Sage

Sashia looked up at Sage. It had been two weeks since the night that she had told Sashia her theories about Sharnii and sage had spent every waking moment babbling on to Sashia about it. But within the last few days Sage had become increasingly maddened she had turned completely against Sharnii goading her to attack. Only yesterday Sashia had found sage at Sharnii's throat about to rip her limb from limb. When Sashia had pulled Sage off Sharnii there had been a mad red glint in her eyes as if she was seeing red.

Sashia was jolted back to the present as Sharnii threw her off her back and into the snow “get off me” snarled Sharnii “I'm sick of you attacking me at every chance” she continued as Sashia hauled herself to her paws and faced Sharnii “ I'm not weak, I can pull the sled as good as you”. Sashia curled her lips in a snarl, whipped around and stalked away to her sleeping place. She threw herself down and closed her eyes, shutting out the noises of the pack.

Sharnii stood in front of Sashia, her pelt was dripping in blood “what have you done Sharnii” gasped Sashia. The body of Sage lay in front of her almost completely ripped to shreds  

Sharnii curled her lips into a snarl “she was a maddened old fool” she snarled “just like you, you never saw my true nature until it was to late” with a snarl Sharnii leapt at Sashia.

Sashia woke with a start from her dream, drenched in sweat despite the bitter cold. Her dream had been so real. Sashia raised her head, It was still dark, unable to go back to sleep Sashia got to her paws and trotted to the edge of the camp and looked out into the wilderness “Bad dream” a voice behind her made her jump.

Sashia spun around to see Sage trotting up to her “what do you care” snarled Sashia “it was just a stupid dream”

Sage came up to her sat down and whispered in her ear “but it wasn't just a dream was it” she continued “It felt so real, as if you were there”

“so what if it was” Sashia snapped annoyed that Sage had explained exactly what she had felt in the dream

“it was a sign” Sage growled “a sign from the prophecy”

“there's no prophecy” snarled Sashia “it was just a stupid dream, there's no meaning behind it all” she turned to Sage “I'm so sick of you spreading lies and superstitious snowfluff around my team” she curled her lips into a viscous snarl “stay away from me”. Sashia spun around and pelted into the trees outside her camp-site wanting to be alone.

'there's no way the prophecy could be real' she thought pacing back and forth, her tail twitching 'is there, sure the dream seemed real but that didn't mean that it was going to happen'.

“Sashia what are you doing out here” a new voice startled her out of her thoughts. Sashia spun around to see the legendary Balto trotting towards her “shouldn't you be with your team” he asked glancing toward the dark camp.

“ just came here to think” Sashia replied, hoping that her uneasiness didn't show in her voice, she scuffled her paws in the dirt looking down at them “I, I had a dream' she admitted reluctantly, she looked up at him “Sage said it was part of a prophecy, but I think it's nonsense”

Balto tipped his head to one side “why” he asked

Sashia snorted “it's just snowfluff legends” she snarled “nothing more, a dog lives it's life as it wants there's not destiny or prophecies”

Balto sighed and sat down beckoning with his tail for Sashia to do the same “I thought that too” he admitted “until I found a message came to me through the spirits when my daughter ran away” Sashia nodded, every dog in Nome knew the story of how Balto's daughter had ran away and eventually gone to live in the wild with a wolf pack “my mother sent me a series of clues as to what and who will guide me on my quest to find her” he closed his eyes, remembering “My son” she said “you need to know the animal totems that will help Guide you now, the fox, the cunning trickster, the wolverine. your fears, the bear, inner knowing, carribou, life” he opened his eyes once more and looked at her “then I heard a howl and saw an image of a wolf carving, just like the one on the totem pole in Nome. At first I though boris was crazy, he was babbling on about my dreams meaning something....'

“dreams” Sashia interupted “you had more than one”

Balto nodded “yes” he replied “I even had some before my daughter was born”

“what happened” Sashia asked “in your dreams”

“I was running along the ice” Balto began “I always came to a sea of broken up floating ice, each time I would get close to the other side onto land again there would be a wolf pack waiting for me, and in every ..                           n    dream there was a black raven that followed me and in every dream there was broken pieces of sea ice where I ran across it, and in the end I was always trapped between the raven and the wolf pack, that's when I woke up. As I followed the quest the clues that my mother gave me in the dream it all became clear the meaning of them, the fox would lead me to her sent through cunning trickery, the wolverines would help me overcome my fear and the bear would help guide the way to safety.. He shivered remembering, and the sea ice lead to a land rich in caribou after they had crossed the ice bridge the previous winter. An old wolf named Nava said that 'they would be lead by the one who is wolf and does not know' at first they though it was me but it turned out to be Alue” his ears drooped. “The last thing I saw of my daughter was her floating on a huge Ice flow disappearing into the distance, when I got back to the shore the raven appeared again, it was my mother the great Aniu.”

“your mother is Aniu” gasped Sashia “ she's.....” a call interrupted her, she glanced at the sky and saw with horror that it was lightening into dawn “I have to go she growled” she dipped her head to Balto and raced away towards camp”

A few days later

Sashia crept out of camp and into the forest, lately she had been taking night walks out in the forest, the dreams had become more frequent plaguing her every night. In every dream Sharnii was bathed in blood. A shiver of fear ran down Sashia's spine could Sage be right could it really be true, she snorted no it was all snowfluff legends. Suddenly something heavy crashed into Sashia's side sending her toppling sideways onto the ground. Before she could scramble to her paws a huge paw pinned her to the ground, Sashia looked up at her attacker and shivered with fear she was looking at a huge jet black wolf, his paws were as big as a newborn pup and his eyes glowed a menacing yellow.

“what are you doing here” snarled the wolf, his muzzle inches from hers “this is our territory”

Sasha trembled under his paws “I'm sorry” she whimpered “ I was just going for a walk, I didn't know this was your territory”

The wolf snorted “sled dogs' he snarled “they should stay with their snivelling humans”.

“Lightningstrike what's going on” a new voice spoke from the shadows. A second wolf, she was beautiful, long grey fur caressed her shoulders and fell down to her belly her paws were slender and small for a wolf with black tips and her tail was bushy and grey.

“I am doing my duty Silvermoon” growled Lightningstrike “chasing a troublesome trespasser out of our territory” he pressed Sashia further into the snow.

Silvermoon looked at Sashia, suddenly a strange look came into her eyes “let her go” she gasped

Lightning trap turned his head to her “What” he snarled

Silvermoon came up to Lighningstrikes's side “look at her Lightningstrike, don't you see she's the one” Lighningstrike looked down at her “a dog of two worlds will unite the packs, a pelt of two natures will blend together” continued Silvermoon “Don't you see she's the one from the prophecy the one we've been waiting for”.

Recognition seemed to wake in Lighningstrike's eyes and he recoiled off her, Sashia got to her feet and shook the snow from her fur. Silvermoon stepped forward closer to Sashia 'you must come with us and complete the prophecy' she pleaded

“yes” added Lightningstrike “you will save us from the darkness within”

Sashia looked back and forth between them “your mad she snarled, there is no prophecy about me it's all wolfdung legends” she snarled, without waiting for an answer she turned and raced away into the night, back to camp.