this was momentary. Just off the ground, Illiana heard a low rumble and a large crack ripped open the ground. The villagers screamed and scrambled to get away from the chasm that had appeared. Her heart jumped in her chest and she wanted to reach out to help the people below, but they were already in the air.
Belik leaned forward and brought her closer. “It’ll be okay. Your father will take care of everyone.”
“I know.”
The town grew smaller and smaller until they skimming over the trees and higher still, sailing over the land. The ride was smoother than she thought it would be. Daruk was not having any trouble carrying them, but she would see how it went the rest of the day. She tried to put the thought of the quake from her mind and think about the journey home. Although it was difficult, she was able to do it. All that filled her mind was how she would approach the cougars and the vultures that had taken over her home. How am I going to drive them out?
Although there were important questions, the main one that haunted her was what Christopher would say when he saw her.
Chapter Eight
The moon above did not offer any comfort the way it normally did. Christopher listened, hearing the hoots of owls and the mice scurrying along the forest floor. When he listened harder, he heard the loud extended squawks of the vultures that circled the forest, waiting for the rest of the wolves and ravens to die out. If only it were that easy. Any stray ravens or wolves the scavengers found were immediately rounded up and dragged back to the village where they were being kept as slaves or even worse. He had a handful of strong wolves sneaking back to the wolf village to see where they were being kept.
The ravens were too frightened to act. Without their leader or any sense of structure, their spirits were broken. The Corvi looked to him. A few among them were organizing the food and supplies from what they could scavenge in the forest and by taking trips to the sea. The cougars had widened their patrol of the forest and slowly pushed them east toward the ocean. Other wolf packs lived further north, but he had never met them. Jalisa had offered to go to them and ask for assistance because she was related to the ones in the north. By accepting the help of the other packs, he would have to cede some of the territory to them and maybe take one of them for a mate. All of these options were something he had never considered before. The longer they went on without having a home to go back to, the more forlorn his wolves became. He was unprepared to be alpha. His father would have handled the invasion so much better. The elders did not have a memory in their collective years of experience to give him any idea of what to do. Some of them said to abandon their village and find somewhere else to go. Others said it would be best to fight back.
“It’s hopeless,” he muttered and stared at the stars.
“It’s not hopeless.”
He glanced over and saw Jalisa leaning against a tall pine tree. The branches barely brushed the top of her head. “The pack deserves a strong leader. They deserve someone who can stand up to the cougars and the vultures so we can take back our lands. My father would’ve known what to do.”
“No,” she shook her head. “Your father was a good leader and so are you. We’re all still dealing with what is happening. But we’ll get there. You’re keeping us all together. You are the backbone of the pack now, but I have some good news.”
“What’s that?”
“The raven’s priestess is alive. The vultures have her guarded. If we can get her back, it’ll help them rally. Hell, it will help us all rally. Plus, there are a few others. They are holding her and Marshall under guard in one of caves we used to play in. Remember?”
Christopher could not believe what she told him. Coret was alive. Out of all the other ravens in the flock, she was the only one he cared about more than Illiana. If they could
Belik leaned forward and brought her closer. “It’ll be okay. Your father will take care of everyone.”
“I know.”
The town grew smaller and smaller until they skimming over the trees and higher still, sailing over the land. The ride was smoother than she thought it would be. Daruk was not having any trouble carrying them, but she would see how it went the rest of the day. She tried to put the thought of the quake from her mind and think about the journey home. Although it was difficult, she was able to do it. All that filled her mind was how she would approach the cougars and the vultures that had taken over her home. How am I going to drive them out?
Although there were important questions, the main one that haunted her was what Christopher would say when he saw her.
Chapter Eight
The moon above did not offer any comfort the way it normally did. Christopher listened, hearing the hoots of owls and the mice scurrying along the forest floor. When he listened harder, he heard the loud extended squawks of the vultures that circled the forest, waiting for the rest of the wolves and ravens to die out. If only it were that easy. Any stray ravens or wolves the scavengers found were immediately rounded up and dragged back to the village where they were being kept as slaves or even worse. He had a handful of strong wolves sneaking back to the wolf village to see where they were being kept.
The ravens were too frightened to act. Without their leader or any sense of structure, their spirits were broken. The Corvi looked to him. A few among them were organizing the food and supplies from what they could scavenge in the forest and by taking trips to the sea. The cougars had widened their patrol of the forest and slowly pushed them east toward the ocean. Other wolf packs lived further north, but he had never met them. Jalisa had offered to go to them and ask for assistance because she was related to the ones in the north. By accepting the help of the other packs, he would have to cede some of the territory to them and maybe take one of them for a mate. All of these options were something he had never considered before. The longer they went on without having a home to go back to, the more forlorn his wolves became. He was unprepared to be alpha. His father would have handled the invasion so much better. The elders did not have a memory in their collective years of experience to give him any idea of what to do. Some of them said to abandon their village and find somewhere else to go. Others said it would be best to fight back.
“It’s hopeless,” he muttered and stared at the stars.
“It’s not hopeless.”
He glanced over and saw Jalisa leaning against a tall pine tree. The branches barely brushed the top of her head. “The pack deserves a strong leader. They deserve someone who can stand up to the cougars and the vultures so we can take back our lands. My father would’ve known what to do.”
“No,” she shook her head. “Your father was a good leader and so are you. We’re all still dealing with what is happening. But we’ll get there. You’re keeping us all together. You are the backbone of the pack now, but I have some good news.”
“What’s that?”
“The raven’s priestess is alive. The vultures have her guarded. If we can get her back, it’ll help them rally. Hell, it will help us all rally. Plus, there are a few others. They are holding her and Marshall under guard in one of caves we used to play in. Remember?”
Christopher could not believe what she told him. Coret was alive. Out of all the other ravens in the flock, she was the only one he cared about more than Illiana. If they could
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