The Wolf, the Watcher, and the Oryx by Joan Walsh

Author:Joan Walsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: rabbit, wolf, wolves, fisher, serious
Publisher: Revival Waves of Glory
Published: 2015-09-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

OMENS

Around the campfire the animals began to tell the stories of the day.

“There were thousands and thousands of wolves,” began Pieces.

Serious gave him a swift jab with his back left kicker. “You don’t have to embellish the story, you know.”

“Embellish?”

“Lie.”

“Lie?” the rabbit challenged him.

“Yes, lie. The odds were fifty to one against us, and those are unbelievable odds to begin with.”

“So if you’re saying no one’s going to believe fifty to one odds, what’s the difference if it’s a hundred, or a thousand to one odds?”

“That’s not the point,” Serious said, thumping his foot in between each word.

“I want to know what the difference is then.”

“The difference is, “It’s.” Pound. “A.” Pound. “Lie.” Pound.

“He may be officious, Pieces, but he does have a point this time,” said Washer.

Khoa, hearing a noise in the distance, stood up. The others, noting his abrupt movement, became quiet. All their eyes were fixed on Khoa as the light from the fire flickered on his body. He stood poised and ready; ears trained forward. “Halt!” he called out to the approaching figure.

“Well, you are a perceptive wolf, aren’t you?”

“Who are you?” Khoa shot back at him.

“I watched today’s battle atop the far ridge. Luckily, in the dark, no one detected me in the distance,” the voice said coming nearer.

“I told you to stop,” Khoa warned.

“You’re not afraid, are you Khoa? I’m just a wolf like you are.”

At this point in the conversation, Serious looked at Washer and Pieces. “I don’t like the way he keeps saying Khoa’s name.”

Washer reached down and closed his paw over Serious’ mouth.

“What do you want?”

“Why, I want you, Khoa. You destroyed my army. I want to destroy you.”

“Where are those bears when you need them?” whispered Pieces.

“Right here,” said Bigger, stepping in front of Khoa.

“Leave now, and you live,” offered Khoa.

“Yes, you could have the bear rip me to shreds, fight your fight, but you won’t will you, Khoa?”

Pieces and Serious had been shaking their heads yes to every one of the statements the intruder made, but when he stopped talking, they too, jumped in front of Khoa.

“Oh, yes he will, and I’ll gnaw your tongue off,” Pieces said threateningly. Turning to Serious, he asked, “Can rabbits do that?”

The intruder came closer. “I’ll chew you first, you raggedy old rabbit.”

“Pieces, get back,” Khoa warned.

“Pieces!” the intruder repeated and began to laugh. “Why, there won’t be any pieces left when I get done with him.”

“You should have changed your name when you had the chance,” Serious stated solemnly to his friend without turning to look at him.

By the right corner of his eye, Serious noticed a shadow of sorts flash past him, and he turned to follow it. The flash was Pieces, and he was flying into the face of the intruding wolf just outside of the fire light. Serious shook his head to clear it because when Pieces had looked as if he were about to land on the wolf’s muzzle, the wolf disappeared, and Pieces fell solidly to the ground.

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