Wolf Saga: The Secret

Chapter 11

"Right here," Frostfeather said calmly, and spread her silver-white wings. Narista and Lauris gawked at the sight, and all of the wolves in the clearing turned to look at the spectacle going on in the center of the clearing.

"You!" Shadowstar repeated, her face twisted with frustrated rage. "You, a weak, pathetic, Pack wolf who dogs her leaders' side like a pup! You, who pretended all these years and didn't lift a paw. You, who caused terror and despair from your parents." Shaking her head in disgust, the black she-wolf touched her nose to the jewel, murmured and incantation, and all the shadowy wolves re-formed into normal wolves once more. She flicked her tail, but only a few wolves followed her.

"Come on, get over here!" she snapped, but Sleekfur stepped forward, her blue eyes gleaming with hate.

"You don't rule us anymore," Sleekfur growled. "You forced us to work day and night, and stole our Soul until we were as evil as you were. I'm not joining you, because you kidnapped me from the life I had before!" Shadowstar snarled low in her throat, prepared to spring, but Sleekfur cuffed the leader sharply. "I didn't realize it before, but you stole me away from what I could have been."

"You know that the penalty for insubordination is death," Shadowstar whispered, her voice deadly low. "I could kill you right here, right now." Sleekfur tossed her head.

"It's not insubordination if the Dark Pack isn't my true Pack," she countered. "Get out, Shadowstar." Shadowstar just smiled, and the clearing suddenly was engulfed in a black wave. Frostfeather hurriedly shone her own light, and the clearing returned to normal. Narista gave a growl of frustration at her side- the Dark Pack was gone.

"Daughter?" Lauris asked hesitantly, bending forward to sniff Frostfeather. Frostfeather held her breath- did he believe her? He seemed to accept it, but suddenly drew back and scrunched up his face. A white light cocooned his and Narista's body, and Frostfeather shielded her eyes with her wing. When she looked up, she gasped. A regal dark grey wolf stood before her, his dark grey coat streaked with silver. Narista's fur had transformed into a pure silver color, with white paws.

"It's you," she whispered, licking Frostfeather's face gently. She caressed her wing against Frostfeather's head, and Frostfeather felt a memory tugging away from her. She struggled, but Narista's gentle voice echoed through the blackness.

"Be calm," the voice assured, reverberating around the inky darkness. "I am retrieving a memory from you, one long forgotten, to see if you are truly my daughter." Frostfeather relaxed, and felt the memory drag its way up from darkness. Another memory joined with it, and the two crashed together and exploded into view.

Frostfeather was standing in a spacious library, filled with parchment scrolls and bustling with wolves. Narita was lying on the floor, playing with a silver-white cub who was flaring her wings in Narista's face.

"Ayslyn, that tickles!" laughed Narista. "Come on, time for bed." Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed outside, and the palace shook. Lauris burst in, his coat soggy with rainwater and a look of terror in his eyes.

"The Alliance! They're here!" he shouted. Frostfeather gasped as a roll of flame burst through the roof and started spreading through the library. Sections of wall fell, and an invisible force started to pull young Ayslyn away.

"No!" Narista screamed, lunging for her pup, but a section of wall collapsed in front of her, drowning out her terrified cries. Lauris leapt into the rubble, frantically digging, but his claws cracked under the strain. He restored them quickly, but shook his head at Narista.

"NO! Ayslyn!" she howled again, and Lauris, casting a regretful look behind him, led her out, calling to the other wolves in the palace to flee. In the distance, she could see the dark outline of shadowy wolves, silhouetted against the burning walls of the palace. The memory dissolved into darkness, but then another replaced it. Frostfeather was entombed within great chunks of stone, but was still alive. She waited there, the stone blocks forming a type of tent over her, until she could see sunlight peeking through the gap. Suddenly, a paw crushed through it, and her younger self shrieked in horror. A gentle voice came through the darkness.

"I'm here to rescue you," the wolf whispered. "Stay calm." With a jolt of shock, Frostfeather realized who it was- it was Blizzardstar, who had picked his way through the rubble to find her. Ayslyn relaxed, perhaps sensing the good in him, and allowed him to lift her out of the mound.

"How to hide your wings?" Blizzardstar mused. Suddenly, he gasped, looking beyond Ayslyn, and Frostfeather's heart plummeted as she saw a familiar white figure slink forward. It was Swanpelt- the white wolf that had ruined everything.

"Planning on keeping the princess for yourself?" Swanpelt purred, bending down to look at Ayslyn. "What a fine specimen. Don't think she'll last long in your care, though."

"What do you mean?" Blizzardstar growled, raising his hackles defensively. Swanpelt laughed, a chillingly familiar sound that echoed around the ruins.

"You're destined to have a short, tragic, life," Swanpelt announced. "Your mate and pups won't be spared from my curse. I'll destroy the Winter Pack as you know it! I'll make you a deal that could save your pathetic lives, however," she added cunningly. "Spare my life, and don't tell anyone that you're here, or else you and the pup are dead meat." Blizzardstar froze, and drew away from her.

"Deal... or dead?" Swanpelt breathed. Blizzardstar replied, so quietly that Frostfeather couldn't hear, but Swanpelt let out a yip of glee and vanished in a puff of black smoke. Blizzardstar bent down, and licked young Ayslyn gently.

"I don't know where your parents went, but we have to get you to safety," Blizzardstar murmured. "Let's take you to the Winter Pack, and we'll send out patrols to find your parents." The memory flashed to the present, to where Blizzardstar muttered, "Seven seasons and no sign of them." Frostfeather had pricked her ears, but Blizzardstar dismissed her with an air of anxiety. Finally, the memory ended, and Frostfeather sank to the ground, weak-kneed.

"It was Blizzardstar all along?" she whispered, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs of shock that clung to her. "How did he find me?" Narista shrugged her shoulders, looking troubled, but suddenly, an earsplitting howl of terror pierced the silence.

"Blizzardstar!"