~Alaskan Snow~

 

 

“Leave” snarled Brakenfur to Bramble and Ashclaw. Bramble a male wolf with brown-grey fur and Clearwater blue eyes. Ashclaw a she wolf with white- grey fur and purple eyes were being shunned from the only family they knew

“Why we have just as much right to be here as you do,” reasoned Bramble. 

 But Brakenfur would not listen to him; Brakenfur lunged at him snarling. Suddenly Ashclaw jumped at Brakenfur, sending him back to the snow soaked ground.

Quick to get, up he circled them. He sprang for Ashclaw’s throat, aimed to kill, this time. Skillfully she sidestepped but not before Brakenfur raked his claws down her left side. 

She fell for a few precious seconds and Bramble cut in, his strength was no match for Brakenfur. He slammed into him in a mass of snarling and slashing fur, the force of Brambles blow launched him back. Brakenfur hit a nearby tree with a sickening crack. He did not get up; he was dead.

“Anyone else want to challenge us?” Ashclaw said, wincing from the searing pain on her side, she stepped forward. The whole pack snarled, even the pups.

Ashclaw and Bramble knew they were no longer safe or welcome in the pack territory anymore, for they had killed the alpha wolf. They turned tail and, with their heads held high, left the clearing.

They raced through the pine forest, running as though their feet could carry them on forever. The snow crunched underneath the running wolves, cooling their feet. They traveled far and fast, as if they were flying.

  They raced across their scent border and kept going, now across the Alaska’s tundra, the tree line grew smaller behind them and another was fast approaching. They could smell caribou and the twoleg pack ahead, but the scent was faint. Ashclaw’s wound had been bleeding heavily for a couple of feet now and she was beginning to lag behind out of pain, we have to find a place to stay before she runs out of energy and blood thought Bramble.

  It was almost night and they had ran so far out of territory that they had come to the twoleg pack; the two wolves stayed a fair distance away from it.

“Ya know Bramble, we should have seen that he was going to do that” Ashclaw spoke and then went back to licking her wound, there were patches of fur missing, it was deep and was about ten and one half inches long. 

  This was the reason for them being kicked out of the pack; they were seers. Seers have the innate ability to see into the future, but only so far. For once they see the future, they can manipulate it, if they want to, only slightly  

Bramble came out from one of the trees and mumbled “Yeahw wre shwould hwave” he gave her a sheepish glance and spit out his mouthful, “did you get any of that”.

“Yeah I did, you didn’t know that I spoke mouthfulinese did you” she answered smartly and this brought a smile to her pack mates weary face.

“Well I’m glad to know you still have you’re sense of humor” he grumbled joke fully and picked up the bloodmoss. 

He made his way over to her and chewed the moss up, and began to put it in the wound; Ashclaw squirmed as the lukewarm moss stung her fresh wound.

“Quit moving, or the moss wont stay in there” Bramble prodded more moss into her wound and she flinched.

“I never knew how much bloodmoss stung, until now” she grimaced again and he was done.

“Now we should get some rest” he gave her ear a few affectionate licks, laid down next to her and went to sleep.

They woke early and stretched. Ashclaw let Bramble look at her wound and they set out to hunt. They spotted a herd of caribou and picked out an old male.

However, before they could even begin to single him out, a girl of the twoleg pack stumbled into the clearing and collapsed. As soon as she collapsed, the caribou bolted, scattering from the clearing like rain clouds after a storm.

“I wonder why she collapsed?” he spoke suddenly and made Ashclaw jump a bit, but he did not see.

“Well…could be from lack of food or…” she paused then muttered rather quietly ”or she could be a… a wizard”

They stood there silent as statues, looking at her for a few moments until Bramble broke the silence “I’m going to see if she is dangerous” he sat down, his eyes grew creamy and it looked as if he was blind. Then his eyes glowed blue and went back to normal, he shook his head. Nothing.

“I suppose we should wake her up” Ashclaw trotted over and Bramble reluctantly followed.

They dragged her over to where they had been sleeping the night before and began to lick her, their warm tongues rasped over her hands and face in an attempt to wake her. They could tell she was alive because she was still breathing, shallow, small breaths.

She awoke with a start and then settled down clearly relived.

“I wonder if she can understand us,” Bramble muttered wondering why she had looked so relived. 

“Still… there could be the slightest chance that she is a wizard,” Ashclaw spoke while glancing at the young girl over her shoulder.

“Just so you know, I can hear you,” the young Inuit girl said, though her voice was soft from weakness, it was a singsong.

Ashclaw lay down to lick her wound, which was healing nicely.

“How’d you… I mean why’d you collapse back there,” Ashclaw asked, a curious look in her eyes and expression.

“Well for starts my name is Rayvin, and you two are…” she spoke, looking thoroughly tired. Meanwhile the caribou came back.

“I’m Bramble,” he greeted, smiling a big wolfish smile.

“Ashclaw,” the she wolf said before going back to lick her wound.

“Nice to meet you both,” she paused looking deep in thought I was being hunted by my own kind, and you’re in danger too.”

“Look I’ll make you an accord” the wolves nodded their heads, as a sign for her to go on, and she continued, “if you’ll help me destroy him it’ll save mine and you’re lives, and I can make sure you’ll never be hunted again” she looked at them hopefully.

“You have an accord,” the wolves said after a brief discussion.

Bramble went ridged and put his nose to the wind.

“CRACK” a shot and a whimper from Bramble were all that could be heard in the cemetery silent midday.

The hunter stepped out into view. He smelled of carrion and was dressed in what looked like furs from all over the world.

  He had dirty brown, deep set eyes and was short, 4’ 9”.

Laughing maniacally, he spoke arrogantly, “I am Blayence the hunter of hunters and you are my prey, my quarry” he paused “flee or be shot down now,” not wanting to be killed they took off. Bramble was keeping up but they had to find a place to stop.

They reached the caribou herd and an idea popped into Rayvin’s head.

“Blend in with the caribou” screamed Rayvin.

Therefore, they did, Rayvin recited something that could not be heard even if you were standing right next to her. The caribou slowed slightly but did not stop. They raced into the middle of the herd and surged on. They ran so far, in fact, that they reached long lake.

They broke away and headed for the tree line.

“Well… I suppose we lost ’em,” wheezed Rayvin and she turned toward Bramble “will you let me look at your wound”.   

She gestured for him to come over.

“How long will this take?” questioned Bramble.

“It depends, since the bullet is embedded into you, but and I will have to heal a lot of muscle and maybe even some bone so I don’t really know” 

They both settled down on the ground and Rayvin spoke the words of power, there was a flash of purple light and the healing process started.

Bramble soon fell asleep, but Ashclaw stayed up to keep watch. It was an hour before Rayvin was done with the healing.

“How long will he sleep?” Ashclaw whispered for fear of waking him up. She gave him a few affectionate licks and sat by Rayvin by the fire.

“I had to heal a major muscle and some bone plus grow hair, and remove the bullet” she took a breath, she looked tired, the healing had taken a toll on her too.

“I’m surprised that he could keep up with us, so… maybe till morning.”

“That’s not that bad, at least it’s healed” she yawned hugely and laid her head down.

“I can take the first watch,” offered Ashclaw.

“I don’t think we’re in danger of Blayence for the night” Rayvin spoke slow and sleepy.

In addition, with that, they both laid down to sleep.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

“Lucky me,” he growled as they escaped, “now I get to track them which will be all too easy, since I got my bullet into that brownish-grey wolf.”

Sneering he found the first drop of brambles blood and tracked it toward his prizes.

It took him two and a half hours of walking to get to the lake. It was almost sunrise and the world was being painted and warmed; pinks, purples and oranges. However, Blayence was not concerned with that, all he wanted were his wolf pelts.

“Now it’s the time to strike,” Blayence said in a sly voice as he moved toward the smoking tree line, where the wolves and the girl slept.

As he made his way to the small camp, he heard some rustling in the bushes. He froze but continued when he realized that it was only a willow ptarmigan, Alaska’s national bird.

Blayence continued until he got within sight, then he set out his weapons.

He selected his crossbow, not intending to use it for anything but a threat. 

He crept into camp, they were all sound asleep.

“SNAP” Blayence stepped on a thick tree branch.

Rayvin, who had been sleeping with her bow out, shot up and fitted an arrow to it. Following suit, with teeth bared in a deadly snarl, Ashclaw sprang up.

“Run… ill put up a shield,” Rayvin yelled, in a flurry of movement, she dropped her bow and a purple shield shot up from the ground. 

Holding her concentration was hard for such a big area, but she matched her strength in anger, which fueled her power.

“BRAMBLE! GET UP, THE HUNTER IS HERE,” howled Ashclaw as she franticly tried to wake him, by biting his ears, to no avail.

“I CAN’T HOLD THE SHIELD MUCH LONGER,” roared Rayvin.

Mustering all her strength, she tugged Bramble to his paws. He awoke only when Ashclaw drew blood from her hold on his scruff.

“The hunter is…” he blinked sleepily “… now?!” his voice was creaky with sleep but had a tone of scared, surprise in it.

“Yes now, and we have to run now” she urged him up and ran, the shield was broken and Rayvin was trailing behind and even worse Blayence was catching up. Bramble faltered and fell but nobody noticed, except Blayence.

He put in extra effort to reach him, by the time Rayvin and Ashclaw realized what had happened, Blayence had him. They turned tail and ran back to the place they had saw Bramble disappeared from, Blayence had tied a rope around the still dreary bramble and had drug him northwest.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

“Where did that scum take him?” cried Rayvin loudly with much anger filling her voice.

“I’ve picked up his scent….well Blayence’s anyway” she wretched for a second and motioned Rayvin to follow.

They ran on and Blayence’s scent grew stronger, they were getting close soon they found blood and what looked like the remains of two fingers.

“Well I’m glad to see he’s fighting back,” remarked Rayvin.

Sighing, in relief, they moved on, no longer having to smell because there was a deep rut in the snow where Bramble was apparently refusing to move, making travel hard for Blayence.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

“You stupid wolf,” raged Blayence staring at his stump fingers. “You’ll die first.” glaring at the snarling wolf, he walked faster hoping to make a lighter track in the snow. Sadly, it only made the rut deeper and they moved slower.

They arrived in a small clearing at an old Iditarod checkpoint. Old and rundown there were many patches on the roof and the door was barely on its hinges.

The chopped wood was stacked in a crude pile on the right side of the house. Overhead, the Northern Lights shined in pattern; blue-green, blue-yellow, yellow-green, and blue. It waved a silent message only the sky knew. 

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

They reached the clearing, stopping because of the sight they saw.

 Blayence had a roaring fire going and built up on stilts was a ceramic tub; he was taking a bath. They had seen a sight that would disturb them forever.

They crept back about twenty feet so they could talk and not be heard.

“I’m gonna have nightmares,” Rayvin’s voice shook and her leg’s wobbled, so she plopped down on mossy fallen tree.

“That is a sight I will never forget even after I die,” the she wolf shivered, out of disgust, and lay down at the girl’s feet.

“How will we get him out,” her voice was thin as if she had been winded. 

The she wolf shifted so she could see Rayvin better and then the young Inuit girl remembered something, something very useful. 

 They spent the next hour and a half devising a plan. They would wait until dark and sneak into camp unseen for Rayvin would make them invisible. They would sneak over to Brambles cage and Rayvin would pick the lock. For she was the only one with opposable thumbs, thankfully.

All they had to do was wait.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

It was midday when Blayence dragged Bramble out of his cage and tied all four of his paws down to the ground. He took a blood reddened whip and flogged him until his back was bleeding profusely, but this only angered the hunter because the wolf made no sound or struggle.

Blayence was enraged even more when he didn’t struggle or try to run when he untied him and put him it his cage.

It was almost twilight and Blayence had gone into the woods to get meat from his spare meat store.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

“Now’s our chance,” whispered Rayvin and they surged into the clearing. All that could be seen of them was footprints. 

Just as they reached Brambles cage, the girl lost her hold on the magic and the spell broke.

“oh no,” Rayvin whispered fiercely, Blayence walked into the clearing.

“RUN!” roared the she wolf, and they split up. 

Blayence following Ashclaw.

They ran into an ice cliff maze, the tall glacier’s towered over the two running figures, blocking out the sun.

Ashclaw was headed toward point Barrow where the ice stopped and led to the sea by a two hundred foot drop. 

Unforgiving and icy cold, the arctic sea would swallow you up.

As they neared the edge Ashclaw knew what was coming but she knew it could play to her advantage too. She stopped about twenty feet from the deadly edge. Blayence came into view he screamed, “dead end girly wolf.”

She knew she only had one chance. He moved closer and she backed away, drawing him ever closer to the frozen sea.

Come closer she thought, that’s it, just a bit more.

Three feet, two feet, one… he lunged at her blindly flailing his axe.

He had failed to see Ashclaw crouch down. He hit her side, his axe flew form his bandaged hands and he fell flat on his back. The ice took his body mercilessly toward the deadly, foaming sea.

Winded, he couldn’t do anything, getting ever closer to the edge. He fell plunging to his well deserved death, a two hundred foot drop to the hungry sea.

The she wolf crept over to the edge and looked over just in time to see him hit the sea, it engulfed him eagerly.

“Good riddance” she howled after him.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Back at the clearing Rayvin had appeared, after hiding in the surrounding trees, to get Bramble out. 

She had quickly healed the wounds and waited for Ashclaw to return because they were so tired from the healing. Ashclaw ran into the clearing and quickly want to greet Bramble, nuzzling and licking each other.

“Where’s Blayence?” questioned Rayvin.

Ashclaw explained the events that had followed her after she had left the clearing, they all agreed that they needed to go to sleep and they did.

When they had went to sleep it was early morning. They had slept all day  and woke to an amazing sight. The aurouraborealis was very close to the earth and it seemed to be thanking them, in it’s own way, for killing the hunter. They lay there on their backs and watched in silence.

“What should we do?” Ashclaw spoke breaking the silence “we cant go back to our pack” she rolled to her feet and shook herself of snow.

“Well…” Rayvin started then fell silent, “I’m not wanted in my tribe either so… we could live here for a while or…” they sat and debated for a long while and finaly decided to stay. 

They destroyed the shack and Rayvin permanently turned herself into a wolf, though she did not lose her magical ability. 

Because Bramble and Ashclaw were not blood related they started their own pack, also they learned magic and the ability passed on to their pups.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Ten years later.

They still live there, where the old Iditarod check point was. Pups and such running wild in the clearing. And Rayvin had kept her part of the deal, nobody had hunted there for many years.