The Last Horde

Prologue

The moon shone brightly as the starry wolf faced the young warrior. The young warrior stood protectively over his pup, a growl rising in his throat. The starry wolf stared at him and just looked from the warrior to the pup and back again.

"Darkness is near." The wolf rasped.

"What do you mean?" The young wolf narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

The starry wolves eyes rolled into his head and his voice rang out strongly. "The darkness that threatens this world will be saved by the last unlikely horde."

"What do you mean?" The younger wolf demanded fiercely.

The starry wolf looked down at the pup huddled sleeping against his father's leg. "You must begin with the wolf of silver. He will follow the river to its source where the flaming cat awaits."

As these words were spoken, he began to fade. The warrior realised he could see the cave floor through its body.

Desperately he leapt toward the older wolf. "No you must tell me more!"

The wolf faded completely but the young wolf felt a soft breath in his ear and a voice said "Trust!".

The wolf glanced down at his son, his pelt a shining silver and murmured. "Oh son. What future awaits you in this prophecy?"

                                                                                    🐺

The sleek-pelted wolf trotted through the dampened forest with his mate at his side. A rustle of movement set a clump of ferns quivering and the male wolf flicked his ears to his mate, dropping into the hunters crouch. His paws slowly slid silently over the covering of leaves, his belly fur brushed the ground and a vole came into view. The wolf waggled his hind quarters and sprang, crushing the vole beneath his paws, dead. He stuck his tail in the air triumphantly and carried his fresh-kill to his mate to share.

"Well done Silverfur!" She murmured, brushing her muzzle across his shoulder.

"Would you like to share Leafdapple?" Silverfur asked, tongue lolling out in a wolfy grin.

"Absolutely." She replied.

Silverfur lowered himself to the ground paws in front of his chest and took a bite of the plump vole then pushed it to Leafdapple. She pulled back her lips and sank her teeth into it, eyes lighting with pleasure at the delicious aroma. They repeated this process until there was nothing left of the vole.

"Mmm ... delicious." Leafdapple said approvingly as she licked her paws clean.

Silverfur craned his neck and rasped his tongue over her ear. "Still hungry or shall we go home?"

"Go home? Perhaps we should catch something for Limecave on the way back?" She suggested.

"Good idea." Silverfur decided after a moments thought.

The wolves padded in silence through the trees, ears swiveling for sounds. A flutter of wings announced the presence of a blackbird, standing under the gnarled roots of an oak tree, pecking through the undergrowth for bugs. Leafdapple was instantly approaching it, her light brown and white coat blending into the surrounding brambles. Silverfur crouched down and slunk under an elder bush, watching her carefully. Leafdapple estimated the gap and jumped in a tremendous leap, landing squarely on its neck, snapping it with her weight. Silverfur crept from under the bush and licked her ear.

"Great catch! That was some leap!" He exclaimed.

"Thanks," Leafdapple mumbled around the blackbird in her jaws. "Lets go home."

The two wolves loped through the forest together, close enough that their pelts brushed gently. Trees rose and disappeared as they ran past. The green-leaf sun shone brightly through the canopy of leaves over their heads. The rain that had fallen the night before made the undergrowth soft and damp under their paws and the wolves relished it. As they reached the cave Silverfur slackened his pace until he was walking, Leafdapple walked beside him, blackbird still juggling in her mouth.

"Limecave! We're back! Leafdapple caught you a blackbird!" Silverfur called.

An old cat dragged his big paws over the stone of the cave, grey fur tinged with a faint green. He poked the black bird with one claw as Leafdapple dropped it in front of him.

"Bit scrawny eh?" He rasped.

Leafdapple snorted. "Its fine Limecave. Just eat."

Grumbling, Limecave picked up the blackbird and took to his corner of the cave and flopped on his belly to eat. Leafdapple headed to the opposite corner, tired after the long day of hunting and settled in a nest of bracken, moss and feathers, asleep almost instantly. Silverfur picked up a mouthful of moss and dipped it in a pool just outside the cave, bringing it back to Limecave.

"What's this? Can't I get my own water now?," The old cat snapped, then after looking at Silverfur who didn't move lapped at the water that dripped out of the soaked moss. "Thanks."

Silverfur rolled his eyes and dropping the moss ball, crept into the nest beside Leafdapple, curling his tail across her haunches and slept.

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Hello readers! This is the first time I have published a book so please give me feedback! As you can tell I love animals and have a few other stories for you later on :) This book has many chapters to come!