The crisp, winter air was doing a pretty good job at keeping the tawny female awake and focused. She took a deep breath, loving the feel of the fresh cold fill her lungs. After the two females had been walking for a short while, a new scent drifted to Andy’s nose. His scent told her that Ty was approaching before she even saw him, and she wagged her tail again.
“Hello Ty.” She greeted the red wolf as he came into view. She nodded to him, smiling and wagging her tail. She sat on her haunches, one leg stretched out a bit into the snow. She arched her back, sighing when it popped a little.
“I’ve only just got here. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary on the way here, nor at the beach.” She looked at the gray female, wondering if she had noticed anything unusual or out of place before she had found her.
The tawny female shivered, but not from the cold. Ever since the pack meeting when Jefferson had briefed them about the war between the Inferni and Dahlia de Mali, she had felt unnerved and tense. Her fur prickled uncomfortably. She didn’t like war; things could be handled so much differently, if only those involved had a mind to solve it. But, if push came to shove, she would do whatever she could to protect her pack, even at the cost of her life.
Andy got to thinking that it would do her some good to sharpen her fighting skills. While Phoenix Valley wasn’t directly involved with this war, that didn’t mean they were free of the risk. They could be invaded, or have to take refugees who asked for a safe haven to escape the distruction that war always brought.
Jefferson had been clear about taking in those who asked for safety. No Inferni. Andy shivered again. While she know many of the coyote clan were cold hearted, not all of them could be, and surely there were some who wanted nothing to do with this war. What of the children? They were innocent. Her eyes grew sad at the thought of them. They didn’t deserve to die over something their parents were too silly to see was unnecessary.
What would she do if an Inferni child came to her, asking for refuge? She was expected to drive it away, she knew that. But was she capable of doing such a thing? She only hoped she wouldn’t have to find out.
She rose to her paws, shaking each one in turn to rid them of excess snow that clung to her toes. Then she shook her pelt, trying to free it of the cold that had seeped into her fur. “Shall we be off? I can’t stand still anymore.” She admitted, laughing softly in spite of herself. At least she had a thick winter coat. It helped to ward off some of the chill, but not all.
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