Oh, this Keliah is beautiful – even more beautiful than any wolf I’ve ever seen! The quarter-wolf reflected on what she saw from the she-wolf’s eyes to herself, nearly to the point of blushing. Of course, this discovery caused her to question herself more than ever. Hmm, why I am in her paws anyway . . . or better yet, why am I seeing this? I’m so confused . . .

 

Since there wasn’t anything she could do, she felt almost like a supreme being – an all-seeing spirit witnessing something she had never seen before. Besides, just seeing this world through the eyes of a beautiful she-wolf made her start to feel comfortable like a pure-blooded lupine, despite the fact of not being able to move when she wanted to.

 

“Come on, Keliah!” The teeny wolf, Palei, leapt on the ground near the river bank. “I don’t want you to be late to your first summoning!”

 

Keliah let out a chuckle, one that sounded almost like a gargle – probably due to the water she was splashing beneath her paws. “Oh, Palei. You’re my dearest friend. You always want to do big jobs to help out in the Clan as well as myself . . .” She giggled again. “even if you are the youngest . . . and the smallest of us all.”

 

“Oh, stop teasing!” Palei growled playfully, joining the brown she-wolf in the water and using her paws to return a nonverbal attack of cool water at Keliah. “Just because I’m your youngest sister . . . AH!” She paused with a slight scream whenever the slender Keliah splashed back at her, interrupting her response. “ . . . who happens to be the runt . . . doesn’t mean I can’t help you and the Clan.”

 

“Oh, you’re right – I’m sorry,” the she-wolf lowered her head, admitting defeat. “I just don’t want you to get hurt . . . I mean, with the upcoming dangers and changing times, that’s all.”

 

Hmm, dangers? Changing times? The quarter-wolf thought with a tilted head. I wonder what they’re talking about. This place is so beautiful, lush and relaxing . . . It seems much more comfortable than our land . . . with very little threats. What could possibly be so dangerous here? She looked around once more, becoming more confused by the minute.

 

“Now, come on,” Palei escaped from the river, returning back to the safety of the grass. She instinctively shook her fur of the excess water, and once she was dry, she happily turned back to Keliah. “I don’t think we should arrive any later. Summonings don’t exactly happen every moon, you know.”

 

“Yeah, especially nowadays with the war being our main focus,” Keliah replied, following it with a sigh. “So much sorrow we have seen, so many wolves lost as casualties of war . . .” The quarter-wolf could sense a couple of small tears swell up in the she-wolf’s eyes and suddenly drip down wetly on her cheeks as Keliah leapt from the water herself and shake her fur dry. However, the sheer emotion in her eyes didn’t change the seriousness of her tone as the two of them, mainly with Palei close to her side, walked towards a small ridge of small mounts. “We have had to grow up fast and learn to defend our Clan and ourselves . . .”

 

“Not to mention . . . we’ve lost so many that were close to us . . .” Palei began to tear up as well, but she still maintained a brave expression of hope on her face. “but this has only made us stronger than ever.”

 

Keliah nodded. “Indeed. You and I are all that’s left of Mother’s broods. We have to live on . . . for the memory of her and the rest of our fallen siblings.”

 

How horrible, the quarter-wolf thought as the two she-wolves arrived at the foot of a dark mountain cavern. I’ve never experienced losing someone I love from them dying or being killed before, so this is uncharted territory for me. It must be hard for them . . . but I can tell they’ve been able to endure many things. She tried to crack a slight smile, admiring their courage and strength to deal with the tough times of life. I just hope that maybe as a wolf . . . I could be that strong too.

 

The cavern’s immense presence in front of them caused the two wolves to gulp nervously once they realized where they were. This wasn’t as scary of a place as it seemed, but by the looks of it, it felt forbidden . . . almost like a place where only the bravest dared and the most worthy were chosen to enter.

 

“Well, this is it. This is where you have to go,” Palei shuttered as she tried to speak in a brave voice.

 

Keliah looked back at her youngest sister as if to ask “Aren’t you coming too?” through her expressions and facial gestures.

 

As if able to translate her sister’s face or even able to read her thoughts, the nearly-black wolf replied back. “Only you were summoned, Keliah – not I. You know that.”

 

Keliah wanted to sigh deeply, but instead, she gathered her courage in the form of a deep inhaled breath – followed by a long, relaxing exhale – and stepped forward towards the entrance.

 

“Good luck, Keliah,” Palei barked her well wishes to the brown she-wolf as she nervously walked closer and closer to the cave. “I’ll be waiting out here, okay?”

 

Keliah did not answer, for her attention was to the darkness of the cavern. Her eyes were focused forward, as if she were being drawn into it like a black hole. Every paw-step made the quarter-wolf’s heart pound against her chest, just as it was to Keliah’s as well.

 

What is happening? She thought as the quarter-wolf also felt that same drawn-in sensation in her eyes. Something just doesn’t feel right about this place . . . oh, this doesn’t feel safe! Why doesn’t she go back?

 

But Keliah could not go back now – she had a duty to uphold herself, and it felt as if she was meant to enter this cave, whether the quarter-wolf inside her head liked it or not. Of course, the she-wolf didn’t know that the quarter-wolf was even seeing this anyway.

 

Just when the quarter-wolf felt herself – or in other words, Keliah – almost become engulfed by the darkness of the cave’s entrance, a loud howl blasted through her ears, causing the two wolves to freeze as if they were paralyzed on the spot. Only the quarter-wolf could hear the piercing din; naturally, she tightly shut her eyes and let out a scream of fear, hoping that the noise would soon cease.

 

Aah! I knew this didn’t feel right! The quarter-wolf cringed in pain. This noise had better stop soon! I don’t think I can take much of this!

 

And at last, it did. The wolves were gone from her sight in the darkness, as were the strange background that had left her completely spellbound. She could hear nothing else now – the loud cry was gone, hidden in the dark black around her.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Aleu? Aleu?” Another voice . . . this time it was faint and garbled, but she could at least understand that this male voice was saying her own name.

 

Ohh, . . . She began to groan to herself, thinking that she was still inside the form of the she-wolf. My head . . . I feel so dizzy . . . What a strange dream . . . Her head started to toss against her forelegs as her heartbeat returned to its normal pace . . . Wait – she was lying down again! She slowly lifting her eyelids open and saw familiar sights – the lush grass, the jagged rocks, the Great Water! Someone was calling her name – her actual birth name! She had come back!

 

“Aleu? Are you all right?”

 

The calm voice of the reddish-brown and white wolf that was looming over her finally became clear. It was her oldest and dearest friend there – a matured male wolf named Scarlet, who also happened to be one of the last sons of Nava, the previous Alpha Male of the Clan. Ever since she left her half-wolf father behind on the mainland, he was always there to offer his father’s wisdom and knowledge to her in Nava’s absence . . . and sometimes, she felt like Scarlet was meant to be her lifelong mate – her Alpha Male. Of course, she shyly kept this secret to herself, hoping that perhaps one day she would have the courage to tell him face to face.

 

She gasped at first, realizing Scarlet’s presence, but she soon let out a sigh of relief before responding to his query. “Uh . . .” She began to rise to her paws with a red face, for she was completely embarrassed for having been caught sleeping on the job by her senior. “Oh, Scarlet . . . I . . . I . . .” She stammered, searching for the right words to say, but they just couldn’t be found. Defeated, her dark ears fell to her neck. “I’m sorry . . . I’m sorry . . .” She spoke softly, knowing that this was the best excuse she had.

 

“Oh, it’s alright, Aleu,” He replied with a smile. Scarlet was always a kind-natured soul, unlike some other males that she had met when she first interacted with the wolves, so she knew that somehow he would say something like that. “It’s not your fault.”

 

“Yes it is, Scarlet . . . I had a duty to fulfill and I fell asleep,” She began to cry with small tears dripping down her eyes. Actually, she didn’t want to cry; the quarter-wolf knew that she would receive the punishment that was well deserved for what she had done, and as the Alpha, she was not immune to it. “I deserve punishment for my actions and you know it.” She lowered her head in Scarlet’s direction.

 

“Well, you have only been Alpha for a little less than a couple of months now,” the rusty wolf thought aloud, trying to figure out what his proud and wise patriarch would do in this situation. “and you have been exhausted lately, so I can understand why you suddenly fell asleep.” The Alpha Female looked up at him, surprised to see a soft smile on his face; without thinking, she smiled too, placed her own muzzle close to his for a soft nose-to-nose nuzzle.

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