Wolf Saga: The Legacy

Chapter 5

The wind whistled around Frostfeather. Swanpelt stood laughing above her. Weren't her wings supposed to appear? The clifftop and Swanpelt were fading. She could see the bottom of the gorge. This would be the end...

A paw, coming out of nowhere, jerked her awake, and Frostfeather leapt up. Blizzardstar took a step back, surprise glinting in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked nervously. Frostfeather had never seen him look so anxious before.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Are the pups doing all right?" Blizzardstar heaved a sigh of relief.

"Yes, finally," he replied. "Still sleeping heavily, but Kestrelwing said that they should be fine. It's a miracle she knew about that herb. Honey sap, is it?" Frostfeather nodded. "Anyways, I needed you to come to the Forgotten Palace again. The patrols have been acting odd around the area that touches the Four Paws Valley, and you seemed to be completely invulnerable to the curse. I'd like to find out why."

"Alright," Frostfeather agreed hesitantly. "Are you invulnerable, though? I don't want to leave you, and Pheasantwing and her pups need you. Also, what about the curse? I don't mean to contradict you, Blizzardstar, but you said yourself that it was dangerous!" Blizzardstar shook himself, but his eyes betrayed his anxiety.

"I'll be careful," he promised. "No one is going to be there, I checked for scents on our first time. Pheasantwing knows what to do in an emergency. Let's go to the border, and we can fly the rest of the way." Frostfeather followed him out of the den, and Snowleaf, the sentry, nodded to them as they passed. Her heart leapt as Blizzardstar gave the signal he only shared with the Fleet Squad, and the two sped up into swift-paw speed, the snowy forest blurring beside him. Soon, they had arrived at the Forgotten Palace. Frostfeather felt a strange cold wash over her, and Blizzardstar continued walking, though is stance was rigid with panic. His ears pricked, and a faint rustle could be heard from the corner of the hall. Dread rose within him, and he let out a warning bark.

"It's a trap!" he gasped hoarsely, and suddenly, tendrils of black thorns shot out of the shadows to ensnare Blizzardstar. The grey-brown wolf choked as he was dragged backward, and flopped at the paws of a white-furred wolf.

"Swanpelt!" Frostfeather howled, as the white wolf's gaze turned on her. "Why?"

"This is the only way you'll understand," Swanpelt spat. "You've been a lot more mouse-brained than I had anticipated. I have your leader, and he knows the deal I struck with him long ago. He'll know better than to disobey. Now, open your wings," she snarled at Blizzardstar. He shook his head, and the thorns wrapped tighter. Blizzardstar gagged, then slowly unfurled his wings. Swanpelt laughed. "Hot pink? You've got to be kidding!"

"What have you done, Swanpelt?" Blizzardstar rasped. "Whatever deal you struck doesn't concern her or my pack. Leave them alone!" Swanpelt laughed again.

"I thought you would be this way," she purred silkily. "My deal was that you would surrender to me and keep your life, or if you moved against me, you'd lose both. You brought Frostfeather into my new domain, so you pay the price. I brought along Clawfoot if you had an issue with our deal." Blizzardstar's eyes widened as a wolf with a single long claw protruding from one paw limped forward. "Take it or leave it."

"I'll never submit," gasped Blizzardstar. "You can threaten me all you want, but I shall still remain loyal to my pack. I will never join you!" Swanpelt gave a nasty grin.

"Very well," she sneered, and motioned Clawfoot forward. Frostfeather turned her head aside, but couldn't block the sound of Blizzardstar's agonized cry. "You can look now," Swanpelt teased. Frostfeather hesitantly looked up, and met Blizzardstar's gaze. His eyes had turned jet black, deep, soulless, and devoid of emotion; and oily, black, leathery, feathers covered his wings. Blizzardstar smiled nastily, and turned up a paw, where a single jagged fang tattoo was etched into his pad. Frostfeather gasped horror, and Swanpelt, without a backwards glance, wrapped one silky black wing around Blizzardstar's shoulders, and he followed her without resistance. Frostfeather stood quietly in the Forgotten Palace, long after Swanpelt and Blizzardstar had left. Her world had fallen apart.