The Blizzard (Stories Etched in Snow)

Prologue

A'ight. Hello! I've never, ever finished writing a story before in my life, apart from short stories for homework, so go easy on me. Please? Anyway, there appears to be a tonne of chapters, but that's only because I don't know how to connect chapters tastefully together, so every chapter is roughly 500 words. In any case, please enjoy reading~

Salamander winced inaudibly, his gaze cast down upon his new grandpups. Gradient, Boldow and Kirenu were tussling around in the fresh, pale snow beside his son, Diversion, his son who he was so proud of.

The howling wind picked up, blowing the young male's thick coat towards the entrance of their den as she ushered the pups into the granite-lined cave, where the runt of the litter, Nix, lay in wait in her moss nest. It felt nice to step into the warm reach of the fire as they had made at the back of the den, its heat soothing his aching old bones. His own significant other, Lowuri, was out hunting with Rasha, Diversion's younger brother, who somehow never expressed his jealousy towards the heir to the throne.

The cold precipitation landed softly outside the cave and Salamander circled his own bed of bracken, finally finding a good position and laying down. His soft panting was drowned out by the newly arriving hail and its pitter-pattering on the top of the cave roof. He was concerned for the future of the Pack of a Thousand Jades; even the autumn this year had been too cold.

The white brute had no doubt in his mind that Lowuri would be able to help Rasha find shelter from the incoming blizzard that littered their territory. After all she was the one who had first started the pack, marked the territory, and memorised every little rock and tree in the grounds in only two moons. She was a heroin and a strong leader. That was why Salamander and she were so suited to each other.

He gazed at the falling snow and closed his eyes, imagining the beautiful sunlight that would return once the blizzard had calmed and have its rays scatter across the territory and make the snow-spirits glitter and sing the songs of the past. Resting his chin in his paws, he slept peacefully, knowing that if this night was the fateful night when he would die, the pack would be left in the deserving paws of Diversion.