Sky of Winter's Clouds

At the edge of the pond in Hesverath's Claw, Sky of Winter's Clouds found herself entirely out of her depth. What would this leadership entail? She'd been raised to be a hunter, as her mother had been before her. Now … now brought an entirely new era of something horrifyingly unknown. There was no promise of their future, just blackness. And now, as she stood before the pool, she could see now that the reflection was growing shimmery—a figure was emerging before her!

Sky scrambled back at the sight of the figure, but after a brief beat, fear gave way to recognition. The scentless wolf took shape into the ancestor she saw earlier—Whisper.

"Be not afraid, Peace Bringer, you are merely here to succeed where other's have failed," his voice flooded her body, and the fur along her spine bristled at the sensation. The scentless wolf was of frightening height—nearly three times the size of her. "I come bearing the lives you must live to see this pack's assured survival."

"Lives—" Sky cut herself off, shaking her head. "You mean that's true? The leader's gain lives more than the one they were born with?"

"Yes," Whisper croaked, easing down to lay before her. "But usually those ancestors like myself come down to give them, themselves. I am here on behalf of them, thus I can only give you one additional to your own."

"Why aren't they here?"

"They doubted and turned their back's on the rest of your pack," Whisper nodded to the cliff's edge beside them, the edge that led to a shear drop toward that fateful clearing. "Come here then, listen close. Once this life is born to you, you must use it wisely. Find a deputy, someone you will have to succeed you in your passing. And treat your young ones with the respect of another adult. In this lesson, you will learn that the life I give you is of patience. Take it easy and breathe deep. Take the time to listen to your pack and give consideration to their words." And Whisper leaned forward, without warning, to touch his nose against Sky's own.

It was like she'd been shoved under the ice—a sharp chill streaked through her and a near violent pulse shook her very bones. She collapsed before the ancestor and trembled there for what seemed like hours.

Finally, in this quiet moment, where all she could hear was her own heartbeat, Sky brought herself back to unsteady paws, and shook off the ice clinging to her fur. Whisper met her eyes, and it was as if a new understanding had dawned in her upon receiving this wisdom.

She nodded. "I will do what I must to preserve the peace."