The Unknown Chapter 1

FEAR! Fear outweighed all other emotions as she ran and ran she did. She ran faster than she believed she could run, at one point she wondered if any wolf had ever run so fast. She did not dare glimpse back to see if it was following her all she wanted to concentrate on was getting back to the pack to warn them BOOM!!!  FIRE was the first thing that entered her mind, it felt like a line of fire had been drawn down her spine but there was no time to check the wound the thing had inflicted on her she could still run and that was all that mattered 'faster, FASTER! I have to warn the pack! I have to worn Kodi'. memories of Kodi flashing through her mind as she ran as fast as she could without risking splitting her skull the trees, running towards the clearing where the rest of the pack and her friend would be resting.

The clearing were the pack was enjoying the warmth of the sun something that normally isn't that easy to attain in the dense forest where they live but this clearing was more of a scar cut jaggedly through landscape by a recent avalanche. Ahneila the alpha of the pack was lying on a tree that had been knocked over and carried down the hill. Ahneila didn't become the leader of the pack by luck, he was at least 8cm taller than anyone else in the pack and his body bulged with muscles, he had lost some of his beauty in a fight against Corik where his right ear got shredded. Corik was relatively new to the pack. They found him nearly starved lying next to a stream and so they took him in. since then he has tried multiple times to take Ahneilas place as alpha but failed every time. Anaiu Ahneilas mate was sitting in front of him intently watching the litter of pups that Jehra had recently given birth to. Anaiu had white fur all over her body except for the tip of her tail. She enjoyed watching the pups playing probably trying to imagine her litter in their place. Jehra herself was lying exhausted in the snow while her cubs was pulling at every extremity they could get their teeth into 'Stop that now let your mother rest' said Taul one of the oldest pack members. he was covered in scares one of the most prominent was the scar he received when bravely defending a litter of pups against a bear that had been driven mad by hunger. It was a line of white fur that ran down the left side of his face where the bear had slashed at him with its massive front paw straight through his eye. 'Why don't you go play with Neira? I'm sure she won't mind.' he said with a mischievous gleam in his eye watching the dismay cross Neiras face as she realized what that would mean. Neira who since only recently hasn't been called a pup herself was the only pup in Ahneilas litter to survive. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to be swarmed by 4 furry little balls of teeth. 'No. I'm afraid she cannot play she has a very busy day of training ahead of her.' Said the packs healer Maklei. Neira gave him a grateful glance and followed him to a quiet spot in the clearing to continue her study. Neira was Makleis apprentice. She was to be the next healer and took her study very seriously hanging on every word Maklei said. Kodi trotted up to where the alpha was stretched out on the log 'alpha?' 'Yes Kodi?'
'I was just wondering if you know where Ika went?' 'yes she told me she saw some smoke beyond bear mountain and was going to see if the fire would be any danger to us' the alpha said calmly 'She went alone?' The alpha caught the worry in his voice 'Don't worry Kodi she is the fastest in the pack she could even outrun a mountain leopard she will be fine.' 'Are you sure?' Kodi said still looking worried. 'No one can be sure of anything Kodi but you have been her friend for 2 years you should know that she wouldn't let anything stop her' 'your right I'm just being paranoid.' Just then they heard Kimera howl they both stopped to listen. It started low then slowly got higher pitched and louder then it wavered between high and low and ended. 'Maklei! Taul! Kodi! Follow me!' shouted Ahneila as he jumped down from the log and started loping towards where the howl came from 'What is it?' Kodi asked as he tried frantically to keep up with the alpha. 'Someone has been hurt badly at the border' 'IKA!' Kodi suddenly overtook Ahneila and ran full tilt towards where he had heard Kimeras howl.

When Ahneila got there he found Kodi frantically licking Ikas face asking her if she was all right between every lick. 'Kimera what happened?' he asked 'I don't know I just found her running through the trees like every leopard from here to white peak was chasing her.' 'Something's out there…' Ika said quietly 'What?' Kodi asked 'something's out there' she repeated 'Kodi don't bother her with questions yet she is exhausted' said Maklei who had only just arrived and was checking Ikas wounds. Everyone gave her some room as she checked the wound along her back 'Will she be ok?' Kodi asked nervously. 'Yes she will be fine it's just a scratch.' Kodie gave a sigh of relief. 'Ahneila. Can I talk to you in private' she asked walking to the tree line where the others wouldn't hear. 'What is it?' 'The wound she sustained was miner but by the looks of it whatever attacked her could have killed her had it attacked any lower. But what she has been saying worries me. Something about a monster in the woods.' 'I will ask her about it when we get back to the pack. It's not safe here.'

Later back with the rest of the pack after they all fussed over her especially Kodi Ahneila called her over. Kodi came with her she still seemed to be daydreaming not really looking at anything just staring into space and Kodi looked worried as usual so Ahneila let him stay. 'Ika what attacked you?' she seemed at first to not have heard him then slowly turned at looked him in the eyes and he wished she hadn't. He saw the eyes of an old scared wolf staring back not the cheerful inquisitive eyes they used to be. 'The monster.' She said quietly 'what did it look like' he urged quietly. 'Thunder' she said almost inaudibly 'it had a stick of thunder and smoke. I found the fire that was causing the smoke and the monster was sitting next to it controlling it. I was curious and watched it for a while it was carrying a stick with its paws. A stag went past and when the monster saw the deer it pointed the stick at it then smoke and thunder came from it and the deer died instantly. That's when I ran.' She seemed to falter a bit like she was about to pass out Kodi immediately went to her side to support her. His touch made her jump and snarl at him which made Kodi jump in return. 'I'm sorry' she said quietly to Kodi who went slower this time and gently supported her. 'What happened after you ran Ika?'
She seemed to be trembling now 'It saw me…' she said quietly then suddenly her eyes were wide with horror 'IT SAW ME!' 'IKA! Calm down your safe! Your with the pack now remember?' Kodi asked looking very concerned. His voice calmed her down and she relaxed a little but was still on edge and was glancing around. 'I ran. I had to get away from it and the thunder stick when I turned to look back it was chasing me!' Ahneila realized that she was having trouble telling reality apart from the past. 'I hear thunder and the tree next to me splintered and I ran. I ran as fast as I could then more thunder and I felt fire down my back. It hurt so badly but I have to warn the pack. I have to warn Kodi!' she then collapsed on the ground shivering. 'Maklei! Something's wrong with Ika!' Maklei and Neira came running over. 'What happened?' Maklei asked 'she just collapsed' Kodi said bent protectively over her. 'I think she just passed out from the shock of it all. She will be fine. What should she do when she wakes up Neira?' Maklei asked her apprentice. Concentration showed on her face as she tried to remember. 'When she wakes she should not do any exerting exercises or movements and should try to rest as much as possible and Kodi should talk to her to keep her mind off what happened.' 'Very good!' Maklei praised. Now I think we should all rest now it has been a long day.

The next day Ahneila called a pack meeting. He found the highest log and sat on top so everyone could hear him 'Yesterday Ika was attacked by an unknown creature in the woods. It is a danger to our pack and especially Jehras pups' Jehra pushed her pups in-between her front legs protectively. 'We have 2 choices. The first choice is to find another home. To travel over the 12 white peaks.' Many of the pack members seemed shocked at the thought of leaving their territory. 'We have lived here for 14 generations!' one of the oldest pack members yelled 'our forefathers fought of the bears so that we can live here without fear or danger and now you want us to leave!?' a few of the others voiced their agreement. 'Silence!' and there was 'I don't want to have to leave either but you haven't heard the second option.' He stared at the pack for a while then said 'we find this monster and kill it' this started the whole pack arguing and yelling that it would be suicide. Word of the thunder stick had spread overnight and the pack feared it. Ahneila sat and waited patiently for them to quiet down and when they didn't he yelled 'QUIET!' and the pack was instantly quiet. None of them wanted to be near him when he got angry or make him angry for that matter. 'We will have a vote.' The pack if begrudgingly mumbled their agreement. 'All those in favor of moving beyond the 12 white peaks to find a safer home raise your tail.' A few wolves raised their tails but most didn't move 'so we must fight.' The pack was silent, either from the shock of recent events or because they couldn't find anything to say. Then one voice broke the silence 'we can't all go. There are cubs in our pack who are still suckling and elders who can't even join the hunt let alone take down this monster.' Everyone looked at Maklei who had spoken out. None of the elders seemed to have taken offence. They knew she was only telling the truth. 'Yes I have thought of that Maklei. We should only send 4 members of the pack at most.' This got everyone's attention. 'is anyone willing to volunteer?' no one stepped foreword for a while and it seemed as if no one ever would when then to everyone's complete and utter surprise Corik stepped foreword 'I will go.' He said with his head high 'I am not afraid of this creature.' Aniela's expression hadn't changed the whole time 'very well. Anyone else?' 'I will go to!' it was Kodi this time 'I will get my revenge on that monster!' Ahneila looked at Kodi sadly 'are you sure you want to leave Ika here without you in the state she is in?' Kodi looked torn between getting revenge and taking care of Ika. Then he sagged and let out a sigh 'your right. I will stay here with Ika.' Taul spoke up 'I will go. I might be old but I can still fight.' Ahneila gave him a nod and looked at the rest of the wolves gathered 'I will go' said a very quiet voice. It took Ahneila a few seconds to realize who said it 'Eek? Are you sure you want to go?' Ahneila said sounding shocked that he would even ask. Eek was an extremely quiet and shy wolf always staying to the shadows and with his black coat this made him nearly invisible. The pack had found him last year wandering around in a thick snow storm. He was just a pup then and his eyes had only just opened so the pack adopted him and took care of him. He didn't remember what happened to his pack and no one ever pressed him. He hardly ever went on hunts and it was even rarer to hear him make a noise. He was the last wolf anyone expected to go on a dangerous quest and they all looked shocked. 'Yes this is what I want.' Ahneila saw something different in Eek's eyes. Determination? Anger? He wondered then looked closer 'No' he realized what he saw was not determination it was purpose but there was something else he couldn't put his paw on. Then a voice broke his concentration like a bone would break in his jaws. 'I will go to' out of all the wolves who had volunteered this voice was the only one to make change his composure 'Neira!?' 'This is my choice father!' she interrupted him just as he was about to object. 'What if someone gets injured out there? None of them know anything about healing.' She said nodding at the three wolves who where now sitting in front of Ahneila. 'I finish my training as a healer tomorrow father and I am not a pup anymore.' She glared at him. He still looked like he was about to object 'Ahneila.' Anaiu said leaping up onto the log next to him. 'This is her life she is 1 year old now and can make her own decisions. If this is what she wants then let her go.' She gave him one of her long looks that made him look away 'very well you can go.' Neira walked up to the other 3 with a triumphant look but Ahneila saw something else it was the same gleam that Eek had in his eyes and he still couldn't put his paw on it. 'You 4 are to leave tomorrow get lots of rest tonight and be up before the fire ball rises tomorrow.' He said as he jumped down off the log and walked off to find a quiet spot to think.

He heard someone coming up behind him and knew the step 'Are you sure we are doing the right thing by letting her go Anaiu?' he said as she came up to him and rested her muzzle on his large shoulder 'I'm sure dear this is what she truly wants.' 'I just can't understand why Anaiu would want to go on this quest.' He said puzzled 'You really haven't noticed have you?' Anaiu asked him 'Noticed what?' 'Nothing. I will let you figure it out for yourself.' She said smugly he pestered her for answers for a while, when he realized she wouldn't give up her secrets he gave up and they curled up together between two logs awaiting what would come tomorrow.