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Pack of Outcasts

Chapter 6: Lost

"Tobi…. I'm cold." Sasha whimpered. "We've been walking for hours."

The black wolf moved closer to the shivering female, "It's okay Sasha… I'm sure we'll find a place to rest soon." He glanced up to see Tiberius looking back at them. They had been traveling all night. The crisp fall breeze cutting through their sparse coats.

"We'll rest here." Tiberius stopped, looking over his shoulder at the three other wolves. It had only been a mere three hours since they had left the humans behind. This was still too close, as far as he was concerned.

Sasha curled up next to the base of a large oak, her brother wrapping around her to keep her warm. Tobi looked over at Ember. The near pitch black stood several yards off, shivering in the cold. Tiberius settled down at the base of another tree, his back to the others. He lifted his head up and looked over at the shivering wolf, turning away and laying his head back down. He felt responsible for what had happened only hours earlier. If he had only been more careful, paid better attention, Mist would still be alive. Why did she have to die? When they were so close at being free. Why'd she go back? He let a tear fall. He had let them down, everyone. He should have gone with her… but…. He looked back over his shoulder at the twins, cuddled together to keep warm. No, someone had to protect them, to look after them. They may be full grown on the outside, but there was still a lot of growing on the inside to do. Tib shifted his gaze, was he really just gonna stand there in the cold? Ember looked hesitantly in the older wolfs direction. Tiberius scooted over slightly, pointing to the ground next to him with his muzzle.

"You coming or not?"

Ember's ears picked up and he cautiously walked over. Laying down beside the large tan wolf, his back to him. Tib curled up and waited for the pup to fall asleep. It didn't take long, they were all so heavily exhausted. He let his eyes slowly slide closed, drifting off to sleep.

Tiberius awoke with a start. Something didn't feel right. He felt… cold. He shot to his feet looking down at the small patch of earth that Ember had occupied the night before. He quickly looked up to the other two pups. They were still fast a sleep, so where had the collared pup gone. Oh no…. He had a collar! Tib needed to find him, and quick!

Tiberius put his nose to the ground and blazed away from the place they had settled down for the night. He followed the scent down a side trail a little ways before it branched off. He paused and looked up where it had broken from the main trail. That was odd, why would he go that way? Tiberius ran through the brush, the scent was get fresher ever step he took. He came to a sudden stop. Something was moving up ahead, making quite a ruckus. He swiveled his ears to locate the source of the sound. It was coming from a ways ahead, he lowered his body, moving slowly towards the commotion. Within minutes he was close enough to make out a scent. It was Ember all right, But what was he doing way out here? Tiberius waded through the brush and sat down in behind the pup.

"What are you doing?"

Ember froze, his eyes as big as a new moon. He tried to turn around rather awkwardly, his body contorting itself in an effort to face the older wolf. "I… I was hungry…. I saw a rabbit…. But…."

"But what…" Tib said, rather unimpressed at the strange behavior the pup was displaying.

"I'm stuck."

Tib lifter a brow. "Stuck?"

"Yeah…" Ember sat down, his head unusually close to a large branch. "This stupid collar… it's stuck."

"Then take it off."

"WHAT?!" Ember stared at him in disbelief.

"You heard me."

"But…but why?"

"We have to break all ties with the humans… lose the collar, or you lose us." Tiberius stood up to leave.

The tan wolf took a few steps before stopping at the words of the black and white pup. "Wait! I wanna go with you guys!"

"Then lose the collar."

"I… can't… can….. Can you."

"Can I what?" Tib said disgustedly.

"Can you help me…. I can't get it off by myself."

"Fine," he sighed, walking over and slipping the collar in between his jaws. " 'old 'till "

Ember closed his eyes tight, holding as still as he could given the awkward position he was forced to be in. He could feel the raw power as the large wolfs jaws scissored through the thin material. Suddenly he felt a release and fell to the ground, the severed collar falling beside him on the ground.

"Th..thanks…"

"Don't bother… let's go." Tib moved to leave, turning back when he noted the pup wasn't following yet. "Hurry up! We don't want to be late."

"Late?" The pup said, running up beside him and settling into a decent pace as they headed back along the way Tiberius had come.

"Theirs a gathering of wolves…. If we can find it… we'll find Shiego."

"Shiego?" Ember said, he had only ever heard that name in passing. What was so important about him? "Who's that?"

Tiberius continued on, ignoring the question at first.

"Tiberius?" The pup asked hesitantly.

"He's our alpha…. The white wolf of legend."

"HEY! THERE YOU ARE!" Sasha barked, running up to the two wolves.

"Huh? What?" Ember said, cocking his head to the side.

"TOBI!" Sasha hollered at the top of her lungs. "I FOUND THEM!"

"I can hear ya you know…." Tobi mumbled, folding his ears back against his head.

"…eh… sorry…" Sasha cringed, noticing that she had quite literally yelled in his face.

"That's okay…" Tobi said, slowly lifting one ear. "We're all together now."

"So… where we going?" Sasha quipped, wagging her tail, taking a quick glance at the younger pup. He was rather cute, for a pup she thought to herself.

"Were going to the gathering." Tiberius said matter-of-factly.

"THE GATHERING!?" The twins yipped in unison.

Ember folded his ears against his head and cringed at the sudden outburst.

"Yes… now let's go."

"But… but…. They'll kill us… you remember what happened last time." Tobi curled his lip at the memory.

"It's our only hope of finding Shiego…"

"Do you… you think… he's… you know…. Looking for us?" Sasha stuttered.

"I don't know… but we have to find him."

"Why?" Ember said, getting a trio of blank stares back at him. "What?"

"He's our alpha…." Tobi started.

"Ya, I know… but what's so special about him?"

"He's our only way to Paradise." Sasha explained.

"Sasha…" Tobi poked her in the side with his nose.

"HEY, knock it off."

"What?"

"You haven't told him yet?!" She barked.

"Eh… no." Tobi shrugged.

"Oh boy… okay… listen here Ember." Sasha said motioning him to walk beside her as they started walking.

Sasha spent the better part of the morning explaining about the white wolf and Paradise. She spent plenty of time talking about how, without the white wolf, they wouldn't have been even alive right now. Tiberius plodded on without comment, grunting here and there as Sasha would tell about many of the exploits that they had been through, skipping the bad parts and slightly exaggerating the good.

"Hold up…" Tiberius said, coming to a halt.

"What is it?" Tobi said, stopping beside him.

"You smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"We've been here before… " he walked of to a tree to sniff a patch of slightly discolored bark.

"What makes you think…." He bent down to sniff the bark. "Oh… that…" He blushed.

"I told you to mark well off the trail." Tib scolded.

"Sorry…" The pup gave off a sly grin.

"Fine, anyway at least we know we're going I circles."

"Circles!?" Sasha said, shocked. She had been paying little attention to where they were going, instead lost in conversation. Though the talk was rather one sided.

"Yes, we've been here before…." Tib said as he put his nose to the ground. Determining which way they had gone wouldn't be to difficult. Finding out which way they should go would.

"W….What… are you… doing?" Ember stuttered. It was starting to really annoy Tiberius.

"Can you just be quiet."

"S…s… sorry… I d… didn't…"

"ENOUGH! Sasha… take him over there and keep him quite." Tiberius barked, furrowing his eyebrows in frustration.

"Um… okay." Sasha mumbled, catching the irritated tone in his voice. "Over here Ember…"

Ember walked off after the sienna colored pup. She sat down next to a tall pine, stretching her forepaws and letting out a yawn. Ember sat cautiously next to her. Several feet away so as not to upset Tiberius.

"S…so…. What was that about…?" Ember stuttered less around the female for some reason.

"He just gets grumpy sometimes," She giggled as she watched the two male wolves, noses to the ground as the ran to and fro following scent trails. "Nothing to worry about."

"B… but, he's so big…."

"So…? "

"I… I don't wanna make him mad… at me."

"Ah come on! He's not mad!" Playfully jabbing his shoulder with her nose.

"Hey!" The black and white pup yipped.

"What?"

"What was that for?"

"What was what for?" She teased, lowering her front paws and wagging her tail in a playful manner.

"That? The… the nose thing?"

"You mean this?" She bopped him again.

"Hey… cut it out."

"Aww… come on. Why not?"

"Because…"

"Because why?" She sat back on her haunches and stared at him, slightly perplexed.

"Just 'cause."

"Come on! Tell ME!" She nipped at his tail.

"NO! Now knock it off!" He stood up abruptly, looking down at the shocked she-wolf that was only slightly older than himself.

Sasha just stared up at him, obviously she felt hurt. All she wanted was to play with him, have some fun while Tib and her brother were busy.

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"SASHA! Ember! Let's go!" Tib yelled, finally deciding on a route to take.

"Sasha…"

The brown pup got up and tore past him, a tear streaking down her cheek. She raced past Tobi and fell in line behind the large tan wolf. Tobi trotted up beside the other black wolf, something had upset his sister.

"What was that about?"

"I honestly don't know…"

What is it that upset Sasha so much? Why are they heading to the one place that nearly got them killed? Just what is the legend of the white wolf?

All that and more coming up!

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