A long howl rips through the silence. It is slow, and mourning. It is joined by other howls, other voices, their cries heard in the stillness. For it is the Night of No Moon.
Every moon-cycle, there is a Night of No Moon, and every Night of No Moon, the wolves howl, rejoicing in the fact that they have survived another moon-cycle and may continue to do so. But wolves tell stories. Stories of successful hunts, lost pack-members, new-born pups, or how cold the days have been. Every wolf has a story. And tonight, Lalana is one of Them.
Lalana couldn't sleep. It was dark, and she heard howling. Lots of howling. Looking over to Ninesh, she wondered how he felt about helping her. And how long he would continue to do so.
"It is time." Ninesh rose and exited the hollow. Lalana scrambled after him.
"Time for what?"
"Time to tell the moon-cycle story. Duh." Ninesh stared at Lalana quizzically.
"Moon-cycle story? What are you talking about? Have you seen what happened to the moon before?" Lalana couldn't ask questions fast enough, her tongue becoming tangled on her words. "Why is the sky dark?"
"It is the Night of No Moon. The moon shrinks and expands, but it always comes back. You'll see. But now, I guess I'll have to teach you how to tell your story. What has happened in the last moon-cycle to you? You have been in the forest for about 3/4 of this moon-cycle. You simply sing about it. You see, howling is the wolf way of sharing news."
Lalana thinks for a moment. Suddenly, however, she begins to howl.
"I had a home. A place to call my own. And now it's been taken away from me-ee-eee. I had a family. I had a Master. But now I am all a-lo-oo-one. But now, in the forest, I can see. A friend and companion, just for me! So in the forest I'm not quite alone. I have a wolf-friend, and with him I'll be-ee-eee: hunting, and learning, and playing, and running- I can't think where I'd rather be."
This whole time Ninesh has been staring at Lalana intently, but now he whispers, full of emotion, "It's beautiful, Lalana. Just beautiful."
She grins sadly. "Thank you. But now, it's your turn." Ninesh is thoroughly taken aback by this, and there is such a look of surprise on his face that Lalana outright barks in laughter. "Oh, come on. I did it."
"Fine. I suppose it wouldn't be right to be outdone by a dog, after all." Ninesh makes the longest attempts at excuses.
"My Amba passed into the realm of the spirits. My family is dead. I am an orphan, but- I am an orphan with a friend. I taught her how to hunt. I taught her all the nessecities. But still, she makes me glad every day that there is still more to teach. She is my friend. What more could I want?" The song was short, deep, and straight to the point. Just like Ninesh.
Lalana leaned into the thick fur beside her and stared at the stars, the snow crunching beneath her paws. "Thank you," she whispered. "You are the best friend ever."
What do you think of that awesome chapter? Sorry for all the waits guys. I love feedback though, so please send lots!
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The Return
المغامرة"Lalana wasn't sure where she ran, she just knew she had to get away. Her life was falling apart, and she didn't know what to do. Crossing the street, she looked up at the sky. Dark, forbidding clouds gathered, so that Lalana could not see a ray of...
