CHAPTER 64
When Mrs. Kelsey opens the shed door, she is not prepared for what the devil has in store for her this wicked, enchanted night. She catches Makes Trouble with his monstrous head tilted back, jaws gaping, twitching hen going down the monster's hatch.
"ARRRRGGGGGHHHH," Lorraine shouts as she pulls both triggers, which sends her tiny frame soaring back in the air. When she lands, she hits so hard, she knocks herself out.
Days later, Kiowa and the pack use a stream to follow Makes Trouble's trail. He has not returned, and so they have become worried and determine it is time go looking for him.
"It is hard for me to believe that this river is reduced to a stream in the hot days," Kida says, scanning the glittering ripples.
"In the rainy season, it rages so hard it brings down trees and cuts pathways through mountains," Walpi tells her.
"I smell something," Anoki says, tilting her wet, black nose to the sky. She takes several quick shallow breaths and detects the strong aroma of a musky animal.
"As do I," Kida says, doing the same.
Paw raises his ears. They shift back and forth, then hold steady.
"I hear something," Paw says, focusing his attention.
Kiowa puts his nose to the ground and follows the strong odor. "Makes Trouble came this way."
Paw examines the tracks. He sees Makes Trouble's enormous tracks. All around them are strange, small, pointy hoof tracks that are tightly clustered together.
"I don't like this," he says.
"Don't like what?" Kida asks, detecting concern in his voice.
"It looks like all these little buffalo chased your brother."
"Chased him where?"
"I cannot say. All I can say is that he ran that way." Kiowa points with a paw and begins forming a quick plan.
"If they have harmed one hair on his ugly face, we will surprise them and kill as many as we can," Kida says.
The wolves follow the mysterious trail downstream, eager to learn what has become of their good friend and brother.
Farther downstream, two amiable, puffy white sheep are carefully positioned beside the gentle waters.
"You go first," a large, fluffy sheep bleats.
"No. You said you were thirsty. You go first," the second, incredibly polite sheep responds.
"No, I insist. You were here first."
As the two courteously banter back and forth, the rest of the herd begin to behave strangely. Sheep leap over one another, back to front and side to side.
Kiowa seizes a sheep and thrashes his head back forth, nearly ripping it in half. Unable to fight back, the animal goes limp and dies.
"For Makes Trouble!"
"Arrghhh, help me," the flock cry out, hopping to and fro.
The wolves circle around the sheep and herd them into a giant downy circle. Spots of black sheep make them look like a cup of salt sprinkled with pepper.
"Help us, Billy Bob," the sheep cry out.
From the center of the herd, a brown-and-white-spotted goat with wide rectangular pupils courageously leaps out to face the wolves.
"I'm ah-only gonna tell you once to put that sheep down, then I'm ah-gonna-ah ram ya!" Billy Bob shouts, stomping his hoof.
Walpi looks at the goat and cocks his head to the side.
"Fine, have it a-yer way," Billy Bob shouts. He lowers his horns and gallops in a rather odd staccato fashion.
Unsure of what the pack has encountered or what to do, Walpi freezes at the terrifying rat-a-tat noise the goat's hooves make. Am I to share the same fate as Makes Trouble?
"Ufff." The air escapes from Walpi's lungs in a rush.
"Help! Help! I have no power. I could not get magic or steal it!" Walpi yelps, struggling to catch his breath.
"Did it hurt?" Anoki asks, bounding backward in several frightened pounces.
The rest of the pack laughs at him with large toothy muzzles.
Kida quickly seizes the goat by the throat and delivers the death blow. She immediately regrets her decision.
"Yuck. It tastes worse than skunk!"
"Not the weak tiny white buffalo. They taste delicious," Anoki says, licking her bloody chops. Her white fur looks so similar to theirs. With a glance at the herd, her pupils widen and her tongue dangles out the side of her mouth, dripping saliva. "I want to kill them all!" she says, pouncing at the nearest cluster.
"Anoki, you selfish huntress. Your plan is terrible. You will scatter the herd. Let the men divide the herd. We will take the high ground, and they will drive them to us. Then they will be trapped by the high walls, and we will be able to devour them all."
The two women speak with a kindness that makes them sound more like sisters than one-time enemies.
The men go to work. Though little effort is exerted in the surging attack, the return in kills is much greater than hunting buffalo. The wolves don't seem to tire. Instead they cave to an avalanching bloodlust.
On this day only Kiowa shows restraint.
"We have enough, Anoki. Makes Trouble has been avenged."
Anoki ignores the leader and drives the sheep to the only exit, which is blocked by Kida. She welcomes the helpless bouncing flock with her white ivory fangs.
"We are doomed…bah…bah…doomed. Big bad wolves are coming for us…bah…bah…"
Together, the two females achieve their malevolent goal. As they greedily finish the last helpless animals off, they tilt their heads back and howl.
Paw and Walpi howl back.
Several miles away, another wolf howls back.