AN: Hey everyone, I am back here for another chapter of Everest Gone Missing. You know, I'm kinda surprised how there is a TV Tropes page for the first story, Marshall Gone Missing, but not for its sequel. Is this story not as good as the previous one? I'm just curious is all since I'm not sure if this story has problems the first one doesn't. Anyway, we're going to continue. We'll see a new set of wolves in this chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Paw Patrol

Everest Gone Missing

By HavocHound

Act 2 Part 8: The Riverborn Wolves Part 1

It had been two days since they left Wintria and the team had never been more nervous in their entire lives. The Wintergreen forests were a lot bigger then expected and a lot darker at night. It was like they were being watched in multiple directions while expecting something to rush out and attack. The team had taken turns keeping watch, but nobody relaxed until it was bright and early. Yet even then it was unsure if the wolves would strike or not.

The Paw Patroller wasn't the quietest of vehicles nor was it the smallest. The other packs had to have known they were traveling through the woods. The mountain they were trying to get to where Pack Icebane laid was still many miles away and would take days if not weeks to get to even with the Paw Patroller. The trees were thick and narrow, taking sometimes an hour to get through a tough spot. Rocky had helped hook up some buzz saw cutters using some wires, electric cables, hooks, and old circular saws to help, but it was still a time waster.

Marshall could only just stare at the mountain where Everest was said to be and hope that they could make it in time before something happened. Afterall, Bloodmoon Star wasn't just after humans but trying to take over all the other wolf clans as well with Icebane as their main enemy. If Everest was part of that pack, then surly she was in danger from them.

He still didn't know if he was going to hug her or yell at her. She left them, but at the same time all Marshall wanted was to see her again. Ugh, I feel like a rope being tug in two directions.

"Hey, Ryder," Rubble asked, getting their owner's attention from his Pup Pad. "How do you know were heading the right way?"

"Well, based on the directions that Snow gave us, we should be making out way towards a giant river known as The Blue Serpent River. We need to cross it to continue," Ryder answered.

"Can't we just go around it?" Chase asked, tilting his head while pausing the tv show he, Skye and Zuma were watching.

"Nope, the river comes from a nearby mountain and goes all the way to the ocean," Ryder answered, shaking his head. "Besides, diverting from the path will only make the trip longer."

"Well, this doesn't so too bad. How big can the river be?" Skye asked.

"… Very big," Skye answered her earlier question as she and the others stared at the large river in front of them. It had to be as long as a football field with the other side so far away you needed binoculars to see. If it wasn't for the very fast rapids flowing down the river like a mini storm one could think it was a small lake.

"Woah imagine canoeing in those waters," Jake said, eyeing the pace of the rapids. "How are we gonna cross?"

"Well, my Hovercraft should be able to cross this, but I don't think I can carry us all," Zuma replied, putting his paw in the water which was smacked by a small wave. "Even if I was to carry us all one by one, we still need the Paw Patroller to cross."

"What if we build a bridge?" Ryder said, rubbing his chin as he began typing into his Pup Pad. "There is plenty of wood around us. We can design a stable enough bridge to prevent the Paw Patroller from getting wiped out by the waves."

"It's so far away though," Chase pointed out. "How long will it take?"

"By my estimations, at least three days," Ryder answered. "This is the only option we have, Pups. Unless we ditch the Paw Patroller."

Everyone shook their head. That was not an option. Not only did it hold their equipment and supplies, but it was a safe base to protect themselves from both danger and the elements. "Guess its building time," Rubble said with a big smile as he thought about the work he would need to do.

"Rubble, Rocky, and I will begin blueprints for the bridge. In the meantime, we'll make Camp here and prepare to work in the morning," Ryder said, typing in his pup pad. "However, we should be extra careful because of the wolf pack that lives in the area."

"Wait, a pack lives here?" Skye asked, eyes wide.

"Remember how Snow gave us all the info he had on the wolves in the forest? We'll, we're near a territory for a pack called the Riverborn Pack," Ryder answered as he show them the screen on his pad which showed a light brown and blueish wolf with water blue eyes and tips for tails. "They're most live near this river right here. Hunting and moving along side it up and down during the seasons. They're not a huge pack, but they're not to be underestimated as they're skill swimmers and are known for dragging their prey into the water to drown as a tactic."

"Are they as bad as Bloodmoon?" Marshall asked, gulping.

"I hope not. Getting dragged into the water towards your doom? Worst fate I can think off," Rocky said, shivering at the thought.

"No, they mostly stay clear from everyone, even other packs. They tend to be isolationists mostly. Conflict isn't in their nature, but they will defend themselves if need be according to Snow. He's even talked to a few. So long as we respect the river by not polluting it like some humans do, we should be fine," Ryder answered.

"Let's hope they don't see the bridge as an insult then," Marshall said as he and the others began to head back to the Paw Patroller. However, none of them noticed a small pair of eyes watching them from the trunk of a tree before running away.

Night had fallen and the team decided to get an early rest before going to work on the bridge tomorrow. While Rubble had set up a small blockade around their camping site, there were still eyes needed for watching any kind of danger. Robodog could sense things from up to three miles away, making him the perfect watch dog, but since he was needed for the building tomorrow, he was put into sleep mode to recharge. This left with everyone taking turns to keep watch with Chase and Jake going first before Marshall and Rocky took over.

Marshall had kept himself alert for anything while taking the time to enjoy the stars. There was something to be said about looking at the heavens in a place where there was no civilization, especially here. It was like the entire forest was a giant world of its own with barley any life on it. Yet deep inside it lay terrible dangers.

He turned towards Rocky who was patrolling around with ears up at full alert before walking over to him. "Hey, Rocky? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" The Eco Pup asked, taking a moment to scratch his ears.

"…Are we doing the right thing?" Marshall asked, making Rocky raise his eyebrow. "I mean…I want to bring Everest home, but…what if all of this isn't our business? This whole wolf thing with the packs and the wars and the attacks on humans…what if we're in over our heads this time and we're making things worse."

"You can't tell me you think we shouldn't have helped the town when it was in danger," Rocky asked in disbelief.

"No, not that…but what if only got worse because we were there?" Marshall asked, whimpering a bit. "We didn't know that there was war going on between not only a bunch of wolf clans but against humans as well. You heard what Snow said about Bloodmoon Star, they want to make all of Sirius Island livable to only wolves. That means they want to chase off or kill every human, dog, and wolf that stands in their way."

"It's a stupid idea," Rocky said, rolling his eyes. "First off, there are at least a million humans that live on Sirius Island. Not to mention hundreds of thousands of dogs. We're all citizens of the United States as a territory so their interest would be at risk as well. You mean to tell me that a few thousand wolves are going to stand up to not only an entire island of armed humans and dogs, but the US military as well?" Rocky shook his head. "The way I see it, this was going to affect us one way or another. It's better that we're here now so we can prevent things from getting worse."

"By what? Fighting an army of wolves?! That's not why we're here!" Marshall shouted, but quickly quieted down so that none of the others woke up. "I just want to see Everest again."

"And then what?" Rocky asked, eyebrow raised. "Let's say we see her. What then? What if she chooses not to come home? She's facing these Bloodmoon wolves with her pack are you just going to abandon her?"

"No! I just…I just…" Marshall bit his lip and shut his eyes. "I don't know…Everest is important to me, so I don't want to lose her…but I also don't want to just make her unhappy. I…I…"

Rocky sighed and shook his head. "Marshall, you want her to be happy, right? Well, you're going to have to accept whatever she wants, but for now we need to get to her. Because like it or not we're now in his war. And I just want to put an end to the bloodshed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Marshall sighed. "Why are you so focused on this."

Rocky lowered his head. "In town… I fought a wolf pup. She was my age if I had to guess. She tried to kill me."

"But isn't that what they came to do?" Marshall asked.

"Adults have tried to kill us, Marshall, but not pups. Not even Sweetie at her worst has tried to kill us," Rocky pointed out. "This was a pup who was bred to kill at such a young age? You've done it and tell me, what does it feel like."

"… horrible," Marshall spat in disgust. "I hate that we have to kill to protect us and others, but there isn't another way."

"Now how would you feel killing someone your age or younger?" This made Marshall pale a bit. "Yeah, that's why I couldn't fight her back."

"…How do we end this then?" Marshall asked. "How do you stop an entire pack of hated filled wolves determined to commit genocide to stop killing?"

"I don't know, but I pray we find a way."

The next day, production for the bridge began in earnest. Everyone didn't say it, but it felt good to be working on a project that involved something productive and building rather then life taking. Chase, Zuma, and Jake would cut down the trees nearby to use as lumber for the bridge while Marshall and Skye transported the wood. Ryder, Rubble, and Rocky would take it and help build the foundations of the bridge. Using his tugboat, Rocky focused on making sure the pegs and wood would hold up to the rapid rivers while Rubble used his crane to place the wood in the right spots for Ryder and Rocky to hammer, drill, and tie up. Due to the size of the Paw Patroller, and the size of the river, they were going to need to make it tough. Especially with the rapids.

Everyone made sure to keep their eyes and ears open for any sight of a wolf. Skye handled the skies while Chase would take a patrol once and while just to be sure. Robodog, thanks to his advance robotic body, was multitasking from helping build the bridge to keeping his senses open for any danger. None of them were taking any chances, so they all wore their pup packs in preparation for anything. Ryder and Jake even start carrying weapons with them.

Around half-passed noon, the team decided to take a break. Handing out sandwiches, Ryder looked at their progress and couldn't help but shake his head. "We're going to need to need a lot more wood then I thought."

"We've already took down many trees. How many more are we going to need?" Chase asked, finishing his lunch.

"A lot more. The river goes down deeper then I thought. Plus, the rapids are getting more intense as the day goes by," Ryder pointed out as the waved indeed started rising near the bridge's walking point.

"Tell me about, I'm getting sick of seeing so much water," Rocky moaned looking a little green.

"Also, is it just me or has anyone else felt like we're being watched?" Marshall asked, looking around. The others all looked at each other and felt uneasy. "Like, I can't see them… but I know I've been getting stared at all day."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I thought I saw something earlier, but maybe it was a squirrel?" Rubble said.

"I didn't see anything up in the sky," Skye said, shaking her head. "Chase, did you smell or see anything?"

"Nope. Sorry."

Ryder sighed and shook his head. "Maybe we're all just a little on edge after what happened in Wintria. Let's rest for a little while longer before we continue working."

"If its alright with you, sir," Chase said, getting up. "I'd like to do another patrol just in case."

"I'll help too," Zuma said, getting up with a smile. "I wanna get a good look at the river. Maybe see if I can get a read of when the rapids will lessen."

"Alright, Chase you handle the forest area. Zuma, you watch around the river. Be careful both of you," Ryder warned as the two saluted before leaving.

If it wasn't for the importance of getting to Everest as fast as possible, Zuma would have loved to ride these rapids. He loved the idea of challenging his swimming and surfing abilities on something new outside of Adventure Bay. Maybe I can convince Ryder to let me have some fun on our way back.

He paused in his walking along the river's edge to take a moment to really take in the forest around him. Zuma wasn't a full-on nature lover like Rocky or Everest, but he did like finding himself lost in the wilderness of life every so often. Maybe it was the wild side in him, but he could understand why the wolves would live in a place like this. It had clean air and water. The forests held a mysterious beauty to them. The sound of birds and little critters going about their day. The wind blowing in one's face.

This was nature at its purist.

"Yet its also where a war is breaking out," Zuma muttered, shaking his head. He didn't know the full story as to why the wolf clans were acting this way, but he wondered how much blood these trees would drink before their roots started turning red.

Speaking of trees, he felt like he heard one cracking nearby. Focusing his ears, it sounded like it was coming from… above? Zuma looked up and gasped upon seeing a pair of wide eyes looking at him from the tips of a bending tree branch. It was a four-legged creature with light brown hair and deep blue eyes with blue also on the tips of its fluffy tail. It was a wolf, or more accurately a wolf pup that was the size of a small kitty cat.

Before either of them could say or do anything, the branch finally snapped off and the wolf howled in fear as he fell from the tree and into the rapids with a splash. Zuma snapped out of it as he watched the little wolf pup swim up and yell in fear as the river began to wash him away.

"H-Help! Mom! Dad!" the wolf cub cried out in panic before the waves began to sink him down.

"Aw, crud! Hold on, little dude!" Zuma shouted as backed for his scuba gear to activate before he dived right into the waters. Thankful for having his pup pack, he used the propellers in the back to steer right for the wolf cub who was barely ear above the water.

The rapids kept getting in the way as Zuma felt his body get wrecked back and forth by the waves which kept pushing him off course. Realizing that above water wasn't working, he dived in and swam under. It proved to be just as tough, but Zuma's training kept his body from losing control as he did his best to move with the current.

He soon contacted the frightened wolf pup who was doing his best to hold his breath but was turning purple from the lack of oxygen. Grabbing him, Zuma swam up and reached the surface, allowing him to take a deep breath. Got him! Now I just gotta get to land!

Unfortunately, there wasn't any logs, rocks, or branched to grab. Trying to think of a solution, Zuma remembered his harpoons and quickly barked them to activate. The hidden shooter in his pup pack appeared and fired on a nearby tree with the rope still attached.

"Just hang on, little dude. We're going to be okay!" Zuma shouted as the rope slowly dragged them to the shore. Zuma winced as the waves hit his neck and face, but he kept holding on to the wolf pup regardless. After what seemed like forever, they finally made it to shore where Zuma helped the wolf pup get his paws on the grass before dragging himself up and cutting the line to his harpoon.

Gasping for air, the two tired canines laid down on the ground, panting and feeing sore as the damage done to their bodies started to kick in. Zuma turned his head to the wolf pup and, despite the agony, smiled. "You okay… dude?"

"Y-yeah… t-thanks…" the wolf pup answered, nervously.

"I'm Zuma," The water pup said, getting up and smiling. "What's your name?"

"I'm… I'm…"

"Aegen!"

The wolf pup turned his head and gasped. "Mom! Dad!" He rushed over to a pair of wolves who looked just liked him… while surrounded by a dozen or so angry looking wolves who were glaring at Zuma with their teeth baring themselves.

Zuma could only gulp. "Oh boy…"