A Shifting Land

Chapter 29

She stepped away, her tail dropping. "What?" She spun, watching the wolves draw closer to her. "Wait."

"For what?" Frost purred, plucking his son off the ice with just a tiny whimper. Sky fell limply to the ground, his nasally whine the only noise to note. "You certainly didn't. In fact, you are supposed to get permission before beating the shit out of another's packmate. Especially when you go after the heir."

Swift's breath caught in her throat, a fierce burn sinking into the claw marks. Her eyes panned the grounds, finally settling on the one she needed. "Kiri."

He slipped through the crowd, pressing his head against her chin. "D'vala, can you weave us enough of an illusion to get out of here?"

"Kiri, if we do this there is a good chance she won't make it. Look at her. Really look. She's fading on you. How many more times can we make this kind of a run? We are wearing out. We have no home left to go back to."

"You can't keep running little kits." Frost shook his head slowly. "You want to know what punishment I claim? You stay right here. You help the pack heal, stepping into the place you pulled my heir from."

"We go home D'vala. Home to the tall trees. To the nests of bracken, safe up in our tree stump. The bipeds don't have to know we came back." He glanced back to the front, to his best friend trembling violently behind him. "She's already prepared to run. I'm not going to- Wait, what did he just say?"

His pack fell silent, each wolf watching him with open mouthed astonishment. The elder stepped up, "You can't be serious. Just kill her, you do it often enough to others."

Frost's form blurred, the elder sparking away in a shower of blood and a scream. He gave himself a good shake, blood splattering the wolves around him.

Ice cracked, coating Swift as she fled in a cloud of shards. Kiri swore, taking three steps before launching himself after her, "Swift! We have nowhere to run! Where are you going!"

"I'm taking your idea Kiri, I'm going home. It's hurting more, I need to... I need... I need Bladen back. Or Illandria. Frost took both out cold."

He caught up, his formless body gliding under her, holding her in the air. "This place could keep you alive. This place could keep your kits alive, Swift please stay."

She ignored him, running on less then nothing. The chill rolled over her, tiny minds already fading away. "Little ones." She called, "Don't go. It'll be safe soon enough. I promise. Just wait."

One mind paused, curling back up in the coolness. "Tell me a story."

Illandria's voice slowly began to speak, "There was once a dark, little prince. One with gifts that could bend our realities. He could take many forms with shadows that reached out, each one listening to his every command."

Swift headbutted her with a trill of joy. "You're back! You're safe. I was...."

Agony coursed through her form, dropping her from the fog. Her paws hit the branch hard, rattling the leaves as they crumpled under her.

Kiri shifted fast, catching her by the scruff. He pulled her further along, just out of sight.

Fish turned her eyes upwards, her hands catching her brother's. "Demons... They returned. Look."

Brother narrowed his eyes, his voice raising the war cry. "We can't let them settle."

"But it's the one that saved me. The one that met up with dad. Can't we just..." Her eyes widened, "Call dad. Now."