Chapter 4: Taking After (written from October 18th to October 22nd, 2022)
December 17th, 2012
"I can't believe my eyes." A strange accent reanimated the couple.
"Marcel! Paddy!" Kate exclaimed.
"Guys, are we glad to see you!" said Humphrey. They exited the shelter without a yawn. Seeing the golf birds again gave them great relief.
"Ha, ha! And I you," said Marcel, hugging the she-wolf. The goose then motioned for Paddy to give his own hug. Begrudgingly, he waddled closer and embraced the Alpha. The duck wasn't the biggest fan of hugs. "You see, Paddy? That wasn't so bad."
"It was a... appropriate," the duck replied.
"How did you find us?" asked Humphrey.
"Let's just say someone's bad shot flew up and over the cliff."
"Never mind the wrong club," Marcel added.
"Well, this is really serious. The Rogue wolves have captured Runt."
"What?!" Paddy exclaimed.
"This is terrible! I have seen these Rogue wolves," said the goose. "Mean things. They never share their kill with the birds."
"We think they're in Banff," Kate informed.
"Well, count us in," said Paddy.
"Why, of course! Yes, yes!" the goose added.
Later...
Before long, the couple and their newfound air support were within a few miles of the long corridor. From the couple's point of view, Eclipse Pass was an enormous letter V that cut through the snow-capped barrier, and above it, the sky appeared like a blue claw pointing toward Banff, or as they saw it, pointing toward their abducted son. They were making good time. Around mid-afternoon was when they expected to see Runt again; however, they were unaware of the fact that they were being followed and that they would see the rest of their offspring much sooner.
"Mom?! Dad!" yelled their oldest.
Humphrey and Kate were walking parallel to the ravine when they picked up one of the last voices they wanted to hear.
"Aren't those your other pups?" said Paddy. The duck pointed his wing.
"Stinky! Claudette! What are you two doing here?!" yelled Humphrey, throwing his words over the gully. The two pups were on the other side.
"We came to help find Runt!" Claudette answered.
"By yourselves?" said Kate.
"Um, yeah. Kind of. We slipped away while everybody was sleeping."
"How the heck did you find us?" asked Humphrey.
"I sniffed you out!" the pup answered proudly.
"Great. All we needed," Kate whispered to the Omega.
"I think it's so charming," said the goose, "when the little ones' personalities match their parents'."
"Hm, yes, they are what you would call drama wolves," said Paddy.
"You two are grounded!" Kate shouted. "You hear me? GROUNDED!"
"How does one ground someone in the outdoors?" said Marcel. His caddy shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, we lost Runt... so we're gonna find him, like it or not! Together! That is what we'll do!"
"You're not going to talk us out of this," Claudette assured.
"You two, STAY RIGHT THERE!" Kate yelled as Humphrey flinched. The Omega decided to ease Kate's stress by going to the birds for help.
"Hey, guys, listen. Would you go talk some sense into the pups?"
As Paddy and Marcel flew up, Stinky and Claudette examined the ravine.
"How did our parents get across?" said the dark grey pup. His sister quickly realized the answer.
"Oh! Remember how they said they flew across on a vine? We were like, 'Yeah, right!'."
"Now, pups, do not get any grand ideas," said Marcel, but the pups ignored him. The perfect vine dangled between them and their parents, begging for tension. Stinky backed up by several yards to make it possible for him to gain more speed.
"This is for Runt!" He sprinted off the ledge.
"AHH!" screamed the birds.
"STINKY!" Humphrey and Kate screamed. He managed to catch the vine. "CLAUDETTE!" His sister managed to catch his tail.
After a few seconds, the vine's swinging softened until it barely moved.
"Uh, now what?" said Stinky.
"Um... uh..." Claudette was just as blank.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What do we do?!" the goose exclaimed.
"Okay, let's help them!" said Paddy.
The birds flew to the part of the vine above the pups and tilted their heads sideways, so the string could fit in their beaks. Next, they flapped hard to push the young wolves closer to Humphrey and Kate.
"Oh, no! I can't hold on!" Claudette yelled.
"My tail will never be the same!" cried Stinky.
"Push! Push!" said Marcel. It took all the birds' might to force the pups barely over the dry land. At the very edge of the ravine, Humphrey and Kate stood side by side to eliminate a harsh landing.
"Oh, my gosh!" Kate exclaimed. "What do we—"
"Drop! Drop!" Humphrey instructed. The pups released their grip and landed safely on their parents' backs. "Are you all okay?!" Humphrey and Kate carried them to a safer spot where they dismounted. Humphrey sighed and gestured to his mate. "They soooo take after you."
"Me?" the Alpha replied. "Humphrey, that is all you."
They both then gazed at Stinky and Claudette.
"Alright, you two," said the Omega. "Forget being grounded. Let's go get Runt."
Meanwhile...
Ten miles north of Humphrey and Kate, Winston, Tony, and Garth walked down a different trail to Eclipse Pass. Behind them, a sizable body of troops marched.
"I cannot believe those pups snuck out last night," remarked Winston who was between Garth and Tony.
"They're sly little guys," Tony added. "Take after their parents."
