Epilogue
Scorch
Scorch rolled over in his nest, tired, but not ready for sleep. He glanced over at his mother beside him. She was awake too, gently grooming Red's coat with long, soothing strokes. "Ma…can you tell me a story?" Squeaked Scorch curiously.
Flower stopped licking Red and turned to him, "Scorch! You should be asleep!" She rolled her eyes, "You little sneak!"
Scorch smiled widely, "Please!"
Flower took a long moment to think, before sighing, "Alright, alright, but this is a special story, on you can't tell anyone, promise?" Scorch nodded excitedly. "Very well then. Once upon a dawn, there was a mother. She lived in a pack not too different from your own one, and she lived there with her mate. They were happy because she was going to have her first litter of puppies, and she wanted so badly to be a good mother. But, the night before her pups were born, the mother had a strange dream. In it, the wicked Kilech appeared to her, and told her that all of her pups would die terrible deaths before they could live out their days peacefully."
"Why?!" Demanded Scorch, horrified. "Why'd he do that?"
Flower raised her eyes, "Be quiet and I'll tell you!"
After a pause, she regained her composure and sighed, "As I was saying, the wicked Kilech told the mother her pups would die-,"
Scorch interrupted, "You said that part already."
Flower glared at her impatient son, but just cracked her neck and went on, "The mother begged him that there must be something she could do to save her precious pups. The wicked Kilech would never pass up on an offer like that, and told her if she allowed him to corrupt one of her pups, there was a chance the others could live."
Scorch leapt to his paws, "Then what?"
"Sit down before your sisters wake up!" Ordered Flower angrily.
Obediently, Scorch settled down again. Flower continued, "Although it upset her, the mother agreed to sacrifice one pup for the others. The next day, her pups were born. The parents were happy that they now had four little pups to watch grow, but one was stillborn. The mother hoped that was the pup she had sacrificed. She was wrong, and as they pups opened their eyes for the first time she saw pure bloodthirsty ambition and vengeance in the eldest pup's eyes. The mother wept because she knew she couldn't risk raising her son, knowing what he would one day become. So, that night the mother took the eldest son to the border, and left him in the cold." Flower looked away for a moment, and when Scorch saw her eyes again, they were cold and distant, "She had to ignore the pain in her heart to save her pack and her family. So she left her son there. She waited in the cold to see if someone would find him, and a fae from the other pack discovered the pup and took him in as her own. She watched him grow from the other side of the border, and hoped that he would be happier where he now lived."
When Flower stopped talking, Scorch cocked his head, "Is that it? What happens at the end? Does he end up being bad or does he become the hero?"
Flower nudged him fondly, "I don't know what happens at the end. Maybe one day you'll find out. Now, get some sleep."
Sighing, Scorch closed his eyes and curled up beside his mother, asleep at last.