25. The elders

By the seventh day of travelling through the snow the harsh cold getting worse the further we delved into the heart of Greenland. It was that cold that even I was starting to feel it.

"Are you alright?"

I shivered for the thousandth time.

"I'm fine."

I could feel Zeld's worry in his voice.

"Maybe this was a bad idea."

I shook my head.

"Don't tell me the pep talk extraordinaire is giving up. Come on we're almost there."

Zeld shook the snow out of his fur.

"That's the thing Rav where is there? I can't tell one mountain from the other. Does it say anything on the map?"

I looked it over for the thousandth time.

"It should be here in these mountains ranges somewhere."

Zeld growled as I involuntarily shivered again.

"Forget it for today I'll just find a cave and we'll try again in the morning."

"But we're so close."

"No Rav I'm not risking you getting hypothermia they will still be there tomorrow they can wait another day."

"Aghh fine!"

Zeld spotted a cave in one of the higher mountains about a third of the way up.

"There looks a bit hard to reach."

I patted his neck. 

"Is that a challenge?"

I was trying to get my mind of the cold with humour.

Zeld understood as he chuckled.

"Challenge excepted."

I jumped off him as we stood side by side.

"You ready?"

He nodded his wolf head.

"ready, set-"

"Go!"

I screamed as I bounded forward Zeld not far behind.

"You cheated!"

"I have a handicap."

I yelled back.

I jumped from rock to rock as I started to climb the mountain. By the time Zeld caught up he was already halfway to the cave. The hardest part was getting up a particularly steep rock face before the cave. Zeld lept over me as he aimed for the cave face. He made it with room to spare. 

I scowled at him.

"Show off."

I started to climb up but just as I was about to reach for the ledge my foot slipped. Without thinking Zeld reached out with his snout and grabbed my hand.

I felt his canines bite into my hand I gritted my teeth against the pain. My heart racing as I hung from the ledge Zeld the only thing stopping me from falling.

"Pull yourself up Rav!"

With my other hand I grabbed hold of the scuff of his neck as he quickly pulled me over the ledge.

Sitting down I panted cradling my hand that was now bleeding his teeth marks standing out.

Seconds later Zeld was in human form again rummaging through my bags for bandages.

Returning to my side he took my hand in his.

"I'm sorry Rav I didn't have time to shift back."

"It's fine Zeld if you hadn't done it I'd be dead at the bottom of the ravine."

As he worked to fix my hand I looked behind him the cave was deeper then I first thought. It tunnelled right into the heart of the mountain. With many passageways leading off in different directions. 

As I looked into the darkness of each one six sets of green orbs stood out. 

"Zeld!"

Zeld spun around following my line of sight. He growled instantly shifting as he placed himself in front of me.

I stepped beside him my hand gently touching his head.

"It's alright."

He stopped snarling but I could tell he was still on guard.

I faced the six wolves as they slowly walked forward surrounding us. The largest one a rust coloured one that was even bigger then Zeld stepped closer. 

Holding my hands up I stepped away from Zeld.

"We mean no harm my name is-"

"We know who you are."

I voiced sounded in my head I could tell he was older by his gentle tone.

"You are Raven daughter of Lyieta and Loki. Your wolf is Caryi daughter of frost and Senil. We also know why you have come."

The old wolf began to circle Zeld and I sniffing the air and us as he passed.

"I smell fear and doubt in you and while your friend..."

He approached Zeld on another pass.

"I smell in him warring emotions that make him unbalanced."

Zeld snapped at him.

"Care to test how unbalanced I am old one?"

"Zeld enough they are not our enemies."

"That remains to be seen young pup."

I growled at the insult.

He chuckled.

"You have fire. Good you will need it."

"For what?"

He rejoined the others surrounding us.

"For the trials."

I shared a look of confusion with Zeld.

"What are you talking about?"

"You will see come young pups we will see if you are worthy of being a true alpha."

"Intense aren't they?"

Zeld spoke the words to only me.

"Very."

We followed them as they kept us in the middle of their ranks. The other five wolves as big as Zeld and just as beautiful in various shades of grey red and black.

As we walked through the tunnels the wolf directly behind me sniffed at my hand. It snorted as he looked towards Zeld A slight growl rumbling in his chest. Zeld eyed the wolf baring his teeth.

'What was that about?'

I asked Caryi.

'How should I know.'

I scowled well that was helpful.

it was unreal how many twists and turns there were I wondered if they did it on purpose to make it harder to find our way out.

"Be on guard Rav we don't know what we're walking into."

I remained silent I didn't need reminding I was already on guard.

After travelling through tunnels for awhile we could see a light shining through the darkness.

'We must have travelled through the belly of the mountain til we came out the other side.'

'Seems that way.'

Caryi answered.

Shielding my eyes I couldn't see till they adjusted to the brightness and what I saw was unbelievable.

We had come out to what looked like the bottom of a deep ravine. There were at least twenty dwellings that looked like make shift wolf dens big enough for humans.

At the centre was the biggest den which was where we were headed towards. As we walked both wolves and wolves in their human form stared towards us as murmurs started to spread.

Their were children running around but as we passed parents gathered them fear on their faces.

'They fear us.'

'They fear what might happen. Our arrival does not look like a welcome one.'

'Gee you think maybe this was a bad idea.'

As we got closer to the larger dwelling the old wolf entered the den coming out seconds later clothed and in human form. His greying hair conforming his age. His right cheek had a long jagged scar. His eyes green like every wolf we had passed so far. 

"Come Raven the elders wish to speak with you."

Both Zeld and I followed him inside. The inside was bigger then I had thought. There two wolves already seated both with long grey hair. One in brown furs very little wrinkles for his obvious age. The other in grey furs had some wrinkles but had harsh eyes as he stared down his nose at us. The one that had lead us here sat down next to the others the ground lined with furs and straw.

Stepping forward I started to introduce myself but the wolf with the harsh eyes interrupted before I even got one word out.

"Shift Zeld son of Hera and van and Lone son of silt and axle."

Zeld looked to me I nodded as I got some cloths out for him as he shifted.

For the first time since we walked in the one with harsh eyes smiled but it was short lived. 

"So much like your father."

Zeld eyes lit up.

"You knew him?"

He nodded.

"I am keyon and van was my son."

His eyes turned to me.

"That was until your father killed him."

I scowled.

"Tharon is not my father."

"Maybe not in blood but he had the raising of you."

He sniffed the air between us.

"You even smell like him, the stench is undeniable."

The male that lead us here cleared his throat.

"Keyon we are not here to air out your grievances."

The one called Keyon glared fire towards me.

"No apparently we are here to see whether this city dog is worthy of being Alpha."

Both Zeld and I growled at the insult.

"Rav is no city dog and nor am I."

"I never said you were."

"Keyon!"

The third one who had remained silent til now admonished. His eyes were kinder yet that's where the kindness stopped.

"You must Forgive Keyon sometimes he isn't as tactful as he thinks. I am grit and the one that lead you here is talieus. Your arrival here has been how can I say this cause of much conflict in the pack for many years."

I looked to Zeld he seemed just as confused as I was.

"I don't understand she is the rightful heir to the forest lakes pack."

Zeld spoke up I put my hand out silencing him.

Keyon scoffed as Grit answered Zeld's outburst.

"While that might have been true if she had been raised here however she was not. She does not know our ways, not everyone is convinced her leadership would be what is best for this pack. We are the first we are true wolves not like the half breeds you both grew up with. Then there is the curse that has been put on her which I assume is still in effect since she came here in human form?"

I looked to the ground having no answer.

'We have other powers!'

Caryi growled.

Grit narrowed his eyes it was almost like he had heard Caryi's words.

"I thought as much. So you see why should  we follow this pup when it is clear her leadership will only lead us to annihilation?"

"She should be put through the trails."

Talieus who had been mostly silent til now spoke up. Keyon groaned.

"Not this again talieus the trials are for pack wolves only she is not a pack wolves she can't even shift."

"Your argument is that she is not fit to be alpha the trails will prove that she is. Even if she is not a true alpha she is still technically a true forest lakes wolf. Not only that she has the moon goddesses blood in her veins it is her right to attend the trails."

"She stopped being a forests lakes wolf the second she was taken from her pack."

"Your words are right she was taken we can not blame her for something that happened when she was three!"

"Always the same argument with you she is not an alpha she does not have what it takes to lead this pack."

Zeld and I watched the argument in stunned silence. I knew I wouldn't be able to just walk right in and become their alpha but I had not thought my being here would cause such turmoil. 

'Stay calm small one they can sense your emotions you must be patient with them.'

"Enough both of you!"

Grit looked to me a smile on his lips.

"I agree with Talieus."

"What!"

Keyon yelled but Grit held up his hand to silence him.

"Hear me out the trails have killed many throughout the years that have tried it if she survives it as she is which is highly unlikely then there is no contesting it, but she will not be the only one to attempt them."

"You can't!"

Talieus interjected.

Keyon smiled widely.

"I agree we will give them a week to prepare then they will both attend the trails."

Not being able to stop myself I asked.

"Who is the other?"

Keyon smiled like a Cheshire Cat as he looked to Zeld.

"Why my grandson of course he has just as much right to be alpha as Lyieta's daughter."

I looked to Zeld shock was in his eyes which quickly turned to anger.

"No! Raven is my alpha I have already pledged myself to her."

Keyon waved a hand.

"Your pledge means nothing since she is not yet alpha."

Zeld stood up looking down on them.

"I refuse."

"You will do the trails young pup and if you do not we will simply kill her on principal."

All three elders stood as well. Grit and Keyon headed out the door. Keyon paused at Zeld's side.

"you will go first that way if you fail on purpose we will know and we will still kill her."

Zeld growled at his grandfather as they left through the only archway.

I sat there not being able to move after what had just happened? Zeld and I had just been made rivals fighting for something that neither one of us wanted, because if I was honest with myself I believed they were right I didn't deserve to be their alpha. I knew nothing about them about being a wolf. 

'You are more wolf then you think small one.'

'How can you say that I could feel your disappointment when you realised we couldn't shift.'

'It was not disappointment in you Rav it was in myself for failing you. All this time you have had to fend for yourself. It goes against all that we stand for to not be able to join my strength with yours.'

'I know I'm sorry I guess I shouldnt be surprised I knew this would happen.'

"Rav?"

I shook my head not looking at him I know it wasn't his fault but I still couldn't help feeling like I didn't belong.

"Come both of you I'll take you to where you'll be staying."

We followed in silence Zeld tried to talk to me through our mindlink but I forced him out blocking him from contacting me.

'It's not his fault Raven.'

'I know I just want to be alone.'

'Very well small one.'

Caryi retreated into my mind which only made me feel worse. What was I going to do? how would I survive these trails not mention what if Zeld didn't. Then my mind realised what if he did. I had had some time to get used to the thought of being alpha yet I still felt I was unworthy maybe this was my way out. Maybe this was how I changed the future by letting Zeld win. 

I smiled to myself this was it this was my chance to set a different path to change the events that were going to happen. Keyon never said anything about me failing on purpose. 

I felt Caryi's disapproval but I ignored it as I looked up finally completely sure of what I should do in this I will not fail. Zeld will be the alpha I could never be I'll make sure of it.