Chapter 8- Arnoue’s Mission

Shadow was stretched out over the dirt. The hot sun had risen over the storm clouds. The ground was wet and muddy. “Did it rain”? Shadow asked standing out of the mud, it dripped off of his fur in large clumps. Crystal, who appeared to have been awake for some time, turned to him and nodded. Shadow was collecting his thoughts, where was Jake? Had he been killed? Crystal was staring out over the hills to where the morning sun rose. “Where to now?” Shadow asked. “We keep heading west”. She said “That’s the best I can suggest”. Shadow walked over to her side and looked out over the horizon with her. “Then we best move; Chanoue will be after us”. Crystal’s heart twitched with anger at the name. “That rat will die for what he did”, She barked angrily.

 

The early morning sun had settled over the land. James had been up all night. He could not stop thinking about Arnoue. Why did he leave? Sarina walked over sitting beside him. “How was the night”? She asked giving him a nudge. “Interesting”. James said coolly. “Where is Arnoue, I thought he was here”. James looked into Sarina’s eyes. “He’s gone”. James said quietly. Sarina looked at him disbelievingly. “What do you mean gone? Like he’s dead”? James shook his head. “No, he left the pack, he put me in charge”. “But why did he leave”? “I don’t know”. James started to pace. “We need to inform the others”. Sarina looked down. “I don’t think they will take kindly to you being the new leader”. James continued to pace. “I’m confident they can endure this exchange of hats”. While James and Serina waited the pack slowly started to wake. Many of them wandered out to find water. One wolf,

Sapientia, a young adult she wolf, stepped over to James. “Where is Arnoue, I haven’t seen him this morning. I was supposed to check in for guard duty about an hour ago, but I forgot. Since then I haven’t found him”. James stared at her. He’d never heard of Arnoue having a watch guard. Arnoue was considered so inventive he could see things with his eyes snapped shut. Unfortunately, this was only folk rumor and silly stories. “Arnoue has left the pack”. She gasped at the words. Apparently his sentence had also caught the ears of the other wolves. They all stopped in a frozen stance hearing of there leaders removal. “But if he’s left then who leads the pack now”? She asked.  Sapientia appeared to have no concern for Arnoue’s well being, but mostly the security of the pack. It was a wolf’s duty to maintain the packs stability and keep all in their best health. All actions were to be done for the pack, the pack comes first. Arnoue had strung away from these ideas; his pack was that of rebels, to start a new order, to bring packs closer together, like a family. “I have been chosen as Arnoue’s successor”. James said looking over the shocked faces. “No”! Someone shouted. The shout came from Bruce. “This will never work. Arnoue was our only true leader”! James sighed. He’d never seen a wolf in such a panic. Bruce was flaring around screaming. James tried to calm him; he ran to his side and gripped his head under his arm, lifting him as he rolled around in the dirt. ‘Bruce, settle down”. James commanded. Bruce eyed James angrily and shook him off. “We’re never going to make it now, without Arnoue, all hope is lost”. James was a little off the deep end. “Have faith Bruce, we can make, if we stand together. No one stray off”. James rallied all the wolves together and began leading them from the cliff side. Sapientia ran up along side James. “Why did Arnoue chose you”? James looked at her. “He said it was my destiny; that I was meant for this”. She looked at him with confusion. “I always did think that wolf was a cracked walnut. But we will let your performance and our possible survival provide the best answer”. James looked away from her and she scurried back into the crowd of the pack. That was all he needed, an entire pack to command and keep alive, and almost none of them had faith in his abilities.