Chapter 3: The Ceremony

Star stood beside Thorn, leaning toward him for warmth.  Thunder came into the cave.

"The cold winter sun gives way to the cold winter moon.  We need volunteers for sentry duty," he announced.

"I'll do it."  Thorn replied.

Star smiled.  "I'll come with you."

The two walked out of the cave side-by-side, Pine and Ivy's sniggers following them out.  Star looked up at the sharp, cold winter sky.  Thorn sighed.

"It's too bad you can't sleep sentry duty away."

"I could tell you a story about the ledgends of Amaroq or Pack life before you arrived to pass the time away."

Thorn smiled and nodded slowly.  "I would like that very much, Star.  I heard that all new Alpha males have to pass a test or something.  I'm guessing you were there when Thunder became Alpha."

Star returned his smile.  "Yes it was a great day.  The test is called the Test of Howling Water."

"Test of what?  I've never heard of water that howls."

"That just shows how little you know of our Mountain."

Thorn looked away.  Star nudged.  "I was kidding!  Seriously Thorn, I was kidding!"  Thorn smiled at her and she smiled back.

"So tell me the story then, Star."

Star's clear blue eyes misted over wwith memories.  So clearly could she see that night, the very night just after their father had been killed. 

*  *  *  *  * 

Thunder stepped slowly forward.  The Pack watched from a safe distance away.  There was a rumbling noise.  Steaming water burst from the ground, high into the air.  Thunder sat down in front of the spray, and froze.  Steaming drops of water hit his nose, but he still didn’t move.  Star held her breath.  Would her brother truly pass the test to become the Alpha of the Forest Pack, as Lightning once was?  The hissing, howling noise of the water intensified.  Thunder’s golden tawny eyes narrowed.  The fountain reached its highest point.

Suddenly, the spray stopped without warning.  The silence settled heavily on the Forest Pack.  Thunder stood and raised his head.  He stared at the crescent moon in the sky for a moment, then closed his eyes and howled.  The rest of the Forest Pack joined in, harmonizing with him, paying tribute to their new leader by howling their delight to the dark, star-studded sky.

The wolves howled until the moon was directly over-head.  Thunder stood with his head held high as the Pack walked up to him, licking his chin and rolling over on their back to hail him as Alpha.  Star’s bright blue eyes glowed in the moonlight.

Gale walked to his nephew’s side, his face solemn.  “I think you will make a good Alpha,” he said, surprising Thunder with the sudden praise.  “Lightning would be proud.”  Thunder looked away.  He missed his father.  Gale’s eyes suddenly became playful and he nudged Thunder.  “So, do you have your eyes on any pretty young females, Thunder?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Gale.”  Thunder shook his head.  “I can’t think of one at the moment.”

Gale laughed.  “Don’t worry.  But I’d advise that you find someone before next spring, or some other wolf will mate and you’ll have a challenger.”

Thunder’s eyes lit up.  “I think I’m a bit too young.  You know that my father allowed free mating, and I see no reason to change that now.  We should only have two litters a year, and of course, the Alpha and Beta have first choosing.  I know you’ve had your eyes on River, recently.”

Gale returned Thunder’s wink.  “Well, maybe I have, maybe I haven’t.  What we do need to do is to keep Owl away from the females.”  Gale shot Owl a distrustful glance.  “Owl is one of the few who thinks he would make a good Alpha.  If he got his paws on a female and she had pups, he would challenge you for sure.”

Thunder sniffed.  “I can deal with Owl.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you want to.  Owl isn’t a weak wolf.  He could cause some damage.  Plus, you’ll need all the fighters you can get your paws on.  We beat off the Stone Pack for now, but Bone is even worse that Smoke.  Smoke wanted territory so he could get more prey and keep his Pack healthy, but I think Bone has his mind more on power than the well-being of his Pack.”

Thunder nodded.  Bone was well-known for being power-hungry and ruthless.  “What do you think, Star?”

The little black female stepped forward.  “I think you should wait and see.  Gale is right.  Owl would challenge, and that would cause problems.  If you didn’t kill him right away, he would lead a rebellion and over-throw you completely.  Even he didn’t succeed, that would practically cut our pack in half, and then we’d be very weak and vulnerable.”

“I’ll deal with mating season when it comes.  If you’re not hungry, don’t go hunting, right Star?”

“Exactly.”

Gale yawned.  “Well, Thunder, you’ve passed the Test of the Howling Water,” he said tiredly, referring to the ceremony that had just occurred.  “You didn’t move, and now you’re Alpha.  Let’s go back to the Cave, and take a nap.  I call not doing sentry duty.”

Star laughed.  “I’ll do sentry duty,” she offered.  Thunder nodded.

“All right, everybody, back to Camp,” he declared.

The Forest Pack loped slowly back to their small, cozy camp.  Thunder looked up at the stars for a moment.  And he wondered, was his father truly proud of him, as Gale had said?  Could Lightning see him now?  Thunder sighed.  He would face those problems in the morning, along with many others.  There were challenges to be answered, prey to be killed, Pack disputes to be solved, and battles to be won.  Thunder walked into his den.  Just before his eyes closed in slumber, a whisper floated around in his head.

“Yes, son, I am proud of you, and I will always, always, be here in your heart.”

*  *   *   *  * 

"So, there are really places where water shoots out of the ground and makes a howling noise?"  Thorn asked when Star's story was over.  Star nodded.

"Yes, there are many places here that shoot water, but the one that Thunder had to stand in front of is the largest in our territory.  There are also large lakes of water that is as hot as fire, that all our pups must bathe in once they make a kill.  If the pup can go on a hunt and help make a kill, then bathe in the hot spring with out crying out, then he can become a full member of the Forest Pack."

Thorn looked toward the east.  the sky was already lightening, staining red as the sun pushed its way into the sky.  The sun rose, a fire-bright ruby dripping in molten gold, bearded by pink and orange clouds and setting the sky alight, chasing away the dark ashes of the night sky.  The moon and the stars faded before the majesty of the burning sun.  the two Pack members watched side-by-side as the sun rose to claim its throne of gold clouds, high in the sea-blue sky.