Page 2 of Wolf's Whisper

But with the Winter Stone stolen, those chances were stolen as well. So I needed to find that stone and bring it back home. Not just for me, but for them.

All I needed to do was cross the dark Aladwin Forest, the one that my grandparents always forbade me from entering because it is so easy to get lost in. And if I somehow made it out of the maze of trees, I needed to cross the vast deserted wasteland that was rumoured to be the home of the Puma, a sly and mysterious creature. And after I made it through the desert, I needed to cross enemy lines, fool all the Coyotes I passed, penetrate their inner city and steal the Winter Stone back. Oh, and of course, get back. And I needed to do it before Spring arrived. Piece of cake.

I groaned loudly. Spring would arrive in less than three months. I was so thoroughly fucked.

If I put the Winter Stone one day too late on the altar, we would all be stuck waiting for another seven years. I would be too old, there were no younger wolves in my family left, so with my failure, any hope for my family would die.

I needed to be successful here. I had no other choice. I just needed to remind myself this was a marathon, not a sprint. I needed to keep my eyes on the prize. Don't stray. Don't do anything stupid. Don't get distracted. Don't die.

I glared at my pack and wondered if I should have another strip of meat or should ration myself. Would eating all my rations now count as something stupid? But as I savoured the taste of the elk in my mouth, I decided I deserved another piece. Marathon, not a sprint, right? I needed energy.

But before I could, a sharp howl cut through the eery night. It would've spooked me, except that I recognised it as unmistakably wolfish.

I threw another glance at my hot fire and as I contemplating staying right where I was, the next howl made me shiver to my bone. This wasn't a regular howl, it was from a wolf in pain. A wolf lost and separated from his pack. A wolf that needed help.

I was help. I could help. I needed to help.

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