575 You Could Use A Hand
The snow was red and black with the blood of enemy and ally alike. The sounds of screams and unholy screeching echoed through the forests as battles raged near and far.
Richard and a small group of Frostbite wolves charged through the enemy forces running straight for the fallen that seemed to be sending orders to the other monsters.
The Summer wolves worked together to separate and eliminate smaller groups of enemies. At the same time, the nomad warriors dodged and dashed, finding ways of concealing themselves to surprise their attackers.
Axel’s defensive line fell apart with the larger scale of the attack. They were not able to keep the enemy from running past them. All he could do was hope that his mother and Valkyrie could handle anything that made it to them.
As he heard the screams and screeches that echoed down from the northern parts of his territory, he had no doubts they were doing just that.
At first, his fears had eased. The men and women that fought beside him were determined and strong. They held their own against the enemy. Though they had been overwhelmed, they were able to push back and find a small window of rest in the battle. But now, as he looked further south, he felt a dread growing.
There were still more coming.
The enemy’s numbers were beyond anything they had known, beyond anything they could have expected. Neither he nor his men would ever give up. But he could see how tired they were. Some were injured, and others could barely stand upright.
“Here they come again,” Richard sighed.
Axel clenched his jaw and prepared for another wave.
***
A smaller battle occurred just a few miles south of the Safe Zone. Bodies littered the ground, and the white snow was turned black as pitch.
One of the rotted bears charged forward with a roar, rising on its hind legs to attack. Met instead with the barbed spears of the Valkyre, once in the stomach, one to each side, and finally, one from above as Luna Corrine brought down her spear and plunged it into the monster’s chest with an angry growl.
Corrine had known almost immediately that her powers were gone. She could no longer use her presence to intimidate or suffocate her opponent. This knowledge, this theft of a part of her, only fueled the growing rage inside of her.
Every thrust of her spear carried the weight of her fear and worry for her son, daughter, and unborn grandchildren she had only just learned about.
Each time she took the life of one of the monsters that attacked, she saved a life behind the wall.
As the Valkyrie gathered around her, panting heavily from their exertion. Corrine gritted her teeth and growled as another wave broke through the tree line.
“Nothing gets past this line!” she shouted.
The Valkyrie grunted in response before spreading out and readying their weapons.
“Winter has never fallen,” she said. “And it will not fall today.”
Letting out howls of approval, the Valkyrie charged forward to meet the enemy.
***
Caleb shoved down on the sword, plunging it deep into the creature’s chest until it let out a gurgled whimper and shriveled. Then, pulling back his weapon, he looked out at the others.
The Crag wolves were holding their own. Together they and Caleb had made a severe dent in the original attackers. But the fae had yet to reach them.
Caleb glanced back at the trees, he couldn’t see them, but he knew that soon his people would be traveling through the way gate. Ashleigh would let him know once they were safe. Until then, all he needed to do was keep the focus on himself and the Crag wolves.
A low growl came from the Crag wolf beside him. Caleb turned and saw the reason.
The fae had arrived.
A line of monsters approached. Two treants and a dozen or so of the batlike creatures lead the charge.
Caleb swallowed and took a deep breath. Then, letting his weapons fall away, he reached to the hilt at his belt and unsheathed the obsidian sword that Alpha Sofia had gifted him before he returned to Summer. Around him, the Crag wolves shifted to their human form, and they to prepared the weapons given to them by Burning Ember.
“The trees will be a problem if we don’t take them quickly,” Caleb said.
Landon, the leader of the Crag wolves, the same man who had spoken to his mother, moved beside Caleb.
“What do you suggest?” he asked. “Our pack faced many of the fae, but these were not among those we fought.”
“Yes, the treants seem rarer than the others… but they’re aggressive and can take down multiple wolves at once.”
“We will follow your lead. Tell us where you want us,” Landon said.
Caleb looked at Landon.
“Will you trust me to lead your men?” he asked.
Landon grinned.
“I only trust Alpha Jonas to lead the wolves of Broken Crag,” he said. “But he has asked that I trust in two other men. Alpha Axel and Alpha Caleb.”
Caleb smiled and nodded.
“Thank you,” he said.
Landon nodded.
Caleb looked out at the approaching fae.
“Thank you for coming back with me,” he added.
Landon grinned again.
“You know we Crag wolves are always looking for any excuse to join a good fight.”
***
Axel took deep panting breaths as the feral wolf fell to the ground dead. He was covered in red and black blood. And as he looked out at how few of his people remained, he was beginning to feel the wear of the battle.
He turned quickly as another feral wolf jumped toward his back. He slammed his axe into the belly of the beast and pushed with all his might until it was brought to the ground with a whimper and cry.
He ended it quickly just as he heard the sound he dreaded. Another wave.
How many of them were there? How much longer could his people last?
Axel took a deep breath and straightened his back, readying his weapons again for battle.
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“I will come back to you,” he whispered, wondering if it was meant to reassure her or himself.
“What is that?!” Richard shouted from nearby.
Axel looked at him and then where he pointed.
It was the enemy, the left flank, but something was happening. They had stopped and turned. They were scattering.
Then he heard it.
Howls.
Bursting from the enemy’s left flank were wolves. Some with dusty grey and brown coloring, others with thick coats. There were dozens… and then more. At least one hundred, if not more.
They broke the line, a small group running straight toward Axel and his men while the others turned and attacked the enemy.
The center and right flanks suddenly shifted. The enemy was no longer charging forward. Instead, they were scattering into the trees.
They were running away.
The small group stopped near Richard, while the one that led them continued toward Axel.
It was a large dusty grey with black patches on his coat. As he got close, he shifted.
Axel couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped his lips as he recognized the man before him.
“Thought you could use a hand, pup,” Jonas grinned.