Post by vix on Sept 20, 2007 16:57:29 GMT -5
I hope you all like this! Thanks for the comments, by the way! And don't worry, the chapters get longer as you go along xD
Chapter One
Luna
"Come on, Luna! Wake up!"
The one called Luna opened her eyes to see her brother, Skipperpaws, or Skip for short, bound over the sleeping wolves in their den to where she had lain down for the night. As soon as she got up from the moist, mossy forest floor, Skip pounced playfully on top of her and the two began to scuffle. It did not take long before Skip ended up on top. Luna put up a good fight, but Skip was just too strong. She could tell that when Skipperpaws grew up, he would become a powerful and dangerous Pack-protector, the wolf term for wolves who, simply, protect the pack, especially the elders and pups. Skip might even become the Alpha Male of Prowl Pack, like their father, Bearclaw, the largest and strongest of all the wolves of DawnMist. Luna, however, had lightening-quick reflexes and was very clever, like her mother, Dewfang.
Even though Skip and Luna had two other sisters, Nightdancer, who had a jet-black pelt, and Sapphire, who had beautiful blue eyes, they had a unique and close bond. For as long as they could remember, Skip and Luna had been as thick as thieves. And together, with their own special abilities, they made a powerful team.
"Come on Luna! Today's the big day!" howled Skip with delight.
"What do you mean? What’s so special about today? Did I forget something important?" Luna cocked her head in confusion.
"Oh, come on silly, you don't remember? Today's the day we become novices!"
Luna's heart leapt for joy. A novice! I'm going to be novice! she howled in her mind. The thought was unbelievable. Today was the day when Luna, Skip, and their sisters’ fates would be decided. They would all be chosen for one of the four pack trades, the Pack-protectors, the Nurse-wolves, the Hunters, and the Builders. Once admitted, the pups would learn from the masters of their particular trade. Luna had been waiting for this day since she was just a young'un, and now that day had finally come.
"What trade do you want to go into?" Skip asked excitedly.
The thought had not occurred to Luna before. What did she want to be?
A Hunter, she decided quickly. Luna loved the thrill of the hunt as much as her mother did. She could just imagine herself standing next to the powerful figure of Nifftar, the second largest and strongest male of all the pack and one of the best Hunters of all time. If she were to become a Hunter, she would want Nifftar to be one of her masters. The choice did not seem hard, but only one pup would be chosen for this trade, for it was tradition that each pup in a litter would go into a different career, and she knew that Sapphire wanted to be a Hunter also. Luna loved Sapphire, and didn't want to let her down, but Hunting just seemed to be the only job for her.
It's not like I enjoy killing things, Luna thought. No, this was the only thing that Luna did not like about Hunting. It was the excitement of tracking and chasing the creature that Luna enjoyed the most.
Luna noticed with a start that she still had not answered Skip's question. "Oh, uh…I'm not sure," she lied. She hated not telling the truth to her brother, but she did not wish to tell him what she really wanted to be, for Skip was the worst hunter the pack had ever seen, and Luna did not want to hurt his feelings.
"Oh, well, that's okay! I'm sure you'll enjoy the trade you're put in anyway," Skip said reassuringly.
He seems to have bought my fib, Luna thought. She had never lied to Skip before, and she felt really bad about it. And as she looked into Skip's kind emerald eyes, she wanted to bite herself in the tail for lying to such a wonderful creature. Luna moved her gaze to the ground in shame.
"Come on Luna, don't be so serious! What, did you step on your tail, Miss Grumpy Paws? What’s the problem?" Skip teased.
“Nothing.” Luna looked up and smiled. Skip had a way to make her happy, no matter what the circumstances.
Just then, a lone howl could be heard. Luna immediately recognized it as her father's. This was the sign for a pack meeting. This howl was followed by the howls of all Luna's pack mates. Luna could see silver, snowy, shadow, and russet wolves congregating by Prowl Rock, an enormous bolder jutting up from the earth that was used as the meeting place for the pack. The novice admission was about to begin.
Luna looked excitedly at Skip, whose eyes glistened with eagerness. "Let's go!" she howled with joy.
And as if with some unseen signal, the two littermates bounded simultaneously into the crowd of wolves and made their way to Prowl Rock.
Chapter One
Luna
"Come on, Luna! Wake up!"
The one called Luna opened her eyes to see her brother, Skipperpaws, or Skip for short, bound over the sleeping wolves in their den to where she had lain down for the night. As soon as she got up from the moist, mossy forest floor, Skip pounced playfully on top of her and the two began to scuffle. It did not take long before Skip ended up on top. Luna put up a good fight, but Skip was just too strong. She could tell that when Skipperpaws grew up, he would become a powerful and dangerous Pack-protector, the wolf term for wolves who, simply, protect the pack, especially the elders and pups. Skip might even become the Alpha Male of Prowl Pack, like their father, Bearclaw, the largest and strongest of all the wolves of DawnMist. Luna, however, had lightening-quick reflexes and was very clever, like her mother, Dewfang.
Even though Skip and Luna had two other sisters, Nightdancer, who had a jet-black pelt, and Sapphire, who had beautiful blue eyes, they had a unique and close bond. For as long as they could remember, Skip and Luna had been as thick as thieves. And together, with their own special abilities, they made a powerful team.
"Come on Luna! Today's the big day!" howled Skip with delight.
"What do you mean? What’s so special about today? Did I forget something important?" Luna cocked her head in confusion.
"Oh, come on silly, you don't remember? Today's the day we become novices!"
Luna's heart leapt for joy. A novice! I'm going to be novice! she howled in her mind. The thought was unbelievable. Today was the day when Luna, Skip, and their sisters’ fates would be decided. They would all be chosen for one of the four pack trades, the Pack-protectors, the Nurse-wolves, the Hunters, and the Builders. Once admitted, the pups would learn from the masters of their particular trade. Luna had been waiting for this day since she was just a young'un, and now that day had finally come.
"What trade do you want to go into?" Skip asked excitedly.
The thought had not occurred to Luna before. What did she want to be?
A Hunter, she decided quickly. Luna loved the thrill of the hunt as much as her mother did. She could just imagine herself standing next to the powerful figure of Nifftar, the second largest and strongest male of all the pack and one of the best Hunters of all time. If she were to become a Hunter, she would want Nifftar to be one of her masters. The choice did not seem hard, but only one pup would be chosen for this trade, for it was tradition that each pup in a litter would go into a different career, and she knew that Sapphire wanted to be a Hunter also. Luna loved Sapphire, and didn't want to let her down, but Hunting just seemed to be the only job for her.
It's not like I enjoy killing things, Luna thought. No, this was the only thing that Luna did not like about Hunting. It was the excitement of tracking and chasing the creature that Luna enjoyed the most.
Luna noticed with a start that she still had not answered Skip's question. "Oh, uh…I'm not sure," she lied. She hated not telling the truth to her brother, but she did not wish to tell him what she really wanted to be, for Skip was the worst hunter the pack had ever seen, and Luna did not want to hurt his feelings.
"Oh, well, that's okay! I'm sure you'll enjoy the trade you're put in anyway," Skip said reassuringly.
He seems to have bought my fib, Luna thought. She had never lied to Skip before, and she felt really bad about it. And as she looked into Skip's kind emerald eyes, she wanted to bite herself in the tail for lying to such a wonderful creature. Luna moved her gaze to the ground in shame.
"Come on Luna, don't be so serious! What, did you step on your tail, Miss Grumpy Paws? What’s the problem?" Skip teased.
“Nothing.” Luna looked up and smiled. Skip had a way to make her happy, no matter what the circumstances.
Just then, a lone howl could be heard. Luna immediately recognized it as her father's. This was the sign for a pack meeting. This howl was followed by the howls of all Luna's pack mates. Luna could see silver, snowy, shadow, and russet wolves congregating by Prowl Rock, an enormous bolder jutting up from the earth that was used as the meeting place for the pack. The novice admission was about to begin.
Luna looked excitedly at Skip, whose eyes glistened with eagerness. "Let's go!" she howled with joy.
And as if with some unseen signal, the two littermates bounded simultaneously into the crowd of wolves and made their way to Prowl Rock.