A/N: This chapter takes place as soon as the Sawtooth Pack gets home, three weeks after the events of the previous chapter.
Chapter 10 - Lilly's Strategy
Lilly's POV
After burying our dead in Jasper, we returned home to be greeted by the rest of the pack that was left behind. Garth led the Sawtooth Pack's Alphas back home, while I led the former Southern Pack's Alphas back to their territory, then home, where our packs will live together. We had a formal funeral for all the wolves who gave their lives in the battle and placed a huge stone in the middle of the pack area with the names of the fallen. Winston succumbed to his injuries on the way home and most of the pack, including the former Southern Pack wolves, mourned his death.
After the funeral, Garth and I were laying in the Alpha den, when Kate, Humphrey, Eve, Kevin, and Klark, approached us. "Are you okay, Lilly?", Kate asked.
I nodded, "I'm fine, Kate", I answered, "just thinking about what I could've done differently during the battle".
"There was nothing you could've done to prevent those deaths, Lilly", Eve said, "you just have to learn to move on".
"No matter how intricately I planned that strategy, wolves still died", I said, "I was just thinking if there was any way to do it without the whole battle".
"You did what you could, Lilly", Garth said, "we couldn't ask for anything more than that".
"I know", I replied.
"Umm, Lilly?", Humphrey asked.
"Yes, Humphrey?", I asked.
"I know we're all wondering the same thing, but…", Humphrey said, "...how did you know that Princess was going to betray her father?".
"Yeah…", Tony said, "and how did you know that Winston and I would arrive in time with the Sawtooth Pack?".
"And why in the world...!", Eve exclaimed, "would you give up Kevin?!".
"You want me to explain my whole strategy, don't you?", I asked.
"That would be most appreciated", Humphrey said.
I chuckled, "alright", I replied, "I came up with the plan when I ran into Princess while doing a routine patrol…".
FLASHBACK
THREE WEEKS EARLIER
Vincent and I had led the former Southern Pack to the outskirts of Banff. We bedded down for the night, prepared for anything, come tomorrow, even our own deaths. I was out doing a routine patrol with Kevin, teaching him the ropes on how to do a border patrol, when I heard a twig snap nearby. "Who's there?!", I shouted in the direction the sound came from.
"Don't kill me", a voice said, "I've come in peace".
"Show yourself!", I shouted, then a brown she-wolf came out of the bushes, "who are you?".
"If I tell you who I am, do you promise not to kill me?", the she-wolf asked.
"I will only kill you if I see you as a threat", I said.
The she-wolf sighed, "I'm not a threat", she said, "I am King's daughter, Terra, or what he likes to call me, Princess".
I widened my eyes, "you're King's daughter?", I asked, "your father has killed many wolves, including the family of my adopted sister's mate".
"I know", Terra replied, "but I hate my father and everything that he stands for".
"How do I know that you're telling the truth?", I asked, "King could've sent you here under false pretense".
"Look into my eyes", Terra said, "do you see a lie?".
I looked into her eyes and saw the truth behind them, then sighed, "alright", I said, "I'm assuming you're running away from your father then?".
Terra shook her head, "I've actually come to tell you that you don't stand a chance against my father", she said, "his Alphas number over eighty and his territory is well defended".
"Where does he put his prisoners?", I asked.
"There are two dens", Terra explained, "one for the females and one for the males, King has them in the deepest part of his territory, you won't be able to reach them without being spotted".
"I won't need to reach them", I said, "all I need to do is distract King's Alphas, while Kevin here sneaks in with his sister and brother to free them".
"How are you supposed to distract King?", Terra asked, "he can smell a trap a mile away and is not easy to fool".
I raised my paw to my chin and went into thought, "what if...you warn King that we're coming to free our family and get him to set up a trap for us", I said, "I'm sure that if you're the one that tells him, he'll trust you more".
"And what's that supposed to do?", Terra asked, "sure he'll trust me more, but you'll be stuck in the trap, where he'll finish you off".
"He'll become overconfident and lower his guard", I explained, "I know that reinforcements are coming and we'll be an equal match for King's forces".
Terra pondered this, "okay", she replied, "but what about King?".
"You hate your father", I said, "right?".
"Yeah", Terra answered, "I'd kill him on the spot, but I'm no match for him and he expects me to kill him, even though he says that he trusts me".
"After you've notified him of our arrival, he'll trust you more, wouldn't he?", I asked.
"Yeah, he probably would", Terra said, "if he believes that I am willing to do what he says and go along with it, it'll be his greatest achievement".
"But even if we do that, I'm still no match for my father", Terra added, "how do you suppose that I kill him?".
"You distract him", I said, then motioned towards Kevin, "with Kevin here".
"What?", Kevin asked.
"During the battle, after our reinforcements arrive…", I said, "...you take Kevin to your father and tell him that you've captured him".
"King will want to use him to get you to surrender", Terra concluded, "and while he's demanding your surrender".
"You sneak up behind him and kill him", I said, "then all that's left is to finish off King's forces".
"That won't be a problem", Terra said, "once my father is dead, they'll look to the next in line to lead them...me".
"Right now, I want you to go tell King that we'll be coming in the morning", I said, "by the time our reinforcements have arrived, the prisoners will be freed and the pups will have been taken to safety".
"Then I slip away, 'capture' Kevin here and take him to King", Terra said, "then all I gotta do is kill him while he's trying to get you to surrender...clever".
"I take after my grandmother", I said.
"Who's your grandmother?", Terra asked.
"Luna", I answered, then Terra widened her eyes.
"I'll tell King that too", Terra said, "if he knew you're Luna's granddaughter, he'll gloat that not even your grandmother could defeat him and he'll be that much easier to distract".
"Alright, when you go find Kevin, he'll be with two adults", I said, "the adults won't know what's going on and may try to stop you, but tell them, 'Clementine'".
"Clementine?", Terra asked.
"A word that Vincent told me that my grandmother used to use during her tactics", I explained, "say that word to them and they won't stop what you're doing".
"Got it, Clementine", Terra repeated, then she was about to leave, but she stopped and faced me again, "thank you, by the way, after this, I'll be in your debt".
I bowed my head and Terra ran back into the bushes, "King's not going to kill me, is he?", Kevin asked.
"No, Kevin", I said, "Terra will make sure of it".
END FLASHBACK
I just finished explaining the whole plan that I made for the battle. "You set everything up?!", Humphrey exclaimed, "wow, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm impressed".
"I didn't leave anything to chance", I said, "I made sure everything went according to plan".
"I'm assuming Kevin knew your whole plan?", Eve asked.
"Of course", I answered, "I wasn't going to let him be in that situation without him knowing that it was part of the plan".
"Just one thing that I don't understand", Kate said, "how did Cody and Sanny know to trust Terra after she said 'Clementine'?".
"Kevin was the one who told them of that after they took him and the other pups to safety", I answered.
"Damn, you've thought of everything", Garth said.
I sighed, "yes, but...many wolves still died", I said.
"I know those wolves, at least the ones from my old pack, were proud to give their lives for their pack", Humphrey said, "you shouldn't blame yourself, Lilly, death is a part of war".
"Grandfather Vincent told me once while we were heading to Banff, 'the greatest victories are achieved with the fewest battles', I think he said that was one of Grandmother Luna's sayings", I said.
"That he did", Garth replied.
I looked out towards the stone that had all the names of the fallen etched onto it. There, standing beside the stone, was a white she-wolf with lavender eyes, she stared at me, then bowed her head and disappeared with the wind. I stared at the spot that the she-wolf was standing only moments before, "are you okay, honey?", Garth asked, snapping me out of my trance.
"Uhh, yeah, I'm...fine", I answered, then turned my gaze back towards the stone, "just thought I saw…".
"Saw what, Lilly?", Kate asked.
I shook my head, "nothing", I said, "I didn't see anything".
A/N: That's it! Short chapter this time, let me know what you thought of it in a Review. I don't know what I'll write next, but I'll think of something come Sunday and post it then.
Till next time,
-Demonwolf102