The Valley Of The Wolves

Just a dream.

I walked around, great big trees loomed down on me as I made my way through the forest. The ground was wet and sticky, maybe it had rained. The sky was not visible through the canopy.

With my tail tucked between my legs I stepped over a rotting dead log. When I stepped on the other side I heard and felt a crunch. I winced and jumped back. My stomach lurched when I saw a white bone, stripped of meat. I gulped and continued on.

The farther I went the more bones I saw. My brain was screaming at me to turn around, but my paws kept walking. Like I was just a shell.
Eventually the forest scenery began to change.

Scratches on trees, humming of bugs. The feeling of being watched made my skin tingle.
A howl of.. well..not a wolf bounced off the trees, sounding to be coming from everywhere. The sound was pained, of a dying animal crying out for help with its final breath. I looked down, knowing somehow no one would help it, or be able to save it.

I heard a crunch of bone and flesh, that of a killing blow. I stopped dead in my tracks. Whatever it was, it was big and powerful. Not to mention hungry. I tucked tail and ran, in a random direction hoping it was opposite of the creature. The ground tried to grab my paws and keep them there. Yanking my paws from the increasingly sticky ground I tumbled forward. Gasping for breath I struggled to get free. I heard pawsteps circling me. Vulnerable and scared, I whimpered, begging mercy.

A monster leapt out of its hiding spot, almost three times my size with a shaggy mangled dark coat. The creature had a long wide muzzle with long sharp teeth. Its eyes were red and its sockets sunken in. A long whip thin tail lashed hungerly. A growl rumbled deep in its throat.

I stumbled backwards finally free from the clinging ground. The creature flung back its head and opened its maw, to my surprise and horror it mimicked the sound of the creature I had heard, a pitiful dying scream. Shocking me back into my senses I stood up and ran. Faster than I ever have, My legs stumbled together, So fast I was worried I would trip myself.

The angry roar of the creature almost made me freeze with fear. The creature started to tear through the forest after me, I knew exactly where it was by the crashing of trees and underbrush.

But it was gaining, and quickly.
I skidded to a stop in front of a moon pale fox, It had three tails spread out behind it with a calm peaceful look on its face. I growled at the fox and moved to get around it but it blocked me.

"I'm about to die, and so are you!" I snapped. "Get out of the way!" I dropped my head and bared my teeth, but desperation slipped through my ferocious act.

"Follow me." she said calmly and slipped down a burrow that I hadn't noticed before. I squeezed down the burrow right before the black creature snapped my tail in half. I wined and pulled my tail closer.

The fox stared at me before stepping forward and touching my nose with hers. "I am the fur that ruffles your back, I am the twist and shake of your tail. Let yourself appear in the shape of my body: no one can tell; others will fear; dare not come near!" "You are Myristica, you are changing, You are fox." I blinked, backing away from the strange fox.

The burrow seemed bigger.. Or I seemed smaller? I looked down at my paws.
They were black. I looked at my tail, It was red with a white tip. I was a fox?

"What did you do?" I gasped.

"Wa'akkir, though it is hard to do for someone else. Not to mention Foxcraft is not for wolves."
Darkness consumed my vision, fading from the dream.

"See you soon." The fox whispered so quietly I barely realized she had said anything.
I blinked awake, my eyelids heavy.

"You ok? I heard you whining." Irakusa asked, nudging my side.

"I'm ok." I grumbled. Shoving his snout away. "I just had a bad dream."