Chapter 21

"Snowpaw's Backpack of Wonder."

4/2/17 - 4/3/17 - 4/4/17

Snowpaw

Snowpaw smells a bush filled with small, green berries and recoils from the stench. Blaze smiles at her reaction.

"Smells like a skunk, doesn't it?"

"It's horrible!" Snowpaw exclaims, backing away from the bushes.

"It helps. I think those berries help keep the wolves away from us."

Blaze pads toward his caught rabbit, and Snowpaw grabs her hawk. The hawk tried to strike Snowpaw from above, but it backfired when she dodged and killed it.

Snowpaw fixes her backpack and pads behind Blaze and goes back to the Tribe. Watching them from a peak, Shard, Mace, and a broad shouldered white wolf male. Shard nods to her team and heads back to the pack.

Nightpaw

Nightpaw fastens her teeth on the dead falcon and faces an excited Spiderpaw. Eagle, Wolf and Weasel watch the prey-hunter and cave-guard apprentices with interest.

Nightpaw spins around and tosses the falcon into the air. Spiderpaw bunches his back legs, and leaps into the air and grabs the falcon as it fell four fox lengths to the ground.

"Nice catch!" Nightpaw's praise made Spiderpaw brim with pride.

Dove hides behind a small rock, and watches the two lake cats practice. Spiderpaw bites on the falcon and tosses it in the air. Nightpaw leaps, and grabs the falcon with her claws and pounces on it when she hit the ground.

"I must say." Eagle said to the young cats. "It's very odd to see a cave-guard to-be catch a bird out of the air."

Spiderpaw puffs his chest. "WindClan cats are the fastest and nimble cats by the lake. We see more birds than any other cats and we sometimes catch 'em out of the sky."

"And yet you have the build of a cave-guard." Wolf put in.

Nightpaw can see Spiderpaw tense up, and notices Dove hiding behind a rock.

"Is that Bird's daughter?"

Weasel looks in Dove's direction. "Oh, Dove that Sings at Dawn! Are you here to watch us?"

The cream colored kit's head immediately disappears behind the rock.

"That kit is so clingy to her mother…" Wolf whispers as Spiderpaw pads to the rock she was hiding behind.

"Hey, Dove. Want to watch us?"

Dove stares up at him with wide amber eyes before nodding. She follows Spiderpaw out to the clearing.

"I don't think I know any cat that managed to get Dove to follow them." Eagle comments.

Dove twitches her tail nervously. Six moon's old, Nightpaw would have had her as a denmate. She places her paw on the falcon.

"Dove! Catch this!"

Nightpaw tosses the brown falcon into the air, covering Dove in its shadow. Dove jumped back before the falcon falls on top of her.

Spiderpaw flicks his ear. "Nice dodge."

Loki

The broad shouldered white wolf silently follows Sleuth and Shard up the slope in the dark. Sleuth stops and looks at Loki. "Go."

Loki nods and walks through the waterfall. His nose picks up the faint scent of saltwater, and follows it to a cave opening. He looks inside, his eyes peering through the darkness, and sees a pure white lump on the ground.

Loki growls and sinks his teeth into the white she-cat's neck and lifts her off the ground.

"Snowpaw!"

Loki turns and runs before he feels the claws of the cave-guards sinking into his legs and back. He shakes them off and runs outside where Shard and Sleuth were halfway down the slope without him.

Loki and Snowpaw disappear from sight in the darkness below.

Beechpaw

"We have to find her!" Beechpaw yowls. "The wolves are going to kill her - we have to go, now!"

"Beechpaw, calm down!" Owlpaw told the RiverClan apprentice.

Stoneteller appears from her den as Wolf approaches her.

"The wolves came in, Stoneteller."

"Did they kill anyone?"

"No. They just took Snowpaw."

Stoneteller growls. "Their vision must be better in the dark…"

"So are we!" Beechpaw protests.

Owlpaw whispers to Spiderpaw. "Isn't it a myth, though?"

Spiderpaw hisses. "Shhh!"

Stoneteller says, "We have to trust in the Tribe of Endless Hunting to watch over Snowpaw tonight. I want the cave-guards to head out to get her with Eagle as senior leader."

"What?!" Nightpaw exclaims. "Suppose those wolves eat her before you send the cave-guards?!"

"Nightpaw." Bird whispers to her. "We have to trust in the Tribe of Endless Hunting and StarClan to spare Snowpaw. There's nothing we can do while it's dark out."

Nightpaw growls and bows her head, fretting over her cousin.

Fenris

The white furred Omega opens his eyes and sees Sleuth, Shard and Loki return with a small white cat dangling from Loki's jaws. Fenris lifts his head.

The wolves surrounded Loki as he drops the white cat down and swarms her almost immediately before a commanding howl made them back away. Alpha strides toward the white cat and smiles at her confusion and fear.

"This is the strange cat, Alpha." Loki said. Alpha walks around the white cat and briefly licks Loki's forehead.

"I knew you were a good son."

Loki smiles and beams with pride, and Fenris glares at his behavior.

He acts like he's her only pup. What a laugh.

Alpha turns her attention to the white cat. "What is your name?"

The white she-cat glares at Alpha. Fenris is quietly impressed, nobody is dumb enough to refuse Alpha's questions or demands. Alpha frowns and moves her snout close to the white cat's.

"Speak your name. Now."

"... Snowpaw."

The rest of the pack snicker and poke fun at the white she-cat. Alpha removes her snout from Snowpaw's face. Alpha stalks around her in a circle.

"Well then, Snowpaw, you're obviously not one of those mountain cats. You have no mud on your fur, and taller than them. Where are you from?"

"Places."

Alpha frowns. "That isn't good enough. I want you to tell me where you came from."

Snowpaw glares at the massive white she-wolf. "Not a chance."

Alpha stops behind Snowpaw and glares at her backside. "I don't appreciate your attitude. I invited you here from the goodness of my heart, and you won't return the favor?"

Snowpaw gets up and glares at Alpha. "You killed five Tribe cats!"

"It was justified." The white she wolf chided.

Snowpaw sneers. "No, your mate's death is the true justification for your crimes."

The cave becomes cold, and Alpha bares her teeth in a snarl and Fenris' pelt bristles with memories of Alpha's fury.

"I see cats don't understand how to talk to an alpha." She whispers coldly. Alpha looks at her pack.

"See to it that this cat is guarded. Her pack is sure to find her tomorrow, and we'll return her to them when they meet our demands."

"I don't want her near me!"

"Neither do I!"

"Put her with Omega! Even he can't screw it up!"

Alpha slowly nods. "Snowpaw, you will stay with Omega until we decide your fate. And Omega."

Fenris looks into Alpha's accusing glare. "Don't mess this up."

Snowpaw

She wanted this night to be over. Snowpaw hasn't kept track of how long she's been with the pack and she's already sick of these arrogant wolves. A sentry takes turns guarding the only entrance of the cave. Snowpaw feels cramped in the small cave space she shared with the white wolf.

What was his name?

"Omega."

"That's not my name, idiot."

Snowpaw glares at the white wolf's backside turned to her. "Sounds like it to me."

The white wolf snorts. "Ignorant cat… you're no better than the pack."

Snowpaw bristles her fur angrily. "I'm not like you wolves. I don't kill cats for territory and food! Not to mention you get fat off of prey you're stealing, and you're just like the rest!

She feels a small hint of triumph when the wolf falls silent. The white wolf turns around and bores his yellow eyes on her.

"You talk about me as if you know me." He growls. "Just wait. I'll find something abnormal about you, and then you'll know not to run your mouth judging by looks alone."

Snowpaw took the time to look at the Omega wolf closely. He had the snout and teeth, but his ears… One is floppy while the other is pricked up.

Like a dog's ear… He must be half-dog, no wonder the wolves were mocking him.

"What is your name?"

"... Fenris."

Fenris suddenly pushes her out of the cave. "Now's your chance."

Snowpaw looks over her shoulder and sees nobody guarding the entrance. She looks back at Fenris.

"Don't even look at me." Fenris told her. "I'm used to what punishment I have coming for me. Alpha would punish me even if I kept you here. Go!"

Snowpaw backs away from Fenris, and turns around and races down the slope and into the bush covered hunting grounds.

Snowpaw feels her throat burning with thirst for water. A chilling howl echoes in the mountains, ten fox lengths behind her, and her tail bushes up. Snowpaw runs, but the thundering sounds of wolf paws catch up with her. She runs and hides behind a bush and reaches inside her backpack and pulls out a small, green berry.

Even though her face isn't too close to the berry, it stinks like crow-food bathed in skunk scent. An idea went off in Snowpaw's head and smirked.

Petalpaw, you sly vixen.

"Where is that runt?" Growls Sleuth. Cliff, Zephyr and Sprint were close behind him as they try to make out Snowpaw's scent. The white-silver flecked she-cat takes aim as the three scouts move past her. She throws the berry, and it hits the back of Zephyr's head.

"What in the name of-?!"

Snowpaw throws another berry directly on Zephyr's nose, and the juices splatter on his eyes, partially blinding him. The jet black wolf yelps and vigorously tries to rub the stinky slime off his nose. Snowpaw runs between Sleuth's four legs and into the open valley.

Sleuth glares at her group. "Stop fooling around and get her!"

Zephyr, Cliff and Sprint race after Sleuth's charging form, but Zephyr slams his face into a dead tree and falls back, and hits the ground with a puppy-like yelp.

Snowpaw sees and runs toward a tall, withering tree, and climbs up before Sleuth could bite down on her leg or tail.

"Get down here!" She growls. Snowpaw stands on the branch and pulls out more berries and drops them down on the wolves below. A berry falls into Cliff's nostril, and the brown wolf howls as he shakes his head to get the berry out, unintentionally hitting Sleuth with his head.

"Watch it you dufus!" She barks. Snowpaw looks in her backpack and finds a nettle wrapped like a ball. She throws it down at Sprint, hitting the white she-wolf in the eye.

Sprint yelps and recoils to the side, knocking Sleuth down, and knocking Cliff down in a domino effect.

Snowpaw leaps from the tree and runs away from the wolves, giggling and triumphant over her victory. And all because of this contraption her sister made.

I gotta remember to thank Petalpaw later!

Fenris

"You!"

Fenris dodges the swing of Alpha's paw with a duck of his head. Alpha's yellow eyes glow with outrage of his defiance. She quickly pins him down as Sleuth, Cliff, Sprint and Zephyr watch them with smug self righteousness.

"You had one duty. One! Watch the prisoner, and you couldn't do that right?! Haven't you shamed me enough?!"

Fenris only thought about Snowpaw, wondering if she made it safely.

Obviously she must have, since the Tau and Upsilon didn't return with her. And why do they smell so bad?

Fenris is brought back to reality when he feels Alpha's teeth grab his scruff and throw him against the wall. Fenris' vision becomes blurry from the blow, but he can see Alpha's pure white fur coat walking close to him.

"Answer me, you rotten mistake!" She growls. "Of all the shame you brought me the moment you were born, you better have a good lie!"

Fenris looks at her, and frowns as he straightens his posture as a sign of defiance.

"If it's any consolation, I'm more ashamed of you, Crystal. You're the one who mated with a dog!"

Alpha's scent gave off fury and shame at the mention of her old name. She looks at the pack. "Maul him. Render him unconscious. I don't care what you do with him, show the Omega his place in the pack."

Fenris sees half the pack rush to him with teeth and claws and malicious glee. He welcomes the pain like a warm sunlight and a grin.

Snowpaw

Snowpaw bursts through the waterfall and pads into the clearing with the dawn's light peering over the mountain peaks.

"Snowpaw!"

The white-silver flecked she-cat is met by Nightpaw, nuzzling her. Spiderpaw, Owlpaw and Beechpaw run toward Snowpaw, and Beechpaw almost pushes Nightpaw to get to her.

"Thank StarClan you're alright." Beechpaw purrs with delight.

Stoneteller sighs with relief as she pads to Snowpaw. "Welcome back. I'm amazed you got away from the wolves."

"I'm amazed she survived at all!" A cave-guard named Sunrise in the Morning Sky cries out.

"Those wolves are a menace. They need to be stopped." Wind that Blows through Mountain growls.

"No, they need to be kicked out of our home all together!" Pheasant said, looking at her kits, Leaf and Rain.

"I agree." Stoneteller says. "And I believe that the Tribe of Endless Hunting has given us the answer that I didn't acknowledge until now."

Snowpaw looks at the shaggy brown she-cat. Is she saying…?

"Lake to-bes." Stoneteller addresses the Prophesied Five. "You have experience with times like these. What should we do?"

Nightpaw shuffles her paws nervously. "We never been in a big, all out fight before…"

"But!" Snowpaw blurts out. "We can chase the wolves out if we use the mountains to our advantage. Like, how long have you lived here? How well has your mentors taught your way around the mountains when you were to-bes?"

The Tribe cats yowl collectively as their spirits become lifted. Nightpaw gives Snowpaw an impressed glance before looking at Stoneteller.

"If you like, me and Beechpaw would like to discuss how to catch the wolves off guard…"

In the midst of the newfound determination, Snowpaw's thoughts trail off to the white wolf-dog hybrid Fenris. She didn't miss the many scars on his pelt, and cuts on his snout. His life probably wasn't very pleasant in the pack.

The wolf pack might not accept crossbreeding of any form, and punish anyone who is different. In a way, it's not different from the Clans. Half-Clan cats are still taboo and looked down on by pure-blooded Clan cats, like Graystream, Pinepaw and Mistpaw's mother and Oakstorm's mate, who has a ThunderClan father and a RiverClan mother, who endured prejudice for her parents mistakes.

But those wolves put Fenris in a place where they hurt him and it's justified to punish him, and now that he let me go…

Snowpaw shudders at the thought. She knows she's part WindClan because of Windstorm, and part ThunderClan and part RiverClan because of Rosefoot and her grandmother, Petalsong. She couldn't imagine being physically abused just for being born into something she has no control over.

Snowpaw prays to StarClan, or a wolf version of StarClan, that Fenris would be alright.

Wolf Pack

High Rankings

Alpha - Crystal, strong white she-wolf with dark yellow eyes

Beta (second in command)

Nova - slightly red furred she-wolf, mate of Prideful

Prideful - grey and white male, mate of Nova

Delta (messengers of the pack)

Shard - white she-wolf with yellow eyes

Mace - shaggy grey and white male

Swan - small white she-wolf, Alpha's sister

Loki - broad shouldered white male half-wolf, Crystal's illegitimate son and Fenris' brother

Gamma (elders of the pack)

Bristle - dark grey wolf male

Fierce - sand brown she-wolf

Epsilon (Guardians of the Pack)

Garnet - dark red she-wolf with darker paws

Zeta (War General)

Reap - grey, brown and white she-wolf, sister to Sow

Eta (warriors)

Onyx - black wolf male with a white splash on his chest

Rose - tan colored she-wolf, sister of Honey

Theta (Lead Medic)

Honey - small tan and white she-wolf, sister of Rose

Iota (Medics)

Dew - light grey and white male wolf

Gorse - black wolf male

Kappa (Lead Hunters)

Rush - black and white male wolf

Raven - black she-wolf

Lambda (Hunters)

Ghost - pure white wolf male

Gravel - grey and white she wolf

Nip - big, sandy brown wolf male

Mid Rankings

Mu (Peacekeepers)

Sow - lanky dark grey she-wolf, sister to Reap

Nu (Sentries)

Vigilant - tall, black she-wolf

Wither - skinny grey she-wolf

Mercy - bulky brown male wolf

Xi (Resource Watchers)

Lira - light grey she-wolf

Flick - grey male wolf with white paws

Omicron (Top Therapist)

Thicket - burly, shaggy furred sand brown male wolf

Pi (Therapist)

Flower - small, grey she-wolf

Willow - tall, white she-wolf

Ice - white she-wolf with green eyes

Rho (Secretaries to Pi)

Alder - dark brown male wolf

Breeze - skinny white she-wolf

Sigma (Tutors)

Sharp - muscular black wolf male

Tau (Lead Scout)

Sleuth - skinny, grey and white she-wolf

Upsilon (Scouts and Spies)

Zephyr - wiry, jet black male wolf

Cliff - burly brown male wolf

Sprint - white she-wolf with long legs

Lower Rankings

Phi (Pup-Sitters)

Rust - red brown male wolf

Chi (Jester)

Puddle - small light grey male

Psi (Subordinate)

None

Omega (lowest ranking member in the pack)

Fenris - white furred half-wolf, Crystal's illegitimate son, brother to Loki

Pups

Pup One - son of Nova and Prideful, grey wolf with white muzzle

Pup Two - son of Nova and Prideful, dark grey and red wolf

Pup Three - daughter of Nova and Prideful, dark red fur with yellow eyes

You know what? I hope I got these wolf pack ranks right, because I had no idea that they had a system this big. I got this off of "Powerful Wolf Ranks" so I'm not entirely sure. (I mean, therapists for wolves? It's probably a fantasy thing).

I got a little silly when writing Snowpaw fighting off the wolves. It looks like Petalpaw's backpack came in handy, especially those berries! Ah, who cares if it came out silly? I loved it. Even the title was silly!

… And I realized that I've neglected Softpaw and WindClan, as well as Bearpaw and RiverClan. Hmm. I need to fix that next chapter. :) ~ Kyubi