Chapter 2 Caught
Lonnie and Aken had just reached the cave when the rain began to pour. Carefully, Lonnie crawled in first, checking for signs of other animals. The cave had a low ceiling, but it was fairly deep and would keep them safe from the weather for the night.
"There isn't anything in here at the moment, but looks like wolfs were here recently." Lonnie reported to Aken, who was waking a fire.
"Hang on, is that a handprint?" Lonnie exclaimed. Aken followed Lonnie's gaze. Crawling closer, the two boys examined the print. Aken noticed more hand and foot prints, mixed in with paw prints.
"Do you think someone has used this as well or-" Aken's sentence was cut off by the growls of four wolves and a girl!
Ochre stared at the taillesses as they stared at her. Ochre heard her father step forward, growling. The taillesses smelt scared. The one with the lighter pelt opened his mouth and began speaking in tailless talk. It sounded like Whoareyou? He reeked of fear, but his voice sounded friendly. Father began growling to mother.
They have the markings that female tailless had.
Darkfur looked at Wolf.
What do we do?
Wolf looked over at Ochre. Ochre didn't notice. She was still staring at the taillesses. Wolf walked over to Ochre.
You will stay with them now.
Ochre wimpered.
No. I'm staying with the pack. Stay. Don't leave.
But they had left already. Horrified, Ochre ran outside. The story had subsided and now it was only sprinkling with rain. Her sense of smell and her eyesight was never as good as her packs and so she soon lost the tracks. Ochre howled a heartbreaking howl. How could they have just left her with the taillesses? She howled again. No response. She ran in circles, then lay down under a bush and fell asleep.
***
Aken found Ochre asleep under the bush a few hours later. He called Lonnie over.
"I found her. The poor thing." Aken said, stroking her face.
"You think we should take her back to camp?" Lonnie asked nervously.
"Of course! We can't just leave her here. The wolves have obviously abandoned her." He pulled out some string and bound her hands and feet. Then, he lifted her onto his back. They'd been walking for a while before Ochre woke up. Aken could feel her wriggling. Then, she began to growl and bark. Aken lost his balance and slipped. Ochre snarled as Lonnie tried to come close to her.
"What do we do?" Lonnie asked. He looked as Ochre. She would be pretty, he thought, if she were clean. Aken pulled out his medicine pouch and pulled out a pinkish coloured root. Slowly, he approached Ochre. She growled and snarled and thrashed around. He continued to approach, murmuring to her in a soft, friendly voice. He ground the root into a powder with a rock, then put it into his waterskin. Then, he offered the waterskin to the Ochre. When she didn't take it, he put it on the ground next to her and backed away.
Ochre stared at the pouch. She could smell the water and was very thirsty but she didn't want to seem weak. In the end, her survival instincts kicked in and she wriggled over to the pouch. The tailless with the dark pelt stepped forward and helped her drink. When no one wet came out, she gave a satisfied yip. He looked at her and then pulled out an oddly shaped fish. It smelt like fish, but it also smelt like juniper berries too. Dark pelt tailless offered it to her. She growled. Wolves don't accept food just like that! Ochre began to feel sleepy. Her vision blurred. Then she realised that the root the tailless had put into the wet had made her sleepy. They'd tricked her!