Chapter 19: Dawn of Humphrey Part 1 (written on May 11th, 2020)
Due to the death of the only heir, the Western Pack was forced to invoke a process not used since the birth of the pack. According to a secret den known as the Western Den of Archives, where all Western laws and legal information was kept, if the current royal bloodline is discontinued by death, fails to produce a legitimate heir, or never existed before, the Western Pack must have an election.
Other male bloodlines now had a chance to become the new royal bloodline. The pack leader position was up for grabs to any Alpha male; however, only a few had a realistic chance to win. Five candidates emerged. Only two had a chance: Humphrey and the leader of the beefy group who tried to force Rocky to become pack leader early. He was also the leader of the anti-Kate clan. Since Kate was associated with Humphrey, the anti-Kate clan was against Humphrey as well. The law allowed a one-hour debate to take place between the five candidates right before the voting started. The two most well-known candidates quickly consumed most of the talking time.
"This wolf used to be an Omega! He stood by Kate's side as she staged a coup! And we're supposed to take him as a serious candidate for the pack's leadership? Give me a break! This little wolf is weak! Perhaps he's a runt!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Terrence," Humphrey replied, "but brawn will not be enough... on its own... to save you. I admit I'm not the strongest Alpha by any means nor is my past unquestionable, but what I do have is a bold vision, one that will continue for generations to come. All you're interested in, Terrence, is bullying others, making it seem like you're tough when, in fact, you're the most afraid. You're building something hollow that will soon collapse under its own weight. And that's because it was never intended to last. It's only intended for your reign and your reign only. I've moved beyond your plans. In fact... I will acquire new territory." The entire crowd gasped.
The Western Pack had never gained more than its original territory. Most packs usually don't. In wolf politics, territory, whether it had any use or not, determined your status as a pack. The acquisition of new territory is seen as aggression. Depending on the circumstance, it may even be a declaration of war to any pack within a hundred miles. It was risky business, but Humphrey hoped it would energize the citizens. He needed to compensate for his weak appearance with bold new ideas. He needed to expose Terrence for the selfish puppy that he was.
"What?! Are you power-hungry?! How could you possibly gain more territory and expect the Easterns or the Northerners to let it slide?" He turned to the wolves watching them. "He means to send us to war!"
"No, Terrence. Perhaps you can't comprehend the intelligence that goes into rigid diplomacy. I will have the East and the North by the balls! There will be no need to send anyone except border patrols to survey the new lands. Maybe I am power-hungry... but it would only be for the pack's benefit. You mean to sit in the pack leader's den all day and night with countless concubines while the pack rots from the inside 'cause of the lack of leadership! Your ambition is little. Your behavior is that of a petty pup. You're a pup who wants to use the power for your own gain rather than for the pack's!"
"You talk so proudly for someone who's a mate of Kate."
"Hm. Well, it's a good thing I'm not." The crowd gasped again.
When the debate ended, the actual voting process began. The five candidates stood side by side in a clearing. In front of each of them was a deep hole. Each citizen had to deposit a white stone in the hole of the candidate of their choice. Only Alphas could vote. The candidate with the most stones won the election. The process was heavily monitored by Hutch to make sure each voter had one stone.
A line of Alphas formed. One by one they deposited a stone into a hole. To Hutch, it was clear from the beginning who was the most popular, but the candidates themselves were not allowed to look down into their holes and know the count. By dusk, voting ended, and Hutch was tasked with counting every last stone. It took about thirty minutes as he was required to count the totals more than once. Most of the pack's Alphas had gathered at the clearing. They were waiting for the results.
Eventually, Hutch was finished after he placed his own vote. He went in front of the candidates' holes and made the announcement.
"Ike: zero votes. Ulysses: zero votes. Can-do: one vote. Terrence... zero votes." Everybody exchanged glances. Terrence's mouth dropped. Hutch continued. "Humphrey... two hundred and forty-two votes!" The crowd started cheering. Humphrey kept his composure as he stepped forward and walked up to Hutch. Hutch gave him the bone that carried the Pack Leader's Oath. After an election is called, the oath had to be taken immediately. "Please read these words aloud, Humphrey."
"I, Humphrey... do solemnly swear... that I will loyally utilize the highest-level position of the pack, the pack leadership, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the cooperative territories of the Western Pack."
"Then she-wolves and gentlewolves," said Hutch, "I present to you, the start of a new bloodline, Humphrey, the pack leader of the Western Pack!"
The cheers roared. They started chanting.
"HUMPHREY! HUMPHREY! HUMPHREY! HUMPHREY!"
"She-wolves and gentlewolves, Alphas," he began, "for the past year, we have seen leadership disappear. With all due respect to Winston, his descent into obscurity led to us the gloomy grey period we find ourselves in. Ironically, as a grey wolf, I will slash it to pieces! We are the Westerns! We aren't some pushovers! It's time we grow! The East and the North will have to cope with our newfound presence. We will have new territory! We will fight for more feeding grounds! That stupid treaty Matt and Winston made two years ago... That will end now! They kidnapped one of our own, and we caved in to their demands! No more! And speaking of the wolf who was kidnapped... Kate... Oh, Kate..."
"Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!" they chanted.
"No... Kate... SHE WILL ANSWER TO ME!" The crowd roared again.
"Humphrey," said Hutch quietly. "You're gonna kill Kate...?"
"She'll only wish she was dead."
"Sir... I can't say I support that... I resign my duties as second-in-command!"
"That's fine, Hutch. I was going to get my own second-in-command." The pack leader turned to the crowd and pointed at a she-wolf with reddish fur. "Come hither. You look young. How old are you?"
"Umm, two years, sir!"
"I feel like we've met before."
"We did... at Alpha School. We played together on the obstacle course."
"Oh, right. What was your name again?"
Meanwhile...
Douglas was drinking a pond by himself when he heard strange noises. His ears flickered at the soft sounds of somebody sneaking around. It was a type of sneaking he was familiar with. A Rogue wolf was nearby...
He couldn't run away effectively, for he was disabled. His leg was disfigured. But Douglas knew the training, so he knew the Rogue's weaknesses. He hid behind a tree and made small puppy noises. He let the Rogue wolf come to him. The intruder put himself next to the tree and lowered himself to the grass, ready to pounce. That was when Douglas struck. He went to the side of the tree where the intruder's rear end was and grabbed his tail with his paws. He pulled the Rogue toward him and violently bit into the back of his neck. The intruder yipped and dropped to the ground after Douglas let go. His neck was bleeding out.
"What are you doing here?!" Douglas questioned.
"TRAITOR!" he yelled.
"Answer the question! Give your life some meaning before I end you, Rogue!"
"I'm not a Rogue!"
"What? You have the savagery of one! Who are you then?!"
"I'm a Black Mountain wolf!"
"That's impossible! The Black Mountain Pack died out fifteen years ago!"
"It is reborn! We are Rogues no more! He is coming..."
"Who's coming?!" The intruder started fading away. Douglas slapped his face. "Who?!"
"...He's leading... large-scale assault... soon... War is coming..." The wolf's breathing ceased.
"Oh, my goodness," Douglas said to himself. He remembered Rogues talking about a faction growing in Jasper's mountains. This fanatical group must be the new Black Mountain Pack. The intruder was probably a scout. It seemed the scout knew who Douglas was. And if the scout knew, the group's leader knew, which was bad news for him. As a traitor in the Western Pack, his capture would be beneficial to them. He had knowledge of the high-level Alphas of the West among other things. He couldn't let himself be captured under any circumstances. His downfall would mean the end of Jasper.
He had to tell Kate. If the Black Mountain Rogue wolves come, they will slaughter every last Omega in the Valley and enslave the rest.
Jenny's den was not far. As soon as he found it, he went in. Kate seemed relieved to see him.
"Douglas! I've been looking for you!"
"I've been looking for you... Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Yes. Humphrey has just been elected pack leader."
"I know you two don't like each other anymore but is that so bad?"
"Hutch told me that he's coming after me..."
"What?! I won't let that happen!" He grabbed her forepaws and massaged them affectionately. He hoped it would soothe her.
"What is it you wanted to tell me?" Douglas gulped in nervousness.
"We'll all in grave danger... I killed a Rogue scout a mile away from here. He told me a group of crazy Rogues—and that's saying a lot—claim to be the successors of the Black Mountain Pack. They are coming to conquer the Valley."
"Oh, my gosh..." She paused before speaking again. "Do you believe it...?"
"I do..."
"You know... because of Humphrey... Jenny and I have been talking about leaving Jasper... You should come with us..."
"But what about the Western Pack?"
"Damn them all," said Kate. "They've become mindless zombies to Humphrey."
"Even the Omegas?" Kate then sighed. She came closer to the black wolf. "Omegas are important to a pack. If we take them, the Western Pack will collapse. Omegas prevent the Alphas of the pack from attacking each other. They keep the Alphas focused. It's better we leave them to give the Western Pack a fighting chance against the Rogues while me, Jenny, you, and Hutch leave Jasper entirely. None of us have family here, at least not anymore."
"I still don't know how I feel about leaving the Omegas here... We're practically leaving them to die..."
"We couldn't take them even we wanted to. Look, I don't know if you know, but... Humphrey and I... have been out of the country before."
"Like out of Jasper?"
"Out of Canada..."
"Holy shit... Excuse my language."
"I know... But how that happened is a story for another time. What I'm saying is I know some of the lands outside the Valley that most Valley wolves don't. Jenny and I, we think riding a train out of here is the best way to go."
"Riding a train? What's a train?" he asked. He tilted his head.
"It's a human thing. There are these shiny rocks on the ground, smoothest things you'll ever see. They're called train tracks. A gigantic blackish monster comes through the forest with a lot of smoke. It carries behind it a number of train 'cars,' and some of them have openings on the sides. We can jump through the opening, and the train will take us down the line of tracks. It's extremely fast, faster than any wolf by a lot. First time I rode on a train, I thought my eyeballs would explode from the speed. Anyway, the nearest tracks run through Shadow Forest, ten miles from here to the west. I know when the trains come. The next one should come through at midnight."
"That's... awesome! But why can't we take all of the Omegas even we wanted to?"
"There's a tight limit of how many wolves can leave. The train cars tend to be small, and they may be smaller depending on how much human crap is in there. The maximum amount of space could vary from a few wolves to about a dozen."
"Do we have to leave on a train?"
"Yes unless you wanna leave on foot. A group of Omegas with us, in the mountains... We might as well be carrying a sign that says, 'Kill us'!"
"I see... Oh, gosh... I will warn all of the Omegas then before we go. I want them at least prepared for the impending attack."
"Okay. Go do that." Douglas readied himself to leave, but Kate stopped him. "Wait!" She went and kissed him. "Thank you for putting up with me... Meet me at Shadow Forest when you're done."
"I will be quick," he replied. He then left the den, speed walking on his mishappen leg.
"Mom," said Jenny. She had been listening to their whole conversation. "There is one wolf I want to come with us, an old friend."
"Who?"
"Her name is Dani. She doesn't have any family either. I don't know exactly where she is, but I can find her quickly."
"Okay. That's the only one right?"
"Just her."
"Meet me at Shadow Forest when you're done."
"Okay, Mom." Jenny left after giving her mother a brief hug.
Later...
Kate found her way to the center of Shadow Forest. Along with her was Hutch. She had already briefed Hutch of their plan. There was an unoccupied den, and both of them decided to rest in it. They needed to wait for Douglas, Jenny, and Dani to come. The train would arrive in an hour.
Suddenly, there were footsteps. The two Alphas came out and saw Douglas.
"Have you seen my daughter?" asked Kate. Douglas shook his head.
"Damn it. She needs to hurry up... We're losing time."
"Who are the other wolves?" asked Douglas.
"What other wolves?" said Hutch.
"In that den over there." Douglas gestured to another den that was twenty yards away. It was almost hidden in the foliage.
"There are wolves in there?" said Hutch. "I didn't know anybody lived in Shadow Forest."
"Neither did I," Kate added. "I wonder why we didn't smell them."
"It's probably a deep cave," said Douglas.
The three wolves went to the other den. Douglas was right. The den had multiple rooms. In one of them, they came across two wolves lying together.
"Oh, shit! Sorry!" said Kate.
"What the heck!" said the grey female. "You're just gonna waltz into our den?!"
"Sorry! Sorry!"
"We didn't know anybody lived here," said Hutch.
"My goodness, how many wolves are gonna come to this damn forest?!" said the male covered in scars.
"Wait a minute... You're Shadow and Sasha!" Kate exclaimed.
"How do you know us?"
"You saved my son from those stupid Alphas."
"You're Rocky's mother?"
"Yes..." She looked down.
"Is something wrong?" said Sasha.
"My son is dead..." Shadow and Sasha glanced at each other.
"I'm sorry," said Shadow. "Is that why you've come? To tell us that?"
"No."
"Then why did you waltz into our den?" Sasha questioned.
"Relax, Sasha," said Shadow. "But seriously why have you come?"
"Should we tell them?" Douglas asked. "I don't think they're one of Humphrey's zombies."
"Who's Humphrey?" asked Shadow.
"I think he's an Omega," said Sasha. "My sister, Liona, told me about him."
"He's not an Omega anymore," Kate replied. "He's the pack leader of this territory... and he's coming after me."
"And there are Rogues coming after all of us. The entire Valley will be overrun," Douglas added.
"You know that train that comes through here?" said Kate. They both nodded. "After my daughter comes here, we're getting on it... and never coming back."
"Shit! Is it that bad?!" Shadow asked.
"Oh, yeah... That bad," the disabled wolf answered.
"Can we come? We don't wanna die!"
"Only if there's enough space," said Kate. "I'm sorry."
"There will be enough space!" Shadow assured.
"Wait!" Sasha said to him. "I have family! What about them?!"
"You go with Rocky's mother then! I'll find your family and bring them out of Jasper on foot!"
"That's very risky," Douglas informed. "I can see you have an injured paw. It will be a slow walk through Rogue-infected lands. Rogues are experts at exploiting weaknesses."
"I can cope with it. How much time do we have until this attack?"
"No telling," said Douglas.
"I'll talk to her family about it, and we will weigh the risks. I just don't want Sasha in danger."
"I... I love you," said Sasha, shaking with fear. Shadow nuzzled her cheek.
"I love you too..."
"Promise me that you'll come back to me! Promise me!" she sobbed.
"I will come... but only with your family..." He turned to the three others. "Where are you guys going?"
"That's a good question," said Hutch. "Where are we going?" All eyes were on Kate, for she was the only one who knew.
"It's another park, but it's not Banff, a place only me and Humphrey know. I'll tell you how to find it on foot, Shadow." Kate remembered what the duck had said to her. She said the words from her memory aloud. "'Sawtooth National Wilderness'."