Wolves of the Wing

Chapter 1

                                                                     CHAPTER 1

                                                      MEMORIES OF THE WIND

             Sunlight flickered through the trees, as Sita silently got down wind of her prey by making a wide circle around it. She stepped lightly down. Sita was nearly on top of the blue jay. She couldn't wait to see Arrow's camp. He'd said it was magnificent. Waving her tail with excitement, she rustled the bracken and the bird exploded into flight letting out an alarm call, while Sita jumped up and down and whining. Why did I do that? Its not like me, she thought. Red said if I miss a bird that was easy to catch then it was because that wasn't my Flight Spirit. I guess I'll try some where else for my Flight Spirit.

         She traveled through the trees, scanning the branches low enough to jump onto. Nothing. No squirrels, let alone birds. She scanned the green for a sign there was anything. Nothing. The sky turned to purple, slowly getting darker. Her first day was up and all she'd seen the whole day was the blue jay she'd missed that morning. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. She thought, her mind drifting back to her old life. It had been nice. She was so kind to her. Her Master. Her Person. Her best friend. They'd met after a tragedy. The tragedy was on a dark night. No moon. No stars. Not even a fire fly. The whole world seemed to be dreading the storm that was about to unleash. Except the worst part wasn't the storm. There were clouds, but nothing compared to the rain of tears, the river over flowing with blood.

       War was Sita's first memory. Sorrow, terror, rage, and hatred. She remembered the scent of her mother, her eyes still sealed shut. She could smell her father and siblings too. She felt the swaying. Heard the drumming of paws and thunder. Beneath the thunder, she heard a ferocious battle and screeches cut off. The slaughterment of her kind. Her pack. Her homeland. Lost. And for what? She'd probably never know. Maybe it wasn't her place to know. Or maybe it was her destiny to find out.

                                                                          ~      ~       ~       ~

         Sheika panted. Stumbling over her load as she ran. She knew death would find her soon, but it wouldn't get her pups. She would make sure of that.

         Ardemis stumbled too, under the weight of two pups. A black and a gold. Her own was white. Lightning crackled through the sky. Flashing light led the way.

        "Sheika, we have to separate them. They can't be together or they'll find them and kill them", Ardemis shouted over the pouring rain.

         "I know", she said closing her eyes.

         As they came to the human place, they dropped the gold pup in the tall grass by a fence post. As the pup whimpered and cried for its parents, they ran along the fence, eyes streaming with tears, and didn't turn back. They soon disappeared into the pouring rain.

       Soon they found a box in the yard of a bright yellow building, and shoved the black pup in. It lay still, not squirming at all.

      They could hear their pursuers now. Howling and laughing at their prey.

       Sheika and Ardemis pelted through the trees away from the tyrants. They found a gopher tortoise burrow in the roots of a tree near the human place. Shoving the white pup in, they turned and sprinted towards their pursuers.

     Lightning flashed to reveal five mud colored wolves and more coming. Light flashed again to reveal glowing red eyes, blood stained teeth and blood soaked fur. The scarlet dripped from their pelts. They circled the couple hungrily and each lunging one at a time, tortured their captives. Soon they became bored and started to cut deeper into their sides. Sheika howled in agony as one clamped down on her neck. Blood sprayed her face and splashed into her eyes. Ardemis barreled into her attacker and slashed at his eye until there was nothing but a bloody pulp. It crawled away yelping. Two wolves tackled and pinned Ardemis down and a third came laughing and slowly sliced open his throat. Blood gushed out, pumped out fast by his heart, which was growing fainter and fainter with each beat. Ardemis tried getting up but they kicked him down. His growl was nothing but a watery gurgle. Sheika screamed and tried to thrust past his killers, but they turned and slashed open her throat, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed. Then, they ran off laughing.