Page 22 of Spirit Walker Pack (Kingdom of Wolves #5)
We run for an hour and during that time Sloane shows me some of the beauty spots in the pack lands. There is a high waterfall that towers above us from a wooded cliff. How some of the trees and bushes have clung to the sides of the cliff is amazing.
There are several meadows that have deer in them. One particular part of the woods is filled with signs of rabbits. Droppings, holes, trails.
Paradise. I may retire here and grow old gracefully. Fat, full of rabbits, but gracefully. Astra nudges to say.
Transforming back to our human form, so we can communicate, we jog on.
“We’ll stop at the next river and rest for a while.
It’s only a couple of minutes further. I think we’ve run enough for one session.
” Sloane looks as though she has just stepped out of the packhouse, and I’m pleased to say that I feel like I should look the same from her point of view.
It has been a stretch of the legs, but nothing that you would call taxing.
Hearing the river, we slow to a walk, and out of habit, I approach stealthily. Sloane smiles but drops behind me. As I’m about to leave the cover of the trees, there is an almighty splash from the river, but it is just out of sight. The splash is followed by laughter and voices.
Frozen in place, I wait to see if we are discovered. After a minute of being a statue, I motion for Sloane to return to the deeper cover. Not having the ability to mind link in this situation, we resort to good old-fashioned whispering.
“Do you have any of your pack stationed out here?” We are deep in the woods and forests of the Spirit Walker pack, but a long way from any borders.
“None that I am aware of. I can ask Chief Glen if he knows of any, but I can’t see why we would have a small force this deep in the woods. We have never had rogue issues in this area, either.”
“We need to find out what we are up against before you ask him. I think these are rogues, but I don’t understand their purpose in being here.
They are not exactly being quiet and unobtrusive, are they?
” Pointing to a giant oak tree, I walk my fingers upwards to show we should climb it and try to get eyes on the intruders, if that is what they are.
Sloane silently skirts the oak's trunk and then gives me a thumbs up.
Seconds later and she has disappeared into the foliage.
Following her lead, I also take the same route and see how easy the climb is.
Halfway up the trunk and there is a natural gap in the branches that gives us a perfect view over the camp by the river.
Five males are on the bank, eating meat roasting in a fire pit and drinking. A sixth is splashing around in the water, like a puppy having their first swimming lesson.
Keeping to the trunk’s farthest side, we are able to stay deep in shadow and invisible from the camp.
You couldn’t have cut the branches to make a more perfect hide.
Sloane informs Chief Glen of our discovery and we are told to stay hidden and observe.
He will join us within the hour with warriors to capture and interrogate these fools.
When she tells me this, I can see how much she doesn’t enjoy being told to stay hidden. We are both confident that we could kill or capture the males below. They are showing absolutely no signs of stealth or warrior behavior.
Twenty minutes go by, and I’m about to suggest we capture them ourselves when a seventh male appears from the far bank.
It takes at least a minute before any of the six notice him, and it is only because the one in the water has swum to the other bank, and steps out of the river that he has seen him at all.
Before he can shout a warning, the seventh male silences the swimmer permanently when he snaps his neck, letting the body fall with a splash back into the river.
Jumping into the water, he begins wading across the waist deep river.
The five remaining males jump to their feet and stand in a semicircle, looking horrified as their dead comrade floats away.
Standing before the five, male seven glares at them. “What were your orders when you were dispatched to the Spirit Walker lands?” His voice is deep and full of menace.
It is several seconds before one of them has the courage to answer. “We were told to go into the Spirit Walker pack lands and kill anyone we came across.”
“Arric himself gave you those orders. He should have been clearer about the consequences of not following them through. You have been here almost a week. How many of this pack have you dispatched so far?” It is blindingly obvious that he knows the answer to his question already.
They have done nothing this far out in the woods and forests.
When no one answers him he takes a step closer to them. None of them recognize the danger they are now in. He is within striking distance of them all.
“You have me surrounded. That puts me in the enviable position of being able to attack in any direction.” The words fall on deaf ears, ears that clearly do not understand what is about to happen.
Male number seven lashes out with his fingers extended into claws.
Two of the males go down immediately with their throats slashed.
While the remaining three stand there, clearly shocked by this display of violence, he snaps the neck of another.
One takes up a defensive stance, while the last bolts for the river, the worst possible direction to flee in.
When he sees he is alone, defensive male throws himself to his knees but is dead before he can open his mouth to beg for his life.
Leaping from the bank, male seven lands beside the panic-stricken male, wallowing in the river. Taking him by the back of the neck, he holds him under the water until he stops struggling.
Walking back to their camp, he picks up a mug from the ground by the fire pit and smells the contents.
Shaking his head, he throws the vessel and its contents into the river.
Taking some of the cooked meat, he takes a bite.
Making a face that says it’s not bad, he loads a plate and wades across the river, eating as he goes.
Once on the other bank, he stops, slowly turns around and stares into our oak tree. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was not only staring directly at us, but into our very souls. I will never forget those black eyes.
The whole incident took less than three minutes and six males are dead. Although not afraid, I think it wise that we both stay in our oak until Chief Glen arrives. The way he calmly and efficiently dispatched those males told of years of experience and confidence in his abilities.
Minutes later and Chief Glen arrives with ten warriors.
A search of the camp reveals nothing that we don’t already know from the killing conversation.
Chief Glen let slip that Alpha Lyle’s first concern was for the safety of myself and Sloane.
He would have come on the mission himself, but Chief Glen had already assembled his team, and was away to the woods before he was able to contact him.
We all know that on our return, Chief Glen is going to get chewed out by his alpha for being overprotective.