A Trip Of Faith

Chapter One: NARYIA'S PACK------------Saturday

Naryia was watching two ladybugs interacting with each other. She was fascinated by the way they acknowledged themselves and not her. In her eyes, their spots were so colourful, full of life and character.
"Naryia darling, will you please leave those bugs alone,"
The lady bugs flew away by her father's voice, it may have brought her attention back to reality but she sure didn't like it.
"Oh daddy, you scared them away," Naryia complained, slightly irritated.
"Shhh," one wolf called Faxy, hushed them as the whole pack was trying to listen intently to their leader, Darian.
"I know you all never wanted this to happen and of course neither did I. But it has all come down to this unwanted option. They have declared a war, a battle to the death. I have tried to reason with them. They want nothing of ours, but land and blood. A few of them seemed to disagree with a war as well, but I'm sad to say that their voices were not enough to be heard." Darian announced, His words were followed by gasping and sighs from the other wolves, some even whimpered.
"Daddy, we won't have to fight will we?" Naryia asked her father. He replied by giving her a saddening look.
"However, there has been a small compromise." Darian continued. "A small one-on-one fight has been declared. I must choose our strongest fighter; if we win there will be no fight over land. If they win, it will take to the battle."
"I will fight for us, great leader!" one wolf declared.
"No I'll shall take on this task!" another objected, and then soon enough all the wolves joined in this debate. There were wolves chattering, tramping, and even yelling over others. Norisus was the one to stop the bickering.
"Everyone quiet!" he yelled over the top of them, they all slowly stopped fighting and kept silent.
"Is this the way we find out who will take on this difficult task?" he started. "No! This wolf must be prepared for anything! He who will succeed or fail with PRIDE! Not he who will trample others for popularity!" He stated.
"That's right!" Darian interrupted. "And that is why I am choosing you Norisus!" Darian turned to Norisus as he revealed his name. The gasps and sighs returned. For a second Norisus showed he was not expecting this but soon covered it with exception. He bowed to his leader. "I will gratefully accept your request sir."
Naryia ran out in front of the worked-up crowed. "Father, you can't do this!" She cried.
"I am sorry my darling but I must," he turned to his daughter and couldn't hide the sadness from his eyes this time as he looked deep into her soul and seeing nothing but depression. Ever since her mother left her and died, she had always turned to him for support, they were the best of friends. She had never had a real friend since everyone turned away from her because of her mother’s betrayal. And now her father was leaving her for a fight he may never come back from.
"But you can't leave me! You said you'd never leave me! You PROMISED!" Tears ran down her face as she thought about the day when her mother had left her. It was nightfall and they were in their den, just a few meters away from the rest of the pack. Naryia was only still a pup and her tears had found their way to emerge themselves from her emotions once again.
"Why did mummy do that?" she asked. "Why did she have to be the bad guy? Why did she leave us daddy?" She looked up to her father for an explanation.
"It was her job, she never meant to hurt us like that my dear, I promise you she didn't," he replied trying to stop tears of his own.
"Why was mummy's job so mean?" she asked. Norisus had trouble telling her everything as she was only a few weeks old.
"I'll tell you when the sun rises, but right now please stop crying and have some sleep." He told her, Norisus was a strong fighter and also would be a great leader one day but all his reputation had gone since his love for the wrong wolf. His honor may be disgraced but his love and pride was still bound to his daughter. Naryia had followed his request and shut her eyes. But before she let sleep take her she had one more question.
"You'll never leave me right, daddy?" her voice was so sweet and innocent.
"Right my child, I never will for anything, I give you my oath," he replied and, at that moment, he knew he would never break his promise, as he knew it would destroy her.
The story of that night rammed itself into Norisus' mind but never left hers’. It took him some time to control his tears; his one promise would break her heart and world. He held his head down in shame for her.
"I am truly sorry, but if I succeed, we will keep our land and we will still have each other," he tried to reason.
"But....that is only IF!" she cried "What IF you don't come back, I will..."
"We will discuss this later!" He interrupted.
She refused to stop crying to try and make him feel guilty, he may have been a strong fighter but his love for her was the only weakness he had left in him. But her father knew her too well and turned from her so he wouldn't have to face her. It may have hurt more than he expected. She saw he was ignoring her so she turned and ran, no one ran after her, they still didn't feel the need to accept her in the clan. She ran alone to the edge of a near forest, she wouldn't run any further than that because she had never been away from her father, it was difficult to leave. She just lay in the dead leaves and cry. "Why can’t I be a leaf?" she asked herself "They grow so strong that they can latch on to their branch for many weeks and as soon as the time comes they recolour and float away, they get taken by the wind and land where they please," She slowly stopped herself from crying but never stopped the tears.
It was starting to get dark and she was debating whether to go home or not. She heard some rustling in the bush and jumped at the sound; she searched the world in front of her and saw a black silhouette running around her. Naryia got scared and ran into the safety of her bounds, hoping it didn't follow her. She got back to her father, who was lying in dirt where they always lay at night (a few metres away from the rest of the pack).
"Father?" she slowly walked up to him, to talk to him but his reply took him a few minutes.
"I'm not talking to you until you accept my duty," he told her.
She slightly giggled but still felt terrible inside, "And you say I'm the childish one. Father? I'm sorry for doing that to you, I know how much you've wanted to forget her and try to get back in good with the pack but..." she got broken off once again.
"I never wanted to forget her," he explained "I wanted to forget what she did to us.....and your siblings"
She held her head down at the thought of her siblings she never met.
"Father...I'm sorry...." was all she could spit out, but the devastation was still lurking inside her.
"I know you don't mean harm," he got up and sat in front of her, forcing her to see inside his eyes. "You never mean any harm, but you have to understand, I must do this,"
Naryia held back more tears, trying to be strong like her father.
"But what do I do if the worst happens?" she asks "You know they will kick me out once you’re gone,"
"Darian won't let that happen, he knows you aren't like your mother at all! Besides they'll be too busy thinking about the fight then banishing you," he tried to reassure her, but he was never good with words when speaking to his daughter.
"Yea that surely helps," she said with sarcasm.
"You know what I'm trying to say, I'm sorry I broke my promise but if I succeed, the pack will let us back in and you can make friends," He saw that Naryia was still a little troubled and full of worry. "Hey, do you really think I can't win a fight?" he asked rhetorically, trying to get her mind off the worst. Naryia put on a smile to show her father his comfort was working, when really it made her worry more.
"Darian told me that the fight was scheduled in two days time, he doesn't know who my opponent will be, but we will all gather at the edge of our territory," He spoke with profession in his voice. Naryia had nothing to say to him, she couldn't open her mouth without something pessimistic slipping out, so she thought it was a good idea to stay quiet. Norisus sighed since his daughter wasn't answering him. He curled up on the ground again.
"You had better rest Naryia darling, no point worrying over it now. Sleep the night, you'll feel better in the morning,"
She did as he asked of her and curled up with him and fell asleep.

Chapter Two: DURANGO'S AND LITZY'S PACK------------Sunday

Durango was out with a hunting pack, he was crouched in the tall grass with his deep green eyes locked on the prey in front of him. The buck was getting closer, it had no idea that Durango was only a few inches away. 'Wait for it.......Wait for it' Durango thought to himself, waiting for the just right moment to strike. The buck was now in easy strike range, he lowered more to the ground for the one good bounce he needed to take his prey down in one hit. He started counting himself down. 'Three......Two.....'
"Hey big brother what are you doing?" The buck ran off at sound and the movement of Litzy,