Chapter Two

 Chapter Two

“Storm, Thunder? Will you accept the ways of hunting? When a clash settles, will you be there? Will you protect your pack at all costs, even with your life?”
“Yes!” They howled at the same time. It had been a few weeks of waiting but it didn’t matter anymore! Thunder was exceedingly happy and Storm couldn’t keep his paws still! In Mountain Pack, all the wolves got to have a speech before they had to keep guard of the pack for a night, it was Storm’s turn first. “Best wishes, Pack brother!” Thunder whispered as Storm padded past him. Storm nodded. Thunder could see how nervous Storm was, it was devastating seeing him like this! He sat on the rock between the alpha’s, squirming. “Begin” Alpha Cloud spoke sounding regal and wise. Storm nodded and stood up, “I have chosen the place of being a hunter and fighter as my pack needs me. I look up to my pack brother, who will always be there and mother and father too” Haze looked at their father, Midnight who looked back then at their son.
  “I will be there for my pack. I would not like my pack to be destroyed and I wouldn’t be a guard - well I’m a puny howler” he spoke putting his head down so his chin was touching his chest as he was embarrassed. He continued on strong though,  “But I am a wolf and I am a Mountain Pack member! I will be there for you!” at the end of his speech he leaped and did a quick somersault and landed quickly. Thunder gulped as Alpha Cloud called him out. He nodded then leaped up onto the rocks, I feel like the younger brother! He thought nervously. “Begin!” Alpha Cloud called out in his usually regal way. He nodded then padded closer to the edge of the rock, which curved up edgeless at the top. One paw lay at the top as it was so small. He began his speech, “The sun will rise and it will fall but it well never set on us, for many generations Mountain Pack has thrived with rich prey and tender care. But, when harm comes to that I want to be there, with my brother at my side, well my true pack brother! I don’t want a stop to the prophecies, the caribou trips and the stories of the seniors! Everyone here has rights, will we let Forest Pack or even hunters take them? No! I will fight, I will hunt untill I die!” After his speech he bowed his head and everyone cheered, “Thunder! Storm! Thunder and Storm! Thunder, Storm! Thunder! Storm! Hunt! Fight!” Storm leaped up beside his brother and they both had a great start to their first day as a trainee. Alpha Wind stopped it all as she padded forward and announced, “Alpha Cloud and I have decided that, the wolf who will mentor Thunder is… Alpha Cloud! I will mentor Storm!” She padded back and the cheering began again. No wolf had ever been mentored by an alpha before. Never. For Storm and Thunder it seems light will shine bright on their future!

  The next day began early for the boys. They were to be assessed on their hunting skills, then in the afternoon they would be practising. Storm seemed to be bursting with energy as the trainee’s and mentors walked silently through the snowy woods. Beyond the trees the light of dawn seemed to be rising, stars were far in the west so they could tell they were heading east, as their mother has always said, “Dawn is east, Dusk is west”. Storm looked right up, in the centre they could see ‘The Rydhen Star’ which was there day and night. Wolves who did not believe in Rydhen called it ‘The North Star’ but Storm couldn’t see how no wolf couldn’t believe how the first wolf was a small black runt wolf named Rydhen. He had never really thought about. Around the star was a weird blue - purple colour, where dawn meets dusk.
  “Almost there!” Alpha Wind called back, twisting her neck.

  Thunder was racing to go when they arrived. It was a small clearing with roots and lots of deer track. Alpha Cloud called, “Thunder, Storm Alpha Wind and I will watch you and see what you do and I will take notes in my mind of what you need to improve on, ok?” Thunder nodded. He lay in a silent crouch waiting for a movement. Suddenly he saw a movement out the corner of his eye, a deer! He silently padded over keeping low. He was right behind it now! How could he not be seen, the deer turned around and it’s eyes widened with shock as it stared straight at it’s predator. The deer was frozen it couldn’t move, Thunder leaped at it and pinned it to the ground. Out of the bushes Storm clawed it’s neck and flank and finished it of. Alpha Cloud and Alpha Wind could not believe their eyes, two trainees, two brand new trainees took down a gazelle on their first hunting trial. Thunder glanced at his paws and then at Storm’s paws. Their was a red colour on them and a strange scent wafting from them, it reminded him of when he was born, but who was it? He recognized it at once. Blood. He glanced through his memories, there he was, yelping by his mother, then a bundle comes down next to him and something else, what was that? Another wolf? Could they have a sibling? No! It was impossible, Thunder thought, not entirely convincing himself. Alpha Cloud broke the long silence, “Boys! You are coming to the Rydhen Valley tomorrow! A hunt, on your first shot, eh? Well done! Not even I took down something on my assessment! Oh!- and Storm well done! Hunting is teamwork, you helped him!”. Thunder could see Storm taking in all the pride.

They were back at the training hollow now, showing the alpha’s their fighting moves. Thunder bounded up to Storm and clawed in against the flank, with his claws blunt so it wouldn’t hurt. Storm growled, pushed his body back then leaped, he landed right on top of his brother then pinned him down, doing a rubbish impression of an angry wolf. They both laughed. Alpha Cloud smiled while Alpha Wind nodded,  the boys would make fantastic fighters.

  “The time of the daily howl is here! Please meet on The Howl Rocks for the howl!” The alpha’s called out, their voices echoing of the walls of the ravine close by. “Ready?” they asked each other, they both nodded. They threw their heads back into an inviting howl, soon followed by the beta, then the healers then soon joined by the rest of the pack. It was a friendly howl tonight. Storm threw his head back and let out a whiny howl, he felt embarrassed but he had pack spirit - lots of pack spirit. Once it had finished, a downpour was wetting the snow. A loud gang and a flash happened across the sky. Lightning. The young trainees watched with awe, that’s what their mother meant, it really does grow back quick. The next flash was blue and just missed ‘The Rydhen Star’. Storm sighed with relief, what would happen? Suddenly a fierce electric flash burned the ground between them. They stared at each other, “Run!” Storm howled.

  Thunder ran, ran as fast as he could. He was out of camp now and his fur was soaked through. He stopped at the woods, “Pack brother, where are you!” he howled as loud as he could. No answer. He started to panic. BOOM! Another out burst of thunder happened. Thunder widened his eyes. Run. He dashed out of the woods and down the slope, a flash of lightning hit a tree. He turned back, “NO!” he yowled. Suddenly an avalanche swept the land, he was drowning in snow! He tumbled in the snow storm, lifted his head to get some air. It had stopped, at last. He lifted his head above the snow, where was he? No trees, no nothing, just snow and some brown terrain. He walked onto it, “Oh it’s mud!” Rydhen must of travelled on it. He faced the mountain and his mouth hung open.  He stepped back to take it all in, the mountain was huge. He whipped around and faced the forest. “Storm! Pack brother! Where are you!” he howled as loud as possible. He waited for a reply. Nothing. He turned towards the forest, “I won’t give up! Never!” He told himself over and over again.

  Storm woke up, he was at the foot of the mountain, lost and trapped under lots of snow. He heard a howl before he fell, but he couldn’t reply. He rummaged around in the snow and lifted his head up through the top. Once he was on flat surface, he looked at his paw. It was cut, bad, there was a gash right down his left forepaw. What now? He thought. Suddenly a light bulb clicked in his head, he’d find his brother. He looked up from his paw, woods, but there was no snow. Mud! He and Thunder had been taught about mud. Thunder! Was he alive? His vision blurred and tears filled his eyes, what would he do?

  Storm stood on top of boulder the next morning, he hadn’t ventured far but he had slept that night. He howled, “Brother! Pack brother! Where are you!” he howled. He wasn’t expecting an answer though. As he ventured deeper into the woods he heard a rustling in the bushes, another wolf! He felt as if he would faint, he was so happy! “Hello?” he called. Then a grey and white she-wolf whipped around, her eyes were like emeralds sparkling in the moonlight, she was about the same age as him, maybe a little bit older.
“Hello!” she replied, “Who are you?”
“I’m Storm, I got lost in the storm last night, who are you?”
“Oh, I’m fine, my name is Rainbow, I was born then captured and took away from my family. When I was born I had two brothers, one of them looked a bit like you! I was born on a mountain far from here!” she replied acting strange. Storm looked curiously, he recognized her. He just didn’t know who she was. As they padded through the night, Storm forgot about his paw, he told her all about his brother and how he was trying to find him. She stopped, “I’ll help you, I’ll help you find your pack brother!”