Guardian quest (Multi- fandom AU)

Chapter 3 (Aleyda's POV)

Imp, May and Aleyda belong to Petpyves

Ember light, Winter Mist, and Blazing star belong to me

Aleyda stared, horror blazing through her as the massive bear galloped toward her and her companions, she tried to move as the bear drew closer, but her paws seemed rooted to the ground. Time seemed to slow as the bear lunged at them, eyes gleaming hungrily for blood, long claws outstretched, Aleyda braced herself for a fight, but Winter Mist roughly shoved her toward the ice path across the lake. "Don't fight, run!" The white wolf snarled, her ice blue eyes alight with fury. Whipping around, Aleyda raced onto the ice, Imp and May hard on her paws, their claws unsheathed to avoid slipping into the frigid water. Glancing over her shoulder, Aleyda saw that May was starting to fall behind, her pale golden eyes glazed with exhaustion. Almost instantly, Winter Mist appeared from a portal and grabbed May's scruff in her mouth before charging ahead of Imp and Aleyda to continue the ice path to the other end of the lake. The moment their paws touched the shore, the group collapsed, sides heaving with exhaustion, "Is everyone alright?" Aleyda gasped, "Yeah," "Yes" Imp and May panted in response, "You, Mist?" the bobcat asked. The wolf grunted. Satisfied, Aleyda allowed her head to drop back to the ground and closed her eyes as exhaustion washed over her.

Hours later, Aleyda woke to find herself in a cave, looking around, she spotted May and Imp chatting softly beside a fire. Rising to her paws, Aleyda padded over to the two felines, who greeted her warmly and moved to make room for her close to the fire. "You're awake," the felines looked up as a soft, unfamiliar voice spoke up and a massive ginger she- wolf padded into the light cast by the fire, her amber- gold eyes shining with relief, "Who are you?" Imp meowed curiously, cocking his head to one side. The she- wolf dipped her head, "My name is Ember light, I am a friend of Winter Mist." she rumbled in response, "I found you freezing in the snow, so I brought you here to warm up. Mist's out hunting." Aleyda purred her thanks, and Ember Light nodded before silently turning and slipping back into the shadows. "Well, that was unexpected," Aleyda meowed, "Hmm? Why?" Imp blinked up at her, his tail twitching, Sighing, Aleyda playfully cuffed him around the ears, claws sheathed. "We're on top of a mountain. In the winter. C'mon you little bone-head, don't tell me you've already forgotten," she purred. Imp pricked his ears, his golden eyes glinting mischievously, "Bone- head? Really, that's all you got Ley? D'aww, you poor kitty, can't beat little ol' me with a joke." Aleyda pounced, pinning the red tomcat to the ground, "Maybe not with a joke, but who can? After all, you're the master of terrible puns!" Imp opened his mouth to respond, and was interrupted by a surprised yelp from May, who was staring at the cave entrance. Aleyda turned, eyes widening as her gaze rested on Winter Mist. The she- wolf's entire pelt was frozen into spikes, "Mist, you've turned into an icicle!" "Oh, don't remind me," The canine rasped, "Someone just throw me in a fire- I can't feel my anything." Despite the ice clinging to her, and her curt tone, Winter Mist's eyes were warm as she gazed down at her friends. "Guys," May's voice, filled with fear, alerted Aleyda, Imp, and Mist to where the she- cat stood a short distance away, pelt bristling as she stared into the dense shadows at the back of the cave. Aleyda gazed at the tabby in confusion, but before she could ask what was wrong, May let out a startled yowl and bolted behind Winter Mist as a deeply menacing growl echoed around the cave. Stiffening, both Winter Mist and Aleyda stared into the shadows, hackles raised and pelts bristling. Narrowing her eyes to slits, Aleyda tried peering into the darkness, yet however hard she stared, she could not make out anything that might have scared May. Growling, Aleyda called to Imp in Soulish, asking him to use his fire abilities to break up the shadows. Stalking forward, the red- pelted tomcat sent a large jet of flame into the shadows, casting enough light for Aleyda to catch a fleeting glimpse of blue- gray fur vanishing into the darkness. bristling, Aleyda and her companions wordlessly formed a tight circle, the reapers exposing their totem masks as the air seemed to vibrate with tension and hostility. "Who are you? What are you doing in our camp?" A deep, authority- filled voice alerted the travelers to a huge pale brown and white wolf standing in front of them, ears shoved forward, head and tail high. Aleyda, Imp and May stared, and Aleyda guessed that none of them had ever seen a wolf of this size. Winter Mist on the other hand, simply stared in exasperation at the wolf. Shaking her head, the white- furred reaper retracted her mask and stepped forward, "Blaze, calm yo shiz. Ember told you precisely why we're." Snorting, the wolf, Blaze, stepped back, though Aleyda was convinced he looked a bit guilty. Leaning down, Aleyda whispered into Imp's ear, "Do you have any idea who this guy is?" Imp shook his head, warily retracting his mask. "No idea. Looks like Mist knows him pretty well though." Just then, Mist turned back to her three friends, "Sorry about all that," she woofed, her tail waving softly, "Don't mind Blaze, he's just worried about the pack," Beside Aleyda, May bowed her head, fear in her eyes as she let out a strangled whimper, "What about my- my family?" "We're going to continue looking for them, don't worry May." Imp's eyes were hard with determination as he gazed at the tabby cat, and Aleyda nodded in agreement, "We won't let you down. Mist, Imp and I, we won't stop till we find your family. And that's a promise."