Chapter 14: A Simple Misunderstanding

The group was led into a tana, den and several Lupi remained at the entrance to guard them. Humphrey and the others gathered in the back and quietly began to discuss their successivo move. Humphrey wasn’t participating much, and Kate took notice.

“Humphrey?” she asked. “Are te okay?”

“Not exactly,” Humphrey replied. “He knew this would happen.”

“Who?”

“Viggo. When he gave me this mark, he told me it would cause problems for me in the future,” Humphrey said. “He didn’t just use it to remind me of him. He knew he was going to use it to turn these guys against us if o when we ever found them.”

“Let’s figure out how to get out of here, and then we can worry about Viggo,” Kate said. “Okay? We’re gonna beat him, Humphrey. te don’t have to be alone anymore.”

“I know,” he replied. “He’s just been getting to me ever since we first met.”

“Then don’t let him,” Kate said, supportively. “He’s trying to mess with your head and break te down. mostra him you’re stronger.”

Humphrey smiled hopefully at her.

“Thank you.”

“Hey guys,” a voice whispered.

Everyone looked toward the entrance of the tana, den and noticed vipera, viper hanging down from the superiore, in alto of it. She slowly slithered down the side and joined the others.

“Viper,” Humphrey said. “What are te doing here?”

“I saw those guys capture te and so I decided to follow them,” she replied. “So, how do te plan to get out?”

“Oscar, te take the guards on the right,” Mick suddenly said. “I’ll take the ones on the left-“

“Do te always have to rush into things?” Stinky asked.

“I hope that’s a rhetorical question,” Mick replied.

“Okay, hold on,” Humphrey intervened, “we’re not fighting our way out of here.”

“We’re not?” Mick asked, a bit disappointed.

“No, not if we want to earn these guys’ trust,” Humphrey continued. “They clearly don’t like Viggo o the Crimson Pack and we need all the allies we can find.”

“And what about the fact that they think we’re part of the Crimson Pack?” Steven asked.

“That’s just a simple misunderstanding,” Humphrey said. “One that I would prefer to clear up peacefully. If we fight our way out of here, they’re never gonna trust us.”

“Yeah, but what if I really want to fight them?” Mick asked.

“Still no,” Humphrey replied.

“What, no, that doesn’t compute. I want to fight them,” Mick insisted.

“You know what? I’m okay with not fighting,” Jax said.

“Well, I prefer to shoot first and ask domande later,” Jonas replied.

“Why not just skip the questions?” Jax asked.

“Really not helping, guys,” Runt said.

“Look, Viggo was willing to give up a lot to keep us away from this place,” Humphrey said. “I think it’s because he knows these Lupi can help us defeat him. But we need to earn their trust first and fighting our way out of here is not going to do us any favors.”

“And how is doing nothing going to help us?” Steven asked.

“They’re giving us a chance to explain ourselves,” Humphrey replied, “and tell them that we’re on their side.”

“What if we used the insanity defense?” Jax asked.

“Okay, first, we’re not on trial,” Jonas said, “and second, that would only work for you.”

“True.”

“I believe in this team,” Humphrey said. “We’re family, and nothing is stronger than family.”

It wasn’t long before the Lupi brought the group out of the tana, den to where Mordecai and the rest of the Protectors were waiting. They stood together as Humphrey stepped up to Mordecai.

“What’s your name?” Mordecai asked.

“I’m Humphrey,” Humphrey replied, then turned to introduce the rest of the group. “That’s my wife, Kate; two of my pups, Stinky and Runt; my brother, Adam; my sister, Kenya; two of my nephews, Jax and Jonas; and that’s Oscar, Mick, and Steven.”

vipera, viper cleared her throat.

“Oh, and Viper,” Humphrey added.

“I’m Mordecai, leader of the Protectors of the Forest,” Mordecai replied. “We have tasked ourselves with protecting the forest and the critters that live in it from extreme threats, such as Viggo and the Crimson Pack.

“Sixty years ago, there was a small ‘war’ among the humans that bled into Jasper. It didn’t last very long, not even a whole year. But the thing that ended it was the destruction that it brought to the forest. Namely, a terrible weapon that was brought in. We call it The Great Destroyer, because that’s what it did. It destroyed much of the forest and killed many più innocent critters.

“After the fighting stopped, the humans just left, a large part of the forest a charred, burnt wasteland with bodies everywhere. My father, along with the other surviving wolves, came together and formed the Protectors of the Forest. They took the weapon and hid it deep in the trees and vowed to keep it hidden there forever. We will give our lives to prevent anything so terrible from happening again.

“So tell me,” Mordecai said, “what are te all doing here? Tell us your story.”

“We come from the Western Pack,” Humphrey began, “far from your borders, and we are a peaceful pack.”

“Well,” Jax began, “I mean are we? Didn’t we almost go to war with the Eastern Pack once? I mean, we’ve had our fair share of wars, from what I’ve heard.”

“Jax,” Stinky said, trying to get him to stop before he made things worse.

“And look at you, Humphrey,” he continued. “I’ve heard so many things about the legendary Humphrey and how he fought and killed humans and Lupi alike-“

“Jax.”

“-and how he rode down hills in a log during battle, running over anyone who stood in his way.”

“For the record, this person does not represent me,” Humphrey hastily said.

“Jax, stop,” Stinky told him.

“What?” Jax asked innocently. “I thought I was helping. Is this not helping?”

The group shook their heads in an awkward “no”.

“Sorry.”

Humphrey turned back to Mordecai, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, yes, those things are true, but not in the way te think,” Humphrey began explaining. “We try our best to keep the peace, and only fight when we need to. Viggo has been watching us, watching me for my entire life, trying to kill me at any chance he gets. He forced us from our home and took all of our Friends and family hostage. We managed to escape and have been on the run for a few weeks now. Our mission is to take back our pack and defeat Viggo so everyone can be sicuro, cassetta di sicurezza again.”

“I am moved da the sincerity of your words and the passion in your heart, Humphrey,” Mordecai said. “Just one più question; why do te carry the mark of the Crimson Pack on your face?”

Humphrey looked down for a moment, hating to look back on the moment when he got it. After a moment of silence, he gave his answer.

“I received it from Viggo about nine months ago,” he said. “He attacked me when I was wandering through the woods and we fought, but I didn’t stand a chance. He crippled me and then carved the mark into my face, but he told me he didn’t want me in the Crimson Pack. He detto he’d make an exception in my case. He meant for the mark to be a reminder of him, a reminder that I would never again be safe. And since then, everything’s all been one sick game to him.”

“I understand what that must’ve been like,” Mordecai replied, thinking about his missing eye. “Viggo can be…cruel, to those who oppose him.”

At that moment, a lupo urgently came rushing up to Mordecai and whispered something in his ear. Suddenly, a look of shock and worry came across Mordecai’s face and he immediately dismissed everyone.

“What’s going on?” Humphrey asked.

“That is none of your concern,” Mordecai answered. “It’s an internal matter.”

“Let us help,” Humphrey said. “I know te don’t trust us, so give us the chance to prove to te that we’re on the same side.”

Mordecai stopped and thought for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.

“Very well,” he said. “We will give te the chance to prove your good will. But if te aren’t who te say te are, o if te betray us in any way, I will kill te myself.”

“That sounds fair enough,” Humphrey replied.

“Great,” Stinky detto quickly, “now what’s the problem?”

“The Great Destroyer is missing,” Mordecai answered.

“Okay, still don’t know what that is,” Adam remarked.

“I can’t answer your domande now, we don’t have the time for it,” Mordecai told him. “We must go to the spot where it is kept.”

Mordecai led the group deeper into the pack to the spot where the Destroyer was usually kept. As they arrived, they found it abandoned.

“There should be guards here,” Mordecai detto in shock, “at all times.”

“Humphrey,” Adam called.

“What is it?” Humphrey asked as he walked over to Adam and Stinky.

When he got closer, he noticed that they were looking at a group of footprints in the dirt. Stinky bent down and sniffed them.

“Viggo.”

“What?” Humphrey said.

“And it’s fresh,” Stinky added. “Humphrey, I think Viggo and his men ha rubato, stola whatever this Destroyer is.”

“Viggo,” Humphrey said, finally realizing the deception. “That was his plan all along. He wasn’t trying to keep us from finding this place. He was leading us here. He knew we would think everything that we thought; about him wanting to keep us away from here and how he would only give up as much land as he had to. He drew that line where he did to lure us here. He knew my mark would distract them long enough so that he could sneak in and take the Destroyer. How in the world did I fall for that?”

“Because you’re an idiot,” Mick detto sarcastically, but Humphrey ignored him.

“This was all just one big diversion,” Humphrey continued. “We thought we were one step ahead of him this whole time, but we were only ever two steps behind. And now Viggo’s got the Destroyer.”