Heads up, this is a long one.
This as you may have guessed was Mysheara's spirit form. By taking this shape, she could easily carry Jack without causing him more pain. She stooped down and, cradling him in her arms, she headed off in the direction The Moon was shining. He was incredibly light for his size and Mysheara pondered if that was so the wind could carry him or if it was a testament to how often he ate. She hadn't gone more than a few meters when her right paw hit a stick buried in the snow. At first she thought it a branch that had fallen from the oak, until she noticed Jack's sent and power lingering on it.
"This must be your staff that The Moon spook of," she said looking at The Boy in her arms. She reached down and picked it up, then continued the journey.
She soon reached the pond which was a glow with The Moon's light. "Place him in the water but keep his head above," The Moon's voice instructed.
Mysheara did as asked, cracking the ice on top first to make a small hole for the spirit. When she moved away from him, a thin layer of ice spread out from Jack covering the hole. Mysheara returned to her regular form and lay down by the boy's head. She would watch over him for as long as possible.
As the hours passed, Mysheara knew she had to return. She had been gone longer than normal, her Pack would be worried. She howled her farewell to The Moon, and he called down his thanks in reply. With that she began her track back to her Den.
Soon she could no longer see the pond, but its occupant remained in her mind. So engrossed in thought, she wouldn't have noticed them if they had not spoken.
"I can't believe it! He was barely conscious, yet he wandered off!" The shout of a girl's voice meet her ears.
"Don't worry, we'll finish teaching him his lesson," Came a boy's voice in reply. "After tonight Jack Frost will be so weakened he won't even be able to lift a finger."
"Why didn't we before?"
"The others would have stopped us, you know that."
"But—"
"Just because we can't kill him, doesn't mean we can't take him out!"
That stopped Mysheara in her tracks. "They must have must have been part of, maybe even lead, the attack," she thought. Staking after them she realized they were elementals, one summer and one spring, just as she had thought. And there hatred and envy radiated off them like a skunk's spray did after the skunk had let fly. Only this smell was worse, this smell was unnatural. A skunk's spray was a defense, meant to ward off, this combination of hatred and envy was bent on nothing short of destruction.
They were headed straight for the pond and the helpless spirit that was healing with in. Mysheara Bolted, not a sound was heard of her sprint but she still covered ground at a record pace. She arrived before the two spirits and, forgoing formality, howled a warning to The Moon.
"The spirits are returning to finish what they started. I can't, I WON'T let then hurt this boy!" she had started her song as a way of asking for The Moon to protect Jack, but had ended with strong a feeling that she would protect him herself. Before The Moon could reply they appeared.
The summer spirit, a boy, easily spotted Jack and with an evil smirk created a fire ball in his hand. Mysheara wasted no time. Since they were focused on Jack they did not see her, she used that and pounced. Hitting both spirits in the back with her paws she caused the boy to stumble and the girl, a spring spirit, to fly foreword and crash through the thin ice of the pond with a mighty "splash". Caching himself right before the pond the summer saved himself from being submerged but not from getting doused by the wave of water created by the spring's crash thought the ice, when the water hit his fire went out.
"What!" sputtered the shivering girl, her clothes and hair were dripping and her flower crown was coming undone from her hair.
Turning the boy saw Mysheara and his fire red hair seemed to glow with heat. "A wolf? What's a wolf doing here?"
Mysheara bristled her fur and growled. As her coat puffed out she gained the appearance of being bigger then she was. Scare tactics were a wolf's first defense, she preferred not to fight, but she would attack if it came to that.
"It's probably just defending its water source. Scare it away and let's get this done," stated the girl she was in no mood to deal with interferences. The boy glared at her, "Don't tell me what to do!" He created another fire ball and sent it towards Mysheara.
She could tell it was aimed at the ground right in front of her, meant to startle her not actually hit, but she didn't wait. She jumped at the fire and shifted into spirit form in midair. The energy released during her shift evaporated the fire and Mysheara somersaulted to land between Jack and the two spirits intent on attacking him.
She never showed emotion unless she was with her pack or talking to The Moon, she'd growl in warning or attack but those were defense tactics and a part of being leader, so when she spook to the two spirits her voice was neutral. "I am Mysheara, Pack leader of the spirit wolfs. Who are you?"
The two were shocked and so remained silent for a moment, but recovered quickly. The red haired boy stepped forward. "I am Magmas, summer spirit of fire."
"And I am Bloom, spring spirit of plants," Said the girl with the flower crown.
"What business do you have with this boy?" Mysheara asked next.
The two looked at each other, then spook as one, "We're here to deal with that Demon behind you."
"He may look like an innocent boy but all he does is cause death and destruction where ever he go's!" Bloom said with an acid tone.
"Really? Please, give me an example. I want to know exactly what his crimes are."
The two spirits were caught off guard. "Well, Ahh." Magmas brightened as an example came to mind. "He brought cold, when it was supposed to be summer. This caused a domino effect that created a hard year for everyone, his work killed!"
"Let me inquire, were there a surplus of strong animals for the next year?" Mysheara countered.
"Well, yes. But—"
"Is that not one of the balances that nature must have? The weak must pass for there to be enough resources for the strong to survive?"
Magmas ran out of steam. Bloom however took over. "He frosted my plant buds, some didn't even sprout!"
"And this is something that's never happened before?"
"Oh no! He's done it many time." Bloom had a triumphant look, thinking she had won the argument.
"How old is he?" Mysheara nodded in Jack's direction.
"Ahh... I'd say 268 years, give or take." Blooms triumph left her as she wondered what that had to do with anything.
"If I recall, winter has been around a lot longer than that. And spring frosts weren't uncommon, before he was born, either." Neither spirit could think of anything to say. "So, it would seem that you have no business."
That made them angry, Magmas' hair became a blaze and Vines with sharp thorns grew out of Blooms cloths. "You have no business here, this is an elemental fight and as a spirit of nature you know you can't get involved."
They were unfortunately right, regardless of how Mysheara felt, unless! As the idea struck her she wondered why she hadn't thought of it sooner. "Yes I do! He is my son!"
"WHAT!" They both shouted.
"I am adopting him into my pack, HE IS MY SON!
Unfortunately they got over there shock quickly and their anger came back in full force. "I'm done with this!" Magmas screamed and shot a stream of flam. He manipulated it so it would go around the wolf spirit and hit Jack, but Mysheara jumped out and took the flame instead of letting it hit its target. After the attack stopped she returned her gaze to the spirits of summer and spring. She let out a deep growl of warning, "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"
"He's no cub of yours!" They countered, there anger over taking any affect the growl may have had, and advanced.
Mysheara howled to her pack and in less than a second the clearing was filled with wolfs, that had just shimmered in. The two spirits backed away from the fierce growls, a wolf was one thing but nearly a hole pack was quite another.
"This is for all to know," Mysheara spook with the power and authority given, only, to pack leader and protector of nature. "From this moment on, Jack frost is a member of the spirit wolf pack. He is under our protection and anyone wishes him harm will feel our full rather!" Her gaze fixated on Magmas and Bloom, both of which were shaking." Now leave!"
They fled, leaping into the night air, there separate winds catching them, and soon vanishing. When they were sure the spirits were gone the wolfs gathered around Jack and Mysheara, who had returned to her regular form, settling in to wait for Jack to awaken.
When Jack opened his eyes he was shocked to find he had somehow ended up in his pond. But even more surprising was the wolfs that were all around him. He got out of the water his body, and what remained of his cloths, drying quickly. His movement cased them to stir but, for reasons Jack didn't understand, he felt no threat from them. Then an almost pure white wolf walked forward and spook.
"Jack Frost, I am Mysheara the leader of the spirit wolfs."
"He...hello." Jack replied, shock making him stutter, he'd never heard a wolf talk. Her voice held such power but also great kindness. "Did you bring me here?"
"Yes, it looks like your wounds have healed," And she was right, all that remained were red sores where the worst of his injury sues to be. "How do you feel?"
Jack stretched and looked himself over. "A bit sore, but ok. Thank you for bringing me here. I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble!" Absently his fingers closed around air, a habit from tightening his grip on his staff when he was nervous or self-conscious. That's when he remembered his staff had been taken from him, and how he'd lost consciousness while trying to reach it. "Oh no!" he whispered and began glancing around, desperately looking for his only true possession.
"Is something wrong?" Mysheara's steady voice helped to calm him, if only a little.
"M...my staff, I lost it!" , saying it out loud brought tears to his eyes. "Have you seen it? I know you've done so much for me already, but it's the only thing I own. Without it I'm defenseless!"
"Is this your staff? I found it not far from where I found you," The wolf nudged something at the edge of the pond.
Seeing his staff Jack leaped to it and held it tight to his chest. "Thank you, Thank you." That was all he could manage to say, and it was only a whisper. Tears fell freely from his eyes. He felt soft fur on his cheek and looked up into the strong, wise, and love filed eyes of the spirit wolf. Soon he was surrounded by other wolfs, as they nuzzled and licked him. Jack had seen wolfs do this to their family members, he believed it was there way of showing affection and giving comfort, much like hugging with people. At first he went stiff, the only contact he'd ever received having been beatings, but very quickly he relaxed and let himself except the comforting touch.
When Mysheara sensed that Jack was calm and comfortable in their presence, she asked him, "Jack would you like to join out pack?"
"What? Why would you want me? I'm a nobody a—"
"Those were all lies that you needn't listen to. Even though you're not a wolf we would be honored if you would join."
Jack searched her eyes and found only truth and kindness there. With tears of joy he nodded. Smiling Mysheara spook to everyone, "Then let us return to the Den." Looking at Jack she instructed him, "Hold onto my neck as we Shimmer travel." Jack wrapped his arms around Mysheara's neck and felt a joy only matched when he flew with the wind.
At the Den Mysheara led Jack into the far reaches, where little Shanook was curled next to her mate. When he smelled his mother's sent the blind, tan furred cub whimpered to be feed. Mysheara lay down and Shanook started to suckle. Jack looked down on Shanook and his expression became one of joy and fondness for the cub. After feeding, Shanook curled close to his mother and Jack Lay down close by. As Mysheara watched, Shanook sniffed the air and slowly made way over. Soon the two were curled up as if they had been born of the same litter. Mysheara smiled at her mate, she now knew without a doubt that Shanook would survive. And Jack now had a pack that would keep him safe and give him the love he deserved.