Chapter 54: Hannah's Arrangement (written on August 14th, 2013)
With all of his new citizens, Stormfast now had a pawful of wolves to cope with. He wanted to make sure he knew all of them. So he assembled the new wolves in a single-file line so he could initiate them.
"What is your name, madam?" he asked a white-colored female, though there was something familiar about her.
"Name's Winter," she answered.
"Hi, Winter. Welcome to the Southern Alliance." Stormfast just couldn't quite put his paw on it.
"Thank you." She then walked away.
"Next!" he called out. Autumn walked up to him. "I don't remember you from the wedding."
"What wedding?" she said before realizing her identity must be secret as Stone described.
"The one from yesterday."
"Oh, uhh... that one. I remember it now. You probably don't remember because I was... late!" she lied.
"Late, you say? Hmm... Do you know anyone named Stone?" he questioned. Stormfast wanted to make sure she wasn't any spy. But luckily, Stone had told her a way out in case something like this happened.
"Uhhhhh... yeah." Stormfast then gasped. "The wolf named umm... Winter told me he was your archenemy, I think," she finished. He sighed in relief.
"Oh, okay. What's your name?"
"Autumn."
"That is a beautiful name," he complimented politely.
"Oh, uhh... thank you." She walked away from him. "Whew. I almost got caught," she told herself. She decided to rest near the nearby river. [Now how am I gonna find Stormfast's son? she wondered.]
Just then, she heard someone near her.
"Henry!" It was Hannah. "Henry!" She noticed Autumn. "Oh, there you are. What are you doing way over here?!" Autumn turned around towards her.
"Are you talking to me?" she asked. That's when Hannah realized that this wolf was not Henry but a female who looked just like him.
"Oh... Sorry, I thought you were someone else."
"Who are you looking for?"
"My Alpha brother, Henry. It's quite odd that he's disappeared. He's usually very behaved, even for an Alpha male."
"Alpha male?" Autumn that meant the pack leader's son, exactly who she was looking for to carry out her mission. " He's Sormfast's son?"
"Yeah."
"Well, umm... I'm kanda' bored. I could help you find him. What does he look like?"
"Basically, he looks almost exactly like you. He's about your age and..." Suddenly, Hannah got an idea. "He's handsome..." she added, using a special tone in her voice.
"Handsome?"
"Oh, yes."
"Can we go look around for him?"
"Sure. My name's Hannah. Yours?"
"Autumn."
Later...
An hour later, Hannah found him stuck in a thorn bush, though she didn't tell Autumn. It would not have made a good first impression.
"Hold right here and look pretty," she ordered.
"What? Why?"
"I'll be right back!" She went to Henry.
"Brother, what are you doing in there?" she asked him.
"Well, I was peeing but I tripped and fell on these prickly thorns. Now when I try to move, they hurt me."
"I can't believe you didn't call for help."
"I can't believe you didn't hear my scream," he replied, reminder her of the pain he must have endured.
"Whatever. By the way, a girl is waiting for you. I think she might be "into" you..."
"What?! Really? Well, hurry up and help me out then!"
"Give me your paw," she commanded. He brought out his left paw. Hannah grabbed it and pulled him out with great force.
"Owwwww! Geez! Watch it!" he screamed.
"Sorry... Now follow me." They sneaked to a bush near Autumn who was sitting down, waiting. Henry peaked through it. His eyes widened. "See her?" Hannah asked.
"Boy, do I! How could I not? She's the most prettiest wolf I've ever seen!"
"Yep." Hannah pushed him out of the bush. "So go talk to her."
"What?! Are you crazy?!" he whispered. "You know nothing about the rituals of love!"
"Are you sure about that? I'm married, remember?! Now go!"
"Okay, fine. Don't get your fur in a bunch." He started sweating through his paws as he walked up to her.
"Hello...," he quietly said to Autumn.
"Oh, hi." She noticed his black fur. [Just like me! she yelled in her head.] "You must be Henry."
"Uhh... yeah. What's uhh... your name?" he stuttered.
"Oh, brother," Hannah moaned in the background.
But the, something sparked. Henry ran to the nearest, prettiest flower he could find and plucked it out of the ground with his mouth.
"My name's Autumn," she introduced as she watched him drop the flower in front of her front paws.
"Well... Autumn... I think you're really beautiful and I think you totally deserve this flower. Please... will you go out with me on a... date?" Hannah mouth dropped at his quickness.
"Yes. Tonight," she answered. "Right here."
Next: Chapter 55: The Ruse
(Stone's plan is working so far...)
