Writing Contest! (ANNOUNCED WINNERS)

Word Count: 1496 

                            Every year the great snow fell from the skies and created a blanket across the land that marked the renewal of nature. This year would be Pine’s second and she was expected to participate in a rite of passage along with the other pups who had reached their coming of age. Her brothers, Leaf and Acorn had been anticipating it for the past few moon rises. Pine had chosen not to think about it until the day arrived when the reached its zenith and the pack elder, Thorn would lead the proceedings. Two other wolves, Fern and Moss were participating as well and were the pups of the alphas.

                They were broad-shouldered with sleek snouts and plump stomachs, their muscular forms moving easily across the fallen snow when they met up with the rest of the group just before the entrance of the forest. The pack had long since made its residence in the mountains, but the rite of passage meant braving the forest. For three days they were expected to wander together and as a team haul back their prey. They had been hunting since they became adolescents, but they’d have to support one another in order to achieve adulthood and be fully welcomed as a member of the pack.

                Pine stood carefully by her brothers, her darker form appearing like a shadow against their pale figures as the wind whistled in their ears. It was time.

                “Return to me after three nights pass. Sooner if nature is kind to you.” Thorn murmured, her silver-tinged muzzle gleaming in the afternoon sun before approaching each young wolf and pressing her muzzle to their foreheads. “May you be blessed with grace by the forest spirits and return safely. Remember, if you need help, all you must do is ask.” Her parting words were left with a smile as the old she-wolf watched the group leave.

                “I’m sure we’ll manage on our own, just fine,” Leaf muttered as Thorn began her ascent of the mountain. Moss and Fern shook their heads, chuckling as they took their positions. Leaf at the center with the other two at his flanks. Acorn and Pine covered the back, watching the others in silence.

                Leaf soon took point, prancing through the trees for several minutes before Fern and Moss soon arrived at his sides. Their fur shaking excess dew from their pelts as they attempted to find a scent trail. Pine was the last to follow, her paws hardly making a sound as she followed them. The deeper they headed into the forest, the more barren their surroundings seemed to become.

                “Do you think we’ll find anything closer to the ridge?” Pine asked, her voice high before Moss turned his head in her direction, pausing for a moment.

                “It’s too treacherous to brave the ridge, we might just fall ourselves into the nothingness below. If we’re lucky we can pick up the scent for a herd and find ourselves a straggler.” The forest was thick with trees and overgrown moss on fallen logs. With the wind whipping around them, it was hard to say where their prey could be hiding. Birds had already migrated south due to the onslaught of snow and even the bears had hunkered down for the chill in the air to pass.

                Still, the group trudged onwards, their eyes glinting as the sun began to lower in the sky. The more the wind howled, the more the skies began to darken. Between each gust, however, Pine had begun to hear a voice.

                “Little wolf, little wolf…” the voice beckoned, the tone harsh and guttural as if they had been swallowing bones their whole life.

                “Yes? What do you need?” Pine asked, her gaze on her companions. She was in fact the smallest, so they had to be referring to her.

                “No one said anything, Pine. You must be just hearing the wind.” Leaf murmured, before shaking excess snowflakes from neck. “Now keep up, you’re only slowing us down.” He snapped, his nose twitching furiously at her.

                Pine lowered her ears slightly but simply nodded as she quickened her pace. As the wind howled once more and the snow piling in around them, it was growing harder and harder to stay with the group. A mist soon settled, clinging to the trees and obscuring Pine’s view of the wolves before her, turning them into nothing more that shadows in the distance. Only one remained behind.

                “Do you see the group?” the figure asked as Pine grew closer before she recognized her other brother. “Leaf is as impatient as ever. He’s got quite the nose though so maybe they rushed off when he found something.” Acorn murmured before his tail lowered sightly.

                “No. They shouldn’t be too far though. Let’s stick close, okay? We should rest soon; it’ll be easier to hunt when there’s more light.” The mist was really dampening their efforts, but Pine was certain that everything would be fine – they couldn’t expect to find prey so close to where their dens were. She put her nose on her brother’s side for a moment to reassure him.

                “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s keeping pushing ahead.” Acorn grinned, his tail wagging slightly as they moved forward, side by side. The more they moved forward, the thicker the mist became. There was still no sign of the others.

                “Little wolf, Little wolf…” the mysterious voice rang out again. Pine paused, urging her brother to stop for a moment.

                “What is it?” Acorn asked, his tone shrill, his eyes were wide, his fur sticking up a bit now that he was sitting. His paws shuffled uneasily as he watched his sister.

                “Did you hear it? The voice.” Pine whispered before glancing around them. As the mist swirled around them, Pine surveyed the area, watching as the shadows began to move around them. They were too large to be another wolf.

                “No…I didn’t here anything. Are you t-teasing me?” Acorn asked, his amber eyes flickering as he glanced around too, wondering what his sister was looking at.

                Before Pine could answer, she heard the voice again, louder, and clearer this time.

                “Little wolf, little wolf, lend me your ear.” The voice whispered once more as the mist furled around them and Acorn let out a sharp whine.

                “I’m listening.” Pine murmured, her ears prickling at the sound. Acorn glanced at her, his eyes narrowed in confusion, but he said not a word and simply looked on, too afraid to do much more.

                “Little wolf, little wolf…you’ve wandered so far. Please rest under the bushes and stars.” The voice murmured again, though the voice was becoming more melodic with each word.

                The voice seemed soft and calm, offering nothing but advice as Pine listened further. “Thank you…whoever you are. We’re actually here looking for prey. Will you help us? Please?” she asked. Whoever it was had been following them for quite sometime so perhaps they knew their bearings in the forest.

                Instead of a quick answer, the shadows in the distance seem to accumulate as one, the mist drawing back further into the forest, allowing visibility for both Acorn and Pine. At the sight of the shadows approaching, Acorn cowered behind his sister, his fur bristling in fear as the swath of shadows finally took form. A large wolf with a silver-tinged muzzled stared back down at them, parting the trees with a single brush of each of their paws. Pine stood calmly in front of it, her head rising to stare up at the wolf in surprise.

                “If that is what you wish little wolf then help you shall receive.” The shadow wolf smiled. “Rest beneath these evergreens and once the sun rises tomorrow, you will have what you seek.”

                “Thank you! What I can do to repay you?” Pine murmured, bowing her head to the giant wolf.

                “Just promise never to take more than you need and to remember if you need help, just ask.” The shadow wolf smiled before glancing towards a large grouping of bushes. Soon the shadow wolf receded into the trees, the wind howling in the distance.

                Pine and Acorn quickly nestled inside the bushes, finding it surprisingly warm before falling quickly asleep. As the sun’s rays peeked through the bushes the following morning, Pine awoke at the call of an elk and soon she and her brother were answering that call. As they pursued the wounded elk, the noticed three figures ahead, startled by the fleeting creature. Leaf, Fern, and Moss had been running around in circles, exhausted but the sight of the elk had granted them a sudden burst of energy as each of them worked to take down the beast.

                Soon the group was back at the mountains, the elk presented to Thorn who smirked proudly at each of the wolves. “I see at least one of you heeded my advice.” She murmured before glancing at Pine with a ghost of a smile. “Welcome to adulthood.”

Venom stood in front of Black Death, not allowing her to pass. “I don’t want you going into the abandoned Plague Pack territory, it’s dangerous. Haven’t you heard the rumors? After the wildfire killed off all those cannibalistic canines their restless souls wander the forest floor, seeking revenge on any foolish enough to enter.” Venom said. Black Death pushed past him with a dismissive snort. “You’ve always been the superstitious type, haven’t you? There are no ‘restless spirits’ or any other form of paranormal activity around here or anywhere else. In fact, there’s no nothing, not a scent of prey insight, which is why I’m going to finally find some food.” Black Death explained as she walked away. Venom trotted alongside her before stopping in front of her once more with a skid in his steps. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go any further, it’s for your own good.” Venom growled. Black Death’s playful attitude soon soured as her hackles rose. She bared her fangs as she wasted no time asserting her dominance. “You’re my mate but you’re still the secondary alpha of Constellation Pack therefore you’re the lesser leader. Don’t try and challenge me Venom, you know you’ll lose.” Black Death snarled. Venom froze in fear. “Fine.” Venom said submissively but spitefully. “At least let me join you though, for protection, of course.” Venom added quickly with an eagerness. Black Death thought it over carefully. “Very well, you can join me.” Black Death decided. Venom’s eyes lit up in excitement. “I’m not so sure it’s you who’s protecting me.” Black Death joked as her trot quickened into a sprint. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Venom grumbled. “With an attitude like that, I almost hope the spirits catch up with you before I do.” Venom muttered under his breath as he bounded after Black Death.

🌙 🌙 🌙

“Haven’t we passed this tree already?” Black Death asked. “You’ll have to be more specific, we’re in a forest, there are trees everywhere! Besides, you’re the ‘all-knowing primary alpha’, shouldn’t you have all the answers?” Venom asked rhetorically. “If I knew everything I would have solved the answer as to why you’re so dense!” Black Death snapped. “Says the one who doesn’t know where we are…” Venom sneered. Black Death spun around and rounded on Venom. “At least I can tell the difference between a silver cone and a gold cone!” Black Death spat. “Oh yeah?” Venom growled as his tail raised in a challenge. “Yeah!” Black Death snarled, accepting his challenge, ears folding in outrage. “If you’re so smart, why don’t you take those cones and shove them—!” Venom howled before being cut off by the loud crash of timber as birds chawed in alarm and flew off in a panic. “For dynasty's sake! What was that?” Venom asked as he was caught off guard. “Wait here.” Black Death ordered as she tentatively walked ahead to investigate. Venom opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it because he knew Black Death would not hear him out. He waited in silence as the only noise was the pounding of his frightened heartbeat. “Black Death?” Venom asked. He waited awhile but there was no answer. “BLACK DEATH?” Venom called a little louder. There was still no response. Venom took a step forward as Black Death, bloody and bruised, came crashing into him, her eyes wide in horror. “Black Death! What’s wrong? What had happened to you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” Venom exclaimed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but you were right! I saw a ghost—or something ghastly! It was big, black, had an exposed ribcage—Oh Venom, it was horrible!” Black Death whimpered as she began to hyperventilate. Before Venom could comfort there was a loud snapping of wood as more trees crashed against the forest floor and he came face to face with a brutish beast, the one which was described. “Hellhound!” Venom gasped.

Reserving this spot!

I'm so happy this one is a writing contest!!

Here is my story (Google Doc)

EDIT: Edited on 22th December for some typos and a couple of wandering commas :p

Thank you for hosting this contest ^^ I haven't flexed my writing fingers for a few years - writers block and life keeps getting in the way - and this was great motivation to sit down and let some words flow.

Had to do some careful editing to keep the word count acceptable, short is apparently not my forte.

The Call

Again, thank you for hosting, and good luck and well done to all of the participants! Now I've finished writing I can finally read some of the entries.

Shadows in the night 

By Tri.Nikins (#8053)

Run.

It's the only thing going through her mind, playing on a loop inside her as the she-wolf teared through the woods. She dodged the thick trees that made up what she once thought of as home, their trunks dark and rough in the cold night. Her paws sank in the soft snow, crunching it and getting it stuck on her fur as she sped over it, her brother hot at her heels.

Run.

She can hear it. Wood cracking and snow shifting under something big. Far too big. Distorted howls and garbled laughter, a mockery of joy from what couldn't possibly know what it truly was.

Run.

From the corner of her eyes, she can see a Shadow moving and drawing closer, going against the natural shadows made by the Moon's light, flashes of shining eyes and a gaping maw of teeth running alongside them before disappearing entirely into the tree line.

Like a hunter toying with it's prey.

Run. Run!

It had come out of the nowhere. One moment they were with the Pack, celebrating and thanking the Moon for another successful hunt He had granted them. The next was filled with pained whining and howling, sprays of hot blood falling like rain as the Shadow descended upon them.

Some distant part of her mind remembered the old, lone wolf all those Moon's ago, warning them about this land. How it was protected by shadows as thick as the water, darker than the night. How the shadows did not like to share their territory and their prey, at the same time protecting and tormenting everything in it's domain.

They had laughed. No silly myth would keep the Pack from the plantifull land they had found for themselves.

They should have listened.

It was getting closer, staying closer for longer periods of time. Perhaps it was tiring of the chase, wanting to move on to the next part of it’s twisted game. She thought she could feel it's breath, rancid with the smell of decay, burning hot against the biting cold brought by Snowfall and the terror in her bones.

A pained whine was the only thing that made her stop, skidding across the snow as she turned to look back. 

Her brother laid sprawled on the ground. He tried to get back up, limbs trembling from exhaustion as he tried to put his weight back on them, only to crash back down as his paws gave out beneath him once again. 

He would not be getting up. Not fast enough. Not before that thing was back upon them.

She sped back to his side, grabbing him by the scruff hard enough to draw blood, desperately pulling him along to the little clearing. The same spot they used to play at when they were younger, now tainted by the fear coursing through her very soul.

For now they were surrounded.

Snarls and snapping and blood curling shrieks were coming from every direction. The Moon’s light shining upon the scenery was being blocked by swirling shadows, staying hidden in the trees while keeping them trapped in their midst. She could see eyes, so many eyes, flash by in rapid speed, accompanied by a set of sharp teeth.

There was the sharp, loud sound of wood creaking and splitting behind them, and they turned around as fast as they could. She heard her brother gasp, saw from the corner of her eye how his fur bristled like the quills of a porcupine in alarm and fear. But she couldn't turn to him. She couldn't move at all. Because in front of her, stood a monster summoned from her very nightmares.

The shadows had twisted and condensed into a huge creature, standing on its hind paws, towering over them even though it was bent nearly in half to be closer to the ground. It's skeletal figure was covered by matted fur, jaw hanging open to expose sharp teeth, stained red with blood, her Pack's blood. The worse, though, were it's eyes. Or perhaps the lack of them - it had empty sockets, marred as thought something had gouged out it's contents, and light seeped out from their bottomless pits in the sickly way that pus did from an infected wound. They seemed to emanate malice and unstoppable bloodlust, screaming danger, danger!, making her want to do nothing but run away from the darkness that had birthed whatever this thing was.

But she could not even turn away her gaze.

For the creature was also scrutinizing her with the same intensity that she was staring at it. 

And while it tried to glare at her into submission, it paid her brother no mind.

And maybe, if she refused to show it how terrified she truly was, if she refused to break her gaze in compliance and acceptance of her fate, her brother could remain ignored long enough to get away.

"Swift Cloud".

He turned his head to her. She couldn't see him very well like that, not without breaking eye contact with the creature. This blurred figure by her side might very well be the last she sees of her brother, so she tries to commit his features to memory. Burn his smiles and warm laughter into the back of her mind, to remember them and hold him dear for the remainder of her life. 

However short it appears to be.

"Run".

---

Here is my entry for the contest! This was my first time writing something like that, and it was a lot of fun to write, and read everyone's interpretation of that amazing prompt.

Thank you for hosting this contest! I was so excited to write this, and I think no matter what, I'm proud of this story I wrote :D

I've never really been able to take the time to write, but this prompt truly inspired me! Now that I'm done with writing, I've been itching to sketch out some of the scenes in this story!

Regarding my inspiration for the story, I started researching different cultures and different 'gods of wolves'. I came across the name Lycaon, who is written as a deceitful human who was punished after trying to trick Zeus, and was turned into a wolf. I loved the idea of having a creature wolves deem their god, when this may or may not be the case ;)

The wolf names (Odese and Hoto) come from indigenous/hopi names! Specifically, Hoto's name comes from 'Hototo' which means "Warrior spirit who sings". It stuck out to me as a name that I thought really fit this character!

It wasn't out of the ordinary for the winter to be rough when it hit, but this one had been especially brutal. Wolves were starving, only having the energy to entangle themselves in a sad attempt to keep warm. Pups were sick, losing their youthful yips and barks, now barely able to keep up with the demanding weather. It was almost as if the very forest itself had a vendetta against them, determined to cut them down like unwanted weeds in a summer garden. The pack was on their very last legs, on the brink of a cold and sorrowful death. Their tiny spark of hope still burned as they sent those two wolves out, the only ones able to walk. 

They searched and searched, but the land was barren. There was not a single creature in sight, no signs of life, and no smells. The trees looked like skeletons, branches twisted and crumpled like paper. They cast shadows over the wolves as they trudged through snow and roots, like hands reaching over to pluck them from the ground and drag them into fiery depths. They felt tired after searching for scraps for hours, curling up behind some trees to block the full wrath of the wind from slamming into their weak bodies. They fell asleep quickly, trees creaking in the far distance....

Tick-tick-tick

They had awoken now, the creaking of the tree having become ever so loud. It sounded like a tornado had formed in the woods, but the wind had stopped. It was eerily quiet now, a dead silence weighing upon their hearts. A warm light shone above them, and in a moment of joy, they looked upwards. Instead of seeing the sun, they were met with two gleaming eyes of a wolf-like creature, looming above them. It was the one that had been the source of the creaking trees, looking upon the now uprooted few scattered along the tree line. It set its' weight onto trees, those barely able to hold it up. They were gripped by gnarled, human-like hands, talons replacing most of the fingers. It was covered in shaggy, pitch-black fur, up until its' massive chest, where the fur and flesh rotted away to reveal yellowed bones. Its' face, if that what it could be called, was also barren of fur, a broad skull staring upon them. Clear, viscous liquid drip-drip-dripped from its' mouth, falling to the snow where it fizzled and melted the ice.

Tick-tick-tick

Both wolves were frozen in shock, but now they came back to life. One shook and whimpered, fir bristled like a porcupine as it pleaded with the thing. But the other had no such fear. It was enraptured by the glow of the eyes, and a few jerky steps brought it ever so close to the monstrous wolf-thing. Trees protested as the giant lifted its' mangy paw, claws extended to the wolf. The canine touched it with its' snout, and was lulled to a gentle sleep. It was softly picked up, where it slowly became one with the beast, disappearing into the bushy fur. With a bit of coaxing, the final wolf of the duo was also integrated. The only clue that they had been there now was their tracks. The wolf-thing straightened as much as it could, and peacefully made its' way back to its' lair, leaving the clearing with only a few broken and leaning trees. Legend has it that it still roams on those dreadful winter nights, searching for tormented wolves to give them a morbid peace.

I'd like to thank you for this opportunity! I had a ton of fun writing this all in one go ^^ Best of luck to everyone! (Word count: 589)

“Where are we going?” Zevi whined, the auburn female followed her brother with her tail tucked between her legs, her head low and her ears pressed back against her skull.

“To avenge them,” Jozax snarled, the smoky black male not even turning to look at his sister as he pressed on through the snowstorm that raged around them, turning the world white.

“You keep saying that…,” Zevi muttered, barely able to see her brother’s dark coat through all the snow, her amber eyes narrowed against the driving wind. He didn’t seem to hear her, or maybe he truly hadn’t over the wind’s howling. It wasn’t much longer before she couldn’t take it anymore, “Jozax! Stop! I can’t feel my paws, I’m so tired… I can’t go any farther!”

His sister’s desperate plea seemed to finally snap him out of the focused rage that had driven him this far and he turned suddenly as if remembering she was there with him for the first time. His ears flicked back uncertainly and he waded back through the snow to where she stood, nudging her gently, “I’m… I’m sorry, Zevi. We’ll stop and rest, but we need to find a place with some shelter first.”

She whined softly but nodded in agreement, and the two continued onward until they managed to stumble upon a boulder that offered scant relief from the relentless gale. Settling against it, the siblings curled up together for warmth and prayed to the unseen moon that the storm would subside before they woke.

The day brought with it a gentle snowfall, peaceful after the night’s storm, and the siblings continued on their journey, keeping their noses up as they waded through soft snow nearly as tall as they were. It was slow going.

“Will you tell me what you mean now?” Zevi asked finally, breaking the silence.

Jozax huffed in annoyance. He would much rather save his breath for breaking their trail. He glanced back at his sister, “You remember the stories old Gratz used to tell? About the Valley of the Wulver?”

Zevi blinked in confusion, “Yeah… what about it?”

“That’s where we’re going. The Wulver will avenge them, if we can find it,” his tone turned into a low growl as he turned back to breaking their trail.

“What…? It… Jozax, it’s not REAL!” she couldn’t believe her brother had them chasing a story at a time like this, “I know what happened was horrible but… don’t you think they’d want us to find a new Pack and be happy?”

“No!” Jozax snarled, rounding on his sister and she tucked her tail and head as he stood with his tail raised and fangs bared, “Those damn humans killed them all! The Wulver will make every last one of them pay! It is balance. It sets wrongs to right!” With that he whirled back around, breaking their way through the snow with a renewed vigor.

Eventually they found a narrow pass through the mountains, and on the other side a valley of tall, dark trees greeted them. They were like no trees either of the wolves had ever seen before. “I don’t like this place, Jozax…,” Zevi whined, coming to stand at his side, pressing against him nervously.

There was a presence here they could both sense, something… other. “This is it,” was all Jozax said in return, ignoring the way his sister’s fear scent was growing stronger. He padded forward, glad that the snow here was not so deep. Zevi was left with little choice but to follow. Once they reached the edge of the woods, Jozax paused, lifted his head, and let out a long, piercing howl.

“Jozax what are you doing!” Zevi whimpered in a panicked whisper, her fur standing on end as she looked about wildly as a sudden THUD resounded from within the trees. It was soon followed by another, and the ground trembled. “Jozax… we need to go!”

“No! This is what we came for!” Jozax took a step forward even as his sister took a step back, and suddenly the trees were parted by giant claws and a vaguely wolf-like head lowered to stare directly into his eyes. Jozax didn’t flinch. Zevi was frozen in place with fear.

An ethereal voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, drifting on the wind and falling from the sky, rumbling up from the very mountains around them, “Why have you summoned me?”

Jozax took a half step toward the massive beast, “You are balance. We have been wronged. We require justice! Humans came, they killed our entire Pack. We’re all that’s left. You can kill them, set things right!”

The beast seemed to consider him for a long, silent moment, “Revenge is not justice.”

“Then what is!?” Jozax snarled back.

Again the Wulver considered him, “Rage blinds you. However… I will give you the ability to take your revenge, if that is what you truly want.”

“Yes!” Jozax’s bright eyes widened in anticipation, “I-”

The beast held out one claw for silence, “But you will lose yourself in the process.”

“I don’t care, I’ll-”

“NO!” Zevi leaped forward to put herself between the beast and her brother, staring Jozax down, “You can’t! You’re all I have left, Jozax! I can’t lose you too… I can’t!”

“I have to-”

“I won’t let you! I can’t… I don’t want to be all alone! Please, Jozax… don’t leave me,” she pleaded, emotion catching in her throat, “We’re still together. We have each other. Please… we’ve already lost so much. But it’s all behind us! Why can’t you just see what we still have!? Don’t I… don’t I mean anything to you?”

“Of course you do! But… I…,” Jozax, for the first time since their journey began, seemed unsure.

“Don’t throw your life away. Our life. Their life! We’re all that’s left. We’re the only ones keeping their memories alive. We’re the only ones that can tell their stories. They deserve to be remembered, Jozax, and we’re the only ones that can do it,” Zevi, however, was growing all the more confident, standing firm between her brother and the beast that could take him from her.

The beast spoke once more, “Your sister is wise. If you turn from the path of revenge, I can offer you a new path, one that leads to a safe place where the two of you will live the rest of your days in peace. You have endured much, this much I can give you. But you can only walk this path with a heart free from hatred. If you try to bring this rage with you, you will lose your way and become lost in my forest for eternity.” With a wave of its massive claws, a pathway was lit through the woods, sunlight suddenly filtering down through the trees to guide the way.

Zevi lifted her tail in relief, “Yes! Thank you so much! Jozax!” She turned back to her brother, her tail waving happily, “Come on! Please, come with me!”

The uncertainty was still clear on his face, but after a moment he nodded. This time, it was Zevi that took the lead, bounding toward the illuminated path ahead of her brother. Jozax paused at the edge of the pathway and glanced back at the beast and it lowered its head closer to him, “The past is over and done. It cannot be changed. If you dwell there it will be in darkness. Embrace the light of a new day and free yourself from your past. So much possibility lies ahead of you. This you will see if you stop looking back, and start looking forward.”

Turning back to the path, Jozax took a deep breath, emotion nearly choking him when he spoke, “But it’s so hard to let go….”

“Yes… and the journey to letting go can be long, but it is worth it.”

“Are you coming, Jozax?” Zevi called from up ahead. He couldn’t even see her anymore and the idea of leaving her after all they’d been through was suddenly too much to bear. He still wasn't sure if he could let go, but if the journey would be long, then he had better get going.

So he took the first step.

Draft #2

It's melodramatic but it's also supposed to be poetic so... eh.

1470 words!

“Sky’s Heart”

My heart is my pack. My pack is the hunters and howlers. My pack is with me always. My pack is my family. My pack is my heart.

My pack is safe in our meadow. Our meadow is our home. Our home is the sparkling ferns and lush moss. Our home is golden and green and frost white. Our home is sheltered by evergreens. Our home is our meadow.

I am a poet. I listen to my pack, I hear their howling. I listen to the birds, I hear them singing. I listen to my sister, my mother, my father, my brothers, and I hear their hearts. I listen to the rain, I listen to the wind. I listen and I hear. I am a poet.

My love is my pack, my world is our meadow, and my wealth is the wild

I am rich, I am blind, and I am a poet. I was not always blind, I will not always be rich, but I will always be a poet. 

My mind soars high and low, through the skies and through the meadow. My mind takes me where my sight cannot. 

In our meadow, my sister is talking to me. I listen to her. I hear her tail wagging and her heart drumming. 

“An elk! An elk at the edge of the meadow! It was eating the ferns, Sky! Mother says it wasn’t healthy if it came to our meadow…”

“What colour was its eyes?” I ask, picturing an elk at the edge of our meadow. 

“Dark.” My sister says, “like wet bark.”

I sigh, my heart aching. I do not remember the colour of wet bark. Which is a shame, as it’s the last thing I ever saw. How long has it been since that fateful night? I still remember the acrid scent, the hot light, the cold water… 

My sister nudges me with her head. “Come on, Sky.” She says. “Come on, I’ll show you where the elk was.”

I whine, unwilling to leave the warm hollow where we sleep, but my sister is deaf to my complaints.

“Come on,” She insists. 

I say her name - Fern - but she ignores me. I sigh again, and stand. My limbs are stiff and cold. I stretch out, quivering, feeling my muscles strain and blood rush to my paws. 

I follow behind my sister. I listen to her walking. I hear the absence of her missing leg. I know how hard it was for her. I ache for her. Then, I ache for my sight. I ache for my family. I ache for that night. We all lost something that night… 

At the edge of the meadow, I stop, listening to my sister pace around. She is looking for the ferns that the elk ate. 

I have seen the edge of the meadow before. The only time was that night. I remember seeing how high the evergreens were. I remember wondering how something so great could be lost so quick. The picture in my mind of the evergreens has grown blurry. Although perhaps it was already blurry that night, from the grey smoke. 

My mind wanders. I think of sight. I long for new pictures. I long to see the sky again. I picture the meadow. I picture the sun and moon. I picture the eclipse. I ponder what birds look like. I ponder owls and nests and silver cones and gold cones. I picture colours and ponder some more. 

“Let’s walk.” I say. 

My sister pauses. “Our brothers are still sleeping.” She says. “And the rest of the pack is hunting.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t go for a walk.” I say. “Most yearlings can go for a walk whenever.” That was true, but my sister, brothers and I weren’t most yearlings. 

“Let’s walk then.” My sister agrees. I wait for her to draw ahead of me before following. 

I like the feeling of excitement that fills me as I follow my sister. We never do anything risky or dangerous. My poetic self is already imagining all the things that might happen. We might fall into a river and be carried into a distant land. Or we might find our long-lost sister. Or we might… What did I just step in? I lift my paw, nose wrinkling at the stench. 

“Elk scat!” My sister says. “I didn’t even see that!”

I step around the smelly droppings, flattening my ears to block out my sister’s laughing. We continue. 

My sister, remembering that I can’t see, describes the landscape. “The evergreens here are narrow and tall.” She says. “I can see bits of sky through the branches. And there’s lots of ferns and moss. I can see a lot farther here than in the meadow.”

I love my sister but she’s not very descriptive. 

“Can you see the sun?” I ask. 

“Yes.” My sister says. “It’s starting to set.” 

We continue. 

My sister stops. “Do you hear anything, Sky?” She asks. 

I pause. “Yes,” I say. “I hear…” I search for words. “Creaking, and wind.”

“That’s it?” My sister asks. 

I hesitate. “I don’t know.” 

“We should head back.” My sister says, but she doesn’t move.

I’m only half paying attention. I’m listening to the forest. It doesn’t sound quite right. The wind sounds strong, but I don’t feel it. And the creaking seems too old, too… vicious.

“Sky.” 

I can hear something else too. Like… distant howling. It sounds like many, many wolves far off. My ears perk up. 

“Sky?”

I turn, confused. Wasn’t my sister ahead of me? 

“Fern?” I ask. 

Silence. 

I shiver. Silence to a blind wolf is a threat. I wish that I was at home, playing hide-the-cone with my brothers. 

“Fern?” I ask again, trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice. 

I hear Fern whimper from right behind me. 

“Sky?” A voice comes from in front of me. A voice that is not from any wolf I know. “Sky?” The voice pleads. 

“I’m Sky,” I say. I tilt my head back. 

Fern whimpers again. If I were in danger, she would say something, so I ignore her whimper.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I am Fire.” The voice says. It is such a soft voice, like puppy ears. Such a warm voice, as though it has known me all my life. 

My sister starts to whine.

“Oh Sky!” The voice says. “Oh Sky! I’ve found you at last! You must have forgotten me. But you just thought of me.”

“I don’t understand.” I say. 

“I am Fire.” The voice says. “Fire.”

Silence. 

I shiver. 

“You have changed, Sky.” The voice says. “Your eyes… The eclipse…”

“You see me?” I ask. 

“I see a wolf, with silver eyes.” The voice says. “And fur the colour of wet bark.” 

Silence again.

“Do you remember the river?” The voice asks. “From that night.”

I whine. “I don’t understand! I don’t understand.”

The voice says my name again, but I flinch. 

“Hear me!” The voice says. “Please!” 

I whimper. 

“That night, Fire, wet bark, a river, an eclipse… Oh, Sky!” 

My sister whines again.

“Long-lost! Long-lost! Oh, Sky!” 

My heart beats faster. 

“That night,” I say, slowly. “There was a fire.” 

“Fire.” The voice echoes.

“We ran away from the fire.”

“We.” The voice echoes.

“To the river.”

“The river!” The voices echoes.

“There was an eclipse.” I continue, my mind half out of the present. “I looked at the eclipse and lost my sight. The last thing I saw was wet bark.”

Fern speaks, her voice hoarse. “Sky.” She says. “Sky, this is Fire.” 

“Long-lost,” Fire says. “Carried by the river.” 

“Sky!” Fern says. “Wet bark was not the last thing you saw. It was the last thing you heard.” 

“Yes,” I say. “A wet bark. My brothers and my sister came with me to the river.” I say.

“Sister, sister, brother, brother, brother,” Fire says. 

“Sky,” Fern says.

“Fire!” I say. “My sister!” I step forward, but I hear Fire shrink back.

“Long-lost,” Fire says. “Wet barking.” Her voice is smaller, sadder. “Long-lost.”

“Fire,” I say softly. “What does Fern see?” 

The voice is soft. “Not a wolf anymore. Long-lost.”

 My ears perk up. I hear creaking, I hear the wind. I hear the distant howling of many wolves. 

“Fire,” I say. “Fire, I won’t forget you again. I’ve wronged you Fire. I’m sorry.” 

I don’t catch what Fern says, but I hear the pain in her voice. 

“I love you, my sisters,” Fire says. “We will see each other again. I promise we will see each other again.” 

And perhaps we did, but I cannot say. For when the time came to see my sister, I was silent as the grave. For I was amongst the dynasty, remembered as the poet with silver eyes.