Silver Moon

Battle Cries

 Do you know that feeling that something bad is going to happen? That it is going to be huge and most likely change you. That is the feeling I had right now. The entire cavern was a mess of tension, werewolves clutching on to mates and children onto parents. I had tried to get some rest, but my body was to full of nervous energy, so sleep was impossible. Ashton was preparing to go in to battle with the rest of the warriors, as he was going to be the eyes in the trees. I should have been at the alpha meetings, yet my eyes had started to blur and there was just too much for me to take in.

I could not stay lying restlessly in bed any longer. Pushing the sheets to the side, I went to find Miranda. I found her sitting in the meeting/mess hall, eating food across from Derek. She was bursting with laughter. Derek was scratching his head and blushing. The two seemed oblivious to the tension.

“Hi Miranda” I told her as I took a seat at the table. She was clutching her sides as if the laughter was killing her. When Miranda met my eyes, I knew that half of her laughter was nerves; the rest was barely contained fear. It was so close to the surface. She felt the dread that encompassed everything too.

“You are nervous, aren’t you Miranda? If you feel the terror that everyone else does, then how do you laugh?”

“Because, if I don’t laugh I will either break down crying or start to envision all the ways we could lose.”

“She’s right Luna; laughter is the best way to hide fear. It also gives peace to others. If we are okay, then they will be okay.”

I nodded at Derek, knowing that what he said was true. I had to hide my fear, not just for my sake of mind but also for everyone else.

“It will be fine Luna, don’t worry. You have Ashton; I saw how the two of you acted. I now have Miranda, and by god, I do not want to lose her. I have to trust in all of you to keep her safe for me, and I do. This place is all of yours home, and I know that no werewolf is going to give up this place just because some deranged king is on a rampage.”

“That king was once my father Derek,” I said with mocked outrage

“More like step-father.” Replied Derek coolly.

“He did almost kill someone,” said Miranda, joining in on our little game.

We all broke into laughter, this time it was not forced, it felt real. I let the tension slip out of my shoulders. People started to circle around our table, and I did my best to easy their worried faces.

It was Darren who told me the news, the news that broke the small bubble of happiness that Derek, Miranda, and I had created.

The battle was starting.

I had never seen Miranda move so fast. People scattered to their designate places. I had to run as fast as I could to get to the front entrance. The sounds of guns already ratcheted around every entrance. The scene I saw could not be bloodier.

Wolves were diving into the trees, as men came barreling through to meet them. Horses rushed and reared when the wolves attacked, throwing helpless men off their backs. Our men fought hand to hand, and the sounds of bones cracking matched that of the men shooting bullets into our ranks.

Medics were already rushing to get injured off the battlefront. Wolves ripped limbs off unnoticing men, and wolves yelped as bullets dug deep into their sides, staining their fur.

Gabriel led a group of soldiers, each on the sides of him, and they drove through the men, throwing them aside like dolls. I shifted, my rage letting Niva out. She clawed at my insides, howling in my head. Soon I had four silver paws touching the ground, my fur a mess of the moons light. I let my body move, chasing after the group that Gabriel was in. Wolves jumped in front of me when a rival man stood to fight, quickly killing them so I could continue on my way.