A/N: I've been posting quite a few chapters because I will be gone for a week or so. I will try to get new chapters published, but it will be hard to get back into a steady schedule of posting them!
Dark-grey, ominous layered clouds were coming towards us from the east. The faster we arrived to the Forest the better. I trotted up to Phantom as I heard the deep, monstrous rolling of thunder. I could just barely catch the clamor of hooves.
"I think there's something ahead," I muttered to Phantom. He nodded as we picked up the pace, the first fleck of snow falling on my nose.
Soon the world became a whirl of frigid whiteness, enveloping my vision. I felt something nudge my side, then my back. I hid in the newly fallen snow, the flakes soon surrounding me. Then I realized it was Phantom, signaling me that we should wait it out. I could hear his breathe through the accumulating snow between us. The snow lit up like it was Sun Time, then, darkness. I looked up. Large, cumulated Nimbus clouds piled atop of one another soared into the sky. A loud clap of thunder made my fur prickle on end. The snow began to pile up above me and all around me.
It became harder to breathe; the only part of the snow around me that was gone was by my nose where I blew out warm air. Finally the lightning and thunder ceased. I dug my way out of the snow, Phantom doing the same to my left. I looked around. The plains had been transformed into a frozen wasteland with no smells and no color besides pure white.
Seven inches of snow lay beneath our paws as we continued to follow the creek, its water plowing through the slush.
"Lupus," Phantom cursed in a hushed whisper. "We just missed them. Balaen Hogs were here, Silver," Phantom said, annoyance in his voice. "Darn snow." Phantom's teeth were bared as he trudged on, his tail stiff with irritation. I followed behind, my ears laid back. We could've had food. Real food, I kept thinking. Rage boiled inside of me. Flames seemed to leap in my storm-grey eyes. I dug my claws into the powder as we walked. I was ready to bring down a Hog. We would find them in the Forest; Hogs weren't as stupid as you'd think. They're short fur coat would never keep them alive if they got caught in a big snowstorm. Herds will always live near a sheltered area when they are found this far North.
Phantom kept his muzzle to the ground, his tail low. I trailed behind him, keeping close to the snow so as to not scare off any Hogs we may stumble upon.
Pine needles stuck out of the thin layer of snow that had breached through the Pine's fortress. I looked beyond the river to the opposite side. Fresh paw prints lined the bank. I nipped Phantom's flank and shoved my ears forward, my tail curled at the end. He followed my gaze.
"We ought to hurry up our hunting," I murmured as we jaunted forwards, following the Balaen Hog's scent trail. The smell of Wolves became nearer—and stronger. Older prints crisscrossed through the Forest where the snow was very thin, like ice on a puddle. The Bayont Pack was small when the war began, over ten years ago, and even more pitiful when the war ended. Either there numbers had grown, or another pack had somehow taken over….
I stayed quiet as we traced the Hog's trail, but I couldn't shut my stomach up. The last meal I had was that Delingo back by the small watering hole. I kept letting small whines loose, my stomach grumbling, while somehow Phantom stayed quieter than a young Seal in danger. I shook my head in disbelief as he walked swiftly through the leaves, needles, and snow without making the slightest noise. I would never forgive myself if a Wolf found us. It would be because of me, definitely not Phantom.
Soon the Pines became sparse and mingled in with relatively small deciduous trees. We were now in the beginning of the Sie Homlie Forest. That's when it struck me.
"Phantom!" I said in a half-bark half-whisper. He looked back at me, his haw raised. "We need to go back… now. We are in the Bayont Pack! We need to go back!" Phantom turned and kept walking. I watched him. I laid my ears back and raced in front of him, a snarl painted on my muzzle, my ears flattened. "We," I talked sternly and sluggish so he wouldn't miss a word, "… need… to… go!" I almost shouted. Phantom looked into my eyes, his oculus shining a brilliant crystal blue. I sighed, knowing he wouldn't listen. I had lost the fight. He again continued, this time with me following obediently. The past few days, neither of us had asked the other to be their mate. We didn't need to, just like neither of us needed to even think of an answer. We knew what we had to do, and we really liked each other—I think we may have even loved each other, formed a close bond. I couldn't leave him, and he couldn't leave me.
The leaden scent of blood reached my nose. Something was killed, or badly injured. The smell of Wolves and Hogs was also strong and radiating through the air. Phantom suddenly halted. As we had taken another step, the trees had revealed quite a sight. One bull and two cows lay on the ground, dead. But it wasn't just the Hogs. Wolves were there, tons of them. At least more than a dozen. The Alphas were already digging into the Balaen bull, with others following behind and eating the cows, leaving the Alphas and their pups from last year be.
"Looks like we were too late," I whispered in Phantom's ear, "again." He let out a shallow sigh. I backed up, steeping on a fallen branch. The brittle piece of wood snapped, sounding like a gunshot in the silent air. The Wolves looked up, their muzzles coated with carmine blood. The Alpha male snarled, his teeth bared, his hackles bristling. Phantom backed up slightly. I followed suit. I could hear the browned leaves behind us rustling. I didn't look back, but I should've, for two Wolves appeared behind us. They growled, their faces wrinkled with hate and distrust. I leaned against Phantom, trying to slow my heart rate back to normal. The one nearest to me had a scar from his stop to his flew. He had some grey hairs poking in through his brown fur. I looked forward as the Alpha male came over, the pack behind him, forming a semi-circle around us.
"Where are you poor lost, young fellows from," he asked, his eyes slits, his lip curled, revealing his sharp fangs. I looked at Phantom. He sort of ducked his head slightly, as if saying, Go on and tell him. He won't hurt you if he knows. Alzaar and Bayont, remember?
"Alzaar—" I was going to say "Pack" but the roaring laughter and howls from the Wolves cut me off.
"Look at that. Ain't that somethin'," the Alpha sneered. Then in a louder voice, "Hey, Caleir, hear that? Alzzzaar," he hissed with disgust. "Thinkin' they can control östlichen Wald— the Eastern Woodland Pack. Fools. And betrayers, at that," the Alpha snarled, his eyes burrowing into mine, searching for my past. "Sure Caleir will have a great time diggin' dem pretty eyes of yours out!" The Pack exploded with laughter again. I peered to my left where the brown Wolf was. Then I realized he was gazing at me, his eyes narrowed. He was Caleir. What happened to them, though? We were allies! I pondered to myself.
"He," Phantom said, motioning to Caleir, "isn't going near her." Phantom's pearly teeth sliced through the air as he talked.
"Oh, hoh," the Alpha exclaimed, "ain't you a beast. Just ask der Caleir what dem wretched Alzaar's did to 'em." Phantom flared his nostrils, a fire burning in his eyes. He turned to Caleir for an explanation.
"Snowfear," Caleir began, "did this to me," he growled angrily, motioning to his scar. I looked at him, then back to Phantom. A tear dripped from my eye. They're going to kill me. Oh my god, they're going to kill me. The realization frightened me. I couldn't die. No…. Caleir continued, his gaze transfixed on me, "He said I didn't obey his orders of watchin' his old mate, Zalachiem. She was murdered on that Plateau. On the bloody Grilmo Plateau! But, darn, I went out and I bloody killed those six Wolves from the östlichen Wald…. But your bloody darn leader didn't think it was worth it. He said 'you let her die,' well guess what? There were other Wolves to watch his dag garn mate! I killed six, six darn Wolves, and Snowfear decided to give me this. Who knows? Maybe those six Wolves that I killed were the reason we won." Caleir's eyes were welling with tears, but not just with sadness, but with utter hatred. "And that was not all," he continued, his voice becoming like thunder, "he killed her! He killed my mate right in front of my eyes!" His attention turned to Phantom. "Maybe I ought to do the same." Phantom positioned himself half way in front of me.
"You aren't touching her!" he snarled, his brow wrinkled in anger. I had never seen him this angry. The Alpha came forward and stood in-between them.
"Right now, nobody ain't touchin' nobody. Caleir, you'll get your chance. First, I wanna know where you come from, mutt," he met eyes with Phantom.
"Don't call me mutt!"
"Calm down, you darn Wolf, just answer!" The Alpha's voice was equally as strong and fierce. His strange sort of accent died down as he yelled. I stood there, frozen still. They could kill me now and I wouldn't feel a thing I was in such a panic. I pressed my nose into Phantom's soft fur as he answered. Lupus, we're dead….
"Hikaylo Pack," Phantom muttered, shame written all over his face. The Alpha flared up.
"Well dun we have a great group visitin' us?" the Alpha called to his Pack. They barked with a gleam in their eyes as an answer. "Yup, we do. Hikaylo, huh, the enemy, and den the Alzaar, the bloody traitors who betrayed us cause they think they're better than everyone else." He looked at Caleir and the tan Wolf beside Phantom. "Caleir, Duskt, take them to the Pit. Don't go killin' 'em," he added. "We'll settle that tonight." A smug smirk formed on his face as Caleir and Duskt took us to the Pit.
RANDOM NOTE: To anybody who has read The Light Unfolding: Noxzo's Journey, please understand that the reason I am not/will not update it again is because of Silverflash. Silverflash is not the reason, but I will tell you why: I prewrite these on Word, and I had about 17-19 thousand words of Noxzo finished, but all of that got deleted (somehow) besides what was published here on FanFic, and for some reason I just can't go back to it and try to re-write it and add on to it. I feel like it was a story that got lost in a fire and I can't bring it back. I hope you understand my situation with Noxzo. -CaliforniaChrome