Glimmering Opal

August 31, 2021:
Opal was born to pupsitter Rumble and a stud she'd happened across while traveling. When Opal was born, his strange markings and beautiful coat attracted the attention of the whole pack. The herbalist, Evening Shade, proclaimed him healthy, and the pack showered Rumble with congratulations.

Opal has grown up surrounded by jealousy. His siblings are destined for the winds, as is the way with most pups born in the Zephyrus Pack, yet from an early age he was declared Steady- allowed to stay, if he wished. And he did. His siblings practically disowned him after that. But Opal is fine with that, for when he became an adolescent he had a dream. A female wolf with merle patches met him in it and introduced herself as Gale. Gale, the same wolf from the stories his mother told him. The first wolf in the pack who had truly connected with Zephyrus.

He spent many nights talking to her. She told him that one day, he would meet with Zephyrus. When he became an adult, Zephyrus would send a sign, and he would become the new Guide for the pack. Because of this, Opal has become somewhat arrogant. Who needs his siblings? He's going to be the first Guide in years!

September 13, 2021
A few days before reaching adulthood, Opal confessed to Morning Gaze and Evening Shade his dreams. After much talk, they decided he was telling the truth. It was announced then that Opal would be the next Guide. The second ever, in fact. This caused quite a stir, and Opal's siblings look at him with open jealousy.

Upon becoming a year old, Opal asked Gale to name him. She bestowed him the name Glimmering Opal, though afterwards she commented that the whole two-name thing was a bit silly to her. In any case, Opal took his full title and the den for Guides and seniors and watched from afar as his siblings left the pack.

Nearly a moon later, reports of a dispersal wolf in their territory came in. Yet nobody had seen hide or tail of the wolf, and they somehow didn't left scent trails. Glimmering Opal listened to the wind in his ears, consulted Gale, and left to find the wolf the next night. The breeze ushered him along, ruffling his fur and leading his paws to a handsome wolf resting in the roots of a willow tree. Opal told them they were chosen by the western wind, invited them to the pack, and they hesitantly agreed. Opal told himself his overwhelming delight was because he had done his role and found the next leader, not because he was excited to see that mottled pelt and hear their sonorous voice every day.

September 18, 2021
Glimmering Opal sat outside of Morning Gaze's den. If he strained his ears, he could hear Evening Gaze speaking to her in reassuring mutters. He wrapped his tail around his haunches and wondered if Morning Gaze was even conscious enough to register their words. When he had tried to speak to her yesterday, she seemed to have not heard a thing he said.

A day later Gaze died. Despite how he'd been expecting it, it still shook Opal. Gaze had been there, steady and sure, ever since he was born. And now she was gone. But Opal had a job to do. He could grieve later. Right now, he needed to secure Velvet as the new leader.

It was surprisingly easy. Like it was meant to be. It only took half an hour for Shade to agree. Opal felt a pang of guilt for bothering them when they were clearly grieving, but this was his job. He had to do this, no matter what, or else the pack would fall apart. He and Shade stood beside Velvet as they made their speech.

Afterward, Opal didn't have time to speak to Velvet. For that very night Opal dreamt of strange, glowing lands with surreal creatures and blue fur. He called for Gale, begged her to explain, but she did not appear. Opal sat down and did not move until he awoke. He swore he could still smell the lunar dust in the air.

The next night the same thing happened and finally, Opal decided to explore. Gale wouldn't help him? Fine. He was the guide! He could handle a weird dreamscape! Opal talked to creatures and gathered lunar tears, assuming them to be the currency of this land. To his shock, when he woke up the objects were in the moss of his nest. As the nights continued, he gathered that all items he picked up went with him to the waking world. Unfortunately, after a week of this, the strange dreams disappeared, leaving him with recipes and a plethora of foreign objects.

November 2, 2021
The glowing blue lands appeared once a moon, Opal surmised. It became a regular thing and his heart always swelled with pride when wolves oohed and awed over his collection. He never told them where they came from, and most accepted his excuse of 'guide privileges'. The only wolves he ended up telling were Moon Chaser, a fierce huntress who had been covered in lunar dust and knew of the dreamscape, and Velvet, whose curiosity Opal couldn't refuse.

It was a strange, but welcoming land. Opal learned all about it from its inhabitants and was soon well-versed in its secrets. The same cannot be said for the new phenomenon appearing.

Ominous lights, lost puppies, disappearing wolves, and the foreign herbs Aronia kept bringing back. It all made Opal uneasy. Zephyrus was quiet. Gale had long since stopped appearing in his dreams. He is not the spoiled pup he once was, and he is determined to get to the bottom of this. He is the guide, and he must know what is happening.

December 14, 2021
Velvet had returned from his dealings with the Chaorainn Pack shaken. For such a laid back wolf, it was startling to see that. The whole pack had gathered round asking what had happened, if Velvet was alright, if the missing wolves had been found. Velvet dismissed them all saying they would tell their story tomorrow.

Glimmering Opal strode right into Velvet's den without asking and curled up beside them. They'd started sleeping beside each other more often, under the excuse of the disappearances or talking late into the night and being too tired to leave. Velvet murmured the story of what had happened and Opal comforted them until they fell asleep.

Since then it seems the two have become even closer. There have been multiple rumors throughout the pack about their relationship. Opal snaps at whoever he hears discussing them, but he can't deny the thought of him and Velvet being a pair makes him happy.