A Shifting Land

Chapter 34

Branches swayed high above their heads, light dappling down across mottled furs.

Swift carried herself low, forcing her nerves to show with every jittery step she took. Her ears swivelled, focusing on the brush across the way.

Leaves frosted, a chill wind raising her fur as icy eyes met hers. They flicked higher, tracing across the rest of her pack at his lands. They hovered back on her, holding her still.  An emotion flashed, darkening to hatred as they held hers. 

Firestorm leapt down beside her, that look gone in a blink, the Dukari in its place glaring at Firestorm.

Swift shivered, his last look of hatred, of rage, staying with her. She stood up straight, gently touching her muzzle to Firestorm's shoulder. "Alpha, we should go I think. My instincts don't like this."

Firestorm ran her tail across the kit's shoulders. "Don't worry, I know the other pack is intimidating when you first see them. We will protect you."

Swift scoffed, stepping away from her. "So much for, 'Always trust the instincts of an alpha Dukari.' Yeah. Right. Trust them except for when they're young. Or they're new. Or they don't have the same life experiences as you do. Nope! Then their instincts are invalid."

"Swift!" Bladen barked in warning.

Her head snapped up, right paw bent slightly at the knee. Her claws sunk into the grass, pulling her flat. Her mind sank into the pack line, her order ringing out with Firestorm's. "Get down."

They stood side by side, clouds plunging the clearing into shadows. Their heads up, muzzles tilted slightly into the wind.

Snow tilted her head, blazing that image into her memories, her breath catching in her throat.

Firestorm hesitated, making sure every member went down as acid sprayed over their heads. Burns scorched into her coat, sizzling deep into muscle as she hit the ground.

"Alpha, what was that...."

Eyes slowly cracked open, Dukari slowly pulling their paws off their faces. Snow stood first, her ears brushing across the ice dome above her. Thin, cracking, pitted with a few acid burns, it was covered with a thick bubble of wind.

Firestorm flicked her tail, her bubble dissolving easily.

Swift pulled herself to her feet, shoving through the ice. "Sorry, I have no idea how to order it to just go away."

Firestorm chuckled, breaking it away with her paws. "Don't worry, we can work on that. If everyone is ok, let's get home. Sort this out there."

Snowlily nudged her flank, blood running down her leg. "I think you took the worst of it. You'd better be accompanying me to the-"

Firestorm yawned, giving her friend a wink. "Don't worry," She trotted along the trail, her head high. "I have always healed fast Snow."

Vrennik stepped closer to Firestorm, his voice soft. "Are you sure, alpha? We can wait or head back on our own."

Firestorm laughed, her smile genuine. "Ren, I would never leave you guys alone with a threat like this. A bit of acid will not permanently harm me. It'll just sting for a bit."

Ren frowned, touching his nose to hers. "Alright."

Snow chuckled, sharing a smile over his head. "He has passion. But he has no idea where to put it or how to use it yet."

Firestorm loped back home, the pack hot on her heels. She slipped in, making a quick escape up high to her favourite perch.

Snow followed moments later, shaking her head.