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Authors: David Clement-Davies
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note.
‘I think it’s my brother Skop.’
The pack didn’t have to wait long to find out. Soon a male wolf came padding up the river bank. Larka and Fell wagged their tails excitedly as they spotted a wolf cub trailing wearily through the grass behind him.
‘Skop,’ cried Palla delightedly, for somehow his appearance had lifted the spectre of the hunt and of this strange legend too. ‘I thought it was you! It’s good to see you again.’
Skop was no bigger than his sister but he had the same strong, intelligent face. The little wolf with him was very handsome, with the beginnings of a true Dragga’s muzzle, though he looked rather nervous as he peered back at them..
‘Thank Fenris I’ve found you, Palla,’ growled Skop. ‘I’ve been hunting for suns and suns. I tried the old den, when I finally remembered where it was. But you’d gone.’
‘Humans have been hunting,’ growled Palla, ‘but where are you going, brother?’
‘North east,’ answered Skop gravely. ‘There’s a rebel pack there, Palla, hiding out near the mountains. They’re preparing to fight Morgra.’
‘Fight Morgra,’ growled Palla with surprise. The whole pack was listening intently now.
‘They’re led by a bold Drappa named Slavka. She has called for the free Varg to join a Greater Pack. To fight Morgra and the Balkar.’
‘A Greater Pack?’ growled Huttser.
‘What are rebels?’ Fell piped up suddenly.
Skop smiled down at the black cub. Skop was a brave wolf and though not a Dragga himself, he was a natural fighter.
‘Rebels are wolves that live free in the hills,’ he said cheerfully, ‘and fight for freedom and howl songs to the moon all summer long.’
Huttser was shaking his tail disapprovingly.
‘A Greater Pack, Skop?’ he snorted, ‘but I thought such ideas had died out long ago.’
‘These are strange times, Huttser. The rumours around our half-sister grow with each sun. Perhaps Slavka is right to call on us all to join her.’
‘But what should wolves have to do with a Greater Pack?’ growled Huttser. ‘Our size should be determined by our territories alone, and by the ties of family and blood. Freedom lies in the bonds of the pack, and the only true freedom runs with the Varg. That is the untameable spirit of the wolf. That is our birth right.’
The pack felt a thrill as Huttser used words spoken to them since their very earliest days as cubs. Skop too knew that the life of a pack was a thing determined by nature alone. A wolf pack’s size normally grew like its boundary, swelling or decreasing according to the amount of game to support a pack relying on it. When game was scarce the territory would have to grow and this naturally increased rivalries between neighbouring packs and competition for food.
‘But why do these rebels want to fight Morgra?’ asked Palla. ‘What is happening?’
Skop’s eyes suddenly grew grave, and they heard the grumble of early summer thunder in the heavens. It made the children’s bellies quiver and, as the pack looked up, they saw that above the castle, storm clouds were ribbing the sky.
‘Children,’ said Skop, nuzzling his young companion forward, ‘this is Kar. Why don’t you take him over there and play for a while.’
‘I don’t want to play,’ said Fell, dying to hear what Skop had to say, ‘it’s silly.’
‘Oh no,’ growled Skop, looking down at him wisely, ‘there’s nothing more serious than play.’
‘I won’t!’ snorted Fell.
Suddenly, Huttser leapt at Fell and grabbed him round the scruff of the neck. He meant it mostly in fun but the cub was not ready for it and, as Fell found he couldn’t escape, he felt a furious anger burning inside him and a pain that ran down his spine and made him feel sick. It was as though a shadow had just passed into him, a shadow of his father’s power. Huttser let go and he was smiling blithely, completely ignorant of what he had just
‘I think it’s my brother Skop.’
The pack didn’t have to wait long to find out. Soon a male wolf came padding up the river bank. Larka and Fell wagged their tails excitedly as they spotted a wolf cub trailing wearily through the grass behind him.
‘Skop,’ cried Palla delightedly, for somehow his appearance had lifted the spectre of the hunt and of this strange legend too. ‘I thought it was you! It’s good to see you again.’
Skop was no bigger than his sister but he had the same strong, intelligent face. The little wolf with him was very handsome, with the beginnings of a true Dragga’s muzzle, though he looked rather nervous as he peered back at them..
‘Thank Fenris I’ve found you, Palla,’ growled Skop. ‘I’ve been hunting for suns and suns. I tried the old den, when I finally remembered where it was. But you’d gone.’
‘Humans have been hunting,’ growled Palla, ‘but where are you going, brother?’
‘North east,’ answered Skop gravely. ‘There’s a rebel pack there, Palla, hiding out near the mountains. They’re preparing to fight Morgra.’
‘Fight Morgra,’ growled Palla with surprise. The whole pack was listening intently now.
‘They’re led by a bold Drappa named Slavka. She has called for the free Varg to join a Greater Pack. To fight Morgra and the Balkar.’
‘A Greater Pack?’ growled Huttser.
‘What are rebels?’ Fell piped up suddenly.
Skop smiled down at the black cub. Skop was a brave wolf and though not a Dragga himself, he was a natural fighter.
‘Rebels are wolves that live free in the hills,’ he said cheerfully, ‘and fight for freedom and howl songs to the moon all summer long.’
Huttser was shaking his tail disapprovingly.
‘A Greater Pack, Skop?’ he snorted, ‘but I thought such ideas had died out long ago.’
‘These are strange times, Huttser. The rumours around our half-sister grow with each sun. Perhaps Slavka is right to call on us all to join her.’
‘But what should wolves have to do with a Greater Pack?’ growled Huttser. ‘Our size should be determined by our territories alone, and by the ties of family and blood. Freedom lies in the bonds of the pack, and the only true freedom runs with the Varg. That is the untameable spirit of the wolf. That is our birth right.’
The pack felt a thrill as Huttser used words spoken to them since their very earliest days as cubs. Skop too knew that the life of a pack was a thing determined by nature alone. A wolf pack’s size normally grew like its boundary, swelling or decreasing according to the amount of game to support a pack relying on it. When game was scarce the territory would have to grow and this naturally increased rivalries between neighbouring packs and competition for food.
‘But why do these rebels want to fight Morgra?’ asked Palla. ‘What is happening?’
Skop’s eyes suddenly grew grave, and they heard the grumble of early summer thunder in the heavens. It made the children’s bellies quiver and, as the pack looked up, they saw that above the castle, storm clouds were ribbing the sky.
‘Children,’ said Skop, nuzzling his young companion forward, ‘this is Kar. Why don’t you take him over there and play for a while.’
‘I don’t want to play,’ said Fell, dying to hear what Skop had to say, ‘it’s silly.’
‘Oh no,’ growled Skop, looking down at him wisely, ‘there’s nothing more serious than play.’
‘I won’t!’ snorted Fell.
Suddenly, Huttser leapt at Fell and grabbed him round the scruff of the neck. He meant it mostly in fun but the cub was not ready for it and, as Fell found he couldn’t escape, he felt a furious anger burning inside him and a pain that ran down his spine and made him feel sick. It was as though a shadow had just passed into him, a shadow of his father’s power. Huttser let go and he was smiling blithely, completely ignorant of what he had just
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