Wolves and Realms: before

a howl in the woods (1 year ago)

The night was dark and cold and the rain outside sounded more like hail. The wooden floor felt freezing. Regardless, the wolf at the edge of the room was laying down on it. Gold's eyes darted around the chamber. The floor was wood; The walls were wood; The ceiling was wood; The entire room was wood. No decorations to make it feel like home. None except for the squirrel-fur rug in the main room. Gold closed his eyes. He hadn't slept since he moved into the treehouse the other day.

The silence was broken by a howl. Gold woke immediately and shot up as he did. He sat quietly, waiting for another howl to pierce the night. And then it came. Another howl. One with a tone of distress. Without a second thought, Goldmoon ran out of the treehouse... And sat.

The howling resumed. Gold darted towards the edge of the clearing - toward the looming shadow of the forest. Tree branches and rocks reached out toward him, missing him by an inch. He stopped and looked around him. He was deep in the forest. Far from civilization. Had he imagined the howling? Had his mind simply intended on getting him lost in the tangling mess of roots and branches that was the forest of curiosities?

Another howl.

Gold ran towards it. He ran and ran. The foliage grew deeper. Harmless bushes became lethal brambles. Rounded rocks became sharp, monstrous stone teeth. The sky was growing darker until all that was left was darkness. Gold couldn't see much. The dark trunks of trees blended too well with the void-like darkness ahead.

He felt himself flying and then falling. With a thud, he hit the damp autumn leaves and the sharp stones on the forest floor. He was covered from head to toe with cuts and bruises. Blood began to seep through a cut above his right eye. He felt cold. His vision was darkening.

"Hey you over there. Are you ok?" Asked the voice.

Gold was surprised. Someone had found him. He got up with what little strength he had. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm..." Gold had looked up to see the wolf that spoke. They were a wolf with silver and cyan fur that glistened in the moonlight. They had bright green eyes which seemed to glow like a beacon in the forest. Gold looked closer at the wolf. They looked underweight and deprived of sleep and their leg was lodged between two thorny trees.

"Whoa. How did you... What happened to you?"

"What happened to me? I uh... Got my leg stuck."

"I can see. But... How?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know how you got your leg stuck?"

"... Precisely."

"Let me help you out of there. This might be a bit painful"

Goldmoon limped over to the wolf. He began to claw at the trees which tore off the bark. Eventually, he freed the wolf's paw from the forests dangerous grip.

The wolf stared at his paw and then to Gold. "Thank you" murmured the wolf with a scratchy voice. They ran up the hill Gold had fallen down and Gold pursued.

"Wait! You're not going to tell me your name?"

The wolf stopped for a moment. It's green eyes locked right onto Gold's.

"My name... Is... Uh..."

The wolf looked confused. It looked at it's paws again with an expression of uncertainty.

"It's... Um..." The wolf continued.

"You don't know, do you?" Gold asked.

"No. No, I don't." Replied the wolf.

"Well, my name is Goldmoon. Gold for short."

The wolf's pupil's widened as if they were shocked - As if something Gold said had startled them.

"Are you ok?" Gold questioned. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm... I'm fine. It's just... I swear I've heard that name before. Maybe I've just gone insane. I've been out here for four days now... Without food... And water."

"Follow me. I'll take you back to the village. It's a small place but it can supply us with food and water."

Gold began to walk back in the direction of the village. The wolf followed behind. Before long, both of them reached the opening. The treehouse was a welcoming sight in contrast to the eerie darkness of the forest of curiosities.

"I hear the alpha was moving in to that place. It must be nice to have so much space. It's bigger on the inside. Trust me, I've been in there before."

"I... I live there."

The wolf stared at Gold again. This time, he looked surprised. "You're the alpha? That's awesome! Saved! By the alpha as well!"

"Well, I'm not the alpha until tomorrow."

"Right."

They both climbed the ladder (which was more like a steep staircase) until they reached the platform at the top. Both of them entered the treehouse to the pleasant smell of home.

Two wolves were stood in the main room. One had brown fur and a ring of roses laid on top of their head. The other was a bright blue with somewhat luminescent fur. A silver crown with purple jewels sat between their ears, kept there by magic. They looked at Gold. Gold and the wolf looked back.

"What happened to you two?" Asked both of the wolves in the middle of the room.

"I went out into the forest of curiosities to save him. He had his paw stuck between two trees." Answered Gold.

"Your highness, you really must get going. You have plenty to attend to. I will remain here to heal Gold and... I don't know who you are." Spoke the brown wolf.

"I don't even know who I am." The silver wolf replied.

"goodbye Goldmoon. Rosewolf, I will see you later." The queen said, leaving the treehouse as she did.

"Of course, your highness." Responded Rosewolf. She turned to Gold. "Let's heal those wounds." Her paws glowed green. Gold's cuts and bruises began healing. Before long, he had recovered. Rosewolf moved on to the wolf.

"You're Rosewolf, right?" The wolf asked.

"Yep. That's me. We really need to find out your name." She replied.

"I... I think it's Platinum... Platinum... Wait." He looked at his paws once more before looking up at both Rosewolf and Goldmoon. "I figured it out. My name is Platinumcoat."