A few days later Stormchaser prowled around the forest. She looked around before she saw her mother prowling forward. "Show me some of those battle moves," she offered as she lashed her tail a bit.
Stormchaser smiled widely and darted forward. She saw her brother laying along, carefully stripping a leaf from it's stem. It seemed unlike him not to want to wrestle but he seemed not to care.
"Do you want to try and help me pin mom down," called Stormchaser as she rose on her toes a bit and looked over to her brother.
Darkflight looked up and growled a bit. "No thanks. You go ahead."
Stormchaser just shrugged and surged for her mother again. Swiftstream seemed to be really stressing on the fighting but Stormchaser was sure if was just because of the Woolly Howl attack the other day. She knew that her mother wanted them to be ready for anything.
Stormchaser leaped for her mother's tail, sinking her teeth into it. Swiftstream looked at her daughter before flicking her tail, sending her flying a bit. Stormchaser rose to her feet and shook her head to clear it. She opened her mouth and growled before she darted forward again. She leaped on her mother's back while her mother tried to shake her off.
"You're going to have to do better than that," grunted Stormchaser as she made her way up her mother's back and toward her neck.
Swiftstream straightened and swiped her wings toward her daughter. She was tempted to roll but she knew that would crush Stormchaser and that's not what she wanted to do. She just shook her shoulders a bit and tried to thrust off her daughter. Stormchaser let out a growl before padding up her mother's neck before perching on Swiftstream's head. Swiftstream's pupil looked upward and saw her daughter's paw dangling.
"Do you not think that I can't get you down from up there," asked Swiftstream as he tail lashed a bit.
Stormchaser chuckled as she stuck out her tongue. "You can try but I'm perfectly content up here," she assured as she she laid down, folding her wings over her back.
Swiftstream raised her tail a bit and thrust it toward her face. Stormchaser moved expertly and Swiftstream just managed to poke herself in the eye with her tail. She growled a bit in frustration before she shook her head madly, her teeth showing a bit as she grinned.
Stormchaser let out a small yelp as she fell to the ground. Swiftstream pressed her head against her daughter's stomach to hold her down. "What should you do when I'm doing this," she asked as she fixed her eyes on her daughter's paws.
Stormchaser thought for a heartbeat. "I could try raking my claws against your eyes."
Swiftstream smiled. "That's right. Also try acting limp before making an exploding action and thrusting your paws as hard as you can against my face. Then go for my stomach or neck," she instructed.
Stormchaser allowed her body to go limp against her mother's skull. She then exploded harshly, thrusting her stomach against her mother's muzzle. She ducked backwards and surged toward her mother's stomach. She leaped to make a jab but Swiftstream sidestepped and thrust her tail against the side of her daughter's face, flinging her toward Darkflight.
Stormchaser rolled like a stone before she fell on her back. She rolled on her stomach and rose to her paws, shaking pollen from the top of her head. "Help me out a bit Darkflight," she begged as she whiskered her tail a bit.
Darkflight turned away. "I'd rather not," he mumbled into the grass with the spikes on his back standing on edge.
"Come on," she begged as she pushed her head against her brother's shoulder. "Two is better than one, especially when I'm a lot smaller than mother." She blinked her eyes rapidly. "Please Darkflight."
Darkflight rolled his eyes before pushing against his sister. Stormchaser nearly danced on her paws. "Now you really have to work hard to beat the two of us," she called to Swiftstream.
Swiftstream's eyes glowed at seeing her children working together. "We'll see about that you two." She thrust her tail outwards and held it with pride. "Who wants to come at me first?"
Darkflight looked to Stormchaser. "Let's attack together. She can't take down both of us at once," he pointed out in a breathless whisper.
Stormchaser nodded with a toothy grin. "That's a genius plan!"
Darkflight and Stormchaser lowered their heads into their shoulders and braced their muscles. "Ready, set, go!"
The two Night Furies exploded toward their mother. Darkflight leaped for his mouther's shoulder while Stormchaser took her haunch. Swiftstream when for Darkflight since he was closest but while she went for him Stormchaser was able to push her haunch to the ground and hold her there. Swiftstream then turned her attention on her daughter and snarled at Stormchaser with saliva dripping from her fangs. Stormchaser didn't let up though and looked to her brother for support.
Darkflight launched himself through the air and came down on his mother's throat. He thrust her head into the ground. She growled in anger and pawed out a bit. When she was sure that wasn't going to work she then spun, powerfully and with her whole body locked straight. Stormchaser was thrown from her haunch while Darkflight was tossed from her neck.
Swiftstream then bolted to her feet, her chest puffing out in pride. "Good try," she panted as she looked to her exhausted children. "But you still have a lot to learn."
"It's because we're still too small," complained Darkflight as he thrust a paw against the ground.
Swiftstream rumbled in affection before she licked her son. "Trust me one day you'll be as big as me, maybe even larger."
"Yeah like dad," cheered Darkflight as he exchanged an eager look with Stormchaser who nodded vigorously as if she agreed.
Swiftstream smiled warmly and opened her mouth to say something before she heard the pounding of pawsteps. She twitched her ears a bit before the scent of canine grazed her nostrils. "Wolves," she announced before he tail whipped backwards and she thrust her children behind her. "Stay behind me and don't move."
"But why-" began Stormchaser as she tried to look over her mother's tail.
"Just stay there," snapped Swiftstream as her eyes narrowed to slits. "Wolves are cold creatures with no desire for others."
"That's pretty high and mighty coming from a Night Fury," spat a rough furred black male wolf with cold yellow eyes. He saw Swiftstream flinch a bit and he chuckled. "Yeah I know what you are. A dragon with no regards for others!"
Swiftstream bared her teeth at the wolf. "Why are you three here? Is it just to mock me?!" She allowed her scales to shone in the light and made a growling sound echo in her chest.
The lead wolf nudged the black wolf backwards. "Stay back Shadow Leap before I make you," threatened the pale gray she-wolf with her ears shoved forward.
Shadow Leap lowered his head in his shoulders in embarrassment and took a step back. The she-wolf took a step forward as the last wolf, a smaller light gray and white male wolf, stepped out beside her. He pressed against her in fear with his eyes widened in terror.
"Are you Stormchaser," asked the pale gray she-wolf as she looked up to Swiftstream.
Swiftstream shook her head. "No I'm Swifstream but Stormchaser is my daughter."
"May I speak with her," asked the pale gray she-wolf. "I promise I'm not going to do anything to her. You can even listen if you want to."
Swiftstream grunted reluctantly and lifted her tail. Stormchaser pushed out from under her mother's tail and looked to the wolves. "Did I do something wrong?"
"We just want to talk to you Stormchaser," murmured the pale gray she-wolf gently. "I'm Misty Meadow and this is Shadow Leap and Gray Smoke. We are from the North Star Pack."
Stormchaser shook a bit as Misty Meadow spoke. "What do you need or want?"
Misty Meadow let out a breath. "Do you know Smolder Moon?"
At the mention of Smolder Moon Stormchaser perked up. "Yeah I know her! We talked at the border of your territory."
"Just as I feared," murmured Misty Meadow as she hung her head and her nostrils flared a bit. "Stormchaser I'm sorry to tell you this but Smolder Moon is dead."
"Dead," echoed Stormchaser as she took a step back, her haunches bumping into Swiftstream's chest. "H-How?"
"Don't act like you don't know," spat Shadow Leap as his fur bristled. "You killed her!"
Stormchaser's head began to spin before Swiftstream took a step in front of her daughter. "Stormchaser would never do such a thing," argued Swiftstream as the spikes on the side of her face began to bristle a bit in anger. "You have no proof!"
"Yes we do," pressed Misty Meadow. "We found black scales in Smolder Moon's claws. I only know of one dragon with as black scales as you. Besides Stormchaser had been seen a few days ago with Smolder Moon."'
Stormchaser shook her head and whimpered. "I didn't kill her! I swear. She was my friend." A tear fell from her eyes and she let out a raspy cry.
Misty Meadow looked like she believed her but the other two weren't as forgiving. "If it's all the same to you I need to take you back to camp. Our Alpha would like to speak to you."
"You can't take her," snapped Darkflight as he leaped beside his sister and narrowed his eyes in rage. "She's my sister and she didn't do anything wrong!"
"We just want to talk to her," pointed out Misty Meadow gently but her voice sounded strained and forced.
"That's okay," assured Stormchaser as she padded toward Misty Meadow. "I'll go with her. It's for my friend's sake. I owe her that much." She hung her head.
"Can I go with her," begged Swiftstream hopefully as her eyes lit in fear. "Please I'm her mother."
Misty Meadow looked over her shoulder and shook her head. "You'll just make her more nervous. I promise that no harm will come to her,"she vowed before she surged forward with her muscles rippling.
Gray Smoke and Shadow Leap followed after the leader of the patrol. Stormchaser surged after them, fear spiking through her. However she wasn't about to let it show.
Once they were gone Swiftstream let out a wail of grief. She spun around, her tail slicing at the grass. "I can't lose her like I lost Deathwhisper!"
Darkflight stood proudly. "I'll go after them," offered Darkflight as he flicked his ears. "I promise they won't even know I'm there." He wiggled his haunches in excitement.
Swiftstream sighed heavily. "Alright be be careful and don't be seen." Before she could even finish Darkflight bounded through the trees. Swiftstream hung her head and looked up to the sun beating on her back.
"Please watch over them Deathwhisper," she breathed to herself. "They're all I have left."