death."

"How can we find this spy?" Informant asked. "I firmly believe it is none of my recruits. I have not sensed any abnormal thoughts from any of them."

"I can vouch for mine as well," Councillor affirmed.

"I have asked Hunter and Protector, and they have given me the same answers."

"The wolves who were killed," Allie pondered, "they might have something in common between them."

The web of Blood connecting all the wolves belonging to her pack floated in front of Allie's eyes, and she peered through it carefully.

"Yes, there is!" Councillor suddenly exclaimed. "Now that I think about it, most of them belonged to Protector's unit. I cannot believe I have not detected this association earlier."

"Then," Informant declared grimly, "the spy is likely from Protector's unit. Only another recruit of his unit would have such perfect knowledge of the location of his comrades."

"Or it is Protector himself," Allie suggested.

Informant and Councillor both fell silent.

"Think about it," Allie continued. "The spy is someone who knew the location of lone wolves in the unit. Protector is the only one who has knowledge of their exact location. Moreover, he might have ordered some of his recruits on lone missions just to lead them straight to the enemy. Also, the spy knew about the wolf that Informant sent. Who knows this piece of information?"

"The core of the pack," Informant answered darkly. "I discussed the matter with the other three before taking action."

"This reinforces my point. Protector also possesses the necessary skills to conceal the Blood disturbance. He's strong enough to do that, I'm sure of it." She thought back to him spying on her and Frodo from across the lake.

"He was the one who negotiated with those of the North Moors during the previous war," Informant added as an afterthought.

"What would he gain from letting the enemy kill off his own wolves?" Councillor wondered.

"Informant said this earlier: those killings might lead to open war between the two packs. The real question is why would Protector wish for that?" Allie observed. "Informant, Councillor, is the Blood the only way wolves can communicate with one another?"

"Over long distances and within the pack, the Blood is the sole means of communication," Councillor replied. "However, when two wolves talk face to face, or when wolves of different packs communicate, we use normal wolf language."

Allie wondered what "normal wolf language" meant; she hoped it wasn't something like growling and flicking ears. Informant seemed to guess at her thoughts. She could hear the contempt in his voice when he said: "We look each other in the eye and project our voices to each other."

"I see."

At that moment, another voice reached her, seeming to come from far away. "Allie? Allie?"

The golden wolf blinked and saw Frodo looking at her uncertainly.

"Look," she told the wolves. "We talked about this. I gave you my opinion. Take care of the rest."

"Queen, you need to do something about this situation, especially if Protector ends up being the betrayer, for it would impact greatly on you as well," Councillor begged.

"Don't call me your Queen! I'm never taking on that role," Allie replied somberly before cutting off the communication.

Allie returned his attention upon Frodo and saw him splashing lake water on his face. When he was done, he walked back to Allie and studied her with soft eyes. Allie swiveled her ears, and then stood on her legs. She towered over him as she so, but Frodo's face did not show any fear.

Instead, he lifted both hands to cup her muzzle. He looked in much better spirits than before as he caressed her face. Allie couldn't help shivering in pleasure; the touch of his fingers combing through her head and neck was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It made her warm and giggly for a reason she couldn't comprehend. She rubbed her head several times against his palm, smiling. Suddenly, she understood perfectly why dogs and cats rolled on their bellies and begged to be scratched. The realization made her sigh.

Frodo's hands dropped and he started walking away. "Wait here," he told her.

She sat on her hind legs and did as told. After a couple of minutes, Frodo ran back to her, holding a large blanket he must have taken from a nearby farm. Allie saw that and understood. She went behind the trees, and transformed back into her hobbit self.

When she was done, she peeked over the bark with a shy blush.

Frodo handed her the blanket, trying not to look. Allie draped it around her body and walked out from behind the tree. "This is all pretty inconvenient," she groaned as she tried not to walk on the tissue.

She found Frodo looking at her gratefully. "Thank you for what you did."

She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Don't mention it. I'm glad you feel better."

"How did you find me?" he inquired.

She shrugged. "I saw you running past by the river. I called out to you but you didn't hear me. Even if I hadn't seen you, I could have still found you by your scent. I'm a wolf now, so I will always be able to find you." She grinned. "You will always lose at hide-and-seek now."

Frodo arched an eyebrow. "You will lose too. If you hide in your wolf form, I will see your fur shining from afar."

Allie scrunched up her nose. "Now that your mention it, the color of my fur is pretty inconvenient. I wish I had grey fur, like Hunter, perhaps." She gave out a small disbelieving laugh. "Frodo, I cannot believe we are having this conversation right now. It really means the world to me that you can accept me, even as I am now."

Frodo ruffled her hair. "I have told you this already: no matter how you look, you will always just be Allie to me."

Allie rushed forward and hugged him tight. Frodo took a small step back, and then wrapped his arms around the blanket enveloping her frame.

"You will stay with me forever, won't you?" she asked.

He tightened his hold on her. "Yes. Always," he managed to reply. And he meant it, with all his heart.

He desired nothing more from life. His mind flashed to miss Cora talking about projects earlier in the morning. He didn't want a farm, nor a forge, nor vegetable lands when he grew up.

He wanted Allie.

He wanted a life with her. It didn't matter where, as long as he could hold her like this every day.

His heart was racing again, just like that day under the rain and like that time upon the tree platform. As Allie's warmth reached him from under the blanket, he realized he had known all along why he felt the way he did.

The realization made his cheeks turn red and a lump grow in his throat. He let go of her, feeling as though he would burn out if they stayed in that position any longer.

Allie, unaware of the internal battle inside his heart, beamed at him and said, "Come on, let's go home now. It's almost dinner time."

Frodo could only nod as he followed after her, still reeling from his realization.

Rosie stared at Marigold with round eyes. "Truly? I have never seen a dog like this in the neighbourhood!"

Marigold's brown eyes sparkled in wonder. "Me neither! I was so surprised! It was enormous! And it had the most beautiful golden fur I have ever seen!"

"Golden?" Rosie exclaimed incredulously. "Marigold, stop making things up."

Marigold pouted. "But I'm not. I've never lied to you before. Oh my, here comes Frodo! Ask him yourself! Hey, Frodo!"

Frodo looked over and approached the two girls.

"Marigold here is telling me you were bawling your eyes out yesterday while hugging some huge dog by the lake, is that true?"

A string of different emotions crossed Frodo's eyes: embarrassment, alarm, relief.

"Where did it come from?" Marigold asked excitedly. "Is it a neighbour's dog? I want to see it again and show it to Rosie!"

"No!" Frodo answered quickly. "It is not a neighbor's dog and I have never seen it around here before. It must have been a stray."

"Really? But you looked so familiar with it! You were even hugging it! Were you not scared of it? I mean, it was sitting beside you but it was taller than you!"

Rosie was shooting her disbelieving glances again, and Frodo was shooting alarmed glances at them both. "Well, it approached me and looked friendly enough, so I was not scared. I think it just wanted to comfort me. But now it is gone, so don't go looking for it."

Marigold sighed in disappointment. "I want a dog like that!"

Rosie was eyeing with suspicion the nervous way in which Frodo scratched the back of his neck.

"Frodo, is there something you are not telling us?"

"What?" he blurted. "Not at all. I am simply baffled and embarrassed that I had a witness. Marigold, I didn't know you were there! I hope you have not told everyone that I was crying?"

Marigold clasped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, buggers. I am so sorry! I have only told Rosie. I will not tell any more people if you don't want me to."

She pouted. "It's just that I heard what Lotho said to you. I reported him to Miss Cora and she put him in detention. But I was still angry and felt the need to vent, and Rosie was willing to listen. In all honesty, I ran after you yesterday because I was worried, but I'm so glad you found a friend to comfort you." She giggled. "For a moment, I thought the dog was yours! They say that after a long time spent together, dogs respond to their master's emotions. Watching you and that golden dog really made me want a pet! Oh, that's right! I'm going to ask Papa for a puppy now!"

Frodo let her continue with her babbling, forcing a smile now and then. He found an opening and excused himself.

As he walked back towards Bag-End, he let out a weary sigh. He thought back to the day before and couldn't help feeling embarrassed for a second for crying so much in front of Allie, even if she had been in her wolf form.

Though after letting go of his sadness and sorrow, he had felt lighter than he had in years. He didn't know how heavy a weight he had been carrying all this time. Even without his parents around, he knew he could now count on Allie. He never wanted to lose her like he lost her parents. He wanted to be with her, always. In order for that to happen, he had to protect her secret.

Protector stopped at the border of the Marshes between the North Downs and the North Moors. It was a night of full moon, and every detail on the land seemed to shine with a silver lining.

After a few seconds, another wolf appeared under the moonlight, stopping a few inches away from Protector. The two wolves stared at each other for a second and swiveled their ears in greeting.

"Two of my recruits are further down the dunes, by the caves," Protector finally said.

The other wolf acknowledged this silently, and then paused for a second with his nose in the air, communicating the information with those of his own pack. When he was done, he reported his shimmering eyes onto Protector's haggard figure. "At this rate, you will die."

Protector stared hard at the other and then barked once in warning. "Even if I die, I do not care. This is all for the sake of my revenge."

The other wolf looked him down with pity. "Our Queen has agreed to your proposal for now, but even if you manage to create open war between our two packs, our Queen will not engage in a death match with yours if the risks are too high."

"The risks will not be high," Protector growled. "I have thought this through carefully and see nothing that could go wrong. The core of my pack will be busy handling the affairs of war, and our Queen is nothing but an inexperienced whelp who does not even wish to be Queen. Killing her will not be hard."

Protector bent over and coughed out blood.

The other wolf watched in indifference. "If you die first from battling out the disturbances of the Blood, what use will that be?"

"Do not worry about me. I will survive until then."

"Why do you go so far to betray your own pack? I must say it is unsightly."

Protector's ears twitched. "What is unsightly is for you to suddenly question the morality of our agreement. Morality is nothing but a phantom feeling for us wolves. You should only be thinking of what is best for your own pack." Protector sat down, panting. "My pack is finished in any case. We were on our way to expanding, but with the fall of the previous Queen, we are nothing more than a band of aimless animals with no leader. If only the previous Queen had not been cheated, she would still be alive."

"Cheated?"

"During the death match, one of our recruits intervened!" Protector hissed through bared teeth, eyes blazing with fury. "That is the only reason Queen lost! And that little whelp knew the recruit… they must have planned this together beforehand… it is all a ploy!"

Protector shook his head, sending strings of bloody saliva flying from his snout.

The other wolf looked unaffected by Protector's outburst. "No wonder your previous Queen was defeated," he stated coldly. "How could she call herself a Queen when she could not even defeat a newborn she-wolf and a recruit?"

At this, Protector lunged toward the other wolf with bared fangs, but the other sauntered back lightly on his legs and easily avoided the attack. "Save your energy for when it matters," he warned.

Protector was panting with his head close to the ground. "No matter what you say, I shall take revenge for the true Queen of my pack."

"There is another problem," the other wolf said in a cold voice. "If my Queen challenges yours for a death match, but your Queen runs away from it, it will all be for naught."

At this, Protector's eyes filled with malice. "Do not worry. She will not run away."

He sent the other wolf the image of the golden wolf cuddling with the hobbit with dark hair by the side of the lake.

The other wolf licked his muzzle. "I see. Very well. We shall then proceed as planned."

Protector watched as the other wolf turned his tail and marched away, soon disappearing at a turn of the Marshes. Catching his breath briefly, Protector stood up straight and walked south towards the Downs.

He paused when he saw two pairs of shimmering eyes ahead of him on the road. Soon after, a black wolf and a golden wolf appeared out of the night to march toward him.

That night, Allie had been thinking of the wolves' conversation in spite of herself. She had felt mounting alarm at the fact that Protector had been spying on her and Frodo. Perhaps it was best for her to resolve this issue before it could escalate into something nasty. That was the reason why she was presently in her wolf form, strolling toward the traitor with Informant by her side. They had overheard Protector's secret conversation with the wolf of the enemy pack.

When Protector had mentioned Frodo, Allie almost toppled over with fear. Yet now that fear had become blinding rage.

Protector licked his muzzle, a nervous glint coming alight in his eyes. There was no mistaking the hard expression in the golden wolf's eyes. Protector tensed his muscles and lunged himself into the night, running away as fast as he could on the sandy ground. Two heartbeats later, a heavy mass landed on his head. The momentum of the blow made him tumble to the ground. A paw pressed down hard against the side of his head, rubbing it against the ground. Dirt filled his mouth until he finally came to a stop.

Panting, Protector rolled one eye up and saw Informant grinning down ferociously at him, still pressing his paw against the side of his head. Then, the golden wolf marched into his field of vision, her eyes shining like pools of cold silver under the moonlight.

"I heard your conversation with that Protector wolf from the North Moors. How dare you even consider putting one of my hobbit friends in danger?"

Her silver eyes were glinting in cold fury.

Protector tried to get up, but he had become too weak. Informant had no trouble keeping him pinned down. Knowing everything was lost, Protector allowed himself to let naked hatred show in his eyes. "I will never recognize you as Queen of this pack! You are merely an usurper! You do not care about the pack, and you will lead us all to ruin!"

" I could care less what you think of me," Allie retorted. "And you are a hypocrite yourself. Stop pretending you care about this pack when you are sending your own recruits to die at the fangs of another pack."

Protector thrashed, his eyes as wide as the full moon overhead.

"What are we going to do with this betrayer?" Informant asked, and clawed his paw deeper into Protector's head.

"You might feel as though your Queen were cheated during the death match, and you might be right," Allie continued. "After all, there was outside intervention. But I am not ashamed of having received help. I was merely fighting to stay alive; that was all that mattered to me."

Protector growled. "Queen should not have died!"

The golden wolf walked right next to Protector's prostrated body and dominated over him. "But she did die. And it does not change the reality that you have betrayed this pack."

"Your offense is punishable by death," Councillor's voice arose beside them as the brown wolf sauntered into sight.

"You do not understand!" Protector howled. "We are now nothing but a band of wild animals without a goal! If we are assimilated to those of the North Moors, at least we will be led by a capable Queen!"

Informant's eyes filled with disdain. "I would rather become a wild animal than to be assimilated. I am enjoying my current position, thank you very much."

Councillor nodded to Allie. "Queen. It is time."

At those words, Informant licked his muzzle with an eager grin and clawed Protector's head back, revealing his throat.

Protector's eye remained full of defiance as he stared up at Allie. She used the Blood to gauge at his feelings one last time. Protector's heart was filled with hatred, anger and bitterness. Underneath those feelings, however, there was fear at his imminent death, but also a kind of hope, as though he feared death and yet yearned for it at the same time. Confused, Allie gauged his feelings further and detected a small flicker of warmth.

Warmth created by his memories of the wolf with the flame-coloured fur.

This made her hesitate, but Councillor urged her again in that overwhelming voice of his.

Allie exchanged one last glance with the brown wolf before placing one of her fangs over the artery pulsing beneath the fur of Protector's neck.

She said to him privately, "Protector, I think I understand your feelings of loyalty. You did well for the previous Queen, and I'm sure she appreciated your efforts. However, for that same reason, you will never be able to serve another Queen, whether it is me or any other wolf."

Protector kept staring at her unblinkingly, his mouth stretched in a snarl.

"During the death match, Queen and I fought fair and square when it was one to one, but there had to be a winner."

"And the winner should not have been you!" Protector snapped.

Allie closed her eyes. "Even if I understand what was driving your actions, I cannot spare you."

When she opened her eyes again, they were brimming with cold determination. "I'm going to kill you, not because you betrayed the pack, but because you were about to put the person most important to me in danger. You understand this, don't you? Queen was an important person to you."

The harsh glint in Protector's eyes receded a little. "Go ahead," he rasped. "I'm not scared of death."

Allie looked into his eyes one last time before puncturing his neck. Blood gushed out in a thick flow as the artery ruptured. Her grey eyes held those of Protector until he breathed his last breath and his pupils became dull. Then, she walked away from the sight of the pool of blood forming around his still body.

In front of her, Informant was already leaving, sauntering from rock to rock, his black fur confounding itself with the night sky surrounding them. Councillor followed behind him at his own pace, staring up at the full moon.

After one last glance at the body of Protector, Allie sprung on her legs and ran to catch up with the black wolf. "Informant."

"Yes?"

"It seems to me… that Protector had feelings for the previous Queen."

"Feelings?"

"A bond. Something deeper than mere loyalty. He thought of her warmly to the end."

She didn't know why she sharing this with Informant; she just felt she couldn't keep this to herself.

Informant paused. "So he let his actions be ruled by petty feelings of love," he finally barked in disdain. "That fool!"

Informant's outburst confused her. Love? The term was foreign to her. Love was corruptive and cruel! Father hated her because of his love for mother. When she died giving birth to her, it devastated him. Just as father had, Protector craved revenge when the person he loved died. It was the same thing. Love scared Allie. She had seen what it could do to a person. Love could drive you mad. The feeling she found in Protector's chest, however, was not scary or cruel or destructive, but something warm and pleasant. She found herself empathizing with the warm feelings inside of him.

Was love good or bad?

"If I had tried earlier to reach out to him, perhaps he wouldn't have done everything he did. He was just very sad over her death," she mused with sad eyes.

Informant swiveled around and one fierce yellow eye pierced through her. "Listen carefully. Protector was a pathetic wolf who set a despicable example. He deserved a more brutal death for straying from his path. Wolves have no use for foolish things such as love or friendship. We do not even know the meaning of those words. We do not feel, we just are, and we do."

"What kind of existence is that?"

"It is the existence that is ours. You will learn the reality of our lifestyle soon enough."

Allie was going to reply when she caught a particular scent. "Hunter is coming."

A second later, Hunter's huge frame appeared at the peak of a hill, a giant dark shape against the moonlight. His gait was easy and flowing as he caught up with them with something in his jaw.

Allie, Informant and Councillor all paused when Hunter opened his mouth and the head of the wolf that Protector was conversing with earlier rolled toward them.

"Hunter!" Allie growled. "What is the meaning of this?"

Hunter's unique eye riveted onto her. "You gave orders to stop that wolf from killing the two recruits, so I did. He put up a fight, so I killed him."

"You fool! You could have just injured him! Why kill him? You know he is the Protector of the Queen of the North Moors. You are just asking for open war! Why don't you think before you act?"

Hunter froze for a second, puzzled by her words, before his fur stood on edge in fury. He towered over her, nearly three times her height, and snarled with tail erected.

Allie bore her fangs in return. For the first time since she became Queen, she voluntarily used the Blood to submit another wolf. She projected her will onto Hunter with all her might, daring him to move. As though a heavy weight was cast upon his head, Hunter slouched forward, snarling with effort and yet unable to defy the invisible force tying him down.

The golden wolf's silver eyes continued bearing onto Hunter, challenging him to keep defying her, until the grey wolf finally bent his legs into a submissive posture.

The phenomenon was quite puzzling to Allie. She felt as though an invisible hand had reached out of her body to squash Hunter against the ground. It was not a particularly difficult task if she concentrated well, but she did not like the way it made her feel.

Hunter lowered his gaze and let his tail drop, submitting to her completely. Allie waited for one more second before finally releasing him from the Blood. Hunter sucked in a deep breath and stood straight again, although his tail remained lowered.

"Now, now, what is done is done," Informant interjected in a light tone, replying to Allie's comments from before.

"Those of the North Moors are inferior in numbers. They will think twice before they risk open war against us," Councillor added.

Allie relaxed at their words. She didn't even know why she had gotten so angry in the first place. Sighing, she turned to leave.

Followed by the core of the pack, she continued walking until they reached the ridge of the next hill, from where they had a plunging view over the entire territory of the North Downs, with the dense shape of the Old Forest further south.

"This is our country," Councillor declared, eyes glinting.

Small packs of wolves could be seen wandering around the downs, dark shapes against the land.

Looking upon them from above, warmth filled Allie's veins in spite of the cold night wind blowing over the desolate place. She turned to look at the three wolves standing behind her under the big round moon that seemed to fill half the sky, and they all looked back with bright eyes.

Planting her fore legs firmly on the sand and pushing forward on her hind legs, she raised her eyes towards the white round moon brightening up the night sky and let out a long and heartfelt howl that lasted long seconds.

The wolves of her pack looked up at her golden figure standing at the peak of the rocky hill. One after the other, they stopped what they were doing, sat on their hind legs and howled back.

Soon, their song filled the night.

Allie howled again, and again.

Informant, Councillor and Hunter joined her side and added their howls to those of the rest of the pack.

The howls resonated inside Allie's very soul as her blood pulsed at each heartbeat. It was the most intoxicating feeling she had ever experienced. In this moment shrouded by night, every wolf of the pack was interconnected to each other, merging into one entity through the song they shared. The same feeling of exaltation and freedom coursed through all of them.

Allie knew for the first time what it meant to belong. As a hobbit, no matter how crowded a place she found herself in, she could never feel as connected to others as she did to the wolves in this instant. Right now, no boundaries existed between them, no loneliness and no pain.

When the last howl faded and the night fell quiet again, the golden wolf turned her silver eyes toward the other three.

Broadcasting her thoughts to all the wolves in her pack, she solemnly declared, "From this night on, I, Allie Brandybuck, shall become your Queen. Obey me, follow me, and in return I shall try my best to protect every single one of you."

Informant, Councillor and Hunter all bowed down in front of her.

"Yes, Queen," they said.

"Yes, Queen," the other wolves of the pack chorused through the Blood.

"As you all know, I have another life apart from this one. As long as you don't betray me, I will give you your freedom. But if you need me, I will be here to listen and to help to the best of my abilities. I have much to learn yet from all of you, and there are some things you could learn from me as well. Those are my conditions for becoming your Queen. What say you?"

"You are our Queen," the wolves said, eyes glistening in the night.

Allie let out the breath she'd been holding. "That is all then," she finished and cut communication with them.

A sense of accomplishment filled her chest. After all, she had just made the single biggest decision of her life. She should have been scared, but all she felt at that moment was ecstasy, and freedom, and joie de vivre. The big round moon shone down on her gently, like a silent witness.

Informant spoke up again, and his words dispelled that positive feeling.

"So, now it's time to find yourself a new Protector."

Allie could only stare.

Informant grinned.

"The core of the pack can never be out of balance for too long," Councillor explained calmly. "It needs its four members to run smoothly. That is the will of the Blood."

"Can I just choose anybody?" Allie asked.

The old brown wolf shook his head. "It is an important position, so the Blood will choose for you. When you next see that person, the Blood Call will occur and you will have no choice but to bite him."

The golden wolf slowly swung her tail, troubled by this new complication.

She had dealt with learning how to be a wolf and with her first betrayal, so she could deal with this as well, couldn't she?