Arzhen thought about what traps she could use against the bears. There wasn't much time left before the river would freeze for the winter, and if preparations weren't made before then, the wolf tribe would probably be eliminated.
The bears were far too strong and weren't as simple minded as the regular animals. She didn't believe those wolves stood a chance in close combat, nor would they be able to deal harsh blows to the bears by trying to attack them from sneaky angles, that the bears wouldn't be able to reach.
She ran all the traps she could think of through her mind, until one seemed to fit the requirements she needed. If those wolves couldn't cause significant damage to the bears, than maybe the bears can inflict the damage onto themselves?
Perhaps a deep hole, layered with strong and sharp wooden stakes. She could personally lead those bears through these traps, making sure to pick off as many of them as possible, without exerting any significant amount of energy. Those traps could also be used to defend around the caves of the wolf tribe, which would allow the warriors to focus on the attack, rather than worrying if the bears will go around them to attack the old, weak and children.
She quickly decided that this was the best course of action, and left the valley to propose it to the chieftain.
After hearing what the monster had said, not only the chieftain, but also the other warriors of the wolf tribe were skeptical. They had never heard of this kind of trick.
Arzhen stated that when she was a child in the valley, she would use these means to fight against the animals that were stronger, or faster than her. It was a painless way to decrease the number of bears, without losing any wolves.
The wolves had to reluctantly accept Arzhen's idea. After all, they hadn't found any other way to lessen the devastation the battle against the bears would cause. So an interesting sight appeared in the Territory of the wolves. Holes were being dug out by wolves, and tree limbs were being sharpened and placed at the bottom of these holes. Unfortunately for the bears across the river, they were completely unaware of the cruel traps that were awaiting them.
After weeks of worry and anxiety, the winter had finally shown its icy fangs. The chill seemed to have directly penetrated into the bones of all the wolves that had been called by the chieftain. The summons was proof that the river had almost completely frozen. They were on the verge of the most fearsome battle they had ever faced.
Although they didn't have much confidence, they still stood straight and tall. Many of them had families in the caves, their survival was paramount on the warriors fighting without cowardice. So they stood here, knowing that the worst might come, but not a single wolf flinched because of it.
The chieftain looked upon his tribes last warriors. His heart was ashen, knowing that this battle could be the end of his kin, but just as the other wolves stood with courage, he was also willing to fight this one time.
The wolves had set up many traps around the territory. Many pits had been dug, as well as more stakes being placed around the forest itself. If the bears weren't careful they'd find themselves stabbed by these unsuspecting dangers.
Arzhen watched the river, keeping a distance from the wolves. Although she fought with them, she knew if they could get rid of the bears and her, they wouldn't hesitate. So she had always kept a certain amount of vigilance towards the wolves. She didn't mind giving them a warning. Although she would rather have her own kind in charge of the Territory outside the valley, it wasn't a necessity.
Thankfully it seems they were completely focused on the bears, and seeing the amassing hulking black bears on the other side of the river, that were cautiously and tentatively checking if the river had frozen enough to cross. Arzhen could see that there were hundreds of bears spread out along a short branch of the river, and she was wondering why they seemed to be in such a rush to attack?
The question would go unanswered as one of the smaller bears made it to the other side of the river. Arzhen had no time to waste, she quickly attacked the smaller bear. Her claws ripped through the throat of the bear who still had a smug smile on his face.
The bears that had just watched one of their own fall in an instant were outraged. The more hotheaded of the group gave caution to the wind and charged across the frozen river. However the newly frozen river couldn't bear the huge weight of so many gigantic beasts at one time. The place where they stampeded soon developed cracks before the ice gave way. Those hotheaded bears soon realised the mistake, but it was too late.
With the ice giving way, they were dragged into the freezing cold river, the raging currents underneath pulled the helpless bears further away from the only opening left on the river. The rest of the bears watched in horror as dozens of their kin were taken away to their icy graves. They knew if the cold didn't kill them, the lack of oxygen would. The bears had never felt such shame before, but they knew if they followed in the footsteps of those that died, they would not fare any better.
It isn't wrong to say bears are cautious and calm, they quickly spread out along the still frozen parts of the river, making sure not to overcrowd any particular place. However a certain giant wolf, continued to pick off one here and another there, making the bears resentment towards her grow.
When Arzhen saw more bears beginning to reach her side of the river, she stopped her attacks and kept at the periphery of the forest. She wanted a good chunk of bears to follow her into the woods, where she could lead them to some more surprises that awaited them inside.