Uralian Legends Secrets # 1- Loyal- On Hold

To Warrior Training

The Great- Pack Gathering had vanished into the clouds several hours ago. Wingbeat was striving to live up to his name and keep his wings beating- it was getting harder by the minute. Starpaws on the other hand looked as if he had just leaped into the sky half a second ago- the snowy wolf wasn't even sweating! Wingbeat curled his wings and swooped just for a change of pace. The wind whistled in his ears and he felt a sense of exhilaration as he did a swift twirl, folding his wings and legs close to his body. Unfurling his wings Wingbeat caught up to the others- a new strength in his muscles. Fiercetalon swooped under him, tilting her head to look up at him. 

  "Your feeling better I hope?" she murmured quietly so Starpaws wouldn't hear her. "As good as I can be," Replied Wingbeat frowning at Starpaws' tail. "There will be others besides Snowfly to befriend- let her go," Fiercetalon muttered and flew off to fly beside Fourstreak before Wingbeat could reply. The two chattered but Wingbeat couldn't pick up the words. They sounded concerned. Snowfly is much much more than a friend. Wingbeat thought frowning at Fiercetalon's tail. 

  "Beautiful morning isn't it," Skystripe commented flying up beside him. Wingbeat turned his head, startled out of a daydream where he was flying with Snowfly beside him. "Um... yeah... it is," He responded. Wingbeat glanced at the empty sky they had flown through wistfully, as though hoping to see something appear on the horizon. Skystripe brushed his side with her wing to draw his attention back to her. 

  "Hey! Race you to that mountain peak!" She yelped and shot off through the clouds. "Head start alert!" Wingbeat replied and flew after her. They flew with the wind currents whispering in their ears and the chill of the clouds whipping across their muzzles. It was a relief to stop thinking about Snowfly- even if it wasn't for long. Wingbeat reached the peak a whiskers breath before Skystripe and paused beating his wings to stay in place.

   "I win!" He cried triumphantly. Skystripe bared her teeth in mock anger. "Oh really?" She asked sweetly. "Oh yes!" He replied. "Well, this is one angry snowy wolf," Skystripe said and grinned toothily at Wingbeat. She paused, flew a little closer and stopped facing him. "Do you want to play a game?" She asked. Wingbeat looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding slowly. 

  "What's the game?" Wingbeat rumbled. "It's really straight forward- one of us is the 'horifin' and the other is the snowy wolf, the 'horifin' chases the snowy wolf across the sky until he or she catches the snowy wolf, then the snowy wolf swaps places with the 'horifin'," Skystripe explained. "Hmm why does this feel familiar?" Wingbeat wondered wryly. "I think the game was invented as a way to put young snowy wolves in training without terrifying them with horrible images of the war," Skystripe replied. Wingbeat nodded seriously. "That would work better than showing them corpses of the fallen," He growled. Skystripe ducked her head at him. "So... can I be the horifin?" She asked. "Yeah sure," Wingbeat replied shortly, wondering if he should question Skystripe's eagerness to play the Horifin. 

  "Hey! Your in horifin territory!" Skystripe hissed making Wingbeat jump and eye her uncertainly. "I am?" He asked. "Not really, horifin brain," Skystripe replied, looking amused. "You dare to show up here so your going to pay!" Skystripe yelped and shot toward Wingbeat. Wingbeat whirled around in the sky and fled toward the pack warriors in the distance- Skystripe on his tail. 

  "You'll pay snowy wolf!" Skystripe howled, trailing after him. He was starting to understand the fun in the game now. "Oh no, there's a filthy, stinking horifin after me!" He yelped in mock fear. "I'm gonna blast your tail off!" Skystripe snarled fiercely. Wingbeat joined the rest of the warriors and paused panting- and was pounced on by Skystripe. 

  "Ahhhhh! Got the snowy wolf!" She yelped beating her wings to rise above Wingbeat. "Your turn," Skystripe yipped and shot off. "Um... Skystripe I'm going to stop for now," Wingbeat murmured. Skystripe glanced back, looking slightly hurt but nodded and left him alone. As they flew closer to the warrior training academy Wingbeat felt his heart grow heaver and heaver with every wing beat that brought him farther away from Snowfly. Was he doing the right thing? 

Why does this feel wrong?