Post by Ink on Jun 11, 2008 12:07:12 GMT -5
Prologue
Silence
The night was quiet. A deafening kind of silence radiated out of the blank nothingness created by the fog. It was the full moon; the icy white light that fell between the branches of the trees illuminated the cloudy shroud, making weird shadows of that contrasted sharply with the silver mist. Movement was hard to distinguish, the swirling fog making everything appear muted and shaky.
Still, two figures could be seen making their way through the smoky atmosphere. They walked side by side, their strides matching perfectly. The two walked in silence, their steps muffled. One of the two finally spoke, tired of simply walking in silence, after all, she hadn’t come all the way from the safety of the camp just for a moonlit stroll. She looked at her companion, thinking for a moment before she said anything.
“Are you sure this will work?” Night asked, her voice flowing in a dark melodic way.
“I would not have told you to come all the way here if I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t waste your time like that.” Storm said in his growly voice. He didn’t talk much, his voice had become gravely ever since he had been banished. Still, he had a few allies, Night was one of them, but she was more than that, she was also his one love. His silver eyes glinted as a part in the fog let the bright moon light illuminate his face.
Seeing Storm’s face Night knew he was certain, the determined glare in his silver eyes seemed to bore into her soul. Night was always mystified by his intense expressions. She swallowed audibly, her response to his statement nothing but a simple nod. Her bright blue eyes scanned the dense forest, seeing shapes in the fog. “Storm, I think that we’re not alone…” Night whispered, leaning against him.
Storm could see the fear in her eyes, but he shook his head. “No Night, it’s just the mist.” Storm said with little emotion. Storm ignored her fear, just staring into space, letting the fog swirl into eerie illusions, shapes that didn’t exist, at least, he didn’t believe them to.
A loud crash ruined the perfect, eerie silence. It was the shapes that Night had seen, not just imagined, but real and solid. “Night! Run! You must go through with the plan!” Storm yelled, taking a defensive stance. He was outnumbered by far, there were five preparing to attack, but he only needed to fight them off until Night could get away and hide her tracks.
Night’s eyes darted fearfully from Storm to his attackers. She knew he was right, but how could she leave her true love to die? She pushed the thought from her head, clearing and then taking off at a sprint, glad that running was one of her strengths. She could hear Storm fighting behind her, but didn’t dare stop to look.
She knew that the journey would be long and dangerous, but she also knew that Storm would die in vain if she didn’t make it. She had to trek through the mountains, finding her way through unfamiliar lands, but she knew her instincts would lead her to the cave she was searching for. Everything depended on her strength.
Night shivered as she ran, a cool breeze swirling around her. It wasn’t surprising, late autumn was almost always like this. She was glad to be out of the mist though, the hanging water that had nearly drenched her before only exaggerated the cold. She ran through the rest of the night and into the dawn of the next morning.
That day the first snows came. The leaves were still hanging dryly to the branches in once rich shade, although turned brown and crisp with the cold and age, but snow was a common thing in the mountains, even in the spring and early summer.
Night was glad of the snow though; the soft white powder that continually fell from the sky covered the prints that she left, as well as her scent. She was beginning to be hungry, but she didn’t have time to stop and hunt. She continued on through nearly blizzard conditions for the rest of her journey.
A few days later Night reached the cave that was her destination all along. She entered cautiously, her blue eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. She walked in further, finally reaching the back. At whatever the cost, Storm’s life included, she had succeeded. Suddenly Night collapsed in pain. This is too soon, Night thought.
Chapter 1
Prophetess
Gold eyes blinked open. Hawk stood up, shaking her coat, clearing the moss from it. She stretched, displacing some of the soft things she had collected for her nest. Her light gold-brown pelt gleamed in the early morning sunlight. The beautiful she-wolf walked over to the entrance of her den. She looked down and gasped. At her paws Hawk saw a puddle, in the center floated a small black spider.
Hawk’s golden eyes glazed over white and in a voice that was similar to her own, yet incredibly different she began to speak. “There were three born, each with a different power but all with one destiny. One will spin stories like webs that will come true, one will be the greatest warrior the world has ever seen, and one will be capable of sensing the presence of others.” Hawk fell to the floor of the cave then, she would sleep for a few hours more.
Hawk awoke to see the sun at its highest point in the sky. She had no memory of her strange morning, but there was another wolf nearby who was listening, and who did remember. The wolf was from the Mountain Pack, a spy sent to watch the loners that roamed the lands. He had seen Hawk go into her trance and then knew, it was the wolf he had been looking for, no the wolf the entire pack, and all the surrounding packs, were looking for. He knew he would be rewarded for discovering her, so after a quick but thorough scan of the area to make sure he remembered when he returned with the pack he started to run away, back home. But stopped before long, he wanted to trail her for a few more days, to make sure it really was the wolf he was searching for.
The tan wolf looked around when she heard a noise, but all she saw was his bushy tail as he ran further away into the dense forest. She didn’t think it was a threat, many wolves around her chose the dangerous life of a loner, most found anything to be better than living with the pack that ruled the mountains. She squinted up at the bright sky, wondering how the time had gotten away from her so quickly.
It was mid spring, the time when the leaves were finally beginning to sprout out of their buds into bright green foliage. The day was calm, a cool breeze rustling the vegetation as Hawk walked through the woods. She could feel the earth beneath her paws, slightly squishy from melted snow and decomposing plant matter. The fresh scents of the forest were swirling around her as she looked for any sign of life.
The lush mountainside forest always relaxed the young wolf. She loved to just walk around, not quite aimlessly, but not with a real purpose either as she reveled in the sights, sounds, and scents. As she walked she decided to go to one of her favorite places. There was a small pool that was fed by a waterfall that was always very lovely.
Hawk followed a deer trail, her acute sense alert for anything of danger. She knew that the perfidious Mountain Pack wolves often roamed here, but she was also aware of the fact that they didn’t come here until later, when the hunting was better. The track led her to the edge of the pond; it was a few feet above the water, a sheer face dropped below her paws.
A sharp clack of stone on stone followed by a small splash interrupted Hawk’s thoughts. She looked up; she had been gazing down at the water, her mind lost in its depths like the small fish, when she heard the noise. She saw a wolf, his pelt a dusty looking shade of gray. His ice blue eyes met hers for a second before he turned away and ran. Hawk immediately recognized him then; his tail was the same as the one she had seen earlier. The young wolf wondered why he kept watching her, but never staying long enough to talk.
The day progressed as it normally would for Hawk. She hunted small things, her lean muscles able to catch even the fastest rabbits, and drank from the cool streams that sprang into life after the snow melt. But she saw the other wolf a few times too, he was shadowing her. Hawk tried to ignore him, but as he tailed her she became more and more frustrated.
After a tedious day of catching glimpses of his gray pelt Hawk returned to the cave that she used as a den. The waning moon still looked full, a slightly off circle that hung in the dusk sky. She could see the stars starting to come out higher up, but to the west the clouds were still tinted pink and orange. It was early, she usually stayed up later to watch the sky and listen to the night animals, but she decided to go to sleep now, maybe her shadow would grow bored and leave in the night.
The hours of darkness did not pass quickly for Hawk. Her dreams were filled with strange wolves she had never met and the sounds of battle. Over the entire thing the scent of blood pressed down on her and she could continually see the bright blue eyes of the wolf that had been following her.
I look around. I see two wolves; one is all black, the other many shades of gray mixed together. I don’t know who they are, and yet they seem so familiar. They take no notice of me, instead the move as one almost to take down a large deer, a doe or a young stag, I can’t tell. There is blood, the kill didn’t seem that violent, but there is blood everywhere. I am splashed with it; as I blink open my eyes I realize the scene has changed.
There is so much fog I can hardly see, the one color that stands out is the red of blood. I hear yelps and growls, the sound of a fight. I plunge into the thick mists, the cloudy material reaching for my skin, chilling me, but I’m colder from the sound of battle than anything else.
I see a large black wolf, he is fighting bravely, but he cannot win. He is outnumbered, I can’t stand to watch, but still, I can’t look away either. They bring him down but he can’t be killed that easily. I see him lunge for the throat of one of his attackers and soon blood is flowing everywhere. Then the other four kill him.
Hawk stood up quickly, jolting awake from her nightmare. The two wolves who were hunting seemed so familiar to her, but she couldn’t place them. Their faces were so memorable, she knew she must have seen them before, but couldn’t think of it.
Hawk padded out of the cave, the night was dark still; she could tell it was getting close to dawn though. She scanned the woods for any sign of life, there were a few birds chirping, preparing for their morning songs. But the only thing she noticed were the blue eyes, peering from the trees, obviously watching her. She pretended not to notice, she wanted to sneak up on him somehow.
Hawk turned towards him slightly, but made sure it was obvious she was looking the other direction. She continued to walk closer to him, but kept turned slightly to the side, so it looked like she was going to walk right past him. She knew that she would have to act soon; otherwise he would realize what she was doing.
She took a few more steps, until she set her paw on a twig and it made a sharp crack sound. As if it was her cue she turned towards the other wolf directly and lunged. He reacted quickly and a chase soon ensued. Hawk felt the wind rushing though her pelt, the chill air of pre-dawn morning was showing her breath in white clouds as she ran. She was more familiar with this part of the forest though and was able to catch up.
There was a huge tree trunk that had fallen in a storm the year before and the gray wolf was unprepared. Hawk saw her chanced and jumped forward, covering the few feet between them in a single leap. She pinned him to the ground. It was hard to keep him there. “Why are you stalking me!?” Hawk demanded with a growl, pressing her forepaws against him, holding him on his back on the ground.
The slightly larger wolf managed to throw her off, pushing her back with his hind legs. She glared as she was pushed back. Then he spoke. “Oh, I’m sorry; I am just so very infatuated with your beauty.” He said brazenly with a large grin. Hawk took a step back and gave a short snarl, miffed.
She didn’t believe him, but knew there wasn’t much else she could do. “Well, I don’t think that you’re being honest, but if that’s what you’re going to insist I guess that’s your problem.” Hawk growled the words, and then started to turn and walk away. “But stop following me, or I guarantee that you will regret it.” Hawk said over her shoulder as she continued back the way she had come.
Displeased with the outcome of her conversation with the other wolf Hawk returned to her soft den at the back of her cave. She regretted that she hadn’t been able to find his real motives for following her, but was too tired to think about it. It was just a few moments before she returned to sleep.
The wolf who had been following her, named Cinder, decided it was time for him to leave. He was afraid of what would happen now though, he knew the pack would be happy that he had found the wolf, but knew Bear, the alpha, wouldn’t be pleased with him for being seen. He hoped that Hawk’s scent wouldn’t stick to his pelt long enough for Bear to find out he had been caught.
Cinder hadn’t lied completely though. He did find Hawk beautiful, that just wasn’t why he was following her. He felt a little sad that the Mountain Pack wanted her dead, but it couldn’t be helped. He turned towards the north, where Mountain Pack kept its primary camp in the tallest mountain in the range.
Hawk awoke in the morning, knowing that Cinder meant bad news if she stayed anywhere near her current home. She wasn’t sure just how she knew this; it was just a feeling, perhaps from some sort of dream or something. She stood up, casting a last glance around her, she loved her home here in her quiet section of the forest, and it was distressing for her to leave. The lovely wolf padded out of the cave with a sigh.
The day was beautiful, Hawk had slept late from her early morning chase and felt well rested despite her nightmare before.
Silence
The night was quiet. A deafening kind of silence radiated out of the blank nothingness created by the fog. It was the full moon; the icy white light that fell between the branches of the trees illuminated the cloudy shroud, making weird shadows of that contrasted sharply with the silver mist. Movement was hard to distinguish, the swirling fog making everything appear muted and shaky.
Still, two figures could be seen making their way through the smoky atmosphere. They walked side by side, their strides matching perfectly. The two walked in silence, their steps muffled. One of the two finally spoke, tired of simply walking in silence, after all, she hadn’t come all the way from the safety of the camp just for a moonlit stroll. She looked at her companion, thinking for a moment before she said anything.
“Are you sure this will work?” Night asked, her voice flowing in a dark melodic way.
“I would not have told you to come all the way here if I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t waste your time like that.” Storm said in his growly voice. He didn’t talk much, his voice had become gravely ever since he had been banished. Still, he had a few allies, Night was one of them, but she was more than that, she was also his one love. His silver eyes glinted as a part in the fog let the bright moon light illuminate his face.
Seeing Storm’s face Night knew he was certain, the determined glare in his silver eyes seemed to bore into her soul. Night was always mystified by his intense expressions. She swallowed audibly, her response to his statement nothing but a simple nod. Her bright blue eyes scanned the dense forest, seeing shapes in the fog. “Storm, I think that we’re not alone…” Night whispered, leaning against him.
Storm could see the fear in her eyes, but he shook his head. “No Night, it’s just the mist.” Storm said with little emotion. Storm ignored her fear, just staring into space, letting the fog swirl into eerie illusions, shapes that didn’t exist, at least, he didn’t believe them to.
A loud crash ruined the perfect, eerie silence. It was the shapes that Night had seen, not just imagined, but real and solid. “Night! Run! You must go through with the plan!” Storm yelled, taking a defensive stance. He was outnumbered by far, there were five preparing to attack, but he only needed to fight them off until Night could get away and hide her tracks.
Night’s eyes darted fearfully from Storm to his attackers. She knew he was right, but how could she leave her true love to die? She pushed the thought from her head, clearing and then taking off at a sprint, glad that running was one of her strengths. She could hear Storm fighting behind her, but didn’t dare stop to look.
She knew that the journey would be long and dangerous, but she also knew that Storm would die in vain if she didn’t make it. She had to trek through the mountains, finding her way through unfamiliar lands, but she knew her instincts would lead her to the cave she was searching for. Everything depended on her strength.
Night shivered as she ran, a cool breeze swirling around her. It wasn’t surprising, late autumn was almost always like this. She was glad to be out of the mist though, the hanging water that had nearly drenched her before only exaggerated the cold. She ran through the rest of the night and into the dawn of the next morning.
That day the first snows came. The leaves were still hanging dryly to the branches in once rich shade, although turned brown and crisp with the cold and age, but snow was a common thing in the mountains, even in the spring and early summer.
Night was glad of the snow though; the soft white powder that continually fell from the sky covered the prints that she left, as well as her scent. She was beginning to be hungry, but she didn’t have time to stop and hunt. She continued on through nearly blizzard conditions for the rest of her journey.
A few days later Night reached the cave that was her destination all along. She entered cautiously, her blue eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. She walked in further, finally reaching the back. At whatever the cost, Storm’s life included, she had succeeded. Suddenly Night collapsed in pain. This is too soon, Night thought.
Chapter 1
Prophetess
Gold eyes blinked open. Hawk stood up, shaking her coat, clearing the moss from it. She stretched, displacing some of the soft things she had collected for her nest. Her light gold-brown pelt gleamed in the early morning sunlight. The beautiful she-wolf walked over to the entrance of her den. She looked down and gasped. At her paws Hawk saw a puddle, in the center floated a small black spider.
Hawk’s golden eyes glazed over white and in a voice that was similar to her own, yet incredibly different she began to speak. “There were three born, each with a different power but all with one destiny. One will spin stories like webs that will come true, one will be the greatest warrior the world has ever seen, and one will be capable of sensing the presence of others.” Hawk fell to the floor of the cave then, she would sleep for a few hours more.
Hawk awoke to see the sun at its highest point in the sky. She had no memory of her strange morning, but there was another wolf nearby who was listening, and who did remember. The wolf was from the Mountain Pack, a spy sent to watch the loners that roamed the lands. He had seen Hawk go into her trance and then knew, it was the wolf he had been looking for, no the wolf the entire pack, and all the surrounding packs, were looking for. He knew he would be rewarded for discovering her, so after a quick but thorough scan of the area to make sure he remembered when he returned with the pack he started to run away, back home. But stopped before long, he wanted to trail her for a few more days, to make sure it really was the wolf he was searching for.
The tan wolf looked around when she heard a noise, but all she saw was his bushy tail as he ran further away into the dense forest. She didn’t think it was a threat, many wolves around her chose the dangerous life of a loner, most found anything to be better than living with the pack that ruled the mountains. She squinted up at the bright sky, wondering how the time had gotten away from her so quickly.
It was mid spring, the time when the leaves were finally beginning to sprout out of their buds into bright green foliage. The day was calm, a cool breeze rustling the vegetation as Hawk walked through the woods. She could feel the earth beneath her paws, slightly squishy from melted snow and decomposing plant matter. The fresh scents of the forest were swirling around her as she looked for any sign of life.
The lush mountainside forest always relaxed the young wolf. She loved to just walk around, not quite aimlessly, but not with a real purpose either as she reveled in the sights, sounds, and scents. As she walked she decided to go to one of her favorite places. There was a small pool that was fed by a waterfall that was always very lovely.
Hawk followed a deer trail, her acute sense alert for anything of danger. She knew that the perfidious Mountain Pack wolves often roamed here, but she was also aware of the fact that they didn’t come here until later, when the hunting was better. The track led her to the edge of the pond; it was a few feet above the water, a sheer face dropped below her paws.
A sharp clack of stone on stone followed by a small splash interrupted Hawk’s thoughts. She looked up; she had been gazing down at the water, her mind lost in its depths like the small fish, when she heard the noise. She saw a wolf, his pelt a dusty looking shade of gray. His ice blue eyes met hers for a second before he turned away and ran. Hawk immediately recognized him then; his tail was the same as the one she had seen earlier. The young wolf wondered why he kept watching her, but never staying long enough to talk.
The day progressed as it normally would for Hawk. She hunted small things, her lean muscles able to catch even the fastest rabbits, and drank from the cool streams that sprang into life after the snow melt. But she saw the other wolf a few times too, he was shadowing her. Hawk tried to ignore him, but as he tailed her she became more and more frustrated.
After a tedious day of catching glimpses of his gray pelt Hawk returned to the cave that she used as a den. The waning moon still looked full, a slightly off circle that hung in the dusk sky. She could see the stars starting to come out higher up, but to the west the clouds were still tinted pink and orange. It was early, she usually stayed up later to watch the sky and listen to the night animals, but she decided to go to sleep now, maybe her shadow would grow bored and leave in the night.
The hours of darkness did not pass quickly for Hawk. Her dreams were filled with strange wolves she had never met and the sounds of battle. Over the entire thing the scent of blood pressed down on her and she could continually see the bright blue eyes of the wolf that had been following her.
I look around. I see two wolves; one is all black, the other many shades of gray mixed together. I don’t know who they are, and yet they seem so familiar. They take no notice of me, instead the move as one almost to take down a large deer, a doe or a young stag, I can’t tell. There is blood, the kill didn’t seem that violent, but there is blood everywhere. I am splashed with it; as I blink open my eyes I realize the scene has changed.
There is so much fog I can hardly see, the one color that stands out is the red of blood. I hear yelps and growls, the sound of a fight. I plunge into the thick mists, the cloudy material reaching for my skin, chilling me, but I’m colder from the sound of battle than anything else.
I see a large black wolf, he is fighting bravely, but he cannot win. He is outnumbered, I can’t stand to watch, but still, I can’t look away either. They bring him down but he can’t be killed that easily. I see him lunge for the throat of one of his attackers and soon blood is flowing everywhere. Then the other four kill him.
Hawk stood up quickly, jolting awake from her nightmare. The two wolves who were hunting seemed so familiar to her, but she couldn’t place them. Their faces were so memorable, she knew she must have seen them before, but couldn’t think of it.
Hawk padded out of the cave, the night was dark still; she could tell it was getting close to dawn though. She scanned the woods for any sign of life, there were a few birds chirping, preparing for their morning songs. But the only thing she noticed were the blue eyes, peering from the trees, obviously watching her. She pretended not to notice, she wanted to sneak up on him somehow.
Hawk turned towards him slightly, but made sure it was obvious she was looking the other direction. She continued to walk closer to him, but kept turned slightly to the side, so it looked like she was going to walk right past him. She knew that she would have to act soon; otherwise he would realize what she was doing.
She took a few more steps, until she set her paw on a twig and it made a sharp crack sound. As if it was her cue she turned towards the other wolf directly and lunged. He reacted quickly and a chase soon ensued. Hawk felt the wind rushing though her pelt, the chill air of pre-dawn morning was showing her breath in white clouds as she ran. She was more familiar with this part of the forest though and was able to catch up.
There was a huge tree trunk that had fallen in a storm the year before and the gray wolf was unprepared. Hawk saw her chanced and jumped forward, covering the few feet between them in a single leap. She pinned him to the ground. It was hard to keep him there. “Why are you stalking me!?” Hawk demanded with a growl, pressing her forepaws against him, holding him on his back on the ground.
The slightly larger wolf managed to throw her off, pushing her back with his hind legs. She glared as she was pushed back. Then he spoke. “Oh, I’m sorry; I am just so very infatuated with your beauty.” He said brazenly with a large grin. Hawk took a step back and gave a short snarl, miffed.
She didn’t believe him, but knew there wasn’t much else she could do. “Well, I don’t think that you’re being honest, but if that’s what you’re going to insist I guess that’s your problem.” Hawk growled the words, and then started to turn and walk away. “But stop following me, or I guarantee that you will regret it.” Hawk said over her shoulder as she continued back the way she had come.
Displeased with the outcome of her conversation with the other wolf Hawk returned to her soft den at the back of her cave. She regretted that she hadn’t been able to find his real motives for following her, but was too tired to think about it. It was just a few moments before she returned to sleep.
The wolf who had been following her, named Cinder, decided it was time for him to leave. He was afraid of what would happen now though, he knew the pack would be happy that he had found the wolf, but knew Bear, the alpha, wouldn’t be pleased with him for being seen. He hoped that Hawk’s scent wouldn’t stick to his pelt long enough for Bear to find out he had been caught.
Cinder hadn’t lied completely though. He did find Hawk beautiful, that just wasn’t why he was following her. He felt a little sad that the Mountain Pack wanted her dead, but it couldn’t be helped. He turned towards the north, where Mountain Pack kept its primary camp in the tallest mountain in the range.
Hawk awoke in the morning, knowing that Cinder meant bad news if she stayed anywhere near her current home. She wasn’t sure just how she knew this; it was just a feeling, perhaps from some sort of dream or something. She stood up, casting a last glance around her, she loved her home here in her quiet section of the forest, and it was distressing for her to leave. The lovely wolf padded out of the cave with a sigh.
The day was beautiful, Hawk had slept late from her early morning chase and felt well rested despite her nightmare before.