Spirit Wolves Book 1 -completed-

Hard

As she stepped into the Alpha's den, she noticed that other than a few Caribou bones lying around, the place was spotless for a hole in the ground. It was warm too but Crimson wasn't sure how she felt about it. It was a weird warm. It wasn't hot or cold and it was kinda wet.

"Ah, Crimson!" Rockwood said,"I'm so glad you came. Please, make yourself comfortable."

When she sat down on the dirt, she saw that Rockwood's fur was tan. She also noticed that he was exceptionally tall for a rogue and his eyes were a dark violet color. She hadn't actually looked at the Alpha very much even though she'd spent time with him. She never really looked up or looked at him in the face. He laid down in front of her and she saw that he had some Turkey feathers tied in the fur around his neck making what looked like a necklace.

"What did you want to speak with me about my Alpha?" She said dipping her head has low as she could.

"Oh come now, don't be so formal! After the time we spent when you first arrived I thought we were friends," He chuckled and she raised her head to look in his eyes. "I was just wondering how you and your mother, Forrestfire was it? Had been settling in."

"We've been settling in just fine sir."

"And how is having that Alpha title?"

"Its fine. I don't like how the seven year olds bow and are always asking if there is anything they can do to make me comfortable or how I always have to be in a good mood around them and make sure they're not dead, but overall it's good."

"Well I'll inform Snowfire to tell them to leave you be sometimes." He chuckled again.

"Thank you sir." She said bowing her head again, "Was that all sir?"

"One more thing. "He said standing up, "We have a ceremony for the blood moon, which is tonight, and I wanted to make sure you knew the wolf-song for the ceremony?"

"Yes sir, I know the song. In my old pack, we would sing it every blood moon there was and the kids in the pack would learn the song the week it was happening during training." 

"That's good. Well that's all I wanted to speak with you about. Have a good day Crimson." She stood and turned to leave when he added, "One more thing!"

She looked at him and he said, "Are you prepared for your birthday? It's coming up soon isn't it?"

"Yes sir, Snowfire has been giving me extra practice and in my free time I practice tracking and catching on bunnies."

"Good. You're free to go."

As she walked outside she found that Stormflare had fallen asleep. Had she been a nicer friend she would have gently woke him, but seeing as she wasn't that kind of person, she decided to prank him.

"Wake up Stormflare!" She yelled.

"What is it Ghosty?" He grumbled his eyes still closed.

"Its Askara! She's hurt! She needs your help! She was attacked by a bear close to the creek!" She yelled feigning urgency.

He was up and running faster than she could say "up." As she chased after him, he abruptly stopped and she slammed into his back and somersaulted over him landing flat on her back. She started laughing, but as she'd had the wind knocked out of her, it sounded more like the dying wheeze of a downed Elk.

"Wait a minute." Stormflare started, "We don't have bears around here." He said walking up to he as she rolled over, "Wow Crimson very funny," the sarcasm was thick in his voice.

She lay there gasping as he lowered his head to meet her eyes.

"Get up." He said smoothly. She did so and Stormflare sat there patiently waiting for Crimson to catch her breath before he lunged at her.

They played for hours until Stormflare called truce.

"Okay Crimson! Ut's dark and we should head back." He said still laughing along with her. Anyone would've thought there was something between the two, but even at a young age they both had other people on their minds. They walked to the Creekfire Ceremony in silence. Stormflare thinking about Askara, the light gray rogue that he had a crush on. He'd been a rogue for five years and she'd come his second year as one and ever since she asked for help finding the Creekfire meeting place he'd liked her.

Crimson thought about how everyone else in the darkmoon pack had someone like that was in the pack, whereas she liked a guy that had broken her heart when he ran. Trace had told her not to take Trisren's actions personally cause his parents were almost always fighting and Crimson had already forgiven him but it was still hard to get over it.

"You okay?" Stormflare asked, and she noticed she had stopped smiling.

"Not in any way Stormy." She said meeting her eyes. She broke down then and Stormflare quickly put his head over her neck as a hug. He didn't say anything but, "It's okay. You're ok. It'll be all okay," on repeat over and over again.

"I'm sorry Stormflare, it's just so hard to get over him." Crimson had told him about her old pack and Tristen, Aiden, and Trace.

"Shh, Crimson. Its okay. Crying doesn't make you weak, it just means you've been strong for too long and it's a good thing to do. Sometimes the only way to get over something is to let it hurt you so you can let it go." He said calming her.

When her crying subsided, they walked to the Creekfire side by side.

When they arrived at the Creekfire, the rogues were just getting ready to start. The Creekfire was a fire at the edge of the fishing creek, where the blood moon was the easiest to see. A low howl quieted the pack down, which was the Alpha announcing that the moon was starting to rise. As soon as the red moon was visible a wolf howled the ancient wolf song. As some wolves howled, Crimson and the others sang.

"Oh great raven that flies searching, we thank you for helping us find our food.

And oh great caribou that runs ever free, we all thank you for your nourishing meat.

No we haven't forgotten you oh great fish, for you provide easy catch to feed our pups.

Yes oh great Hephaestus, we thank you for your fire, for it keeps us warm on cold winter nights.

Oh great Ares, we thank you for your gift of war, though we use it to help us hunt the great Caribou.

Thank you oh great Selene, for your red moon is what we celebrate and your white ones let us see our hunt, we thank you great goddess, for without your moons we would all starve.

Thank you great spirits for you help us survive."

By the time the wolves finished singing, everyone was laughing and having fun. Even the Omega of the pack. Voices filled the air in cheers and Rockwood walked up on a rock and howled, long and low as the adults left to hunt the two biggest moose they could find. The elder wolves stayed to watch over the pups. The teen wolves over sixteen left with the adults to earn their rankings.

"Hey Ghost-eye, can you carve?"