Young Writers Society

Nicarga watched as the pack ran through the woods. She'd been following them for a while keeping down wind from them as she did. She stayed just out of their site moving quickly and always watching their scouts. She watched as they stopped to rest. She shook her coat to get some of the leaves she'd kicked up out of her black and white fur. She laid down her eyes alert to all movement coming from their direction. She slipped backwards as one of the scouts came close to her. She huddled against a tree barely out of site. He looked her direction and stopped for a second, then continued on. She sighed in releaf an moved her postion in case he came back.

That was to close, Nicarga. Way way to close. She hissed at herself. She carefully watched as the pack got back up and they moved forward. They are still going towards the town. She knew she should warn them, but she still wasn't sure she wouldnt' get killed if they found her. Most packs these days were warry of strange wolves.

Lethero sat cross-legged on the grass in human form, the setting sun shinning off the white hair on his head. His sword, Blood Blade, lay across his lap wrapped its black sheath. His pack lay around him, some in wolf and others in human, all tending to the needs of the pack.

Scado, one of Lethero's scouts, bounded up to him and shifted to human form. He bowed and exposed his throat in fealty to his Alpha.

"Is that femal still following us?" Lethero said calmly.

"Yes, sir," Scado replied. "She sits out in the forest watching us right now. She thinks we don't know she's there. Do you wish me to kill her?"

"No," Lethero said with a wave of his hand. "I think it's time I met her face to face, bring her here."

"Right away, sir."

Nicarga streched out her legs and shifted to human form climbing up high in a tree and laying down. She froze when she saw a handful of wolves leaving the pack.

Where are they going? She wondered. She slipped from the tree and jogged a lil further from the pack. She lost site for the small group and froze. Where were they. She sniffed the air and frowned. They were close. She moved close to ne of the big tress and looked around narrowing her eyes. She shifted back knowing if they found her she could better protect herself in wolf form. Two wolves apeared in front of her and she tensed up carefully moving around the tree only to hear two more behind her. She growled low in her throat as they closed in. One shifted to his human form.

"We're not going to kill you. Just come with us." He said as the other three closed in. She was much smaller then most wolves, but she could fight, but she wasn't ready to take on three full grown male wolves. Four if the other shifted. She wasn't about to roll over and submit either. She stood tall and narrowed her eyes. They guy turned and started towards the pack the other three staying around her. She growled whenever they got to close to her. Not good, not good. She muttered to herself, what had she done now. She should've known this would happen.

Lethero walked out from the tree in wolf form, his white fur standing out amongst the brown trees. He walked up to the female inoring her threats of attack. We will not hurt you, Lethero said, with growls and subtle movements of his ears and tail. I only wish to talk to you.

The female didn't back down, but growled, I am here, so talk to me.

Lethero shifted to his human form and stood up to his full height of over six and a half feet. "Why are you following us?" he asked. "But be warned: if I don't like your answer, I will kill you where you stand."

She shifted and stood as tall as her 5'4 frame would let her. She squared her shoulders off and studied him her arms crossed.

"I haven't seen a pack running through here sense mine was killed. I figured I'd see where you were going. Seems your intent to die too. Your heading for a town." She replied. "I mean you no harm, I was just curious. It's a natural thing." When she mentioned teh town she heard some of teh wolves talking.

"How close is the town?" The one in front of her asked.

"A days run in teh same direction you are going. I would've warned you before if I didn't know you'd probably kill me on site." She replied looking at the four wolves now in human form around her.

Lethero sighed deeply, and turned to his pack wolves standing around the female. "Go,' he said, "tell the others there's been a change in the plans. We're going East now. If they ask why, tell them the truth." They did not move, just standing there watching him. "Go!" he snarled. They shifted and scrambled off with their tails between their legs.

"I am sorry for my packs agressiveness to you . . . ?"

"Nicarga."

"I am sorry for their actions. My name is Lethero, I am the Alpha of this pack. Those people are my family and I thank you for warning us of the humans. If you wish you may travel with us. My pack would be willing to help you."

"I'm not sure," Nicarga replied.

"If make up your mind I will be sitting with my pack." Lethero turned and left through the trees.

Nicarga watched him walk off and she crossed her arms her eyes narrowing as she looked at all the pack members. Some met her eyes, others didn't. She leaned against a tree and listened to them talk. She then went and found Lethero.

"I'll stay for a little while, but only until I decide whether I can trust you fully or not. I'll not take the chance." She replied as she heard the four come back from telling the pack. They stood between her and the rest of hte pack. "Now, I will be back." She turned and shifted running past one of the guys and going in search of food skirting around teh town to her favorite hunting grounds.

Nicarga watched him walk off and she crossed her arms her eyes narrowing as she looked at all the pack members. Some met her eyes, others didn't. She leaned against a tree and listened to them talk. She then went and found Lethero.

"I'll stay for a little while, but only until I decide whether I can trust you fully or not. I'll not take the chance." She replied as she heard the four come back from telling the pack. They stood between her and the rest of hte pack. "Now, I will be back." She turned and shifted running past one of the guys and going in search of food skirting around teh town to her favorite hunting grounds.

Lethero sat down on the grass as Nicarga walked off into the woods. He picked up his sword and rested it on his knees. Slowly he pulled it out the sword out of its scabbards revieling the silver blade with the red wolf's paw in the center. His nose twitched as he took in the human scent nearby. Only ten of them? he thought. They think think us that weak.

"Scado," Lethero whispered, "get the pack to draw their weapons. They are here." He stood up and scanned the forest and saw them creeping just beyond the shadows. He looked at their hands and saw why they were attacking with very few numbers: guns. And from the smell of it they carried silver bullets.

One human slowly raised his gun and pointed it at Fria, a pregnant female in the pack. Lethero watched helplessly has the humans finger slowly pulled the trigger.

Nicarga caught the scent of the humans as she ran back towards the back. She ran faster her eyes keen to everything. She saw one raise his weapon and she let lose wiht a loud snarl as he pulled the trigger making him jump and hopefully miss whatever he was aiming at. She jumped at the man grabing his hand with her teeth and jurking her mouth so she pulled his hand off. She heard the other men turn towards her and she turn and ran. When she was out of site she dropped the desqusting hand and shifted grabbing the gun and then running ot a tree and climbing up. She leveled the gun and fired at the man she'd taken the hand from killing him.

**I'll see what y'all do. **

Lethero watched as Nicarga attacked the human, blood squirting from his stump. He hurled his sword at a human who began pointing his gun at the back up of Nicarga's head. Blood Blade hit the man in the eye and came out the other side of the skull.

Running forward, Lethero shifted to his wolf form and ripped the throat out of another human. Bloodlust came over Lethero and he began killing human's left and right. Claws flashed out, slicing their stomachs open, letting the visceral fall to the ground.

In his bloodlust, Lethero did not notice when he killed the last human and attacked the nearest thing to him. He tackled something black, white, and furry and began to tried to tear out her throat. But before he got the chance, a sharp pain erupted on the back of his neck, and everything went dark.

Nicarga shifted and slumped against a tree and looked at her arms and throat where Lethero had torn into her. She narrowed her eyes as two of his wolf buddies drug him away.

"Stupid wolf." A soft voice said next to her ear making her jump. She looked over and frowned.

"What are you doing back, Lay?" She asked as the fairy fluttered to her knee and sat on it.

"Obviously saving you from bloodlust wolves." Lay replied touching her arms and healing them. "And taking a nap in your hair, if you don't mind."

"No, of course." She lifted the small fairy to her head before she shifted back to her wolf form and felt Lay get comfortable. She watched as the pack drug the bodies and hide them. Lethero woke up half an hour later. She hadn't dared go close to the pack worried it wasn't bloodlust that had driven him. She knew he would have a killer headache from where Lay had hit him with a ball of magic, that would've felt like a rock.




***That ok?***

Lethero sat up and rubbed the back of his head. He felt a lump and groaned. Standing up, he picked Blood Blade off of the ground and returned it to its scabbard, staggered over to Scado, and asked, "Did I hurt anyone?"

"You managed to kill all the humans," he replied, "but you attacked that female." Lethero groaned and slumped against a tree. "Don't worry though, she looks fine, not even a scratch on her. Something hit you in the back of the head before you ripped out her throat."

Lethero picked himself over and walked over to where he scented Nicarga lay. She sat there, and no scratch appeared to be on her. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. This blade I carry is more than a weapon, it's a curse. The smell of blood sends me into a bloodlust, and I will start killing indiscrimanantly. So, once again, I am sorry."

"Not a problem. How's your head?" Nicarga asked as she shifted her weight.

"Hurts." He replied reaching back and rubbing it. "Who hit me?"

"A friend of mine." She replied with a yawn. "I'm sure when Lay wakes up she'll heal it for you. But you were attacking me so she figured she'd better do something about it."

"Sorry."

"Stop saying that, I've heard of your blade. I know about the curse. I'll talk to Lay after she wakes up. She'll be asleep for a while, but I'll warn you, she might not heal you just because you were attacking me. She doesn't care about reasons. But you never know with her." Nicarga studied him for a minute. "Where are y'all going anyway?"