Chronicles of the Packs | A Dark Stones One-shot Compilation

Healer

Onor bent forward to sniff the little bundle of fur which lay beside Pearl's belly. She still had her eyes closed and ears folded, but she already looked perfect.

"I can't believe it. I'm a father," he grinned to his mate, Zrin, who sat beside him in the Nursery Cave. Both regarded their pup with adoration.

"Pups are a nuisance," Pearl commented dryly. "But I was happy to be her surrogate for you."

Zrin and Onor ignored her comment completely and just kept staring at their newborn daughter as she nursed.

"She's perfect," Zrin commented simply.

Onor nodded in agreement. "I wonder what she'll look like once she sheds her puppy coat..."

"No doubt she'll be the most beautiful wolf in all of Dark Stones," Zrin replied with a smile. "Hello, little girl." He bent forward and nuzzled the tiny pup. She let out a soft whine and continued to nurse.

"She needs a name," Onor said softly, his heart overflowing with affection for his new pup.

Zrin looked at his pale gray mate. "You know...I've always wanted a Maggie, if my pup were a she-wolf."

Onor looked at Zrin and blinked lovingly. "Maggie is perfect," he said. Now it was his turn to nuzzle his newborn. "Welcome to the Pack of Dark Stones, little Maggie."

***

Time flew, and little Maggie grew, eventually shedding her puppy coat to reveal a brown one with a slight purple tinge to it, similar to her biological father, Zrin. She also had his purple eyes, though hers were more almond-shaped. She proved to be a spirited little pup.

"Okay, now, little Maggie. Pay attention," Onor said calmly as he guided his daughter through the forest.

"We're outside!" Maggie yipped, her voice still shrill from her young age.

"Yes, outside of the rendezvous. Normally we don't take you away from it yet, but I think you're old enough to go with guidance now."

Maggie clearly wasn't listening. She was staring with round eyes at a spider in the middle of her web. "Ooooh!" she said in awe. "Spider! She's so large!"

"Yes," Onor said with a gentle smile. "Now, if you would please look here..." He gestured to a growth of burdock.

Maggie kept staring at the spider, before suddenly whacking her out of her web with a clumsy paw. It destroyed the web, and the arachnid was knocked onto the ground. She tried to scuttle away, but Maggie pounced on her, crushing the creature with her over-sized puppy paws.

"I did it!" she bayed. "I killeded it!"

Onor nodded. "You'll make a good hunter some day, like your father."

"I'm gonna be even better than Daddy Zrin is!" Maggie said proudly. "I'll be the bestest hunter in the entire Pack of Dark Stones. No, the entire world!"

Onor chuckled. He admired his daughter's confidence, something he utterly lacked. "I'm sure the entire territory's prey population will be running off in fear once you're a trainee."

Maggie nodded excitedly. "Yes! And I'll chase them and catch them all! The Pack will eat for years!"

"Right," Onor said. "Now, please come here." Finally having her attention, Maggie moved closer to her father.

"Whatcha looking at?"

Onor gestured to the burdock plant in front of him. "You know what this is?"

"A plant," Maggie said and she sat down with a large yawn.