Zoo scene from 'the third arctic wolf story'

The third Arctic Wolf story

Sorry that this is only a teeny tiny reader's snack! I'll work on it some more. UPDATE: Sorry, I think I'll have to keep it this way, actually.

The Call of the wild

Snowflake, the arctic wolf, is eager to respond.

Chapter One

            I yawned and stretched in the early morning sun, but the sleepiness did not linger for long. I jumped up and started loping towards my food and water bowls. I was proud of the wild instincts and skills that I had but the others did not. My sire, Flame, was the leader of the Fire Torrent Pack, the most feared and respected pack in the land, and my dame, Diamond, was his mate. My ancestor was Runt, who was renamed Singer. I sniffed and smelled Hunor and Magyar, friendly, also arctic wolf, twins. When I also scented water, I bounded towards the little creek. I swam to where the twins were. “I’m going to catch a seal!” Magyar boasted. “Oh, but I’m going to catch a polar bear!” Hunor contradicted. “The one right there!” he howled as he bowled me over. “Get off,” I complained. He dove deep underwater again. “Yeesh, what a grouch,” he said. As I sniffed again I glanced where the stream went disappeared under the fence.

            I might be able to dig a hole deep enough to escape! And I know that outside this wall is the forest! I remember how to live in the forest! The thought gave me a burst of excitement. I have to act normal, or the Twolegs will suspect me. I whispered to Hunor and Maygar my plan, as well as my sister, Silverflame, my father, my mother, and every wolf in this place. My father brightened up and said, “I had lost all hope…... until now,” I loped off to plan with Silverflame. “Silverflame, we can sneak out in the middle of the night, and grab the key in our claws, then let everyone out!” We conversed and conversed and conversed until dusk fell. “Now’s the time,” I whispered silently to Silverflame.

                                                                                                                                

A Crane Story

The Mysteries of Cranes

Written by Penelope Brook and Rebecca Miles

The Jacket of Destiny

                I was sleeping in bed when my sister shook me awake. “Cassandra! Wake up!” “What is it? Did Firestar and Thunderclan attack?” I mumbled. “Come on, Cassandra! Mom said we have to wait for you to wake up before we can have our surprises! But I can`t stand the suspense any longer! Ooh, maybe it`s a pet!” I was out of bed in a flash.  We shot through our daily morning routine, leaped down the stairs, and skidded into the massive dining room. “Cassie, Cassandra! I made you these wonderful jackets!” “Oh,” Cassie said, disappointed. I wasn`t too disappointed! “Mom, can we go outside and see exactly how warm they are?” “Sure.” My mom said, rummaging through the sewing box. I grabbed my shoes and raced outside.

The cold chill of a winter morning met me, but it quickly faded away. I reached for the zipper, but when my hand touched the center, I felt a weird wiggly sensation, and Cassie was gaping at me! I felt myself shrinking and shifting, changing a different color, arms extending. Her gaping face slowly transformed into a grin. “OMG!  Can I do that? Will I be a pink crane too? OMG, OMG, and more OMG! I can`t stand the suspense! Mom didn`t say anything like this would happen! She`s right! Best surprise EVER!” I barely heard her. Finally, I came to my senses. She pressed the same spot on her jacket-and shapeshifted into……. Another pink crane!

 Cassie was brimming with excitement! Thankfully, she could understand me now. “OMG! What if I can fly? Ooh, let`s just fly up a little bit? Oh pretty please?” “Okay.” We ran for takeoff, and spread our wings. We leapt off the ground and glided in a spiral, then swooped down. We landed and we tried to press the same spot. We expected to change back, and we did! We tiptoed back inside, brimming with our new secret. The next morning, we ran outside to play with our jackets on. We transformed again back into cranes.

 This time, we followed some migrating cranes, because somehow we knew we`d find our way back. We flew high above plains, mountains, and forests, soared over shimmering lakes, and glided over rivers filled with fish. Finally, we made it to the marsh. We saw millions of cranes there. Somehow we knew that this was the nesting place. We instinctively caught a fish or two, but that was barely a mouthful for us. We tried to catch a crab, but it skittered straight into its hole. Cranes were everywhere! We glimpsed eggs and even some chicks. The little, itty-bitty chicks were absolutely ADORABLE! Okay, getting back on topic now. Some were pecking at worms. Some independent chicks were flapping around. One of the cranes we flew with came up to me and said: “We were very lucky we didn`t see any golden eagles on the way here.” The sun was starting to set, so we laid on the ground. “What about Mom?” Emma exclaimed. “Don`t worry, I read this label on the jacket which said: ‘No time will pass while you are a crane.’” The next morning, the marsh was alive again! We finally caught a crab! We waded through the water, using our bills to dig through the mud for food. Finally, lots and lots of fiddler crabs came scrambling through the mud. Jackpot! I thought. I caught at least 14. Three other cranes caught some too.

I walked back to Cassie with some crabs. “Here, Cassie. Have some.” She devoured the whole batch of alive, wriggling crabs. Yuck! I washed mine off in freshwater. “Hey, Cassie, why didn`t you wash off your crabs before eating?” “What? You mean you didn`t wash these off first?!” “I thought you were going to.” She ignored me and splashed into the middle of the water and drank as much as she could. She splashed off, hunting for fish. I watched a fish hurry out of hiding, but first Cassie triumphantly snapped it up in her bill. I went to hunt on my own. I felt a bit of regret about what happened. I caught a few fish, got bored, and went to explore on land. I walked in the woods, weaving between trees, searching for berries. I saw a patch of sunlight ahead of me. When I emerged from the shady forest, I was momentarily blinded. As the brightness faded away, I saw loads of berries through a fence, which was cleverly designed to keep land animals out. I saw a sign that said: WELCOME BIRDS AND FLYING ANIMALS! I decided that, because I was bored, after I stuffed myself I would give the little children playing in the lawn of the little cottage nearby the surprise of their lives.

I flew over the fence and landed in an open spot. I chomped up the nearest berries. I must have spent at least ten minutes stuffing myself, because when I came out, I felt like I couldn`t eat any more food for the rest of my life.

I pushed through the foliage, but I hesitated for a moment to plan what I was going to do. I couldn`t scare them, but I also wanted them to see me. I finally made a decision and emerged. I got up in the sky and flew over them. Then I alighted where they could see me.  They were playing ball when they saw us. They whispered and slowly backed away. Then one of them said excitedly: “I can`t believe it! A real whooping crane! We`ve got to take some pictures and get Mom and Dad!” They scurried inside. In a bit, they can out. They had cameras with them. I strutted back and forth, showing off. Afterwards, I flew back to Cassie. “Cassie! I saw tons of berries! They`re put there for us and other birds!” “Okay, sure!” This time, we flew back. We landed in the berry patch and ate lots of berries. We saw the little children peeking over the fence. We finally were full and we went to amaze the children some more.

I heard one whisper: “Look! She brought another one! I wonder if they`ll bring any more!” I said to Cassie: “Wouldn`t it be so cool if we transformed back into humans for one second?” So we landed right in front of them and transformed back into humans. They stared at us, openmouthed, for a small eternity. How did you do that?” one exclaimed. “Well……. I guess these are magical jackets.” I said. “Oh pretty please can we have some too?” “Well, we don`t know how it turns us into cranes, but we`ll give you two a turn. Anyways, they`ll probably fit you, because we`re all about the same si- ““EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!” The kids interrupted. So we took ours off and gave them to the kids. “How do we turn them on?” “You press down on the center.” Cassie replied. “One thing: Can we fly up a bit?” “Sure.” I replied. They shapeshifted into two pink cranes and flew around, ate some berries, and shapeshifted back into humans. They gave back our jackets and we put them back on. “That was the best moment of my life!” One exclaimed. “Mine too!” Said the other. “One last thing: Our names are Sophie and-“ “SOPHIA!” The other one interrupted. “Well, we`ll come back and play with you again soon, but we`re very busy.” Cassie said. “Yeah, we have to go hunt some and more stuff. See you soon! Bye!” We flew back to the marsh. We caught some fish. I got bored of eating fish so I went hunting for crabs.

I found one occupied with its food. I snapped it up before it had time to react. I went to sleep. I blinked sleepily at the morning light. “Rrrggggggbbrrrmmmmm. Nnnngggmmmmhhggggmmmm. Uuuurrrrrrmmmmmmbbbbb. GALRPD!” I was instantly blinded by the first rays of the sun. “That`s right, time to get up.” Cassie said. She poked me until I slowly arose from my cozy grass bed. “Why do I have to get up right now?” I complained. “In my dream, I was about to get a jacket that could turn me into any animal I wanted.” “Well, that might come true.” Cassie said, smiling mysteriously. Every trace of sleepiness I had vanished instantly. “What do you mean? WHATWHATWHAT?” I exclaimed excitedly. “Oh look, some eggs are hatching.” Cassie said. My attention was drawn to the newborn chicks for the rest of the day.

The next morning, I reminded Cassie about the thing she said yesterday. “Oh, right, that.” She said. “Press the button two times fast.” She leaned forward in excitement. I pressed it two times fast, and I felt the weird wiggly sensation again. I was so excited that I almost didn`t notice it. I changed into………………. Ooh, the suspense!

Into a…………. The unbearable suspense! A……. Buffalo!  I snorted and stamped my hooves. Even though I knew that I just shapeshifted into a buffalo from a crane, something still made me uneasy. The cranes flapped around in alarm, but their instincts eventually told them that the weird-looking buffalo would not hurt them.

Buffaloes don`t belong in the marsh! Any predator could sneak up on them, anytime!  I turned back into a crane. I pressed it three times. An eagle. Four times. A squirrel. By the time it was noon, I had tested a fish, a kestrel, a spoonbill, and too many other animals to count.

Cliff Scene from 'Another Wolf Story'

Mountain Scene from 'An Arctic Wolf Story (Fiction)'

                  

           

           

Update

Sorry, but right now my inspiration levels are completely drained. Please tell me if you would like to read a really short story if I work on it a lot. Thanks!

Another Arctic Wolf story

                    The               Highest    Clouds

                    

              

Cloudclan

Special Abilities: Running On Air, Jumping, Walking On Clouds

Moon Pack

Alpha (leader)

Dawnstar- He-wolf, pelt the color of the dawn, Apprentice, Silverpaw

Gammas (elders)  

Whitewing- She-wolf with a pure white coat, the oldest wolf in the Moon Pack

Goldenfrost- He-wolf with golden pelt and an icy sheen

Sparklemoth- She-wolf with sparkly mist-colored fur

Betas (second-in-command)

Shimmersong- She-wolf whose pups recently left the nursery, surprising talent at howling, long, shimmery silver pelt, Apprentice, Mistypaw

Eaglepelt- He-wolf, father to Shimmersong’s pups, all the dignity of an eagle, silky misty white coat, Apprentice, Falconpaw

Hawkclaw- He-wolf with red-brownish fur, Snowfur’s mate

Healer (wolf doctor)

Kestrelflight- She-wolf, cloud-white pelt, Apprentice, Rainpaw

Queens (She-wolves with pups)

Snowfur- She-wolf with four pups, snow-white coat, large sky-blue eyes

Silverstorm- She-wolf with exceptional strength, two twin pups, and ginger fur with a silver sheen

Warriors (He-wolves and she-wolves without pups)

Twittersong- She-wolf with pure white pelt and silver sheen

Swiftwind- He-wolf, fast, windswept ginger coat, Apprentice, Breezepaw

Shadowflight- He-wolf, shiny midnight-black fur, Silverstorm’s mate,
Apprentice, Nightpaw

Apprentices (more than seven moons old, in training to become warriors)

Silverpaw- She-wolf with long, silky, luxurious shimmery silver pelt,
Shimmersong’s daughter

Mistypaw- She-wolf with long, silky, sparkly golden coat with a mist-colored sheen, Silverpaw’s sister 

Falconpaw- He-wolf with long snow-white fur, Silverpaw’s brother

Rainpaw- She-wolf with raincloud-gray pelt, Healer’s apprentice (Healer’s apprentices are next in line to be the Healer)

Breezepaw- He-wolf, windswept white coat

Nightpaw- He-wolf, shimmery black pelt

Pups (less than seven moons old, still in the nursery)

Goldenpup- He-wolf, brilliant golden fur with an icy sheen, big sky-blue eyes, Snowfur’s son

Sleetpup-  He-wolf, snow-white fur, Snowfur’s son

Mistypup- She-wolf, mist-colored coat with a silver sheen, Snowfur’s daughter

Blackpup- He-wolf, midnight-black pelt, Silverstorm’s son

Silverpup- She-wolf, black fur with a silver sheen, Silverstorm’s daughter

Hailpup- He-wolf, shiny cloud-white coat, Silverstorm’s son

Duskpup- He-wolf, dark gray pelt, Silverstorm’s son

Omega (lowest rank)

Skywatcher- He-wolf, black fur

Prologue

            As I nursed my wolf pups, I pondered about what I should name the three. Finally, I came up with a good idea. Silverpup, Mistypup, and Falconpup! I drifted off to sleep. I sat up, instantly alert. I was in a cloud clearing, with three identical moonbeams cascading down from the heavens. A soft mist surrounded them and when it receded, three pure white wolves floated towards me. As I gasped in wonder, I realized that I was inside a circle of scores of ghostly warriors. One stepped forwards and spoke,

“Shimmersong, keep a close watch. One wolf, kin of your kin, will hold the power of the stars in her paws,” She continued, “The power of the stars is fading. Seven will become one to challenge the darkness that lasts forever,” With that, they disappeared into the moonless night. I woke up, safe and warm in the den. I went out and thoughtfully gazed up at the moon, which was currently full. With that, I turned my back on the moon and disappeared into the darkness of the den, where my puppies were squeaking for me.

A Training Session

          I bounced around Dawnstar. “Please, Dawnstar, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease can I go on my first training session?”

“For the fifth time-“

“More like for the second time,” I interrupted.

“AHEM, as I was stating earlier, NO!” he exclaimed irritably. He stalked off to a group of wolves and started giving orders. My tail drooped. I saw three wolves bound across the air and were hidden from sight by a passing cloud. Two others went in the other direction. I mournfully dragged myself to the apprentices’ den. I curled up, and I noticed Falconpaw, my brother. He was fast asleep! I decided that I could do other things. At the training grounds! First, I’ll get some food, I thought. I quietly slipped away to the fresh-kill pile. I selected a fat, juicy wren. I carried it to the apprentice feeding grounds on the other side of the camp. I tore it apart and wolfed down the best part of it. Satisfied, I ran back to the apprentice den.

  I nudged Falconpaw until he snarled in his sleep. Finally, he woke up, yawning.

“What is it?” he asked grumpily.

“Hey, I’m going to beat you to the training grounds!” I said. That seemed to wake him up.

“Oh, really?” he said slyly. We streaked off to the training grounds. He bumped me so I fell down.

“Hey, stop cheating!” I howled. I sprang to my feet and took a secret shortcut. I arrived there a moment before him, skidding to a stop. As we collapsed to the ground, panting, I heard Dawnstar talking.

“Ah, I thought I might find you two here,” he said, as his amber eyes glimmered with amusement.

“How on the clouds did you know we would be here?” I wondered aloud.

“Simply a lucky guess,” he replied. My mood brightened as I had an idea.

“Are you going to give me a training session?” I asked hopefully.

“Yes,” [JM1] I nearly collapsed with excitement.

“What are you going to show me?” I excitedly asked. He ignored me, but I was too happy to care.

“Falconpaw, go fetch Eaglepelt,” he commanded. As he was bounding off, Dawnstar said, “Bring Mistypaw and Shimmersong, too!” he howled. “While he’s getting them, we’ll get a head start,” he said. “I’ll show you our territory. We have half of the sky to ourselves, but we know when we’re at Skyclan’s border, because their wings regularly fan away clouds,” he explained. We loped across the sky, and I strayed a bit to jump from cloud to cloud. Only one spot caught my whole interest. “These are unstable clouds. They were chosen to contain the last bits of dark magic remaining from when we chased the Dark Realm from this universe,” he said. “So never EVER go there,” he warned. “You’ll fall down to a thing Skyclan calls earth. You’ll fall so fast that you won’t be able to get a grip on the air, then you’ll plunge to your death,” he said.

When Falconpaw FINALLY returned, that slowpoke, I whispered to him and Mistypaw about the unstable clouds.

“I’m going to prove there’s nothing to be scared of! And for the elders, they’re wrong this once,” I said with a dismissive swish of my tail. “I dare you to touch them and not fall down,” I finished, gazing into their eyes and sending a mental message, You aren’t scaredy-wolves too, aren’t you? They both rolled their eyes. “Of course we could,” Falconpaw bragged. “Yeah,” Mistypaw chimed in. We returned to camp with Dawnstar while Falconpaw and Mistypaw were shown the territory. I went to the Gamma’s cave to listen to their stories. “Do you remember when Skyclan offered us some type of four-legged, furry creature? They called it a rabbit.” Whitewing asked Sparklemoth. “Barely,” she replied. “One time, when I was a warrior, I was patrolling the border, when I saw a Skyclan wolf fly by, carrying something floppy and disgusting-looking he called a fish,” Goldenfrost chimed in. “I suppose we’ve all seen something of those strange creatures,” Sparklemoth said. “Oh, hello, Silverpaw, did you come to listen?” she asked. “Yes,” I replied. “Well, let me think….” she said thoughtfully. “Ah ha! One time, there was an intruding pack. They called themselves the Shadow Pack. They were so unbearably vain. They actually kidnapped Dovewing and Rainbowsong, because the Alpha, Shadowstar, wanted them as his mates, and they actually killed Goldenstripe when he tried to get them back,” Sparklemoth shivered. “It makes me shudder to think of it,” she said. “And once there was a wolf who fell through one of the unstable clouds,” Whitewing said. “She was never heard of again,” she said. “At least not by us,” she added. “What was her name? Oh, right. Rainbowdapple,” she said. “But I suspect that she survived the ordeal and joined a different pack, because she couldn’t find ours. I saw a nearly exact copy of her in the Shadow Pack,” she continued. “I hope that, someday, she will find us and I will see her again,” she finished.  “I’ve nearly forgotten when Silverstorm was a newborn pup,” Goldenfrost said. “When she was an apprentice, she even convinced Goldenstripe to take her on a training session when he might miss a special mission, the means of which I do not know,” he said. Dawnstar entered and announced, “We’re done, it’s nearly nighttime, and it’s after your bedtime!” He ushered me out to the apprentices’ den.

I yawned and settled down beside Falconpaw, Mistypaw, and all the other apprentices. The Tribute to the Moon’s howls rang out. I drifted off into a dark, dreamless sleep. I awoke to someone nudging me. Sunlight streamed into my face and I protested, “Stop it,” “Come on, you lazy wolf, let’s go to the unstable clouds!” Mistypaw said. Falconpaw was standing by the entrance. “Everyone’s still sleeping. We can be there and back before they even wake up and does the Tribute to the Sun!” he excitedly exclaimed. “Oh, fine,” I grumbled. He sighed in exasperation. “Come on, we don’t have all day,” Mistypaw said over her shoulder. Falconpaw and me bounded after her. We finally arrived at the unstable clouds. “Let’s have lazy-wolf go first,” Falconpaw teased.

So I padded up to them and dabbed my claw on it. “See? It’s perfectly fin-“ I froze with terror as they began to tremble. “SILVERPAW! LOOK OUT!” Mistypaw and Falconpaw screeched in horror. Without warning, I fell heels first into the roiling, falling mass of clouds.

Falling!

After a literal hour of watching them race off for help, I twisted around and gasped. I was on a collision course with the earth stuff! I dug my claws in and just saved myself, and heard the howls of the Tribute to the Sun stopped short. My tail drooped in relief and touched the earth. A wracking shudder went through me. It felt so hard. And painful.

          I cautiously dabbed my claw on it. Ow, ow, ow, ow, and a million ow-s.  I slowly eased myself down so my back paws could touch the ground. OOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!! I mentally howled in pain. I glanced up. One side had no clouds at all, and the other was teeming with clouds.

That means…. I’m in Skyclan territory! So I went as fast as I could towards the clouds (On the air, of course). When I was halfway there, a soft fluttering of wings interrupted me. “I don’t normally see Cloudclan apprentices fall down to earth,” a slightly puzzled voice said. “Like me,” she sighed to herself, turning away. That got my attention. “Wait, you fell through the clouds?!”

          “Yes, through the unstable clouds,” she answered. “Do you come from the Moon Pack?” she asked hopefully. “Yes,” I replied. By the clouds! That HAS to be Rainbowdapple! I excitedly thought. But why does she have wings? “Oh, yours are growing already,” she said in a faintly amused voice, looking at my back. “My whats?” I asked, surprised. “Your wings, you silly. When Cloudclan wolves fall to earth and survive, they grow wings and become Windclan wolves,” she explained. “I would have gone back to the Moon Pack, but I couldn’t find it,” she continued. “When we fly, we’re invisible, and a breeze or a wind follows us. I’m the first spring breeze!” she proudly finished. “Oh, and you have a special vision that gives you the wind or breeze and officially grants you your wings,” she added. As soon as she finished talking, my vision got blurry, and everything went black.

 When I woke up, I was on a cliff, with wind swirling all around me. Rainbowdapple was beside me and peering into the distance. Finally, rows of misty wolves came marching through the haze. When I was surrounded by millions of wolves, one especially misty wolf stepped up. “Silverpaw, we welcome you as an immortal and invincible Windclan wolf. You will be the life-giving wind that brings clouds for water and lets the sun shine through,” he declared. “Your warrior name will be Silvermist,” he continued. “You shall be a partner to Rainbowdapple,” he finished. With that, they disappeared into the distance and the fog. When I awoke, I whispered to Rainbowdapple, “Wow, that sure was short,” “Come on, I’ll teach you,” Rainbowdapple said and pointed at my wings.

 In wonder, I looked at a pair of wings on my back. They were huge and graceful, and they were a whole rainbow of colors, like Rainbowdapple’s. I hesitantly flapped them a few times. I rose into the air and tried to glide down. I suddenly wobbled and fell down again. “Activate your wind!” she howled up to me. I mentally pressed what felt like a little button inside of me. I felt a wind rise up, and lift me into the sky. It somehow gave me all the knowledge about flying. The shorter way is, I just knew. I did a joyful loop in the air.

Rainbowdapple howled, “Wait for me!” My new knowledge seemed to guide me along a path. I rounded up a big raincloud and guided it for miles to rocky mountains. I fanned away clouds above a forest, Rainbowdapple showing me how. Everywhere I went, plants sprouted. Even in the driest deserts, a few hardy flowers sprang up. I alighted on a cloud to rest, by a high mountain peak. I dabbed a paw onto the mountain, and grass sprang up. I also noticed wherever Rainbowdapple flew, animals had young, grew up, and feasted on the plants I made. Rainbowdapple turned to me with serious eyes when we were on a cloud.

“Silvermist, it’s time you knew your destiny,” she declared.

My Destiny

“What destiny?” I asked, puzzled. She ignored me and chanted, “One is found, and six remain; Cloud, Sky, Water, Earth, Shadow, and Fire must be found; seven will become one to challenge the darkness that lasts forever,” “Am I Wind? How am I supposed to find the others?’’ I asked. “Oh, that will all be revealed,” she vaguely replied. “Soon,” she added.

As we went onwards, I wondered about what she had said. Fortunately, it didn’t distract me from my duties. At least, not too much. “Can I know all those things yet? I asked. She sighed in exasperation. How many times have I told you-“ “Once,” I interrupted. “ANYWAYS, the short way is- no,” she said irritably. “Once we see Windstar again, you can,” she finished. “Isn’t Windstar the really misty wolf?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied. “What about we go and visit the Moon Pack?” she suggested. “Are you kidding? Of course!” What should I tell them? I fell to earth, I survived, I turned into a Windclan warrior, and here I am. Oh, yes, that will work just fine. Ha. I guess it will have to come to me at that moment. Finally, we got there. I had eagles in my stomach!

When we alighted on the familiar clouds, Dawnstar whipped his head around and froze, stupefied. “What-how-Silverpaw?” “Silvermist,” I interrupted. “And Rainbowdapple? Am I having a vision or dream? Did you come from Starclan? Why in the clouds do you two have wings?” he said in wonder. Rainbowdapple explained it all, much to my relief. When she finished, Dawnstar said, “Silverpaw-I mean Silvermist, go see Shimmersong. She’ll be very glad to see you. Oh, and Mistypaw and Falconpaw,” he told me. “Rainbowdapple, go see Whitewing. When she sees you, it will be a big surprise-a happy one,” he said. “My mother? She’s still alive?” she asked excitedly. I bounded off to find Shimmersong, Falconpaw, and Mistypaw. I came across Mistypaw in the apprentices’ den, fast asleep. I nudged her until she yawned and sat

up. “Falconpaw, it’s not time to wake up yet-“ “Don’t you see who I am?” I asked. She gasped and whipped her head around. “BY THE CLOUDS, IS THAT FOR REAL, ACTUALLY YOU, SILVERPAW?” she howled in shocked delight. “It’s Silvermist now,” I said. “And yes- I am really standing right here in front of you,” I added. “By the clouds, do you actually have wings? Am I just seeing a rainbow on the cloud?” she asked, her eyes widening in amazement. “Yes, I do really have real, working wings, and I know how to use them,” I said with a wink. “Come on, I’ll show you!” I headed out, but Mistypaw said, “Wait, let me get Falconpaw and Shimmersong,” and she ran towards the training grounds.

I paced and the eagles in my stomach turning into swooping peregrine falcons and screeching goshawks. FINALLY, Mistypaw returned with Falconpaw and Shimmersong. “WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN, MOUSE-BRAIN?!” Falconpaw howled angrily. “Hhmmmmmm….. Let me think….. Aha! Somewhere,” He rolled his eyes, then turned them up to full power. “AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WE WERE DOING THEN?” he stormed. “Hmmm… I don’t know… the usual,” I replied sarcastically. “I NEED A FULL ANSWER!!!” he roared. Just then, he spotted my wings. Unfortunately, that just made him madder. “AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN THOSE? Or…. I don’t know… NEVER?!!” Sheesh, I thought. He sure is mad, that big grump. “Ahem- AHEM,” Shimmersong interrupted. Falconpaw grumpily slowed to a suspenseful silence. Finally, Shimmersong said, “Please tell us your story, Silverpa- I mean Silvermist,” she said, lacking icy politeness.

I told my story, and I finished it up. “Would you like to come along?” I asked impulsively. As the silence grew, I offered, “You’ll have wings too!” “I’m sorry, Silvermist, but I belong here with the clouds and the birds,” Shimmersong said regretfully.
“I’ll come!” Mistypaw piped up excitedly. “I guess,” Falconpaw said, shrugging. “Those three will need me to keep them out of trouble,” he said, but I saw an excited glint in his eyes. “Bye!” we howled to them, and met up with Rainbowdapple. “She has wings too?” Falconpaw and Mistypaw asked in unison. My tail twitched in amusement. “Isn’t she right in front of you?” I asked. Falconpaw sighed exasperatedly. “Silvermist, quit acting so grown up,” he chided. “It’s very annoying,” he added. “You’re just jealous,” I contradicted.

He loped in sullen silence. Suddenly, Rainbowdapple seemed very, very far away. When she shook it off, she announced, “Let’s land. It’s almost time for Mistypaw’s and Falconpaw’s ceremony,” We spiraled down to earth. Suddenly Mistypaw gasped. “I can’t see anything!” she wailed. “Don’t worry, it’s part of the ceremony,” I assured her. “Oh, so now you tell us,” Falconpaw chided, as all my senses melted into a deep, infinitely huge, black void. When I opened my eyes, I saw Mistypaw, Falconpaw, and Rainbowdapple beside me. Mistypaw’s eyes danced with fear. “What if I fall off? The winds won’t let me get a grip on the air, and it seems like… Whoa, it must go down forever!” she said nervously, shrinking away from the edge. I rolled my eyes. “Stop exaggerating,” I said. “This isn’t real, and you’ll just wake up,” Soon, as I predicted, practically millions of warriors seemed to materialize from the thick mist. Tendrils of it snaked around us, increasing a feeling of awe. As I looked, a thought occurred to me. What if they’re not dead? After all, Windstar said, “We welcome you as an IMMORTAL and INVINCIBLE Windclan warrior,” I gazed, mystified, into the misty ranks of wolves. Finally, Windstar stepped up. “Mistypaw, Falconpaw, we have been expecting you,” An expression of astonishment crossed our faces. His tail twitched in amusement. “Once experienced, a Windclan warrior has another ceremony, which grants the wolf the ability to see the future, to have especially good night vision, to breathe underwater, and a number of other things,” he explained. “Falconpaw, Mistypaw, you did not accidently decend to earth-“ My hopes sank down, down, and down into the ground.

 “-However, I will allow you to become Windclan warriors,” he finished. My hopes flashed back, and I sat down, relived. “Your warrior names will be Falcondive and Mistysecret. Falcondive, you have endless courage and will dive into the most dangerous missions. Mistysecret, you have talent buried deep inside you, like a misty secret. You will unleash this hidden talent while you are a Windclan warrior. It’s just waited for the right moment, that’s all, even though you can be a little timid at times. Falcondive, your courage will help her timidness. Her kindness will help your hot-headed-ness. Mistysecret, you will be the breeze that brings cool mist. Falcondive, you will be the refreshing breeze and Mistysecret’s partner. You will go beneath or with Silvermist and Rainbowdapple,” he announced. “Go and do your duty,” he finished, dismissing us.

I blinked. Sunlight streamed into my eyes. I looked at Mistysecret, Falcondive, and Rainbowdapple. Rainbowdapple was explaining about wings to Falcondive and Mistysecret. I got up and shook myself briskly. “Time to get going!” I said cheerfully. Falcondive and Mistysecret flapped into the air on unwieldy wings, while we gracefully rose into the air. Mistysecret quickly mastered flying, and I remembered that Windstar said she had hidden talent. We weaved through the trees, and when we crossed a stream, I lightly skimmed my paws over the water, watching fish dash away from the droplets, then come back to feast on the algae I made. We flew over a crashing waterfall, and we swooped nearer to hover in the refreshing spray. We settled comfortably on a sunwarmed rock. I lazily sprawled out my wings to absorb the warmth.

I closed my eyes and dozed off, allowing myself to be drawn into the world of dreams. I was prodded with a paw. I yawned and stretched. “Wat is it? Somethinz iporant?” I mumbled sleepily. I opened my eyes. I howled in shock. Two blazing, unfamiliar amber eyes were burning into mine. Everything went black.

                                                                      

         

Prisoner!

            I woke up, spasming in pain. “We’ll keep them here for now,” a husky voice said. I looked over. A giant, night-black he-wolf towered over me, while a golden she-wolf darted off. “Now, tell me why a Skyclan wolf is trespassing in my territory,” he snarled. I raised my tail high defiantly. “I’m not a Skyclan wolf,” I spat. “Can’t you tell, birdbrain? I’m a Windclan wolf.” He howled with laughter. “Wind has no living thing behind it,” he sneered. The golden she-wolf darted back. “Move her to the other area,” he ordered her. “I can’t believe the other wolves got away!” he muttered to himself. “Goldenshine, if you hadn’t tripped, we would have gotten them!” he snarled. He stalked away.

            She was exceptionally strong, for her size. She pushed me forcefully in a different direction from which I was facing. I dug my claws deep into the ground and whacked her in the face with my wings. She kept pushing me forward like nothing had happened. She kept mocking me. “Your Laziness,” and “Winged Maniac,” “Okay, now you ask for it,” I snarled between gritted teeth. I went limp. She relaxed. Then I exploded from her grip and flew up and up and up, then, WHOMP! My wing twisted painfully and unexpectedly. I fell down to earth, crushing Goldenshine. I got you back! Even on accident! That meant you deserved it! I thought with satisfaction. She was unconscious! That meant I could get away! Something stopped me before I took off. I dabbed my claw into some mud, then drew mud pawprints in the grass, the pawprints of the feared Winged Tiger. I flipped her over into a protective pose. I took off, and watched from the safety of a nearby cloud. My eagle eyes scanned the meadow and I grinned. Here comes the big bad wolf! I thought. He came up and started scolding Goldenshine, even though he knew she couldn’t hear him, but when he saw the mud-pawprints, he gasped and dragged Goldenshine to a clump of trees, all the while glancing fearfully around.

            I laughed and then a relived voice sounded from behind me. “Thank goodness you’re safe! We were about to send a search party!” I whipped around and saw Rainbowdapple. “We tried to wake you, but those wolves did an ambush and we had to get away, or they would’ve caught us too!” she explained hurriedly. “Come on, let’s get far up so they can’t follow us!” she urged. She followed me to the loftiest cloud. Falcondive and Mistysecret were pacing nervously on it. “You’re all right? Whew! We were arguing about whether to come and rescue you!” Mistysecret said. “Hmph! Who do you think you are, you birdbrained furball?!” Falcondive howled. “You are capable of stopping all this fuss, you know,” I said. “I was not fussing, thank you very much,” he muttered.

            We flew a safe distance from the ground, and that was wise, because I saw the he-wolf stalking angrily through the forest, a menacing shadow weaving through the brown tree trunks. We scampered into the concealing foliage of a nearby tree. He raised his head alertly and sniffed.

             We froze and shrank closer to the tree trunk. He padded silently off, and I let out a mental sigh of relief. I quietly slipped through the concealing branches and ascended high into the air. The others cautiously followed me. I scanned the ground below and activated my wind. “It’s my duty to go low to the ground so I can make plants grow, and anyways, Rainbowdapple, you said we’re invisible when we fly,” Rainbowdapple coolly replied, “Yes, I did mention that,” So we all swooped down to earth. Mistysecret kept an eye on our surroundings, wary by nature. “That pack must take every excuse to wreak havoc on everything,” Falcondive seethed. “Sshhhh!” I hushed him. “We’re not mute to him when we fly!” Mistysecret added. He just glared angrily at us. I spotted a deer trail and we silently followed it from above. I saw a fat doe grazing in a pasture. Falcondive swooped down and tried to snatch the doe, but he tumbled down. She reared in surprise, and that gave us enough time to surround it. We edged closer and closer. We started striking her, first on one side, then on the other. I got a hold on her back.

           

Finding Wolves

A few moments later, I was feasting on delicious deer meat. With renewed energy, we sprang into the air. After a few hours of non-stop flying, Rainbowdapple announced, “It’s time to look for Cloud, the element wolf in the prophecy. His name is Jayfeather, and he has a bluish tint to his silver pelt. I suspect that he is in the Bird Feather Pack. Fan out and search!” I headed in the direction that Rainbowdapple confirmed led to the Bird Feather Pack’s camp. I

cut through the air above the camp. I hoped none of the wolves would feel the rush of air I brought. My eyes scanned the camp for a bluish-silver wolf among the huddled groups of wolves. I sighed in disappointment. No Jayfeather. I summoned my memories from when I was at the border. The border should be right around… 10 miles away! I calculated. I swept the area with my eyes one last time, then flew off to search the territory. Before I had gotten very far, a thought struck me. He might be in the elder’s den listening, in the den, playing with the pups, sleeping, or eating!       

 I wheeled around and promptly zoomed back to their camp. I crept silently on the air towards the elders’ den. I cautiously peeked inside. No Jayfeather, only a few elders. I headed toward the den. There he was! He headed out, and the probable Alpha came up and ordered him to do a hunting patrol. He bounded off along the air. I followed him closely. “I feel like I’m being watched,” he said to himself. “You’re right,” I said, landing on the air. “Jayfeather, you’re dreaming,” he said in shock. “No, you’re not,” I told him. I explained everything, and I finished with: “So follow me to them, and everything will further explain itself, all right?” “I still believe I’m dreaming, but what harm could it do? I’m in a dream!” he assured himself. We flew off to where Rainbowdapple said to meet. She came up and immediately brightened up. “You found him!” she said happily. He tentatively struck up a conversation with Rainbowdapple about Windclan, Falcondive, and Mistysecret. Finally, the two arrived. “I didn’t find him in the Sunrise Pack,” Mistysecret sighed. “And I didn’t find him in the Star Pack, either,” Falcondive added. “You found him!” Mistysecret said in enthusiasm. “Let’s get going,” Rainbowsecret said briskly.

            We stayed up in the clouds. “Next up is a Skyclan wolf,” Rainbowdapple announced. “He is black, with green eyes, and his name is Nighthowl. He is probably in the Midnight Pack,” she finished. I headed towards the Midnight Pack. I carefully slipped around the camp. I only saw sparse clusters of wolves, quietly conversing. I peeked inside the nursery and the elder’s den, in the warrior feeding area and the warriors’ den, but no Nighthowl. I swept the territory, but no Nighthowl. I even searched the earth, but all to no avail. I headed back. Maybe one of the others found him! I thought hopefully. I finally arrived at the cloud that Rainbowdapple had declared as the meeting place. Falcondive burst out, “I found him in the Night Breeze Pack!” I peered down to see a wolf flying towards us in the distance. I settled down to wait. He didn’t take long. His icy, green eyes flicked over us. His steady gaze lingered on me, and an emotion passed through his eyes that passed too fast for me to decipher. Judging from his attitude, probably scorn. Falcondive explained the details to Nighthowl rapidly, then we went off.

            “Next, we’re searching for a Waterclan wolf,” Rainbowdapple said. My ears pricked in surprise. I’d never known there were more Clans, other than Cloudclan and Skyclan! “I’ll give you the power of breathing underwater, swimming expertly, and night vision to search for them,” she said. She shook her paws over us and sparkles floated down. A tingly feeling spread through my body, then subsided. “Her name is Ottersplash, and she is probably in the Dolphin Pack. She has long, silky, otter-brown fur, a sleek frame, and sea-blue eyes,” she said. We headed towards an ocean. I dove deep in the direction that Rainbowdapple indicated was the direction of the Dolphin Pack. The water swirled around me as I dove even deeper. I finally saw a cave in the rock. I entered, and saw a bed of uprooted seaweed and… Ottersplash! I slipped through the water and awakened her. “Oh, hi!” she said brightly, much to my surprise. “My vision told me that you’d come soon!” “Then you probably know everything that’s going on,” I said. “Yes! I do!” she informed me proudly. We swam up to the surface and burst into a wave. It rolled me over and over until, finally, I used my wings to propel myself out. Looking back at Ottersplash, I saw something I hadn’t seen before.

            “How can you have a fishtail?” I asked in wonder. She flicked her tail casually. “Waterclan wolves can turn their tail and back legs into a fishtail,” she explained patiently. We emerged from the water, and Ottersplash turned her fishtail back into her tail and back legs. I lead her to the meeting spot and saw them. They introduced themselves, and then, we were off. We arrived on a giant plain. I saw a wolf-sized tunnel as we landed. “It is time to get the Earthclan wolf. His name is Goldenroot. He is brown with a golden sheen, and his eyes are brown. He is most likely in the Root Pack,” Rainbowdapple announced. I plunged into the sheer darkness of a tunnel.

It quickly brightened, because of my night vision that Rainbowdapple gave me earlier. I slipped through the tunnel to where there was an underground chamber, with dens. No Goldenroot. I slipped through what I suspected hunting tunnels. Finally, I saw a brown tail whisk around a corner. I ran, overtaking Goldenroot. He turned and gasped in astonishment. “Who are you?” he asked. He interrupted before I could speak. “Oh, right! Now I remember! There was a prophecy that Stoneteller said, about your coming and singling out a wolf to save the world! I can’t believe it’s me!” “Well, let’s go!” I said hurriedly. We raced out into daylight. He blinked for a few moments and shook his head. We headed towards the meeting place. Rainbowdapple and everyone were waiting there for us. There were introductions, and we sped off. “The second-to-last wolf is in Shadowclan. Her name is Shadowswirl, and she has a swirly black and even darker black pelt, and amber eyes. She is probably in the Dusk Pack,” Rainbowdapple said.

I sped toward the Dusk Pack, accompanied by Nighthowl, because he claimed being ‘bored to death’. We approached a place where dark clouds seemed permanently fixed in place, and a dark forest spread farther than I could see. We entered the gloomy forest. I saw a silver wolf slip silently through the woods, intently sneaking towards a rabbit. We found a cluster of well-hidden dens after a while. I peeked inside the nursery. No Shadowswirl, only some nursing wolves and a handful of tiny puppies. I padded over to the elders’ den. No Shadowswirl. I looked in the warriors’ den. There she was! “I’m coming,” she said drowsily, waking up. “I had a vision,” she quickly explained. We hurried back to the meeting place. They were waiting for us, as always. Proper introductions were made, then we all hurried off. “The last wolf is in Fireclan. Her name is Flameburn. She has a bright ginger coat, and amber eyes. She is likely in the Burning Sands Pack,” Rainbowdapple said. I headed toward a desert with a blinding sun. I touched the ground, and I yelped in pain. It was burning hot!

I saw dens made out of little caves in the sunbaked rocks. Suddenly, Flameburn came into view. “Who’s that?” she said, whipping her tail violently back and forth. I came into view and she relaxed. “There was a prophecy about you. Am I actually the chosen wolf?” she asked. “Yes,” I assured her. “Follow me!” I said. We sped off towards the meeting place.

The Training Grounds

 We found them, and Mistysecret was just arriving. Introductions were exchanged, and we followed her to a grassy clearing, where a river ran, some of Flameburn’s burning sands resided, a few clouds dotted the sky overhead, lots of open air, and a few trees, the shade underneath as dark as Shadowswirl’s home. “We will use this clearing for training, and wolves of each Clan will help in your training,” Rainbowdapple informed us. As she spoke, wolves from each Clan did emerge from the thick foliage around the clearing.

“Mother?” Nighthowl gasped. “I thought you died a long time ago!” he said wonderingly. A black wolf with amber eyes stepped up to him. “Yes, it’s me, Nighthowl,” she assured him. “Father?” Ottersplash said delightedly. A brown wolf with blue eyes nodded. They splashed into the river, conversing. “Mother!” Goldenroot said happily. A brown and cream wolf with large paws stepped up. “Father!” Flameburn said in enthusiasm. A bright ginger wolf with green eyes stepped up. “Mother!” Shadowswirl said wonderingly. Jayfeather stood alone, his tail drooping forlornly. A wiry, silver she-wolf nudged him playfully from behind. “Mistyfeather!” he said happily. They romped around, play-fighting. “I’ve made some arrangements with your parents and relatives,” Rainbowdapple said. “They’ll help train you and accompany you for most of the time!” Rainbowdapple announced. “I had to do some training myself,” Mistyfeather told Jayfeather. She stood up tall and put on a grumpy face. “They were all, ‘Faster! Harder! Quicker!’” she said. Jayfeather laughed. “They said ‘quicker’ so fast, it sounded like ‘kicker’! I was like, ‘I am kicking!’…” The two walked off, and I couldn’t hear them anymore.

The parents leaped up onto a tall rock. “I’m Beaversplash,” Ottersplash’s father said. “I’m Nightsong,” Nighthowl’s mother announced. “I’m Silverflame,” Flameburn’s mother said, clearly unsuccessfully trying to be more dignified than the others. “I’m Earthquake,” Goldenroot’s father informed us. “I’m Nightswirl,” Shadowswirl’s mother said. “I’m Mistyfeather, Jayfeather’s sister,” Mistyfeather said shyly. “Time for tours!” Rainbowdapple called. She led us around the clearing. First we passed a weeping willow, trailing it’s leaves in the river. I splashed into the water to cool off, playing around the weeping willow. I emerged, shivering. I flopped onto a sunwarmed rock. Warmer, I followed them. We also passed a booming waterfall that fed the river in the clearing and a hill, which I suspected was for the two Earthclan wolves. I had come to think of it as ‘the training grounds’. We were led back to where we started. “It’s time to eat and then sleep, it’s almost nighttime!” Rainbowdapple announced. We went to the fresh-kill pile. A deer, a raccoon, two thrushes, and all types of prey were heaped up. I hungrily devoured the deer, sharing with Mistysecret and Falcondive.

I froze. A rattlesnake! I advanced slowly, leaping back and forth. “A rattlesnake! Help!” I called, never taking my eyes off the snake. I saw Silverflame slinking up silently from behind. “Just hurry up!” I said between gritted teeth. She suddenly leaped onto the snake, trampling it. It’s final spasms faded away. I headed towards my den. I slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of tomorrow. I woke up and stretched luxuriously. I looked around. It was early, at the crack of dawn. I shook myself and woke the others. We settled in a circle, for the Tribute to the Sun ceremony. I’m finally a warrior, so I can join in! And thankfully, now there are enough wolves!  I thought excitedly. It began, voices wailing up to the Moon, praising and praying. I proudly let my own voice ring out. It ended, and then I flew back to the dens in the sky. I settled down in a cozy, warm cloud den. I slipped into a deep sleep.

I awoke, then headed down for the Tribute to the Sun. We hailed the coming of a new day, then we ate from the fresh-kill pile. I started wondering if we would have fresh-kill every day now! Here, the prey was plentiful and fat, and there were clear, clean streams. I dragged a fat raccoon to the place which I thought of as the warrior feeding grounds. I walked to the sunwarmed rock. I dozed in the sun, in the wolf version of catnapping. I awoke at the rustle of leaves near me, and saw Ottersplash diving into the water. I decided to follow her and dove deep into the water. “Hey Ottersplash, could you teach me how to catch fish?” I asked when we both bobbed to the surface. The river was practically packed with fish! “Sure!” she agreed. She taught me how to slip through the water and snag a fish lazing around at the bottom. Now I know why they named her Ottersplash! I thought. I spotted a fish lingering around the surface. I sped upwards and snagged the fish in my claws. I didn’t stop fast enough, and I burst out of the water like a dolphin. I spread my wings out to float slowly down before I plunged back into the water.

I floated like a leaf for one second, then I sank down without disturbing any fish. I saw a turtle floating around at the surface, it’s soft belly scales exposed to me. I saw Ottersplash go after it, and then she dragged it to the fresh-kill pile. “Time to officially start training!” Rainbowdapple called. I emerged from the river and walked up to the tall rock, where Rainbowdapple was sitting. “First, I have something else to tell you,” she added. “We are going to make a pack. The name of it will be The Rainbow Pack. It will start Rainbowclan. Any wolves, no matter what Clan, can join and even crossbreed to make smaller Clans and even Packs. The Alpha will be Silvermist, now Silverstar,” I could hardly believe my own ears. Everyone stared at me. Soon wolves crowded me, congratulating me and wishing me good luck.

 “The Betas will be Silverflame, Mistysecret, and Falcondive. The Medicine Wolf will be Mistyfeather. She has had special training. The warriors will be the rest of the wolves. I have one more surprise for you,” she said. Out of the foliage came a procession of wolves, from all different Clans! A Cloudclan mother protectively leading three puppies passed me, heading for a large den I then suspected was the nursery. Elders and queens with more puppies passed, and wolves which I suspected to be apprentices bounded by. Everyone gathered around the tall rock where Rainbowdapple still sat. “The elders are Nightflutter,” a black Skyclan wolf with wings like a moth’s wings stepped up onto the tall rock, “Pantherpelt,” a tawny, panther-colored Fireclan wolf stepped up, “Stoneshaker,” a gray Earthclan wolf stepped up onto the rock, which was starting to get crowded, “and Seaweed,” a gray-greenish wolf with green eyes stepped up onto the rock. They headed down to the elders’ den. The Betas are Swiftwind,” “Eaglepelt? What are you doing here?” I interrupted. “What’s wrong in our Pack?” “Nothing, I just heard about this, and I wanted to join you,”

                                                                                                                       

         

           

           

---

 [JM1]“Yes.”

An Arctic Wolf Story (fiction)

The Arctic Wolf

I was prowling about the territory, searching for something to eat. My eagle eyes spotted a rare lemming through the blinding, white snow. The age of the lemmings and other animals had passed; the age of the wolves and caribou was at its height. I started sneaking towards it, that was the way to hunt small, fast, alert prey with an easy escape route. Sometimes, I was almost mechanical. I had something to do. Something to live for. That was all that mattered. Finally, I leaped. I was in luck! It was dead as soon as I killed it! I proudly carried it back to the den and the pack. I heard a great commotion in camp. When I could clearly hear it, I was thoroughly shocked. “Snowflake should be the Alpha!”

“But Winter is….”

“Winter this, Winter that! You only like her because he made you a Beta so you would be his loyal guard wolf! See, there she is! She has a lemming! A lemming, in this time of only wolves and caribou!” The two wolves that I heard arguing were Iceberg and Icicle. I was pushed into a circle of wolves, with Winter. It was either a Lone Wolf, an Omega, or death. If I refused, I would lose my honor and my rank. If I agreed, he would tare me to pieces! I would refuse and escape in the cover of the night. “I refuse!” My voice rang out, stunning everyone into silence.

 “Coward! Coward! Fight! Fight!” the crowd broke out. Oh, no. I was in big trouble. I had to escape right now. Snowstorm, my sister and littermate, pushed her way through the crowd, clearing a temporary path. The message in her eyes was clear: Follow me! As we plunged through the crowd, dodging blows, I knew that now, there was no going back. We bounded into the shielding snowstorm, the crowd on our tails. I pulled Snowstorm into an indention in the ground, and hurriedly covered up with snow. Right now, snow was my friend. The snow had protected me. Right then, I knew that I was no longer the young Wolf of the Pack. I was a Wolf of the Snow, and a Wolf of the Snow alone. When all the wolves were off searching for us, I slipped out, making sure my tail swept away my paw prints. Thank you, snow, for washing away my scent, I thought. I ventured farther to the mountains in the distance, loping to save up my energy. Icicle was still with me. Imagine what loyalty it took to abandon your own Pack when you could’ve easily stayed! I felt a surge of excitement as we got nearer…. And nearer… And nearer…. Finally, I dragged myself up a steep slope and collapsed, followed by Icicle. I rose my head and looked around. Directly in front of me towered the mountains. I had been told stories about the mountains, that they were a place of abundance and happiness. I arose to go farther, but Snowstorm’s voice stopped me.

“No, Snowflake, you need more rest,” I thankfully sank down again. Suddenly, I remembered the stories about our ancestors, that they dug dens to sleep in, in the earth. Here, it could be possible. My paws whirred as I made a small indent in the ground. It will take too long, I thought impatiently. I abandoned it promptly and marched off. I excitedly made my way farther. Every step got me closer! I found a clear stream tricking off the edge of the cliff we were now on. I lapped up some water, then found the cave where it came from. It was a large cave. Drip, drip, drip, I heard. Intricate, though random patterns were carved into the walls.

“Snowstorm, this is great! We can sleep on that dry rock!”

“Great, yay,” she said distractedly. Thankfully, it had been warmed by the sun. I curled up and slept. I awoke and saw Snowstorm roaming around the cave. “Come on, Snowflake, let’s explore farther down here,” she called me. I walked into a small tunnel. Drip…. Drip…. Drip…. They echoed and re-echoed and re-echoed off the confining walls of the tunnel. It emerged into a cozy, large cave, with the beginning of the stream flowing through a hole in the rock. It looked like a large group of wolves had once lived here. I also picked up a stale wolf scent, scattered sparsely around the cave in nearly imperceptible portions. There were beds of currently rotting grasses and moss. We continued down the tunnel, and soon we saw sunlight ahead. I burst out into sunlight, temporarily blinded. I looked around and saw a hidden valley, sheltered from enemy packs, predators, and the cold by those sheer, gray walls of rock. A hare literally scampered underneath my paws! My paw slammed down onto the hare. The other prey around just looked up curiously and continued their business. I looked up just fast enough to see a suspiciously wolf-like tail whisk around a tree.

“Freeze!” I whispered to Snowstorm. We slunk cautiously to the nearest hiding place. I crouched down, then I froze. A wolf was nearing the gap between the rocks, where we were! He sniffed and we took our chance. Slipping out quietly, the wolf found him confronted by two wolves.

“Hi,” the wolf said cheerfully, leaving us dumbfounded. She walked off. I ran after her.

“Who are you?” I asked her.

“Lilypad. Who are you?”

“I’m Snowflake, and the other wolf is Snowstorm,” I told her.

“I have a few other friends I hunt with,” she said. As she spoke, a he-wolf, another he-wolf, and a she-wolf emerged from the trees. “This grump is Frost,” she said, pointing to one of the he-wolves. “This one is Lake,” she said, pointing to the other he-wolf. “And she is Sunshine,” she finished, pointing at the she-wolf. Frost sullenly eyed me, while Lake and Sunshine seemed friendly. “Lake and Sunshine have puppies!” Lilypad said excitedly.

“We’ll show you them!” Lake, Sunshine and Lilypad said in chorus. Frost loped after us. We arrived at a den made out of two rocks leaned together. I peeked inside and saw three adorable, squirming bundles of fluff.

“This one is Rainbow, this one is Pond, and this one is Sunray,” she said. They let out high-pitched squeaks as they wriggled frantically, trying to find their mother. Sunshine settled down beside them, and their squeaks were cut off as they rooted for milk.

“They’re so adorable!” I said. We charged out and settled down.

“Will you join our grou-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Frost interrupted, shoving between us. “There’s way more to it than that,” he said.

“No, there’s not,” Lilypad snapped. “AS I WAS STATING EARLIER, would you like to join our group?” I nervously glanced up at the sky. The clouds seemed to be somberly staring down at me.

“I’m really sorry, but I belong up there, with the snow,” I said mournfully. Snowstorm uncomfortably glanced back and forth.

“I’m… I’m coming with you Snowflake,” she declared loyally. I blinked gratefully at her.

“We’ll come see you sometimes,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. Only Lilypad seemed to brighten up. Frost’s expression darkened.

“Let’s go, Snowstorm,” I said briskly. “Bye!” I howled over my shoulder as we went down the tunnel. I flopped down and started howling to my former Packmates. “We have found a land rich in prey, in the mountains in the far south, inside a large valley, which you can access by a cave,” I waited, straining my ears. Finally, a reply faintly rang out.

“Good. Have luck. We will join you soon,” I turned and clambered farther up the mountain. A few hours later, I gave a final heave which sent me sprawling onto the small cliff. I raised my gaze upwards. My hope rekindled as I realized we were almost at the snow. I sprang with renewed energy from ledge to ledge. My pelt prickled with excitement as I placed my first pawstep on the snow. I gazed around and gasped with admiration. There were snowy peaks clawing the sky, with waterfalls cascading down, ending who knows where. An icy stillness was draped across the entire scene. I sat for a moment and just stared at everything. A mist enveloped everything below, and I could see the gently sloping rises and falls of my flat homeland. Then I saw moving specks clustered so close together that it looked like a thin, short line heading towards the mountains, where we were. Those dots are probably my Pack! They said they would they would join me soon! I thought happily. But I turned myself away and jumped from a cliff to another cliff. I peered off of the edge. The ground was so far away, it made my heart freeze. I turned away and ventured farther along the cliff. I saw a ledge that I could jump to.

“I can’t believe we got this far, and we’re still alive!” Snowstorm’s voice broke the silence draped over everything. The echo bounced back and forth between the mountains. I can’t believe…. I can’t believe…. Still alive…. Still alive…. I jumped to the ledge, and edged along it. A howling wind blew across the ledge, which made my next pawstep land on nothingness. I froze with fear and nearly was spilled off the edge, but I regained my balance just in time. I stepped fearfully onto a cliff. A mountain goat was grazing on a scraggly clump of grass. He raised his head curiously, then resumed his grazing. I blocked him on one side, and Snowstorm on the other. When we started striking him, he just stomped his hoof indignantly. He didn’t realize his danger until it was too late. I winced. The meat was tough, but it would have to do. For now. I gulped down water from a nearby stream. My goal was to reach the peak of this mountain, which I had seen before I started up. It was the tallest. I collapsed in exhaustion, and dozed off. I awoke to a rumbling in the ground. As it increased, my fright also heightened. Finally, I sprang up and uneasily ushered Snowstorm to a faraway cliff. As I watched, it gave a mighty shudder and crumbled, falling down, down, and down. I shivered to think what could’ve happened if we had still been on it. I ventured farther and farther. Always upwards….. Upwards….. Upwards…. With one final step, I heaved myself onto the peak. I gasped in fear and admiration. Endless mountains towered all around, silhouetted against the dawn sky. My homeland was barely a white speck in the distance. I suddenly felt lonely, even with Snowstorm.

“Come on, Snowstorm, let’s go visit Lilypad and the others,” I said.

“Ummpphhhh,” she sleepily protested. “Come on, Snowstorm, time to get up,” I pressed. “Fine, I’m coming,” she said sleepily. We traced our steps down and down and down. We had to find a different way around the crumbled cliff. A few ledges and another cliff had fallen while we were gone, so we had to navigate around them, too. I finally dragged myself across the last stretch of land. I collapsed on the rock in the first cave. A line of tired wolves rounded a bend and came into the cave with me.

“Snowflake! Snowstorm! Tell us how you climbed to the tippy top! The tippiest toppy top!” A bouncy puppy pleaded. Those were my Packmates! After greetings were exchanged, I led them to the valley. They ate and then I led them to the place I met Lilypad. Sure enough, there she was.

“Snowstorm! Snowflake! Where have you been?” she asked.

“We climbed all the way up to the top of this mountain!” I declared proudly.

“I see you’ve brought some friends,” she observed. Suddenly Frost bounded up and skidded to a halt right in front of my Pack.

“This is our territory, and we were here first! We’ll defend it if we have to!” he snarled in my Alpha’s face.

“Says who?” he growled.

“Me!” Their hackles were raised, and it was very clear they would get into a fight if I didn’t do something. I pushed my way between them.

“Winter, it’s true they were here first, and it’s true it’s theirs. But Frost, you’re supposed to treat neutral wolves with hospitality, not hostility,” I said.

“Well, here’s what I think of that- that- that birdbrained speech!” Frost’s eyes were blazing. “Absolutely NOTHING!” I stared at them both.

“My point is- well, it won’t work, not when you two are whining like spoiled puppies who don’t get first pick from the fresh-kill pile. Frost, you go over there. Winter, you go over there,” They stared at me in shock, probably because I just issued orders to both of them. Then they marched defiantly to different places. “ANYWAYS,” Lilypad continued, “I’ll get Lake and Sunshine,”