Chapter 32: Uncovering Trouble
A/N: As I had said earlier I would finish one chapter by this week. Well now onto the negative aspect. My exams are just around the bend so I won't be uploading anytime soon. Expect the next chapter only after the 10th of April. Wolf Lover 25 sure we can be friends if you want to be. Well hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think.
(With Jenna)
"... and that is all that I can remember before I fell asleep" Fire finished recounting his experience from the previous night. "So he just turns up out of nowhere, mystically knocks me out, tells you he'll show you my past, knocks you out as well and then just disappears?" Jenna asked not really believing what Fire had just recounted. "That pretty much sums it up" Fire replied. "Is this weirdness normal around these parts?" Jenna asked with an exasperated sigh. "Not really... why do you ask?" Fire asked curiously. "First a blizzard out of nowhere in Nome... then being changed into a wolf... then back into a husky and now back to a wolf again and now this mystery wolf..." Jenna trailed off when she noticed Fire's raised eyebrow. "Wolf again?" he asked. Jenna sighed "Aniu told me that I had a difficult future and that her gift would help me along and changed me into a wolf". Fire nodded before motioning with his paw to carry on. "The grey wolf from earlier... Balto... he said something that lead to a rift and I ended up snapping at Aniu when she tried to confront me..." Jenna paused as she noticed Fire stare at her wide eyed. "Y..you snapped at Aniu?" he asked completely shocked. Jenna just nodded her head in confirmation shifting her gaze to her paws.
Fire stared incredulously at Jenna. Being shocked was an understatement. This wolf had met the great Aniu, snapped at her and survived to tell the tale. He shook his head guessing it was best to not ask. Suddenly a pair of growls broke the silence that had descended leaving two wolves red faced. "I'm going to hunt... you stay here and don't do anything stupid... you may not be a dog anymore but you're still a pup" Fire spoke grinning towards the end. Like he expected Jenna immediately retaliated "I'm not a pup". "Whatever floats your boat" Fire replied chuckling as he headed off into the tree-line in search of prey.
(With Siku)
"Thank god he didn't stick around, he's such a pain" Siku thought to herself as she made her way back to the den where she had last met Jenna. She had spent all of yesterday simmering down after her heart to heart with Balto. She had clearly expressed to him her disapproval of him being around Jenna yet he had not taken her warning seriously and it had now ended in this pickle. "I swear if Marron and Mara hadn't been around I'd have made him eat his tail" she mentally growled to herself as she slowly back tracked through the trail of destruction she had left the previous day. "Well sis... hope you like surprises cause I'm coming back and I'm here to stay" she spoke aloud.
(With the packs)
Balto stuck to the peripheries of the pack as they began their migration towards five pack land and hope of a life free from hunters. It was barely early afternoon and he had again come down to blows with another wolf who had thought it wise to make a comment. Hugo had made a bad choice in getting Mason and Samson to assist him in breaking up the fight before things got worse than a few bites and scratches, now his work load had more than doubled thanks to the two's habit of pulling people's legs. At present he was stretched thin in trying to keep the two to keep shut about anything relating to Balto or the husky while the former was near and keeping members of Karr's pack from mouthing off to Balto.
"... and he just acts so dumb around her. I mean ok fine she's a husky but she's smoking hot... I haven't seen a wolf who could match her" Samson continued his conversation with Mason despite Hugo's warning. Balto had heard every word from the two's discussion and by now he was doing everything possible to not jump at them. Hugo could only curse himself at having to be stuck with this bunch, he would have chosen Lana to accompany him but Balto's earlier snapping and her position as future pack alpha meant she had to stay at the front with the current alphas. "Why did I have to be stuck babysitting" he mentally groaned before releasing a loud and prolonged sigh. "Can't you two discuss something else?" he questioned completely exasperated with the two's complete lack of response to his earlier warnings. The two just gave him a casual glance before turning back to discussing the same topic again.
This continued on for the next half an hour by which point Balto finally snapped and let his anger take over. "Will you two SHUT UP!" he growled, baring his fangs at the two wolves while gaining the attention of others nearby. Mason turned to face Balto and spoke "What's your problem... we're the ones having a conversation here..." his eyes glanced towards Hugo mischief clearly evident. Hugo desperately shook his head "No... don't you dare... don't you bloody dare..." he mouthed, this was what he had been dreading. "... it's not our fault that your sorry butt is the only conversation topic... especially that little exotic mutt of yours" Mason finished with a smirk. Balto's fur now stood on end, he stood on the edge of giving into anger, his entire body trembling from the buildup of anger.
"I second that..." Samson spoke up "... you... for being a male need to grow a set... cause who would pass up a chance on something that exotic... I mean I'd have taken her offe...". Samson never got to finish his sentence as Balto charged in head first nailing the larger wolf right in the gut. The spectating wolves watched in shock as the larger wolf dropped to the ground like a brick gasping for breath. Mason was the first to recover as he charged into Balto knocking the wolf off of the downed wolf before pinning him down and growling in his face. "Watch it runt... it was just a joke" Mason growled. Balto sneered at the wolf before replying "Well, he's laughing now" he growled nodding towards the wheezing wolf. Mason's growl deepened at the reply as he inched closer to Balto's throat. "THAT IS ENOUGH!" Hugo roared gaining everyone's attention. Mason immediately backed off Balto shocked at Hugo's outburst. He had never seen the said wolf ever get angry in his life in the pack and seeing him angry now only brought up one thought "This can't be good".
(With Jenna)
Jenna had been lazing away in the warm afternoon sun when someone cleared his throat. Drowsily opening her eyes she found herself face to face with a returning Fire. "Why is it that every time I leave to hunt I come back to you being muddled in dirt?" he asked glancing over Jenna's body that was streaked with dirt. Jenna slowly lifted her head before speaking "I was hungry so I caught something". Fire cast his eyes around the clearing to find the latest piece of destroyed property and soon found it. A sizeable hole had been dug up at the base of a nearby tree. Letting out a long sigh he turned to face the wolf before a smirk slowly made its way to his face. "What is it with you and property damage?" Fire asked raising an eyebrow at the wolf. "I was hungry so I found something to eat" Jenna replied. "You eat roots?" Fire asked placing emphasis on roots. "No she doesn't but I can make you eat them" came a third voice from behind them. Both wolves turned to find themselves staring at an emerging Siku.
Fire immediately took an offensive stance. "What are you doing here? I told you to leave" he growled. Siku just scoffed at him before turning her attention and freezing. "Oh...my...god... YOU'RE A WOLF AGAIN" Siku shouted before running past Fire and tackling Jenna into a hug. Jenna felt Siku crush her neck in a rather tight hug causing her to gasp for breath. "Siku... can't... b...breathe" she managed to choke out before she felt Siku pull away red faced. "Sorry" she sheepishly replied before turning to a now growling Fire. "You really think I'll leave my sister with a lone wolf like you?" she asked " I trust you as much as a dead caribou repels scavengers. I'm staying right here and if you have a problem you can go eat some roots". Fire just growled looking between the two wolves before growling even louder as he smacked his paw into the ground in frustration. "Fine... but you are on your own... make your den cause you aren't coming into mine... and you..." he spoke turning his attention to Jenna "I don't want to be disturbed so make sure the voices stay down" before turning towards the den and dragging the caribou he had caught inside.
As Fire neared the den he was stopped by Jenna's voice. "Hey what about my share?" she asked slowly rising to her feet. "You said you ate already so I'm storing it with the rest" Fire simply replied. "But... but that was barely a bite" Jenna whined as she stood and walked up to the wolf. "Just break a leg" Fire grumbled looking away annoyance clearly visible in his eyes. "What?" Jenna exclaimed shocked at what Fire spoke. Fire faced her before nodding to the carcass and jabbing his paw against one of its legs "Just break a leg" he spoke again getting an oh in response from Jenna.
Once Jenna had managed to separate her share from the rest of the carcass, a task that made Fire frown at her near failure at the simple task, he turned to Siku. "Offer's open before I drag it away" he spoke in a monotone. Siku slowly stood before she warily approached the wolf. "If I had to bite she'd be headless by end of day one" Fire grunted pointing towards the retreating red wolf. Siku picked up her pace but still kept one eye on the wolf as she tore a leg of the carcass before moving off to join Jenna who had settled under a nearby tree. Fire taking one last look around the clearing picked up the carcass and headed into the den hoping to catch some sleep.
[Time Skip : Evening]
It was early evening when Fire finally exited the den. Taking in his surroundings he found the two she-wolves engaged in a conversation near the extremities of the den clearing. Taking in a deep breath he slowly stretched his muscles before shaking his head removing all traces of sleep. Deciding to approach the two she-wolves he managed to catch one of Siku's conversations. "... packs should be moving towards Five pack land by now" Siku finished. Fire froze, he had seen the trail to Five pack land, the mountain pass had become suicidal with sled teams and hunters. Fire knew all too well, having journey through the pass when he still had a pack. The fact that the journey through the pass had caused the loss of his pack caused him to shiver at what would happen.
Jenna was just about to say something when Fire interrupted. "Which path are they taking?" he hurriedly asked. Siku raised an eyebrow at his hurried question before replying "They'll be taking the mountain pass up north and follow the river trail". "Oh no" he thought before asking another question "How well have they scouted the path and are there any elders who have completed this route?". Siku could tell something was wrong because of the change in Fire's demeanor. "The scouts from what I know only went up to the base of the pass and as for elders I believe the last one to complete the journey passed away a year ago" Siku replied. Fire looked up towards the sky. A slow buildup of clouds gave him the hint of an approaching blizzard. He then glanced at the two she-wolves who seemed to stare at him questioningly. "Be ready to leave the minute the approaching blizzard clears" he spoke before turning and heading towards the den before pausing "...you..." he spoke looking at Siku "...you can sleep in the den for the duration of the blizzard" before continuing on.
He was about to enter the den when in a blur of white and red the two she-wolves blocked his path. "What do you mean leaving? Why are we leaving? You want to leave be our guest" Siku rapid fired. Fire growled in annoyance "By leaving I mean leaving as in find another place, or leaving this place for a new destination..." he spoke causing Siku to roll her eyes "... as for why... I suggest we leave if you want to ever see your pack again" he finished. Siku and Jenna froze as he spoke his last sentence. "Wha...what do you mean by ever again?" Jenna nervously questioned. Fire looked Siku in the eye before replying "On the other end of the pass at the start of the river trail is a settlement... a human settlement... of traders and hunters..." Siku felt her hair stand on end as he mentioned hunters "... the mountain pass... is a slaughter zone". All at once Siku's eyes glowed for a few seconds before she broke eye contact. "You lost your pack in that journey" she spoke in a low voice causing Fire's ears to fall and his head to lower. "Alright I'm in... though I dislike half the pack I'm not that cold hearted to allow them to be slaughtered" Siku spoke with determination before turning her eyes to Jenna. Jenna had a thoughtful look on her face. If she went back she would see him again but if she didn't a lot of wolves would probably become wall ornaments and she could barely sustain herself if she stayed alone. Therefore deciding that going along was a better option she nodded her head and spoke "I'm also coming".
Fire nodded his head before noticing the first of the snow start to fall. "Come lets go inside and wait out the storm..." he spoke as he barged his way past the two she-wolves before pausing just inside the entrance looking over his shoulder at Siku and speaking "You're in charge of pup-sitting her" nodding towards Jenna before making his way towards the bed of leaves. Siku turned to face a red faced Jenna who indignantly shouted "I'M NOT A PUP... tell him that Siku". Siku just shook her head before a smile graced her muzzle "Actually... you kind of do behave like a pup" she replied before making her way inside. Jenna stared incredulously at the retreating form of Siku before letting out an indignant shout "SIKU!" before quickly making her way inside ready to argue with her sister.