Snow Survival - The Crystals

Chapter Seven

Moon led him to the alpha's den with her. "Moon, what's wrong?" The black and white female sighed and stared at her paws. "Well..." He stared determinedly into her eyes. "Tell me, I need to know." Will I have to be FrostPack's new alpha so soon...? "I... I found Snow," Storm interrupted her. "Where? Why didn't you bring him back?" He demanded. Moon sighed and shuffled her paws. "Well?" The black and white wolf twitched her tail. "He... he's been murdered. I... I saw his body when I was going back to the cave from getting a drink." Storm gasped and stepped a step back. "What?" He exclaimed. I was worried that this was going to happen, but I didn't want to believe it. "I didn't bring his body back yet because I couldn't carry him by myself, could you help me bring him back to the pack?" Storm nodded solemnly then followed her out of the cave.

Storm's tail drooped behind him when he saw Snow's body. His eyes were clouded and he had a big tear in his throat. Blood spilled out slowly from the wound. He turned to Moon. "He must have gotten killed recently, or else we would have found him sooner." She nodded. "Yeah, what is the pack going to think about this?" Storm sighed. "I... don't know, should we bring him back now?" Moon nodded once more and they got closer to him to bring him back to camp.

In camp, horrified gazes and gasps greeted them as they dragged the torn and bloody body into the clearing. Rose covered her pups protectively with her tail while Autumn started to cry as she leaned on Bee who was comforting her. Cherry ran over to Snow's body and shoved his nose into his fur. He is still grieving, even though Snow treated him poorly as a pup. He then howled as he leapt onto the rock Snow would stand on."Everywolf! We will all greatly grieve the loss of Snow, but life in the pack must go on! Since I will be alpha, I will need to assign a beta." He glanced back at Cherry. "Cherry, you will be FrostPack's new beta. Meeting dismissed." He leaped down from the rock and touched his nose to Cherry's and his friend smiled faintly. "Thank you, Storm." Storm nodded. And walked over to Snow to sit by him. He licked Snow's nose then whispered the words an alpha would always say to guide their spirit to the night sky. "Snow, let you join your passed family and friends up above in your eternal rest." Storm sat back up again then sighed. "I have a lot more responsibility ahead of me." He said quietly to himself. I don't think I will sleep in the alpha's den, not yet. I still want to sleep beside my family and Cherry. He decided.

Storm walked over to Rose and the pups and licked her cheek. She was looking at her paws sadly. Snow had let her join the pack, and she never forgot. Their pups were huddled together. He glanced over at Cherry, who dug his nose in his father's thick white and gray fur. Moon was next to him, comforting him, whispering in his ear. Snow's death was a great loss to the pack, but they needed to move on from their sorrows. They now had DarkPack, probably plotting their deaths. I need to bring the packs together, Ivy, Frost, and Freeze. He stood up, walked next to Cherry and called to the pack. "Everywolf, we must bury Snow now, it is getting late." Storm swished his tail. "Metal, Autumn, Starlight, could you bury Snow? If you would follow me, I know a good place." The three wolves he picked nodded.

Storm found a spot next to Eclipse's grave and clawed a mark in the soil by the blossoming tree. "Here?" Metal nodded and started to dig, then the others joined in. "Thank you three." He started his walk back to the cave then paused and looked up at the stars in the night sky. There will be a new star tonight. Storm then continued his walk. He felt a big breeze hit him and white light started to fill his vision. He blinked the light from his eyes then noticed he was in the lands of NightPack. A starry figure was in front of him and he nodded politely. "Snow!" Snow returned the gesture. "I'm sorry about your death." Snow flicked his tail. "It's not your fault, or why i wanted to speak with you. I am speaking with you because I do accept you as alpha, Storm, and Cherry as your beta. Good choice." He voice broke a bit on the last of the sentence. Storm nodded. "Thank you." Then he saw a flash of light again and he was in the forest. I have to tell the pack he approved of me. Then he broke into a run towards the cave.

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Cherry sighed somberly as he watched the four wolves walk away, with his father on their backs. He turned away and stared into his mate's eyes. You, Storm, and Bee are all I have left. He thought as he scratched the ground of the cave. The brown and cream wolf stared into the starry abyss of a sky, noticing a new star up above. Not knowing if it was his imagination or not, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. I need to take a walk. Cherry stood up and greeted Storm as he ran into the cave. "Snow accepted me being alpha," The gray and white wolf explained. The brown and cream wolf, not meeting his gaze, distractedly replied, "Congratulations." He then bounded out of the cave. He sat down in a clearing. Blue cornflowers were swaying softly in the drifting breeze that ruffled Cherry's fur. The brown and cream wolf stared into the sky, the stars shining brightly. He closed his eyes as the wind started to increase. When it stopped, he opened his eyes and looked in front of him. A starry figure was in front of him. "Father!" Cherry rushed over to his dead father. His father licked his forehead. "I am so sorry for not loving you for being a runt," He started but Cherry stopped him by putting his paw on Snow's. "I forgive you, because I know you've changed." His father smiled warmly at his phrase. "I must go now, we will meet again one day." Cherry nodded, smiling, as a tear rolled down his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, his dead father was gone.