Post by Drogo on May 8, 2018 17:13:10 GMT -6
I decided to post this story here, since it's the shortest one I ever wrote. lol
Prologue:
Everyone is born with a gift, something that sets them apart from the rest. Some are gifted with strength and power, some with speed and agility, some are gifted with great intelligence. And some, like me, are gifted with a certain charm or charisma. Everyone is remembered for something, but sometimes a wolf can transcend all these things, and become something more. My name is Hawk, and this is the story of one exceptional wolf.
I'm not what most would call exceptional. I'm a two year old male, of average size. My coat is black, with a grayish silver underneath, and around my face. My eyes are amber in color, nothing special. I'm not the strongest wolf, or the fastest, but I do okay.
I trot across the open plain, feeling the breeze through my fur, I feel completely carefree, with no worries. Only myself to care for.
I come across a young female, a white wolf, she has just killed a hare. I stroll up to her. She sees me approaching and immediately looks uncertain. I smile at her.
"That was amazing!"
"Huh?" she looks blankly at me.
"The way you caught that hare, I've never seen anyone so fast."
She looks up at me, smiling shyly.
"Oh, you think so? My name is Lily, and you are?" she asks.
"Hawk." I answer.
"You know, I bet you catch hares easily all the time." I continue.
"Oh, well I do alright." she says modestly.
"I know I could try all day and not catch a single one!"
I look down forlornly. I catch her looking at me with sympathy.
"Oh, well here have this one, I can catch another for myself."
I smile at her, "That's very nice of you, I must look pretty pathetic."
"No! Of course not!" she vows.
She picks up the hare, dropping it at my feet.
"It's yours."
She stares up at me dreamily. Then she suddenly snaps out of it.
"I should go, my pack will be looking for me."
She turns and runs off, and I watch her leave. I lower my head, picking up the hare. A smile spreads across my face. This is almost too easy.
Some days later, I come across a small river. It cuts across a meadow, and a few trees dot the landscape. I approach the river, and have a long drink. I've grown thirsty from the long traveling. Across the river there is a shady tree, and I notice a dark shape under it. I squint at the shape, lifting my head, water drips from my jaw. The dark shape is actually a wolf. He lays under the tree watching me. As I approach the wolf, I see that he is quite large, black, and old. He watches me approach without showing any anxiety, or aggression on his part. Only a strange, calm, quiet curiosity.
When I finally stand before him, his face looks noble, with some gray around his muzzle that shows off his age. But I got the distinct impression that this wolf was anything but weak. His piercing golden eyes are trained on me, unwavering like they might burn a hole straight through me.
"Hello there, nice day huh?" I throw out.
He stares at me a moment and then finally speaks.
"It sure is."
He has a deep voice, with a husky sound.
"Where are you heading?" he asks.
"Wherever my feet take me." I answer breezily.
He raises an eyebrow at me. I flash him a smile.
"Hey, what can I say? I love life!"
"I can see that." he says dryly.
"What about you?" I return.
He speaks in a serious tone.
"I came here to die."
I stare speechless at him, feeling an awkwardness creep in. What does one say to that?
"It's okay, I hope you find what your looking for." he smiles at me.
I look at him puzzled.
"I never said I was looking for anything." I object.
He looks at me knowingly.
"We are all looking for something."
He stands up, wincing at the pain in his joints. Even so, I imagine he must have been something in his prime. I never really give a second thought to a wolf I just met, and will never see again, but something about him makes me reluctant to let him go.
"Wait."
He pauses, turning to look back at me.
"I would go in that direction if I were you." he nods towards the setting sun.
I glance in that direction, a little intrigued, but quickly look back to him.
"Who are you?"
I rush to get the words out before he disappears forever into the forest. He looks back at me one last time and answers my question.
"My name is Aquila."
I travel in the direction the old male suggested for many months. Darkness has fallen, the moon shines in the night high above me, with the stars keeping her company. I pick a spot to settle down for the night, and I quickly fall asleep. Morning comes all too quick and the first rays of the sun break through to my eyes. I perk my ears, hearing someone nearby. I get up to investigate, and I find a young dispersal male drinking at a small pool of water. He spots me, and lays his ears back. He nervously tucks his tail between his legs and starts to back away.
"Chill out kid. I'm not going to hurt you."
I casually lower my head to drink. He starts to relax, looking at me.
"My name's Chip, what's yours?" he asks.
"Hawk."
"Hey would you mind if I..." he begins.
I quickly burst his bubble. He is obviously a newly dispersed wolf.
"Sorry kid, I travel alone."
He looks disappointed. I continue walking.
"But where are you going?"
He trails after me even though I didn't answer him. I quicken my pace, completely ignoring Chip. I reach the top of the hill and I stop to take in the scenery before me.
A beautiful valley, with a winding river, grassy hills and valleys, and beyond that I see towering cliffs and mountains. This must be the place the old male was speaking of.
"You can't go there!" a voice interrupts my thoughts.
I frown at Chip.
"Why not?"
"That valley is known to wolves around here as the valley of the eagle." Chip replies.
My curiosity is peaked again.
"The valley of the eagle?"
Chip nods violently.
"A mighty pack rules that valley. I wouldn't go there." he shudders.
A smile breaks across my face. It's a good thing I'm not Chip. I head into the valley, not stopping or looking back. I hear Chip calling out helplessly somewhere behind me.
As I head into "the valley of the eagle", I think to myself, are you crazy? This could be a very bad idea! But I have to see for myself, what kind of pack lives here. I get closer to the river and I spot a familiar wolf. It's the white female, Lily, that I took the hare from earlier. This is her pack?
I know she hasn't picked up my scent yet. She turns and trots toward some rocky cliffs. I follow her from some distance behind. But as I get closer to the cliffs, I can see wolves. And what's more, they can easily see me. Some of the pack after spotting me, run down the hills in my direction. I see them advancing toward me, and I think to myself, this is when you turn and run Hawk! I stand frozen, and I see Lily turn to look at what has alerted the pack. Recognition enters her eyes when she spots me. She runs towards me, I see the word come from her mouth even though I can't hear it.
"Hawk!"
The dominant male reaches me first, and I automatically lower myself to the ground. I try my best submissive gesture, with my belly to the ground. I whine at the male, and he snaps his jaws at me.
"What are you doing in our territory?" he growls.
I say the first thing that enters my mind.
"I followed Lily."
The male swings his head around to Lily.
"Lily, do you know this wolf?"
Lily steps forth, smiling.
"Yes, that's Hawk."
The dominate male grumbles, "Alright you may stay. For now."
I smile, slowly wagging my tail. Lily comes up to me happily.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“Well, I wanted to see you.” I reply.
A few other wolves come closer, more curious than aggressive. Lily’s sisters. Misty, was a smoky gray color, and Raven, who was jet black. They were all close to my age, the dominate pair were older, and they also had a litter of small pups. The sisters seem to have developed a liking to me. It doesn’t seem like many lone males come through here.
The dominant male, Lar, is brown and tan. The dominant female, Epic, is also all black. They let me stay, but with the knowledge that I am to stay on the fringes of the pack. There is another adult male, Arko, who’s all white. For such a large and powerful wolf, he seems very calm and shy.
Misty, Raven, and Lily come over to me.
“So Hawk, have you come to look for a mate from our pack?” Raven boldly asks.
The others giggle. I can tell right away that Raven is the dominant one among her littermates. I look at their expressions, Lily looks at me shyly, Misty looks eager and excited, and Raven has a sly look on her face. I try to dodge the question.
“Well, something called me here.”
We’re interrupted by Lar, who barks out that the hunting party is leaving. Without a word they all leave to join the party. Lar looks at me, it’s obvious I’ll have to work hard to gain his trust. He asks me if I want to join them too. I quickly think up an excuse.
“I’ve traveled so far, I’m tired. I’d probably be more of a hindrance than a help.”
Lar nods then turns away. I breathe a sigh of relief. Then Epic approaches me.
“Then maybe you can help watch the pups?” she asks.
I feel surprised she would ask that of me, and I can’t think of a reply. She looks into my eyes not breaking contact. I give in to her.
“Sure, I’d be happy to.” I hear myself say.
I walk to the den and observe the pups. The twins, River and Amber, are brown and tan like Lar. They are hard to tell apart except one’s male and one’s female. I guessed that when they are a little older River will be larger than his sister. The third pup, a black male named Arden, looked just like his mother. Except he had blue puppy eyes. An old white female lay on the rocks above them, the babysitter I guessed. She had a sweet kind smile. And the pups ran to her.
“Grandmother! Tell us another story!” they all barked.
The grandmother laughed at their antics.
“I think you’ve heard them all. Frequently.” she added.
“Aww!” they all chorused.
Arden looks over at me.
“Hawk hasn’t heard!"
The old female looks over at me, she looks unperturbed at telling the story to me, an outsider. In fact she looks happy to tell it.
"So, what's the deal with this valley? Is it named because of the eagles?" I ask.
The old white female smiles at me.
"There are many eagles that live in the valley, but no that's not why it's called the valley of the eagle."
Arden then runs up to me barking, "I know! I know! It's named after a wolf!"
He puffs out his little chest.
"My name means eagle valley." Arden speaks showing off his superior knowledge.
I look at grandmother a little perplexed.
"The valley is named after Arden?"
From behind I hear River and Amber break down into hysterics. Arden growls a puppy growl at them, but they ignore him, rolling on their backs in fits of laughter.
"Arden is named in honor of my mate who has passed on. It was he who founded this valley." grandmother replies.
She tells me of her mate who was a great wolf, the founder of the pack. I listen, entranced by her story. A story about a wolf who escapes the clutches of an eagle as a pup, earning his name. A wolf who survived a fire that ravaged the valley, not once but twice. One lonely wolf that now had a legacy, with his descendants living in the valley. I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever be remembered like that. What would I leave behind after I'm gone?
The others finally return from hunting, and as I walk away, I think to myself about all I have heard. Epic comes up to me.
"How did it go?" she asks.
I look over at grandmother.
"She is amazing."
"That's my mother, her name is Luna." Epic answers.
"And your father, he was something else." I add.
She looks wistful for a moment.
"Yes, he was. We all miss him."
Just then Lily comes over and interrupts. I start to walk on and she falls in line beside me.
"Where are you going?" she asks.
I avoid eye contact with her, unable to hide the restlessness that's returning to me.
"This place is amazing, and so is your family." I pause.
"But?" she responds intuitively.
"But I don't belong here, I'm a loner. I need to find my own place."
Lily looks at me sadly.
"Alone?"
I know what she's asking, but I look back at the valley, and I know I can not give her what she has here. So I give her a line that I say frequently.
"Sorry kid, I travel alone."
I flash her a smile. She looks stricken and then turns and runs from me. I suddenly feel something unfamiliar to me. What is this horrible feeling?
Like my heart is breaking into a million pieces. I've never felt so torn. But I tell myself that she'll have a much better life. I force myself to run away until I have to stop from exhaustion. I lie down, and before I know it I have fallen asleep.
I'm running through a forest that's on fire. I know I must be dreaming, but I can't wake myself up. The fire's closing in, I'm running, searching for a way out. I see a path that's free of fire, but it's smoky. I run down the path, my vision is blurred from the thick smoke. It suddenly clears and I stop in my tracks.
There is a black wolf standing in front of me, blocking the path. I recognize this wolf, it's the old male I spoke to that told me to go to the valley. Except he doesn't look old, he looks young, black as night with no gray around his muzzle, bursting with vitality. His golden eyes stare at me, unwavering. He is frowning at me. What have I done wrong?
I look behind me at the raging fire, I can see other wolves running through the forest trying to escape too. Then I see Lily. She's calling out for me. I turn back to Aquila, his eyes soften and he nods at me. I look back for Lily again, but she has disappeared somewhere into the forest. I turn back quick again to look for Aquila, but he is gone, with just a swirl of smoke where he was standing.
"Lily!"
I jolt awake. It's quiet, no fire. Everything is alright. Then why do I feel like something's wrong?
I decide to go back to the valley. As I enter their territory again, I spot Epic and Lar, Arko and Lily, and her sisters, going out on a hunt. I keep moving closer, then I spot Luna with the pups , River and Amber. But where is Arden?
I scan the land quickly and find him playing in the field. The little troublemaker, I think affectionately.
A piercing noise makes me look up. An eagle soars over the field, right above Arden. I freeze, Luna doesn't see it, and the others are too far away. I race through the field, as fast as I can go. I see the eagle start to descend, swooping down for the kill. No!!
In slow motion I see Arden look up at me, and a smile breaks across his face. With one last burst of speed I launch myself at the pup. I growl baring teeth, and try to snap at the eagle. It tries to reverse direction, and fly up again. I feel a talon catch my ear in the process, and the flapping of it's wings surround my head. The eagle flies up into the sky and disappears. I pant for breath, and look down at Arden. He is curled up into a little ball. He lifts his head, looking at me, and a brilliant smile erupts from his face.
"Hawk!"
I smile back, gazing into the black pup's eyes that I just notice are starting to change. They are fading from the puppy blue color, into a golden yellow.
I walk Arden back to the den, the others have returned and hearing about what almost happened, they come over to me.
"I don't know how to thank you Hawk." Epic spoke earnestly.
"I thought you had left." Lily breaks in.
"Something made me come back." I reply.
I glance down at Arden, and think back to my dream, and something clicks. I look up at Epic, and then I look over her shoulder to see Luna arriving with the other two pups.
"Luna, can I ask you something about your mate?" I ask.
She looks surprised, but says of course.
"What was his name?"
I had assumed when she told me the story, the wolf's name was actually Eagle. But she never said that.
"His name was Aquila, it means eagle. I wish you could have met him." she says wistfully.
"I think I have."
Everyone looks incredulous at me. Then I tell them of my encounter with the old male, many months ago, who told me his name was Aquila.
"I wonder why he told you to come here?" Epic ponders.
"I was wondering that too, but now I think I know."
I turn to Lily.
"I'm sorry for being such a fool. I love you, come with me and be my mate."
I wait impatiently for her answer.
"There's something you have to do for me first." she replies.
"Anything."
A slow smile breaks across her face.
"Catch me a hare."
Epilogue:
And so, I left "The Valley of the Eagle" to find my own land, and to start my own family. I'm definitely leaving with more than I began with. I have Lily by my side. I stop to look back one last time at the valley, and I let out a farewell howl.
Everyone is born with a gift, and sometimes a wolf transcends all that. I thought I knew what my gift was, but instead I received the greatest gift of all. From one exceptional wolf.
The Valley of the Eagle
Prologue:
Everyone is born with a gift, something that sets them apart from the rest. Some are gifted with strength and power, some with speed and agility, some are gifted with great intelligence. And some, like me, are gifted with a certain charm or charisma. Everyone is remembered for something, but sometimes a wolf can transcend all these things, and become something more. My name is Hawk, and this is the story of one exceptional wolf.
I'm not what most would call exceptional. I'm a two year old male, of average size. My coat is black, with a grayish silver underneath, and around my face. My eyes are amber in color, nothing special. I'm not the strongest wolf, or the fastest, but I do okay.
I trot across the open plain, feeling the breeze through my fur, I feel completely carefree, with no worries. Only myself to care for.
I come across a young female, a white wolf, she has just killed a hare. I stroll up to her. She sees me approaching and immediately looks uncertain. I smile at her.
"That was amazing!"
"Huh?" she looks blankly at me.
"The way you caught that hare, I've never seen anyone so fast."
She looks up at me, smiling shyly.
"Oh, you think so? My name is Lily, and you are?" she asks.
"Hawk." I answer.
"You know, I bet you catch hares easily all the time." I continue.
"Oh, well I do alright." she says modestly.
"I know I could try all day and not catch a single one!"
I look down forlornly. I catch her looking at me with sympathy.
"Oh, well here have this one, I can catch another for myself."
I smile at her, "That's very nice of you, I must look pretty pathetic."
"No! Of course not!" she vows.
She picks up the hare, dropping it at my feet.
"It's yours."
She stares up at me dreamily. Then she suddenly snaps out of it.
"I should go, my pack will be looking for me."
She turns and runs off, and I watch her leave. I lower my head, picking up the hare. A smile spreads across my face. This is almost too easy.
Some days later, I come across a small river. It cuts across a meadow, and a few trees dot the landscape. I approach the river, and have a long drink. I've grown thirsty from the long traveling. Across the river there is a shady tree, and I notice a dark shape under it. I squint at the shape, lifting my head, water drips from my jaw. The dark shape is actually a wolf. He lays under the tree watching me. As I approach the wolf, I see that he is quite large, black, and old. He watches me approach without showing any anxiety, or aggression on his part. Only a strange, calm, quiet curiosity.
When I finally stand before him, his face looks noble, with some gray around his muzzle that shows off his age. But I got the distinct impression that this wolf was anything but weak. His piercing golden eyes are trained on me, unwavering like they might burn a hole straight through me.
"Hello there, nice day huh?" I throw out.
He stares at me a moment and then finally speaks.
"It sure is."
He has a deep voice, with a husky sound.
"Where are you heading?" he asks.
"Wherever my feet take me." I answer breezily.
He raises an eyebrow at me. I flash him a smile.
"Hey, what can I say? I love life!"
"I can see that." he says dryly.
"What about you?" I return.
He speaks in a serious tone.
"I came here to die."
I stare speechless at him, feeling an awkwardness creep in. What does one say to that?
"It's okay, I hope you find what your looking for." he smiles at me.
I look at him puzzled.
"I never said I was looking for anything." I object.
He looks at me knowingly.
"We are all looking for something."
He stands up, wincing at the pain in his joints. Even so, I imagine he must have been something in his prime. I never really give a second thought to a wolf I just met, and will never see again, but something about him makes me reluctant to let him go.
"Wait."
He pauses, turning to look back at me.
"I would go in that direction if I were you." he nods towards the setting sun.
I glance in that direction, a little intrigued, but quickly look back to him.
"Who are you?"
I rush to get the words out before he disappears forever into the forest. He looks back at me one last time and answers my question.
"My name is Aquila."
I travel in the direction the old male suggested for many months. Darkness has fallen, the moon shines in the night high above me, with the stars keeping her company. I pick a spot to settle down for the night, and I quickly fall asleep. Morning comes all too quick and the first rays of the sun break through to my eyes. I perk my ears, hearing someone nearby. I get up to investigate, and I find a young dispersal male drinking at a small pool of water. He spots me, and lays his ears back. He nervously tucks his tail between his legs and starts to back away.
"Chill out kid. I'm not going to hurt you."
I casually lower my head to drink. He starts to relax, looking at me.
"My name's Chip, what's yours?" he asks.
"Hawk."
"Hey would you mind if I..." he begins.
I quickly burst his bubble. He is obviously a newly dispersed wolf.
"Sorry kid, I travel alone."
He looks disappointed. I continue walking.
"But where are you going?"
He trails after me even though I didn't answer him. I quicken my pace, completely ignoring Chip. I reach the top of the hill and I stop to take in the scenery before me.
A beautiful valley, with a winding river, grassy hills and valleys, and beyond that I see towering cliffs and mountains. This must be the place the old male was speaking of.
"You can't go there!" a voice interrupts my thoughts.
I frown at Chip.
"Why not?"
"That valley is known to wolves around here as the valley of the eagle." Chip replies.
My curiosity is peaked again.
"The valley of the eagle?"
Chip nods violently.
"A mighty pack rules that valley. I wouldn't go there." he shudders.
A smile breaks across my face. It's a good thing I'm not Chip. I head into the valley, not stopping or looking back. I hear Chip calling out helplessly somewhere behind me.
As I head into "the valley of the eagle", I think to myself, are you crazy? This could be a very bad idea! But I have to see for myself, what kind of pack lives here. I get closer to the river and I spot a familiar wolf. It's the white female, Lily, that I took the hare from earlier. This is her pack?
I know she hasn't picked up my scent yet. She turns and trots toward some rocky cliffs. I follow her from some distance behind. But as I get closer to the cliffs, I can see wolves. And what's more, they can easily see me. Some of the pack after spotting me, run down the hills in my direction. I see them advancing toward me, and I think to myself, this is when you turn and run Hawk! I stand frozen, and I see Lily turn to look at what has alerted the pack. Recognition enters her eyes when she spots me. She runs towards me, I see the word come from her mouth even though I can't hear it.
"Hawk!"
The dominant male reaches me first, and I automatically lower myself to the ground. I try my best submissive gesture, with my belly to the ground. I whine at the male, and he snaps his jaws at me.
"What are you doing in our territory?" he growls.
I say the first thing that enters my mind.
"I followed Lily."
The male swings his head around to Lily.
"Lily, do you know this wolf?"
Lily steps forth, smiling.
"Yes, that's Hawk."
The dominate male grumbles, "Alright you may stay. For now."
I smile, slowly wagging my tail. Lily comes up to me happily.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“Well, I wanted to see you.” I reply.
A few other wolves come closer, more curious than aggressive. Lily’s sisters. Misty, was a smoky gray color, and Raven, who was jet black. They were all close to my age, the dominate pair were older, and they also had a litter of small pups. The sisters seem to have developed a liking to me. It doesn’t seem like many lone males come through here.
The dominant male, Lar, is brown and tan. The dominant female, Epic, is also all black. They let me stay, but with the knowledge that I am to stay on the fringes of the pack. There is another adult male, Arko, who’s all white. For such a large and powerful wolf, he seems very calm and shy.
Misty, Raven, and Lily come over to me.
“So Hawk, have you come to look for a mate from our pack?” Raven boldly asks.
The others giggle. I can tell right away that Raven is the dominant one among her littermates. I look at their expressions, Lily looks at me shyly, Misty looks eager and excited, and Raven has a sly look on her face. I try to dodge the question.
“Well, something called me here.”
We’re interrupted by Lar, who barks out that the hunting party is leaving. Without a word they all leave to join the party. Lar looks at me, it’s obvious I’ll have to work hard to gain his trust. He asks me if I want to join them too. I quickly think up an excuse.
“I’ve traveled so far, I’m tired. I’d probably be more of a hindrance than a help.”
Lar nods then turns away. I breathe a sigh of relief. Then Epic approaches me.
“Then maybe you can help watch the pups?” she asks.
I feel surprised she would ask that of me, and I can’t think of a reply. She looks into my eyes not breaking contact. I give in to her.
“Sure, I’d be happy to.” I hear myself say.
I walk to the den and observe the pups. The twins, River and Amber, are brown and tan like Lar. They are hard to tell apart except one’s male and one’s female. I guessed that when they are a little older River will be larger than his sister. The third pup, a black male named Arden, looked just like his mother. Except he had blue puppy eyes. An old white female lay on the rocks above them, the babysitter I guessed. She had a sweet kind smile. And the pups ran to her.
“Grandmother! Tell us another story!” they all barked.
The grandmother laughed at their antics.
“I think you’ve heard them all. Frequently.” she added.
“Aww!” they all chorused.
Arden looks over at me.
“Hawk hasn’t heard!"
The old female looks over at me, she looks unperturbed at telling the story to me, an outsider. In fact she looks happy to tell it.
"So, what's the deal with this valley? Is it named because of the eagles?" I ask.
The old white female smiles at me.
"There are many eagles that live in the valley, but no that's not why it's called the valley of the eagle."
Arden then runs up to me barking, "I know! I know! It's named after a wolf!"
He puffs out his little chest.
"My name means eagle valley." Arden speaks showing off his superior knowledge.
I look at grandmother a little perplexed.
"The valley is named after Arden?"
From behind I hear River and Amber break down into hysterics. Arden growls a puppy growl at them, but they ignore him, rolling on their backs in fits of laughter.
"Arden is named in honor of my mate who has passed on. It was he who founded this valley." grandmother replies.
She tells me of her mate who was a great wolf, the founder of the pack. I listen, entranced by her story. A story about a wolf who escapes the clutches of an eagle as a pup, earning his name. A wolf who survived a fire that ravaged the valley, not once but twice. One lonely wolf that now had a legacy, with his descendants living in the valley. I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever be remembered like that. What would I leave behind after I'm gone?
The others finally return from hunting, and as I walk away, I think to myself about all I have heard. Epic comes up to me.
"How did it go?" she asks.
I look over at grandmother.
"She is amazing."
"That's my mother, her name is Luna." Epic answers.
"And your father, he was something else." I add.
She looks wistful for a moment.
"Yes, he was. We all miss him."
Just then Lily comes over and interrupts. I start to walk on and she falls in line beside me.
"Where are you going?" she asks.
I avoid eye contact with her, unable to hide the restlessness that's returning to me.
"This place is amazing, and so is your family." I pause.
"But?" she responds intuitively.
"But I don't belong here, I'm a loner. I need to find my own place."
Lily looks at me sadly.
"Alone?"
I know what she's asking, but I look back at the valley, and I know I can not give her what she has here. So I give her a line that I say frequently.
"Sorry kid, I travel alone."
I flash her a smile. She looks stricken and then turns and runs from me. I suddenly feel something unfamiliar to me. What is this horrible feeling?
Like my heart is breaking into a million pieces. I've never felt so torn. But I tell myself that she'll have a much better life. I force myself to run away until I have to stop from exhaustion. I lie down, and before I know it I have fallen asleep.
I'm running through a forest that's on fire. I know I must be dreaming, but I can't wake myself up. The fire's closing in, I'm running, searching for a way out. I see a path that's free of fire, but it's smoky. I run down the path, my vision is blurred from the thick smoke. It suddenly clears and I stop in my tracks.
There is a black wolf standing in front of me, blocking the path. I recognize this wolf, it's the old male I spoke to that told me to go to the valley. Except he doesn't look old, he looks young, black as night with no gray around his muzzle, bursting with vitality. His golden eyes stare at me, unwavering. He is frowning at me. What have I done wrong?
I look behind me at the raging fire, I can see other wolves running through the forest trying to escape too. Then I see Lily. She's calling out for me. I turn back to Aquila, his eyes soften and he nods at me. I look back for Lily again, but she has disappeared somewhere into the forest. I turn back quick again to look for Aquila, but he is gone, with just a swirl of smoke where he was standing.
"Lily!"
I jolt awake. It's quiet, no fire. Everything is alright. Then why do I feel like something's wrong?
I decide to go back to the valley. As I enter their territory again, I spot Epic and Lar, Arko and Lily, and her sisters, going out on a hunt. I keep moving closer, then I spot Luna with the pups , River and Amber. But where is Arden?
I scan the land quickly and find him playing in the field. The little troublemaker, I think affectionately.
A piercing noise makes me look up. An eagle soars over the field, right above Arden. I freeze, Luna doesn't see it, and the others are too far away. I race through the field, as fast as I can go. I see the eagle start to descend, swooping down for the kill. No!!
In slow motion I see Arden look up at me, and a smile breaks across his face. With one last burst of speed I launch myself at the pup. I growl baring teeth, and try to snap at the eagle. It tries to reverse direction, and fly up again. I feel a talon catch my ear in the process, and the flapping of it's wings surround my head. The eagle flies up into the sky and disappears. I pant for breath, and look down at Arden. He is curled up into a little ball. He lifts his head, looking at me, and a brilliant smile erupts from his face.
"Hawk!"
I smile back, gazing into the black pup's eyes that I just notice are starting to change. They are fading from the puppy blue color, into a golden yellow.
I walk Arden back to the den, the others have returned and hearing about what almost happened, they come over to me.
"I don't know how to thank you Hawk." Epic spoke earnestly.
"I thought you had left." Lily breaks in.
"Something made me come back." I reply.
I glance down at Arden, and think back to my dream, and something clicks. I look up at Epic, and then I look over her shoulder to see Luna arriving with the other two pups.
"Luna, can I ask you something about your mate?" I ask.
She looks surprised, but says of course.
"What was his name?"
I had assumed when she told me the story, the wolf's name was actually Eagle. But she never said that.
"His name was Aquila, it means eagle. I wish you could have met him." she says wistfully.
"I think I have."
Everyone looks incredulous at me. Then I tell them of my encounter with the old male, many months ago, who told me his name was Aquila.
"I wonder why he told you to come here?" Epic ponders.
"I was wondering that too, but now I think I know."
I turn to Lily.
"I'm sorry for being such a fool. I love you, come with me and be my mate."
I wait impatiently for her answer.
"There's something you have to do for me first." she replies.
"Anything."
A slow smile breaks across her face.
"Catch me a hare."
Epilogue:
And so, I left "The Valley of the Eagle" to find my own land, and to start my own family. I'm definitely leaving with more than I began with. I have Lily by my side. I stop to look back one last time at the valley, and I let out a farewell howl.
Everyone is born with a gift, and sometimes a wolf transcends all that. I thought I knew what my gift was, but instead I received the greatest gift of all. From one exceptional wolf.