3 points       Report

The Blood War

Chapter Twenty

Outlander followed Winks to where the pack was gathered together. Squeezing through the larger canines, she could make out a white and red shape in the middle. It was Phantasm, lying on her side and covered in blood. Long gashes ran down her sides and across her face. Her sides heaved as she struggled to bring in shakey breaths. Snowblind broke through the crowd on the other side, his eyes wide. "My son..." the alpha's voice came out as a painful whisper as she called for Snowblind. The heir padded forward slowly, lowering his head to hear his mother's quiet words.

After whispering a few words in Snowblind's ear, Phantasm's head dropped to the ground, and she stilled. Snowblind let out a low, mournful howl, and the rest of the pack joined in. Then, after a few moments, Ashsky padded to the center of the circle, ordering everyone back to their beds. The crowd broke up slowly and a now shaken Outlander curled up, the image of the bloody alpha still in her head.

She shut her eyes and immediately she found she was somewhere else. It looked like the pack's hunting grounds, but everything was hazy and strange. Words and sounds echoed. She looked around, recognizing the faces of her packmates, and as she turned she could see a small red coywolf dragging a peice of deer back to her bed. She was looking at herself? She remembered that moment. This was earlier the same day.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Phantasm was speaking to one of the wolves on guard. Outlander moved closer to hear her. "I'm taking a walk, by the river. I need some time to myself." The guard nodded and then turned and looked at Outlander. She didn't recognize his face. "Follow her," he said. "Follow and see."

Outlander obeyed, padding past the guard slowly. No one else here seemed to be able to see her, except this wolf. She followed the alpha, padding down a ridge that led to the river. Phantasm stopped at the edge for a moment, looking at the water before crossing. Outlander did the same, marveling at how the river seemed undisturbed by her pressence. The water flowed directly through her. They reached the bank on the opposite side and began walking again. Then Phantasm stopped suddenly, looking around.

A flash of white dashed past them. Outlander turned, but the alpha did not. Another white wolf, smaller stood at the edge of the river, struggling to hold something large and dark in his jaws. There was a roar suddenly from the trees before them and a large bear charged from the forest, making a dash towards the smaller wolf. Outlander focused on the wolf again, realizing it was Snowblind and he was holding a dead baby bear in his jaws. He dropped the cub suddenly leaping into the river and swimming away as quickly as he could, only stopping when he was safe on the other side. The mother bear ran to the corpse of her child, nudging it with her nose, before roaring angrily at Snowblind from the other side of the river.

There was another roar, the same as last time, but from the trees again. This time, Phantasm heard it. The alpha froze, staring at the trees. A bear, the exact same as the one standing on the bank broke through the treeline again, snatching the alpha to the ground before she had the chance to run. Phantasm kicked and fought, trying to break free, but she only managed to wrench away after the mother bear raked its claws down her sides and belly. It chased her to the river's edge, a final threatening roar following Phantasm as she reached the other side and struggled up the ridge back to the pack.

Outlander blinked and she was with the pack again, this time in the center of the circle standing next the dying alpha. Snowblind was there, leaning dowm to hear his mother speak, and this time Outlander was close enough to hear the alpha say: "You... did this ... to your own mother ... How could you..." Then she looked at Outlander suddenly the pain disappeared and her face was blank. "See the truth. Tell the truth," she said, before dropping her head and breathing her last.

"Outlander."

Her eyes shot open and her heart nearly stopped. Snowblind was standing in front of her.

"Another nightmare?" He asked, tilting his head with that same fake smile.

~CL1

More Green Coloring Tips