Wolf Saga: The Secret

Chapter 9

"Oh, how nice to see you again," sneered the white wolf, taking a pace forward. "You've gotten a lot more advanced since we last met.... Necromancy, healing, what else?" She flicked her wing, and Blizzardstar, who was twitching weakly at the base of the Moonrock, was dragged toward her by the horribly familiar black tendrils. Frostfeather let out an angry bark, and summoned her power, blasting it toward Swanpelt. Concentrating her energy, she summon a brilliant white sword that slashed the black tendrils from Blizzardstar, dissolving then. Swanpelt bared her teeth, and restored the chains. "Clever, very clever, daughter of Lauris, but you'll have to do better than that." She muttered a command, and a ghostlike, horribly familiar, image of a fang rose into the sky. The ground rumbled beneath Frostfeather's paws, and she stepped back as shadows begin to creep up around Swanpelt, weaving around the white she-wolf. Frostfeather let out a bark of alarm as the shadows condensed into wolf-like shapes, eyes glowing jet-black.

"Meet the Dark Pack," Swanpelt sneered. "I'm their leader now, so you'll have to call me Swanstar." Swanstar let out a commanding bark, and the wolves behind her took formation. Frostfeather scanned the ranks nervously, and then gasped as she saw familiar pelts and faces- Heatherfall, Darkfeather, and Sleekfur and many others were standing among the Dark Pack, but their eyes weren't black- they were green, blue, amber, brown, and silver. Frostfeather summoned her energy once again, and blasted her packmates with white light. They stopped spasming, and stood fully healed. Blizzardstar, freed once again from his shadowy chains, raced across the clearing to stand beside Pheasantwing, who was licking her pups furiously.

"We must get help!" Frostfeather muttered to Snowleaf, who silently slipped out of camp. "Swanpelt, not all the wolves here are real- they're just shadows, and we aren't afraid of shadows." Swanpelt curled her lip.

"I know you jump at shadows," she growled, smiling slightly. "I saw you call for reinforcements. I saw you flinch when my forces arrive. You doubt me?"

"Yes," a wolf called, and a chorus of voiced echoed his cry. Swanstar whirled around, baring her fangs, but reared in surprise to see the Flight Pack, the River Pack, and the Forest Pack standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the entrance barrier. The speaker was Hawkstar, and he viewed the Dark Pack with suspicion.

"I knew that there were traitors here," Hawkstar snarled, eyeing Heatherfall with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. The tan-and-grey wolf, instead of cowering, broke rank, and hurtled toward Hawkstar. The grey leader bared his teeth at her, bushing up his fur.

"I'm on your side!" she snarled, swerving suddenly to bite into the neck of a shadowy wolf. He thrashed, throwing her off, but Darkfeather leapt on him and the two she-wolves attacked him until the dark wolf lay still. Sleekfur stood warily to one side, but at the others' questioning glance, she shook her head.

"Now?" growled Birchstar in a low voice, claws ripping up small pieces of tundra. Blizzardstar gave the faintest nod, and the Alphas sent out the message among their packs. Swanstar gazed at them coolly as the leaders formed a plan, and then raised her tail.

"Attack!" she shouted, and the shadowy wolves surged forward, teeth and claws bared. The packs fell on them savagely, but soon realized that these wolves weren't normal- their abilities had been enhanced, and were fighting like animals half-crazed.

"Show no mercy!" Birchstar shouted above the fight, before being tackled by a dark wolf. "They have shown their loyalty." Frostfeather stood frozen for a moment, dazed with horror, but soon leapt into the fight, jumping onto Sleekfur.

"I though you were loyal!" she spat, and Sleekfur grinned.

"I'm not one of you. The packs are weak. I serve a greater loyalty!" Lunging up, she snapped her jaws around Frostfeather's foreleg, and sped away at Frostfeather's snarl.

Looking around, Frostfeather realized that this was a battle that the packs would not win. Suddenly, a white blur pounced on her and bared her teeth at Frostfeather's throat, black eyes glaring with hate.

"Finally," Swanstar breathed, saliva dripping from her jowls and a crazed, exhilarated look in her eyes. "I have waited ever so long, since you stole my chance to be greater than you. I have done many deeds, from killing Shadowstar to ruling the Dark Pack, and I will conquer your packs, too!"

"Shadowstar is dead?" asked a wolf in surprise, kicking her opponent into the mass of fighting wolves. Her black fur was streaked with soot, and a scar ran across her neck to the side of her shoulder. "Last time I saw her, she was very much alive."

"Not anymore," Swanstar snapped. "I killed her, you fool. Now get back to work." The she-wolf just smiled cunningly, and shook her head.

"What about... no," she suggested, and shook her pelt, scattering ashes. The soot fell away to reveal Shadowstar, scarred but alive. "I'm very much alive, Swanpelt!" The white wolf whipped around in horror, and bared her fangs.

"So," Swanstar sneered. "Some wolf, who I will kill later, obviously saved you. Well, are you ready to fight, leader to leader?"