Chapter 11: A father's retributions

Nobodies P.O.V

Back in present time Rosie and Scott were just relaxing on the edge of the cliff they trained on overlooking the length of the valley. The heat of the sun and the cool breeze of the wind blowing through their hair and fur felt good. They could see everything from up here, the caribou herd, the Valley pack which they decided to call them, all the way to the other side three miles away. Life was great for the two. It was a scorching day, the heat wearing down on them both. Scott had his bow strapped to his back along with his quiver of arrows ready to use like he always did.

The two had sat for about 30 minutes before something caught Rosie's eye; Scott sensed that on her and looked in the same direction. A grey object slowly made its way out of the tree line and towards the river the waterfall made underneath them. They watch the thing, intent of knowing what it was. The grey mass slowly drew closer and eventually they saw it was a wolf. They didn't recognise it; all the wolves from the valley pack were either black or brown mostly, only a couple were grey but only had a little smudge of it. This wolf was entirely grey. Something wasn't right, as it drew closer to the river it started swaying left to right and stumbling around then 7ft from the river it collapsed and lay motionless. Rosie and Scott didn't wait to see if he moved and ran down the path down the cliff to aid the sick wolf. They arrived in just over a minute and examined it. He was male and had a very faint heartbeat. Scott opened his mouth and noticed it was bone dry, he was dehydrated; he dragged his heavy, motionless body to the waters edge and splashed him with the cool liquid. Rosie couldn't do anything seeing as this wasn't a wound or sickness, all they could do was wait and hope he comes to.

Rosie walked up the cliff face and picked up some moss then dunking it in the water and carrying it over to the unconscious male. She clenched her jaws tightly and a large amount of water fell on his head. His eyes shot open but his body didn't move. "Where am I?" He asked with a dry voice trying to get up.

"Don't talk, you need to rest." Rosie said as she walked back to the river dunking the moss in again and carried it over for the wolf to lap up from. He lay there oblivious to Scott's presence, only to Rosie's. After a few minutes he had enough strength to get up and stumble the last foot to the waters edge. He practically put his whole head under the water lapping up the amazingly cool water. Scott and Rosie watched as the wolf guzzled away, but something in her mind told her to run as fast as she could away from the strange wolf. He drank non-stop for two minutes before turning around and noticing Scott sitting behind Rosie and snarling viscously. The two laughed at the snarling wolf seeing as that's how all the wolves reacted to him. He stopped and looked at them really unable to understand why they were. Rosie was about to explain to him who they were when Sarah's faint voice came into her head and said.

"Don't tell him, Lie!" She thought a moment before saying.

"My name's Rosie and this is my, err... Owner! Yes, he's my owner, Scott." Scott looked down confused at why she said that. Rosie told him through her mind what Sarah said, he understood but unsure why she wanted her to lie.

"A wolf, living with a human? Ha! That's rich." The grey wolf spat.

"Not really, he can't understand us but we can understand him, plus he takes care of me." Rosie said turning and winking at Scott. "What's your name?" She continued.

"My names Terry and err, thanks for saving me." He said rubbing the back of his head.

"No problem." Rosie said with a smile. The grey wolf stood up to leave but then fell back down still obviously exhausted.

"Hey, you need to rest buddy, come on we'll take you home so you can sleep it off." Scott said as he picked up Terry and carried him off to the den. Rosie followed just behind when the apparition of Sarah appeared in the tree line to the side.

"Mom wants to see me, I'll see you later." She told Scott.

"Ok, don't be too long, I'll need you if things kick off with this guy." She walked off to the trees and confronted her mother.

Rosie's P.O.V

"Hi mom, what's up?" I asked. As I got closer, mom's glow and transparent look didn't become physical like normal, which was odd.

"Why did you help him?" She asked sounding slightly angry. I took a step back and asked.

"Well he was hurt so we helped him, we couldn't just leave him." I said sounding a little nervous and hurt by her words and tone of them. Mom sighed and said.

"I know dear, I know you can't help it to be nice. It was good that you helped him." She looked to the ground in shame of what she said.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked stepping back up to her.

"Nothing honey." She replied quickly shooting her head up to look at me. Something was wrong.

"I don't buy it". She sat and said quietly.

"I wish I could tell you but it's not for me to say. Go back to them and ask Terry about me. You'll find the answers you seek from him. Just promise me you won't do anything reckless."

"I don't understand, why would I?" Was all I said before she vanished again leaving me with more questions. This was how it usually was with her; she'd never give direct answers to our questions and leave us confused and to figure it out for ourselves. I turned and jogged back to the den to confront Terry about what she meant.

I arrived home in 5 minutes to find Scott sitting outside the den. "Hey, what did she want this time?!" He shouted to me. I walked and sat beside him and explained what occurred and that Terry was the one to answer my questions. "Well he's asleep at the moment so why don't we go hunting and he'll be awake when we get back."

"Ok, something to pass the time." I said with a smile. We left for the caribou herd and returned an hour later dragging its body up the hill. Scott cheated this time and Apexed it, lifting it up all the way back. It was a big one after all and we'd struggle to get it up the hill by dragging it. He set it down and started cutting into it. He left the skin on as we had enough rugs and only focused on cutting off its limbs. He threw a leg towards me and I dug straight in not leaving a scrap. Terry must have smelt it as he came slowly walking out shortly after, Scott cut him off a leg and he devoured the bloody limb. He must have last eaten day's ago, he must have travelled a long way for some reason, I'd be sure to ask him later. Scott set a fire and cooked his pieces and after half an hour ate them. When we all finish we walked to the river to wash the blood off our muzzles. Scott walked back shortly after as he didn't have fur to clean. Now was the perfect time to ask Terry.

"So Terry, where are you from?" I asked.

"I'm a lone wolf and have lived over the Canadian boarder for just over two and a half years. I was having trouble living out there because I needed to come back to find someone and clear the water with them." I thought for a moment, it was coincidental that mom acted like she did and this guys turns up, so it made me think before nervously asking.

"Sarah?" He quickly turned his head, his eyes wide and said.

"How did you know that, do you know her?" He said with either nervousness or fear in his voice. I picked up on that and something caught the corner of my eye. Mom's ghostly apparition was watching, peeking out from behind a tree. I didn't turn to look and worked up the courage to ask.

"I know her, why do you need her?" He looked to the ground shuffling his paws thinking for an answer; I quickly shot a glance towards mom and saw tears running down her face. Terry then said with a sigh.

"She... She was my mate. I left her just after I found out she was pregnant. I wasn't ready to become a father and I was worried I'd be a bad dad." He said getting upset. I was starting to understand where this was going. I looked back at mom; she knew what I was thinking and nodded. I faced Terry and said.

"I know Sarah because she was... My mom." He held his breath for a moment and looked at me. I was starting to piece this together as well. We stared at each other in awkward silence which he broke and with a shaky voice said.

"How old are you?" I too with a shaky voice answered.

"2 and half years." His eyes shot wide know knowing who I was. I knew too and said quietly and choking on tears. "Dad?" His breathing rate had increased; he then opened his front legs wide and said.

"Rosie." I ran into his chest and embraced him in a hug. I felt his legs wrap around me and tightly hug me.

We stayed there for what felt like hours whereas it was actually only a minute. I felt rage in the pit of my body for him leaving me, but that was too miniscule as the greatest feeling of happiness that over came that. I found my dad! We pulled away and looked into each others watery eyes. He smiled and said. "You have you mother's eyes." I too smiled and said.

"Yeah, but your grey fur." I said motioning along my back down to my tail. He chuckled and hugged me again. We finally pulled apart when he had to ask that question.

"So, where is your mother? I need to talk with her and tell her I'm sorry." I knew I'd have to tell him eventually so with a deep breath I told him.

"She died two years ago." His jaw dropped when he heard. His head dipped in sadness for a moment "I'm sorry you didn't know, were you going to get back with her?" He looked up; his eyes were filled with sadness and said.

"No, we would never have got back together. I came back because I couldn't live with the guilt of just leaving her after the argument we had. I needed closure with her in order to live peacefully." I nodded and turned to see mom still standing their tears running down her face behind the tree.

"Mom you need to talk to him." I said

"I can't he broke my heart and left me." She replied

"But mom, look at him, he needs to know you forgive him, you do don't you?" She thought for a moment but before she answered I turned to Terry and said.

"Would you like to talk to her?" His eye widened.

"What? I thought you said she was dead!"

"She is." I looked back and mom was shaking her head "He needs to know." I said out loud. He looked confused and somewhat concerned that I shouted into thin air. But she refused to move.

"Dad, what do you know of the Starnik prophecy?" I asked still looking at mom. He tilted his head and told me he knew of it, he understood of their powers and that their eyes gave them away. "Scott I need you, quickly." I said reaching out to him.

"On my way." He replied. I then turned to face dad looking into his eyes. I hugged him as he did me.

"Honey what's wrong?" I pulled back not breaking the hug and changed to my bright, swirling, pulsating green eyes. He shouted out and reeled back in fear of me. "Yo... You're one of them?" I just nodded at him. Just then Scott came running back down the hill but stopped when he saw my eyes. Terry turned to face him and said. "And you, you're the other one?" He nodded in confirmation and walked around him and stood beside me changing his eyes at well. I searched through Terry's feelings and felt that he was scared but slightly proud.

"Dad, are you proud of us or scared?" I asked. He took a moment before saying.

"I don't know, I only came to apologise to Sarah but instead I find she dead, I have a daughter, and she's one of the Starnik! I don't know what to think!" He said not looking at either of us. We sat in an awkward silence before Scott spoke up.

"Terry, why should it matter what's happened here. You have a daughter nothing else should matter."

"I already told Sarah, I wasn't ready to have a daughter. I don't think I'll be a good dad. I've already missed out of the beginning of your life Rosie so I... I just don't know." He said looking down.

"Mom! Get out here, now!" I barked into the trees with anger in my voice. She was reluctant at first but slowly did. Terry got up and watched as the ghostly figure of his former mate approached us. She stood to the right of Scott and said.

"Terry, I understand why you left, but we discussed about having pups before it happened and you said you were ready. I forgive you for leaving me but I still don't and never will forgive you for leaving our daughter." She said sweetly. He looked up to her and said.

"That's all I came here to hear, I don't want to ruin your lives so I'll just be leaving. You won't be seeing me again." He said approaching me. He hugged me for a few seconds before he pulled away with watery eyes, He didn't want to do this but we all new it was for the best. "Sarah." He said turning to her. "I'm thankful you forgive me, look after our daughter." He said before turning around and heading up the hill, when he reached the top, he turned and flashed us a smile before disappearing over the top and leaving the three of us at the bottom.

Scott's P.O.V

Sarah faded away with tears in her eyes, obviously not wanting to talk, leaving me and a very upset Rosie alone. We padded home and spent the rest of the day and night in silence. She was very quiet for the next two days still upset and angry about all that occurred. She only spoke when she needed to and went off on her own most of the time. On several occasions I tried to talk to her about it only receiving a sigh or a threatening growl. Today was no different; she was lying alone on the small cliff outside while I sat in the den entrance playing five finger fillet with my knife. This needed to end, today!

I walked over to her and knelt down behind her and demanded for an answer. She did nothing to reply. I reached out into her mind to get her to talk but she threw up her mental barriers to stop me and released a threatening growl. I didn't stop my mental attack and searched for a weakness in her mind, slamming into her defences trying to get her to crack. She turned and flashed her eyes at me as a threat and said through seethed teeth. "Stay out of my head!" That didn't stop me; I wasn't going to until she spoke to me. Our mental defences were strong and neither of us could break the other. The longer and harder I tried , the more her lips moved back and revealed her white teeth and her growls grew louder. She got fed up with the attack and snapped, she jumped and whirled around and lunging her paw at my face. But I managed to dodge her strike to my face, but I wasn't that quick. She made contact with the side of my neck and down it five inches. I yelled out in pain and Apexed her off me. I sent her soaring across the front of the den and into a tree on the other side. Loud cracks came from her as she yelped and fell to the ground. She had broken her spine as it was bent in a disgusting angle, but this quickly healed as it snapped back into place and she sprung up and glared at me. I held my hand up to my neck to stop the immense flow of blood, there was a lot of it. I was breathing heavily whilst the blood dripped down my neck and into the floor. I looked up at Rosie and stared into her eyes as she did to me.

We glared deathly for a moment before she snapped back into reality and began to cry. She ran up to me and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to." She said crying into my shoulder.

"It's ok, I shouldn't have bothered you, you would have sorted yourself out eventually." I said. She pulled away and placed her nose to my neck and began to heal it. Blood crawled up my neck and into the wound but I stopped her before it completely healed, I was left with three jagged scars going down my neck. She looked at me with weeping eyes and a confused look. "I want to keep them to remind me to leave you alone and give you some space sometimes." She smiled a little and said once again.

"I really am sorry, I didn't realise what I was doing before it was too late." I pulled her to me and hugged her for a while letting her cry into my neck where the scars were. I would keep them as it would remind me to leave her alone at times and to let her solve her own problems.

We sat talking the rest of the day and then visited the Valley pack at sunset. When we arrived the air was filled with joy and excitement. We walked to Saren's home but bumped into him on the way and asked what was going on seeing as everyone seemed excited about something and running around to find accessories. He said that tonight was the night of the full moon; it was a tradition that the pack finds a place and howl with a friend, family member, mate or mate to be. A lot of wolves find their mates through this because if their howl was the same as your partner's then it was the biggest sign that they were made from one another. Some didn't feel that way to each other and just became great friends. He invited us to join him, we accepted and told him of the cliff at the end of the valley, and it would give all the wolves an amazing view of the moon as it came over the mountains and shone over the valley. Later that night me and Rosie were sat in our den getting ready, we felt we should try and look good so I put on some clean trousers and a smart shirt that I bought a while ago. I knew I'd need it at some point. It was a white soft shirt; the inside of the collar was checked red and white. I would role the sleeves up to my elbows as it looked better. I wore this with some cargo trousers seeing as I knew I'd get those dirty, along with my trainers. I wasn't planning on howling seeing as I was human and it would look a little weird. I just wanted to go and watch; hopefully Rosie would find someone to howl with, it would be great to see her find a guy. Rosie spent a while using a pine cone to brush her fur and afterwards she was stunning, her fur went neatly down her back and sides, she found a white flower she liked and put it behind her right ear. After complimenting each other we set off for the cliff.

We arrived 5 minutes before everyone else, we watched as they all came up the path mingling and joking with each other. Rosie and I joined in the laughs and conversations before the moon came over the mountains across the valley.

We all stopped and watched the moon, it was huge tonight! All the wolves went in twos across the cliff side and some a little into the woods spreading themselves out. Me and Rosie sat on a rock near the edge of the trees and watched as all the wolves started their songs. They were amazing! Seeing as now I could understand them now, I didn't hear them as a howl; I heard it as a voice, and harmonic voice singing into the skies. They all sounded the like that, amazing, not one sounding awful. But their individual howls sounded different, they sang to the moon with their partners, some sang for nearly 30 minutes, other for a few, I guessed because they didn't mix.

Rosie's P.O.V

Scott and I watched as the wolves sang their hearts out that night until we were the only two left, all the others gone home. We just sat wanting to watch the moon, that was enough for us. "I wish I was a wolf." Scott suddenly said. I looked at him confused as to why he would wish that.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"So I could howl like that, they all sounded amazing." He said turning to face me. I had an idea come to mind. I smiled and told me to follow me. He got up and followed me to the cliff edge. I turned and sat down and said smiling.

"Howl for me."

"I can't, I not a wolf." He snapped back and not even looking like he was going to.

"You don't need to be a wolf, I've heard you sing and it's not that different. Now howl!" I ordered. He sighed and sat down beside me looking out over the valley. He opened his mouth and attempted to howl. It so wasn't ok, i'll be honest, i'd rather listen to a caribou trying to howl. One this it definatly wasn't was long and he finished coughing.

"I told you I can't" He said laughing and a little embarrassed. All I did was smile and let out a light giggle.

"Try again, but take a moment, look inside yourself and howl from right here." I said placing my paw his chest. "And I'll join in." He nodded and closed his eyes for a little while. But while he did that, i listened for my inner howl, this was my first time after all, so i had to know my own. I was snapped out of thought when he then threw his head back and let out a howl. It was incredible, even for a human. I listened for a moment before joining in on his howl. Our voices intertwined and mixed together to form one harmonised voice. Strangely, they matched, but i didn't care about that. We looked into the others eyes to them swirling green again, both of our's were. We sang for a good twelve minutes before slowly coming to a stop. We looked into each others eyes before embracing the other in a tight hug.

"Thank you." He whispered into my ear.

"For what? That was all you." I said pulling away.

"I couldn't have done it without you, you're a good teacher." He said. We both laughed and returned to watch over the valley. I looked back at him and saw his scarred neck.

"I really wish you'd let me fix that." I said poking his neck.

"I don't want you to, I want to keep it. I can say I got it from saving you from a bear or something." He said reassuringly.

"Yeah, I think it would be me saving you though." We both laughed and fell back. We spent the remainder of the night star gazing and telling jokes and also accidentally fell asleep out here. It was a warm night, I couldn't wish for a better place to fall asleep, under a full moon and clear sky with my best friend. Life could only get better.