What lies beyond the pack: The Quest Begins

Chapter four (Meadowclan/Shadow)

Back in Meadowclan.....

"Oh I hope Shadow is okay." Fern meekly spurted. Then she burst in to tears. "Why?! Why?! She's just a pup! She deserves none of this!"

"Fern, calm done. I'm sure she's okay." Dust said. But he was not sure of that. He blinked back a few tears that came.

"YOU KNOW SHES JUST A PUP!! SHE IS NOT OKAY. N-O-T OKAY" Fern was angry at the same time sad.

"Mommy? I miss Shadow. Is she going to be okay?" Storm softly asked.

Fern took a deep breath and blinked back her tears. "I don't know but don't keep you're hopes up. All we can do is beleive in her and that somewolf will find her."

"All wolves meet at the tall tree for a clan meeting!" Stone called.

"Lets go. Maybe he has a plan." Fern said not as sad a before.

"As you all know our camp has been destroyed by the flood. We will go back to our camp and rebuild it. We have lost all out prey. And, some of you may know that Shadow, a small pup has been washed away by the flood. I want at least two wolves to go and find her. If you cant -he sighed- it will be a great loss for us." 

"May I say something Stone?" Heather the healer said.

"Yes. You may."

"We have no herbs to help us so we will need to go find some. Keep an eye out." Heather said as she sat next to Stone. She left after she finished.

"We will go back in 10 minutes. You may be dismissed now."

As the wolves were going back to camp, they all discussed on how the other clans would deal with them now that they are weak.

"What will they think of us? They'll attack if we don't recover soon."

"We're low on wolves too! The fire that came took out many of the wolves."

"I was hoping pups would bring new life, but one of them is already gone. I don't think she will make it."

Fern heard what they were saying and stood strong.

  I will stay strong for Shadow! She will make it! I believe in her!

But even she did not believe her words. She prayed to Starclan to keep Shadow safe.

                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Awooooooo!! Please Starclan help me!" Shadow begged and hoped Starclan would save her.

I am starving!!! I might as well at least try to hunt. She thought remembering the moves her dad showed her.

So what do you do again? Uh... Ooh I see a rabbit! So you first leap then slash at it? Or is is biting? Umm.... I will try biting.

Shadow leaped and the rabbit but it smelled her first.

Ugh. How did it know I was coming???? I was sooo good!! Well... not thaat good.

The pup was so lost in thoughts that she didn't notice a female wolf looking at her.

"Hello, little one. Are you lost?"

"Y-yes. Are you safe? And can you tell me where I am?" she stammered.

"Yes, I am safe. No need to fret. I also have a little pup too. And you are at the south of the pine forests." Her voice was calm and gentle so Shadow came a little closer.

"What's your name? Can you help me get back to Meadowclan? That's where I live. I am hungry. Is there food?" Shadow quickly blurted out all her questions.

"Woah, woah, slow down little one. My name is Pollen. -she took a minute to think and answered her other question- Hmm.. I don't know where that is, honey. You can stay with me until you find your way back. You can also play with my pup. He is the same age as you. His name is Thorn."

"Thank you. I am hungry. Is there anything to eat? After I eat I want to meet Thorn."

"Okay, sure. There is deer. Would you like that?"

"Yes please!" she eagerly said because she hadn't eaten for two days.

After she gobbled up a good meal she want to meet Thorn.

"Hello! My name is Thorn." he said excited to meet Shadow. "What's your name?"

"My name is Shadow."

"Where'd you come from?"

Thorn seemed friendly but she did not want to share all her details with him.

"I'd rather not talk about it." she tried to say in a cool tone.

"Okay. No problem. Wanna play play-fight?"

"Sure!!"

The two pups were playing play-fight as Shadow's adopted mother watched them. "Come on!! You can do better than that "

"Oh yes I can!" Thorn said and he leaped onto Shadow.

"Pups! It's getting late. You should hit the hay now." 

"Okay. Yawn!!"

"Su-Yawn-re"

The pups tried to stop their yawns, but they came. 

"Fine, you win. I'll go to bed." Thorn said stubbornly.

"Yeah" Shadow agreed.

As she was dreaming she really missed her parents and woke up.

"Pollen?" she asked quietly trying not to wake up Thorn.

"Yes, honey?" she asked Shadow

"I miss my parents."

"Well, I know you will find them soon. Now go to bed, now."

"Okay." she said and slept. She had a weird dream. She saw the first leader of Meadowclan, Meadowstar. She was saying "Beware of the dangers! Beware!"

Shadow didn't understand what she said. She didn't know if it was a prophecy or a warning. She still was very confused. When she woke up, it was dawn and Shadow couldn't help think of the dream she had. 

"Shadow? Is everything all right?" Pollen asked worriedly. She treated Shadow like a pup of her own and cared for her a lot.

Even though she did that, Shadow didn't want to open up all her thoughts.

"Nothing. Just thinking." she tried to say unsuspiciously.

"Okay. Do you want breakfast? Thorn did not wake up yet, but if you want you can eat."

Shadow's stomach grumbled and although she wanted to wait for Thorn, she couldn't help eating.

She quickly gulped down the squirrel Pollen gave and made a howl of satisfaction.

"Well someone must have been hungry." Pollen teased.

When Thorn woke up he asked, "Shadow, you look worried. Is everything okay?"

Even though Thorn was kind, and treated Shadow as a littermate, Shadow did not treat him as a littermate. She was kind to him, but didn't want to be like a sister to him.

"Mhm."

"Mmkay. I'm gonna eat breakfast now." he said and went to eat a piece of deer from last night.

"Pups, I need to go and fetch food. Will you be alright?"

"Yup." Thorn answered in the middle of eating.

"Yeah." Shadow said.

Pollen headed out of the den to hunt.

"Sooo, Shadow watcha wanna do?" Thorn asked hoping for Shadow to answer gladly instead of being dull.

"I don't know. Just sit?" she replyed.

Shadow did not trust Thorn so much. He seemed like a nice guy but maybe he was just acting like that on the outside. 

Do you like the chapter? What do you think the prophecy means? PM me if you know.