Den of Wolves Read online

  Mr. Mysterious

  “I did it!” Clara exclaimed as she pounded the last stake into the ground with her mallet. “My tent is finally all set up!”

  Prince Lucas groaned. “Stop bragging,” he complained.

  Poor Lucas had been struggling with his tent. He couldn’t attach the canvas to the top of the center pole. It was too high.

  Clara laughed and shook her head. Then she snapped her fingers, and Ruskin sat up. The scarlet dragon grabbed the prince’s canvas in his teeth, flew it to the top of the pole, and secured it easily.

  Lucas sighed and said, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Perhaps you like a challenge,” Clara suggested.

  The prince frowned. “Not that kind of challenge. Besides, I thought camping was supposed to be fun.”

  Clara smirked. “I don’t know… I’m having a great time watching the prince of Wrenly battle the dreaded tent monster.”

  “Ha-ha.” Lucas gave a fake laugh. “Would you lend me a hand already?”

  Clara helped the prince tighten the ropes and pound his stakes into the ground. They set up cots and chairs inside their tents.

  “Now we can hike to Goblin Falls!” Lucas said triumphantly.

  Lucas and Clara had never been to Goblin Falls before.

  It was known to be the most magnificent waterfall in Wrenly. They had traveled across the bridge to the island of Burth to see it.

  “My father says when you stand beside the falls, it’s like standing on the edge of the world,” said Lucas.

  Clara tried to imagine it. “I’ve heard when the water crashes onto the rocks, the spray makes you feel as if you’re floating on a cloud.”

  Somebody grunted behind them. It was Grom, one of the kingdom’s smartest and sometimes grumpiest wizards. He had joined Lucas and Clara on their trip.

  “Goblin Falls is nothing more than a lot of water falling off a cliff,” the wizard said.

  Lucas rolled his eyes. He didn’t understand why Grom had wanted to come along. Grom didn’t care about waterfalls, and he wasn’t the type to sit beside a campfire and roast marshmallows, either. Grom liked to practice wizardry, and that was all.

  “Would you like help with your tent?” the prince offered. “I’ve just learned the secret to hitching the canvas to the post.”

  Grom rolled up his sleeves.

  “I can certainly handle putting up a tent, my prince,” he said. Grom closed his eyes, splayed his fingers, and chanted, “Forest of Burth, hear my spell. Grant me now a place to dwell.”

  A flash erupted, and a tall, thin tent appeared.

  “That’s amazing!” cheered Lucas. “But it’s a little, um… little. How will you fit in there?”

  Grom pulled back the flap. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”

  Lucas and Clara entered the tent.

  The inside was huge and looked like the home of a nobleman. It had wood floors and real walls. There was a kitchen, a great room, a bedroom, and more. Ruskin flew to the top of the high ceiling and circled the great room.

  “Not bad!” the prince exclaimed.

  Clara turned around, taking it all in. “Nobody would ever guess this tiny tent could have such a magnificent home inside!”

  Grom waved them off and slipped on his hiking boots.

  “Now let’s get to Goblin Falls before dark,” Grom said, standing up and rubbing his hands together.

  “Before dark? What happens after dark?” Lucas asked nervously.

  “Um”—Grom paused awkwardly—“why, because we can’t see the beauty of the falls in the dark, that’s all.”

  Lucas and Clara looked at each other in surprise.

  “I thought you said Goblin Falls was nothing special!” Lucas said.

  Grom shrugged and said, “Don’t try to figure me out. Wizards are mysterious. Now let’s get going.”

  Dire Howls

  The forest trail was dark, except for the few shafts of sunlight that streamed through the trees. Lucas and Clara hopped over the spidery roots and moss-covered rocks to keep up with Grom. The wizard moved like a swift fox. His cloak fluttered behind him as he went down the trail.

  Lucas wondered if Grom had something else on his mind.

  The wizard wasn’t acting like a happy hiker. His eyes were fixed on the trail, and his mouth was set in a thin, grim line. But Lucas pushed his concerns aside when he heard the thunderous roar of Goblin Falls in the distance.

  “We’re getting close!” Lucas called.

  The rumble got louder and louder as the path led out of the forest and up onto a ridge. Grom reached the falls first, followed by the kids and Ruskin. They gaped at the rapids plunging over the cliff. The water seemed to vanish into the earth.

  “Whoa!” cried Lucas. “It really does feel like you’re on the edge of the world!”

  Clara nodded and followed Lucas down the path beside the falls to get a better look.

  Suddenly a sharp whistle rang out. The kids looked over at Grom. He waved at them wildly. Lucas and Clara raced back up the path to his side.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Lucas.

  Grom had gone white with fear. “Listen,” he said.

  Lucas and Clara heard a faint sound above the booming falls.

  OW-OW-OWOOOOOO!

  “It sounds like dogs howling,” Lucas said.

  Clara whispered, “Those aren’t dogs. That’s the cry of dire wolves.”

  Lucas could not believe it. “Impossible. Dire wolves only come out at night. Why would they howl during the day?”

  More howls echoed, and Ruskin flew to Lucas.

  He patted his dragon on the head. “Don’t worry. The wolves won’t bother us.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Clara. “My dad used to tell me lots of scary stories about dire wolves when I was younger.”

  “Lucas is right,” Grom answered. “Those were made-up stories to scare little children. Dire wolves would never approach a human, because they don’t trust them.”

  Then Grom marched back down the forest path. “We must return to the campsite.”

  Lucas and Clara could hear the concern in Grom’s voice and moved to keep up with him. Ruskin also flew close behind.

  The sun began to set, and the trail became harder to follow.

  Darkness was everywhere, and the howling wolves turned the once-friendly forest creepy.

  The kids and Grom hiked quickly, without a word, until they reached the campsite—and gasped.

  The kids’ tents had been torn and shredded to pieces.

  “WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR TENTS?” cried Clara.

  “And why is yours still standing, Grom?” Lucas noted.

  Grom was busy. He was looking for danger in the dark edges of the camp.

  “My tent has an invisibility charm. The attackers were unable to see it. But enough talk. We all need to get inside,” he said.

  The kids were frozen, staring at the damage.

  “NOW,” Grom commanded.

  Dire Lullaby

  Lucas, Clara, and Ruskin all sat on pillows beside an enchanted blue fire. The magical flame was cool to the touch, yet still kept them warm.

  Grom stood on the other side of the room, muttering a spell and tossing herbs into a simmering cauldron. The fumes began to shimmer and turned into a swirl of light that encircled the entire tent.

  It was a protection spell.

  “Do you think he’ll use a spell to find the attackers too?” Clara asked.

  Lucas took a marshmallow from the bag next to him and slid it onto a stick.

  “No doubt,” he said as he twirled the marshmallow over the blue flame.

  Clara grabbed the bag away from Lucas. “How can you eat at a time like this?”

  “We are camping, after all,” sa
id Lucas. “And it’s not really camping until you eat melted marshmallows with troll chocolates.”

  Clara tried not to smile but couldn’t resist.

  The warm feeling didn’t last long. Another dire wolf howl rang out in the distance. More howls answered back.

  “Why are the dire wolves still howling?” Lucas asked Clara.

  “I have no idea,” she admitted, “but I know where we can find out.”

  Clara tossed a marshmallow to Ruskin, who happily ate it, and then she jumped up and pulled Lucas with her.

  “Wait, my marshmallow!” whined Lucas, but it was too late. Ruskin ate it, too.

  Without his sweet treat, Lucas trailed after Clara until they found a room filled with bookshelves.

  “I was right!” said Clara. “Only a wizard would bring a library on a camping trip.”

  After searching for a book about dire wolves, the two friends sat down to learn more about the mysterious creatures.

  “According to this, dire wolves are rarely seen by humans,” Lucas said. “What we do know about dire wolves has been learned from studying their paw prints, abandoned dens, and, um… their wolf droppings.”

  There was a drawing of a paw print on the page. It was huge.

  Clara took over. “It says dire wolves are as big as saber-toothed tigers! It also says they travel in packs and are fiercely loyal to their families.”

  They turned the page to study more drawings. The enormous wolves had thick, marbled fur coats and yellow eyes.

  “They’re beautiful,” Clara said, yawning.

  Lucas and Ruskin yawned too. Suddenly the long day of hiking caught up with them, and they were tired. They shuffled back to the great room and curled up on the pillows in front of the fire.

  The sound of the howling wolves lulled them to sleep.

  Dire Pup

  Whap! Whap! Whap!

  Lucas woke up to a flutter of dragon wings in his face. Ruskin was standing smack on the prince’s chest. The little dragon hopped up and down excitedly and pointed his tail across the room.

  Lucas heard an odd, high-pitched whimper and saw something moving in the shadows of the tent.

  “What’s going on?” Clara asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Lucas whispered. “There’s a dire wolf pup inside with us.”

  Lucas and Clara watched the pup creep out from under the kitchen table. The pup’s tail caught on the tablecloth, and she dragged it along with her. Plates, cups, and silverware crashed loudly to the floor.

  The noise startled the pup and Ruskin. The dragon flew away, but the pup yelped and bounded over next to the kids.

  Lucas carefully held out his hand, and the pup lifted her head to sniff it.

  “It’s okay,” Lucas said softly. “You can trust me.”

  The wolf pup crawled into his lap, plumped down, and relaxed.

  “You’ve got a new friend,” said Clara.

  Lucas watched the pup’s chest lift and fall with every breath. “How did she get past Grom’s spells?”

  Clara thought for a moment. “Maybe the tent is open to anyone or anything that needs protection.”

  Lucas nodded. “Grom would definitely cast a spell like that.”

  Then the little wolf pup stood up and perked her ears. The children stopped talking and listened.

  “Someone’s talking outside,” Lucas whispered. “It sounds like trolls.”

  Clara cupped a hand to her ear. “I hear humans, too.”

  The voices were close. So close, the kids froze.

  “That pup has to be around here somewhere!” boomed a troll’s gruff voice.

  “Look at these torn tents,” another troll said. “The pack is looking for the pup too.”

  Footsteps crunched closer to the wizard’s tent. The kids held their breath even though they knew Grom’s spell would protect them.

  “We’d better find that pup first,” one of the men said. “She would fetch us some big money.”

  Then they walked away from the campsite.

  “They are hunters!” whispered Clara to Lucas.

  Suddenly Grom stormed into the great room, and Lucas covered the wolf pup with a blanket without thinking.

  “Did you hear that?!” Grom barked. He looked very angry. “Those fools are after a dire wolf, and that is against the law. You stay here. I’m going to find them and bring them to justice.”

  “Wait,” said the prince, who wanted to tell Grom about the hidden pup.

  But the wizard interrupted him. “I’m sorry, Prince Lucas, but this is too dangerous. You must stay here. And whatever you do, do not leave the tent. Your safety depends on it.”

  “Grom…,” started Clara.

  The wizard pulled open the flap on the tent and looked over his shoulder.

  “Don’t worry, Clara. I’ve sent word to the king requesting help,” he said. “Now do as I say and stay put.”

  The flap slapped shut behind him, and the kids were left alone… with one sleepy dire pup.

  Dire Plan

  Clara glared at the prince. “You know we should have told Grom about the pup.”

  Lucas grabbed his backpack and stuffed any food he could find into it: sausages, bread, fruit, and more.

  “We tried,” he said. “Besides, I have a plan.”

  “A plan?” Clara asked. “What kind of plan?”

  Lucas smiled. “We’re returning the pup to her wolf pack. Dire wolves travel every few days, so we don’t have much time.”

  Clara nodded thoughtfully. “Good idea, but how is the pup going to follow us? I’m not putting her on a leash.”

  Lucas held up his bag of food. “You don’t need a leash if you have snacks! Watch and learn.”

  The prince waved a sausage in front of the pup and walked around the tent. The pup sniffed the air, then followed Lucas everywhere. Ruskin was interested too.

  Lucas tore the sausage into two pieces and tossed one to the pup and one to Ruskin. They both ate it up and looked back to Lucas, asking for more.

  Lucas tossed another piece, and the pair collided trying to catch it.

  The dire wolf pup let out a series of tiny sneezes.

  “Looks like you are allergic to dragons, huh?” said Lucas. “We’ll make sure to keep you two apart. Even a tiny dire wolf sneeze can be tracked by hunters.”

  As they stepped out of the tent, Lucas told Ruskin to fly overhead and look for signs of the wolf pack.

  “Pay attention to caves, Ruskin,” Lucas directed. “Wolves like to hide there during the day.”

  Ruskin squawked and took off.

  The kids watched and waited for signals from Ruskin. Twice the dragon spied a cave, squawked, and swooped down to check the cave for dire wolves. Both times, the dragon soared back into the sky and signaled no.

  After checking a third cave, Ruskin didn’t return.

  “I wonder what’s taking him so long?” Lucas said.

  “Do you think he found the pack?” asked Clara.

  A rumble of voices erupted from the forest. They were trolls… and they were cheering about a new catch.

  “It’s the hunters!” he cried. “They must have caught Ruskin!”

  Clara grabbed Lucas by the arm. “We have to rescue him!”

  Lucas picked up the pup and was about to run toward the shouting when a full-grown dire wolf stepped out of the forest. It snarled, and more snarls echoed around them.

  Lucas and Clara were surrounded by the pack.

  Wolf Loyalty

  The wolves bared their sharp teeth and growled. It was a message that Lucas heard loud and clear.

  The prince quickly and carefully set the pup on the ground in front of the leader.

  But the wolf pup turned around and ran back to Lucas. She sat on her hind legs, waiting for another treat.

  Lucas and Clara didn’t dare move. They wanted to be respectful to the wolves.

  Soon a young wolf crept toward the wolf pup and nudged her. The pup bar
ked playfully.

  “Is that your pup?” Clara asked, daring to speak to the wolf.

  The young wolf nodded as if he understood. The wolf’s yellow eyes looked calm and mysterious.

  “We mean no harm,” Clara went on. “We wanted to return your pup safely.”

  The young wolf listened as he guided the pup back to the pack.

  “Bad people were hunting your pup,” Clara explained. “She hid in our tent.”

  Then Lucas spoke up. “Now the hunters have caught my friend—a scarlet dragon.”

  The leader of the pack stepped closer. “SILENCE!” he growled.

  Lucas and Clara jumped back.

  “You can talk…?” Lucas said in amazement.

  “Wolves can do a great many things,” the leader said, “but we never run toward danger without a plan.”

  Lucas raised one eyebrow. “We did have a plan,” he said. “We planned to return your pup and maybe spy on the hunters.”

  The wolf looked Lucas in the eye. “Spy on the hunters? We know all about the hunters,” he said. “They come by ship from another kingdom to capture Wrenly’s creatures. They put them in cages and zip-line the cages over the bluffs to their ship. They do it for money. Now they want us.”

  Hearing this made Lucas very angry. He clenched his fists and asked, “Dire wolves, would you help us stop these awful hunters?”

  The wolf narrowed his eyes. “Wolves only help other wolves,” he said. “Today we spared your lives. Tomorrow we’ll be gone.”