Wolves of Stone Hollow ( Part Two)

Depart to your dens.” The pack separated to their different sleeping places. “Alessi, you will find your way my daughter, return when you are finished.” Alessi turned and padded into the den, for the first time in her life she didn’t go to her mother’s chamber, she turned off and down the dark walkway. Alessi walked and walked she could hear water whisking its way along the walls and down the steep floor. The black in here was darker than a night without moon or stars.

Alessi felt blind, the only way she kept herself from walking into a wall was listening to the water, and it was all going to the end of the tunnel, where she was headed. She suddenly found herself in the naming chamber. Father said I would find the cave beyond this one. She pressed herself to the wet wall and walked along it, after what seemed like ages, her pelt was no longer touching the wall. She had found the way. She stepped down the tunnel and found water covering the floors more than ever now.

The further she went the wetter the floor. Suddenly, she saw a light ahead of her, speeding up she found herself in a chamber, in the center there was a pool, and what she saw there sent shivers through her bones.

Above the water was white, and yet every color but white, mist. The mist began to separate, and a single shape floated toward her. “Number Ten, you have come.” The shape drifted closer and began to resemble the shape of a wolf.

“Who are you, what do you want?” Alessi was starting to become frightened.

“I am Feronshe, the first leader and the first Prophet of the Wolves of Stone Hollow.” The wolf was white, whiter than the mist.

“Feronshe?” Alessi was dumbstruck.

“Yes, Alessi, listen hard, and remember my words well, whether or not you tell the pack is your choice, Alessi, a storm is coming, a white storm, filled with darkness, this storm will hide itself, sending smaller clouds afore it shows its face, be careful Alessi, or the storm will wash away the pack.” Feronshe slowly floated back into the mist, disappearing slowly and fading back into the air.

“Who called upon the presence of Feronshe from the mist?” a strange scraggly gray wolf appeared from the shadows.

“I, I, I did sir.” Alessi was completely horrified; the wolf’s teeth were old and she couldn’t imagine how he got food way down here and his eyes were awful, glazed and pale from years of darkness.

“Scared, pup? Don’t be, I am Soothier, historical recorder of the Wolves of Stone Hollow, I’m sure you’ve heard of the ceremonies, after any great battle or some important event, that the pack’s leader goes to the naming chamber and tells of the battle, and after each hunt, the packs leader bring a wolfs share of the prey to give to the ancestors, well that is for the wolves like me.” The wolf's eyes grew wide as he spoke, reflecting the misty light in his pupils.

“Soothier, how do you, record history?” Alessi felt her fear drifting away into the darkness.

“The ancient language of the ancestors, only they and the historical recorder understand it, but as Prophet, you are allowed to learn. I will teach you eventually, but for now you must return to you pack, return here when you are ready, I will tell you all you want to know then.” Soothier nodded to the walls as he spoke, and Alessi noticed strange markings covering the walls.

“Soothier, right, I’ll go back now.” Alessi turned and walked out of the cave, the water was against her now, and once again she pressed her side to the wall to find the tunnel out. She walked down the tunnel and saw the darkness fade as she reached the crossing, she pulled herself out of the den and flopped down, but she wasn’t out for a long time, “ Alessi, Alessi, oh your back, Moscow will want to know!” Rhi stood over her eyes wide with happiness.

“Morning to you too, thanks for the long time asleep, I didn’t even get to have a dream!” Alessi spat out grumpily, she was tired and Rhi was keeping her from sleeping.

“Gosh Alessi sorry I woke you, we were afraid you wouldn’t come back from the cave!” Rhi sounded genuinely sorry and insulted that Alessi was mad.

“Goodnight Rhi.” Alessi was in no mood to be woken. She drifted away into darkness.

“Alessi, a storm is coming, a white storm, filled with darkness, this storm will hide itself, sending smaller clouds afore it shows its face, be careful Alessi, or the storm will wash away the pack.” Alessi ran through darkness “Feronshe! I don’t understand! How can a storm wash away the pack, Feronshe where are you?” Alessi howled into the darkness.

She whipped around just in time to see a huge white cloud swarming up behind her, with black marks throughout it, as Alessi watched the cloud changed shape and became a huge white tiger. Alessi awoke just before its sharp claws dug into her flesh.

“Moscow, Bess! I must speak to the pack!” Alessi howled so loud the entire pack was up and staring at her.

“Pack, assemble.” Moscow called out.

“What’s wrong Alessi?” Bess gave her a questioning look.

“Last night when I went down to the cave, I met Feronshe, and he told me that A storm is coming, a white storm, but before it shows itself it will send smaller clouds to begin its damage, he said that if we aren’t careful, the storm will wash away the pack, and last night, I had a dream that his words called out into darkness and a great white storm transformed into, a white tiger” the pack gasped.

The day dragged by, the other wolves went about their duty and Alessi slept off and on, finally the sun set and Alessi slipped down into the den, following the water she made her way to the cave. “Soothier? I’m ready to learn, where are you?”

“Silly pup, I’m always here, I live here, ready to learn are you? Well then come here.” Alessi walked forward looking around at the cave; the walls were covered with markings and slashes. “Now Alessi, I will teach you the language, this is your name.” he scratched strange symbols into the rock, recording her into the history, before long Alessi knew all the symbols and how to write them.

“Now Alessi, the storm of which Feronshe told you, was it white?” Soothier’s glazed stare seemed to penetrate her fur and go into her mind.

“Yes, a great white storm that will be a tiger.”

“Exactly what I thought, read this here.” He indicated with his paw to a group of markings.

Just today, two white tigers, a male and a female, attacked my pack, the battle was hard and long, but when we had defeated them both, my mate Siliara noticed the female had signs of nursing, we fear her cubs will die, but it is no worry of ours.

“The cub must have, lived! That is the storm, that is what will attack us!” Alessi felt her heartbeat speed up.

“Yes, now Alessi return to the pack, they need you I sense something horrible has happened.”

Alessi ran out of the cave and saw her pack mates surrounding something large and lifeless, “Alessi, oh Alessi we are so sorry.” Quinsy tried her best to comfort her

“What, what happened?”

Moscow stepped forward, “Alessi, its Bess.” He indicated to the body which Alessi now recognized as her mother.

“Bess, dead, who will lead the pack now, must you find a new mate father?” Alessi stared at her mothers body, covered in blood. The tiger that stupid white storm, it killed her, it killed Bess!

“No Alessi, you will lead the pack, I will remain if you want Alessi, you are the tenth pup.” Moscow looked at her gravely.

“Me, but, I’m a Prophet I can’t spend my life in a den with tiny pups howling at me to feed them!” Alessi turned and angrily stormed into the den and down to her mothers chamber, now hers. No, never I will never ever ever, what, what won’t I do? Alessi drifted to sleep where her mother had once lain, and all her dreams filled with her mother.

Alessi awoke to find Rhila waiting for her, “Moscow has found a male from the Wolves of the Flowing River, his name is Jake, and boy is he different looking, he’s gray. And Moscow says he’s only gray because he is a river wolf, but I say that it was to make sure his eyes stood out! They are amber! He is really cute too!”

“Rhila, Rhila, calm down! So he’s gray? This I have to see.” Alessi got up and stretched as she spoke. Turning she followed Rhila out of the den, she slipped out and there in front of her was a deep gray wolf with the brightest amber eyes she had ever seen, “Hi, um, I’m Jake,” he nodded his head respectively.

“I’m Alessi, and um hi.” Alessi stuttered suddenly nervous.

“Father has already told him of your, abilities.” Zany came up beside Alessi and pressed her pelt to Alessi’s.

“Um, ok. I need to go to the cave tonight, Soothier will want to know.” Alessi sat carefully as she spoke, not wanting to fall over and make a fool of herself.

“Soothier? Who’s he?” Jake stared at her in awe, and Alessi couldn’t help but wonder if he would turn out to be friendly.

“Nothing you need to know about.” Alessi snapped reminding herself that this Jake was a replacement for her father. Alessi turned and stalked into the den, turning down the all too familiar side tunnel and following the water. “Something is troubling you, a dark cloud on your horizon, a death, a replacement who is truly just trying to help.“ Soothier’s voice echoed in the cave as he came into view, “Alessi, Jake is a good wolf; I know you think he is your father’s replacement, but he is not. Your father himself said he would stay if you wished. Oh and one other thing, a Wolf of Low Valley and a Wolf a Rushing River have come together and started a pack in the small unused clearing near your territory. Keep an eye out for them.”

“Right, um how does Jake help me? He is replacing my father!” Alessi felt anger bubbling in her soul.

“But he isn’t that is the point Alessi, how can you call yourself a leader, or a prophet, when you let little things like this cloud your vision? There is a much worse enemy on your horizon, one that has already struck, you must focus Alessi.” Soothier turned and slipped into one of the side caverns, probably to record something.

Alessi sat there confused and worried. He’s right; I need to get over it. Jake is here, I can’t do anything about it. But with Bess dead, I have to be leader. How can I be a prophet when I will be stuck in the chamber with pups? Alessi felt her wakefulness slip away.

“Alessi wake up, Alessi I want you to get up now, I brought you a visitor.” Soothier’s voice surprised Alessi, and then it hit her.

“You went outside?” Alessi stared at him in shock.

“Yes I did, my eyes hurt now though, and the air is too cold.”

“But you’re, you’re our recorder; what if something had happened to you?”

“You would have been able to take over and teach another the language.” Soothier looked at her seriously, “Now, your guest.” Soothier stepped aside and Alessi wasn’t surprised at who she saw.

“Hello Jake, I see you met Soothier.” Alessi pushed all sour thoughts from her mind.

“Soothier, you went outside why? What is the meaning of bringing an outsider in here?” Feronshe had come from the mist, looking shocked and slightly annoyed.