Chapter 9 of Hearing Howls
The Quake
It was raining. I was watching from my den window eating at a tree lemur. When I was done I dug up the dirt and created a hole. I set the lemur bones in the hole covering the hole up again. Suddenly the earth shook. It rumbled and an earthquake had begun! I howled for everyone to follow me to the Shelter Den. Mella was shaking. I heard thunderous pawsteps. It was the wolf queen. Only her and no one else. "Let me in please! I'm begging you! Our Shelter Den has been destroyed!" We let her in. I heard the rapid beating of her heart as she lay down. I licked her ear. She smiled. I never saw her smile before. "Where is the rest of your pack?" I whispered to the now rasply-breathing wolf queen. "Underneath the boulders and stones and if they survive they can rule." Her blank red eyes quickly became full and green. Her fur changed from black and shaggy to gray and sleek. After the quake the full moon was out. I called a meeting. Bavtal was beside me and I asked her: "Do you like deputyship?" She thought. "I took your offer because you had no deputy. I'd like to retire to a solder now." Then I said: "Wolves of The Peace Pack we have news. Bavtal wants to retire as a solder now. We also have a visitor the wolf queen from The Unnamed Pack. All the eyes blinked dumbly but the wolf queen's. "The new deputy is the wolf queen. Her name can not be changed. It was given to her be The Cave of Spirits. We can't take it away." The wolf queen sat next to me now. She licked my forehead. "Now let us all sit in a ring to howl at The Moon. "AROOOOO!" We all howled in unison. We had all howled till it was respectful. Then it happened. A cloud of sparkling golden-yellow dust appeared around the wolf queen. It lifted her from the ground. It swirled and wooshed. Finally she was set down. She walked over to me stumbling. She had wings. She threw her head down and her crown fell to the ground. Folding her wings in a silent thanks she dug up dirt and made a hole. She kicked her tiara into the hole burying it. "Now all wolves," I said. "Let us party for the pack is thankful for my second mate." And I told her I was sorry for the nick I left in the tiger's ear. "Never mind that old geezer!" She giggled. An hour later my second mate spread her wings and said: "Dance with me?" "Of course I will!" I said happily. I spread my wings and took her paw. We did The Justice Dance. It goes like this. One right-wing flap left-leg kick right-leg kick left-wing flap. She enjoyed it very much. We at this state were very tired. She and Mella curled up wit me. I licked the wolf queen and licked her and licked her till her new silver pelt gleamed. She groomed me back. Her green eyes shone as I said I loved her. She listened as I told her The Code