WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition: ~ Escape from the River ~

(This chapter is told from Gust’s view.)
“Wake up mutt.” A voice growled in my ear, stirring me awake. The figure above me was Cricket, one of the finest-and most vicious- wolves in the pack. Her reddish coat dappled with cream shined in the morning light streaming through the place I slept in- an old coyote burrow that reeked of death. Why did it have that aroma? Why, this was where the deceased wolves that betrayed or harmed the Crimson River’s pack’s bodies were stored before I came along. “The alpha wants to see you and your companion. Now.” She snarled, whipping around and striding out of the den as I stirred Flint awake. “The pack wants to see us.” My paws trembled as I began to come out of the den, feeling Flint brush my flanks as she went past into the clearing, oddly confident. Perched upon a rock was a male and female, each glaring down at my sibling and I with a hint of glee in their expressions. The male had a light gray pelt with black paws- Alpha Swan, as he was titled- and the female had a fur pattern similar to Cricket, yet instead of red-and-cream, it was more black with hints of blonde. This fae was named Alpha Eclipse. “Great, the dogs have come.” Eclipse sneered, several pack mates that had gathered around replying with her. “We brought you here because we want an agreement. I’m sure you remember the days when your mother was still around? That mutt found one of our wolves, and now both met their demise with haste. Well, your mother didn’t. We made it slow.” Swan gave a malicious smirk, which made me and Gust tremble with how cruel they truly were. “Now, here’s what we want. We want you to stop just loafing around and being useless. You will start fighting on the front lines for us. And by the way, we need something to practice biting on. I think Gust and Flint would work well for that, don’t you say, Swan?” The alpha male nodded to his mate, allowing her to rise to her paws, showing off her height. “Get ready.” Both alphas pounced off the rock, with Swan giving me a nip to my tail as they strode into their comfortable, warm den, all while giving us dirty glares. “Gust, we can’t stay.” Flint whispered into my ear once most of the pack was gone. “We’re escaping the river.”

(Told from Flint’s view).
“R-Really? Nobody will let us flee with such ease.” My sibling whispered back, eyes wide with horror until I pressed close to her. “We wait until dusk. Cricket and Daybreak are on guard around that time, but we might be able to slip around them.” I crawled into the den, already feeling the fleas eagerly bounce around my pelt as I curled up into the corner, noticing Gust scramble after me. “I suppose now we wait.”

Finally, the sun’s rays began to fade and once I poked my cranium outside of the den, I saw that only Overcast, a dark gray male with a black throat and reddish tail was in the clearing, yet he made his way into his den swiftly. “All clear.” I whispered to Gust, pulling outside of the den and creeping forth, well aware of her anxiously nibbling my tail. I noticed Cricket’s muscular and athletic silhouette beside Daybreak’s smaller body as the two murmured something at each other, seeming unaware of myself and Gust. Suddenly, just as I began to creep around them, Cricket’s gaze drifted from Daybreak to us, pausing before muttering something to Daybreak. The small fae wandered away from her as Cricket began to trot towards us. I held my breath, ready for a conflict, but her gaze was warm. “Flint, Gust, I can show you the way out.” I was quite flabbergasted at this yet Gust clearly wasn’t, as she was nodding to the athletic female. “I know you’re skeptical, Flint. Trust me and all will be well. Now, if we want to get you out of here before Daybreak returns, let’s make haste and go.”

(Sorry for a short chapter! They’ll get longer as the story goes on. Let me know in the comments what you think of this!