Knowing that there was no chance of escaping unseen, the wolves had already decided beforehand to retreat back to their territory by passing through the land of the lions' vassal tribes. Luckily for them, no one would have expected the declining wolves to make such a bold and reckless attack, this left them with an almost clear path back to the forest.
Just as the wolves hoped, the lions were dazzled by rage. They continued to chase them as if they would not stop unless the wolves were killed in front of them.
Arzhen watched as the lions gradually started to slow down. She could see that their energy was beginning to wane. Some of them weren't stupid, they knew that they shouldn't waste too much time chasing the wolves. They should be focusing on stabilising the tribe, so that the losses they face are minimised. Arzhen saw these lions that tried to speak out, and couldn't let them interfere. Those types of people are natural born leaders, and are able to think farther than normal people. She could only dart back into the group of lions, as quick as a flash, just to harvest the lives of these potential leaders.
Watching the actions of the monstrous wolf successfully made the lions blind with rage. That was exactly what Arzhen wanted. She just needed to keep fuelling their ire, and exhausting their energy.
In the distance the wolves could see the border to their territory. From a distance it looked silent and majestic. An empty forest of trees, but the wolves knew better, the second part of the plan was about to take place. They knew it was not their turn to participate. They were already on the verge of losing consciousness. Their only task now was to pass through the tree line. The wolves forced the last dregs of energy to course through their tired and injured bodies, fleeing back to the safety of their land, their tribe and their home.
The lions also saw the border. They felt the urgency of the matter. If the wolves made it back to the forest, they could regroup with the rest of their tribe and then they would have little chance of seeking vengeance. They also sped up, frightening the wolves by closing the distance that had been kept for the last two days.
Just as the lions felt they were about to catch up to the wolves in front of them. They heard a howl come from the forest, and in their horror wolves seemed to endlessly start to pour out from the tree line. A terrifying conjecture ran through the minds of all the lions present.
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'This was all a trap'.
They had no time to think clearly as the horde of energetic and well rested wolves descended upon them like a wave. The lions could only grit their teeth and move their exhausted bodies to fight, however it was destined to be futile.
Under the joint attack of the monstrous wolf, as well as the rest of the wolf warriors that had vastly outnumbered them, they could only try to flee back to the Plains suffering heavy losses.
The corpses that littered the border of the two territories made it seem like a purgatory. The wolves were ordered not to chase. They needed to conserve their numbers. Although they were victorious, the losses weren't small. Of the original two hundred wolves that attacked, only just over a hundred managed to survive the journey back, and even then many of them were not injured lightly. Add to that the frenzied attack of the angry lions that had just taken place, and the wolves that could barely number two thousand had already lost a tenth from this battle.
Although two hundred was better than they expected. The wolves really didn't have much hope for their future. They had long been hated by the other tribes, and it was only by their prowess in combat that made others wary of them. Now that their numbers were dwindling faster because of these countless attacks, they were in no mood to celebrate this victory.
The chieftain ordered the burial of the warriors that died at the border, and could only give out alms to the families of the wolves that were lost in both of the subsequent attacks on the lions.
The lions were all divided up between the tribe. There was no mercy for the fallen of the enemy. They would not be sent back, nor would they be buried. Their fate was to be the nutrients of the victors.
Arzhen did not stay with the tribe. She went back to the valley. This battle took more out of her than she wanted to give. She didn't show anything in front of the wolves, but her injuries were probably the heaviest of them all. Her duel with the lion king was not one sided. He could not sit in that position if he didn't have the strength to back it up. She could feel that her body ached in a way she hadn't felt since she was a child. In addition the journey back and the participation in the subsequent attack had left her with only the strength to slowly walk back to her safe place.
As she walked away, she tried to maintain her majestic and unharmed appearance. Only by showing no weakness, would those wolves continue to treat her with awe and fear. She could guess how quickly they'd want to get rid of her if they knew that she couldn't fend them off. Don't look at her being a wolf like them. After that one sided massacre, she had forged an indelible feud with the wolf tribe. Perhaps they'd keep her to deal with the other threats, but in their eyes she was just a temporary ally, not a member of their kin.
She could only hope to get back to her den faster. Where she could rest and try to take care of her wounds. She also hoped the three little wolves wouldn't be too scared after seeing her situation.