"I know, but that is the only solution we have."
Nicole looked at Carl firmly.
"Okay, how about you separate and distract them, while I go after the alpha?" Carl suggested, not
wanting want Nicole to risk it.
"Don't underestimate them when you begin leading them away," she warned.
"They are fast.Once they have given chase, you must climb up the nearest tree you can
find.Otherwise, you'll just become their next snack."
"Okay.Just do as I've said.I'll countdown to three and you'll make a run for the grove."
Nicole picked her torch up and mounted Pinto, with Carl doing the same with his stallion.
"Are you ready?" Nicole shouted.
"yes!"
"Three, two, one.Go!"
Carl sped off to the grove, prompting several members of the pack to give chase and hunt him down.
As this was happening, Nicole made a beeline for the alpha, which proceeded to bare its teeth, ready
to pounce.
The remaining wolves charged forth, prompting her to wave her torch at them to keep them at bay.
She repeated this until she was about ten yards away from the alpha, during which she unsheathed her
dagger, and in a swift, stabbing motion, plunged her blade into the beast, killing it.
Seeing this, the rest of the pack howled and yelped as they dispersed.
With that done, she retrieved her dagger and galloped off to the grove that Carl vanished into.
Meanwhile, Carl was clinging onto a branch atop a tree, while his horse had fled in a panic.
With the alpha slain, and the pack scattered, it was now safe for him to make his descent.
"Carl, where are you?!" Nicole called out.
"I'm up here," Carl replied from above.
"The wolves are gone! You can come down!"
Nicole held her torch up, illuminating the trunk of the tree as Carl tossed his away and made his way
down the tree "Have you dealt with the pack leader?"
"Yeah.Let's head over there.By the way, where's your horse?" Nicole asked upon realizing that his
stallion was missing.
"I think he hightailed it when all that chaos was unfolding.Well, never mind then, let's see what you've
done to the alpha."
Carl picked his torch up and strutted off to where the incident had occurred.
However, before they could reach the area where Nicole had slain the alpha, a few wolves were
already present, mourning the death of their pack leader.
"Carl, let's not go over there."
"Then let's take this opportunity to get more branches for the fire.
"Alright."
Sitting next to the campfire, Nicole and Carl could still see a few wolves about a few hundred yards
away.
"Do you think they are going to come after us?"иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмCarl asked.
"It's hard to tell, so let's just keep our wits about us," she replied.
Meanwhile, the helicopter and the rescue teams on the ground had been searching in vain for the both
of them for over an hour now, but they were still not able find anyone or anything.
From where Jared was sitting, he had not seen a single distress signal at all.
"Look further south," he instructed the pilot.
"Yes sir."
After flying for a while, the pilot spotted a flare in the distance, and reported his sighting to Jared at
once.
"Mr.Johnston, there is a light source up ahead."
Jared craned his neck and squinted his eyes, 'Head over there.Quick!"
Then, the helicopter took off toward the light in full speed.
Hearing the whirring of the rotor blades, Nicole gave Carl a sideways glance.
"Carl, do you hear that?"
"I think I heard it," Carl replied.
"It's behind us."
Carl and Nicole spun around and gazed up at the same time, and as expected, they saw a helicopter
flying toward them.
"Wave our torches," Nicole ordered.
"Mr.Johnston, it seems that someone is calling for help,"the pilot reported.
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