14.
Aleu sat at the mouth of the Alpha den, watching her pack as they went about their daily routines. She noticed Nava walking towards the hunting grounds with his students following close behind, she smiled at the sight of their little bodies. 'What naive little souls they are, what it was to be that age.'
Aleu remembered how innocent she used to be, the moments she shared with her siblings and how safe she felt surrounded in her little bubble by her parents and siblings. She cherished the moments she had with her family when she was young. She especially cherished those where they slept together at night, not having to sleep with either her mother or father.
Then, her nostalgic thoughts were forced from her mind as she reflected on what she'd seen a few nights prior. It hurt her to see Kyle like that and to spy on him. Aleu knew she never should have spied on him in the first place. He'd noticed that she had been spying on him that night. 'I wonder what he thinks of me now?'
Shamefaced, she lowered her head towards the ground; if the wolfdog comforted Kyle then she'd be breaking her promise to Sitka. Yet, if she didn't then Kyle might hurt himself more. What if Sitka was right? 'What if Kyle really is a threat? If he hurts me, what'll the pack do if I'm injured? Maybe I do need to think about the greater good; I need to think about the good of the pack. Why put the lives of many at stake just for one troubled soul who might turn on me?'
"Aleu," Nava called.
Aleu quickly picked up her head and blinked twice, then spoke, "Yes Nava?"
"You seem to have a lot on your mind, Aleu you've been on edge recently. What's wrong?" Nava asked as he moved to Aleu and sat down.
Aleu looked at her paws and replied, "I don't know, it's not really that important."
"If it affects you, it affects the pack, now what's wrong?" Nava asked.
Aleu picked up her head and replied, "I said it doesn't matter Nava."
"I just thi-"
"It doesn't matter, now please leave me alone." Aleu shot back.
Understanding Aleu's privacy, Nava left her. She continued to perch in front of her cave, keeping a watchful eye on her pack mates. Unfortunately, she was distracted once again by another wave of thought. Aleu wondered why she couldn't tell Nava what she'd seen the night before. It was so simple, all Aleu had to do was tell him what she'd seen, but she just… couldn't.
'I should've never stalked him last night. I should've given Kyle his personal space. Now I've made the whole Kyle situation worse. Curiosity killed the caribou.' Aleu thought. She slowly slouched onto her stomach. The sun was slowly dropping off the horizon, just as Aleu's eyes were doing the same. Unable to resist the temptation of relief, she gradually fell asleep.
Kila moved up the slope which led to the alpha den. She had gone there to receive the nighttime patrol assignments. As Kila made her way up the slope, she noticed Aleu. She was on the ledge which jutted out from the main den. Aleu rested there, her breathing was even and the rings beneath her eyes had begun to fade. 'This isn't like Aleu- falling asleep before issuing the nightly patrol. Even though she did patrol last night she shouldn't be falling asleep like this. This isn't right, I need to speak with Aleu about this.' Kila walked over and nudged Aleu with the end of her muzzle.
"Wake up Aleu," Kila said, "I'm here for the patrol assignments."
"Wah- oh, Kila you're here. Ummm… the nightly patrol let me see," Aleu sequestered a yawn before continuing, "how about Dara and Talak take the town side; Then- let's have Alvah and Deloc take the mountainside."
"One more thing I wanted to ask." Kila began, the Alpha nodded and she went on, "I want to know what's been up with you lately. Aleu, you haven't been yourself. I've never seen you this submissive, exhausted, and anxious in your whole time as pack leader, tell me what's wrong."
Gradually, Aleu's eyes narrowed and she stood in front of Kila, "It's none of your business." Aleu retorted.
"But I just want to-"
"Don't speak back to your Alpha!" Aleu said, "It's none of your business."
"Please Aleu," she started, "not as your beta, but as your friend. Let me help you out." Kila gave a weak smile as she finished.
She opened her mouth to scold Kila once more but bit her lip before she could finish, 'Just tell her Aleu, you need to tell someone about this who'll understand.' Aleu opened her mouth, paused for a moment, then spoke, "I-I saw Kyle."
She stared at the ground and continued, "-The other night; he was in pain, distressed, I wanted to help him, but I made a promise to Sitka that I wouldn't go near him." Aleu sighed and said. "I just feel like he isn't that crazy human we're all making him out to be."
She looked up and received a nod from Kila, "Thanks Aleu, I'll be off to inform the nighttime patrol."
With that, Kila turned away from her and went down the slope. "Wait Kila!" Aleu called.
Kila stopped and looked over her shoulder at her.
"Thank you, thanks for helping me," Aleu said.
Kila went to the dens of the chosen individuals to inform them that they had been assigned the night patrol. Most wolves would prefer a piece of rotten meat to the nightly patrol, but it was a necessary job that had to be fulfilled within the pack. After informing those chosen, Kila made her way back to the spot which Nava had chosen to meet her.
"You were right Nava," Kila nodded her head.
"It was, as I thought," Nava said, "Aleu is a very good leader but sometimes her compassion extends beyond the pack."
"What'll we do about this Nava?" Kila asked.
"She'll become unstable- unreliable. She's out there with a human for crying out loud! A human is unacceptable, but Kyle- of all humans! We have to do something about this." Kila said.
"What we do; is we don't do anything about this," Nava said.
"What!? How can you say that? With her as leader-"
"Silence." Nava said, "I have listened to the forest, the forest has told me to not interfere. I believe that there will be a revelation in the future."
"Generally, I trust your judgment. Now I'm not sure whether I should." Kila turned her head away and closed her eyes.
"Do not trust mine, trust mother nature's. She was the one who told me these things." He sighed, "If you want to do what's right for the pack, do not get involved."
Kila bit her lip as she went to say more, as much she didn't like the idea of not interfering, she knew that Nava and his wise mind would have her beat verbally. He turned his head to the night sky. "Well, it's late and you don't have patrol tonight so I suppose you should be off to the den."
"Yes, I suppose I should," she turned back to the den grounds, "good night."
"And good night to you too Kila," Nava replied as he sat, looking up at the night sky.
Kila walked toward the den ground and began to process what she'd just found out. She didn't like going behind Aleu's back like this, but she was glad she did. 'I'm sorry Aleu… for taking matters into my own claws.'
Kyle whipped his axe against the tree, hurling its blunt head into its side. With one final stroke, the body came tumbling down, heaving into the wintery snow.
"That's what happens when you mess with the wrong guy, you thick-headed tree," Kyle stood over his new load of firewood. He proceeded to split the wood into sections, at varying intervals he would pick up his head to scan and sniff the twilight woods.
*Crack* "Ten." His axe slid to the ground as Kyle rested his aching forearms. He moved his arm across his forehead and wiped the sweat against his baggy set of military pants. Kyle stood there for a moment, before refocusing on the task at hand.
As he resumed his work, Kyle reflected on Aleu's absence for the past few days. He hadn't smelled her anywhere near their former meeting place ever since she'd been spying on him.
'Aleu must've gotten scared off by me, she has a pack to take care of- what's a lonesome human like me worth to her?' He continued to whirl the blunted axe against his fallen adversary. Stroke after stroke, Kyle gradually weakened his swing. Then finally, he whipped the axe into the frozen wood. He stood there for a moment, before prying his hands from the axe and stuffing them into his pockets.
He shuffled over to a log and rested on it. Then, after sitting there for a moment he went back to his shed. There, he slumped down onto his cot where his eyes slowly shut. It was only a matter of time until his dreams were flooded with memories.
The French officer stood outside the train the marines arrived in. As the soldiers began to steadily flow out, he peered down at his notebook, skimming it for a moment before shouting, "In line! Rows of five!"
The men moved into their ranks, they swayed with heavy eyes. The officer snorted and crossed his arms, he commanded, "Steady!"
The soldiers straightened and forced themselves into an upright position. The officer moved up and down the columns, making sure everyone was at attention. Occasionally, he would pause to scowl at the heavy-eyed soldier, who would immediately correct his posture. Once he was sure that he had everyone's attention he removed the second sheet of paper from his pocket. He cleared his throat and began, "Americans! Today youz are assigned to fight in ze trenches! Youz all have train for this moment. Sergeant Louis will show youz around. Good luck comrades!"
The officer saluted the platoon and the men followed suit. Then, a larger man stepped forward, he boasted a small mustache and wore the standard-issue light green coat. Sergeant Louis stepped forward, his face was tilted upward and his hands hid behind his back. Unfortunately, such gestures could not hide the deep rings beneath his eyes which engraved his drained face. Louis nodded to the officer and he moved back toward the train.
"Thank you Officer Agen; now, as youz have heard- I will be taking it from here," Louis said. The sergeant's thick accent was pungent as he spoke.
He began to pace back and forth and continued, "Now I'm sure youz all have an understanding of how trench warfare works."
The officer whipped around stared at Kyle, "You there! What is ze first trench used for?"
"The front is where the action takes place; that trench borders no man's land sir," Kyle replied.
"Very well," Louis looked to Kyle's left, Oliver leaned forward and the Sergeant continued, "And you- what is ze function of the second trench?"
"The reserves are stationed at the second trench, sir. The second trench also serves as a fallback in case the first is overrun." Oliver said.
"Very well," Sergeant Louis moved his head down the line, scanning for another soldier. He fixed his gaze on a short recruit, who was pursing his lips as he gazed on the front lines.
Sergeant Louis spoke, "And you- what is ze third trench used for?"
The recruit stood unflinching, staring at the distant explosions from no-man's land. The soldier's face was ashen, and his arms dug into his sides.
"I asked, what is ze third trench used for?!" Sergeant Louis cried. Instantly, the man broke his gaze and stared at the Sergeant wide-eyed.
The soldier fumbled for a moment, then spoke, "Ummm… what is the third trench used for- for medical purposes sir, supplies are stored there too." The soldier answered, then refocused his attention back towards the front.
"Very well, at least youz learned more than just how to shoot mannequins." The sergeant touched his mustache and continued, "We mustn't dally any further; ze front awaits."
The sergeant motioned for the soldiers to follow. He showed them the locations of the three rows of trenches. Finally, he showed them where they were to be stationed. Appearing next to Louis was another man who wore a much shorter coat and a sagging sun hat. Louis, receiving the indication that his part was over, made his way back down into the reserves trench. The soldier gazed on the men and spoke, "Thank you Sergeant Louis, allow me to introduce myself; I am Officer Abram, your new commanding officer. I'm sure Louis gave you a thorough tour of the trench complex."
Abram cleared his throat for a moment, then continued. "Before you report to your positions, I must ensure one final rule."
"What is the most important thing you should never do on the battlefield?"
"Salute your commanding officer sir." A soldier said.
"That is correct, never salute your commanding officer- I for one don't want my head blown off by a German sharpshooter." Abram said.
"Soldiers, spread out along the designated section of the trench line," the soldiers broke formation and Abram continued. "Keep your heads low and ears alert!"
As Kyle made his way into the trench complex, his officer's voice faded into nothingness. It was blotted out by the commotion accompanied by the many voices which surrounded him. Every step Kyle took the echoes of warfare grew louder. Kyle kept his head down and eyes low. The occasional scream would ring out in between each eerie silence. Kyle passed the third trench line and made his way into the second. Now there were no more voices, only the footsteps of soldiers against semi-frozen mud.
An explosion sent a tremor through the trench. The line of marching soldiers stopped for a moment. The soldiers kneeled and braced themselves for a second strike. Next to Kyle there was another recruit, his finger rattled against his gun's trigger. It was the man who had been called by Officer Abram. He held his Springfield rifle at his eye, aiming towards the sky. Kyle leaned over to stop him from firing, "It's ok, just put the rifle down- you're not going to hit anything."
Kyle took the muzzle with his hand and slowly lowered it to the ground, the man began to calm and Kyle reassured him, "That's right. Just put i-"
There was a whistle, the invisible object whizzed over their heads; it crashed, and shuddered the feeble wall's foundations.
An artillery shell sounded even closer, it rumbled the ground and the marines dipped their heads again. The man whipped his rifle up and fired a round of shots.
"Get a hold of him!" Oliver shouted. Quickly, Kyle grabbed the recruit's rifle and pulled his hand from the trigger; the gun dropped onto the ground. The man looked on the battlefield, his mouth hung slightly and back bent forward. In synchronicity, the marines got up and continued to march toward the first trench. The recruit grabbed his now drizzly gun and fell in line with the others, towards the battlefield.
Once the men reached the trench line they fanned out, heads low and ears open. As Kyle made his way down the line, he noticed the decaying corpses of a few soldiers had been strewn throughout the trench. Kyle curled his lip and was compelled to throw up on the trench floor. He continued to walk down the corridor, to his left and right there were placid faces. Most looked down, others stared at the rows of men shuffling through the trench line. Finally, the line halted, Kyle looked around to find a good place to sit.
Then, a shell pounded into the trench wall, and another, and another. Kyle scrambled to find a place to hide. He found shelter next to a stack of sandbags, there he crumpled into the fetal position. Kyle sat there as he waited for the barrage to end, flinching sporadically each time another shell exploded. During all this, he peered up for a moment; he noticed one of the more experienced soldiers, who sat still against the wall. His helmet was off and had no reaction to the blasts; when the barrage finished, Kyle came to him. "What were you doing back there? You could have died!"
The soldier turned to Kyle, doing no more than moving his head. "The sooner I get hit by one a them' shells, the sooner I get to meet the almighty."
A howl pierced the air, and with it wolves began to gather around the ledge where Aleu's den was stationed. They came in pairs, families, or just one wolf at a time. Aleu waited on the ledge for the pack to gather. Eventually, Nava rested by her side. "Good morning Aleu."
The alpha flinched and said, "Oh- Nava you're here…"
"Yes, now why have you called the pack here?" He looked out on the arriving wolves who lounged casually, waiting for the meeting to begin.
Aleu smiled. "To tell everyone that we will be able to take up permanent residence in this new territory."
"Well done Aleu," Nava grinned, "the spirits were right in choosing you to lead."
Aleu's ears perked and she replied, "You forget everyone that made it possible; you deserve just as much credit."
Nava chuckled and said, "Yes, Yes. I appreciate your gratitude."
"It's a shame the leaders get all the credit; wolves below them are always overshadowed…"
"Yes, it is…" he said.
They paused for a moment, looking out on the arriving pack. As they waited, the early sun began to fade and the light gave a lamp-like glow on the valley. It wasn't long before everyone had arrived and the patrols were present. Aleu got off her haunches to speak. "Hello my fellow pack mates."
"I must tell you all that I have great news regarding this momentous occasion," Aleu's tail stood tall and she continued, "after all our efforts to establish a territory, I can say with great pride that we will now live here permanently."
With that, howls rang out in celebration of this great achievement. Mates nuzzled each other, pups attempted to join in with the chorus, elders smiled for the end of their nomadic travels. Aleu and Nava turned to one another and nodded in synchronicity; turning back, Aleu waited for the chorus of howls to die down. Eventually, Aleu continued. "You all have contributed in many ways to our journey, this would not have been possible without our unity and cooperation."
"When I joined the pack and became Alpha, I was uncertain of what was to come- barely an adult at the time, I had no vision for how I was to lead a pack," she paused, "you all made it so easy, guided me as I became a true wolf and Alpha, for that- I thank you."
"Each of you has had a paw in making me into the Alpha I am, without you all; we may never have had this great meeting."
"You are the greatest wolves an alpha could ever lead." Then, Aleu let out a great howl to which all the other wolves joined in.
Once the howls died down, Aleu spoke, "Although I may not be able to thank you all individually, there are a few amongst you who have served in exemplary ways."
"To Sitka and his hunters, we thank you for keeping us all well nurtured."
"To Nuju and his fighters, we thank you for your protection."
"To Nava, for training the future of our pack."
"And to our Kila and her scouts, we thank you for your foresight."
"Now, today-"
"Aleu, with your permission, I would like to speak," Kila came forward. Aleu paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. With that, Kila made her way up the slope and stood in front of Aleu; Kila shook her mane and took a breath, "Do you remember those old wolf tales? The ones we were taught as pups?"
Slowly, all nodded, waiting for her to continue, "there is another tale I would like to tell- this one was of a young alpha female," she paused and looked on, "she was a just leader, a strong and brave ruler who earned the loyalty of her packmates," Kila began to walk to and fro on the ledge, "everything within the pack was peaceful; food was plentiful and enemies few."
She stopped and scanned the pack. "That it is- until the alpha betrays her pack; she sympathizes with a human, bringing the supposedly hurting person comfort. She does this all in secret- hides it from her pack for fear of being denounced."
"She thinks that the human isn't like the rest- savage and dastardly, that this one is instead warm and welcoming," Kila stood tall, "until one day- the alpha believes it to be nothing more than a routine visit- upon arriving, she doesn't see the man. She enters their usual meeting place when she is attacked by humans with their lightning rods!"
Her voice rose. "Leading them is the human she spent so much time with- the man swiftly kills her with his lightning rod, the last thing she sees is the man she loved with a rod to her head."
"The human and his group move on to her pack, they kill every she-wolf and wolf, every pup and even the elders." Kila paused for a moment and continued,
"That alpha female- is Aleu."
The wind coursed over Star's fur, his teeth grit, joints ground, and yet he still went on. 'I can go on, I can go on- rrrgh! I can't believe Balto managed this pace!' Star thought through queasy breaths. Snow had frozen to the tops of his paws and his head was bent, Nikki's eyebrows frowned and he said, "Star's loosen' his stride up there Kal', he's already draggin' his feet."
"Yeah Nik, I don't like what's happenen' up there," Kaltag said. His neck bristled as he continued. "I'm not sure if this gig' was the best choice for Star."
"You're right, weeze better keep n' eye on him," Nikki said. They stayed in silence for a moment, moving towards the hazy tunnel of snow. Mr. Simpson held himself in a slightly hunched over position. He too, observed the endless void, knowing that his destination awaited him just beyond. Snow drifted along the landscape, coating the team and its contents. Mr. Simpson looked toward Star, noticing his faulty steps and snow-coated paws. He muttered something to himself then spoke. "Haw!"
The dogs turned left and continued forward, holding their pace. A grin curved Kodi's lips and he spoke, "Finally, this trip has just about worn me down."
Kirby nodded. "Me too, I could use a full stomach."
"Still two more weeks a' this, I don't know how I'm going to keep up." Kodi said.
"Yeah, but I'm a bit worried about Star up there. To hit the next checkpoint we got a rocky incline, right?" Kirby asked.
"Yeah, but it shouldn't be too hard," Kodi said.
Kirby shook his head. "Not for us- for Star."
"Oh yeah- Star; He better be careful with those, the way he's draggin' his paws like that," Kirby said.
Eventually, the ridge came into sight. It wasn't an infringing uphill slope, but it certainly had an incline. Along the ridge, little rocks jutted out. Although they didn't seem large, they certainly were sharp. The snow had gilded their saber-sharp edges and the musher knew this.
"Whoa," Mr. Simpson called. Instantly, the dogs slowed and approached the ridge. They stopped at the ridge's beginning, he stepped off the planks and grabbed hold of the handle.
"Hike!" he called. The dogs began to climb the ledge while Mr. Simpson pushed from behind. The sled creaked slightly and the harnesses were stretched tight, his muscles tensed under the weight, 'This is the last hill now Star- just one more hill,' he thought. Eventually, they had made it halfway up the slope, passing over a plateau and continuing the journey up the slope. Star groaned and his paw slipped, causing the team to falter.
"You good up their Star?" Kodi asked.
Star kept moving, "Yeah I'm *huff* fine."
He strained; he could feel each beat of blood pulse through his veins. The straps dug into his chest and his neck felt like rubber. He faltered once again; his paw slipped, and blood was upon the scene.
Instantly the sled began to fall backward, the dogs lost their footing and were pulled along with it. The screeching of the sled's rails and the crying of dogs mixed with the loud crash of the sled as it began to role. Mr. Simpson cried out and lost his footing, tumbling backward down the jagged slope. The line was severed by a sharp rock, losing the team from an indefinite spiral. The sled hit a ledge and was launched onto the plateau, it landed face down with a steely-shriek and the crunch of hickory, nearly crushing Mr. Simpson.
Then all was still, for a moment, nothing moved. The dogs slipped themselves from their harnesses, all except for Star. Kodi scrambled up to him, followed by the others. In front of him, a long streak of red.
"Guys! Star's hurt pretty bad!" Kodi cried.
The dogs raced over to him to see that there was a deep gash in Star's chest. Yet it scarcely discernible against his now crimson fur. Star lied there, unmoving.
"What do we do?" Dusty asked.
"We uhh… we…" Kodi stopped and looked at Dusty and Ralph, "you two- go check on our musher."
They nodded, hurrying down the slope. Kodi refocused his attention to Star, he bent down and peered at his wound. "He doesn't look good guys, it's pretty deep," Kodi said.
"Well, what do we do?" Kaltag asked.
"What would the humans do?" Nikki said.
"Well they would put their paws on the wound- yeah that's what!" Kaltag exclaimed. He moved to Star and rested his paws there, attempting to stop the flow of blood. Down the slope, Mr. Simpson was getting up. He clutched his thigh, it was watery, he pulled up his hand; blood, lots of it. He noticed the sled to his left, it had been obliterated. Its mutilated shell nearly unrecognizable, the mail was crushed beneath its floppy frame.
"No- the sled, the mail," he said. He moved toward the sled, his leg began to throb with a seething ferocity. He grunted and fell into the snow. Mr. Simpson attempted to stand but chose to stay down once the pain resumed. He laid there for a moment, then, two familiar faces came into his vision.
"Ralph, Dusty," Mr. Simpson started. Dusty, ignoring her musher's wound, grabbed his sleeve and lightly pulled on it.
"Dusty- I don't think I can get up." The musher said.
Dusty whined and pulled once again, Ralph looked towards the mountain and barked. Mr. Simpson blinked, he looked on the slope, his eyes widened.
He slowly stood, putting his hand on his good knee, "I think- I can get up."
"I-I" Aleu started. She took a few steps back and her tail retreated between her legs.
"Aleu! Is this true!?" A voice said. She came closer to the ledge to see who it was; it was Nuju, his nose had begun to wrinkle and the gums of his teeth were showing.
"Yes but-"
"I can't believe I ever followed such a mutt as you! I knew that the dog side of you would get us into trouble!" Nuju retorted. Then, he began to walk towards the slope.
"Please, I can explain."
"No- you won't. You've committed treason against your own pack- treason doesn't deserve an explanation." Nuju began to climb the ledge. Aleu's head shot across her pack, looking for anyone who might sympathize with her.
"Wait!" A voice rang out, stepping from the crowd was Sitka, he raced before the mob, "have you all forgotten what Aleu's done for us? What did she give to be our Alpha? If any of you have even the slightest bit of dignity, let her speak."
They were silent, almost frozen in place. Not a tail moved or a throat growled, with this, Aleu stepped up, "I know this is a bit… sudden, but please- when Sitka found out I promised to never meet with this human again."
"That alpha was me- but not anymore, that's not me." She spoke.
Sevgu and Levgu stepped from the crowd, "We will follow you!" Levgu said.
"But only if you promise to us all never again to see this human." Sevgu finished.
Aleu looked toward Sevgu and Levgu, then to Nuju, whose gums no longer shone. Aleu took a step forward, then a deep breath, and spoke, "I promise… to all of you," Aleu paused and bowed her head, "to never see that human ever again."
A wind blew and everyone stood still, Aleu's fur flowed in it. A few tears fell from her eyes, she picked up her head to speak, "I think- this meeting is adjourned, you're all dismissed. Except for Kila, she will meet me in the den."
The wolves began to disperse, some stopped for a moment to take second looks. Within time, all had left the vicinity, leaving only Kila and Aleu. She turned to Kila and spoke, "Let's talk in the den."
Kila made her way inside, followed by Aleu. Kila readied herself, her shoulders ground and muscles flexed. Aleu walked in, her nose wrinkled and ears stood tall. They stood in front of one another, the moist den air coating the edges of their fur causing their coats to glisten. The dim light from the sun shone off the two as they stood in silence.
"I did what I had to do."
"You did what you wanted to do."
Kila snarled, "I did what was best for the pack! You caused all of this to happen."
"You didn't have to drag it out! I promised Sitka to stop meeting him, I just promised to stop- to never see him again! Are you happy?" Aleu shot back. They began to circle one another, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"No- I'm not. Alue I loved you, you were a great alpha- a great friend but you had to do this, I had to stop it. The health of the pack came at a cost, the cost of our friendship." They stopped circling one another, eyes fixated on each other.
"It didn't come at the cost of our friendship, it was simply an issue dragged out. You utilized our friendship- our trust."
Then, Kila launched herself at Aleu, she dodged the attack and pinned her in an instant. Kila's amber eyes seemed to sparkle with a tint of crimson. Aleu's jowls were fully exposed, her mouth inches away from Kila's neck.
"You deserve to be expelled from the pack, any ordinary alpha would've already had their jaws around your throat," Aleu said. Kila laid there, eyes fixated on Aleu's.
"But because of your service to the pack," Aleu got off of Kila, "I will allow you to stay."
Kila got up, her fur was ruffled and no longer shimmered in the sunlight, yet she stood tall as ever. Then, Aleu spoke, "As the omega."
Kila's tail flopped, her ears shot up, she cried, "What!? How could you do this to me?"
"You betrayed your authority; treason will not be taken lightly." Aleu walked outside and paused at the den's entrance. Aleu sighed with a bent neck, she turned her head back towards Kila, "I do want you to know- that despite all this, I still love you."
As Alue left the cave, an empty-eyed gaze watched her figure disappear down the ledge.