Promise Of The Wolves (29 page)

“Help them!” I called. But my voice wasn’t strong enough and my breath came short. I was more hurt from my battle with Yonor than I had realized. My pack didn’t hear me over the brays of the elkryn and the calls of humans and wolves. I looked for Tlitoo to carry my message, but couldn’t find him.

“Pups in trouble!” Werrna’s booming voice startled me so much I stumbled. She began to run. Ázzuen’s head snapped around and he saw where Ranor and the other elkryn were charging. He shoved his head into BreLan’s hip and BreLan, too, saw the charging elkryn. He called something out, and several humans began to run from across the plain to protect their young. They wouldn’t make it in time, either.

We can fight them,
Ranor shouted.
It is time for us to stop being afraid of hunters, time to take back the plains.
The two other elkryn ran faster. I heard rapid pawsteps as Yllin caught up to me.

“Tell me what to do,” she said. “Tell me how to hunt with the humans.”

“Open yourselves to them,” I panted. “Find one that you can communicate with and hunt with it as you would with a packmate. Don’t think of them as Other.”

Yllin dipped her head and ran on, her legs a blur of fur and dust.

Werrna, too, was overtaking me. “I will hunt elkryn as I always have,” she snorted, “with teeth and wits. But I will not allow them to harm pups. Not even human pups.”

She put forth a burst of speed and followed on Yllin’s heels.

I couldn’t run any farther. I hurt too much. I kept moving at a limping walk. I could only watch and hope.

Marra and Ázzuen sped to engage the young elkryn who were charging to Ranor’s aid. MikLan and BreLan were close behind them. I was too tired to call out to them, to tell them what to do, but they didn’t need my help. The four of them moved like a wolf pack that has been together for years, like water flowing over river rocks. Ázzuen and Marra ran at the flanks of the two elkryn, driving them toward BreLan and MikLan, who shouted and waved their sharpsticks. The elkryn snorted and huffed and twisted aside. When they turned to attack again, the wolves and humans again drove them away. The elkryn lost their nerve and took off across the plain, Ázzuen and Marra following to make sure they stayed away.

That left Ranor. The huge elkryn roared in fury and ran faster toward the human pups. When he was but a leap away from the small humans, Werrna and Yllin rammed into him. Werrna yowled in triumph. At the same time, a human male, a human who must have been able to run almost as fast as a wolf to get there as fast as he did, threw his sharpstick. It grazed off Ranor’s flank. The double assault startled Ranor, and he staggered aside. Then he lowered his head and charged again.

Werrna and Yllin were face to face with the young human. Werrna stared at him for a moment, then shook herself and turned away. But Yllin jutted her head forward and opened her mouth to inhale the scent of the human. She licked his hand. It happened so fast I wondered if I’d imagined it. Then the two of them ran together toward Ranor.

I had almost reached them when Ranor changed course sharply, dodging Werrna and Yllin. He stood still for a moment, and then looked over his shoulder.

Come to me
, he called again to the two young elkryn.
Are you cowards? You will never win mates if you run so easily. Return to fight and I will share my mates with you.
They snorted and ran back to him. The three of them began to advance slowly toward the human young. Yllin and her human stood alone in their path. Werrna sprinted to join them. A moment later, Ázzuen, Marra, BreLan, and MikLan stood at their side. Humans held up their sharpsticks and hefted large stones. Wolves bared their teeth and growled. Tlitoo and three other ravens hovered above them. The young elkryn broke and ran.

Ranor hesitated for a moment, and then saw the large group of humans sprinting across the plain to save their young. He shook his head hard.
I will not forget this
, he hissed through his teeth.
I will not forget what you wolves have done.

He shook his head once more and followed the other elkryn off the plain.

T
he Swift River wolves did not wait for the running humans to reach them, since anxious humans can be unpredictable. Werrna and Yllin trotted away quickly. Ázzuen pressed against BreLan’s hip and Marra gently touched MikLan’s hand with her nose, and then the two of them darted after the grown wolves. For a moment I thought the humans might chase after them, even though the wolves had rescued their young, but they just watched warily as the wolves loped away.

The fight, however, wasn’t over yet.

Ruuqo and Minn had caught up with me, and the others gathered around us. I looked over my shoulder to see Rissa walking slowly in our direction with TaLi, Trevegg, and Unnan. Yllin’s eyes did not leave the human she had stood with. Werrna stretched nonchalantly and yawned, looking pleased with herself. I couldn’t believe how calm she was.

“It’s a pity we can’t go after Ranor and teach him not to hunt Swift River wolves,” she said, watching the elkryn’s retreating form. Tlitoo was following the elkryn, swooping down to pull at his tail. “But I think Torell has something to say to us.”

It was quite an understatement. Torell and six Stone Peaks pelted toward us, fury rising off them. The Tree Lines followed more slowly. I kept a nervous eye out for the humans in case they decided such a large group of wolves was a threat and decided to attack.

Torell and Ceela reached us at the same time, the rest of their pack behind them. I felt strangely disappointed that Pell was not with them.

“This is not over,” Torell snarled. “Your pups have ruined our hunt, but we will have another. And you will not stop us again, or I swear, Ruuqo, I will kill every wolf in your pack.”

“It’s over,” Ruuqo said. “It should never have begun. You will leave this plain and cause no more disruption. Or you will have your fight with Swift River.”

Torell looked startled. I don’t think he expected Ruuqo to accept his challenge.

“You have caused one of my best hunters to be injured. I don’t know if he will run again.”

I looked behind him to see Pell lying on the ground. My heart stopped for a moment. He was awake, and his head was up, but he did not stand.

“Your pride and stupidity cost you your hunter,” Ruuqo said. “And nearly cost me my mate. I will not allow you to put my pack at risk. Leave the plain while you can, Torell. I have no patience for you today.”

A growl rose around me as every Swift River wolf reinforced Ruuqo’s command.

“If you do not leave,” Werrna said, “you will have your fight.”

“And you will fight Tree Line, too.”

Sonnen, the leaderwolf of Tree Line, stepped forward. “We should not have listened to you, Torell. You have drawn us into trouble and put the lives of my pack at risk. If you fight Swift River, you fight us. Perhaps the valley would be better without the Stone Peak pack.”

Torell growled in frustration. Ceela took a stride forward. Werrna panted and stepped to meet her. We all followed her, pressing the Stone Peaks back. The Tree Line wolves closed in on them from behind. For a moment I thought Torell and Ceela were crazy enough to fight against impossible odds. But they must have retained some sense. The Stone Peak wolves broke free and ran. My distaste for them increased when I saw that they had left Pell behind. Sonnen dipped his head to Ruuqo and led his pack to make sure Torell did not return to the plain.

As soon as the Stone Peaks were gone, TaLi’s grandmother, who had reached the Tall Grass plain at last, strode confidently over to Pell. She gestured to TaLi, who walked rapidly to join her. They bent down and began to work with their plants to help the injured wolf. I looked up to see Greatwolves, hiding all around the plain, rising from their hunting postures, and stepping back silently into the woods. I felt my chest loosen in relief. My neck and back were stiffening up so much I didn’t think I could stand much longer. I groaned just a little.

Ruuqo very gently placed his head on my shoulder. He didn’t thank me or tell me he had been wrong not to listen to me—he just let his head rest on my back for a moment. Embarrassed, I ducked my head before licking his muzzle in thanks, and then watched as he returned to Rissa’s side. Then, trying to ignore the aches in every part of my body, I set off toward a spot where the forest met the plain.

There was one more thing I needed to do.

I had seen Zorindru watching us as we sent the Stone Peaks away. He emerged from the woods before I could reach him. Frandra and Jandru were with him. They met me on a flat patch of dirt just beyond the trees, and the three of them watched me silently, waiting for me to speak. I knew that in spite of everything—in spite of the fact that we had stopped the battle and chased the Stone Peaks away—the Greatwolves still might decide to kill us. Tlitoo landed in front of me, standing between me and the Greatwolves, and pressed his head for just a moment against my chest. I took a deep breath, feeling every rib groan in protest. I lowered my head respectfully.

“They didn’t fight,” I said to Zorindru.

“And so?” The ancient Greatwolf’s tone was unreadable.

“They didn’t fight,” I said again. “You said if they fought, the Greatwolves would kill them. Kill all of us. But they didn’t.” I looked up to meet his eyes. “They didn’t fight, so you shouldn’t kill any of the wolves or humans.”

“They didn’t fight because you caused a stampede,” Frandra snorted. “How do we know they won’t fight again the first chance they get?”

Tlitoo snapped up a spider and threw it at the Greatwolf.

I looked over my shoulder at the humans and wolves spread out across the plain. The old krianan had left Pell’s side to walk toward us. TaLi stayed, doing something complex to the injured wolf’s leg. A small boy squatted next to her, helping. Sonnen watched TaLi respectfully, and a female Tree Line wolf licked the top of the boy’s head, making him laugh. All around the plain, wolves checked their packmates for injuries while the humans gathered up and cared for their young and their old with as much love and concern as any wolf would have.

“You never gave us a chance,” I said. “You said the Greatwolves sent Lydda away. She never had a chance to try to stop the war. So you don’t know whether or not she would have been able to.” I raised my chin and lifted my tail just a little. “You should at least give us a chance.”

All three Greatwolves regarded me silently. The old woman reached us then, and placed her hand upon my back.

“Well, Zorindru?” she said.

“The decision is not mine alone, NiaLi,” he said. “You know that. The council believes there will still be a fight—that it’s only a matter of time. But they have agreed to give me a year.” He sighed. “They think that you’ll fail, Kaala, but they will let you try, for a year, to keep peace in the valley.” He looked at me hard, and for such a long time that I began to squirm. “My offer still stands, youngwolf. I will take you to your mother. And your packmates and your three humans could come as well. I think it is very important that you live.”

“They always fight, Kaala,” Jandru said softly. “No matter what you do, when wolves get too close to humans, they fight. You must come away with us. Your children will be watchers, and can save wolfkind.”

“No,” the old woman said suddenly. “You’re wrong.”

“What did you say to us?” Frandra snarled.

“She said you are wrong,” Tlitoo said helpfully, looking for something else to throw at her.

“Look around you,” the old woman said. She gestured to the field behind us. “I think you were wrong to keep a distance from the humans, to watch us the way you watch a creature you wish to hunt. You cannot be guardians if you hide yourselves away.” She bent down to speak to me. “Listen to me, Silvermoon,” she said urgently. “I think you have always known something the krianan wolves have never understood. That in order for wolves to truly watch over humans, they must not watch from afar and meet with a few of us in Speakings once a moon. They must stay very close to us, as you have done with TaLi. The two packs must become one.”

“Then there will be a war!” Frandra burst out. “The humans will again learn too much from wolves. They will get even better at killing. Better at controlling things! As they did in the times of Indru and of Lydda!”

“Then wolves will have to get better at being with humans,” Zorindru said slowly, gazing thoughtfully at the old woman. “It is worth a try. But if you do this, Kaala—if you choose to remain so close to your humans—you must find a way to be with them forever. They will learn so much from you that if you leave them, they will destroy the very world. No matter what you—and those who choose to follow you—must sacrifice, you cannot give up once you have begun. And you must convince others to follow you. Your pack’s fate will be forever tied to that of these humans.”

I began to shake. How could they ask this of me? I was not even a full year old. How could I make a decision for so many wolves? How could I give up finding my mother, perhaps forever?

“Well, youngwolf,” he said to me, “what will it be?”

I looked out across the plain. I saw TaLi tending Pell’s wounds as BreLan and Ázzuen stood next to them. I saw MikLan crouching beside Marra, stroking her fur and checking her over and over again for any injuries. As I watched, Yllin walked boldly over to the young human who had helped her drive Ranor away, and shoved her head into his belly, almost knocking him over. Trevegg, much more tentatively, crept toward an ancient female human, who reached into a pouch at her waist to give him firemeat. Two small humans began to wrestle with a yearling wolf from Tree Line as Sonnen looked on, laughing. They looked like any pack, relaxing together after a hunt or a fight. And a pack stays together, even when things are hard.

TaLi stood and helped Pell to his feet, and then looked over to where we stood watching. The old woman placed her hand once again upon my back.

“I will stay,” I said. “We will stay with the humans.”

“Very well,” Zorindru said. “We will give the wolves of the Wide Valley another chance.”

I licked him in thanks and bowed to all of the Greatwolves, and then to the old woman. I shook myself once and set off across the plain, where the wolves and humans of my pack awaited me.