With the idea of communication decided, Arzhen and the chieftain set about a plan to allow her to return to the tribe.

The chieftain called a meeting of all the wolves left in the tribe. After the losses they faced against the monster, the warriors left were only two thousand strong. The chieftain could only look upon his tribe helplessly, he hoped that as many as possible could survive what was to come.

He didn't hesitate to tell them about wanting to bring the monster back into the tribe. This was met with nothing but resistance, but he knew that would be the case.

Some of the older wolves had insight into why the chieftain made such a decision. They had been there when the tribe was only beginning to decline. Now they have watched as their tribe has turned from an intimidating territorial presence, to a piece of juicy meat that all the surrounding tribes want to get a piece of. Just by seeing how those lions were gallivanting around, as if they owned the place made them realise the seriousness of the situation.

The chieftain saw that the older wolves had remained silent. He knew they understood, and so he focused his attention on the younger generations.

"Our tribe was once the strongest power. We held considerable dominion over the rest of the tribes. However, that power that was once held has caused great animosity towards us. Now everyone must have an inkling about our current situation."

The chieftains words were not alarmist. The scouts always reported the overstepping of the tribes surrounding them. Testing them, to see if they had weakened enough to try and take the lead in fighting for the resources of the wolf tribe. Even if they are young, very few are completely ignorant. The only reason the other tribes haven't moved yet, is because the chieftain took the foresight to hide the true numbers of warriors from the outside world. If they knew that the number had dwindled so low, many tribes wouldn't be able to hold back.

The chieftain could see the depression and unease that had fallen upon his beloved tribe. He wanted to say everything would be alright, but he knew it would just be empty words. The wolf tribe had no choice, either they won, or their fate would be no better than enslavement. The resentment of the other tribes towards the wolves was too deep. It spanned centuries, and they were the ones that had to endure the consequences.

"The lions are no longer hiding their desires. This 'envoy' is nothing but the last straw. Either we pay what they want, and prove to them we can no longer fight back, which would cause the tribes around us to start their attacks. Or we don't agree, and the lions take the high ground about starting a war with us, which would eventually lead to the exact same situation in the end".

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The younger generations finally understood the desolate future they were facing. A mix of negative emotions were coursing through them. The chieftain watched hard heartedly as some were furious, or horrified, weeping or swearing. He waited patiently, until one of the younger wolves spoke out.

"What do we do then? How do we survive?" the young wolf asked while trembling.

The chieftain smiled at the young wolf, "Although we have lost many warriors to the monster. It can be seen that her strength is unfathomable. My father once told me about a rare variation of our tribe that grew to an enormous size, and their strength was unmatched by anyone. However, all records of these wolves showed that they were male, but this time it seems that the monster has inherited this ability."

After the tribe had heard tell of this rare variation. The warriors that faced the gargantuan black wolf had already surmised that they faced this legendary wolf. The fear they felt in her presence was not small. They could only watch in terror as she tore apart some of the strongest warriors they had.

"Now we are facing threats on every side of us. We need all the help we can get. I should also tell you that the monster has already killed the lions that came. Regardless of our choice, the lions will take the chance to attack. Having the monster aide us in the wars to come will be imperative. I hope for the survival of the tribe, we can put aside the feud that we have, and work together to save as many of our kin as possible", the chieftain said in an unquestionable tone.

Knowing that the decision was set, the warriors, though resentful, decided to keep their mouths shut. Facing such a dire situation, if they didn't have as much help as possible, they'd definitely face a life far worse than death.

A successful conclusion to the meeting was what the chieftain hoped for. Luckily his tribe was able to see the importance of this alliance and could put aside their hatred to focus on the real problem. He called out towards the outside of the caves.

The wolves turned towards the entrance suspiciously, just to see the monster that so many of them feared. The warriors couldn't help shaking. Then there were the wolves that hadn't left the caves that night. This was the first time they had seen the monster that made their families so frightened. Gazing upon the hulking black wolf, they felt her ferocity exuding from every part of her body, as if it had become a tangible existence. She stood so large that the cave was barely able to hold her enormous size.

Although the chieftain had spoken about co-operation, there was always a tinge of fear when facing such a ruthless beast. However he knew that they needed this meeting to go well, so he put his mind on the upcoming conversation.

"I know we have many resentments towards each other, but I hope for the sake of our survival, we can put away those differences, at least temporarily. We can't always call you a monster, so do you mind letting us know your name?" the chieftain asked the black wolf.

The black wolf looked at the wolves that showed guarded and fierce looks towards her and spoke with a piercing and powerful voice.

"My name is Arzhen. I am willing to fight beside you all, to protect our homes and families that we all hold so dearly. I hope you all are willing to do the same."