Read Online Promise Of The Wolves by Dorothy Hearst - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dorothy Hearst
Ads: Link
opened her throat, letting forth a great howl. Ruuqo walked over to her, sat down, and howled with her. One by one, the adult wolves answered, and their voices filled the gathering place. Each howl held a different tone, but they came together in the sound of the Swift River pack. In their howls, I heard the call to the hunt.
“Come pups,” Rissa said. “This is your hunt, too.”
Our voices were not as strong as the adults’, but we joined in song just the same. The vibrations from the howls sent our blood racing. The hearts of the pack began to beat as one, and our breathing fell into rhythm with theirs. I saw fierceness and focus come into the eyes of every wolf in the pack, and felt my own eyes glaze and then focus more sharply than before. The inside of my head rang with the howls and I began to see the world differently. I no longer smelled the varied scents of the gathering place, or heard the rustlings around me. I heard only Rissa’s call and smelled the scent of my pack as wolves began to bolt from the clearing. All my senses were focused on following the pack to our next meal. With a nudge from Trevegg, we followed the adult wolves out of the clearing and into the woods.
I was surprised at how strong I had become. In the weeks at Fallen Tree, I had grown as big as Marra, and bigger than Ázzuen and Reel, and my play with the ravens had made me wiry and sturdy. Instead of lagging behind the other pups, I raced Unnan and Borlla for the lead. The woods thinned as we ran, sparse birch trees replacing the denser spruces and pines of our gathering place. It was a perfect morning, not yet too hot to run, and the sweet smell of late summer flowers made me giddy. It was all I could do not to stop and smell every new flower and bush, but the pack ran at a steady trot, and all of us pups kept pace. None of us wanted to be sent back to the gathering place in disgrace.
Then, all at once, a sharp, pungent smell overwhelmed me, and I stopped short, almost falling face-first in the dirt. The other pups had stopped as well. First Borlla, then Unnan plunged into the bush from which the scent came. A moment later the rest of us followed, intoxicated by the rich scent. Ázzuen was the last one in. I heard a scrabbling sound, and turned to see him being dragged out by his tail, a look of surprise on his face. Werrna’s scarred face, wrinkled in annoyance, poked back into the bush, and she grabbed Marra by the scruff, pulling her out, too. Ruuqo’s voice brought the rest of us scrambling.
“Pups!” he bellowed. “Do not leave the pack. Do not stop a hunt! Come out now, or you can live on sticks and leaves.”
“Never let pups near dream sage,” Werrna growled, disgusted.
“Last pup out is the last to eat!” Yllin called.
Reel, who was closest to the edge of the bush, darted out. I would’ve been next out, but Borlla and Unnan blocked my exit. Then they shoved me deep into the bush before scrambling out. It took me several moments to disentangle myself from the thick branches and fragrant leaves. Then, once I was freed, I was disoriented, and scrabbled in the wrong direction twice before catching pack-scent coming from behind me. Sneezing and shaking dirt from my fur, I pushed my way out of the bush to find the pack waiting impatiently for me. Borlla and Unnan were smirking.
“Pup, if you cannot keep up, you must not need to eat. You’d best not fall behind again.” Ruuqo glared at me. I smarted at the unfairness of it. He was not nearly as harsh with the other pups. Without another look at me, Ruuqo led the pack off again.
Keep up , I thought. I’ll do more than keep up.
My legs felt strong and sure as I crouched down and leapt, sailing over a surprised Ázzuen. Then I ran. I felt as if my legs could take me anywhere I wanted to go. Yllin whuffed in encouragement as I raced past the others. To my surprise, Marra was the only pup to keep up with me. Though she was considerably smaller than Borlla and Unnan,
“Come pups,” Rissa said. “This is your hunt, too.”
Our voices were not as strong as the adults’, but we joined in song just the same. The vibrations from the howls sent our blood racing. The hearts of the pack began to beat as one, and our breathing fell into rhythm with theirs. I saw fierceness and focus come into the eyes of every wolf in the pack, and felt my own eyes glaze and then focus more sharply than before. The inside of my head rang with the howls and I began to see the world differently. I no longer smelled the varied scents of the gathering place, or heard the rustlings around me. I heard only Rissa’s call and smelled the scent of my pack as wolves began to bolt from the clearing. All my senses were focused on following the pack to our next meal. With a nudge from Trevegg, we followed the adult wolves out of the clearing and into the woods.
I was surprised at how strong I had become. In the weeks at Fallen Tree, I had grown as big as Marra, and bigger than Ázzuen and Reel, and my play with the ravens had made me wiry and sturdy. Instead of lagging behind the other pups, I raced Unnan and Borlla for the lead. The woods thinned as we ran, sparse birch trees replacing the denser spruces and pines of our gathering place. It was a perfect morning, not yet too hot to run, and the sweet smell of late summer flowers made me giddy. It was all I could do not to stop and smell every new flower and bush, but the pack ran at a steady trot, and all of us pups kept pace. None of us wanted to be sent back to the gathering place in disgrace.
Then, all at once, a sharp, pungent smell overwhelmed me, and I stopped short, almost falling face-first in the dirt. The other pups had stopped as well. First Borlla, then Unnan plunged into the bush from which the scent came. A moment later the rest of us followed, intoxicated by the rich scent. Ázzuen was the last one in. I heard a scrabbling sound, and turned to see him being dragged out by his tail, a look of surprise on his face. Werrna’s scarred face, wrinkled in annoyance, poked back into the bush, and she grabbed Marra by the scruff, pulling her out, too. Ruuqo’s voice brought the rest of us scrambling.
“Pups!” he bellowed. “Do not leave the pack. Do not stop a hunt! Come out now, or you can live on sticks and leaves.”
“Never let pups near dream sage,” Werrna growled, disgusted.
“Last pup out is the last to eat!” Yllin called.
Reel, who was closest to the edge of the bush, darted out. I would’ve been next out, but Borlla and Unnan blocked my exit. Then they shoved me deep into the bush before scrambling out. It took me several moments to disentangle myself from the thick branches and fragrant leaves. Then, once I was freed, I was disoriented, and scrabbled in the wrong direction twice before catching pack-scent coming from behind me. Sneezing and shaking dirt from my fur, I pushed my way out of the bush to find the pack waiting impatiently for me. Borlla and Unnan were smirking.
“Pup, if you cannot keep up, you must not need to eat. You’d best not fall behind again.” Ruuqo glared at me. I smarted at the unfairness of it. He was not nearly as harsh with the other pups. Without another look at me, Ruuqo led the pack off again.
Keep up , I thought. I’ll do more than keep up.
My legs felt strong and sure as I crouched down and leapt, sailing over a surprised Ázzuen. Then I ran. I felt as if my legs could take me anywhere I wanted to go. Yllin whuffed in encouragement as I raced past the others. To my surprise, Marra was the only pup to keep up with me. Though she was considerably smaller than Borlla and Unnan,
Similar Books
