Chapter nine~
Hanso looked at his paws, wet with scarlet pools of blood surrounded them, he panted as he looked at Riahn, thank goodness he was alright! Inside him, he felt ashamed, he shouldn't have killed Thunder but the cougar knew that it was right for the king to be safe. Riahn looked at him in astonishment, he whispered "You saved me from him!"
Hanso blushed as he licked his paw in embarrassment. "Aw, no. It was nothing really."
Riahn chuckled and he patted him on the head. "Just wait until the pride finds about, you'll have a lot of girls chasing you around but first ash your paws, they're bloody."
Hanso pricked his ears, speaking of girls, Zuri! She must've been chewing her claws for him, he hoped that she'd chase him around.
Riahn entered with Hanso behind him, everyone was looking at Hanso with curious eyes, eyes hungry for the news.
Riahn bowed his head and he flicked his tail to Hanso. "Thunder has killed his own mate and my mate's mother, Aria. Hanso saw him with his own eyes and he attacked him, I heard the noises and seen Thunder pinning the cougar down and I told him to get out of here, he vowed to kill me but the amazing thing is... Hanso saved me from him and took his life!"
Gasps and murmurs of excitement boomed like a flash, Jade was devastated, Hanso felt bad for her, he knew what it was like to be treated horribly by his step-father, Denial. He gave her a look of sympathy but Jade didn't reply, she was crying on Riahn's shoulder.
Lilly watched from afar, she shivered. "I sense that Thunder is still around, he has crossed from the living to the afterlife. He still breathes though he will suffer greatly."
Shadow, Storm, Misha and Clover were shivering, they didn't want to hear any more of that scary story! "I can't believe grandpa killed Grandma!" Shadow gasped.
"I know, how could he?" Storm growled.
Misha was whining, crouching in fear as she huddled next to Clover who was comforting her.
Zuri was watching Hanso with admiration as he was talking to Caladon, the captain red fox. She had a dreamy look on her face as she looked at him, she heard a familiar voice jolt her back to reality. "Ahem, I see you have feelings for him, Zuri." Zuri whipped around and saw her brother, Garin smile at her. "Ooh! Zuri admits her love to Hanso!"
Zuri growled at her brother. "Oh, shut up."
Garin smiled and he said childishly. "Aw, i'm so sorry, what a baby..."
Zuri growled as she whipped around. "I won't say it!"
Garin chuckled. "HANSO! ZURI LO-!"
Zuri slapped him with her tail, growling. "Shut. Up."
Meanwhile Caylis brought in the body of Aria for a memorial, she placed it down gently, she bowed her head sadly as she looked at Aria, she never deserved to die....
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Chapter ten~
Weeks have passed since Thunder's death killed by the former thief. Zuri and Hanso were always hanging out together, getting closer and closer by the minute, Shadow, Storm, Misha and Clover were now apprentices, Shadow's mentor was Hanso, Storm's mentor was Caladon, Misha's was Garin and Clover's was Xander. Garin was showing Misha around the territory as he walked into a beautiful meadow. "This is the meadow of dreams. Legend is foretold that a goddess by the name of Jaluma will save her subjects from all harm, shielding the living and the dead that served her well."
Misha was amazed at the thought of a goddess and she said with interest. "Do you believe in this legend?"
Garin smiled. "Yes, I do, but Jaluma knows what will happen next."
Clover was alone that day, she was walking into the forest, a white butterfly with pink spots on it's delicate wings landed on the arctic fox's nose, she giggled as it flew away. Clover ran after it, thinking. Where is it taking me? After all, pups will be pups! Just then an amazing thing happened. Whoosh! Wind surrounded the butterfly and transformed into a beautiful jade-coloured wolf with the wings of leaves itself. "Whoa!" Clover gasped as she looked in awe at the pretty wolf. The dazzling wolf whispered. "Don't be afraid, child. I am Jaluma, goddess of nature."
Clover gasped. "I heard of you in stories mom used to tell me! I never thought that they were true!"
Jaluma touched her head with her paw. "They are true, darling. Now let me show you what I am here for."
A picture of a leaf with wind surrounding it appeared on a tree nearby. "That is a symbol that you can understand, you can talk to spirits but you need a little practice."
Clover tilted her head. "Cool but how do I know if you're telling the truth?"
Jaluma smiled and she said softly. "You'll know."
Garin and Misha entered a dark cave with a golden crystal shining, it seemed like this cave never saw the light. "This is the Cave of Whispering Spirits. Lilly speaks with the gods here when she touches the crystal with her nose."
Misha smiled. "Cool, say what's that lake? I'm so thirsty!"
Garin purred. "I can wait."
Misha lapped up a few mouthfuls and she fell on the cave floor, she was gasping for air. Poison! Garin gasped. "Misha! Don't worry, i'll bring you to Lilly!"
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Chapter eleven~
Garin with Misha on his back bolted to camp and lay her gently in Lilly's den, Garin panicked. "Lilly, Misha's been poisoned!"
Auri the white wolf pup had a strange dream, a long familiar smell, her parents. Her parents were covered with blood, she bolted awake, she couldn't think about it anymore. She looked out into the forest and ran in there, she had to find her parents!
Lilly looked at Misha with a bundle of herbs and began giving her yarrow which made her vomit. Lilly sensed the poision was out of her system but she didn't entirely know if she was safe. The tigress said to Garin. "I'll take care of her, you may go."
Garin obeyed and walked away, thinking. I hope she's okay, if she dies, it'll be all my fault!
Meanwhile Hanso was sent on a mission to kill the bears on their territory who were killing their cubs and pups. He felt pity, he couldn't stand killing another creature so soon after killing Thunder. Hanso thought that Riahn took him the position of an assassin to make him feel bad but was it a test to see if he felt pity for others? He climbed onto a sycamore tree as he kept watch from above, he just scented bear, it was fresh!
A big brown shape stood on it's rear legs as it sniffed, getting prepared to strike, Hanso unsheathed his claws and landed on it's back. "RARGH!" it roared as it tried to shake him off. Hanso wasn't shaken, he sliced one ear open, he bit deep into his shoulder and slashed it's flank with his hind paws. Just then a yellow figure zoomed into action, a screech erupting from it's mouth. "Hanso! Watch out!" He recognized the voice, Zuri!
Caylis was watching Riahn, she smirked. He couldn't walk because he broke his leg, nobody was watching, they were all out watching Misha or on a patrol. She bolted over, grabbed his scruff and dragged him to a cave where she had slept in earlier. Riahn growled. "What are you doing?"
Caylis smirked and laughed. "Say your last words!" She raised a paw and scored it across his throat, he gasped and he shivered. For some reason, she felt so happy when she murdered something, revenge for letting her become a peasant, being treated like dirt and for sucking up to Isca! "That's what you get for sucking up to my sister, treating me like dirt AND letting me have this horrible life!" she snarled.
Riahn gulped his last breath, Caylis ran away with no remorse while leaving him behind as Riahn closed his eyes.
"The girl who was wise turned her back on us..."
