Thanks Children-of-the-Blood, Cutemouse-Evilsqueak, JDot940, Elah and Abeytu for reviewing on my last chapter and thanks all to those who added me for Story Alert, etc. : ) I now have pictures of Elayn and Kalan'drios up on my profile, looking close to what I sorta see in my head. Sorry for the delay – I typed up this Chapter at my dads, and sadly forgot to post it, so I have to rewrite it all over again at mums! Elah, just so you are forward, this story will have a few POV's to start with but after this Chapter I plan to keep it to Elayn.
Enjoy peeps – and review ;)
Dustie's POV
The forest seemed to have blue blush to it; it was entirely different to what I am use to, let alone The Pack. Nights here are different to what we are use to too; everything's silent as the Forever Caves. It scared me, and it scared the pack. I have to remain calm though, as to not alarm my Pack even more and send us into havoc.
I bent down and sniffed deeply at the Redwood tree. It was scented with the scents of an unkown Queen, and a male. I bared my teeth and growled softly. We, my Consort Darkfang and I, had noticed for the past few days we were being followed by an unknown pack, probably this territories'.
Although we were passing through, I had my doubts about us being left alone by this territories pack of Kindred wolves. The Pack and I had though this territory to be smaller than ours, therefore the pack small; we only knew the extent of our own turf. There was an unwritten rule that was passed by the Elders to the Queens, therefore the pack: Stay to your own territory.
It was simple enough, but we have a reason for trespassi-
-someone nipped the back of my neck affectionately, but interrupting my thoughts. I tilted my head to see Darkfang, his muzzle very close to mine.
*Stop worrying. You're making me worried.* Darkfang nuzzled my lower jaw lightly as I gave him a roll of my eyes. Darkfang always worries, and I love him for that. I turned my head from him and sat back on my hind legs as I watched the sleeping pack. Half the pack was here, and the other half was behind at our territory, making sure no other packs move over to claim it in our absence.
It gave me the shivers to see our pack divided, but I knew the young and old that were left behind would take care and nurture the land. My attention was for this half of the pack, the ones that were fit to travel.
Huddled together in a sleeping puddle was a group of about eleven wolves, all having the identical dust of colour down their spines that marked them as one from our Pack. I watched as one turned over in his sleep, his coat glowing the unusual blue glow that seemed to illuminate from nowhere. I miss the orange forests, I thought glumly. At least when its night time it doesn't give off a hackle razing glow that looks like it came from a firefly's ass.
Darkfang chuckled throatily, and I realised I must have said that thought aloud. Annoyed, I frowned at him and curled my tail over my delicate paws. I raise my nose high and inhaled the fresh night scents that surrounded us.
Just then, I heard a snapping of a twig. My ears cocked in the direction, my head whizzing around seconds after. As I stared at the place for a split second, transfixed, all I saw were two dark, round lake blue eyes staring at me from the darkness. Darkfang let out a howl next to me at the same moment, and we both jumped to the safety of our Pack, throwing up our Summer-sky and Purple Dusk shields in union, just as sleek black and grey wolves pounced from undergrowth around us, seemingly out of the very ground itself, to circle us.
My eyes widened in wonder – how had we not heard anything? I let my Pack sleep, and there were dangerous wolves not meters from them?! What sort of Queen am I...?
Luckily, The Pack jumped up as if they were all fake sleeping, and more shields came around us as we managed to pull into a tight circle.
The other pack came meters from the protective shield surrounding us, snapping and clawing at air like the shield meant nothing. My Pack was calm, as I had taught them, and looking out for holes in our defensive, although I'm not sure how long it would be before The Pack's composure starts to disintegrate.
I hastily numbered the feral Kindred pack surrounding us, noting they severely outnumbered us by many more than our half-a-pack. I watched out, flicking through the wolves mentally again, trying to pick-out the Queen.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed foreign colours and swung my head over to lock gazes with two deep, dark blue eyes that seemed to hold the Big Ponds. She stood out from our Packs – while hers were all colours of black to grey, and mine were white with various colours down our spines, she was a fiery red that seemed almost paranormally Two-Legged. Around her ankle, enclosed in Thick Grasses that were springing bright pink flowers, was an uncut Opal Jewel, that matched everything different about her.
A huge black wolf seeming twice her size appeared next to her, himself looking like a shadow of the Darkness. The wolves around us calmed down dramatically, as if their feral sides had vanished. I instantly knew this was the Queen and her Consort.
*Lady.* She crooned softly to me, not even bothering to bow formally from her perch on the hill in front of us. She didn't even call off her Pack, which was a sign of disrespect. I raise my head highly and shook my moonlit fur and tried to hold down the growl forming in my throat; this was no time to start a war. Not went we are looking for lost Kin.
*We are just passing through, Sister.* I said in my more dignified tone reserved for Runts like her, *Looking for lost Kin.*
*You've been passing through for days... besides, if any of your Kin would have passed through, I'm sure we would have been... notifided.* She comforted me sourly, looking up at her Consort, who in turn nodded at her. I caught the message and felt a swell of disgust; they would have killed any wolves other than their own, but would they kill a Big Tiger and a Two-legger?
*We are looking for two of our missing Kin, and since they were last scented near your territory, we suspected they must be near here. Could we have your authorization to pass through, Lady?* I asked her kindly, trying to sway her to come to an agreement. I knew all too well what would happen if she said no.
There was a sudden uproar of disproval from her Pack at my words, but she kept her firm blue gaze with me, and waited until her Pack was silent once more. *Unfortunately I-* she started, but was cut off from a maniac laugh that echoed around us.
My hackles raised uncontrollably, my instincts screaming that we flee, but I stood my ground and searched the forests, worried as soon as the Runt Queens' Pack did the same. Whatever that came from wasn't from my Pack, and it wasn't from hers...
*Oh the irony!* A female voice bellowed from the darkness and I spun my head around wildly, trying to find the threat so I could protect my Pack.
I could feel my Pack starting to fret under the circumstances. Worried that we were going to lose our hold, I sent a calm, soothing touch just to the outside of each members of my Pack's innerbarriers. Members instantly damped the scared feelings that were stirring in them, and I was glad I seemed to be more in control of my pack then the other Queen's.
*Show yourself to our eyes!* roared a powerful male voice, though I ignored it, I knew it came from the Runt Queens Consort.
* Oh, but of course.* the sarcastic voice sounded very young, but the body that came out of the woods darkness was anything but.
The wolf seemed to suck the darkness from around it, making it look just as terrifying as Nightmares themselves while the glowing blue haze reflected off the fur here and there, leaving blue streaks. The fangs of the beast seemed extra long in the unnatural glow and the claws looked like those of death. She had bright blue eyes, matching the moonlight, but looking as intelligent, fierce and dangerous of those of the Elders. The Lady-Beast was in a stance that meant she was in control, and my ears flattened against my skull as I smelt her sent of Death.
Her physical sent was so full of power it was enough to make me wheeze and splutter, though I could contain it, members of both Packs buried their noses in different objects to rid of the smell.
There was no movement, and no sound as the wolf just grinned slyly at the Consort of the other Packs Queen. I observed, not looking away from her, until she in turn came to look at me. *Your Kin has not passed through here, though you are going in the right direction. Be warned though, I don't know what to expect.*
I nodded, not seeming to be able to breathe. I opened my mouth, once, twice before I finally managed to say something. *Thank-you.* Although this meant no passage of safety, it meant we were one paw closer to finding Mother Sister Elayn and Protector Big Tooth Kalan.
She grinned at me before spinning around and starting to walk back into the forest. *I think it's safe to say Fireblood and Deathpaw's pack will leave you alone now, don't you? Ahhh how I love the sound of bickering!* The Lady-beast cackled as she walked off, seeming to talk to herself, although deep down in my bones I knew she had heard what I was thinking. She seemed as sleek...so powerful as the Darkness... Was that the Darkness in another form?
But then, what have I done to deserve such an honour?
I stared after her, aghast, before turning around, back to the Queen who the Lady-beast had called 'Fireblood', and her Consort who I presume is 'Deathpaw'.
But when I turned around, feeling my Pack hum with relief...
...No one from the other pack was there.
Damarlon's POV
I'm Damarlon; Son of Aaron from Dharo and Kalush from Nharkhava; I'm a Sapphire Jewelled, 16 year old Warlord Prince.
So why in Hell am I getting my pride soiled on by these two idiots?
"Don't worry Damarlon, I only have to put my cute pink bow in your hair, then put make-up on you, then you can go." Emina assured me, patting the top of my brown locks of hair that had recently been pulled into two high pigtails and sprayed with hair spray.
"Yeah, you'll look so beautiful." Jaeline, my pain-in-the-butt ten year old sister, chocked while cracking a grin. The hair pulling and nail filing stopped for a moment as the two girls exploded into fits of laughter, holding their chests as tears spilled out the corners of their eyes.
"It may be your birthday," I growled at her, "But that doesn't mean I have to sit here and endure this humiliation all day. I'm leaving in ten minutes to go to my sparring practice, so take your fun while it lasts." I waited, hoping that they would both stop laughing at my words like I was sure they would, but was taken by surprise when they both simply laughed harder.
Jaeline fell onto the floor, somehow still managing to hold the nail polish brush away from her body while it dripped beads of pink onto the ebony coloured carpet. I couldn't see Emina because I was on the edge of her bed, and she was behind me (Although I could hear her laughter as ring out in a ah ah ah tune...). Emina and Jaeline's strange actions towards my threatening words were enough to make me think them over again. Carefully.
"You somehow convinced Lucivar to cancel today's sparring practice, didn't you?" I groaned, collapsing my head into my hands. I'd been trying to convince him ever since I'd started at the age of nine...and yet the one day I want to do it, what does he do? He leaves me with the most evil two sisters to walk the realms! I dug my fingers into my forehead at my stupidity.
"No!" Jaeline yelped suddenly sitting up and ripping my hands away from my face. I wasn't prepared, but my warriors training kept me on the bed while I otherwise would have been sent flying forwards.
"What'd you do?!" Emina leaned around my left arm to look at my face, and gasped at what she saw. I looked at her, then at my sister, both who were looking at me with stunned faces. Emina suddenly launched into a fit of giggles as I stood up and marched stiffly over to the body length mirror.
I groaned as I saw what I had accidently done horribly wrong and leaned in close to try and get it off.
"Serves you right for touching anything while your nail polish is still wet, Mister." Jaeline schooled me while her eleven year old best friend rolled around on the bed laughing.
I mumble inappropriate things under my breath that I would be given extra sparring for, just as I attempted to pick the drying pick nail polish off my fore head.
Jaeline came over and grinned at me. "Even though you have nail polish on your face, you still have to let us finish our makeover, Damarlon."
I scowled at her in the mirror.
"You made us do chores on your birthday, and to make things fair after Aunt Gabrielle found out how you were using us, she came up with this; since we did that, you spend a loving day with us on our birthdays. Or have you forgotten?" She chilled me, after pointing out what was so obvious.
This was Jaeline's birthday... Mother Night I'd hate to see Emina's; being Daemonar's sister takes its toll.
I hit my head repeatedly on the mirror in defeat. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I looked up at myself in the mirror.
I had two giant high pig tails in my hair, held there by the two brightest pink bows I've ever seen; lipstick was everywhere on my chest were the two devils had decided to try their 'skills' from their art lessons on me; hot pink nail polish was more on my face than on the nails; I was in pink slippers and along with all this, dark smudges above my eyelids proved that the girls had somehow gotten Claudia's eye liner horribly wrong.
I paused for a moment...Claudia's eye liner... oh that traitor!
I lifted my head up and looked over at the two girls giggling at me from a far, Jaeline half hiding behind her closet. "Don't kill me!" she squealed, and I knew she'd guessed what I was thinking.
"Claudia helped you with this, didn't she?" I asked, swearing black and blue when Emina hid under the blankets and burst out laughing, while my sister hid behind the closet. I connected the puzzle.
"They're all outside this door aren't they?" I groaned loudly, pulling at the bows in my hair, trying to rid of them. My efforts went to an embarrassing waste - It was too late.
As soon as I mentioned the word 'door' it flung open as if saying the word had magically opened it. I dived so I was behind the roof to floor mirror when my best friends walked in. I ripped the bows out, even though the hair stayed in place, just as a hand reached around the mirror and pulled me out and up.
Daemonar's wicked grin stretched his face to the limits. "Oh I'm sorry. Did we interrupt something?"
Emina's howls of laughter came from the bed, following Jaeline's from behind the closet seconds after each other. I looked over Daemonar's shoulder to see the rest of the 'gang'; Reon, Morgahann and Khardeen's son was chuckling behind his fist; Liand, Chaosti and Gabrielle's son, was grinning at me; and Claudia, Daemon and Jaenelle's daughter had a very odd face, and I knew she was trying not to laugh.
"Traitors." I said, with half the seriousness it was suppose to have as I cracked a grin.
And suddenly the room was filled with uncontrollable laughter, just as I felt Aunt Jaenelle walk into the room. "It seems the mystery girl has awoken." She said with a sudden glint in her eye.
Elayn's POV
I shot up as I was awoken from the horribly real nightmare. Sweat drenched me from head to toe as I sat, frozen as ice, looking at my toes that seemed so far away. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and opened them again, the picture still in my mind.
The nightmare seemed so real, along with the scene that overtook me as it ended. Too real for any nightmare I'd ever had... it seemed as if it was actually happening; I was a wolf. Dustie and Darkfang's pack was there, and I remember saying something to them before walking off... as I walked off though, my skin melted into blood...
So much blood... I shuddered and looked to my right, seeing a wooden table with a glass of water on it. I was so thirsty that I leaned over instinctively, stretching my arm as I did, before the realisation hit me; Where am I?
My breathing hitched as I looked around the room. The walls were as tall as one and a half of my old house's ones, and the width of the room was almost the size of my lounge room, so were ever I was it was big.
Both walls, floor and ceiling were made of a stone that seemed to store a dark power within itself. I was in a single bed that had about twelve plain sheets – that explains the hot sweat, along with the cold sweat from my nightmare. There were a few desks with draws spread randomly around the room, along with a walls worth of chairs.
So, there must have been lots of visitors, I thought glumly.
Next to the water on the bedside desk were various types of bowls, all of which had some sort of substance that looked like old green mushy soup. Yuk. I looked over at the window that was spilling the morning/afternoon light though it, and tried to peek a look out.
As I tried though, a pain that felt staggeringly cold pierced through my left leg. I winced and bit my lip. It was like I was having a brain freeze in my leg! Once the pain passed, I let go of my bleeding lip and through the blankets of my leg, not daring to move it.
Nothing seemed different, so, confused, I rolled my right leg out of bed, my left tilting a little like I thought it would.
Mother Night and May the Darkness be Merciful!
My leg!
The whole back of it was a horribly ugly scar that started from my ankle and ended in between my thigh and the back of my knee. I gulped as I ran my finger over it. My whole finger's warmth felt like a hot iron to my ice cold leg.
Horror-struck, I wiggled my toes, and felt a tad bit of relief that I could do so.
I threw the blankets onto the floor and testily moved my injured leg. What in Hell had happened? Seeing as my leg only felt hallow now that I moved it, I carefully pulled it over to the edge of the bed and off so I was now sitting on the edge of my bed.
I shuddered at the sudden cold and crawled horizontally across the edge of my bed till I reached the end. Getting up seemed like a bad idea, so I stuck my head over the rail at the end of my bed to see if I could get a better glimpse of the outside world I was so use to.
Nope. All I could see it the blue sky, and unless a mythical dragon or something' flies past, then I'm not going to be so interested. I sighed, and looked at the door. I could hop around, but not only would that be embarrassing but I wouldn't get far. I looked down...and...Oh a chest!
I studied the huge wooden chest that seemed to be at the end of the bed, but actually went a bit under. Curiosity took control so I shifted in position so I could kick it out from under the bed with my good leg. When it was out, I noticed there was a lock on it. I huffed and reached for it, finding was unlocked.
Spinning it around I throw open the lid and looked at the contents of the chest as a jolt of confusion turned to horror. My mouth opened into an 'O' shape as I stared, transfixed at the objects.
They were mine!
My knifes, my Jewels, my clothes - everything... but these had all been vanished and I hadn't summoned half of these since I vanished them...
It felt like someone had punched me in the gut – I couldn't breathe.
I didn't know how the person had reached passed my innerbarriers and accessed these... I don't even know if that's possible...
But there they were... my positions...
I crawled backwards away from the box of my treasures, my heart drumming as fast as I could run.
I reached out with my Grey strength and felt for my brother on this floor level.
Was he safe? Is he in this horrible place? Is he alone?
I gave up as the search seemed to drain my power too quickly, and so I sent a burst of power outwards from me, my message sent out with it, reaching more people than I had intended, one of which was hopefully Kalan'drios.
Where is he?
*KALAN!*
Sorry it's not tip-top shape. I'm feeling a little tired after doing all my assignments today ;/
Just so everyone knows: Dustie's POV is to show that the wolves are looking for Elayn and Kalan'drios, Damarlon's was to introduce the Coven's children and Elayn's was to show her part in everything, because she's awesome. :-)
Please Review my little chickens ^.~ and I'll try and get my next Chapter up within the next week.
~~ToySoldiers~~
