Perilous - harrypottergal (book club books .txt) 📗

The wolves treasured this time of day; it was a time to forget all the seriousness of survival and act like pups again.
When the last of the light rays of the sunset were no longer visible due to the blackness of night, Lina called the pups into the cave to rest for the night. Lina lay in the most sheltered corner, and the pups followed her lead, snuggling into her warm fur and resting against each other for body heat.
Sita’s mind was still racing, though his limbs ached with tiredness. He replayed the hunt over and over again in his mind: his mother lunging at the male caribou, startling all the others around him, his father leading the race after the tired male, the pack surrounding the defeated animal when it could run no longer. At some point during this recollection, Sita’s dark eyes closed and he fell into a deep, contented sleep, surrounded by his family.
It was the last time he would ever do so.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Early the next morning, Lina roused the pups with a gentle licking. Slowly they all rose to their feet, but even Sita was still exhausted from the previous days exertions. For a full grown wolf, the running was normal and even fun, but for the pups it was downright tiring.
“Mother, I’m tired,” complained Nika, stretching his limbs stiffly.
“A wolf is never tired,” snarled Sita, ashamed at his brother’s weakness. Lina gave him a warning look.
“You have a right to be tired, my dear. We will not go far today.”
Dima trotted into the cave and dropped a dead, dark brown hare on the floor in front of the pups. Dima was gifted with incredible stealth, even for a wolf, and she had caught three hares that morning. One, she had given to the alpha male and female, Kassian and Lina. Another, she gave to the other five wolves after eating some herself. The third, she gave to the pups.
Once the hares had been devoured, Lina led the way down to the river. The pups hung back, trotting slowly next to each other. Even Sita stayed near the rear, not having the strength to go any faster, though he would never admit it. Mihas brought up the rear, occasionally saying words of encouragement to keep the pups going.
Sita was relieved when he saw the rushing rapids of the river and heard the water slamming against the rocks ahead. He knelt down and took a long drink of the icy cold yet crystal clear water. Ella, Nika, and Kira drank on either side of him gratefully. Sita’s paws throbbed painfully and his joints were stiff and awkward.
Sita sat back and panted heavily, refreshed yet still tired. He glanced around the river, taking in the snow covered pine trees and snow mounds, along with his family. Mihas and Dima were trying to catch a salmon in the river, while Artemi, Avel and Tekla sniffed around the tree level for small game. Kassian was licking Lina affectionately. Everything seemed normal, until Kassian suddenly threw up his head in alarm.
Sita started when his father gave a harsh bark. Mihas looked up and ran over to Kassian’s side. As Beta male of the pack, he was often the main protector, alongside Kassian. Kassian spoke swiftly to Mihas, and both wolves glanced up at the cloudy gray sky. Sita followed their lead, as did most of the other wolves.
At first, Sita saw nothing amid the haze of clouds. Then a shape emerged from them and dove, flying low to the ground and making an unmistakably loud humming noise. It was shaped like a bird, with wings stretching ten feet on either side. The body was painted metallic black, and a strange, fast movement was coming from the front. Sita tilted his head as he tried to process the information. As far as he knew, this was just a large bird of prey. Coming strait toward the pack.
“An airplane!” called Artemi, bounding forward to his alpha male. Kassian watched the airplane for a few seconds, then turned called a brisk order, his voice full of a fear that Sita had never heard before from a wolf: “RUN!”
Kassian, Lina, Dima, and Artemi ran for the cover of the trees. Avel and Tekla met them there, and they all ran into the thick forest. Ella, Nika, and Kira bounded forward after their mother, but Sita was frozen in amazement. He kept his eyes on the airplane, watching as it descended closer and closer to his open position.
Suddenly he felt a tug at the back of his neck, and he was flying along toward the trees, hanging by the scruff of his neck in Mihas’ gentle mouth. The two black wolves galloped away from the river, until a harsh and violent snap came from above.
Sita tumbled to the ground, hitting and running over the snow. He looked behind him and saw that Mihas had fallen, and was now whimpering pitifully on the ground, dark red liquid turning the white snow red from a wound on his back. Sita squealed and run toward the Beta wolf, but Mihas yelled at him in a rasping voice: “No! Run Sita! Leave me and go!”
Sita whimpered. Wolves rarely left an injured member of the pack, and it was against Sita’s nature to go on alone. The airplane flew over him, chasing after the pack.
Finally fear and obedience came into play and Sita began to run. He ran as if he had never run before in his life. He was desperate to get to his pack; to tell them what had happened; to go back to Mihas and help him.
Sita shuddered as three successive cracks sounded again from above. He kept running, hoping that the trees would protect his parents, his aunts, and his uncles. As he leaped over the snow mounds, another three cracks came from the airplane. The little pup ducked under a small pine tree and cowered beneath the branches, shaking uncontrollably.
“Sita?” came a small voice.
Sita turned around and saw three pairs of eyes staring fearfully at him. Hesitantly, Nika crept forward and sat next to his brother. “What happened? Where’s Mihas?”
“He-he fell, back by the river. He told me to keep going, to leave him…” Sita’s voice broke as he pictured the crimson blood leaving the strong wolf’s body. “What happened to you? Where are mother and father?” Sita asked.
“Mother told us to stay under here until she came for us. Then she ran off with the others. Sita-you don’t think…” Ella said, nervously speaking for the first time.
None of the pups waited for an answer. They all broke through the shelter of the pine branches and darted through the forest, calling for the pack. No sound greeted them in return.
Desperate, Sita howled and then listened for a return. Nothing.
“Nika! Sita! Kira! Ella! Over here” came a familiar voice after they had been running frantically for over an hour.
All the pups stopped abruptly and ran toward the sound of the voice.
Artemi stepped out from behind a pine tree, limping badly from a wound in his left paw. He winced painfully as the wound hit the ground and more blood spewed over.
“Artemi!” cried Nika, Ella, and Kira in relief, ambling over to the gray wolf. Artemi nuzzled him affectionately. Sita hung back, looking around for the other adults. Trees and snow were the only thing he saw however, and a sinking feeling appeared deep in his chest.
“Where are mother and father? Where are Tekla and Dima and Avel?” the pups asked at once, their happiness at greeting Artemi short-lived.
The older wolf sighed unhappily and closed his eyes. He lay down by the side of a thick tree, and was silent for a long time. The pups waited.
“We are our own family now.” Imprint

Publication Date: 02-22-2010

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