"Over here!" Marc shouted desperately as the big man took a rifle from the sling on his shoulder, and the Witch obeyed, flames shooting like golden-blue comets from her fingers. It closed the spaces and each infusion traveled the wall of fire, strengthening it until the ring was solid.
"That's it, Brady," she gasped. "I'm low."
All the animals were outside the ring now, whining uneasily, fighting with each other, and Angela pushed the Witch back as she continued to shoot weak balls of light that disappeared into the air before they could reach the fire wall. Stop. We can't win this way.
There were numerous dead wolves, but dozens and dozens of eyes still gleamed hungrily at them from the darkness behind the flames. They would wait for the fire to burn out and attack again.
"Bad time to be bleedin'," the big man stated, before he fired a well-aimed shot that took down a pair of wolves trying to breach the wall, one bullet doing the job of two.
Marc nodded, keeping just as close an eye on the big stranger, as he was the wolves.
"You hit, Brady?" Angela demanded, keeping her eyes on flickering shadows.
"No. Duck!"
They moved at the same time, dropping low, firing together, and two more wolves hit the dirt, slid through the already dying flames.
Dog jumped suddenly, meeting a wolf as it came over the fire. His powerful jaws clamped down on an unprotected throat, and Angela fired at the second animal now stalking Dog.
Her first shot landed near its paw, Angie afraid of hitting the wrong dark body, but her second shot went straight between its eyes.
"This is my last clip."
"Me too."
The big man was firing a bright red flare into the sky before their words had faded and seconds later, a tremendous howl split the air.
Wwwhhhhhooooo!
It was a piercing whistle or maybe a caller of some kind, the notes melodic and offensive at the same time. Like a wolf's howl, Angie thought.
It seemed to go on forever, and Marc put a calming hand on Dog's head as the wolves hesitated in their attack, thinking it had come from maybe two miles away, but no more.
Angela winced as the wailing increased, the animals joining in. The volume continued to rise as the wolf call came again, pulling at them, drawing them.
"That'll be the Missus. She'll have the bait out, and be holed up with the others. We'll be able ta go in a bit."