Feral Heart
FeralHeart Creations => FeralHeart Media => Stories => Topic started by: Emberflame on December 01, 2011, 03:03:40 am
-
Prologue
Night lay upon the forest, a dark silver female wolf traveled through the brush. The pup she was carrying whimpered and gave a tiny wriggle. like her, it was silver, but a lighter shade, almost like thin mist. The wolf stopped and looked around. She set the pup down in the long, tall grass. The pup wailed and she licked it one last time before leaving it.
Chapter 1
The Unknown Presence
Mist padded back to camp, she shook herself feeling tired The hare she was carrying was thin, but it was all she had caught. She would take it to Fern, Fern was her mother and was carrying a now litter of pups that would be born this spring. She walked into the den where Fern lay plump with her pups. "Hife Ferr!" She said, her bark muffled by the hare's fur. Fern blinked her eyes sleepily and looked up. "Hi Mist, i see you brought prey" she smiled at her, "thanks" Setting down the hare, Mist replied "Your welcome!" Fern yawned and blinked again."I'll leave you to get some rest" Mist said. She backed out of the den and walked into the clearing. She felt tired herself, so she went into the grown wolves den, curled up, and quickly fell asleep. Mist woke around midnight, padding out of the den she saw the pack leader, Storm, sitting in the middle of the camp. She walk over and sat next to him. "I've been feeling a presence here lately..." Storm said. He looked around, as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows. "It worries me. what if its dangerous?" he shuddered at some thought. Mist to felt eyes on her, she felt like a trapped mouse about to be clawed by a cougar. "I feel it to..." She whispered. She saw something in the corner of her eye, it flickered and swirled as if made of air, but had shape. Two glowing points like eyes gazed at her. Storm had seen her looking in that direction, and also craned his head, but the shape dissolved and vanished. "What do you see?" He asked her. Mist shook her head, "It was there, now its gone. It looks like mist but moves like life, it has two glowing eyes and is rather small, about the size of a pup." Storm sighed, deep in thought. After several moments, he spoke. "Go get some rest, dawn nears and you need sleep. Mist answered by trotting off to the den. Storm, still in the camp, looked about. Mist's description just had to fit what he thought it was. "Hello? Do you need to speak to me?" A young, soft voice whispered back. "The moonstone... the moonstone..." And for a sliver of a second, the shape of a pup swirled into form, its glowing eyes remorseless, but as soon as it appeared, it faded away and disappeared.
Chapter 2
The Strongest Heart
Mist was trekking near the edge of a long drop, this wasn't anywhere in the territory. It was the mountains witch were just a gray smudge to the west of the border. Knowone had been there, but Mist sensed it. Suddenly, the snow caved in beneath her, and she fell. Swirling into a mist of black and white, she fell farther and farther until she could no longer see the sky. Now she was standing in misty pine woods, looking at a wolf she had never met before. But something drew her to this wolf, it was silver, but a darker shade, almost like a shadow. The wolf, a female, leaped away into the trees. Mist tried to follow, but then a voice spoke. "You will not meet her yet, but the time will come." She looked around, but nothing but pine trees stood near her. "Where are you?" She howled. "Over here." The voice spoke in a soft whisper, and echoed through the trees. She pushed through a stand of bushed and came into a clearing. Sitting on a rock in the middle, was a pup! "I-i saw you!" She blurted out. "yes, that was me in the bushes at the edge of camp." "Who are you?" "You'll to find out." "Who was that she wolf?" "You'll find out, give it time." Mist shook her head. "Why all the secrets?" "Only those of the strongest heart can find this knowledge." "What do you mean, strongest heart?" Mist whispered in a quavery voice. the pup blinked its glowing eyes and whispered, "I don't really know myself, but listen, listen closely! I have a prophecy for you." The pup leaned closer, and in a soft, almost inaudible voice, chanted. "She who has the strongest heart, who runs through mists of secret pasts, who leaps the peaks of mystery, will rise in flames to chase the night, and when she rises in silver fire, night will rise with darkening peril, and the War of Secrets will begin." And with that, the pup stood and swirled into the mists of the pine forest, and she heard his voice once more. "Seek the moonstone, only then will you find the answers!" And then he faded away completely.
Chapter 3
Many Dreams, One Night
Mist woke with a start, unable to figure out where she was. She was on moorland, with nary a tree in sight. Storm clouds rolled above her, and rain pelted down. She stood and shook herself, unable to decide what to do. The wind howled, and the storm clouds above her seemed to grow darker by the second. Mist shivered from the cold, and padded away to find shelter. She saw an outline on a hill nearby, and raced toward it, feeling an odd sense of closeness. Eventually a figure rose out of the gloom, it was a dark gray wolf with slitted eyes and a scar running down one shoulder, the same wolf from the pine forest! They faced each other, standing on the hill. Then the wolf opened its mouth, and the words sent a chill through her fur. "Run, run! Run before its to late!" The wolf screeched. "Run and find him, find him before we all drown!" Mist woke up again, but this time back in the pine forest. The pup was standing there. "You know what you have to do, so do it!" And he disappeared a second time. Mist woke up for a third time, she looked around nervously, expecting to see more strange territory, but she was just sitting in the den. Mist shook her head. "J-just... just a dream." She got up and shook herself, her paws were sore as if she really had done all that. She walked out into the bright sunshine, blinking rapidly to adjust to the light, Mist looked around. Fern was sunning outside the mothers den, and Storm was in the clearing organizing patrols. Mist felt what she had to do, but she was not sure why. "Storm" she said, trotting up. "I need to talk to you, I'll be waiting by your den." Storm looked surprised. "Ok, Mist. I'll be there soon." Mist padded off to wait.
Chapter 4
Shocking Truth
Storm walked up to her after he had organized patrols. "What do you need Mist?" he asked. Mist's ears twitched nervously. She didn't want to be overheard. "Can we go inside?" She ventured. Storm nodded and they walked into the cave that was his den. Storm seated himself on the sandy floor, and Mist sat down in front of him. "Storm..." She hesitated, took a deep breath, and began. "Storm, I saw the presence we felt yesterday." Storm perked his ears as Mist went on. She explained about the ghost pup, the prophecy, the wolf she saw on the moor, all of it from her dreams. Storm was silent for a moment that seemed like a year, his eyes closed, his paws planted firmly in the sand. Finally, he opened his eyes and spoke. "Fern and I have kept this a secret from you because we thought it was best. You were not born here. Fern is not your mother." Mist stared in shock, Storm swept on. "We found you lieing in the grass at the western border. A faint scent of your mother was there, but it was to stale to tell. Your old mother abandoned you, and we took you in." Mist blinked three times, as she processed this shocking information. "But-but why was I abandoned? Why do I have these dreams?" Storm sighed. "These are questions I can not answer, but I can tell you this: trust the spirits. They will guide you." Mist thought a moment, and then said, "I have a strange feeling. I feel drawn to the peaks beyond the western border." Storm looked shocked. "The mountains, you will never survive there! the wind blows like a dagger, cutting you off the cliff! Snow drives, and cougars prowl. It is simply to dangerous!" he shuddered. "Land unknown, that place is. You can not go!" "But-" Mist pleaded. "No, its simply to dangerous!" Storm waved his tail in dismissal. Mist sighed, and padded out of his den.
Chapter 5
Let Her Go
Storm rested his head on his paws. He wondered why Mist had wanted to go to the mountains. That place was as full of dangers as a pond of water! He had only been to the fringes of the mountains, and that was bad enough! He would never go back! He shuddered at the memorys, waterfalls that froze into ice, and broke to fall and kill any creature to close. Storms that beryed you under mounds of snow and sleet, lightning that struck boulders and let loose avalanches, cougars that prowled the crevices in search of any food coming their way, they could kill a wolf in a single swipe! No, Mist could not go there. Worn out by the thought of Mist traveling that direction, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him. Storm was standing on the edge of a high cliff, a dizzying drop stretched below him. He knew exactly where he was. "Not the mountains!" He gasped, and backed away fro the edge. storm saw a firmiliar silver pelt dart behind a rock. He shook his head, "Mist? Whats she doing here?" He followed her, the rock revealed a hidded tunnel, and Mist's glowing fur was dissolving into the darkness. He followed her down a winding maze of passeges, surprised how easily Mist moved down here, like water over pebbles, winding this way and that. she stepped into a cavern, and he moved to follow her, but a voice stopped him, it whispered with an echo he ha never heard. "You cannot go there. Only that one can follow the tunnels." Storm shivered, and turned around. There, stood a glowing pup, its eyes gleamed with white light, its fur as misty an nearly textureless. When it moved toward him, it did not seem to move at all, but more like flow along a river, vapors of starlight mist swirled around it. "Who-who are you?" Storm stammered. "I am the key to all you seek, the answers you try desperately to find. But weather you know or not, that is up to me." "The ghost pup?" "Maybe" Storm blinked in astonishment. "But... why did you come to Mist?"When the time comes, you will know." "Why have you come?" "To tell you something important." The pup was suddenly consumed by the starry mist, but Storm heard its voice one more time. "The nightmares of your dreams, can become someone else's answers. Let her go."
Chapter 6
Hunt Failed
Mist angrily ran out into the woods, why wouldn't Storm listen to her? It was so frustrating! She could remember her dreams vividly, the strange wolf on the moor, rocky peaks and endless snow... she remembered it all. She heard... no, felt voices calling her beyond the border, to realms unknown, and places undiscovered. The voices were so strong, as if they were calling her, trying to tell her something. she stopped, a scent was on the air. Deer. She crouched down, the warm, musty scent was blowing on the breeze. She caught sight of the heard a few minuets later. two bucks, one full-grown and a young one. Three dows, and a fawn. The fawn would be easy prey, judging by its size, it was only six months old. Mist crept up, pawstep by pawstep. Suddenly, her hind paw moved a pebble, witch sent a clatter to the herd. The deer looked up, twitched their ears, and was off! "Rats!" She snarled and took off. she was gaining on them, she galloped through the grass, and with a powerful leap, hit the fawn. But the fawn wasn't giving up the fight yet, it swung around, bleating in panic. One hoof hit her on the shoulder, and she let go snarling in pain. The older buck reared up and charged her, Mist took a look at the antlers and backed away. The rest of the herd was out of sight, and the buck then fled with them. Mist was panting, and then she realized that she could see a gray line on the horizon. She had chased the herd so far she had reached the border. She shook her head, exhausted by the struggle, the breeze stirred her fur, making it shimmer. She loped back home, snatching a vole along the way. She wanted to rest.
Chapter 7
"Trespassers!"
When Mist walked back into camp, she was greeted by a brown wolf with mixes of greys and whites in his fur, named Twig. "Where have you been? you were supposed to go out on border patrol, but you weren't able to be found!" 'Err..." Mist began awkwardly. "I went hunting... along the western border..." Twig narrowed his eyes, gazing with contempt. "And where might the prey be?" Oh no... Mist groaned inwardly. but she managed to lift her head, and tried not to let her tiredness show. "I found a herd of deer, but they escaped." Twig scanned her ruffled pelt, and snorted. "I can see that. But now that your here, you may as well join snow over there. she's going along the eastern border." Once he was out of earshot, Mist grunted under her breath. "I don't want to go on patrol. Why can't I just go to sleep?" But even as she spoke, Mist was plodding towards Snow. Snow looked up as Mist came over. The sun was setting behind her, bathing her silky white fur in a rosy pink light. "Your here." Snow nodded a greeting. Mist sighed wearily, "lets just go so we can get this over with." Several minuets later, they were galloping swiftly through the growth, dodging trees and leaping streams. They slowed down to a lope, and then a walk as they neared the border. Snow nodded in the direction Mist was to patrol, then headed off along the border in the opposite direction. Mist set markers as she went along, then caught wind of a strange scent. seconds later, she heard two sets of pawsteps through the grass. Crouching down, mist stalked the trespassers, keeping downwind so that they wouldn't pick up her scent. The wolves stepped out into the open, one was black with a ruffled pelt and a scar over his muzzle. The other was a creamy shade of light brown, also a male. Mist turned and, almost noiselessly, ran back to find Snow. Snow was waiting where they had met up, standing on a large rock. "Snow!" Mist gasped. "Trespassers!" Snow looked up, startled. "I'm coming!" She growled. She followed Mist through the wood. they came to the clearing where the trespassers were located, and hid in the bushes. Mist then revealed herself, Snow following close behind. "Wolves!" She snarled. You are trespassing on pack lands! State your desire, or leave!" The trespassers glared at them, then immediately assumed a threat posture. "Like we care." The black wolf countered. His ears were shoved forward, and his teeth were bared. Mist pushed her ears forward, raised her tail, and stood tall and straight, assuming the dominance posture. "Leave!" She growled through gritted teeth. Snow stood beside her, and muttered, "We will call backup if you refuse." The brown wolf now stepped forward. "Oh, to weak to take us on yourself?" He sneered. Mist's temper snapped. howling out a battle cry, she leaped at the brown wolf, bowling him over. He threw her off, but not before he got a cuff around his ears. Snow was now grappling with the black wolf, aiming at one place, then nipping another. His companion bit Snow, and pulled her off. Mist charged him, bowling him over and pinning him down. She gave him a fierce bite to the leg, and then the black wolf was on her. he had her pinned, and Mist struggled to throw him off, because he was heavy. "Good-bye, wolf!" his breath felt hot on her neck. "No!" Mist gasped. heaving her hind legs up, she claws the wolf's belly and rolled him off. She sprang to her feet, and body slammed the black wolf. He lay on his side now, and Mist gave him a severe bite to his scruff. Snow had charged the brown wolf, and now had him pinned. Mist rolled the wolf away, and he got up, sprang at Snow, and pinned her. Mist charged, and leaped, landing on the wolf's back. She hung on with her claws, scratching and biting. The brown wolf had gotten to its paws, and the black wolf bucked her off. They stood side by side, growling in fear and anger. Then they turned tail and fled. "After them!" snow howled, and they raced after the retreating wolves in unison.
Chapter 8
Will
A week had passed since the chase, and the warm scents of summer were beginning to blow away. Fall was approaching, and Mist could tell as she pushed through the long grass that was beginning to brown for the cold moons ahead. She and Snow had arrived at camp exaughsted and wounded. The trespassers had put up quite a fight, and Mist's wounds had just healed. Torlach had put a dressing of herbs on them, and ordered them to get lots of rest. Torlach was a dark russet male wolf, who had used to be a loner. He joined the pack long before Mist was born, and was beginning to age. Mist had heard that Torlach met the pack being chased by a cougar, and they had let him in due to his knowledge of healing herbs and treatment for the sick. Mist carried a vole in her jaws for Fern, who was getting bigger by the day as her pups continued to grow. As Mist trotted into the nursery, she began to feel slightly uneasy. As far as she knew, Fern was unaware that Mist knew the truth about her heritage. Fern smiled at Mist when she came in, Her very dark brown fur shone in the dim light. "Hi Mist, thanks for the vole. want to share?" She rumbled. "Sure." Mist barked delightfully. They lay down to eat together for a while, then suddenly Fern spoke. "So, you found out." Mist looked up surprised. "Found out what?" She asked. "Found out that I am your foster mother." "Who told you this?" "Storm. He told me everything." "Even..." Mist hesitated, but before she could speak again, Fern finished the sentence for her. "Traveling to the mountains? Yes." they ate in silence a little longer, but then Fern looked at her and said, "Mist, I knew you were a special pup from the moment I laid eyes on you. In the light of the moon, it looked as if the stars had fallen out of the sky and rotted in your fur." Fern's eyes had begun to cloud, as if she were reaching far back into her memory. "Then one night, as we were curling up to sleep, and I looked into your deep, blue eyes, I saw something. I saw a landscape of memories, of swirling snow and a dark grey wolf who bore resemblance to you." Mist stiffened, and her foster mother swept on. "That night, I had a dream. I saw you, a grown adult, standing next to a vast swath of blue water, you could not see the edge of it. You were facing a black wolf, each of you had hostility in your eyes. But before I woke up, I saw the transparent form of a pup standing next to you." Mist tried not to gasp at Fern's description, and she turned her blue eyes to her. "But Fern... where are you going with all this?" Her voice quivered. "I was just getting to that." Fern replied. "Mist, I would hate to see you leave, and you know it. But I also know that you are not a pup anymore, you are a free wolf who can make her own choices." Fern's green eyes now held a spark in them. "Storm and the others have not seen what I have seen, they believe you to be an ordinary wolf, but that is not true. You have will, strong will, and I will not stop you from leaving. But be careful, there are creatures out there that would be more than happy to see you gone."
-
Chapter 9
The Journey Begins
A couple days had passed, and prey was starting to disappear. Mist could feel a chill in the air that had not been there when she had taken the vole to Fern. She was now trotting along the western border, she had finally gotten some free time and was drawn here every day. She had always loved the western border for some reason, and now the pull was so strong she could hardly resist. She stopped and closed her eyes, breathing in the scents of stone and snow that blew on the wind from the mountains. She was exaughsted, as she had not gotten a good night of rest for a while now. Every night, she would have dreams of the mountains, and the strange wolf. She would wake up as if it had really happened, and she was beginning to wonder if it really was a dream. Knowone else was with her, although another wolf named Bracken had offered to go with her, she needed some time to herself. or at least that was her excuse. The truth was that she had decided to go, no matter what Storm said. Fern's words echoed in her mind. "Mist, I knew you were a special pup from the moment I laid eyes on you." Now words from the other part of their conversation came into her mind. "You have will, strong will, and I will not stop you from leaving." Mist opened her eyes and raised her head toward the distant smudge. The wind changed direction, and seemed to be pushing her over the boundary. "Yes mother." She whispered. "I will go, and I will return." Mist leaped over the scent marks and loped over the unfamiliar terrain. She felt a soft pelt brush hers, and heard a second set of pawsteps, but when she looked around, she could not see another soul in sight. But she heard a whisper in the wind that seemed to say, "Go, we will watch over you." It was not the voice of the pup's, but someone else's. It sounded like a female, but Mist could not be sure.
Chapter 10
Missing
Storm paced worriedly in the center of camp. His dark gray fur was ruffled and there was worry in his amber eyes. Bracken had gone after Mist when it had started to get dark, but could not find her. He had lost her scent trail after going through a muddy patch of land, endless search parties had been sent out, but there was still no sign. Only Fern seemed unworried, and he suspected she knew something. Fern came up to him now. "Storm." She said. "Your tiring yourself out with this, go get some rest." Storm looked deep into her green eyes, uncertain. "But Fern, how can I sleep? I shouldn't have told her she was orphaned. She probably left because she didn't fit in." He muttered bitterly, worry and grief swelled in his heart. "I know she is fine, and she didn't leave because of you. I promise." Fern answered, nudging him to his den. Fern had been a close friend of his mother, so it made sense she would worry about him now. Storm hung his head and felt the wind blow over his ruff, and sighed. He allowed himself to be pushed into his den, and collapsed on the floor. He shook his head and looked back at Fern. "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm sure." Fern replied, settling down with him. Had they been outside, they would have seen a silver tuft of fur riding the breeze.
Chapter 11
The Edge of the Mountains
Mist sniffed the fresh breeze blowing off the mountains, it carried the scent of water, stone, and shrubbery. This isn't to bad, I wonder what Storm hated so much about this place. She thought. She squeezed past a tangle of thorn bushes with dark-green-turquoise leaves. The thorns clawed at her fur and she left tufts of it behind, but the eastern wind was so strong the fur didn't have time to stay on the branches. Gnarled trees were dotted among the slopes here and there, and low-growing shrubs and other plants were layed out in the few places where the rock had crumbled into soil. Mist guessed that she wasn't deep enough into the mountains to get the bad parts yet. Dusk was falling, and she had to find shelter soon. She checked out an empty space under the roots of a tree, but it was to small for her. She looked around many boulders, but never found a place that was sheltered or hidden enough. Mist now stood at the foot of a steep rock slide, and she could see a pine tree at the top that looked like a good place. The sun was long-gone, and the first stars were beginning to show. Mist attempted a lunge at a large boulder at the bottom of the heap. She misjudged the leap and landed with her front paws scrambling for a hold. Her fur was rising with fear, and her blue eyes were wild with terror. Eventually her hind paw caught a nick in the boulder that offered a pawhold, and clambered up. She lay there on he side for a few moments, catching her breath. After a while she got up and leaped for the next rock, this time taking a moment to judge her leap and time it right. She landed with all four paws square in the center. The next was a bit trickier, it was slippery with moss and pointed instead of smooth or round. Mist looked around for a better landing within range, but found none. Pushing her hind legs against the rock, and raising her front paws up, she took off in a soaring leap that sent her above the jagged rock, and skidding back down. The rock stopped her fall and she was fine. Mist shook her fur which had turned silvery white with the moon light. She climbed up a couple more boulders, and then got to the hard part. There were no more sturdy and wide boulders, just a hill of skittering small pebbles. Mist looked up in uncertainty. She might be able to make a leap for the top, but it was far. bringing her legs in and crouching for extra power, she took a flying leap aimed at a branch of the pine tree. The wind whistled around her ears, and the night sky seemed closer than it had ever been in her life. She felt as though she could have reached up to touch a star with her paw, the air bubbled underneath her belly and buoyed her up, her fur was stirred by the breeze and she seemed to shimmer. The pine branch was coming closer and closer, she opened her jaws to grab it. Time seemed to slow for Mist, and she reached out with a paw. To short. She missed the branch by a pawlength and fell onto the gravel. In desperation, she tried to scramble up the slope, rocks ranging in all colors and sizes rained around her, in varying colors from black to white to gray. She felt her paws hit something hard, and she leaped again. This time her jaws closed around her goal, and she clawed her way up with her paws and teeth. Mist collapsed under the green pine, gasping for breath. The tree above her seemed to spin with the stars. The night was black as coal, and the deep-blue-purple clouds were just wisps in front of the stars. Many minuets had passed by the time she was able to stand without falling over. she sniffed around the pine tree and found to her delight, there was a small cave just her size behind it. Mist padded in and, as she fell asleep on the hard gray floor, a drizzle started outside.
Chapter 12
A Scent Forgotten
Mist woke up on the sandy floor of the cave, staring at the ceiling. She wondered briefly how she had gotten there, and then remembered that she had left the pack. She rolled onto her side and heaved herself to her paws, shaking the fine dust that had settled on her silver coat. She walked out to the entrance and sat down, watching the pre-dawn sky. The purple sky was tinged with blue, and the sun rose in front her, lighting the mountainside. The wind ruffld her fur, and above her an eagle let out a shree. Somewhere out there was something undiscovered, a destiny not fulfilled, a secret not yet uncovered. She sighed when she thoght of her pack, Storm would be worried sick. Fern... well, Fern was a bit unpredictable. She never had a way of showing her feelings, and given what she knew, it was likely she knew where she was. Were they outside now, going hunting or watching the beautiful sunrise? It was indeed beautiful, the purple night was now fading to be replaced by a lovely shade of bright blue. The sun was just above the horizon now, orange reflected on the hillsides, while the area aroun the sun was colored in swirling forms of red, yellow, purple, orange, and deep blue. Mist knew she had to get moving soon, she shuddered at the thought of the feared cougars that prowled this strange and foreboding, yet beautiful landscape. When loner wolves who passed through the mountains and eventually the territory, they weren't kidding when they said purple mountain magesties. Sharp peaks rose around her out of the morning mists, capped with snow and ice. The sun reflected on the ice in places, and it was quite pretty. Mist stood and leaped down the rock slide, gravel spraying past her, and ran off into the rocky landscape. Meanwhile, another wolf, this one a dark gray that reflected the sun, turning it silver, had been up much earlier, traversing the paths that lead upward. The wolf had been walking for days, and was exaughsted. It took a much easier route to the cave, following one of the gritty paths down the mountainside. The wolf arrived by the pine tree, and when it breathed in, the wolf caught a scent it thought it would never smell again, and memories began to flood its mind.
Chapter 13
Dreams of Reality
Mist padded on through the blowing snow, winter had finally arrived and she had been walking for days. She strained to see through the thickening whiteness, but she only saw blurry shapes of rocks and stunted trees. The winter sky was gray with clouds, and she couldn't tell where the horizon ended and Earth met sky. Mist bent her head down and pushed on, despite the headwind that blew snow into her eyes, and the freezing cold that numbed her paws and made it hard to move. I must go on! for Fern, mother, Storm... The words chanted in her head. I must go on! Mist gasped his surprise, her breath heavy. She had accidentally bumped into a large boulder. She was forced to look up, her eyes squinting against the snow, to find her way around it. She rounded the boulder and came face to face with a steep drop, she tried to stop, but her paws were numb, skidding on the ice and offering no traction. Mist let out a howl of fear as she flew off the edge into empty air, with nothing to grab onto. She fell down and down, the world spinning around her. She couldn't tell which way was up, and then she realized it. The drop from her dream! It was real!
Chapter 14
The Snake and the Cougar
Mist opened her eyes, she was lying on a rather soft, sandy cave floor, with a roof over her head instead of a deep chasm with the wind howling and snow driving. She rolled over, her eyes still trying to put together the blurry colors and shapes in front of her. "Where am I...?" she groaned. "You're awake! I was beginning to wonder if you would survive!" A voice exclaimed. "Who's that!?" Mist snarled, trying to get to her feet. "Relax, I won't hurt you." the voice said, and Mists eyes finally came into focus. She saw a cougar lying nearby, his green eyes fixed on her. Mist scrambled to her paws and backed up against the cave wall, fear in her eyes. "Who are you?" she growled. The cougar rolled over and said, "Names Kire, you?" "I'm... Mist." "What are you doing? A wolf like you traversing the mountains, and at the most dangerous time of the year!" "errmmm..." Mist wasn't sure she wanted to tell this stranger all about the visions, he would say she was mad. "I have my reasons." she answered at last. Kire shrugged and said, "Fine, be that way. I don't go poking into business that isn't mine." He rolled onto his side, and Mist could see something slithering behind him. "look out!"Mist howled, and Kire flipped onto his paws and spun around. He instantly seemed calm again, and sat down. There was a snake slithering right in front of him! Kire lay down and let the snake climb onto his shoulders, then sat up and faced Mist. "Are you insane!?" Mist gasped. She knew that many snakes were poisonous, while others used their muscles to bring prey down. Kire purred. "Relax, this is an old friend of mine. we've known each other our whole lives." Mist blinked in astonishment. "Sssssssoooooo Nicssssss to meet youuuuuuuuu." The snake on Kires back hissed, the words slithering off its forked tongue. Mist could tell from its diamond back patterns that it was a rattlesnake, but in the dim light she couldn't determine which species. She cautiously began to approach, her amazement overcoming her. "Who are you?" "I am Ssssssllliiiiiiike, and youuu mussssst be Misssssst." "how do you know my name?" "Oooooh, I wassssssss onlllyyyyyyy hidiiiinnng back in the shhhhhhadowsssssssss. Youuuuu knowwwww, ssssommmmmme wolvessssss tend to eat sssssnakesssss." "Well, I don't, and I've never met anyone that does, either." "Wellll, that issssss comfortiiiinnnnnnng." Slike was swinging his head while speaking, and had his tail wraped around Kires shoulder for balance. "Want some ram?" Kire asked, nodding to the carcass of am animal with a shaggy coat of long, white fur. It resembled a deer, except it was smaller and its antlers were curved behind its head and not tilted up with points coming off it. "Ok, I've never had ram..." "You'll like it, its good. fell over the cliff just before you did." Mist and Kire settled down on opposite sides of the carcass, while Slike went to catch a mouse for himself. kire was right, ram was good. Mist wondered if the pack would ever catch rams if they wandered all the way to the forest. Probably not. mist glanced at where the snake was now eating his mouse, and was amazed by the simple abilities of snakes. Slike had unhinged his jaws and was gulping a mouse much bigger than his head, about twice as big. Mist had never quite realized just how stretchy a snakes skin was when swallowing. Slike had a huge ball in his neck from the mouse, and it looked like he had swallowed a rock. when they finished eating, Kire invited Mist to sleep by him, but Mist refused. Not to hurt Kires feelings, but even though she was settling in well, she still didn't completely trust the cougar. Even so, as Mist fell asleep with the wind howling outside, she could tell she had made good friends.
Chapter 15
A Rock of the Moon
Mist had settled in well, Kire and Slike were good companions, the blizzard had been blowing for days now, and showed no sign of letting up. The weather just got colder, so they had retreated deeper into the cave, which, Kire said to Mists surprise, connected to a series of tunnels that burrowed under the mountains. Mist was lying on the cave floor, which actually grew rocky and harder farther in. Kire was sleeping next to her, and Slike was in a corner somewhere. Mist was dreaming, she was following a maze of rock, the sky was blocked out by it, and she couldn't see anything of the outside world, not even a thread of light. The tunnels! Mist thought, walking deeper. Water dripped from the roof, turning the floor smooth and shiny. Spikes hung from the ceiling, and spurted up from the floor in certain places. The tunnel darkened deeper in, and pretty soon Mist was following nothing but her nose and paws. She gasped in surprise when the ground caved beneath her, and she tumbled down onto another level of the caves. Mist continued to walk, guided by a strange feel in her paws. She entered into a cavern that seemed empty. The stars shone through a hole in the roof, and she could see spikes and columns in the dim light. Suddenly, a soundless explosion of light erupted, and Mist staggered backwards. The light was so bright, Mist couldn't squint against it, she could make out a large rock, much higher than her head, glowing in the light of the moon.
Chapter 16
Sun and not Snow
The blizzard had gone on for weeks, and Mist was getting restless, being cooped up. The remains of the ram were getting low, as well as the mice population. She sat at the entrance to the cave, peering through the whiteness. "I wish it would stop." she muttered to Kire, who was sitting next to her. "Agreed." Kire growled. The next morning, Mist woke up to Kire prodding her awake, Slike on his shoulder. "Mist! Hey, Mist, wake up!" Mist grumbled and slowly got herself into a sitting position. "What is it?" she asked, grooming her ruff. Kire's eyes were bright, and so were Slike's. "Miiiissssssssst, theee blisssssarrrd hassss ssstopped!" Slike hissed excitedly. Mist jumped to her paws excitedly, noticing for the first time the wind had stopped howling. "What are we waiting for?" she barked, and ran out of the cave with Kire hard on her heels. The sun shone bright, reflecting off mounds of snow in radiant beams that hurt her eyes. It was freezing, but the sun felt wonderful on Mist's shoulders after being cooped up so long. Mist frolicked and played in the snow with her two friends, and at one point, Kire fell into one of the mountainous drifts. He sprang to the surface with and explosion of snow, showering Mist with it. They rested in the cave that evening, taking together. Mist joked and laughed with everyone else, but her mind was elsewhere. he thoughts were turning to home and her pack. They would definitely have noticed she was missing by now, and she wondered if the storm had reached them. Maybe not as bad, but what did they think had happened to her? Kire had noticed her absent-mindedness, and asked, "Mist, now that the storm is over, will you leave now?" Mist was taken aback by this question, she had thought about her pack, but leaving had never really occured to her. She remembered the ghost pup, and wished she didn't have to. "I guess so... although I wish I didn't have to." Kire and Slike looked confused, so she said, "I'm traveling to this place, I don't really know exactly where." "It's fine." Kire replied. "I migrate farther up the mountains for the summer, so if you pass back through, I'll look for you." "Thanks." Mist said. "IIIII usssually ssstayyy heere, no migraaatiiing for mee!" Slike hissed. "Sometimes he'll come with me though, just for the fun of it." Kire added. Slike nodded his small head. "Well, if I do, I'll keep an eye out." Mist said.
-
Chapter 17
The Mountains End
Mist had left three days later, just to make sure there wasn't going to be more snow. She had said her good bye's to Kire and Slike, and had been traveling for a moon. She dodged landslides and picked her way carefully around ledges, doubtful that there would be another cougar willing to save her at the bottom. The mountains seemed to be thinning, the hills were lower, and there were more trees and low-growing shrubbery. Then one night, Mist had gone to sleep under a scraggly bush, the night was so dark, it was immpossible to see, and the wind made scents muffled. But when she woke up in the morning, it looked like heaven had come to Earth after all those moons of stone. In front of her was a slope, that went down into a vast valley, with a sapphire river winding its way through. The rolling grass gave way to pine woods, and then oaks. Mist had never seen such a beautiful sight, not even when she had run into a spider web after the rain. Mist remembered it fondly, she had been just a pup, and ventured into the woods with Fern, whom she had called her mother back then. Mist had darted off and found a bees nest. Mist had been stung and ran off, where she had run into a spider web. She had eventually found her way back to Fern, yelping that, yelping that monsters were attacking. Fern had licked the bee sting and pulled the spider web off her, and then Mist saw the true beauty of it. The rain had stuck to the sticky strands even though she had torn through it, and the bit that remained was woven into a beautiful design. Mist blinked away the memories and bounded into the valley below, she relished the soft chatter of the birds, after hearing nothing but wind and eagle's piercing cries. the grass felt soft and lush beneath her feet, and when she reached the trees, their leaves cast a beautiful shadow on the ground. Meanwhile, lurking in the meadows, an ageing she-wolf was following the scent of a deer herd. The trail led through the woods, and she stopped dead. She had traveled down from the mountains, and once again, found the scent from so long ago.
Chapter 18
Hunting Gone Wrong
Mist stopped by a stream and lapped up some water from a shallow stream. The mountains were far behind now, and with them, Slike and Kire. She missed her friends, and had gotten used to their company. She also missed Fern and Storm, and the rest of their small pack. Well, she thought. At least I'm not stuck on the mountains anymore. Just then, as if to prove the fact, she saw a herd of deer ambling through the brush, stopping every now and then to nibble at the twigs and leaves growing on some raspberry bushes. Food! She thought. When was the last time she had tasted normal wolf food? She had spent her time in the mountains feeding of the few grasses, and, of course, the ram the Kire had shared with her. Mist dropped down and waded through the stream, nothing but her nose above the water. Mist crouched down, wishing for a moment she had some fur that blended in better with grass and twigs. She had crawled under a raspberry bush that the deer hadn't gotten to yet, and waited. They put their heads down to graze, and Mist slowly pushed forward through the bushes. A doe raised her head, and Mist froze. The head went down, and she continued. Mist circled around the herd, using what cover she could, until she was where she wanted to be. She was aiming for a weak doe that appeared to be limping, it moved slowly with one of its back legs high off the ground alot. Mist bunched her legs underneath her and sprang forward. The doe turned its head and bleated, turning to try and run. Mist gave chase, and it appeared the doe wasn't as injured as she had thought, for it was a fairly fast runner. The doe was also clever, and darted around trees, and circling back towards... the buck!
-
bump
-
bump PLEASE READ SOMEONE
-
bump - thats 4 bumps, is there a rule against posting?
-
bump
-
bump