Gone with the wind. Part I.

This was it.

Today was the day.

The wedding day.

I put a smile on my face and prepared myself.

Marriage under such circumstances was.. well, a rare occasion.

It would be hard to, but I had to face it all with a smile.

And then lead a peaceful life for the rest of my days.

And yet, I felt that something was missing.

Oh well. I shrugged it off and headed outside. While the inside of the cave was dark and lifeless, the outside world was a completely different deal.

Spring.

Flowers were in full bloom. The sky seemed to be bluer than ever, with no clouds in sight. Blades of grass swaying in the gentle wind, rubbing against my legs. A few knots still remained in my hair. Luckily, I saw Lilly coming by with a pine cone, as promised.

She started combing my hair. I saw a few wolves desperately running to the river to prepare themselves for my wedding. I grinned at the sight for a short time, before my expression eventually faded back to the same tired Kate I had been for the past few hours.

I mean; this was my big day. Why was I so.. downcast?

I just realized something. Where was the person who was my best friend for the longest time?

Where was Humphrey?

I figured that even if I didn't see him now, I would most certainly see him at the ceremony. Because if he didn't show his face to the crowd, we would have to find a replacement last minute. Hehe!

Lilly accidentally pulled my hair too hard. Wait, Lilly! I had totally forgotten about her while I was deep in my thoughts.

Cone on, Lilly, why on my wedding day, of all days?

I turned around to give her a piece of my mind. Instead what I saw was a piece of her's.

Her fur was now a bleak light gray, stained by tears. I just realized that she had been silently sobbing all this time. It was amazing how she managed to not spill a single drop onto my fur. I opened my mouth to speak to her, but as soon as she noticed me looking at her, she simply said "Excuse me." and ran away, her now loud cries getting quieter and quieter, before going completely silent.

What happened to her?

The only sound that now rang in my hears were the airy notes of the wind, which seemed to get louder by the passing second, as the wind picked up speed.

I felt a presence near me, besides the wind, of course.

I turned around. It was the guy I wasn't expecting to see now, but was expecting to see sometime later today.

It was Humphrey. I smiled upon seeing his radiant face.

For some reason, that name struck a deep chord in my heart. I guess it was because he was my best friend.

"Hello, Humphrey!" I smiled warmly at the omega. Our recent adventures have been pretty fun.

"Hey, Kate." He tried to manage a smile, but gave up. Why? He was usually the most cheerful person in the cave.

Why was everyone sad today?

"Humphrey, you're the best man. Why are you sad?"

"I'll tell you later. It's not important. At least compared to your wedding. Hey, where is Lilly?"

Right. Lilly. What was up with her today? "She ran away crying for some reason." Even the pretty strong breeze blowing by did not bring me her scent.

Humphrey sighed. "I hope you're happy with your choice. Your sister obviously isn't. I'll go now. Don't expect me at the wedding." That was a lot harsher than something that the Humphrey I know and love would say.

"What are you.. talking about?" I was confused about this choice thing.

"Oh, your choice of man." I was stunned. What?

"Humphrey, I didn't have a choice. I had to marry Garth. What, should I rather have chosen war? And what does Lilly have to do with all of this?" I spat at him, angrily.

"I meant best man, Kate." I felt embarrassed. Why did I have to get angry at him for that? But, somehow, I felt like he was lying in the last sentence.

"Humphrey, I'm sorry-"

"Never mind, Kate. I'm leaving the pack."

"Humphrey! Wait! Why?"

"Don't worry, Kate. If I get married someday, you'll be my bride. Oh, wait, I mean bridesmaid." His words were cold. It struck me like lightning.

The wind around me suddenly died down. Humphrey disappeared from view.

I suddenly realized what was missing.

All those times I spent with him...

All those happy memories...

He risked his life countless times to save mine.

I suddenly understood what I felt around him.

I ran after him, to stop him in his tracks, to ask him to come back, to plead for his forgiveness. If I didn't succeed, I would simply go with him. I needed to find him.

But, where was he?

I had been a fool all this while.

I just realized now that I loved him.

And he loved me.

But now, he was gone with the wind.

Of course, this doesn't mean I didn't get the happy ending.

Things happened, laws were broken, permanently, and I got my choice again.

The wind always comes back.

And this time, I decided to go along with it.

I made the right choice.

But, that is a story for another day.

My name is Kate, and today, is the day I get happily married to the love of my life, Humphrey.

NOT THE END!

There are still two more parts left to go! So, stay tuned! And try to leave a review, please. Constructive criticism helps me improve. If you people think that this story is good enough to get a separate entry on the archives, please let me know. Thank you for reading, and stay safe!

Writer with a heart.

EDIT: Typo.