Chapter V: Whisper

The cluster of wolves I was headed for turned in unison, and I stopped dead in my tracks. A familiar black wolf walked around the edge of the group and sat down, sighing.
"Mira, you were supposed to stay away from the pack," he said, exasperated. "You do understand what that means, yes?"
I nodded slowly.
"So why are you here?" He asked, licking a forepaw and drawing it over his ear.
Why is he always doing that?
"Mira!" He snapped.
"Sorry, um," I said. "I don't know."
"Did no one tell you not to come here?" He asked in a 'duh' tone.
"No." I shook my head. "You told me not to come, and when I left Jay said the same thing."
"So you came anyway, even after your brother told you not to?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Sure, yeah."
"You are so frustrating," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Okay."
I sat down.
"Who's she?" Asked a larger brown wolf. The black wolf sighed.
"Mira."
"Is she a rogue?"
The black wolf nodded.
"Tuff," the brown wolf called. Another wolf came through the group, emerging between two other wolves. I stood, lifting my head and growling. His ears flattened and he lowered his head. "Do you recognize this wolf?"
"Y-Yes, sir," he stuttered. I narrowed my eyes. "Sh-She's the one with the pup."
"She's not my pup!" I snarled, glaring at the black wolf, who had a smug smile on his face.
"Sorry, Mira," he said, shrugging. "They didn't believe me."
"You bas-"
"Mira, is it?" The brown wolf interrupted. I stopped. "Why don't you bring us your- sorry, the pup, and we'll leave you alone?"
"No!" I snapped. "Tanisha is not going to go with you!"
"What about-"
"No! Jay isn't going with you, and neither is Kana or Valor!"
"And your sister?"
"No!" I snarled. "She's got to take care of her pups."
"So I guess you'll be staying then," the brown wolf said, standing and walking over to me. "Come on."
"Why would I be staying?" I questioned, backing up as he got closer.
"You won't sacrifice the others, so come on." He herded me towards the group of wolves. "Fortunately for you, you'll be ranked above the Omega. Step lively, now."
I walked a little faster, brushing past Tuff and hesitating for a second. "Aren't there any she-wolves in this pack?"
The brown wolf chuckled, pointing to the bloody wolves with his nose. "They were acting up."
I slowly nodded, skirting the group and sitting beside the black wolf. The brown wolf frowned.
"Why are you sitting with Ember?" He asked.
"Ember, is it?" I asked the black wolf to my left. "Nice name."
"Thanks," Ember replied, setting his paw down.
The brown wolf growled. "I said, why are you sitting with Ember?"
I looked him right in the eye. "Why shouldn't I sit with Ember?"
He just snarled again, turning back to the other wolves. "Tuff," he snapped. "Get out of my sight!"
"O-Of course, sir!" Tuff scurried away.
Why so vicious?
"Mira!" The brown wolf growled.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You, Ember, Yukon, Gravy, Cheeto, Needle, Wash, Wish, Smoky, Birdie, Advil, and Fudge are going hunting in the northern corner of our territory," the brown wolf informed angrily. "Tuff, buzz off. Everyone else, split into groups of four and do borders. Dismissed."
I stood, following Ember as he led the other wolves in our group out of the clearing. I trotted for a moment to catch up with him.
"Did all those she-wolves really belong to your pack?" I asked.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Did that big brown wolf really kill them because they were acting up?" I questioned.
"Yup." He nodded again. "And his name is Frito, by the way. Never call him that though, he might kill you."
I snorted.
"You laugh now," Ember said exaggeratively.
"Okay," I said, rolling my eyes. I perked up my ears. "Shh!"
Everyone stopped, looking at me and waiting. I sniffed the air, searching for what I knew was there.
Pitter, patter.
I slowly turned my head, my eyes landing on a nice, fat hare. I crouched down, pulling my haunches under me. Then the hare sat up, and I pounced before it could dart off. I reached down and snapped it's neck.
"Gotcha!" I whispered, grabbing my catch and walking towards a tree. As I dug a hole and dropped in the hare I felt eyes boring into my back. "What?"
"Why are you burying it?" Gravy asked.
"To keep other animals away from it," Ember said in a 'duh' tone.
"But how're you gonna find it?" Needle questioned.
"Like this." I stretched up and pulled off some bark, leaving a spot of bare trunk.
We traveled further into the woods, watching and listening for prey. I kept my nose to the ground, searching for a trail. Suddenly Wish signaled silence with her tail, looking upwind at a few deer and everyone fell into place, knowing what to do without thinking.
Although I was not one for group hunting, I did my part and helped surround the clearing. Knowing how high deer can jump I put myself opposite Wish, and when she jumped out of the bushes the deer scattered. One came right for me and I jumped as hard as I could, grabbing its foreleg in my jaws and dragging it down with me. Smoky and Advil took down the second deer along with Fudge. Ember grabbed the one I had by the throat and sank his teeth into it, slowly crushing its windpipe. As the light in its eyes died out he laid at its head next to me and gave a prayer of thanks. I did the same, watching as it slowly faded away. Afterward everyone assisted in hauling the catch back, and when we passed the marked tree I dug up my hare from earlier. After arriving back in the clearing, all the prey was deposited side by side for Frito to see. He approached the hare I had caught, prodding it.
"Who caught this?" He asked, snarling.
"Mira," Birdie blurted.
He turned to me. "Why?"
"I saw it, so I caught it," I explained. "And if no one else will eat it, I will."
"In case you hadn't noticed, rogue, individual hunting is not encouraged here," Frito informed coldly. "And I would prefer if you refrained from catching such small prey in the future."
Small? That's one of the biggest hares I've seen in months!
As Frito and about six other wolves dug in, I hung back with everyone else to wait my turn. After everyone except Tuff and I had had their fill, I slowly stepped forward and ripped into my hare, downing meat until I was full. When I lifted my blood covered face Tuff flinched, looking away. I trotted to the side of the clearing, and Tuff approached the meal, moving painfully slow and groveling the entire way there. When he finally reached the meat, he hardly ate anything. I rolled my eyes as he was kicked out after only a few bites so others could have seconds.
"So," Ember said as he licked blood off of his chops and sat next to me. "Where'd you learn pack traditions?"
"My mother was born in a pack, and she wanted us to know about that type of life." I watched Frito growl at Tuff again. "As to why I'm letting Tuff get pushed around."
Ember shrugged, following my gaze. "I never really thought about it that way."
I nodded as Tuff scampered away.
"Can I go running?" I suddenly asked, standing up.
"Sure," Ember told me, also standing. "I'll go with you. I don't think he'll trust you alone yet."
I nodded as he gestured to Frito with his nose.
"Come on." Ember nudged my shoulder and I followed him into the forest.
After walking for a while a small voice sounded behind me.
"Mira?"
I turned. "Tuff?"
"What happened to our mom?"