CHAPTER ELEVEN 
CHAPTER ELEVEN 
IT WAS HOURS PAST MIDNIGHT when the tired coyote awoke from his short rest in the pasture. His long, skinny, hunger-racked body rose from the ground as lightning lit up the sky and a light rain fell. He looked over the tall, damp, bluestem grass at the multitude of other coyotes in the pack. Some managed to pick off the last specks of meat from a few carcasses of wild goats they’d killed in a large herd a few nights ago. They were starving again and the leader knew it was time to hunt.
The coyotes had grown very hungry over the last few months. Something was scaring all the animals into hiding. In their desperation they even thought of eating one another. Their ribs showed through their grey and brown nap as they smelled each other hungrily. It was only a matter of time until they acted on their carnivorous thoughts.
Belshak left the pack and entered the dark woods next to the pasture. His mouth watered at the thought of eating another wild goat, or anything else for that matter. He walked for a long time, hoping he’d hear something move on land or smell something in the ground. If it was alive, it would soon be dead. The fierce coyote wasn’t going to share anything with the others. The darkness in Persly’s Woods felt cool and wet as the damp weeds rubbed against his matted fur.
Belshak’s eyes shot from tree stump to tree stump in the lightning, waiting for that split second he’d have to react when he saw a tail or foot. His gray hair stood up at a rattling noise close by. His breathing became heavier as he salivated, knowing he would be eating something soon.
Rattles sounded around him, off behind the trees, and he heard bodies slithering through fallen leaves. He stood his ground on the wet, cold dirt and listened as the snakes closed in. The hungry coyote tried to figure out how to attack one of them without being bitten by the others. Lightning flashed and he lunged. He quickly retreated when the snake raised its body high and struck, but intentionally missed.
“You don’t want to try anything ssstupid…friend,” Siloam said from the darkness in a gentle but eerie way. The other four snakes closed in around the coyote.
“Friend?” Belshak called out in a raspy, gritty voice. “What makes you think you can call me friend?” He growled, staring where he thought the rattlesnake was. Lightning flashed and Belshak saw that the snake was eye level with him, staring fiercely back.
“Becaussse,” Siloam said in delight, “I have been watching you, friend, and I know that you and your family are very hungry.” He could hear the coyote’s hungry panting. “I jussst ssso happen to know where you can eat your fill for the ressst of the year!”
Belshak licked his lips at the words, even if he didn’t believe them. “And where might that be?”
“Ohhhhh…deep in the heart of Persssly’sss Woodsss.”
“You’re insane, snake!” Belshak growled. “All of the animals have gone into hiding because of that…thing out there. Even my own pack won’t go far into the forest!”
“Then perhapsss you can wait for the creaturesss to come to you?” Siloam hissed in soft laughter as the other snakes rattled in the darkness.
“What do you mean?!” Belshak grew impatient.
“Over the next couple of daysss a group from the kingdom—” Belshak interjected a mocking burst of air through his nose. “—will come to lead a large number of creaturesss out of Persssly’sss Woodsss. Over a thousssand of them.”
“A thousand?! How can I trust you?” Belshak barked as his stomach growled.
“Because, friend, I have a ssspy who told me thisss. I will sssoon dessstroy the kingdom, jussst asss my former massster wasss about to do.”
“Yes, I heard about that. Wasn’t it this same kingdom that killed your master?” Belshak smiled at the rattlesnake’s angry hiss.
“We cannot allow the kingdom to grow thisss large! By ssstopping their caravan on itsss way, your friendssss can eat more than they ever dreamed of!” The hungry coyote again licked his lips. “You will be helping me, and I will be helping you.”
Belshak shook his head. “You think you can take over this land?” Siloam’s rattle shook loudly and the other snakes joined him. “Many wild creatures wouldn’t bow down to your master!”
“I am more powerful than my massster!” Siloam’s voice grew higher and louder.
Belshak thought for a moment. “We will wait for our food to come through the pastures.”
“If you sssee travelersss from the kingdom going toward Persssly’sss Woodsss, let them through. They mussst find the othersss to bring them back. Then you can eat them all!”
Belshak gritted his sharp, yellow teeth. “If I find out this is a trick, we will come and eat all of you!”
Siloam laughed evilly at the rabid coyote. “You will be bowing down to me sssoon…friend!” He shook his rattle and the other snakes followed him into the weeds.
Belshak smelled the beginning of the morning air, but no living thing. “A thousand of them…” He said in anticipation. His mouth watered more than ever. Soon he would be eating.
“Owwwwwww, owww, owwwwwww!”
All of the coyotes back in the pasture heard Belshak’s call from inside Persly’s Woods. They joined in the howling, anxious to hear what news their leader had.