‘It’s not optimal. A tree trunk that would span this ravine and be sturdy enough to hold our weight will be heavy. I don’t know how we would manage to get the end of it across to the other side without it ending up in the ravine,’ Jake told us.
‘What about doing that pole thing they did over the quicksand?’ Sam asked.
‘Not a bad idea. We need to find some long and bendy tree and it should work,’ Jake agreed.
‘How long is long enough?’ Finlay asked.
‘Could you stand beside the ravine, Alpha?’ Jake asked. As Finlay stood next to the edge, Jake took out his stick and held it up. I was curious and stood behind him. He used the stick to measure the height needed for the pole we should use. When he marked a good height on the stick, he then compared it with Finlay. ‘About two and a half times your length, Alpha,’ he then said.
‘Let’s go then,’ Finlay said and we scattered out to find what we needed. Other packs were on their own scavenger hunt. One pack had found a huge trunk they were pushing out over the edge, trying to counterweight the end dangling in the air. It looked to be a success until they had about a third of the way left. The end hanging free in the air got too heavy for them to keep itin the air and it became a heavy duty sew saw, lifting the pack in the air. Fortunately, they let go of the log, leaving them in a heap at the edge of the ravine. The log slid down, wedging itself part way down the wall. I was happy we hadn’t tried that.
‘Got it,’ Ramses mindlinked us. He came walking with a small tree, its trunk was thin and bendy.
‘Perfect,’ Finlay said.
‘We should look for a good place to use it. Best thing would be to find a place where we can wedge it between the rocks so it won’t slide,’ Jake said. Ramses put the pole down and joined us to inspect the bottom of the ravine. Not far from us, a pack had climbed into the ravine and was now trying to climb up the other side. The dirt was loose and they didn’t seem to find any grip but kept gliding back down. A little farther away, another pack had managed to get a log over the ravine. As the first member was halfway over, the log began to crumble and then snapped.
‘To dry. That’s why they were able to get it across, but it won’t hold their weight,’ Jake explained as we watched the man who had fallen into the ravine get up. He seemed unharmed.
‘I think this would be a good place,’ Sam said. We all looked down and saw the little pile of stones where we could wedge the pole. I turned around to get it. I saw one of the wolves from Finlay’s brother’s pack standing around the area where Ramses had put the pole. When he saw me looking, he walked away.
‘We are going to need a new pole,’ I told the others. They all looked at me.
‘Okay, let’s find a new one,’ Finlay said. When the others went on a new scavenger hunt, he looked at me. He didn’t even need to ask.
‘I saw someone from your brother’s team hanging around the other pole. I didn’t think we should chance it,’ I told him.
‘Good call.’ The others didn’t take long to find another tree to make into a pole. ‘I will go first,’ Finlay told us. He walked up tothe edge, placed the base of the pole into the pile of rocks, tested to make sure it was a good fit. Then he bent the pole into a bow and leaped off the edge. I held my breath as I watched him go. The spring in the pole helped carry him to the other side. I let out the breath I was holding. ‘Works like a charm,’ he told us and sent the pole back to our side. One by one we all made it across. We saw other packs also making it. Finlay took the pole out of the ravine when we were all across and broke it. No need to leave it for anyone else to use. We ran along the course, trying to keep our eyes open for any more hidden obstacles, but also keeping a good pace. As we rounded a corner, we saw the finish line. To our surprise there was only one pack ahead of us.
‘Time to give it all we got,’ Sam urged us on. We saw our goal and we knew we didn’t need to hold back. This was the time to use all the rest of our energy. We wanted to keep the others behind us. As we ran, we made sure we stayed close together and we watched the pack before us to see if they got caught up in any surprises. They didn’t and crossed the finish line. Not more than three minutes later, we crossed it as the second team. We all grinned like mad men and congratulated each other with hugs and pats on the back. We had made it through the second game and we did it as the second pack to cross the finish line, with all our members. All without injuries aside from some scrapes and bruises. It was worth celebrating. We were ushered to the side to keep the area clear for incoming packs. In the area we were shown to, Matilda and Rania were waiting with food and water. We happily accepted as we watched other packs finishing the race. Some were carrying team members that had gotten hurt. Some were only four or even three members. We saw Finlay’s brother and his team make it, one of his warriors had a bad limp and another had a black eye. My brother and James finished not long after, with all of their team members. By the look of them,they had ended up in the quicksand. It could explain why they were so late to finish.
‘Amazing work everyone, this was a true team effort. Now I think we all have earned a shower, a nap and then some of my aunt’s cooking,’ Finlay told us. We cheered at that. It was just what was needed. It was nice to call the pack at home and deliver the good news. We opted to do it as soon as we all got back to the cabin. Even a shower and a nap could wait. The mood in the cabin was at a high that evening.
Chapter 42
Amie
The days after the second game passed by fast. We kept to ourselves most of the time. Finlay and Sam had met up with the Cayote Hill pack to talk about a possible joint feast in spring. I had spent my days training, relaxing and strategizing with Jake. We were both worried about the games, which would be more mentally challenging. If the physical games were this strategic, then how hard would the strategic games be? I was sitting at the sundeck out back, reading. Sam plopped down in the chair next to me and took my book.
“Hey!” I objected and tried to snatch it back.
“You need to relax. We are doing good, it’s okay to do other things than prep,” he told me, keeping the book away from me.
“I know we are doing good. I’m trying to make sure we continue to do so,” I said.
“We will. All of us are motivated, you had us preparing for this for years. If we haven’t learned it by now, it’s too late,” he pointed out. I sighed.
“You’re right. But when I do it, at least I feel like I’m doing something.”
“You are. We all take our cue from you. When you are calm, we are calm,” he said, leaning back in his chair, enjoying the sun.
“I think you have mistaken me for the Alpha,” I told him. He chuckled.
“No, Amie. You and Finlay may be close, but not so close I can’t tell you apart. Finlay is our Alpha, and we always look to him to lead us. But you have a bigger influence on the pack than you realise. You have been our stand-in Luna since you arrived. At this point, it’s lucky he hasn’t found his mate. I honestly don’t know how the pack would react to a Luna who isn’t you.” I was left speechless. I just looked at him. He glanced at me and laughed at the look on my face. “I know the both of you have messed up family issues at the moment, but you really should just let him mark you and save us all from this guessing game. If you could do it in about four weeks, on Monday, I would be grateful.”
“Don’t tell me you have a bet going on?” I asked him.
“Sure I have. Most of the pack is in on it. But I’m thinking as we are friends, you wouldn’t mind making sure I get the win. Not so much for the money, mostly for the bragging rights.” My first instinct was to scold him for participating in the betting. But I changed my mind and laughed instead.
