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For the past 2 years, Ahmed and Melinda have taken me under their wing as one of their own and trained me to be a better fighter to help them fight these hunters that were coming this year. We were only 2 months away until the season had begun. Not only that, but Ahmed has also told me that there is another pack that's been chasing off their deer and such and soon they will go into war. I had to be ready for that. You know, being with them for this long... It was starting to remind me of my family... My mother and father... How they would prepare me for war... It feels so much similar to what happened 5 years ago.

When I was settled into the village, I was given my own den. The hay beds were a little uncomfortable but it was all they could do and I appreciated it. What made things more interesting was Shang wanted to move in with me. Heh, he's such a loyal pup. He's 2 years old now and already he behaves maturely. It was sort of how I was when I was born. He trains alongside me. He digs faster than any wolf in the pack and his sense of smell was as good as his father's. He's able to do push-ups on his front paws and he can juggle logs with his hind legs. Talk about talented...or he was just showing off.

One night, something weird happened and here's how. I was playing tug of war with Shang with a little duck squeaky toy when I tugged too hard and he lunged at me, accidently biting my hand. It didn't hurt but it was unexpected. I blamed myself for that. He whimpered and looked at my hand, which had two bite marks in it and it was dripping a little blood.

"Oh no!" he yelped and whined. "Guil! I'm so sorry! It was an accident."

"It's okay, Shang," I replied. "I know you didn't mean it." I looked down at him as he started licking my hand, slurping away the blood from it. I watched him as he performed this action but I started to feel strange. My head felt hot as my vision was getting blurry. My God, what was going on with my body lately? I started coughing and he jumped back, whimpering loudly as he didn't know what was going on. I didn't even know what was going on. I felt something changing inside me. My back started to hurt as I was forced onto all fours, groaning and yelling out loudly in pain. Shang backed up into a corner, whining still as he didn't know what to do and he was scared. I could feel my teeth getting sharper as my hands started turning into paws. My face started to stick out and sharpen, turning into a muzzle and I suddenly grew a long fluffy tail. My legs were turning into hind legs and, strangely, my clothes weren't ripping.

I panted loudly as the transformation stopped. I looked around and saw Shang with his jaw dropped.

"W-what?" I asked him.

"Y-You're a..." I heard him swallow hard. "You're a w...w-w..."

"A what?"

"You're a...w-wolf!"

"I-I am?" I looked over myself and it was true. I was a wolf. First I transformed into a dragon, and now I could turn into a wolf? And it wasn't even a full moon yet. A couple of other wolves rushed over because they heard yelling and they saw my new form and were speechless.

"This has not happened before," one of the wolves said. I saw Ahmed make his way into the den and he looked me over. I was the same size as Shang as I was a black wolf as well. All he did was smirk.

"You're moving up into the world, little Guil," he said to me. "I will show you the ways of the wolf tomorrow morning." He looked over at Shang. "Don't stay up too long, okay son?"

He nodded.

"Okay, dad." I noticed he didn't mention that he bit me and that's what probably caused the transformation. Then again, we couldn't be entirely sure. Everyone then started exiting the den, leaving me and Shang there alone. I was too busy looking over my new body to notice Shang making his way over to me. "G-Guil?" I looked over at him and he whimpered more.

"Yeah Shang?" I said to him. I wasn't really worried about the bite. It was an accident, after all. He was showing much concern toward me. I think I can tell what he's feeling: Guilty. He must feel that it was his fault that this happened to me; he must assume that this was a curse. Oh no, it was a gift. I must thank him for it.

"Are you going to tell my father that it was me that made you this way?" He asked as he lowered his ears.

"If I did, it wouldn't be something bad, Shang. I should be thanking you. I've gotten stronger thanks to you. I'll be able to help out and protect you all from the hunters."

"Either way, I'm still sorry I bit you..."

"There's nothing to be sorry about."

"A-Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yes."

He looks down at his paws, still feeling sorry for biting me. To be honest, it kind of tickled a little. Now having a smile on his face, he nodded and looked back up at me.

"Okay then!"

"Good, now let's get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Right!" I watch him lay down and wrapped his tail around himself. "Good night, Guil."

I yawned and did the same next to him. "...night." Resting my head on my paws, I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The morning sun rose up from the east as it peeked over the horizon, the sunlight shining down at the village. I was lying down by the entrance when the sunlight shot me right in the face. I groaned and held my paw up over my face, trying to block the sunlight from blinding me. The groan caused Shang to wake up.

"Morning already?" he says to me as he yawned and slowly rose up.

"It would appear so," I replied as I got up as well. I heard footsteps outside our den as Ahmed soon makes his way in.

"Ah, good," he said. "You two are awake. Are you two ready for your training?"

We both nodded.

"Yes, I am ready," I said in a determined tone.

"I'm ready, father," Shang said, sounding determined as well.

He couldn't help but smile as he watched our gestures of determination. "Alright then, let us be on our way to the training field." He turned and walked out of the den. Shang and I followed him out as we walked through the village. It was quiet. I guess everybody isn't a morning person...or wolf. I'm not much of a morning person myself, but I am willing to get up early if it means that I will get stronger. I've gotten this far on my own, but I don't want to push it.

When we arrived at the training field, Ahmed sat down and told us to sit. We both sat in front of him to hear what he had in store for us today.

"You two have come very far in the past two years," he said with a smile. "You're growing up right before my very eyes. Even though you work well together and have gotten stronger, that does not mean the training that is waiting for you is going to be such a simple task. You must be able to push yourself way past your limits. You will have to think on your feet and show no hesitation on the field."

At this point I kind of zoned out a little bit. I was remembering the days I had with my father. This training that I was enduring as a wolf is exactly the same training that I had with my dad as a dragon. I'm not sure if this was a sense of nostalgia or déjà vu big time. I was too zoned out to notice that Shang was waving his paw in front of me. I blinked and looked at him as I snapped out of my stroll down memory lane.

"Hey, Earth to Guil," he said to me. "Are you alright there, buddy?"

"Who...? Me? Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I said to him in a hesitant matter.

"Are you lying to your loyal, and noble, partner?"

"What makes you think I'm lying to you?"

"How do I know? It's because you're crying."

"Wh-what? No, I'm--" I held my paw up to my eyes and what I wiped away actually surprised me. "--Oh my, goodness... I was...crying?"

"Is something the matter?"

I saw Shang lean his muzzle in closer to see if I was alright, but I just turned away from him.

"I-I'm alright. Let's just begin the training."

Ahmed figured I would try to change the subject so he just chuckled.

"Guil, I'm sure your mother and father would want you to become stronger. It's natural to think about them." I couldn't help but look at him. Tears were building up in my eyes, but I didn't allow myself to shed them. He approached me in a calmly matter and placed his paw on my head. "Just remember, little one. Even in death, they will always be with you..." He lowered his paw until it was on my chest. "...in here."

It is true. I was always able to feel their presence around me as crazy as that sound. I can always feel them give me strength. No matter what happened, all I had to do is look up at the sky and I can see them. I can also look deep inside my heart and they would be there.

I stared at Ahmed and nodded my head slowly. "...Thank you for the motivation, Ahmed."

"It's no problem at all. You are a part of this village, Guil. You are family."

Family... That word hit me like a set of bricks. It made me think of my own family: Varin, Galena, Gull...and Grazar. Sly, Shadow, and Python... I wonder how they were all doing. Are my brothers and sister looking for me? Are Sly, Shadow, and Python still alive? Did they get away from the Masked Eagles? Were they able to truly obtain their freedom?

They saw that I was deep in thought again as I felt Shang give me a good nudge to the side.

"Hey, no need to be down in the dumps, Guil," I heard Shang say with a smile. "I know what will take your mind off of things."

"What did you have in mind, Shang?" I asked him. My question was soon answered when I saw him crouch down, his front lowered to the ground and his back end raised up. Oh boy... He wants to wrestle. I stared at him and he stared back with his blue eyes. He looked serious alright. I really did not know to retort to this. Was it really a good time to play? I look over at Ahmed with my head tilted slightly to the side as if I'm saying "What the hell is wrong with him"?

Ahmed just smiles and waved his paw at me, implying that I should accept Shang's offer and play with him. I rolled my eyes and got down in the same position that Shang was. I really hope this was part of the training. Then again, I could take a break from being serious and try to have some fun. Unfortunately, in my case, it is difficult to do hence the fact that my parents are dead, I nearly escaped death more times that I could count, and I was miles away from home, and coming across a civilized village that's chock-full of wolves that seem to be smarter than the average bear.

"You doubt yourself a lot, Guil," Ahmed mentions to me. "The more you stick to the past, the more it will haunt you. You do not want to be conflicted of the past, do you?" He had a point. I shook my head no in response. "Then you know what you must do. These activities will prepare you further. You will learn the ways of the wolf as it will surely help you in the future."

"I deeply appreciate the help, Ahmed. It means a lot and I hope it will help you all fight against the hunters."

Ahmed smiles to that. I was glad that I am able to adapt to the environment so soon. Although it was only a couple of years, I really feel like I've been even stronger than I was before.

The following morning, Shang and I tussled around in the dirt, wrestling and snarling playfully at each other. We have normally done this with me as a human. Now, things were different as I have acquired a wolf form. These playful sessions...were actually kind of fun. They were anomalous, but, nevertheless, very stress relieving. After our little game, Ahmed proceeded to teach me the things that wolves must learn to do. The first objective that was on the list was how to dig. Normally, I would just find a shovel or something and start digging like that. The canine way was using your paws to dig. It was really time to get down and dirty.

Ahmed tossed a bone my way and I stared at it. What the heck am I supposed to do with this? This is a bone! Where's the meat? I was hungry that I was hardly thinking as to what I was supposed to do with it. Shang almost laughed and he took his bone in his mouth. He is not seriously going to eat that, was he? I stood corrected when I saw him using his paws to dig at an incredible speed. He dug up a good sized hole in less than 2 minutes. Shang has really grown over the past 2 years. I saw him put the bone down in the hole then he jumped out the hole. He proceeded to put the dirt back into the hole as he was pushing the dirt out between his legs and back into the hole. Once he finished, he walked over the dirt and sat down proudly on it. That does not look that bad.

It was my turn. I don't know why I was nervous and took a deep breath...don't ask. I leaned down and took the bone in my mouth and I started pawing at the dirt. I was not as fast as Shang so the hole I created was not as big either. I dropped the bone in the dirt and hopped out the hole, putting the dirt back into the whole and sitting on the pile proudly as well. That wasn't too bad, I guess, despite feeling like a common house dog. I don't know if I should be proud or humiliated.

Next thing was my enhanced sense of smell. I could already smell exceedingly well with my dragon nose, but I guess I should learn as a wolf, too. It should be exciting... But, now that I think about it...I don't really want to know what I will be able to smell 100 miles away. I'm getting off-topic, aren't I?

Anyway, Shang and Ahmed demonstrated their good senses of smell. Leaning their heads down until their noses were pressed the ground, Shang and Ahmed began sniffing around the place. What were they sniffing for, I wonder? I didn't really do anything but stared and watched them scamper around like hound dogs. Just when I was getting a bit annoyed, Shang leaned his head up and barked, running off into the bushes and bringing back a dead rabbit. So, that's what they smelled: Prey. Ahmed ran off into the bushes as well and he came back with a dead squirrel a few minutes later. They must've done this countless times to be able to pinpoint a prey's location and to be rid of them within' a few minor seconds. Would I be able to do it as well? Can I be as fast as them? Both Shang and Ahmed stared at me. They were waiting for me to begin.

I sighed to myself and lowered my head so that my nose pressed against the earth. I had my eyes shut because I didn't really feel comfortable sniffing around on the ground like this. Once again, I was feeling embarrassed. This was getting ridiculous... Scampering around the ground like an idiot hoping to find something delectable to devour was a sign of desperation to me. If I wanted to get some food, I would've went to a grocery store or even picked an apple from a tree. ...I'm venting again, aren't I?

Fortunately, I did catch whiff of something not too far from where we were. I quickly ran off in the direction until I came to a clearing. The animal I spotted was a deer. I remember a similar situation like this: Gull was teaching me how to use a bow. I could use it here, but there was problem: I didn't have my bow with me. On top of that, my training as a wolf would become a waste. I knew nothing about the basics of hunting as a wolf, but this didn't stop me. I simply used the lessons I learned as a human and used them here. The deer didn't seem to notice me as I crouched down in the grass, slowly approaching the animal without making a single noise. I got closer...and closer...I was within' range and was about to deliver the fatal blow until...

The deer rose its head up and quickly ran off. What the...?! What happened? I didn't make it run off. There was nothing, or anybody, in the field that could have startled it. So, what gives? I looked in the direction that it was looking at and a random ox was charging this way. Where did that thing come from? I don't know, but it made my meal run off. This ox was my meal now.

I stood my ground as it charged at me. It had its horns ready and raring to pierce something. I was not intimidated. The minute it came within' range, I lunged out at it, grabbing its horns with my fangs and keeping a good grip on it. The ox stopped dead in its tracks and ran around like a chicken with its head cut off as it tried desperately to shake me off. It's no use, buddy; I was not moving an itch. When the ox started slowing down, it was my chance to take it down. I tugged on its horn so that it would lean to the right. I continued tugging until I managed to get my feet touching the ground. Once that happened, I flipped the ox over on its side. I had to be quick and sink my teeth into the ox's neck, tearing into its fur and flesh. The ox groaned out in pain and squirmed around, trying to escape. I kept it pinned down and sunk my teeth even deeper into his skin, making it whine out even louder. It eventually stopped squirming and collapsed...dead.

I released my grip on the ox's neck and sat down, proud of my huge catch. Then, I heard something. My ears immediately perked up as I looked over and seen Shang and Ahmed smiling at me. Were they watching the whole time?

"Wow, Guil!" Shang yipped out in excitement. "You took down an ox by yourself!"

"I am impressed," Ahmed said as he smiled. "Usually, it takes at least 5 of us to take an ox down. You took it down by yourself in record time."

"Thank you, Ahmed," I replied to him.

We dragged the ox back to the village where everybody came and got their share of the animal. There was one more thing that Ahmed had to show me, but it had to be done later tonight. I would've have asked why but I asked no questions. I just simply waited. While I was waiting, something odd happened.

It was sunset. I decided to sit up in a tree while eating an apple, having nothing to do. I wasn't expecting anybody to come visit me until I heard somebody call my name. I looked down to see it was Barkley. Why on Earth was he here? I honestly did not want to talk to him but I might as well see what he wanted. I hopped down from the tree and looked at him.

"Did you really take down an ox?" he asked me.

"Um, yeah? What of it?"

"Oh... No reason."

What the hell was his problem? I can tell he didn't just come by and try to make small talk. Something was up and I wanted to know.

"Can you cut to the chase, Barkley? If you're here to bad-mouth me some more, then just say it so I can ignore you and get back to eating my apple."

He didn't say anything. He just stared at me. Why do people always stare at me? It's discourteous, bizarre, and creepy. Not to mention the way he stares at me kind of makes him look like a stalker.

"...show me..." I heard him mutter.

"Show you what?"

"Show me...your strength. I want to really see how strong you are. No mutt can easily take down an ox really quick. That's preposterous."

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't have time for this." I turned away from him to climb back up into the tree. He growled in anger and he lunged at me. I gasped and rolled out of his way. "What the heck are you doing, Barkley? Talking trash is one thing, now you want to fight me? Don't you have anything better to do than picking on little pups?"

He gave me an angry expression and was crouched in a fighting position.

"I said I want you to fight me. I'm not leaving until you do... I'll just keep coming at you until you fight back."

"If you really want to see my strength, just wait until we fight the hunters. Nothing will come out of this pointless 'sparring'."

"Pointless?! Now you really made me mad!" He lunged at me again. This time, I jumped over him, making him crash face first into a tree.

"Barkley, for the last time, cut it out! I'm warning you! Just walk away!!"

"I'm getting sick and tired of you always thinking that you know so much. Well, guess what?! You're wrong! It's a wolf-eat-wolf world out there and only the strong survive while the weak perish! I will not be outsmarted by some mangy shrimp!" He was getting ready to lunge again. I really had it with this guy. He's gone crazy now. I guess I have no choice but to accommodate him. As soon as he lunged at me, I stepped out of the way and grabbed him by the tail, swinging him against the same tree that he crashed into earlier. The impact was so strong, it broke the tree in half and Barkley was sent hurdling into the bushes.

"I hope you're satisfied now, you ignorant fool!" I shouted at him while picking back up my apple and taking another bite out of it. I heard a twig snap and I got back into my fighting position. There, I saw Barkley wobble out of the bushes, covered in dirt and leaves. "Are you really that tenacious?!"

He just growled and charged at me, teeth bared and everything. I shook my head and I lunged at him this time, sinking my fangs into his neck and pinning him to the ground. He kicked and squirmed around but I kept a firm grip on him. He was really persistent this time. Barkley continued kicking around for a few more minutes until he stopped and I let go of him. I didn't kill him. I just cut off his air supply so he would go to sleep. I sighed to myself and just looked at him. I will admit, I admired his determination, but it went too far.

I started walking away until I heard something. I turned around and saw he was getting back up. This time, I said nothing. I watched as he stumbled to his feet. Then...he started laughing.

"...you are...very strong...pup..." I heard him say. Huh, all of that ass kicking must've finally knocked some sense into him. "Nobody has ever pinned me down like that except our alpha... I guess...I was wrong about you, hybrid. I mean, Guil."

That...actually made me smile a little. He finally acknowledged me. I decided to walk toward him and held out my paw. He eyed it for a second and then he smiled and shook my paw. We were finally friends.

Nighttime had finally arrived. I could see that it was a full moon. I can only guess what Ahmed wanted me to do. He instructed me to meet him at a cliff not too far from the village. As I got there, I saw that even Melinda and Shang were there.

"Guil, you have arrived," Ahmed said greeting me.

"So, I can only assume that my final lesson is..."

He smiled and nodded.

"You assumed correctly: Today you are going to learn to howl like a wolf."

Now, this is really déjà vu. I remember my father teaching me how to roar like a dragon. Now, I'm going to learn how to howl like a wolf. My life is like an actual roller coaster: So many twists and turns. What's going to be next?

"I'm ready to begin anytime."

"Good. I will say that howling is not as easy as it sounds. It comes from the heart and you got to have the proper lung power. We will show you." He turned to Shang and his mate Melinda. "Alright everybody, together now."

I stood there and watch them gather around. They took a deep breath and they begin to howl. Their howls were like music. It felt...so relaxing. It was beautiful. But, was it as hard as he said it was? How many tries would I have to do in order to really howl like a wolf? Wow, Ahmed was right: I do doubt myself. I know I can do this. All I got to do is try.

They finished their howling and I couldn't help but applaud them. Returning the silly gesture, they even bowed to my clapping, especially Shang.

"Now, Guil, the key to howling is concentration. You have to really feel it in your heart in order to howl. Your emotions will be in there as well. Let it flow through like a current flowing to the river." While he was talking, I was already concentrating. My eyes were closed shut and I took a deep breath. "I know you probably won't get it on the first try, but I assure you, there will come the time when you'll--" I rose my head up to the sky and there it was: I was howling. My emotions were actually flowing out of my body and into the howl. It was just as I thought: It was musical. "--get it right..."

"Oh my, goodness," Melinda gasped. "He's...he's doing it. And it sounds so...beautiful."

"He's howling! He's howling!" Shang jumped in joy. "And it was his first try, too! Just like me!"

Ahmed was standing there in awe. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. I couldn't believe it myself. I was howling...for the first time...and on my first try. It was wonderful. They were so happy that they started howling as well. Soon, everybody in the pack started howling along with me. It was amazing, to say the least. No words could describe, nor could it be said, about this delightful moment.

After our musical session, we made a campfire in the village and everybody was gathered around it. Normally, I'd expect somebody to tell a scary story or start singing a campfire song or even make some s'mores. It was actually a ceremony. I have no idea what it was for; Ahmed couldn't tell me for it was a surprise. I guess I'll take his word for it.

"We are gathered here today to fully enlist somebody into this village," Ahmed started to speak. "Over the past 2 years, he has shown determination, strength, and the will to get stronger and to assist us in our times of need. That's what a village is all about. We have each other's backs and we support each other. We are all family and now, it is time that we bring this wolf into our family as well." He walked over to me and put his paw on my head. "Guil, do you accept our proposal and be a part of the Boswell pack?"

I was a bit taken back by this. I had no idea this ceremony was about installing me into the pack. I thought I was already in it. I guess those were trials that I was going through before.

"Er, um, i-if I'm truly welcomed in the pack," was my response. I really did not have anything to say to that. I could not actually say "yes" or "no".

Ahmed chuckled from my reply and looked at the other wolves. "Well, what do you say everybody? Do you want Guil to be a part of the pack?" Before I knew it, everybody started howling and barking in a positive manner. That pretty much settles it there. "Well, there's the answer. So, Guil, what do you say?"

I couldn't hold back a smile as I looked at Ahmed and nodded my head.

"Yes. I accept your proposal."

He smiles as he and the other wolves start to howl once again. I looked around and everybody was happy to have me in their pack. I was feeling like I belonged here. My heart was racing as I couldn't contain my excitement as I howled with them. This also got me thinking about my village and my parents. I wonder what my parents would say if they were still here.

All of a sudden, we heard gunshots not too far from where we were. The howling stopped and looked in the direction it was coming from. It was coming from the forest.

"What the heck was that?!" Kimba yelped out.

"Oh, don't tell me they're here?!" Barkley growled out.

"Damn, they're here early than I expected," Ahmed muttered to himself. He looked at Melinda and Shang, then to the entire pack. "It appears that our enemies have made a change in their schedule. We must defend our home and drive them back from where they came from. Remember, no wolf gets left behind! Who's with me?" That was a rhetorical question. We all were. We all barked in unison, showing that we were right behind him. "Good." He looked at Melinda and Shang once again. "Melinda and Shang, you're with me."

Shang whimpered a little as he looked at me. Ahmed and I both knew that he wanted to be on my team. He didn't really want to be separated from me. I wouldn't want to either knowing how well we work together and how good we get along.

"B-But, I wanna be with Guil," Sang said while whimpering.

"I know, son, but this is serious. I need you to stay with me and your mother on this one. Alright?"

Shang looked down but he understood. "Yes, father..."

"Good." Ahmed turned to me. "Alright, Guil, you're going to be with Kimba and Barkley."

I nodded. "Understood."

"Awesome, Guil's on our team!" Kimba said, almost jumping around in joy.

"Yep, he is," said Barkley, actually smiling at me. "Considering how strong he is, we can count on him."

Wow, Barkley sure has changed ever since I fought him. I'm glad we were on better terms and can trust each other. I finally got his respect. And it only took 2 years. I should an Oscar for that, or something.

"A few others will stay behind to protect the pups and the females who are bearing pups. Everyone else, surround the area and use the bushes and trees for cover. Let's move!"

We all turned and high-tailed it into the forest. I'm starting to notice a lot of strange coincidences around here. The Masked Eagles launched an invasion on my hometown. Now, hunters are launching an invasion on the forest and the village. I can only imagine what's going to happen next. Barkley, Kimba, and I waited in the bushes as the other wolves did, waiting for the time to strike. The hunters did indeed show up and I don't think they were trying to be stealthy. They arrived screeching to a stop in their Jeeps with their .22 Caliber rifles, 12 gauge shotguns, and I could not believe one hunter even took it upon himself to bring an Uzi to the party. Are you serious? Why not a crossbow or a bow and some arrows? I'm probably giving the hunters suggestions for their next hunt, aren't I?

Anywho, we waited until they got closer to the territory. As I said, they were not doing a very good job at keep quiet. They were loud and obnoxious, possibly from drinking so much, mainly Bud Light. We could even hear their irrational conversations.

"Hoo-wee!" shouted one of the drunken hunters. "I'm so going to bag me a good one, tonight!"

"Not unless I bag 'em first!" said the other hunter. "I plan on mounting the biggest one on my wall above my snuggly fireplace!"

Barkley, Kimba, and I looked at each other as we couldn't help but snicker silently at their slurred language.

"These guys are complete idiots," Barkley whispered. "We'll be done with them in no time at all with them in this state.

"That may be so," Kimba replied, "but some of them aren't as stupid as they look or sound. We shouldn't underestimate them."

Kimba did have a point. All of the hunters wouldn't be stupid enough to sound and act like this. We had to be ready for anything.

The hunters had proceeded to enter the forest, a few of them still making obnoxious and irrelevant noises. We all stayed in our places, waiting for them to drop their ground for even the tiniest second. Some of them were setting up bear traps and pitfalls to capture and/or kill us. We were on to their little game. I only took my eyes off the hunters for a brief second to look at the other wolves that were in position. They did not have the most excited game faces on. Some of them looked really bored and the others looked a bit impatient. I couldn't argue with them there. This was getting really tedious.

As we watched them for a few more minutes, even the hunters were getting tired and restless. They were in the middle of the forest and they were unaware that we had them surrounded. One of the hunters sighed and shook his head.

"Damn, this sure is boring," he said. "I knew I should've stayed home and watched the game with my wife."

"Can it, you old goat," said another hunter. "We ain't going home 'till we caught at least a few of them. Quit ya belly-aching and keep moving!"

All he could do is groan and continued walking. Ahmed figured it was time to strike as he waved over at Kimba, signaling him to make a clamor. Kimba nodded and he picked up a rock with his mouth and threw it over the hunters' heads and it hit a tree. This caused them to stop dead in their tracks and turned to the direction where the noise came from.

"What the hell was that?" said one of the hunters, a bit of fear stirring up inside him as he clutched his Winchester.

"It's probably just a squirrel, or something," replied the other hunter, trying to sound tough. Oh please, we can smell how afraid you are. Kimba threw another rock in the other direction and the hunters turned again.

"There it is again! What the hell is going on here?!"

"Quiet, you idiot!" They looked around the area and tried to listen for more noises. I held back my laughter as I held a paw up to my mouth to silence myself. We all turned our attention to Ahmed as he nodded. We saw him crouch down in a pouncing position and we all did the same. All that's left is the timing.

They were so paranoid by the constant noises they were not paying attention at all. Ahmed shouted out "NOW!" and we all leapt out from the bushes and charged at them. They screamed and turned their guns toward us.

"Crap! It's an ambush!!" shouted one of them as one of them fired their hunting rifles but completely missed the incoming wolf. It tackled the hunter to the ground, snarling and trying to bite at the hunter's trachea. The other hunters were swarming around him to try to get the wolf off him by shooting him, but more wolves quickly came in and tackled them to the ground and ripped at their throats as well.

"There's too many of them!" shouted one of the hunters, waving his AK around in fear. "We have to get out of here!"

"No way!" the other hunter shouted back. "You can leave if you want to, coward! I'm bagging one of these wolves even if it kills me!" Well, I had to give this guy credit for determination, but he should've retreated like his friend suggested.

The battled proceed on for what seemed, and felt like, 5 hours. Honestly, it only went on for 10 minutes. A good portion of the hunters were on the ground with their blood pouring out of their necks and some of them ran away. We were winning; defending our turf until the end...that is, until I happened to screw up.

I was returning to the bushes to wipe some of the blood off of my fur and face. It'll be a while for me to get the taste out of my house. I walked a few steps until it happened: My hind leg got caught in a bear trap. The pain was insufferable as the metal blades pierced through my fur and skin and it drew blood onto the trap. I yelped and howled out in pain as I tugged a bit, seeing if I could get it out quickly.

Unluckily for me, a nearby hunter heard me yelp and runs over to where I was trapped at. He cackled wickedly and aimed his Winchester at me. I tried to hurry and release the trap before it was too late, but what happened next surprised me even more: I saw Kimba rush out of nowhere and grabbed the gun tip in his maw so that the hunter's bullet would miss me by a few inches, but that didn't happen. The gun did go off and the bullet did miss me, but it hit something else: Kimba. I saw him fly toward a tree and he was lying there, not moving. This caused me to snap as I could get the trap open slightly, enough for me to get my foot out. It was still painful to get it out as I was really pissed now. I tackled the hunter down and chewed into his throat. Strangely, I was enjoying hearing him choke on his own blood. It served him right for what he had done, but staring at the pitiful hunter wasn't important. I limped over to Kimba and, thankfully, he was still alive. But, from the looks of it, he didn't have long.

"Kimba... Wh-why did you do that?" I asked him with a bit of hoarse in my voice. I felt so much guilt building up inside me for it was my fault that he was like this.

"B-Because... We're friends...right?" Kimba said to me, tears forming up in his eyes and he was smiling. "Nobody...leaves a pup behind... Even if you don't like them... You do what's right, even if... It means sacrificing your own life for it."

"B-But..."

"Don't blame yourself... You would've done the same for me..."

"I would've...but...that's twice you saved me... You didn't have to...do that... I was dumb enough to get caught in that damn trap. If I would've been looking where I was going, you wouldn't be like this... I'm... I'm so sorry..."

He was still smiling and that just made me feel even worse. How could I let this happen?

"I don't hold you accountable, Guil...and neither should you. Just...keep on living...don't...give up..."

His words... They sounded just like my father before he died. This was all so similar to that same day. What I could've done to prevent this was swarming in my head. All I could do was nod at him and he nodded back. He closed his eyes and drew his last breath: He was dead.

The battling had ceased and a few of the hunters ran away. The rest of the wolves all gathered around and saw Kimba's body laying there in his own blood with a bullet wound in his side and my hind leg seeping blood onto the leaves on the ground. Everybody could see the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. Everybody rose their heads up to the sky and they howled for they lost a comrade in battle and it was my fault. I was too ashamed to howl as I looked down and cried more. After they were finished howling, they all stared at me.

Barkley was the one who approached me first and he snarled.

"What the hell happened here?!" he shouted in an angry tone. All I could do is look at him. I couldn't say anything. "Dammit, Guil! I asked you a question!!"

"Barkley, enough!" Ahmed shouted at him and then approached me slowly. "Guil, tell us what happened."

I directed my attention to him and I sighed.

"I... I couldn't save him... It's... It's all my fault... That stupid bear trap got me and then, he..." I suddenly broke down crying and covered my face with my paws. "He took the shot... He died protecting me... It's my fault he's like that. That should be me lying on the ground and not him!"

Everybody had looked at each other, muttering stuff that I didn't want to hear. All I know is they didn't like what they saw and it seemed like they didn't like what they heard. I felt Ahmed put his paw on my head and I looked up at him.

"A little melodramatic, are we?"

I blinked at him. "What?"

"We will discuss this after we bury Kimba. Everybody...back to the village."