Wolf Saga: The Legacy

Chapter 2

    Frostfeather bathed quietly in the steam pools, easing off her aches and pains from the Mountain Trail. Spreading her wings, she carefully lathered a shampoo onto them, cleaning each feather with painstaking care. She heard a wolf behind her, and turned.

"Greetings, Frostfeather- er, Ayslyn," stammered Blizzardstar, shaking off flurries of snow that had remained on his coat. "I've consulted the other leaders of the packs, and they think it's best if we try to find the Forgotten Palace, and to start seeking out your parents."

"That sounds okay," Frostfeather replied hesitantly. "But please, call me Frostfeather. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about my past. Do you know the names of my parents?"

"Back in their day, they were known as King Lauris and Queen Narista. Lauris was a dark grey, with silver streaks through his fur, and piercing blue eyes. Narista was pure silver all over, except her paws and tail, which were white, and her eyes were a gorgeous sea green. Your pelt and eye color seem to be a mix of the two."

"I've been studying the maps of Arcandia," murmured Frostfeather thoughtfully. "The Forgotten Palace was rumored to be in the Four Paws valley, and that's south of here. Going swift- paw, or pace- paw would still take the entire day, maybe more." Suddenly, as though possessed, she grabbed Blizzardstar's shoulders, locking eyes with him. The grey- brown wolf struggled, eyes wide, then dropped to the ground, writhing. His pelt wiggled, and Blizzardstar gaped in astonishment as hot-pink and grey wings swept from his back.

"Hot pink?" was all he could say. Frostfeather returned to normal, dropping her paws.

"Every wolf has wings, it just takes ancient wolf magic to be able to unlock them," Frostfeather explained. "I'm sorry I startled you, it's just that some distant memory seemed to unlock, and I somehow knew what to do. At least now we can go faster."

"I'm going to be the Pack ridicule," muttered Blizzardstar, finding his voice at last.

"Try folding them in," suggested Frostfeather. "They blend seamlessly into your fur. The magic also unlocked the extra muscles needed to move your wings, but I've learned they're a little stiff from almost no use." Blizzardstar did as she instructed, watching in fascination how the wings folded inward, and that each feather didn't show a hint of pink- fur transitioned smoothly and invisibly into feathers. "Fine, I'm ready to fly," Blizzardstar woofed at last. "Just... could we fly above the clouds? Hot pink wings are very noticeable from the air, and I think someone would recognize me..." Frostfeather nodded, and they

pumped swiftly into the air Blizzardstar smiled slightly, feeling the cool air whooshing between his feathers and brushing his face. Looking down, he saw the entire of Arcandia, spread out beautifully, with its rolling hills, grassy plains, and prey-rich, dense, forests.

"Isn't it amazing?" murmured Frostfeather, noticing his look of contentment. "The first time is always the best, though it can be a little nerve- wracking if you're scared of heights. Oh, and look, there's the Four Paws valley!"

Banking slightly, the two wolves glided smoothly downward until they landed next to an enormous rockpile.

"What is it?" gasped Frostfeather. Blizzardstar sighed.

"That's the Forgotten Palace."

"It looks so awful like this," whispered Frostfeather. "I've seen pictures, and it used to look so much more beautiful. Was the avalanche really that bad?"

"Wolf historians aren't really sure," admitted Blizzardstar. "They inspected the wreckage, but the avalanche didn't look to be as large as anyone suspected."

"Could it be an attempt of murder?" exclaimed Frostfeather. The wolves of Arcandia took murder very seriously, and an attack on the royal family- that was one of the most serious crimes a wolf could possibly commit.

"Again, no one really knows. Come, let's go inside- maybe we could find some clues." The two wolves entered the crumbling ruins, glancing warily at the groaning ceiling. Cobwebs snatched at their paws, and dust clogged their nostrils. Tattered royal tapestries sagged from the walls, and the faint outline of satin carpet crunched beneath their feet. The entire castle radiated with an eerie, lonely, feeling, making Frostfeather feel as though something more terrible than she had imagined happened here. Her paw snapped on something, and she leapt back when she saw the bones of a long- dead wolf laying in a corner.

"We've got to leave now," growled Blizzardstar, his eyes fixed on the bones. "Quickly." He and Frostfeather dashed out of the palace, though Blizzardstar kept glancing behind him, as if he wanted to go back. As soon as his paws touched the soil outside of the palace, he gave his head a violent shake.

"W-what happened?" stammered Frostfeather. "Why'd we have to leave?"

"I didn't realize that there was a curse upon it," replied Blizzardstar grimly. "Upon entering the palace, one is struck with a feeling of hopelessness and despair, so much that it's entirely possible to sit desolately in the entryway until you die. Not while the royals were there, of course," he added hastily, "but no doubt it is to keep intruders away. The curse must not work on winged wolves, or ones with royal blood. Though the sensation was still very strong. It took your grip and your faith to pull us both out of there." Frostfeather just stared, quivering "I wish I could find out who my parents were, and that I could see them again," murmured the silver wolf. Blizzardstar draped a wing over her, and the two stood in silence. However, they wouldn't have any peace for a long time if they knew the silhouette of a snowy- furred winged wolf was watching them.