Time passes regardless of whether you want it to, or not. Months had passed and autumn was coming to a close, which brought new dangers to the wolf tribe.
The chieftain stared outside the caves at the trees that were all barren and empty. The leaves that once filled these destitute trees had left with the peaceful autumn months. Light snow could be seen covering the once rich vegetation, and the chill that couldn't be warmed were all a prelude to the season the chieftain wanted to see the least.
Winter was when all the tribes should be preparing to hunker down and prepare enough resources to survive, but he had an ominous premonition this winter was not going to be like the others.
After their surprise attack on the lions, the other tribes had all seemed to regain the fear they once had for the wolves, which gave the chieftain and his tribe a chance to breathe. However, he noticed that as the months passed that the bears could be seen more frequently across the other side of the raging River. He had hoped that this would cease as winter got closer, but not only has it not stopped, more and more bears can be seen around the border.
He couldn't believe it when he heard the report. He knew in his heart that a war with the bear tribe was imminent, but he put it in the summer at the earliest. When the river level was the lowest and the bears had finished their hibernation. Now it seems that they want to attack with their full energy and strength from the resources they harvested during autumn.
This made the chieftain feel the more frequent helplessness. Thankfully the warriors that survived the attack on the lions have healed their injuries in the last three months, but the bears were a far more difficult foe than the lions. They not only had stronger individual offense and defense. With their tough and thick flesh, and their astonishingly powerful teeth and claws. Add to that their incredible strength, and you have a tribe of born warriors.
The bear tribe also didn't carry the arrogance that the lions did. They were calm and cautious when necessary, and only ferocious in battle. They also didn't have to share their territory with any other predatory tribes, meaning that they could exert the full use of every bear in the tribe. A surprise attack would not work in this case, and only a war of attrition could be fought this time.
The only advantage the wolves had were in numbers. The bears had a maximum of five hundred, and they even in decline, had four times that. However, even four against one might not allow them to win, and even if they somehow managed to come out victorious, how many wolves could survive? Enough to fend off those weaker tribes? Or would they just defeat the other two strongest tribes and allow the weaker ones to get a deal and remove them when they're at their lowest point?
These questions riddled the mind of the chieftain. He had never expected there would be so much trouble. He wasn't a great warrior, nor was he cunning and thoughtful. He only wished for stability, and faced with the most imposing challenge yet, he had little confidence. Once again he could only pin his hopes on the monster that was scorned by the tribe. She had produced terrifying miracles time and time again, maybe she could do it once more?
Arzhen was standing in the den. Thanks to her incredibly powerful physique, her injuries had fully healed months ago. She was looking at the snow that had carpeted the once vibrant and lush valley, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.
Naturally she was not unaware of the situation of the bear tribe. Although she and the tribe were not truly reconciled, but they at least shared more communication with her, especially about the foreign tribes. She had fought a bear or two before she had the three little wolves, and she knew very well that they were far more powerful than any other beast she has come into contact with. Knowing that the bear tribe had over five hundred of them, it can be said that she was almost certain the wolves wouldn't win.
She had been contemplating many ways she could think of to beat the bears with few enough losses, so as to make sure no other tribes dared to take advantage of the chaos to grab what doesn't belong to them.
These thoughts had been plaguing her for almost a month now, and as she slowly walked through the valley she noticed a small hole in the distance. She didn't know why she was drawn to this whole, but she still insisted on coming over to see it.
It wasn't until she looked into the small opening on the valley wall that she finally remembered why this hole seemed familiar. When she was much younger, she had used this hole as her little den. She was too weak at the time, and the other beasts in the valley were much too strong for her to beat. It wasn't until she grew too big for the hole that she reluctantly started fighting for territory with the stronger beasts in the valley, but the hole that unlocked the childhood memory also held the perfect method to use to defend against the bears.
When she was young, because she was too weak to fight against most of the animals around her. She used a method she hasn't seen since that time. She set up traps in her human form, and used her far smaller stature to attack them from angles that those beasts couldn't possibly reach her in.
Because the human form is so weak, most tribes will only use it in the safety of their homes. It is almost unprecedented to fight in human form, let alone using traps that can only be fashioned with human hands.
If they can incorporate the method in a way that can not only defend against the ferocity of the bears, but also deal them significant damage, then perhaps a relatively bloodless victory is also possible for the wolves.