The Battle of the Packs Prologue & 1

PROLOGUE



Shadows danced across the snow-covered valleys in front of Jana Friar, the young greywolf Dusk Pack leader. “I’m definitely lost,” she snarled at herself. “But not alone..”
Suddenly wolves from Moonlight Pack jumped on her. One bit her blue-tipped tail, another scratched at the area near her pink eyes. “GET OFF ME!” She managed to shout. She bit the one snapping at her near her eyelids on the neck. The greenwolf stumbled over on its side. Jana was sure it was dead, or at least out cold.
Then the rosewolf pounced on her, bit, and everything went black.
“Shadoe…” Jana whispered as her head slowly reached the snow, calling for the Spirit Wolf of her pack.



ONE


“Jana?....Everything’s going to be okay.” said Silver Bark, the blue Medicine Wolf.
“Huh?”
“You were attacked by Acidica Darleten, the rosewolf deputy of Moonlight.. You killed Rain Stars, a greenwolf. And so-…”
“Thanks a lot, Jana. Now they hate us.” Snarled Beln Cera, an older brownwolf Warrior.
“Yeah, thanks for being such a great leader,” Inuhana Clodpot squinted his greenwolf eyes.
“Stop! This is none of your business! Go do your jobs.” Salfria Inobu, the orangewolf, fox-like deputy, entered the den.
Beln, Inuhana, and a few others whined and scurried out.
“Sorry about that. They should be ashamed of themselves! But it’s my fault; I let them in.” apologized Rimmer Tiro, the purplewolf assistant to Silver. She was called a Flower Picker, because she picked the herbs for Silver and helped him out.
“Rimmer, please don’t apologize.” Salfria said, placing a rose-colored paw on Jana. “Are you all right?”
Jana was wide-eyed when she saw the bleeding gash exposed on her stomach. “I – I guess so. And the rosewolf?”
“She got away,” growled Silver.
The leader sighed. “Silver, please bandage me up quickly, I want to check on everyone.”
“Everyone’s fine, get some rest.” soothed Salfria.
Jana sighed again, glanced at her injury, and went to sleep.

“Good morning, Jana!! How are you feeling??” asked Bluepup Torthae, the only queen, Rory Torthae’s female pup.
“Are you okay?? We will protect you!!” assured her twin brother Greenpup.
Rory appeared next to them in Jana’s den, pulling her pups’ collars. “Leave her alone.” But once they left, she shook Jana awake.
“Hello?...Oh, Rory, it’s you.” Rory was Jana’s best friend, in front of Salfria and the head of the warriors, Danube Vratizeea.
“I heard about your attack…Could I bring you some yarrow soup? Silver has a fresh batch. Or.. Foxaria caught some rabbit…would you like some of that?”
“I’d like yarrow soup. I’m still a little drowsy.” Jana sat up uneasily.
“All right.” Rory nodded and went to Silver and Rimmer’s den.
Jana padded over to her calling rock. It was where she called the Spirit Wolves to talk or ask advice.
She tapped a green leaf. Scratched in was, “SHADOE RIDER”.
Suddenly a blackwolf ghost with pink wings appeared before Jana. “Hello, young leader. Is everything in order?”
“Well, the truth, Shadoe, is that I killed Rain Stars of Moonlight Pack, and then I almost got killed by Acidica Darleten, the deputy. I caused a battle between us two packs. We used to be very friendly with each other, and now we loathe the other. What – What should I do?”
Shadoe Rider sighed. “There is a way to solve this. You know that battles, wars, and massacres are never the solution.”
Jana nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“But this time…” Shadoe hesitated.
“What?”
“You must. You have to -…”
“What? You said battles aren’t the answer!” Jana exclaimed.
“I’m sorry. I can tell you no more.” Shadoe dissolved into thin air.
Jana cursed under her breath and decided maybe to consult Cloud Howl, the other Spirit Wolf.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rory, placing the stone bowl of the steaming yarrow soup on Jana’s eating boulder.
“Shadoe’s not helping….”
“Ask Cloud. She can help.”
“She’ll say the same thing, I know it.”
Rory pushed the bowl closer to Jana. “Eat. You haven’t eaten since you left for the journey, right?” The journey was to see if there were any other packs to verify into the group of packs.
Jana nodded and lapped up the intoxicatingly tasty soup.
Rory looked over to the calling rock, mourning for the Spirit Wolves. Not only was Shadoe her best friend’s mother’s cousin, but Cloud Howl was her aunt. She always felt a pang of sadness when she saw someone talking to her. She never had the guts to call her.
“Do you want to talk to her?”
“No thanks.” Rory shook her head and walked out of the den sadly.