A Wolf’s Howl

“Weakling!”

“Moose brain!”

I crawled out of my den into the cool evening to find that my pack has taken yet another prisoner wolf. The air was still and the sky was clear as they taunted and attacked him. Just like the previous times, I've felt bad about the way my pack treats their prisoners. I know they're wrong but speaking out means death. That's the harsh reality of being born into the Shadow Stalkers pack. Despite wanting to save the unlucky wolf, I only stood by and watched. However, there was something different about this wolf that I hadn't seen in others before. He was a brown red color with amber eyes and he faced his captors with a strong sense of confident defiance. I watched him intrigued and then, our eyes met. I knew in that instant that I was going to save him, no matter what the punishment was for me.

When the full moon rose, the pack forced him into a cave. I didn’t follow but I knew what they were doing. They put a rope around his neck so he wouldn’t escape, one that would only get tighter if he tried. In the past, there has been three wolves that have strangled themselves to death by trying to escape. Still, a guard was posted outside the cave while most of the pack went on a hunting trip. I stayed behind and quietly approached the cave. When I was near enough, I attacked the guard, a grey wolf with a white underbelly. I bit down on his pressure point until he passed out. Then I went in and approached the wolf.

“What do you want?” he snapped.

“Easy. I’m here to free you,” I replied. I gnawed at the rope until it came loose. He shook it off.

“Why?” he then asked, his voice more gentle.

“I’m not like the rest of my pack. I know what they’re doing is wrong,” I told him.

“Then why don’t you leave?” he asked.

“It’s not that easy. If I do, they’ll hunt me down and kill me.”

He was silent for a moment, looking away. Then, he turned back to me. “Come with me. You can join my pack. You’ll be safe,” he said.

“I...can’t. Go, get out of here before they come back,” I urged him. He sighed and looked down before running out. I was relieved he was free but at the same time I felt a new feeling, a longing to see him again. I stood there for a moment, debating if I should go after him and run away. No, I can’t. They’ll find me. They always find those that try to run away. I turned around and snuck back to my den.

*************

The next day, I was woken by a painful nip on my ear. I yelped and jumped up. “Move. You’re in big trouble,” the dark brown wolf with a light brown underbelly and green eyes ordered. He was the beta male of the pack named Badger. I looked away submissively and followed him outside.

“Solarflare, we know you let our prisoner escape last night,” the dark yellow alpha male, Kornel growled, his almost black eyes staring right at me. Standing right beside him was the guard, who was glaring at me. I lowered my head out of habit. Then, I saw my brother approaching. He was a darker red than I was but he had the same blue eyes.

“Ergon, teach her a lesson,” Badger ordered. My brother nodded once in acknowledgement. I looked into his eyes pleadingly but only saw disappointment. If it was any other wolf, I might’ve been able to fight back but I couldn’t fight my brother and they knew this.

He came over to me and clawed my shoulder. I winced from the painful sting but perhaps what hurt the most was that my brother allowed himself to be controlled by them. He then bit down on my back. It wasn’t hard but it was enough to draw blood. He continued this process of biting and clawing me until I was covered in bites and scratches. After, the other wolves followed me back to my den, growling and snarling. “Next time, it’ll be much worse,” Kornel warned before he walked off.

I sighed as I went into my den. I laid down and curled up as a few silent tears ran down my face. After about an hour of resting, I stood up. As much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn’t stay in my den all day. I’d have to go out to eat and drink, among other things. I’d have to endure the glares and disapproving looks sooner or later.

I went outside and got a drink. Thankfully, the pack was on a hunting or scouting trip. I found leftover meat and ate some before walking back to my den. When I got there, I saw a wolf standing nearby in the shadows, the same wolf I had rescued the night before. “What are you doing here?” I asked him, a little irritated.

“I came back to try to get you to come with me again,” he said. “What happened?” he asked after a moment, noticing the wounds on my body.

“It’s...well, they found out I was the one to free you,” I admitted.

“You have to leave, now. Please, come with me,” he said.

I shook my head. “No, I told you I can’t,” I reminded him.

“If you stay, you’re putting your life in danger more than you would be if you came with me. I promise you’ll be safe,” he urged.

“I’m not going to save my life just to endanger my brother’s. Even though he acts like he’s a part of them, I know he’s not and they could still kill him if I left,” I explained and he sighed.

“Can I at least get your name?” he asked.

“Solarflare,” I replied after a moment. “Now what’s yours?”

“Timber,” he replied, smiling slightly.

I heard the pack coming back. “You’ve got to go now,” I told him. He hesitated a moment before he turned and ran off. I sighed and went back into my den. I curled up and fell asleep quickly.

**************

Dream

Blackness surrounded me. I had no idea where I was but I could hear voices. Slowly they became clearer.

“They betrayed the pack. Betrayal deserves death.”

“They found a new pack before we could get to them though.”

“That doesn’t matter. We’re just gonna have to attack them and kill anyone who stands in our way. Then we’ll kill the alpha known as Timber.”

Dream end

***************

I gasped and jolted awake, breathing heavily. They’re going to kill him anyway, along with my brother and me. Maybe the best thing to do is to go with Timber. At least then we’ll have more of a fighting chance. I sighed and got up. I looked outside. The sun was barely starting to come up, the perfect time for me to make my escape if I decided to leave.

I can’t leave my brother behind but he probably won’t risk coming, especially since he seems like he’s doing well here. He’d try to stop me and he could rat me out. He’s my brother, though. He held himself back when he was forced to hurt me. If I don’t invite him though, they could still kill him. Ugh, why does it have to be this way!?

I paced around my den for a few moments before finally coming to a decision with a sigh. I’m sorry, brother but I can’t stay here any longer. Please forgive me. I double checked outside to make sure no other wolves were around. When I was sure all was clear, I snuck out. I kept walking until the sun had risen all the way, careful to make it hard for them to track me. I finally took a break when I came across a rock ledge. I went under it and lied down. I felt hunger and thirst coming but there was nothing around to stop it.

As I rested for a bit, I realized a problem that I hadn’t thought about before: how I was going to find Timber. I have no idea where his pack is. I didn’t plan on doing this. Suddenly, I caught the scent of a wolf nearby. I stood up quickly, alert and ready to defend myself if necessary.

A rogue wolf then came out of the bushes, baring her teeth. Her grey fur was messy with small twigs and leaves tangled in it. She had a large scar on her chest where no fur grew. Her yellow eyes were full of hate and she looked as if she was ready to kill someone...someone like me.

I gulped. I was scared for my life since this was the first time I had encountered a rogue wolf. Show no fear. Stand your ground, my father’s words rang in my head over and over. I got in a defensive position as she approached. I bared my teeth and growled. However, she showed no response to it and kept coming towards me.

Then, she attacked and knocked me down. She bit hard into my shoulder and clawed my side. I winced but managed to rake the scar on her chest. It seemed only like a scratch though. I tried to bite her leg but I wasn’t able to. She then started clawing my neck. I thought I’d be done for sure when she decided to bite my neck but then out of nowhere, another wolf tackled her off of me. I looked up in time to see her running away back through the forest.

“Are you alright?” I heard a familiar voice ask. I got to my legs and saw Timber.

“Yeah, I’ll live,” I replied with a small smile. Am I ever glad to see you though.

“So you finally decided to leave,” he commented with a small smile back.

“After a lot of debating with myself about it,” I chuckled a little.

“Well I’m glad I found you then. Are you ready to come to my pack?” he asked.

“I’ll come visit,” I answered.

“Alright, that’s good enough for me,” he smiled a little.

He led me to his pack. The wolves greeted him respectfully, like he was...the alpha. That’s right! In my dream, they said he was the alpha.

“Aspen, this is Solarflare. She was attacked by a rogue wolf,” Timber explained to a dark purple wolf. She had patches of light purple as well as purple eyes.

“I understand. I’ll take care of her,” she replied before turning to me. “Come. I’ll treat your wounds in my den,” she instructed. I nodded and she led me to her den. “Lie down on your uninjured side,” she then said without looking at me. I did and when she turned around, I saw she was chewing something. I knew it was for a medical reason but I didn’t know exactly what. She spit it out on my shoulder after a moment. I flinched a little at the slight sting but it faded after a moment. She padded the red-green mix down gently with her paw. “So, would you mind telling me what pack you’re from?” Aspen asked before turning around again.

I hesitated, fearful of how she might react. I decided it would be best to just tell her the truth anyay. That way, I could have a better chance of earning her and the rest of the pack’s trust. “I’m from...the Shadow Stalkers,” I told her slowly. She tensed up for a moment. I could tell she was thinking. She then relaxed a little and turned back to me. She spit out the same colored paste again onto my neck and my side. She patted it down with her paw again.

“Aspen! Aspen!” I heard a small voice call. A few seconds later, a pup with grey fur that had dark blue spots and sapphire eyes came running in. “Timber wants to see you,” she said. She looked at me and smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Please ask him if he could come here since I’m taking care of an injured wolf right now, Atilla,” she told her after a moment. The pup nodded and ran off again. “Look, uh, sorry if I seem a little apprehensive. I’m sure you know very well that your pack is notorious for its cruelty,” Aspen said. I nodded but before I could say anything, Timber came in. He and Aspen walked out. I heard them talking but I didn’t know what they were saying. After a minute or two, Aspen came back but Timber left. “Rest now. I’ll be back in about an hour,” she said before leaving.

I sighed and a few moments later, the same pup came back. “Hi, I’m Atilla! What’s your name?” she asked excitedly.

“Solarflare,” I replied with a small smile.

“Cool name! You should totally join our pack. Timber is a really good leader. He’s super nice and won’t let anyone hurt us. Did you know we’re also really good hunters? My dad is Jupiter. You’ll know him when you see him. He’s the biggest, bravest and strongest wolf in the pack! He looks fierce but he’s actually really caring. My mom is Opal. Her eyes are like mine. I’ve never heard her yell, even when I get in trouble,” she rambled, making me chuckle.

"Well you’re very convincing but I think you’d have to ask Timber if it’s alright first,” I smiled.

“I’m sure it will be! He’s very accepting. As long as you aren’t gonna hurt us, he’ll let you in. I don’t believe you’re gonna hurt us,” she smiled back.

She’s very trusting. If she knew what pack I was from, perhaps she wouldn’t be. “Thank you. I promise you I won’t,” I told her. We talked for a little bit longer until Aspen came back.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Much better, thank you,” I answered. She nodded and took the medicine off.

“Well, your wounds should heal up quicker and better now. Just don’t do anything too strenuous for the next three days. Other than that, you’re free to go. Timber wants to see you,” she mentioned.

I stood and nodded. “Come on, I’ll help you find him!” Atilla said excitedly.

I chuckled. “Alright, lead the way,” I smiled. As we walked, Atilla continued to chat about the pack and her adventures.

“I see you made a new friend, Atilla,” Timber smiled when we got to him.

“Yeah!” she cheered happily before turning to me. “Well, I’ll see you later, Solarflare. I’ve gotta go find my mom now,” she smiled.

“I saw her last at the pond,” Timber mentioned.

“Okay. Thank you!” she called as she bounded off.

I chuckled a little. If I was being honest with myself, I was a little jealous. I never really had that much happiness growing up. I was always under the threat that if I messed up, I would get hurt. There were a few times when I was forced to watch them hurt a prisoner wolf, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop them because I was only a pup. The worst one I had to watch was when they stole a black and white striped fur with cloudy grey eyes. Our eyes met and I saw just how terrified he was. He kept looking right at me as if begging for help. In that moment, I had never felt so helpless and guilty. It still bothers me and to this day, I have no idea what became of that pup because they took me away before things actually started.

“Solarflare,” a voice tore me from my thoughts.

“Oh, uh, sorry. I...started thinking about the past,” I admitted.

“It’s alright,” Timber smiled a little. “You’re welcome to stay with us as long as you’d like,” he then said.

“Thank you,” I replied with a nod. After seeing how well off they are and how happy everyone is, especially the pups, I regret getting them involved. It was probably just a dream. I shouldn’t have come. But I can't go back to my pack now, can I? Is risking my life worth the small chance that they’ll be merciful? On the other paw, there’s the option of travelling as a lone wolf but...I can't be on the run my entire life. Without a pack, getting a substantial amount of food each day would be difficult.

“Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of the pack,” Timber said. I nodded and followed him. First, we met with a large orange colored wolf that had dark orange stripes and amber eyes.

“Hi, my name’s Jupiter,” he greeted with a smile. I smiled back and introduced myself. We then moved on and came across a black wolf with grey splotches and eyes that looked black.

“This is Obsidian,” Timber introduced. A dark brown pup with a few areas of dark purple and purple eyes stood by him.

“Nice to meet you. This is my son, Axis,” he said. The pup smiled and I gave him a smile back. We then met up with a blue-grey wolf with sapphire eyes. She was by the pond with the pup named Atilla that I had seen earlier.

“Hi Solarflare!” Atilla greeted cheerfully when she noticed me. “Remember when I told you about my mom, Opal? This is her!” she said with a smile. I chuckled a little as her mom came over with a smile.

“My daughter has told me about you. It’s good to meet you,” she said with a friendly nod.

“Likewise,” I replied with a chuckle. We talked for a minute before we walked away.

“Well, that’s the pack,” Timber said, smiling slightly as he so often did.

“They all seem really nice,” I commented and he nodded. Great, now that I’ve met them all I feel even worse for dragging them into this.

“Solarflare, I’m worried about your safety. I ask that you stay with us,” Timber said.

“Thank you but I shouldn’t stay too long,” I told him with a regretful smile.

He nodded. I spent the rest of the day with him and the pack. We went hunting together, which was actually only the second time I had gone hunting and it was awesome. I was so involved that I temporarily forgot about my pack. The wind blowing through my fur as we chased down an old female elk made me feel like I had always been a part of Timber’s pack, like I was meant to be with them. I hadn’t experienced such a feeling of belonging when I had first hunted with my pack. Then I had been tense and scared that if I messed up or caused us to fail, they would hurt or even kill me. But with Timber’s pack, I was relaxed and happy, something I hadn’t felt for a very long time.

“You’re a great hunter,” Timber commented afterwards.

“Thanks but this was only my second time going on a hunt,” I admitted to them.

“What, really? Wow, I never would have guessed that. You’re a natural,” Jupiter complimented.

“Thanks,” I replied shyly.

After we ate, we went back to the rest of the pack with the leftover chunks of meat in our jaws. We talked for a little bit. Well, mostly Atilla talked to me and asked me questions about the hunt and a little about my life. Then, Timber showed me the den I could stay in. I thanked him and we said goodnight. I went in and curled up. I stayed awake for a little while, listening to the slow fading chatter of the remaining wolves retiring for the night. Eventually I fell asleep to my musing about whether I should stay or go.