Katia picked Kovu up by the scruff of his neck and flung him against the rocky walls of the gorge.  The pain in Kovu’s back was unbearable; he let out a yelp of pain and howled when he hit the ground.

   “Mother, stop!” Sasha barked.  “I’m here, alive and well.  You have no reason to kill him!” 

   “Of course I do!” Katia snapped.  “He mistreated you.  He beat you.  He—”

   “Did nothing of the sort!” Sasha finished,  “They’re all lies, mother!  Lies.  Spread by this hopeless mutt!  It is true Kovu fought Hensa, but Hensa was the one who started it all!”  Katia did not believe her and continued her advance on Kovu.  Hensa watched with anticipation, he could not wait to see Kovu begging him and Sasha for help.  Just then something jumped down between Kovu and Katia; it was Nobi.

   “That’s enough, Katia,” he said.  “Your daughter is right, you can’t kill him.”

   “And why not?” Katia snapped.  Kovu, Sasha, and Nobi were all shocked that Katia questioned her leader’s word.

   “Your word was if Sasha died, you’d kill Kovu,” Nobi said, keeping calm.  “And here Sasha stands before you, much alive as ever.  As the Pack Decree states, ‘A wolf must keep his or her word.’  Kovu has kept his word, notice Sasha has not a scratch on her.  Now it is time for you, Katia, to keep your word.  You are not to lay another paw on Kovu.” 

    Katia glared at him angrily then growled at Kovu.  Kovu was relieved that Nobi believed him, and when the alpha wolf believed something the other wolves followed him like ducklings follow the mother duck.  Well, all except for Katia. 

   Nobi turned to face Hensa.  “You lied to us, young one,” he said in his gentle, but stern tone.  “For that, you will be punished.  But since you are just a pup your punishment won’t be as harsh as a full grown wolf.”  Hensa tensed up wondering what kind of punishment he would receive.  Nobi continued, “You will fetch prey for all the seniors, and you will not eat until the seniors have had their fill.”  Kovu couldn’t believe it; Hensa was now a part of the pack as a punishment.  But Kovu had to travel through the forest and destroy a sign of Deathclaw to even get a chance!  Kovu had forgotten in all the commotion; the golden fang!  No one knew about it yet, besides him and Sasha.

   Almost as if reading Kovu’s mind Nobi turned to him.  “Have you destroyed the golden fang?” he asked.  Kovu nodded blankly, he was bringing the good news to an Alpha Wolf.  “Very well,” Nobi announced to the rest of the pack.  “Kovu and Sasha have successfully destroyed the golden fang.  It is a sign from the Sky Wolves, our saviors have come!”

   There was a mixture of howling, barking, and chanting.  “Kovu!  Sasha!  Kovu!  Sasha!  Kovu!  Sasha!”  Then one wolf spoke up.

   “Are we sure two small pups are our saviors?” he asked.  There was a growing murmur over the pack.

   “I am quite sure that two pups cannot lead us to victory in war,” Nobi said.  Kovu and Sasha felt small and pitiful.  Not even Nobi believed in them.  “But these two are not pups,” Nobi continued, “The two are grown wolves.  They have demonstrated that they can face the dangers of the outside world and can fight off low life loners like Hensa.”  Hensa put his head down in shame.  “Do you think two little pups could do that?”  The pack erupted into howling and barking of agreement.  “Then it is settled; these two will sleep in the cave next to mine, they deserve that honor.  That is all, and all is well.” 

   “That’s how he ends all gatherings,” Sasha said to Kovu.  “’That is all, and all is well’ unless he brings bad news, then he says ‘that is all, and I hope all becomes well.”  But Kovu felt like all wasn’t well.  There was something telling him that something horrible would fall upon the pack, but what?  Kovu wished he could say “all is well” but he just couldn’t lie to himself.