TF Dires

By

Dragon with a Shotgun

Hey, y'all! Ok, before anything, I give the credit for the inspiration to write this to antubis0 on Deviantart. If you like Transformers and you like wolves, then take a look at her work. Really great! Alright, if you have read her comics, Before Beginning, Beginning, Bumblebee, and Riverbank, this is the continuation after Riverbank. And also, I am naming Optimus's pack The River Pack, and Megatron's pack The Mountain Pack. Enjoy!

Chapter One

"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker! Hurry up or you'll get left behind!"

One of the twins, Sideswipe, the red and grey one, grinned at Ironhide while he pinned his brother to the ground by holding his paw on his head.

"Ah, c'mon, 'Hide! Have some fun!"

Sunstreaker wriggled out from his brother's paws and, too, grinned.

"Yeah, but wait… you didn't get your name for nothing! You've never had fun before, so you were name's Ironhide!"

The twins then burst into laughter, both falling onto the ground and rolling around on their backs. Ironhide growled, his ears flattening and his tail rising. Bumblebee, who was closer up beside Ironhide, tilted his head and frowned at the twins.

"What was that supposed to mean?" the juvenile asked as he turned his head toward a very angered and bristled Ironhide.

Ironhide froze and, not wanting to snap at Bumblebee in his anger with the twins, sighed, took a deep breath, and put on a calm face when he turned his gaze to Bumblebee.

"Nothing, just the fact that we don't have time for fun right now, young one. Twins! Let's go!"

The four wolves then continued their trek after the twins got their act together. The small group had been traveling all morning in search of food for their pack. But they had little luck with their hunt. The deer had started moving about more and not staying in one place for very long with winter coming up, and other animals were disappearing. The geese and ducks had begun their journey south for the winter, so birds were off the menu unless they caught a flock taking a rest stop at one of the lakes or ponds surrounding their territory. Other animals were hibernating, such as mice, marmots, bats, and snakes. Bears were too much to risk, even if hibernating. A bear disturbed in its sleep was an angry bear. But either way, many animals had either migrated, or went into hibernation.

This morning, the four were on a scent trail of an injured deer, a lone bull elk. Bull elk were very dangerous animals, and could kill a wolf with a swipe of a hoof or by gouging it with an antler. Usually elk stayed in either small groups or large herds, but this one must have been injured a short time ago, and had gotten left behind when the herd went on the move. This might prove good for the Dires, but it also could be risky. They didn't know if the elk had passed into grey wolf territory or another dire wolf territory beyond their pack's borders. If so, then they'd either have to risk crossing and keep up the hunt, or turn back and try their luck somewhere else within their territory.

After a long period of time, Bumblebee started to find the trek boring. He looked around to see if anything could catch his attention and keep his mind occupied. He looked down at his paws. He saw Ironhide's large paw prints, and tried to match his feet with them. It was easy, since he'd grown much bigger than when he was a pup, almost as tall as Ratchet. He was a teenager now, and knew much more than even the twins. Well, at least that was what Ironhide had told him.

Ironhide turned his head slightly, smiling when he spotted Bumblebee behind him as he matched his footsteps. He thought for a moment, and then turned his head back to where he was facing. He widened his pace.

Bumblebee tilted his head, pausing for a moment, and then tried to match the steps again. But it was a bit harder, and he stumbled a few times as time went by. The twins saw this as they kept a steady pace behind him whenever they had to stop when he tripped.

"Hey, 'Bee," Sunstreaker said, "You're walking like you have human socks on your paws!"

Sideswipe laughed out loud, and Bumblebee fell again at their sudden outburst, having lost his concentration. He growled quietly and frowned at the twins with his ears flattened.

"Oh, go stuff a skunk in your nose!" he snapped, pushing himself up onto his paws.

Sunstreaker huffed. "I would stuff one in my mouth if I could find one at all. I'm so hungry, I'd even eat one!"

Bumblebee rolled his eyes at their laughter and continued to follow Ironhide, but this time not trying to match his paw prints. Ironhide smiled amusingly, having heard Bumblebee's words when the twins had laughed at him. He didn't interfere because he had been teaching Bumblebee how to handle certain situations on his own. The younger wolf had learned his own way of choosing his words, and used them a lot whenever he was upset. Bumblebee had gotten a cuff on the ear from Ratchet when he had accidently let a bad comment slip out when Ratchet was getting on to him about leaving the den alone.

But Bumblebee had formed his own opinions on things in the world, and had grown more observant. He didn't need Ironhide to protect him as much anymore. He was old enough to hunt small game now, and explored their territory on his own at times. He had grown bulkier too, and he'd lost his puppy belly. He was leaner, and looked more like an adult dire wolf now. Ironhide was proud of him. Bumblebee was like a son to him, ever since he chose to take care of him when he was a little pup. He missed those times when he was a little pup, when he told him bedtime stories and was able to hold him close with his paws. But now he was too old for those stories, and more interested in things that Ironhide had done in life, rather than legends and tales.

The twins had fallen back, and were having their own conversation some feet from Ironhide and Bumblebee. Ironhide was rather glad that they had. More peaceful. They were left in silence, and after a long time of walking, Bumblebee noticed something float from the sky and land on his nose. He looked at it with curiosity, before his nose felt cold, and then he sneezed.

Ironhide paused to look back at the youngster and, too, noticed something small, white, and almost invisible float down in front of his face. He looked up, and his heart was filled with dread when he saw a few more closing in from the cloudy, faded blue sky.

"Oh no..." he muttered before looking ahead. He lowered his head and sniffed the ground in several spots, and noted that knowing how cold it was, the snow would fall and stick to the ground. This would cause the elk's scent to be lost. They wouldn't be able to hunt with snow burying the scents of any potential prey.

Bumblebee tilted his head at his guardian, and stepped slowly up to his side.

"'Hide, what is wrong?" he asked.

Ironhide sighed, and looked at him with dreading eyes. "We might lose the scent of the elk in the snow."

Bumblebee twitched one of his ears, and looked up at the sky. "Well, maybe there won't be much snow, 'Hide. Maybe we'll get lucky."

The dark grey wolf shook his head. "It would take a lot of luck, kid. Too much luck. And the way the clouds look," He rose his head to motion upward. "There will be much snow."

The yellow youngster sighed, and turned his head toward behind them. The twins had been listening to Ironhide, and tilted their heads as if they were confused pups.

"So… what do we do?" Sideswipe asked.

Ironhide frowned, and looked back toward the direction the elk's tracks lead. Thoughts bounced around in his mind for a long moment. It was almost noon, and it would be a long trek back if the snow stuck and became deep. And the chance of them tracking down any prey would be quite slim. After some minutes, he sighed, and looked at the three wolves that stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"We will go back. We cannot hunt any longer." he announced, turning back toward the way they had come and starting to walk. The others looked at each other, heads tilted and eyes full of dread. They all knew that Ironhide was right. Food would be harder to find out in the snow, even if it was light. The snow would hide the tracks anyway. And besides, that elk could be in another pack's territory. So what was the point?

"C'mon, let's move! We're losing daylight."

The three looked toward Ironhide's direction. Bumblebee sighed quietly before trotting after him, along with the twins. They also knew that when they got home, the pack would be happy that they were home, but disappointed that they had come home without any food, especially since the pack hadn't eaten for two days.

It would take a few hours in human terms until they got back home. Their pack's territory stretched out for miles. The borders ran through the Great Forest, and ran along a river that led towards the mountains. This was how their pack got its name, The River Pack. Sometimes wolves outside their pack called them The Blue Eyes, since all of the wolves in the pack had light blue eyes that pierced through the darkest of nights. In the dark, it looked almost as if their eyes glowed.

The group had been walking for a long while, traveling down the slopes back toward home. Soon Bumblebee was beginning to grow tired, and he was now lagging behind the twins. He panted quietly, lowering his head. Hunger had gripped him in a firm grasp, and his body was weak from lack of sources. Including this trek in the equation made matters only worse. He hadn't shown his weakened state before, because he had forgotten about how hungry and tired he really was. And also he didn't want Ironhide to worry. But coming on this trek might have just been too much. He was not as strong as the adults, and he was more affected by this situation than them.

Bumblebee sighed heavily, tired, hungry, and sore. His body felt weak, and his legs trembled from both hunger and the cold snow that now covered his paws. He looked up ahead; Ironhide and the twins were still walking on with the snow fluttering around them. He whimpered quietly, and lifted his paw to take another step to follow them.

Ironhide heard a muffled yelp behind them, and he froze on the stop. He turned his head and his ears shot forward. Panic started to fill his mind as his eyes widened.

"Twins, where's Bumblebee?"

The twins looked at each other, and then looked behind them and then all around them. They finally looked at Ironhide worried expressions.

"He was just behind us…" Sunstreaker whispered.

Ironhide growled, anger now filling his blue eyes, and pushed past them before sprinting through the snow. How could the twins let Bumblebee fall behind? How could they… on the other hand, how could he even trust them?! They were quite younger than him, but they still should have had some sense to watch over the younger member of the pack! The thought of Bumblebee lying in the snow cold and helpless made his panic, and also his anger toward the twins.

He raised his head higher, and sighed in relief when he saw that Bumblebee wasn't far behind them. Ironhide rushed toward the yellow fur, and he skidded to a stop when he got to Bumblebee's side. Bumblebee lifted his head barely, and let out a small whimper.

"'Hide… I'm cold… I'm hungry…"

Ironhide sighed, and lowered his head and touched his neck fur. "I know, young one. C'mon, let get you to your feet."

Bumblebee dropped his head back to the ground, sighing heavily.

"I can't feel my legs…" he whispered.

Ironhide nodded, and glared at the twins, who lowered their heads and tucked their tails between their legs at his expression.

"Go find a place to rest! I'll stay with Bumblebee." He barked sharply, his muzzle curling to form a snarl.

The twins didn't hesitate. They spun around the rushed off to their order and disappeared through the falling snow. Ironhide snorted after them, and looked down at his friend. Bumblebee's breathing had become quieter. Ironhide sighed, and lowered his body so that his torso was covering Bumblebee's smaller body and his tail was curled around his legs. He felt the young wolf's body shivering under him, and he felt a pang of guilt. He should have been watching Bumblebee more closely. He should have ordered Sideswipe and Sunstreaker to keep him between the adults. He should have at least checked on the kid every now and then.

While in the middle of his thoughts, Ironhide's ears shot up at a sound. It was a long, low, and mournful howl, followed by more howls and barks. They sounded as if they were a few miles away, but they still made him stand up, his fur bristling and his tail rose. He looked around, knowing who that familiar howl that had started the racket belonged to. Megatron's pack was close. A few miles from them maybe, if not closer.

Megatron was Ironhide's leader, Optimus Prime's brother, and a very powerful enemy. He was the leader of The Mountain Pack, or to other wolves, known as The Red Eyes, in the same reason as The River Pack, only red. But The Mountain Pack's home was in the part of the forest where the mountains started to grow to the peaks that could be seen from high ground. So… why was Megatron's pack down in the slopes away from the mountains? This question burned Ironhide's mind. He growled aggressively, and lowered his body on Bumblebee again in a protective manner.

After a few minutes, he saw shadows moving toward them through the snow. He growled menacingly, his tail rose and his ears flattened. He stood up, tensing his muscles in his shoulders and haunches. As the shadows grew closer, he lowered to the ground. The shadows drew closer, and before they came into clear view, he lunged.

"Ironhide! It's us! Sideswipe and Sunstreaker!"

Ironhide glared at the yellow and red twin below him on his back, his tail tucked, his ears flattened, and his head lowered. Hearing Sideswipes cry beside him, Ironhide relaxed. He rose off of Sunstreaker, and marched back to Bumblebee.

"We found an old den not far from here, 'Hide. It's big enough for all of us!" Sideswipe informed while tending to his brother.

Ironhide glared at him. "What kind of den?"

"A badger, maybe a raccoon." Sunstreaker replied before his brother while getting to his paws and shaking himself off.

The dark grey wolf growled quietly in response, and nuzzled Bumblebee's muzzle.

"Alright, Kid, c'mon. Get up." He urged, pushing his side with his head.

Bumblebee tried. He really did. He gathered up all of the energy he had in doing so. But he couldn't feel his legs, and he stumbled back to the ground. He could barely open his eyes. Ironhide's expression softened and he thought for a moment before he made a decision. He lowered his head and carefully grabbed Bumblebee's scruff with his muzzle, and then he quickly lowered his head and shoulders under him before standing up. He turned to the twins with narrowed eyes.

"Let's go."

The twins turned away and started running the direction they came. Ironhide growled and ran after them, feeling Bumblebee's bulk start to weigh him down. One of the things he also missed about Bumblebee being little was that he was easier to carry.

A few minutes went by, and Bumblebee felt as if he was getting heavier and heavier. Ironhide hope that they would get to that den soon. But right when he was about to ask when they were going to get there, the twins suddenly stopped up ahead. He slowed and carefully walked up to their side. They were both staring in shock at the ground. There was large pine tree that was uprooted. At the base of the roots was a pile of snow.

"What are you two gaping at?" he growled.

They turned their heads toward him. "This is where the den is, but it is buried in snow!"

Ironhide's fur bristled, and his mouth curled into a snarl. "Then did it out!"

The twins shrank away and started getting to work on digging out the den. Ironhide still held his snarl, and growled deeply.

Idiots! He thought bitterly to himself. These two made him want to kill them! But that was harsh to think. He knew that they were young, and that his anger was getting the best of him. His anger was the number one problem in their pack. If anything went wrong, it was usually because of Ironhide's temper. Ratchet was always getting on to him about it. But… he couldn't help it. He was angered easily, and had been all his life.

Finally the twins finished digging the den out. When they dug out the last of the snow wall that blocked the entrance to the den, they slunk away to let Ironhide crawl through. Once inside, he went to the back of the small cave and gently slid Bumblebee off of his back. He then looked at the entrance to the cave, and saw that the twins were still outside. He sighed, looking down at Bumblebee before he called.

"Alright, you two, come in."

A few seconds later Sunstreaker entered the cave and sat at the opposite side of the space. Sideswipe then entered the den, a small white hare hanging from his jaws. He lowered his head, and tucked his tail between his legs before approaching Ironhide with caution. He placed the hare on the ground in front of him.

"It jumped out from the roots when you went in. I thought that… I owed you something after what happened."

Ironhide glared at him for a moment, but after a moment he sighed deeply.

"I owe you two an apology. I am sorry for acting so aggressively."

Sideswipe nodded, smiling lightly. "We are sorry, too. But… I think Bumblebee is the one we need to apologize to though…"

"You can say your apologies when he wakes up." With that, Ironhide turned around, and pressed his body against Bumblebee as he lied down. He lowered his head between his paws, and sighed heavily as exhaustion blanketed him. He found himself asleep in a matter of seconds.

Sideswipe sighed, and turned around before walking over to his brother. He saw that Sunstreaker had already fallen asleep, and found that he was tired too. He lowered his body next to his twin's, and licked Sunstreaker's ear before he fell asleep with his head on his brother's shoulder.