The Golden Hills • Brighter than the Stars {Book One} ~Complete~

Chapter 1: Brighter Light

 Leon woke up after hearing a small noise. He glanced out the den, seeing a small light in the distance. Since he was almost 2 years old, which means moving out to find his "special someone", he thought he was old enough to check it out. Just as he took one quiet step towards the exit, he heard a small soft voice say, "Leon?"

He looked back to see his little sister, born a few months ago. Her name was lily, she was the runt of the pack. She yawned and stretched her weak little legs, and looked at him, puzzled. 

"Where are you going? Can I come?" She asked him. She was a brave one, different from the rest of her litter. But she still kept her place, and everyone loved her. She always wanted to be with Leon, because he knew what it was like. He was the runt as well, but showed his family how runts don't always grow to look the same. He was in fact the strongest of the three. His two twin sisters were very different in personalities. Sure they looked the same, but inside, they were anything but alike.

Leon, Rain, and Blue were from the first litter. There was another one, Kyle, but he disappeared a few days after he was born. They smelled the scent of coyotes, and they knew what had happened. Rain and Blue were the twins of that one. Leon was also the runt. The next litter came when Leon and his sisters were 1 year old, and that's when Lily and her brother were born. Sadly, there were only two that time, but Jet was very big for his age. 

Leon whispered to Lily, "Shh, keep it down. You're going to wake everyone. What do you want?"

"Where are you going?" She whispered back. "What is that?" She said to him in awe, as she stared at the distant light. 

Leon glanced at the light again. As he glanced back to her, her orders. "Lily, I have a job for you."

"Really?!" She said with excitement. "What is it? Tell me! C'mon, tell me!" Leon said to her, "Shh, we still need to be quiet, remember?" Lily sat down and nodded eagerly with her mouth shut. He continued, "I need you to stay here at the exit of the den, and keep watch. I'm going on a mission, I will be right back." He told her. "Howl to me and wake mother and father if you see danger. Alright?" 

She nodded. "I wont let you down." She said to him with a smile, then giggled a little. Leon smiled back at her. She was always his favorite. Her sweet little smile, cute wobbly walk. Shes growing strong and getting bigger. Shes a great sister, he almost acted like a father around her. 

He left the den, and a few feet away he looked back at it, still to see Lily smiling and wagging her tail. Starting off towards the light, he smelled something odd. It was so strong, and he heard cracking noises. Leon didn't know what it was, but as he got closer and closer, it got slightly bigger. He remembered something his mother told him a little later, something about this word. He couldn't exactly remember it, but he had seen it before. Something like..... fire....

He ventured a little closer toward it and noticed it was very small. He wanted to see it closer, but he was too afraid. He usually didn't show his fear around other wolves, but he was alone this time. He backed away, and ran back to the den quietly. As he was heading towards the den, he thought, Maybe it was fire... His little sister, Lily, was still there waiting for him. She was looking into the distance, where the mountains were. As soon as she noticed Leon come back, she smile and sat up. 

"So what were you doing? What was the light like?" She asked him. Leon went up to her and said nothing. He lay down next to her and put his head down to sleep again. "Nothing? I wonder what it was, and why its here. It's brighter than the stars. I wonder how it got there....." She kept asking all the questions, knowing she wouldn't get any answers. For now. "........ And I wonder if-" She was cut off by Leon, him saying, "Lily, ask mother about it tomorrow. She will give you answers then. Now get some rest."

Lily lay next to his furry chest, sniffing. "You smell funny," She told him in a funny way. He laughed a little, then looked up at the stars. She's right, he thought. That light is brighter than the stars. Leon fell asleep to the soft rising of Lily's tiny body against his.