The Adventures Of SilverPack

Chapter 2

Mistyfur was planning. Or plotting. This time she was plotting with Natureheart, the outcast, who everyone had believed to have murdered Shadowstorm. Secretly, she slipped into the dawn air. Breaking into a run, she pelted along toward the lakeshore. They had planned to meet there early in the morning. Then she skidded to a halt, for Mistyfur could not see her. A low snarl made her whip around. Natureheart was calmly sitting by the lake, her tail wrapped around herself.

"Hello," she hissed.

"Hi..." Mistyfur answered confusedly. "I was going to- "

"I want to get back to my pack, and you will never get back!" Natureheart howled. 

Mistyfur wasn't expecting this! Natureheart launched herself at the Beta, and the force of her leap knocked over Mistyfur, and they skidded across the beach. Mistyfur brought her paw down on Natureheart's head, making her back away and shake her head to clear it. Mistyfur rolled to her feet and sprang. Natureheart, seeing the light gray warrior flying at her, smirked, and moved over a fox length. She was a good fighter. Mistyfur crashed into the ground where Natureheart had been a second before. Again they sprang at each other, rolling around, first one on top, then the other. Mistyfur growled as she plunged her teeth into Natureheart's shoulder, and the dark grey wolf howled in pain. Natureheart slashed at Mistyfur's flank, and Mistyfur felt blood drip onto the ground. The two wolves rolled and battered each other all the way to camp. Mistyfur's flank and leg were bleeding, while Natureheart's ear tip was torn, and she had a bite to the shoulder. They sprang apart in the middle of the camp, panting and snarling. Wolves tumbled out of their dens, their eyes widening when they saw what was happening. Cloudpelt and Cinderfur leaped onto the wolves and clawed them apart, and crouched there, waiting for Silverfang's command, who had just emerged.

Silverfang frowned. "Mistyfur! Are you serious? Go to the warriors den. Sealheart, guard her! Natureheart, into my den, NOW." Both wolves, knowing that Silverfang was very strict when it came to discipline, obeyed her. 

Soon Silverfang and Natureheart were talking.

"Alpha, I want to be a member! I am no longer a loner," the outcast pleaded.

"But you killed Shadowstorm! You started the Shadow Battle!"

"That was honestly not me! It was Springfoot, and I got blamed for it, just because I believed in her plan!"

"Well, since Springfoot is dead . . ."

Silverfang studied the outcast. 

"Fine. I suppose you can stay. You will be a prisoner until you've proved yourself. Go ahead and get yourself some fresh kill and go to my den and stay there. You will sleep with me, so I can make sure that you don't do anything bad," Silverfang decided.

" Hey, Alpha! I brought you a juicy rabbit....do you want it?" asked Goldenfur, poking her head through the ferns, and flinching at the sight of Natureheart.

"Yes, I do," said Silverfang without much thought. She took the prey and headed for her den. "Goldenfur, you're on watch tonight," she called over her shoulder.

The next day, Natureheart was slipping out of her prison before dawn, stepping over Silverfang's ear.  She just wanted to stretch her legs. She obviously didn't want to get in trouble. She saw Goldenfur on watch, ears, and eyes alert. Natureheart smirked. She knew how to outsmart her! Natureheart crept all the way to the exit, then paused and looked back, paws crunching softly on the leaves. Goldenfur did not see her. Natureheart didn't watch where she was going and stepped on a pile of dry leaves.

Rustle, rustle!

Goldenfur snapped her head over to look at where Natureheart was crouching. Natureheart froze, her heart pounding against her chest. Goldenfur howled.

"Awrooo! The prisoner escaped!"

Natureheart looked wildly around.

It's my best shot! she thought.

Natureheart raced flat out over to Alpha's den, then slowed her paw steps. Silverfang was trying to sit up, shaking the sleep out of her head. Natureheart tensed her hind legs and leaped. Soaring over her leader, she landed with a thud and curled up with her tail over her nose. A moment later, Silverfang appeared, flanked by Goldenfur and Jayfoot. All three of them had frowns on their muzzles. Natureheart slowly sat up and fake yawned.

"What's all this ruckus, huh?" she said slowly.

Silverfang wasn't deceived.

"You!" she cried. " If you had wanted to be a member you should have stayed in your den, outcast!"

Natureheart growled. "I was stretching my legs, Alpha." She kept her head low, avoiding eye contact with her leader.

"Yeah, right," the Alpha muttered. "Very well, outcast. Stay in the omega's den for now. Scarclaw, please guard her. I will have to go on patrol now, so watch out!" added Silverfang irritably.

She bounded off to join Sealheart, Jackrabbit, Deerleap, and Jayfoot on their hunting patrol.

Silverfang was dreaming. Twitching her legs in the dream, she ran to the big tree in the corner of their territory as if it was pulling her. Crouched by its roots was a wolf that looked almost like Natureheart, just a slight color difference. That wolf was fighting a reddish-brownish wolf who was twice his size. As the dream faded into nothingness, Silverfang sprang up and practically flew to the omega's den, overturning the guards. She knew what she had to do, and that she had no other choice. Silverfang grabbed Natureheart's scruff and shook her. Natureheart leaped to her paws, and a secret look passed between the two she-wolves. Without speaking, they trotted companionably side by side to the entrance, ducked through and then ran flat out in a neat single-file line. Soon they heard a low pitched howl, then some barks, and snarls and shrieks of pain. They came to the tree, and found the exact same scene as in Silverfang's dream. Silverfang leaped on top of the attacker. She bit his flank and held on until he yowled. Natureheart slashed her claws at his side over and over. They sprang at the attacker and together drove him off. Silverfang collapsed, tired, but Natureheart ran over to the male resting on his side.

"Lion, is that really you?" she asked. The wolf groaned while Natureheart licked his ears and muzzle.

Silverfang stared at her. " Er, do you two know each other?" she asked.

"Yes, replied Natureheart, her eyes shining. "He's my brother!"