Quietly, Quiggly stepped into the darkness as he stealthily approached and steeled himself for the coming confrontation. He was greeted by a most unwelcome foe, for a monstrous wolf, larger than a Great Dane, bigger than a Bummelhorn, and at least a head higher than a normal wolf, stood facing Quiggly from between the shadows. It's jaws were wide open, which made the dog nervous, especially since they were filled with a set of deadly fangs longer and sharper than a normal canine's. It looked even more frightening than those wolves that had tried to attack Grimley with rabid ferocity before. Quiggly remained in his dog form, not wanting to reveal himself, for he felt he didn't stand much of a chance against such a ferocious beast. He thought he had made a huge mistake coming here. The monster wolf growled menacingly at Quiggly as if it were about to pounce upon the dog. So, it was the one who had destroyed Grimley and Quiggly's village and sent the dogs fleeing for safety. Quiggly hoped that the beast would flee, but it was too late for that. The creature launched itself at the dog and leaped at him with so much force, it sent Quiggly flying into a deep pit dug into the earth. The impact of the rough landing knocked the wind out of Quiggly and sent him rolling around as he desperately tried to right himself. He landed on his back and his right foreleg and was struggling for air, wheezing and choking. Quiggly knew if he didn't quickly find a way out of this predicament, he would be at the mercy of his assailant. And a wolf as fierce and beastly as this one would, no doubt, quickly and effectively dispatch him. Then, from his perch above, the wolf snarled as he studied Quiggly lying at the bottom of the pit. He leaned over the edge and was about to leap down to finish his prey when he heard the sounds of other footsteps approaching. The wolf turned to face his assailants. He was now caught between two vicious creatures that were both out for his blood. The two adversaries eyed the beast and waited for their opportunity to attack. The wolf noticed he was the object of an ambush and he didn't look particularly pleased. "If I were you," said a snidely voiced voice, "I would have run. Didn't you get the message? You're not welcome here." The Wolf glanced at the two beasts that were ready to strike and saw that they were a pair of men. They both looked to be large and ferocious, as the wolf was. The one that spoke and that had addressed the wolf was a man that was short and lean, his muscles were overdeveloped and his skin was as rough as sandpaper. He had a full beard and was dressed in rags, he was likely a vagrant, which was evident from the foul odor emanating from him. His name was Dagger. The other man was dressed in long fur and his short hair stood up on his head like an urchin boy's. His nose was long and thin and twitched constantly. It was a bit longer than Quiggly's. The man he addressed was long and thin like Dagger and his short hair was spiked with dirt. He was the man who had called the wolf in the first place, and that was Puff. "You've got a good point there," replied Dagger. "As a matter of fact, it was because of this beast that I was brought here. My dog that was in the vicinity was caught in a trap set by these people. It's a shame too. He was a very fine Dane. He would fetch a lot of money on the black market for one with a bloodline as good as his. It would have been better for you to just leave. After all, the owner who caught your dog told me you were the culprit. Why didn't you just keep running?" Dagger's companion, Puff, said, "I tried to do that but this big monster blocked the path for me, but when I saw it caught the Dane, I thought I could catch up with him in time. The poor dog was so cute I just couldn't look away as the beast ripped it to shreds. The dog did not even have time to beg for mercy before its furry body was splayed across the dirt." Puff continued, "When I finally arrived at the scene, that dog was already dead." "Well I don't know about this fine man," said Dagger. "But that was very unlucky for you." Dagger turned to the Wolf and asked, "Well, old man. What do you say to that?" The wolf snarled a grisly response, "Your problem, if I must say, is that you came here. I can't say I blame you for it. Dogs are not welcomed in the woods. I can tell you from experience, they don't like the woods. I have tried to go into the forest with many of my hunting packs but the wolves always go after me. They don't like me." Dagger replied, "And that's fine. This is my forest. They don't belong here. I don't have to share it with anyone. I like to keep it the way it is. You're barking up the wrong tree if you think that any dog is going to make a run at this forest. You've got a problem of your own. That's no secret. You know that as well as I do." Dagger went on, "You see, these woods are ours. And if any human or beast interferes with our way of life, we eliminate the intruder. Now, you got to get out of here. Your kind is not welcome here. We are wolves and we do as we please." Puff chipped in, "We'll see if we can't show you the way out. We're wolves and we don't like dogs any more than you do." Dagger replied to Puff, "No, no. We'll go after it," he said, as he pointed at the Wolf. "This one has to be put down. I can't have him prowling around." Dagger added, "Just get him, Grimley. He won't give you a problem if he's dead." "Well, do it," said Grimley, gruffly. "And hurry. He's getting restless. We don't want to be around when he decides to attack." Puff and Dagger stood facing the Wolf and both men gripped their weapons, their arms tightly, as they waited for the Wolf to show them who was boss. Then the Wolf snarled again, fiercely. This time, it was a bit less intimidating and more inviting. He turned from Dagger and Puff and approached Quiggly, who was by this time, struggling for air. "Stop," said Puff, as he unsheathed his short blade and held it in the direction of the Wolf. "He may look harmless enough now, but he will attack if he gets the chance." "Quiggly," said Dagger in a soothing voice, "don't be alarmed. I won't let anything happen to you. You're one of us." The Wolf turned to look back at the two men, Dagger and Puff, as he sensed the imminent danger. He did not like the sound of these two. He wondered why they wanted to attack him. He wasn't a threat to anyone. His job was to protect the wild and he had done just that. He had never harmed anyone before and would not start now. The Wolf waited for the right moment to attack and then attacked. He attacked the two men, who were no match for him. The Wolf knew if he killed them quickly, it would be easier to get away. Besides, if he waited, he might take out Puff, who had a strange look about him, he thought. But he really didn't want to have to worry about Puff. He thought the younger man was a bit insane. The Wolf was so swift, he was able to attack before either man could act. The Wolf lunged at the men with his sharp and long fangs. He was swift, before they even had a chance to defend themselves. He ripped both of them to shreds, leaving their entrails scattered across the ground and their bodies as they were turned to unrecognizable pulp, which was of no use to anybody, which of course, included the Wolf. Puff had been in the far right when the Wolf charged. He saw the monster attack Dagger but Puff was unprepared for the Wolf's speed and his attack. Puff could have avoided the attack, but he was too busy with what he had been looking at. And when the Wolf turned on him, there was no time to escape or do anything else. All Puff could do was look on in horror and despair, as he watched as the Wolf ripped out Puff's guts and consumed them in one or two ferocious bites. Dagger, who had been in the lead, was also in the thick of the attack and felt the Wolf tearing into his flesh, making his teeth protrude and his blood boil. Dagger turned and was about to launch his own attack on the Wolf when the other man,