Unearthed Crystal

Starting stats: 254
Found by #68977

The Possible Break?

Berry Bark, being constantly told by her family and the pack elders that she obtained the curse, never listened to them. She didn't believe in the curse, she just thought it was a coincidence what happened with Mudslide and HellFires. Queen Sahara didn't even lose her eye unlike her mother and grandma. However, she was proven wrong when Berry Bark lost her eye to a bull elk one night in the coniferous forest. That was when she finally believed the curse was real. Berry Bark wanted it gone. No other alpha should suffer from the curse like her and the ones before her. It took all of her willpower to stop the fear and rage from consuming her and cementing her fate. To become like them. Berry Bark didn't know how to get rid of the curse other than to have the alpha lineage skip a generation. It was the best she could think of with what little sanity she had left.

"The child of the alpha carries the curse, right?" Berry Bark stood before her herbalist, Cece, in her burrow of herbs and medicines. The timber shewolf listened closely to the golden brown shewolf, her green eyes staring intently into her lone amber eye. "The one chosen to lead the pack will get the curse from the carrier parent, right? So what if.. We skip a generation or two? My grandchild becomes the next leader or something like that? I think that could at least weaken the curse if not get rid of it completely." Cece nodded at the alpha's words.

"It's worth a shot, except you're far too old." Cece said in a dismissive manner. Berry let out a small growl. "Who are you calling old? I'm still young and full of life! I can live long enough to see my future offspring have their own child." The golden brown alpha huffed, her single amber eye glaring at the herbalist. "I do admit, you're still pretty active for an elder, but.." She stared down with a nervous expression, knowing Berry was growing more irritated.

"U-uhm, you know you can't live forever! You're six years old and this is your first litter of pups. You know you can't live much longer than two years. Maybe three. You probably won't live long enough to see your child grow up." She whimpered. Berry Bark sighed, looking away and staring out the burrow entrance. "That may be so-" "And you can't forget your offspring must have an arranged partner. That's what you have been doing for years now, arranging partners for other pack members." The timber shewolf cut her off with a slight growl. Berry Bark curled her lips into a snarl. "I think I've heard enough from you today. My child will become the next alpha then, since they will need the time to train. If I have a sudden death, tell them the plan to break the curse." Berry spoke in a serious tone. Cece sighed but nodded. "If the curse is going to make every alpha this unbearable, I'd like it gone as soon as possible." Cece mumbled, which earned her a nip on the ear by the alpha. Looks like Berry Bark heard her.

With that, the alpha left the herbalist den padded off deeper into the cedar tree cluster, stopping at the largest tree which had a large, root den. Berry Bark crawled into the den, laying on the fluffy pelt of a rare spirit bear. She stared at her stomach, swollen with puppies inside. I just hope my next heir doesn't get the curse as bad as I did. She had a saddened expression. I hope you keep both of your beautiful eyes, little one. The golden brown shewolf then curled up to rest, saving her energy to go and hunt later.