PrologueNight 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."
