Silver Snow
Chapter 2: Leap of Faith, Part 2
"Silver…? Silver, come on, wake up…"
Silver didn't want to move. Parts of his body still ached a little and he felt exhausted. His chances for any further sleep was ruined, though, because someone was tapping his nose with an annoying relentlessness. Silver groggily opened his eyes. Snow's face was only a few inches from his, her emerald eyes transfixed into his own. She smiled in relief and brushed her muzzle against his.
"Glad you haven't died on me or anything." She said. If he wasn't before, Silver was definitely up now. Though Snow's affectionate gesture was brief, it made his heart flap in rapid beats against his chest. Silver gave a shake of his fur—perhaps enough to shake the warmth—and groggily got to his feet. The area around him was quiet, save the rushing thin line of river that bisected the land. The place was hilly with the decline going downwards towards a thicket of trees. And upon looking back, Silver could see a vast waterfall in the distance. He figured they must have been washed up to shore when the water had thinned out.
"Are you okay?" Silver asked Snow. Her fur was still a little damp, but she looked fine otherwise. She nodded, then walked over to him, wrestling with her words before she spoke.
"I was…really scared back there, Silver."
"Me too," Silver admitted.
Snow gave him a trivial stare before thanking him. "So any idea where we are?" She made a curious walk around the area, splish-sploshing in puddles. The rain had stopped and the storm clouds were now completely gone. Instead, streaks of orange and yellow from the sinking sun spread in splotches through the air.
"I don't know." Silver finally answered. His eyes followed the river trail. "But we can probably get back home if we follow the river upstream. Okay?" He turned around to receive her answer, just in time to see Snow disappearing down the hill. Silver took off after the young she-wolf, tilting his head. She was already sliding down the hill, going further and further away from their landing pint. "Where are you going?"
"Where do you think I'm going?" A playful smile tickled Snow's maw up to him once she hit level ground, walking off. It took a while for Silver to get it, but once he did, he rushed up to Snow's side.
"Snow, wait a minute—we can't just go off like this. I mean, we don't have a plan; we don't even know where we are."
"So we'll figure it out. Grandma doesn't have all the time in the world, we might as well do this while we're out here." Snow said. Silver rubbed his paw on the back of his head.
"I want to help Eve too, but don't you think this is a little…"
"Crazy?"
"Impulsive—I was gonna say impulsive." He quickly added when Snow turned a skeptical look his way. She seemed pretty resolved and he wasn't sure any kind of talking was going to get her to even consider changing her mind. Snow took to walking backwards as she spoke.
"Look at it this way, Silver. While they're busy trying to figure out who to send, we'll have already had a step forward—"
"In the wrong direction—"
"We don't know that. Anyway, at least if two teams are looking, we'll get it covered twice as fast, right? Right?"
Yeah, in Snow-logic. But Silver knew better than to argue back. They were out. They were going. That was the end of the story. He walked closer to her side without objection. After all, he truly did believe what he had said about his faith in her. The two wolves walked further along down the hill, occasionally scaling down sheer cliffs or grassy slops. Though the rain had left a subtle humidity, a light breeze made it very hard to tell. However, wandering aimlessly in some random direction wasn't exactly in Silver's best comfort. He found himself constantly trying to make sense of where they were, as though some kind of nostalgic marker of home would suddenly appear in the distance.
Snow could hear a noise—maybe voices—coming just a few ways off, and she immediately ran for it. The two wolves came to an abrupt stop behind some bushes and proceeded to poke their heads out. It was true; she had in fact heard voices. Down below the hill was a vast clearing. Tables covered almost the entire ground with the exception of the spots where blankets were laid down. Gray smoke seemed to billow not just from the flames coming from the fire in the middle; there were several round, metallic devices that were sending the darkening clouds up into the air. And all around the area, crowding especially by a small fire, were—
"Humans." Silver sucked his fangs. Humans dotted the entire clearing, chatting in some awkward language that he couldn't have deciphered to save his life. This was bad. Campers came equipped with guns, and he was all for making it to wherever they were headed with the same amount of blood he started with. "Okay, Snow, let's try to find another way. Maybe we can go around." He had started walking, but stopped once he realized that Snow wasn't following him. She was still in the bushes, leaning her head much closer out towards the closing. Her nose wiggled as she scented the air. She could smell food. Lots and lots of it wafting in the wind from wherever the gray smoke was rising from. Her stomach churned in knots and she began to pant.
"Snow!" Silver hissed. He went to grab her, only to suddenly find himself poking his head out of the bushes right next to Snow. His stomach gave a very loud rumble and his nose constantly took in many different smells of the food below. Silver hadn't realized just how hungry he was until now and the more he scented, the more he wanted.
"Open for ideas—really quick ideas." Snow licked her lips.
"Uhm…" Silver rubbed his head, trying to clear his thoughts away from the distracting temptation of just running down and snatching up all he could. When the quickest idea came to mind, he motioned for Snow to follow him.
"Is this really gonna work?"
"Do you have a better plan?" Silver hissed to Snow. Branches and twigs were constantly poking into his skin and threatening to snag against his fur. But the only thought he could entertain as a plan had been to pile on several twigs and branches until he and Snow practically looked like bushes. He could tell it wasn't any picnic for her either, but it was either that or end up eating a bullet sandwich. "Alright, let's be patient with this. If we get caught, we're…Snow!"
But Snow was already gone down the hillside trail, her tail wagging underneath the disguise of leaves. She winced every now and then when a stick stabbed her, but she was purely motivated on one thing only. Silver slapped his paw to his face and scooted after her. The two wolves quietly snuck down into the camp of humans, stopping only when the creature's were close enough to walk by them. Their eyes fell on top of one of the tables, where a plate full of hotdogs sat at the very edge. If they were careful, Silver believed they could make that. He reached his paw out of the branches and put it on Snow's tail to keep her from moving just yet.
"Just wait…" His eyes darted around, and once every human had averted their eyes, or had stopped walking nearby, he let go and the two of them loped on tiptoe closer towards the table in the slight distance. They couldn't move particularly fast, and that made it harder to ignore the teasing scent of not just the hotdogs, but every scrap of meat and foot that was in the campsite. Silver could already taste the hotdogs in his mouth, and had almost given into the single-minded urge of pursuit. But upon hearing a crunch, he suddenly hissed for Snow to get down and the two of them dropped as still as they possible could. A human—one who was rather tall and stocky—turned to gaze at the bushes. The inquisitive look on his face was unmistakable, and he reached up to rub his fingers beneath his glasses as though something would disappear or reappear by doing so. When he realized that nothing was moving, he shrugged his shoulders, took a hotdog, and walked off. Silver and Snow waited till his back was turned before the two of them raised up and hustled their way closer. The scent was getting stronger, and Silver licked his maw till the fur pressed to his skin.
"Yeowch!"
Plap!
Silver suddenly forced both himself and Snow back to a dropping position, pulling away the paw that had stepped on her tail and slapping it over her mouth to keep her quiet. Snow frowned at him and he had to mouth "I'm sorry" several times before she actually forgave him. They looked around and started up again when they were sure that no one was looking their way again. When the two wolves had finally reached the table, they had to keep from all but leaping out of their surprisingly effective façade. Snow was the first to lean out. Her paw brushed something down as she balanced it on the bench of the picnic table, but her fixation on the food was too much for her to care. She licked her lips and her nose barely touched the paper plate on the edge.
"Awaa!"
"Huh?" Snow's head turned sharply, reluctantly, to the side. She wasn't sure if she or Silver had ever truly noticed the rather small human child sitting on the bench just a couple of feet back. The round thing clapped her hands together and garbled loud in something almost worse sounding than the larger humans.
"Awaa! Awaa! Awaa!" The child giggled and pointed her tiny fingers right towards Snow.
"No, no, no, Sssshhh!" Snow put her finger to her mouth, as if the furless tyke could understand. But the baby only hushed for a moment before clapping a lot louder and banging her hands on the bench.
"Feed it something!" Silver hissed. Snow almost didn't. The moment the hotdog was trapped in her mouth, it took every ounce of her will to not just down it right then and there. She flung it so that it landed with a plop against the baby's forehead.
"Oops, sorry," Snow brandished her paw apologetically.
"…." The tiny human's eyes suddenly began to swell and her sniffling had become very frequent. She didn't even seem to notice the hotdog at all, and in a manner of seconds, she had let out a high-pitched wailing that made Snow hold her ears. Silver yanked Snow down off the table so abruptly that she almost slid past her own bush disguise into his. His concern quickly fell again the humans that turned their way all at once. Silver sucked his fangs. If they moved, they'd definitely get noticed if not already. One human rose to his feet and began to walk their way. Snow had to fight a defensive growl back down her throat. The tall, lanky camper inched closer, until the two wolves could see the thicket of dried mud clinging to his boots. He leaned over the false shrubs, adjusting his glasses, and then reached his hand down Slowly. Snow winced her eyes shut while Silver's ears pinned forward aggressively.
The hand dropped to the ground, picking up something small, rubber, covered in mud at the end. When he held it up, the baby human almost stopped bawling immediately. Instead, she repeatedly slammed her tiny hands together. Whatever it was must've been hers. The tall human made a noise of disgust. He rubbed the dirt off the pacifier, then proceeded to pick up not only the baby, but the plate of hotdogs before walking off. Snow slapped her paw to her face in the bitter-sweet moment she and Silver shared. This was all starting to be more trouble than it was worth. But another rumble of their stomachs made turning back a groundless option.
Snow was the first to see it. One of the humans close by made his way towards one of the nearby parked trucks. His arms were spread at the waist, loaded with a long, blue colored cooler. As he dumped the rectangular container onto the truck bed, the top flipped up just long enough for Snow to catch a glimpse of all the meat inside. She was sold.
"Silver, did you see that?"
"I'd rather pretend I hadn't." It was a half-hearted response that Silver gave only out of the desire for no more close calls. Snow rolled her eyes and haphazardly trailed forward through the camp. The moment she was close enough, she shook her disguise away and bounced into the truck. A second thud told her that Silver had landed right behind her. She was too hungry to waste time and flipped the cooler top open, rewarded with the sweet, sweet smell of hotdogs, ribs, hamburgers, and just about any other kind of meat product the campers could procure. She took it back—this was totally worth it. Without a moment of hesitation, the two wolves tore into the cooler carelessly enough to knock it down before them. For a long while, the only sound Silver focused on was his and Snow's chewing, and once he was full, he gave a low growl of satisfaction underneath his breath. Snow must've been hungrier than he was because she hadn't stopped well after him.
"Here, you're making a mess." Silver walked over and put his paw on Snow's head in order to hold her still. Without thinking, he gingerly started to lick and nibble the scraps of meat off his best friend's muzzle. Snow froze. Her chest seized with a warmth around the edges. Her heart drummed against her chest, and she could've sworn that her tail had begun to wag. She opened her mouth to protest, but a quiet "Uhm," was all that she could seem to manage.
"There," When Silver had backed off, he smiled. It had seemed brotherly, and something about that made Snow just a little upset. She gave her fur a shake and went over to gaze off the edge of the truck bed in some attempt to avoid eye contact for a while. She hadn't noticed it when they were eating, but the truck was moving. A swirling cloud of dust trailed behind the powerful wheels and the trembling of the mechanic carriage came equipped with a low, metallic humming noise. Trees passed them by in swift, wooden blurs, the truck leaving the campsite far behind. She didn't seem particularly worried. It wasn't like they knew exactly where they were going in the first place. Snow laid her head down on the side and enjoyed the wind blowing on her face.
"Well, there's no turning back now, huh?" Silver said.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess not."
Silver's head cocked to the side. He went to take up Snow's right side and laid his head down next to hers. "You okay?"
"Hey Silver…do you ever feel…you know. Weird when you're around me sometimes?" Snow asked.
"We're weird wolves." Silver mused. Snow turned her head to face him. Her emerald eyes reflected an orange shine from the sinking sun that made them glow. She searched his own for a moment of silence, then shook her head.
"Nevermind."
From that point, it was a pretty silent ride, but Silver didn't mind it that much. He let Snow lean against him, the two of them listening to the many bumps the truck made down the long, twisting trail. The trees eventually began to thin out, and a wide-open road was quickly replaced with tall building structures. At first, it didn't seem to be a problem. A human here and there wouldn't have really noticed a couple of wolves hitchhiking in the back of a camper's truck. But with the increase of buildings, and subsequently the number of people, Silver and Snow had ducked their bodies down low into the truck bed. Human voices had become plentiful, some shouting to the point of making the two wolves' ears perk up in alert. Silver sighed.
"You think we'll stop eventually?" Snow asked him.
"Not sure. I'm more worried about stopping somewhere safely." Silver said. When the truck finally did stop, it was like a slap in the face. Silver and Snow poked their heads up just enough to get a glimpse of a small town. The buildings were more close-knit than they were when they were riding, and there were more humans than they had ever seen in their lives. The door to the truck opened and the human camper got out, walking into one of the buildings across the street. How long would it be before he checked the back of his truck and find the two furry stowaways inside?
"Hey, smell that?" Snow's nose wiggled as she scented the air and licked her lips. Silver smelled it too. Something sweet was carrying a heavy scent towards them. The smell seemed to be coming from one of the buildings just across the sidewalk from them. Every time a human walked through the door, the scent fluctuated even stronger. Snow licked her lips when she felt the craving set in.
"Yeah, it smells good, but—" Silver frowned and suddenly pulled Snow's head back down into the truck when she had leaned too far out. "Don't do that, Snow. Any one of these humans could spot us."
But Snow wasn't hearing it. She put her paw onto his muzzle and nudged him over playfully. "You need to relax, Silver, it'll be okay. We didn't get caught before, right? I'm practically an invisible wolf."
"No, I'm the invisible wolf and you're the one about to blow our cover." Silver rolled back up off his back.
"Just come on." Snow said in a voice that implied she wasn't changing her mind. Silver watched her wait until the walking humans had thinned out before shadowing her out of the truck and down onto the concrete sidewalk. Once the door to the shop had opened again, the two wolves snuck right past an oblivious human's legs inside. The building was bright; lights hung from ceiling and showered the booths and tables in a sheen of yellow and orange. There weren't nearly as many humans inside as there were outside. The slight sound of some kind of music came rising from the jukebox in the corner, playing the chorus over and over like a broken record. Snow weaved through the tables all the way to the back of the shop. A double door was cracked ever so slightly, and with another sniff of her nose, she confirmed that the something sweet was definitely in there. She flashed a grin back to Silver.
"See? I told you I was invisible."
Silver playfully rolled his eyes and bade her to go on.
A loud smack whipped into the air, and Silver only had a matter of milliseconds to catch and tumble back with Snow as the double doors struck her muzzle.
"You okay?" Silver asked.
"Define 'okay'…" Snow answered, her gaze not breaking the straightaway of her line of vision for some reason. Silver glanced up. The human loomed over them like an obelisk dressed in white from head to toe. His chef hat hung crooked from the side of his head, revealing curly black locks beneath. His bronze face was splattered with flour, and he held a rolling pin in one hand and a rather large spatula in the other. Silver watched his expression melt from surprised, to fearful, and then to downright fury. So much for being invisible wolves..
"Get going!"
"Right behind you!" Snow nearly tripped in her scramble over Silver and the two of them broke into a flat-out sprint. The human let out a roar of language they couldn't understand and the next thing they knew, they were suddenly being forced to dodge fly-by silverware, pots, and even the rolling pin the human had possessed. Their paws slid on the smooth tile, and the myriad of tables and chairs served as obstacles in their path.
More screams came with every human they passed, and it became a sweet relief when Silver and Snow burst through the door. Or rather, a short-lived relief. Almost every head of the passerby in the street had been attracted to the commotion. Snow revolted as more of that language and screams filled the air.
"Snow, hurry up!" Silver's head nudged Snow so forcefully that she teetered into a run down the sidewalk. The human decked in white was still boldly chasing them, waving tools they had never seen before in a fit of rage. People parted whenever the two wolves passed, and a flock of birds bathing in a street puddle suddenly flitted into the air like an explosion of feathery confetti. Snow and Silver had no clue where they were running to. The sidewalk seemed to go on in a never-ending twist of concrete. But it was the best idea they had.
BAM!
"Ahph!" Something hard, metallic, and cold ricocheted off the side of Silver's rump, ringing pain down into the marrow of his bones. He yelped, losing his balance, and crashed hard onto the round.
"Silver?" Snow made a skillful u-turn and was at her friend's side in seconds. "Come on, get up—we don't have time for this, Silver!" She nudged her muzzle under Silver and started to lift him up. Silver slowly rose back to his paws.
"Keep going, Snow, so we don't—"
Silver's voice had been cut off. A looped strap dropped down over his muzzle, clenching his mouth down to where he could barely move it. His head shook and pulled, but a stronger force pulled back, yanking him down onto the ground. Growls, deep and aggressive, came rolling from his throat and Silver struggled in rabid kicks and twists to free himself. The strap was connected to a long pole, held tight by a large, heavy set human in dark sunglasses. His head jerked when he heard a whimper coming from Snow, catching her in a struggle of her own from another human. A protective rage built in his body. However, that had only lasted for a few furious moments. Something sharp pricked his hindquarters and within seconds, he felt his consciousness slipping between the lines of reality. Silver glanced down. A needle protruded slightly from his skin. The young wolf fought hard, his eyes feeling like lead weights. Just a nap, his inner voice would provoke. He was fighting a losing battle, and his eyes focused on Snow as his world slipped away.
Snow was the first to wake, and she was simply irate. Not only from the groggy feeling the tranquilizer left, but from the place that the humans had placed her in. The stone enclosing was just small enough to accommodate room for her to move around. The lighting was poor, and the cell was blocked off by black steel bars. It made the imprisonment of her territory seem like paradise in comparison. But worst of all, she couldn't find Silver. Snow put her muzzle as far between the bars as she could. There seemed to be several cells just like hers in the dungeon-like place, each housing some kind of animal. A dark stone staircase lead up towards a wooden door that was slightly ajar, letting a few rays of light flit in.
"Silver? Silver!" Snow hissed. What answered her wasn't Silver, but rather a very wheezy laugh coming from a cell across from her. The dog's brown fur was shaggy all over and dirty—it had probably been a while since he bathed. One of his ears hung to the side and there was a scar across the right side of his cheek.
"Take a breather, lass. You'll be stuck here long enough to see your friend, I promise ya." He said. Snow frowned and tried to span her eyes around the entire inner sanctum. Silver wasn't in any of the cages across from her. Maybe he was in the ones on either side of her, but those she couldn't adequately see into. The dog sighed and leaned against the bars of his cell. "Your friend be sleepin' next to your block, lass. He put up a devil's fight—had to sedate him twice before they got him in his cell."
Snow found herself in a panic. She let out several barks and howls—anything to get her best friend's attention. In return, several animals in their cages threw angry slurs and looks her way.
"Aye, keep it down—we've got enough problems without yer belly-achin' on top of it. He'll wake up when he wakes up." The dog said. Snow sighed and sat down. How long would she have to wait for Silver. Was he hurt, and if so, how bad? The minutes seemed to roll on forever, but she had heard the familiar groan of her friend and went to press as close to the bars as possible.
"Silver, are you okay?"
He didn't respond immediately. Silver's head felt like a thick fog had settled all around his thoughts. His muscles were tender and refused to obey, and his nose stung form the salty smell of rust in the air. It took Snow's voice to call his name a second time before Silver had become fully awake.
"Snow…?"
"I'm here, Silver—did they hurt you?" Snow asked worriedly. Silver checked. Four paws, one tail, head on right—everything seemed to be in order.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"
"I'm okay." Snow let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah, so the wee lass's boyfriend is awake. We can all get a good night's sleep now."
"Boyfriend?" Silver and Snow exclaimed at once, both of their chests seizing up with warmth. The old dog gave another wheezy, amused laughter. Silver gripped his paws around the bars of his cell and looked around. He scoffed at not being able to see Snow, and even more so that he couldn't brute-force his way out of the prison.
"Where are we?" Silver asked.
"This is the pound." A smaller, female dog chimed from a cage two cells down when no one else responded. "This is where the humans put stray animals for holding."
"And how do we get out?"
"Aha!" The old brown-furred dog's laughter bounced against the stone walls. "If we knew the answer to that one, boyo, we'd all be long gone by now."
The tiny mutt sighed. "Don't mind him—he always gets this way when newcomers arrive."
Snow closed her eyes, and the look of worry was back on her face. "Silver…we can't stay here. The longer we wait, the worse grandma'll get."
"I know, I'll figure out how to get us out of here somehow." Silver told her.
"Good luck with that, boyo." The old dog gave a skeptical roll of his eyes. As much as Silver didn't want to admit it, the senior mutt was right. He had no clue how to get them out, or any idea where to start for that matter. The only thing accompanying him in that godforsaken cell was a bowl half filled with dirty water. The ground was solid stone—too hard to dig into. Silver swore under his breath.
"Just relax," The tiny dog said, "It's really not that bad here. The humans even feed us." He couldn't say that was very reassuring, and by the low growl coming form Snow's cell, he knew that being told to relax was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. Silver laid down to try and gather his thoughts. By now, the sedative had completely worn off and he could feel his strength returning. For all it was worth though, it couldn't help him and Snow out now.
The door above the staircase was suddenly kicked open, allowing a flood of light to come bursting through the darkness. Silver and Snow stared up through the bars. Two uniformed humans grunted as they walked down the stone steps. One of them was holding a small, struggling creature, while the other pinned his mouth and claws down. They babbled loud in their incomprehensive human language, risking being knocked off the stairway by their manic capture. Upon closer look, the creature was revealed as an otter. His body wiggled like a fish on a hook and when they finally hurtled him into the cage, the humans slammed the bars shut with a loud clang.
"Owwww…." The otter's voice echoed. When he realized the silence, he bounced up to his feet and gripped the cell bars. "I-I mean, you better walk away! If I hadn't just unleashed on the last fifty humans, you two'd be in a world of hurt!" He poked his chest out, but Silver nor Snow—or any of the impounded animals, for that matter—were buying it.
"Great, another loud one." The old dog walked to the back of his cell. The otter frowned and made a not-so-appropriate gesture that made Snow laugh.
"I must've run into some good luck if I managed to make someone laugh. So now…" The otter glanced around the room, "Who's onboard for busting out of this rock?" At first, no one answered, but when they saw that he was completely serious, the lot of impounded animals roared with laughter. The otter jumped, gripping his cage bars tighter. "I'm serious—I didn't come all this way just to get duped by a bunch of bad-smelling humans." He exclaimed.
"Aye, says the genius otter locked behind bars." The old dog stated. Snow felt just a little better—at least someone else shared hers and Silver's enthusiasm for escape.
"I've been around the block and I've seen your type, pal." The otter folded his arms, "The only way you're gonna get out of here is gas up the nose or a cold bullet to the head."
"Say what, boyo?" The old dog growled. But judging by the looks of the other animals, it was an unvoiced concern they all held. The senior took to pacing in his cell, the chagrin clear in his expression. "Alright, genius otter, how do you come off like you're gonna liberate everyone here?"
"I'm not. Only the ones who wanna bust out with me."
Silver looked around. The otter's statement was an expectant one, meant to rally up anyone with the hope of getting away. But the well of hope looked dry in the crest-fallen expressions of the ones who had been in their cells beforehand. They scoffed, or jarred at the otter's response as they went back to whatever laying position they were in. The old dog sighed and looked up with what Silver thought was his true expression. His aged eyes were sullen and heavy, and his ears dropped as thought permanently stuck that way.
"Do us a favor, boyo, and don't do any. It's been too long for that."
Snow pressed her face between the bars. "Us—we want to get out."
"Yeah, we have to get out fast." Silver said, "Do you have a plan?"
"Is the sky blue?" There was a loud chink and the otter dropped down onto the floor. He grinned triumphantly, spinning a metallic ring loaded with keys on his tail.
"The cell keys? How'd you get those?" The tiny mutt sat up in slight alert.
"Talent. Because I'm such a genius otter." The otter aimed towards the unbelieving cell mate. The old dog gave a grunt. The otter strolled over to Silver's cage first, turning the key to the lock and letting the door swing open. "I easily nicked these from the humans when they were fighting over me." He boasted as an afterthought. But Silver was more focused on Snow. The moment her cage was open, the two nearly crashed into each other. They checked each other over, as if not believing when they had said they were okay, until Silver began to realize her muzzle stroking up against his own. The two of them let out a surprised gasp and drew back, finding it hard to look each other in the eye.
"Tch, the door may be open, but you'll still get caught." The old dog grumbled. If the impounded had gotten their hopes interested, his statement had surely sent them crashing back down.
"Again, you underestimate the magnificent thing about being me, old man." The otter skipped to a corner, coming back with a trio of empty cardboard boxes. Silver slapped his paw over his face—he knew where this was going and wasn't too thrilled. Snow jumped when the box was slapped over her first, then silver second. Her ears perked up beneath the cardboard that had completely obscured all but her paws.
"Follow each other's feet, and if I say drop, drop down and don't move!" The otter hissed. Snow nodded, though she knew it couldn't be seen, and heard Silver grumble an agreement behind her. She could see the otter's tail under the box before her, just enough to start moving when he did. All around the room, talk of failure was thick. But by all accounts, it was better than rotting in a cage. And—with a twinge of guilt—admittedly a little fun. The three of them crept incognito up the long stone staircase. The door creaked loud when the otter pushed it open, and as the light flooded under their paws, Snow could hear the hushed gobbled speech of the human language again. She followed in zigzags with Silver right behind her. Or so she suspected. Every time she went to look back, the back of the cardboard box obscured her sight of him.
Thump!
Snow staggered back when something bumped into the front of her box; the back struck Silver's and, judging by the sound, nearly knocked him over.
"What's going on, Snow?" Silver asked, his voice muffled.
"Dunno, I hit something." Snow leaned down, just enough to see underneath her disguise. Her head tilted inquisitively to the side. There was a pair of mucky white shoes very close to the cardboard. Her ears caught the sound of human speech, and before she could even say anything, the box was yanked right off of her. Silver's fur went up in surprise as the sudden loss of his disguise. The three gazed up to the looming, shocked group of humans completely decked out in white.
"Twice in one day? This is ridiculous…" Snow grumbled and suddenly found herself being pushed into a run from Silver crashing into her.
"Less talking, more escaping!" An explosion of commotion erupted in the small office-like enclosing and the humans mobilized like robots, pursuing the three escaping animals. The otter was the first to burst out the door onto the sidewalk. Silver and Snow welcomed the fresh air of the cool late evening as a welcomed change to the damp, musky scent of the pound. The three darted down the sidewalk at a full blown sprint, with Silver glancing back occasionally. Granted, the humans were fast, but four paws beat two feet anyday. A human in white gave a disgruntled roar, taking up something long and metallic he had been holding in his hand. A gun. Placing it up to his vision, he aimed the barrel with a deadly accuracy and pulled the trigger.
"No!"
Silver rammed his head into Snow's loin, fearing the risk of hurting her in the back of his mind. But surely, any pain she got from a fall was nothing compared to getting shot. The tranquilizer dart ricocheted off the ground between them with a loud ping.
"Silver…" Snow's surprised look melted into a sweet, very appreciative smile. Silver's heart gave a powerful, warm throb against his chest.
"Goo-goo eyes later! Scatter already! Get those furry butts outta here!" The otter shoved Silver off to one side and Snow to the other. "I can take on a few wimpy humans no problem. Go on ahead, I'll hold them off for you—"
Bang!
"Nevermind!" The otter tore up the middle of the sidewalk so fast that a trail of dust and debris followed behind him. By now, an entire platoon of humans in white were sprinting up towards the three escapees in the distance. The human waving the gun looked especially furious, readying his weapon for yet another shot. Snow looked reluctant to split away from her best friend, so Silver went to flank her side as they took off again. The sidewalk quickly turned into black, widespread road. And just behind the reaches of street and building, the two could see a stretch of a large body of sparkling water.
Screee!
The most sickening sound Silver and Snow had ever heard caused their ears to press down to the sides of their heads. Bright, flooding lights equipped to screeching behemoth-like machines zoomed by so dangerously fast that the wind that stirred made the wolves' fur stand up. Silver found himself and Snow constantly backing or skipping in frantic panic as the cars swerved around their bodies. The closer they came to the middle of the street, the more the cars and trucks seemed prone to crash into them. There was another loud screech, and both Silver and Snow froze. The car came sliding down the road in a manic swerving motion as the driver lost control. Cars zoomed across the other side of the road, blocking their way to the other sidewalk. Silver rolled Snow under him protectively, the two of them holding their breaths, closing their eyes, and waiting for the impact. There were more loud screeches, followed by deafening crashes that shook the ground beneath them.
But the impact never came. Snow opened her eyes. The grill of the car blew hot air just inches from her nose, and when Silver had let her up, she could see a slew of vehicles smashed against and piled on top of each other. The smell of burned rubber was strong, and the humans were shouting at the top of their longs. The pursuers in white scrambled to try and get over the blockades, yelling back at the irate drivers. Once some had gotten over the debris, they immediately took towards Silver and Snow while ignoring the jars and commotion surrounding.
Something familiar and slightly nostalgic seemed to click as Silver and Snow took off running towards the sidewalk. And as the humans literally dove and dived in some desperate attempt to catch them, they found themselves weaving in between the huddle of legs and fly-by bodies in an almost psychic synchronicity. Silver's movement practically mirrored Snow's; their bodies crossed and swerved along the thick black of the street, sending anyone who had dropped down towards them to stumble into the middle of the street. The two of them bounced onto the hood of a crashed car (gaining an unwelcomed scream from the driver) and finally made it to the sidewalk.
"Over here!" The otter was a short ways off, bouncing and waving his arms. Silver and Snow followed him through a dark alley and up into the bed of a truck parked on the other side of the emerging street. The truck had a tarp of which the otter yanked overhead. The trio lay in silence, watching the tons of feet belonging to the catchers rush past them. When the commotion had died down, Snow and Silver looked to each other before bursting with laughter. They rolled onto their backs, pawing the air playfully as if they were still pups.
"We haven't done something this stupid in a long time!" Snow exclaimed.
"We haven't done something this stupid ever." Silver said, but he whole-heartedly agreed with Snow's interpretation of fun. It was something about escaping that had a thrill edged in appreciation to it.
"Go back out and try it again?"
"Yeah, it wasn't that much fun."
"Still, Silver," Snow's expression turned soft as she gazed to her best friend. "Thanks for helping me out back there. You're always looking out for me." Silver felt the corners of his mouth slowly turn up. Something about Snow always made him feel beyond happy; that every second he spent close to her was something precious he could never replace, or even be without. He wasn't sure how long it took him to answer, but when he did, he found a nervous stutter in his voice at the beginning.
"W-well, of course I am. That's what friends do, right?"
"Do you wanna move to a more private truck?" The otter grinned, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Silver and Snow gave a flabbergasted protest that didn't even make sense, and he roared with laughter. "I'm just kidding, just kidding. My name is Arin, by the way. And you two?"
"I'm Snow."
"Silver."
"Well put 'em there, Snowflake and Shiny Eyes." Silver wasn't too sure how much he liked being coined "Shiny Eyes" as the otter shook both his and Snow's paws with his own. "So how'd a cutesy couple like you wind up in the pound of all places? You don't look like human pets or anything."
"We were heading up north." Snow pointed her finger up, as if actually pointing out some general direction. Not that she had the slightest clue where they were anyway.
"That's kinda vague. Anywhere up north in particular?"
"We're trying to find a rare flower that grows up in the north—a flower with silver petals—so we can cure Snow's grandma." Silver said and Snow nodded in agreement, only looking worried for a moment at the mention of her sick grandmother. Arin rubbed his finger against his chin for a moment in thought, then snapped his fingers.
"Oh, you must mean the Asimi Bloom. I've heard of flowers like that growing close nearby where I live."
"Seriously?" Silver and Snow leaned forward so abruptly that they knocked Arin back onto the truck bed. He rubbed where his head had hit and nodded.
"Yeah. I was actually heading up that way anyway to go see my family. I don't mind if you two decide to tag along with me for a while." Arin told them. Silver and Snow looked to each other with the same beaming expression. Maybe their trip wasn't going to be such a wild stab in the dark after all. Arin leaned over to the side of the truck bed and looked underneath the tarp. "Humans try to be so systematic sometimes. We'll have to lay low here for a while till they clear out, but there's a boat that will take us part of the way to where we need to go if we make it." He continued to say.
"Uhm, you sure do seem to know a lot about humans…or the outside in general for that matter." Snow was reluctant to say so at first.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I spend a lot of time around them. I've been around the block a couple of times—" He nearly jumped when he turned around, the two wolves looking at him with expectant expressions on their faces. He couldn't possibly have known how little they actually got out in comparison, but didn't complain at the openness. Arin cleared his throat and held his finger up in a matter-of-fact stance. "It just so happens that ever since I left home, I've been passed off from one human to the next as some sort of pet. I've ridden in cars and trains and even a plane or two before. I know how they operate in their world and…I'm confusing you with all this, aren't I?' Arin rubbed the back of his head when Silver and Snow cocked their heads to the side. He plopped down to a sitting position. "Point and case, I've got seasoned experience about the world and I'm not afraid to use it to get to where I need to be."
Snow liked that, and she wanted it; to gain some of that seasoned experience that she was missing about the world. Not that she was all too thrilled with being tossed back into another one of those dark, musky stone cells again. She didn't hesitate to ask Arin any question that came to mind; what the world outside was like; how different things were beyond the scope of her territory; the adventures and travels that the small otter had been so fortunate to make in his life. And Arin seemed all to thrilled to spin his answers in the most dramatic way possible. Silver's interest was indeed piqued, but he couldn't say that his fascination was as great as his best friend's. What he wouldn't do to be back home at the moment, maybe sitting on the ledge that overlooked the entire Jasper Park; gazing at the setting sun casting shadows like thick inky blankets over the land; listening to the sounds of his friends playing in the background; and himself snuggling extremely close against Snow's side, his muzzle pressed in affectionate closeness against hers…
Silver hadn't realized how deep he had gone into his reverie until Snow had asked him if he agreed about something. He managed a nod to her and laid his head down. Something was definitely changing. Sure, he cared deeply for Snow—that was a given since the day he had met her. But lately, his thoughts about her had been drifting further away from the more playful ones to something much more affectionate. He let his eyes wander over to Snow. She was still listening to Arin talk on, and he found himself smiling at how she was eagerly taking every story he told in. If she was now out, finally living her dream about seeing the world, then Silver was more than happy that he was the one who got to share it with her.
Silver was just about to doze off when he felt Snow rapidly prodding his side with her paw. He rolled over and groaned. He hoped she wasn't going to make a frequent habit of wrecking his sleep.
"Come on, we have to go." Snow hissed to him. Arin was already yanking the tarp up and motioning for them to get going. The two wolves dropped down onto the black street and followed after the otter. The only light that was provided in the black of night came from the few street lamps and the glowing quarter moon high in the starry sky. The town was much quieter during the night, and there weren't nearly as many humans walking around, if any at all. Snow looked into the dark corners, as if to find some kind of trace of them. Not that she was complaining that the coast was so clear.
"Where is everyone?" She asked.
"Humans don't really stay out so much at night around here. Think it's dangerous or something." Arin made his way across to the sidewalk and looked off to the slight distance. The sparkling lake was closer than before, and a slightly sizable boat floated atop the surface near the docks. They were in luck; it looked like a straight clean shot towards their destination. "Good, looks like we still have a little time before the boat leaves the pier."
"Then let's get movin—" Silver's ears suddenly rang as something hard struck the back of his head hard enough to force a whimper out of him. The next thing he knew, he was down, fighting black spots over his vision. Snow whipped around, only to start backing up with Arin pressed up right behind her. The human's white uniform was horribly blackened with dirt and muck, and even torn in some places. His hat was askew, showing the brown of his hair, and the right lens of his sunglasses were cracked in such a way that they could see the fury set in his eyes. The man let his firearm hang limp at his side as he advanced on the she-wolf and otter until he had backed them up against the side wall of a nearby building.
"Any plans?" Snow growled, wishing she had more wiggle room. "I don't wanna go back to the pound."
"He doesn't have any intention of that." Arin gulped. "I can smell gunpowder. There're bullets in that gun." Snow gave a slight jump. Suddenly, the whole on-the-edge concept didn't seem so fun anymore. The human slowly raised his gun to his line of sight—savoring the moment of having the two animals cornered right where he wanted them.
"Do something Arin!"
"I am!" Arin hid himself completely underneath Snow's tail, his body trembling. Snow swallowed hard, unable to break her eyes from the barrel of the gun.
"Silver…"
Silver gave a groggy groan and raised himself up to his feet. He had heard Snow, and when his eyes had finally focused back on the world around him, he let out a sharp gasp. They constantly darted between Snow and the gun, over and over until his memories started playing like a broken movie reel in his head. A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time started to slowly creep its way into his body. Flashes of memory—memories of being surrounded by raging flames—interjected between his reality and self-consciousness, until the flames had begun to lick and burn at the edge of his vision. Silver let out a very deep, very dangerous growl, feeling the rage deepen to a maddening boiling point the moment the human had begun to squeeze the trigger.
BANG!
The trigger had been pulled. The shotgun shells had been fired. So what the human didn't seem to understand is how the shells now lay crumpled on the floor before the trembling white wolf. He frowned in confusion, before suddenly gazing up at the street lamp next to him. The light was flickering wildly, as if it had shorted out several times over. Not just that one, but all of the street lamps were blinking in sporadic instances, until the glass suddenly shattered and all that was left were impossible floating orbs of light where the illumination had been. The wind tickled the humans ears, and he began to tremble in slight fear. The shadows—be they in the corners of alleyways or beneath the few parked cars on the road—had begun to twist and converge with a life of their own. The moon glowed, as though it were enraged, spreading a thick feeling of foreboding all over the spit of town. The human was almost too afraid to turn around.
Silver stood in a low crouch with his claws literally digging cracks into the concrete. His fangs were barred like sharp ivory knives and his fur stood on the end to the point of being almost needle-like. The shadows and the light converged around his body, forming wispy waves of contradictory elements about the outline of his figure. All the while, the enraged flames burning inside of him seemed to get hotter and hotter. Silver wanted to kill this human. Every burning nerve in his body roared with the intent of murder. The human muttered in quick, flabbergasted tones, aiming his gun in such a shaky manner that it took him a while to get a good aim on Silver. The shots roared like cracks of thunder; a curtain of wispy light and dark whipped up in front of Silver's body almost immediately, crunching the steel-studded shells to scrap on the ground. The elements moved faster than the speed of light, embracing the gun and causing wicked cuts to the attacker's hands while ripping it out of his grip. Drops of blood flecked to the road in light, but sickening splatters. The human gasped while he watched his gun being crumpled and torn in utter disbelief. Silver stepped forward. The human stepped back. With his back arched, Silver let out a loud bark. The human wailed and turned to run as fast as he could, not caring if he had knocked over a few garbage cans, or slammed crotch-first into a parking meter.
Snow opened one of her eyes. She had heard the shot, but didn't feel any pain. As a matter of fact, there didn't seem to be a speck of blood on her, save the splattered red she saw on the street before her. Arin was still trembling under her tail. She decided to pay him no mind and look around. To her short-lasting relief, the human was gone, the gun no longer pointed at her face. What she saw instead was Silver staring off dangerously into the distance. The shadows and light had stopped converging well before she had opened her eyes, but the burning rage still commanded his body. Silver's eyes were no longer kind and sure. Instead, they brought back the feeling of dread that Snow had the first night they met; the feeling that urged her to run as fast as she possibly could and not look back. Instead, she swallowed and took a cautious step forward.
"Silver..? Are you okay..?" She knew it was a dumb question, but it was all that she could think of at the time. Silver's eyes snapped over to Snow, like a predator who had just found his next pray. Snow dared to continue moving forward. "Silver…what's wrong with you? This is…this is just like before." Silver let out a deep growl that had almost stopped her. The closer she came to him, the harder his claws dug into the pavement. Despite the danger, Snow moved just inches away from him, staring into his eyes. Something was horribly wrong, and she couldn't understand why he seemed so mad and so cold. He didn't move, but she could easily tell that a wrong one on her part could lead to a fate worse than the gun. Snow sighed and lowered her head.
"…." Silver's paw reached up, slowly flexing his sharp claws. Snow closed her eyes, waiting in glum silence. The paw came down—and started to very slowly ruffle the young she-wolf's head fur. Snow snapped her head up. Silver's other paw was pressed to his forehead. He grunted as the flames slowly simmered away from his vision, taking the rage and the hate along with it. It seemed painful, especially when he dropped to the ground and shook a little. But his episode only lasted a few seconds, and when he opened his eyes, they were kind and soft again. "Promised…" Silver whispered.
"Silver!" Snow knocked her best friend down, pushing and rubbing her head against his so hard that it started to hurt. "What happened? Why were you like that again?" Silver let out a sigh. All he could truly recount was being enraged and seeing the human run off in fear. Everything else just seemed to be a burning blur in his memory.
"I don't know…just didn't wanna see you get hurt." Silver looked up, just now realizing how much Snow had been nuzzling him. She must've realized it too, because her eyes snapped open and she suddenly backed up, pawing the ground nervously.
"I-Is it over?" Arin opened his eye and looked around. He noticed that the coast was clear, and jumped up to his feet, waving his fists and shuffling back and forth. "I-I mean, yeah—it's a good thing he ran away! Any longer and I'd have opened up an entire can of beat-down on him! Hmph!"
"Right," Snow giggled and shook her head, rubbing her head fur back into place. "Why did he leave, anyway? Did you hurt him, Silver?" She looked to him, recanting the scene of Silver standing atop the bear when they were pups. Silver sat up and looked around. Snow and Arin didn't seem to be hurt. He saw blood, but none on him, so he could only assume that he hadn't hurt anyone.
"Maybe he just got scared off or something." It was the best Silver could come up with. The trio didn't have time to sit and chat long. The sound of a foghorn bellowed well into the still, night air.
"Ah! We've gotta move, now!" Arin rushed off on all fours down the sidewalk. Silver checked Snow over again to reassure he hadn't broken his promise before the two of them sprinted after the otter. They made their way down the pathways and onto the docks of the pier. The boat gave another whistle as it started to slowly shove off from the shore. Arin gave a panicked gasp, jumping atop one of the dock posts and leaping onto the deck. Silver butted his head under Snow as she jumped and made a leap of his own. While Snow rolled onto the deck, Silver barely had enough luck to cling over the edge. He scrambled up with Snow's and Arin's help and the three of them rolled onto their backs, sighing in relief.
It hadn't taken long for Arin to fall sleep once the boat was well off in its way across the vast lake. The only humans that were on board were beneath the deck, and that left the topside completely free for the trio to be out in the open. Silver walked over to the edge of the railing and looked out over to the rolling waves below. Flecks of cool water washed up to his face, and he couldn't help but smile. The lake was indeed a serene sight to look at. Something about it made him feel at peace. Even moreso, the moon reflected almost perfectly into the water like a wavy mirror, adding to the splendor.
"Hey," Snow suddenly plopped down against him. Silver's ears perked up when he felt her leaning her head down against his shoulder. The wind played with her head fur, and upon glancing down her way, Silver couldn't help but admit how stunning that actually made her look.
"Hey," He nudged his tail playfully against hers.
"You know, without all the running, and shooting, and being thrown into dark cells, this isn't half bad, right?"
"Heh, if that's what you think." Silver let out a slight laugh.
"I wonder…how grandma's doing." Snow looked up at the moon. Her thoughts seemed to splatter guilt all over the bit of fun she was having now that she was outside the box of her home. Silver rested his paw on top of hers reassuringly.
"I'm sure we'll get there in time, Snow. I mean, we're already on the right track, aren't we?"
"Yeah…I still can't help but worry though. And mom and dad are probably going nuts right now." She sighed, "I didn't think about how it would make them feel if I just ran off like that…" Silver's thoughts immediately fell on Anna. His overprotective mother was probably pulling her fur out by the roots trying to find him. It made him feel horrible, but they were too far out to stop now. Silver looked to Snow's worried look, and wished she would smile again. Everything always got better whenever Snow smiled…or said his name…or was anywhere near him for that matter. He thought about how much fun she was; how she always seem to get him in the right mood whenever he was down, or how he couldn't seem to make sense of the world whenever she wasn't around.
Silver felt his heart starting to drum against his warming chest, and smirked only slightly at his sudden realization. He was in love with her. He had always been in love with Snow, since they were pups; since she came back to let him know that everything was okay even after he had lost himself that night. All of the nervousness, and the warmth he felt whenever he caught himself gazing into the radiant emerald of her eyes, or whenever she even so much as called his name, suddenly made sense. Silver looked down to his paws, right down to the beaded bracelet he never took off. The voice of the old wolf from his memories echoed wisely within his thoughts; the only bit of memory that he could really attest to.
"Once you find someone special—someone you can't live without—give to her this gift from the heart…"
"Snow…"
"Hm?" Snow turned his way. Silver slowly nudged the beads off his wrist and held Snow's paw in his own. He let his fingers and the tips of his claw roll gingerly through the white of her fur, to the back to her pads on the inside. Silver's eyes met hers, smiling with an amount of affection Snow had never seen before. It made her tail wag and her heart beat wildly against her chest. He slowly rolled the beads onto her wrist, patting them once when they were secure. Snow gasped under her breath.
"Silver, I can't take this…it's all you have left of wherever you came from…it's too special…" She protested quietly. Silver shook his head, his voice capped with a warm kindness that made the warmth tickle in her chest.
"And that's why I'm giving it to you. Because you are special." Silver said. The rosy color that had flooded Snow's cheeks stood out on her white fur. Silver kept his paws wrapped around hers, his heart urging him to tell her everything; to tell her how happy she made him feel; to tell her that he loved her. But for some reason, his words fell short, and whenever he even felt close to saying so, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. "Snow…I…"
"Yeah..?" Snow wasn't aware of how incredibly close her muzzle had been inching towards his, or didn't care for that matter. The only reason she even noticed it was because she had started to feel Silver's warm breath puffing against her maw. A minute shiver coursed throughout her body, tensing up almost every muscle and giving her the sudden urge to brip the back of his fur. She opened her mouth, awaiting him to speak; tasting the scent that gently wafted from the surface of his fur.
"I…"
"ZZZZZZZZ! No! That's my cheese doodle…" The two wolves nearly jumped and turned their heads towards Arin. The otter had rolled onto his back, kicking his foot into the air. A line of drool hung from his mouth and his paws were balled into weak fists that occasionally punched into the air. Granted, the little otter did seem to be full of it half the time, but there was no doubt that he had been helpful.
"Aww, that's so cute." Snow giggled and made her way over to him. Silver rubbed the back of his head. It sucked that the moment was over, but then it wasn't like he felt he was going to be any successful in advancing it anyway. Snow laid down next to Arin and then motioned for Silver to come over. His smile met hers and he made his way to take a spot behind her. She leaned against him, batting his paw away when he went to ruffle her hair again. She glanced down at the bracelet now adorning her wrist, and tried to hide the flood of rosy red that branded her cheeks again.
"Thank you, Silver…"
"You're welcome, Snow…" Snow laid her head down atop Silver's back, and the two were soon fast asleep, huddled up against one another.
Things at the den weren't looking too good, and Winston wondered how much thicker the tension in the air was going to get. He looked over Eve protectively, the worry wearing more age into his facial expressions. His mate's breathing was shallow, and her fur had lost every bit of its once proud luster. Every now and then, she would whimper in pain, and hit made Winston wonder how much more she was going to be forced to suffer. Not that Eve was now the only problem on his plate. Garth, Lilly, and Anna came bursting into the den. Their fur coats were tattered and mucked up, and exhaustion wore like masks on their faces. Winston sighed—he could've used some good news right about now."
"D-dad, I can't find Snow anywhere! We've searched all over the territory." Lilly exclaimed.
"And Silver is missing too…" Anna whined. Winston shook his head.
"And Kate?"
"She's still looking. I'm about to head back out again." Garth Answered.
"Okay, just stay calm. They couldn't have gone too far—we'll find them." Winston had trouble believing his own words, but at least it got Garth and Lilly motivated to go out and look again. Anna didn't move. Her eyes were heavy, as though she had been crying her eyes out. Winston put his paw on her shoulder."
"He's the only pup I have…" Anna whispered.
"I know. Try to be strong, okay? He'll turn up." Winston's words didn't quite put her at ease. He let out another sigh and went out to get some fresh air. The entire den area was in a hidden static. Talk of impending doom for the sick Eve and the missing members were everywhere. It made Winston sick. With both Kate and Garth gone out looking, it had been up to him and Tony to keep things together.
"Dad!"
The voice had been Kate's, and to Winston's disdain, it again sounded like anything but good news. The young alpha female parted the bystander wolves. Normally, Hutch and Kandu would have been flanking either side of her, but instead they were helping to support another wolf that Winston hadn't seen before. Her brown fur was ruffled, revealing cuts all over her limping body, and on her arm, her fur was cut in such a way that it looked like a flame. She was nearly about to fall over. Winston dropped down from the den mouth and over to Kate.
"We found her along the riverside. She's hurt really bad…" Kate said before he could speak. Winston looked down to the she-wolf before him. She gazed up, and something dark made the old wolf grit his fangs. But as quickly as he had seen it, it left, revealing a subtle red color. Winston fought against his better judgment and motioned for Kandu and Hutch to take her into the den.
"Any sign of Snow or Silver?" At this, the female's head turned back slightly.
"No…I think maybe they might have left off the territory." Kate answered worriedly. Winston slapped his paw to his face.
"Did…you say Silver?" The she-wolf suddenly spoke in a very soft voice.
"Yeah, why? You know where he is?" Kate looked hopeful, but the newcomer shook her head."
"No reason…no reason at all…"
Will Silver and Snow make it in time? And just who is this mysterious she-wolf who has appeared on the scene, and what does she have to do with our two protagonists? Stay tuned to Silver Snow to find out!