Aurora Borealis (pt.9)

Aurora Borealis (pt.9)

Iga swooped down a few feet from where I stood over an injured Shadow. I knew she must have heard my cry for help. Shadow had realized I was there and opened his eyes, but he was snarling at me.
“Shadow,” I said gently, doing my best not to seem threatening. “What’s wrong?”
But Shadow didn’t answer. He had risen to his feet and stood watching Iga and I, blood dripping from his muzzle. I was afraid to get any closer to him for fear that he might attack me. It wasn’t so much that I feared for my own safety, I knew I could take the cub in a fight, but I was worried that I might hurt him defending myself.
Iga, however, didn’t seem to share my hesitation. She stepped forward slowly, watching Shadow and listening to his growling getting louder. She had only advanced a couple of feet when the cub lunged at her. Immediately her wings snapped open and she moved up and out of reach. Shadow landed gracefully, wheeling around as Iga’s paws touched the snow again. Again he lunged and again she took to the air. This time, though, he leapt up at her, nearly catching one of her paws with his fangs. That was when she decided she’d had enough. She came down on his back with enough force to knock him over and pinned him. That was all it took to get him to surrender.
With the winged wolf standing over him, the black cub rolled onto his back, exposing his throat. But Iga did not back off as is expected of a wolf who has one a fight with their pack mate. Instead she drew closer, sniffing. Shadow growled, but remained on his back.
“Get up,” she said finally. “And tell us what’s wrong with you.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” the wolf cub growled, wincing as he got to his feet.
“What do you mean nothing to tell?” I said with just a hint of a growl.
Iga, meanwhile, was not wasting time with words. She had her nose pressed into Shadow’s fur where the blood had matted it. He snapped at her, but she rammed her head into his jaw and he quieted. After a long, tense silence, she finally spoke again.
“There is a healer among the wolf Canthines of the Painted Fields pack,” she said. “Their home is a day’s run from here. I think you’ll hold up that long if you’ve been hiding this all this time.”
Shadow hung his head, his ears and tail drooping in defeat. He closed his eyes in a silent acknowledgement of Iga’s demand and set off in the direction we had been travelling. Iga looked to me with an expression of concern before following. But I wasn’t happy with that.
“Iga,” I called, softly enough that Shadow couldn’t hear me over the howling of the wind.
The avian Canthine stopped and stared at me. She could tell I was worried, that much showed in her expression.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked.
Iga shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’ve seen it before, but only in full wolves. I think Black Paw may be able to help him. After all, he’s a wolf Canthine. Be careful though. I was tolerated well enough when I was last there, but you may not be so well received.”
“You know them?” I asked, surprised.
“Yes,” Iga nodded. “But it has been many years. Their leader, Stone Tooth, has passed. They are now led by a female called Bright Frost. I’m sure you’ve seen wolf packs before. And you know Shadow. Surely you must know something of wolf Canthines.”
I shook my head. “Not as much as you think. Shadow is the only wolf Canthine I’ve ever really known. He left a pack of pure Canthines to journey with me. As for full wolves, how could I not know of them?”
Iga seemed to consider this. “Shadow will know what to do. Watch him and follow his lead.”
Without another word, Iga surged forward to catch up with Shadow and I was left in their wake.