Shapeshifters

24

I HAD ABOUT twenty bunches by the time Dustfly got there. He stood in the doorway of the living room, staring at all the flowers.

"Who?" He asked. "Why?"

"I think this boy from Williston High," I told him. "I don't know why."

"Who?" He questioned again.

"Gavin," I responded quietly.

"That kid," Dustfly balled his fists. His mouth set in a taut line.

"Don't do anything rash," I instructed him.

"Fine," He sighed. "Since you asked."

I noticed a paper he was holding. I pretended to ignore it and continued picking up the roses. After a few agonizing minutes, I asked Dustfly.

"What's the paper for?"

"It was in the drawer of the nightstand to by the bed," He explained. "It's from Sunny, before she left."

I stared at him. She did write. I thought. But before she left.

"What does it say?" I inquired.

"I don't know. I haven't read it yet."

"Are you scared?"

"No," He said. "I was waiting to read it with you because it starts, 'To Rose and Case,' so I thought it best to read it together."

I nodded. Brushing some roses off the couch, Dustfly and I sat down to read the letter from Sunny. Once we were situated we opened the letter, I read it aloud:

To Rose and Case,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I'm leaving tomorrow for North Dakota State University, my dream college. I'm sorry I have to go, but I know you'll do fine without me.
I'm writing to you to inform you that I accidentally overheard some of your conversations. I know you are cursed, and there were many times I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how. Now that I'm not close to you, I'm going to tell you.
In a dream,not long after Rose showed up, it was shown to me by wolves. Both hybrids, but both strong. One was a wolf-cat and the other a wolf-fox. I tried to decipher this dream many time, but it wasn't until Case showed up that it was made clear, but in a different dream.
In this particular dream, there was a wolf and a fox, they both told me the same thing. That I was to start the two wolves I saw on their journey. Little did I know the wolves were you two. The cat told me that if I were to ever leave, I had to somehow tell you this: the cure isn't that hard to break. The fox explained to me that once the first part was broken, somehow I was to tell you about this letter.

I did some research and figured out the rest of the cure. I don't know if you're ready, but if you are, read on. If not, stop here and continue when you're ready.

Dustfly looked at me and I at him. She knew about it all this time. He nodded at me, telling me to continue.

The cure goes like this: 'You must willingly change your name. First, to prove. Then, to save.' If you're reading this, then you've broken the first part. The proving part. I don't what exactly that means, but I don't need to know. But I do know how to break the second part. The saving part. Rose, I once told you I would eventually tell you my story. That time isn't now, but I can tell you this: I was born into the packs. I'm not telling you anymore than this, maybe one day our paths will cross and I will tell you then. Back to the saving part of the curse. There is a plague within the packs. I don't know where it started or how, but it's been around for a long time. It's up to you two to go back to the packs and talk to the leaders. The fox and wolf told me you can only go as far as the meeting place.

"The five pines," Dustfly said. "That's where the packs meet every big moon."

I nodded and continued:

I'm running out of time, before I go, I need to explain this to you. You two need to go to the meeting place on the next big moon (after you read this) and talk to the leaders. They will discuss new names to give you. Names with power. It is then up to you how you will use those names. Banish the plague. 

Sincerely, Sunny

I finished reading the letter and we sat in silence. Neither one of us knew what to say. 

"She knew," I said, breaking the silence. "This whole time. She knew. Shapeclaw and Shapetail told her everything."

"They were able to reach out to her," Dustfly muttered, half to himself. "Yet, they couldn't get to us." 

"Hey," I tried to get his attention. "They tried to and couldn't. They got through to us using Sunny."

He shrugged. "I guess that makes sense." He thought for a minute. "But why have her write a letter instead of relaying the information directly to us?"

"It's like Sunny said in her letter," I explained. "We had to break the first part before we could learn this."

Dustfly dipped his head in response, but I knew he didn't believe it. He never would. I could barely remember a time when he didn't argue or question anything, even though I knew it was only three moons before.