The Adventures Of SilverPack

Chapter 16

*Note* this is the last chapter of The Adventures Of SilverPack. I am writing a sequel too, it is called the Adventures Of SilverPack 2: The new Alpha. (It's not out yet, it will be soon)

Waterdapple's P.O.V

Waterdapple kept her eyes on the stars, watching, and thinking about her leader. Eventually, she got to her paws, shook each paw, and turned and curled around in her makeshift nest. Her eyes closed, and all thoughts fell away.

Something was wrong. Why wasn't StarPack sending her any dreams? Waterdapple opened her eyes a slit, and at once they flew open with shock. She wasn't where she had fallen asleep, in the grass just by the border. She was on a beautiful island with a huge body of water. There were three trees, their trunks growing close to each other, and they looked as if it was one gigantic tree, it's branches flowing smoothly outwards into many smaller ones, criss-crossing and interloping. Confused, Waterdapple looked up at the dark sky. The stars looked closer than before, instead of miles away, they looked as if they were no higher than the topmost branches of the three oaks. Then, without any warning, the sky started to swirl breathlessly.

The stars were moving.

All the wolves of StarPack swirled around, leaping from the sky to make a line around Waterdapple, stars shining heavily in their fur, making them hard to look at. Waterdapple couldn't look away, but she couldn't stand to look at them either. She crouched on the grass in front of the wolves, barley making a movement, barely taking a breath. Three wolves in particular moved closer to Waterdapple. With a jolt, she recognized Silverfang, at the height of power, with thick stars dancing around her. Next to her was Cinderfur, one of her best friends who had died of greencough a few moons back. The third wolf Waterdapple didn't recognize, but looked up at the three of them as they approached. Silverfang's companions stopped, but she kept going until she was standing right in front of Waterdapple.

"Welcome, Waterdapple, my apprentice, my warrior, and my deputy," she greeted her.

Waterdapple opened her mouth but Silverfang laid her tail on her shoulder. "Peace, dear one," she whispered.

Silverfang touched her nose to Waterdapple's head. At once fire burned through her body. Waterdapple wanted to howl her pain to the world, but she couldn't move. Silverfang's brown eyes looked at her with trust and wisdom.

"With this life I give you nobility. Use your prowess well to lead your pack!" Lightning surged around Waterdapple. Anguish filled her thoughts, then disappeared and gave way to pride, then power welled up inside her, until Waterdapple was certain she couldn't hold it longer. It ebbed away, and she could move again, panting and gasping for breath.

DoI have to do this two more times?

Silverfang dipped her head once to Waterdapple, and then drew away, gazing at her proudly. This time Cinderfur stepped forward, Cinderfur not weakened by sickness, but Cinderfur with powerful muscles rippling under her fur.

"Oh, Cinderfur!" breathed Waterdapple. "I miss you so much!" CInderfur looked at her with longing, then touched her nose to her head.

"With this life I give you love. Use it well for all the wolves you must care for," she said. There was no pain in the life she brought. Fleeting images rushed through Waterdapple's head; the satisfaction of catching prey, the warmth of the sun, and the sensation of running through the forest. She felt loved, safe, and warm as if she was a pup again, curled in her mother's belly curve. Cinderfur murmured something that Waterdapple didn't catch, then drew away to stand next to Silverfang, proudly looking at Waterdapple. The third wolf now drew forward, his paw-stepps sure and confident.

His name flashed in Waterdapple's head. Blizzardwing.

The wolf touched his nose to the top of Waterdapple's head. "With this life I give you endurance and patience, so you can help any animal in need," he barked, staring at her. Once more, images raced themselves through her mind. A wolf, stalking prey, a bird, struggling to pull out a worm, a pup, trying to find it's littermates in a game of hide-and-seek, and a mouse, trying to escape vicious claws.

Waterdapple's mind cleared, and she felt stronger than ever before. All the wolves of Starpack spoke as one: "Hail, Waterdapple, Alpha of Silverpack!"

A choking blackness threatened to blow Waterdapple away. Waterdapple closed her eyes, and then blinking them open, found herself back among her Packmates.

Ashpaw's P.O.V

Ashpaw woke up from a dream she couldn't really remember. It was a nice, sunny day with thin wisps of clouds dotting the sky here and there. The birds were chirping peacefully, and mice were skittering around. Waterdapple spoke from behind Ashpaw.

"Good morning, Ashpaw!" she said, stretching luxuriously.

Ashpaw noticed that she held herself differently, and then she remembered that Waterdapple was now Alpha.

"Congratulations, Alpha," she said, bowing her head low. "I'm proud to be your apprentice!"

Waterdapple smiled and patted her on the shoulder with the tip of her tail. "Not for long!"

Ashpaw stared after her mentor, puzzled. She pushed those thoughts away and groomed herself hastily as her Packmates began to awaken. Once they were awake, Waterdapple cleared her throat. "Okay, we need to get off this territory before the other wolves find out we're still here. We will travel a couple of miles, and then I need to perform a couple of ceremonies!" she said. "Gather yourselves!" she added with a flick of her ears.

Ashpaw went with the other apprentices and they moved over the border and to the woods beyond. The warriors trotted around them, looking side to side for danger. Waterdapple came last, making sure everyone was in their place. They made steady progress, in woods they trotted, on flat plains they ran like the wind, and up a hill they leaped from boulder to boulder. Waterdapple stopped them in some woods.

"Okay, it's time for me to choose a Beta. Featherwing? Will you stand by my side as we lead our Pack?"

Featherwing's eyes shone. "I accept, Alpha!" he said, and sat down next to her.

Waterdapple dipped her head and motioned for other wolves to step out.

"All our apprentices are ready to become warriors! Brackenpaw will now be Brackenfur! Snowpaw will be Snowbreeze! Cloudpaw is now Cloudbranch! Amberpaw will now be Amberleaf! Featherpaw is now Feathershine! Ravenpaw is now Ravenheart! Sunpaw is now Sunpelt! And last but not least, Ashpaw is now Ashstar! Congratulations! We will be strong! We will find a new territory!" She tipped her head back. "Silverpack will not perish!"

Cheers swooped around them. In that moment, Ashstar knew that her pack would survive, and no battle or storm would ever tear them apart. 

Phew! We're done! I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please check out my sequel! Thanks for reading!