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Silver wolf - Chapter 14



Chapter 14

“What is that now?” She muttered under her breath as she remained on the same spot.

 

She heard the sound again and this time it sounded like something or someone ran past her, behind her in a flash. Scared and holding her breath, she slowly turned around but saw nothing.

 

Her heart began to pound in her chest as she stumbled through the dense forest, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The memory of the wolf's failed attempt to attack her flashed through her mind. She had narrowly escaped being killed by the wolf and then hunger had gnawed at her stomach but now, fear clawed at her mind.

 

“What could be lurking in the bushes?” She thought to herself once again as her eyes scanned the area once again for anything familiar or unfamiliar but there was nothing but silence.

 

“Maybe it was my imagination. It may be that I was hallucinating.” She said to herself as she tried to shake off the thought of the sounds that she had just heard in the bushes.

 

She then decided to continue in her search for something she could eat. As she trudged through the underbrush, the sound of the rustling leaves and snapping twigs made her freeze in place once again. Her eyes darted around once again, searching for any sign of danger. Her heart pounded in her chest like it was threatening to come out. 

 

“Who is there?” She summoned the courage to shout but her voice echoed back to her.

 

Suddenly, a figure darted past her, but this time it wasn't behind her, it was right in front of her, all she saw was a blur of movement that left her heart racing even faster.

 

Panic gripped her as she realized she was not hallucinating and she wasn't alone in the forest. Was it the wolf, who had come back to finish what it had started? Or was it something even more sinister lurking behind the trees? These were the questions she kept asking herself.

 

With trembling hands, she reached for a nearby branch, ready to defend herself against whatever threat approached.

 

“If you do not come out now and show yourself, you'll have yourself to blame.” She threatened. Anyone who heard her threats would have thought she had some kind of power to fight and defeat anyone who came in contact with her at that moment.

 

“I'm going to say this for the last time, come out right now or face the consequences of your actions!” She shouted, holding the branch like her life depended on it and turning in different directions to make sure she wasn't caught by surprise. 

 

“If you don't come out and stop scaring me right now, I'll find you and make sure I kill you!” She added to sound scarier.

 

Gradually, a figure came out of its hiding behind one of the trees and immediately the figure came into view, she let out a sigh of relief. It was a young boy, no more than ten years old, his eyes wide with fear and shock. He was dressed in a brown tee shirt and black pants and had a backpack behind him.

 

Veronica immediately dropped the branch which she was holding and ran to him. "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

The boy nodded, his breath coming in short gasps as he tried to fight the tears which were threatening to begin to pour out of his eyes. “I-I think so. I got separated from my family during the storm last night.”

 

“Wait, what? There was a storm last night?” She asked him, looking at him in confusion because whether there was a storm or not, she could not remember at that moment.

 

“Yes, there was a storm before the rain began.” He replied and Veronica’s eyes widened as she remembered that it was truly about to rain the previous night but it wasn't really stormy.

 

“The only thing I remember was that it was about to rain and I needed to find shelter, then I fell and that was all.” She thought to herself and kept trying hard to remember anything else before her encounter with the wolf in the cave that morning.

 

“Are you okay? You look bothered.” The little boy said to her as he noticed her demeanor.

 

“Yes, I'm fine. It's nothing.” She replied.

 

“I don't believe you. Why do adults always want to lie their way out of situations? That's why I don't trust some adults.” He said and Veronica's heart hitched in pain. 

 

She wondered what it was that such a little boy could have gone through which could make him utter such words.

She faked a smile and said, “Wow, you're such a smart little boy.”

 

“I know. My parents usually say that too.” He confirmed. “So are you going to tell me what you were thinking about or not?” He asked her.

 

“Of course. You know, I was here in the forest last night when it was about to rain but it wasn't too stormy here, or maybe it is because I can't remember properly. It's strange that the only thing I can remember is me trying to find shelter from the rain, I fell and that was it. I woke up this morning and found myself in a scary cave.” She narrated and the little boy just listened, with different facial expressions at every point.

 

“Who took you to the cave?” He asked.

 

“I don't know, I have no idea.” She answered, shrugging and shaking her head.

 

“Wow. That's serious.” He muttered.

“I know, right.” She muttered too.

 

“But why didn't you stay in the cave? Wasn't it safe?” He asked.

 

“Oh no! It wasn't safe. It looked scary with bones everywhere. I was scared as soon as I woke up, that I screamed in fear, only to be faced with a big wolf which tried to kill me.” She revealed and he screamed in shock.

 

“Does that mean there's a wolf in here that might kill us eventually?” He asked in fear.

 

“I don't mean to scare you but I'm afraid, Yes. I don't know how many of them might be here but I'm very sure of the one I had an encounter with.

 

“Oh no! I don't want to die. I need to find my parents.”

 

“Don't worry. I'll find them for you. They might even be looking for you already.

“You will?” He asked in anticipation and happiness.

 

“Of course. We can go and search everywhere for them together.” Veronica said to the happy little boy.

 

“That is so cool of you. Thank you.” He appreciated her and she smiled.

 

“Oh, my bad. My name is Veronica. What is yours?” She asked as soon as she realized that they had been talking without knowing each other's names.

 

“I’m Scott. Nice to meet you.” He said, and stretched his hand to Veronica in a formal manner.

She chuckled and took his hand, “Nice to meet you too.”

 

“So, what brought you here? How did you get lost?

 

“Well, my parents and I came here hiking. They had promised that we would go hiking for a very long time but they never kept to their promise because they have been so busy with pack duties and all. They decided to fulfill their promise yesterday, which was my birthday. We were having so much fun before the storm came and ruined everything.” He narrated to the listening Veronica.

 

“Wow, I guess it's not too late to wish you a belated happy birthday.” She said and he smiled.

 

“Thank you.”

“Are your parents the Alpha and Luna of your pack?” She asked.

 

“Nope. My dad is the Beta of the Alpha, but he is always busy.” He said sadly.

 

“And your mum?” Veronica asked him.

 

“She is as busy as he is too.” He answered, shrugging.

 

“Oh wow.” She muttered.

 

“Are you their only child?” She asked.

 

“No, I had an older sister but she died three years ago.” He replied with sadness in his voice and tried to fight back the tears in his eyes.

 

“Oh no, I'm sorry about that.” Veronica said.

 

“No, it's fine. It's not like you were the one who killed her anyway.” He said, trying to act strong, gaining Veronica's admiration for him.

 

“You know, she really loved me but always felt that I liked too much attention which she didn't seize to give me, especially since our parents weren't always available.”

 

“I miss her so much and I guess that's why our parents became more distant after her death. I think they feel like they caused her death, because they weren't around when she died and they blame themselves for it.” He explained to her, and she just kept wondering how he became so wise despite his young age.

 

“Oh my goodness. That is so sad to hear. I'm so sorry.” Veronica said as she herself tried to blink off her tears.

 

“It's really fine. I mean, compared to when it just happened, our family was broken. You know, she used to tease me that I always acted like a little kid.” He continued.

 

“But you're a little kid, aren't you?” Veronica teased him.

 

“Of course not! I'm not a little kid.” He answered sharply and glared at her.

 

She immediately raised her hands in surrender as she said, “Okay, Okay, you're not a little kid, you're a young man.”

 

He scoffed. “Just in case you don't know, I understand sarcasm quite well and I can say for a fact that you're being sarcastic.”

Surprised by his words, Veronica had to ask, “Wait, tell me, how old are you again?”

 

“I'm ten years old.” He replied. “Aren't you surprised at how old I have gotten? TEN WHOLE YEARS! Wow, I'm really old.” He added, stressing his age and sounding like an old man, that Veronica could not help but burst into laughter.

 

She then rubbed his hair, “I like that you are a very smart young man.” She said and he smiled.

 

“What about you? Are you an only child?” He asked her.

 

“I'm not sure. I don't know much about my birth or my birth parents.”

 

“Uh, I'm so sorry about that.” He said, sadly.

 

“It's fine, you don't have to look so sad.” She assured him.

 

“But wait, I have a question, why didn't you all go back to your pack earlier? Why wait till night?” She asked, curiously.

 

“We were having so much fun that we didn't pay much attention to the time. Actually, I got lost trying to chase after a strange animal that I saw. By the time I realized, I had gone far from my parents. I think they also noticed I was lost and began to search for me because I could hear them calling my name but it was hard to find where exactly their voices were coming from because the whole forest was echoing.”

 

“It got late and that was when the storm came and then the rain and that was all that happened.” He narrated his ordeal and Veronica's heart went out to the lost child, knowing all too well the feeling of being alone in the wilderness.

 

Without hesitation, she took the boy's hand and assured him once again that they were going to find his parents.

 

“What about you? What are you doing here in the forest all alone?” He suddenly asked her and she swallowed hard.

 

“It's a very long story.” She said to him, and sighed right after.

 

“Trust me, I love listening to long stories. So I'm all ears.”








Chapter 15



“Trust me, I love listening to long stories and I love to believe that I am the best listener anyone can ever ask for. So, I'm all ears.” Scott said with anticipation and so much confidence in his listening abilities.


 


Veronica smiled faintly but one could see sadness written all over her face.


 


“Why? You don't want to tell me? You feel I'm not a worthy listener?” Scott asked her, sadly. “If you do not want to tell me, it's fine. I'm sorry for asking.” He said further and turned his face away from her.


 


“Oh no, that is not it. It's not that I feel you're not a worthy listener.” She didn't agree with what he said, and tried to hold on to his hands but he still didn't look her way.


 


“Then it's what?” He asked, turning back to look at her.


 


“It's just too painful.” She breathed shakily after pausing for a while to process her words and as Scott stared at her, he noticed the tears which he knew she was trying hard to fight back.


 


Scott held her hands, as he tried to comfort her, “you should cry if you feel like crying. Crying is not a sign of weakness”


 


“Also, I hear it's less painful when you're able to let it all out and sometimes cry as much as you want.” He added, as he turned to look at her tear-filled eyes.


 


“What difference will it make? After crying, what happens? Crying doesn't change anything, it doesn't provide a solution.” She replied, amidst sobs.


 


“Well, keeping the pain and sadness in doesn't provide a solution either.” He replied calmly and she sighed.


 


“I don't know what you've been through or how you ended up here in this forest but I just hope that you'll be able to overcome whatever ordeals life throws at you. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, I understand and I won't force you to say anything but my parents always say that a problem shared is half solved.” He continued.


 


“Just the courage mustered to talk about it alone, is a sign that there is all headway already. Plus, you never can tell, I might be able to help you.” 


 


Young Scott spoke with so much wisdom, way above his age that Veronica had to wipe her tears and stare at him for a moment as she doubted how old he was.


 


“How old are you once again?” She suddenly asked him.


 


He frowned as he said to her, “I thought I told you earlier?


 


“Yes, you told me. I just want to confirm if-” She answered but before she could finish speaking, he interrupted her with his reaction.


 


He gasped as he widened his eyes like one who was in utter shock, “Don't tell me you've forgotten already! I can't believe this. It's barely an hour and you've forgotten my age? Which of the other things I told you have you forgotten?” Veronica could hear the disappointment in his voice as he spoke.


 


“Hey, calm down, calm down. I didn't forget anything.” She said as she tried to calm him down but he didn't believe that she didn't forget all that he had told her.


 


“Liar! You're lying to me. I don't like it when I'm being lied to.” He complained, turning away from her.


 


“Oh no, Scott, I'm not lying.” She insisted.


 


“If you're not lying, how old am I?” He asked, to test if she truly knew it.


 


“Ten, Scott! TEN WHOLE YEARS!” She said dramatically, mimicking the way he had told her earlier and immediately he heard her, a little smile formed on his lips, but he tried to hide it.


 


“Oh, so you're happy now, huh?” She asked jokingly.


 


“Well, yeah.” He answered with a smile.


 


“So you thought I would just forget what you just said to me not long ago?” She asked him. “Come on, I'm not daft.” She added.


 


“Well, If I'm being honest, I thought you forgot and I was disappointed because I felt I meant nothing to you.” Scott replied.


 


“Wait, what? Why will you even think like that?” She asked, shocked.


 


“Well, if we look at it critically, we actually met not long ago.” He replied, shrugging.


 


“But that doesn't mean anything. That we just met doesn't change the fact that you are a good person and I'm sure you'll be an amazing leader when you grow older.”


 


“I know we just met, but just so you know, you've been an amazing person in these past few hours that we've been here together than some of the people that I've known all my life.” She said as she stared at him.


 


“Really?” He ecstatically asked her.


 


“Yes,” She answered. “And just a little advice from someone who has been through a lot in her little time of being here, don't stop being you and don't let anyone change you from being that good person you are. You're going to be a great leader someday.” 


 


Scott nodded as she advised him but deep down, he was confused. Soon enough, there was a moment of silence between them as he tried to understand why she was saying all she was saying. He couldn't help but wonder if something really terrible had happened to her prior to that moment or if something was going to happen to her soon.


 


Veronica, on the other hand, didn't know why she was saying all that she said to Scott. They weren't words she planned to say at all and so, she came to a conclusion that the moon goddess had to be responsible.


 


“Moon goddess, what are you up to this time?” She asked the moon goddess in her heart, and patiently listened as if waiting for the moon goddess to respond. 


 


“Do you feel better now?” Scott's raised voice snapped her out of her thoughts, ending the silence.


 


“What?” She turned to him, “What did you say?” She asked him.


 


“I asked if you feel better now?” He reiterated.


 


“Uhmmm, yes, I guess.” She replied with a look of uncertainty, unsure if she was truly feeling better.


 


“Why were you so lost in thoughts? I had been talking to you but you seemed to be far away, which was why I had to raise my voice.” He said with genuine concern in his voice.


 


“I’m sorry, I just had something on my mind.” She apologized and smiled, faintly, making Scott sigh.


 


“I won't ask you about it. Just like earlier, I said I won't force you to talk about what you don't want to say.” He said to her and smiled slightly.


 


Although he wasn't too happy that he didn't know her story or how to make her feel better, he faked a smile so that she wouldn't feel pressured. 


 


Veronica immediately knew that the smile was fake and she knew why. So, after thinking for a while, she said, “You know what?”


 


“What? He asked.


 


“Let me tell you a little bit about my life.” She said.


 


Scott didn't know whether to jump for joy or remain in one spot because of what he heard her just say.


 


“Really? You'll tell me?” He asked, excitedly.


 


“Don't be too excited, I promise you, I've not had the sweetest experience, so I don't think it is something I'll be excited about, if I were you.” She said, plainly.


 


“Oh, I'm sorry. I was just happy that you have finally found me worthy to speak to, especially since it's about something so important to you.” He explained his happiness.


 


“It's fine. I understand what you -” She had not finished speaking when Scott's stomach began to make growling sounds.


 


Hearing this, they both paused for a while and suddenly burst into laughter.


 


“What was that?” She asked, trying to tease him.


 


“I have no idea.” He responded with a straight face which made Veronica laugh more.


 


“You're hungry, Scott. Come on, let's get you fed.” She urged him as she got up and waited for him to do the same but he didn't get up.


 


“Come on.” She said again. “Why aren't you getting up?” She asked him, surprised as to why he refused to get up.


 


“We can go when you're done telling me the story of your life.” He replied.


 


“Come on, we can always continue when you're fed.” She replied.


 


“Do you promise?” He asked her.


 


“Of course.” She answered, and held out her hand, which Scott took and off they went to find him some edible fruits to munch on.


 






Chapter 16



FIRE DAWN PACK


 


Scott's parents, Beta Richard and Beta Lily, had to remain in their house according to the order of the Alpha. They had wanted to go in search of their son as soon as the day broke, but the Alpha had instructed them to wait because he had sent out warrior guards in search of their son and he wanted them to remain in the pack until the warriors got back with news of his possible whereabouts.


 


“Remain in the pack until the warriors get back with news of your son’s whereabouts.” Alpha Marcus had ordered, and although Beta Richard wasn't completely in support of sitting back and letting other people do the work, especially now that his son was involved, he had no choice but to obey his Alpha.


 


“But until when, Alpha Marcus?” He had asked, trying to work his way into the search party to look for his missing son. “I can go with them, Alpha. It will make the search more effective.” 


 


“No, Richard, you'll remain in the pack, at least until the warriors get back with news on his whereabouts.”


 


Beta Lily kept walking back and forth impatiently as she thought of how they could bring back their son. She soon picked up the TV remote from the table and turned it on, hoping to hear something about Scott on the news but as she kept switching channels, there was still no sign of hope at all. The only thing they could do was to wait for the search party.


 


“What if they can't find him?” She suddenly asked, as tears began to well up in her eyes. “What if he is hurt? What if he has been attacked by a wild animal?”


 


“Come on, Lily, don't say that. We have to be positive and remain optimistic. I believe he will be found as soon as possible. Scott is a smart boy.” Beta Richard said to her, trying to make light, the situation but his wife wasn't taking any of his words.


 


She suddenly gasped, “what if he has been taken by rogue wolves? Oh no!” She burst into tears as she dropped to the ground, feeling defeated.


 


“How could we have failed as parents once again, Richard? How? Why?” She cried out, uncontrollably.


 


She looked up, with tears still pouring from her eyes, “What exactly is my offense, moon goddess? Why have you permitted this to happen to me, to us?” She kept crying, even as her husband kept comforting her. It was as if the more he comforted her, the more she cried.


 


She suddenly wiped her tears and got up, 


 


“Are you going somewhere?” Beta Richard asked her, standing up too.


 


“I'm going to find my son.” She said firmly.


 


“What?” Beta Richard was shocked.


 


“Yes, Richard, If you think I'm going to sit here and just keep waiting in vain for the warriors to come back with news when my baby is probably in trouble somewhere, then you must be joking. I'm going to find him myself!” She replied and was about to walk away when Beta Richard caught her by the arm.


 


“Let go of me!” She protested, as she tried to free herself from his grip but it was too tight.


 


“Listen to me, Lily. We need to-” He tried to stop her but she wasn't having any of that. 


 


“No, Richard!” She yelled, cutting him off. “I'm not going to listen to you! I'm going to find my son myself, I don't care what you say!”


 


Deep down, he feared the worst but he had to be a man, he didn't want to show  any form of cowardice. He just had to be strong at that moment for his wife who was totally broken.


 


“Listen to me!” He yelled at her, with his hands firmly grasping her upper arms. “Do you think I'm not devastated too? You think I'm not bothered that our only son is missing and might probably be in some big trouble out there? You think I'm not worried too? Well, if you do not know, I AM!” His deep voice, reverberating in the room.


 


“My head is completely messed up because of this whole situation and I don't even know what to think anymore.” He paused for a little bit to take a deep breath. He then loosened his grip on her and took a few steps away from her before he continued to speak.


 


“Do you know how I feel with every passing second? I feel like a failure, like a very useless father who is unable to keep his family safe.” From the way he spoke, Beta Lily knew that he had so much pain bottled up inside of him. “I mean, I couldn't even-”


 


“Richard, please.” She calmly interrupted him as she wiped her tears. “Don't say anything else, please. Don't punish yourself because of this, we both were together with him before he got missing, it is not your fault.”


 


Hearing his wife's calm words, he sat down. She also walked to him and sat down too.


 


“He will be found.” He said to her, not looking at her but staring at the ground instead. 


 


He then looked at her,“Even If the warriors don't find him, I'll go in search of him myself and I won't stop until I find him. I will do whatever it takes.” Heassured her and she acknowledged by nodding gently.


 


 


***IN THE FOREST***


 


Veronica and Scott walked around the forest for about an hour as they kept searching for fruits to feed their hungry stomachs. Luckily, they got to a tree and were able to find some edible fruits. Veronica climbed it and tried to get as many as she could, while Scott waited down for her. As she plucked the fruit, she kept it in a little bag.


 


“Look Vee, I think this is edible too. I'm going to try it and see how it tastes.” Scott said as he snapped a fruit from its branch. 


 


He was about to toss it into his mouth when Veronica looked down at him and suddenly screamed. And with one jump, she was down from the tall tree, standing on her feet.


 


Her scream shocked Scott and he shrieked in fear as he saw how she jumped down from such a tall tree and how her eyes lit up with what looked like fire, scaring him more. 


 


She immediately snatched the pretty-looking fruit from him and tossed it far away from them. “You should be careful, don't just eat anything!” She exclaimed but Scott was too shocked to say anything he just stood there transfixed, staring at her.


 


Noticing what had happened, she quickly held him, “Scott, are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost. Are you alright?” She kept asking.


 


He finally found his voice and asked, “What just happened?”


 


“Look, I'm sorry for yelling but you were about to eat something poisonous and I got scared.” She explained calmly and apologized for scaring him with her scream.


 


“Really? It was poisonous?” He asked with widened eyes and mouth.


 


“Yes, Scott.” She reaffirmed. “If you had eaten that thing, you'd have been paralyzed immediately and in a few minutes, you'd be dead.” She explained further. “And not to scare you, but there was also a poisonous snake slithering towards you.” She added.


 


Hearing this, Scott almost jumped out of his skin, “What? Where is it?” He screamed.


 


“I think it 's gone now.” She replied, looking around. “That's strange.” She whispered to herself.


 


“Are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere?” He asked with so much concern in his voice.


 


“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?” She answered, confused as to why he was asking her if she was okay.


 


He looked up to the tall tree she jumped down from and looked right back at her. 


 


“I was just wondering if you were fine, considering how tall the tree is and you jumped down in a flash.” He replied.


 


“Oh!” That was the only word Veronica could utter as she also looked at the height of the tree and began to wonder how it was possible for her to have jumped down without feeling any pain.


 


“Look, what happened to your shirt?” Veronica asked as she saw that it was torn and missing a part.


 


“Did you just notice? It got caught in some sharp thorns after I lost contact with my parents, so it tore off. I even got wounded but surprisingly, it has healed up now.” He explained.


 


“Oh, I didn't notice that before now.” She said. “I hope you don't feel any pain?” She asked, trying to check.


 


“No, I'm perfectly fine.” He answered.


 


She then looked around and frowned, “We should leave here, Scott. There are so many poisonous vines here too.” She said quickly as she noticed the environment was truly filled with a lot of poisonous and dangerous things.


 


“Thank you for saving me back there.” He thanked her as they walked away.


 


“You're welcome.” She replied with a big smile.


 


They had only walked about ten miles away from where they got the fruits when Scott suddenly, unknowingly, stumbled on a trap and fell into a very deep pit, hitting his head as he fell and he passed out.







Chapter 17



Shocked and devastated, Veronica did not know who to call for help. Even if she did call for help, no one would hear her and she doubted if anyone would want to help her. Besides, she will only be attracting trouble because the trap was possibly set by rogue wolves.


 


She knew she had no one to call but herself, hence, she had to do something and she had to do it fast.


 


“Scott? Scott? Can you hear me?” She began to call him but got no response.


 


“Please if you can hear me, answer me, please, Scott. You're scaring me. Scott!!!!” She screamed as she spoke, not caring if her voice was loud enough to attract anything dangerous.


 


Seeing as he wasn't responsive, hot tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry. This was the only person she has met since she was trapped in that forest and now it seemed like she had lost him too. She sat on the bare ground and cried so much until her eyes began to hurt.


 


As she cried, her eyes caught a glimpse of a rope tied to a branch and immediately, a thought popped in her heart, 


 


“I can use that rope to get to him, can't I?” She said to herself as stopped crying and wiped her tears with her cloth.


 


She swiftly got up and untied the rope but as she tried to lower it into the pit, she realized it wasn't long enough. She hurriedly searched around and luckily found another rope which she tied to the first one she found, making it longer. She tried once again and this time, it got to the end of the pit. She was so happy that she jumped for joy.


 


She then picked one end of the rope and tied it to the base of a massive tree. After ensuring it was tight and firm enough, she lowered the other end into the pit and tried to call out to Scott once again but he was still unresponsive. She then decided to go into the pit to get him. 


 


She gradually lowered herself into the pit, while holding the rope firmly.


 


After a few minutes, she got to the bottom of the pit safely and she immediately rushed to Scott.


 


“Scott? Scott? If you can hear me, please say something.” She said, panicking.


 


She knelt to the ground, leaned towards him and moved close to his nostrils and fortunately, he was breathing. This made her glad because she knew it was only a matter of time before he would wake up. She then sat and placed his head on her lap and held his hands as she waited, with fingers crossed, for him to wake up.


.


**ON THE OTHER END OF THE FOREST**


 


The warriors from the Fire Dawn Pack who had been sent to find Scott finally arrived in the forest and immediately, they assembled in front of their leader.


 


“We all know why we are here.” The leader began, “Or is there any one here who doesn't know the purpose of our being here?” He asked as his eyes travelled from one warrior to the other, searching for an answer, but instead, silence filled the air.


 


“That's good. So, it's safe to assume that we all know why we are here, right?”


 


“Yes, sir.” They all chorused.


 


“Now, we'll split into two groups. The first half will go in that direction,” He instructed as he pointed in a particular direction, “and the other half will go in the opposite direction.” 


 


They immediately splited into two groups according to his instruction, and he assigned the other group, a leader, while he led the first one.


 


“Beta Richard said this was the last place they were all together, that's why we are going to start our search from here and we'll search the environs too. He shouldn't have gone too far from here.” The leader said, looking around.


 


“Okay sir.” They all said.


 


“Look out for any possible clue that can lead us to him. Clothes, shoes, foot prints, anything at all. No matter how small it looks or how strange it looks, make sure to call my attention to it. Is that clear?”


 


“Yes sir!” They all answered with one accord.


 


“We can all leave now.” He said on a final note and both groups dispersed in their assigned directions immediately.


 


As they searched for hours, they could barely find anything tangible or meaningful because the rain which fell after Scott got lost, had washed off any footprint that could have been on the forest grounds, so it was so difficult for the warriors to find anything that could link them to where he was but nonetheless, they kept searching frantically for him.


 


They searched for more hours until it looked like it was about to get dark. The leader decided to stop the search since they didn't find anything.


 


He made a sound to alert the other group to come together.


 


“Gather round, all of you.” He ordered his group as they waited for the other group to join them.


 


Suddenly, one of the warriors in the other group shouted, “Leader!!! You need to see this!”


 


“What is it?” The leader asked as they all raced to where the warrior shouted from.


 


“Look.” He cried out as he pointed to the floor which had the shredded part of Scott's cloth, stained with blood.


 


“Oh no!” They all exclaimed.


 


“Are you sure it's his? I mean, it doesn't look fresh to me.” One of the warriors asked, voicing out his doubts.


 


“Exactly, I think we need to confirm if it's his or not. It could have been for anyone.” Another one concurred.


 


The leader crouched to pick the stained cloth, he smelt it and indeed it was Scott's blood.


 


He paused for a moment and got up, “It's his.” He announced with disappointment, and they all exclaimed.


 


“What does that mean? Does this mean he is dead?” One of the warriors asked, trying not to believe what was going on right before his very eyes, but no one said anything. 


 


Everyone remained silent except him because he wasn't quite convinced, “But what about his body? Is it possible to-” He tried to talk again.


 


“Just keep quiet, will you? Can't you just be quiet?” One of them silenced him. 


 


“Can't you see the blood stain and the paw mark on the floor?” The other warrior asked him.


 


“The paw mark could have been left by any animal, don't you think?” The doubting warrior asked.


 


“If that doesn't tell you that THAT animal must have hurt him, I don't know what to say to you anymore.” The other one replied and hissed.


 


“That means he must be out there somewhere, maybe hurt but-” He wanted to speak again but the other warrior cut him off, rudely.


 


“What the hell is wrong with you! Why are you acting like a kid? Can't you see that since we can't find his body here, he must be seriously hurt or dead somewhere?”


 


They kept going on and on until the leader got tired of their bickering and shut them up, himself.


 


“ENOUGH!” The leader yelled at them, angrily. “Enough with the back and forth! Is this the right time to have useless arguments? We should be talking about the way forward, not having endless arguments.” He scolded them.


 


“We're sorry, leader.” They both apologized.


 


He turned to the warrior who was certain that Scott must have been dead, “And you, do you just jump into conclusions when there are no concrete evidences to backup your claim? How can you be so sure that he is dead just by seeing a blood-stained piece of cloth? You don't even want to find his body at all? Really? Is that how quick you want to get out of here? Is this how you will lead when you become a Leader some day?” He spoke angrily. “Such a coward!” He spat.


 


“I expected better and I'm so disappointed.” He added.


 


“I'm so sorry, Leader.” He apologized with his head bowed.


 


He then turned to the rest of the warriors who were now quiet, “NEVER be in a hurry to conclude any search, especially when a life is involved. Never make such mistakes! Search until you find every single piece of information that will lead you to the right conclusion because you never can tell if you've missed the most important piece of information if you're so quick to round it all up! Is that clear?” He thundered.


 


“YES, LEADER.” They all roared in response.


 


“We'll search one more time to see if we can find any more clues, but if we do not find anything, we'll head home and give them an update on THIS.” He said, holding up the piece of stained cloth.


 


They all nodded and got to work but as much as they combed the whole place, they couldn't find anything.


 


“It's getting dark, we have to go back now and update the Alpha. Depending on what he says, we might have to come back to expand our search range once the day breaks tomorrow.” With this being said, they all had to head back to the pack before it got completely dark.







Chapter 18



The warriors got back to the pack late at night and their Leader immediately reported to the Alpha's quarters to update him on the situation of things.


 


Alpha Marcus and Beta Richard were both waiting for the warriors in the Alpha's throne room. Alpha Marcus was seated on his throne, while Beta Richard was pacing when the Leader of the warriors arrived.


 


“Did you find him? Did you find my Son?” Beta Richard immediately began to ask him as soon as he approached them.


 


“Calm down, Richard. Allow the young man to talk.” Alpha Marcus said to him.


 


“I'm sorry, Alpha. I just got impatient.” He replied with a slight tone of impatience. 


 


The leader knelt on one knee and bowed to the Alpha, who then signaled to him to get up.


 


“Any positive news?”  Alpha Marcus asked him.


 


“I'm so sorry but I'm afraid, we've not been able to find him yet.” Leader said, bowing his head.


 


Angry and disappointed, Alpha Marcus sprung to his feet and began to question him, “What do you mean you've not found him yet? Why did you come back then?”


 


“I thought I instructed you not to come back if you do not find him.” He growled at him and the leader immediately fell to his knees and bowed his head.


 


“Yes, Alpha, that was the instruction you gave, but we searched thoroughly all around the area where he got missing but we couldn't find him. I only instructed the warriors to come back to the pack since it was getting late and there was nothing we could find if we kept searching in the darkness.” The Leader explained, still bowing.


 


“What?” Alpha Marcus couldn't believe his ears. “So, none of you went out with a flashlight? You weren't prepared to stay out late? What the hell! I thought you were competent! Or what kind of search party goes out on a mission without taking the needed weapons or materials?” Alpha Marcus spoke in anger.


 


“I'm so sorry, Alpha. It was an oversight and I take full responsibility.” The leader quickly apologized. “But we found something.” He added, not confidently.


 


“What did you find?” Alpha Marcus asked him, immediately interested in what they found.


 


“This.” He raised the piece of cloth. “I believe it's for Scott and he is still in the forest.” He said and Beta Richard who had been quiet all along rushed to him to see for himself.


 


Seeing that it was indeed his son's cloth, he clutched the cloth in his hands, feeling defeated and disappointed. He fell to his knees, heart broken. What was he going to tell his wife now after he had assured her that Scott was going to be found?


 


“And you don’t believe he has been killed?” Alpha Marcus asked the leader who was still on his knees.


 


“Yes, Alpha. I have a feeling that he is still alive, probably lost at the other end of the Forest.” He replied.


 


“The other end? Isn't that the most dangerous part of the forest?” Alpha Marcus asked him, shocked.


 


“Yes, Alpha. We believe he might have lost his way since losing one's way in the forest is very inevitable if you do not know the right place to go.” He answered.


 


“One wrong move and you'll end up in the wrong place.” Alpha Marcus nodded as he muttered but the leader heard him.


 


“Exactly, Alpha Marcus. I believe that must have been what happened. He probably took the wrong path.” He said in agreement.


 


Alpha Marcus sighed slightly as he tried to garner his thoughts together, before speaking again. 


 


“But if you believe that he is still lost, how do you plan to find him, since you don't know where he is exactly?” Alpha Marcus asked as he finally took his seat properly. 


 


He glanced at his Beta who was still on the floor, lost in his thoughts, looking like he was no longer interested in what they were saying.


 


“I plan to get more of our warriors so that we can extend our search to areas we couldn't get to today. Also with the help of the map, we'll get better directions and with these, I'm positive that we will find him.” He explained carefully.


 


Impressed, Alpha Marcus nodded his head, “So, when exactly are you leaving?” He asked.


 


“We set out tomorrow. We'll go in search of him tomorrow, immediately at the break of dawn. ” The Leader answered him.


 


“Good plan. You can leave now.” Alpha Marcus ordered and the leader finally got up, bowed and left in haste.


 


“I believe they'll find him this time around.” He said, turning to look at Beta Richard who didn't even flinch.


 


“You should go home to Lily. Calm her down and explain things to her.” He said again.


 


Beta Richard scoffed and finally turned to face him, “What do I tell her, Marcus? How do I explain this to her?” 


 


“You, of all people, should know how she can be. You definitely know how she would react to this kind of news.” He added, looking away.


 


Alpha Marcus and Beta Richard had been good friends way before he became the Alpha and their friendship has been strong over the years, with each party always looking out for the other. So, Alpha Marcus had a faint idea of how Beta Lily was going to be feeling at that moment. 


 


Truly, it was going to be a very difficult task trying to calm her down or trying to ask her to be patient, considering the fact that they had already lost a child before; Scott's older sister, and now the only one they had left, which is Scott, is now missing. No, that's too much for a parent to handle.


 


After much persuasion, Beta Richard decided to take a walk instead of going home to face his already-heartbroken wife to break her heart further.


 


“It's already late, where do you want to go to?” Alpha March asked him.


 


“I don't know. Anywhere but home. Lily is already heartbroken, I can't add to it, man. I'll just be somewhere till the warriors arrive tomorrow and then we finally know our fate.” He replied and left.


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