Chapter 6: We're in this together.
Darcia heard Star gulp silently.
" We're not going to cross that are we?" Star asked.
" Do you want to get to Paradise or not?" Darcia scoffed.
" Well, yeah, but, isn't there a way AROUND it?" Star asked.
" Star." Darcia laughed at her silly suggestion. " This is a lake, a really long and deep lake, if you want to waste 3 days to find a way around, go ahead."
" No, but, are you sure it's safe?" Star asked.
" There's only one way to find out, Come." Darcia said, and began heading down the hill.
They stopped before the icy bank.
" I'll go first, to check how much weight it will hold, follow my pawprints, and if it cracks lightly, do not panic." Darcia said.
Star watched nervously as Darcia slowly walked onto the ice.
It cracked slightly under his paw, but he let his other front on out on the ice, and soon, his whole body was standing on the ice.
He stood there a minute listening to the cracks and gurgles coming from the ice and water below.
After a few minutes, it stopped.
" ok, follow after me." Darcia whispered as he slowly took four more risky, deathly steps.
Star gulped again, and put one of her paws on the first pawprint that Darcia had made.
The ice cracked even more.
She immediately retreated her paw back on the dry safe land.
" Darcia!" Star cried out.
He stopped and turned his head, he had gotten pretty far and deep.
" I-I can't do it!"
" Star, this is the only way, come on!" Darcia said, turning his whole body to face her.
At that moment, the ice burst into billions of shards in the air right behind Darcia, and something with gray smooth skin appeared.
It's sharp teeth attached to Darcia's hind leg, and began dragging hi back, into the watery depths.
Something sparked inside of Star, and despite the cracks that were spread all over the ice, she jumped out on the ice, luckily landing right in front of the two.
" Darcia!" She screamed as she jumped, and she sunk her teeth into the nape of his neck.
In a human way she had a hold of his hand.
" Star, let go! He's gonna sink us..." Darcia was silenced when his body was jerked into the water, with Star still holding on, and they were both dragged into the water.
Darcia was struggling, because of the unexpected air loss.
He felt Star put her front paws on the sides of his neck, as she boosted herself foward, using him as support.
Star went down to the huge seal, close enough to where she extracted her claws, and sliced its right eye down to his cheek.
The seal roared, releasing Darcia in the process.
Star waited for him to swim up a little before following.
Darcia reached the surface gasping for breath, Star coming up not far behind.
" Star, you are an Idiot, do you know that?" Darcia said as he pulled himself out of the water, then turning to help her up.
" Do you realize he could have killed us? Why did you try so hard to save me?" Darcia asked.
" Because... We're in this... Together." She shivered out. She was tembling from the cold dripping water.
" We'll talk about this later, right now, we need to get across the lake, and find a place to warm you up." Darcia said.
They then walked in silence, their fur slowly drying.
Star was still shivering.
Darcia looked over at her, walking in her human form, tightening her jacket that was around her.
" You know you might be a lot warmer as a wolf." Darcia said, he was in his human form as well, but the cold didn't affect him much.
" What... Difference does it make? My... Wolf fur is... Freezing cold, not... That much different... In my... Human form..." Star said as she continued trembling.
Well that was true, but a girl this young can only survive so much, and she did look to be 16 or so.
As they walked, Darcia sighed, and he took off his furry cape that he wore over his armored long sleeved suit.
He took it off and turned, wrapping it around Star's shoulders.
She stooped and looked at him.
" You don't have to..."
" Until you are dry and warm, yes. I do." Darcia stopped her.
She wanted to argue, but, on this trip, Darcia was the Alpha, or the boss.
" Thank you." Star smiled, and she wrapped the large cloak around her.
They then continued walking.
Star was surprized.
Darcia has done so much for her, Why?
He tried so hard to protect her, keep her safe, and warm. But Why? What had she done?
Her wolf senses were waking, and the scent of Darcia's cloak reached her nose.
He smelled so... Good, fresh, and strong.
Was this what his scent was?
Star wrapped it tighter around her, letting the wonderful scent engulf her.
Darcia once again looked over at her as she tightened her hold on his cloak he gave.
' At least she has finally stopped shivering." Darcia said.
The rest of the way across the ice was pretty safe.
Crackling would sound under their feet every now and again, but it was safe.
An hour later they stepped onto flat land, with snow on it.
" Are you ok?" Darcia asked.
" Yeah, here." Star started unwrapping the cape handing it to him.
" keep it, we're not out of the cold yet." Darcia said without looking at her.
Star was hesitant, but she let it go.
And let the cloak rest draping around her shoulders, the rest of it going down, as if she was wearing a cape herself.
His cape.
Darcia smiled to himself.
They walked in silence, the only sound was the crunching snow under their feet.
They walked through the silent forest.
An outburst of a grumbling stomach came from Star.
Darcia stopped where he was as he waited for it to end.
" Star, can you hold on just a little bit longer?" Darcia asked as if he never heard it.
" yeah, I'm fine, really." Star said.
Another grumble from her stomach disagreed with her.
Darcia lightly chuckled, " You may be find, but your stomach isn't."
When he looked at her, he saw her blushing.
" Don't be embarrased to be hungry." Darcia said.
She blushed deeper, embarassed now that she had actually been seen blushing.
" Come, we will rest over there." Darcia called his wolf form, as did Star, Darcia's cape resting on her back.
He walked up to a tree.
This tree was big! And had a cave like opening.
" It's not much, you can sleep in there, and I'll sleep outside." Darcia said.
" no, we'll make do. It may not be enough room for us to sleep spread apart, but..." Star stopped and blushed again at what she was thinking.
" What." Darcia asked.
" WE could... AHEM... Sleep together." Star faked a cough, an embarassing cough as she said the last part.
Being accidentally pressed against his body to help her up a cliff was weird, but what would it be like if...
" Nevermind, I'll sleep outside." Star said.
" No." Darcia said.
" Yes, you have saved my life more than needed, I owe you." Star said.
" Fine, I'll try to find myself a cave and you can sleep in the tree." Darcia said.
" That sounds better." Star said.
They parted ways, Darcia went off to look for a cave.
Star was about to enter her little 'den' when she heard a chattering noise.
She looked up noticing a squirrel.
As her instincts took in, she lunged onto the tree, and soon, having the squirell in her jaws.
It squeaked, and she shook it, tightening her grip on it until it went limp.
She jumped back down to the ground and went in the tree opening, laying down, and enjoying a warm dinner.