PRPG: Dark Wolf & Admin: Story of the Forest

Sasha glanced up at her once before averting her eyes and huffing out a breath. "Showing you the human form was perhaps a bad idea," she muttered. "What do you want Ember?"

"To talk, of course." Ember said casually. Her slim, soft frame contrasted with with the sharp jagged rocks around her. "You connected with Silver, didn't you?"

Sasha flicked back an ear and gave her an expression akin to a raised eyebrow. "I what?" she asked, skeptical of where Ember was going with this.

Ember stood up and moved over to Sasha, sitting down in front of the wolf. "You don't see what we saw and your souls not connect. You are drawn to him, I can see it." Ember paused. "I wasn't in the Rouge Pack when his pack was destroyed. I grew up learning that the destruction of the Northern Pack was some sort of great victory. When Silver came to reclaim his lost home, I was eager to prove my worth. I was the first to attack him, and the first to see the truth. Terror was a coward that sent his pack to die rather than fight Silver himself. Silver broke us all, but then brought healing to us. I was loyal to him ever since."

Sasha's head tilted in the classic puppy eyes pose she had inherited from being around humans, one of her ears flopping over onto the top of her head. "What is all this soul connection stuff?" she asked, her voice dubious. "Are you asking if I have a crush on Silver? Because I don't."

Ember laughed. Her chest heaved with each bout. "The hound in you is showing. You really don't know how the forest works. Mear crushes can give rise to chaos, uncertainty. Souls connect and a bond is formed when those meant to be together are brought together. This bond is made stronger when the spirits of the forest are involved. Sometimes close friends become bonded, mates are always bonded." Ember began thinking about Silver, her hair started to glow a happy shade of orange. "I know you feel drawn to him, for whatever reason that might be, that is because your soul bonded with his during the exchange of memories. Ember then leaned over turning back into a wolf as she did. She touched her nose to Sasha's, then jerked back with a sense of urgency. "I know what you seek. And I know who can help. Go to your human and bring him to the clearing. Silver said he is one of the good ones, we're about to find out. Bring only him."

Sasha drew her head back, flicking an ear back. "Bonded," she said, her voice filled with disbelief. "Ember wait! Jack can't know about the shifting," she begged. "Please. He can't find out." Sasha glanced back into the forest, her nose twitching. "I know I can find the dog. I know I can."

Ember stopped. She looked at Sasha. She then took to her human form once more. "Now you." Ember spoke with a smile on her face.

Sasha scoffed, her eyes flickering as she kept her gaze on Ember's eyes. "I thought you wanted me to lead 'my human' to the clearing," she teased.

"I do." Laughed Ember. She reached out with her hands and cradled Sasha's head gently in them. Her hair glowed a gentle shade of orange. "But first."

Sasha pinned her ears back, stopping herself from taking a step back. She was used to humans touching her and petting her, specifically in the hospitals, but this felt different. "But first what?" she asked, her voice wary.

"Fine," Ember stated with a smile. Her freckled cheeks had soft features. She began to walk out of the cave, still in human form.

Sasha huffed before taking a couple of jumping steps to get in front of Ember, forcing her to stop. "What are you planning?" she asked, her eyes shifting over Ember's form, slightly avoiding her unclothed form.

"A cursed hound is in our forest. If you won't trust me in my own home, then I will deal with it as needed. We have ways to deal with this. If you wish to learn, then by all means, follow me. If not, then take your humans out of the forest." Ember's hair burned a slight red. Mostly out of anoyance. She wanted to see Sasha's human form again, but Sasha was too dense to notice. 'When it hits her, the reality of the situation, I'll be there for the entertainment.' Ember thought to herself.

Sasha's lips pulled back in a snarl and she shifted in the next second, anger making the shift fast until she stood right in front of Ember, her piercing blue eyes flashing as they held Ember's gaze. "I am not leaving a rapid dog wandering through the forest where it can hurt anyone it feels like," she snapped. "I can separate Jack from the others but he cannot learn about the shifting; so if Silver wishes to talk to him in human form then he must be in human form." Sasha hesitated for a second, letting her gaze sweep over Ember. "Though I should probably get him clothes if he wishes to do that."

Ember smiled. She couldn't help heself. She liked to see what she found beautiful, and as annoyed as Sasha made her most of the time, she was beautiful, both wolf and human forms. Ember was just slightly taller than Sasha. She took a step back to get a full view of the dark hair human standing in front of her. Then a strange noise came from within her. A giggle. "Cursed animals never last long in these woods." Ember stated. She giggled over her joy of seeing Sasha, her hair took on a yellow tint, but she still wanted to inform Sasha of the ways of the forest. "The raptors and the reptiles are our defense. They can't be cursed." Ember lightly touched Sasha's nose with a finger. "I give the hound, three hours tops before a falcon on patrol spots it. Less than one if the falcon is Claw. He has the sharpest eyes in the forest."

Sasha jerked her head away, her eyes still flashing with irritation. "So then why do you wish for me to lead Jack to the clearing if your forest is so all-mighty and powerful," she said sarcastically, still holding Ember's gaze though her bangs had flopped over one eye.

"So we can talk to him." Laughed Ember. "There is just one flaw to your plan about your human not finding out." Ember stated bluntly. "If he comes, and Silver is in human form, then he will ask under whose authority Silver speaks on behalf of the forest." Ember frowned. "This would be a problem. Humans don't understand unless they see something for themselves, and even then, sometimes they don't care." Ember's voice trailed. She looked down a bit, but tries not to make it noticeable. Her thoughts had gone to the past, before she was even in the Northern Rouge Pack. "He would know that we can shift, but not that you can shift. I wouldn't wish that upon you." Ember's cheeks began to flush a faint pink, making her freckles stand out a bit more.

Sasha jerked her head slightly, flipping her hair back from her eye before fixing her gaze on Ember, raising on smooth eyebrow. "And yet everything seems to be pulling back to this forest," she said, glancing around at the forest for a second. She pushed back her bangs for a second with her hand, causing the blue highlights to catch the light. "Alright fine," she said. "But it will not take me that long to bring Jack to the clearing so you better be ready. I hope you've talked to Silver about this because once Jack sees you there is no going back." Sasha crossed her arms and cocked a hip, leaning on one leg as she waited for Ember's response.

Ember's face lit up. Instinctively, and without warning, Ember pressed her lips to Sasha's before returning to her wolf form and ran out of the cave. Ember looked to the skies, off in the distance she could make out the unmistakable wing pattern of Claw. A sharp cry echoed in the forest as Claw sounded the alarm. Then the forest lit up with the sounds of all sorts of raptors and crows.

Sasha's eyes flew open and she shifted, taking a step back. What in the world just happened, she thought to herself. Looking up to see the falcons she huffed out a breath before turning to run back to Jack. She leapt through the brush the land in front of him. "There you are girl," he said, his deep voice reflecting the worry etched into his forehead. "I was wondering where you were getting off to." Sasha barked three times and paced a quick circle around Star before running a short way off to the treeline. Jack understood her quickly and with a glance at the sky he moved to follow her. As the other men began to come with Sasha stood between them and Jack and flashed her fangs for a second, letting out a short, sharp, bark of warning. Jack turned and watched her carefully, reading her body language that he had learned over the years. "Stay there boys," he said slowly. "I believe this is a mission Sasha wants me to complete on my own." Immediately the others started protesting that Jack would have no backup. "Guys I am the captain of the police force," Jack stated sarcastically. "I think I can handle a rabid dog on my own." With that he began to move towards the treeline again and Sasha kept an eye on the men as she backed up to follow him before she turned and loped after him, quickly passing Star. Jack clucked Star into a gallop to keep up with Sasha as she wove in between the trees, heading toward the clearing. Even though she knew the way to the clearing, she kept her nose close to the ground as if she were following a scent trail rather than her memory.

Misty's head shot up as Claw's cry echoed through the trees with a warning. "Silver?" she called, her howl rising above in an effort to reach him. "Ember? Where are you?" She gathered the kits close to her body to keep them safe.

The deafening sound of nothing began to crush Clover's spirits. She didn't panic, she didn't react at all. She curled herself into a ball of fur and wimpered. "Is this loneliness? Is this how I die, scared and alone, not even a sound to keep me company?" She spoke to herself, hoping that even her voice would help, but it didn't. It only reminded her that she was alone.

Once Claw started in on a cursed animal, he wouldn't stop until it was dealt with. He didn't care who it was or where they came from. The only ones he was scared of getting cursed was Silver and the Bears. With the Raptors working together, the cursed hound died quickly and painlessly. The raptors had turned this work into a well detailed art form.

Silver rushed to Misty's side. "It is okay My Love." He assured her. "Claw and the other raptors must have found a cursed animal. That is his signal for it. Of all the raptors under Ether's command, Claw would benthe best choice as a successor." Silver stated. Ember's scent picked up on the wind. The glowing orange mountain of fur broke through the woodline and streaked in the clearing. Ember stopped in front of Silver and Misty. "We are about to have company!" She laughed and looked pleased with herself.

Misty looked at Silver quickly before turning back to Ember. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Where have you been and what did you do?"

Krix laid beside the pool, his eyes on the water. Letting out a sigh he focused his thoughts on Clover. He could almost feel her pain and her fear. After a brief moment he started to croon softly, the sound echoing through his chest.

Sasha loped through the forest with Jack following close behind, the smell of wolf growing stronger with the echoes of falcons above her.

"Sasha is on her way, with her human." Ember stated proudly. "This will be our chance to talk to their leader on our turf."
Silver looked at Ember. "She is bringing her human here?" Silver thought about the situation. "Okay, we can make that work. But we need all the forest leaders present."
"I'll see that it happens!" Ember lept excitedly. Silver looked at Misty. "What do you make if this?"

Misty’s eyes furrowed downward. “I would have appreciated it if she had discussed the situation with us instead of blindsiding us with this information right before the Sasha gets here,” she said slowly. “Especially with the amount of wolves in the clearing right now. I just hope nothing bad happens.”

Sasha reached the edge of the clearing and leaped in front of Star, bringing her to a rearing halt. She walked out to the tree line and howled long and clear, her howl sounding crisp but higher than a wolf’s.