Bravery

Gusts of wind blew and lightning clashed. Rain poured form the sky, as if the Sky Pack were crying. They could’ve been in tears, for what was coming to the forest would cause bloodshed, misery and pain. What a dark night it was.

Birds chirped as the sun rose. It was a nice day, different to when the storms crashed all about Melody Forest’s lands. It was a peaceful day, the cubs of Pack Silver happily pounced on each other with clumsy, oversized paws. Alphess Poppina stared happily down at her pack. She was a pretty black wolf, fur dark yet amazingly beautiful. She had amber eyes that shone like the sun. Alpha Greymask crouched behind her, a frown on his face. He was a scruffy, red-eyed grey and black smudged elderly wolf, not even close to Poppina’s beauty.

“Look at our pack, it is loony!” he grumbled.

Poppina licked his nose. “You are the lunatic…Grey, don’t be doubtful for once. Our pack is lovely. The pups are fine and healthy, the Omegas are training hard. The hunters are loyal to the bone, the elders mostly sleep and Beta Claw and Beta Root are the best couple for our deputies.” Greymask was about to growl agreement when the oldest wolf in the pack, Lysen, plunged from the elder’s den.

The pack was in a cave, at the back of the cave there was a large rock, Greymask and Poppina stood on top of it and under it was their nest. There were large comfy area’s around the cave and outside the cave there were packlands where elk and other game grazed. The elder’s and the nursery were more protected for the young cubs and the elderly wolves. Sometimes the elders were wiser then their Shaman, Jaisie.

“Danger!” Lysen collapsed. He was a white wolf with eyes that were mostly closed, now it is revealed they were green-yellow. “The Ferlise is coming! THE FERLISE OF DOOOOOM!!!!” The wolf choked and lifted his head. “Sky Pack are speaking, they speak of danger. DOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!” Jaisie skipped over, her golden-brown fur and dark brown eyes pretty but not the beauty of their Alphess. Her dark eyes stared towards the mad elder.

“Shall I take him into my den?” she asked Poppina in her sweet, gentle voice. Lysen pulled himself from the ground, only to fall down again.

“Noooooooooooooo!” he screeched. “They will choose.. one… one….”

“One what?” growled Greymask, wishing he wasn’t there.

“One….” Lysen took a gasp and his face hit the floor. Jaisie put a paw on his heart and looked at the pack.

“He is dead!”

It was midnight. Jaisie sat in her den. She stood over Lysen’s body and licked his fur the wrong way and she hummed softly. She and Greymask licked him side by side, muttering their last words to him but Poppina was worried about what he spoke before death. One..? Elders were known for riddles.

“It is a bit weird, isn’t it?” she whispered to the other two. “You know… only cubs are usually bothered with the elder’s… should I say stories?”

“The elder’s load of rubbish!” snorted Greymask. Jaisie shot him a dirty look, being a believer of this ‘load of rubbish’ and she had a strong bond with the Sky Pack. Greymask called a lot of things ‘a load of rubbish’, once even the great Sky Pack members! But Poppina loved him with her heart.

“Well,” Poppina sighed. “Lysen was being serious - that’s my guess. The Ferlise may return.” Jaisie looked uncertain while Greymask snorted some laughter of doubtfulness. Jaisie turned and skipped into her den. Poppina followed Greymask to their nest.

Jaisie leaped from her sleep. The Ferlise Alpha was a large ghost white female with tattered, shaggy, ragged fur and eyes of silver, her gaze spine-tingling and when it is set upon you, death would be near. The murderous rogue! Jaisie wondered if Lysen meant that she was coming with the Ferlise Pack and her dream was another sign.

“Jaisie! Jaisie!” squeaked a voice. A cub bounced in. “Jaisie!” the cub raced about the Shaman’s den and bowled into Jaisie.

“Woah, woah!” Jaisie grabbed the cub by the scruff and put it on a small rock in her den. “What is it, Fellie?”

“I might become an Omega today!” Fellie bounced on the spot. She laughed. “If I am good! I will be as good as fresh deer!”

Jaisie laughed. “Well, make sure you don’t knock any of my herbs down and you will be fine by me!” Fellie laughed and scampered off. Jaisie smiled motherly. The dark thoughts had been swept away by Fellie’s tail, a bushy brush that cleans up all bad things and replaces them with laughter and fun. Jaisie smiled and she looked at Fellie run off to the nursery.

“This may be my last day here so I better make the best of it!” laughed young Fellie and she scrambled through the brambles sheltering the nursery and into it. Poppina chuckled as she watched the cub.

“Yep, we better make her an Omega today!” the wolf looked at her mate, who still was in their nest.

“Later,” yawned Greymask. Poppina frowned at him and sighed. Sometimes she wished that she had a more enthusiastic mate. Fellie bragged she was going to be an Omega and the day passed slower, she kept asking if she would have her ceremony yet.

“Now?” she asked.

“Nope.” Came the reply.

“Now?” she asked an hour later. The answer was nope for a few hours until a howl sounded. It was time for the ceremony. Fellie bounced towards the Alpha’s happily. She lifted her head to touch noses with Poppina when a howl sounded. A white wolf bounded in, followed by many other wolves.

Jaisie shrieked. “THE FERLISE! And there is their Alpha!” The white wolf turned to face Jaisie and stomped, bringing her pack - the Ferlise - to a halt.

“Named Magin, you fleabag!” she snapped. Magin stared at the pack with cold eyes. “And your land is mine, ooh look at this; fresh meat. Land and meat, ha, must be my lucky day!” She lunged for Fellie who froze with terror. The wolves raged into battle. All the Omegas, pups, mothers and elders hid in the more protected nursery while all the rest fought. Fellie leaped out of the way of Magin only just in time. The white wolf snorted with disgust. Fellie fled to the nursery.

The battle was bloody, . Liver, a shaggy brown male fought against a rogue alongside his mate Isolice - a pretty silver wolf. The rogue grabbed Isolice’s neck and bit down hard. Blood trickled down Isolice’s neck, making her squeal. Liver pounced and cut between them and sunk his teeth in the rogue’s throat, soon killing it. Isolice stood petrified. Liver led his mate to the Shaman’s den. Jaisie wasn’t around, they checked the Alpha’s den. Liver then had a guess and ran to the nursery.

“Hello,” smiled Jaisie, the smile wiping off her face when she saw Liver dragging in Isolice’s body. She put a paw to her heart and let out a howl of despair. Liver’s was louder though, it was his mate who had come to an end.

Fellie had tears in her eyes when she saw the wolf’s death. Well, she had tears in her eyes for the least bad reason - not an Omega - and the worst - the battle and Isolice’s death.

A shriek filled the cave as a rogue was brought down by a strong wolf. Death filled the air. Magin sniffed the air happily and saw Fellie step out of the nursery and sneak off. A grin spread on the evil wolf’s face. She crept behind Fellie, managing to blend in with the fight. Magin leaped at Fellie at the right time, snapping and gnashing her long white fangs. Jaisie was too busy too notice, but one wolf wasn’t. Greymask jumped and cut in-between the two and was hurt himself. Fellie screamed and jumped back in fright as the two wolves tackled in battle.

“Never…come…back….,” gasped Greymask. Magin stared at him with golden orbs and laughed.

“You will be the one who will never come back!” And the white wolf sunk her teeth into his throat. Greymask paused for a moment and dropped. Dead. Poppina heard Fellie’s cries and ran over to see what happened.

“What’s going…” she saw Magin standing over Greymask’s dead body. “You!” She lunged for Magin’s throat and the wolf froze their wide-eyed and was killed by Poppina. The battle was over, the Ferlise heard the howl of Magin’s pain and fled in fear. They had lost. But Pack Silver had lost something more then a battle.

The next morning Poppina stared up, higher then the clouds, higher then the sky. Jaisie and Fellie, now the Shaman Omega (Healer in Training), walked over.

“Will there ever be a new Alpha?” asked the young wolf. Poppina shook her head slowly and sadly, tears streaming down her face.

“He was the only one right for me,” she said in her usual voice, she was taking it a lot better then Jaisie had thought. “But he was an old wolf, he was not that much younger then old Lysen.”

“Greymask is the one they chose, Lysen was trying to say,” Jaisie licked her Omega’s ear. “They will choose one, to sacrifice for the pack.” Fellie and Poppina looked at each other. Fellie would soon find out - Shamans had a strong bond with the Sky Pack, strong enough for them to connect with the lost.