The Adventures Of SilverPack

Chapter 1

"Silverfang!" called Mistyfur. "Silverfang!"

Mistyfur was Beta of the WolfPack. Silverfang was her Alpha. There were many more wolves in the Pack, including Stagear and Pandaleaf.

"Yes?" answered the alpha.

"The apprentices are having their half assessment tomorrow. Will you watch that?" asked Mistyfur. Silverfang nodded.

"Thanks!" she exclaimed. "Leafpaw wanted everyone to watch!"

Silverfang laughed.

Mistyfur retreated into the apprentice's den, and Silverfang could hear her barking at them.

"Leafpaw, why have you not done the ticks? Cinderpaw, are you laughing at me? Lilypaw, Scarpaw, get your friends up! All of you are due on a patrol!

The apprentices were training to become full warriors and to hunt and fight with the rest of their packmates. Meanwhile, Pandaleaf was talking to Jackrabbit about arrangements that should be made with the nursery.

"There is a draft under the brambles! Can you patch it up?" Also, there is too little moss. I will ask an apprentice or two to bring some." She called Cloudpaw. "Cloudpaw, before you leave, bring me some moss, please!" she yowled over. The lithe white apprentice nodded to Cinderpaw and and both of them padded to the hollow.

Jackrabbit dipped his head. He called Ashstorm to come over, and the black wolf hurried over. Both wolves studied the draft. Meanwhile Pandaleaf slipped back into the nursery, and gratefully took the moss from Cloudpaw. They quickly spread the moss around. Pandaleaf was a queen, a couple of moons away from giving birth.. Pups were the lifeblood of the clan, and every warrior would die for them. Silverfang looked happily around. her Pack. After the Shadow battle her Packmates had recovered well, and their camp was as secure as ever. Silverfang snorted as she heard Whitestorm scolding Leafpaw, his apprentice.

"Leafpaw, go get some mouse bile from Tigerwing. Now!"

Leafpaw picked up some moss and padded to the medicine clearing. A couple of heartbeats later she emerged from the den and disappeared into the elders' den. Stretching, Silverfang rose to her paws and followed her in. "Hello, Windstorm, Palecloud," she greeted the two elders.

They nodded back and lay still as Leafpaw gingery dabbed her soaked moss on their pelts, looking for ticks and fleas. Silverfang licked the apprentices ear and padded out. She stopped Mistyfur, her deputy, by the thorn barrier.

"How is everything?" she asked.

"All good," reported Mistyfur. "I sent Jackrabbit to lead a patrol with three apprentinces and their mentors to the training hollow, and Woodshadow and Cedarstripe took hunting patrols out,"

Mistyfur pointed across the clearing where four wolves were lounging in the sun.

"Jayfoot's border patrol just came back" she added.

Silverfang nodded. "I'm glad to have you by my side," she murmured softly.

Mistyfur gazed back, her yellow eyes warm. "Me too," she agreed.

The next day Scarpaw was the first one up. She couldn't wait for her mentor, Mistyfur to get up. Scarpaw flicked Cinderpaw's tail out of her ear and got to her paws. She practiced stalking a leaf that was across the clearing, by the warriors' den. She pounced, rolling over and over and coming to a halt beside the dark mouth of the cave. She clumsily got to her paws and looked inside. No movement. How much longer? I can hear the birds singing! I want to catch some prey! She quietly bounced in front of the warriors den, waiting for her sleepy mentor. Finally, Mistyfur staggered to the opening and immediately tripped over the wide awake apprentice.

"Ahem, why, Scarpaw, why, are you outside my den so early in the morning, eh?"

"Obviously I want to- sorry, Beta. I was just excited!" Scarpaw dipped her head.

Who would want to be on tick duty for bad mouthing?

Mistyfur playfully hissed at her apprentice, and they trotted out of camp.

By sun high, every wolf was up. Fernpaw helped Tigerwing carry herbs to the medicine den. Jackrabbit, who was third in command, and Sealheart were packing every den with moss bedding to sleep on. Wolves were preoccupied everywhere.

Scarpaw was dragging a squirrel to the fresh-kill pile. She was done, and was quite proud of herself. A jolt ran through her body when a howl was heard from the ledge. Scarpaw looked up and saw that Alpha was standing on the highledge.

"Scarpaw, Cloupaw, and Cinderpaw, come here. IMMEDIATELY!"

"Yes, Alpha?" asked the apprentices, creeping up to the Starstone. Silverfang turned to Mistyfur.

"Is Scarpaw ready for the honor of her life?"

"Yes, of course, she is!" answered the Beta with a dip of her head.

"Deerleap, Sealheart, are you satisfied with your apprentices?

Both wolves dipped their heads.

"Scarpaw, Cinderpaw, and Cloudpaw, do you promise to be loyal to your Pack above all cost and protect it with your life?"

The apprentinces stuttered over their words; they were too excited.

"Y-es, I do."

"I do!"

"Y-yes, I-I do!"

"If so, I give you your warrior names. Scarpaw, you are now Scarclaw! Cloupaw, you are now Cloudpelt! Cinderpaw, you are now Cinderfur!"

The wolves of Silverpack swarmed around the newest warriors and congratulated them, cheering their name up to StarPack.

"Time for bed, Silverpack!" barked Silverfang. "Our newest warriors will sit vigil and keep us safe for the night."

Nightfeather smirked. "While we get a nice long sleep," he said, disappearing into the den with Jayfoot right behind him.

Everyone retreated into their dens for the night. Scarclaw, Cloudpelt, and Cinderfur however stayed in the clearing, keeping their vigil.

The next morning, Mistyfur took Starlight and Ponypelt out to hunt. When they came back, though, they only managed to catch a mouse and a scrawny bird. Silverfang was frightened.

"Autumn is coming!" she yelped. "Everyone, go hunt. Now!"

That day, no wolf was in camp except Sealheart. She had woken before dawn and marked the borders, so now she was sleeping. All the wolves were hunting. They hunted and hunted until the moon was on its way up, climbing into the dark night sky. Then the pack met under the sacred Starstone and murmured amongst themselves.

"I want to congratulate our pack for doing such a good job on today's hunt. Just look at the prey pile!" said Silverfang eagerly.

Every wolf turned around. The pile was really big, for a fresh-kill pile that was caught in the fall. It took up much of the space from the Starstone to the dens.

"Wow!" everyone wondered. The pile was much more than the usually taken up space.

"Dig in, wolves," commanded Silverfang. "and leave some for the hard times!"