Hi! Sorry that this chappie is so short, and sorry that the last one was so depressing. I don't really have that much to say, so enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is an original story based off the Warriors books by Erin Hunter. Sweeeet...
Chapter 10
Snow had not been able to cry when she watched the burial of her mother, Cloud. She had not been able to cry when she realized she was an orphan. Knowing that her "aunt" Silver was going to take her in did not even give Snow a flicker of hope, hope that she would somehow be happy again. The white pup padded slowly into the nursery, where Wind sat with Rain huddled close to her belly, but neither of them bothered Snow with comfort. They knew nothing they could say would calm the she-pup's aching heart.
All Snow wanted to do was curl up in her bed and go to sleep, but when she set foot in the nest, Cloud's scent drifted up to her, mingling with the pup's own scent. The memory of her lost mother scared Snow away, driving weariness from her eyes. Instead, Snow turned to leave, and she saw Shadow and Fallenleaf in the entrance. Snow bit her lip, trying not to cry, but as she ran to nestle her muzzle into the healer's fur, the tears flowed from her eyes like a broken dam. She shook uncontrolably, trying to find a way out of her misery, but she was unable to escape the loss. There was nothing she could do. Snow longed to feel the rasp of her mother's comforting tongue on her cheek, but she nearly keeled over when she realized she would never feel that comforting gesture ever again.
Fallenleaf stood for a moment, wondering what to do, though she was also in tears. Snow felt the healer shift, stiffen, then bend her neck to lick the pup comfortingly between the ears.
Shadow knew how it felt to lose a loved one, but all he could do was press his nose into Snow's fur, letting her know that he was there for her.
Silver stood a little off to the side. Snow had not noticed her adoptive mother, who was watching the group with sadness glazing her usually shining eyes. The she-wolf noticed how bright Snow looked, her white coat standing out against the dark coats of her friends. It was like a single star shining between dark clouds, a single hope for light and happiness.
A familiar scent drifted over Silver, and she turned to look at Cedar, sad, surprised, and relieved to see that his expression mirrored hers. Their fur brushed as the she-wolf's mate murmured into her ear, "It'll be okay. Snow will accept us after she knows that we feel the same way, or at least similarly, to how she does. Right now, though, she needs to be with the ones who are closest to her, not to Cloud."
Silver's nose twitched in agreement, but she still looked on with longing at the nuzzling group. She wished Snow would confide in her as she did in Shadow and Fallenleaf, and as she had Cloud. Feeling a slight, guilty envy for her dead friend, Silver wished that the Ancestors would allow her to have pups of her own. If her adoptive pup would not trust her, what was the point? She wanted to have a motherly connection with her offspring.
"Come on. Do you want to get some fresh kill?" suggested Cedar, concern filling his eyes. Silver looked at him gratefully.
"No, thanks. I'm just tired. Let's go to bed." She was about to go back to the warriors den when she realized she was now Alpha. She did not want to sleep in Blackmoon's old den yet, but she did think that Snow could use some company in the nursery. She and Cedar padded silently around Fallenleaf, Shadow, and Snow and slipped into the den.
Silver would have slept in Cloud's nest if it wasn't for the thought that Snow might think she was trying to take her mother's place. Instead, Wind had Rain get her some new moss, and she settled down in the fresh nest made right next to Cloud's. Cedar stayed with her, curled up on the dirt floor by her side.
"You can sleep here if you'd like," the she-wolf offered.
"No, thanks. There needs to be enough room for Snow."
Silver nodded, then turned to face him, pressing her nose into her mate's fur to breath in his comforting scent. She finally drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
When Silver woke to a small warm body pressed against her belly, she was both depressed and thrilled. Snow finally trusted her, and it was clear that she loved her, as she did not go to Fallenleaf's den to sleep. Looking outside, Silver noticed it was still late into the night, and there were many hours yet to sleep. Drifting off again, the she-wolf was surprised to find herself standing in the middle of a forest.
"Hello?" Silver called into the dark shadows of the looming trees. They were all pines, like the place where Cloud had died...
"Hello?" she called again, now more desperate at remembering that Blackmoon was still on the loose here. Finally, she was answered by a hauntingly familiar scent.
"It's alright, Silver. There is no need to be afraid. You are only dreaming."
Silver did not relax at the welcome voice, but instead had to clench her teeth to stop herself from crying.
"Cloud..." she whined. "Why am I here? Where are you?" she asked, looking around the dark trees.
"You are the Alpha now, and all of the Ancestors trust you to take on this task."
"Oh." Silver did not know what else to say. She was lost for words.
"I know how much you wanted to have pups of your own."
Silver nodded, unable to speak.
"The Ancestors know this too."
Silver was stunned to such a stillness that humans would have thought her a statue. "Oh," she managed to creak out again.
Cloud laughed, the raspy soud echoing around the trees. "It's okay. They agreed, with my insistance, that you can have pups of your own."
The silver she-wolf nearly jumped for joy, yelping her glee to the empty forest.
"However," Cloud growled, emphacising the word to get her friend's attention, "If you do have a litter of your own, you must swear that the Tribe will come first, that if there is a choice between the Tribe's safety and your pups' safety, you will choose the Tribe."
"I so swear," Silver sighed reluctantly, knowing what that would mean.
"I'm sorry, I tried to get them to leave that part out of the deal," Cloud added, a bit guiltfully.
"That's alright, I know you did."
"Oh, Silver, I want you to tell Snow something." Cloud's voice was beginning to fade.
"Yes, anything."
"Tell her that I will always be with her, and that I will visit her sometime in the future."
"Okay."
"I'll miss you."
"Wait, you'll talk to me some other time, right?" Silver whined, sad at the thought of never seeing her friend again.
Cloud hesitated. "I'm not sure."
The forest faded and Silver closed her eyes with grief and felt a single tear run down her furry cheek as she waited to wake.
:( tear tear! so sad! I'll try to get the next capter out as soon as i can, but i had written all of these ahead of time, so i don't know how quickly i can get this out. sorry! R and R! -Spiritwind
