Shapeshifters

18

I LOOKED OUT the window and there it was. The signal. The signal was from Tawny. It was a rock on top of a stick with claw marks on it. To any up-walker, it would look natural, but to me, it was a signal.

I told Dust that that evening we were going to talk to Tawny. I had spent the past week and a half teaching him, or trying to, about the time difference. He didn't fully understand it, just like I still didn't completely get how it worked.

We spent the day discussing random topics. At lunch as I made sandwiches. Dust sat on the couch reading. 

"Two pups will change the packs forever," Dust mumbled under his breath. 

Thanks to my wolf hearing, I heard him repeat it a few more times. It took me a moment to realize what he was actually saying. It was the start of the prophecy.

"Do you know what you are saying?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "It was something Shapetail told me. Before I came."

I nodded and said, "It's a prophecy. Pillpool told Moon, Suntail, and me not long before our fight. It's about us."

Dust stared at me dumbfounded. "What do you mean? How is it about us?"

I took a calming breath then explained, "I am the pup of light and you are the pup of dark. That's why we were cursed. Someone, or something, doesn't want it to become real."

"They don't want it fulfilled. The strange cat." He thought for a moment. "They couldn't have worked alone. They were dead. Someone alive had to be telling them."

I nodded. "Call me crazy, but I did some research." Dust looked at me like I was cag-mag. "Okay, it was reading. There is a book series about the four packs, before us, so clans."

I proceeded to tell Dust about the clans and their story. Eventually I got to the part about the strange cat. I told him the strange cat had a name. Maplefrost. When I finished, Dust had no words.

"Say something," I requested of him. 

"We have to go soon," He said. 

I looked at the time and realized that he was right. We quickly got ready and went to the wood line. When we reached it, Tawny was already waiting. We shifted form and padded over to her.

"It's the night before the big moon," She declared. "I have news and it looks like you do too." Dust and I both nodded. Tawny continued, "I talked to Stormsky and he said that he has no choice but to pronounce the both of you dead."

I turned to Dust and exclaimed, "They don't want only the prophecy not fulfilled, they didn't want the leaders involved. Whomever is behind this, probably killed Shapeclaw and Shapetail and cursed the leaders."

Tawny looked between the two of us, trying to figure out what I was talking about. 

Dust ignored her and responded, "Of course! Now it's clear, whoever cursed us, cursed the leaders, and killed Shapeclaw and Shapetail."

"Seems like you two do have some news," Tawny stated in astonishment. "And big news at that. Tell me."

Dust looked at me, signaling that I'm going to tell Tawny. 

"Okay," I started. "We've been talking about why we are here. And before I got cursed, Pillpool was given a prophecy. 'One pup of light and one pup of dark, will join together and change the packs forever'. I didn't give it a lot of thought until Dust was repeatedly saying the first line earlier."

"How come none of the other packs have heard of the prophecy before now?" Tawny asked. "How come Sunpack was the first pack to get the prophecy?"

"We don't know yet," Dust explained. "We are still doing some thinking."

When Tawny accepted what Dust had said I continued, "Anyway, we know someone is behind the curses and most likely the attack on Shapeclaw and Shapetail. I was thinking that it was Black, of Shadowpack." Tawny opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off. "Before you ask how I know this, I will tell you. Before I first met Shapeclaw, I overheard Suntail and Moon talking about the second deputy meeting,"

"Black did correct me when I said the leaders had a sickness that was targeting them only," Tawny interjected. "He kept saying they were cursed. Why else would he force that idea if he wasn't involved? Sorry, I was there, keep going."

I continued to tell Tawny about our theory about the curse and about Black being behind it. Dust took over and explained the cure for our curse and the words of the curse.

"Both Shapeclaw and Shapetail," Dust started. "Said that one of Valley would help the young pups. We can assume they were talking about you."

"Between everything," I said. "You were the only one from the packs who kept searching for me. And it was a bonus that you're from Valleypack."

Tawny nodded, trying to process it all, then told us she had to go but would let us know the night before the big moon meeting to meet. Both Dust and I shifted back and departed back to my apartment, where the pair of us crashed quickly and hard after talking with Tawny.