As Sky set off through the forest, the clouds gathered. “I better find Pad fast, with the wounds I gave him he’ll never survive the night” Sky said looking up. She went back to the scene of the battle between them. The dry blood still stained the ground and the grass was flattened where they had laid. Bloody paw prints left the scene. “With hope I’ll find Pad alive.” Sky whispered. With the wind carrying the promise of rain, she would lose Pads tracks in the storm. Sky smelt the air in hopes of picking up a sent, but found nothing. Then, as promised, the first drop of rain fell. Sky knew she had to head back to the cave before she got soaked, the last thing she needed was to get sick. Sky forced herself to climb the steep hill and get to safety. With her last lunge to the top, a voice came out of the cave, “Who’s there?” Sky gained her footing and raised her hackles.
“Get out of my cave!” said the voice
“YOUR cave?!” Sky growled. A gray, bloody paw stepped out of the darkness, into the moonlight. “Pad?”
“Sky?”
Sky relaxed. “Pad! Are you alright?”
“Why would you care?!” Pad snapped, “ I’m nothing but a timber wolf!”
“Listen I’m sorry. But first lets get you cleaned up” Sky took a step toward Pad to lick his wounds “Get away from me!” Pad growled stumbling backward. “I can’t trust you!”
“You have no choice!” Sky said, “You’ll die from those wounds!”
“Yeah, no thanks to you!” Pad raised his hackles “Now, GET OUT!”
“Don’t make me hurt you more!” Sky said raising her hackles.
“That’s it you’re...” Pad never finished the sentence before he passed out from pain. When he woke, he was clean with herbs on his wounds and the warm body of Sky next to him. Then, at that moment, he realized, he loved Sky. She was his forbidden love.


Sky heard the steady breathing of Pad next to her. ‘”Why do I feel so… so… safe next to him?” Sky thought, “Our love is forbidden but yet I still love him. Does he feel the same about me?”


As dawn broke Sky smelt the stench of fresh kill. “Mm breakfast” she thought out loud.
“Yeah, its deer!” Pad said. Sky blinked the sleep out of her eyes and stretched the laziness out of her legs. The sent of breakfast made her mouth water. “Jeez! You could make a waterfall out of our drool!”
“Shut up!” Sky teased as she let the chunk of dear melt in her mouth. They enjoyed they’re meal. Together. “Wow! I haven’t eaten like that in years!” Pad said rolling onto his back. Sky was gnawing on a bone “Really? I eat like this all the time!” she licked her mouth.
“Lucky. We live in the meadows remember? The pray is scarc come fall.”
“ Well, in the mountains, the wild ram is abundant! And very juicy might is say.” Sky licked her paws to clean up. Later that day, Pad suggested that they get a move on if they want to reach the river by sundown. So off they went, side by side, into the woods. “ Are you sure your ok? I mean, those wounds I gave you were pretty bad.”
“Hey! They weren’t that bad!”
“Um yeah they were!” Sky replied “ I’m just as tough as you maybe even tougher!”
“HA! You wish” Pad teased
“Wanna bet?” sky reared and tackled Pad with one swift move, They both were laughing until they saw how close they were to each other. Sky got off, and Pad gained his footing. With and awkward silence they moved on. “You’re a well trained fighter… For a girl!” Pad said breaking the silence.
“Thanks.” Pad’s limp came back when the sun was high in the sky. “We had better rest” Sky suggested.
“Yeah sure I need a break” Pad said. Again they lay side by side with each other. Neither of them noticing that their hearts soon melted with each other.The next morning Sky woke up with a chill. “Pad?” she said “Are you there?”
“He must be hunting” Sky thought. She stretched and yawned and soon fell back asleep. “Sky!” Pad yelped with a muffled voice “Help!” Sky woke and leaped out of the cave. There stood three large mountain lions, one of them holding Pad down with one paw.
“What are you doing?” Sky said raising her hackles.
“He he, looking for somthin’ girly?” one lion said.
“Hey, she’s a cutie maybe even a keeper!” another one said that went by the name of Claw.
“Maybe you guys are def or something, but I’ll say it again, what are you doing with Pad?” sky said through beard teeth.
“Easy there wild flower! We’re just about to have us a little snack!”
“What? You can’t eat Pad!”
“Heh, Says who?”
“Me.” Sky crouched down ready for and attack.
“Hold on there spitfire! Now lets negotiate. I’ll let your friend live if you give yourself up in return.” The leader said. His name was Cut-throat. “We couldn’t eat you though. You’re much too beautiful for that. Well just sell you to other predators for food!”
Sky thought for a while. She looked at Pad, he shook his head. “Fine” Sky decided.
“Good choice.” Cut-throat nodded his head and the lion holding Pad released him.
“Sky you can’t do this!” Pad choked
“I did it for you. Now go, find your family.”tears welt up in her ocean blue eyes.
“Bleh! Enough of this junk!” Cut-throat said. Claw came and grabbed Sky by the scruff and dragged her away. “I love you!” Pad whispered. Sky whispered the same thing as she was dragged into the bushes, out of Pads sight.“Rrrrahhh! I hate mountain lions!” Pad said pacing around. He didn’t know what to do, a lone, Pad would never manage to save Sky on her own. But they only cared about pray. If they were planning to sell her, then he would follow and try to buy her back!

Sky was asleep by the time they reached the “Selling Grounds”. Claw dropped Sky with a bump to wake her up “HEY!” she growled then remembering what had happened the previous morning, she instantly regretted it. “What did you say small fry?” roared Cut-throat.
“N-nothing!” Sky recoiled at the menacing anger in his voice.
“You had better start showing some respect! We get to decide your future now, remember?” Cut-throat whipped around to face the third lion, Scratch; “Put her in the display case!” With a menacing grin, Scratch snatched Sky by the scruff and tossed her into a metal cage. “Where did you is!?” Sky said as Claw slammed the door, “Pig-skins! They sometimes fly in there metal birds with this attached to the bottom, carrying our brethren in it, relocating us. One of their birds crashed over there.” Claw nodded toward a thicket of brambles. Only a couple of minuets had passed when a fowl smelling bear lumbered up to Cut-throat.
“ Ha Cut-throat! You never let me down when it comes to the Trade!” He said eyeing Sky.
“Thank-you Rock.”
“So how much is she going for?”
“Well, she has a lot of rebel in her, but she is a beautiful wolf with blue eyes so………” Cut-throat thought for what felt like a century then, “maybe for a couple deer and a rabbit?”
Sky snorted in disgust “I’m worth more than that!” she thought.
“Well, I’ll announce it when the yellow star is at its highest” Rock walked away.
“So, what’s gonna happen to me? When I get sold?” Sky asked not realizing her voice trembled.
“What’s gonna happen? Who knows!? You’re “owner” will decide what to do with you! After the Trade is done, I don’t really care what happens to you!” growled Cut-throat. Other predators walked up to Sky’s cage and whistled and pleaded her to come closer. “Back off the merchandise!” Claw had said after the animals started to reach into the cage through the bars.
“You’ll get you chance at her if you buy her!”
“It is the Trade time!” a voice boomed so loud it made Sky cringe.
All the meat-eaters gathered around a high rock, while Claw and Scratch pushed Sky’s cage over to the base of it.
“This is our first item! Sky! She is a white wolf with ocean blue eyes! She is going for 3 deer and 1 rabbit!” Right off the bat, animals started to shout out numbers of pray. Deer, goat, cattle, rabbit, and anything else you can think of. But one voice rain above the others, it was Pad’s, “3 deer and 2 bison!” Sky gasped at the amount, how would he ever catch that? Rock looked down at Cut-throat, he nodded.
“Sold to the young wolf in the back! You have until tomorrow afternoon to cough up your pay! If you don’t get it, then she’ll be sold to another!” Pad dipped his head and ran off to a bush and instantly pulled out 3 deer, but no bison. Sky panicked “He has until tomorrow!” Sky tried to soothe herself. Claw and Scratch dragged the cage back to where it was before the auction. Pad walked up, acting like he was eyeing his prize, “I’ll get the bison, don’t worry.” He whispered then he loped off into the distance. “Please hurry!” Sky thought then lay down to get some rest, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to. With all the other animals circling around her, wishing they had bet more pray, then deciding they couldn’t catch that much anyway, and walked on.



Pad had only caught a measly fawn when it was dark the clouds soon gathered and began to drop their lode, snow. “Most pray must be tucked away by now!” Pad mumbled. He had heard a couple of bears catch a bison to the right of him. They haven’t eaten it yet, they were commenting on each others hunting skills. They were obviously just ran out of the den, and put out in the world to survive on their own, this was their first kill.
“Well done brother!” one rumbled
“Couldn’t have found it without you! You smelt it first!” laughed the other. “I could take it from them! Bears never were the brightest!” Pad thought. He had the whole plan worked out in his mind. He stalked into a near by bush, the bears’ backs were to him. “Perfect!” Pad grinned to himself at his cunning idea. He howled, then quickly jumped to the next bush, and howled again as if answering another wolf. He repeated this process for a while. “Wolves!” One bear yelped and ran away out of the clearing. “Wait for me!” The other loped not to far behind. “Stupid bears! Thinking I was a whole wolf pack, hmph” Pad crouched to take hold of the pray, as he dragged the body, he thought of Sky: “I wonder if they are feeding her? Oh, I hope she is okay!”



Sky had blinked the drowsiness out of her eyes, the sun was barely up. “He has until the afternoon!” She reminded herself, “He’ll be here, he promised!” Claw, Scratch, and Cut-throat were still asleep, snoring so loud, the pray would have heard them in the far end of the forest! Sky rolled her eyes and stretched. She longed to be free and hunting, they hadn’t fed her the previous day. When the sun had finally risen over its horizon, Cut-throat woke up the others. “Get up!” He growled, “I’m hungry! Go and get some deer!” he ordered Scratch. He slowly got up and mumbled as he went into the forest. “As for you!” Cut-throat whirled to face Sky, “You will have to be sold in two days if your buddy don’t show up!”
“Two days! Why not today?” Sky asked. Not that she wanted to be sold.
“Because the market is closed to let the hunters stalk up on more pray to buy more.”
“Will I get any food during that time?”
“Probably not” sneered Claw. When Scratch returned, the trio feasted, and Sky had to watch with a rumbling stomach. “They eat like pigs!” thought Sky. It was going to be a long day.


“Just one more bison!” Pad whispered in the cover of the bush, the sun had only about another hour till noon! A heard of bison grazed near by. Pad had to get one of these and drag it back before then, or he would lose Sky, forever. The alpha male reached his mussel to sniff the air, its eyes got large. “Wolf!” it cried. Pad shot out of the bushes and after a baby bison, but mother was protecting it, she swung her massive head at Pad. Nearly dodging her horns, Pad was able to get past the babies protector. The youngling gave chaise; it waved back and forth desperate to get out of Pads way. Pad was within claws reach of it. He lunged forward. He could feel his claws graze the calf’s hide. It stumbled and fell to the ground. Pad dug his teeth into its neck. When the last breath left the babies body, Pad let out a howl of triumph, and began to drag it away, but little did he know that it was all to late.


Sky’s eyes were frozen to the sun; it had reached the middle of the sky. Pad’s chance to save her was over. “No” she whispered
“Well! It looks like your friend has failed!” jeered Claw
“Aw! I really wanted to taste that bison, I heard they are really juicy!” whined Scratch.
“Well, we could get her for more?” Cut-throat said, pacing around Sky’s cage. Rain started to drop, “Lets get into the cave!” Claw growled. They left Sky into her cage, in the rain. Water rolled down her face and into her mouth, strangely some of them tasted like salt.


“Just a little further!” Pad mumble with the last bison in his mouth. The clouds had covered the sky and dropped rain about an hour ago; Pad had no idea that he was to late. He had his two Bison ready for the final part of the trade. He stepped through the shield of bushes, and into the clearing with the giant rock in the center where the bear had stood the day before. “Sky! I did it! I got the bison just in time!” He ran up to her cage. Sky lifted her head and flung her ears back, “Get away from me!” she growled.
“What? It’s me, Pad!” Pad skidded to a halt.
“I know who you are promise breaker!” She lunged toward Pad, but rusty steel bars had saved his life. “What’s going on here?!” Cut-throat had come out of his warm cave to see what had been disrupting his merchandise, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the heroic Pad, coming to get something pup?” Claw had sneered as he was closely fallowed by Scratch. “Yes! My prize!” Pad snarled.
“Your prize?” Scratch asked, “Oh, this isn’t yours anymore!”
“What! I won Sky! Remember?”
“Of course I remember! But haven’t you seen the sky?” Cut-throat said looking up. There was a faint glow in the clouds, and it was well past the middle of the sky. “No” Pad breathed
“Yes.” Claw snarled, “now get out of our sight before I tare you to shreds!” He and Scratch took a step toward Pad. “No” he whispered again.
“Go away!” Claw growled and lunged at pad. With a swift bite to the shoulder, Pad was defeated and ran off into the bushes.


“Coward!” Sky had mumbled as she saw the last of Pad’s tail whisk into the underbrush. Cut-throat had murmured something to the boys, and then they all headed into the safety of the cave. Sky’s life was going to end as she knew it in about another day.

The last days of Sky’s life blew by in a flash. She was now, again, below the rock that the fowl bear had stood not two days ago. They price for Sky went up three dear, one bison, and five rabbits. The rally went on for hours when finally some one bet four dear, two bison and four rabbits. “Hopefully this one is just like Pad!” Sky thought when she was dragged back to her spot. But, as usual, hope failed. The other wolf pulled out his pay and trotted up to Cut-throat to retrieve his winning prize. “Well? When do I get her?” Said the black wolf known as Flint-fang.
“As soon as we can find a way to keep her under control! Scratch! have you found a leash yet?” Claw asked turning to face in the direction of the lion, “N-not yet, but I’ll get one!”
“Well, hurry!” Claw and Cut-throat went into their cave, while Flint-fang went to examine Sky, “Your mine now.” He hissed.

After Scratch had found a rope, they looped it around Sky’s neck and led her to Flint-fang. He grabbed the end of the rope and marched off into the bushes, Sky being forced to follow. They walked for about an hour, Flint-fang kept looking back behind him, as if to see how far we had come. “We are out of site!” he growled at last, he lunged for Sky pinning her down. His head rose for the killing bite, but when he came down, Sky didn’t feel pain. What she did feel, was the rope around her neck loosen. Flint-fang jerked his head up, and the leash slipped off her head. “There.” He said, spitting out the rope, “Your free.” Flint-fang turned and walked away, leaving Sky, spellbound. “Wait!” she barked. Flint-fang stopped dead, but did not turn to face his prize, “I don’t have anywhere to go, I don’t even know where I am!” she panicked, “Please, let me go with you, just until I can figure out where to go!” The silence he gave her was spine tingling, “Fine,” he muttered, “but just until you figure out where to go!” Flint-fang kept moving. Sky had a hard time keeping up, she was weak from hunger. She tried and tried, but no matter how hard she did, she collapsed, unable to continue. Every thing was black, she never felt so alone. When she awoke, light danced in front of her, the amber silk lapping at the air. Sky yelped when she realized that the light was hot. “It’s fire.” came a voice. Flint-fangs muscular body came into view. “What?”
“That light, it’s called fire.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I learned it from the Pig-skins, sometimes they use it to stay warm, it’s really easy to make.”
Flint-fang said lying down.
“Oh, well, why didn’t you leave me back there? You don’t seem so keen on me...”
“I couldn’t just... just leave you there, like I was....” Flint-fang got up and walked out of the large burro without another word.

Sky’s words echoed in Pad’s ears, “Promise breaker!” He broke down into tears, he had lost the only she-wolf he loved. Finally he cried himself to sleep, and he dreamed of his life before the hunters,

Pad’s father, Rat, had just had an argument with his mother, Bella. “You foolish crow-eater! We can’t leave! This is MY pack, not yours!” Rat had snarled.
“But we have to, Rat, OUR pack will die. The food is to scarce to feed everyone.”
“Well, then kill Pad!” The shock almost blew Pad off his paws, and it almost killed his mother. “What!?” She had howled, “Your willing to kill your son, but not move?! I’m not the fool YOU are!”
“Fine, you won’t kill him I will. Snake! Ice! Fetch Pad and get Badger and Fox to hold Bella still. She must pay for disobeying her leader!” Pad turned to run but something grabbed his tail, “Going somewhere?” Ice had said while Snake held onto his tail.
“Your father beckons.”
“My father? That’s not my father, that’s a MONSTER!”
“Monster or not, get in there!” Snake yanked him in the den.
“Pad, how nice of you to join us!” Rat said with sympathy.
“Come here and let me give you a big hug!” Rat reared onto his hind paws and boar down on the small figure of Pad. Pad’s fragile fur was ripped into shreds, pieces of it caked into Rat’s claws. “Come on, stand up and fight me like a real wolf!” Rat roared. Blood pounded in Pad’s ears, was his own father going to kill him? “Father,” Pad said panting, “why do you want to kill me?”
“Because you are no use to me. Now come on, I want to fight!”
“No.” Pad replied simply.
“Fine, then we’ll just have to make you mad!” Rats eyes wandered over to Bella. “Perfect.” he growled. “Badger! Fox! Bring me Bella, Snake! Ice! Hold Pad still.” Teeth drug Pad to the ground, and a large paw held him there. “Now this is ought to make you REAL mad!” Rat grinned. With a paw raised into the air, aimed to Bella’s throat, Rat pealed back his lips into a snarl, “Good bye beloved.” he sneered. With a glint of claws he crashed down.
“NO!” Pad jolted awake. “Just a dream.” he said closing his eyes. “good bye mother.” He drifted off into another slumber.

Sky stared at the entrance to the burro. Flint-fang had been gone for a while. She stood to go and find him, but as she emerged Flint-fang was there, starring into the night sky. “Hey.” Sky had said.
“Hey.” Flint-fang replied with the moon’s reflection in his deep green eyes.”I- I know this is awkward, but, what did you mean when you said left lone like you were?” Flint-fang sighed.
“Well, when I was a pup my mother and father were murdered by my brother for power. So my brother, Pine-claw, gained control of the Lone Star Pack. When he found out that I saw him kill my mother and father, he panicked, and tried to kill me too. But my betrothed, Pure-Heart, saved my life. She took my to this very burro. But soon my brother found out, and forced me to watch the brutal killing of my loved one. After that, he banished me out of the pack because I didn’t fallow him in his leadership. So, I was left to die by my own brother.”
“Oh.” Sky had said, awe struck. “Well, my life was not anywhere near as bad as that.”
“Okay, let’s hear your story.” Flint-fang turned to face Sky.
“Um, alright, well my father, Leonard, is the leader of the Swift Snow Pack. I have no brothers, but I had one sister, but she ran off with another wolf from a different pack which was strictly forbidden. Now my mother was killed bye a hunter which was how I got here in the first place, and now I’m on a quest to find my dad and my pack.”
Flint-fang’s next words nearly knocked Sky off the ground, “Then I shall come with you.”
“What?”
“Let me come with you!”
“Why?”
“Because, I could find my brother, and get the sweet revenge that I’ve been wanting! Plus, isn’t it the prophecy?” Sky thought for a while...Pad wouldn’t be happy to bring another wolf into the quest. “Wait! Who cares about Pad? He is a no-good lire!”
“Fine.” Sky said, “You can come.”
“Great, now who is this Pad you’re talking about?”
“What?”
“You kinda talked out loud to your self....”
“ I do?” Sky thought.
“Yes, you do. Maybe you should learn to talk quietly to your self! But anyway, are you ready to go in the morning? No time to waist!” Sky liked this wolf. More than she liked Pad!

Pad snuck back to the spot where he had last seen Sky, he was hoping for a sent. And, unlike Sky, he had enough hope to find a sent, it led to the underbrush. But what was the other wolf sent? That didn’t matter, all that did matter was finding Sky. With Pad’s nose to the ground, he walked into the bushes, in the direction of Sky, and little did he know, Flint-fang.

“Wait, so all that you need is two sticks?”
“Yes, that’s it! See? I told you that fire was easy to make!” Flint-fang smiled. He was getting more and more friendly each day, even though it had only been two. “Well, this was a great lesson to learn!” Sky grinned back. “So earlier, you said that you know about the prophecy. What does it mean?”
“I don’t know.... I really don’t”
“Oh, I don’t know either.”
“Well this whole conversation was a dud!”
“Agreed, well should we get move on.”
“Agreed” Flint-fang teased. For the rest of the day, they moved on, talking about how there life was before they met, Flint-fang had said that he was in line for the pack leader, and that’s why PineClaw wanted to kill him. And Sky talked about how her mother had fallen in love with her dad, but that wasn’t as good of a story as Flint-fang.

“Sky?” Pad called into the burro. “I swear I scented her here!” Pad said thrusting his head into the entrance. Black ashed were in a circle of stones. “Fire?” Pad had seen fire before, but it attacked his pack with vicious hunger. It had singed his pelt and his memory. Pad sat back onto his hunches, his yellow eyes glazed with sorrow. “I’m so sorry Sky.” He whimpered. “I failed you once and now again!” He threw back his head and howled to the moon, as if to call Sky back to him. The moon glinted off the salty stream on the sides of his mussel.

“Do you hear that?” Flint-fang said, ears pricked.
“Yea, it sounds like it coming from your burro! Come on!” Sky said leaping into the bushes. Flint-fang took the lead, it was his home after all. Sky started to fall behind. Flint-fang sped up, and Sky lost sight of him, but she wasn’t worried, she remembered his sent and followed it. When she emerged from the bushes, Flint-fang was battering a smaller wolf. “STOP!” she screamed. “That’s Pad!”
“What? This scrawny pup is your untrustful friend?”
“Yes, let him go” she ordered him “As for you,” Sky snarled at Pad “Get out of my sight!”
“What!? Why? I came looking for you!”
“That doesn’t matter, you broke the most important promise you could EVER make!”
“I’m sorry! Please, just forgive me!” Pad said collapsing onto the ground.
“How pathetic.” Flint-fang growled. Sky had never seen Pad so helpless. She was about to burst into tears and accept him back! No, don’t do it. He isn’t worth it! She thought. “Please accept me back?”
“No!” Sky turned her back on Pad.
“Please?” Pad threw himself at Sky’s paws. Flint-fang barged in between them and turned on Pad. “Didn’t you hear her? Back off!” Pad thrust his head to Flint-fangs. “Make me!” He snarled.
“I will!” Flint-fang grabbed hard in Pads neck and threw him against a tree. Dazed Pad stood up, ready to counter act. The small body of Pad would help him with the speed, but would kill him if he was pinned. The wrong move could be his last. " Come on pup. Show your claws." Flint-fang sneered.
" Ha, with pleasure!" Pad snarled with a grin. The two lunged at each other, then with a clang of teeth and claws, blood was splattered on the green grass. And it wasn't Flint-fang's. Pad landed and slid across the ground leaving blood in his wake. Flint-fang was grinning, blood dripping from his mouth. "ENOUGH!!" Sky shrieked. " Pad just get out of here! Flint-fang, don't waist your time, let's go." Sky stalked off without giving Pad another chance to throw away his dignity, or what he had left of it anyway. The days had elapsed into weeks, and weeks into months. Sky loved to be out on the road with Flint-fang, although, what they were searching for was unknown. She had asked Flint-fang this once, but all he said was: “Does it matter? As long as your with me, who cares. But your right we should find a destination. Okay how about we find a place to live and start our own pack?” so they set out to find the perfect place to start the Moonlit Pack.
" He's still following us." Flint-fang whispered looking back.
" Just forget about Pad, he'll have to give up sooner or later."
" Or I could just kill him now?"
" Listen, he may be a jerk but I just can't kill him off."
" As you wish, beloved" Flint-fang nuzzled Sky, and she welcomed it. They relished all they're time together. Sky was overjoyed when he asked her to be his mate. Pad was obviously heart-broken but he still followed. He was as stubborn as a donkey! " I love you" Flint-fang said into her ear. Her fur stirred with his warm breath, she said the same thing back. Her comfort was disrupted by a thump. They turned to find Pad lying on the ground. "Pad?" Sky said. Flint-fang went over and sniffed at Pad's pelt. "He's fine, just unconscious., nows our chance!"
" No, I can't"
" Sky do you still love him?"
" NO! You are my world now! But he is still just a friend. Can't we at least give him food and a fire? Then we will move on! Please?"
" As you wish."
Flint-fang gathered the supplies for the fire and Sky went hunting. They built the fire, cut the meat and then left Pad alone. He was twitching in his sleep. He was dreaming of hi mother again. And Pad's dreams will soon become a part of the prophecy.

Flint-fang and Sky left Pad to survive on his own but something was nagging at Sky’s heart. She loved Flint-fang with all her heart, but Pad was with her in the beginning and leaving him back there just didn’t seem right.
“Flint-fang?”
“I know, your worried about him......”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that he is my friend, no matter how much I try to hate him, I feel like I just over reacted.”
“Maybe you did” Flint-fang shrugged
“What!” Sky rounded on him, “are you serious?! He broke THE promise! How could that be my fault?! No! I didn’t over react.” Sky slowed down and thought, “Yea, I didn’t over react....”
“Exactly.” Flint-fang nuzzled closer to Sky.
“Thank-you” She whispered.


Pad awoke with a fire burning next to him, “What in mountains name!?” Pad jolted backwards. the thump was the sound of his head hitting a low branch. “OUCH! What the....” Pad looked up. A dear was hanging there, left by Sky and put into the tree to stop other predators from taking it. “Sky, where are you?......” he whispered. a low rumbling sound came from his belly. “Man, I’m starving.” Pad great fully accepted the gift, although he missed her company “Stupid Flint-fang! Taking Sky like that! she was in love with me first!” Pad mumbled to himself while he ate. “Now” he thought, “How to find Sky again.......” I’ll just have to find a sent, he decided. And so, he set off again.......

“No you see, the prophecy is about freedom, but..... my pack all ready is free, what do I need freedom from?” Flint fang asked. They had stopped traveling some hours, and started talking about the reason they where on this quest. “Well, how about internally?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, do you feel like a slave to your mind? Your emotions?.... maybe..... your past?”
“What do you mean?” Flint-fang squinted his eyes at Sky. She stared into the deep green slits. She took a breath and slowed her thoughts.
“Well. You said that you wanted some ‘sweet revenge’ from Pine-claw. How long have you been wanting it?”
Flint-fang was a little bit off-guard with that suggestion, but he still answered. “Since he killed Pure-heart.”
“Okay, so that’s been nagging at you for ever right? So your a slave to your own revenge! Flint-fang, honey, you need to let go!”
“Are you crazy!?” Flint-fang jumped up, the grass made a lush scrunch sound from his sudden change in weight. The fire crackled in between them, the silence lasted only a few minuets. Sky sighed and sat up right. “Flint-fang, just think of the positive side of things.”
“Positive side?! POSITIVE? What possible positive IS there?!” Flint-fang raised his voice. He saw something flash in those blue eyes. It was pain.
“What positive side?” Sky said calmly. The fire reflected off her gaze,
“What positive side?!” She raised her voice a little louder,
“What about ME!? If Pine-claw hadn’t killed Pure-heart, YOU wouldn’t have met ME!” Sky took a deep breath, trying to control her fury.
“Listen, I’m sorry, I’m sorry that he killed Pure-heart, but maybe it was destined.” Sky got up and trotted away. Flint-fang was just standing there, he had no answer for what he just witnessed. “Pure-heart, is what she said true?” He whispered to no one. He could have sworn he saw a star twinkle, was Pure-heart answering? "What am I thinking?" Flint-fang said. He got up too and ran after Sky.


Pad was again traveling, he had well started to think about the prophecy: One black, one white, one gray. The destiny of three packs shall be in their paws. But on this journey, only two shall return home. Who was the one not to return? Pad had only hoped that it would be Flint-fang. He followed the sent that led through the trees. He swerved around the great tall pine, and jumped over fallen trunks. As the trees began to thin out, he heard paw steps. Pad froze and crouched,ready for anything. Well, almost anything, Sky came running out of the shrub closely fallowed by Flint-fang. The collision was painful. Paws were flaying in the air. A surprised yelp uttered from Pad, Sky fell backwards and knocked Flint-fang over. After a short recovery, Pad, Sky, and Flint-fang sat up, dazed. “Great, mud in my fur” Flint-fang snarled.
“It’s an improvement if you ask me!” Pad snarled picking out pieces of grass in his pelt.
“Guys really? are we a pair of pups again or what?” Sky relayed “Hi Pad”
“Hi” Pad said sheepishly. Whenever he was around her he felt hot under his skin.
“Is this love fest over?”
“Flint-fang! How many times do I have to tell you, I am your mate now and I’m proud of it!”
“I know” Flint-fang nuzzled Sky, secretly giving Pad the evil eye. Pad just stuck his tongue out at him, no matter how childish it seemed! Flint-fang, in return just rolled his eyes. Sky disconnected from his sweet embrace, “How are your wounds? Sorry about that.”
“Oh, my wounds are fine. Don’t apologize, it wasn’t your fault.” Pad swung his head to face Flint-fang, raising his brow.
“You’re right, Flint-fang?”
“Hm..” Flint-fang acted like nothing was happening.
“Have something to say?”
“No, not really, I’m hungry that’s about it?” Sky starred him down, questioning.
“Fine, Pad I’m sorry” He mumbled.
“Sorry what?” Pad jeered, turning his head so that his ear was facing his muzzle. Flint-fang was tempted to bite off the tip, teach him a thing or two about respect! He swallowed his pride: For Sky. He took a deep breath and straitened. “Pad, I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I don’t believe you, again please?”
“Okay, don’t press your luck.” Sky sighed. Pad wouldn’t let him getting in the way of his happiness with the girl he loved and desired. For all he cared the arrogant black wolf could go eat a pile of dung! All that mattered, was getting Sky to love HIM again. “So, now what?”
“Well,” Sky stated, “we need to find a camping spot and then we have to catch up.”
“On what?” Flint-fang grumbled.
“ What do you mean ‘on what?’ We’ve gone our own ways for days! You and I have found out things about the purpose of this whole quest, and we have no idea what Pad might have found out! Lose some of your ego Flint-fang!” Sky said, just kidding around. She walked gracefully by, “Lets go that way!” her nose pointed north, back to the meadow.
“Why? We just came from there!”
“Because, where we were at a perfect camp, it was a low valley, no wind could reach us.”
“Agreed” Pad stated
“Stay out of this! You don’t even know where we were!”Flint-fang beard his teeth. Pad’s ears went down from fear. “Ignorant pup!” Sky just sighed and moved on.

They reached the valley by night fall. The pile of ash was still there, marking the place they had slept before. “So, we found out that I have to free my pack from the Shadow Killers. And Flint-fang has to free his pack from Pineclaw and free his mind from.... Well something that I won’t mention.”
“Oh, come on, I have to know. We are a group again remember?” Pad said giving Flint-fang a side glance. Sky looked at Flint-fang, asking him to decide. “None of your business!” he looked away.
“Sky, you know I have to know!”
“No, you don’t” She snapped. Pad was taken aback by her tone.
“Listen Pad, Flint-fang and I are mates now. We have things that we don’t have to share, like what Flint-fang has to get freedom for. Sorry, but I’m not yours anymore.”
“How could you say that?” Pad whimpered, “We’ve been through some much together! Like our first scuffle, and saving you from the City Of Predators , and...”
“Pad, THAT’S over. IT’S over!” Sky was irritated by Pad’s love. He kept pushing and pushing her for affection. Well, she didn’t feel that way anymore! She pushed her self up. “I’m going for a walk” She announced.
The grass felt nice underpaw. Like a blanket, inviting her to lay down and get rid of her troubles. “Why, Pad? Why do you have to make me feel like I made the wrong choice about Flint-fang? I love HIM not you!” Her paw stomped on the ground. Laying down, she imagined her life before the whole hunters epidemic. Soon she drifted off to sleep.

She was home, the warm summer sun warming her fur. She was running, with her father and mother. “Sky! Stop!” The warning cry came from Leonard's ruff throat. “Why?” She asked, her paw unable to get a grip on the fresh morning dew.
“That’s the Shadow Killer’s territory. You must NEVER go in there!”
“What are the Shadow Killers Papa?”
“They are a group of savages. They hunt in the forest, praying on helpless wolves. They enjoy pain, Sky, they took your sister”
“But I thought you said that she ran away?” Sky sat down, ears pricked for more lessons.
“Yes, one of them known as Pineclaw tricked her into coming over to their pack. No doubt they just needed more females!” Leonard snorted.
“Will, I ever see one papa?”
“Heavens no!” Jewel had finally caught up with them. “Sky, they are KILLERS, they stole your sister! They shall never be forgiven!”
“Well, when I’m big and strong like Daddy, I’m going to go in there and rip there fur off and save my big Sis!”
“Yes you will! You’ll be the strongest killer around!” Leonard chuckled. A worried glance came from Jewel. Sky glanced into the dense trees. The forest seemed so peaceful, so enticing. How could something so magical be so evil?
“Well, lets get away from here, its unsafe for a pup.” Jewel suggested. They all headed back to the mountain side.

Sky was explaining what she had learned to the other wolf pups. “And daddy said, that when I’m big and strong, like him, I can go and get rid of the Shadow Killers!” The pups all looked at each other then burst into a fit of laughter.
“Sky, your the weakest pup in the pack!” one laughed while falling over.
“Yea, and you suck at hunting! You couldn’t even catch another wolves tail!” The laughter became louder.
“You guys just don’t get it! I’m the leaders daughter! His power is in my blood!”
“No, that power was given to Heart, if your sister wasn’t taken, you would NEVER become leader!” The gang left her there, whining. Sky heard one whisper, “What a baby!”
“Yea, all the things she said were fake. And I bet her parents are ashamed of her, that’s why they don’t let her out of their sight! They need to be able to cover her mistakes!” The other giggled.
“I’ll show them,” Sky grumbled, “I’ll show them all that I CAN be strong. Why, I’ll be so strong that I’ll be a part of a quest!”


Sky awoke, her past troubling her. “Too bad I got what I wanted.” She sighed. Wait, did her father say that one of the Shadow Killers was Pineclaw?! She had to tell the others!


“So...” Pad shifted awkwardly.
“Don’t try to be all buddy buddy with me!” Flint-fang growled a response.
“Okay, I know you don’t like me but we have to at least ACT nice for Sky.” Flint-fang just grunted in agreement.
“Why do you hate me anyway? I mean, its not like I did anything to you.”
“No, you didn’t do anything to me, but you broke my girls heart. When I saved her, she was cold, scared, and hungry. If I wasn’t there, she would be dead! Then she told me about you, finding out that you had made a promise to save her then going off and breaking it just made me furious.” Flint-fang’s eyes were dancing with anger, “Then she said that she wouldn’t forgive you, and if she won’t then I won’t. Happy now?”
“No, not with the answer anyway. So, she really said that she wouldn’t forgive me?” Flint-fang’s lip curled into an evil grin.
“Yes, of course she did. She will never love you again.” Pad knew that this wasn’t true, but just the thought of Sky never loving him again made him cringe with sorrow. The sound of swift paws came to Pad’s ears. A white pelt came charging down the hill. “What took you so long Sweetheart?” Flint-fang called.
“I fell asleep, but that’s not important, it what happened when I was asleep!”
“What?! Did something attack you?!” Flint-fang suddenly raised his hackles.
“No no, it was my dream! Flint-fang, did your brother ever plan on taking over another pack?’
“Yeah, but what does that have to do with...”
“Shh! I’m thinking!” Sky interrupted. There was a silence... A long silence... Finally Sky spoke, “Okay, I know what the prophecy is about!”
“Do tell!” Pad said
“First, Pad, did your father also want to take over another pack?”
“Yes, he wanted to take over pack called the Swift Snow Pack, why?”
“That’s MY pack! Okay, okay. Um, this is what I think: That prophecy calls for three wolves right? Well we already got that, but then it says that the destiny of three pack shall be in our paws. My pack needs help from the Shadow Killers, that’s your guys’ packs, so that’s one pack, then, Flint-fang, you need to take back your rightful place as leader in your pack. That’s two. Finally, Pad, you need to free your pack from your father!” Sky was panting from talking so much.
“Well, it sounds right.” Pad sat up.
“So now we have to go back to our packs? But then what was the point of meeting each other?” Flint-fang questioned.
“Well...,” Sky stuttered, “Um... Was there a day that your packs wanted to attack?”
“No, not that I know of.” Pad answered
“Same here.” Flint-fang also sat up.
“Darn!” Sky spat. Yet another silence grew between them.
“Then we’ll just have to go and warn your pack, Sky.” Pad suggested.
“Homeward bound!” Flint-fang stood up. With the prophecy finally understood, the three moved through the night.

After last night’s discovery, the small pack made their way back to the trees. The only way to find the way home was to retrace their steps. Sky was eager to find her pack. “And wait until you guys taste ram meat!” Soon reality befell Sky. “If they are still there I mean...” After the hunters, she had no idea if they had run off to, or if they had returned home. “Sky, is that doubt in your eyes?” Flint-fang said with the up most calmness. “What? No. Why would you think that...”
“He is right you know, is something bugging you? I mean we are going back to your pack.” Pad pushed in between the two of them.
“Yeah, but what if they aren’t there?”
“What do you mean?”
“When we met you said to find the Cave of Many Crystals because I didn’t know where they are... Who says they have returned now?”
“That’s right...” The pace slowed from a trot to a halt. The silence weaved into the group like a heavy mist. Sky felt her eyes about to overflow when Flint-fang rubbed his head on her cheek. A low snarl came from Pad. “Don’t worry, beloved. We will find them, even if it costs me my life.”
“Yeah, um, me too!” Pad interjected. Sky didn’t seem to hear him.
“Let’s keep moving, we should get a couple more miles under our paws before we have to camp tonight.”
“Agreed.” Sky started back at a trot. Flint-fang and Pad lagged behind.
“Stop trying to impress Sky.” Flint-fang growled.
“What?”
“You know what I’m talking about! When I said that I would help Sky find her pack, no matter what, you tried to say the same thing.”
“No I didn’t!”
“Yes you did”
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
“Guys! Jeez! Stop fighting! I thought that we all lost our puppy fur years ago!” Sky turned back and stepped between them. Glaring at the both of them, she flicked her tail so that is hit Pad on the nose while stepping of Flint-fangs foot. Pad sneezed and Flint-fang yelped. “No more fighting! Or worse will come your way!” Sky spun around and trotted froward as if nothing happened. “Right.” Pad kept rubbing his nose and Flint-fang limped a little bit but every time Sky looked back, they acted as if nothing hurt.


*******************************************


The light crackled in between the three bodies. Within two days they had made it back to the caves. Now they just had to find the right one out of over a hundred. They were still looking for the Cave of Many Crystals. “Well we have so far found nothing in about, what, like 30 caves?”
“Thirty? Are you sure?” Sky yawned
“I think, what do you think Flint-fang?”
“I lost count after fifteen!” Their paws ached. Some sharp corners of stone had cut the pads on all of them. Sky lapped up her crimson liquid. Flint-fang put herbs on his, and Pad had just finished rubbing chewed leaves on his left upper paw. “This bits, we are brought to our knees by a rock!” Flint-fang growled.
“Not to mention fatigue!” Pad sighed. Sky was already closing her eyes.
“Sky, stay awake! We have to discuss...” Pad was interrupted by a yawn.
“Leave her alone. Besides, we are ALL tired! We can talk in the morning.” Flint-fang curled up into a ball. His breathing slowed. He was out cold. Pad’s lids began to droop. So he too drifted into a slumber as deep as any ocean.

******************************************************
The rocks fell and hit Pad on the muzzle. “Hey watch it!”
“Sorry, my paws are still kinda soar and numb”
“Or your paws are just too big?”
“Flint-fang!”
“Ha, sorry sweetheart!” Sky just rolled her eyes and kept pressing on. This was cave number thirty-five. On the left side. they had to complete about five more then move the right side. Or that was the plan anyway, if one of them slipped that would be the end of it! The stone was wet and frighteningly slippery. Black mush caked onto Sky and Pad’s legs and belly fur from dragging them selves along the canyon. Flint-fang had muck on him but it was invisible compared to his black coat. This was miserable but being cold and muddy was a small price to pay to save three wolf packs. Or that’s what Sky thought. Pad didn’t say anything but he looked upset. Flint-fang acted as if the world was coming to an end because his fur was sticking up in all places. Either way, she had hoped to find the cave soon. As her paws scrambled for the final paw hold, there was a sudden glisten. “I found it!”
Sky barked.
“Found what!?”
“The cave! I found the cave!”
“Um, Sky? There’s a lot of caves around here”
“No, you moron! The Cave of Many Crystals!”
“Oh! THAT cave!” Pad finally understood.
Sky rolled her eyes and pressed on. Pad clamoring behind with Flint-Fang following. The cave was beautiful, the rainbows of shimmers reflected off the ground, not to mention her! She turned to see Pad and Flint-fang in the entrance with gaping jaws. “What?”
“Oh, um, the... the cave! It’s , um really, colorful.”
“What Pad does not have the guts to say is that the light comes off you fur wonderfully.”
“Aw, thanks” Sky answered sheepishly.
“So now what?”
“Now we sleep. My mother told me this when I was a pup! Before my father killed her anyway...” Pad became quiet.
“I’ll find some sticks for a fire.” With that, Flint-fang exited that mouth of the rocks.
“Well, in the mean time...” Sky shook her fur and circled the floor, finally coming to a stop and plopping down. Pad did the same. Flint-fang came back, “No luck. The rain made all the sticks to wet so even make a spark!” The cave was silent exept the soft breathing of two wolves. Rage burned in Flint-fangs belly as he glared at Pad, but then the rage ceased when his eyes saw Sky’s pure fur. He softened. She loves ME not him. Am I actually jealous of that pup?! He dropped to the floor loud enough to wake them up. “Flint-fang?! What the heck? Did you really have to flop down like that?” Sky barked.
“Wha? Oh, hey fuzz face!” Pad yawned.
“Fuzz face?!” Flint-fang snarled.
Sky rolled over to face away from them. Let them argue like coyotes over a corpse! I give up! Her eyes drooped and soon the sleep took over.

“Ha! At least I can track better than you ever could!”
“Tracking? Fool, that’s easy! You look in the dirt, smell the air, an look around for clues. Pathetic! I can make fire!”
“Fire? Who cares?!”
“Look at the who Sky chose!” Pad leaped up.
“Take that back!”
“Psh, make me!”
“Your asking for it!”
“For what? A little teething? Sorry but I’m not some bone that you can chew on to help your puppy teeth fall out!”
“Shut up!”
“Come over here and make me!”
“I wouldn’t want to wake Sky.” Pad said glanced at Sky
“Fine, we’ll handle this tomorrow then?”
“Tomorrow it is!” They both circled and then laid down. The fight was over. Until the next morning that is.....
The trio had slept till the afternoon. But Flint-fang hadn’t forgotten about the thing Pad had agreed to. He began collecting twigs and rocks to make the arena. Sky still had no knowledge of the fight, but there was going to be no hiding it from her. When the sun was starting to set, Flint-fang called, “Pad! Get your furry face out here and let’s settle our little dilemma!” Pad’s head poked out of the cave’s mouth. He began to work his way down.
“Flint-fang. What dilemma? What’s going on?”
“Pad is going to fight me.”
“Pad is what?!”
“Pad is fighting me.”
“No he is not!”
“Yes, he is.”
“Flint-fang, he is NOT!”
“Listen, I love you but you can’t keep telling me to ignore Pad all the time whenever an arguement arouses. This fight was going to happen, one way or another.”
“What’er the rules?” Pad said coming to a halt inside the circle.
“Simple. Stay in the circle, to win you must have the other wolf pinned for more than five seconds.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it, anything else goes.”
“Sky will you be the person who counts?” Pad asked
“There is no way I’m getting involved in this!” Sky turned and walked away.
“Fine then, we will just have to be fair and honest. Can I trust you to do that Flint-fang?” Flint-fang just raised his lips to reveal teeth.
“Guessing that’s a yes?” The blood was about to run.


“This is crazy!” Sky growled to herself tromping away. “ Maybe I should stay, to make sure Flint-fang doesn’t kill Pad.” Sky had no worries for Flint-fang because she knew that he would win. She heard Flint-fang call “Start!”
She turned to join them. The safety of their pack was in jeopardy! As she came out of the bushes, there was already blood spilt on the ground. Most of it, Pad’s. What was she to do? Let the fight continue? Or end it now? Flint-fangs words came back into her mind:
“Listen, I love you but you can’t keep telling me to ignore Pad all the time whenever an augment arouses. This fight was going to happen, one way or another.” She sat down and let the fight rage on. Flint-fang made the next move. He leaped into the air, landed next to Pad, spun to force himself under Pad’s belly, then with all his strength, he pushed. Pad was thrown into the air. A yelp escaped through Pad’s teeth. Flint-fang leaped again, this time he landed on Pad in the air and held him in place, so his head would hit the ground. The fight was over, blood oozed from the crack in Pad’s skull. Flint-fang panted, “Five seconds is up. I win”
“Flint-fang! Help him!” Sky came running into the circle. She nosed Pad’s face, which was mangled and bloody. She laid her ear against his chest. “He is still breathing!” Sky began to lick his wounds.
“He is fine.” Flint-fang prodded Pad’s side with a paw. “Wake up pup! What you can’t take a hit?”
“Flint-fang! Look, there is a giant stone next to his head. Were you intending to his head that?!”
“The wind changed my coarse” Flint fang looked at the sky.
“You were trying to kill him?!”
“No, he just can’t take a hit that’s all”
“Flint-fang, he is nearly dead!”
“He is fine!”
“You don’t get it do you? You hit him on his head! Right in the spot where, an inch to the right, you would have killed him!” Sky grabbed Pad by the scruff and dragged him toward the cave. “Help me get him inside.” Sky mumbled through gray fur. “What? Why do I have to help him?”
“Because if you don’t, I will kill you.” Sky said calmly, even though rage burned in her ocean blue eyes.
“Okay, okay. Fine” Flint-fang trotted over to grab Pad by the neck.
“Don’t be so harsh with him!”
“Sorry.” Flint-fang growled sarcastically. Together, they managed to drag Pad up to the cave. Sky ran back out to look for some medical supplies: leaves, herbs, something to eat, and maybe something to wake him up if he had a concussion.
“Okay, lets see. Poppy seed? Check. A bunny? Check. And, oh! I forgot some big leaves!” Sky turned and backed out of the cave. Flint-fang was supposed to keep watch over him, but instead, he fell asleep. When Sky returned, Pad had started to arouse. “What happened? And why does it feel like my head has been kicked by a buffalo?!”
“Pad, you need to lay back down, you may have damaged your brain.”
“Fine, but what happened?” Pad slumped to the floor once again.
“You got into a fight with Flint-fang, and you landed on your head.”
“Oh, yeah. Hey Flint-fang, where did you learn that move? That is no ordinary fighting move!”
“I don’t have to tell you!”
“Then tell me.” Sky snarled
“Okay, okay. Before I was chased out by Pine-Claw, I was an Elite Blood Taker.”
“An Elite what?”
“An Elite Blood Taker! In my pack, we were the most powerful wolves ever! We could take down the leader if we wanted to! Our group had special training that could kill anything less than an Elite.”
“Wow, who trained you guys?” Pad asked wide eyed.
“A group that consisted of a bear, a cougar, and the legendary Wildfire!”
“Wait, you said that they were the most powerful wolves ever. What happened to them?”
“Well after Pine-Claw chased me out, he got scared of the Elite Blood Takers and forced them out of our lands.”
“But why didn’t they just fight back? You said they could take down the leader!”
“I said they could, that doesn’t mean they would. Our duty was to protect the pack at any cost. So, by our vows, we wouldn’t ever harm the leader.”
“Where are the Elite Blood- something-or-another now?”
“Ha, I wish I knew! You think that I would be here right now if I knew where the were?” Flint-fang got up and walked to the mouth of the cave. This discussion was over, for now. “Oh well, time to get your rest Pad. Good night!”
“Night” Pad closed his eyes while Sky circled. Flint-fang still sat in the mouth of the cave. He wouldn’t sleep tonight. Not with what was in his mind.
*****************************************************************


The morning after the “dilemma” Flint-fang was nowhere to be found. Sky had gone out looking for him, but his location was still unknown. “Pad, you said that the Cave of Many Crystals will help me find my pack.”
“Yeah. And?”
“We have been in this Anorak forbidden place and nothing has happened besides you almost dyeing, and Flint-fang going missing.”
“Wait, Flint-fang is gone? Where?”
“Never mind that! What are we doing wrong that we have had no contact with the great Freki or Geri!”
“Who?”
“The Great Guardians you fool!”
“Oh, them. Well...” Pad thought for a while.
“Any ideas?”
“Oh! Maybe... No, no that wouldn’t work... Hey how about... No, that’s wrong too.”
“Pad! Give me something!”
“Okay, okay! Maybe we need to move deeper into the cave?”
“Really? That’s what you came up with?”
“I was under pressure!”
“Fine, we will move deeper tomorrow. Hopefully Flint-fang will be back by then.”
“Okay.” Sky turned away from Pad and stalked to the entrance.
“Is something wrong?”
“Is something wrong?! Is something wrong?!?! Of course there is something wrong, you ingrate! You idiots keep fighting! Now not only do I have to watch you, but I have to worry about the fate of my pack as well! My life and the life of my family depends on our teamwork, which will never happen. So now I have to mend a broken group by myself! So the next time you ask me what’s wrong, think of this answer!” Sky snarled. The earth seemed to crumble on Pad’s eyes. Sky had been in such a rage, the cave seemed about to collapse. She had never yelled at him before, not like this. Why was she so angry that they couldn’t get along? Was it really that big of a deal? She is right though. She does have the burden of not just her pack, but mine and Flint-fangs too. We are both too concerned with Sky’s love that we are forgetting why we are even together! Sky was bearing the weight of all their duties by herself no wonder she was ticked off. I will have to talk to her later and apologize. Pad thought.

************************************************************

The next morning Pad woke up to see two shadows sitting at the entrance. “Sky? Flint-fang?” Pad called.
“What do you want?” Sky answered.
“You found Flint-fang?”
“No, he came back he just needed some time to think. And he has something he needs to say.”
“Fine.” Flint-fang sighed, “Pad I’m sorry I almost killed you. And for even fighting with you in the first place.”
“I’m sorry too, I was so caught up with trying to get Sky back, that I forgot the reason that I even met her!” Pad sat up.
“Great, now weren’t we doing something?”
“Yes moving deeper into the cave. Hopefully then, we can have some answers from Freki and Geri!” Sky began to walk. The trio moved in silence through the velvet blackness. But they weren’t prepared for what would happen within hours. Flint-fang and Sky kept quiet. Flint-fang even let Pad get close to Sky. Something was gnawing at their minds, and it was not good. He didn’t know how, but he knew it wasn’t good. “Hey Flinty! What’s with the silence?”
“Nothing you furry ears need to know Fuzz face!” Yes, something was wrong, Flint fang would have killed Pad for calling him Flinty but all he did was call him a name. Pad looked at Sky but nothing was showing in her eyes, and her movement said nothing. What was going on? Was Sky breaking up with Flinty? Was this his chance?! He opened up his maw to say something, but then clamped it shut again. Was he really that selfish? Sky was hurting right now and he was worried about her love? What a heartless moron he was! The journey deeper seemed to be so quiet that you could hear a pine needle drop! Was the rest of the trip going to be like this? Whatever, shut up Pad, SHUT UP! You heartless idiot! Sky is internal pain and you don’t care. But, she is so cute and venerable, and...PAD! Listen to your self.... SHUT UP you dumb idiot! “Um pad”
“What honey. Err... Sky?”
“Are you okay? You look like you are arguing with yourself.”
“Oh, really? Well, yea, yes, YES! I’m fine.”
“Okay...” Sky moved forward. Suddenly the floor crumbled and sent Sky tumbling down into the darkness. “SKY!” Flint-fang screamed. A howl passed through Sky’s maw. The stones covered the hole again. There was no way in! Or... out!

Sky opened her eyes, everything was fuzzy. She could only see shapes and colors. The faint light helped her. But where the light was coming from was unknown. Sky tried to get up but only gasped with pain. She looked at her back right leg. It was twisted in a way that it shouldn’t be able to twist. It was clearly broken. Her ear was torn, her body covered in gashes that should have been fatal. She was screwed. The darkness seemed to just make things worse, nothing but the blackness. The only thing to comfort her was the wall and the ground. She could not move, hear, or see anything. For her to be saved, Flint-fang and Pad would have to work together… Yup, she was doomed! They would never work together even for her sake! She could faintly hear her comrades call her name as if she could climb back up and say, ‘Yeah I’m fine! Wow! That was a doozy!’ Flint-fang was louder and still more panicked than Pad’s. What? So now you care about me all of a sudden? Sky laid there, scared, cold, and bleeding. She stared into the light that just seemed to make everything better. It was somehow warm and clean. It smelt like the air that was in the mountains when she was a pup. Wait. She was in a cave, under a cave to be exact! How could there be light? Was this a way home? A way into the mountains? Sky tried to get up again but clenched her teeth in pain only to result in a jaw ache. Elk breath! Sky cursed. Her only hope was truly Pad and Flint-fangs teamwork, which is never happening. But that light, it was calling for her. “How?” Sky called. “Can’t you see my leg is broken? I can’t even drag myself over there!” Great, now I’m talking to light!



“I know you are in pain, Wolf Child.”







“Who is that? Flint-fang, Pad?” Sky squinted her eyes. Nothing was there except the light. Was it the light? No, that wouldn’t make sense. But then again… “Was that you… Light?”

“Yes. It was me, the light as you call me.” No, that wasn’t the light. I just hit my head to hard. Maybe I should just sleep it off. Sky put her head down and closed her eyes.


Flint-fang just stared down at the hole. Pad could do nothing but the same. The silence seemed to through them deeper into despair. Sky, their beloved companion was gone. The one that kept them grounded just vanished! Suddenly Flint-fang’s mind began to process what just happened. He made his paws move. He began to scrape at the rocks. “Sky…?” He whispered. The rocks would not move. “Sky?” Panic began to set in. “Sky!?” Flint-fang’s paws moved even faster now that he knew what was at stake. “SKY!?” Flint-fang was bleeding from scraping against the solid rock. “Sky! Don’t leave me! Please!” Pad was staring at the perplexed dog. This full grown, black, strong, Elite Blood Taker wolf was crying. The tears were rolling down like a steady river. The tang of salt brushed past Pad’s nose. Was this really Flint-fang? I couldn’t be, this blubbering puppy was Flint-fang? “Flint.” Pad said calmly. Flint-fang still dug, unable to hear the gray blob in the corner of his eye. “Flint.” Still no response. “FLINT! Give up! You can’t get in! We have to find another way!” Flint-fang suddenly stopped, and stared at the ground. “Find another way in?” “Yes.” Pad said with even more sanity.









“Sky is trapped in a hole, possibly bleeding to death and you want to leave and find another way in pitch blackness? ARE YOU CRAZY?!”









“Yes. Well not crazy, but yes I want to leave and find another way in.” Pad replied unfazed by Flint-fang’s anger. “We are of no use to her if we kill ourselves by digging on a rock!”







“We are not going to die by just digging!”








“Well, with the way you are digging, yes you will die. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” Flint-fang looked down and finally noticed the crimson blanket laying on the rock. That was ALL his blood? As much as he hated it, no, loathed it, Pad was right. “You are right.” Flint-fang said. The words were like vinegar on his tongue. “I know I’m right flee-for-brain! Now let’s see, Sky? Can you hear us?” Pad called to the rock. “Yes, yes I can hear you.” Sky’s voice carried through the rock that kept her in her stone prison. “Is there a wall behind you?”






“Yes.”
“Okay is the re a wall in front of you?”







“No.”










“Good we are going to find another way in to help you. Don’t worry.”



“I’m not.” Pad nodded to Flint-fang .
“I’m here too babe!”




“Flint-fang? Please work with Pad! I need you BOTH!”
“Yes honey. I will good-bye.” Pad left with Flint-fang following close behind. Finally, the test had begun!

Sky was more confident now that she heard Pad and Flint-fang’s voice. “Good, we are going to find another way in to help you. Don’t worry.” When Pad had said this he did not seem like himself. He was the calm one, as if he knew how to handle it. Flint-fang on the other hand had been frantic and scared like a pup had just lost its mother. They seemed to have miraculously changed places. Sky laid her head back down on the grey floor. It’s cold. She thought. Is this how I am going to die? In a pit, alone and cold? Sky laid there, unsure what to become of the previous events. The hunters, Claw and his gang, the auction of her life, Flint-fang, this cave, her falling down into a pit while her saviors are two middle aged pups that argue every five minutes. Something didn’t seem right, the hunters. Yes, the hunters, how did they find them? They had never had a problem with Pigskins since the dawn of time. How could they have possibly found their paradise? Sky’s pack had lived on a Pigskin reserve. Nothing was allowed to hunt there but them. Now that she laid there in the dark, thinking about the hunters, she did remember that a foreign wolf’s sent had drifted into her nose before the hunters disturbed everything. But then she thought nothing of it, she had no time to think. But now, alone in the hole that was her prison, she had time to think. Did someone lead them there? No, why would a wolf turn on its own brethren ? When she said that she thought of Pad’s pack. His father killed his mother and attacked Pad. Then Flint-fang came to mind. His own brother killed Flint-fang’s betrothed, not to mention banished nearly half the pack and Elite Blood Takers. Wolves had been turning on each other for a long time, was she really that blind? Out of nowhere a rock came and shattered down next to Sky’s head. The cave was collapsing! No, it wasn’t, but she was still not safe, for the first time she looked up. Sky, almost fainted with horror. On the ceiling scattered all over, was stalagmites. The sharp rocks looked as though they would get heavy and drop. I really am going to die! Sky clenched her eyes shut, ready for pain and death to befall her. “You are not going to die, my child, for I would not allow it.” You are my child? Sky thought. Another rock fell, she heard the shatter louder than before. Suddenly her eyes shut and her mind was thrown into everlasting darkness.


Pad left the hole. Flint-fang followed reluctantly behind. Flint-fang kept looking back, looking for Sky. What am I doing? Flint-fang thought. I look back as though Sky will come running up saying; ‘Hey guys! Wait up!’ And everything would go back to the way it should be. Him loving Sky, Sky loving him. The conversation they had before they left had really shaken Flint-fang. How was that plan supposed to work? They find them and everything will be alright? They would win and the others would be back in the pack as protectors and viscous fighters? Impossible. That is not the way it is to be. ‘I don’t care if that is not the way to be, it is the way I WANT it to be!” Sky had said that during that very same conversation. What was he to do? He was losing it, his sanity and is dignity. Nothing, He could do nothing. All he could do was follow Pad to God knows where! He felt so useless, like he was just a waist of fur and flesh! After this, after he and Pad save Sky, he was going to give up and go back to his quaint little hole and live like this all never happened! It was better off this way. Sky would be happy with Pad, Flint-fang would have his life back and he would never have to worry about PineClaw or Sky’s pack again. Yes, after the rescue mission, he was done. Never again to see Sky or Pad for that matter. But for now he would stick around to help his beloved Sky. Right now she was at the bottom of a cavern, helpless and scared, and, if he wasn’t careful, Pad would try to rescue Sky and impress her to get her back. With the state their relationship was at now, she might just dump him and go for Pad! Flint-fang couldn’t let that happen, not in a million years! Flint-fang looked up to see that Pad was far ahead, he sprinted to catch up. A he was close she slowed to a fast trot, and forcing himself past Pad. Which was hard considering the small passage way. Pad yelped at Flint-fang stepped on his paw. “Hey!” Pad called. Good ol’ Flint-fang is back. To be honest I kind of missed that Flint. Good thing he can’t read my thoughts, he would never let me live this down! Pad ignored the pain steaming from his foot and kept walking. He was just glad to have is cranky buddy back. Sky would be pleased too, well if she was still with him.
Sky was dreaming. She had been hit by a mighty big rock, but now the pain had stopped. The world melted like chocolate in a child’s hand. The pain, the anger, the frustration, even the worry had subsided. For now, she was finally at peace. “My wolf child, dear wolf child. Why have you not awoken? You know it is time, the pain is gone, and you are intact. No more shall hurt.” It was that light again. “Go away, you needen’t be here!” Sky growled with her eyes still shut. She liked the world that she was in, she had no reason to wake. “Oh child, you must get up. Without you, packs shall die from this land, and cowardly coyotes shall rain.”
“I MUST do nothing!”
“Please, I have the power to heal you, but you must want it.”
“If you have the power, then you save the wolf kingdom or whatever it is!”
“You are resenting your destiny, why?”
“Because others get hurt, others die for me!”
“That is how much they love you.”
“No, that is how much stupidity they have! They made the choice, and a
stupid choice at that!”
“You should not talk ill of the dead, little one.”
“So? They are dead. They are nothing to me anymore!”
“Is that what you think would happen to you, that if you died, you would
mean nothing to anyone again?”
“That is not what I think, it is what I know!”
“What about Pad?”
“He hates me now! I chose Flint-fang over him, I left him, and I told him I
would never trust him. He just wants me to die by now.”
“He wouldn’t be with you now if he hated you. He would have tried to kill
you long ago or left you.”
“N…no! That is wrong he is just waiting for the right time to strike!”
“Oh, little one, you don’t really believe that do you?”
“I know it is true!”
“Child! I have given you the chance!” The light became red, the voice boomed. “You will see the horror of the dead ones, and their lovers!” The light consumed Sky. Soon she felt light and care free! Was that grass she felt? Was she out of that horrid cave? Water splat against her nose, then another on her back. Rain! She opened her eyes, the mountains! She was home! In the distance she saw a hunched over figure of a wolf. “Father!” she called but the wolf did not look away from the ground. “Father? It’s me Sky! I’m home!” Sky was running toward the furry figure. As she drew near, she saw that the whole pack was there, a welcome home party perhaps? Sky grinned at the idea. “Father!” she called again, and again he did not turn. Why didn’t he look? Wouldn’t he miss his daughter?
“He cannot here you.” A ball of light zoomed up next to the loping wolf.
“What?”
“They cannot here you. None of them can!” Sky stopped running.
“What do you mean?”
“In this world, you don’t really exist. Not anymore anyway.” The light snickered. In what way was this funny? Sky had fallen down a hole, broken her leg, hit by a rock on her head, and now she sees her father and a ball of light is telling her that she doesn’t exist? What in Geri’s name is going on?! The ball moved in from of Sky’s nose. “This is a world without you. In this place, instead of your mother being shot, it was you.”
“What? No, no, that isn’t right!” Sky pushed the ball off her nose and ran for her father. “Father look! I’m alive! Father! Father open your eyes and look at me!” Sky went to bite his scruff to shake some sense into him, but instead of fur, she only grabbed air. She stumbled and fell to the ground. “I told you, they can’t see or feel you.” That dumb light was back. “Shut up! I will never stop trying!”
“No, you must stop. It is about to begin.”
“What’s about to begin?”
“The ritual.”
“Huh?”
“The death ritual, silly!” For the first time, Sky saw the white blob on the ground. A pool of red was getting bigger around the body. It was hers. This was Sky’s body. “I…I really am dead?”
“Well, this is an allusion. In reality, you are still asleep in the cave. I’m showing you what it’s like when you don’t exist. Come, there is more to show you.” The light zoomed away into the trees. Sky followed. Soon the dirt turned into grass under paw. Sky felt like she had done this all before. Right! This is when she was chased and then ran into Pad! The light stopped by a bush. “Look.” Sky peeked around the leafy branch to see Pad. He was low and sniffing the ground. She was relieved to see her friend. “He is still alive, unlike me”
. “Not for long.” The light glowed, then dimmed, then glowed and dimmed again. It looked like it was a living breathing thing. “What do you mean, not for long?” Sky asked.
“Look” Sky looked back at Pad. She could see the hunter in the shrubs that, because of Pad’s angle, he could not. “Pad! Run!” Sky jumped out of the bush they were under, the bush did not rustle or scrape her as she jumped out. “Pad, GO!” Sky jumped in between Pad and the hunter. Pad did not move he kept sniffing at the ground, unaware of the eminent danger 10 feet away. The hunter decided to attack, the cocking of the gun and the bang of the gunpowder signaled death. The bullet went straight for Sky, but went through her like she was air and burrowed itself into Pad’s skull, killing him instantly. Sky felt a tear come to her eye when she turned to see the lifeless body behind her. The hunter came to claim his prize, Sky growled. She lunged at him, but instead of flesh she got a mouth full of air. “Silly wolf! You are a ghost, remember?” Sky remembered, though she did not want to admit it. “Why…”
“Why did you friend die? Because you weren’t there for the hunter to chase. The hunter saw you before Pad in the real world, but here, you were killed before this and then the hunter saw Pad instead of you.” The light zoomed back and forth. “Come there is still more to show you.”
“Wait! What about Flint-fang?” Sky’s voice crocked.
“Unfortunately child, that is what I must show you next.”